Adopt a street

Our church had street adoption this Christmas. Every family was encouraged to adopt a street and pray for them. They had packets with gift bags in them, enough for each home on the street. We picked up our old street (our pastor happened to live one house away from us on the same street) and although the kids were trying to grab as many streets as possible, I stuck to my guns at one. We wrote personal notes for each one, Kendall and I went and picked out a little gift for each bag and the kids and I assembled them and prayed over each of them. Praying for blessings and peace in their home this Holiday season. We were suppose to deliver them before Christmas Eve, we had invitations in there for our service that night. We planned to deliver them a few days before and we couldn't do it! The weather had been -wind chill and the snow and ice was horrible..Christmas eve morning was cold but it was the only shot we had. I got the kids snuggled up and we headed out. I stayed in the car and kept handing out the bags as the kids followed me up the street. They prayed for each house as they went and thought it was very cool! That night I even saw a few people from the street that came.

BLACK AFTERNOON!

I am currently living in a pile of plastic trash.. I can't see the floors in any room and there are tiny shoes and brushes everywhere. Bosley is not the chewing type of dog so he unfortunately won't even help to rid us of some of this. I am giving the kids all morning to keep playing and opening plastic tubs. Then the dreaded BLACK afternoon is happening. We will be filling up black trash bags and having the time of our lives!
Yesterday we had the best day. On Christmas Eve the kids wanted to know if 7:00 was OK to wake us. Agreed.. on Christmas morning Nate and I were surprised on how quiet they were. It was 7:30 and they were all sitting in the living room whispering. CJ noticed my head peeking at them and then we had all three of them on our bed. We found out that at 4:00am CJ noticed Kendall was missing from the room and CJ went looking for her and found her sitting in the dark surrounded by the presents just staring. CJ told her it was too early and escorted her back to bed. Cole had been awake since 6:00 and was waiting on the couch just staring and imagining what lay underneath all that thin Santa paper. It was a great Christmas morning...We took our time (especially Kendall, even when her brother kept hinting that she is really holding up the fun line) and we all had lots of fun. The kids went off to open and mess up everything and Nate and I made an Amish breakfast casserole and biscuits and then resumed our positions on the couch to untie plastic swirly black things from the backs of everything ever made. We headed off to the movies in the early afternoon. We've never gone to the movies on Christmas and I thought it was going to be EMPTY...well apparently everyone goes to the movies on Christmas! It was packed the heck out, I couldn't believe it. We watched Bedtime Stories and it was one that parents and kids could both hang at.. Good choice.
Nate and I made dinner together and I usually make the Turkey and do all that stuff but this year we decided to do something different. I made Cornish game hen's for each of us and Nate made ULTIMATE twice baked potatoes (please don't forget the ultimate part because he was very insistent on that) and everything was delicious. We spent a long time at dinner, with everyone telling stories and well they were mostly about me. Everyone laughing at how insane their Mom/Wife is. I do appreciate they can all laugh about it though..lol That's the only thing that makes me feel that I am not completely traumatizing them with my personality. The girls picked out a chocolate cake for dessert (they don't do pie) and the guys chose apple pie. I choose both, so all desserts work out in my favor. The whole day was good and wonderful and I am so thankful for my little family..

Now bring on the BLACK AFTERNOON!

We drove by our old house this morning to pick up Cole from a sleep over. One of his best friends lives one house away from our old house. The girls and I were quiet driving by the lake and onto our street..I said, I really miss our house. And CJ just shook her head in agreement and Kendall started to cry a little bit. We stopped in front of it and just looked and looked. OH MAN! We had such a great time living there and it's been a hard week not being there. Lots of room for baking and being and dancing around to my favorite Christmas music....This--- in the middle place does not feel festive! haha There is no room for dancing and no room for baking and no room for a big Christmas tree...It's weird feeling all these feelings...missing a place. I know this time, this in the middle time, waiting to move and staying together in this tiny place holds it's blessings too. We are very close in space and we've been very close in our time together. I am enjoying my kids so much. Sometimes the space thing makes me crazy with the mess. But we can't hide from each other. It's been very sweet and I know the Holiday even it's with Chinese food doesn't truly matter to any of us. We really truly enjoy one another!! I miss the place we came from and I am content in where we are and I am excited about what comes in this next year for us, whatever it is..... HAPPY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

Well I am officially "on call" from 8:30 this morning until 8:30 tomorrow morning as a volunteer for MOCSA. My first official day...I have been re-reading all my paperwork and praying. I was up all night thinking about being called into the hospitals today. I am totally nervous...hoping I will know what to say and what to do and how to comfort. Truly only God can calm me and make this work in the event I get called in this shift. If not this shift, it will be another. The beginning is always the hardest. Here goes the beginning..

Hmmmm Breakfast...

