Live Positively

Last night (technically it was early this morning) Joel came home. Thank You Lord.

This morning was supposed to be business as usual. I had my Bible Study class today and Joel was going to leave the house at 10:30 to go work with a new co worker in Milwaukee. The kids went to school, I had my lesson all ready to go for this morning and Joel had a few things to organize.

My very good friend, Diane, picked me up for our class and off we went. As soon as I walked into the church, I started having an acute asthma attack. It was actually a rather mild attack, but still my breathing was not so good. I've been bothered at this church in the past which makes me think that there is a cleaner or chemical they use that seems to bother me. I used my rescue inhaler and it did not help. I could not stay for the class. What a miracle that Joel was at home and could come and pick me up.

Once I got home, I was thinking how funny it was that I had prepared my lesson, gotten ready this morning and I was at the church early for Bible Study...and then I had to turn around and go home. I had already done all the challenging steps of Bible Study, my favorite part was what I had to miss. Truly, this was a lesson that God's timing is not our own. Joel has been working pretty hard lately and I don't expect his schedule to let up any time soon now that he is starting his new job. But he was home at the exact moment I needed him. Thank You, God.

As I was still trying to get my breathing under control at home, I remembered that my doctor has recommended caffeine when my asthma is particularly difficult to get under control. I had a few cans in the fridge amazingly. We don't drink soda and I never even have it in the house. On the side of the can, LIVE POSITIVELY was printed. I am sure that is an ad campaign for Diet Coke. All I know is that for me, today, everything I needed was provided exactly when I needed it. Thank You Lord. Also thank you to Joel, Diane, my Mom, and the entire BSF crew that is praying for me. I am positively sure that we are loved and cared for by a wonderful Lord and Savior.

Can WE Make Pancakes?

The kitchen was such a mess after the kids made pancakes, it was comical. It looked like a commercial set up. However, I will say that Daniel did a fantastic job of cleaning everything up. The kids thought they were some of the best pancakes they'd ever had. Daniel poured the batter onto the griddle and Nicko flipped the pancakes. They made pancake initials for everyone.

I love that they have an interest in cooking. When all the kids work on making something together they divide up the jobs, they don't fight and they are very good about helping each other out. Daniel does all the math when they are making a double batch, Isaac tells everyone what to do, Nicko corrects Isaac and Daniel and Alyssa gets all the ingredients out for the boys. She is also in charge of cracking the eggs open. They have a pretty good system going.

Signs of Spring

This weekend we had snow and ice. One day later it is already in the high fourties and the snow is gone. Tomorrow we are supposed to have ice and after that we are due for some really warm weather.

Even thought the weather has been back and forth, the signs of spring are everywhere. The pansies are blooming, the bulbs are popping up out of the snow and the robins are chirping away every morning. There is a big beautiful willow tree in our yard and the buds are swelling. The ice is slowly starting to break up on the lake and the kids are looking forward to trading their winter coats for jean jackets.

A Weekend Project

On Saturday I painted the kitchen. When I was finished painting, I had some extra paint. Alyssa and Isaac talked me into letting them paint the little annex off Alyssa's bedroom that they use as a little play house. I still can't believe that I let them, but I did. They actually did a very good job. The space is a finished area under the slanted roof. (I am sure there is an offical name for the area, I just don't know what it is.) Isaac has named it Alyssa's Annex, which was inspired by The Diary of Anne Frank.

Isaac has made picture frames for the walls out of cardboard, they use doll blankets as carpeting and the best part is that ALL OF ALYSSA'S TOYS FIT IN THE SPACE! Isaac likes to be the handyman and tell Alyssa what to do, and Alyssa is just happy to have someone play with her. Alyssa loves having a cozy little space just her size.

I don't have a picture of the finished space because they are still organizing the toys. (If only they were so organized with everything else.) But here is a picture of the the kids painting.

A Flu Thing

Last weekend Alyssa had the flu. Alyssa hates being sick, but she loves getting a little extra pampering from everyone. We moved one of the living room love seats into the TV room for her to lay on. Isaac kept her supplied with cool cloths to help her fever go down and the boys seem to hover around her. (Which is not exactly normal!)

It's the Final Countdown!

Joel is finally moving to Wisconsin. He will arrive on Monday and we are all so excited. It has been a long separation and we are so happy to have our family all back together. As Isaac says we will be back to full strength. Everyday the kids figure out how long it will be until Joel arrives.

The kids were hoping for a bit of a family celebration, but Joel is starting work Tuesday morning and next weekend Daniel and Nicko are out of town. I guess we will really be back to normal with everyone going in a different direction.

God has blessed us all with good health, caring neighbors, new friends and regular visits with Joel while we make this transition to life in Wisconsin and deal with being apart from Joel. We are so grateful for our many blessings. We are thrilled that Joel is finally coming home to stay.

Concentrate!

Alyssa and Nicko were practicing the piano so I tried to get a picture of them playing. But as soon as I walked in, they stopped playing and wanted to talk. So I stood at the door and tried to get a picture without them knowing.

