Tales of a Castle

No use pretending anymore.

2011-01-24T17:55:00.025-05:00

When I started this blog in September of 2006,

we looked like the above picture.

Fast forward half of a decade,

and we look like:

this!
During these years you've seen our

craziness,
craziness,
craziness,
more craziness,

and yet more craziness?!

(We must have a gene or something!)

You've been with us through the

BIG

and little milestones.

One new baking experiment

after another -

with dyed mashed potatoes thrown in the middle.

We've taken you on our hikes,and shown off the critters that surprised us!

You've watched us work

and play.

You've seen our busyness

and quiet get-aways.

Our fun times may have made you laugh,

and our deepest sorrows may have brought you tears.

We have been frightened

and ecstatic!

We've pulled you through our sickness

and health.

We've made you tag along with our family

and friends.

We've been in school

and out.

You've learned I loooove color

(and shudder at most white walls).

You've let me share my projects

and have even given a tip or two.

You've endured my passion for trees,

water,

trees against a blue sky,

trees in the fall,

more water,

more trees,

and, yes, trees and water.

You've been introduced to my healthy breads,

the not-so-healthy-melt-in-your-mouth breads,

and famous rolls.

You've discovered I love to bake with chocolate,

chocolate,

and more chocolate.

With us you've celebrated holidays

and birthdays.

Most importantly -

you've watched us grow,

and grow,

and grow.

There was a catch to all that growing though - it only happened with my responsibilities and not my daily hours! When Tales of a Castle was launched, I had many hours at my disposal for writing, blogging, picture taking, etc. But 386 posts later, we have embarked on the busiest year of our lives up to this point, and I will admit that there is no use pretending anymore. . .I do not have time to blog.

My emotions are bittersweet about this scenario since there will be many memories lost in the shuffle of life, but there are four little men in the making who need all of their mama's attention. And since I am not into half hearted blogging on my end, I think I'll close this chapter for now.

As Bilbo Baggins says, "I feel like butter scraped over too much bread." (Or something like that. I'm too ~~lazy~~ busy to look it up. :-) I have enjoyed all the friends I have met on this avenue and loved getting better acquainted with my old ones. Thanks for all of your reading, kindness, and comments over the years! (Has it really been years?!)

Following this move from Virginia (and the baby is older), I may start a new blog chronicling life after grad school as I have many ideas for my next house. I have called seven different places home in the last 12 1/2 years, and I am ready to put down some roots! My excitement is bounding as I think of creating a haven/fun spot for my big man and little men, but with the knowledge this place was temporary, I just put decor and other things on hold. Yes, I still love thrifting, creating new items, color, color, color, and I hope to release all that energy in the next castle! :-) I love sharing my new ideas with others (and convincing my hubby they are not that whacko!).

One of my little guys posts every so often, and you can find bits of news on his blog located at his exit. Drop him a line; he'll enjoy your traffic.

For now, as Bilbo said in his farewell birthday address,

"I wish you all a very fond farewell."

Shamelessly stealing. . .

2010-11-07T09:16:00.026-05:00

Well here I am. . .two months down the road finally writing another blog post. . . Thankfully I am not as sleep deprived as I could be with a four month old baby in the house. He is the best baby I have ever had and is a great sleeper. But he is a baby and needs lots of feedings and diaper changes. I never realized how busy I would be when the fourth little prince landed in the castle. So, in honor of one of Silas' favorite book series (If You Give A Pig A Pancake) I'd like to create my very own version using the idea that I shamelessly stole from a fellow blogger.

If You Give A Mom A Fourth Baby

If you give a Mom a fourth baby,

she'll be a lot busier and won't have much time to blog,
for she will have four boys to keep happy and busy.

As she creates a new post in her mind,

she'll suddenly remember that she has loads of laundry to fold.

And while she is getting ready to put the clean laundry away,

there'll be a little boy with an attitude.

The Mom has learned that attitudes need guidance,

or they keep getting nastier.

While walking back into the house after the attitude session,

she'll pass by the "basket" and remember there are bills to sort and pay.

While sitting at the computer desk dealing with bills,

she will decide to start a new post

but

suddenly remembers she was going to teach son #2

how to make peanut butter cookies.

The Mom will want them for dessert after church.

And since the Mom has two middle boys who are lively,

she will be worn out on Monday

due to Sunday church going.

Since worn out Moms do not make good home educators,

Monday becomes a work day for her

while the boys play in the woods and learn about nature.

While they are busy getting dirty and the Mom is vigorously cleaning,

she will remember that the baby needs to be fed and bathed.

The mom and her family will be going to meet some friends,

and good smelling babies are the best!

Even though there is much work to do,

the Mom and her husband occasionally take the four boys on outings.

The Mom decides she needs to blog about it,

but chances are that when she sits down to blog,

the baby will need to be fed and changed again.

And while she's feeding the baby,

she'll remember that the bathrooms need to be cleaned.

And while she's getting the cleaning supplies,

the two oldest sons will want her to find something in the I Spy book

because they think the Mom has "the best eyes for finding hidden things."

The Mom will often take the time to teach the boys to interact with nature

by reading books, studying animals, spending time in the woods

and even hanging bird feeders.

But in the midst of her work,

she will have to stop many times to correct attitudes,

work on potty training,

feed the baby,

change a diaper,

and teach other lessons such as:

"The lid to the turtle sandbox is not a Frisbee -

regardless of how beautifully it sails through the air!"

After the sandbox talk,

she will return to the kitchen to find a sink full of dirty dishes

and begin preparing for the next meal.

While cutting veggies,
she will dash to the boys' room to get dirty sheets to wash,

but as she passes the hall closet she remembers -

a certain little boy toppled most of the games onto the floor,

and now the Mom will need to reorganize the closet.

Once the sheets are swishing in the washer,

the Mom will begin to make birthday cupcakes and frosting

for a certain three year old.

After the cupcakes,

the Mom will sit on the back porch to have her devotions,

enjoy the beautiful woods,

and watch a certain little boy

(who believes there is a monkey living in the woods

and often disappears to find it)

as the older boys bury their brains in studies.

Chances are that while she is sitting there,

she will realize that -

the leaves need to be cleaned out of the gutters.

Since they are outside and getting dirty,

the Mom will go ahead and get the shed swept and ready for winter,

the flower beds cleaned out,

the grass mowed, etc. . .
Meanwhile the Mom will frequently stop to

answer the phone,

check on the laundry,

feed and change the baby,
teach a boy a character lesson,

and

deal with the two middle boys who tend to

mix like oil and water.

The Mom likes to make fun desserts with the boys,

but she is usually too busy to get it on the blog.

The Mom will also teach the boys to

read recipes,

clean,

help with meals,

do dishes,

fold and put away laundry,

and

watch little brothers

all the while she is continually stopping to - - -

feed and change the baby.

The Mom will need to prepare lessons,

crafts, and home studies for the two older boys,

and since all school and no play is -

rather dull,

they will hop in the van and -

head to PA for a few days to visit grandparents.
Sometimes the Mom and her family will take longer trips to

Ohio to see family and friends.

To Lynchburg to visit friends.

And each trip will result in more laundry

which is accomplished between

the feedings and diapers.

Sometimes when the Mom will notice how beautiful it is outdoors

she will decide to take the boys on a walk.

Later that evening the Mom will try to sit down and blog,

but the baby will need to be fed and changed.

After that is done,

the other boys will need to be showered and put to bed.

The Mom will clean up the supper meal

and plan for the next day of studying.

She'll get the baby to bed at a late hour so he'll sleep through the night.

The Mom will then spend some time with her husband who is studying

(or writing looong emails to Andrew Graham via Facebook :-).

The Mom will then sit down at the computer to blog about adventures,

but. . .

chances are she'll be too tired to type.

'Cause if you give a Mom a fourth baby,

she might not have much time to blog.

Tale of a new prince. . .

2010-09-12T18:38:00.013-04:00

Yes, that new little prince that is not so new and little anymore. He is just new to you since his mother has almost disappeared from the blogosphere! Wow! I had no clue four children could keep one so busy, and the continual stopping to feed a little one takes time away from my other duties. So when push comes to shove, the laundry and meals tend to come before blogging. :-) (A fact that makes my family thankful!) On the other hand, I will be in trouble when I finally sit down to create scrapbooks and photo albums since I will have forgotten all the little details of this busy time. I think I am finally getting our new family setting in place and hope to blog a bit more. Oh, and finding that little thingamajig that transfers the pics to the computer might help. . .

Back to the prince. . .I had some pretty rough days before he officially joined the castle. I will refrain from all of the miserable details, but let's just say that I was close to being immobile. Not fun or practical when you have three other munchkins. I was so thankful for a husband that came home and tried to make up for my slack. Seth and Ethan were also lifesavers with all the babysitting of Silas, housework, and simple meals they made. I was also very blessed by neighbors and

friends such as Heather who brought meals to us!

And chocolate!!!!!!.

For all of you who love the "belly shots," enjoy this painful memory of me. . . There I am - all 180 pounds of me! Joanna took this a day before the C-section, and I could hardly do anything but gulp for air and groan at this point! Leading up to Elliott's birth, I was again filled with fear/anticipation/relief. I have never gotten used to surgeries!!!!
I could hardly sleep the night before and was delayed at the hospital. Do you know how awful it is to make a VERY pregnant woman fast and then tell her she has to wait a few more hours all the shile she is realizing that because of a C-section it will be DAYS before she gets solid food?! In retaliation, I chewed gum. I would've downed a drink if anything I liked was close.
As for the above picture. . .I think it is hilarious! We were waiting to go into the operationg room, and I was shivering with cold and nervousness. The nurse snapped this for us, and I thought maybe we should make a Christmas card out of it. :-)

At last I got to get a glimpse of the new guy!!!! Just for the record, I wanted another boy. I did not want the total shift in life that a girl would bring. Besides, I think we're getting the boy thing down pat, why throw in a girl?! :-)

As for his name, we thought it would be neat to have two "S" names and two "E" names. As a result we chose Elliott James - named in honor of Jim Elliot. Our hope is that our Elliott will live with a dedication to God as strong as that of Jim Elliot.

First meeting of the new brother.

First snapshot with Mom and Dad.

Hmmmm. . .someone was caught testing his brother's pacifier.

Meeting Grandpa Sampson for the first time.

Okaaaaaaay?

2010-08-16T16:44:00.002-04:00

Just had to share this humorous photo of Silas who had been told to stay on the porch. It's funny. . .and not so funny, but he technically was still on the porch!

Glimpse of the new prince. . .

2010-07-01T08:52:00.002-04:00

A very much loved and adored Elliott James
at one week old.

