Meadows' Family News

December 1

2011-12-01T10:25:00.001-05:00

I am having a very hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that Christmas is in just a few short weeks. I feel like November flew by and even Thanksgiving was a blur. The night before Thanksgiving I told Mark I really couldn't believe we were going to be cooking a turkey that next day. I felt like it was the beginning of the month. It doesn't help that it was such a warm day.

Temperatures have dipped and the bus stop walk has been cold the past two days! This morning I made the kids put on their warm coats and Liam said, "I hate this coat. It makes me feel like a barge!" It was really hard not to laugh, but I told him he had to wear it to stay warm. I don't think anyone really likes wearing bulky winter coats, but I definitely appreciate mine when it's below freezing!

We decorated the house the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. The nativity sets are out, the stockings are up, and the s'more ornament tree is up. We won't get our live tree for another few weeks. We are late tree people, for sure!

I love this time of year, not for the great shopping deals or the time with family. Those things are nice, but I love reflecting on Christ's birth, thinking about Him coming as a tiny helpless infant. God incarnate, God with us....it's staggering to think that the Creator of the world came and walked in flesh so that we could know Him. I love that we can have a meaningful relationship with Him because He came. That is why I celebrate!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T08:25:00.001-04:00

My mom, brother, and I took the kids to the pumpkin patch on Columbus Day. We went early in the morning because we had a lunch date with my grandma later that day. I couldn't believe how many other people had the same idea! The patch was so crowded. We got on one of the first tractors that went out to the field and were in and out in about an hour. We had 5 really lovely pumpkins that we brought home and put on our front porch. The plan was to carve them before Halloween, but just a few days later someone smashed three of them. The kids were so upset. I was angry that someone had the nerve to come onto my porch in the middle of the night and throw my pumpkins hard enough to shatter them all over our sidewalk. How mean! We moved the surviving two pumpkins into the house and won't be putting them out on the steps again.

Liam is 5

2011-09-05T17:01:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe my baby is 5 years old. We celebrated his birthday at the beach this year. He wanted to go to the zoo, so we planned a trip to the Norfolk Zoo. We were making pancakes that morning when the power went out, so we had a surprise IHOP trip that day too! The zoo was really nice and we loved seeing elephants, red pandas, and a baboon with a colorful behind!

Meadows house rule: gum is allowed when you are 5 - Liam's birthday gum

Trick candles are not funny, mama!

We had Liam's cake made by the Lady of Cakes. I loved being able to order it and pick it up, instead of dragging cake making stuff on vacation. The only snafoo was that we didn't have candles. I went to Walgreen's to look and all they had were trick candles......Liam was NOT amused! Now we are preparing for the next milestone....kindergarten begins tomorrow.

More Pool Pictures

2011-09-02T10:15:00.002-04:00

I love taking pictures of the family flying through the air. I have about 100 or more pictures of us in the pool from our beach vacation. I will spare you and just post these!

The Pool is Awesome!

2011-09-01T08:28:00.003-04:00

We swam in the pool every day we were at the beach. I really love taking pictures of the kids leaping into the pool. They were learning how to do cannonballs and can openers this year! Mark was happy to model how to do them!

More pictures to come.

2011-08-30T17:55:00.002-04:00

We went to Sandbridge again this year for vacation. We were there while Hurricane Irene was brewing so we kept an eye on the weather channel. We were supposed to stay through Saturday, August 27th, but a mandatory evacuation was put into place for August 26th. We decided to leave late in the evening on August 25th to beat the traffic. We had no trouble getting home and made it late Thursday. The hurricane hit near us on Saturday and we ended up losing power from 12:30 Saturday through 2pm Tuesday! It was an adventure for sure.

We did most of our activities wearing headlamps. I told the kids it was like camping but without bugs! Some places in the metro area are still without power, but we are so grateful to have things back to normal. Here are some pictures of the kids on the beach. No fear of the waves at all this year. They loved being in the water.

Mark loves playing in the sand too!

A day on the James River

2011-08-27T10:26:00.004-04:00

Earlier this month we took the kids down to the James River for a picnic and to wade around the rocks. We stopped at a place called Pony Pastures. There were tons of rocks to climb on and to jump off into the water. The weather was so mild that day and it was a great day to play outside!

Happy birthday, Peyton

2011-08-02T12:00:00.003-04:00

Peyton had her 7th birthday on July 30. It seems like just yesterday that I was holding her in my arms and she was brand new.

Peyton, we love your sweet smile, your sense of humor, and your desire to be such a helper. You are so independent and smart. I am amazed at how you have blossomed into such a sweet and wonderful young lady. I hope you know just how much your mama and dad love you!

We kept the birthday low key this year. On her actual birthday we were in Fredericksburg celebrating her great-uncle's 80th birthday, so we celebrated on the 29th. We baked a cake from scratch and then iced and decorated it. Peyton did most of the work and her results were impressive!

When she woke up on the 29th, we had balloons and a happy birthday sign on her chair. She ate cake with her breakfast and then she and Liam went to the last day of vacation Bible school. We let her open her gift that evening after dinner.
A digital camera! Peyton has been asking for one and we told her as long as she takes care of it, we'll let her use it as she wants. She has spent a lot of time taking pictures of everything, her dolls, her brother, her dog!

Really, Peyton had a birthday week. She celebrated with her Nonna and then celebrated with her Granna, Grandad, and cousins. And now this week we have one more birthday thing to do, a movie and lunch with some friends from church. I think I'll take my cues from her and have a birthday week too!

Flying Squirrels....or how we spent our July 4th

2011-07-06T15:19:00.004-04:00

The first inning - Richmond Squirrels v. Trenton Thunder

Our kids with Nutsy

Lots and lots of rain

Just before the game was cancelled

Mark and I took our children to a Richmond Squirrels baseball game on the 4th of July. I was so excited to take them because the after game fireworks are always awesome. We bought tickets through our church and saw some faces we knew and we met some new friends too. As we left for the baseball diamond, the clouds were building and the weather report was pretty ominous, but we hoped it would be a quick storm and that we would be able to see the whole game. Well.....after an inning and a half, they called a rain delay.

We took the kids to the concession area and got some junk food (really isn't that the best part of county fairs and ball games)! We found a dry place and tried to stay warm. The wind was blowing rain all over the place and it was cold. Our poor kids were freezing. The power also went out briefly. We could see the road and the cars were driving through lots of puddles. It was a pretty intense storm. We roamed around and ate more junk, dessert this time, and waited for the officials to either cancel or to continue to the delay. They finally canceled so we left for home. We found out later that they ended up doing the fireworks, but really really late.

Liam and Peyton were such great sports. They thought it was a great adventure and not one complaint was spoken. I was so proud of them for being so flexible and for making it fun, in spite of a really bad storm. We are planning to go back later this season to catch a game and fireworks!

Fun in the Sprinklers

2011-06-14T12:49:00.003-04:00

One of the features of our new house is the built-in sprinkler system. We have never had one before and didn't think we would use it to water the grass. But last week when we had temperatures in the 100's, Mark found a great way to cool off our kids! They loved running around the yard through the sprinklers and we didn't have to haul out the hose!

Peyton is done with school in 4 more days and we are so excited for the end! I am ready to sleep in past 5am and to not have to rush around in the mornings. Liam has already done his kindergarten orientation and is ready to join his sister on the bus in the fall. I think the nicest thing will be having both kids on the same schedule. It will be nice to not be running one over to the preschool and having to get there for noon pickup. I get sad about them growing up, but there are nice things too.

I'll post our summer list of things we're hoping to do later this week!

JMU

2011-05-11T09:59:00.003-04:00

New sidewalk leading under S Main St to the new performing arts center

Kissing rock

Portrait by Peyton

Our kids always want to sit on the Duke Dog

We went back to JMU to visit in April. It was awesome to see how JMU has changed since we left in September. We walked around in the performing arts center and took a peek backstage too. It was an amazing space. I still miss Harrisonburg, but this trip back was easier. I didn't feel awful this time when we left to drive back to Richmond. It felt better to be leaving knowing that Richmond is starting to feel like home.

Richmond Metro Zoo

2011-04-20T10:16:00.003-04:00

We are trying to do some fun things over spring break, not just regular weekly routine stuff. Yesterday we went to the Richmond Metro Zoo. I love seeing all of the unique animals. We also saw a few wild black snakes and got to touch one. I'm reminded of God's incredible design and His sense of humor too. Seriously, the giraffe is a funny looking creature, and so is the vulture!

2011-04-06T07:55:00.003-04:00

There are tons of blogs that have documented this cake. You can google rainbow layer cake and find it. I saw it months ago and wanted to make it as part of our April Fool's Day dinner, but I couldn't keep this one hidden from Peyton and Liam. They saw all of the batter sitting on the counter after it was colored and watched the layers cooking in the oven. It was fun to cut the cake and see all of the layers. The only negative thing about this cake was all the frosting. We are a family that really doesn't like frosting. I kept the frosting between the layers really thin, but it was still really sweet. I need to find a homemade frosting that isn't terribly sweet.

Cupfakes - April Fool's Day

2011-04-04T14:48:00.004-04:00

Last year we made fakin' and eggs for April Fool's Day. This year I made cupfakes, which looked exactly like cupcakes, but they were meatloaf with mashed potato "frosting." Mark had to work, so I invited my mom for dinner. I was really hoping Peyton and Liam would be faked out, but as we sat down to dinner, Liam took a lick of the frosting and said, "This is mashed potatoes!" They were delicious and it was fun, even though the kids weren't all that surprised!

We are enjoying some gorgeous spring weather. This past weekend was weird. We went to the park Saturday and had to dodge rain and hail, but Sunday was awesome. A girl at church was talking about planting that day, prepping her garden, etc. and I got the bug to plant. The kids and I went to the Great Big Greenhouse and Meadows Farm and picked up a van full of stuff, coneflowers, black eyed susans, forsythia, mint, and some basil. Liam and Peyton also picked a few other perennials that I can't remember. We spent all of Sunday afternoon outside planting and digging in the dirt. The front yard looks pretty good, but our backyard needs WORK! It's tough to get it done when Mark is working so many weekends, but we are slowly making progress.

