Here is a picture of the floor in progress, it is now complete but I haven't taken a more recent photo :) I like how it turned out and definately improves the look of the entire space. We have all the baseboards back up and are prepping to paint those (again.). I began cutting baseboards for downstairs which has honestly been a real thrill for me. We had to replace several pieces from when we first moved in and I figured out how to measure them and cut them. Tim showed me how to use his cut-off mitre saw thing and it's really cool. What a feeling of accomplishment to cut wood and have it fit correctly :)

This next picture is proof that Quinton loves Strawberries. If he even sees a berry he cried until he gets some. Using a fork is a new skill of late and he is really excelling in it. Though he has gotten quite frustrated that you cannot eat pretzel sticks with a fork. And evidently, everything tastes better when on a fork.


School is officially out and the kids have been finding things to keep busy with. They covered the entire driveway with people pictures to the point that it resembled a mass murder scene with body outlines everywhere. Thankfully they colored them all in and it turned out very nicely. Of course they asked me to take a picture. How could I resist?













It has been lovely weather the last few days. The evening have gotten quite cool and it makes for great sleeping weather. Working on the house is the main thing on our schedule for the near future, but we are trying to plan a few day trips and some other short outings to add some excitement to the summer. More on those plans as they come together.

Everyone is well and we are thankful for that. Nothing much to report really :)

Home Today

I was on the schedule for the nursery this morning and actually made it to church... but, came back home. Earlier this week Quin's nose started running. He is getting more teeth (his canines... oh those are so fun :/) and allergies have been bad, so we just figured it was a combination of both things. Well, this morning he had a fever and the crusty yellow junk in his nose didn't look good. I took everyone in, got Tim's opinion on the matter and brought Quin back home. A sub was found for my nursery spot. He nearly fell asleep in the five minute drive so I just put him to bed. He slept for over two hours! Now I'm not sure if he'll take another nap later this afternoon (he normally only takes one after lunch) but he does seem to be feeling a bit better. Perhaps he was just worn out.

Tim and I started installing the floor upstairs yesterday. I now remember how frustrating putting in the first two rows are, but now that we are on our third row, it does seem to be going in easier. We had a later start due to some door frames that were still in need of more trimming, but at least we are on our way. What is down so far does look nice though :)

Hannah and I went and picked some strawberries last night after dinner. I got two batches of jam done last night and another two made this morning (when I wasn't at church). I've eaten a good amount already too. I love strawberries and fresh picked are just beyond good. Quin loves them too.

Today is the Pocono 500, so the trails are full and the traffic is heavy. I had planned to go to Kohl's and look for shoes for Hannah but had forgotten about all the traffic. It will likely wait until tomorrow night. The raceway is about 10 minutes from our house so this is a popular place for all the fans to stay. It wasn't too bad last night noise-wise. The Pennsylvania 500 (in July) is usually worse for fireworks (illegal here) and loud parties, but I'm still thankful for the quiet night.

We had what was supposed to be an IEP meeting for Jot on Friday. We actually were not able to have the meeting though due to so many changes necessary to the evaluation report. The actual IEP meeting was re-scheduled for Tuesday. I went into the meeting fearing it was going to be a huge argument, us vs. them, about services and needs for Jot. Granted, we are already at 80+ days of something that is to take no more than 60 days to complete, so I was primed for an argument. Nothing much was said about the late time, but we did manage to have some good discussions about Jot and his schooling. More thought on it is necessary before we can sign off on anything, but at least we made some progress. I'm still rather conflicted about the benefits of public school for our family and the benefits of homeschooling on the individual child. What is best for them and best for "us as a whole" seem to be different. All of it goes into our bucket of concerns and our prayers for guidance and wisdom. The issues this week with watching movies in school wasn't super encouraging either. Anyone that has seen The Princess Bride, please feel free to leave a comment as to the educational significance of this movie for a history class . The lack of reply to an email or return phone call sort of gets my back up too.

SO, in summary.... this week was full. Next week will be even more so (three doctors appointments, and IEP meeting and the last days of school), but our floor is going in :)

Well it sure has been awhile hasn’t it? Lots to catch up on I guess…

First of all, I was able to tape together my Bible and for now anyway it will be fine. And in case anyone was wondering, the missing corners were from Job :) How funny is that?



The play went very well. The sound drove us all nuts and Tim's expertise in that area could have been utilized well, but all in all it was good. Everyone did great and fun was had by all. Hannah is the third from the left in the picture (which didn't turn out too good but is what I have to offer :) ).

My mom came to visit over Mother’s Day. It was a short visit but we all had a nice time. We went to Boulder Field (That great picture of my mom is from there) and on Saturday spent the day at Knoebel’s. I’m so glad we decided to go. It is a really fun place. Just like the old time town carnivals. The crowds really weren’t too bad and everyone got to ride several things. I will eternally remember Faith on the little race cars. Oh my goodness… right out of the gate she ran straight into the wall. The workers hopped on board to help and she just let go of the wheel and let them take her around the track. Definitely a princess in the making. Which does remind me of a latest quote of hers. Tim: “Faith are you going to grow up to be a responsible citizen?” Faith: “No, I’m going to be a cheerleader”.

We are continuing to work on the house (nothing new in that statement). It is safe to say that I’m getting rather tired of living in a remodel, but the end is in sight. After much deliberation, we decided to go with a Mohawk laminate in the entire upstairs area (living room, dining room, hallway and kitchen). We got a great deal on a discontinued oak look that matches the kitchen cabinets and have it all ready to go. The last several days have been spent pulling up the remaining wood tiles. These, for some unknown reason, were glued (with what seemed like gallons) to the subfloor. It took much patience but all the tiles are up. Next we began work on the very crooked, very ugly, very pink-grouted kitchen floor. This had a ½ inch concrete backer board on it on top of a ¼ inch subfloor. All in all the “step” up into the kitchen was about an inch. It has been an eyesore since we moved in. Prying up the tile has taken longer than we thought (doesn’t everything?) but it is all up and already looks a million times better. It made a huge mess and we (Tim) carried around 20 boxes of debris downstairs. Thankfully a guy from church in Philly is letting us throw the mess in the dumpster, so we don’t have to pay to take the stuff to the dump.

The Memorial Day weekend was rather quiet in the Trails here. It bulged with renters, who in past years have been rather loud and disruptive, but we made out pretty good this time. We held a yard sale on Friday and Saturday which made us over $300. A nice little bit of money for a couple days of sitting in a chair talking to people. Lots of stuff left our house which was the point and for which I’m happy :) I took the profits and paid for some summer clothes for the kids, Chinese carry-out and Tim and I went to see the new Pirates movie.

