my Top Chef

This morning as a spring break opportunity, I decided to get out the kids cookbook, compliments of Mopsy, and let them choose something to make. By 8am, Ek had our whole day's menu planned beginning with cinnamon muffins. H was already involved in a movie so he came during commercial breaks to "help." L was a pretty steady "helper" as well, but Ek was defnately the top chef. She read the recipe very well, understood the fractions and learned the difference between cup and teaspoon, thankfully. I got some pics while she was dipping the muffins into butter and rolling them in cinnamon sugar.

The best part--- I think they all liked them (and the last scene of Toy Story where all of their eyes are glued, as well).

I want to think this way...

on the way to school today...

L: are the H's moving to Tennessee today?

me: no, not today sweetie.

L: when are they moving to TN?

me: i don't know sweetie, it won't be for a while.

L: are they moving when Jesus says its time?

me: yes, that is just right.

L: mommy, when they move to TN, I want to go stay at their house for a while.

me: me too, L, we will.

love her.

Refreshing Encouragment

After the race, the parade, lunch at Brian's subs, J's first canine eye consult and a nap for 4 out of 7 of us, the kids were really anxious to get wet, they very easily persuaded us that the sprinklers should be the next great part of our day. You know, winter is cold. Not much sunshine. You just kinda endure outside until you can get back inside. Then all of the sudden, you can't get enough sunshine. You can hardly make yourself go inside. It's like there is hope again that you really don't like to sit around inside all stuffy and cold. You really do like to get out and have some fun. Encouragement. Today being outside running, smiling, laughing, catching candy from paraders, and getting a cold burst of water to cool you off was so refreshing. Mom talked several times this weekend about what encouragement means. We can endure anything with encouragement. We just need to hear that we are loved, that we are on the right path, that we are going to make it, that things are going to be better. I think of the Psalms when David pleaded, "take not your spirit from me." We know in the New Covenant, by the blood of Christ that the Spirit is ours forever, but we sure can make Him quiet. And then, we confess, we pray, we repent, we seek and we hear. It feels like running through sprinklers on a warm day after a cold winter. Refreshing to feel the warmth, refreshing to appreciate the cool, and a rush to feel your heart beating. "Sanctify us in your truth Lord, your Word is truth. " (John 17:17)

H actually ran through the sprinklers whereas L preferred to run close to them. She did get wet some and I think she was having just as much fun!

Finishing the race

I love the Road Race on Super Saturday here. J ran it our first year here, he ran the 5k. Dad came and mom was on Walk to Emmaus. L was in my belly. It was so terribly windy and cold. H and Ek were all bundled up in blankets in the stroller and were quite confused and a bit annoyed at the whole thing, it was cold. We hid behind Belk's to try to block some wind. Fast forward 4 years.

I picked up 7 race packets on Friday. 5 fun run entries and 2 10ks. 7 orange t-shirts. I don't think I have ever had an orange t-shirt in my life. I can pretty much guarantee J never has. We all 7 made the trip around the mall. Ek ran until her sweet face turned a beautiful pink but never once whined or asked to stop, I think every year she likes very much to run past all the older boys who sprint and stop, and we just cruise on by. We finished in 10:01. Wow! H and J finished about :30 later, no stopping either! Wow! L never stopped nor started. She was a bit intimidated and rode the whole way in either arms or shoulders. Precious thing. She was in very good company. J and I quickly made our way to the next start line and were very quickly off to the 10k. The weather was a warm 50+ with bright sunshine. We were very pleased with our times of 44 and change and I was just under 51. We think our whole running group set PRs in heart rates. The course had a turn around and I was so happy to see all of his running group staying so strong, oh and SP in the middle, I mean at the front of them. J said he was a bit light headed crossing the finish line and I am so sore today I could barely walk. And yet, still worth it. There is nothing quite like accomplishing a goal with people you love. And even though we all finished at different times, it all felt like we had crossed together. I think that is totally what Heaven will feel like. Without the soreness.

St Patrick's Day Happy moments

There were a lot of happy moments today. Here are a few...

L and I spent the day at home "cleaning." She was, at times, as helpful as yesterday, at other times, not so much. After school, we went back to school to cheer HH onto a strong tennis victory. And watched a bit of soccer, saw the girls score a great goal. And played on the playground. Then, when J finished up work, we went to the Pancake supper. Forgot my syrup this year, but it was still good. Actually probably good I forgot my syrup.

At the playground. Did you know H could go all the way across on monkey bars? He can!

H and his amazing friend W. H with his cool smile.

What in the world are we going to do with these 2?

Keep them forever and love them, obviously, but I have a feeling our hands are full with these. They were standing and having this big teenage conversation, sipping their drinks with their hands on their hips. Ek's just got them to turn towards her for the picture.

On the way to the Pancake supper, these sweeties were in front of me...

and these strong boys were behind. Oh the love.

L's wacky day at preschool

I know i said last night that I would write about the Orlando trip today, but how could I possibly do that when I got to spend the day with this adorable little girl?

I had some sewing to do today for church and she was the most delightful thing to keep me company. I can hardly describe what she did because she just talked, ate her lunch, danced and literally just hung around. I tried to convince her to get something to do while I worked, to do right beside me, but she never wanted to, she just hung out. It was quite delightful. So at one point I grabbled my camera and took these, I was sitting at the little red table sewing and this is where she hung out.

Note to self, she can go from this face...

to this face...

very easily. do not be too easily deceived. hahaha

here she demonstrating her point...

to triangle from dance class. Lovely, darling, lovely.

Watch week! Horray!