This morning is the kids last day before winter break. They have a half day and then they're H-O-M-E. When my kids are together doing anything you can be sure there will be something happening. They will be laughing hysterically, crying, be violent(CJ) who knows. This morning I get every one's food to them. Then I come sit on the couch and open up the laptop. I can see the kids from the couch and hear every word they are saying. First they all decide to have a few rounds of who is the ultimate rock, paper, scissors champion for today. We play this quite often and play this to make decisions or settle disputes. I am like.. OKAY EAT PEOPLE, EAT!! Then I see Kendall putting stuffed animals on the empty seats at the table and putting peanut butter crunch cereal pieces in front of them to eat. UMMM HELLO, CHILDREN EAT! My kids are so social with each other.. they are NEVER silent and they can barely get through any meals unless they are completely alone and isolated. The next thing I hear and witness made my day...CJ is talking to the others about her future life. She is telling them about her house and plans, ect.. Kendall says...... Your house is going to be PINK and PURPLE!! CJ tries to stay calm but if you want to make CJ mad you say things, like that she likes pink and purple. CJ gruffs....KENDALL it will NOT be those colors!! Kendall= giggle giggle giggle.. YES IT WILL CJ, pink and purple!! giggle giggle... Well that was it.. I see CJ flying out of her chair and pushing Kendall's head down into her cereal bowl. I yell STOPPPPPPP!!!!!! She stops and luckily it didn't hit the bowl yet...Kendall was FURIOUS because she doesn't put milk in her cereal, she likes her milk only on the side, so she says... CJJJJJJJ!!! You almost knocked my MILK into my CEREAL!!!!!!!!!!!!! She didn't care one bit about her face going into the bowl. CJ comes over to me and she is M-A-D! I just smile at this child straight from my DNA and say, what's up? CJ says.. KENDALL is trying to CONTROL MY LIFE!! I say, How is she doing that, how can Kendall control your life?? CJ- She is saying I am going to have to live in a pink and purple house!!!!!! Me- Are you?, CJ- No... Okay so then she cant control your life.. But you are in control of smashing her face into her bowl and spilling her milk into it...CJ- oh...okay.. Cole and Kendall are laughing at this point and I always make my kids tell each other they love each other and hug after something happens.. It's hard to stay mad when I keep saying.. one more hug, a kiss, say I LOVVEEEE you SISTER!! Then CJ told Kendall she was sorry and all was well... they continued to rock, paper, scissors through the rest of breakfast and I'm sure my stories these next three weeks will be full of CRAZY with these three.

The faces he makes...

I caught Kendall and Bosley taking a nap together on the couch..well Cole caught me taking pictures of them and he decided he wanted to get in on a few pics. He told me he was going to be pretending to be sleeping, as you can see he was doing nothing of the sort when I snapped the picture...THIS BOY makes me laugh hysterically every single day. His facial expressions kill me!! hahaha

My girls at their dance!

They had such a fun night dancing and with each other and their Dad!

Just a few more weeks..

December might just be the end of me...this month is straight outta control. I know other people are feeling this too. I seriously want to quit.

So, just a couple things from this week..
CJ and I went to the Cheetah Girls Concert and we got the best seats ever..a few rows back from the front and all the way to the side, so we were right at the stage and CJ was loving every minute of it. Our friend Chad's cousin is one of the cheetah's so he completely hooked it up for CJ to get into the meet 'n' greet before the concert and I think that about made her life so far complete! We've had some snow and the kids were out of school yesterday. I had about 4 loads of laundry to fold and the kids helped me. I was missing one little child with glasses and didn't notice until the mound of laundry was making a tiny squeaky giggle....buried alive.

Kendall is really crazy about her food choices. This morning it was too much stress to decide between peanut butter on her bagel and cream cheese, so she came up with a "half n half deal" per her request. If only the rest of her day could be as fun as that.. today I needed to get to Toys R Us to get Kendall some presents while they were on sale and I had to bring her with me. So I just told her we were shopping for CJ. Well when I kept putting things in the cart that she would love to have and her tiny face kept warping into deep sadness. She couldn't help but cry and then say.."well I hope that CJ has the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!" cry cry cry...then someone would stare at her and she would hide her face in her hands in embarrassment over crying. It was quite a joyous time shopping... Two more weeks of madness.

I love old people

For some reason I just have always loved old people..especially old men. Now when I say old, I'm not saying 50-60's..although I'm sure everyone in that age group is quite lovable too. Give me some oldies 70+ and it is a good time. Yesterday I was not a happy gal and I went to the gym to zone out and ride the exercise bike(which I have come to find out really does nothing cardio wise) and read a book. I sat down and started reading..I had my head buried and I had been pedaling a while. I heard someone say, " Hey, Hey!" I looked up and I saw a smiling face on an old gentleman. He sat next to me and I said, "Hey, Hey!" Immediately he started chatting me up and telling me stories about his youth..I was still holding my book and figured I wasn't going to need it anymore, threw it down and soaked the conversation in.. I can't get enough of stories.. I love to hear about people's pasts and their lives. Doesn't even matter if I know them or not. He told me about getting electricity in 6th grade and riding horses to his one room schoolhouse.. It was great. Then another old buddy of his came walking by and joined in the conversation. He was Canadian(apparent by his canadian hat and canadian shirt and canadian sweatsuit) and proceeded to bash Canada being very proud of his American status now, after marrying an American hottie a few years ago! I laughed so much and so hard at these two that I went the longest I've ever gone on the exercise bike..lol It was a good time and coming in grump face and meeting these two was the best! Today Mr. Canadian found me and introduced me to his hottie American wife and I talked to them for a while.. very sweet and very 80+ both of them. I don't know what it is about the age.. Respect for having walked through all that I have yet to...Meeting people who lived with less luxury than we have today and them still appreciating the "good ol' days"...Their attitudes about life and how they have a good time despite their physical growing tired. Their stories, their faces.. AHHHHHH!!! I can't get enough!!!!

There is this little old couple who comes to the gym and they are both very slow and every time I see them, I find myself almost crying right then and there... They walk with a little hunch and they have the cutest sweatsuits on that match.. The woman is much slower than her husband and when they take to walking around and around the little track, they hold hands and smile the entire time..like they know something..like they have a secret! I just watch them go by and by and I find myself smiling in their sweetness... I hope I make it there someday...can't say I'd get Nate to wear the matching sweat suits, but by then....one wouldn't seem to care~