As far as the Pirates movie goes, I enjoyed it. I held off watching any of these movies until just before we left for Disney. I have to say I enjoyed the first one WAY more than I thought I would. It is actually now one of my favorite movies. Tim picked up the Jack Sparrow accent immediately and continues to make me laugh with his lines. Anyhow, about the third one… I read several very negative reviews. They said it was too long, too confusing, even too dark. I found it quite fun. Of course it’s a confusing story line, that is part of the point. No one is on anyone’s side…. for me, that is much of the fun of it. It was a bit on the dark side, but no more so than the second one in my opinion. I was quite surprised by the ending, which I liked. I hate knowing what is going to happen. There were some great lines and some classic Johnny Depp. My only gripe might be that there was not enough scenes with Keith Richards. He was a hoot and does have the best line of the movie (again, in my opinion.). So in conclusion… if you are after great drama and serious story lines, choose Lord of the Rings. If you are after Princess Bride laughs and a fun movie, go see At World’s End. So much for my movie review :)

It’s a stormy raining night and I am worn out from prying up tiles. I think I’ll go finish cleaning up and take a shower :)

The last picture is of all of us with Mom. We stopped to look at the lake at Hickory Run after our trek on the boulders. Mom got a big glob of tree sap in her hair from leaning into the tree. Oops.

Oh, I nearly forgot. I broke down and bought new mixer attachments. Mom tried to bring me some from the KitchenAide outlet near her, but they sold her the wrong size. Evidently all of the parts do NOT work on all of the mixers, contrary to what the salesman thought. Anyhow, I found them on ebay and am now back to being able to mix things :) My oven is fixed too :) Things do appear to be looking up again, one month later.

Horrible Rotten Very Bad Day(s)

Monday went pretty well. Tuesday got worse. So far today is even worse. Why is it when Tim leaves town all manner of things happen? I so very much want to be "with it" and keep the world spinning while Tim is away, but the honest truth is is that it usually is very difficult and I usually end up feeling like a complete failure as far as a mother and human being. Gone are my ideals of having Tim walk in and reporting that we had a marvelous time and all is well with the children and the world. I'd really stink at being a single mom. If God decides to take Tim, he had better take me with him 'cause I can't do this alone.

Last week before I left for the conference, the dryer and the oven broke. Actually I broke the oven trying to clean it (talk about guilt). Evidently that is what I get for trying to clean the oven. I lifted the heating element to wipe the junk out of the bottom before using the self cleaning function (just as the instructions tell you to do). Well, it shorted out, tripped the breaker, shocked and created a huge spark (neato.). A wire totally fried and we are now waiting on the replacement part (thank God for RepairClinic.com). Thankfully the stove top and the broiler work... but I do miss baking. We've grilled quite a lot this last week or so :) The dryer's heating element was on it's last leg for nearly a year, but at least we had the forethought to order a new part before (again Thanks to RepairClinic.com) and Tim repaired that last week. I'm ever so thankful for a handy husband. He has saved us fortunes by fixing stuff himself.

The kids all go nuts when Tim isn't here. His stabilizing force keeps the calm. Hannah and this play with the ever increasing practice times and every increasing lack of information has been very tiring. We had to arrange help to get her home while Tim was away since the kids are all in bed and I can't leave them to go get her (20 minutes one way... gotta love the boon docks!). So now, not only is she having to be there earilier and earlier, and getting home at Lord-knows-when, she is making our friends have to wait at the curb for nearly an hour. Not a good thing in our house. We are trying to be understanding, but keeping kids out after ten on a school night is really pushing it in my opinion. The play is this weekend, so at least the end is in sight. God help us make it through tonight's rehearsal.

So far today Quin was up at 12:30 AM hungry because he wouldn't eat dinner last night. So I fed him. I didn't get to bed until after 1:00 AM due to being a worried, angry mess that Hannah wasn't home and I had no idea where she was and then feeding Quin. Quin was up again at 3:30 AM with his leg twisted through his crib slat (not hurt, just stuck). Then he got up at 6:30 wanting breakfast, that he wouldn't eat. Perhaps it is still his teeth, but I have little sympathy at this point. Read on. I've not had much sleep (not a good ingredient). Hannah was up late, of course, because she didn't get home until after 10:00. She rushed through a shower and tried to wear her dirty clothes to school... that was a molehill I would really have rather done without this morning. Jot spilled jelly all down the front of him and gave me an attitude when I told him he'd have to change his shirt. What is it with wearing dirty clothes to school? At least Emma was dressed in something clean (probably too cold for shorts, but at least it was clean... she'll learn). Quin refused breakfast. I ate mine and his and then somemore. Somehow it seems as though food does help stress, though I know with my head that isn't true. I sat down with my tea and got ready to read my Bible. Got up to do something (bathroom maybe? I don't remember now), put my Bible in the middle of the kitchen table (what I thought was well out of reach) and came back a few minutes later to Quin tearing the pages into little bits. I had to take a quick walk to calm down and I'm still upset about it. 15 years worth of notes in that Bible and several parts of Psalms are now in bitty pieces. I actually screamed something totally unintelligible to no one in particular. It seemed to help some.

I have since tried to tape and glue the pages back in, though I still have two parts that I cannot find where they came from. I imagine this is a lot like what the guys that found the Dead Sea Scrolls had to do. I'll use BlueletterBible.org and try to locate the passages so I can find where they are supposed to go. Now I need to decide if I try to make do with this or buy a new Bible. I hate the idea of both options. I really, really love my Bible. It is a Cambridge Concord and hard to find (and not real cheap even though I only have to pay cost). I know the bookstore in Philly can order another, but what about all my years and years worth of margin notes? Ugh. It just makes me sick. I know Quin doesn't have the ability to know what he was doing, but gosh I hate it. This is worse than when I lost three roles of film in the mail. That sick feeling stuck around for months but there was nothing anyone could do to fix it.

For a bit more than a week now, I'm also missing my KitchenAid mixer attachments. I found the dough hook but cannot find the whisk and the flat mixer thing. We've looked everywhere, twice. Quin loved to bang them with the pots and pans and I just have this sinking feeling they made it into the trash (a new game Quin plays). Emma's chore is to empty the trash and she would never have considered that it was heavier than normal or there was anything amiss. We put the trash behind a closed door for safety, but it has been out a lot recently with all the painting and work we've been doing in the living room and the kitchen (and another reason a heavier-than-normal bag wouldn't create suspicion). I'm looking at $35 plus shipping to replace them. I just can't give in yet, I still think they might be somewhere here. I know if I do order replacements, we'll find the originals the day the replacements arrive.

So this whine and vent post is nearly over. I put Quin back to bed and I think he is actually sleeping. I'm sure I'll be trading in his afternoon nap, but at least Tim will be home by bedtime and I can have some quiet now. I'm breaking our house rule and letting Faith watch a movie on a school day. Gosh, am I pathetic or what?