It's...a(nother)...

2010-06-22T15:24:00.003-04:00

...BOY!

Elliott James Castle entered the world via C-section at 11:19 a.m. today, June 22. Weighing in at 9 lbs., 2 oz., he is greeted with eager anticipation by his proud parents and three VERY excited big brothers!

Mommy and baby are both doing incredibly well. More to come very soon...

Troy

"Twas the last post before baby. . .

2010-06-21T13:08:00.008-04:00

and it's as random and loopy as I feel. :-) With the whoppin' headache I now sport and a mind that is racing every other direction, this post won't be one that will gain any writing award! I just wanted to throw a few more pictures in the archives to remember little snippets of our lives during this time. Enjoy the snapshots as the next set should be from the new era of "Life with Four Children" as told by Martha Castle :-)

The woods and our backyard are alive with creatures, and the boys are loving it! They have found toads of all sizes, snakes, turtles, and were even surprised to locate a salamander. The birds are plentiful, and the squirrels are very entertaining. And then there's the bugs. . . I can do without those, but boys seem to thrive on them.

The events are happening at church as well. Seth won the "Super Sailor" award in his Patch the Pirate Club. I was so excited for him! He faithfully paid his dues each week, did his devotions, was careful to learn all of the music and memorized every Scripture during the school year.

Ethan (who is sporting such a crazy look because he was being tickled :-) graduated from "Keystone Kids" this spring and will be in "Junior Patch the Pirate Club" this fall when the Wednesday night activities begin.

I love to watch the "good bye" hugs when Daddy goes to "wuk" as Silas calls it.

Ethan enoys his bedtime stories and begs his Dad to use "funny voices" as he reads.

I love to hear all the laughs from the entertainment that Ethan receives. :-)

For the first time in about a decade I was able to spend Mother's Day with my Mom,

and I had to show off my part of the giant cookie - the loaded part!

Brent Vernon trying to contain rowdy boys for an after concert photo op.

Silas "hepping" his Daddy set up the new bunk beds. We had a massive room switch in order to fit the baby in the house. The three boys are now in two sets of bunk beds. Silas was very excited to be in them which made the transition smoother. I was the one who was getting all choked up at the thought of him no longer needing the baby bed.

The latest of our guests was "Uncle Twint" who was much loved by his youngest nephew. He spent a week down here training Troy for a job, but Silas seemed to think "Uncle Twint" was here for his sake. :-)

I just had to post the latest of my creations which was Troy's Father's Day dessert - Cookies and Cream Cheesecake. I have so much fun making calories! (And I think he has fun eating them!)

And I hope to soon be posting with a non-pregnant brain!
You know the one that had a sense of humor
and a little creativity. . . :-)

Little House in the Big Woods

2010-06-04T09:56:00.005-04:00

Okay, so they are not exactly BIG woods, but we do have a little house. We have not ventured far into the woods this year as my hiking capabilities are greatly hindered by a continental shelf in the middle of my being. On the other hand I have rather enjoyed many hours on the back porch watching the daily evolution of spring to the acres of trees and field behind us. Ahhh. . .it is a beautiful place to be! I should have taken more pictures. Should have. Somehow the continental shelf makes me not want to do anything other than breathe and eat, of course. :-)

As I reviewed the last few months of pictures, I realize that we didn't go many places. Nausea and a lumbering pregnant body tend to keep one put. The simple tasks of a wife/mom/homemaker/homeschooler didn't leave much time to be gallivanting around the VA countryside in search of adventures. So, to document a bit of our lives, I present a few pictures that I managed to take as the days passed. Nothing big. Nothing exciting. Just life.

Sunday photo attempts are always interesting.
Cheesy.

And altogether futile at times!

Apparently this hungry boy's mother didn't get his "oh gut" (yogurt) in time,

and since the only clean spoon he could find was a serving spoon. . .

I love their little imaginations!

Not sure where they inherited them. . . :-)

Enjoying a bit of "pay doe" as his brothers do "cool wuck" as he calls it.

I have became quite efficient at playing with this stuff

and teaching at the same time.

Most Friday nights consist of pizza and a movie.

Notice a certain boy's "mohawk" which he dearly loves and wants to sport all the time.

Funny thing is that he thinks my "poof" of younger years was hideous,

and he likes the mohawk?! :-)

Wii tends to follow the pizza.

I have a feeling that soon my kitchen presence will be a bit more scarce.

(And that some woman will love me all the more

for the hours of training this boy is receiving. :-)

Silas had a philosophy that bedtime reading was best done on the belly until he moved to the bunk beds and no longer had the guest bed in his room. It was adorable to see him hop on that bed to show Troy is had to be "wike dis" when it came time to read.

Hmmmm. . .animated talking.

Not sure where he gets that either!

The gracious warm weather once again allowed us the pleasure of

popsicles

and

school at the park.

I love spring!

The post that never happened.

2010-05-23T16:29:00.010-04:00

Greetings from the AWOL blogger! Pregnancy and I do not have a sweet relationship especially since it tends to make me easily frustrated, worn out, crabby, easily frustrated, whiny, easily frustrated. . .get my point?! :-) When I accidentally uploaded all of these pics to Seth's blog page instead of mine, it has taken almost two months to redo this post. (That's the good old "easily frustrated" part coming out in me.) So in keeping with the tradition of posting events and little snippets of our lives, we need to head back to the beginning of March when we headed south again.

Our first stop was in Richmond where Troy had a singing engagement and somehow ended up not having his suit pants when it was time to dress - a rather distressing predicament that made me laugh. Well, that was until we had to run out a buy a new suit to the tune of $200 which wasn't so funny then! The boys were thrilled to stay at a motel! You cannot tell it by the above photo, but they really were. :-)

You cannot be in the capital city without visiting the building itself (at least in my humble opinion), and the trip involved a US History lesson. I always enjoy reading the many documents in these buildings, browsing the numerous statues, and soaking up the architecture.

We were even favored with sitting through part of a House session. I was so happy that the boys were able to experience this firsthand.

Some boys however weren't so interested in the voting processes of our land, nor were they thrilled with their mother taking continual snapshots of them. :-)

Upon finishing the tour we again loaded up and headed toward Easley, SC. We were a bit sentimental to reconnect with "old" friends not knowing when we would be back in this direction.

SC always includes a stop by the old homestead, and this time we were able to visit with some former neighbors. I had to laugh at the sight of a bright red Mustang in the driveway of our old home. . .a bit of a change from our all American minivan!

The purpose of this SC trip was to be present for the dedication of the new church building. It is beautiful and has a delicious grand piano which should have had its picture taken! In fact I really should have been taking lots of pictures, and I can't even claim this one as it was shamelessly stolen from Laura Byler's FB page. There's that little thing with "pregnancy, frustration, tiredness. . ." which kept the camera tucked safely in its place. I was too busy catching my breath or my kids and practicing the piano in between rushing around to meet up with friends. It all made up for a fun and exhausting time which is what trips are all about, right?!

Best of all, the boys got to see some of their best friends, and Silas reconnected with his buddy - Scott Hester. :-)

February gone?!

2010-03-12T15:18:00.010-05:00

Where was I when it flew by? Oh, I remember. . .I was just getting over nausea and was busily eating. (Translated : I was gaining 15 pounds in the month of February. :-) We also didn't do much as we were slammed with feet of snow - beautiful snow. (More beautiful to me since I wasn't the one shoveling!) As the snow fell and fell, I decided

if my backyard cannot be bursting with the green of spring/summer,

or laced with the hues of fall,

I'd rather have the white drape of snow than the ugly brown of winter!

Poor Troy and Seth had quite the time digging us out of the mess. Personally I love to shovel, but the activity and pregnancy do not seem to go hand in hand. So I busied myself with making cup after cup of hot cocoa.

There is a minivan under this pile!

With the snow came loads of fun with "boogie boards" - the only form of sled that could be found in this town,

icicles to munch,

and made from scratch funnel cakes to devour! (Not to mention the many days Troy got to stay home as the world was closed down here.)

And what better activity than baking when you're cooped up in a house?!

A February highlight for the boys was to help a friend, Erin Sawyer, care for some horses. They had a great time filling water tanks, handing out treats, getting hay and watching the horses prance and frolic. I love the up close sound of hooves!

The fearless one.

I love this shot of Erin helping Silas walk through the "muck" to feed the Shetland.

Kids are so trusting. . .

The dutiful bday post!

2010-02-26T23:15:00.009-05:00

The month of birthdays has come and long gone, and here I sit to document. . . I know, I know people get a bit tired of reading how others celebrate, but what gets mentioned in my musings guide me as I scrapbook and do photo albums. So you'll have to bear with me or just ignore the post as I recount what we did this year. :-)

Good old Ethan was the first to party this year, and let me tell you - - this boy is ALL about birthdays! He counts down the days, asks a million questions, wants to invite all of his friends, continually asks for party hats, balloons, etc. Speaking of those dreadful and noisy party blowers, it is very difficult to get three boys to blow into those at the same time for a pic. I finally gave up!
In our house I allow the birthday person to choose all of their meals and dessert, and Ethan started his day with blueberry muffins, orange juice, and a big grin. :-)

Lunch rolled around to his love of hot dogs and cheese puffs along with a side of Koolaid. (And another big grin.)

The party happened the day after his birthday when my parents and sisters were here to visit. That was the great day when he was able to enjoy balloons, ribbons, hats, noise, gifts, and cake all for him.

Newly turned seven year old.

We celebrate with Seth two weeks later on the 28th. His chosen breakfast was chocolate chip pancakes, and lunch found us at Burger King. We surprised him with dinner at Golden Corral - the place that every growing and hungry boy likes. :-)

His dessert choice -

Hershey's White and Dark Chocolate Torte which was a winner!

My family was once again down for the end of the month to celebrate with Seth and me, so I was able to enjoy a day with little work (thanks to them). My youngest sister and I spent the day going to many places I wanted to discover but did not feel like hauling three kids as well. I gorged my pregnant belly at a pizza buffet and headed home to open gifts with my little eager "helper." The evening ended with a wonderful date with a handsome man who took me to Outback Steakhouse. I suppose being 33 isn't too difficult! :-)

Along with the birthdays comes the ever obligatory January photo shoot of my three little men. I "love them to pieces" and almost feel tired just thinking of all the energy in this portrait. Life is never dull here. . .

Use the camera, Woman!

2010-01-31T15:43:00.008-05:00

Well, sorry, folks, 'cause I didn't use it very often. As I scroll through the photos of our Dec 29-Jan 6 trip to Phoenix I realize there is a multitude of things/happenings that never reached the lens. I think caring for a toddler in a time zone two hours different than his own and dealing with nausea and weariness probably pushed the thought of picture taking a bit further out of my mind. Since trips are not able to be rewound I'll have to settle for the few that did make it back home. Excited traveler #1.