I won something

2011-03-31T11:14:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago I entered a giveaway on the Take Heart blog for a soap spitter. These soap dispensers are so fun and whimsical and they're made by Close 2 My Art. I actually won! I was so excited, probably more excited than the rest of my family, but hey, a sock monkey soap dispenser....what's not to be excited about! I love it. We have it in the downstairs bathroom and I think it is incredibly fun. I wanted to thank Danielle for this giveaway too and for making me aware of another place to buy unique, handmade gifts.

I took this picture of my precious kids last week. Aren't they so sweet................... (just look below for their favorite pose!)

They love to make faces for their mama's camera, followed immediately by, "Can we see the picture!"

Green!

2011-03-23T15:56:00.001-04:00

Lots of green in our house, inside and out! I am so excited to see the signs of spring.

How deep the Father's love for us

2011-03-17T11:05:00.002-04:00

I love this song so much. We sang it at First Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg and it is really one of my favorites. It's also a beautiful reminder of His sacrifice for us, especially as we move toward Easter.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

2011-03-09T15:21:00.004-05:00

From the MSG, Eph. 2:8-9:

"Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving."

I read this verse today on a blog called A Holy Experience as the writer spoke about her reasons for doing Lent. Her post made me think about Lent more than usual. We attend a Presbyterian church and Presbyterians don't really do Lent. I decided, however, to do Lent this year. I'm not using it to give up something like sugar or caffeine, to struggle for 40 days and then take it back up at the end. I am using Lent this year to pray for believers around the world who are being persecuted for their faith. I doing Lent to think about being more intentional about how I spend our money, to be a better steward of what God has given our family. And I am working to weed out some junk from my life. I love to read blogs. I have many that I read every day, but so many of them are not filling me with things that are glorifying to God. So, I have been on a search for blogs about faith and about loving Jesus. I found a site this week called Faith Blogs, that features writers doing just that, writing about faith, family, about crafts, photography, and home too. Thing I love to read about and things that inspire me and a focus on their relationships with God and their struggles. I found A Holy Experience by way of Faith Blogs today.

So back to Lent. I want to really use this time to grow deeper in my relationship with Jesus. There are believers all over the world who are willing to die for their faith, who are willing to struggle and be persecuted because they believe their Jesus is worth it. Do I? Do I have what it takes to be in the world, but not to be overcome by it? That's what I'm thinking about this Lenten season.

Building is so much fun

2011-03-08T07:55:00.005-05:00

Mark, Peyton, and Liam spent some time this weekend creating stuff in the garage. He let them nail pieces of wood together to create things like a dragon and a spaceship. Liam told me, "Dad drilled pilot holes and then I nailed the wood together." Mark is picking Liam up from preschool today and Liam told me they are going to build something together. When I asked what he was going to do with all of these wooden sculptures he is making, he said, "We'll just put them in the attic."

I'm off to the church for Bible study. We have been digging into the book of Esther and it has been a really incredible thing to study one book in depth, something I have not done before. I'm enjoying the homework and the discussion with my small group. And I'm looking forward this week to the sunshine and the signs of spring!

Spring is coming

2011-03-04T07:22:00.004-05:00

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends. His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulnes; his mercies begin afresh each morning." Lamentations 3:22-23

I love this verse, especially now that spring is slowly beginning to show itself. We have lots of buds on our tress and all kinds of things poking up out of the ground. It will be interesting to see what grows here at our Richmond house. I do miss my daffodils and my rosebushes in Harrisonburg, but I also look forward to planting some new things here. Just a few short weeks until the official first day of spring. I am looking forward to warmer weather and to being able to play outside without my coat!

Mark's grandma gave us an amaryllis for Christmas this year and it is the most lush and beautiful one I have ever seen. It has grown so tall that we had to stake it with a tomato stake. It's taller than Liam now!

A reminder

2011-02-07T16:05:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that when we feel out of control and anxious, the first thing we should do is pray. I love that when we pray, He provides us with peace. Not just any peace, but peace that doesn't make sense, it transcends our understanding.

I am feeling lots of God given peace lately. I feel content with where I am and what I'm doing. I don't always love my life, but I feel content that I am where God wants me to be.

Building is fun

2011-01-14T07:38:00.003-05:00

Liam loves to build. He loves Legos, Keva planks, Construx, etc. He got some blocks called Citiblocks for Christmas and they have quickly become the favorite toy. Even Peyton loves to play with them. They build towers and temples and houses. He can entertain himself for quite a while building. He used to play with a similar toy at the children's museum and told me last year that Mark really needed some Keva planks for his birthday! He just finished breakfast and went over to the family room to start the day's building.

Celebrating Christmas

2010-12-22T07:59:00.002-05:00

We are enjoying the holiday season, but we're also taking it relaxed and slow. We decorated a gingerbread house with the kids during one of their snow days. Peyton had two days off of school due to snow. I can't remember the last time we had snow in December, but both kids were thrilled. They got out their new snow saucers and did some sledding in our back yard. Mama tried once and hit the fence....and that was the end of her sledding adventures! We have been hiding our elf, Lincoln, each day and the kids enjoy searching for him each morning.

We have finally decided on which church to attend and have been looking forward to becoming more settled there and getting to know people. It's been nice to be able to hear more than one sermon in a series. We visited so many churches that there was no consistency. It's good to be able to think about starting Sunday school and getting the kids into a better routine. Today is Mark's last day of work until the new year. He has been feeling nasty and went to see the doctor yesterday. No definitive diagnosis, but hopefully antibiotics will help and he'll feel better by Christmas.

Only 3 more sleeps.....

That is not my house!

2010-12-10T08:28:00.001-05:00

The new header is not my house, but a house near Peyton's bus stop. There are 3 pretty awesome houses in our neighborhood that we can see from the second floor of our house! We are working on our lights, but we lost our extension cords (or maybe we just didn't have many). I'm going to grab some today so we can light up our own house tonight!

Even super heroes have to do their homework

2010-11-22T08:27:00.001-05:00

Goodbye October....

2010-11-03T10:46:00.003-04:00

We are so excited to have Randy back with us!

Buzz Lightyear and Barbie Cowgirl

I love my family!

The kids designed and carved their own pumpkins

Hello November. I am crazy excited about November. The weather is cooler and the leaves are so pretty. I have pulled out the sweaters and the long pants and have been bundling up under the covers at night. The bus stop has been freezing in the morning and we've been wearing our hats and heavy coats. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving, to drinking hot chocolate, to the possibility of snow this winter, and to the holidays with our family. We love fall!

October 2010

2010-10-14T09:34:00.005-04:00

Peyton playing with Mark's old teeny tiny legos

Liam in his preschool class

Liam sporting Mark's sunglasses

Things have been hectic, to put it lightly. Adjusting to the new schedule has been tough. I think we are all getting there, but slowly. I am thrilled that fall is here. We went pumpkin picking this past weekend and were planning to take the hayride to get our pumpkins, but there were so many people there we decided to get already picked pumpkins. The kids didn't care at all. They enjoyed eating a picnic and choosing their pumpkins. We are going to a fall festival this weekend and are hoping to check out our local farmer's market.

It is raining today and chilly so it finally feels like fall. It has been pretty hot for October and I'm ready for cooler weather!

Celebrating Liam and Peyton

2010-09-16T09:53:00.003-04:00

He looks like such a little boy now, not a baby. He frequently reminds me that he is a big boy.

Peyton had her hair bobbed before school started. She looks so grown up to me.

I have been sorely neglecting this space lately. We have recently moved from our home of 17 years back to where I grew up and it's been crazy! I wanted to post a few pictures of Liam's 4 year old birthday celebration and of Peyton's first day of school.

We took the kids to Baltimore for their birthdays so we just did simple cakes at home on the actual birth date. Liam chose a gingerbread man shaped cake and then he and Peyton did all the decorations (after I iced it). They loved decorating their cakes this year.

Peyton's first day of 1st grade went well. She was so nervous, but when we picked her up she said, "I had a great day!" Things have been going well for her. She likes her teacher and has been making friends. I'm just concerned that she's going to be bored. The vocabulary and spelling words that are coming home are so easy. She is reading on a 2nd grade level and the words are more like kindergarten words. We keep thinking these first few weeks will be review and then they'll move on to harder things. If not, Mark and I are going to talk to her teacher about sending home harder words and more challenging things to read. She balks at doing her homework because she says it is boring. They have a spelling/ vocab test this week and a math readiness quiz. Hopefully that will help her teacher to challenge her.

2010-08-24T09:44:00.004-04:00

Peyton watching the dolphins
Awesome Jellyfish

Calypso, the sea turtle, has a missing flipper
Mixing up a brew at Port Discover, Baltimore Children's Museum
Peyton inside a giant bubble

We celebrated Peyton's 6th and Liam's 4th birthdays with a trip to Baltimore. It was Liam's first time staying in a hotel and both kids thought it was cool. Mark and I slept on a horribly uncomfortable sofa bed so that our kids could sleep in the queen bed. The hotel was about two blocks from the inner harbor so we were able to go back and forth fairly quickly. We spent a day at the National Aquarium and then visited Port Discovery on our last day in the city. The aquarium was nice, but the children's museum was the best part of the trip, at least for me. The aquarium was crowded and pricey for what was there. The one in VA Beach is probably a better deal, but it was fun to get out of our town and spend time with our kids in a different place. I think if we get back to Baltimore in the future, we'll plan a trip to the science museum. So many people have told us how awesome it is, so maybe when the children are a bit older.

North Bend State Park, West Virginia

2010-08-16T10:18:00.004-04:00

It's a little tight for both kids in the pull trailer. We think we'll try a tag-a-long soon!

The first trail we did had 3 tunnels on it. We rode through them yelling and hearing the echoes.

Eating s'mores cooked over a charcoal grill

This tunnel had several openings for people who needed to a safe place to get off the tracks if a train was coming.

We saw hundreds of these butterflies on the bike trail

Mark's parents invited us to come spend a few days with them in West Virginia. North Bend State Park is gorgeous. There are loads of trees, a huge lake, hiking trails, and a rails to trails bike trail. We did two bike rides, had a picnic, fished from a canoe on the lake (Peyton and Liam did this), and spend some quality time with family. It was such a peaceful trip and we loved staying in a cabin versus tent camping, especially because it rained quite a bit!

Celebrating Peyton - 6 years old!