It's Wednesday Night

Tim is rolling the paint in the hallway and I've finished cleaning brushes, so I thought I'd take a second (or few) to check in here. We've been working like crazy on the house and are really seeing results. It is a good feeling. We are motivated and taking advantage of that motivation. The hallway and kitchen ceiling was completed yesterday by me and today Tim did the trim and taped for the final color... what looks like coffee with lots of creme :) We replaced the kitchen light too. I finally took down the ugly wooden thing that spanned the cabinets over the sink. Is there a name for those things? It served no purpose other than to loom over my head as I washed dishes... but it's gone now!

We had snow over the weekend. I kept walking by the window in disbelief that it was really snowing this late in April. The kids even were off school Monday. Who would have thought of having a snow day after spring break? I guess that is life in the mountains. There is still snow on the ground, but at least the afternoons are a bit above freezing. Saturday before the weather hit, we headed over to the playground at the lake for a little while. Quin loves to swing and Faith still loves to swing. We spent a good portion of our time pushing the little ones. It was nice for us all to get out for a bit. Especially knowing what that weather brought. I have some pictures that aren't loading to the blog at this point, so I guess I'll have to share them later.

We got some bad news last week too. Hannah's Mexico trip has been cancelled. Gil (the youth pastor) talked to Tim in the hall at church in Philly and was pretty upset about having to cancel. There were not enough men signed up to go and after asking many guys, it just wasn't coming together. So for the first time in eight years, he had to cancel it. It was such a hard decision for him and I feel bad for him and the kids that were looking forward to it. But I trust that God has His reasoning for not allowing it this time. I told Tim that for the sake of the young people, I hope that reason is made evident. I think seeing an obvious reason that comes to light would be encouraging for them. However, certainly God knows what he is doing and we'll just go with that. Hannah was, as expected, disappointed and now rather bummed about her "boring summer". I have hopes that Gil will plan some local outreaches and other events for the group though, so maybe her summer won't be as boring as she thinks. I'm still waiting for spring to truly arrive, so it has been rather difficult to think too much about summer yet!

All's Well

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Quin's surgery went fine. He went in at 7AM for 8AM surgery and was done by 8:13. No IV, no surprises, no trouble at all. He was quite the trooper and didn't even cry at all. He crawled and climbed all over everything while he was supposed to be "recovering quietly" and seems to feel better than fine. We are home now and he is napping nicely. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes!

“He is not here: he is risen, as he said.” Matthew 28:6

On March 14th in 1987, over 20 years ago, in my driveway with a co-worker, I opened my life to Jesus. I had sat on the fence for many months, refusing to admit that I was in need of a Savior... that I had sin in my life that I could not make go away. That night, I gave up and asked Jesus to take over. And did He ever. More than just headed for death, I was headed toward a lifetime of selfishness, living only for me and what I wanted, without a care for anyone else in the world. He saved me from much more than my destiny in hell. He saved me from a life here of misery, lonliness and pain. He put my feet on a path of life. He gave me true joy and a life I could not have even dreamed. Not easy all the time, as this blog can attest, but full... an abundant life of direction, reason and significance. From that moment forward, I am blessed to say that I've never walked away from Him. I've had valleys and difficulties, but none so great that God wasn't there. Take time today to read John 3. On the original Good Friday Jesus was lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in Numbers 21. That all that look to Him would be cleansed and saved... just as all that looked at the serpent of Moses were healed from their snake bites. We've all been bitten by sin and each of us, as individuals... just like those in the desert with Moses, must look to Jesus' completed work on the cross to be healed. But don't leave Jesus on the cross. As today reminds us... He is not there anymore, He is risen.

So many songs are so special to me, but these few in particular.


Because He Lives (Bill Gaither)

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby
And feel the pride and joy he gives
But greater still the calm assurance
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river
I'll fight life's final war with pain
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives!


In Christ Alone (Keith Getty & Stuart Townend)

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all—Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine—Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home—Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Baby Got Book

This video is absolutely hilarious! It was sent to Tim by a friend from Ohio. Go and listen :)

Last Supper Thursday

I often am at a loss as to how much of our country celebrates various holidays. The conversations often arise when I overhear someone saying something about a certain holiday or tradition. I heard today referred to as Holy Thursday and felt rather dumb that I'd never heard the term before. I understand why it is referred to as that, but really shouldn't every day be holy for the believer? Holy means set apart for a specific use. Can a day really be holy? Maybe so. I think today is more of a memorial for me. To me, today is the anniversary of The Last Supper as described in Mathew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 13 and beyond. I think I am quite glad that I don't have a lot of tradition about the passion week. I don't know the "rules" for what to do and what to eat or not eat. I wonder sometimes if any of that "stuff" makes a difference to the doer. I hope so, for them. But for me, I'm quite content knowing that I walk with God every day of every year, without regard for seasons or holidays. I'm thankful that I don't require a lot of liturgy. I mess up enough without breaking liturgical tradition as well. I take the holiday for what it is based on what I've learned from the Bible. Simply taught and simply believed. A lot happened on that first "Holy Thursday". I think most memorable to me is the way Jesus washed the feet of the diciples. We pick up so much dirt trudging through this world. We do need our feet washed. I also love the example Jesus provides for us in this account. Peter is always an encouragement to me as well... it's so good to know that even someone so close to Jesus didn't quite "get it" all the time. So, I still don't have a clue what the Easter Bunny has to do with The Ressurection, but I try to take it in stride. We don't "do" the Easter Bunny....just like we don't "do" Santa Claus. Our kids know the culture and what these things are about, but we don't get caught up in it. I'm sure some would call us extreme or even abusive by depriving our children in such a way. Oh well. We're used to it. Oddly perhaps, to me, Easter seems to be the more appropriate time for giving gifts. What better reason to celebrate than our risen Savior? So Sunday, churches across the nation and the world will be filled to the doors with well dressed children and adults, tired from arising earlier than normal on the weekend. Messages will be spoken from the pulpits about what Easter really is. Some will have heard it before, some may not. Some will listen and others will not. Most will never return to that church until December. Oh if they only knew what they were missing! It is my prayer that many lives will be changed this Sunday.

Quin update:
He returned to the ENT and his ears were worse than before the antibiotics. We cut out dairy hoping it would have an affect, but as of yet, it has not. The fluid in his ears is thick and cannot drain. The scariest part for me what the hearing tests they did. Quin's eardrums are not moving and he is not hearing most of the things around him. Obviously, we are quite concerned. His newborn screening for hearing was well above normal, so it is definately the fluid that is causing the hearing loss. He is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday next week. They will drain his ears and put in tubes. A short procedure (and one that Jot successfully had at this exact same age), but still a hard thing to hand over your baby for. Prayers are appreciated.

Other stuff:
Hannah was accepted onto the M2M team. That is, the mission trip to Mexico. She will need to raise all her support to go since we cannot afford to give much toward the trip. There are some opportunities for her to work for some ladies in the church and God has already provided her deposit, so we will trust Him to provide the rest. She will send out a support letter in the next week or so. It has been a great lesson already for Hannah in prayer and seeking direction. More to come on that!

