Grilled Cheese and Treadmills

I'm thankful for Grilled Cheese sandwiches. God is so good to have given someone the creativity to come up with them. I just like them.
I'm also thankful for Treadmills and Elliptical machines. I will admit, I would prefer sitting down with a good book and a small box of chocolates. I am learning to enjoy exercise too, although it is coming along much slower than even I would care to admit.

A Taste of Growing Up

Yesterday Chandler gave us reason to chuckle. She is learning the blending sounds of different letters (au, aw, ing, ang, ong, ou, etc). We were playing a game where each sound is attached to a colorful, little duck's back. When you call out the sound you get to 'catch' the duck. She was down to the last one, and the sound was not coming to her easily. So she sighs, looks over, and says quite seriously, "And I thought pink was my friend."
She also gave us a taste of our children growing up: We had arrived at Church for Awana.
Chandler: "Mom, could you drop us off!"
Mom: I'm going to park the car, there isn't any reason to drop you off."
Chandler: "I know, but I want to get out by myself and be dropped off. PLLLLEASE!"
I proceeded to pull the car over near the gym, she hugged & kissed, said goodbye, and hopped out. Harrison still sat in his seat. He was then asked to escort his sister to the chapel.
Later, I was talking with another mom about how our first born has to be encouraged to do something, partly because it suddenly dawns on you that they are indeed old enough to...?.. while your second is chomping at the bit to follow in the steps of the eldest.

Christmas Pictures

Ok, so I'm a little late doing this post. We spent an hour setting up pictures to take for the christmas card. (if you didn't get one...sorry...I ran out of cards)

Here are just a few of the shots done. Again - digital cameras are great! Some 95 shots and only about 5 saved. Two kids both smiling, looking at the lense, eyes open, and not killing each other. Quite a challenge. I don't know how those who have more kids do it?!

Fried Turkey and Fireplaces

Having friends over is a weekly tradition for our family. Fellowshipping with like minded people is a treasure we are truly gifted by God. [Christmas was wonderful, don't get me wrong. Our Family, I wouldn't trade for the world. We enjoy hanging out with them often. Previous posts prove that.] Last night though we had friends, who are quickly becoming like family, over. We were trained in the art of frying a turkey. Boy do they taste good when done right! Throw in a bunch of sliced potatoes and onions afterwards and you have some good eatin. After dinner we enjoyed a drowsy sit by the fire playing musical chairs since only 3 chairs fit in the room where the fireplace is. We definitely need a bigger fireplace in a bigger room when the house gets redone. Which by the way will begin in March.....Lord willing and weather permits.
Fire is definitely another gift from God. Last nights 30's temps were driving us to pyro behavior. Yes, call me a wimp, but I like warmth.
Sitting in front of the fire watching it dance and spit. It is soothing to watch, and allows your mind to wander to deeper thoughts. I marvel at the creativity God has in even something as the color of flames and the way it plays over a log. Growing up I would wonder if the gates to hell looked similar to when flames dance up both sides of a log. Small pieces of bark were those who had to enter through the terrible gates. Morbid I know, but it made me consider hell and desire never to see it in reality. God uses so much in our little lives while growing up.
Well rambling thoughts are done...I'm off to cook breakfast.

The life of a cold

Having a cold is not very much fun. A stuffed up nose, tiredness, and a scratchy throat are never a real favorite. It isn't a full blown cold...just the type that you can feel sitting in your head just waiting to strike when you aren't paying attention. You aren't dead to the world nor totally well and up leaping about. My family finds it amusing that I hum when I'm coming down with something. [O come all ye faithful has the most interesting ring to it] Hey, you must know the feeling when you can hear yourself and you sound really funny. It is something to do when you shouldn't be doing anything.
Dumb movies are another. Children's cartoon's and old movies that you have seen over and over again are a big distracter. Anne of Green Gables, Mickey Mouse, You've Got Mail......When you can sit, rest, and just turn off your brain. So far today we have watched a Barbie movie (Chandler was sitting with me.) and Beverly Hills Cop...it was free at the library. It's amazing what you find hilarious when you don't feel like yourself. Played on Neopets. Haven't been on there for months. The pets were dying. Nice thing about cyber pets...nothing really can happen to them.
Well, the brain is going fuzzy
Think I'll stop

Lots of Nothingness

Tom & I had a date night. Thoroughly enjoyable (but not the reason for the post). He catered to my whim and we walked the mall to observe people. I was hoping to see the rumored fights for clothes, but 'sadly' there were none.
What I did observe, at least at the Northridge Mall, was the total lack of class. There was very little Christmas decor up and what was up --completely hokey. I also noticed the stores have changed their fronts to cater to the young, disposable income, grunge style that make up the majority of our high school student body. Even Victoria Secret, who yes, used to have more classy clothing, now showcases a line that looks like it belongs among the cheap row of stores found along Sepulveda Blvd. that carry even cheaper fabric sewn to look like it can be worn more than once as long as it isn't washed.
And what was even sadder, (is that a word?) was the people walking the mall. Many looked like zombies from a 'B' movie. Aimlessly wandering, with no apparent place to go... But with a need to empty their meager savings into pointless trinkets that catch their fancy. So goes the way of those lost souls who can never have real joy without Christ. Yet one more contrast between those who have hope and those who don't. I came home praying more fervently for those who are not saved and thankful that my joy is in the Lord and the happiness of purchasing & wrapping gifts is not my end all.

