Catch Up

Wow. It's been a LOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG time since I've posted. So much has happened since I last posted. Let's recap ... (not in any particular order) ...

Dan went to Africa -

The human side of me says don't ever send your husband off to Africa. It leaves you with a very unsettled feeling. Dan and I don't really like being separated anyway, but with the meds he takes and the health risks involved with traveling to Africa it added a whole new dimension.

The spiritual side of me says what a great opportunity to be able to go to Africa! Honestly, it did help us appreciate each other just that much more and we were SO happy to be together again. Two weeks is a long time to be apart.

He spoke at TKA's sister school in Tanzania. They graduated their first class of seniors and he was their guest of honor. During the service they referred to him as "Your Majesty". Sadly, for Dan, that title has not stuck since he got home.

He did get sick, but thankfully he was on the mend by the time they traveled home.


I walked a 5K -

A group of us walked a 5K to honor Madelyn's Kindergarten teacher who has now had 3 brain surgeries to remove a tumor. It was a great time, especially once my stomach stopped acting up and we could actually leave the rest stop and get to the walk. Ugh. I have issues.

It was a beautiful morning though to walk in Philly with a friend. We all kind of paired off (not planned), but Becky and I ended up having a straight hour to walk and talk and it was beautiful, both the friendship time and walking through the park, along a river, etc. Before we knew it we were at the end. We both thought we should become big advocates for 5K's and the organizations they support since it's alone time we don't get very often, especially for her and her 4 little ones.


We just survived the stomach bug -

Well, the kids had it. The parents were managing the whole deal. You know how it goes.

The spread it out over a couple of weeks. Just when you think your other child isn't going to get it, there it is. Elijah sang in the school's Christmas program, came home and promptly threw up. Poor thing. He was so fidgety and distracted during the program. We mostly just laughed at him until afterward when he told us it wasn't fun because his belly hurt so badly. Watching the video later we realized a big part of his fidgetiness (i don't think that's a word) was his belly hurting :(

Now Dan has some weird flu-like symptoms where he can't get warm, etc. He slept pretty hard last night though since he took nyquil flu and cold. He had his hat and coat on the night before trying to get warm. Poor guy.


Elijah cracked his head open -

He didn't get stitches. Thankfully. It's in his hair and it wasn't a huge gash. Just enough to bleed all over our friend's couch. He was playing and hit his head on the metal part of their pull out couch. You know, I don't really schedule situations like this into my day so it completely threw the day off. It was a little crazy and he said, "I have never seen blood for real life like that." It was all over his hands and sweater. It freaked him out. It is always amazing how much the head bleeds from a little gash. You expect to see a HUGE open wound before you get it all cleaned up.

We left our friend's house and her daughter promptly started throwing up. Oh, the joys of sharing with friends. Tis the season!

Birthdays -

Madelyn and I each had a birthday in October. She is a little bit younger than me. 26 years to be exact. She turned 8 and I turned 34. I barely remember what we did for my birthday, but she had a fun party with the girls from her class. It was a lot of fun. They did sand art and colored a pretty butterfly to hang in the window. They played outside in our yard and in the neighbor's yard with her one year old daughter Riley. Riley was in heaven with all the girls fussing over her.

It was a super fun day. We don't normally do parties, but this seemed like the perfect year to do one. The girls are at a really fun age. It was fun to get to know them a little better.


3rd Grade -

Madelyn is loving being in 3rd grade. Honestly, I want to be in 3rd grade again if it means I can have Mrs. Ache as a teacher. They do so many fun things. For instance, recently they had a webkinz party where each child could show everyone else on the projector their webkinz house and then they had root beer floats. Seriously?! Why wasn't I invited?

It's a great year for Madelyn. She is loving life.

Elijah on the other hand tolerates school. He goes for half day Kindergarten and thinks it is "too long." Poor kid has no idea what's coming next year.


Cold Weather -

I am realizing more and more that I don't like the cold weather. I had been running and exercising regularly and since it has turned so cold I find myself eating and hibernating. Just for the record that works against all the progress I had been making physically. Ugh.

I also do not like the cold because almost instantly my kids are sick again. We have canceled so many plans in the last few weeks due to illness. It's part of being associated with the Tubbs Family. We are happy to make plans, but just know that probably half the plans we make with you will be canceled due to illness.


Okay, so that I think covers the last couple of months. And now we are at Christmas!!!!!!!!! I am so excited this year for Christmas. It has been really hard to keep my excitement to a minimum. I think it's just because the kids are at such great ages, but really who am I kidding. Christmas is so fun!!!!!!!!!!!! Doing advent is fun. Decorating the tree is fun. Don't even get me started on how fun Christmas shopping is. Somebody stop me!!! I love it :D

Actually, this is the first year that the kids will be getting more clothes and practical things. They needed them and I figured it will be more fun for them to have something to open. We'll see how that goes with Elijah. He is the type who will say, "Why did you get me clothes?!" We are working on that with him. You know, learning to filter what comes out of your mouth and being thankful for what is given to us. It's going to be a process I know. He is going to LOVE the toys he is getting though. I can't wait!!!