2010-08-01T19:15:00.003-04:00

Peyton turned 6 this week. It is hard to believe she has been here 6 years! I am constantly amazed at her, how sweet and considerate she is and how much she is learning. We celebrated her birthday with a trip to the Route 11 chip factory. We ate chips and had a picnic with some sweet friends from church. Peyton chose her cake design from a book that we have at home. We made the cake from scratch together and then decorated it with lots of frosting and sprinkles. We are going to celebrate both children's birthdays with a special outing, but we did have a few gifts for her, a new nightgown and a custom made dress (thanks, April!) She didn't want to wear it to church today because the lady who made it was going to be out of town.

Happy birthday Peyton!

Sandbridge, VA

2010-07-28T08:10:00.005-04:00

Seeing the ocean for the first time this year

Peyton demonstrating the back stroke. She does much better on her back.

We went to Sandbridge last week and had a wonderful time at the beach. It was blazing hot each day and there were a few incredible storms, but for the most part, the weather was perfect for sitting on the beach and by the pool. Liam was swimming without floaties by the end of the week and was so proud! Peyton's swimming improved too. Spending several hours in the pool each day helped a lot. Peyton wasn't scared of the ocean and went out with Mark, but Liam stayed on the shore. He was content to stay out of the waves. It was so nice to be away from home, but great to be back. Only 4 weeks until school starts, yikes! I feel like the summer has gone way too fast.

Rain day Fun

2010-07-16T10:28:00.002-04:00

Peyton and Liam were so excited to play in the rain this week. After about 2 weeks of dry weather, we had two days of rain. They ran outside and played in it for about 15 minutes. I stayed dry in the garage with my camera! Our brown grass has greened back up a bit and our garden seems to be doing fine. We have only picked one large tomato and about 6 grape tomatoes so far, but we are hoping for a big crop of tomatoes!

It's July!

2010-07-06T16:06:00.005-04:00

All dressed up in our Egyptian garbPeyton really got into the eye makeup

And so did Liam (he has to be just like his sister)

Riven Rock Park

Completely wiped out after a long day of playing in the stream and hiking around the park

We have been so busy this past month. Our church just finished vacation Bible school and we had a great, but very tiring time. We did an ancient Egyptian theme and the children studied the life of Joseph. The volunteers and children got dressed in costume each night and I think that was part of what made it so much fun. Mark was Joseph each night and the kids would yell hello at him every time they saw him, in or out of costume.

We stayed in town during the holiday weekend. We spent Saturday downtown enjoying our town's local July 4th festivities. We watched a down home parade and ate cotton candy and bounced on inflatables at our church. We did not stay up for fireworks because we had so many late nights during VBS. We heard later that the town fireworks were only 10 minutes. I'm so glad we didn't keep the kids up late.

Mark had Monday off so we drove to Riven Rock Park, about 15 miles outside of town. We ate a picnic under the shade of the trees and then we let the kids play in the stream. They had a blast. By the time we left they were completely soggy and wet. Peyton went home in Mark's t-shirt and Liam went home with no clothes on! Mark tried to put a pair of his boxers on Liam, but he complained that they were too big, so we threw a towel on his carseat and drove home. He kept saying he wasn't tired in the car, but about 5 miles from home he crashed. We carried him in and put him on the couch and he slept for about an hour.

We have had such an incredible heat wave these past few days. We were spoiled last week with high temperatures in the high 70's/ low 80's and now it's 100 today. We went out this morning to run a few errands and then we came home. I am so grateful for a nice cool house and the ability to get out of the heat. Our grass is dead and our veggies are suffering from lack of water. We're hoping for some nice rain soon.

June is great!

2010-06-25T13:35:00.002-04:00

Peyton's last day of kindergarten

New hair cut for summer

Summer is here and so far I haven't heard the words, "I'm bored!" We have been very busy since Peyton's last day of school. We visited Nonna in Richmond for a few days, stopped by the family farm for an afternoon, and have been taking swimming lessons. It has been crazy hot so we haven't spent a lot of time outside. We are taking a one hour rest almost every day and that has been fantastic for me. I get to rest and take it easy and they are quiet in their rooms, reading, playing, resting. We did take an afternoon to weed out some toys from their rooms and we're going to tackle the basement next. There are WAY too many toys in our house and it's been good to have them involved in making the decision about what stays and what goes. We have such a full summer planned that I'm savoring these days at home with just a few things on the schedule!

Rainy Day Fun & a Visitor

2010-06-09T10:06:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday we had a substantial downpour (that lasted all of 5 minutes or so). Mark had been standing on the porch with Peyton and Liam and he said, "I'm going to go run around the apple tree" and then took off. Before I knew it, all three were playing in the rain. They ran in the yard, up and down the street, in the driveway, and sat in the gutters letting the rain water hit them like a mini tidal wave. They were hilarious and so of course I grabbed my camera!

Our special visitor was a beautiful luna moth that arrived one morning and stayed on the front of our house all day. We were fascinated by it and kept going out to see if it was still there.

We are very excited by the fact that there are only 3 days of school left for Peyton. We cannot wait to experience summer and all of the fun things we have planned!

Late spring photos

2010-06-03T09:55:00.004-04:00

This nest of robin's eggs is in the tree by our garage. The mama shrieks at us every time we get in and out of our car. I had to balance quite precariously on a stepladder and aim the camera without looking to get this shot!

Meet Carol, the ladybug (named by Peyton). She lived in the bottom of a milk jug for about 30 minutes before being released back into the wild!
Celebrating Peyton's lost tooth with local bakery goods!
Quite excited by the gap in her mouth!
We had a two headed gerber daisy in the front planter
Just off the bus - only a few more days until summer!

We are gearing up for an incredibly busy summer. We'll be out and about a lot, so I'll probably not be updating this site very often. I am very much looking forward to the end of the school year. Peyton only has 7 more days and 2 of those are half days. Liam is done for the year and so we're finding time to visit the Children's Museum, the park, etc. We are also running errands, which is NOT his favorite thing at all. He is, right now in fact, throwing a small whiny fit because we are about to run out for gas and a few groceries!

Another milestone- lost tooth!

2010-05-26T17:25:00.003-04:00

Peyton finally lost a tooth. She has been waiting for this moment for a very long time (long for a 5 year old is like a few months!) She discovered a wiggly tooth about 2 months ago and has been very reluctant to wiggle it. It got really loose this week and she was crying about it falling out. She was scared that it would bleed and that it would hurt. I told her this morning that I could pull it for her and she said no that it was just going to fall out, but apparently she pulled it herself at school. When I picked her up this afternoon I was so surprised and excited.

Dance Recital - part 2

2010-05-25T10:50:00.002-04:00

Liam's turn! This was his first time taking dance and he asked to do it because he had seen Peyton enjoying it last year. He was the only boy in the class and was well liked by the other little girls. When the little girl hugged him during the recital, she got huge laughs, so she kept doing it! I'm not sure if he'll dance this fall, but we'll let him decide.

Dance Recital - part 1

2010-05-24T12:26:00.004-04:00

Peyton took part in her second dance recital this weekend. She danced through parks and recreation this semester and did some more ballet and a little tap. Her group tap danced in the recital. She was shaking her hips and wiggling her butt. I was so proud of her and can't get over how grown up she looks. She has asked to dance again in the fall, in the hip hop class. I told her we'll see what is offered for her age group and what works for mama and dad's schedules! I blurred out the other dancers because I don't want to post other kid's pictures without their parent's permission.

Part 2 soon.....Liam's dance!

2010-05-18T14:44:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Mother's Day a week later and it was a fantastic day for me. The kids came in while I was reading my Bible with a sweet little breakfast on a tray. Then they gave me some itunes gift cards and a new hammock! Mark put it up later in the day, but then took it down. We are still trying to decide where to hang it or if we want to go look for a different kind. The place he hung it originally is too narrow. We need to find a spot where the trees are farther apart. I think if we can find a better spot, we'll keep it. It's super comfortable and I can't wait to sit in it and read.

We are insanely busy this week. Liam's preschool has an end of the season program, we have dress rehearsal and then the dance recital, plus fellowship dinner at church, and a church picnic! Lots to do, but mostly fun stuff. Only a week and a half left of preschool and about 3.5 weeks of school until both children are home for the summer. We are already filling the calendar with stuff. I still hope we'll find time to go camping.

This is Liam's reaction when I want to take his picture. He either makes an angry face or runs away screaming!

Lazy Sunday afternoon

2010-05-12T08:33:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday we didn't celebrate Mother's Day. Because of graduation and having family in town, we decided to postpone it until this coming weekend. So on Sunday we went to church and then spent the afternoon in the yard. Mark trimmed some trees and hung a hammock. Peyton and Liam were pretty excited about the hammock. They played with it and with lots of leaves and tree trimmings!

Graduation

2010-05-10T21:42:00.005-04:00

Dr. Linwood "Flava Flav" Rose (that medallion has got to be heavy)

Liam loved the graduation speaker so much (I actually took pictures through my zoom lens of all the people nodding off in the Convocation Center. He wasn't the only one!)

Mark graduated from JMU with his Master's in Public Administration this past weekend. He worked six years toe earn this degree. It was very exciting to see him walk across the stage and to know that it was over. The kids were troopers through a very long graduation ceremony and were extra excited to eat cake and pie with their dad to celebrate his achievement. Liam knew that our babysitter, Miss Jen, was going to be graduating too and that she would be leaving town once she got a job. He told Mark that he didn't want him to leave. He didn't understand that his dad wasn't going to be leaving town. So incredibly sweet.

Easter Egg Hunt and more Easter pictures

2010-04-12T13:44:00.003-04:00

I love this picture so much!

Text from our Easter sermon at church

2010-04-08T16:52:00.002-04:00

¹ Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. ² It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

³ I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. ⁴ He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. ⁵ He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. ⁶ After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. ⁷ Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. ⁸ Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. ⁹ For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

¹⁰ But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. ¹¹ So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.

¹² But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. ¹⁵ And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. ¹⁶ And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. ¹⁸ In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! ¹⁹ And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

²⁰ But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.

1 Corinthians 15:1-20

What a great sermon we heard last Sunday. Jesus is alive and He has died for me. Someday I will see those who died believing in Him. I will see my dad and my brother again. Death will not win! An awesome reminder of why I celebrate Easter.

*Egg hunt pictures to come soon.

