Detours

Well, here it is. My first blog entry after a very long hiatus. We have encountered several life detours in the past six months. We've been turned upside down and inside out and yes, even sideways! If you asked me back then what my life would look like six months from now, this is not the picture I would have painted. But I am stronger now. I am not so concerned about what other people think of me now. I am beginning to dream again. In a sermon I recently heard, the pastor spoke about your eyes being the window to your soul. What do I want my soul to look like? Light and love and color and peace. Compassion and humility and discipline. I want my soul to look like Jesus. Does that make me radical? Maybe. But I am stripped. Stripped of pride and selfishness. Stripped of thinking this world has anything that I could desire. I have never felt emotion so raw and desire so deep. It wasn't in the plan, but this is one detour I am sure was completely worth it.

Club Racing Shadow Ninjas

It's a story that we've all heard. The little man vs. the big man. Nature vs. machine. Save the (fill in the blank)! Now the story is here, in North Pole. There is a grove of trees that has been slated to be cut down for firewood. This particular grove of trees also houses the headquarters of Club Racing Shadow Ninjas. The members of this club are the good guys. They are striving to save the grove of trees, and by doing so keep their club intact. I was priviledged to sit in on a planning meeting a few days ago. Agent Hawk (aka Scotty), Fairy Girl (Abby-the only girl allowed in the club), Agent Boogers (Ethan), Agent Rainbows (Caleb), and Cape Boy (Nathaniel) met under the hot sun for serious discussion. They came up with a battle plan. They will protect their club to the death, or dinner, whichever comes first. The plan was impressive. Trip wires, stick throwing, booger wiping, and traps. A valiant effort. The only question now is, who will win? Only time will tell.

Wild One

My little wild one. She has spunk and a bit of my italian heritage...she gets angry fast and talks with her hands. If you walk into the room and don't acknowledge her, she will stare at you until you look. Then she will give you a cheesy grin that will melt your heart. Because she IS the center of attention.

The "My children are sick and we can't leave the house" To-Do List

1. Snuggle on the couch and read
2. Bake cookies
3. Build a city out of legos
4. Discover how ice becomes water by using a hair dryer to melt an ice cube
5. Give bubble baths
6. Crawl into mommy and daddy's bed for a group nap
7. Trace your child's body onto a large piece of paper, give them crayons and stickers and see what develops
8. Make forts
9. Give your child a camera and see your home through their eyes
10. Watch Nick Jr.
11. Have stair races (slide down on your bottom)
12. Water, meet food coloring
13. Make a puzzle rug (put together every puzzle your child has and line them up next to each other to make a "rug")
14. Throw a birthday party for your child's favorite stuffed animal
15. Have a scavenger hunt
16. Make sock puppets and put on a show
17. Form a band (get creative with your "instruments") and play your child's favorite songs
18. Give LOTS of kisses and hugs

Two Boys, Two Blankets, and a Box.

It's been a week of runny noses, fevers, and just general crankiness in our house this week. We didn't get out much, but the boys made the best of it. I am pleasantly pleased with how they handled themselves. An empty box provided an hour of entertainment. One of them would hide in the box and then jump out and "scare" the other. This filled the air with the most beautiful sound of explosive giggling. Their favorite blankets became super hero capes, forts, beehives, and "girl hair." Imagination, it's a wonderful thing.

In other news, we are moving. I am beyond thrilled by this for several reasons which I will now take the liberty of sharing.

1. We will be living right next door to the church. This means we will save money on gas (our drive now is 20 minutes), see Damian for lunch everyday, and have people over for lunch each Sunday afternoon. It's hard to say no to free food and next door!
2. Eliana will have her own room! I didn't get the joy of painting and setting up a space for her when she came home. Now my Ellie Bean will have a room of pink and fluff fit for a princess.
3. Downsizing. I know this seems like a negative to most people but I enjoy living simply. It's a fun challenge for me to pare down to nothing but the essentials. Plus, small house means less cleaning!
4. We will be within walking distance of 3 playgrounds, a grocery store, the library, the Santa Claus house, and McDonald's.
5. God opened the door for us.

