Fulton Times

My Men

2011-11-26T10:57:00.001-05:00

I have been surrounded by males all my life. Growing up I had 2 brothers, no sisters. We played lots of boy things and our home was pretty noisy. Now with 4 boys that hasn't changed. They like things like super heroes and guns. They have contests regularly because winning IS that important. They value strength and speed.

They do things like this--note the projectile flying through the air. The other day Ben was trying to work on his AP Government on the computer when Chris came up behind him and shot him in the head with a Nerf dart. It's a common occurrence.

There tends to be wrestling--often. And usually it's in the dining room/kitchen area. Everyone is out to bring Dad down. I don't get it. I remember when I would wrestle with them when they were little. Once Sam, who was about 18 months or so, sat on my head while I was wrestling Ben and Fred. That was the end of my wrestling 3 at once.

I love these men! I remember when we found out that we were having another boy. I mourned for the loss of reading Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie together and the various other things you think of when you think you are going to be the mom of a daughter. That lasted about 20 minutes, and I've not looked back since.

I am blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful young (and not so young) men. I have come to respect and value those qualities of manliness that exude from our home. I love that they don't carry grudges--they are over it in about 3 minutes. I love that they are strong and brave in the face of real and imagined dangers. I love that they can lift things and open things. And I also love that they will listen to Anne of Green Gables even though they are stunned at the amount of words she uses, and that one of their very favorite movies is The Princess Bride.

YACTS

2011-11-22T16:25:00.000-05:00

YACTS is a drama troupe in our community for students in 6th to 12th grade. Sam has participated for 2 years, and this was Peter's first. This shot was taken after their successful Saturday night performance of the musical "Flat Stanley, Jr."

They practiced, sang and danced their way to a successful play. Sam played Dr. Dan, a confused physician, and the Sneak Thief, stealing paintings from the Lourve. Peter was the French guard at the museum who caught that thief. Their good friend Benjamin played Stanley's brother Aurthur and did an amazing job singing his solo.

Sam loves to act and to make people laugh. He did that very well last weekend. Peter donned his best Cleuseau accent and chased Sam down. It was such fun to see them get to use their talents to entertain. I'm so proud of both of them!

Birthday

2011-11-17T15:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was going to post that I was thankful that my husband was taking me out to dinner for my birthday, but I didn't have time. And then he didn't anyway!
My dear friend Donna gave me a surprise party for my birthday. I've never had a surpise party. It was a lot of fun. The cake, made by Barbara, was gluten free and amazing. Raspberry and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations.

I'm thankful for the love shown to me by my friends, and for good food!

Friends part 2

2011-11-15T19:59:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful for the friends my boys have made over the years. I've prayed for good friends for them since they were young.

I'm thankful that they have people to talk to, to play with, to call, to hang out with.

They and their friends bring joy and spice to my life.

Friendship: What a great gift!

Friends

2011-11-12T08:21:00.000-05:00

Friends are such a gift. I don't know what I would have done without these ladies and so many more.

I'm so thankful for the friends I've had over the years.

Whenever we moved, or when one of them moved, God brought another friend into my life.

Each of them taught me so much--how to love, how to parent, how to be a wife, how to laugh....the list is too long to write.

I treasure these dear women. We have shared much laughter and many tears, along with babies, frantic calls about teenagers, dinners with our husbands, and God's Word. I'm so thankful for good friends!

Love

2011-11-11T08:21:00.015-05:00

I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway
See now, I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking
ground
Yes then, I turned away with a smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes,You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
You love me, yes You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me

This is one of my current favorite songs. It replays in my mind again and again. You see, when God looks at me He doesn't compare me to Joe Paterno or Lindsay Lohan. He compares me to Himself. And I don't ever measure up. When pride rears it's ugly head, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble," (James 4:6), and He says I'm to "be completely humble and gentle." (Eph. 4:2). I spend way too much time worrying, and I seem to wear it in my body, but God says, "Do not worry about anything but pray about everything." (Phil. 4:6). My mouth runs ahead of my self-control, and I say things I shouldn't. I complain, gossip, lash out. But God says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their need that it may benefit those who listen." (Eph. 4:29) I can't measure up. I don't deserve this love. I never will. There's nothing I can do to be good enough, to earn this love that would give everything for me. God didn't just love the world so much that He sent His only Son, He loved me and you and each and every person in the world so much. Words can't describe how utterly grateful I am for this love.

Manhunt

2011-11-09T15:32:00.002-05:00

We had the privilege of hosting a passel of kids this summer to play kickball, ghost in the graveyard, and manhunt. Manhunt, as described by one of the young ladies, is "hide and seek on steroids in the dark." Sounds fun, doesn't it?

You'll note the proliferation of black. These are the seasoned man-hunters. They understand the goal--to disappear into the dark.

Since my children were young, I have prayed that our home would be a place where their friends come and play and feel welcomed and loved. God has answered at least part of that prayer. This summer we had a lot of friends here regularly. I hope that they felt welcomed and loved!

Each time there was a different group, different dynamics. From 6th graders to college freshman played together into the night (sometimes long into the night). They would sit with us around the fire and share their lives with us and with each other.

There were many laughs and lots of running. Only a couple went into the pond. Only a few got hurt, but not badly enough to keep them from playing again.

What a blessing and what fun to be a part of the excitement of manhunt! I'm blessed by knowing these guys!

Butternut Squash Souffle

2011-11-09T15:17:00.000-05:00

As per request:

Butternut Squash Souffle
2 cups mashed butternut squash
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. maple syrup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp corn starch
3 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cup whipping cream or evaporated milk
1/2 c melted butter
slivered almonds or pecans

Combine squash, salt, maple syrup, brown sugar and corn starch and beat until fluffy. Add egg yolks, whipping cream, and butter. Mix thoroughly. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into squash mix. Pour into greased 1 1/2 qt casserole and sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and serve immediately.

Yummm!!

Home

2011-11-08T08:40:00.000-05:00

There's something about coming home. When I see this view my shoulders relax, my breathing is easier, I smile and think, "home."

For so many in this world home is not a safe place. It's filled with anger and hurt, or longing and hunger and cold. How thankful I am that the home in which I grew up was a safe and wonderful place. I remember driving "home" when Chris and I were first married, and even up to the time my parents moved from our childhood home. There's that feeling of joy when you can see the house. It's not the place. Ours was certainly not a mansion, nor was it perfectly decorated or even exceptionally clean (nor is mine today!), but it was home.

We in the United States have the unique privilege of owning homes that are heated, with running water, insulation, glass windows, and closets. I'm so thankful for my home. It's old, built on corner stones with no foundation to speak of. It's cold most of the time since the heating vents were retro-fitted in the top of the walls. But when we considered putting it on the market this summer, our realtor, after walking through and around and in, said "You guys are all through this place." She didn't mean our stuff either. Our home exudes us. Our laughter and tears permeate every room. It's where we belong--for now.

As much as I love my home, I'm even more thankful that I have a home waiting for me that will never break down, never be cold, never need repair. A place where there are no tears or crying or pain; where we will truly and finally belong----forever.

Food

2011-11-06T17:24:00.001-05:00

I'm a foodie. I love all kinds of food. Before I had children, and then before they got busy, I would regularly try new recipes, peruse cookbooks and buy cooking magazines. One of my friends used to always ask if we were eating a new recipe, and nine times out of ten we were. She agreed to keep being a guinea pig for me though.

I still love food, but not like before. I don't have time to be adventuresome, nor do I like the clean-up it now entails. I'm very thankful for the abundance of food available to me. It is a luxury that we take for granted

Today I'm thankful for this not-so-nice looking but amazing butternut squash souffle. It's truly a delight. I am counting it as a vegetable. There are 2 cups of butternut squash in it. That counts. But it tastes like smooth butterscotch. Yummm. As we scarfed it down last night Peter said, "Mom, I hope there is A LOT of this in heaven. It's amazing!" I would agree.

Colors

2011-11-05T09:44:00.000-04:00

Living in the east is a blessing. I don't know how I'd handle living in a place where fall looked just like summer. God has an amazing sense of color. Of course, since He is the one who created color that makes sense.

Many times I'm just too busy running to notice the beauty around me, and yet there it is.

If I would take time to look--to say thank You--I'm sure my days would be more meaningful.

I love how they all go together. Since when can you put yellow and orange and red together unless you are talking football teams? But God does it so skillfully. It looks perfect.

This tree took my breath away the other day. The picture doesn't do it justice. I drive past this tree at least twice a day, and most days 4 or more times. But as i looked up on my way to the middle school, it jumped at me. The color is so brilliant. I love the reds!

This was the scene out my window as I prayed the other morning. Amazing colors!

Strength

2011-11-03T07:14:00.000-04:00

Sleep and I have a somewhat tenuous relationship with a sordid past. Many times he's happy to oblige me, gentle and faithful each night. But there are nights when I scare him away with worries and business, or when my usually calm tenants, the Hormones, decide to go on the warpath. Then Sleep flees away, too frightened or put out to show his face. Other times though, for no apparent reason, he hides from me, always just beyond my reach. Sometimes its just for a night, like he had another engagement, but quickly returns the next night to make up for it. But there are days and weeks and even months when he hides so well. He furtively creeps in around 2 or 3 and then promptly disappears again way before the alarm. Ahhhh Sleep.

But each day, each week, each month God is faithful. When I call on Him, He hears me. When I cry out for strength He answers. Isaiah 26:3-4 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord for in Yah the Lord is everlasting strength." I can't tell you how many days that has been my cry. His strength is mine if I ask. He is ever so faithful. Some mornings it's all I can do to hold back the tears and just function, but then I remember that I can call on everlasting Strength, and He provides! I'll be doing that again today and praying that Sleep will forgive me and return again.

Thankfulness

2011-11-01T11:49:00.000-04:00

It's November again! Time for the daily thanksgiving posts. I am not a thankful person by nature. It's much easier for me to see what's wrong than to be thankful for what isn't. I hate that about me, but this tradition gives me the opportunity and the obligation to look for things for which I'm thankful. Having to record it means that I have to look beyond the things for which I'm always thankful like my husband and my children (well, o.k., not always). So today, November 1st, when one of my children is not speaking to me and two have more candy than any human being should which means I have to deal with it, I am looking to be thankful.

I didn't have to look far. This morning again I was challenged and encouraged by my Bible study. Two friends and I are working through Beth Moore's Daniel study. We've done several together, and I'm always surprised at how much I learn. The last part of Daniel is about the visions of the future that God gave him, and this verse from Isaiah set the tone for today: "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 46:10. When I feel like things are out of control what a comfort to know that God does what He pleases and His purposes will stand since He loves me and is for me and is changing me into the image of Christ. It also helps me to remember that there are bigger things going on in the world than what I can see in my little life.

Reflections

2011-10-08T18:48:00.000-04:00

Life has not left a lot of time for reflection, but I want to get this down before I move on.

This is how I spent much of my time in life. I guess I thought it would stay this way for a very loooonnnnggg time. And it did really. It just doesnt' feel like it right now. I tried to cherish those moments and to not wish away the days of small things. I listened to those moms who declared how quickly time flies and that I needed to enjoy them. We have been very busy and very full.

But now we are here.

And time is still flying. I'm thankful that Fred is away doing college things. He should be. Leaving him in a dorm room with 4 other young men was relatively easy. I've done it before, but he always came back. But the longer he's away, the more my psyche realizes that he's not really ever coming back. He may be here for an extended period of time, but it won't ever be the same. My little boy isn't mine anymore. He's headed for bigger and better things, and my heart isn't ready.

A door is closing on this chapter. It's been closing since it first opened, but now it's imminent. This isn't new, but it sure is new to me. Of course Peter still has 7 more years of school, so we're still in the thick of parenting, but the realization of the closing door makes me more aware of the brevity of time.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not lamenting or depressed--just wistful. I pray that this new awareness makes me take more time to enjoy my boys. I pray that it reminds me to continue to build my relationship with my sweet husband since soon it will be just us. I pray that I will appreciate the moments together and stop being petty over the little things. Mostly though, I pray that I will be thankful for the privilege of being a mom and embrace with joy the young men that God is molding under my roof.

Easter Weekend

2011-05-02T13:07:00.000-04:00

What an amazing Easter weekend we experienced! The Good Friday Service was so moving and personal. We learned about the last 7 "words" of Christ from the cross. I was surprised at the emotion that met me as I contemplated those last thoughts Christ shared. After that, Karen delivered a monologue as a person witnessing the crucifixion and coming to the realization that without that death, without that horrendous act, there is no salvation for any of us. We have to join our voices with the crowd in shouting, "crucify!" or else we are lost. Powerful, humbling thoughts as we took communion together.

Saturday we joined our church in the Eggspedition outreach to our community. We worked the putt putt booth, while the boys worked in the concessions area. We never really have a hunt--it's more like a vacuum! We watched as 12,000 eggs disappeared in under 90 seconds. It was great fun! Then we had good friends here for dinner that night.

The boys were trying their hands at a physics experiment. God made the egg so strong, that if you hold it in your hand (the right way, of course) with the pressure distributed evenly and squeeze as hard as you can, it will not break. We tried it with hard-boiled eggs! It did work though.

I'm so very thankful for my wise husband who told me no a few weeks before when I wanted to invite people for Easter dinner. We were exhausted! We awakened the boys for their egg hunt and breakfast before everyone had to leave. After another inspiring church service shared with new friends, we came home to another Easter egg hunt. Ben and Fred left church quickly, and Ben set up an egg hunt for Chris and me. It was very thoughtful, but also pretty difficult! We relaxed and enjoyed each other the rest of the day. It was a great way to start spring break.