Easter eggs

2010-04-06T16:39:00.003-04:00

We colored eggs with Peyton and Liam on the night before Easter. They have done it quite a few times so they're old pros. Peyton took her time and did one or two eggs at a time. Liam filled all 5 of his egg cups and did his very quickly....then he kept asking Peyton for her eggs!

Luray Zoo

2010-04-05T08:23:00.004-04:00

Peyton was on spring break last week so we tried to find some fun things for her to do. We had snacks at the local bakery, went to the Harrisonburg Children's Museum, and took a trip to the Luray Zoo. It was really hot the day we visited the zoo and the kids complained a lot about the heat. There are a lot of reptiles, snakes, and birds at the zoo. There was a bobcat, a tiger, some ring tailed lemurs, condors, turtles, and a family of Capuchin monkeys that were very fun to watch. I'm not sure we'll travel the distance and spend the money to go again because there are other zoos we have visited that have more to offer, but I think we all had a good time. It was a bit hard to tell with all of the whining about heat (from Liam more than Peyton!)

April Fool's Day

2010-04-01T11:13:00.002-04:00

Happy April 1st! We made "bacon and eggs" out of white chocolate, m-n-m's, tootsie rolls and caramels. The kids caught on right away!

Signs of spring

2010-03-12T11:53:00.004-05:00

Signs of spring are everywhere. It seems so odd that just a few weeks ago we were blanketed in about 2 feet of snow and now the daffodils are poking out of the ground and my chives are growing! I love seeing these little reminders that spring is here. I love hearing the birds chirping, seeing spots of green in our otherwise brown yard, and opening the windows during the day. I bought tulips from the grocery store this week and they are so pretty. Peyton wanted to plant tulip bulbs in the fall and I forgot, so we have to do it this fall.

I think after this very snowy winter, I am just feeling relieved that a new season is here. I am so excited about things that are happening in our church family and am so blessed to be a part of that. I am excited to share Easter with my children and to talk about what it means. They have been talking about egg hunts and Easter candy and we've been reminding them that Easter is first and foremost about the resurrection of Jesus. They are so young, but I desperately want them to be rooted in the church, in God's word, and to develop a relationship with Him. I wish that I had more of a relationship with Him when I was younger. I just wasn't at that point in the journey, the point where I am now.

I am grateful for reading my Bible each day, for having praying friends, for a husband and family that I love, but most importantly, for having a risen and living Savior! How awesome to think that Jesus walked the Earth, died for me, and now works through me. I can have an impact for Him if I just listen and obey. It just blows my mind, inspires me, humbles me, and breaks me. So this Lenten/ Easter season I'm focusing on Him, the one who forgave me and continues to forgive me. The one who just asks me to come, not to come to Him perfectly clean and on my own merits, but offering a free gift of salvation to me, a free forgiveness of my sins. It's awesome!

We're Into It - Blog Party

2010-02-23T13:58:00.010-05:00

One of my daily blog reads, Hope Studios, posted a list things that her family is into right now. I am joining the blog party with my own family's list of things we are into. With a 3 1/2 and a 5 1/2 year old, our list changes fairly frequently, but here are a few recent things we love.

Liam is really into Legos and Lincoln Logs. I am constantly amazed at all the things he builds. - The men are Ricardo and Jimbo and they are on a 2 seat helicopter

Peyton is into reading the Magic Tree House books - both kids are really excited about reading

Art- Liam created this robot by himself with tape, glue sticks, scissors, and paper

I am so into yarn and am doing both crochet and knitting (part of my stash, Thanks Grandma Lily!!!)

A sweet little crocheted sweater for a friend's baby

We all like games - card games, Uno, Cootie, Don't Break the Ice, Dominoes

Liam loves his stuffed elephant, Mr. PeanutsAnd Peyton loves her monkey, Mr. Bananas

I am still playing flute, 21 years after I began, in a wonderful concert bandMark and I are WAY too into coffee, especially locally roasted beans

I am really into reading God's word. I read the Bible in the NIV translation, and now I'm working on the Message translation. I love this version, but I miss my notes in the Study Bible I have. I make myself get up early every day to read it and it's been a great thing in my life.Thanks, Jennifer for doing this. I had a lot of fun thinking about the things we were into right now and taking some pictures of those things. It's cool to see how this will change as we all get a little bit older!

Liam - my superhero

2010-02-19T11:51:00.003-05:00

Superhero Liam - "Mama, look how my cape blows."

I was trying to take a picture of his haircut and he hid under the bar and closed his eyes. I guess he thought I couldn't see him because he couldn't see me!

Liam has been talking a lot lately about death, killing, swords, superheros, etc. He loves to have his blanket pinned to his shirt so he can wear a cape. He is all boy and loves building with Legos and Lincoln Logs. He also likes to have a paper towel tube to be a flashlight, sword, and wand. What an imagination! Again, toys are way overrated. Give the boy a blanket, bucket, and paper tube and he's a superhero!

Another snow post....is it getting old yet?

2010-02-14T20:45:00.004-05:00

Peyton was pretending to be a groundhog and was looking for her shadow - she was coming out of the tunnel that Mark dug for her

Like sister.....like brother

Mark was throwing the kids into fresh powderLiam wasn't a fan, but Peyton LOVED it

Mark is really great at playing in the snow. I don't mind being outside, but I'm not as good at coming up with games as he is. He made a snow fort for the kids, dug a tunnel in a huge mound of snow, and threw them into the snow. Peyton kept asking him to toss her. She loved being thrown around. Liam was happy to watch his sister get tossed around.

Harrisonburg city is on a one hour delay tomorrow after a full week off of school. It will be really nice to get the kids back into a routine. They have missed their friends and are both looking forward to school tomorrow. There is a slight chance of snow tomorrow afternoon, but I think any accumulation would be really minimal...at least I'm hoping for minimal!

Still snow.....it's getting a little bit old

2010-02-10T10:27:00.005-05:00

Taking advantage of some sunshine to play

Our fantastic neighbor plowed us out several times. He was dumping snow on the kid's HUGE pile and they were so excited!Mark used one of the big piles in our yard to build another igloo for Peyton. Later he dug all the way through and made a tunnel!

We still have loads of snow on the ground, but the falling snow has stopped for now. The forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday had called for an additional 5-12" in our area, but we only got about 3 inches! School was closed again today and JMU closed too so Mark is working from home again. The sun broke out from the clouds about an hour ago and it's really windy. There is a lot of snow blowing around and falling off of trees. I'm not sure if we'll venture out today or if we'll just stay in and find things to do.

Peyton and Liam have really been troopers. They have been really great at entertaining themselves and in going with the flow. We have been out of the routine for almost two weeks and it hasn't been easy on anyone, but we definitely feel blessed to have plenty to eat and that our power stayed on. Family members lost power and have not had an easy time at all. The snow is still really white and pretty too. It hasn't been driven on or plowed up yet so it's not grungy and dirty. I'm crossing my fingers that the city will get to our roads this afternoon so the kids can get back to school tomorrow. I don't want them to be going to school in late June!

More snow today

2010-02-06T18:12:00.005-05:00

Liam had to work very hard to follow the girls

The snow was just below my knees!

Last night Mark scooped all the snow out of the middle of the igloo/ fort and it was completely full again this afternoon

The snow on our deck rail was crazy!

A peek of sunshine after about 34 hours of steady snow!

(If you click the top picture you might get an idea of how tall the snow is)

The snow finally stopped today around 5pm. We have more snow than my children have ever seen. The last time I remember this much snow was in 2001 - 2002. So it's been a while since we've had to deal with such volume. We went outside today around 3:30 to shovel our sidewalk and driveway and our shovel broke! Fortunately we have two of them and since only one was working, I was off the hook. I did do the sidewalk and made a path to the road, but Mark did the majority of the work. The snow is so deep on the sides of the driveway. I just hope it's a nice, slow melt, not a quick one that our gutters can't handle. Mark is out shoveling a path on the deck now for Randy. She has been a trooper, but has had some difficulty getting off the deck.

Peyton loved playing in the snow, but the snow got inside her sleeves and her arms and hands were so red. She and our neighbor went sledding and forged through the snow making big tubes through the snow. Liam had fun, but he really struggled to just walk from place to place. Mark had to go retrieve him a few times, but we didn't lose him in a drift! Big tall snow is not much fun when you're only 3 feet tall! We need to buy a sled. Last year Mark pulled the kids around the yard in a laundry basket tied to a rope. This year they used a huge plastic thing that goes under your clothes washer to hold the water if it floods. Seriously redneck sledding in this part of Harrisonburg!

Still no sign of snowplows and I have no idea when they'll show up. I don't expect them tonight, but maybe tomorrow. We haven't heard about church tomorrow or about school Sunday, but I have a feeling both will be canceled. Mark just measured in our backyard and we have 21 inches!

February SNOWMAGEDDON!

2010-02-05T18:39:00.004-05:00

Peyton inside the igloo

Mark is like a little kid in the snow

(Click on the pictures to enlarge and see better detail of the igloo and the snow in our yard!)

We are seriously up to our eyeballs in snow in the 'burg. It has been falling steadily since about 6am. Reports are calling for 18 - 24 inches by the time it stops tomorrow, but we'll see. We stayed inside all day and then Peyton asked to go out around 4pm. Mark bundled up the kids and they went out. Once I saw the fort Mark was building, I went out too. He took a Rubbermaid storage container and filled it with snow and used it like you would use a bucket on the beach. He made quite a fort and the kids were so excited. After Liam and I came inside, he shoveled the inside of the fort all the way down to the grass. So it will be interesting to see how much snow we get overnight.

I am so grateful to have shelter tonight, to be warm and have plenty to eat. Our church is hosting the area thermal shelter this week and I've been praying for those needing shelter and those volunteering. It's not easy to organize and arrange with bad weather, but it's worse when your volunteers can't safely get there to help. I'm so glad we were able to be a part of this ministry this year. There are so many homeless in our area who so desperately need a place to sleep.

Snow Tubing

2010-01-31T21:04:00.004-05:00

Peyton and Liam were incredible sports about the long wait. They hung out in the tubes and watched the other people in line.

