Thanksgiving report

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving again this year with our good friends down in northern Virginia. We have gotten to spend the past several Thanksgivings with their family and always look forward to it. There are 8 kids between the two families-7 boys and 1 girl. Both big boys were home from college. I did a poor job making a photo record of the event, but here are a few....

Just a few of the kids got up early in the mornings. The little boys were lucky to get to snuggle up with Anthony and watch some cartoons. Everyone else slowly dragged themselves out of bed. Here are some of them relaxing...

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All set to eat!

Of course there was football.....

yes, Nick is playing with a broken elbow.

The moms did get up early and go shopping Friday. 2 big mugs of coffee and a couple of short shopping lists. We are not really die-hard bargain shoppers, so when we saw the line for Target was about a block and a half long, we decided we'd wait in the car till the doors actually opened. :) I am happy to say that we both got what we were looking for, though. And just so my kids don't think I am kidding, WE DID NOT BUY AN LCD TELEVISION SET!!! Now, maybe, they won't get their hopes up....

Hope everyone else had a great weekend, too!

Hooray!!!

We had a great visit to the orthopaedist today! Not only is Nick's arm healing well and quickly, but he doesn't have to have a cast at all! Modern medicine is funny--I remember the days when immobility after every procedure was the norm. Now they even get you up a couple hours after surgery and have you walking by the end of the night.
The doctor wants Nick to use his arm because keeping the elbow in one position for so long will cause more trouble in the long run. He is still really swollen and in pain, but we will ice it and keep the regular doses of ibuprofen. He has a sling to wear if he is out or around other people as a reminder (to them) to be careful of bumping him.
It'll be great for him in so many ways--not the least of which is showering and school work. :)

I am a bit nervous about our trip to our friends' home in No. VA for Thanksgiving. The group of 7 boys tends to get rowdy. I'll have to keep a closer eye on the happenings this time....

We'll return to the orthopaedist in 3 weeks. If he is still in the same amount of pain, and if the numbness in his fingers hasn't subsided, they will do an MRI to check for the possibility of a fracture in the growth plate.

But thanks for your prayers, everyone. Looks like things are back on track.

Pain....

I feel bad for Nick. He wants to be up and cheery, but his fingers are swollen, his arm aches, his head hurts, and he can't get comfortable. Pray for him when you think about it. This could be a long 6 weeks. :(

A True Blue Fan

Some of you sports-minded folks might have read about the injury woes of the North Carolina Tarheels basketball team this season. Our All-American player of the year, Tyler Hansbrough, has missed the beginning of the season due to a "stress reaction" in his leg. What that means exactly, I'm not sure, but given that through last month he had only missed one practice and no games (in 3 years) it must be serious. Marcus Ginyard had surgery in Oct and will be out until mid-December. Mike Copeland tore his ACL in the spring and is out till mid-season. And now our 7-foot freshman, Tyler Zeller, is out for the season with a broken arm. That's tough. It's hard to watch your team struggle so much. We are cheering for them, hoping for quick recoveries, and anxiously reading every press release to see what the prognosis is. We're good fans. Maybe not quite as dedicated as those guys who paint their chests. But none of us hold a candle to this kid:

Apparently Nick decided the only way he could show his true, hardcore loyalty to the Tarheels was to throw himself off the trampoline and join the boys sitting on the bench. Wouldn't one of those stick-on tattoos have been sufficient? I think he is hoping he can redshirt the rest of his freshman year....
After Nick was hurt, Joshua decided it was time to step up and take care of his beloved brother. He read him his reader from school and gave him a piece of candy. He was very concerned when I put him to bed and prayed that not only would Nick's arm feel better, but that the doctors would be gentle with him. I was taking Nick to the ER around 11:30 last night (oh, did I mention this happened right after the youth group Bible study?) and the first thing he said this morning was, "How's Nick?"

Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery....

So here's where we stand: an avulsion fracture to his elbow and a severe sprain. 5 days in the splint to let the swelling go down. Apointment with orthopaedist next Tuesday to re-examine and determine course of action. Possiblities are: ligaments will help reattach the bone fragments that have been broken off, enabling him to spend his recovery in a soft splint. OR fracture requires longer and stronger stability and he'll be in a full-arm hard cast for 6 weeks. We're pulling for the first one....