Blogger

2011-04-09T16:43:00.000-04:00

At first I thought I wasn't a blogger, but when I got started, it was kind of fun. But I was right. I'm not a blogger. I think in my heart I am, but not in the reality of time and life. I compose them daily in my mind, but there they stay, lost amidst schedules, lists, and school stuff. Sigh. At some point there will be time to reflect, but not in spring, not with sports and plays and concerts and tests and graduation looming with more things to do than I can muster the energy for. Ah well. Here are some photos just to freshen things up a bit.

The boys were snowboarding on the ice-covered grass.

Ben's birthday party.

The hot tub facial hair at Myrtle Beach.

Beautiful day on the beach in South Carolina.

Peter leads the singing of "Happy Birthday" for himself.

Mugging on Fred's 18th birthday.

Peter plays in the drum ensemble at the Fine Arts Festival.

Fred throwing shot at states for winter track. He was seeded 24 and placed 12th.

My brother Todd and his wife Kim at his going away party.

The kids at the party all played Just Dance together.

Glasses

2011-01-25T15:28:00.001-05:00

Sam has gotten glasses. He was complaining that he would "fuzz out" while doing his school work, and then he started getting some headaches. I took him to the eye doctor, and sure enough, the numbers were off enough for a pair of specs to be in order.

I think he looks very handsome in his new glasses. He says they help, but they are also a little strange. He doesn't like using them when we are riding in the car. He says it's too weird looking through two sets of glass. If it helps him do better work with less complaining, I'm all for it.

The doctor said they would help with the eye strain. Hmmm. I wonder if that can be brought on from hours of reading by the flashlight each night when you are supposed to be asleep?

These are my glasses. The left are the readers and the right are the drivers. Except now they get more use than driving. When I first got the distance glasses, I would use them if I were driving at dusk in a place where I really needed to see the signs, or when we went to the movies and sat in the back.

Since turning 40, I find that I need them to see the guide on the TV--and sometimes even the picture on the TV. Chris says I'm vain and that's why I won't wear them all the time. Not true. I don't want my eyes to adjust to my glasses and get worse (I know that's a myth, but why risk it). Unfortunately, now when I don't wear them, I have eye strain. My readers were a necessity when I was teaching and grading paper after paper. It's not that I can't see, it's that my eyes HURT when I don't wear them and try to read a text book or grade papers. Here's my clue that it's time for a re-check. We were watching television the other night, and I was trying to finish a book at the same time. Fred looked over at me and said, "Really? You're rockin both glasses at the same time?" I'm sure it looked funny, but I am into function and not fashion at this point.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-12T10:59:00.000-05:00

I love New Year's. It's a new beginning. It's a time to start those things which I've put off for other reasons. New opportunities and new chances abound. This is the year that will make all the difference--at least for a while.

This New Year's didn't feel like New Year's. We spent a few days at my mom's with both of my brothers and their families. There was good food and fun times, but there was also sickness. New Year's Eve was the worst for some of us. So instead of missing that tremendous new start, we are just putting it off a little until we all feel better. We'll celebrate again in a couple of weeks.

Lily and Abbey rekindling a friendship. Since Lily, Tommy and Rose live in Ohio, we don't get to see them often. When we do, we are always so thankful for that time.

We see Nichole and Abbey pretty frequently and always love spending time with them. Note Nichole's new specs! Aren't they great?

This scene never gets old for me.

Gram loves having her grand kids around--especially the ones that are so far away.

We went to one of my dad's favorite places--the hardware store in Blackstone. Every Christmas they set up a HUGE display of model trains. It's really amazing. He loved to take us there and talk with the guy behind the controls. We missed having him with us this year.

The New Year's Eve party was at Kim and Todd's. The kids enjoyed playing Wii. Tommy couldn't wait to go to Aunt Kim's and Uncle Todd's to play Wii.

He was totally into the game.

The adults and some kiddos stayed downstairs and played Scene It, among other things.

Sweet Rosie!

The bigger boys spent some time in the back house watching T.V. Can you see the sick eyes on Fred? This was probably 30 minutes before Sam came in with a fever of 102.

MIDNIGHT! Happy New Year!

Aunt Kim's neighbors were serenaded by small people with pots and pans!

So although we had fun ringing in the New Year, it didn't quite feel like a holiday, which is o.k. By the nextmorning the stomach bug had taken hold, so we missed the pork and sauerkraut. We and the Ohio Henry's headed home as quick as we could that morning. Todd and Kim and Mom enjoyed it this week, but we couldn't make the trip. No one in my house can take sauerkraut, so I REALLY missed it. I bought a tiny can that I might try to sneak in the next time we have pork. Does it count if it isn't January 1st?

Christmas Memories

2011-01-07T11:33:00.001-05:00

I thought I would share some of our Christmas even though that was AGES ago. We spent it at home together and then joined our good friends for dessert and drama later in the day. It was a good day for all, and the last healthy day of 2010 for our family. It's been a loooonnnnnggg couple of weeks since Christmas!

I'm sporting a new look for 2011 just to change things up a bit.

The fuzzy hat made big splash this year. Apparently it's very warm.

Ben gives the victory pose as Peter opens something that doesn't resemble apparel.

Another edition of the fuzzy hat. This one is checkered red and black to match his coat.

This would be the mood when these two realized that, yes, most of the boxes are shaped like clothing boxes. The excitement has waned considerably. Maybe opening gifts is just too much work. Sigh.

Sam also is sporting a new look for 2011. Think Clouseau.

One of the non-clothing gifts for this year was a new trampoline from Aunt Pam and Grandma Fulton. Our old one has 'done been wore out!' It has also been thrown over the shed and mangled by a tree, reformed and repaired, and the netting has been fixed on a bi-weekly basis for the past 7 months. It has gotten much lovin, which is why we decided that this would make a good, useful gift for Christmas. It was very cold on Christmas morning, but the boys and Chris decided that they needed to put that puppy together. Good thing they all got hats (except poor Chris--maybe we can find one).

See the looks of concentration as Ben and Fred lift those bars and totes those barrels.

Boris is supervising from her perch on the new net. (Yes, I realize Boris is not a female name--it's a long story).

It's almost done! It's funny that Sam is in most of these pictures, because he didn't really help much at all. He was there for support when they needed extra hands, but many times he escaped for a trounce on the old trampoline. He was acting more in the role of supervisor. Fred, Ben and Chris did the lion's share of the work.

So that was our pretty uneventful and happy Christmas morning. Maybe I'll post about New Year's before February. That would be something, now wouldn't it?

Fog

2010-12-23T08:53:00.000-05:00

Early in the morning on Wednesday, December 16, Deano, my brother-in-law, died of a heart attack. Pam was there with him when he died. I can't imagine how difficult this is for her right now. Chris and I left Thursday morning before the snowfall to be with her for the funeral. The trip was treacherous for a while as the snow covered the already cold highway, but thankfully we made it safely. Friday was the service, and then we headed to my mom's, who is only 5 hours away, since we were driving two vehicles home and I'm a wimp about these things.

I was driving the truck that Chris bought from his uncle, a vehicle I'd never driven before, and Chris followed in the car. I was leading and very nervous at first. As we travelled I became more comfortable with the truck and felt a little more at ease. We were cruising along through Greensboro and almost to Virginia when we hit the fog. No one was ahead of me at that point, and I felt encased by the cloud and the darkness. We were in unfamiliar territory at this point too, with a GPS that was malfunctioning. I strained to see the road ahead. The fog would lift some, but it always returned. God mercifully sent people to drive in front of me. As long as I could see their tail lights, I felt o.k. I prayed a lot---really a lot. When we stopped for gas Chris led, and I felt better. We drove in the fog in the dark for 2 1/2 hours, and we finally ran out of it 10 miles before reaching my mom's. How thankful I was!!!

As I was lost in the fog, I had lots of time to think. I thought about how much our lives are like the fog. I can't see what's ahead, and I'm not sure of the road. If there is a light in front of me to show me the way, then I feel more confident, even though I still don't really know what's ahead. The Bible says that God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Like the tail lights of the car in front of me, it can show me the next step in this crazy life.

This has been a year of deaths for me--my dad, parents of friends, relatives. I don't know why this shocks me so much. No one gets out of here alive. We start the process the moment we are conceived, and yet when the time comes it seems unfair, surreal. Like driving in the fog, we don't see what is ahead, what is around us, where the road bends. God says that our lives are like a vapor--like fog--that disappears quickly. That doesn't seem true until you are facing the death of another loved one. I can only imagine the fog that my mom and now Pam are wading through. But God is always so faithful to lead us when we rely on Him. We just need to remember that when the fog is closing in and everything is dark.

Family

2010-11-29T13:11:00.000-05:00

We were supposed to travel to Chris' family in South Carolina for Thanksgiving this year. But football. Since Fred's team won in their regional playoff game, that meant that they played on November 27th, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and it also meant practice all weak. We reviewed our options and decided that we needed to stay home for Thanksgiving this year. It was nice to not travel, but we were sad at the prospect of missing family. On Monday, I woke up and found that our niece had posted on Facebook that they were coming up here instead. They weren't coming for Thanksgiving, but they would arrive on Friday. Both my father-in-law and mother-in-law said that they wanted to come up to see Fred play, so they packed up and headed north.

At very cold Osborne waiting for the game.

Bud and Rosie cheering for Clemson--to no avail.

Rosie even has glasses to go with her outfit, but Ashley needs to help her with them.

We enjoyed having them here so much. It meant a lot to all of us that they would travel that far to see a game. The game was VERY COLD and kind of sad, but they were here. When it was all finished, we came home and made a warm fire, ate good food and watched more football. It was a wonderful blessing that we all treasure.

Lots

2010-11-20T20:11:00.000-05:00

Isn't it just like life? Today there are so many things I'm thankful for! I guess this shows that I am, unfortunately, bound by circumstances way too much. I'm making a list.....
--bacon cheeseburgers on the grill for dinner
--7 layer bars
--another Wildcat victory--1st year in regional playoffs, first year of undefeated at home, first time to beat Massaponax in the history of Mountain View-excitement all around.
--good friends
--beautiful weather

Before the game meal--love these boys!!!

Peter enjoying the 7 layer bars. As he helped me make them, he asked, "Mom, if they would have lost today, would we still be making 7 layer bars?" "Probably not." "Then I'm so glad they won!"
It's a thankful kind of day!

Roads?

2010-11-18T16:20:00.001-05:00

Some days it's hard to find things to be thankful for. Can you relate? It seems that many things conspire to make the day hard and just miserable. It takes effort to find those things for which I'm thankful on those days. I don't have pictures, but I am thankful for the safe trip to Baltimore today to take my mom to the airport. I'm thankful that 95 was completely uneventful, making the trip much quicker than I had thought or planned. I'm thankful for clear skies and clear lanes. I'm thankful that perhaps tomorrow will be another opportunity to be thankful, and I'm continually thankful for more laughter last night playing Balderdash with my family--and did you know that limosis is a sudden and overwhelming urge to eat chalk? Who knew?

Chris

2010-11-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful for my faithful, resourceful, and good looking husband. He provides the stability and grace in our family. I appreciate him so much. He is not afraid to try anything, and therefore very handy to have around. He listens to me without judging, gives me sound advice, and loves me madly. I love having him work at home every day and hate when he is gone. He is one of the best dad's I know and a great example for our boys. We met when I was just 16 (which sounds VERY young now), and have been together since. God has blessed me with a amazing man! I love you, Honey!

Football

2010-11-14T15:55:00.000-05:00

Peter getting ready to kick off.

Half-time snack--you still get that at 10.

Getting ready to get that ball!

Intensity

Fred is #34 in case you missed it!

Ready for anything!
I have said this before, but that was two years ago, so I'll say again, I am thankful for football. Peter played this year. Chris caved and let him play a year before his brothers were allowed. I guess that happens when you are the baby. He had a great time, and unlike two of his older siblings, would like to continue. He was the kicker and he played running back. He also played a little center and defensive end and he punted. He scored 2 touchdowns and did fairly well. Mainly though he had fun--and he worked hard, at least some of the time.
As we've watched Fred play and grow, I see so many benefits to football. He told me recently that football taught him that he could keep going when he felt like he wanted to quit, and that his coaches pushed him farther than he ever thought he could go. There are so many character building opportunities in football that you just don't run across regularly. He has learned discipline and perseverance, and how to stand for Christ while playing hard. He really has had great coaches and mentors in all this as well. I will be sad to see it end (hopefully not for another 4 weeks!!!), but perhaps Peter will continue.

Change

2010-11-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful that people can change. When my dad came back from Vietnam, they told him to change out of his uniform before he flew home if he knew what was best for him. People harassed soldiers returning from war. When he came back, he was alone. There wasn't a plane full of Marines with him. It must have been frightening to come home from the fighting and the worry that you will be hurt by some of the people you are trying to protect only to have to worry about being mocked or hurt or worse by your own countrymen. Today, regardless of political persuasion, people in general seem very supportive of our troops. We were out with one of Ben's friends yesterday, and I asked if they were going to eat at Applebee's that evening since his dad is in the Army. He said that whenever they go out to eat during the week his dad is usually meeting them there from work and so still has his uniform on. Inevitably, he said, at least 5 people say, "Thank you for serving our country." That's a much better way to treat those who serve us so selflessly.