We had a beautiful snowfall on Saturday, about 5-6 inches of powdery, lovely snow. We stayed inside almost all day and then went out around 4pm to shovel the walk and to get some air. I got 95% of the driveway shoveled when my neighbor came by with the Bobcat and did the last little bit. We had to shovel again today because it fell all night. Today all services at church were canceled, so Mark decided we should go snow tubing at Massanutten. We checked the guidelines and you had to be at least 36 inches to go and each person had to be in their own tube. They do allow an adult to go down holding the child's tube, so we figured the children would be fine. We got the tape measure and Liam was about 37 inches! We left the 'burg around 12 and drove up to the resort.

We got the final tickets for the 2-4pm slot and then went and ate lunch. We got all bundled up after lunch and rode the magic carpet to the top of the run. I had watched people go down but didn't realize how fast it was until Peyton and I went the first time. It goes incredibly fast and is crazy fun. I thought at least one of the kids would be nervous but they loved it! We only managed to get down the run 5 times in our two hour slot because it was so crowded. I think if we go again we'll go on a weekday. It's cheaper and less crowded then and would be even more fun. I get to go again on Wednesday night with the fourth and fifth graders from church. My children are not happy about that!

My silly boy

2010-01-30T11:37:00.002-05:00

Liam and I were playing around with my camera yesterday. He is such a HAM! I love this boy.

The Barbie Cake

2010-01-29T14:49:00.005-05:00

Peyton has been eyeballing this picture of a cake that looks like a Barbie dress for over a year. She gets out the creative cakes book and looks at it and asks when we can make it. We finally made the cake last week with two of her cousins and her Granna. We put 2-9 inch layers on the cutting board and stuck a cake on top (we cooked the top in a bowl) to make the dress. Then Granna cut a space in the cake and we stuck the Barbie inside. The kids decorated her dress and it was quite impressive to watch. Liam was pretty good with the icing bag. I was joking that he needed a Bobby Flay throwdown!

We are expecting snow of some sort tonight. The amounts keep changing and the severity keeps changing, so we'll see. I have a feeling we'll be missing dance class tomorrow, but whatever happens, I went to the store today so I am staying put tomorrow!

Random Stuff

2010-01-24T15:52:00.000-05:00

I have been working on my first knitted prayer shawl - VERY slow going!

I crocheted a cozy for our French Press to help keep the coffee warm - it works great and the yarn came from the bag that my grandma-in-law gave me! (THANKS Grandma Lily!)

Not a whole lot going on in the Casa de Meadows these days. School, work, church, hanging out with the kids, nothing too out of the ordinary. Peyton was out of school Friday due to ice a sleet. She loved the fact that she only went to school two days last week! We have rain today and it's dreary! I don't normally mind winter, but for some reason I'm over it. I'm ready for spring already and it's still January!

We moved Liam into a big bed and he's loving that. He feels very grown up and does not want to be called a baby or referred to as a little boy. It's nice to see how independent he is getting. He is finally dressing himself, including shoes and socks. He used to ask us to help and now he tells us that he can do it by himself. I love that they can do more for themselves, but I also love that he still wants to be held and cuddled. Peyton is starting to not "need" hugs and kisses and it makes me a little sad, but she also loves to cuddle on the bed and read. She is reading to us now and it's awesome. Her teacher is sending home pretty tough books for her to read and I'm just amazed by her!

Feeling just blah

2010-01-19T20:37:00.002-05:00

I have been feeling seriously blah this past week or so. The weather has gotten incredibly warmer, from the teens to the upper 40's, which is awesome, but I can't shake the yucky feeling of exhaustion and just blah. I have been trying hard to get motivated to do anything besides sitting on the couch with some knitting or crochet. I get the kids into bed and just want to be an enormous couch potato. I have got to shake this soon or I'll be tempted to stay in bed and not get up.

We are really busy this next few months with activities for the kids, school for Mark, and the many church activities I am engaged and involved with. They are all great things, but it can wear me down too. So hopefully I'll have a picture or two to post soon. I don't think I've touched my camera in over a week. I did take a few pictures of Liam's room with his big boy bed. No more crib in the Meadows' house at all!

Triple R Ranch Reunion - 300th Post

2010-01-04T16:49:00.004-05:00

Mark and I found some low ropes activities in the woods and I thought the giant see-saw was cool!

I was especially excited to see that the fish bench was still in front of the lodge!

I had an incredible opportunity to re-visit my summer camp this past weekend. I was a camper at Triple R Ranch for 7 years and I was on barn staff as a junior and then senior staffer for 4 years. I hadn't been back to camp since 2001, when we went back for a funeral, and I was thrilled to be able to get back for an alumni reunion. It was just unbelievable to step back in time and relive some of my fondest memories. I felt like I was coming home again. I can't adequately express how much I loved being there and how awesome it was to see it again, and to see the exciting changes that are being made.

Triple R was an amazing place for me. It wasn't just a place to ride horses, experience nature, swim, hike, etc. It was a place where I experienced Jesus Christ. I saw people living for Him, worshiping Him, working hard to create a place where campers could have a ton of fun, but the priority was always to "know Christ and to make Him known." I am so pleased that campers are still coming there and walking away with a stronger relationship with Jesus. How awesome to know that new memories are being created, and that although buildings might change and programming might shift, as a new generation comes to camp, young people are getting a chance to know Jesus and to see firsthand people living for Him. It's awesome. I hope to be able to attend future reunions and to maybe one day send my own children there to camp.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-31T09:16:00.003-05:00

family pic taken by my mother-in-law (it's a good one and we're all coordinated!)

Christmas was a very busy time for us, but a blessing too. We spent Christmas Eve at church. We helped decorate the fellowship hall and put some table decorations together for the Christmas day dinner. We went back for the 4:30 service and then worked in the nursery during the 7:30 service. It was a busy day, but a wonderful day. We also squeezed in time for ice cream cake to celebrate my birthday! We got to bed so late that night and were thrilled that the kids slept until 8:30 the next day! We opened presents and ate an enormous breakfast and then left to go to Fredericksburg for a Meadows family dinner.

Dinner was delicious and time with the family was precious. The children did a program for us and then there were more gifts to open. Then we went back to the family farm and opened gifts with Mark's immediate family. We do family/ homemade gifts. It's always fun to see how creative everyone is. The cousins get along so well and they play beautifully together. They played so hard all weekend that we barely saw them! We also spent some time with Mark's grandmother. She had some gifts for the kids and she let them choose treasures from her curio cabinet. They were so excited to choose whatever they wanted!

Coming home has been nice too. We've had a few days of sleeping in late, waking up and playing with new toys, watching some new movies, eating meals together, running a few errands, etc. There is no pattern to the day, just lots of poking around! We woke today to a dusting of snow, about 1.5 inches, and so it's a jammies day!

Gingerbread Houses - Round 2

2009-12-25T10:33:00.003-05:00

Liam's preschool class invited the older siblings to come to the class this week to decorate small gingerbread houses. The teacher had hot glued graham crackers together in the shape of a house and had all kinds of candy for decorating them. They loved decorating their very own houses! They also really enjoyed eating cookies and other goodies afterward!

More Christmas Fun - Mrs. Claus Tea

2009-12-25T10:02:00.003-05:00

We had tea with Mrs. Claus this week. It was a very sweet and special event for the children. She read several holiday books and then everyone had the chance to sample delicious cookies and drink hot chocolate. The adults enjoyed a holiday tea blend. Mrs. Claus answered all of the children's questions about her famous husband and told them that she had to fly back home to help him prepare for Christmas day! Peyton and Liam really enjoyed the stories and cookies. There was one story about a little girl who received a steamroller for Christmas and we all really liked it.

Gingerbread Houses!

2009-12-23T19:59:00.003-05:00

Peyton really wanted to make a gingerbread house this year

The snow from the "Blizzard!" We were so glad our neighbor plowed our driveway for us!

I cannot believe Christmas is in 2 days! I am so not feeling festive this year. I cut down on the amount of stuff I baked this year and didn't have much pressure to have to go buy gifts. We ended up making a lot of our gifts this year. But for some reason, I just don't feel excited about it at all. I am hoping tomorrow will be a great day to help me get fired up! We are going to church in the morning to decorate for the community Christmas meal and then we'll attend the 4:30 service and help in the nursery at the 7:30 service. We're eating both meals out tomorrow too!

Peyton saw the gingerbread house kit at Target on Tuesday and asked if we could buy it. They had a great time decorating it. Liam had help with his icing, but Peyton did her own icing and decor! It is quite a house and looks very festive sitting on the counter. They also decorated little houses, made of graham crackers, at Liam's preschool today. I'll post pictures of those later. The preschool class hosted the big and littler brothers and sisters and all the kids got to decorate a house. Plus there were loads of cookies to eat. We also had tea with Mrs. Claus today, which was a special treat. I'll post that as well, later. Gotta run and get the laundry done before it's too late!

Blizzard 2009

2009-12-23T07:11:00.003-05:00

We traveled to Richmond over the weekend, during the "Blizzard of 2009", to spend an early Christmas with my family. We left Friday afternoon just as the first flakes started to fall. It hit hard and fast and about 40 miles outside of town we thought about turning back, but decided we were committed and kept going. The trip was fairly harrowing. The snow was covering the roads fast and there were a lot of cars traveling. We made pretty slow progress and about 15 miles before our exit to Richmond, we had an accident. The car beside us started to slide and came into our lane right in front of us. Mark kept his cool as we bumped her, and then she kept going into the guardrail and we stopped on the shoulder. We exchanged information and had contacted the state police, but after 15 minutes or so we decided to keep going. We had no food or water in the car and the snow was falling very fast. As we turned onto the street that leads to my brother's house, the police called my cell phone and said they were trying to get to us, but that troopers had to keep stopping for other accidents! We told them we were okay and that the other driver had decided to stay and wait for her parents to come get her, but that we had made sure she was okay with us leaving.

We had a quick dinner with my brother, dropped our dog at his house, and then drove to mom's house. The drive to her house was incredibly slow going and we saw about 10 cars abandoned on the sides of the road. There were 6 cars on the exit ramp as we got off the interstate to go to the house! A trooper was there with a flashlight looking overwhelmed. I was so happy to finally be there, safe and sound. What normally is about a 2 hour trip took 3.5 hours! In hindsight it was pretty stupid for us to go. We should have stayed home, but we did enjoy the weekend. We opened gifts on Saturday and played in the snow. Then on Sunday we went to the mall for the annual Santa picture.

