Still Here!

So life has been quite busy! I so want to blog more regularly. I have started working part time as an administrative assistant at my husband's CPA firm. Plus I have added another part time job...couponer! Of course I do that one at home, but it really does take a few hours a week. The good news is that I have saved a TON of money this year on groceries and household items.

Then there is that homeschooling thing. Yeah, that's another part time job.

Anyway, I haven't figured out what I want this blog to be about. I used to just throw up the occasional photo or story about the kids. But I no longer have a camera and I'm not sure I want to put too much on here about my kids anymore. Truth is, I don't know what to share.

But in the interest of keeping this blog pretty, here is a picture of my favorite animal lover!

Travel Group Reunion

Betsie, Julia, Abbie

These little princesses were all born within 10 days of each other and lived in the same orphanage for their first 10.5 months.

A little over 2 years ago, six families from all over the country shared one of the greatest adventures ever...the journey to China to meet ~ and adopt ~ six orphans from the Hunan Province. Our journey together began with a really LONG layover in an airport in Chicago, followed by two weeks of sight seeing, memory making, scary traffic, assertive street vendors, laughter, prayer, lizards, chicken knuckles, and tears.

On Saturday, for the first time since that great adventure, three of those families spent the day together in the Atlanta, GA area. It was so special to see how the babies, now preschoolers, had changed and grown. It was fun hanging out with people who became very dear to us two years ago. And I was so happy that I got to introduce my other two girls to them as well as meet a few of their family members as well. I can't wait for the next reunion (in Florida, right Heather?)!

Devotion Time

We are studying the book of Matthew. I thought this was a sweet scene in our home tonight so I went and grabbed the phone for a picture (camera still not working). Sorry for the grainey looking photo, but this made me smile tonight.

Some Updates

There have been so many reasons to blog in the last week and a half. I wish I had not missed them all!

• House fever is not gone but it is not spiking either. We have decided to wait until after tax season next year before there is a "for sale" sign in our front yard. In the mean time, we have made an enormous to do list to get this house ready to sell. The previous owners put carpet over hardwood flooring down the hall and in the bedrooms. We have been rough on the carpet so it will need to be replaced. However, Jason is thinking of ripping up the carpet and refinishing the hardwoods instead. Crazy, crazy...but way nicer for showing the house.
• Mary Evelyn turned 8! Shame on me for not doing a birthday post for her. Sigh... We had a little mini celebration with my friend Hollie and her guys on her birthday. Then Hollie (being the servant kind of gal that she is) drove the big girls to the movie theater to meet my dad so they could see Prince Caspian. My dad says he still hasn't seen the movie because they sat on the front row and he kept his eyes closed. He says it sounded like a good movie though! Then the girls spent the night with my parents...including little Miss Betsie. The next night we celebrated with Jason's parents.
• The above mentioned night at Mom and Dad's was Betsie's first night away from us...she was not a good sleeper unfortunately. But she told my mom, "I yuv you, Mimi." so I think she was forgiven.
• While the girls were with my parents, Jason and I used a gift certificate to a lovely local Bed & Breakfast. So, so nice. Our 15th anniversary was the day before Mary Evelyn's birthday so it was a special getaway for us. Did I mention that about 2 months ago Jason surprised me with a new van (Odyssey...woo hoo!) for my early anniversary gift? Pretty cool. He got an ipod nano. So come the big day, we were broke and just had to be sweet and skip the gifts.
• I painted my master bathroom. It's lovely. I might have to start a new blog category showing before and after pictures with all the projects we have planned.
• I got excited when David Cook won American Idol.
• Then I was broken hearted just an hour later to learn that Maria Chapman, daughter of Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed in a terrible accident. I have been grieving for them since Wednesday night and praying for them constantly. I just received a prayer email asking for prayers for wisdom about when they should return home. They have been staying with friends since the accident. Please pray for the Chapmans.
• We are almost done with school for this year and excited about our short break until mid-July when we'll start back up.