Letters

2010-11-10T15:15:00.000-05:00

Getting a letter is a joy, isn't it? I mean a real, hand-written, enveloped, put in the mail letter. We don't get many of those anymore, and technically, we didn't get these letters in the mail, but we are all still thankful for them. There is a group from our church in India right now celebrating Bombay Teen Challenge's 20th anniversary. One of the women must have overnighted letters from our boys--the 13 who stayed with families from our church this summer--and we received them on Sunday. It is a treasure and a gift. We have written to Amar, but haven't really heard from him. Internet access is spotty at best and virtually non-existent at the home where the boys live, so we don't hear from Amar electronically either. He took the time to write each of us a long letter telling us what he is doing and talking about his visit here with us. As we read them, we could hear Amar saying those words to us in his broken English since he writes English much the same way as he speaks it. I'm thankful for Amar, how he changed our lives, for the time we got to be his family, and for these precious letters.

Laughter

2010-11-09T15:28:00.000-05:00

Normally when we play a family game together it turns into a loud, fall on the floor, side-splitting laughing affair, which would be why Chris doesn't like to play often. Last night was one of those nights. We were playing Crazy Uno, and all of a sudden, everything was funny to someone. I can barely recall how it all began, but Peter played a card on Ben and then used Ben's line on him, and we all lost it. I don't remember when I laughed so hard. We did manage to play several more games in the midst of the laughter, but it was tough. Chris, thankfully, was talking with his dad on the phone and then had to find something on the computer. The rest of us were a bit out of control. I'm so thankful that my boys love to laugh with each other and can play games together. I felt like there was music, albeit very LOUD music, in the air as we tried to catch our breaths. As I was trying to wind them down and get to bed, Ben came in my room, wiping the tears from his eyes from laughing so hard and sighed, "I love my family." Who wouldn't be thankful for that?

My mom

2010-11-08T16:36:00.000-05:00

I'm so thankful that my mom came to visit me this weekend. It's not been an easy several months with my dad's death, but she has made the effort to come visit us at least twice since then. She was here this weekend to see Sam's play and to watch Fred's game. She loves her grandkids so much and wants to be involved in as much of their lives that she can--even enduring a football game in November. I'm thankful that we had the time together and that she made me a pumpkin pie :).

Church

2010-11-07T17:18:00.000-05:00

Today I was thinking about what I would post, and I did think that I would write about our church--how I appreciate our Pastor's heart for the lost, how the people are so welcoming and affirming etc. I am still thankful for those things, but today's message just really struck me. I'm thankful that Darryl is willing to say hard things from the pulpit, challenging us to live authentic Christian lives and to not fake it. The message this morning was "When I believe in God but don't walk the walk." I'm challenged to no longer just blend in but to stand out for Christ. I'm challenged to examine my life, my comforts, my time, to see where I have put Jesus on the back burner. I'm challenged to listen to God to see where He would have me serve rather than jumping into the deep end with no direction (which is my tendency). I don't want to live as lukewarm any more and have Jesus say, "I want to spit you out" (Rev. 3:16)--basically "you make me sick." Jesus said to the church in Laodicea, "You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realized that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked." (Rev. 3:20). I'm thankful for the wake up call because the price of not waking up is very high.

Robin Hood

2010-11-06T18:18:00.000-04:00

Sam loves drama--not teenage "drama," but acting. He's pretty good at it, and we try to encourage him with it whenever we have a chance. Being homeschooled narrows the opportunities, though, so I'm thankful that there is a group here in Stafford called YACTS, Young Adult Children's Theater of Stafford. Their goal is to expose children and young adults to opportunities to use their gifts in a positive way. Sam was excited to try out. He memorized a monologue from Cyrano to try out. He did an excellent job of expounding the many ways to insult someone with a nose the size of Cyrano's. He got the part of Robin Hood. Today he did so well (they all did really). He didn't have a ton of lines, but he stayed in character when he was on stage, making faces and gestures while others were talking. He hammed it up pretty well. I am so proud of him for his accomplishment with this and I'm thankful for Sam.

Warmth

2010-11-05T17:54:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not packing for the weekend. I'm getting clothes out to wear to the game tonight--many, many layers of clothes.

Tonight we head to Massaponax for a football game. It's cold. It's going to get colder. I'm thankful for warm clothes and many layers. Do you detect the theme here? I'm also thankful for my big blanket that I'm planning on wrapping around me. Virginia has definitely taken it's toll on my ability to handle the cold, as I'm sure it's a LOT colder in Ohio. I guess that also makes me thankful that I'm not there :).

Heat

2010-11-04T15:31:00.000-04:00

Poor Ginger wishes he could come in and enjoy the heat. He's tried persistently. But Bree is allergic, and we like Bree better.

Today it is 47 degrees and rainy. I'm very thankful for heat. We live in a house that was retro-fitted for heat about 50 years after it was built. It has no space under the house--none--no crawl space, no room to fit unless you are a cat. That means that the heating ducts are in the ceiling, or near it. Heat rises. The upstairs is toasty; the downstairs not so much. Last week Chris suggested we get a portable heater for the kitchen, which tends to be the coldest room in the house, as well as the room where I spend most of my time. I told him no--it would be fine. Monday however, I wanted to rethink that decision. It was COLD! I couldn't stop shivering, so I resorted to jumping jacks while making breakfast and washing dishes. Chris also noticed the cold. He was even more bundled than usual. About 10:30 he came out to the kitchen with an "ah ha" look on his face. We hadn't changed our ducts from summer to winter. In the summer we close all the downstairs ducts to get the air conditioning upstairs. I had closed all of the upstairs registers when we turned the heat on, but I hadn't thought to do the downstairs. That made a huge difference, and I could stop doing calisthenics. It's still never really "warm" but at least it's not cold either. I'm so thankful for indoor heating!

Voting

2010-11-03T13:58:00.000-04:00

I'm so thankful for our country and for the freedoms we enjoy. We may or may not like what is going on in our government, nevertheless, we have opportunities that are afforded to very few in this world. "We the people," get to decide who will lead us. We choose the direction our country will take. We are the government. I'm also thankful that more people are getting involved in the process. It is our responsibility and our duty.

That being said, I'm so thankful that God is NEVER up for reelection. He wasn't ringing His hands over this or any election. I am first and foremost a citizen of His eternal kingdom. It's so important that we remember, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Romans 13:1 And one day soon His government will be established, and it will never end. Now that's something to be thankful for!

Teenagers

2010-11-02T16:41:00.000-04:00

I am thankful for the teenagers in my life--mine and other people's. Some of my best days are when there are teens here playing volleyball, roasting hotdogs and sharing their lives with us. We had a bonfire on Saturday for the youth at our church and their friends. They played volleyball until it was dark and then moved on to Man Hunt and Ghost in the Graveyard. It's so much fun to hear them talk and watch them play, but the best part for me is the conversation. After many had left, a few stayed and we talked for the next hour or so. What a privilege to get a peak into their lives and be able to just love them.

It's November

2010-11-01T22:09:00.000-04:00

Two years ago I joined with some friends in posting things for which I was thankful each day. I'm hoping to do that again this year (but no promises:). It really helped me to spend some time each day focusing on God and on the good in my life. That's not my natural bent, but it is something which I want to cultivate. So here goes.....

I'm thankful for my friend Dr. Schulz. She is an acupuncturist, chiropractor, alternative doctor and every other thing. When I see her she pries me from the ceiling and reassures me that things are fine. We've been seeing her for probably 4 or 5 years, and she really has become a friend. I didn't have to go for quite a while, and I truly missed seeing her and Lynn, the receptionist. I went today and got to catch up on their lives some and feel better too.

The New Normal

2010-10-30T13:34:00.000-04:00

About a month ago, when Sam was again complaining of an ache, pain, or other sickness, we decided it was time to home school. He has been wanting us to homeschool since half way through 6th grade, but since most of his problems with school involved deadlines and organization, we figured being home wouldn't help that. God has a way of making Himself very clear, however, and so three weeks ago we pulled Sam out of school and started the journey of homeschooling.

I've done it before when Fred was in 4th, 5th and 6th grades. It was good and hard. I had 4 children at home, three of whom I was trying to teach, and one who just wanted his mama. It's very different to have just Sam here. He's in 7th grade and a very good reader--perfectly capable of reading for understanding and following instructions. He has actually done very well, but this week the honeymoon is over. There were more times of having to go back and do it again, more complaining, and less work done to the best of his ability. I expected that, but it's still not fun.

We start each day with God's Word, which we were doing before, but for some reason it's different. Maybe it's the time spent talking about it. I can see the difference in Sam in just 3 short weeks. He's happier, he's getting along with his brothers better, he's making better choices. For that, it's worth it. On the down side, I may never see my husband alone again. My day of school starts at 8:30 and finishes about 6 or 7. After Sam is done, the others get home, and I am doing homework with them. So those pictures represent the bulk of every day. But they also represent the eternal souls that God has put in our care.

Homecoming

2010-10-13T18:39:00.000-04:00

He remembered to be a gentleman, and Dad let him take the car.

Bree and Fred

I love this picture. Bree posted it on face book in black and white and for the caption wrote, Fred Fulton, Holy Spirit, Bree Jordan.

Great group of kids

When we arrived at Bree's to take pictures, some of the gentlemen were having trouble with their ties. Bree's dad was out of town, so her brother googled "how to tie a tie." It was so funny! Chris rescued them. He tied 3 of the ties for the evening. Fred missed a step, so he had some help.

Sam and Peter at the tailgate party

After the game

Ben ready for the monster slide

Fred is #34

Let me first just say that so far I DO NOT like the new system for Blogger--I can't seem to figure out how to put the pictures on, so imagine these in reverse order!!!

Life is, um, stressful right now. There are things, things, things going on. We started homeschooling Sam this week, which is the culmination of a bunch of other stuff. So instead of going down that road, I wanted to share what has been bringing me joy. I have always enjoyed high school football (seriously Chris!), but it's so much more fun now that I have a vested interest. I love to watch Fred play. He is in almost the entire game. He runs the defense and does it very well. Since it's inception 6 years ago, Mountain View has not had a winning football team, but this year they are 5 and 1 so far. It's been an exciting ride. Last week was homecoming, and the team won again--a hard fought battle. We went to the tailgate party and parade before the game, and then enjoyed the evening with many friends. The next evening was the dance, which Fred attended with Bree, his girlfriend. This is all new territory for us, but it's been so much fun. I'm thankful for these moments of joy.

Random pictures

2010-09-13T11:01:00.001-04:00

This is Peter's reaction every day. Usually we don't see it until he gets off the bus. He shouts, "YES, yeah, WOO HOO!" every day. The people waiting in cars behind the bus usually smile at him and sometimes honk. They must understand the sentiment. I guess he wanted to just pose before he got on the bus the first day of school.

Sam ready for his first day of 7th grade. He gets to ride alone this year. I think it's his first time in a school without another Fulton--well, a blood relation Fulton.

Fred and Ben on their first day of school--Fred as a senior and Ben as a freshman. Fred drives in order to save us the trip to pick him up every day after practice. Ben decided on taking the bus home over football practice.

The boys, led by Zachary, discovered that poke weed berries make great body paint! Thankfully, it also washes off pretty easily. I imagined them going to school the first day stained purple.

Sam had a 13th birthday party with many of his friends. I have to confess that this was the first birthday party I'd ever been to where wresting was one of the main attractions. I can't imagine how I missed that in the list of party games!

<><>

One of our pictures from a birthday showed Fred puckered and ready to blow out someone's candles, so now this is the running birthday joke. Sam handled it well at his birthday party.

There is some new format for this blog that I haven't figured out. I thought it would be easy to write a little post. I was wrong. When I click anywhere, I get moved to a random picture. Yikes! I hope I can figure it out before I start hopping to other people's pictures. I'm guessing you can tell that by the fact that there are three of the same pictures posted. I tried to edit this and get them out, but then the bottom picture disappears too. I give up. I'm sorry for the triple pictures. Help me!

Blessings

2010-09-10T08:58:00.000-04:00

These are some of the blessings in my life right now:

Late summer/early fall--It's my favorite time of year. The sky is azure, and white cotton balls dot the scenery. The sun is so bright, but the heat isn't oppressive. The mornings are cooler and crisp. Gloaming (I love that word--it means dusk) is earlier so I can enjoy it while I'm still awake.

Football--I think it's because I have a vested interest, but I just love watching Mountain View play. I love their energy and their will. Sitting in the stands or walking through the stadium and seeing old and new faces makes me feel at home. The band is amazing this year! Another football mom was talking with me through it, so I didn't want to be rude, but when the entire band turned toward us playing Ode to Joy, my heart skipped a beat. It was beautiful.

School--Back to school was and is one of my favorite times of year. There are meaningful things to do each night. There are papers to fill out, teachers to meet, books to read. I'm excited for Ben. It's his first year of high school. So far he is liking it.

Cyrano--Sam is trying out for a play with a local Christian theater, so he has to memorize and recite a monologue. He's decided to use the scene from Cyrano where Cyrano is insulted and gives the man more ideas of how he could have more eloquently insulted him. Sam has done a great job and he's so funny to listen to.

Just some of my blessings on this difficult day.

God Prints

2010-08-27T11:02:00.003-04:00

As I look back over the last year, and especially the last few weeks, I can see God's hands so clearly in our situation.

--My dad started going to church. After he had seizures in August of 2008, he started attending church with my mom in Keysville. When Kim and I talked about him, she said that sometimes she would just look at him and think "What a miracle that he is here." Truly it was.