Going home Sunday wasn't too bad. The interstates we had to take were fairly clear, but we couldn't believe all of the cars on the road. The plows had plowed up to their roofs! I can't imagine how busy tow trucks are going to be digging out all of the cars left behind! We are expecting freezing rain this week and if there is even a hint of nasty weather, we are not traveling on Christmas Day! I told Mark I'd rather stay home and eat leftovers than put our family at risk!

Making Marshmallows!

2009-12-17T07:04:00.004-05:00

Liam LOVED licking the spatula and was covered in sticky marshmallow goo

Our finished product

They are delicious in hot chocolate!

I received a great holiday issue of Taste of Home magazine about 2 weeks ago and found several recipes that I hope to make, but the one that stood out to me was the marshmallow recipe. I remember watching a Food Network special that featured a family that makes and sells homemade gourmet marshmallows. I wanted to make them and had found recipes online, but never got around to it until this past weekend. It was surprisingly easy. The hardest thing was waiting the 6+ hours for them to set up so that we could decorate them. I have never worked my Kitchenaid mixer so hard either. I had to whip the ingredients for 15 minutes on HIGH!

We decorated them with powdered sugar, colored sugar, cinnamon sugar (notice a theme here?), cocoa powder, sprinkles, nuts, and crushed candy canes. The candy cane ones are my favorite. They give hot chocolate a hint of peppermint and it smells and tastes so good. We have packaged up some of them and have given them away and we still have a bunch left. I think we'll do it again. It was fun and simple and it's cool to know that I can make something at home that tastes better than what we buy in the store. I don't know how long they would last versus store-bought, but so far so good. We'll have to try to roast them and see if they hold up on a skewer!

Liam funny and our Christmas so far

2009-12-16T12:53:00.003-05:00

I was unstrapping Liam from his carseat yesterday and we were talking about having lunch when he said, "If we eat, we'll hit God on the head." I asked him what he meant and he said, "Well, if I eat an Oreo, which is heavy, it will hit God on the head." So I said, "Well how, where does God live?" And sweet Liam replied, "He lives in my belly!" He was very concerned that his food would hit God on the head. It was so funny!

I have been trying to do less this Christmas, bake fewer cookies, do fewer activities, and it's been great, but next week is going to be crazy! I have to provide cookies for Liam's preschool class, so I'm going to buy them (ACK!) and I'm going to buy some premade pie crust for the apple pie I'm taking to the family dinner on the 25th (HORROR!) and I am making 2 dozen or so muffins for a church activity on the 24th. The 24th we're spending the morning at church decorating and prepping for the dinner the next day. Then the kids are singing at the 4:30 service, so we have to have Peyton there by 4:15. Then I'm working nursery for the 7:30pm service. It will be a very busy Christmas Eve, but I wanted to spend that day, my birthday, serving my church family, so I'm excited about it.

We still don't have our tree. We have two possible places to go look and we're hoping to do it this week. There just seems to be too much to do for Christmas, plus the regular housework, laundry, etc. I'm plodding my way through it and trying to put all my focus on the reason I celebrate. I don't want to have my big party without inviting the birthday boy, Jesus, to attend. We have been lighting our Advent candles and reading Scripture each night. The kids have been taking about it in church and Sunday school and we're trying to reinforce at home that it's not about the gifts and the lights and the tree, but it's about God coming to the Earth and taking on human flesh, experiencing the same things we experience, ministering to those in need, those who were lost and broken, and then dying for them and for us, so that we can have communication and a relationship with Him, the Creator of the universe. It's just awesome to think that God, the Creator of the whole universe, can offer us forgiveness if we just ask for it. I am awed by this daily and humbled by it and that's where my heart is this holiday. I desire to help others and to reach out to those in need, to minister to their needs and to celebrate Jesus

Dear Kindergarten

2009-12-15T11:14:00.002-05:00

"Dere Kindorgordin i wud like you to cume to my culas-sow you can red books and play with furens"

Translation - Dear Kindergarten, I would like you to come to my class so you can read books and play with friends.

Peyton left this note on the white board and I thought it was precious. Her reading is taking off and she often reads the complicated words but mixes up the easy ones like it and if. She is so curious about spelling and mostly spells phonetically. She will ask for help once in a while, but really wants to do it herself. We let her read our Advent reading last night and I couldn't believe how well she did. Only 4 days of school left until her winter break! Liam has preschool next week Monday - Wednesday and then he's off too. I'm so looking forward to having us all at home!

Christmas program and snow day

2009-12-07T15:58:00.004-05:00

He's holding a penny for the old man's hat

Liam ate the snow and ice off of the stick

Liam's preschool had their annual Christmas program on Friday night. His morning preschool class sang "Christmas is Coming" and did a poem about a snowman. All of the children were precious and funny. They don't really sing so much as yell their songs. I have a feeling the music teacher told them to sing loud so they did!

We woke up Saturday morning to snowy skies. It snowed all day and we ended up with about 6 or so inches. It was great packing snow and we had a snowball fight and built a small snowman. We also rolled down our small hill. The kids were so excited to see snow and they had a ball playing in it. It snowed all day on Saturday and stopped that evening. It is supposed to be warm this week so I have a feeling that by mid-week the snow will be gone.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-01T10:54:00.004-05:00

Peyton finally stopped biting her nails and this was her reward- a trip to the salon! We did this just after school got out on Wednesday afternoon. A special treat before Thanksgiving.Breaking the wishbone - such concentration

Peyton took this crazy picture of us

Celebrating Mark's 35th birthday

Nonna had bowling coupons so we took the kids bowling on Thanksgiving Day and the day after. They loved it and Peyton did really well.

Just a few pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend. We spent a few days in Richmond with Nonna and then went to Northern Virginia to see They Might Be Giants with the kids! That was an experience. I'll load my pics from that later and post about it.

Putting the kids to work

2009-11-27T11:59:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was a nice warm one, so Mark got out the paint and some brushes and put Peyton and Liam to work painting their sandbox. They wore smocks and still managed to get paint all over their clothes, shoes, and in their hair! They really had fun and at some point we'll let them paint some colorful designs on it. Maybe we can hire them out as mini paint crew!

Thanksgiving Day was wonderful. We ate lunch with Nonna, Granny, and Uncle Craig, turkey and all the traditional fixings. Then we celebrated Mark's birthday with ice cream cake. Nonna bowls on a league and had received a coupon for 99 cent games so we took the kids to the bowling alley. They loved it. Peyton threw that 6 pound ball right down the lane and did very well. I think she beat me in both games we played. Liam needed help, but he had a lot of fun. I think they both really enjoyed the junk food snacks we shared, maybe more than actually bowling.

We're off to D.C. tomorrow for They Might Be Giants! We told the kids that we were going to a concert and I'm not sure they actually understand yet. They were asking us if we knew the singers and if they would be there. I think they are going to have a blast!

Hibernating

2009-11-23T11:10:00.003-05:00

This time of year I feel the incredible need to hibernate, to drink lots of warm beverages, to wear sweaters and thick socks, and to eat lots of soups and stews. We had gorgeous weather this weekend, sunny and warm. Today it is raining and only about 45 degrees. I had to brave the weather this morning to drop Liam at preschool and run into the bank. I have to go back out in a bit and pick up the boy and get some groceries, a few things to tide us over until Wednesday. There are about six other things I should go and do, but I think I'm going to come home after the grocery store, make us lunch, sit on the couch and cuddle my boy, and then maybe take a nap. I have no desire to rush today, just to take it easy. I will just postpone the rushing until tomorrow and hopefully the sun will be out by then!

I started taking an antibiotic on Thursday and am feeling much better. I still have remnants of a cough, but feel so much better than I did last week. I'm still hopeful that I'll be 100% recovered in time to eat and appreciate a great Thanksgiving meal!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-21T18:23:00.003-05:00

The kindergarten class at Peyton's elementary school is required to learn about Thanksgiving for the SOLs. They put on a program that also included the 3rd and 4th grade chorus and the ukulele club. Peyton was a Native American and her costume was made from a paper bag and rigatoni pasta. Some of the other children were Pilgrims and they also had paper costumes. They sang songs about Pocahontas and about turkeys. They played some traditional Native American games too. It was funny and cute. I had heard her singing the songs for weeks and was proud of her when she sang on stage.

I have been sick for almost two weeks. I finally went to the doctor and was prescribed antibiotics for a bronchial/ sinus infection. He also prescribed a cough medicine with codeine to help me sleep. It definitely helped me sleep, but it knocked me on my back the next day. I was nauseated and dry heaving and so sick to my stomach. I ended up sleeping most of the day. Mark called the doctor's office and they prescribed something else that does not include a narcotic. I told Mark I would be a horrible drug addict! I just can't tolerate narcotics at all. I am slowly starting to feel better, but I'm still not 100% yet. I'm hoping to be completely recovered in time to eat some delicious turkey with my family this week!

Sweet Liam time

2009-11-10T16:30:00.004-05:00

I have been feeling a little under the weather since Sunday, scratchy throat, dry cough, etc. I just feel run down and tired. I took a rest time with Liam yesterday and he fell asleep in my bed. Today he asked to take a nap with me. It's my payback from when he was a baby and wouldn't cuddle with me. I didn't sleep either time, but I really enjoyed resting and taking some time to slow down. I have all of these things I need to do, but those things can wait.

The weather has been warm today, but it's overcast and looks like rain is coming. We had such a beautiful day yesterday, maybe a last hurrah before we get hit with colder weather. Liam and I went to JMU and ate lunch with Mark on the back porch of his building. I would have liked to have taken a walk, but I just felt too gross. I hope the flu stays far away from our home this winter. I would much rather have a little cold than the flu.

"i am sore"

2009-11-04T11:29:00.004-05:00

For those who can't decipher 5 year old writing, the title of this post is in Peyton spelling and means I am sorry. Peyton had the day off from school yesterday for Election Day so we dropped Liam at preschool and spent the morning together. We had a snack at Mr. J's Bagels, went to the park, rode the carousel at the mall and just hung out. I let her decide what we were going to do because we so rarely get to spend one on one time together. Mark came home for lunch and we ate on the deck in the sunshine. Then after lunch I took the kids to the Children's Museum for 2 hours!