Excited (but not ready for the camera) traveler #2.
Excited (but quickly tired of the "ayeplane") traveler #3.

In a typical day of mine two to four hours does not seem like a long period of time. In a typical day. Flying from one side of the country to the other is not a typical kind of day scenario, and that stretch of time seriously felt like some of the longest moments of my life. Taking a rambunctious two year old homebody out of his element and expecting him to sit for hours upon end next to you can be a bit draining! And my watch - - - those hands moved so slowly! I am happy to report that we had no major incidents. I did happen to glance away from the youngest for a few moments only to turn around and discover that he was sticking Toy Story stickers all over the side of the plane. My heart just about stopped until I realized they were easily removed. And as tiny as "conti-ental ayeplane" bathrooms are, there are still numerous things to amuse two year olds. :-) Believe me; I know.

Upon arrival, it seemed like there wasn't much slowing down until we arrived home again! And once again, I'd like to show more pictures. . .if I had them. :-)

Every boy loves to be unleashed on Uncle Tracy's drum set. The adults, on the other hand. . .

Hiking on South Mtn in Phoenix was a fun activity between Troy and the boys. I declined the invitation and did laundry instead. Only nausea would make me choose the latter!

A highlight of the trip for Seth was going to the US Airways Center where the Phoenix Suns play. He thought he was just going to see the outside of the building and was thrilled to discover his dad had worked it out to get them a guided tour.

The biggest highlight for me was to again visit with one of my best friends from high school who has moved from SD to Phoenix. Oh, the fun we had and the laughs we shared. . . There's nothing like a good friend with whom you go "way back" and share lots of history. :-)

'Twas the weeks before Christmas

2010-01-19T21:53:00.013-05:00

And all through the house,

My nausea was raging,

So I felt like a louse!

And I will stop the poetry (or attempt) for your sake! :-) This was by far my roughest Christmas season since nausea is no respecter of persons! The kiddos had a great time though, and that is more important to me. It can be a bit difficult to be festive when food smells send you running, and life itself sends you gagging! May I never again be sick the month of Christmas!!!!!!!!

The boys assembled their own tree and decorated it. What a relief and bit of sadness as it was another step of independence on their part.

And what's Christmas without some extra giving?! The boys worked and saved money to fill several packages for Operation Christmas Child. It was such a delight to watch them choose and pack little gifts for an unknown needy child. I hope they never lose that thrill!

And Christmas isn't Christmas without some crafts.

Never mind the gingerbread house; I scaled down to a tree. :-) I was also so nauseated I couldn't bear to taste the icing. (May we all pause to gasp!)

Mid December brought the opportunity to pull out the Zofran and head to SC where Troy was the bass soloist in Bob Jones University's Messiah production. What fun to reconnect with old friends and visit old places!

Backstage with the "performer" in his dressing room.

Dr. Warren Cook - Conductor.

The boys never tired of the game room where they spent hours playing pool

and ping pong.

Spending the day with a best friend - Josh.

More catching up with our old neighbors - the Russos.

Christmas Eve found us at my parents' house three hours away in PA. And what is Christmas Eve without games?! I was able to play Blokus for the first time - - - - - and loooved it!

Just had to wrap Grandpa's gift certificate in the biggest box from the attic. :-)

Christmas Day at home!!!!! Ahhh. . .I love to wake up in my own bed on that holiday! We had a special time together as a family! Gifts. Games. Food. Movies. Memories. All the makings of a good day!

And what's Christmas without snow?! Boy, did I ever get it, too. The land was so beautiful!!!! We were some of the fortunate ones that got around 20+ inches! (Can you feel my grin?! :-) I have not seen this much snow since my SD days. Snow is good for nausea, too. At least mine! :-)

And for some reason there are a few little boys that believe

hot cocoa and snow go hand in hand.

And what's snow and hot cocoa without freshly baked sugar cookies?!

My Narnia - without the lamppost. . .

Nausea + blog = ick!

2009-12-18T22:26:00.009-05:00

To be perfectly honest, nausea + anything = ick! That wretched stuff has a way of sucking the life out of you! And your appetite. And family. And blog. And life in general. Many days I wake up only to wish I could fast forward the day, but then the evenings are sometimes my worst part of the day. (Who came up with the name "morning sickness" anyway?!) Well enough whining I suppose. :-) And, yes, I have tried every notion and fanatical thing in the book minus eating beans, of course. That was a new one I just discovered, and since I do not like any bean on a good day. . .I don't think something which reminds me of a dead roach will get past the gagging sensation in my throat! So during this pregnancy, three things have seemed to help (other than Zofran): 1. Playing the piano. Not sure why but it sends the nausea packing. 2. Crying. :-) Found that out when I hit rock bottom one night due to the intense nausea, and I burst into tears. In a few moments. . .it vanished! Tried it time and again, and it works. The problem comes in when I am nauseated in public. . . Somehow walking around sobbing might do more harm than the nausea! My verdict is that the hormone produced by tears must outweigh the hormone that produces the nausea. (You have my permission to call me Einstein! :-) 3. Whining on the phone to my mother, sisters, or some sympathetic friend (preferably someone who has endured nausea).

There you are, dear friends, nausea busters 1,2, and 3. You can begin to pity the person who sits near me on the plane later this month! They'll have to listen to me sob or whine! Ha. Maybe the pilot will let me sit in the front with him as I always do better up there!

My previous whining is to explain the lack of blogging. When good moments swoop in, it seems a bit more profitable to do laundry or dishes. (You again have my permission to call me Einstein! :-) Not that the laundry always gets done, and the dishes are often clean. Nausea has a way of making one lethargic, and let's hope it is not permanent damage as I have always loved to clean. The problem is with the lack of blogging, I tend to forget the fun and little patches of life that are worth remembering, and when I get around to scrapbooking life in VA. . .well I'll be in trouble! With no further whining (drum roll, please), this often nauseated woman vows to be a better blogger for the sake of scrapbooks and posterity (and a MIL and all the kind people who tell me they read this blog). :-)

"I'll begin by heading back into October," blushes the author. Yes, I typed October, but it was as soon as our company (Angie Oliver and crew) left on October 31st that my life caved in. Not because they left, but because November 1st was the day my normal life ended. Let's see, that makes 50 days of severe nausea so far! Oh, wait, I was supposed to stop whining in the last paragraph, wasn't I?!

Back to the Olivers, it was a delight to have friends from SC visit for a few days. It was nice to be with someone with whom you have some history. New town, new church, new house, new life can get a little too new sometimes, so it was wonderful to visit! Six people under the age of ten is always an adventure as well! :-) And add two woman without their husbands. . .well, we made some memories! :-)

My two morning helpers.

(I made your pancakes, Lisa G.) Adrianna kindly informed me that her mother did not make as big of a mess as I do. :-)

For the first time in years, we spent the Thanksgiving holiday with my parents. (The indoor felines are gone, and so was the dander!) It was a fun time of games,

an abundance of word games for me,
dear old grandpas who shouldn't play Memory with young minds,

more games,

and then some more.

Oh, yes, we had a great meal, too. At least I think we did. Nausea tends to take the desire for food consumption. It is a great weight loss program I do not recommend.

One of my kids' greatest memories was the shaving and whipping cream versus ladies' perfume fight between the boys, Grandpa Sampson, and the aunts. What fun they had! Had I not just been completely beaten up by a dentist who removed a tooth (and informed me it was the hardest to remove tooth he had ever done) I would have loved the fight. Height, swiftness, and pregnancy always have an advantage as I throw out my, "You can never touch a pregnant woman!" line I use on everyone. Instead, I sat in misery trying to calm my poor mother who never did get into those wild ideas of my father!

Happiness = shaving cream on the noggin!

Now for all of my SC friends. . .you know the lovely 54 light drive down Wade Hampton?! I took a few snapshots to show the new 5-7 minute drive in the country I now have. We even cross a little one lane bridge over a bubbling creek, and I believe there is only one measly light on the whole drive! :-) After five years of driving 45-60 minutes to church, I'll admit this is a gorgeous change! I just miss all of you though! Sniff.

And while I blogged, my kind husband just caught up the dishes
for me. :-)

Same song, 4th verse.

2009-12-04T10:56:00.003-05:00

Wondering what has been going on around here lately?
I'll give you a little hint -
visit the "old tale" of Thursday, May 3,
2007.
A few things are different,
but the news is pretty much the same.

Only 21 days late this time.

2009-11-22T14:36:00.011-05:00

It's a good thing that Silas is the last one to have a birthday this year as I keep getting further behind in my postings. The little lad turned two on the first of this month, and we have enjoyed celebrating him! Hard to believe he is the same child after seeing his birth photos. He's gone from a 4 week early 7 pounder to a 40 lb 2 year old. (You should see my left bicep! :-)

Silas is at such a fun stage now as he is wanting to be in the middle of everything (You can feel free to pray for the less patient Ethan. Ha!) and imitate what he sees. At times, I do things just to watch his imitation. He is getting very opinionated about food and prefers to eat "cannie" (candy), pizza, cheese, bread and "buttah" and "pottage" cheese. He is a big fan of John Deere "fractors" and Thomas the Tank Engine. The little guy loves the outdoors and animals. Piano music always gets his attention, and he likes to sing holding a hymnbook which he calls a "Bobble" (Bible).

Silas is also my first child that doesn't like his bread crusts - an act that I feel is sacrilegious when you love bread as I do. He is my first kid to be dangerous with writing utensils. He has decorated himself, numerous papers, walls, furniture, computer keys and screens. . . I won't even bother to mention the markers!
Best of all, he is still very attached to me, and I like that. :-) Makes a Mom feel extra special!

With Aunt Sarah's cat

Riding "Ganpa's fractor"

Birthday "fractor"

Long awaited house pictures

2009-10-29T22:26:00.020-04:00

Here I go again. . . I accidentally deleted this picture later in the post and have no clue how to slap it back in the middle. :-( It is a lovely view of the nice hardwoods, but it would fit a little better in the middle of the living room shots. The lighting isn't the best either. Most of that is due to the fact I am still learning how to use this camera and need to reread the manual. (Ick!)
Well I am fiiiiinally posting the longed for photos. :-) As you can see by the date (9.21.09) I began taking these weeks ago. . . According the the neighbors, this house was a pitiful sight before the remodeling process began. Consequently I had to wait for the crews to finish some of the work before I could get the "after" pics. The front still had a few things to be done in this shot, and Seth and Ethan are diligently picking up rocks to help the landscaping.
I had hoped for a one story small (but adequate) house that wouldn't cost too much to heat/cool. I had a few desires but didn't actually think they would materialize. . . You can imagine my thrill when we got here and I saw firsthand how nice it was! No, it's not big and full of amenities, but it is all brand new (minus the toilet in my bathroom)! The location is on a hill at the end of a cul-de-sac which is a huge plus for me! We had lived on one in SC, and it is so nice not to worry about traffic. The back is very private and opens up to woods (yippee!!!!) on one side and an open field on the other. My little guys are good at bringing me handfuls of wildflowers from the fields. The back has a shed attached and a nice sized deck which I hope to make the home of a "handy dandy" grill next year. :-)

We had a third bathroom for a little while as the crews finished their last jobs.