Winter is finally winding down here in Alaska. Avalanches of snow are sliding off the roof. Chickadees are making their grand debut with sweet song. The sun has come out of hibernation and is once again brightening our days. We've even had a few days with highs of 40 to 45 (ABOVE zero!!) We will be in our new place just in time to enjoy long awaited summer!

The Penny.

It's Tuesday night. The kids are all in bed. Damian and I are soaking in the quiet, each of us reading our book of choice. Suddenly there is a blood curdling scream from the boy's room. We vault off the couch and go running to save them from whatever horrible thing is happening at that moment. I flip on the light and Ethan says, "I swallowed money!" Apparently he had a penny in his bed. He said he could feel it in his throat so we made him drink lots of water. When things calmed down a bit we were explaining that nothing should go in your mouth except for food. To which he calmly replied, "Well, I was going to put it in my piggy bank, but I couldn't stop thinking about putting it in my mouth." So now we just wait for it to come back out.

Adore

Today is one of those days that I am overwhelmed by my amazing, beautiful children. I adore them. I adore being a mother. So, forgive me while I gush for a few moments.

Ethan, my first born. I am in awe of how grown-up he is becoming. He's tall and lanky and bears no hint of the baby he once was. I love to watch him draw. It brings him such joy and he'll sit for hours and create. I love his logic. He's four and he's smart and he needs to know the how's and why's of everything! I love his imagination. Somedays his room is Radiator Springs and he's Lightning McQueen. Other days his bed is a spaceship and he's a spaceman flying to the moon. Most days he's Wall-E and he goes around the house looking for treasures to add to his goody pile.

Caleb, middle child. His goal in life is to make people laugh. He's such a goof! He's full of energy and joy. I love how much he wants to cuddle. He always says, "I just want to be with you Mom." I love how everything is an adventure for him. His day is never boring. I love to watch him worship. He expresses his love for Jesus by dancing. Three year old dancing consists of jumping up and down and running in circles, it's a beautiful thing! I love how he lights up a room when he walks in, making sure to greet everyone there with a big smile and hello.

Eliana, my baby, my girl. She is lovely. I love the feel of her weight in my arms. I love how she will just lie there and study my face. She is a sweet, bundle of pure happiness. She smiles constantly and it's the prettiest smile I have ever seen. I love that she thrills to be sitting on the floor playing with her big brothers. I love that she kicks excitedly and squeals with glee when I walk in the room. Her name means, "God has answered." And he has.

2010 Ramblings.

I have a dream/desire/crazy whim that has been rattling around in my brain for awhile now. I shared it with Jesus this morning during a rare quiet moment. It's big. It would require money, time, and resources that I just don't have. So I asked Him, "Is this crazy? Is it too big? Am I out of my mind?" Do you know what He told me? "Never stop dreaming. It is through those dreams and desires that I will work." I don't know the full meaning of that statement. Maybe this dream will come to pass. Maybe it won't. Only He knows. What I know is that He is a big God and nothing is impossible with Him. What I know is that I want the desires of my heart to line up with His desire for my life. What I know is that I long for, yearn for, need to make a difference in this place.

As this year begins, I am stirred. I have a long list of things I want to accomplish this year. I am changing. If I had to choose a theme for myself this year it would be discipline. Not the punishment kind. Self-discipline. I want to improve in every area of my life. I want to follow through and do things with excellence. I want to become a better wife, a better mother, a better minister, a better friend. I want to inspire and be inspired. I want to go to bed each night knowing that I have put a smile on Father God's face. I'm sure I will stumble. I'm sure I will fail some days. I'm also sure I will press on, try again, and come out stronger.

Eliana & Grandpa

This week my dad is here. He wasn't able to be here after Ellie's birth so this was his first meeting with his one and only granddaughter. She fell in love. He fell in love. It was a week of kisses, happy squeals, and ear to ear smiles. While he was here we were privileged to have him perform Ellie's baby dedication. I cried. He choked up. The boys made faces and picked noses. It was a good week.

A Charlottesville Christmas

One farmhouse. Twelve children. Twenty-two stockings. Two babies celebrating their first Christmas. Nine kids with stomach flu. One amazing girls night out with good food and a play. Too much rich, delicious food to number. Seven days of sweet, noisy, joyful, family indulgence!