What a week and it's not even over!

Well, first of all, to put all of this in perspective it is not that bad of a week when my mind considers what REALLY could be worse. To me right now though...at this very moment...I have reached for the bowl of Halloween candy that my kids got from "Trunk or Treat" the other night and picked out most of the chocolate!!

When Mark isn't working he is home working on big house projects which have been going on for quite some time now. He is usually a big help to me since he is off three and four days a week and he really helps me with the kids (even teaching them school) so that I can get housework done and errands ran. With not having his help I am now more stressed with the house not being clean, having no quiet time and having to run my errands with three kids and a baby (which has never been a problem for me before). Not until some unidentified two year old who is throwing fits and whining practically all day has kidnapped my daughter Hope and has taken her place. She is relentless! McCain behind in the polls hasn't helped things either.....but all of these things is not the kicker....NOOOOO. Tonight, on my way to pick up Dawson and Carys at Awana's, I pulled out of my garage and hit the little middle "thingy" (no, I don't know what it is called) that divides our 2 car garage and tore our garage off of the foundation!! At first I didn't think it was that bad but it is. The garage is sitting whoppyjawed (that's a real word right??). More work and more money to be spent for my dear husband who sweetly told me it was no big deal even when I know it is for him.

I wish I was a bear right now so that I could just hibernate for a long time and wake up to all the house projects done; a happy three year old and a clean house. If only.

By the way, if you happen to see Hope, please tell her that her mommy misses her and to come home ASAP. :)

"Somewhere in the Middle"

This song has become my favorite song and daily I listen to it when I jog in the mornings. The great thing about running for me is that I can really get into deep uninterrupted thoughts that can really be emotional for me sometimes. I don't know why, maybe it's the endorphins??? This song hits home to me because it is me....I am caught in the middle right now. I know what God is calling me to do/to be and one moment I want to run from it and the other moment I want to embrace it....other times I think I am there but in reality I am not.

I found the song on "Youtube" and tried to upload it so you could see it from my blog but I couldn't figure it out...grrr. I hope you don't mind following the link instead and if any of you feel sorry for me you can comment and tell me how to upload videos. :) If it doesn't work at all....I am SOOOOOO sorry...just go to Youtube and type in "Casting Crowns caught in the middle."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DveYBno-pmQ

Catching up

Well, it has been awhile so I am playing catch up. It has been real busy with a three month old and three active kids. The moments I have the time to post, there just isn't much to say! :)

Dawson had his birthday party and the boys had a great time. We started off bowling then came home and had a scavenger hunt in our neighborhood. The neighbors loved it and were very helpful and both teams actually got all the items listed. We then played flashlight tag in the dark until they were finally wore out and came inside to watch a movie as you see above. We declared lights out at midnight but they kept playing and wrestling with each other until they started to get hurt so we finally made them settle down at 1am. Wouldn't you know that they would be up at 7am!!! Aaaahh! I took a good nap that afternoon.

Carys' dance class had an open class where parents could come in and watch and at the end each little dancer had to pick a parent to dance with. Carys picked her daddy. I thought it was sweet that Hope joined in.

We went to the zoo last Friday and had lots of fun! Here is a picture of the kids....can you see Shepard on Dawson's back? Don't worry....Mark is holding him. :)

Riding the turtle

Little Shep

We then went to the park outside of the zoo afterwards. All of the kids were begging me to take pictures of them on everything.

Our Care Bear

Hopey Bope or little monkey

Sheppy!!




I just had to put this on. It looks like Shepard is just as serious as Dawson as he figures out his Sudoku puzzles.

Happy Birthday Dawson!

I can't believe you are already 8! You are our firstborn bundle of joy whom we brought home with excitement mixed with fear as we learned how to take care of you physically and (are still) striving to raise you spiritually so that you may have an understanding and love of Scripture and a lifelong passion for Jesus Christ. We have enjoyed watching you grow into a smart, funloving, silly yet tenderhearted boy that just plain wears us out!! We wouldn't have it any other way.