This is the "lovely" sight that greets you upon arriving in the master bedroom - all the necessities of electronics (desks, printers, computers, etc.). Not pretty but has to be somewhere, and I would rather not cram it into the living room. The room is almost half the size of our other one, and that is taking some getting used to when it is time to maneuver.

The only pics in the hall are these.

Seth and Ethan's room is about the same size as their SC one; I just miss the orange walls! Sniff. Sniff. I could probably paint if Iwas willing to make it white again in three years, but. . . I despise painting too much.

Boys' bath.

Miss the orange walls here as well!

I found these little chalkboard wall clings at Dollar Tree, and they are so fun to use!

Silas gets to share his room with guests. (Well some of them anyway.) Most of the time I take him out as the average person might not appreciate his way of waking them up!

I am not really into the whole swivel rocker world, but it came with the crib and is quite handy. I wish you could see the details on the curtains - they are little green polka dots that match the ones around the crib.

This is the view you get from the hall.

All ready for the book loving guest.

I love this little picture! Seth once asked me what I would like for him to draw, and I chose a flower garden. He spent a good deal of time meticulously drawing all of these little flowers, and I thought it was so cute that I tucked it into an old frame. (Pardon the angle; I was trying to avoid glare.)

The completed armoire in its rightful spot in the living room. :-)

I looove having hardwood floors again! Makes life so much easier.

Love, love, love this kitchen! It is all brand new - even the appliances.

Opposite end with washer/dryer closet to the right.

This is the view out my kitchen window, and I love it! The photo does not do it justice! It makes me so happy to gaze out here and see all the beautiful trees and woods. It looks so different with the weather or degree the sun is shining. . . So glad this is my backdrop and not another house in a subdivision or commercial property! To me, this backyard was the icing! :-)

Happy Fall, Friends!

39 pics for the M-I-L!

2009-10-26T18:38:00.016-04:00

"Virginia is for lovers," and I'm in love with this state! I am not sure where to begin in my gushing over the beauty. . . So, before I fling a barrage of photos your way, I wanted to include some scenery near my home.

Now for the pictures to soothe the heart of my mother in law! :-)

Many of you know of the shed saga where Silas accidentally locked himself in the shed to which we have no key, and I thought you'd enjoy a few snapshots of the tale. Pardon the nasty door; the landlord had not yet replaced it.

It was a looooong 30 minutes of Silas' wailing along with tears from his older brothers who thought he would never be released from his prison! As you can tell by the picture below, Silas wasn't the least bit thrilled with the Rough Green Snake that we had found on the porch right before the ordeal. For the rest of these photos, I do not plan to add captions as I might be here for several hours. I'll just label the destination. Enjoy! :-)

State Arboretum

We walked, enjoyed a picnic, relaxed in the meadows, walked a nature trail, and spied beautiful flowers.

Virginia Farm Market

The boys met "Red."

Apple Festival

Live Celtic music!!!!!!

Tasting "real" cotton candy for the first time.

Jim Barnett Park

I thrive on reading historical markers and cracked up when I spotted this sign.

Love the sense of humor!

Wilson's Wild Animal Park

Didn't take any pictures of the kids petting lions, bears, panthers. . . We decided to feed only the tame! I was amused when Silas saw the lions and nonchalantly motioned them to him and said, "Mere, lion, mere." If he only knew what he was asking!

Great Country Farms

The maze winner -Ethan.

I gave up and cheated my way through.

I think the slides were 60 feet long!

2,800 square foot jumping pillow!

Some little folks are pretty serious about their pumpkins!

Troy decided it would be fun to go to GBS Homecoming, and Seth and Silas went to PA to visit my parents during the same time.

Not too sure about this expression. . .

We had a great time catching up with old friends and family members!

Heritage Festival - Cincinnati

Ummm. . .yeah! I have some goofy family members! And some goofy not so family members! (Greg is positively freaky with that expression!)

Okaaaaaay!

Yup! We have fun!

Shame on me!

2009-10-16T16:21:00.009-04:00

It seems as though I have forgotten my own blog tradition this year. . . I had planned to write pleasant things about each member of this family on their birthday, and (embarrassingly enough) Troy's 32nd birthday was September 23rd! Seth wanted to know if I would be able to think of 32 things! Hmmm. . .boy of little faith! Troy could have turned 50, and I still would have been able to think of things! (Enter drum roll, please! :-) Here's the list:

1. Troy is a great communicator. (Big, big deal to me! We talk about everything.)

2. He cares about his appearance.

3. He is careful to consult me in decisions.

4. He is not a picky eater. (Makes my cooking life much easier -especially since I am the picky one.)

5. Sets a good example by helping with the housework.

6. Irons all the Sunday clothes for me on Saturday evening.

7. Troy has helped me to develop a deep appreciation for good music.

8. Challenges me to come up with facts and reasons other than, "I feel like. . .".
9. Troy does not complain about the house/meals when I do not feel well.

10. He allows me to be myself. (My husband deserves a crown of gold just for that!)

11. He spends a lot of time playing with the boys.

12. Troy carefully weighs options about purchases and is not rash in making choices.
13. He will read instruction manuals/fine print and all the other papers I detest and tell me what I need to know.

14. He wants us to be protected. :-)

15. The boys enjoy spending time with him. (I think that is a good sign!)

16. He cares about his friends.

17. He is a talented song leader and is smooth on the platform.

18. Troy is easy to accompany, and I enjoy playing for him.

19. Troy is careful to pray with us as we begin each day.

20. He "tucks" the boys into bed and makes it a special time.

21. Troy is very committed to our boys being educated at home and keeps my priorities in line when I feel like quitting. My husband makes me feel very fulfilled in my role.

22. He listens to all of my complaints and "whining."

23. Troy is willing to do certain activities with the boys even though it wears on his patience. :-) (Gingerbread houses.)

24. He has never been too proud to apologize or take the blame.

25. He has a great voice.

26. Troy has stuck with his schooling even when the road was difficult.

27. This man has been willing to do any sort of job to support us while he is in school.

28. Troy likes to "dress up." (And he looks very handsome in a suit!)

29. If I am able to do something enjoyable for me, he will always keep the boys if possible.

30. He took a lot of time searching for a house here in VA, and he found one that I love!
31. Thankfully he doesn't mind my "weird" decorating styles. He even comes to like some of them. :-)

32. My honey gets me flowers, and I absolutely love flowers!

The pond where Heaven began. . .

2009-09-24T13:01:00.006-04:00

August 15th had a bit of a somber twist as we headed up the winding road to the pond. It had been seven months since we had been there. This time we carried along four beautiful crosses crafted by Mose Byler and two little stuffed animals. The bear I had chosen from Anthony's room, and the dog I had seen in Caroline's.

The thought that lingered with me that afternoon was the innocence of the future regarding the Biggers on January 9th. They had no idea what was in store for them as they followed that mountain road. . . Who would have been thinking of death following a family outing?! I doubt any of us would be. Yet as I focus on that pond being the entrance to Heaven for Patricia, Caroline, and Anthony, I feel such a sense of joy for them! I still hurt thinking of the pain that Brent endured after losing them on earth, and that is why I asked Mose to make a fourth cross. Brent's heart died at the pond. . . His soul left the earth weeks later, but I think his heart preceded it.

Upon our arrival, we found the original stuffed animals we took right after the accident, and another set of three crosses. I am not sure who brought them, but it was such a kind gesture of remembrance.

Brent, accompanied by Troy, made a visit to the pond on Valentine's Day and took gifts for his family. The flowers for Patricia have died, but the kids' gifts were still there. The dinosaur was for Anthony, and the dog he bought for Caroline.

I love and miss you guys. I also plan to see you
again!

World's Longest Blog Post!

2009-09-14T15:25:00.018-04:00

At least for me it is. Thanks to my kind hubby, I was able to get the pics from the broken camera to our computer. . . and voila! Here is a bit of what has been happening the last few months. I am not sure why the pics are different sizes. It could be due to the trauma they received when the camera was killed. :-) Enjoy a pictorial journey of the events where I remembered and used the camera. Many times I was too busy saying my adieus. Sniff. Sniff. For your sanity, I refrained from including millions of pics of boxes, boxes, and more boxes.

All good things must come to an end, but in the South, we were not bid "farewell." Not a chance. It was "farwell." I had a good laugh over this!!!! A true Southerner was decorating that cake. For all of the Vera fans out there, the cake's colors were inspired by my Vera Bradley Java Blue purse.
Ahhhhh, yes, another one of my projects. Above is the lovely piece after I had started changing its face. This armoire was purchased from Craigslist for only $100, but I could not handle the color! Might fit in someone else's house, but it was a major clash with my distressed furniture.
I slapped some paint on that oak finish, and it now fits perfectly!!!!! :-) Great style of furniture when you have kids. They take a chunk out of it, and it looks like it belongs there. This close-up of a door gives a better idea.

Pre-poly state of being.
South Carolina summers call for cold treats!

Passing the time in our temporary housing. As you can see, Silas was thrilled to stop for a picture! Yes, that is the new church steeple in the background. We really don't collect them.

We were able to visit our spot in GA one more time! Josh also spent part of the time with us and added to our fun. I loooove eating on this porch! It is surrounded by trees and mountain views, and I couldn't be much happier.

Vacation? Fun and memorable. In fact, some of us laughed until we cried!

And some people really love their jeans! :-)

Afternoon hike spot. Any takers?! Perfect trail for kids. It isn't too difficult, beautiful view, lake in the middle, creek streaming into it, nature. . .

My little hiking buddy! He is a trooper.

Yikes!!!! How did that get in here?! ;-)

Even Vera Bradley went on the hike. (Love those backsacks.)

This place calls my name!

No move is complete without all of those last minute excursions with friends! Here is the Jolly Green Giant with a friend.

I soon discovered that movies make gun slinging look much easier than it is. Watch out, "bad guys!" My shot was a bit more accurate at the end of the day!

