Lahloos and Other Tales

Kickbutt gym workout!!!

Despite the fact that my gym partner ditched me...(really she just headed back to school and joined the swim team...its what ya get for having a 16 year old gym buddy!!!) I have put in our day planner to hit the gym 5 days a week...if its not in the book then it won't get done!!!!  So..every day I am going to the gym...I stared last week and made it over the first weekend hump...

Tonight my gym had a free "ball and band" class...KICK BUTT AWESOME!!!! We used the bands, med balls and other balls to do all sorts of great things to do...curls, criss crosses, planks, etc...needless to say it was a great 45 minutes of active cardio and moving!!!!  I feel great...sore in all the right places...

In other news...we are TOO busy...we are putting in way too much time at work...and most of it isn't with kids!!!  That is a problem in my book...I should be with kids not stuck in the office doing mindless paperwork....but we will get it all worked out...it doesn't help that we came into this job playing catch up and haven't been able to stop...its been a long 7 months...we have wracked up weeks of comp. time and no time to take some time off!!!  Now pumpkin patch starts Saturday and it seems there is no end in site!!!! 

The kiddos are doing great...Noah is all boy...and his newest thing is fart noises....all the time!!! We are staring Isaac on potty training...so far one pee on the carpet and NOTHING in the potty..you might say we are 0-1.  Keighley is still getting used to all the changes of Noah being at school all day and a few of her friends not being in her class any more.  She also wants confirmation that she can marry Noah for real.  Isaac wants to marry Rick...so we are working out a few things.  

Toby continues to crawl and pull him self up..to include pulling all the alphabet magents off the fridge at all possible times!!! 

Im off to watch a movie...We are Marshall or Becoming Jane!!!!! 

I love my job

I love my job!!!  What other job can you hang out at a coffee shop for two hours with 8 teenage girls gabbing, chatting and cathcing up on life and get paid for it????  NONE!!! 

Tonight was our girls small group and we had a blast!!!  Its more like hanging out with a purpose...the purpouse of getting to know each other and talk about girl stuff...boys, parents, school, etc...it was AWESOME....its a great group of girls...they are just plain fun to be around...I don't know if they would all be friends if they went to the same school...but that is what makes it great! 

In other news....Toby has pulled himself to standing!!!!  He is also now crawling on all fours instead of army crawling...Keighley is officially four and has declared herself a BIG GIRL...who can do all things that Noah can...even though she can't figure out how to peddle her bike.  Isaac has annouced that he is offically three (even though he's not until the end of janurary) and decided that he can jump off the porch and onto the sidewalk barefoot and not get hurt...why..b/c Noah can!  Noah is still enjoying Kinder...He is a tad bored thoughout the day..but..he is picking up reading VERY FAST!!!!He proudly boasts...I can read now!  Which he can...select word families and all the "books" he brings home from class...

We have a busy day tomorrow...but we love it...we had fun planning Sunday school this week...we are trying to do a new take on the Exodus story...so we are doing a CSI like evidence room where kids have to guess the story by the evidence...then we are doing an actual Seder meal...Youth Group will be equally as fun...

Ok...off to bed!

Pumpkins are coming....

 Every year our church is the site of a Pumpkin Patch...you may think this to be cute and awww so sweet....but really its a HUGE deal. 

Not only does the youth ministry get all the profit (specifically for youth missions!!!) but it is a HUGE out reach to the entire community.  Several years ago, when it started it broke down the barriers that led people in the community to believe that we were a snooty church. 

This is the first year for us to be part of the Patch.  Its a lot of work...there are rules...Pumpkin patch is a national origaization...we are the only patch allowed in a 25-50 mile radius...there are certian things we have to do in order to have a patch etc... aside from that we also invite local elementary schools to come and have story time in the patch and we are open for business from 9am to dark for the ENTIRE month of October!!!!! 