I'm Still Around

Well, I do still exist, but apparently just don't blog much anymore. I'll have to work on that. Now that tax season is over and Jason isn't working at night, I guess I'm hanging out with him and not spending as much time at the computer desk in the evenings!

Here's a little of what has been going on:

• We've been planning trips! Jason and I have a Family Life Marriage Conference coming up (Weekend to Remember). We are going out of town for that. Also, we received a gift certificate for a night at a local B&B so we will be spending a night there soon for our 15th wedding anniversary. In a few months we are planning a family vacation to the Creation Museum and lots of other attractions in the area. So nailing down details for all of that has been fun.
• Foster: He came to us with kennel cough so we have been dealing with that and just adjusting to a new pup in the house.
• Mother's Day! We only got to see Jason's mom very briefly but we had dinner with my mom and dad Saturday night. My sister and her family were there as well.
• School: About 3 more weeks to go. I am still very excited about our plans for next year.
• Betsie: potty training...good days and not so good days. Also, if you've read my blog for a while you know she was a climber and had a crib tent to keep her in. We took that off and lowered her crib rails so that it's sort of like a toddler bed. She is staying put so that is a good thing.

Not sure what else to tell you...we've been watching way too much TV for people who get no channels. Netflix is a good thing. Then there are the swimming lessons we have twice a week and the very cool lake with walking trails we found just a couple of miles from here. So we are enjoying the spring and being together. I am so thankful to have Jason around a little more at this time of year. I hope you are enjoying your spring time too.

More Party Stuff

Okay...my sister Laura has better pictures of the party at her blog so go here to see more!

Pre-Party Pictures and Stuff

Well, the party was very successful. So successful that I didn't take a single picture during the party. I was too busy helping with food and spending time with friends and family who came to celebrate surviving another tax season with us. Here are a few pictures from before the guests arrived.

Rachel in front of the jump castle. You might be able to see her face paint too. We had the jumpers plus cotton candy machine, a face painter, and a sound system. It was great!

Mary Evelyn getting more and more excited while she waits for her friends to show up!
I felt this slide was a tad obnoxious since it was taller than our house, but no neighbors have complained yet so I guess we're okay. The older kids loved it and I even went down once. My sister made me go with her. I have a terrible feeling that someone else took pictures of that but I wouldn't count on seeing it on this blog anyway.

Mary Evelyn after sliding

Rachel getting ready to slide.

The jump castle. Some of the younger kids loved this one. But not the littlest ones like Betsie and my two year old niece. They were a bit overwhelmed.

Rachel in the jump castle

Jason working two grills with hamburgers and hotdogs

Mary showing me her face paint

Today Was...

The Last Saturday of Tax Season '08!!!!

I think Jason has worked at least a part of every Saturday since early/mid January. But this was the last one for a while. (He knows there might be a "conflict" if he tries it for a few weeks.) We only have a few more days until the 15th and then he is off for a few days, including the weekend. We have a party coming up Friday to celebrate. Lots to do between now and then, including calling a plumber...another post for another day.

I've Been At This For a Decade

Being a mom, that is. Rachel turned ten a few days ago, but I am a little late in writing about it here. I've had a hard time thinking of what I would want to say about her. She is so special to me and I am truly thankful that I was chosen by God to be her mother. We have been celebrating for a few days already!

Wednesday night, the older two girls spent the night with my mom. She took them to a movie and then brought them home on Thursday before art lessons. Rachel came home to roses from Jason, a cake, and a few gifts. Her biggest gift was the whole earring thing a week earlier. Thursday evening we also went out to dinner with Jason's parents and brother and sister-in-law.

Friday we went outlet shopping with my mom. Then today my dad came by to take her to lunch since he missed seeing her when she spent the night with mom (he was out of town) and two of her friends came over this afternoon to go skating and out to supper with us for Rachel's birthday. How did she manage to have a three day birthday celebration?