--My mom had knee surgery in July. I was torn between going down and staying here. Summer had been hard, and Dad was not always very pleasant since he was hurting so much. He had a hard time when Mom had surgery in March though, and ultimately, God changed my heart and I went. I got to spend time with him just 3 weeks before he died. We had some good conversations and it was good. I'm so thankful that I listened to God and went.

--When Chris called me and told me that I needed to come home, I was about to meet up with my prayer partner of 10 years. We talked while I headed home to God-only-knows what disaster. She was the first person I called after Chris shared the news with me about my dad. She told me that all week God had put my dad on her heart, and that she had been praying for his salvation all week. When I finally got to my parents' house, Mom told me that she and Dad had a conversation about salvation the night before and he told her that he knew he was saved because he had asked Christ into his heart. That is a gift from God!

--At the service for my dad, the pastor chose to read Psalm 139, the Psalm I had memorized several years ago when I struggled with anxiety, panic and pain. How precious that God would remind me of those things then.

--The sermon on my first Sunday back was on God's grace. I had had my doubts about my dad's relationship with Christ, but our pastor and the Lord reminded me from the Word that God's love and grace to us is unconditional, not based on our performance but on God's faithfulness.

--I was able to pray with my family for the first time ever, and to share God's Words of peace and comfort with them in many different ways.

I'm sure there are many many more evidences of God's faithfulness throughout this trauma like the church people who brought food and baggies and paper products through the weekend, my friends here who have taken care of us since our return, and God's sustaining hand to help us walk through each day. He is truly so faithful. The scripture that He has been bringing up to me since about May is Isaiah 43:1-2. It worried me for a while. I'd ask why I needed to hear that.

"...Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel....."

How grateful I am for those words!

My Dad

2010-08-23T14:18:00.004-04:00

The last picture I had taken with just the two of us. This totally epitomizes my dad. Look at his expression. I'm mean, not to be messed with. But he's wearing a boa and crown so how rough can he be? Abbey had him around her little finger. I guess I probably did too.

Doing his favorite thing--walking through car shows.

My parents on their 43rd wedding anniversary in June. I love this picture of them.

My dad passed away on Friday, August 13th. What a terrible day! I think the reality is starting to sink in. With the shock that comes with such suddenness and then the tasks that need to be attended to, and the people who surrounded us, we were pretty busy over the last week. But now as we get back to "normal," there is time to think and realize. I stayed with my mom for the week in order to get some things done for her and with her. When I hadn't really done anything by Thursday, it dawned on me that perhaps I may just be there to be there. We shared a lot and cried some and laughed a lot. Coming home Friday was hard, but getting to my home and having to make lunch for everyone seemed impossible. Each day is better. Time is a healer. God is so gracious and merciful to us. We have friends who have called, sent cards, brought meals, and held us up in prayer. I'm sure I'll post more later, but as I went through some pictures, I just wanted to post them for right now and remember.

Nieces

2010-08-10T13:40:00.004-04:00

I adore my nieces and nephew. I wish they were closer so that I could see them more often. I suppose it's similar to grandkids--I don't have to discipline them, but I get to enjoy them. All but one of mine are younger than my own children, so I get the joy of little ones again when I am with them, which is not enough. I just got to spend a couple of days with Ashley in South Carolina. I hope to see Lily, Tommy and Rosie for a day in September. It's been two years since I've seen them! In June Abbey and Nichole came up to spend the week with us. We had so much fun. Being the mother of sons, I miss out on many "girl" things, which I suppose isn't all bad. When Abbey and Nichole were here, I had the opportunity to indulge. We shopped, we ate, we laughed, we tried on clothes, we went to a tea party. We even tried our homemade slip and slide. I am so blessed to be Aunt Paula. The boys love being with their cousins as well. They get to do things and experience things that are outside of their normal lives: girl things. I love that my boys are so close with their cousins in Virginia, and how I hope that they will have more opportunities to connect with their other cousins. Those are connections that are unique to cousins--a belonging that doesn't exist in other relationships.

Alive

2010-06-24T10:42:00.003-04:00

Ben, Amar, Sam, Fred, Peter and friend Joe

Our first night with Amar

Fred at regionals. He made it to regionals in shot and discus. This was his first year, and he was also playing baseball for the high school.

Peter on crazy hair day. I can still tease!

My poor forgotten blog! Life has been BUSY. Too busy to record. School is over and summer has begun. Peter is on swim team, but now is down with a pretty bad cold that he can't seem to kick. Fred is at Virginia Boys' State this week having a ball. Ben started working for our neighbor stacking hay. He's not very fond of it, but he is fond of the money he's making. Sam is grounded for a while, so he isn't up to anything.

We have a boy from Bombay Teen Challenge staying with us. He's been here for over a week and will leave next Friday. It's been fun, challenging and stretching. Our church partners with BTC and these boys are here to meet Christian families (they live in a home, like an orphanage), to share their testimonies, and to work at FCA Power Camp. It's been quite an experience. Teen Challenge serves the red light district of Mumbai and rescues runaways and orphans. Many of the boys here (13 in all), have horrifying stories that end in being rescued and saved. Amar, our son, has been at BTC for 3 years. His mother was mentally ill, so his father left her and married another woman when he was young. She thought she was getting a job, but ended up being sold in the red light district. When they found that she was mentally ill, they didn't want her either. Workers from BTC found her in the street and took her in. They prayed and fasted for over a month, and Jesus healed her from the mental illness. She went back to get her two sons, but their father wouldn't allow her to take them. On the pretext of taking Amar shopping, she hopped a train with him to Mumbai. When he saw that Jesus had healed his mom, he gave his life to the Lord. She went back and got his brother as well and they all live at BTC. He is a wonderful boy, kind, polite and he loves sports. He is 15. We have enjoyed him so much and learned so much.

Emmaus

2010-05-11T07:40:00.002-04:00

Last weekend I went on a walk to Emmaus. It is an ecumenical spiritual retreat. I imagined a lot of alone time, quiet and reflective moments, campfires. I was so wrong. It was not any of those things. It was amazing however. The Emmaus community exists to encourage Christians to become passionate about the Lord and to take that passion back to their local churches. It is a weekend of experiencing God's love in a new way. I did do that. It was a weekend full of emotions. Friday morning I was ready to go home, but that quickly changed. I was challenged to let go of control, to let go of expectations, and to allow others to pour love into my life. That is a hard thing for most women to do. It was fun to watch as women tried to do things to serve but were constantly told to stop and allow themselves to be served. It's not really in our nature as women to allow others to serve us, but for 72 hours we had no choice. My controlling personality railed against it many times, but I was so blessed to be there. I met and connected with a whole new community of believers. We were put into groups with people we didn't know. I am still in awe at how quickly 7 women can bond! These women are my sisters in Christ. God allowed them to speak into my life and allowed me to speak into theirs for 72 precious hours. I laughed harder and longer last weekend than I have in a very long time. A man who goes to church with me was there to pick up his wife at the end. He said, "Paula, I've never seen you smile like that--you're glowing." It felt good! It was so good to get home Sunday evening and share some of that joy with my family. When Fred walked in later he said that I was glowing as well. I guess it's like Moses when he came down from the mountain. (And I'm definitely down from the mountain!). God has such a sense of humor. He put me at the table of Joy. I've been praying for joy for 17 years. I don't see it much, but apparently God does. I hope that I've moved a little closer to experiencing that joy last weekend.

Days

2010-04-27T11:06:00.002-04:00

A free day stretches before me. What to do? There's so much, but I just don't know where to start, so I'm blogging instead. I think I'm procrastinating. Chris comes home tomorrow. I don't get many days all alone in the house. What to do, what to do? I've done my Bible study--spent a lot of time in the destruction of Babylon. I'm ready for Jesus's return in chapter 19! I've cleaned the kitchen. The imp in me thinks, "Watch a movie." The perfectionist screams, "Clean up this mess." Hmmm. I wonder who will win. Probably the perfectionist. She always wins. I guess it's time to make a decsion. But lunch is in an hour, so I'll have to stop whatever I do then. I think I need to start making lists. That might help. I used to be a list maker, but I've been so busy running that I have stopped. There was never any time to do anything on the list. Perhaps today marks the turning point in our schedule. Maybe my determination to spend more time at home has caught up with my days finally. That would be good. O.K. Time to start whatever it is. I think I'd better set a timer--for motivation. Here goes.......

2010-04-06T15:34:00.002-04:00

Our "family" in Virginia

Easter morning

My tulips brighten my day.

I'm so glad to reap the fruit of my labor in the fall! I love tulips, and I finally took the time to plant them. Each morning they greet me when I go out to look for the bus. They make me smile. Unfortunately, some are already losing their petals. They don't last long enough.

We had a beautiful Easter--the nicest we've had in quite a while weather-wise. We spent it with our friends, the Simmons. They are our local family with whom we spend holidays and many other days when we are here. Donna and I have been praying together weekly for about 9 years and it has truly been a blessing. This Easter they invited another friend who was without family, and she brought her guitar. We sat on the deck in the cool of the evening singing songs while Chris (the friend) played. It was sweet fellowship and a wonderful way to end a most amazing day--the day Jesus conquered death and left an empty tomb.

2010-03-17T18:14:00.003-04:00

Spring is coming! Yeah! Sunshine and blue skies are here for a few days. I love Virginia.

I went to a Planet Wisdom conference with the youth from our church this weekend.
I learned:
The Skit Guys are FUNNY!
Worship music can really move me. I'm not really a music kind of girl most of the time. I crave information. The worship band was Dutton, and they were very good.
Just because a person is speaking at a huge conference, that doesn't mean it'll be amazing. Although it was for many of the boys who went, including one of my sons.
God loves me. He just loves me. Even when I'm being critical in my mind and fussing about things, He still really loves me--and it makes me sob from way down deep.
Jesus suffered so much in Gethsemane over what was to come. I've never spent much time mulling over what transpired there, but I had a minuscule taste of that on Friday when God told me specifically not to do something I really wanted to do and didn't see any moral reason not to.
Not having to go to Alexandria for jury duty all week really does bring out the happy dance in me (but that had nothing to do with Planet Wisdom:)).

Back to School

2010-02-25T07:41:00.002-05:00

We can see grass! Actual green grass is now showing across most of our yard. There is still plenty of snow, but at least things are somewhat back to normal.

I am starting my 4th day back at home with everyone else going to school on a normal schedule. It's been busy with dentist appointments, orthodontist appointments, awards ceremony, but I don't have to do that on top of working full time. I went back to school Friday last week just to make sure the transition went well and that Lindsay found everything. I had to wait about 15 minutes for the block to end. I sat in the teachers' room and talked to some friends about school and home. I feel needed and wanted there. The teachers all get along well and are helpful and kind to each other and me--something that apparently doesn't happen at every school. I enjoy knowing the students and talking with them. The teachers appreciate that I follow their lesson plans and grade papers when I sub. I thought that was standard, but apparently it's not. As I walked out of the building, I had to shake the "fairy dust" from my mind. It's a trap. On the way home I chided myself for not writing the reasons why I felt so strongly that I need to be home and not at school. I did follow through and do that when I got home, but it's been over a month since I finished. Things are fuzzy. I tried to recreate those emotions of walking into the house to face a kitchen full of dishes from breakfast, knowing that I had a night of work ahead of me. I want to remember the disappointment Peter expressed when I couldn't be at school for his party or be there in the morning to wake him up. I need to continue to remind myself that I don't want to "...spend my labor on what does not satisfy," as Isaiah says. I don't want to give my best energies to students who could really care less and have nothing left for my family. Being home is no picnic sometimes, and there isn't a lot of acclamation--they need me here, but they don't appreciate that yet. Perhaps this time I will obey the Lord and do what I know He's called me to do. I hope so. My heart breaks for the moms who feel they have no choice but to work. I'm so thankful that I can be a stay at home mom. I was surprised to hear many of the teachers express their desire to be at home. I assumed that they wanted to be teaching. I've learned so much through this experience. I just hope it sticks!

Snow pictures

2010-02-09T08:40:00.003-05:00

Outside the back door in the middle of the storm.

The snow covers the bottom of the tire swing.

Snow covering the tires of the car and the van

Goldie swimming through the snow.
The boys sliding across the pond trying to get traction.

Here are some snow pictures as we await another 10-15 inches today. It looks like we may be on the lower side of these totals this time, thankfully. What a winter! The snow is so beautiful, especially with the sun shining on it. We've noticed that the difference between Virginia and Ohio in the snow is that here the sun actually comes out after it snows.

Snow days

2010-02-06T13:27:00.002-05:00

So what do you do when you are facing your 6th "snowed in" day in a month and 5th snow day out from school? Well, for those of you who live where it actually snows regularly, you laugh at the people who are paralyzed by the 20+ inches today. We've done a bit of this, a bit of that, a day of Wii, eating, board games, fighting, cleaning. We are getting ready to exercise after lunch digests. Keeping four boys occupied for this long is difficult, but probably not nearly as difficult as when they were all under 10. No one lives near enough to come over, so we are ALONE. This is more difficult for some of us. I was fortunate enough to escape to a coffee shop with a friend as the storm started for some renewal. So far, everyone is alive and well. The snow continues to stream down and blow around, and we already have 17 inches. We know that because we (meaning they) just measured it when they had to shovel a path through the yard so the dog could get to the barn. She came to the front porch this morning when there was only 8 inches. I looked out during a break in the Risk action to see her "swimming" through snow up to her chest in order to get back to the barn. Right now spring looks awfully inviting.

And more snow....

