Spring break... part 1

I emailed the DO of our squadron about 3 weeks before spring break asking if there were any interesting trips going out with space for a crazy lady and 4 small children.  There wasn't anything, so I made plans to "stay-cation", not a bad option at all really.

Then I received a phone call Friday after school saying they had a plane leaving first thing Sunday morning.... perfect!!!  So we packed our bags and flew to Colorado Springs for spring break on a G-5.  I really can't think of a better way to spend a vacation.  It was a sweet ride and the squadron really jumped through hoops to make sure we would be able to fly without Jarin.

The kids made Papa and Nana's house look like a jungle gym.  We all had so much fun!

If you look REALLY CLOSELY (you can click on the picture to enlarge it) you can see tiny bits of snow blowing around.  It was 25 degrees when we arrived.  Brrrrr!!  Typical Colorado weather -it warmed right up and the weather was perfect for most of the week.

We made a trip to Mr. Bigg's play place...

Nate loves his Papa.  He kisses his hands and elbows and forehead, etc. etc.

Nana and Hannah made a quilt top together.  It was Hannah's first time.  My mom taught me to sew;  I'm so glad Hannah could have the chance to learn from her as well.

I really feel like this trip was an answer to prayer.  I was feeling so down and lonely before we went and being there with my parents and visiting with good friends was such a huge lift for me.  It really couldn't have been more perfect!

Then we rushed home to get ready for the Williams family to come.  How fun!!

What am I doing?

There are times that I look at my life and I wonder "what the heck am I doing" and "how did I get into this mess?"  The house is littered with toys.  The yard is littered with toys.  The sink is filled with dishes.  The laundry is reproducing at an incredible rate.  The car is full of "stuff"- all kinds of stuff, and I rarely get a quiet moment to myself, let alone a shower.

Then I have a moment like this:

It was an early-release Wednesday.  I picked up the girls from school and we drove out to the produce stand at Parkesdale Farms to enjoy fresh strawberry parfaits, with fresh-from-the-fields strawberries.  Heavenly!!!!  I sat at the picnic table with my four kids dripping strawberry juice and ice cream on themselves and giggling.  I couldn't help but smile, the "I'm so incredibly happy" kind of smile.  I saw so much more than strawberry-ridden children.  I saw what Heavenly Father wanted me to see, four of His precious children in my care.  Here in our family to bless our lives in so many ways.  I saw the smiles of children who are safe and happy, who don't know hunger, who don't really know pain.  Yes, we have been without a husband and a father for months now.  Yes, it has been difficult.  But we have been so blessed!  I am so thankful for moments like these where I get a glimpse of the big picture, even if its just for one afternoon before I re-enter the "what's for dinner, Mom?" trenches.  Anyway, I'll take it!!  I'll gladly take the hand I've been dealt....  This really is what its all about.

Hannah's birthday!!

Happy Birthday Hannah!!

I can hardly believe that Hannah is now 9 years old!!!!!  Seriously, 9????  Just in case you don't know Hannah very well, let me fill you in:

She's 9!! (still can't believe it)

She is my #1 go-to gal.  She loves to help out around the house and she is awesome with the other kids, especially Nate.

She sings like an angel.  She even writes her own songs.

She devours books.  She reads every time she gets a chance and often finds it burdensome to put books down for meals, conversation, etc.

She is an excellent swimmer.  She's on swim team and has improved so much in the last year and a half.

She boogie-boards like a champ.  We went to the beach a few weeks ago and she rode every wave in all the way to the beach.  Where did she learn that?!?!

Speaking of learning things, she plays piano by ear.  She got a keyboard a couple of years ago and has been teaching herself to play.  That's a talent I can't begin to wrap my mind around!!

That's just a glimpse of our Hannah.  She has a kind heart and a gentle spirit!  She honestly strives to do the right thing and is an amazing example to me.  I love you Hannah!  Happy Birthday!!

The crash of '09

We love our Mac computer.  When I say "we", I really just mean Jarin.  The mac and I haven't been getting along so well.  Last week, it crashed.  When I booted it up, I got a picture of a file folder flashing with a question mark in front of it.  Not a good sign.  After a prolonged visit to the mac people, our computer now has a shiny new hard drive, which is great.  But all of our data is gone, which means that all of our pictures are gone.  I think Jarin backed it up sometime before he left, so we should have pictures from the long haul, but all the pictures from his deployment are gone, except for a few which were still in the camera.  

Crown moulding and "spa day"...

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but its a BIG deal to me.  We bought crown moulding for our house a LONG time ago and have been storing it in our garage.  When Jarin left for his deployment, we agreed that it was time to pay someone else to hang it.  Well, its done!!  I'm so happy and relieved to have it out of the garage and on the walls/ceilings!!

My kids love to give me "special"treatment sometimes to help me relieve stress.  Here are a few pics of my cute kids rubbing my back and shoulders. 

12 weeks down, 7 1/2 to go.

It makes me a little bit sick to my stomach when I think about being apart for so long, but we're more than half way through.  We're almost 2/3 the way through.  I've had a couple of nice pick-me-ups lately too.

First of all, its great that the kids keep doing funny things.  We had chicken kabobs for dinner the other night and Nate LOVED the skewer.  Of course, he was very closely supervised, but he just loved sticking it through his pacifier and putting the pacifier into his mouth.  

After a long day of work in the yard one day, I discovered some big hooks in the trees which are perfect for a hammock.  So we picked up a nice hammock for the yard.  We all love it and we can all fit on it too!

The YMCA had a "breakfast with the easter bunny" event.  Elle and Jesse picked up WAY too many eggs, so I had them re-hide them for other kids.  They put them ALL in the same place and they were so proud!!!

Nate's at the stage where he's NOT ok with giant rabbits.  Makes sense, right?
Face painting...
Nate was playing in the mirror and having a blast.  I love how at-home our family feels at the Y.

Jesse's 4th birthday

Its been a while since I've blogged.  We've been running at the speed of light lately.  I'm not sure anybody is even reading this anymore.  Sorry for the long lag.  I have a few things to blog about, so hopefully I'll pick up the pace soon.

We celebrated Jesse's birthday last month.   Its hard to believe he's 4 already.  We started off with breakfast in bed...

Then we went to the strawberry farm and bought a flat of strawberries so Jesse could have all the strawberries he could eat.

After the girls came home from school, we went to Chuck E Cheese and let the kids play to their hearts content.  This race horse was a big hit.

Then we came home and had a strawberry ice cream cake with Chris and Pat and their son Chris.  Thanks Chris, Pat, and Chris!  Its great to have you here!

Happy Birthday Jesse!!!  We love you!!!