Wii had a wonderful day...

On top of being blessed beyond measure with good food & my precious family we enjoyed a full day-O-fun, courtesy of the Wii.

Background:

First, you must know that I would not consider our family the "gaming" type. We do have a game systems upstairs in our bedroom where Samuel will occasionally play a race car game or Spiderman. The girls could really care less. They each have hand-held games that they play in the car and their current favorite is called, "Cooking Mama" so I don't have to worry about violence that could be associated with that....unless they cut themselves in the cyber-world while racing to finish a recipe. Samuel also has a handheld game that he plays in the car and he certainly shows some serious potential to become a full-fledged addict, but we don't foster the love while we are home....just yet. I don't really have a problem with video games as long as I am the moderator of both time and content.

My interest in the Wii was peaked when I heard about other families who seemed like-minded in this area who really loved it and spoke highly about how much action was packed into playing the game. I guess anytime you hear about someones grandma playing a video game, it kind of peaks your curiosity.

To quote the company direct,

"Wii sounds like 'we', which emphasizes that the console is for everyone."

After a quick trip (hours waiting in the rain with other crazies) to Target, our very own superhero Daddy came home with one in hand a few weeks ago. He has been obsessed so excited to monopolize and dominate share it with our children ever since.

Here is a glimpse of how "Wii" spent our Christmas Day.

Bowling...







I love how Samuel uses the entire living room to bowl. I don't love that his skill level is already leaps and bounds beyond mine.




The girls love bowling and tennis so far...


Look. It's Dad again....except he's changed his shirt.....cause he broke out in a full sweat.




What a fun day! We stayed home the entire day and still managed to get in several rounds of bowling, golf, & tennis....and one round of boxing, but Emma knocked her Dad out cold and Chris ended up feeling like he might have actually pulled something out of whack. (ego maybe?)

So we wrapped things up and everyone settled down for bed in a happy state of exhaustion. I had looked forward to the evening for the entire day. Time for Chris and I to be together reflecting on the joy of Christmas and how blessed we had been.

Chris?

Honey?

Member me?



I guess I've gotta get better at tennis :)



A funny report from this morning:

Emma and Hannah came downstairs both moaning and groaning about their backs and arms aching and asking for Advil. I guess the whole claim that the game is "aerobic" is actually true!

Merry Christmas!

I decided that I would make one last attempt at our *Annual Christmas Card*, even though it was late. Can you appreciate how vain this attempt was?

Note to self: Never try to take the *Annual Christmas Card Photo* on Christmas Eve when the energy level of your children could power a small city.









I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I think this whole "chilled-out" approach has worked splendidly for me and I have learned so very much from this holiday season that I hope to share later. I have sent out Christmas cards for an impressive 17 consecutive years so surely I can beg your pardon this once and hope that this sweet photo will soften the blow :)



Merry Christmas Everybody!

House Update...

When we returned from our Thanksgiving trip to Texas, the roof was almost finished and my bay window was in!





Within another week, the siding had been completed and they have begun the sheet rocking process. It seems to be dragging on at this point because all of the exterior work went so quickly. The two upstairs windows are where the baby will be. Originally that space was going to be storage, but after seeing how much room there was we decided to go ahead and have it finished out.

So far, this whole process has not been terribly invasive.

So far.

But they cut the opening into the upstairs bedroom a few days ago and when they cut the opening for the downstairs, things are likely to get a little hairy (or dusty). It has been a challenge to hold everyone's attention for school when there is really loud construction taking place but on most days, it isn't too bad.

I would love for things to be completed sooner rather than later so that we could move into that space, but I am trying to prepare myself for the prospect of them finishing later than expected.

Because of all this hoop-la going on, we only decorated with a tree & stockings....no outside lights.....no bedroom trees.....no kitchen decor. Truthfully, it hasn't really bothered me but I think the kids are a little caught off-guard because Christmas just sort of snuck up on us!









They are giving us a completion date of the second week in January. Stay tuned for more pics!

A glimpse....

This was supposed to be a glimpse of our week, but that would mean that I would have posted it several weeks ago.

So.

Because I took two Sudafed and there isn't wallpaper to install or a 5,000 piece puzzle to put together I suppose I will take this drug-induced energy and put it to some sort of good use.

