What we do when packed in ice

In no particular order and because I'm a tad bored....


Put the children to work doing manual labor.


Josh has joked before that we should have made Manny's middle name "Labor." Emmanuel Labor. Get it? Yeah, I know.

Josh found my very first trumpet and insisted that I give Isaiah his first trumpet lesson. (We were both music majors and constantly go back and forth about whether or not the boys are talented enough to play our instrument. It's all very mature.)

I think I might frame this one. What a proud moment for me.
(I'm sparing you the video)


I made a few Valentine's Day lovelies!


And finished a few orders...


Josh built a fort for the boys...




I took WAY too many pictures of icicles. But they were really cool!




And finally covered some ugly pillows. I plan to make shams to cover the red ones next.

You can't see the pattern well in the picture, but I love it. AND it's like I got 2 new pillows for $6!


Sweet nap times...


Made the yummy marshmallows I posted about. (Have you made them?!?)


And when I was REALLY bored, I convinced this cutie that he wouldn't look like a girl if he let me put his hair in a ponytail. I don't think he looks like a girl AT ALL...more like a very handsome athlete.
I don't think he or Josh agree with me.


And this may mean that we are near the breaking point and NEED TO GET OUT before I start sewing the boys dresses.

Tour De Ornaments!!!

Our tree is fake. It's us-lit...not pre-lit. There are lots of places where you can see the actual pole in the middle. And the ornaments? They are a complete hodge podge of colors, shapes, sizes, styles and ages....no theme whatsoever.

But we love it.


There is MUCH sentimental value in it. And I'm sure most of you would say the same about your tree. I love decorations that have history. A story. I think they should bring up joyful memories that we will treasure in our hearts forever.


So, I thought it would be kinda fun to show you a few of our ornaments that mean so much to us....and get ready cause I want to see yours too!


I have quite a few of these....my great-grandmother crocheted them. She was a spunky, fiesty lady, the mother of one of my most beloved people on earth, and I love having something that came from her hands.



I also have a lot of these cute, retro, wooden, hand-painted ornaments. My Mom painted these for my parents' first Christmas together. I love them!

This one brings tears to my eyes. It's probably my favorite of all our ornaments. Yes, I know it's just a McDonald's straw stapled together, but it's symbolic of God's faithfulness to my parents. When my parents got married, they didn't have money to go buy ornaments for a tree so my mom used straws from McDonald's to make their first ornaments. The Lord has provided in amazing ways for them....and us.

My first ornament. :)

Then, when I was two and my sister had just been born, my mom painted this for me. She also painted us dresses (that she also made) and shirts; had her own wood saw that she used to make and paint goodies that she gave as gifts and sold at a craft store; and sewed, stuffed and painted our own baby dolls.

What do I do? I blog about it. That's what I do. Hope you're proud, Mom.

Made by me at age 11. I'm surprised mom could get me to stop thinking about boys and New Kids on the Block long enough.

This was one of my favorite gifts we received when we got married. I make sure it gets a very prominent spot on the tree each year.

Bought in a street market in Nassau near our cruise ship. An AMAZING honeymoon. I can still hear the steel drums when I look at this.

4 years ago we had a little baby and so we did what every new parent does at Christmas. We stripped him down and stuck his foot in white plaster over and over and over again until we captured that little foot print just right. Today he wears a boys size 13 shoe.

2 years ago we had another little boy with an apparent fondness for Spock. Live long and prosper.


So there you have it. I've showed you mine and now I would like to see yours. :)

I really love hearing other people's stories behind their treasures and since we can't all go to each others' living rooms let's have a virtual peek! Show as few or as many as you like!

Please feel free to leave a comment OR, if you feel so inclined, leave a link to your own post so we can see it!

Let the Tour De Ornaments begin!

The short(er) version....part uno.

My last real post was written June 28th. Over 4 months ago. It would be really overwhelming to try to catch you up on what has happened over the last 4 months of our lives so I'm not going to do that. (It would be semi-boring. Ok, really boring.)


What I will tell you is why I left the blog world, the events that surrounded that and why I'm back.

First, I have to say that it wasn't intentional. I didn't mean to just stop blogging. There wasn't a moral soap box under my feet or anything like that. I just couldn't.

A little background for those of you (like, 2 of you) who read this unsolicited by friendship or family obligation:

(you are a special group. yes, you are.)

My husband, Josh, is a 7th grade math teacher. He has been for about 7 years and is very gifted at what he does....and I don't just say that as his wife. I say that as someone who has taught in the public and private school setting for awhile myself. He is a gentle, compassionate soul who carries the weight of his student's worlds on his shoulders. It's not about math for him (though he's incredible with numbers). It's about having a platform to effectively reach kids where they are and love them the best he can. He's not bound by the title of "counselor" or "principal" or "pastor"....he likes the back door approach of "math teacher" best. He has students come back every year to see him. He gets letters from them, emails, pictures they've drawn, notes on his board. I often hear from parents how he is some kid's favorite teacher ever....in the grocery store, walgreens, etc.

He has reached kids no other teacher wanted to reach (and taught with teachers no one else wanted to teach with, for that matter) so his classroom is usually "lively." They like to give him the hard cases and, though they ask him every year to teach the gifted students, he turns them down and instead requests the challenged students. God has just given him a special love for those kids, and it's clear that's where God wants him right now.


