September begins....

School started last week for the oldest three. Hannah is now in 8th grade, Jot is in 4th and Emma has begun 2nd. We managed to get everyone off for the new academic year without any major trouble. School supplies were purchased and thankfully, only two of the five kids needed boat loads of new clothes. Thank the Lord for hand-me-downs. Hannah and Jot, however, being at the top of the hand-me-down chain were in desperate need. I was able to outfit Jot completely for the year (I hope) at Target. Hannah and I spent a good part of last Saturday shopping for her. It went very well though. Five of the first six pairs of jeans she tried on actually fit. I was stunned and amazed! Early this year we went on a hunt for jeans and had to go to five different places before we found anything acceptable. We started on Saturday at Kohl's and found nearly everything she needed in less than an hour. Miracles do still happen. We made some rounds to JoAnns and Target (and Taco Bell) but were home in time for dinner with everything we went out to get. It is a rare thing indeed. Emma needs some new tights and Jot will soon need shoes, but for now we are all set in the clothing for kids department.



Although I haven't mentioned it here, most of you reading this know we are moving. The house has been for sale for a few weeks and even in the bad market, we've had a handful of showings. Today was a second showing and we are quite hopeful that we'll soon get an offer. Tim has made some very good contacts and had a couple of promising phone interviews as well. I'm praying that all the timing of sell the house/get a job/buy a house all works out. It seems unlikely for it all to come together perfectly but God is able I'm certain, so we'll just wait and see what unfolds. We are headed back home to Ohio. So many things have led to the decision and we are finally at a peace about where to go and what to do. Now we wait out the details.


I wanted to share this picture of dirty belly boy. Doesn't he look like a complete wreck in this picture? His milk gut is really getting the better of him. He also has a unique relationship with dirt. If it exists, he will find it and eat it and roll in it and cry when you wash it off. We find ourselves pulling his shirt down quite often throughout the day now. He still is cute though, even if a bit smelly :)

We are enjoying much cooler days here and the nights are getting down right cold. I absolutely love it. I adore the fall and especially here where the leaves are changing and the air is crisp. I'll miss the weather here that is for sure.

We had some friends from church here for Labor Day and enjoyed a beautiful day. It was fun to not have to clean the house because it is so clean already from showings. In fact it has honestly never looked better since we've lived here. Isn't that always the truth? Looks wonderful just in time to leave! We are trying to enjoy it and trying to maintain order throughout the day. I figure if we learn how to keep it spotless while selling it, perhaps we'll get used to it and keep our next house just as nice.

Big Black Bugs

No, I did NOT take this picture. And NO that is not anyone I know or am related to holding it. Read on to understand why not. In real life these Broad Neck Root Borer Beetles are 2-3" long and ugly as sin. Why am I telling you this?

Well I have a little story. It rained for quite awhile yesterday and as you can read in my previous post, Quinton enjoys playing in the mud. In a failed effort to keep him from totally covering himself in mud again, he found other ways to amuse himself. I was inside reading a book and Tim and the little girls were outside. I hear Emma shrieking that Quin has a bug... "DAD, HELP!! HE HAS A BIG BUG!!!" She was really yelling good, so I thought this had to be interesting. Silly me, thinking he had a Daddy Longleg or a stink bug, put down my book and casually went outside. Tim also must not have thought it was too much of an emergency as neither of us were really hurrying to see what the commotion was all about. We met outside the garage on our way out back toward Quinton. Faith and Emma, at this point, were literally jumping up and down. Quin walked around the corner of the house with his prize. Yes, as you might already have guessed, he had one of these big ugly nasty bugs. Tim picked up Quin and pried the bug out of his hand. Once in the grass it immediately tried to bury (bore?) down under the grass. Can you blame it? It was probably as freaked out as Emma and Faith (and me.). So what does Quin do next? He screamed and cried to be let down and then picked the ugly thing back up. I couldn't believe it. The bug was bigger than his hand. When he grasped it the thing looked like a guinea pig in an adult's hand. He was not the least bit scared of this thing and quite to the contrary, was rather mad that we took his new toy. Finally something that doesn't require batteries! We had to pick the ugly bug up (with a shovel) and carry it back into the woods so Quin wouldn't chase it down. Of course, as soon as he was back on the ground, Quinton headed for the woods on a bug hunt. Yuck, ick, ick. So, I do not have an actual picture of this thing because I was too grossed out to go get my camera. I'm still shocked the thing didn't pinch him. Ick. Ick. Ick. It was really big and really creepy. When I know that everything he touches he also tastes, my imagination runs wild and I feel a bit weak in the stomach. Can you imagine??? EEEwww.

Let's Talk About the Weather

So, it's been raining here.

Disclaimer: Emma was watching him, not me.

He was really mad when we took him in....

look at the compassionate dad face compared to the muddy mad face.

Aren't they both just too stinkin' cute?

Feeling Rather Thankful for Crocklings (Thanks Mom)

This cute little shoe is one of the pair that my Mom bought for Quinton. She also got a pair for all the other kids, but I am especially thankful for these. They are the real deal Crocs for toddlers, aka as Crocklings. Quin just adores them. He wears them all the time and when they are on his feet he instantly assumes that means we are either going somewhere in the car or going out to play in the yard. He has his little routine of bringing them to you and holding them up for you to take. Once you have them, he immediately flops down on his back side and waits for you to put them on. Once they are on, he toddles straight for the door and attempts to open it on his own. SO cute!

