UGH!!!

Quick update - no pics:(

*Ryan pretty much potty-trained himself over the past few weeks:)  Very nice for mommy.  I am a bit sad to see the "baby" growing up, but alas, it is what it is.
* We are smack dab in the middle of hard, never-stopping, putting out fires left and right parenting.  Big kids think they are BIG and don't need parents.  Little kids think they are BIG and don't need parents.  All kids think they are entitled to whatever object they are currently holding.  Blah, blah, blah.  Hard, exhausting, mundane, extraordinary stuff. 
*Our new curriculum is amazing.  But hard.  Lots of great diggin' deep bible study.  we are definitely in a transition phase and that's usually challenging. I'm finding that I'm not a pleasant mom sometimes:(  I am sad because I don't want my kids to look back over their childhood and not have memories of a happy/joyful momma.  Please don't misunderstand - discipline is necessary etc, but overall, I'm struggling right now to smile more than grimace!
*Jack and Ella-Kathryn are enjoying their golf lessons.  The First Tee is a fantastic organization which enables young people to learn golf for a very reasonable price!  The instructors are great and they are both learning so much.  We are hoping to continue through most of the summer.
*Jeff is somehow finding the will to keep up with both jobs, although there is little love lost for his main job (I'm being intentionally vague:))  praying that God will allow us to get out of debt quickly and that Jeff will find a more pleasant full-time position.
*I've been reading up a storm - Julia Glass, Tess Gerittsen, the newest Bonhoffer bio - all great.  I'll try to post some more specific "reviews" soon.
*Ryan sings "Pappa's going to buy you a mockingbird" but his lyrics are "Daddy's gonna buy you a horse, if you'll be quiet, he'll buy you a dinosaur, if you'll be quiet he'll buy you a cow..."  Too funny!  I need to catch him singing and tape it.
Ok - I'm whooped, so off to bed. 

Easter Break

I'm not going to go into details, since everyone who reads this blog knows who we are and what we did this Easter! Here are the pics of our adventures...

And because I'm an idiot, these are all backwards chronologically! 

Waiting for the subway - my kiddos did amazing on the trains and I already told them (and Jeff) that we were SO ready for Europe!  Ha!

Standing next to "Rexie" from Night at the Museum - although a much smaller version than that of the movie, they were thrilled to be at the musuem!

Poor Evan - he was a good sport that day!  He was such a great help on the trip - holding little kids' hands and carrying gear.  Thanks Ev!

 Will at the Fireman's museum in Philly - so much fun trying on the gear.  Will has on the captain's coat - hopefully he will grow into this:)  Here's the gang all in their firefighting stuff.

 Outside Betsy Ross' house - this statue has the names of the 13 colonies around the base.  The kids were treated to some souvenirs here too.

 Independence Hall - we decided not to wait in the very long line to see the Libery Bell. Maybe next time!

 Central Park - ugh these are so scattered!  sorry!

 Easter morning - a great pic if not for Ryan's eyes being shut and Jack's goofy expression:)

 Egg hunt at Johnsons's Farm - sweet girl!

 Fun in the pool at one of the hotels we stayed in along our journey - thanks Poppy for the special treat!!!

On our way home from NJ we stopped at the cemetary where Grandmom and Popop Shuster are buried.  I hadn't been since Grandmom's funeral.  It was pretty emotional for me - just to see the names there (Coverts and Elston's are there as well) and yet I'm glad the kids got to see. 

It was a great trip!  We so enjoyed our time in the car with Poppy, and he was such a good sport to agree to travel with us:)  We loved spending time with our family in NJ and are missing them so much! 