2010-02-03T09:09:00.002-05:00

This is what I saw Sunday morning when I got up to have my quiet time. The full moon was amazingly bright over the trees. It looked so peaceful and lonely. The sky is deceptively dark in the pictures. It was really about 7 in the morning, but I haven't figured out how to get the pictures more accurate. We had another snow storm on Saturday. They called for 2-3 inches for us, and we ended up with 7. It snowed 3 more last night, and they are calling for another "significant event" from the south for Friday/Saturday. We've had 31 inches so far this year. It's been an amazing snow year for Virginia.

I'm officially done (so I hope to post more often), but it doesn't feel like it. Monday was a teacher work day which ended up being delayed and then made optional because of all of the snow. By Tuesday I thought they would go to school for sure since it had snowed on Saturday. As I took Peter to a friend's who lives even farther out than we do, I realized that school Tuesday was not going to happen. The roads out there were still too bad for Virginia school buses. Then, of course, today we have more snow, wet this time and heavy, so they are home again. I am not counting these days as "officially done" days since everyone is still here. For the most part, everyone has gotten along fine. Yesterday two friends came over to help break up the "togetherness." Today we are going to the library, the store, and to see some puppies. That will help. I pray they go to school tomorrow because it looks like we are in for another several days at home from this next storm.

snow part two

2010-01-08T09:51:00.003-05:00

The Fultons

Posing on Grandma's driveway

Grandma

Fred's letterman jacket (he lettered in football and academics this fall)

Fun with cousins

It's snowing again so we are all home. We only have about 2 inches today, though. I got up to get ready for school, didn't see any snow on the ground from the upstairs window in the dark, so I proceeded to get ready for work. About 30 minutes later, while folding towels, I thought that perhaps I should check the web site. School was cancelled! There was over an inch of snow on the ground that I hadn't detected from the second story! I tried to go back to sleep, but at that point, I was too "up". Oh well, it's still nice to have a day to do laundry and catch up.

Here are some Christmas pictures. We went to South Carolina the day after Christmas, then stopped at my parents' on the way home on the 30th. It was a great time of togetherness with family.

Snow

2009-12-24T15:18:00.003-05:00

Chris digging his way out to play basketball.

Last Friday found us all filled with anticipation. We were supposed to get a MAJOR snow storm. Our big ones always come from the south, and that's where this one was perched, ready to bring us yards of snow. On the announcements at school Friday morning, the principal warned us to take everything with us since school would be cancelled Monday and Tuesday if the storm panned out. We have been disappointed before. But this time, thankfully, there was no disappointment. Snow started Friday evening and kept up all day Saturday. All tolled, we had 17 inches of beautiful snow. I think they cancel school way too quickly for snow here, speaking as a mom, but as a teacher I was as excited as the boys. NO SCHOOL for TWO WEEKS!!! Woo hoo! That extra two days has done wonders for my attitude and my home. I have caught up on sleep that I've been missing. I (semi) cleaned the house. I'm ready for Christmas. This snow was my Christmas gift this year. Because there was so much of it, we'll have a white Christmas for the first time in 21 years. Merry Christmas.

Working

2009-12-06T07:27:00.003-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving with some of our favorite people.

I started a long-term sub position last Monday. I don't know how moms do it! Last week was full enough each evening, but to be gone all day on top of it made life crazy. When I subbed at the high school before, I made friends with another English teacher. When I left, she asked me if I would sub for her when she went on maternity leave. I told her "sure." It finally happened. When I went to back to school night, another English teacher was expecting and not due until the first returned to work. I thought I could do it--back to back full time from Thanksgiving through April. As the start day loomed, I realized ( and God convinced me) that that would not be a good thing for anyone. I backed out of the second job, so now I only work until February 1. My first day went so well that I thought, "Maybe I should take the second job as well." Then I got home. Again, God convinced me that being home and taking care of my family is more important right now. In the meantime, I'm Mrs. Sutton. The kids have been great. She is a good teacher and she organized everything for me. It's a great gig. I have learned a new appreciation and sorrow for working moms, though.

Updates

2009-11-24T13:59:00.003-05:00

The boys (except for Josiah--confined to a stroller) Caleb, Nathaniel, Ben, Peter, Fred, Joshua and Sam

The Toth children making a pile on Fred

The beginning of the pile--Fred, Tabitha, Caleb, Moriah, with Hannah getting ready to pile on

Ben is 14 today and likes to play with the camera.

The Toth family was here briefly in November. Their son Caleb was a finalist in the Bible Bee in Washington DC. Due to unforseen car trouble, they weren't able to make it back to our house for the weekend, so we headed up to DC to spend some time with them. We toured museums and saw the Declaration, but the most fun, by far, was all 16 of us in a hotel room! The kids had a ball together. We look forward to more visits.

Today is Ben's 14th birthday. He's excited to celebrate with his friends and with family this week. He was born just after Thanksgiving--1:22 am. The nurses put me in overflow and were actually suprised that I was truly in labor rather than suffering from indigestion like the rest of the women there. At that point, I KNEW the difference, especially after laboring all day. I'm so thankful for this young man. God has blessed him and us!

Birthday, or 40 Here I Come

2009-11-16T11:24:00.002-05:00

Barbara, Helene, Donna, Paula and Kathy

Tomorrow I turn 40. Chris gave me the best gift ever--a party on Saturday. He missed my 30th. When we lived in Maryland, our group always celebrated 30 and the passing of the cane. It was tradition. We moved here before I turned 30, so I didn't get the cane or the party. I was very sad. Thirty was not a good day for anyone, so Chris was not going to miss 40. He was going to plan a surprise party for me, but decided that he couldn't pull that off, so he told me about it. A surprise party would have been very nice and a LOT less work. As I contemplated how I wanted to celebrate my birthday, I decided that less was more. Initially, I wanted to fly to Ohio for lunch with Liz, then fly to St. Louis for dinner with Cathy. Then enjoy time with my two prayer partners here. Realizing that was probably out of my range (although Chris did check on tickets and encouraged me to go), I decided to pare my list to just 4 couples so that I could actually enjoy time with them instead of trying to mingle with 20. I have to admit that at 2:00 on Saturday I was thinking, "I hope he NEVER wants to give me another party!" By 9 that night, however, I realized that all of the work was totally worth it. This was the best birthday party I've ever had. It was such a blessing. We enjoyed good food and great conversation. My friend Donna came up with a Scattegories game about me. Then she brought out a ball of yarn. She shared what I meant to her, and then passed it to me so that I could talk about her. Then we passed it around the room and made a web. I was so blessed and so humbled. It truly was an amazing night. I'm very thankful for my wonderful husband who would plan this for me, for my precious friends--those who were here and those who were not, and for the love of God poured out in my heart. So now I'm ready to face 40.

Halloween

2009-11-05T08:43:00.003-05:00

I have always struggled in some way with Halloween. I wish I could just enjoy it, or not participate, but I seem to be wobbling back and forth. We have had so many fun Halloweens, so I can't say that the day is usually a bad one. This year I was determined that they were not going to trick or treat. Last year they did, and it was a fiasco. Maybe I have control issues???? This year we decided to have a party instead. It was so much fun for all of us and much more satisfying than trick or treat. I gave them money to buy candy, too. I wasn't a total scrooge. Fred had a couple of friends over, Ben had a friend and we had another family (our family away from family). We played games and laughed and ate pumpkin pie and caramel popcorn and caramel apples. This is how I wish every Halloween could be. For one of the games I had everyone blindfolded and handed them bits of food which they had to identify. Even the teenagers enjoyed it.

Fall

2009-10-30T19:22:00.003-04:00

The colors this year are breathtaking. The leaves seem to be shouting at us to pay attention. Liz wrote a great blog on the leaves. There's just something about fall. It smells like football and fire and decay. The clear days are dazzling. The cloudy days are comforting. As we waited for the bus yesterday, we couldn't see the sun for the clouds, but the trees glowed. It made me feel as if I'd stepped into another world. The sunrises and sunsets demand applause they are so breathtaking. This Sunday Fred said, "Where's the camera? I have to take pictures of this." So he went outside to try to capture the wonder of fall, the blessing of God. Then we hopped in the truck and drove around taking pictures of people's trees. We had a great time and you can see some of the results. I feel like I've had a taste of Heaven. Happy fall.

Homecoming and Caramel Apples

2009-10-20T13:00:00.003-04:00

Ready for Homecoming Can you see the space between the two in the middle? He's so shy! And that makes me thankful.

Lauren, Jon, Bree, Fred, Sarah, and Denny. Zack is missing because he was told the wrong time. He got there shortly after we left.

Saturday was a big day in our house. Fred went to his first homecoming dance. He went with a group of friends rather than with a date, and he had a wonderful time. They didn't spend a long time at the dance, but they went out to dinner and then went to Lauren's house after the dance for a bit. It was fun helping to get ready and then hearing about it when he got home. He danced half of a dance, but didn't want to fight the crowds. I'm thankful that it's over, in a way. It was harder sending him off than I thought it would be.

I attended a "Revive our Hearts" conference this weekend. Nancy Leigh DeMoss spoke, and it was a great weekend. She talked about our need to be broken before God instead of being proud. I was convicted and refreshed. Now the hard part--practicing what I heard.

My only experiences with caramel apples include Kraft caramels or the wraps. This weekend, inspired by a post from Heidi last year and a conversation with a friend last Wednesday at Bible study, I decided to make them from scratch. Since Ben has braces and can't eat a whole caramel apple, and everyone usually just wants the caramel anyway, I just made the sauce into which we dipped apple slices. I didn't want to run to the store so the ingredients had to be on hand. I settled on two different recipes to try, just in case.

The first recipe said to heat a skillet and then melt white sugar in it. The only sugar I had was "Sugar in the Raw," but I decided to try it anyway. After the sugar melts, you pour in heavy cream. This is some of what I ended up with. I'm not sure if the lumps are because the cream was cold, or because it wasn't white sugar. The caramel that we got out of this pan was AMAZING, though. People would sneak back into the kitchen to eat the lumps of caramelized sugar!

The other recipe used the typical butter, brown sugar, milk combination. It looked better, but the taste was more that of artificially flavored caramel.

The finished product was so good! We ate a lot of apples that night. I think we'll devour the leftovers tonight.

Three subjects in one post is a lot, I know, but I need to post when the time arises!

Monticello

2009-10-11T13:10:00.005-04:00

The praying mantis decided to ride with us to Monticello. He was inside the va.

This flower from a bean plant smelled heavenly.

Fred said he wished we had a yard like this. We do! We just don't have gardeners working it every day.

This is the view from the vegetable garden into the orchard. Breathtaking!

Joseph's Coat. Jefferson labeled every plant with sticks.

This was the sunset on the way home. Isn't God amazing? I love His pallet.

Saturday we finally made it to Monticello. I've been hoping and planning for years to get everyone there. It's so beautiful and educational. Peter didn't have a game Saturday since it is Columbus Day weekend, so we bit the bullet and headed to Charlottesville. The house tour great, but we spent most of our time outside. The country is awe inspiring, especially in the fall. When I downloaded the pictures, I found that there is only one of the house. Ben took most of them, but Fred and Peter took some, and they are mostly of flowers and gardens. We took the garden tour this time and got to listen to a guide talk about the plants Jefferson experimented with while he was there. He had such an active, inquisitive mind. He planted many "experiments" there including a cigar tree. Someone on the tour asked how it was growing there since there isn't a lot of water and it's so far north. Our guide said that Jefferson didn't know Charlottesville is in zone 7. Food for thought. If you are ever near, Monticello is worth the time to visit. Fred wants to recreate the gardens at our house. That would be nice.

Update

2009-10-02T08:49:00.002-04:00

So I guess blogging has slipped waaayyy down on the importance scale. Also, I was mistaken about that whole vacation thing because only 2 are in sports. This week included subbing 2 days, parents on the weekend (for which I am very thankful), two trips to the dentist, 2 small groups on Wednesday, groceries, and laundry. Today I'm home. I love my home. I love being home. I don't know how working moms keep up. Honestly.

Fred is starting at tonight's football game, which I will miss. I'm very excited for him. He's worked hard. It's an away game, and I will have at least 4 boys here who don't want to go.

Our church is doing a study on worship. All of the small groups are doing a study on it as well. I've been moved to see how God is speaking to so many in our groups about worship. I'm still trying to figure out how worship becomes a lifestyle when distractions abound. Our exercise for this week is to say aloud, whenever prompted, "Praise the Lord. I praise you Lord for who you are." Just that statement has helped to bring me back to sanity, peace, coherence.... I want to understand worship in a deeper way, but I am guilty of putting things off until there is time. My prayers have been "on-the-run" prayers this week, and I miss that time with God. I need that time, but when? How? How will I be able to do this when I start subbing full time after Thanksgiving? I don't know, but I know that God can show me if I take time to listen. I hope for some of that today.

School and such

2009-09-15T07:35:00.003-04:00

Waiting for the bus.

Fred is driving to school this year, so he missed out on the pictures!!