Christmas Time

Yes, it has been a busy month. Like many of you have probably had too. We kicked off the Christmas season by getting our tree. (There is a wonderful tree lot in Thousand Oaks where you can cut your own for a realistic price.) The kids have a ball. We enjoy watching them run among the trees. Oh, the fragrance is purely from the Lord! It doesn't feel like it should be Christmas till I smell the pine. ....ok call me weird. The challenge is always to find one that is narrow but tall. I always underestimate the true size of the tree and the space it is to be placed. Two years ago the tree was so wide we only had about 2 feet of opening to walk between it and the wall. Tom has to remind me, yearly, just how narrow the tree really needs to be. But the large trees are so beautiful! ....but they also would take up the entire living area. I did have the pleasure of purchasing two trees this year. We were able to get a 14 foot tall -5 foot wide tree for the ISP Christmas Pageant 'Christmas Dinner'. The tree was beautiful and perfectly imperfect. It was decorated with white lights, paper chains, popcorn strands, and candy canes. Very simple, but had its own beauty none the less. Yes, the ISP had a pageant. I can proudly say that Tom put together the script. It was quite cute. He even played Mr. Edwards in the Little House scene. Quite good, if I can brag. Even with the hic-ups throughout the play it was quite quaint and everyone appeared to enjoy it. The tavern that was set up for the dads was a huge hit. Their own personal space complete with shavings on the floor, dart boards, peanuts, and Henry Weinhard root beer. They fellowshiped, hid, and had a ball. This may become a tradition for ISP events. Chandler was in the group that sang 'Merry, Merry Christmas'. Harrison was in the nativity skit playing a New Zealand shepherd (complete with boogy board), and also joined with the group that sang 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'. The culmination of the play was the discussion between a father and his family about how gift giving is an example of how Christ gave us the gift of His life to save us. A wonderful reminder of why we do all the celebrating in the first place.

The fall months have been filled with lots of activites.

Harrison & Chandler carved pumpkins. Chandler wanted hers to be 'standing on his head'...so of course we carved him upside down. We had a post haloween party where the kids had a few friends over. We played one game - mini powdered donuts hanging from string - the goal to eat it the fastest. It didn't go over really well because one kid got his braces stuck and therefore tied to the donut. Quite amusing for the parents - not so for the child. The children then spent the evening consuming large quantities of soda and candy while watching a movie. We then sent the children home.

In November we had the opportunity to make Christmas cards for the 'shut-in' (dear older saints who are no longer able to make it to church).

The 2nd weekend I coordinated another wedding for some friends. The wedding was beautiful. It is a bizare feeling helping do the wedding of someone you used to babysit. I don't feel that old. =>

Around Thanksgiving we spent 9 days in Seattle visiting family. Cold but fun. Took a fieldtrip opportunity and did the Seattle Underground tour. The adults enjoyed it - the kids, well lets just say they didn't appreciate the historical information that was given along the way. It didn't rain for most of the days we were up there. Snow fell lightly the night before we came home, but melted by the following morning. It was a relaxing trip with no goal other than visit with the family. Wonderful!

Harrison Takes a Closer Look

Well, it happened. The Roehr & Brown vision gene took effect. Harrison needed glasses for seeing distance. He had his appointment with Dr. Beeve then later that afternoon Auntie Shannon accompanied us to Lenscrafters to pick out a pair of glasses. We had fun trying on the various styles...from big ol' bug eyed



- to the Professor Trelaney look - to Harry Potter - to the College professor - to Geek. We had quite a bit of fun. The final hip n' trendy set that Harrison chose are a cool pair of DK's with protective scratch resistance. I am so glad they give kids glasses a discount of 50%.

The Final Choice

Ooh what fun!

This past weekend we had the fun of watching Jackson for the day. It was quite a hoot to watch his little mind work. He copied the kids in just about everything. If they were laying on the floor he did too. Eating a drumstick - he wanted a bone too. A big kid cup - of course he got one just with a lid on it.

Today Chandler got her cast off. She was so excited that the SAW was going to be used on her. No fear there. ...she still may not play on anything that she might fall off of, but she can work on gaining back her mobility. Her wrist is stiff. Auntie Gretchen is going to have to suggest some exercises.