Lots of good things

     I really wish I would have posted sooner than this. I was so close on Thursday. I downloaded and then deleted my camera card and had all kinds of good things to write about...but like so often happens, life happened, and I never wrote that post. Friday night our hard drive crashed and burned...and since we have not backed it up since January 3rd, my pictures and videos from then until now are gone. Thank goodness for this blog and the few pics I put on Facebook. Without those all of my photo memories from these past few months would be lost. In early November we lost our operating system. Most of that was retrievable, and all of our pics and videos were saved. This time, with losing the hard drive, only time will tell. It's at the computer store in the hands of a tech.

     So if things come in threes, I hope we are done. We are forking over too much money on our basement radon fix, our money-sucking Suburban, and now our computer. It's the stuff of life, the way things go sometimes. I know all of that. But I get so weary of it. And losing pictures and videos of our life makes me feel physically ill. Why? Because capturing those moments gives me tangible proof that they ever occurred in the first place. Recently we've been transferring our old video tapes--yes, tapes--to our DVR. This allows Derek to burn them onto DVD's. Watching our babies and toddlers and our little boy who refused to say he was 7--he insisted his age was "almost 8!"--watching them on those tapes feels like entering a time machine. I love it. These days, then and now, are so fleeting. I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time...and so I watch my memories play out on a screen and I feel like I have all of the pieces of my heart put together in those moments. That's why it's so important to me.

     So, now what? Where have we been since I last wrote on February 19th? Lots of good things have been going on. Normal, everyday things. A dental visit with no cavities X5, a bathroom transformation, wrapping up the 3rd quarter of school, movie nights, a visit from my parents, band concerts, an award assembly, a date with Derek while my parents and kids cheered as we walked out the door, shopping with Mom, treats at restaurants, a backyard fire in the fire pit, lots of basketball in the driveway, baseball at the track, and several glorious 70 degree days. And no matter what I have or don't have in pictures, I have it all in my heart. :)

Much Needed Laughter

The past 12 days have reminded me that life can be NOT fun sometimes. Like when Derek has a stomach virus that lasts and lasts and lasts. A long-hoped for weekend together as a family crumbles, while poor Derek tries to recover. And when we fork over big bucks for a radon mitigation system. The cost to remove an odorless (yet deadly) gas from our basement makes our money as invisible as the radon we're hoping to remove. And when Derek responds to a traffic accident in town at the end of his shift, discovering the fatality to be a 9 year old boy.

That is just a sampling of what's come our way recently. We all have days like this. Days that don't turn out the way we hoped they would. Sometimes they come in waves, like they recently did for me. And then there's the unspeakable pain of losing a son. My heart is beyond heavy for this family. I also picture his 3rd grade class sitting there alongside his empty desk, with unfinished projects scattered about the room. His age hits close to home for me, obviously.

What do we do, then? For me, no matter the circumstance, one thought continually runs through my head. "Do the next thing, Sarah." And one thing leads to the next, and the next, and I'm responding to my circumstance rather than reacting to it. The devastating blow this family has been dealt is in a different category all together. I give them and their pain and their loss and their anguish and their deep, deep sorrow over to God. I am not big enough or strong enough to carry that. I can't even hold that kind of pain in my heart.

And then? In the moment I least expect it, God gives us LAUGHTER! Yes, I'm finally moving into a much more upbeat blog post. :) 

Bedtime with boys sharing a bedroom and a bathroom has always always always been a challenge. I am real and honest with how things are, and let me tell you, it is not my favorite time of the day. The other night I began to hear the typical fighting begin. But instead of getting upset with the kids, I sat in the living room and simply listened. It was like a wave of peace flooded my soul and it was AWESOME. Then I heard what they were saying. And then I LAUGHED!

One child shouting to another:

"You rubbed your underwear all over my blanket?! Now I can't sleep with it! It would be like sleeping with your butt in my face! For payback I am rubbing my underwear all over your desk!!!"

I couldn't help myself--this was FUNNY!!!

To try and help this child realize his blanket wasn't contaminated, I showed him how I could bury my face in it to prove it's okay to still sleep with it. He was appalled that I would do that after it had been touched by his brother's underwear, and in his mind, his butt. Oh son, you have NO idea what it's like to be a mommy. I am so beyond gross things. :)

I washed the blanket yesterday and all is right with his world again. Derek and I also told both boys that they are never to rub their dirty underwear on anything ever again. And then I turned around and laughed. :)

Here are some pictures from our much more enjoyable times during the past 12 days. :)

Kaleb showed me his and Aaron's igloos before they quickly melted.

Cookie valentines :)

Trying out Great Grandma's typewriter

Our Valentine visit to see Great Grandma

I love pink roses, so Derek bought 12 for me and placed them in 5 vases around the house.

Aaron's doing a space unit in school so these jammies are current favorites!

Making more rubber band creations

What Aaron does when he's bored? I will never understand...

Much to the boys' delight, we spent a day at the cabin so they could drive the 4-wheelers. I sat on the truck's tailgate and read a book, since it was a beautiful day. 

One more funny for today. Ginger listens to Derek but not really to anyone else. Kaleb was telling her something and she ignored his command, so he said to her, "Do you speak Spanish?" That must be it. Next time I will give her a command in Spanish and she just might listen to me. :) Or maybe in German?!!