It's time for school. Three are already gone. One is still in bed. So far, so good. There is much more homework in middle school than elementary school. Sam missed the bus already. He was in the library when they called his bus. He ran into traffic as the proverbial salmon tried to swim upstream. I'm thankful he wants to go to the library--but not at bus time. Ben is in two high school classes and thinks that there is a lot more work in high school classes. He's taking Spanish and Adv. Algebra 1. Fred seems to be having a hard time making the transition to school work. He was dragging while doing his little bit of work last week. Hoperfully he'll pick it up this week. He's off to a good start completing half of his AP American History work last night. It's not due until Wednesday. Peter is happy in his class. He's making new friends. He's learning that 4th graders are expected to do more and do it better than 3rd graders. There is a huge leap between those two years, it seems. I love his teacher. Ben had her in 4th grade. I'm very thankful that he has her and for the opportunity to speak into her life again. Since only Peter and Fred are playing on teams this fall, there is time at home in the evenings to work on homework and to read. I'm reading a book by Jerry Jenkins to the boys. I forget what it's called, but so far we really like it. It's very suspenseful. Having Peter home by himself in the morning is fun. The other three all leave around 7, but he doesn't go until 8:30. We are reading the biography of Eric Liddle together. It's a sweet time. How that time marches on, though.

End of Summer

2009-09-09T18:31:00.008-04:00

We took a trip to Keysville to visit my parents and brother and sister-in-law the weekend before Labor Day. We celebrated Sam's birthday at Todd and Kim's ice cream shop. The cousins were very happy to see each other again. The parking lot of the ice cream shop has become a playground. There are several bikes and wheel chairs that the kids use to entertain themselves. They were setting up accident pictures. Some of them were quite good.

This is the new ice cream shop that Kim and Todd run in Keysville. If you are ever near, stop by for some delicious ice cream.

Aren't they so good looking???

Random

2009-08-22T08:23:00.003-04:00

Rainbow in the clear blue sky

The great wall of China

Aztec pyramid

We have been in out and up and down. These pictures were taken at Shark Fossil Beach in Westomoreland County. We went there last Sunday. Our friends go there often. There really are shark teeth fossils all over. We didn't look for them much this time, but just enjoyed swimming in the Potomac. The boys were fascinated with all the clay they found in the water. This area is replete with it. Sam found an interesting rock that had a baby crab inside of it. It was one of those relaxing days away.

It seems that the last several weeks consisted of running and cleaning and more running. Now as we gear up for school, some of that is done. Fred came down this morning and asked if we could celebrate. "Celebrate Saturday?" I asked. "Celebrate no football today," was the reply. He has been going non-stop from 7-2 each day. He's worn out. Truly today we can celebrate because we have no where to be, nothing to do, and the humidity is lifting. We may camp out back tonight since we haven't had a chance to do that this summer.

It feels as if we are in a holding pattern. School does not start for us until September 8. As all of the back to school ads and items are disappearing from the stores, it seems strange that we won't even know what many of the boys need until the first week of September. It's time for transition, for schedules, for routine. I'm winging it for the next two weeks!

Celebration

2009-08-06T09:06:00.008-04:00

We had such a wonderful time for our anniversary. My parents sent us that beautiful bouquet of flowers. We got to dress up and drive to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains to the Inn at Little Washington. Because we were about an hour early, we strolled through the quaint town. It was first surveyed by George Washington in 1729, I believe. There are old houses and gardens and little out buildings there. It's a nice little town. We walked through the Inn shops across the street from the Inn, and discovered a book called 1001 Places You Must Visit Before You Die. The Inn at Little Washington was in the book! We can cross that one off the list. The Inn is run by a world-renowned chef, Patrick O'Connell. We were treated so well. We sampled about 7 tastes of things on the menu while we were waiting. The menus are printed each day, and the top of ours said Happy Anniversary to the Fultons. We got to keep them as a keepsake. I'm so glad, because I could never remember all that I ate. It was a three course meal with dessert at the end. We had things like "Fricassee of Maine Lobster with Potato Gnocchi, Green Grapes and Curried Walnuts," and Prosciutto Wrapped, Pan Roasted Loin of Pennsylvania Veal with Spinach Raviolini and Parmesan Broth." It really was fabulous. I didn't think I would be able to eat all of it, but the portions are smallish, so I managed. As we left, they gave us each the little paper replica of the Inn filled with cookies and candies. We strolled through the gardens and enjoyed the rest of the evening. What a great experience! Thanks Honey! I just wish I would have remembered my camera.

20 Really?

2009-08-04T20:15:00.003-04:00

So, what were you doing 20 years ago tonight? I was at my wedding rehearsal! then a wonderful dinner at Casa de Salucci's in downtown Newton Falls. My mom cried through the rehearsal. I was directing the action. Chris, my dear friend Suzanne and I went back to my house to talk and laugh with my family. They left me around midnight, when Chris was officially kicked out. I couldn't sleep most of the night. Neither could Tabby, my cat. She new something was wrong. We finally settled down on the living room floor about 3 am, Tabby and me. The next day was a blur of hair, make-up, friends, dresses and HEAT. One of my favorite pictures is of me sitting in the dressing room with a fan under my dress. One of my least favorite is my dad being too unwell to walk me down the aisle, but my grandpa stepped in so I did't have to go alone. I still remember him saying, out of the corner of his mouth, "slow down." The funniest memory is of my brother Phil quietly leaving the ceremony to lose his cookies in the hall (that wasn't the funny part) and then 1)one of my uncles who was "helping" my dad had to clean it up, 2)Phil swept in as the recessional was playing and walked his lady out of the church, 3)one of the groomsmen on the cake had fallen over when we got to the reception,
representing Phil's exit, and 4)my mom telling how she just took everything in during the ceremony, but didn't notice that Phil had been gone at all when it had been about 30 minutes.
I loved almost everything about that day. I felt like Cinderella, or Eliza Doolittle (I could have danced all night). And today I'm still living "happily ever after." Happy 20 Honey! I love you.

Goings on

2009-07-30T19:12:00.005-04:00

Ginger Grandma treats her like a baby, and she doesn't seem to mind.

I thought that I would get some rest and relax and enjoy the summer after camp. HMMM. That hasn't happened. It seems like all I do is run. From orthodontist to dentist to drama practice for church..... on and on it goes. My goals for the fall are a. learn to say "no" and mean it; b. don't schedule more than one day of appointments durning a week; and c. find out what needs to "go" from the schedule. I am contemplating working this fall subbing, and Chris reminded me this week that I would probably be home MORE if I were working than I have been the last week.

We added a new member to our family. When my parents were here, we took a walk at the park, and as we headed back to the van, this little thing just ran right over to me and started purring. Her tail curls up over her body. It's the strangest thing. The boys have asked and asked for a kitten. The answer has always been no, but when we did get one, it would have to be orange. She is precious. Even Chris likes her a little. He is the only one up early, and she sits on his desk while he works until someone else gets up. She has gone through a series of names--Blossom (Orange Blossom Special), Marmelade, Pumpkin, Willow (we found her at Willowmere Park), and now she's Ginger. I think this one will stick. I forgot how much fun kittens are.

Student Life Camp

2009-07-20T14:18:00.004-04:00

Stafford Crossing students My Family Life Group

My seat-mate all week

I'm still recovering from Student Life Camp last week. These are the students in whose lives I got to share for 5 days. It was an amazing, hard, wonderful experience. Half way through the week, when there were more hard things to deal with, I was moaning to God about it. I felt like He was reminding me that I did say I wanted to go on a mission trip and not a retreat. From the moment we got there, there were challenges and things that just didn't happen the way they should have. I had planned on working on my Bible study and reading some while I was there. I found out just a week before that I would be leading a small group all week. When I got to camp, it was evident that I was expected to spend most of my time with my group--even their rec time. Then free time was spent with our own kids from our church. There was no time to study or prepare (aside from sacrificing some of the scant 6 hours of sleep allotted for each night). Despite these upheavals and more, the week was worth the work. I was moved. I hope I was changed. I was challenged to live my life fully for Christ according to His directions in the Bible. I was really challenged to care for the poor and to not shut my ears to the needs around me. I hope that Ben was changed as well. He decided to sponsor a boy from Thailand through Compassion International. The speaker was great--David Nasser, and the band was even better--Unhindered. The best thing was that I got to pray with a student who wanted to give his life to Jesus and become a Christian. I can't describe how that felt except to say that it was worth it all. I am hoping that maybe Chris can go next year, too. Maybe we'll even do Mission Camp instead. It's hard to be home. I really like who I was there. I'm trying to find that here.

More vacation

2009-07-08T10:40:00.014-04:00

Hiking at beautiful Jone's Gap State Park in South Carolina.

My niece Ashley spent the week with us while we were there.

Boating on Lake Keowee. It is the cleanest lake I've ever seen.

Ben and Sam in the back of the boat holding Pam's chihuahua, Taco.

Chris and his mom

Chris's sister Pam and her husband Deano at their house.

Pam has a pool, and we spent several days there swimming. It was in the upper 90's and humid some of the time we were there.

After church Sunday at Norma Gean's

Granpa let Fred drive his '68 Corvette. He was very excited and wants to buy it. Hmmmm

We were home from Disney for 5 days then left for South Carolina to visit Chris's family. It has been a while since we have been there, and we all had a great time. I'm about done traveling, but Ben and I leave Monday for camp. I'm trying to ignore all that needs done but won't get done and enjoy the experiences. I guess I need to work like mad this week to get ready for next week and to get things in order from being gone for 2 weeks before that.

Fred had two of his wisdom teeth pulled on Monday, and he's doing very well. The swelling is increasing, but that's normal. I was more nervous than he, but the nurse said that's normal as well. I'm thankful that it's over and he's on the other side.

2009-06-26T11:22:00.002-04:00

Today we get Fred from Impact VA. He has been building a ramp and repairing and painting a trailer in western Virginia. He says he's had a great time. He enjoys working, so I was excited for him to have this opportunity. It'll be good to see him again. Sam and Peter have been at Vacation Bible School all week, so Ben has been alone every morning. I've spent the week running errands and unpacking and packing.

Last night I sat down in the living room and saw that Michael Jackson had died. I was so shocked that I let out a suprised "noise." Ben tells me that he's never been so startled. To see that his life was over really hit me. Farrah Fawcett's death was expected. She'd battled cancer for 3+years, I believe. But Jackson's was sudden and unexpected. I haven't followed him since I was in jr. high/high school, but I had the Thriller album and spent much time listening to it and watching him on Friday Night Videos. People die every day, but for me, these celebrity deaths are so much more shocking for some reason. Perhaps it's because they seem bigger than life--their lives are separate from the rest of us. Plus, he was only 50! It made me think, once again, about the insecurity of life. We talked some about death at bedtime. Ben asked me if Jackson was a Christian. I have no idea, but his life certainly didn't reflect that. When I prayed with Sam and Peter, we talked about how for us the sting of death is gone. We don't have to be afraid of it anymore. We know that Jesus bought us. He loves us. We belong to him and so our eternity is secure. You just never know when that bus is going to come out of nowhere and take you out! I don't know where Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson are right now. But I'm sure that if they could come back, their message would be the same. Repent, turn to God, ask Jesus to save you and then live for Him every day. When it comes to death, nothing else really matters beyond that.

Guess where we've been?

2009-06-22T15:25:00.008-04:00

We visited the Gulf of Mexico instead of going to the Atlantic. The water was so warm, which was a bummer since you really wanted a cool, refreshing bathe! Florida was pushing record highs while we were there.

We ate at Applebees, and a young man was making balloon animals and hats for the kids and using the tips he recieved to put himself through college. I'm sure that isn't his only source of income!

Sam and Chris ready for Buzz Lightyear's adventure.

Twins! This was while waiting for the Toy Story Mania ride at Hollywood studios. The waiting area was designed to keep your mind off of the wait.

This crane and his two friends were outside our windows each morning. We enjoyed watching them fish.

The boys had fun at the water park on our resort.

We had a fun, relaxing time, which is what vacation is supposed to be. The biggest adventure was getting there. We had been getting updates about time changes for take-off, but aparently someone just made those up. I thought our flight was leaving at 10:50, but actually it was 10:24. We were talking about how nice it will be to get there early and be ready to board and not have to run to the gate. NOT! We did have to run. We were the last ones on the plane and in the very last two rows no less. That, thankfully, was our biggest hassle.

We went to Hollywood Studios Monday, Blizzard Beach Tuesday, and Magic Kingdom Wednesday. How thankful I was that our kids didn't want to close the park down. I had no idea how our of shape I was until I walked three parks for three days in 95 degree weather! We spent Thursday in St. Petersburg on the gulf, and then Friday at Downtown Disney at the cool shops. Saturday was for rest and swimming. Florida is beautiful, but I'm very thankful to be home in the cool 80's!

Girls!

2009-06-10T09:18:00.006-04:00

Braids for the tea party.

Moose ears for Fred!

I had the opportunity to be with girls last week! It was wonderful. Two of my wonderful nieces came to spend some time with us. Grandpa and Grandma were coming up for a car show on Saturday, so they hitched a ride with them. We shopped and played and did hair. (The boys aren't interested in French braids!) My friend Donna and her daughter Bekah invited us to a tea party. It was so much fun to do girl things for a few days. The boys loved having them here, too. I hope they'll come back again soon!

Computer-less

2009-06-02T19:16:00.002-04:00

Last Wednesday Chris went on a golf trip with some men from our church. They were gone until Saturday night. Friday evening we had a storm, and when the power came on, no computer! I truly think God was sending us several messages. Our lives were on that computer. I didn't even have Sam's coach's information. It was all on the computer. Our budget--on the computer. The team roster so that I could order trophies--on the computer. Directions to the woman's house for our Bible study on Friday--on the computer. Yikes. How do we survive?? Amazingly, Chris was messing with the wires and all of a sudden it comes on. I hope I've learned something.