I am glad we have been able to prolong the celebration though because Rachel is such a gift to us. She had a few difficult days earlier in the week and I was so thankful that she has enjoyed the last few days. When you consider the fact that she is our oldest and therefore has the least experienced parents of our three children, she is a great kid! Absolutely none of the credit goes to us...we couldn't even believe they let us take her home from the hospital ten years ago!

So Happy Belated Birthday to my lovely, sweet Rachel! You are a treasure and I thank God for you!

Pictures to follow later...gotta get everyone ready for Easter tomorrow.

The Week in Review

We had several "blog worthy" happenings this week, but I wanted to leave the posts up about Cohen and Ellie for a few days so you all would pray. FYI...both children are doing well. Ellie remains critical, but more stable.

Rachel's 10th birthday is next week and I have always told her she could get her ears pierced when she turned ten. (Worked for my parents with me so I just copied them on this one.) So Thursday we headed to the mall and got it done! She was very excited and feels so grown up.

Rachel's nervous face

Here we go...

One ear done!

Here comes the other one...not enjoying this so far.

Yes! It's over! Now she can smile!

In other news...yesterday we went to a horse farm for a field trip. Here are a few pictures from that. Unfortunately my camera battery died before they got to ride the horses. You'll also be able to see that Mary Evelyn is sporting a cute shorter do in these photos...another thing we did this week.

Two Special Children

Thanks for the great comments on my previous post. My girls have always been the messy, creative types. I LOVE that about them(well, the creative part), but the mess you saw in that post is the norm rather than the exception. So it has taken some getting used to. They love to take every toy or box or anything and make BIG towns, houses, vet offices, etc. Clean up time here takes a while every day.

But that's okay. As the end of the week approached and over this past weekend, God has once again helped me to see that these little messes really are nothing to whine about. God has used two very special children to show me what matters and to show me that I am blessed...messes and all.

The first child is Baby Cohen. His parents are friends with my sister and brother-in-law. He was born Wednesday night and was not expected to live. He had been diagnosed with a fatal disorder during pregnancy. Well, he's still here and God is using him to bring glory to Himself! Cohen is breathing on his own, beginning to take bottles and nurse, and his parents are making appointments for him for the months to come...something they never expected to get to do. God has shown me through Cohen that there can never really be anything that is 100% sure in the medical world. He is truly Sovereign and the giver of life!

The next is Ellie. Regular visitors are familiar with three year old Ellie by now. Well, keep praying. She is currently in a Charleston hospital in traction preparing for two very important operations this week. Ellie did have some considerable pain after her first surgery last Wednesday but she is doing well so far. Pray that God would continue to give her parents (Greg and Denise) peace as they anticipate these surgeries. For some reason, I am thinking I read that the surgery would be something like ten hours, but I can't find that now on Denise's blog. Here is a picture of Denise and Ellie wearing her halo.

On a completely unrelated note: Happy dating anniversary to Jason (18 years since our first date!) and Happy Sweet 16 to my lovely niece Jordan! I called her on her cell phone earlier and she was driving around...I feel old. I can't believe she is old enough for cars and cell phones! Have a great day JJ, from the original JJ!

Yesterday My House Was So Clean

You may remember that Jason gave me the gift of house cleaning service for Christmas. Well, the cleaning people came yesterday and the house looked really nice. I always pick up really well before they come so they can vacuum and dust and mop and do the big stuff. Well, this afternoon I have been in my bedroom planning upcoming birthday celebrations and when I came out, this is what I found.

Big.
Heavy.
Sigh.

The girls made a road out of MANY children's books. But that is only the beginning of this HUGE MESS! (Yes, I am yelling.) The road is also partially lined with all kind of buildings (farms, dollhouses, and other toys I now regret purchasing) and even GRASS from outside. Did I mention the cleaning people vacuumed yesterday? The town started in their bedroom, pictured above, and then went down the hall...

...and into the schoolroom...

...in front of the couch... (That black line is the dog's leash tied in a knot between two chairs. I have no idea why.)

