Happy New Year!

It's a new year, a fresh start, a brighter future, new adventure and it still feels like any other day! There is a Twilight Zone marathon on so that makes it an even greater day! Paul and I stayed up last night watching it. Those marathons are addicting! We kept saying to ourselves... we'll go to bed after this one last episode.

Yesterday, after 7 straight days in the house, I went out. Paul came home and nursed the kids, I stopped at the office to pick up some things for Family First Sunday School to work on, then I went to Safeway to use my 10$ off coupon on a box of diapers. It was packed. Insane. I can't stores like that. Then of course, I ran into a couple of people from church so I had to stop twice to visit amongst the madness.

Here goes the blah, blah, blah of Rachel's head.... I don't know when the last time, if ever, I spent so many consecutive days in the house. I have a lot of thoughts about that. Here are just a couple. I love to be home, but 2 days is usually tops for me. My innermost fantasy is also my most often thought about "escape route" from the kind of life we live. To live out in the middle of nowhere, with just my family, and never have outside contact with the world. I know the reason for that is because my life is so much less complicated, stressful, and easier when I'm protected in my own home. After 7 days in the house it was wierd for me to go out yesterday and see that the world is just as I left it. Same old staff, same old church people, same old clients.... all with the same old issues and problems. Even with the flu, my life has been so simple the last week. I'm going to miss that but am not able to get around the many Scriptures that point me and my family to the world and not "hidden under a bowl" which, admittedly, I would prefer! The fact of the matter is that the kids and I are home way more than we're not but even a couple of hours with some of the people in our lives can feel like 50 and I have to really discipline my brain not to get sidetracked while I'm in my home! And no whining intended at all.... the other reality is that while we my put our roots down in our home for 3,4,5,or more years, there is always the knowing that we are in any given place for a short while. I try not to think about it, but each Christmas in our home brings us closer to our last one. When I pack up Christmas decorations or anything for that matter, I pack like we're moving. It's just a way of life that is just hard to explain, but God calls us and we choose it! That's why we make such an effort to build a strong marraige, a strong family and strong children. Only time will tell though how everyone turns out!! Of course, I'm almost 33 and still "turning out"!!

I'm hoping to go to Fred Meyer today. I'm thinking everyone's sleeping and/or have hangovers from New Year's Eve so it shouldn't be very crowded. The kids STILL aren't well enough to go out, although they are getting better slowly. I'm trying to get us back in a routine. We'll play some games today, for as long as they can sit up. I think Paul can start reading our Bible time again, but it is so annoying to have to stop to cough. I know I'm terrible, but his coughing drives me crazy, even though I'm sitting there doing it too! It's funny, I just hate annoying noises and his cough is one of them! I know, I'm so mean. That's why I'm definately not in the health profession.

The kids are freaking out that Hannah really outdid herself this time. I better go see the mess.

Doing Better

Well, most of us are feeling better today. I was able to get caught up on some chores. I'm trying not to over do but I suddenly want to turn the house upside down and inside out after being laid up for so long. The kids are still sleeping a lot but they are still fighting fevers too. At any moment, you can hear coughing throughout the house. We watched part of a movie together this afternoon and the volume was up LOUD just so we could hear it over the coughing. We were laughing, but that only causes coughing and misery, so we stopped. Even typing makes me cough.

For Christmas we got the family a WII!! I am no longer in the "hall of pride" for not owning a gaming system! (he!he!) It seems like a ton of fun and up to 8 people can play, so everyone is involved. (I think Paul and I wanted one just as bad) The boys hooked it up on Christmas morning in all their excitement. I think they've played it for maybe 30 minutes total so far. It requires a lot of movement which is not something any of us are into at the moment. BUT the kids were sooooo excited to open it Christmas morning! They were shocked and so thrilled! Paul and I had such a great feeling giving it to them. They are very good kids who genuinely try hard at being good people. (and we just think the world of them!) They have patiently waited and never even seriously asked for such a gift. Let the good times begin!!! (cough, cough!)

Also for Christmas, Paul and the kids totally surprised me with a digital camera! I am so happy! Paul talked about getting me one for my birthday, but now I have it early!! So now I can go back to being a crazy picture taking mommy AND now I can post some on my blog instead of emailing everyone.

Worst Christmas Ever

Well, we're here. I think we're going to live, though I had my doubts. For Christmas, we all woke up with the flu. Every one of us. A few of us were already quite sick by Christmas Eve and by morning we were in bad shape. We opened up presents between coughing and puking and very high fevers. Then we collapsed into heaps in the living room and stayed for days. I think we were in and out of comas. If the Health Department had discovered us, we would've been put out of our misery for sure and quarintined for a year. We only got worse and worse but starting yesterday could move around more. Paul and I are feeling like we might actually be kicking this thing, although we are wiped out, exhausted and have terrible coughs. The kids are doing better, going longer without fevers and we're all starting to eat again. I am still upset that Christmas was so ruined. All of the gifts are hardly touched. We froze the Roast Beast for a later date, but I don't know when. A few of our Soldiers did church for us. We haven't left the house for 5 days, expect for Paul who had to do payroll this morning. I vacuumed today, knocked the wind out of me and cooked french toast so the kids would eat. They look so skinny with big old heads on top. I told them they could eat whatever they want, they just need to eat.

