Two Months

Yesterday was the 27th. The children have been here for two months! In many ways it seems MUCH longer, but the reality is that 60 days is not that long. It is true that the "honeymoon" ended very quickly, but in the grand scheme of things the healing began quickly too. We laugh now, we don't fight over every instruction, we don't have (many) tantrums, and we eat most meals without meltdowns. The kids have earned their AWANA uniforms, Cameron made the cookie club (he knows all his letters and their sounds), Jordan is earning Accelerated Reader points and making friends at school.

The kids jump on the trampoline after school, or we ride scooters and play basketball at the church if it's cold outside. We go to basketball games, church on Wednesdays and Sundays. We swim at the pool, watch Erin's swim meets and now soccer games. They know how to call the HOGS, and will watch most of a game (even on TV). They like to pull out the couch to watch movies and always ask for popcorn! They like to play hide and seek, UNO, and the wii. They play in the bathtub, are starting to learn words to songs on the radio, and hardly ever ask to watch SpongeBob or wrestling anymore.

Cameron is so curious...he asks A LOT of questions, some to just hear himself talk, but a lot just because he doesn't know stuff. Jordan is learning to express herself, and loves her sisters more than anything. She LOVES to play games and do anything with Sheridan. She's begun hugging us a lot, and even though she acts like she doesn't like it...she loves to be hugged and kissed by Richard and me.

We're working on getting them some swim lessons and we're going to try Branson for a few days on Spring Break. Sounds normal, doesn't it?

God is so good and He has been with us all the time...through homeschooling Sheridan, transitions at every turn, long days, icy weather, our busy season beginning, and every moment in between.

AWANA Quiz

Three reasons God gave us the Bible:
1. So we can know who He is.
2. So we can know His word is always true.
3. So we can know He is the One and Only true God.

Just 3 reasons out of 24 that Sheridan and her teammates learned to prepare for the AWANA quiz meet. So thankful for her diligence to study many afternoons when she could've been doing anything else. "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against Thee." GOOD STUFF.

Kindergarten

 

Isn't this the cutest little Dental Health sheet you've ever seen? As soon as I got it out of Cam's backpack he says, "I wanna eat my teeth!" I'm saying, "Uh, no, they have glue on them."

Yesterday his teacher sent me this pic...he was to write a letter to put in his hat (like Abraham Lincoln did?) and his letter is to his classmate, Litzy. It says, "I like my home."

THAT, is progress.

Big Weekend on the Hill

One year ago Ryan asked Katelyn to be his girlfriend...seems like a little thing, but since we protect those words around here, and don't encourage them until it's a big thing, it's A BIG THING. This weekend they celebrated Valentine's day and their 1 year anniversary. Ryan also got to be the emcee at the military ball in Fayetteville. Not only that, but the basketball Hogs won in Bud Walton and the Diamond Hogs swept their home opener series! Now, that's a BIG WEEKEND.

 

 

Family Weekend

Woo hoo! Just had a great trip out of town with the kids! Friday they were out of school for teacher in-service and we packed up and met Richard in LR. Our original plan was to meet him in Conway. However, Friday night he was in Dallas working, went to pick up food late and while he was in a restaurant someone broke out the back passenger window of his rental car and took his briefcase and his coat. HUGE problem to lose his briefcase full of his laptop (all his work), his files, and the car keys to his car parked in LR. So, we met him in LR with the extra set of keys to his car. Then we headed to the Apple store to take care of replacing his laptop so he can continue work. What a brilliant man, to have a back up hard drive at home.

Sooo, while we're in LR, we see the new Altitude Trampoline park we've been wanting to try out. It was SO fun and the kids had a blast. After an hour of sweating and laughing we headed to the RL event in Conway and picked up a few things for summer and saw Aunt Lana. Then, we headed up the road to Mimi and Gramps house. It was the first overnight trip for the kiddos....and they even panicked a little bit when we said we were "packing."

They had a WONDERFUL time walking down to the river, using the binoculars, sleeping in new places, making biscuits with Gramps, and then getting to go see the hatchery in Heber. Mimi enjoyed loving on them, making cookies with the girls, and hosting us all.  Our hike up Sugar Loaf was foiled by ice on the path, but Richard forged ahead through mud and cold to the other side of the mountain where we ended up going down the mountain to the road in front of Mimi's house. It was an unexpected adventure and even though all the girls grumbled (me included) we did indeed survive.

First of MANY trips...