Report cards came home this week. Emma and Jot both did great and Hannah did outstanding, earning a spot on the Honor Roll. We are quite proud of them all and pleased that the stressful decision to return to public school seems to be going OK... not perfect, but OK.

Thoughts on Circumstances and Sufferings

The next chapter for our Ladies Study is Lies Women Believe About Circumstances. I came across some powerful quotes in this section that I felt led to share.

[When we say I wouldn't be...if he/she/they didn't/weren't....] we are saying someone or something made me the way I am. We feel that if our circumstance were different - our upbringing, our environment, the people around us - we would be different. We would be more patient, more loving, more content, easier to live with.

If our circumstances make us what we are, then we are all victims. And that's just what the Enemy wants us to believe. Because if we are victims, then we aren't responsible - we can't help the way we are. But God says we are responsible - not for the failures of others, but for our own responses and lives. The Truth is, our
circumstances do not make us what we are. They merely reveal what we are.

I just love how Nancy Leigh DeMoss sums this up. It is so true. And it is so easy to fall into the cycle of blame shifting. The culture seems to continually feed us lies about how victimized we are in all areas. I know there are true victims among us, but too often we (I) blame my sinful response on someone else's behavior (be it right or wrong). One example she gives in her book is the mother of twins who claims, in exasperation, that she was never an impatient person until she had twins. The truth is, that she was always an impatient person. She just didn't realize how impatient she was until God introduced the circumstances to show her what she was really like... and I love this part.... so He could change her.
Nancy goes on...

The Truth is, if we are not content within our present circumstances, we are not likely to be happy in any other set of circumstances.

Then she quotes Elizabeth Prentiss (I love her writing!) who wrote to a friend upon learning that she and her husband were leaving all they knew behind and moving from New York to Chicago in the midst of her own health concerns.

We want to know no will but God's in this question...The experience of the past winter would impress upon me the fact that place and position have next to nothing to do with happiness; that we can be wretched in a palace, radiant in a dungeon...perhaps this heartbreaking is exactly what we need to remind us... that we are pilgrims and strangers on the earth.

Then of course we can't forget Paul. In Philippians 4:11-12 he reminds us that "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances, I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."
The next section goes into suffering. Does this sound like a dismal, depressing book? It really isn't, trust me! Arthur Mathews served as a missionary in China and was one of the last to leave in 1953. He wrote this powerful stuff:

We tend to look at the circumstances of life in terms of what they may do to our cherished hopes and convenience, and we shape our decisions and reactions accordingly. When a problem threatens, we rush to God, not to seek his perspective, but to ask him to deflect the trouble. Our self-concern takes priority over whatever it is that God might be trying to do through the trouble...
An escapist generation reads security, prosperity, and physical well-being as evidences of God's blessing. Thus when he puts suffering and affliction into our hands, we misread his signals and misinterpret his intentions.

Wow. That just blows me away because I see it is so true. It is all around us and even in me more often than I care to admit. Don't we read into suffering just as Job's friends did? Too often we rush to judgement against God for allowing such things, but how often do we (I) go to him seeking wisdom, perspective and instruction through the suffering?
Just a few more closing quotes from Nancy:

God is far more interested in our holiness than in our immediate, temporal happiness - He knows that apart from being holy, we can never be truly happy. The Truth is, it is impossible to be holy apart from suffering. Even Jesus Himself, during His years here on earth, was in some unexplainable way made "perfect through suffering" (Hebrews 2:10) and "although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). We say we want to be like Jesus, and then we resist the very instrument God chooses to fulfill that desire.
...there is a redemptive, sanctifying fruit that cannot be produced in our lives apart from suffering. "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" (I Peter 2:21)
True joy is not the absence of pain but the sanctifying, sustaining presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of the pain. "The God of all Grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." (I Peter 5:10)

I can't say why all this especially touched me as I studied this week. It isn't anything exactly new and unique to me, but it does seem to be a great reminder for me. I struggle quite often with seeing others in similar places that seem to have little if any suffering. I think it was Elizabeth Elliot that said suffering is any lack of something desired. I sometimes feel as though we are the only ones that go with unfulfilled desires. Perhaps the reminder for me is: rather than comparing my sufferings to other people, I ought to compare my sufferings to Christ's as I take up my own cross and follow Him (Matthew 10: 38).

Proof that I don't have it all together (in case anyone thought I did).

brag (v): to praise or express pride in one's own possessions, qualities, or accomplishments often to excess.

I'm in a mood and am finding there isn't an appropriate way to express this directly, so I'll use my blog to vent and hope that eases the frustration some. God help me. I'll get it out this way. Do you ever feel like telling someone... OK, ENOUGH ALREADY!! I'm sure there is some psychological aspect of jealousy at play here in some regard, but honestly after days and days and days I just am sick of hearing about it. Is this the appropriate time to reply "How nice for you!" ? I guess just saying "shut up" isn't a very polite response either is it?

I think I could use some sunshine and warm weather today. It is snowing though.

Birthday Kids and New Snow

First up in the photo category is Master Quin. This is one from his actual birthday (if that weren't obvious). It took us five kids before we figured out the easiest way to do cake was in nothing but a diaper. The hat was an impulse purchase at Party City, but I thought it'd be cute. And it is. Isn't it? Wouldn't it be fun to get a picture of him every birthday in his prince hat? I can see him at 27 complaining that his dorky mom insists on doing this every year. Well maybe.

He is doing considerably better in the health department. We saw the ENT Wednesday who, thankfully, has a conservative approach. He determined that indeed he still had fluid in his ears (though he had just completed a round of Augmentin). Evidently the fluid has turned to a glue type stuff that, though not infected, isn't draining in time to miss getting infected again with the next bug that happens to land on poor Quin. This has been going on since Thanksgiving, and therefore, it was not my imagination that he has been miserable for months. The thing we're trying now is another two week round of heavier antibiotics to give the gluey-fluid time to actually fully drain in hopes that a combination of spring weather (eventually) and a growing child will result in no new infections. We go back in three weeks to re-evaluate. At that time if fluid is still there, we'll talk tubes. In just the couple of days since then I can tell he feels better though. He's happy again and he is babbling endlessly. I think the fluid was surely begining to affect his hearing, so I'm even more glad that we proceeded with the ENT guy. Maybe he will feel good enough to tackle walking soon too :)

Next we have Emma. She loves to be photographed and is becoming quite the poser! This is one of many that came out well. I purposely tried to scale back on her birthday pictures as I usually takes way too many. It is so easy when you have such a willing subject :)

I am sure many of you reading watch the weather occasionally. I guess you probably saw the huge snowstorm that hit yesterday into this morning. Yes it is all true. We got the biggest snow of the year. At least 18 inches is our guess. The wind is blowing it everywhere and there was a drift over the tail of Tim's car. It is pretty though, that is for certain. I do love the snow. Last year we got snow in April, so we can get more. The old snow had just begun to melt last week and I even went out without a coat on Thursday, but I didn't think it was really spring yet. Tim and the kids shoveled most of the morning and the walk is done and the van is uncovered. Tim cancelled church Thursday night when the icing first began and then we had to cancel the Pizza Night at church last night. This snow sure can throw a wrench into plans pretty quickly! It still has been a very mild winter this season.