Christmas Eve

I feel so yucky. I just don't get a good night sleep when I'm prego. I sleep solid through the night maybe once every three weeks. It's draining. The Doctor says it's hormones. I also have a bad sinus cold. I am so tempted to take a Sudafed. I know the side affects for baby is drying out amniotic fluid and a raising of blood pressure. But I'm convinced that if I just double up the water it should be fine. I have good blood pressure anyway so what harm would there be in a slight elevation. See how I just talk myself into stuff. Hopefully I can make it through the day without. I also start missing family at Christmas. Everyone else is out frolicking around with family, we're just home. But at least we have our own big family for lots of festivities, loudness, and merriment AND we get to stay in our jammies all day on Christmas! Okay, enough complaining...

I have lots of baking to do: sugar cookies, bagels, gooseberry pie (thanks for the gooseberries Mom!), fudge (my mom-n-laws family recipe). The kids will roll out and decorate the cookies while begging if they can eat one yet. Paul will snitch fudge all afternoon when he gets home and then play innocent. I will lust after my gooseberry pie until tomorrow when I can finally dig in.

On Christmas Eve we open 1 gift. Ann has been begging to open a gift since 6am. I'm sure this will last all day looooong.

Paul and I still have some wrapping to do. WARNING: After tomorrow I will officially fall from the throne of "exalted motherhood". (ha!ha!) The pride of my peaceful, "uncontaminated home" will blissfully be gone for good! I will fill in the details tomorrow, but just thought some of you might want warning so that you can turn away now and save yourselves. What we're about to do tomorrow has taken us a year to decide (and save!), and I am most excited about all the family FUN we're going to have!!

Happenings

Yes, Roosevelt is a guinea pig! He is so fun! We're thinking of a nice Christmas present to get him. I want to get him a ball to run around in, but Paul is thinking those are just for hamsters. I bet I could still stuff him in one.

Church was great yesterday. We still had over 40 people come, despite the bad weather. We would just not want to cancel Christmas Sunday even though we got a lot of phone calls! Still some of our church family couldn't make it in like those in Dufur or those whose neighborhoods that didn't get plowed. We missed them.

Saturday was the Church Christmas party. We had close to 100 hundred people packed in our little chapel and fellowship hall. Everyone always turns up for the parties. If everyone showed up on the same Sunday for church, we'd have the same attendance for that too. I read in my Christianity Today that only 15% of Christians go to church every single Sunday. The majority go to church once a month or less. "Let us not give up in meeting together" Hebrews 10:25

After church we went out for lunch at Denny's. The kids love that place and we still had an errand to run. Why drive back and forth. We had the place practically to ourselves so we could be as loud as we wanted. The kids ate like pigs. They have been. I think the cold weather and all the snow play has made them hungry hippos. Then we went to Fred Meyers to buy our Roast Beast and other fixings for Christmas Dinner. The stores are not getting their shipments because the roads have been closed between here and Portland. There were many empty shelves. Plus it was packed, soooo busy. I'm always telling the kids to line up so we take up less room. But this time Paul was with us and he doesn't like being told to line up (he!he!).

We had a great late afternoon of sledding. Hannah LOVED her first ride but after that she was crying the whole time on the other rides. Ann screamed her head off, just like me ;). The guys were using a snow pile for jumps and they were literally flipping over. I went down only once with the boys because David steered us into a snow pile and I caught air. Not good.

It was a great full day.

Snow

I got majorly stuck in the snow this morning. Kids in tow and everything. It was around 7:15am, and I had went to close to the curb where all the snow was and was STUCK. I tried everything to get out and as soon as I made progess, I was stuck again. WRONG DAY for this to be happening, as it was our Distribution day. After trying forever, I called my helpline... 1-800- help me Paul! He's a pro after growing up in Michigan. Well, he was in the middle of picking up our tons of turkeys so he sent our fab truck driver to rescue me. The kids were calling me a damsel in distress. Finally, a couple of men walked over to me and offered to push me. I argued a little because I was very scared I would run them over. They promised me they'd jump out of the way. So they pushed and I gased it, and lo and behold I was FREE!! I am so grateful. It was funny AFTER the fact, David piped up from the back seat "Mom- you better call Mark and tell him to call off the rescue party". Now that was funny!

About 2 minutes later we were off and driving, I mean SLIDING, all over the place. Very scary and made me VERY tense. I sooo wish I could just hold up in the house and not go anywhere when it's like this, but I just can't. There is much to be done!

At least the kids had a good time ;)

Christmas Break!!!

It was disappointing that the boys missed their Christmas parties at school because it was cancelled yesterday and today. They had so much planned and lots of goodies made to give mom and dad for Christmas.

I am soooo excited that it is Christmas break! The boys are too!! Not only am I thrilled to have my selfish way and keep the boys all to myself!!! But I look at these breaks as a break for me!! No lunches to pack, no teachers/classrooms to be involved in, no homework teaching, no strict schedule in the mornings, no school visits, no papers/info to keep track of, no aftershchool debriefings!! Blessed break! Yay! There is a new movement taking place called "home-unschooling"....I think I'll actually buy into it until Jan. 5!! (ha!ha!)

Paul and I will also be taking an "unofficial" few days off between the holidays (more for me) from the Corps and just do what needs to be done.