Family Art Show

I pulled out the most pitiful paint sets on one of our snow days last week...they were probably from Ryan and Lauren in kindergarten...however, they work and the kids didn't complain too much. Jordan painted the top pic...it's taped to our bedroom door now. On Tuesday night she elected to stay home and have a night with me while Cam and Sheridan went to a ballgame with Erin. This is a big deal...to be separated from the other kids and be OK with it. We played Uno and painted together. Then she took a long bath. We washed and styled her hair, and then watched some Olympics. It was a very normal family night, and when I saw her painting (below) I knew it was all OK.

Snow Days

Saturday fun with Dad...I have a great pic of ALL the kids and the snowman...but still can't post their pictures. This particular snowman was made with all the snow in the front yard and was their FIRST EVER. Thankfully the snow caused no problems for the weekend or church.

 

Swim season

It's 20 degrees outside, we've had over 6 snow days but yes, it's still swim season! Erin has broken some school records. She and another girl trade great times and it keeps them competitive. She is one of the captains of the team, and I love hearing her encourage her teammates.

ANOTHER STEP

 

Another great song from Steven Curtis Chapman's album Glorious Unfolding. This is just a portion of this song, but Sheridan and I have been singing it over and over. What an encouragement Christian music has been to us.

Chorus:
Take another step, take another step
When the road ahead is dark
And you don’t know where to go
Take another step, take another step
Trust God and take another step
And another step and another step
Take another step and another step and another step

We walk by faith and not by sight we know it’s true
We say it and sing it and love the way it sounds
But none of us can even begin to truly understand
What it really means ‘til all the lights go out
And there we are nothing to hold on to
But the promises God’s made to me and you

Take another step, take another step
When the road ahead is dark
And you don’t know where to go
Take another step, take another step
Trust God and take another step

If there’s an ocean in front of you
You know what you’ve gotta do
Take another step and another step
Maybe He’ll turn the water into land
And maybe He’ll take your hand and say
Let’s take a walk on the waves
Will you trust Me either way
And take another step
Take another step

ANOTHER snow day

7am: Curious George

Breakfast

Uno

Painting

Puzzles

Set up Tent

Play School

Movie

Uno

Lunch

Time Alone

Coloring

Wii

Swimming Pool

Dinner

Baths

Movie

Bedtime for Cam

Uno

Reading Time

Bedtime for girls

9:20pm Mom ~ Exhausted!

 

Day 2:

7:00am Curious George

Breakfast

Make Beds

Coloring

Uno

New Superheroes

Wii - Erin and Jordan to CHS

11:00 Terri comes over plays Sorry, reads books, colors and makes snow ice cream with kids

(God bless my friend)

1:00 go to Russellville - CFA with Lauren

3:30 swimming

5:00 dinner and dressed

6:00 church

7:00 pjs and downtime

8:00 bedtime for Cam

Uno

Reading Time

AWANA

9:00 bedtime for the girls

MOM ~ survives another day on the Lane

 

School Days

I have a new appreciation for our teachers. Not only do they have the responsibility to educate our children and make them ready for promotion into the world,  but for the first time I realize they also have the burden of parenting character into children. I want to think the world is still a wonderful place, full of people loving Jesus, loving their children and working hard at their parenting. However, it's just not true for the majority. OF COURSE, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS.

So, these teachers...trying to make math facts interesting and valuable...are trying to talk kids into doing their work, and get things signed, and not get into fights or talk about things that aren't appropriate, all day, everyday. I can see the stress that would cause a teacher. And I am thinking of them a lot today because I am in a new place...I need them. I need my kids to be in school because they are doing well there. Their teachers are teaching, loving, and encouraging. My kids are loving music, art, PE, and the library. They have good days at school and it's good for all of us to have that structure in place.

SO THANKFUL for my kids' teachers.

New Normal?

Tonight we went to our friends' house to watch the Super Bowl. Well, the Super Bowl was on, but the snacks, conversation and laughter are what I enjoyed. It was almost normal, and I am thankful for the moments when real friends ask how we are, and mean it. Things are so much better than two weeks ago, and although we have slip ups (or downs) we seem to be still heading in the right direction.

It's supposed to snow A LOT here this week. Richard will be out of town for 4 days. I'm really having to work on my attitude. I've never been a big grumbler about the weather, hot or cold, but I've had a bad attitude all day about the possibility of snow days. I've got to give God credit for all He is doing in our lives. For the laughter, for the peaceful moments, for the games played, for the friends who have set their phone alarms to pray for us every day, for the cokes from Sonic, for hugs from Erin and for safety for us all. What comes with the weather should not make me anxious, He holds all things together.