we're safe!

Our woods are safe!
Thanks to the Adventures of Robin Hood! I never anticipated that Peter would be able to read the book. It was only $1.04 and I couldn't pass it by. I thought maybe over the summer or next year he'll pick it up. I was wrong. In a matter of about 4 days our life has begun to revolve around Sheerwood forest.
Peter and Emma are spending the week with my parents. They are at "Writing camp"! My mom is helping them write their books for the PBS kids writing contest. This evening while talking to Peter on the phone he couldn't tell me enough how quiet it was there. He kept looking around for Nathan. He really missed him and Ryan too!I tried to encourage him to enjoy the quiet!

Tubes....

We took Nathan to the hospital last Wednesday for him to have tubes placed in his ears. The ENT and surgery staff were unbelievably fast. Thirty- five minutes after we said "good bye" he was back in the recovery room. He took a much needed early and long morning nap. He seemed to have slept off much of the grogginess that the surgery caused. Unfortunately, he seems to have had a virus going into surgery so he's yet to be back to 100%. At least in my opinion, Nathan's vocabulary has skyrocketed since surgery. He will now attempt to repeat words that are said to him and can put two words together. I'm thankful we decided to go ahead with the tubes. I look forward to staying out of the doctor's office for a good long while!

building

While my mother-in law was busy recovering my couch. My handy father -in- law was transforming the copy room at the church. It went from a copy room- where your store things you don't know where to put- to an office! It was an amazing transformation. Bob was patient enough to let the older kids "help" him over the 3 days he worked in the room.
It was a weekend of transformation here in Roxboro!

tattered and torn

After being in our living room for 12 and 1/2 years, bearing the brunt of 4 kids and countless people who have sat upon or even slept upon, our couch has torn.Its' not just any couch, to me it holds precious memories. It is a visual reminder of how God provides even the smallest of details to those whom He loves. I bought this couch just a few months before Philip and I were married. I bought my first piece of adult furniture with money my grandparents had given to me upon graduation from college. I bought this couch at the first place I stopped to look for couches. When I walked into the doors of the furniture store that was literally a few doors down from Philip's house, the owner said to me, "Today's your lucky day. Anything you want is 50% off". Seriously- I asked. I knew I needed to take advantage of this and was determined to find a couch. So, I'm attached! Emotionally attached to this couch. When I looked down a few weeks ago and saw that it was torn, not just in one place but in 3 places, it was crisis mode. I wasn't ready for a new couch. This one holds way too many memories. It's just right. It's the couch I sleep on when we have guests join us. It's the couch that ever so often I get to take a nap on. I wasn't ready to throw it to the curb.
Thankfully, Philip's mother came to my rescue. She saved my couch and extended it's life. Silly, I know, it's just a couch. But I do love this couch.

Happy Birthday

My grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday last week. The kids and I were able to share in the celebration with many of my aunts and uncles.

49.6

That was what my indoor thermometer read when I happened to look at it around 2pm this afternoon. Everybody, put your shoes on your going outside. Surprisingly, there were not complaints. I think they may have actually missed the outdoors.



Peter was in a tree (literally) so I wasn't able to capture him! It was such a nice change of pace to actually spend some time outdoors. We definitely all needed it.

Coming soon...

So maybe I'm on a roll...oh wait I hear Nathan waking up from his nap.
So for those of you who haven't seen this picture of Emma on facebook- this summarizes our trip to Boone. This would be Day 3- sledding down the hill at the back of our "Boone house" as Ryan understands it.
This would be Day 4 - after a few hours of sledding in what is now a foot and a half of snow. It's amazing how much snow can accumulate in 24 hours.

The

I am so far behind with my updates it almost seems silly to begin posting. However, God has given me a sweet simple gift this afternoon and I have to record it before I forget. According to Peter we haven't "done school since like Thanksgiving". He is little off but that is probably what it feels like. Today is the first day that we got back to a full day of work. A full day is what my kids think of as a school day- you know, chores are done, language arts books are used, handwriting is checked, math is done...In a quiet moment, Ryan had the opportunity to have my attention so we could do his school work and when my gift arrived. His writing is the highlighter. It's his story I recorded but he wrote the word "the" (in every sentence). Most days, I hope this little fellow will read by the age of 10. Today, I have renewed hope that even though he is the third child and has no where near the amount of one on one teaching time that Peter had as a 4 and 1/2 year old, he is learning.

Arctic/Antarctic Animal Survey

Here are the results.

year end

We spent the last of 2010 with a morning at the museum. It was a nice day to burn some energy and explore new things. We are making preparations for our annual Boone trip. We are all looking forward to getting away. The kids are so excited about skiing. I'm really excited because I don't think it will be quite as frigid as years past.
Happy 2011!

Happy New Year

White after Christmas

It has been a beautiful day to enjoy the snow. The kids are really getting the hang of snow man building and snow ball fighting!Although you can't tell, Emma is leaning against the "body" of a snowman they kids and their daddy built!