We got home and I started to work on dinner while the kids watched an old home movie. In one part of the movie I am singing "Old Dan Tucker" while Peyton and Liam dance on a blanket. Peyton came into the kitchen and asked if I would go get that very specific blanket and sing while they danced. By this time in the day I was exhausted (I haven't been sleeping well, I have some pulled muscles in my neck and shoulder) and I just wanted to get the dishes in the dishwasher and read a chapter from my book before Mark got home and we ate dinner. I suggested that she and Liam could sing for each other or that I would put on some music and she said, "This is why it's more fun when you're not here." I could not believe that she could say that after all we had done that day. I sent her to her room until Mark got home.

Later Mark talked to her about being rude and about how she should try to remember all the things I do for her and that sometimes I'm not going to do something she asks me to do. After dinner she handed me a note that read: "To MAMA FURUM PEYTon i AM SORe FOR BeiNG ROD To You" It was a letter that she wrote without any prompting and I started to cry. I thanked her for her apology and I think I'm going to keep this note forever!

*The picture was taken at Hillandale Park. I did a photo shoot with her and this shot is not edited for color, etc. Her eyes are incredibly blue!

Halloween

2009-11-02T18:44:00.004-05:00

Sweet Cinderella and Buzz Lightyear - he calls it Buzz Light, which sounds more like Bud Light!

We had a very long day on Halloween. I met a friend and her two children in downtown Harrisonburg in the morning for Halloween on the Square. Local merchants had candy for the children and there was face painting, music, and a costume contest. Peyton learned quickly that any business that had an orange balloon would also have candy. She kept running ahead and we had to remind her to stay in sight. There were so many kids and their parents and it was a little overwhelming. I was happy to have another set of eyes to help because Mark was working that morning. We trick-or-treated until businesses were running out of candy and then we had lunch at the Artful Dodger. The kids wanted to eat there, but then they were a bit freaked out by the severed limbs decor! They sat in the booth and checked out their loot while we waited for our food.

We picked Mark up at work around 3 and went to the local Nazarene church for Trunk or Treat. That event was awesome. There were cars lined up with decorated/ themed trunks. They gave out candy to the kids. We came home with so much candy that we skipped going around our neighborhood. We did run up the street to visit Mrs. Anne and her husband, JC, and we let the kids answer the door and hand out candy. They loved seeing what everyone was wearing. We also bobbed for apples, something Peyton has been asking about for a while. She thought it was so fun. It was basically a free for all after dinner. I rationed the candy all morning and then we let them go nuts after they ate dinner. Liam's belly was swollen when we gave him a bath! Now we are rationing like crazy. I'll probably end up taking out some of it soon and giving it away.

Fall

2009-10-31T08:54:00.001-04:00

Fall in Purcell Park

2009-10-29T17:52:00.003-04:00

Liam took this picture (with a little mama help)

I spent an hour with Liam today in Purcell Park. He would swing forever if I let him, but I made him walk around a little bit to look at the leaves. The sky was really overcast and dark, but I LOVE the pictures of Liam in the storyboard (top picture). He walked around with leaves in his hands all day. I love fall leaves.

JMU Arboretum

2009-10-27T14:00:00.001-04:00

Liam and I spent some time in the JMU Arboretum this week. The leaves are changing and it's beautiful. It's such a quiet place to hike and think. Peyton and Liam like to go see the statues. They really love the bear.

Yellow Finch Designs GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-10-23T11:34:00.001-04:00

Yellow Finch Designs GIVEAWAY!!!!

Check out these beautiful pieces!

Serious Boo Boo

2009-10-21T13:12:00.003-04:00

We had our family bonfire on Saturday and it ended up being a great event. The weather was overcast and nasty all day, but the rain held off....until about an hour before it started. We set up a big tent, put the food under it, and forged ahead. It didn't rain hard, just light rain that didn't stop us from roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. We enjoyed fellowship with family, great food, and were settling in around the fire to enjoy the evening when my sister-in-law's phone rang. She answered and told her husband that she was standing outside, and asked why he was calling her. Then she told us that Liam was hurt and we needed to go inside.

I ran into the house and saw him screaming and crying on my mother-in-law's lap. She had a bloody rag on his head and showed me a cut that looked really bad. I screamed for my mom and then we scrambled around trying to figure out what to do next. There was talk about finding a 24 hour clinic instead of the ER, but nothing seemed to be open. I changed my shoes and got Peyton settled and we took off for the ER, which is about a 30 minute drive from the family farm. By the time we arrived his cut had stopped bleeding so we signed in and waited. The entire visit was only about 2 hours long, but it always feels like an eternity.

Liam fell asleep while we were waiting and didn't flinch when I peeled his band-aid off for the nurse to take a look. He said Liam would need stitches, but that it was a clean wound. He stayed asleep while the physician's assistant examined him and told us that she could use Dermabond, a superglue for the skin, instead of stitches. Liam woke up while she was cleaning the wound and screamed and cried and yelled ouch. We had to hold him down and I finally couldn't take it and had to walk away. I hate to see my kids hurting and just couldn't be the one holding him down. She tried the glue once and the cut kept bleeding so she had to peel it off and try again. She got it closed the second time, but the blood and glue mixed and look like a smashed berry on his head.

He has been asking to keep a band-aid on it and doesn't want his friends to touch his "dermabond." Mark was teasing me that Liam's modeling career would be safe. I told Mark that I'm done for a while. Two ER trips in two months is enough!

Fire Trucks in the 'burg

2009-10-16T10:27:00.002-04:00

We had quite the incident last night, but we aren't sure exactly what happened. We heard our neighbor's alarm go off, but it was a different alarm than the one that we usually hear (it goes off often). Then a short while later, I looked outside and saw a fire truck parked across the street, then another one came, then another. There were 5 fire trucks on our street and another one further down the road and two fire chief SUVs came too. There was no urgency to their actions, but the firemen were coming and going out of our neighbor's house and they did pull a hose off of a truck, but then they rolled it back up. I did ask one of them if it was carbon monoxide and he shook his head no, but wouldn't say anything else.

It was a little bizarre that so many trucks responded to his alarm. When the burglar alarm sounds, a police officer comes to clear the house. I've talked to the police at few times when that has happened, but this was just weird. I joked with Mark that it was a slow evening for the HFD so they sent all of their trucks to our neighborhood!

Shenandoah Caverns-Part2

2009-10-13T08:14:00.002-04:00

Enormous Parade Floats - these were in Tournament of Roses Parades and were once covered in living things like grass seed, beans, etc.

Tractors on display outside of the gift shop

Ice cream treat in a 1950s soda fountain!

Shenandoah Caverns

2009-10-12T16:08:00.004-04:00

"Bacon" formation in the caverns!

Mark and the kids in the enormous train float

We had expected to have guests staying with us this weekend, but they canceled at the last minute, so we decided to play tourist in our own town. We went to Mt. Jackson to visit Route 11 Potato Chips and the Shenandoah Caverns. The chip factory was selling, but not cooking, so we bought some chips to eat with our picnic lunch and we went to the caverns. We took the kids to Grand Caverns a few months ago and Peyton was awestruck. She really loves being underground and seeing all of the cave formations. She follows the guide pretty close and tries to answer the questions they ask. The tour was about an hour and I think our favorite formations were the ones that looked like bacon!

After the tour we ate lunch and then visited the other attractions. They have old department store displays that have been renovated and installed and the kids really liked seeing Cinderella at the ball, marching toy soldiers, and a circus. Peyton's favorite was a presidential inaugural parade in miniature!

We also walked down the hill from the caverns and saw American Celebration on Parade, a huge warehouse full of Rose Parade and inaugural floats. The floats are incredible. They are huge and some had buttons to push that made them move/ sing/ talk. The kids were pretty excited about pushing the buttons. I was in awe of how huge they were! I marched in the 1993 Tournament of Roses parade, but really didn't see the floats up close and personal. It's amazing to think that these huge things move down the street so smoothly.

It really was an awesome day. I am excited that our children are experiencing great attractions so close to home. We have 5 caverns in our area that we'd eventually like to see. 2 down, 3 to go!

Back home on the farm Part 2

2009-10-06T16:34:00.005-04:00

More pictures from our fun weekend trip!

Back home on the farm

2009-10-04T19:26:00.004-04:00

Peyton and Liam LOVED the giant slide. They went again and again and again

We spent 3.5 hours at Hess Greenhouse Back Home on the Farm on Saturday. They had been calling for rain all week, but it was clear and sunny and gorgeous! The kids ran all over the farm doing the different activities. They went down the giant slide, rode the antique carousel, ate cookies, rode on a haywagon, and had a blast! We were all pretty tired when we left, but it was really fun.

We have a fairly busy week ahead. We have some guests coming, some school activities, church activities, and preschool/ school busyness. Mark is not traveling this week, which is nice. We have a lot planned for October and will be very busy, but so far (fingers crossed) November will be less hectic!

My April Snow GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-09-30T20:43:00.000-04:00

My April Snow GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

These earrings are so gorgeous! Check them out!

Yummy apple crisp

2009-09-28T16:34:00.004-04:00

I saw this recipe not long ago on Donna Boucher's blog, Quiet Life, and had to give it a try. I love apple pie so much, but this recipe is quick and easy and satisfies my apple pie fix a lot quicker than rolling out dough and baking a pie! This one was made with apples purchased at the local farmer's market.

On a completely different subject, I posted some "rules" in our playroom today. They are all very positive, be kind, talk to each other, share, etc. I went over them with my kids and our neighbor's daughter and told them the rules were to help them enjoy their play time together, so they won't spend it fighting and angry with each other. So far it is working. Every few minutes one of the girls will remind the other of one of the rules! They seem to be getting along very well, which is just a huge blessing!

Sleeping Boy

2009-09-27T19:07:00.003-04:00

Liam has pretty much stopped napping each day, even though most days he could still use one, but I still make him take an hour and a half or so of time alone in his room. He can listen to music, look at books, play with toys, but he has to be quiet and restful. There were a few days in the past two weeks that he has been too quiet and when I snuck upstairs to check on him, I found him fast asleep on the floor. The first time he had literally crashed surrounded by toys and books. The second time, he had pulled his pillow and blanket down and set up a nap mat of sorts. I am glad that he sometimes recognizes that he needs a nap and he'll take one.

Silly Faces

2009-09-26T08:53:00.003-04:00

Peyton and Liam love to make silly faces, especially when I have my camera close by. Here are just a few examples. Yesterday I had the kids at the grocery store and as we left, we passed this older woman and her husband. As we walked by, the woman burst out laughing and was laughing really loud. I looked at her and couldn't figure out what was so funny, so I asked Peyton. She said, "Oh I was making a face at her." Then she showed me the face.