2009-05-23T08:08:00.002-04:00

I went on a field trip with the 5th grade (and Sam) to Pamplin Park where the Battle of Petersburg took place. What a great place for a field trip. The original earth works are still there, and they have made it into an interactive museum about the Civil War. We were there all day, and the kids were fascinated. They learned how to prepare rifles to shoot, what a slave wedding was like, how they punished soldiers, what they wore, and on and on. The Confederates were trying to hold this position to keep the Union from taking the railroads in Petersburg. The sharp spikes are in front of a large trench and then a high wall to prevent them from coming over. It didn't work. Grant came through and marched on to Appomattox. The students learned so much about the war. I'm thankful for the people who work so hard to make history come alive for everyone.

Ben has one more track meet on Tuesday. He's been running the 400. He apparently removed himself from the 800. Hmmm. Soccer is winding down. We just have a couple more games. On Thursday, one week after baseball had concluded, Fred said he was getting bored being home every day, so he was going to football lifting. I guess it's good that he has so much to do. It was so nice just being home this week! I know there will come a time, very soon, when the boys will be clamoring for something to do, but it's so nice to enjoy the time now!

Identity

2009-05-17T13:03:00.004-04:00

Some pictures of the fun.

There is a song by Switchfoot that goes, "This is your life. Are you who you want to be?" For a while, when I would hear that, I would answer, "NO". I'm just not. Yesterday I got to be the person I want to be, for just a time, and it was wonderful. Fred had his birthday party yesterday. He had some friends over, and we all played outside. I played volleyball, I shot hoops with Chris while the kids played badminton. I got to sit and enjoy our beautiful piece of property. I had good conversations with teens that I love. Everyone was included, even the brothers. I didn't allow my back, or the fact that the last two days had been overwhelming and not at all how I needed them to go to ruin the "now". I just did it. I just enjoyed it. I lived in the moment. After everyone left and we were de-briefing with Fred and getting ready for bed, it hit me.... I got to be who I want to be. I hope and pray that I can move on from there to become who I want to be rather than just glimpse it occasionally.

I praise God that Fred has good friends and who want to come to his home. The rain held off until just before the end. Everything was ready even though plans changed A LOT. God is good.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:18:00.002-04:00

My mom sent me this beautiful essay about moms. It's a little long, but worth it! Enjoy your day.

THE INVISIBLE MOTHER
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England .. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my child to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women. Great Job, MOM!

Thursday

2009-05-06T18:12:00.002-04:00

An excuse for not blogging:

Tomorrow's schedule so far is as follows:
Fred--baseball game
Ben-- track meet
soccer game
Sam-- guitar lesson
soccer game
chorus concert
Pete--soccer practice
Chris--softball game
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Not sure how all of this is going to work out. With rain in the forecast, things could be much easier. Now, to decide what we do and what we don't!

May Already!!!!

2009-05-04T08:39:00.003-04:00

So May is here. My cherry tree went from a buzzing white cloud to vibrant green. Our cars were green, Chris's desk was green, there was a green haze on everything last week. Then the rain came and washed it all clean. It's been raining for days and will continue. Praise God for this gift, and for the golden finches in the grass this morning.
We have been running full tilt. Ben, Sam and Peter ran in the Great Train Race in Fredericksburg yesterday. It rained all night, but stopped by the time we had to be there at 7. Then it stayed dry until after Peter's heat at 9:30! They ran a mile through downtown Fredericksburg. My friend was telling me that it's the largest children's race in the nation. It was a lot of fun. Our days are filled with practices, lessons, homework, and more practices. Monday, for example, includes Ben's track, Fred's baseball, Sam, Peter and Ben's soccer. This week also includes 3 baseball games, a chorus concert and 2 track meets. I don't know how this will all happen, but it will. Before this all started, I realized that I couldn't continue to "do spring" the way I'd always done it. I get completely stressed out over all of the running, feel guilty over the lack of time spent on homework, and obsess over who will have to stay home alone all evening and who needs to go to which brothers' game. This year I knew I would end up burned out and either sick or in pain if I tried to keep up. As I prayed about this, I felt God nudge me. I needed to stop trying to fit other things in during the day. I needed to not volunteer for ANYTHING! I needed to determine to enjoy their games and their practices and the time in the van with them. And, I needed to trust God to work out the schedule. So far, I have only had one day where I spazzed out over the schedule, and since then I don't look ahead. Also, I've seen God open doors and make ways where there wasn't a way. For example, when Fred was to be inducted into the Honor Society, Peter had practice, which we could skip. Fred had practice, but it was after school and before the induction, but Ben had a game. Chris didn't want to leave Ben at the game alone, but neither of us wanted to miss the induction either. Chris was going to go to the game and try to get the coach to bring Ben to the high school after the game. As they were on their way, I got an e-mail saying all of the games at the park where he was playing were cancelled. They were working on the sidewalks and didn't want anyone there! Amazing! So we both got to go and I didn't have to worry. There have been things like that each week. I am bolstered in my faith and my trust. God will provide each day. So as we speed toward the summer, I know that whatever happens will be alright. This is a much better way to go through spring and life!

Funny?

2009-04-24T15:37:00.003-04:00

We are in the process of getting rid of our satellite dish. We are going "old school," as Chris says, so we need to make sure that we can actually get regular channels. This has been quite a process, and Chris has done his research about antennas, receivers, etc. Today he put together our new antenna since the old one has been there since who-knows-when. He wondered at the very vague instructions and had to use pictures as well. You would think it was from India or Thailand with the instructions we received. The English wasn't so good. But no, it's from Missouri. I guess we need the pictures since it comes from the "Show Me" state. He was reading the warnings and outdoor installation instructions. The very last one on the sheet says, "Warning Do not attempt to install if drunk, pregnant or both. Do not throw antenna at spouse." It makes me laugh even now! He's been warned.

Baltimore

2009-04-21T08:31:00.006-04:00

Mummy at the Walter's Gallery

They did have some armor out!

Fred and Sam pulling at the tug of war. I think Peter and Ben were on the other side. The rope was at different angles on each side. I actually beat Chris at this because of the advantage of the higher rope.

4 Cool dudes waiting for the 3D movie about the ocean. Nice glasses.

I feel as if I'm still a week behind. Having everyone home for spring break made last week very different. We finally made a trip to Baltimore, but we had to squeeze it in between baseball. Thankfully, the rain helped! When I was in college I took a field trip with an art class to the Walter's Gallery in Baltimore. Then, when I had 3 children, an older woman at our church offered another art class, which I gladly participated in, and then she took me to the same gallery. This was about 10 years ago, and I so desperately wanted to take the boys back there. The gallery had a mummy and it had a room filled with armor, swords and various weapons. I knew they would love it. Finally, last week, we made it to the gallery. Many of the suits of armor were in storage, but there were some. It wasn't the field trip I had hoped for, but hoepfully they absorbed SOMETHING as they whisked their way through the halls. We also went to the Maryland Science Center on the Inner Harbor. Now my kids aren't the best museum people in the world. I think Ben and Peter made it through the entire Walter's gallery in 20 minutes. But the Science Center was a different story. It is the best science museum I have been to. We stayed all day, and the guys were actually disappointed when it was time to leave. They hadnt' seen everything yet. If you get the chance to go, it's well worth the cost of admission!

Easter

2009-04-16T17:01:00.009-04:00

See my eggs!

Abbey is focusing on getting that egg to the plate.

Ben has devoured the chocolate cross while Fred works on bunny ears.

Fred poses as a statue on the stump in the yard.

I love this picture of my mom and dad. They were laughing as we tried to get my dad to smile for the camera.

I love this picture of my niece Nichole, even though it's blurry. That's her dad in the background, whom she greatly resembles!

Kim made this AWESOME lemony, cheesecakey fresh dessert. I can't remember the name, but it is beautiful and tasted like spring!

Spring means rain, and rain it did. Since Fred's 100 inning game was postponed Saturday, and my plans were cancelled due to rain, we decided to surprise my parents for Easter. We left Saturday morning and Fred drove the entire way. It was nicer there, and we had such a nice visit.

NHS Induction

2009-04-10T15:53:00.005-04:00

Happy Good Friday! This morning when I woke Peter up for school I said this to him. He responded, "It's good for us, but it wasn't good for Jesus. What happened wasn't good, but it is VERY good for us." Amen! Today our Bible study was on John 14 and 15. Jesus said in chapter 15 that we should rejoice because he is returning to the Father, who is greater than him. So many years I try to think solemn things, and indeed it was a solemn, unfathomable feat that our sins would be poured out on Christ on the cross, but oh the joy that I don't have to pay for them for all eternity!

Fred was inducted into the National Honor Society last night along with many other students. It was a beautiful ceremony, well done by the current members. I'm so proud of him! We had to take about 9 pictures with him because he seems to always blink when the camera clicks. In the ones where his eyes were actually open, I was focusing on his eyes being opened, so I wasn't smiling....He even had his eyes closed in the picture I took of him when I was half-way across the cafeteria and he was surrounded by friends. He says he has a "camera sense" and can tell when his picture is being taken. I credit that to all of the times we tried to take pictures of his brothers and he jumped in front of the camera too.

spring

2009-04-02T08:30:00.002-04:00

Signs of spring abound. I planted bulbs in the fall, finally, and was rewarded with 4 different types of flowers outside my front door. That was time well spent. We are careening through spring and it's only 2 weeks old! I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love that everything is new and renewed, that the sun warms me and the ground. I hate that we barely have time to glance at it from all of the business. Soccer Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and SAturday. Baseball everyday. Track starts Monday. It's crazy. I am working on having a good attitude this spring about sports. I'm also working on saying "no" to everything else. Hopefully we'll make it successfully to the other side of the season with mental health in tact. That remains to be seen, but we're off to a good start!

Happy 16

2009-03-27T15:09:00.005-04:00

Today Fred turns 16! Happy birthday, Fred! Fred continues to grow into a godly young man. I'm so proud of him. He works very hard at school, at home, and in sports. Right now he's balancing a very difficult schedule and baseball that goes until all hours each day. He's spending his birthday playing a baseball game. He'll have a party in a month when it's warmer. I enjoy seeing who he is becoming as he figures out what he believes. I cherish our conversations and look forward to many more. So far, the hardest part of teenagehood for me is staying up late enough to be awake when he gets home from games. It's so hard to believe that he is not a little boy anymore!

The Week at a Glance

2009-03-21T07:51:00.004-04:00

Peter's view from the bus as we toured D.C.

Peter trying to steady the wind surfer at the Natural History Museum.

*Grocery shopping consumed all of Monday, but since Chris was sick and couldn't work, he came with me and we got to have lunch together at Costco.

*Sam has been running a fever since Tuesday with stomach upset and now scratchy throat, so he's been home all week.

*Wednesday I spent the day (until 5:30) with the thrid grade at the Smithsonians--American History and Natural History, as well as a brief bus tour of the monuments.

*Ben brought his Language Arts grade up from a D+ to an A just by completing papers and putting his name on them (this is the key), and ungrounded himself in just 2 days.

*Fred made a beautiful, laid out, ESPNews worthy attempt at a ball at the game last night. He also received a letter that he has been accepted into the National Honor Society. Mama's so proud!

*I led Bible study Friday morning on John 9 and 10! Awesome! and then danced the night away with Peter at the family dance at school.

2009-03-14T18:54:00.008-04:00

Flying buttresses (Fred's new favorite words)

Mosaic above the alter in the Resurrection chapel

Stained glass window above the main alter

This started out as a 10 foot wall of limestone. Two men came in to work one day, and someone handed them chisels and said to carve something out of that stone. It's amazing. The crosses are all covered in purple for the Lenten season.

This is the creation window at the back of the cathedral. It changes colors depending on the time of day and the weather.

Today we visited one of my favorite places in D.C. The Washington National Cathedral. Before we had so many children and moved to Virginia, we would go pretty regularly with guests to wonder at this amazing building. Since none of my children remember ever being here, it was a new and awe-inspiring visit for them. We took the tour, as we have in the past, and each time I learn something new. Each docent has different stories to tell. My favorite by far was the man who told us about all of the hidden details of the cathedral: the cannon on the door leading to the Canon's office, the block of wood that would be Judas but was left uncarved because of his betrayal, the Darth Vader gargoyle. I just love that stuff! Fred especially can't wait to go back. Me either!

Refreshment

2009-03-11T09:04:00.004-04:00

My friend Donna and I went to Virginia Beach for the weekend. This was the view out our balcony. We were able to watch the sunrise both mornings right out the window. What a great time talking, walking, praying, thinking. It was an oasis before the craziness of spring sets in. The weather could not have been better. It was an amazing weekend. I couldn't believe the number of people on the beach Saturday. There were people with dogs, bikes, skateboards, roller blades. There were surfers, swimmers, people lying on the sand. It didn't feel like a summer day, but you couldn't tell that from the people there. We decided to try a little cafe called "Our Daily Bread." It was about 10 blocks from our hotel, so we walked and talked in the sunshine. Ten blocks is a long way when you are hungry, and by the time we got there we were both famished. I had to get some food in me. The windows were dark, and there were no tables inside! And the nearest restaurant was called "Dough Boys California Pizza." Being gluten free, I wasn't sure that would be a good option. So we crossed the street to find a vending machine at the Day's Inn. The woman graciously changed a $50 for vending machine cash, and I eagerly gobbled my Snickers (protein and sugar). We walked back to our hotel and enjoyed the food we had packed for dinner that night. Being away was such a treat and, hopefully, the effects will be lasting.

Post script: I was feeling awful Friday morning, just sick to my stomach. I prayed earnestly that this wouldn't last through the weekend. All weekend I felt great. Then Sunday night it hit again and resulted in stomach flu! God spared me that weekend. I rejoiced in His kindness to me as I suffered Sunday and Monday!