Seth was living for this evening of shooting. In fact, he told me that he really hoped Jesus wouldn't come back before he had a chance to shoot a gun. :-)

And what would we be without some drama?! I have no nasty arm pictures of me to post, but I just might blog one of the scar later. (I know you all are just wanting to see that one, right?!) Ethan almost needed stitches in his head. Sigh. . .I am not sure if my heart can handle all of his antics!

"It was the first day (clap) in the First Grade. (Clap. Clap.)"

You have to be a Veggie fan to get that one. We launched another year while waiting to move.

Our treat from the Easley Church Board! Whew! What a meal!

The day finally came. It. Was. Time. Strange how attached you get to people/places in three years!

Our little caravan of worldy possessions and family left SC on August 19th. It was bittersweet as we had to leave, yet exciting as we headed into the last phase of schooling for Troy. During the moving trip I was enjoying some wonderful time of solitude in the car when I decided to ask God for a rainbow. I needed some reassurance for some fears and worries I had been experiencing. In a few moments . . .it was there! We had just pulled over for a stop, and to make sure it was my rainbow, I asked God to have it gone by the time I got out of the restroom. It was. :-) Some call it a coinicidence, but I choose to believe it really was mine.

Oh the joys that empty moving trucks and ramps bring to little boys!

First meal (I think.) together in the new house. Food at its finest. (Gag!)

We were fortunate that a group of guys from our new church helped us unload. The only snag we really ran into was there was no fridge. That got old after a few days! Sears rewarded us with the gift of a room sized fridge and a $50 gift certificate. For that, I can handle five days in a cooler!

Reassembling.

Ugh! Not sure why I am griping since I really didn't have to do much of that.

"Uncle Tracy" was a huge help, and you know he is a good uncle as well when he agrees to play Play Doh with a little boy. :-)

Soon to come:
new house pictures.
(If I get my act together! :-)

Flip flopping for a good cause!

2009-09-01T21:24:00.003-04:00

I am finally sitting here and signed in as an official resident of VA. At least I guess I am. Not sure when one actually becomes a resident. Any ideas?

Beautiful country. Lovely house. Still no camera. :-( For the readers who are not Facebookers, a certain child of mine accidentally ended the life of our camera. Sad day as I had so many pictures to upload and tales to tell! I hope to work out something before I have two month's worth of pics. Yikes! Since I cannot really tell of our adventures without photos, I thought I'd mention the boys' latest compassion project. Maybe you'd like to be a part. . .

Pardon the post title regarding our new acitivty! I was hoping it wouldn't bring back too many nauseating memories of former presidential campaigns. :-) The idea came to me during a missionary service with this family. Since something as small as a pair of flip flops can bring delight to a shoeless person, we decided to send the boys walking for money. For every five minutes they take strides, they will be given $1 to help buy flip flops which will in turn be sent to the Stetlers for their ministry in Mexico. If you'd like to sponsor these bundles of energy, I will email you our address as I am not fond of plastering it on the Internet. The boys will be delighted with your encouragement! Blessings.

tmcastle98@gmail.com

Life in the South - Part. . .1 1/2?

2009-07-26T23:23:00.004-04:00

Our move to Greer three years ago was Part 1, and the move to VA will be Part 2, so that leaves us with a 2-3 week stay in Easley as Part 1 1/2. :-) Life has been a bit hectic as we (I) have been packing the house. I have the moving thing down to a science by now, but then - - - I have never liked that subject! I am starting to get very nostalgic and emotional as I say good bye to a nice little house that we have come to love. Thankfully I am not as bad as I used to be and do not plan to kiss the walls as I did as an 8 year old girl when we moved to SD. Nevertheless, the "goodbyes" have started with -

places we have come to love,

and people we have come to know. I get all teary eyed just thinking of all these "last time" visits we have with friends. . .

And for your viewing pleasure, I have included a pic of our temporary house which is such a blessing to have! It is furnished, so all of our belongings (minus clothing and dishes) can stay in boxes as we wait for our house in VA to get finished.

The one catch is that we will have no Internet. Sniff. Sniff! I am not sure how inclined I will be to try the whole library Internet thing. . . I may just have to bum some time at friends' computers if I think I am going batty from lack of blogs and FB. :-) So, dear people, don't have too much fun without me, and I will be faithful to post pics of our new life in VA as soon as we are a bit settled.

Middle boy gets his dues.

2009-07-14T15:10:00.018-04:00

We had the guest of honor,
the photographer,
the "place,"
cute little boys,

beautiful little girl,

friends,

family,

"piggy" faces,

and silly faces.

We had lots of concentration, recitations,

but Ethan had the most to "perform."

In the end he had what was coming -

a Kindergarten diploma!

We had food,

laughter with pals,

gifts,

and more gifts.

The evening ended with a few tries at the ring game - a favorite of the Castle boys.

A "bunch" of those other things we have been doing.

2009-06-26T15:38:00.012-04:00

A gang of happy Tweetsie fans!

Upon arriving home from our "peaceful interruption" of Florida, we attacked the house with great vigor. You can almost feel like you've lived as a slob once you begin to brighten things for your potential buyers. :-) Thankfully we did not have too many big projects. Just do not ask me to touch another paint brush for a looong time!

It is a blessing to have friends like Ivan Trussell (Who wasn't so fond of getting his picture taken. :-) and Jaron! They helped us to not go insane in our frenzy of "getting the house ready for the market."

Did I also mention that I will not have another garage sale unless I am selling all of my furniture?! Nothing like spending hours of prep only to have it all soaking wet after a downpour! Not to mention losers who steal from yard sales, and crabby people, and those who want to lower your already extremely low prices!

Sherri Melton and I were not sure whether to laugh or cry at the rain. . . So we ate lots and lots of chocolate cupcakes instead! :-)

The other "fun" began as we had to continually empty the house of ourselves so people could "view the property" minus our presence. We kept finding things to do such as eating. :-) The little guy was quite proud to get a cup with a straw which resulted in drinking and drinking and drinking.

Sometimes we went to the lake as we waited and waited and waited for people to leave our home. It was nice to have a neighbor who kept us posted as to who was in and out and how long they stayed. :-)

Who could complain that you had to spend an evening here?!

Other times we entertained ourselves by playing football in another neighbor's backyard, and it was there that we sweated and sweated and sweated!

Even though the days seemed to drag when we were continually leaving the house, it was quickly ended when after three weeks . . . we had a buyer!!!!!! We are currently awaiting a home inspection and close date of July 31st.
Besides the "lovely" adventures brought on by the house, we are becoming favorites of the "gucks" (Silas' interpretation) and geese at the lake as we often stop by with a loaf of bread.

We also have a budding helper who loves to vacuum! He hasn't quite mastered the big one. :-)

The boys have been running all over our side of the subdivision finding toads, bugs and more bugs. They seem to find a thrill in throwing bugs in spider webs, and watching the spiders suck their blood. Shhhhh. Don't tell fly loving PETA!

With toads and bugs being exciting, you can imagine all the adrenaline running when we found a large snapping turtle under the neighbor's car!

The boys have been enjoying their last few weeks of playing with neighbors. They're having lots of fun outside

and inside the house.

As a Mom, I am so thankful for air conditioning in this nasty heat. . . and little bookworms that find unusual spots to read. :-) All three boys are participating in the library's summer reading program and are diligently working for prizes. We have had a chuckle or two today as we read 21 books to Silas this morning so he could get one of his prizes. :-) Nothing like cramming a little brain full of knowledge in one fell swoop!

We are also having a good time watching a certain 19 month old's emerging personality! Silas is becoming a little entertainer and will go to great lengths to get a laugh from you. :-) He brings so much fun to our home.

Last week found us at Tweetsie Railroad for the last time before we move, and we had a great time together! Silas is so sober in public, and we could not get him to smile for many shots. The little stinker! He also wasn't very impressed with the carousel or the Farris Wheel which I dared to ride on with him. A mother who gets tipsy when her feet have left the ground and a little boy who kept trying to slide out of his seat when the wheel was not turning is not a good combo! No, I will not be riding that thing again with him! It couldn't stop soon enough for me!!!!!!

The boys were captivated by the "attacks" along the train route, and this time we managed to avoid getting any cinders in our eyes.

Happy summer, friends!

Stay cool!

A very peaceful interruption ~

2009-06-05T10:02:00.003-04:00

to my all too busy life. :-)

Enjoy!

Ahhhhhh. . .

2009-05-09T14:30:00.003-04:00

I have no pictures as I am at another's computer, so we'll have to use our imaginations here!

Just think of a gal who was snowed under

with home improvement projects,

ending school, family responsibilities,

and life in general.

Now imagine a gal who has been spending hours with her immediate family, savoring lots of giggles and hugs with her boys, a sunrise at the ocean, hours of splashing in the water with hubby and kiddos, sleeping in as long as the littlest lad allows, getting up without a care in the world, staying in very nice accommodations where the boys are having a blast, meeting new friends, enjoying old ones, heading to a banquet tonight. . .and I still have several more days here.

Ahhhhhhh. . .I needed this!

Do I have to go home?!

Lessons through tragedy

2009-04-19T17:35:00.009-04:00

I love the coming of each new year! As December rolls to an end I begin to mentally list my "resolutions" that rarely come to pass. Rarely because I set my expectations too high. I was a bit more reasonable this year and decided if I keep up with devotions, housework, family and homeschool, I am Superwoman! :-) As January 1, 2009 quickly approached, little did I know what life changing event would unfold. . .

In three weeks, we went from chatting at this very table, laughing at YouTube videos, talking about future plans. . .

to shivering with cold and grief at the edge of a pond in NC.

I think I would have preferred this new year to go away! I hadn't wanted a resolution that stated, "To learn to cope with unbelievable grief over losing friends in a tragic (and seemingly senseless) accident." But as time has continued at its own pace, reality has tried to find a home as well. I have a little spot in my living room that I call my "reality spot." It was on January 9th as Troy was walking out the door that I informed him the dishwasher had been leaking water and some of the living room carpet was now stained. It was a bummer at the time as I wasn't sure where the money for new carpet would be found. Within an hour, Troy called to tell me of the accident. . .the carpet no longer seemed like a big deal.
I recall thinking that Brent would love to trade places with me at that point. Who cares about a little water stain if your family is alive! I think that was lesson #1. In the big scheme of things, most things are little. When I start feeling the pressure mount, I walk by my reality spot in the living room. As one of my friends said to me years ago, "If your problems can be fixed with money, consider yourself fortunate."
I still struggle with seeing pictures of the Biggers and now my house has numerous items that belonged to them. Part of me had a hard time thinking of any ole John or Joe ending up with their possessions, and I wanted to keep all of them and build myself a little shrine to them. (I know - sometimes I am just way too loyal. :-) I went to their house twice to pick up a few items and purchase others. My pact to never allow my kids to have another stuffed animal quickly went out the door as I brought home a few that belonged to Caroline and Anthony. I love watching Silas waddle around holding Caroline's little kitty and saying "Awww," as he hugs it. With as much as she liked Silas, I think she would be pleased.