Here is the Birthday boy with the cute little puppy cake his NaMa and PaPa brought him

NaMa and PaPa stayed for a few days and brought presents and cake and fun for Dawson's birthday. The kids get so excited to stay in the hotel with them when they come visit....that is the highlight because they get to spend lots of alone time with them.

We also had a celebration with MiMi and PaPa too but I forgot to bring my camera....as always! He had a great time celebrating with his cousin Kaitlyn who is one day younger than he is. I am also in the midst of planning a little birthday fun with a few of his friends that I will post later.

We love you Dawson!

Projects, Projects, and more Projects!

Since we moved into our home in May, we have had many projects! This is one of our major projects we are doing to the house. We tore down the existing screened in patio and had a structure for a new balcony built last week. Mark plans on completing this project himself. He really enjoys learning and doing home projects. We have finished painting the girls' and the boys' rooms but still working on last minute touches. I will post those along with the new completed balcony as we finish....which could be awhile. ;)

First day of school!

Nobody slept well last Sunday night in anticipation of the first day of school on Monday. I would like to say for the kids it was because they couldn't wait to get back to Math and Reading, etc... but no, it was because they were getting a special breakfast and first day of school gifts!

Here they are eating sausage, bacon, donuts and chocolate milk

(at least I added protein)

Anxiously waiting to open their gifts...Hopey too!

Wow mom, thanks for the glue and pencils! :)

(They got some Bibleman action figures as well)

Bibleman helping Dawson do grammar

The kids dancing around the table while learning their States and Capitols

Dawson's 2nd grade curriculum

(plus memory work and LOTS of reading)

Carys' Kindergarten curriculum

(plus memory work and reading her first books)

We have had a great first week of school. The kids (and mom) only whined a little when bedtime got earlier and the mornings came too soon. I think we have now adjusted and are getting our routine established. We also have PE class, piano lessons, group theory, bowling league, dance and soccer thrown in the mix (and of course having friends over) so we are finding our days packed full and I haven't even mentioned church activities! Oh, my poor unsocialized kids! :)

Shepard is two months today and all smiles!

Friends & Bibleman

We have had a lot of good times with friends these last few weeks. It was really refreshing as it seems I have been couped up with the baby so much with the heat. Our Friends Troy and Cheryl are Stateside and came to B'ville to visit and it is always a joy because we only get to see them every two or three years. It is amazing to see how fast their kids are growing. I remember changing their kids diapers and now they are teenagers. Sheesh! We really enjoyed their visit. The boy's talked theology and politics and us girls talked about our kids. :) That's moms for ya. They are a really neat couple who are missionaries in Wales and are very passionate about reaching the lost. We could just sit and talk for hours...and we did.

Troy, Mark and Shepard while eating dinner at Mazzio's

Cheryl, Shepard and I



All of our kids

Then last night we went to see Bibleman Live in Oologah, Oklahoma! We kept it quiet for some time so it would be a surprise for the kids. Dawson was soon catching on.....I guess he is quite the eavesdropper on my conversations. When did that start happening that he was actually interested in adult talk???? However, he was thinking it was going to be a movie. We went with the Holley's, Dickinson's and the Girard's and had a great time watching the newest movie they are about to release. Then Bibleman appears in person and the kids got SO excited. He allowed the kids to ask him questions and talked about how they can be Biblemen and girls too by reading the Bible and hiding it in their hearts. Afterwards he was available to take pictures and talk with the kids so we had him sign their capes and took some pictures.

The majority of us waiting for the movie to start

Dawson and Bibleman

Carys and Bibleman


Hopey and Bibleman

It was really cute because after I took Dawson and Carys' picture of Bibleman I turned off my camera and then all of a sudden Hope jumps right up to Bibleman just like you see in the picture to get her picture too. It didn't dawn on me that she would want a picture with him....I am still in the mode of her being too young for all of this but yet she wants to be smack dab in the middle of everything big brother and sister do. She is our little firecracker! She knows what she wants and goes after it with gusto.