...all the way around and then behind the couch. See that towel with the bowl and toy dolphin sticking out? There's water in there. That must be the zoo or Seaworld or something. At least they put down a towel.

Now, the lovely part is that I had these books somewhat organized on the shelves. Not perfectly, but I could find most any book I needed. Some go in our book basket for school time. Some are LIBRARY BOOKS (that will hopefully NOT be mixed in with the others or I know two girls who will be working hard to pay off some fines), some are books from their bedroom, etc. Fortunately Betsie is asleep so the books in her room are still there.

I know this is cute and creative. If this were your blog, I would be laughing. If this were 5 years ago, I would be laughing. But it's now and it's my house, and I have to be the bad guy at clean up time. And this is one job that I will definitely have to supervise closely to make sure the books end up in the proper place. Someone please tell me that this is a short season and I should enjoy it. And then tell me whether or not it's worth it to pay people to clean my house when it doesn't stay clean for even 24 hours.

Okay...there, I took out my frustration on you and my kids are still happy. At least they like books, right?

Hia for Lunch!

That title only make sense if you know that Betsie's word for ice cream is hia (pronounced hee-ah)...we don't know why. The first time I figured that out was thanks to her knowing a lot of sign language from the Signing Time DVDs. One day she kept asking for "hia" and this dull mom just wasn't figuring it out. Then she made the sign for ice cream! Now the bad thing is that we all call ice cream "hia!"

Often overheard around here:
Mary Evelyn: Betsie, say ice.
Betsie: Ice
Mary Evelyn: Say cream.
Betsie: Ceam (she leaves the "r" out)
Mary Evelyn: Say ice cream
Betsie: (With a note of triumph at once again messing with us...) HIA!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, today is pj day at Bruster's and I took the girls to get their free cones. And since Jason has been working his tail off and we see no end in sight for several more weeks, I feel no guilt for treating my girls in this way. (Okay, it's a treat for me...I don't have to fix lunch and everybody is happy. I admit it.) Snack will be apples or peanut butter or something that makes me feel like a better mother.

By the way, Betsie calls Mary Evelyn "Mia" and my brother Billy "Bia." And you know Spongebob's snail Gary? He is now called "Gia."

Thoughts of Spring

Did you know that Daylight Savings Time begins on March 9th this year? So we'll have that extra evening sunlight a little earlier. And Easter comes early too. For us, Spring brings three birthdays (Rachel, Mary Evelyn, and Jason) and maybe even a big end-of-tax-season party. That's only an idea right now, but our wheels are definitely spinning. This has been a hard tax season so far so we will definitely need to celebrate when it's over! This spring will also bring our 15th wedding anniversary. Fifteen years? Is that possible?

Spring also brings a bit of spring fever as far as school goes. I counted up how many days of school we have left and after today we have 56 days to go for this school year. (Our state requires 180 days total.) We'll finish up late May unless we need to take some some sick days or something else unexpected happens. School has gone well these last few weeks so I am praying we finish strong rather than just muddle through. I'm so excited about next year's plans that I am having to be extra disciplined just to teach these remaining weeks of THIS year!

Mary Evelyn is most excited about spring because she looks forward to ladybugs and caterpillars and bees on clover, etc. She tends to repress memories of mosquitoes and other pests. She found a couple of bugs yesterday and picked some of my very few flowers. Ugh...another sign of spring...Mary Evelyn picking the few flowers that we actually have.

One other sign of spring...my parents can't be still. This year they are going to Spain. But they'll be over there wishing they could make it to our big end-of-tax season party, I just know it.

Valentine's Day/My Birthday in Pictures (so far)

(Looking rough, I know)

My curriculum came today!

Read Aloud Time

I love the Little House books. We are almost done with These Happy Golden Years when Laura and Almonzo are engaged. But tonight Jason is reading to the girls. I can hear them giggling like crazy in their room. Jason keeps reading Almonzo's name as "Alfredo" instead of Almonzo. He's totally butchering a good love story. I fight back the tears at the shy, romantic ways of young Laura and Almonzo. Jason presents it in his silly way and has them in stitches.