The past youth directors have not had a good relationship with the patch...they have basically avoided it at all costs.  The youth have not really been involved and its created a bitterness between those who run it and the youth....(there are lots of ways to slove this problem and lots of ways in which it could have been avoided....but this is not the place for that discussion!!!)  This year, however, things are different...

The youth who want to go on our missions trips this year are required to work at least 10 hours inthe patch!!!  We figure that if they directly benefit from the $$ they should have to "work" for it.  We raise a few thousand a year!!!! 

Needless to say...October is a BUSY month for us...one of us will be at the Patch part of every day... there are records to keep, pumpkins to sell, volueteers to organize...and a sloo of other details to get ready for. 

Supposdedly all of this is getting passed down to us next year....the couple who started this are still In Charge...and I am attempting to keep them in place for a few more years...they have all of these details down to a science...and we are pumpkin patch innocents..NO CLUE WHAT TO DO really!!! 

Just wanted to warn all of my faithful readers that if you don't hear from me for a while I have been swallowed up by the pumpkins...

Holey SHMOLEY!!!!

Last Wednesday (Keighley's birthday to be exact!!)  I was on my normal morning routine...which meant getting up, packing Noah's lunch, helping get the other kiddos breakfast (Rick usually does breakfast duty..) getting kids dressed (or at least helping them pick out clothes) and taking Noah to school... For whatever comfort reason Noah picked me to be the dropper offer and Rick to be the picker upper...

Three blocks down our street is a stop sign where we make our right turn to head off to Noah's school....as I approched the stop my brakes did not offer any braking power....I had NONE!!!!!  I said to Noah..."Hang on.." all the while thinking in my head "I HAVE NO BRAKES WE ARE GOING TO GET HIT BIG TIME!!!!"  Cars honking and swerving...(thankfully I was not going fast and the other cars were coming out of a red light, so they were not going fast either!!!!) I was able to pull into a parking lot (of our local tattoo parlor!!) and call Rick...I didn't have my moblie phone so I had to go inside...

Noah and I walked home and Rick had the bike ready with the carriage and off they went to take Noah to school.... I was a little shakey but we were all unscathed... Rick got home and off I went taking Keighley and Isaac to the church for preschool...I spent the rest of the morning at the office doing our nomral office stuff...Rick stayed home with Toby taking care of getting the van towed and working it all out with the garage etc. 

The bottom line is we were out our only vehicle... we had our bikes with the carriages...we could get around...but not ideal for the highway or in bad weather...

While I was at the office Rick hopped on line...we always said next time we bought a van it would be a Honda...he "built" our dream van...the final cost was WAY too much....there was a "Pre-owned" tab and he clicked through and found the same car he had just built....it was a 2007....fully certified and guarenteed...and it was a decent price with only 30,000 miles on it!!!!  The dealer was 30 minutes away...we borrowd a friend's car and off we went!!!! 

We are now the proud owners of our 1st ever NEW van!!! It still had the new car smell (which I found out you can now buy in the spray version!!!) We are still in new car shock...never ever ever thought we'd own a car newer than a 96' (which is what we had!!!)  God is good...right place, right price...good financing etc!!! 

We are keeping the old van...Rick needs a "truck" for tree work etc...and its perfect for that...also we might need to be two places at the same time with a few kids!!!  We are excited... The top picture is our NEW van!!! 

Keighley

Four years ago today I was in Queen Mary Hospital having just given birth to our baby girl.  This was to by my first and last overseas birth experience...it was just like Noah's only totally differnt.  I had a c-section again...but everything to the ward style hosptial, to the too small beds, to the nurse Wratchet nurses, to waiting prepped on the OR table 30 minutes until the surgeon came, to siging that I would indeed take Keighley despite the fact she was a girl, to getting NO support for breast feeding, to being discharged two days early to have to come back a day later and Keighley rushed off b/c she was Jaundiced and not being allowed to use a hospital breast pump...to taking her home and keeping her on the window sill naked to get the extra Vitimin K...to her only being 5.5lbs at birth and being scared of how teeny tiny she was.....