I forgot to mention that today is the first day since last Sunday that I'm not coughing! I went to the doctor on Monday and am finally feeling better. The top of the microwave looked like a pharmacy this week. Faith, Quin, Me, Tim and Hannah were all on something this week. For that reason alone, I do hope spring is coming. The mild winter seems to have allowed all those germs to survive and infect my family. It has been a difficult time and I'll be glad to see health restored to us all.

Catching Up

I cannot believe that over a month has passed since my last post. Actually, with the way things have been going I think maybe I can. After looking at a calendar, we determined that, other than about 10 days, Quinton has been sick since Thanksgiving. He sees an ENT this Wednesday to discuss putting tubes in his ears. I'd like to wait to see if spring brings health to him, but on the other hand, I'm tired of him feeling bad. I'm sleep deprived and feeling overwhelmed with life lately, so perhaps my judgement is a bit skewed. I guess five kids do that to a person. Faith is currently recovering from a double ear infection and Tim and I both have horrible coughs that won't go away. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon and Tim is going to Urgent Care in Philly. Hannah began coughing over the weekend, but so far Jot and Emma seem alright. It has been such a horrible winter for illness. That alone, makes me ready for spring.

Tim and I have discovered our library's A&E's Horatio Hornblower series... fabulous! I was literally on the edge of the couch. We've watched the first 3 of 4 from the first series. There are two more sets after this one, so we have several date nights worth of Horatio to watch.

Quinton celebrated his first birthday on the 2nd. He wasn't feeling very well, and therefore I have no good photos to post just yet. I hope to get some portrait type pictures after he is fully well again. Emma marked 7 years last Friday (the 9th). I have no pictures to share of her either, but that is because they are still on my camera. It's added to my ever-increasing to-do list.

Having the kids out the house has enabled me to reclaim some cleanliness, but the process is far from complete. Those of you familiar with Messies Anonymous will understand when I say that I am about 1/3 of the way through Mount Vernon-izing the house. I'm eager to tackle the kitchen, but am trying to keep that until last so as not to be discouraged.

Our taxes are complete and we try to patiently wait our refund. After much discussion and looking at some of Mary Hunt's recommendations, we will pay down some on the mortgage and spread some over the year to make up for the ridiculous school tax increase ($200+ a month) and use the remainder to replace the sliding doors upstairs. The cost of living here has increased so much in the last year. It's quite discouraging to not be able to just have the money to finish the house. I am trusting that patience will win out and all will be well. I'm thankful for the space we have here and I do like the house. It is the continual lesson that our lives are on God's schedule, not mine.

The book study went well last night. We are nearly finished with the book (Lies Women Believe) and many of the ladies have expressed how enjoyable and challenging the study has been. That is good to hear! We have a retreat opportunity this spring, but it looks like most of the ladies will wait for the one in the fall. I won't be going this spring either as the school play is that weekend. Of course I need to be there for Hannah's debue!

Well that is a quick update of life here. I will try to post some pictures soon and keep more "current" with things.

Seasons do change....

Well winter has finally come to the Poconos. After and incredibly mild October, November and December, we finally began to get some snow. It started in late January, but the temperatures have allowed it to hang around for awhile. We got a bit more last week so I would estimate about five inches on the ground. Did I mention cold temperatures?? It’s frigid cold…like so cold the salt doesn’t even melt the ice on the roads. It is beautiful though, especially before the wind blows all the snow from the branches. I also love seeing all the animal tracks. I know they are all there during the “non snow” days, but what a fun reminder that we live in the midst of wildlife. Even the birds are leaving little tracks under the feeders. I do love snow.

Another change in seasons is our schooling. After months of praying and discussing “life”, we came to the decision last week to put the kids back in school. This was such a difficult decision. Since last fall the Lord has really been working on us, particularly in the area of fear and faith. Said simply, “best” has more than one meaning depending on perspective.

We met with the special education team last Tuesday to discuss Jot’s placement and give approval for a new evaluation. Technically he should not start until his eval and IEP are complete, but because they know us and have worked with us before, the team agreed to get him a temporary placement with some support until all the other stuff can be completed. It will still be a couple of weeks before his placement, so the girls will start before him. I’ll continue to work on Math and Phonics with Jot at home in the meantime. He is rather middle-of-the-road as far as opinions on the matter. He likes being home because there are more breaks, says he. We’ve come to so many brick walls with him academically at home recently, that the change of scenery may be just what he needs. We pray his placement is a good fit. Right now they want to try inclusion again with an in-class special ed teacher and pull out for math and reading. Tim and I are not confident inclusion will work for him and hasn’t in the past, but we are willing to give it a try and make adjustments as necessary. I expect his evaluation to show that a resource room situation will be a better fit, but we will see. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Actual registration was last Thursday and Hannah and Emma begin tomorrow. I might be more nervous than they are.

Emma is very excited to go to school, but a bit anxious about such a big building and not really knowing anyone yet. She actually will know a couple of kids from her Sunday School class, but to her it is all new and a bit scary. I’m confident she will do fine though. She makes friends easily and works hard. She’ll have a great time. As we expected. At the other extreme, as we expected is Hannah. She realized that a change is needed for the benefit of the entire family, but she is very nervous about returning to public school. She, rightly so, is concerned that she doesn’t know anyone and won’t fit in. This is a hard thing to parent through honestly… because on the one hand, as Christians, we never fully “fit in” with the culture, but as a teenager, she obviously wants friends. She has lots of friends in Philadelphia and she does things with them through youth group and whatnot, but up here, she only has a couple of friends. One is a grade younger and one is in the other building. We’ve been talking with her and working through some of the fears she has. I really think she is going to do well and enjoy the freedom of changing classes and electives.

Another great thing that we hope will help Hannah meet some new friends is the drama production. Sort of on a whim, she auditioned for The Wizard of Oz last Saturday. Auditions were open for Kindergarten through high school (they needed Munchkins *Ü*). She had to read, sing and dance. She was number 24 out of about 80 or so that showed up. For her first experience with a real audition, I think she did well considering she got a part! She will be playing one of the citizens of the Emerald City… singing and dancing. I’m sure future entries will rave on the performance of this 7^th grader!

And we cannot forget the change of seasons from “tween” to “teen”. Yes, on Sunday, Hannah turned 13. We had steak and French fries for dinner (her choice), confetti cake and ice cream. Hannah got a bunch of clothes (that she and I went shopping for on Saturday and I wrapped up), an Adventures in Odyssey CD set, Narnias 4-disc set and cold hard cash. She decided tonight to use the cash to buy herself and iPod… she chose green :) We also discussed getting her a cell phone. I never thought I’d agree to a cell phone for a 13 year old, but with us not having a land line, the play and her going back to school it seems like a sensible thing to get. We can add her to our family plan for around $10 a month. It seems worth it, but we’ll make the final decision later this week. The fact that she is currently talking on MY phone right now is quite a persuasive component as well!