I have constant reminders of Tricia as I pass one of her pictures in my hall.
The tin with berries that used to be in front of their fireplace now sits by one of my trees.

And it causes my mind to think of them.

The loveseat that once graced their living room now resides in mine,

and I remember Patricia many, many, many times as I sit on it. I think of how she was ready to die. Lesson #2 - You have to live the way you want to die. Shortly after the accident I was chatting with another friend who remarked that she didn't think Patricia would have changed anything about the way she lived as a wife or mother had she known how short her life would be. You can't bank on what you'd like to do or be or what you should do or be as your time may be shorter than you imagine. I believe there are people who wondered at the sanity of Troy and me as I stayed home with the boys while he was in grad school. Financially it would have been much easier if I had worked, but it is totally against my nature to let someone else raise my kids. Well, school is done, we have no school bill or debt, and God has miraculously provided for our needs. I also have no regrets! Just like Patricia, I want to live the way I want to die!

I was given Patricia's homeschooling materials, and talk about crying. . . You should have seen me go through that stuff! Reading Caroline's papers and seeing how Patricia planned things was a bit difficult but special. The stark reality of the situation hit me as I was perusing her latest homeschool planner, and the last entry was January 9, 2009. The rest of the book is empty. Lesson #3 hit me - live each day like it is your last - you never know what a day holds. How many times have I heard that?! It was a great tool as I showed my boys how the Biggers had no idea when they got up that morning that three of them would be in Heaven by the next day. I tried to burn it into their souls not to take chances with spirituality!

Lesson #4 - When it comes to your mind, tell people how you feel about them as you never know if it will be your last opportunity. December 21st was the last time Patricia and I chatted in person. It was after the Children's Christmas program, and I gave her some compliments. I am so thankful I took the time to tell her when I had the chance. She obviously didn't need my compliments for long, but it did my heart good to know that I had expressed myself. I also wanted to write a letter to Brent, and I got it finished just days before his earthly journey ended. . . I had no clue it was to be my last contact with him either. I have learned (lesson #5) to never take my family or friends for granted. Keep the big picture in mind of how little time we really have together and make the most of it! Don't stay sidetracked with the minor differences; it could be a regret you would suffer if your loved one was suddenly snuffed from you. Another thought that has been burned onto my soul is (lesson #6) what will my children remember about me if I was suddenly gone? Have I taken the time to teach them the principles I want them to know, do they realize how much I love them, am I stressing what is important. . . I have been taking some deep looks into my soul for these answers. . .and made some changes!

My human desire is to never face such sudden deaths again in my lifetime. To never have to see another friend face the anguish we saw Brent meet. To never re-experience the pain I have felt in my heart. But those are human desires, and I do not have control of another's future. . . For now, I will just have to hug my family and friends a little closer and remember the lessons.

And keep dreaming about heaven as the Biggers have brought it so close to me. It was always so far away, but now it somehow seems right next door! Heaven was the place where my dear grandparents went - the place where older people are supposed to go. It now is the place where my friend who is younger than me found her eternal rest and somehow that makes it seem more real. I miss them very much, and my heart aches for their immediate families. Yes, I still have lots of tears, but I cry With Hope!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBs1IuztZ1E&feature=related

How good the laughter felt!

2009-03-31T23:35:00.008-04:00

Well, the tales have been flyin' by here in SC, and I finally grabbed a few to toss on this post. Whew! Things have been busy, and the computer is slow - not a good blog combo. The normal pace was loudly interrupted by a quick visit from two of my Cincinnati cousins - Emily and Leslie who joined me on a little trip to GA where we attended the funeral of our late Grandpa's brother. The three of us had more laughs in one day than in previous years combined, and my sides and face are still recovering! :-) I learned all manner of things about my cousins. One of them being the fact that Leslie is terrified of other people's driving. What fun Em and I had!!!!!! Les even resorted to spending part of the time under her jacket as we reached ungodly highway speeds to make up for lost time. (Time that was lost when Troy accidentally dropped the GPS in my glass of milk! That's another story. . .)

Notice Em's look of glee!
Notice Les' look of unglee.

With my Grandpa's sister - the only living Rollins from that generation.

Aunt Juanita and cousins of all degrees.

I had intended that the video be posted on the top, but since Bloggger is not cooperating, you'll have to visit the bottom. I captured the lovely video for some of the fam to see what happens when a bunch of us get too little sleep and too many laughs. I honestly cannot remember when I have laughed so much in one 24 hour span. Enjoy the video - especially you, Aunt Kathy! :-) That's your baby girl! Hee! Hee!

As for our "normal" and not so funny grind of life,

I have included a few pictures for your enjoyment.

We have a little boy who is quite fascinated with the Betta,

books with animal pictures,

and "caws."
He is in the midst of an early morning play session.

Aunt Joanna reading a bedtime story.

Ethan designing a t-shirt in school.

Only in SC will you find orange elephants!

Bob the baby orangutan has endured many of our stares.

The animal lover enthralled with the zoo!

My boys!

An outing with Aunt Joanna and the Russos -

always a memorable time!

Some people take their cake eating a bit too seriously!

Some people take their computer games a bit too seriously. :-)

Playing in the dirt with Stevie Russo.

Don't mess with Grandpa!

It doesn't get much better than a movie with Dad!

Unless it's laughing at Emily and Leslie! :-)

The wish for "my" trees.

2009-03-08T10:55:00.005-04:00

I love the view from my dining room table! No, it's not in the mountains or out in the country, but I have a lovely view of "my" trees. Their foliage makes my heart happy each time I gaze at them. They are spectacular in the full green of summer. . .

or ablaze with fall colors - my favorite! They are a magnet to me during that season as I find myself constantly wandering to the glass doors to get a good view. I have had one little wish though. . .to see them sprinkled with snow.
And it came true!!!!!!! You have no idea what peace this brought to the heart of a snow loving gal! My trees looked amazing as the snowflakes covered their sad and bare winter branches. I think the trees themselves must have been proud of their new fashion. :-)

Imagine my surprise to peek out the window and see it cascading from the sky. My family laughed at my squealing and yelling, but it was so fun to grab Silas and run out of doors. Letting the youngest lad get his first feel of the white fluff. Notice the heart shaped snowflake. I told my Southern pals that God sent this snow for me. The friends that lost their electricity were not as impressed as I was. :-)

Ahhh. . .part of my back fence. It looked at home in the snow.
Monday morning found the little guy "checking it out" but not too sure. . .

Mommy gave him a little boost into the snow, and he was fascinated.

Two of my four favorite men!

Neighborhood snowman and happy builders.

It is amazing what a little bit or precipitation can do to your spirits. :-)

Blog? What blog?!

2009-02-26T20:38:00.003-05:00

Oh, yes, I do have a blog, don't I?! I am not doing so well at keeping up with this poor neglected thing lately. Maybe it is because I feel as though I have been completely blasted off the highway of life. When I finally scraped myself up and headed back into the fray, I was blasted off again. And now, I admit that I am almost afraid of the phone. I am also grappling with a lot of big thoughts and changed perspectives. And grief. Good night, I think I have cried too much lately. Funny thing is that I am not much of a "crier." Oh, I always tear up at sentimental things, but I do not usually cry about life unless I am absolutely drowning in stress and frustration. Yet I think I have cried more since the first part of January than I have in the entire last decade of my life! Right now I just want to pack up my little family and run to

here:

That peaceful spot in Georgia where my cell phone doesn't work and life seems to go away. But since I am in the real world, I can't just "go away." So when my thoughts are not so jumbled (and I can find my sense of humor), I will post the better details of what is going on in our lives, but since I cannot seem to post without a picture or two. . .

My 15 month old preemie that weighs 30+ pounds.

Seth - 9, Ethan - 6, Silas - 15 months.

A recent picnic with our dear friends - the Russos.

My cutie patootie.

My little bookworm in his favorite reading position.

Wife for Life Turns 32!

2009-01-29T09:01:00.003-05:00

*HACKED BLOG ALERT*

Let's be abundantly clear; this is NOT a post about Martha's "Wife for Life" turning 32.

This IS, however, a post about Martha's husband's "Wife for Life" turning 32, which happens today, January 29, 2009.

So, in the spirit of the previous two posts, Martha's husband lovingly rolls out --

32 things I love about my "Wife for Life" (with bonus item #33 thrown in because I realized I had misnumbered the list I gave her):

1. She is a Godly, "Proverbs 31" woman
2. She is a hard worker, setting a good example for our boys

3. She keeps a clean, clutter-free house

4. She always makes sure her family has clean clothes to wear

5. She is not afraid to get out of her comfort zone to meet the needs/desires of her family

6. *Censored*

7. People enjoy talking to her and being around her

8. She has a heart for ministry & service to God and others

9. Her beautiful smile!

10. She has her priorities in order

11. She's a great piano player and makes it easy for people (mostly me) to sing well

12. *Censored*

13. She is a good cook -- makes delicious meals

14. She keeps the cars clean (yeah, really guys)

15. She has a great sense of style

16. She's a classy "dresser" (meaning she dresses classily, not that she's a classy-looking piece of bedroom furniture)

17. Being a first-class wife and mother IS her calling AND career -- she believes that the "sound doctrine" Paul gives in Titus 2:4, 5 is truly that and not just a quaint, archaic suggestion! (Stepping down off of soapbox now)

18. Pretty woman!

19. Homeschooling is part of her "calling" and "career" -- and she takes it dead seriously

20. She's incredibly intelligent (why she married me, of course!) :-)

21. Her relationship with God is the most important thing in her life

22. Her relationship with her family springs from and is directly related to #21 (did I mention she has her priorities in order?)

23. *Censored*

24. She bends over backwards to keep me happy

25. She is not afraid to speak out against wrong and injustice

26. She is compassionate

27. She is more objective than many people -- a very important quality to me

28. *Censored*

29. She's both rocksolid and flexible as Gumby -- depending on what the situation needs

30. She is very creative

31. She is disciplined without being obsessed

32. *Censored*

33. (Bonus item) She epitomizes everything a good, Godly wife and mother should be -- and I love her for it!

Happy 32nd birthday to the most wonderful woman in the world. I love you, Martha!

From "Your Wonderful Hub"

Mild Child turns 9!

