Stuck

Today is day 4 away from home. We are getting terribly cranky. First, we were stuck at home due to the snow on Monday and Tuesday. Then we awoke on Wednesday morning to a house that was getting colder due to no electricity. After a few hours, we decided we couldn't stay there, so we packed our bags and hiked off Cobb Knob. First we went to my parents' house for 2 nights. Our electricity came back on after 2 days, but our road was so encased in ice that we couldn't get it cleared. We decided not to hike up at that time. We spent Friday night at Chad's parents'. I had to work until the wee hours of the morning, so it was just as well. It has been a tough week trying to keep peace and sanity while maneuvering between homes that are not our own with backpacks and duffle bags. Needless to say, we plan to go home today even if we have to walk. And there we will rest and prepare for another week of snow . . .

My papoose

I love my sling! I mean, I really love my sling. And I wish I had had it with my first 2 kids and used it more with Ben. Annie has been "slung" frequently, and I am finally comfortable with carrying her papoose style on my back. I made cookies and gave the other kids a bath while she hung out back there. She dozed off a little and was quite content. Aaahhh, sometimes I want nothing more than to hold my children forever.

Aaron's 7th Birthday

Superman and Batman
Aaron and Will - best buddies

Make a wish!

Ben as Superman and Batman!

It is so hard to believe that Aaron just celebrated his 7th birthday on Saturday! How did this happen? When did this happen? I'm sure I will say that many more times in this child's life. It's fun to see him grow up into a big boy. These days I am frequently saying to Chad, "Oh, he sooooo has your personality!" Aaron thinks and talks like Chad in so many ways. He seems to be most excited about turning 7 because I have told him that your tastebuds (supposedly) change every 7 years, and he wants to know what new foods he is going to like now!

We had a wonderful celebration for him on Saturday with a Superman party complete with a Superman cake and Superman ice cream! We played some fun games, too: a phone booth relay which required each child to fight through an obstacle course and then enter a cardboard box phone booth in order to don their cape; a tag game called Lex Luthor on the Loose with Chad being Lex and chasing all the little supermen; and also Test Your Superskills in which they tried to recognize sounds with their super hearing, identify zoomed in pictures with their super vision, and blow ping pong balls with their super breath!!! It was a lot of fun!

Enjoy the pictures!

Wrestling

More than any other evening activity, our kids love to wrestle! Though they will let me participate, they really look forward to "fighting with daddy," as they call it.


In fact, when Chad goes to the YMCA, Aaron wants to exercise at home so that he can also get stronger. He doesn't want Daddy to be able to beat him later that evening!


Even when he was barely walking, Ben wanted to get in on the action and he would toddle over and flop onto the pile of arms and legs. However, Ben is the most threatening one of the bunch these days because he is potty training. With cloth underwear and no sense of when he has to "go," Ben is a very dangerous guy in that match!

First Day Back

I went back to work this morning for the first time in over 3 months. I was a bit out of my element - especially so because it was a 7 am shift and I have worked 7 pm shifts for nearly 4 years. I had to get up by 5:15 in order to have time to feed Annie and get ready to leave on time. But it went well. I was not dreading it, but I was not overly excited either. It was nice to hear the "welcome back" comments, along with "how's that little baby?" I'm always a little surprised at how much I enjoy my job - the tasks somewhat but mainly the people. I enjoy connecting with my colleagues. I enjoy being helpful and saying, "You're welcome," and "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit!" Okay, not so much that last part. But I am glad to be back to work a little, to have an outlet, to be Sarah for a few hours and not Mommmmmyyyyyy! It's a nice break for a few hours a week. But you'll have to ask Chad about his morning, getting all 4 kids up & dressed & fed & to school & the sitter for the day!

New Year's Eve

What a great time we had on New Year's Eve with some of our best friends! As River Ridge - Teays Valley grows, it both excites me and saddens me. The sad part being that those families we have grown so close to in the last few years are now in different home groups, and we aren't able to just be with them as often as we used to. Ahh, these are the growing pains. So, we decided to get together on New Year's, and we had so much fun. Laughing, talking, laughing, eating, drinking, laughing and playing Wii! A couple of years ago when the plans for RRC-TV were beginning to take shape, I remember a friend from Charleston saying to me, "Can you even imagine a better group of people to plant this church with?" And no, I can't. Thanks, God, for great, great friends!