Well, and now I am supposed to somehow collect my thoughts and remember what in tarnation we've been doing for the last few weeks.

Let's start with a massive dumping of photographs.

Remember this little fella? He turned a whopping 5 years old and we celebrated at an indoor playground. The party/playdate was a smashing success and because we were scheduled in the afternoon when most reasonable mothers are putting their children down for naps, our homeschool herd nearly had the place to themselves!









These are Jenn's kids, Coleman and Emmie...




These are Sophia's kids: Briley, Seviann (with Emma), & Sabree...






Here are two of Dusty's kids, Hayden & Elliott...




Here is Kelly's little boy, Joshua....


In the time it took for me to post all these pictures, I have already used up every last bit of my stamina. Simply pathetic.

I would love to write long and thought-provoking posts about how much we love homeschool.

One sentence?

The most bless-ed and wonderful decision I have made this side of parenting.

Or maybe a long-winded essay about the joys of the 33rd week of pregnancy.

One sentence?

My ribs are on fire.

Of course I could easily write about the challenges of having an addition built onto your house while you are 33-weeks pregnant and homeschooling.

One sentence?

"Mr. Contractor.....when you heard me yellin' at the top of my lungs, "LAY DOWN... ON THE FLOOR.... RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME"....I was actually addressing the dog."

Seriously, our lives are very full and I love to record the important milestones, so I will return tomorrow with (hopefully) a recap of the past few weeks.

Blessings!

Worth your while...

Read this... because evangelism is not a program.

And this... because it will make you think about politics in light of the gospel.

Then this... because Amy says how I feel about our little church.

Don't forget this...because God's ways are perfect.

And please read this....because I love Kim's ideas for a Christ-centered Christmas.

Plus this...about Martin Luther and Away in the Manger (be informed....he did not write this precious carol...contrary to several well-meaning lies that I have been spreadin' around)

One more? How about this...because Leslie wrote a very well-informed review of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.

There. That ought to keep you busy for a while :)

Clean...for a minute

Texas Trip....It ain't over yet

Our Ride...



Chris flew into Dallas a week after the kids and I had been hanging out with the Jolly's. I had arranged for a rental car for the week, so that we could get to San Antonio and visit with his family.

This was our first car rental and I spent several weeks researching prices and trying to find something to accommodate our family.

You see, in our real life we drive the largest SUV ever made. So large, in fact that they don't even make it any longer (sniff & sob) unless you are affiliated with the FBI. Road trips aren't so bad when we have the room to sprawl out.

So.....I was looking for a real SUV to rent which apparently isn't possible and the next best thing was hardly worth the money. Believe it or not, mini-vans were even more expensive than the small SUVs that were available. We had 10 bags of luggage, and a solid 5-hour drive from Dallas to San Antonio so we needed lots of trunk space.

When I found out that the cost of a luxury car rental was the same as a mid-size SUV (think...Trailblazer or Jeep Cherokee) I thought it might be fun to actually have a car for the week, since Chris and I both are always in big trucks at home. Plus, after baby #4, a car would not be an option again for a very long time.

Was it fun? More like funny.

Like the time I stopped for a bathroom break in Hico, Texas at one of the only two gas stations in town and I came out...... and saw the pearlized white Lincoln with the sunroof.... and my husband in his camouflage baseball cap at the wheel.....and the back end of the Town Car lower than the front because of all the luggage....and my three kids tattooed to the back seat.....Well....

I had to go to the bathroom again.

It is just sooooo different from us. I could not stop laughing every single time I saw this car.

It didn't help when Chris started off the trip by calling from the airport saying he would be there in a little bit, but he needed to make a stop first.

For his velvet hat with a large feather tucked inside.

Anyhoo, our ride was smooth. It was comfortable. And let me tell you that the trunk rivals our garage for storage space.

The drive down to San Antonio was not the most pleasurable for me and I think I actually said at one point that I would rather give birth at that moment than deal with the sickness that was plaguing me.

Not pretty.

Enjoy the music today? It reflects the personality of the car, not the blogger but it was so appropriate I just couldn't resist.

Happy Birthday Samuel

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."