Having said that, this profession has been incredibly hard on us. The main reason is that teachers do not get paid very well. Sure. Lots of teachers do fine for themselves, but it's a different story when the teacher is head of household and wants his wife to be able to be home with their children. I have grumbled and complained and begged God to please put Josh in a different profession...one that pays a little more. It, in many ways, feels like a thorn in my flesh. There is not a day that goes by that I don't struggle with contentment in this area. I wish that weren't true.


So, back to the story. To make a little more income, I was teaching music at a private Christian school a couple of days a week. They paid me well, Josh's mom kept our boys, I loved the students, it was a great blessing to us.


Then, last spring, we bought a mini-van. (Actually, we traded our truck for it.) It was great. We were officially grown ups. The guy we bought it from had had no issues with it whatsoever. Nope. None.

(you see where this is going, right?)


3 weeks later it basically starts to disintegrate. There was a slight transmission slip. No problem. We had a big tax refund and, while we save that for the lean summer months, we could get the van looked at. Just a wiring issue...no big deal. Then the AC goes out. Back to the shop... coolant recharged. Works a few days, goes out again. To the shop....still the wiring issue. Weird toggle switch thingy installed. The battery dies approximately one million times because we forget to flip the weird little switch.

Oh. And in the middle of all of this, a certain unnamed driver in our family has, not one, but two wrecks in 3 months. Both HIS/her fault. One involved 2 other cars and a lady who wanted, like $700 for the SCRATCH on her bumper...which she got.

Then, something else happened with the van that I don't remember because my one remaining nerve blocked it out.


So, needless to say, ALL of our savings was wiped out fixing %$#@ cars. Thankfully, the last several summers Josh has worked for a friend's company that hasn't really been affected by the economy. Josh called him to see if he could work over spring break. He says "great!" We wait it out. Spring break is close. Josh calls. They don't have the work for Josh that week, but can't wait to get him back on board for the summer.

School lets out in June, we go on vacation with Josh's family and Josh is promised that this job is waiting for him when he gets back. We get back. I post all the beach pictures. He calls the guy. Things are slower than expected. Will call back next week. Never calls. Josh calls him. He says there's no work...call back mid-July. We panic. Josh calls lots of different places looking for work. Some empty promises. Nothing pans out.

We panic.


To be continued....

26,749 pictures of us at the beach

So, we spent last week at the beach. Enjoy the only picture you will see of me.

I'm pretty sure he and God are talking.

Manny met (and therefore I met) at least a dozen strangers. We have no idea who the little girl is on the right in this next picture but she LOVED playing with Manny.

Free babysitting for us. Free entertainment for her. Win-win.

Josh found a mangled crab leg. And then he gave it to the children.


This is what I get from Isaiah now when I ask him to smile. Uhhh....

Who's child is that?


This is what Josh calls being awesome.

(He still maintains that awesomeness is his superpower.)

My view. Not too shabby.

Cousins.



People have asked if they are twins. We say they might as well be.

Manny enjoyed passing his time by bending in half and dunking the top half of his head in the water. I have never seen so much sand in a person's hair.

Well, this.... this is who I married.

Watching a hermit crab who never had a fighting chance once they started "loving" it.

Scar face.

The Tatt.

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream.

Our Entire Reason for Ever Becoming Parents

We had a spontaneous jam session at our house last night.


This means that Josh got his sax out, both of the boys got their saxes out and they all made simultaneous "music" while I sat on the floor trying to make my little camera take big camera pictures.


Ah, the story of my whole blogging life.


It was a big moment (or half a moment), because it was the first time the boys seemed to partially fulfill the deep, eternal, fatherly longings Josh has carried around in his heart since the moment they were born.


The desire that his two boys, the offspring of his loins...


heirs to his name...


his begotten...


would one day carry his legacy and...


become wind players.


There may have been tears.



But before I put ya'll in the ugly cry, I need to interject an important truth here.


Our boys' calling has already been spoken into existence. Their lot in life has already been chosen.


Indeed, the lines have fallen for them in pleasant places.


And that pleasant, most glorious place is


the Brass Section.




Selah.


And glory.


Because I got to him first, remember?



This one's still on the fence, but we still have time.


Oh yes. There's still time.


You see, no one chooses to become a brass player.


It chooses them.


And once it calls you, there's no turning back.


(even if one does decide 4 years into a music degree that they may, just kinda, almost want to switch to cello. No, ma'am. You are denied. You were called, dare I say, seduced.)



Besides. Really. Let's be honest. The only reason people choose to play the saxophone (at least initially) it because they were blown around and enticed by the illusion that they may one day possess the swagger and cool factor of someone like, say...

Kenny G.




And folks, I think he achieved it!


(Wherever my husband is right now, I assure you, he just threw up.)


He looks darn cute playing his heart out, and the sounds he gets to come out of that thing have worked on me like a charm.


So, congrats, Josh. But our boys? Well.


You just can't change destiny.


And now, sweetie, I think it's time to take your disappointment and ask for the serenity to accept the things you cannot change.


I love you.







(Woodwinds: 0 Brass: 1)