Silly ryan

So I was babysitting a friend's kiddos and while there Ryan discovered this little toy that said "hello" when you turned it on.  He immediately mimicked it, in his own silly way, and I had to turn the phone on and record it!  What a ham!
http://youtu.be/NSzfMn-VRYo

New Things

Today has been great.  Today has been busy.  We began our day knowing that Jeff would be home shortly, only to get changed and head back out the door to continue training for his new part-time job.  You have got to love this man.  His work ethic; his commitment to his family; his willingness to be uncomfortable in the short-term, so that the long-term picture might be better.  As soon as he headed out we welcomed dear friends to visit and play and eat.  What a blessing to be home and for the kids to be here to enjoy one another.  Ages from 10-1, all interacting and having fun.  Two grown up mammas chatting and laughing and commiserating.  Thank you God for that!  After they left, we did some school and now the bigguns are out playing again with our neighbors, who also homeschool.  Yes we will have to read our science later tonight, and yes Ella-Kathryn needs to do her spelling test.  But we can do it later:)  Right now, while it's still not raining, they can run and be silly and make Spartan swords and shields together.  And I am grateful for this life.  Even though I maybe wasn't earlier this morning.  He nudged me gently, and reminded me that I have so very much to be grateful for.  When I was so emotional in church on Sunday, because my husband couldn't join me and my 4-year old did instead but the message was about marriage, not parenting, and we have so many changes on the horizon, He dealt with me gently.  I am so thankful that we serve a kind, gently, loving God and not a jerk you by the scruff of your neck kind of deity.  He who is infinitely patient with this forever messing up kind of gal:)
Sorry no pics today - need to upload a bunch - next on my to-do list...

Life So Far

A quick update in pics:


This handsome guy had been working his "Justin Beiber" hair for far too long, so he finally got is all cut off!  I miss his hair, but it was getting to be a bit much:)  You'll see his new 'do down below.

 Um, yeah.  We let our 2 year old handle hunting rifles?  Don't report us, please...

Jeff and I finally got to go out on a date! 

 This winter has been crazy warm.  Makes me a bit sad to have NO snow this year, but it's great for the kids because they love to be outside.  Here's one of their sandbox creations - a massive tunnel that they tried to convince me Ryan could fit through!

 Ella-Kathryn and Ryan (with his new haircut).

 Will, as always in fighting mode, with this new haircut.

 Jack noticed that he and I had matching jammies:)  Gray t-shirts and red plaid bottoms - he was truly happy about this.  Sweet boy!

I saw this great, super-easy method for curling your hair and made Ella-Kathryn my guinea pig!  You just put a stretchy headband around your head like a sweatband and then begin wrapping pieces of hair up and over the band, going around the whole head.  anyway, the result was amazing!  She looked so cute, but of course it didn't last through the night.  Next time I'll put more product in and then hairspray the tar out of it!

Over the years we have lost many a dining chair.  Kids, adults, moves.  They just have bit the dust one by one.  So, after living with horribly mismatched chairs for a while now, Jeff built some benches!   Here are Jack and EK helping stain the new seating!

Ok so I know there's much more to update you on, but for now this will have to do!  Ha!

Home Educating Family Publishing

Home Educating Family Publishing
Great contest over at Home Education Family Magazine! These flip charts and helps for times tables are super helpful!

First Snow and a Party!

We had our first snow last week.  A dusting really, but the kids were thrilled to wake up to snow:)  It was pretty darn cold, windchill around 14, that day, but of course they had to go out and play for a bit. 

Then, today we hosted the family birthday party for Jack, who will be turning 10 on Tuesday!  What in the world????  Wasn't he just born????  Seriously, he is such a great kid - loves the Lord, his family, friends and neighbors and so enjoys being outdoors.  He gets a kick out of racing his RC car with his Dad, and proving his me wrong when after I do a read-aloud and wonder if anything I ever read will sink in, he blows me away with all that he's retained! We can't wait to see what God has in store for him and what he will do for the kingdom!

From his Aunt Erin and Unlce Jason and cousins, He recieved a cool RCcar stand to hold his car up off the table so that he can work more easily on it.  From Poppy, he got some new tires, and some cool cash from his Grandma and Granpa.  We dug into a white cake frosted with chocolate icing and a whipped cream middle, per a request from the bday boy himself!

It was a fun day - one we get to repeat next Sat. when some of his buddies come over to help celebrate:)  Normally we do it all on one day, but with the boys getting bigger it just seemed more logical to spread it out - for my sanity as much as anything!