I love watch week at dance. I love to see into my kids worlds! The girls have been having a blast at dance lately. Ek has 5 recital dances and has been practicing them at home, it was so fun to see it with her class. Her teachers are teaching them so much and seem to really have a vision for where they are taking them. Ek seems very happy about what she is learning. Interestingly her favorite class is the class they are pushed the hardest in because it is for the girls that are considering trying out for the competing company. She seems to have really nice girls in her class, and was asking to play with several after class. Fun, fun, fun. Ek has on the bright pink top and light pink shorts...

L was a hoot in her class. She was perfectly happy as long as I was less than one foot away. H was the official photographer in between games on the ipod. (I tell you, that boy was a trooper to watch 2 1/2 hours of dance last week!) L's class was amazing! Who knew 3 year old ballet could be so fun!! The danced with scarves, umbrellas, pretend babies and danced on a pretend beach. L said they do the baby song every week. Her recital song is Barry Manilow's "Can't smile without you." fabulous. She did the her recital dance quite well actually but did interject a few extra twirls (and if you had on her skirt, you would have too!!). I was bubbling over with joy to see her having so much fun dancing.

I can't help but think of what Mom's said when we were in Orlando (oh that should be tomorrow's post!!), she said she hopes that the girls would have great confidence and joy to not only dance in dance class but also to have confidence to lift their hands in freedom before the Lord. Amen, Mom.

Saving

Friday morning, Ek came to our bed at 5:15 with a report that she had just woken up with one less tooth. Her other front tooth was out! How you loose a tooth in your sleep and do not swallow it takes amazing skill. She was very excited. L followed her to our bed and amazingly, they both fell asleep flanking J. I got up. She had added it to her "special box" to continue saving for them to all be lost. I was thinking she was wanting an American Doll with her tooth saving, but she reported that now she is saving for an Ipod Touch. yikes. I guess she thinks her teeth are pretty valuable. Considering I may have 2 more years to go before she turns in her teeth, I guess I have some time to start saving myself.

In this picture you are actually seeing bottom teeth there in the middle.

No more pacis!!!

I'll never forget the day that L was a tiny little thing and I realized that "ba" was "paci" in her baby babble. I was so delighted to know what in the world she wanted! I wasn't too anxious to get rid of it, I wanted to~ but I didn't. After all it, kept her quiet in the car and, gracious, she is in the car a lot! But it was time. We talked about it a lot, she wanted to get rid of it, but she didn't. So I was praying and waiting for just the right time. Here's how it went down. I don't think I can write a "How to get rid of a paci book" from my experiences. We put her to bed and she didn't yet realize there was not one in bed with her. I went to take a bath, rare, very rare for me to take a night bath. J got a call from on of our friends that he had been hit in the face with a crock pot and thought he needed stitches. Moments later, L appears in the bathroom. She realized the paci void in her bed. I told her the last place I had seen it was in the car. She looked, couldn't find it. I told her I would look. Couldn't find one. So there you have it. No more pacis! I then told the kids I'd pay them $5 for any paci found without L seeing it. She has done really great, she is over it now. Not napping too well. Sleeping great. She seems much more peaceful without it around the house. J and I confess sometimes we still wish she had it in the car. haha Sometimes in the car though she will talk and talk and tell us, and ask us, everything she can think of, that is pretty entertaining. She is a precious thing.

Remembering the Snow day

So here's the deal. I have been having a camera crisis. I could not get the pictures from my camera to the computer and its just no fun to write without pictures! Then several days ago, I was at the P's and I saw JP put his card in a card reader and download his pictures to the computer. The clouds opened up. I now had the solution. I bought a $8 solution to my 5 month problem. But that one didn't work. So I bought a $13 solution to the $8 problem and- low and behold- it worked!!! ahhhhh. I love a solved problem. So here come some pictures!!!

So back to the snow. (really has it been that long???) We had a good bit of snow on a Monday morning back in January. The kids got dressed and rushed right out but it was kinda raining by then. So they got their umbrellas and made an umbrella fort to play in. Ek made 2 little snow men, key word, little, but little is adorable, and she was proud of herself. With my kids, better than the snow is the post snow hot chocolate. And it was all fun and games until the electricity went out. After several hours, I started to get a bit anxious that the kids were getting cold, Ek was walking around the house bundled in a blanket and they were getting hungry. I put observed skills to work of watching Dad make many fires and got one going. J came to the rescue with more firewood when he came home for lunch. We did manage to pull together some food and the electricity finally came back on. J was commenting on how many crumbs they had made eating a snack and I reminded J that we had eaten by candlelight. So thankful to look out my window today, and see 70 degrees and sunshine!!

the snow man's home amongst the popsicles and sweet potato fries...

can't you see the "ahhhhhh" in H's eyes?

PS J was super impressed with my fire skills, he asked if I had been a girl scout! hahaha

I gave all the credit to my Dad.

Run! Run! Run! Run! Run!

We went on our first family run yesterday with all 5 of us running! H is running really strong, he ran a mile. Ek is working on her confidence in running. L was so joyful and happy to be a part of it. J took the stroller in case L gave out. She ran about 1/3 mile before she started having stomach pain, but she didn't want to ride, she would walk a minute and try again. She was quite adorable, when she got home and we asked her how far she had run, she said "6 miles". It was fun to be out, talking, laughing, encouraging one another.

I hope we will always run this race together~~~ Therefore brothers, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every weight and the sin which so easily entangles, and run the race with endurance that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising its shame and is seated at the right hand of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (from memory so its probably a combo of several translations)