And as a bonus picture, here is Quin at 11 months! No, he isn't smiling crooked, he still has lopsided teeth on the bottom... two in the middle and one on his left. The right one finally poked through, but still isn't in enough to even things out *Ü*

Our trip... there and back!

Well, we are home and recovered from our Disney trip. It was such a great time!

The trip was wonderful. Weather was perfect... a tad cold on Tuesday and Wednesday but sunny and clear the entire week. We really could not have asked for better. Off course we didn't get everything we wanted to do done, but the kids all got their top three "wants" accomplished and I’d say that is pretty good!

The characters were some of the most loved parts of the trip for the kids. We did three character meals and they were just great for meeting lots of character up close (and the food was good too!) We were one of only about five tables at one of the meals (all others were empty), so needless-to-say, we had the attention of the character for a long time! Much of our time was spent hunting down other characters in the park, which was fine with me. It was fun seeing the kids having such a good time (which is a lot of what I was looking forward to). The Cars characters were probably my favorite (and Jots), but all of them were enjoyed…the Incredibles, Buzz and of course the Princesses among others. Our entire family wore Incredibles shirts to MGM and had our picture taken with both Mr. and Mrs. Incredible... that was especially fun! Mr. Incredible was on an upper level of the gallery and Mrs. Incredible was on the lower level. We met Mr. Incredible first and when we were down meeting “Mrs. I”, we looked up to see “Mr. I” running down the stairs so we could all be together. That was quite a thrill! I’m glad I found those shirts on that clearance rack ;) (I think the most expensive one was $4.00!). Dressing alike paid off earlier in the week as well when we wore matching blue shirts on Tuesday to the Magic Kingdom. I had ordered them online before Christmas and were Mom and Ron’s gifts to us and the kids. Mom and Ron matched us too for that day and upon entering the park, we were selected to be the Grand Marshals of the Parade... what a thrill! They took pictures for us of that, so I’ll have to post a few later when we get them.

In all I took about 300 pictures, not including all the ones the park photographers took that were uploaded to the internet for us. (A CD has been order of all those). We had the park hopper passes that really paid off and enabled us to go to more than one park per day. It was especially nice for when we had dinner reservations at a different park than were we planned to spend the day. Each day we went to one park for most of the day and made it to the big four. The water parks weren’t included on our passes and it was a bit cold for that anyhow :). We spend the least amount of time at Animal Kingdom, but it might have been my favorite park…maybe, I really liked MGM too. Maybe because those were both brand new to me… I’ve been to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot before. I liked all the foliage at Animal Kingdom and the way the park was arranged. We didn’t even see all of it, but I saw enough to like it :) The Lion King show was spectacular! Definitely the best show we saw. Mom, Tim and I rode the big coaster there, Expedition Everest, and it was good. I think, as even mom commented, we are all a bit tainted for roller coasters after being exposed to so many good ones at Kings Island. The Beast is still the best, but Everest was quite fun and the Disney touch always makes it an adventure. Hannah wanted to ride the Kali River Rapids, so Tim, Emma and I joined her. We all got wet…Emma got soaked. Thankfully it was a warmer day :)

At the Magic Kingdom, Emma got quite courageous and rode Space Mountain. She said she liked it, but also added that she probably wouldn't go again. Faith rode the Goofy Barnstormer roller coaster thing about five times... definitely her favorite. I was surprised that Hannah didn't want to ride more of the "big thrill" rides, but she enjoyed what she did ride. She had a good time taking Faith on the “Goofy Planes”. Hannah’s favorite park was EPCOT and I was able to take her back one night after the others were in bed (they had late hours). She loved Soarin’ and we were able to go on it twice :) Jot's favorite was the Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom. That was the first thing we all rode together (even Quin!). He and Tim were able to return and ride it several more times toward the end of the week. It was Buzz Lightyear, how could he not love it? The first day at the park after riding it, Buzz was just outside the exit, so he got to meet him that first day too. What a great way to begin!

The food was delicious and I was very pleased with the food plan that we had. It worked out very well. We had tons of food and often were able to split a quick service meal between two (or more) people. All of the food we had was delicious and I really was impressed with the portions! It was so nice not having to think about money for food or tips (included) with the meal plan. I’d definitely recommend it.

We stayed at the All Star Movies in the Buzz Lightyear building - his belt was just outside our doors... Jot about died to see the four/five story Buzz. I was glad that the beds were comfortable because by the time I made it there, I was tired! Though the rooms were on the small side, we really weren't there much except to sleep, so they worked fine for us. Clean and comfortable…just what you’d want in a hotel :) All the toys in the courtyard were too cute. We had wonderful rooms.

Now for the downside….all was wonderful until we got back on the bus to return to the airport.
We initially thought that it was nerves, but we soon found out otherwise. Emma had been pretty scared all week about getting back on the plane and worried herself sick (so we thought)... throwing up on the bus as we were being transported back to the airport for our return trip. Things went downhill from there. We were all on the plane ready to go, when there was a security breech in the airport. We all had to deplane and que up for security again (the entire airport). That was at least a four hour delay... then one of the flight attendants couldn't fly (she had gone over her hours) so we had to wait for another plane to arrive to get another attendant. By this time Emma had worried herself into a mess. She and her flight sick bag spent much time together. She was such a trooper though. And looking back, I know just how horrible she felt and yet she kept going. Anyhow, by midnight, we were back to loading the plane. Thankfully, Emma was sleeping, so she did OK on the plane. The others soon followed suit and even Tim and I caught a nap. Traveling with five kids was definitely NOT fun at this point. But we arrived safely, though quite later than expected. At least there wasn’t any traffic on the drive home :)

Tim slept for about three hours and went to teach at church Sunday morning. Hannah was up and went along too...I stayed home with the others who all worn out. By about 3PM, the rest of the family, one by one came down with what we are supposing was some strand of flu. By 1AM, each of us had it and it was just horrid. It is times like this that I sometimes doubt God really knew what He was doing in giving us five kids! Even in the middle of it, I tried to remain thankful that we were not in Florida or all sick on the plane… we were home and we had what we needed to get through it. By today, Thursday, we all are still feeling a bit weak and dehydrated, but much, much better than before. God saw us through, though the WHY question may still be a question in my mind.