2009-01-28T09:13:00.007-05:00

There's another birthday boy in our house this morning, and he was very excited to be greeted with French toast, a new Betta, and a half of a cup of coffee. With the way he would love to guzzle that stuff, you'd think he was Angie's son!

I could list many reasons why Seth is great, but I will settle with the number of his age:

1. He is very protective of his brothers and tries to make sure no harm comes to them.

2. Seth is a smart boy, so you can have a nice conversation with him.

3. Smart money moves = Seth. He is careful to save and weigh the options of how to spend what he has.

4. He has a tender heart. Whether it is in the area of compassion to others or in relation to God, it is refreshing to see.

5. He is willing to try all sorts of food. (Ethan and I are picky, so it's nice to have a kid who is not! :-)

6. He is cautious and does not give me mild heart attacks as someone else does. I never have to worry about Seth trying to do something crazy that will endanger his life and those around him.

7. Seth is very responsible.

8. Board games are a favorite of his, and it's so fun now that he is getting old enough to play many of them.

9. The boy loves to share and will always save a little part of his favorite things to give to others - mainly his Dad.

(Photo taken by Brenda Herring.)

Happy birthday, Seth. We love you!

Wild Child turns 6!

2009-01-14T16:23:00.002-05:00

Sigh. . . it has been a rough day for me to try to be in a celebratory mood, but that did not stop the birthday from coming. If this post doesn't make sense, I apologize. My mind has been a bit numb lately. I had already decided that I would do something special for each birthday as it came into history this year. It is the Wild Child's day, and you will find listed some of my favorite things about him - one for each year of his life:

1. Ethan has a contagious laugh, is very goofy, and gets tickled at everything.

2. He doesn't know a stranger and is friendly to everyone. (Can't imagine where he gets that.)

3. We have discovered that the boy likes to write special notes to his family and friends.

4. Ethan = bookworm.

5. He is very creative and has an amazing mind. You should see the structures he builds with Lincoln Logs, Playmobil, LEGOS, or Playdoh.

6. My Wild Child is very good about hugging people or saying "thank you." He even hugged the plumber once and told him to visit us again. I kindly let the man know I hoped to never see him again in his plumber attire. :-)

I love you, Ethan. Happy birthday!

pErSpeCtive

2009-01-10T08:09:00.002-05:00

Last night was a tragic day for friends and family as Patricia, Caroline, and Anthony finished their tours of this planet. . . My mind is still having a difficult time grappling with the news of the car accident. My mind is also dwelling on the fact that just three weeks ago yesterday, they all had their feet under my dining room table! Patricia and I laughed about finding Caroline in Seth's bed - under the covers - reading a book. We decided we might tease her about it when she was fifteen. Caroline was one of those sweet little girls that you couldn't help but love! She also had a sweet little voice, and I had even taken music to church on Wednesday so Seth and Caroline could start working on a duet. I just recently discovered that Anthony could make as much noise as Ethan; he just took two years to warm up to me! And Patricia. . .Troy and I had just chatted about how nice it is to see a woman who has her priorities in the right place. I am so glad I took the time to give her a few compliments on our last Sunday together!

pErspECtive is everything! Philippians 1:21

So, take a little time to hug your family and give a nice word to your friends as you never know when will be the last time their feet are under your dining room table!

Pregnant and nauseated again?

2008-12-22T13:55:00.006-05:00

Bet that got your attention!!! :-) For those who might wonder if my lack of posting is due to the title, sorry. We are still a blessed family of five.

I have been avoiding Blogger because the two main blog tools are giving me loads of frustration which is the last thing I need right now! My computer has arthritis, and my camera is hormonal. In fact, the camera posted a new little message on its screen stating - CARD LOCKED. My camera naive little self (who also detests looking through pages of instructions) is refraining from getting the manual to discover my level of digital doom. Ignorance was bliss until I couldn't transfer any of the new images.

Oh well, since I am not able to posts pictures of little boys giving their recitations or Baby Jesus (Who was very patriotic because Mary didn't have enough time to remove the bright red Christmas outfit and had to take him in red, white, and blue to the manger.) pulling straw from his "bed." I am happy to announce that Baby Jesus fulfilled the line of "no crying He makes." I think that was due to the pacifier which wasn't supposed to travel to Bethlehem either. Somehow a red and white pacifier did not seem very Christ-like. :-) His older brother who will never fulfill the part of an angel in any program became the little shepherd boy that spent the last part of the program next to his father. It was very helpful that the shepherd's mother was a few feet away on the piano bench and was able to send him to the unexpected destination. Before you get too judgmental, the shepherd had several chances to redeem himself, but it was after he decided to help direct the kids' choir we thought it was in his best interest to join Troy. I will sheepishly admit that I am sure it was payment for some of the antics I pulled in programs during my younger days! Judgement is never fun! :-) On the other hand, Baby Jesus' biggest brother gave a flawless performance. At least I think he did. I was a bit distracted watching a little shepherd behind me. Anyway, I will happily admit that I am more relaxed now that all of my piano jobs are behind me.

Since I can't show you any of the other activities in which we have been involved, I will post a download of the item I saw a man run out of Walmart with the other day. My boys and I were patiently standing in the return line at the door when a man ran out the door after he set off the alarm.

I was so upset at his audacity (I have an aversion to lawbreaking. . .except for an occasional breaking of speed limits. Ha!) that I took off after him. Well, all of my childhood reading of Nancy Drew books actually came in handy as I returned to the store with a description of the thief, his driving partner, the vehicle, and the license plate number. And I hope they got caught!!!! It was quite the eye-opening experience for the boys who couldn't understand why anyone would want to do that. I love the innocence of children! A short time later while in a different store, we happened upon another situation that could have involved more stealing. . . Ethan noticed a lady drop a large sum of cash, and we quickly snatched it from the floor and went looking for the owner. I took the time to explain that it would be just as wrong for us to keep her money as it was for the man to run out of the store with the TV. Needless she was shocked, relieved, and very grateful to us. And we walked away with a very good feeling as we had participated in "goodwill toward all men."

May your Christmas be merry, bright, and theft-free!

Goldilocks & the Three Trees

2008-12-05T15:04:00.009-05:00

Okay, so maybe Goldilocks was not here, but we do have three trees. A "Papa Bear" sized tree in the living room, a "Mama Bear" sized tree in the older boys' room, and a "Baby Bear" sized tree in the dining room. The perfect little size for a one year old to decorate and destroy as he chooses. :-)

Before we head off into the trees, I just have to show you the cute Thanksgiving treats we made for our neighbors. If you ever want great holiday ideas visit this wonderful site.

Oops. . .another stop before the woods to show the two Thanksgiving day photos that were taken. The first being my friend, Keren, and myself slaving away for all the male appetites ready to devour the food. (Okay, so maybe were ready to devour it, too! :-)

The second photo being of the guys having tons of fun with some contraption that I am afraid to spell due to its foreign origin.

Now for the trees - as you can see, I had lots of help from a sweet little boy. He was very fascinated with all the new surroundings.

I did not do much this year since whatever came out would have to eventually find its way back to the shed. I tossed some frosted fruit in a pretty glass bowl, carefully set out the Willow Tree Nativity, and placed bulbs around to add a bit of color and mood. Oh, yes, I set a snowman and small artificial tree in the boys' bathroom. It's simple, but I like it that way.

My feelings were a bit mixed as Seth and Ethan put up their tree. They followed the diagram and did most of it without my help. It was sad relief. I helped a little with the lights, but they put every ornament on by themselves.

The finished project and the happy decorators.

The finished project a few days later when the youngest brother decided he really wanted to hold one of the ornaments. The poor tree has never looked the same!

What better thing to do but make faces while your Mom is taking pictures?!

I cannot get a good picture of my tree for anything. The teal material comes alive when the lights come on, but I can never seem to get the effect with my camera. Oh, well, you can see Silas' mini tree on the left. That poor thing has been through war as well. :-) Maybe I should make a popcorn garland since he is so fond of munching on the ornaments.

I scaled down my tree decor also and used only stars and bulbs. I really like it as it was a breeze to decorate and will be just as easy to put away. I love the simplicity of it!

Annual gingerbread house construction.

And what is sweeter than pudgy little babies in festive fleece pajamas?! :-)

Have a blessed weekend!

We grew and partied.

2008-11-24T11:24:00.012-05:00

I grew,

and grew,

and we had a party.

He grew,

and grew,

and we had a party.

(Click on this photo to compare Troy's one year old portrait which is on the left

and Silas' which is on the right. They cannot deny each other! :-)

There was a lot of balloon popping,

and a lot of laughing chaos with Silas' little friends!

Happy birthday, buddy.
We are so happy to have you with us!

The rest of the story. . .

2008-11-18T22:42:00.009-05:00

Hold on to your seats, friends and family, a "lotta" pictures are coming your way! My MIL will probably be the only one who cares to see all of these, but I thought she would be interested in knowing what has been going on in our lives. This was all pre-FL trip, and I knew if I didn't get them posted. . . who knows when they would be shared.

Our schedules have been humming with activity as we ~

are plugging along in school. 69 days are behind us.

Training - lots of training - as in this situation when I found the kitchen floor after Ethan had "cleaned up the Play-Doh." Hmmmm. Somehow we have a differing opinion of the words "clean up."

And the little lad keeps growing and growing and growing. . .

My parents and younger sister came for a visit, and I couldn't resist posting a picture of Silas' decoration on my Dad's head. :-)

The boys have been fishing. Well, one was fishing all the time, and the other thought the huge dirt pile was a bit more inviting.

The very patient fisherman. I believe he caught more turtles than fish.

While my Mom was here to watch the boys, Troy and I went away to a bed/breakfast in Asheville. Lovely time. I did offer to cut Troy's food as we were eating. I think I have lost the art of only messing with my own plate. And my food was hot, and I ate ALL of it while it was hot. I think that is a lost art as well - at least for now. :-)

The boys and I went hiking with my Dad at Table Rock State Park. It was a long and strenuous hike, but we were headed toward our reward - a waterfall high on the mountain!

Seth kept finding creatures along the way. He thinks this is great. I think it is great as long as I do not have to touch them. :-)

I loved the huge boulders!

The occasional view of the countryside was fabulous! And it all seemed so worthwhile as we climbed - heading for the beautiful waterfall in the mountains.

Several hours and miles later, this was the "beautiful" mountain waterfall we ascended to view! You have to look hard to find the thing! I hid my disappointment as my Dad went off on a humorous rant on how he could make a better waterfall with a hose. I had forgotten to take into account the awful drought and how it would have affected the waterfall! My Dad gave me a good laugh though. Poor guy! He said it was abuse to drag a 59 year old up a mountain to see that! :-)

Another picture of my cutie patootie.