Also, we don't just buy our kids toys all the time so Christmas and birthdays really are a big deal as far as having to wait for things, especially for Elijah because his birthday is in April. That's a long time to have to wait for more presents.

Okay, I am off to a Secret Sister get together that starts in less than an hour and I still need to shower and wrap my gift. Thankfully, it is just up the road.

Merry Christmas! Because probably the next time I post will be in the New Year! Oy.

starting over

isn't it great how God designed life by allowing us to start out fresh each day? i am looking forward to starting over tomorrow. it's just been one of those days, not my favorite kind.

i mentioned to dan tonight how glad i am that days only have 24 hours in them and not 72. can you imagine? "ugh. this day is never going to end! there are still 56 hours to get through!" yeah. God knew what he was doing and i thank him for that.

it's not as though anything particularly bad happened today. it's just that nothing really went how i thought it would and i kept getting thrown off.

i thought i would get up at a decent time. didn't happen. not a good start.

i thought i would run this morning. didn't happen.

i thought i would get my office cleaned up after much neglect. didn't happen.

i thought it would be good to get elijah some time at the park with neighbors. it wasn't.

i thought i had nothing going on after picking up madelyn from school. i was wrong.

i thought i would run tonight since i didn't run earlier. didn't happen.

on the plus side, the weather was beautiful today. i got my living room and bedroom vacuumed even though i didn't get my office cleaned up. so, it's not a total waste of a day. it just didn't go how i planned.

so, i am looking forward to starting out fresh tomorrow with God's mercies anew. what a blessing.

tidbits

my kids had their first sleepover last weekend with the holt family. they had fun. it was weird for me. such an unsettled feeling knowing there were no children upstairs in my house sleeping. i had crazy dreams, etc. i knew they were fine and safe and happy, but dan and i both agree they are now allowed to live at home forever.

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i got bit by a gnat today during the field trip to the apple orchard with elijah's class. they were attacking my eyes. two made it into my right eye and another bit me under my left eye. it started to swell and gradually got worse as the day went on. i just took 3tsp of children's benedryl. i think i will sleep well tonight even if i do wake up with a swollen face.

UPDATE: it's the next day and my eye is still swollen. it is better, but now it hurts a little and is still a bit itchy. so bizarre.

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things are really good right now and don't think for one second that i am taking that for granted. those years of so many doc appts and not knowing what was going on with dan left their mark. i know that things can change in an instant so i will enjoy this time while i can.

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madelyn is growing up and i am not sure how i feel about that. she is just starting to look and act a lot older. it's hard to put into words. it is a good thing and i really just enjoy her so much. she has a funny little personality and is really smart. my plan of turning her into a little freakazoid so she fits in nicely with our family is working splendidly. she really is a nut. i have to get a video of her doing her eyebrow thing. didn't i mention that before? even though she is growing up so much i do enjoy relating to her on a different level now. that part really has been fun. we crack each other up.

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so, i readily admit that this is a little weird, but i asked elijah if dan and i could move into his room with him. he has the biggest bedroom in the house with two closets no less, a ceiling fan, etc. and only 3 pieces of furniture. we could skate around his room if we wanted. he was so sweet though and said, "but i only have two pillows." he wasn't really sure what to think about it. we just laughed and told him it would be okay because we would move our bedroom furniture in as well.

we won't really move into his room (not until he goes to college). just want to be clear on that.

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elijah saw my retainer in the toothbrush drawer tonight and asked me if i took my teeth out.

Prayers

Elijah will just stop and pray for things every now and then. He was riding on the side of the cart in Target and next thing he folded his hands, bowed his head and prayed for people who are in tornadoes.

Tonight at dinner he prayed for our meal and said, "Please make it be Halloween tomorrow."

children

Children do such weird things don't they?

I do King's Club at TKA on Monday afternoons. It's basically their after school program. It's an hour and the kids are mostly staff kids. It's nice because it allows the teachers to have some time to wrap things up for the day, or on Mondays have a meeting.

Anyway, yesterday one of the girls was pulling around her younger brother by his ankles. He was lying on his back on the floor holding onto the waist of his pants while she drug him around. He didn't seem to mind at all. Then I look over and see a friend holding the back door open while the girl begins to drag her brother outside! I yelled to them to stop and they all just happily ran off to do something else.

So crazy.

Elijah and I were in Target the other day. He was hanging out in the cart while I, uh, shopped. There. I said it. I have shopped at Target a lot lately. Believe it or not I do go on long breaks from Target every now and then, but man, that place is fun.

Anyway, Elijah is in the cart and he says, "I am thinking about stealing so much I think I actually am going to steal something!" WHAT?! Um, no I don't think so!! What in the world? A lady was within ear shot as well. Thankfully, she just smiled.

But, he says this on the heels of this whole long "what if" scenario about me leaving him sitting in the cart and then leaving the store and never coming back for him and somebody would end up taking him!! After assuring him that I would NEVER do that, I finally told him to talk about something else.

Sheesh.