Lisa Leonard Designs Jewelry GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-09-23T19:27:00.000-04:00

Lisa Leonard Designs Jewelry GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!
Her jewelry is so lovely! Go visit her site and see how creative and beautiful each piece is!

Quiet time for Mama

2009-09-23T11:05:00.002-04:00

I am relishing in this time while Liam is in preschool. Three mornings a week I have about 3 hours to myself! Most of that time is spent running errands, grocery shopping, etc, but I am trying to fit in some down time. I spend a lot of time with the kids, because that's my job, and as much as I adore them, sometimes I need to have an hour or so to do nothing. Today I'm at a local coffee shop, Greenberry's, using the free wi-fi and just enjoying the quiet. I wrote some letters and updated my concert band spreadsheet and surfed the blogs I like to read. I do have to run soon and pick up a gift card on my way to get Liam, but that's the biggest errand I have to do today! Ahhhh peace and quiet! I am one of those people who loves to be around others, but I also really crave alone time, time to read, or sit with a crochet project, or to listen to my ipod. If I get some time to do that each week, it really refreshes me and helps me get through the more busy times!

We have a ton of stuff scheduled for the rest of September and October. Every weekend has some family function or a scheduled event. I enjoy visiting with family and having guests in our home, but it can also be a bit stressful to know that we're going to be traveling so many weekends in a row. November looks good so far, but I'm sure it will fill soon. I think we'll probably do nothing that month except T-giving travel. Mark needs to have time to work on his schoolwork and the kids need time to rest from school, so hopefully we'll be able to stay put in November and December!

Poor Peyton

2009-09-17T08:34:00.003-04:00

Peyton fell off of the slide at our neighbor's house on Sunday. I heard her screaming and crying and Mark took off to see what was wrong. He ran out of our back door and jumped the fence to get to her. He brought her home and we put ice on her shoulder and gave her some Ibuprofen. She asked to watch a movie so we figured she was fine. We settled her down with a movie and an hour later she was crying that her shoulder hurt. I had her move her arm all around and touched around on her arm and shoulder trying to feel if anything was broken (like I would know, I'm so not a doctor). She flinched when I touched her shoulder and she couldn't lift her arm very high so I had a feeling something wasn't right.

I ended up calling the pediatrician and asking where to take her, to the emergency clinic or ER. We went to the ER around 5pm and they fast-tracked her. She talked to the doctor and then went for x-rays. As soon as I saw the x-ray on the computer monitor, I knew her collarbone was broken. It was extremely obvious. The doctor came in and confirmed it and then they brought her a sling. She has to wear it for 4-6 weeks. We have an appointment to see her pediatrician next week to find out if we have to go see an orthopedist or if they need another x-ray. She has been such a trooper. She'll take the sling off to go to the bathroom or to sleep, but she's been great about wearing it and not complaining. She did say that she didn't like not being able to do PE! This is the same girl who for the first 2 weeks of school said PE was boring!

We were in and out of the ER in an hour and a half! The care she received was fantastic and we even saw two of her friend's moms who are x-ray techs. They didn't do her x-rays, but they came and talked to her. So our family now has its second broken bone. Mark broke an elbow about 3 years ago and now Peyton's collarbone. I think we've hit our quota. I'd be happy to not have another break!

Carter Mountain Orchard Post #2

2009-09-16T13:30:00.002-04:00

I love that Liam is wrinkle faced in the orchard!

Just a few more pictures of our apple picking fun! We hired a local landscaper to remove the huge rock jumble from underneath our deck and to fill it with mulch. What a laborious process. They shovel the rocks into a tractor and then dump them into a truck. I'm so glad we're finally having this done. Mark started this project about a year ago and we just can't find the time to get it done. Liam has been fascinated by them and became a fan when they let him sit on the tractor! Randy is freaking out and has been barking like mad. I can't let her out so she is pacing and is just really unhappy.

Carter Mountain Orchard

2009-09-15T13:26:00.002-04:00

We went to a wedding potluck party on Saturday near Richmond and on the way we made a quick stop at Carter Mountain Orchard to pick some apples. We picked 19 pounds of Jonagold, Golden Delicious, and Gala apples. The weather was breezy and cool and it was just a great day. Mark and I made a bunch of applesauce and I have been eating apples each day since we picked. The kids really had fun and Liam kept saying it was fun to pick apples. I'll post a few more pictures later.

We had a busy weekend and an eventful one. Peyton broke her collarbone over the weekend. I'll also post pictures of her in her sling as soon as I get them loaded into the computer. There is really never a dull moment!

Going, going, gone

2009-09-10T15:33:00.004-04:00

Liam did not like the noise of the chainsaw

There it goes!

Mark cut down our maple tree last weekend. One of the things that most attracted me to this house, when we were house hunting, was the backyard with mature trees. Over the past year we have lost huge chunks of this tree, so we decided to take it down. We did talk to a landscaper first and he agreed that it was the right thing to do. I had been concerned that it would come down and hurt someone or something, so I'm glad we were able to control how it came down. The kids watched and thought it was pretty cool. I felt sad as Mark cut into it, but I'm glad it's down now. There are still huge chunks of it sitting in our backyard, but we're working on cutting it up for firewood. We were able to stow some large branches behind some trees in the back of our yard and they are pretty well camouflaged! They'll most likely decompose before we think about using them for firewood. We probably would have been able to finish the job, but the chainsaw started having issues so we had to quit! Now we have to decide what to plant to fill in the enormous gaping hole this has left in our landscaping!

It really is amazing how huge our yard looks with this tree gone. Not only did we cut down the tree, but we also cut down two dying holly bushes, dug out three dying azaleas, and planted two new mums and some fall pansies! Yard work really is a never ending job. There are always weeds to pull, things to plant, things to prune etc! I'm glad that we both enjoy planting new things!

Backyard Bonfire

2009-08-30T17:37:00.004-04:00

We celebrated the end of the first week of school with a backyard bonfire and a basement camp out. I hoped to take the kids to Skyline Drive to camp, but it was too wet, so we did the next best thing, we camped at home. We set up our backyard firepit and cooked hobo packs on it (foil packets of beef, onion, carrot, and potato). The kids enjoyed assembling their packets and putting them on the fire. They enjoyed eating them too, although Mark and I think they were a bit overcooked. Our fire was just too hot. While the kids were eating, Peyton remarked that she was enjoying her pork. We got into a discussion about how pork comes from pigs and that we were eating beef, which comes from cows. So then they both started talking about eating cow and at one point Liam asked me to please cut his cow! It was so funny. I was glad that talking about where their meat came from didn't freak them out either.

We also ate s'mores, lots and lots of them and Peyton and Mark even substituted homemade pound cake for their graham crackers. Mark said it was an awesome way to eat a s'more! We stayed up late on Friday night just spending time as a family and then we all slept in the basement, the kids in their sleeping bags and Mark and I on the futon. I was hoping the kids would sleep in on Saturday morning, but they were both up before 7:30. We spent a lot of time on Saturday just hanging out as a family. We went to the downtown farmer's market and then to the library where Peyton got her own card. She was very excited to be able to check books out on her own card. I'm glad that simple things still give our kids so much joy.

I am praying for good mornings this week. Peyton loves school, but she HATES getting up in the morning and has cried a lot about wanting to stay home. Hopefully as we get into a routine it will get easier. When I woke her up on Friday she said, "It's Labor Day. I don't have to go to school!" She is just not a morning person and she loves to sleep. Even getting her into bed by 7:45pm hasn't helped. She has been sitting in bed reading until almost 9. Hopefully sleeping in on the weekends will help make up for the 5 days of the week she has to get up early!

Celebrating 3

2009-08-25T16:42:00.003-04:00

Flying solo down the big slide

Liam loves the "I Spy" books and so he really loved the game

Lincoln Logs were a HUGE hit and now Mark has to build for him constantly

Sweet Liam turned 3 on the first day of school, August 24th, so we celebrated on the Friday before his birthday. He asked to go to Pump it Up, so we went to their open playtime with him. He had never been before but had heard Peyton talk about how great it was. He absolutely loved it. He bounced, he climbed, he slid, he ran, he didn't stop moving for over an hour! The adults were tired by the end of playtime, but he was still full of energy. We told Liam that he could choose our lunch spot for the afternoon and he requested Cracker Barrel. I asked him what he wanted to eat there and he said, "a biscuit and a pancake" and that's exactly what he had. We ended up going out to dinner at the Little Grill Collective that night and two of the servers brought him a cookie and sang happy birthday to him. I think he felt really special.

It's hard to believe that he is already 3 years old. I remember when he was born thinking that I would stay home with the kids for at least a year and it's been 3! Time feels like it is flying. Liam will start preschool in about 3 weeks. We have that open house in 2 weeks. He is already familiar with Kid's Harbor, but it will give him the chance to meet his teacher and to visit his classroom. So many milestones for us lately......

First day of school

2009-08-24T09:15:00.003-04:00

My big 5 year old girl ready for kindergarten!

Waiting anxiously for the bus!

She got on board and didn't even look back!

Today was Peyton's first day of kindergarten. She woke up this morning with no problem at all...amazing considering this child usually sleeps in until 8:30! I woke her up at 6:55 and she got up and dressed and came down to breakfast. We had a big breakfast this morning, hash brown quiche and blueberry muffins. The bus was scheduled to come at 8:04, so we walked down to the bus stop around 7:55am. Maya, our neighbor, was also there with her entourage. We had cameras clicking and going crazy as we waited for the bus. It came on time and the girls jumped on without looking back. Before Peyton climbed on, I called her back for a quick hug and kiss and then off she went! She is so excited about kindergarten and about her teacher. I think any nervousness she might have had disappeared as soon as she saw the bus. She has been ready to go for weeks and I think was just so excited that the day was finally here. I'm looking forward to meeting her bus this afternoon and finding out how the day went.

I had been so anxious and nervous about this day since early May, but I've been praying and God really eased my own anxiety. I got a little choked up this morning, but I felt peace about letting her go. I really like her teacher and know that this will be such a growing experience for her, so I'm trusting God to protect her and watch over her while she's out of my sight. Now, if I can just figure out what to do with Liam until he starts preschool!