Guilty Pleasure

2009-03-05T18:45:00.002-05:00

I have been indulging in a guilty pleasure lately. I've read about it for a while, but never took the time to follow through. Our library offers an on-line account with net library. I meant to get my account at the library some time ago, but never remembered while I was there. Finally I gave it a try, since I received an MP3 player for Christmas. I love it! I have downloaded two books already--Riven by Jerry Jenkins, fair but a little slow, and Pride and Prejudice, always engaging. I've spent the past two plus weeks listening while I work, while I ride, while I wait. Can I say again how much I love this? Having a good story in my head gives me great joy. My problem with it, though, is the same problem I have with books. It's hard to put them down. I keep reminding myself that I cannot listen to them when there are people around. I'm afraid that my quiet time is much diminished by the noise of a book being read to me. Nothing can replace reading a great book at leisure, but for my stage of life, this comes in a close second. I'm still basking in the glow of Elizabeth's and Mr. Darcy's first meeting at Pemberly. Funny, I never cared for Jane Austen's books in college. Now I wish I could read them again for the first time.

Happy Birthday!

2009-03-03T16:40:00.001-05:00

Isn't he adorable--2003 Still cute---2008

Today my baby is 9! It blows me away that he will be double digits next year--a conversation we've had numerous times lately. This little boy is full of joy and love. He has a sweet disposition and a soft heart. How can he be 9? He's very excited that he got to stay home from school on his birthday because of snow. He's spent the day playing in the snow with friends. Tonight we'll eat gluten free caramel cake and corn dogs. I'm so thankful for this little boy! Happy birthday Peter!

Pooh

2009-02-26T10:04:00.006-05:00

Peter's nickname around here is Pooh, for as the bear says, it's always "time for something sweet." He has several sweet teeth (is that how I'd say that), and is keeping his eye out for any chance of candy. While we were at the Natural History Museum, he spotted some children with these huge rocky-looking sticks around the crystal area. It was rock candy. He begged and begged, and begged some more as we walked out and saw all of the ice cream vendors. So I told him that we could make rock candy at home. For the next several days he scoured our bookshelves for the rock candy recipe, giving me some stall time. Finally, we had to look it up on the computer. It was VERY easy but required that we wait 7 days for the crystals to form. Ours look nothing like those huge rocks at the museum, but we had plenty of candy form on the bottom of the glass. Peter was so excited to make and enjoy his own candy. Now each day he comes home and enjoys some of his creation. Ben made some using Peter's leftover syrup, but he added vanilla to his. They both turned out delicious.

What a Weekend

2009-02-23T09:47:00.004-05:00

We have never lived closer than about 3 hours to any of our family, and that does make some things more difficult. But God has always put people in our lives to serve as a surrogate family to us. We have dear friends who value time alone as much as we do, and this weekend was our weekend together. Donna and Bryan had our kids overnight on Friday and all day Saturday so that Chris and I could spend some time together. We went to the Maymont Flower and Garden Show in Richmond. I wish I could have posted pictures, but I went without my camera, so you have to settle for a Windows pic. The flower displays were beautiful, and I've been inspired again to try my hand at gardening. I have learned a lot about flowers and soil, but I'm just afraid to put anything into the ground. I guess that reflects my personality--if you can't do it right, then don't do it. I love flowers and veggies, so this year I'm going to give it a try again. I'll keep you posted.
Chris and I had a great time together. We didn't have to break up any arguments or find any lost items for 24 hours. We ate good food, had good conversations, and reconnected some before the busy spring season begins. I'm so thankful for Donna and Bryan!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T13:37:00.004-05:00

We went out for Valentine's Day once or twice and decided that we didn't need to sit with hundreds of people we didn't know waiting for that lone table to open up. So we decided a long time ago that we would celebrate at home. For years we celebrated with our friends Liz and Joe. She is a master chef with great ideas, and we would usually whip up things that we didn't normally eat. We would dress up and woo our husbands. It was great fun. We followed them when they moved for one or two years, but then had to give up the tradition. This year we celebrated with an amazing gluten-free feast. I made gf buns that actually turned out along with regular wheat buns for our bacon cheeseburgers. We had crashed potatoes from the Pioneer Woman's web site (at Linda's recommendation). http://thepioneerwoman.com. Chris and I made this most amazing flourless chocolate cake from www.glutenfreeeasly.com. I mean it is to die for chocolate cake. I wish I could have eaten the entire things. I don't have words for how good it was. If you are in need of a fabulous cake, this is the thing for you (and Mom, it'd be great for your birthday!). We capped off the evening with the movie Underdog. Not very romantic, but a. the people I love love it, and b. Chris and I get all next Friday and Saturday alone together.

2009-02-14T09:14:00.003-05:00

Peter and Sam both received awards this week at school. Sam got the academic achievement award and the A/B honor roll award. Peter got the outstanding bobcat award. It's fun to go and see them receive awards at the school. Note the shorts on both of my children. They are pushing spring a bit. Anytime the temperature is above 60, it's shorts weather for them.

Fred finished basketball season with a bang. His last two games, possibly ever, were the best he has played. He went right into baseball conditioning the next day. It will be so helpful when he drives.

It's been another busy week here. My back had issues on the day of the awards. I had two meetings that day, and I guess my back didn't like that. The next day was spent resting and sitting instead of grocery shopping. God wanted me to spend some down time working on Good Friday Services, I think. My Bible study had a brunch on Friday, and my back was better so I got to go. I love those women. We are starting the book of John. I need some Jesus right now! Then I helped with Sam's last Valentine's Day party (Yeah!). Since when does sending Valentine's include oodles of candy from everyone in the class. The daughter of a DENTIST in Peter's class brought everyone a bag of candy and a heart with 4 pieces of chocolate! I thought Valentine's Day was for celebrating with the ones you love. Can you feel my "Too much candy" rant? Thankfully we only have 2 more Valentine's Days in elementary school. Maybe then I can start getting things for my children for Valentine's Day. Our best Valentine's Day was the 2 years ago when we were snowed in for the week and there was no school. We all had a fantastic time and I could splurge on treats for them since they hadn't already been sugared up from school. Have a great Valentine's Day.

Beautiful Days

2009-02-08T13:35:00.002-05:00

Before.....
After......

Peter finally wanted a hair cut today. We didn't pressure him (well, Ben did), but he finally realized how much he was missing by having his hair in his eyes all of the time.

It's absolutely gorgeous for February 8th. I knew it was going to be warm, so I planned a trip up to D.C. to do some sight-seeing yesterday. My plans all but fell through as other people's plans emerged. We live 50 miles from one of the most beautiful cities around, and we rarely spend time there anymore. Fred had work to do, Ben was on a hike with a friend, Peter and Sam were both at friend's houses. Saturday looked like another wash. Chris had to go to work in Alexandria for an hour, so he told me to go with him. We picked Peter up on the way and headed north. I was poised to take beautiful pictures to post, but my little camera had run out of batteries! I hadn't really used it, but apparently the battery wears out without it being in use. Drat. We hung out in Alexandria, going through revolving doors and exploring the invention museum while we waited for Chris to finish. Then we had a scrumptious lunch at Ruby Tuesdays and took the metro downtown. We went into the National Archives, which I had never, after 20 years here, been in. Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln were there. Imagine our surprise--and me without my camera. But Peter got to talk with them. Then we went to what I thought was the National Gallery of Art. Peter is studying Greece, so we thought we would check out the Greek art and architecture. I went too far to the right, though, and we ended up in the Natural History Museum. We headed for the Greek exhibits, and all but one were under maintenance. We saw amazing gems that only God could design, and we saw the Hope Diamond. None of us were too impressed, but the people shoving into us seemed to be. Then we metroed back to the car and home. It was a fun day, and what a difference having just one child makes! The sunshine and warm weather are beckoning again today. Bring on spring!

More snow

2009-02-03T09:11:00.004-05:00

The face of a boy who just found out that school is only delayed 2 hours and not closed!

It was a different kind of week last week. Amid finals and mid-terms and early outs and no school days, we had a snow storm. The boys were home more than they were at school last week, and that meant a different kind of week for me including no free time! We have more snow today, but there is only a two hour delay this morning. It was so nice to go back to bed and sleep until 7:30! Although somewhat disappointed that it's not cancelled completely, the boys are ready to catch the bus. After our snow last week, it all froze. Above is a picture of the front ice rink before school. The sun finally returned and melted some of the ice, but we have had ice until yesterday. Then we got another little snow last night. It is February afterall. But oh those 60 degree days were so wonderful! Sunday and Monday were both warm. I walked through downtown Fredericksburg while waiting for Sam to finish guitar lessons. It was beautiful. I'm very thankful for Virginia weather!

Finally!

2009-01-27T09:32:00.003-05:00

We actually have snow today and more than just a flurry. School wasn't cancelled early enough, so I was up and ready. But my dear children, who complain every day when I wake them up that it's too early and they need to sleep longer were up WAY before time for school. They had no idea school was cancelled. I had hoped for several hours of productive time before the requests began. That didn't happen. We are only supposed to get an inch or two, not a huge amount, but enough to close everything down. Tomorrow we are to get ice in the morning turning to rain in the afternoon. I guess that will put an end to our snow. The boys had tomorrow off anyway for a teacher work day. Sam is headed outside, Fred and Ben have already tested the snow. Ben is on the way to a friend's house since you can't stay home when school is cancelled. I'm not sure what the rest of us will do today, but whatever it is, we'll do it in the snow.

Expelled

2009-01-23T08:34:00.002-05:00

Have you seen the Ben Stein movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed? If you haven't, you need to. We saw it Tuesday evening. Ben's comment was, "It was better than I thought it would be." It made Fred angry. The other two weren't sure they understood the whole thing, but I hope that they got the gist of it. Kudos to Ben Stein for being brave enough to take on the academic establishment in our country. His goal was to explore the lack of freedom to have any view of creation other than evolution in the scientific community. Chris was disappointed that the scientists on both sides did little to present arguments for their views, although there is a hilarious segment where a scientist seriously suggests that cells came alive on the back of crystals and then scorns Ben Stein for not understanding that. Richard Dawkins is featured as well. This all started when Stein heard that people in academia were being fired for even suggesting that there might be an intelligent designer. Whether or not you believe God created the earth, there should still be the freedom to express different theories without reprisal. Apparently there isn't in our country. In a powerful segment, Stein, a Jew, goes to Germany to explore the role evolution played in Nazi Germany--a rather large one it turns out. Things are changing because the next generation refuses to tow the party line on anything. I hope it does change and that my children can be part of that change. It was another reminder about the war we are in.

I'm Here

2009-01-21T09:30:00.002-05:00

I didn't fall off the planet! It has been a busy four days. Friday we had 3 friends spend the night and then the day with us Saturday. It was a lot of fun. Fred played basketball Friday evening, and Peter had a game Saturday. All of us went to see them both play. Since the weather was so cold outside, we decided indoor activities were the thing to do. Saturday the kids braved the cold and went skating on the pond. The high on Friday was 19, so it was frozen solid. Still no snow here, but ice worked for the day. Sunday was church and meetings and Bible study. I am teaching the high school girls, and we are going through the book of 1 Peter. They are a great group of girls, and I'm so glad to get to know them better. Monday was MLK Day. We had dinner with friends and played games--a great thing to do on a cold holiday. Yesterday we watched much of the inauguration in the morning and up to the swearing in. It was amazing to see so many people crowding the mall and braving the cold. Metro said they transported almost 900,000 people yesterday. I have to admit that I was sad to see the Bush's leave. I know he's not the most popular guy right now, but I love the graciousness and kindness he has displayed to the Obamas. Yesterday was also the day I realized that some of us have mid-terms this week. Some spent some time studying yesterday, but not enough. I'm hoping to be better at this! Oh well, I guess there needs to be some responsibility on the part of the guilty parties as well. It looks like we'll be studying for the rest of the week.

Where's the Snow?

2009-01-13T09:08:00.003-05:00

Growing up in Ohio, I never felt the lack of snow. Usually the first flakes appeared around my birthday. I could trust that there would be enough snow to go sledding down the hill or tubing at the neighbors. Not so Virginia! We haven't had a good snow for a long time. Last year they gave us a token snow day. I think we had an inch. People here panic and things close for the threat of snow. I was teaching last year when one day it started to snow around noon. The kids were so excited that they were going to send us home. I kept telling them that there was no way they would send us home early for this. I was wrong! They were plannning on sending the students home, but the sheriff's office called the school and asked them to keep the kids until bus time. The students would have been leaving during the worst of the "storm," and the event was to be over by the time the buses came. Living in the south in winter is very strange. I kept the few students who were left busy until they released us for the day. When I walked downstairs at lunch, I was shocked to see a line of parents going out the door who had come to pick up their little dears so they wouldn't be out in the snow! I think the attendance woman said over 50% of the students went home. How insane! But I digress. I miss snow. I hope that we are up for a huge--12 inch or more--snow like the one that Ohio and Pennsylvania got last weekend. Two years ago it snowed quite a bit, and the boys were off the entire week of Valentine's Day. We had so much fun. The sun would melt the top of the snow during the day, but it would re-freeze at night. The boys had a blast on our hill with their sleds and snow boards. I'm envying those of you farther north right now. It looks like snow outside. It's dreary and gray and cold. But the clouds are empty. We still have another month or so, and in the hearts of my children hope springs eternal for that awesome snow fall.