Lemon Bars

The kids love to help out in the kitchen. And if we're making something sweet, so much the better. Anyway, they talked me into lemon bars last week. Before I knew it, Isaac had juiced enough lemons for several batches of lemon bars! By the time, I got into the kitchen, they were all at work doing their thing. It was kind of nice to sit back and just watch.

Some More Cruise Photos

These are a few photos of us living it up! The top photo is Mom and Dad in Grand Cayman. The next photo is all of us all dressed up for dinner. Then we have a shot of the boys hamming it up with our wonderful head waiter, Anon. The dining room provided entertainment as dinner was wrapping up and to do our part, we got up a few times and joined in on the fun. The bottom picture is Joel and I in Mexico.

It is still hard to believe we were so pampered and now we're totally left on our own. There is no more evening entertainment, no one serves us dinner and even worse, I have to MAKE the dinner! The only piano music is the kids practicing their piano lessons and somehow it's just not the same. Sigh.

We Are Photoless!

For some odd reason, I cannot get pictures to download from my computer file to the blog! So, we are photoless until I figure out what is going on! If it is up to me to solve this problem...it could take awhile to fix it. Has anyone had this problem before?

Still Trying to Get Back to 'Normal'

The kids are doing well, and I am still trying to get back into my routine. I came home with a little bug or virus of some sort, but now I am feeling better and I hope to be all caught up very soon.

Alyssa and Nicko started piano lessons this week. Nicko LOVES classical music. He is very excited about his piano lessons. He cannot wait to play Fur Elise and the Minuet by memory. Alyssa is just happy to practice her finger exercises.

Isaac participated in the Awana Games at the local Bible Church. He had a great time and his team came in first place. He and his best friend, Noah, were very pleased as they had spent a lot of time practicing.

Things are getting busier here with the kids' schedules and I still have several projects that need to be completed. I want to tackle the kitchen next. I have to paint, hang the calendar and bulletin board and also organize two cabinets that aren't working for me. I chose a mossy green for the kitchen, but then I decided the color was too dark. I am excited to get the kitchen finished...just not excited to paint. I NEVER thought I would say this in a million years, but I am getting sick of painting.

We are enjoying our plants and they need to be transplanted this weekend because their little roots are growing out of the bottom of their little containers. Transplanting is always a fun project for us.

We are ready for spring to arrive and stay. I am itching to get outside and do some gardening. Every year we have a tradition of playing football on the first dry and warm day of the year. We are SO looking forward to that this year. Our winter has been a multi record breaking year...for all the wrong reasons. Snowy and cold are not records we wanted to break! So, we are ready for Spring in a major way.

Well, I guess that's about everything. That's what happening in our world! I'll try to post some pictures this afternoon if I get home before the kids.

We're Back!!!

Joel and I escaped to the Caribbean for a one week cruise. We had a great time and it was really great to spend time with my husband that has been living in another state for the last five months. It was a wonderful second honeymoon.

We went to Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Grand Cayman. The weather was a little cool, but we managed to come home with a slight tan. The ship was beautiful, the crew was very interesting, friendly and very good at pampering us. What hard workers they all are. They work 75 hours a week and work for six months straight before they get two months of unpaid leave. We came home with a huge appreciation for the opportunity to live at home while earning a living. (Although with Joel in Michigan for the last 5 months, I think I had a little more understanding for what their families at home were going through.)

We had the best time and we were truly relaxed when the ship docked in Tampa again. However, the second honey moon was over right then and there! We hurried to get off the ship, and Joel drove back to Alabama amid snow and gusting winds. But it was a great time and we enjoyed every second of it. We got home Monday evening in time to have dinner with the kids. We had really missed the kids while we were gone. ...but we really managed to enjoy not having them around as well!

Things are back to usual and I had to start thinking, organizing and planning again! I did forget a few things Tuesday morning and luckily the kids were on top of it for me. After the kids were on the bus, Mom and Uncle Matt took off to head back home. Joel and I hoped into bed and took a nap, a three hour nap!

We do have one funny story from our trip that the kids have gotten a huge kick out of. When we got off the ship we decided to carry our own luggage off to save time and get on the road as soon as possible. However, we were not the only ones to have this idea and we could not catch an empty elevator down to the debarkation deck. So, finally Joel decided to carry our very stuffed suitcases down four flights of stairs. I carried a carry on bag and the garment bag and Joel took everything else. Luckily Joel is very strong. Once we got off the ship the customs area was next. The humidity of Florida was not too bad, but Joel had just manhandled about 250 pounds of luggage down four flights of stairs and he was sweating. When we got to customs, the agent was very curious as to why Joel was sweating so profusely. When Joel explained we could not catch an elevator, the guy smiled and let us go. For a few seconds I had visions of being detained and having EVERYTHING searched. ;-)

The above pictures are: a shot of Honduras from the ship, a re created Mayan temple in Belize, and our ship in Cozumel, Mexico.