Now...Four years later...my baby girl is a girl who loves all things pink and roayl.  Who will play   thomas, pirate and dump trunk so long as she can be dressed to the hilt in gowns and heels.  Who loves her brothers fiercely and when given the choice will choose them over any other playmates.  Who loves to read, sing, dance and laugh.  A girl who loves the park, the pool and our yard equally.  Who loves to learn, count, do puzzles and watch 12 dancing princesses.  Who loves to climb, play soccer, and do ballet.  A girl who shows excitment with every fiber of her being and can't not giggle.  She loves school..her teachers...spanish class and center time.  Who hates change. And loves to huggle. 

I am so proud to be Keighley's mommy.  I love you baby girl!  Happy Birthday!

The long night

Yesterday was a long work day for me.  I did some office stuff and staff meeting in the morning.  Met with a parent for lunch and then headed off to watch high school volleyball (four girls from the youth group are on 4 different teams at the local school) Then I went to work out with my workout buddy.  I got home at 8:15pm

During our staff meeting I was repremanded with a tone of voice and a condesending remark and it really hurt my feelings.  Becasue I had this early lunch I could not clear up the situation right after the meeting...so I have been stewing and it kept me up most of the night.  Its really frustrating..

So...Rick let me sleep in taking all the kid duty this morning...diapers, breakfast, packing a lunch, getting kids changed all of...it was nice to sleep until 7:30am....I only fell alseep at 5:40am!!!  I still was doing my run to Noah's school to drop him off.  At the end of our street is a stop sign...as I applied the brake...there was none!!

I coasted through the stop and was almost  hit by a car...I had no emergency break either!!!  I quickly righted myself and pulled into the nearest parking lot and coasted to a stop....I was a little shaken up...and Noah was a little worried. 

We locked up and walked home...

Rick drove Noah to school in the bike carraige...I got the kids dressed to ride bike in 60 degree weather....and now off we go to the church!!!!  $$ for brakes and I JUST WANT A NEW VAN!!!!!

No rain, no wind...a great night!!

When we first met our friends Dale and Steph in Hong Kong it was b/c they were taking us out to this great Italian place in the city... it was our first week there..we were still jet lagged and a bit overwhelmed with life in the city.  Noah was just 9 months old and we knew no one!!  They annouced to us that we were going to Fat Angelo's and one of them rode in our taxi just to make sure we got there ok. 

IT was a great afternoon and the start of a great friendship.  They were Americans...they also had three boys...(another one was born about a year later!)  They are great parents.  They taught us a lot...by which I mean we stole a lot of what we do with our kids and how we parent from them!!!! 

One of the best things they do and now we do too is the whole idea of effecting change by yoru attitude.  We don't always like what we have to do...be it singing a song in church that you don't like, eating your peas, saying goodbye to someone, or having self-control not to scream and yell at the table... what do you do????  You CHOOSE JOY....

Being joyful when good things are happening is easy....who doesn't like the sunny good days??? Its finding that joy and choosing that joy when things don't go your way that makes all the difference!  If you ask any of our kids the question "What do you think you should do? They will answer "Choose joy!" (IF you ask Dale and Steph kids the same question you'll get the same answer!!!) 

That is what Youth group was all about tonight...how can we set our minds on what is good, noble, and right...and effect change in ourselves and others by choosing joy???!!!!!!!  It was a GREAT NIGHT!!! 

Ike passed us by...we didn't get a drop of rain or a gust of wind...Houston is another story!!  Our shelter closed and all the people got back to their homes safe and sound.  Our shelter staff is EXHAUSTED!!!  But it all went really well...

Well..its bed time..and a school night..there are diapers, kisses and songs and prayers all waiting for me... tomorrow is another day off....whew...its been a long week!

No Bad Things to happen..

It would seem that we will not even get heavy rains due to Ike!!!  This is good...the path seems to have shifted and is hitting Houston head on...and then slowing down and downpour of the South East (LA, MS, KY)  But Seguin will not be getting any effects!  For this I am grateful...