I said to Tim last night that I’d just once like to go through something where, even I – the perpetual pessimist (not a good thing by the way), can’t imagine anything better… he reminded me that that would be Heaven. Well, after days like this weekend, I’m ready. Revelation 20:22 Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

For those who may not have gotten our Christmas letter this year, I provide it now :) Merry Christmas to all!
(by the way, Tim is the author of our annual letter)

December 18, 2006

Perhaps it would have been wise to include a tardy slip from the principals office with this years Christmas letter. I suppose it would be just as appropriate to write a theme paper on the topic of tardiness, as it seems the arrival of annual inspiration for this letter is somewhat later than usual. Today is rather wet and brown and very Monday; hardly an inspiration of Christmas joy. But, the good news in all of this regularness and plainness is that Christmas is a simple celebration of a birthday. Feelings are nice, sentiments often enjoyable, but the fact of the matter is that God Himself became a little baby and was born into our world with all of its everyday brownness. Majesty reaching into Monday mud; a cheerful thought indeed.

This year is marked by a number of contrasts: ending of life and beginning of life. On December 25 of last year Dad called to let me know Mom was in the hospital with pneumonia. Thirty days later on January 25 we laid Mom to rest at the end of her earthly journey. Her body was simply rendered unusable by the feisty spirit it contained. The cancer in her lungs made life here too un-life-like. Among her last words to me a week or so before her passing were “…my Jesus will see me through this…”. Clearly, He did. Trivial words to some perhaps, but eternal treasures to me, her youngest son, now overlooking age forty. I am glad Jesus makes it possible for me to say “See ya later Mom.” As you read this, please have the wisdom and courage to own Christ as the one “…to save His people from their sins.”

This local branch of Bergeron Inc. received child five into the fold on March 2 of this year. Quinton Thaddaeus Bergeron (“Fifth Courageous Shepherd” or “you need guts to have five nowadays”) came from nearly the same mold as Jot and Emma; blond hair, blue eyes and of considerable size. He crawls now and shows a clear preference for real food over that yucky baby stuff. Hannah walked on her first birthday and Quin may just do the same. The lad is healthy and fits in with the rest of the crew pretty well. We plan to keep him.

Faith passed the four year mark about a month ago. Her vocabulary is on the way to catching up with her zeal for life. Dresses and tights and hair pulled up “like bear ears” identify this smaller version of Hannah. Brown eyes add to the attitude don’t they? Faith is likely the most independent of the lot. She will disappear for hours on end simply to play with her ponies or Barbies. Never short on opinion or the eyebrow action to back it up, Faith will be one to stand on her own regardless of what you think of her. (Rental contracts for Faith are available on the family website. Reduced rates for ’07.)

Emma continues to live out her middle name ‘Joy’ most of the time. She is in constant transition between Faith and Jot (typical for a middle child?). The teams switch back and forth regularly, but it is unlikely her allegiance to Jot will ever be truly swayed very far. Jot was away from home recently for a few days and Emma spent most of the time worrying over him. “Will he get enough to eat? Does he have his pillow and blanket?” I guess if neither of them finds good matches for marriage they will have each other. They certainly squabble like old married people now, so they have plenty of practice and would do just fine it seems to me. Emma is facing birthday seven in Mid-March and carries herself pretty well for being six-almost-seven.

Everyone needs a Jot. We have one and I can’t imagine life without this nearly-ten-year-old. He is still devoted to the essentials of life and shows no signs of wavering. Cereal, toast, Buzz Lightyear, Rescue Heroes, Sunday School and evening Bible stories are the life sustainers for the second of five in our home. He is tender hearted and mostly gentle (unless he can get his hands on sticks from the woods). He is reading like a champ and does pretty well during the school day in our home. Medical issues are still a part of life for Jot and consequently the rest of us. It is about time to revisit some of the issues with his left eye area now that nearly nine years have passed since his initial big surgery. No major concerns at the moment, but it’s time to have a look again to see how he is doing.

Still commanding the position of eldest is the tall and slender Hannah. She is growing into quite the responsible young lady as she rounds the corner to age thirteen in early February. Hannah is occasionally left in charge of the others while Mom & Dad get a few minutes out of the house. Quilting, baking, making, inventing and the like are still a big part of Hannah’s favorite activities. She also has opportunity to hang out with some folks her age a few times each month in Philly at the Junior High activities at church. She seems to like those quite a bit. Occasional part-time work for a lady in the Pocono church puts a few dollars in her pocket. She is a terrific help to everyone and a good kid all around. The little ones in the church nursery like her as do the adults she helps each month. She is coming along in her school work and learning how to learn here in the Bergeron home school. Seventh grade is just about half-way over at this point.

The entire family still functions best on regular routines. School happens during the week at the kitchen table. Jen has everything organized and running pretty well. In spite of our best efforts, there always seems to be something out of the ordinary happening that keeps us all on our toes. Church, school, chores and the like fill our week and keep us grounded in reality. This season of life sees a lot of the same stuff each week. We have made some excursions here and there. A visit to Ohio over the summer was full of sitting around, crafting, quilting and coloring. The heat kept us indoors nearly the entire time. It was good to simply spend time with people. We have hopes of a trip or two in 2007 but those details have to wait until next year’s letter.

Anniversary seventeen was the marker for Tim and Jen this year. The Lord has been gracious and has allowed us to grow and learn together for these years. We are approaching the 20th year of knowing one another. Married life is terrific and gets better with each passing year. We are learning from past mistakes and hopefully gaining wisdom as we move forward. Date nights are a regular part of our week and are often just a few hours of togetherness with a book or a game after the gaggle is in bed for the night. In fact, tonight we may actually go out somewhere and leave Sgt. Hannah in charge.

As I close the annual epistle, I hear little feet thumping, the dryer running and the rhythmic sounds of math and phonics lessons upstairs. This is the good life, carefully hidden directly in front of us. There is belonging, purpose and plenty to do. All of that goodness is granted to us by our Maker. Please set aside a little bit of time today as you read this fine piece of literature and assess what is happening around you. Are you pleased with how your life is going right now? Are you ready for eternity? The contrasts of life have faced us this year and by the grace of God we have grown in the midst of it all. Our prayer for you is for the free operation of God’s loving-kindness and mercy to overflow into each area of your life. May God richly bless you in the upcoming year.

With love and fond affection,

The Bergeron Family

The Nativity Story and Jot Update

Tim wrote:
Dear Friends,

Thanks so very much for covering our family in prayer. We deeply appreciate your efforts and concerns.

Jot and I saw several doctors earlier today with good result. In a nutshell, the bleeding Jot experienced in his eye was explained pretty easily. His long standing condition (venous lymphatic malformation) can occasionally cause blood to spread to various neighboring tissues around his body. This time the blood presented itself in the layers of the left eye. A little bit of blood is released and then compressed between the clear covering of the eye and the white portion of the eye. A small amount of blood looks terrible but will be reabsorbed by the body over time. There is no immediate danger or concern with this issue. Watch and wait is our current mode.

The MRI results were reviewed today. The optic nerve is supported and surrounded by the proper type of tissues and does not appear to be compressed at all. That is just about the best we could have hoped for in this case. Jot may experience some more bleeding episodes from time to time, but they are not a very, very serious concern presently. This may change over the next few months as we watch and wait. An additional MRI is tentatively planned for sometime in a few months.