For the Love of My Valentines

I am not a hater of Valentine's Day. I like the pink and red hearts, the pink and red M&M's, and the cute little cards exchanged at school. I like setting aside one day to celebrate the loves I have in my life. The love of my husband, the love of my children, and the love of my family and friends.

That being said, I don't buy into the whole idea of going overboard, either. Expecting a dozen roses and dinner for 2 just because it's February 14th? I learned long ago to celebrate the event--no matter the date you celebrate it on. Derek and I are blessed with days at home together when he is off work and the kids are in school, so we don't feel like we need an evening "out." Especially on Valentine's Day--when everything is crowded and prices are high.

So what do I like on Valentine's Day? To be thought of. To be noticed. To be remembered. So that is what I try to do for my men at home, big and little. :) Like I do every year, I will make them loads of heart-shaped cookies. What better way to treat the boys in my life than with cookies? :)

Notice Ginger is photo-bombing my picture!

What do the boys in my life think of Valentine's Day? Not much, honestly. And the opinions I do hear from them are filled with moans and groans. I've discovered that a man's dislike of Valentine's Day starts when he is very young. He is given the assignment of writing Valentine's Day cards to everyone in his class, and by the way--he has to write them all in cursive because his teacher says that's great practice. He tries to pick out the boring and non-affectionate cards for the girls in his class, just in case they read the cards and get any ideas in their heads that he likes them. (He doesn't.) These are some of the things I heard Aaron say while he was completing this oh-so-fun assignment.

"The only thing I like about Valentine's Day is the party at school. I don't even like the party that much, but it takes up a school day. It's really my least favorite party all year."

"Do I have to give a card to this girl, Mom? She already likes me and I don't like her."

"Ugh, how do you make a cursive upper-case T? Or B? Or H? UGH!!!"

I finally left him alone at the table and let him work out his frustrations in solitude. Kaleb is absolutely LOVING the fact that in 6th grade this dreaded chore is no longer required. Braylen had to make Spanish valentines for Spanish class. He did the bare minimum to get by, using red scratch paper from Aaron's craft tote and taped old Halloween candy to them.

Aaron redeemed the holiday a little bit with his Valentine's box, which Derek helped him make. In Aaron's mind, this is the ONLY good thing about Valentine's Day. :)

Awesome tank, Aaron!

Oh, how I love to laugh with my boys and my husband over this silly holiday. I also try and teach my boys that one day they WILL have a special girl in their life, and they better let her know they are thinking of her, noticing her, and remembering her--yes, even on Valentine's Day. And they can practice with me. :) Right, Derek?!!

A Long Time Coming

Where is all our snow this winter? Temperature swings, sunny days, WIND--we've had all of that. But snow? No. The Great Lakes region and East Coast have hogged it all. I bet they would gladly share--but obviously that's not how it works.

Well, we FINALLY received a few inches of snow the other day! Braylen shoveled our driveway before school without being asked. I love my servant heart son! Kaleb joined him just in time to shovel the street, telling me he made it easier for me to back out of the driveway. All-righty then! I love you too, Kaleb! :) Aaron and Kaleb bundled up to play outside on Saturday and I believe they were out there for hours. Braylen was at an all-day honors band event, so more fun in the snow for him had to wait until Sunday. Derek took him and Kaleb sledding while poor Aaron stayed home not feeling well. Anyway--we are thankful for the little snow we received and are making the most of it. Notice in my pictures the sun is shining? :)

Kaleb building his fort

Aaron's fort

Another much more important event has taken place in our lives recently. Like the snow, it is something we have been waiting a long time for. We have prayed for years for this. Twice the answer has been "no." But this time, after what we thought was another "no" at Christmas, God gave us a "yes!"

Derek has been promoted to a sergeant position within his police department. :) He tested and interviewed for this position--it is quite a lengthy process. He was up against some great competition. We had no idea if this was God's plan for him or not. We prayed a million times for God's best--whatever that looks like. The answer came through last week and I am SO SO SO happy for my husband! 

In all of our excitement, I am not keeping my head in the clouds here. I am convinced that this job assignment, although a promotion, will come at great cost to Derek, and to our family. What it looks like down the road, only God knows. But like the old saying goes, "God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called." And so we rely on Him to be everything we need--our leader, companion, helper, and guide.

I have a few funnies from the kids recently. Kaleb and Aaron are both fighting colds. The other night at supper Kaleb said, "My nose is so stuffy I can't even smell my stinky feet!" For some reason, when my middle school boys wear black socks their feet REEK! For the record, I could smell his feet just fine, lucky me.

Aaron has always had lots to say. He has lots of questions and deep thoughts, and he processes things out loud. I love it and dread it at the same time. :) In one of his verbal moments he told me, "Life would be boring without words." Indeed.

At bedtime one night, Aaron asked me who was older--me or Braylen? Oooookay, there are SO many ways I could have answered that question. I took the direct route and simply said, "Me. Now get in bed and let's say your prayers." Why on earth my 9 year old son had to even ask me that question is beyond me! We must keep him up too late at night. :)

Speaking of night--only 2 more night shifts for Derek and then he's back to days for a while. Yippee, we are all ready for that!!!!!!