All the kids have colds...Keighley's voices is scratcy...but she sounds wicked cute...its a little deeper than normal....Issac and Toby are teething...so is Noah for that matter (his 6 year old molars are coming in!!!)  They are all kind of gretzy...but we are going to the park this morning to cure all their woes. 

Our church is a shelter....its a pretty amazing site...the crew came in and converted our Christian life Center into a 100 bed shelter...to include five hostipal beds for those that need them...the shelter includes a docotor, nurse, a handful of voulenteers and about 40 people with special needs  who were not in facilites... I was there yesterday filling the coke machine!! There is a good chance they will remain there until Monday when it is decided it is safe for them to return home. 

In the meantime...I must go get ready for the park!

Ike is on the way...

We are about to get slammed!!! The coast of TX is being evacuated...some to our church since we are now an official shelter (one of the coolest things our church does!!!) Winds, rain etc could/will hit Seguin.... this is weather I am just not used to.  Sure, growing up in PA we had bad storms...but I don't remember being worried that my house would stand if high winds ever came through.... in Hong Kong we had the typhoon warnings..but again I don't remember being afraid..just annoyed that they shut the harbor down....

Anyway...its coming our way...tonight and tomorrow...

In the meantime, we are enjoying our netflix and watching Toby figure out kneeling and crawling.  Rick is off to his first day of class (Teacher Cert. "Leraning Process"/ed pysch) He's excited and so am I.  I wish that I was back in school too...yeah..but not really! 

Noah continues to enjoy school...he's a champ at reading...and enjoys the different class projects..the newest one being flat Stanley....

Toby is starting to talk, kneel, crawl (the normal way) and eat real people food...he isn't drinking from a cup yet...but working on the straw...

Isaac is still in love with all things Thomas...he has also taken on a "dress up name" Billy...he puts this hat on backwords and won't answer to anything but Billy. 

Keighley really likes her class this year...and has made two new girlfriends...Ashley and Alexia...they are cute..a year younger than Keighley and 6 inches taller.... cute..and sweet girls.  Keighley LOVES them!  She also is mastering writing her name...our fault that we gave her such a long and hard to spell name.  She'll be FOUR next week!!!!!  Tinkerbell cake is in the works. 

I need to get dinner on the table...we are in for an early bedtime b/c of our early mornings....Im not sure what I will make....Then it is a mass playroom cleaning and book reading...too much to do and too little time! 

Must go now....

I learned it on my geo-safari mircoscope....

The other day Noah was rambling off facts about a bug...things like what it eats, how long it lives and what its wing span is... Rick and I looked at each other as each fact was told in such an expert way.... we said where did you learn that kiddo? 

"I learned it on my geo-safari mircoscope."

Noah is loving school!  He brings home these "books" that they have made books called 'My T book" and they are to read them to us by themselves.  Noah is doing a great job!!!  He's got all of his site words down.  This morning on the way to school he said "Mommy, its a good thing I know how to read now!"   Its a long day and he comes home really tired...but the first thing we do is get a sncak...then play...then read for homework...then play, eat and bath time.  WE are all figuring it out. 

The rest of us are well.  Last week was super busy....but good b/c Rick got a HUGE tree job!!!  Sunday night youth group is really coming together.  We prayed for 8 adult leaders and we got 7!!!!!  Last night was awesome..there were 31 kids there....soon we will need more leaders..but for this week we were good.  We aren't number counters....but our first week here there were 8 kids...God is at work here in Seguin and its fun to be a long for the ride! 

I have a wisdom tooth coming in....it hurts..so Toby and I are teething...we don't have dental...so I will have to wait to get it out.  Bummer!! 

We are finishing up our day off...the kids are in bed...the kitchen and Living room are blitzed and the laundry is 1/2 down...only 8 loads this week...

Off to veg a little before I crash..but I did get three "new" books from the library.  Im excited!!!