For now, Jot is permitted to ride most of the fun stuff at Disney World with the exception of really intense stuff like super big roller coasters and Mission Space.

Again, please accept our most sincere thanks for your prayers and concerns over the last week or so. It is a privilege to be a part of the body of Christ and receive His love through your lives.

Tim and Jen Bergeron

Now about The Nativity Story ...wow! I really enjoyed this movie. Tim and I went and saw it (at the ONLY showtime) last night. One review I read said it focused too much on Mary??? Umm, how can the story of Jesus' birth NOT include a lot about Mary? In truth, there was only one small thing that could have been criticized and that is that they had the wise men at the stable at the time of the birth, which is sort of inaccurate. But you know what? to show the family waiting a few years for the wise men to appear would have made the movie really long! Honesty, to me it wasn't a big thing at all, it made it a nice picture ending and didn't distract from the main point of the story in my opinion. I thought the casting was super and really liked the characters a lot. For one thing, they were actually Israeli-looking...not a blonde in the bunch (contrary to many pictures we see of Jesus and Mary!) My favorite parts I think were Mary and Joseph's conversations on their travels to Bethlehem. In one, Mary asked Joseph to tell her about his dream. Joseph details that the angel told him to not be afraid and that the child was conceived of the Holy Spirit, etc. Mary then asks Joseph, "So are you afraid?" to which he replies "Yes, are you?". She says, "Yes." It was so realistic. I think they did a great job of showing how real these people were... the relationship of Mary and her parents....their response to their pregnant daughter. Lots of neat details that I was pleased to see. I was as touched by this movie as I was by The Passion, really. I think mostly because of the fearfulness and almost despair Mary seemed to feel at times. I could relate. The pains she felt at disappointing people and not being understood. We all can see ourselves in that. And even Joseph and his doubts. At one point he wonders aloud, "Will I be able to teach him anything?" Human emotions... from real human beings walking in faith. I think we too often think Mary went through her life skipping for joy that she was called to this enormous responsibility, when I believe more often she was unsure, confused and feeling alone. Anyhow, for what it's worth, I give it a thumbs up. I think it is one to have in our DVD collection of Christmas movies. Go see it :) I wouldn't recommend it for young children though. Herod's orders to kill all the young boys of Bethlehem is pretty powerful as is Rome's treatment of the Israelites. There are also some images of crucified people and violence.

A Visit to CHOP

I'm recovering from the week. I haven't really felt too great all week, but managed through. Jot's eye has been giving him trouble and Tim took him to the ER at CHOP Thursday morning. Most of you reading this probably got updates on all that... but in a nutshell: they admitted him for testing, he had a CT scan and an MRI and was released late on Friday. Essentially, there is concern, but nothing critically urgent, so he will see his specialists on Tuesday morning. I drove all the kids down to Philly last night to drop off Hannah and pick up Jot. Hannah and Tim had planned to spend the night in Philly so he could work and she could attend the junior high gym night last night and the Salvation Army innercity outreach this morning... so I took her down and Tim stayed too. It was a lot of driving last night. I didn't sleep too great but we're doing OK. I'm looking forward to having everyone home tonight.

All the medical stuff has pushed our Christmas cards off again. I had hoped to have them out last week, but Tim hasn't had time to write our letter and I haven't made time to sit down and get the things addressed. Some are nearly done now as I worked some this morning on them and Tim said he'd do the letter tomorrow, so hopefully all will go out on Monday. I still have gifts to mail as well. Oh well, it'll get done eventually.

It has been unseasonably warm here and it is starting to be depressing :) It has been in the 60s and for December in the mountains that just isn't right! I'm ready for cold weather and snow. We've usually had a big snowfall by now. Maybe next week?

I've been hit.

Well it was bound to happen. I've been hit with the sickness invading our home. My throat aches and I feel run down. The run down part might be lack of sleep, but the sore throat seems to indicate illness :( I don't feel totally out of it yet and am praying I pull through quickly, but if not, at least I've got my Christmas shopping done :)
Today the ladies from our church were invited to a Christmas Tea in Pottstown with the Calvary Chapel down there. It was a wonderful event: the food was amazingly good, Jean McClure wonderful as always and worship was beautiful. It was a nice day out even if I am feeling sick now. I had some good conversation on the drive and though we did get lost on the way down, weren't so late to have missed too much.
Nothing much more to say really. I just felt like writing a bit.

Oh I nearly forgot... Quin's latest weight from the doctor is 24 pounds. I really thought he weighed more than that but evidently not!

Wow, I have fallen in with those who forget to blog :)
Life has been busy lately. Most of the kids have been sick and we've been working on the house again. You know... normal stuff for us.

First we had Faith's fourth birthday. It's hard to believe she is four already. She is just a hoot to listen to. She comes up with the most profound and hilarious comments. "Dad, we could kill a rooster and put it on the roof to see which way the wind blows". And just today, as she scurries to her room... "you'll have to excuse me, I have important business to return to". Love her.
This picture is her with "bear ears". It began with Mulan II. One of the princesses has her hair in these little ponytail bun things and Hannah showed Faith how cute they look on her. And don't they? Faith now calls them bear ears and requests them quite often. The grin is just too much too. What a beauty! The dress she is wearing is actually a hand-me-down from her cousin Megan. It has been featured prominently in many photos over the years!

Our little man is now crawling and so enjoying his new freedom. For a time, he hated to sit and would purposely just fall over so he could crawl. Poor thing had bruises for days! Well now he is quite happy to sit and crawl and even beginning to pull up. Tim dubbed him "touch-it" as his little hands have to feel everything. It's a good thing he is so stinking cute, because he started waking up in the middle of the night again and it is driving us nuts!

He eats and eats and eats... just like Jot at that age. Loves mom's chicken and noodles and pretty much anything else we are eating. Baby food is quickly becoming a thing of the past. He chews his food and is eating table food way earlier than I remember any of the others doing. He has six teeth at this point, the two center ones and one upper and one lower both on his left. The sort of lopsided grin is too much.

Our tree is up and all of my gift buying is complete. It is a great feeling of satisfaction. Nothing bought on credit and everything within our budgeted plan... what a feeling of freedom and power. I've made one batch of peanut brittle but nothing else at this point. The sick kids and housework has invaded my holdiay baking. I might get some more stuff done this weekend, but I'm not stressing about it. Lord knows my body doesn't need any extra calories.

The kids may very well forget that Christmas is even coming this year, because after the new year, we are all going to Disneyworld. They are beyond thrilled. Mom and Ron are giving us the trip as a gift and joining us for nearly a week. We leave on Jot's birthday (he'll just be unglued I'm sure) and return the following Saturday. Reservations and plans are made... and certainly a good time will be had by all. I'm sure I'll have pleanty to share!