And that is one difference between moms and dads.

Good Week/Bad Week

The bad part is that I have had a cold. The good part is that I am getting better. The other bad part is that Betsie has it too. She still feels terrible and is super clingy and snotty...love that combo. She is kind of pitiful with her cough and runny nose and watery eyes. I hope (and pray) that she feels better soon. She is napping now or there is no way I could get this typed.

The other good and fun part of this week is that it's my birthday tomorrow! Yay! (I still like my birthday.) I have already received many blessings. My friend Hollie brought me some goodies last week. She spoils me. Then I won a little door prize at my homeschool support group meeting, a mug of candy and a Starbucks gift card. Jason was happy about the Starbucks card.

Sunday I checked my email and had an e-gift certificate to Amazon from my mother and father-in-law. It was spent before I finished checking email. Can't wait for that package to arrive. One thing I got was a John MacArthur book I have been wanting but I'm too cheap to buy for myself (library doesn't have it). It's called Twleve Extraordinary Women. It is about 12 women in the Bible. I got a few other goodies too.

Last night my parents took us to a Japanese steak house for my birhday. Betsie didn't feel great and she was pretty scared of the fire and all that showy stuff. My parents gave me some great gifts though. I got a Vera Bradley purse. (I've browsed before but never bought one!) I also got the softest, warmest lay-on-the-couch and watch a movie blanket. My girls have been warned that it is not a fort-building blanket. There were a few other treats too, but those were my favorites. The girls got little Valentine gifts from my parents too. (new webkinz for the olders and a beanie baby for Betsie)

This is Rose wishing she had my cool blanket. Sorry Rose.

And tomorrow I will be getting some kitchen shears and knives from Jason, but I am not supposed to know that, so shhhhhh. I know it doesn't sound like the typical Valentine/birthday gift, but it's what I asked for so I will be happy! (Assuming they shipped on time to get here. But I know nothing about it of course.) Also, Jason is very busy at work, but he has been trying to be home a little earlier in the evenings to spend a bit more time at home this week. That is a real gift for sure.


And God has blessed me with a huge peace about the direction of our homeschool. What a gift! The conference I went to last weekend was spectacular and I am very excited about the co-op we will be involved with and the new curriculum we will use.

So the good definitely outweighs the bad. Happy Valentines Day to all of you!

Forgot one huge thing: Betsie has used the potty THREE times this week! And I'm not even potty training her yet!! (Waiting for warmer weather so she can wear little dresses to make it easier) Did you hear us cheering for her and doing the happy potty dance? Go Betsie go! (And one of those times was when MARY EVELYN took her after "doing school" with Betsie, which consisted of Mary Evelyn writing the alphabet on the whiteboard and making Betsie repeat all the letters after her. Hilarious.) Good stuff!

Having a Ball

This ball went to the beach with us last fall, but I found it recently (forgotten until now) in the front pouch of Mary Evelyn's suitcase. We even forgot about it at the beach.

Does anyone know of an inflatable globe this size that I could order?

Something is gonna get broken.

What a Good Little Helper

Jason got some toys out of the attic today for the girls. (We rotate some of their things or we'd be overtaken by their TOYS!) We found a toy vacuum cleaner and Betsie is really enjoying it. I had forgotten all about it and even thought about getting her one for her birthday...guess I don't have to now. (Maybe we should have saved it for her birthday...duh!)

We Got Snow!!!

Hooray! My girls were so excited this morning when they got up! It's our first snow of the year. Actually, some years we get no snow and it rarely snows more than a couple of times at the most. It seems our "winter weather" is usually a nasty ice storm. So when we see the white stuff, it's BIG NEWS!!! Betsie loves it but she gets SO COLD! Rachel and Mary Evelyn have been in and out all day, but they are having so much fun. They managed to make a pretty impressive snow lady, but we don't have a decent hill for sledding...of course we don't have a sled either. But they are enjoying themselves and we have lots of blessings for our blessing jar today.