1Samuel 1:27-28
















4 months old
















1 Year Old






















2 Years Old


















3 Years Old






















4 Years Old





























How could it be possible that five whole years have passed since we celebrated your birth? Each year when my children grow older I stand in awe of how quickly the days are slipping by. What an incredible blessing to have been trusted with a son. You embody all things "boy" and I will never cease to be amazed by your superpowers, especially the one that includes your hugs and kisses and renders me helpless.

I am grateful to be your mother.

Beyond grateful.

Happy 5th Birthday Spider/Bat/Super/Boy. I love you.

Trip to Texas....Part II....Frisco

Well, Christmas is comin' and comin' quick isn't it? I am finding less and less time to sit and record some memories from our trip.

After our trip to Blue Ridge, we headed back to the city and went to Gatti Town. We don't have a Mr. Gatti's Pizza in Virginia, much less a Gatti Town. It is always a family favorite. Well, with the theater-style dining and the carnival of games, what's not to love?

Well, I don't particularly love the part where you trade your 847 tickets for a bouncy ball, a tootsie roll, and a whoopee cushion, but the rest is just peachy.





We also went to the Fort Worth Zoo . I love the Fort Worth Zoo and we haven't been since our kids were really small and they offered some sort of get-in-cheap special. Cause back then....it was all about cheap.

When we moved to Richmond, 8 years ago, the zoo was one of our first outings. Talk about an "eye-opening" experience. Our local zoo is privately owned and quite small. I will say it has grown on me in the past 8 years and now instead of small, I like to say, "quaint". (that means really, really small)

The weather could not have been more perfect. We got there after lunch thinking we could stay until 5:00 or 6:00 but they closed early at 4:00, so we put on our runnin' shoes set some priorities!


Monkeys. We could have stayed and watched those monkeys all day long.


The brown monkey is the momma. She was terribly engorged and I felt like I should advise her about warm compresses but she was preoccupied with her children.

Mothers- doesn't this picture elicit some vivid memories for you? Can't you reflect on a time when you laid flat on your back and had your monkey-children pester, poke, and pluck your last nerve?


I feel your pain Monkey-Momma.


Just braggin' on my camera. Hey- I spared you the other jillion animal pictures.


Jeffrey and Hannah were about two years old the last time they rode this lizard to town.


I don't have pictures of the mountain lion that was totally ignoring Tiffany and I. He was ignoring us so I tried to engage him in some friendly banter, which led to some real-life primal fear on my part.

Zookeepers may have said I taunted him, but that is totally a matter of opinion. There were no impressionable children around, just two middle-aged momma's who seriously tested their bladders while we hopped around like lunatics trying to get the big cat to give a flip that we existed. After pouncing around for a few minutes, I guess we started to look more and more like wild antelope because he started looking at me in this really weird way. And licking his mouth. And looking at me.

Ya'll, that mountain lion nearly made me pee my pants. Seriously.

Moving on.

In an act of service and humility (or sheer boredom), Emma came up with the brilliant plan to rake leaves in the neighborhood for charity. Julia and Jacob eagerly agreed. Jeffrey and Hannah (oh-so-much-older-and-wiser) scoffed and held their breath.

Never mind that the children had no rakes. Minor details. We are talking about mission-minded little people. God would provide the rakes.

So... door to door they went, offering to rake yards for charity. $5.00 to be exact and if that isn't child labor a great bargain, then I don't know what is.









They raked this one house and bagged about 5-7 bags, but the yard was so completely full of leaves to begin with, that it still looked a little bit too leafy when they were done. So I (the mean and evil adult) told them it wasn't quite finished.

Then began the wailing and gnashing of teeth. The crying for food, drink, and band-aids for their blisters. The moans of "WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS ANYWAY"???? It was priceless. A classic live & learn lesson that we as parents relish know is necessary.

Hannah wheeled around on her bicycle offering Fritos for the weary and downtrodden but it did little to lift their spirits.

I am not sure that Leaf Raking For Charity will make the headlines, but it certainly made an impressionable mark on the memories of our sweet kiddos. Our trip with the Jolly's was precious and too short. It always is. We are grateful for the blessing of the longevity of this friendship and the truth and love that sustains it. We miss you guys!!!