Field trip time to Roper Mountain Science Center in Greenville. I love history, so this is my kind of thing.

Ginning cotton at the farm.
A scene from one of the Civil War reenactments we saw.
Another picture of my cutie patootie eating from a "big boy" plate for the first time.
Ahhhh - the lake at this time of year! Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?!
Attending a Greenville Chorale concert where "Daddy" was singing.

The boys and their kind Dad who agreed to sleep on the hard bumpy ground with them for a night.

And now you know. . .the rest of the story.

And what a wonderful time we had!

2008-11-13T19:55:00.012-05:00

Ahhhh. . .the ocean was so beautiful. I wish I could have bottled up the sounds and scope of it to bring home with me. Brought enough of the sand, but that wasn't what I was after!

We left on October 27th and returned home on November 3rd. All made possible in part by the beauty of homeschooling. :-) You can see the joy oozing from the boys' faces as they studied down the highway!

It was a busy and eventful week; one big milestone being the little lad reaching the one year old mark. We all may pause to sniff now! Hard to believe. Seems I was just on bedrest.

Time with friends was the best! We had such a good time catching up with "old" ones such as the Davises, Howards, Goings. . . What a great time I had MIRLing with bloggers. I always get a laugh when someone asks if I am tales of a castle! :-) You never know who is lurking. . .

Ethan thought Jim and Fredde's place was a little bit of Heaven. Here is the dear boy (as Buzz Lightyear) getting a motorcycle ride.

Bless all the people that entertained Silas so I could finish meals. :-) I missed the highchair.

And this one is for Aimee. I am not photogenic, and flash has always been my enemy. At least my dear picture partner found my blinking to be humorous.

Whew! Mission accomplished!

This charming picture of the ocean was taken on the day I got up to "see the sunrise." Hmmm. Just my luck - a rainstorm instead. :-)

My other bit of luck was to bring cooler weather and wind. While Floridians were loving the fact it was in the 40's one night, I was not. We looked like such diehards (along with the fishermen) on the beach. I am sure the lifeguard thought we were nuts as I tried to keep the boys warm while they played. Later in the week it warmed a bit. I even managed to sunburn my poor children.

What is cuter than baby toes in the sand?!

The little boy who wanted to make a sand castle by the ocean. (Sorry I do not have a picture of the good one we built.)
Bring it on. The Castle boys being brave when Daddy was close to them!

My family in foam.

My family in sand.

For all of you that miss the ocean. . .enjoy a few waves (and loud gusty winds) on me :-)

Tale. . .er. . .Poem of a Trip

2008-11-08T22:45:00.006-05:00

We did a whole "lotta" laughin'

and a whole "lotta" eatin'

and a whole "lotta" diggin' in the sand.

There was a whole "lotta" singin'

and a whole "lotta" playin'

and our time in Florida was grand!

Okay, okay! I'll stick to the piano and leave poetry alone. :-) More pictures and details later. Have a blessed Sunday.

I bid you all adieu.

2008-10-25T11:01:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time, in a far, far away land, there lived a little boy who loved to play in the sand.

He loved it so much that he would play in it for hours and hours building roads, towns, lakes, and anything his big imagination could muster.

One day that little boy told his Mother that he would love to build a sandcastle by the ocean. He told this to her day after day after day, for he is a very persistent little boy. As all Mothers do, she wanted to make this dream come true, and when the little boy's Father was invited to speak at a Bible college near the ocean, she devised a plan. . .

Right now, the little boy's Mother is busy working (minus a blogging break :-) to pack suitcases to prepare for the long awaited trip to an even farther away land - a land that is on the edge of the little boy's country.

And when next week commences, the Mother hopes that the little boy will be able to fulfill his dream of making a sandcastle by the ocean.

The end.

Fallin' off the wagon!

2008-10-23T10:55:00.002-04:00

I will sheepishly type that I have been sleeping a bit longer lately. In a moment of total truth, I must admit that mornings are a lot harder to enjoy when the house is cold, and the world is still dark. :-( It is almost enough to make me want to start drinking coffee! I really need to think of ways to convince myself that this is just as enjoyable as a glorious summer morning! Any ideas?

Why do I do this?!

2008-10-20T11:41:00.003-04:00

My house is a wreck at the beginning of the week. It does not seem to matter how spotless it is on Saturday evening; the in and out of Sunday traffic, plopping bags/purses/coolers on the floor when arriving home, and exhausted falling into bed does not leave a pretty sight for Monday morning. I have laundry "coming out my ears," piles of dishes, all sorts of things to put away, bills to pay, phone calls to make, bathroom to clean, a van to empty, meals to prepare, school to plan, paperwork that must be tended to, suitcases to empty (Troy and I got away for a night.), kids that need lovin' (Grandpa and Grandma just left after a week, and one boy is crying.), a Connect Four game to play with a sad boy. . .and I am sitting on the computer reading blogs! :-)

One day I'll get my act together! For now, I will go enjoy more fudge that my Mom made. Oh yeah. . .I will also put the wet clothes in the dryer.

Happy Monday!

Covering my back!

2008-10-13T15:28:00.003-04:00

The Basketball Boy has kindly updated his blog for the sake of those who like to know what we're doing. :-) I am pleased to send you his way as he gives a cute look at some of the extras in our lives. He even beat me at posting videos! I think some young cousins might have fun watching them.

Enjoy.

Pardon the construction. . .

2008-10-09T09:22:00.001-04:00

as I work through getting Google ads set up on this blog.

What a sneaky wife I am!

2008-10-04T09:20:00.003-04:00

the Surprised

the Surprisers

Surprised, Surprisers, and Sneaky Wife

the totally overloaded with chocolate torte

My sly and sneaky ~~almost criminal~~ ways came in handy as I hosted a birthday dinner for Troy. Several of his BJ friends were able to help with the plans, and we had a grand time surprising him. (He might have removed the Curious George band aid had he known we were having company. :-)

Troy, my wish is that this night will always be a special memory!

tales of . . .

2008-09-25T11:33:00.011-04:00

compassion ~ Of all the good character traits floating around out there, this is one that I try very hard to instill in our boys. It is so easy to take for granted the things we enjoy! Each morning during our prayer time, I am careful to thank God that we have a home, beds, clothing, and food; things which many of the world and some in our own country do not have. As of late, the boys and I have been working on "compassion" projects following one of the character traits we are studying in this incredible book. As Americans, I think it is easy to see what we do not have rather than viewing life through the lens of blessings and contentment. As the old saying goes, "Riches won't make you happy." Through our studies we have discovered a beautiful definition of compassion ~ "Feeling others' hurts enough to do something for them which may not be convenient for me." That is powerful! It is easy to give when we do not have to extend at all, but as David stated, we should not give to the Lord that which costs us nothing! Admittedly, God is working on me in this area. Due to our commitment that I will be at home with our children, we have done a lot of scraping while Troy was in grad school. And it was scraping like you couldn't imagine! :-) Yet. . .we are still better off than most of the world! Through this experience, I feel like I have been gently reminded of how little I really need to live, and that true treasures are stored in Heaven - not in the house in which we live, the car we drive, or the clothes we wear. Yes, I think we should do our best to be presentable to promote a good testimony, but it is easy to carry that too far. So, ~~to make a long story short~~ to keep a long post long, I have decided to always have the boys work on a compassion project. Bless their little hearts, they have been raking leaves, doing other outside work,

making snowcones to sell to the neighbors,
baking cookies to raise extra money,

and then baking some more cookies. They have also been blessed by some who "let the kids keep the change." :-)

The boys were thrilled to reach their first goal:

Food for Poor Family, Iran

$25.00

Many Iranian Christians lose their jobs when they become believers. With no one willing to hire them, Christians find it extremely difficult to care for their families. Your gift will go toward items such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, tea, and other essentials for one family, helping them through difficult times.

The second is still a work in progress but is through this organization. They were so excited to go to the store and purchase many items for other children. I love seeing the happiness they receive just thinking about the joy they will bring to complete strangers in another part of the world. I hope they never forget that feeling. . .

May this bring you

2008-09-13T18:32:00.003-04:00

as many laughs as it did us!

Enjoy!

The youngest 9-1-1 caller

2008-09-08T17:11:00.003-04:00

Two guesses as to which son just received the honor!
P.S. I am so embarrassed!

Making dreams come true

2008-09-08T09:23:00.007-04:00

On Friday, I ended the blissful sleep of two boys.

What a mean mother I am! :-)

It was a good trade though as we hopped in the van and headed for. . .

Tweetsie Railroad!

For months, Ethan had begged to ride on a train and a Ferris wheel,

and I actually found a place to make those wishes come to pass.

I cannot remember the last time I was so

excited about taking the boys somewhere!

Their reaction was no disappointment as they

fell in love with the place and want to return.

It was a day filled with -

~ train rides,~

~drama along the train route,~

~lots of historical pieces,~
~Lone Ranger and Tonto,~
~jail time,~
~picnic,~

~rides,~
~rides,~
~and more rides.

Ethan was bursting with anticipation

as he slid into the seat of the Ferris wheel!~

~Lots of slobber from the petting zoo.~
~At the end of the day, we had a
very tired (and cinder speckled) traveler.~

As we drove home in the midst of two boys' happy chatter,
I couldn't help but think that just as we love our children
He also delights in bringing us the desires of our hearts!
And that, my friends, is a beautiful thought!

For another perspective, you can visit this blog.

Yup! He's a boy!

2008-08-24T23:59:00.003-04:00

He doesn't care for green veggies. In fact, he cried when we gave him peas, but during a wagon ride on Friday, I caught him eating dead leaves. And he wasn't crying. Nope! Not a bit. He almost seemed to enjoy them. Dead and brown and crunchy and curled up and nasty looking.

Think I'll take the peas.

291 days later,

2008-08-20T11:21:00.005-04:00

he's at the top of the charts - for his weight and height anyway. Yesterday, Silas weighed in at a whopping 24 lbs/6 oz (92%tile) and measured 31.25" (98.7%tile). He has been sporting eight teeth for at least a month, and he is doing very well with his developmental skills. Sight/hearing are fine. I think his favorite sight is Mommy, and favorite noise is music. :-) The only area where there is a slight concern is his leg muscles. Silas loves to kick and moves them well, but he refuses to stand. Even when you hold him up, he will pull his legs to a sitting position which looks as if he has an invisible chair. Rather funny! So, as to give him a little boost, he will see a therapist who can target those muscles. We are very pleased that his lung development, our original fear, appears fine!
My happy/clapping, chubby/thighed, huggin'/lovin' boy! (This picture is for you, Susan M. :-)