Good day, Eagle Eye

That is how Indians greet each other, according to Joshua.

Here is a picture of him as Squanto, watercoloring a backdrop for his "set up" in the living room.

single parenting...

Just another week of single parenting around here.
Let's see...what's on tap?

• Pick up A from indoor track every day
• Of course school with the boys every day
• Babysit for friend Mon.
• Scouts Tues.
• Boys' dentist appts Tues.
• PWOC Wed.
• AWANA Wed.
• My dentist appt Thurs.
• Guitar lessons Thurs.
• Hosting youth Bible study Thurs.
• Homeschool co-op Fri.

This morning I read this in the Bible study Al and I are doing together:

...It seems like we're always with people-people at home, people at school (and after school), people at church......On and on the people list goes. Yet, here's the truth:

The greater the proportion of your day-of your life-spent hidden in quiet, in reflection, in prayer, in study, in scheduling, in preparation, the greater will be the effectiveness, the impact, the power of the part of your life that shows.

Wow. It certainly is a challenge to find time to be alone when the schedule is so busy and I am the "only one" running the roost. But when the reward is so great-that my peace would show, that others would see Christ in me-how can I not make that my priority?

Bragging on my family

I just have to share about my wonderful birthday weekend a bit.

It all started Sunday morning, with a big, healthy, delicious breakfast in bed. They had one early gift for me to kick things off-a Natalie Grant CD and two tickets to her concert that night!

Dave and I headed out for the concert in the late afternoon. We got something out of the freezer for them to cook because he was taking me out to dinner afterwards! We had a really nice dinner at Red Lobster after the concert (which was fantastic, by the way) and came home, expecting to find the kids watching tv or putting Joshua to bed. Much to my HUGE surprise, they had cleaned up the entire house, decorated with balloons and streamers, and baked me a birthday cake! Those kids must have been hopping!

We opened presents (from family and friends and more from them) then I blew out the candles--just before they burned up the cake. ;-) It was delicious--chocolate with cream cheese icing.

Monday was a busy day with school and everything so we played it pretty low-key. Joshua sang Happy Birthday to me 4 or 5 or six million more times and Dave cooked dinner. Little did I know of his culinary skills before this--but now he is definitely on the schedule! He made pork medalions, fresh green beans, and spaetzle (a favorite meal from a favorite restaurant of ours in Germany) and even bought my favorite mineral water as an accompaniment. We enjoyed more cake, a couple more rounds of Happy Birthday and the kids had the dishes done in no time.

It was a wonderful 40th birthday, made that way by my sweet family going out of their way.

I love where I live

Please remind me of that the next time you hear me grousing! Today Dave and I took the boys (Alyson had school) 45 min away to Arlington National Cemetery. We just planned on walking around a bit and paying our respects. We were blessed to get tickets to the ceremony at the Amphitheater, though, and spent an incredible morning honoring and remembering those without whom our freedoms would not be possible.

View of the dignitaries on the balcony. Lynne Cheney is sitting right in front of the first column on your right.

VP Cheney spoke eloquently about the sacrifices made by our veterans, both gone and living.

Joshua fell sound asleep during the ceremony. Snoring and everything!

A picture of my own personal veteran. I love this man.

There are so many incredible benefits to living in this area. We had never had the privilege of hearing Vice-President Cheney speak. We heard the 19-gun salute when he arrived and the playing of Taps as he layed the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which was right on the other side of the amphitheater. We were surrounded on all sides by veterans of all ages. Different branches, different conflicts, different memories, one common bond. They all served their country with pride. They spoke to each other about their experiences, asked about units, patted each other on the back.

Our country is blessed.

What is old?

 /oʊld/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ohld] Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, old⋅er, old⋅est or eld⋅er, eld⋅est, noun
–adjective
1.
far advanced in the years of one's or its life: an old man; an old horse; an old tree.
2.
of or pertaining to the latter part of the life or term of existence of a person or thing: old age.
3.
as if or appearing to be far advanced in years: Worry had made him old.