We had a brief time of distress when one went missing a few weeks ago. I think I was more upset than Quin was. I was quite afraid he had thrown it in the trash (which is where my long lost, but since replaced, mixer attachments ended up I fear). Well, there was great rejoicing when the lost shoe was discovered in the box of Barbies. I hear they like shoes, so they obviously were hording Quin's crocklings.

Crocs, I have discovered are the nearest thing to a perfect shoe for our family. All of our kids would go barefoot everywhere if it were acceptable. Crocs are close to going barefoot and they live in them. They don't need tying, so that saves time when we are all running out the door and are late. They are easily rinsed off when they get sandy or dirty. And they don't require socks so that cuts down on the laundry I have to do... definately a plus in my book.

Mom, thanks so much for the Crocs for the kids. They love them. I love them. I have less socks to fold. You are wonderful.

I may hit you up next year for another round for everyone :)

Mid July Checking In

Well it is nearing the end of July and work on the house continues. I am happy to announce that all the room painting is done!! We have some touch up work in the family room and three doors to paint but the complete end of painting is so close I can see it. In the last three years Tim and I have nearly perfected our painting skills. Every room in this house has been painted and some twice. We've spackled and painted more in the last three years than I ever thought possible. And do you know what? I STILL don't like to paint. I love the look of fresh color on the walls but I really have gotten to the place of not liking the process. But, it's nearly done and that makes me very happy.

We have the floors to put in the laundry room and the bathroom.... purchased and ready to go. The heaters need to be put back in and one light needs to be installed. Our punch list is getting shorter and it is a good thing.

Tim and I are continuing our journey through the DVDs at the library and are into the second season of All Creatures Great and Small. We are enjoying them and have found ourselves wrapped up in the stories. A nice break from all the craziness of life.

Everyone is well here and for that I am quite thankful. We've gotten to the pool a few times and seem to be managing the summer for the most part. The annual baptism and church picnic was last weekend. Only one person was dunked this year, but it was a celebration none-the-less. The weather threatened to ruin the day, but it held off until the festivities were over.

Sorry, no pictures this time... I haven't spent any time downloading them yet :)

Chasing Chipmunks and a new author....

Look carefully at the above photo. I have attempted to highlight the little chipmunk running under the step by leaving it in color and making everything else black and white. Now, see that blurry little boy on the right there? That is Quinton. He has discovered that chipmunks live under our front deck steps. All that white stuff spread by the step is corn. The corn is actually purchased to put in our deer feeder, but the girls felt bad that the chipmunks were missing out, so they feed them too. Well joy of joys these chipmunks are. I'll insert here that the little girls consistantly call them "chick"munks which just cracks me up. I'll always have a picture in my mind of a hooded, cloaked svelt cheerleader type woman... the really religous chick. Anyhow... Quin will sit on the step of the garage which is about 12 feet from the deck steps and wait and watch with great patience. Soon, a little chipmunk peeks out and begins to gather some corn (which really is hilarous to watch them fill their cheeks), then Quin hops up and toddles as fast as he can toward the chipmunk. The little animal really is pretty brave as he (or she... I can't really tell :) ) waits until Quin is nearly on top of it before it scoots back under the step. Sometimes it'll run into the downspout thing which totally delights Quin as he pounds on it until it runs out and across the driveway. Poor Quinton isn't quite quick enough! You would think Quin would tire of this game, but as of yet he hasn't. In fact, he followed this routine for over an hour the other day. He also has discovered the joy of sitting in puddles.

I go to the library all the time and I just love to read. Sadly, my reading does keep me from other important things like laundry and housework and other not-so-important things like scrapbooking and sewing. But, I enjoy it and find that relaxing in our fluffy chair with a book helps me make it through another day sometimes, so I do indulge occasionally. Well a few weeks back when browsing the new titles, I came across Jennifer Chiaverini's book, Circle of Quilters. Being a quilt lover, the cover caught me right away, so I grabbed it and thought I'd give it a try. Well let me tell you.... I couldn't put it down. What a wonderful story and what a fabulous writing style she has. Her books all have quilting and quilters intertwined in the storylines and let me warn you, you'll want to quilt if you don't already! On the inside covers of her newer books are the designs of the quilts mentioned in the story. On her website you can find the actual photographs of the quilts that she as made to go along with the stories. Beautiful quilts! I finished Circle of Quilters eager for more! I was a bit concerned that I had jumped into the middle of a series, however after looking at her website I found that evidently, the order of the books doesn't much matter. I went back to the library and got her first book, The Quilter's Apprentice. Fabulous!! It is rare to find a book that holds my attention but still is "G" rated. I can't stand reading filth. I am so afraid to read a book that I've not gotten a trusted review on so I began this new book with some caution. Cover to cover it was good wholesome reading. I can't wait to read them all. I have her second book on hold and in the meantime the library got in her newest release, The Quilter's Homecoming, so I picked up and enjoyed it just as much. So while I am attempting to read them in order, the two that were out of order really didn't seem to be problematic at all. At this point I think Jennifer Chiaverini has moved into the second spot as my favorite author. My all time favorite is still Beverly Lewis. I am impatiently waiting for her new series as I have already read everything she has written... even most of the children's titles :) I've gotten Hannah hooked on her too, so you know I trust her writing. Beverly Lewis is technically classified as a Christian author, but I believe her Amish based stories would be very attractive to many audiences. Therein ends my author reviews for tonight!

Now, if you take my advice and begin reading some of Jennifer Chiaverini's books and get inspire to quilt, let me leave you with this fabulous website I discovered, Quilt Blocks Galore. There are over 1000 quilt blocks with instructions for free! I spent over an hour just browsing and dreaming!

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*