Usage Note: Old is the bluntest of the adjectives most commonly used in referring to advanced or advancing age. It generally suggests at least a degree of age-related infirmity, and for that reason it is often avoided in formal or polite speech. Many prefer elderly as a more neutral and respectful term, but it too can suggest frailty, especially in reference to individuals as opposed to a group or population.

I looked in the mirror this morning and was glad to see there wasn't much difference from yesterday. Maybe those rumors of everything going south after 40 aren't true after all.....

Lately I've been wondering if 40 feels like I thought it would when I was 20. I definitely don't feel 20 anymore, but to be honest, I don't feel like I'm much different than I was in my early 30's. Don't they say 40 is the new 30?

Dave and I were talking last night about the benefits that come with age. I have actually found myself to be kinda proud that I am 40 now. I feel like now I have the experience to back up my decisions. I used to second-guess myself all the time. Was that the right way to handle the situation? Am I doing what's best for my children? What if "those" people don't agree with me?

Honestly, I feel like now that I am a little (yes, LITTLE!) bit older, I don't sweat all of that stuff anymore. I know for a fact I don't have all the answers and that I have and will continue to make mistakes. But I also know that I am doing the best I can. I feel comfortable in the decisions I make because there is a little bit of experience/wisdom behind them. I am not accountable to others. And the decisions my children make do not reflect personally on me. To those of you with young children, REPEAT THAT STATEMENT.

Here is what I know:
*I love my husband and he loves me.
*I love my children and would give my life for them.
*God loves me. And he continues to love me, even though when I read my journal from 10 years ago I find I am still struggling with some of the same sins. I can't fathom that kind of patience.
*My mom is one cool grandmother. (and I am glad I am "turning into my mother")
*I have an extended family and friends who make me feel so blessed. Thank you to each of you for the birthday wishes, the fun memories, the support in the tough times, and the smile I get in my heart each time I think of you.

So, c'mon Fabulous 40's! I'm ready for you!!

Things that make you go hmmmm.....

Hugo Chavez is publicly congratulating the US on our great choice of president.....
it feels like one of those Arsenio Hall sketches....


and that's all I'll say 'bout that.

Vote (for Alyson)

check out the poll on the sidebar and vote! (sorry, you don't get a sticker for voting here...)

the Journey...

Today I woke up on the second day of a killer headache. I dread bending over because the top of my head feels like it will explode. Got lunch made and the girl off to the bus, had breakfast with my husband and then began seriously wishing I could go back to bed. Grading geometry and biology, teaching about the Pilgrims (again), and going over consonant blends for the hundredth time just does not sound appealing to me right now.


A dear friend of mine is beginning her homeschool journey today. It'll be exciting and scary and wonderful all at the same time for her. I remember those first days of schooling. And, really, the first day of school every year. It's all so promising and fulfilling-the idea of the quality time you'll spend together and how much you'll both learn. I wish I could capture that feeling and release a little of it into the air each morning.

After Dave left for work, I went to a blog of one of the most special people in my life. She spoke of the journey being the important part of her life and the realization that the destination is not (my words:) the end of teaching phonics, or the graduation of children, or even marriage and grandchildren. The destination is the feet of Christ. And how wonderful it would be to have Him say that my journey counted. The little moments, the busy times, the deployments, the headaches.....all apart of the journey designed to draw me closer to the One whose approval is what matters the most. "P" is starting a new journey--after 2 year+-long deployments, several moves, and a life of worry mixed with pride, they will retire next spring and move home. Just another step along the path.......

As promised.....

the long awaited results of the best trunk and best costume constests!

We did have a sweet looking Star Wars theme going on in the van, but unfortunately we didn't win anything. I think it had something to do with the fact that we forgot to turn on the theme music we meant to play during judging....

Some of those other trunks were works of art! We found out that first prize was a $50 card to Chili's--next year we've got to prepare earlier!

We had a great time at the festival, though. I think it was a lot more fun for Joshua than just trick-or-treating. There were lots of games and inflated things to play on and the best part was.....

Joshua won 2nd prize for best costume! (no comment on how much cooler his costume was than 1st place...) He got a Target gift card and he plans to purchase...what else? Star Wars action figures!!