Midnight ramblings

Well here it is midnight again. I don't remember the last time I went to bed at a decent hour. There is so much to do I hardly have time to think. I guess that could be a good thing considering the circumstances. At least the work is done. I managed to purge the main living areas of every unwanted item and organize it all. If anyone opens the closets there will be no suprises. I even hung a few pictures to try and make it look more attractice in certian areas. Still need to touch up paint in spots and go through the basement. I am dreading that job so much down there even thought I cleaned it out for the consignment sale last fall. I still never did the pantry side, I always thought there would be time.

We have only been here for 3 years and I had so many plans. I love this house and sometimes wish we could take it with us. But then there is the excitement of finding something new, something a little bit older, with some character, with land, and with tress. There are so many possibilites, the big question is where. Moving can be an adventure if you let it. So I am off to turn the page and see what God has in store for us in the coming months, and yes I can't help it but I am a bit excited.

And so it begins...

Pfizer buys Wyeth and all hell breaks loose. You can feel it in the air and even the clerk at the pretzel store knows someting BIG is happening.

Yes, we are probally moving again. This stay in PA has been rather short or etremely long depending on the mood I am in. I have made a handful of good friends and I will miss them, I will miss the history, I will miss the Amish country, and I will miss my house, after all I did design it and pour sweat and blood into it. Its sad to look at my list as see how short it is.

Of course we could end up with a job here but our primary goal is to get to North Carolina. We have always wanted to get as close to family as possible and be back in our homeland again. I will ultimately just be happy to KNOW! But I am trusting God with this one its just to much for me to think about.

Oh but the work involved to get there! I am all ready dreading putting the house up on the market and keeping it clean every second of every day. I tell you its enough to drive one mad! Then there are so many little things that need to be done, let alone finish the laundry room that I never got to enjoy. I know that sounds rather silly but do you know how mich time one spends in their laundry room with 4 children?! There are days I feel I could get lostin there and never come out.

On the other hand we learned a lot when we moved from Illinois to here and so it will be eaiser this time around and I am not pregnant and can acomplish so much more. My scrapbook suplies are organized, there is no more baby equipment and no more diapers. It will be so much easier to set everything back up and find all the things we need. I am trying to stay positive and upbeat and trust through this unknown time. Someday soon there will be answers.

I am waiting...

Organized

So it's been almost two weeks since my last post. I guess I have been busier than I thought. I finally tackled the mess in the children's rooms. If you know anything about children and their hoarding tendencies you will understand how you can get lost in there for days! I started with the boys room first. The lego collection was taking over the closet. I went to Walmart and purchased these wonderful storage containers. Fourteen drawers of happiness! Each one is labeled with a type of lego and they can all be put away in minutes by someone besides myself. Still more to do in there but I need to purchase dressers first. Just having the legos under control makes a huge difference.

In the girls room I took the storage I wasn't using anymore in the boys room and created a tower of Bitty Baby. A drawer for everything, shoes hair accessories, diapers, blankets, toys, and clothes. Who knew dolls could have so much? Then they have deep drawers for everything else, legos, ponies, pet shop, purses, etc. Now they can pick up and put away themselves also. The goal of every kids room project. I love being able to tell them to "go clean you room" and it actually happen!

Sweet sucess!

First haircut

Today I took Gwen to get her hair cut. She has been needing it for a while but I know that the baby curls will be gone forever.

After bathing her this morning and pulling lint out of the ringlets I decided it was time. She wasn't to sure about sitting still but the promise of the lollipop at the end helped. Unfortunately she ate it so fast I didn't get a picture. I think she likes her new style as it dosen't get so tangled. Hopefully it will help it grow more evenly and fill in.

Last picture before cutting !

I'm not so sure about this, thankfully the hairstylist worked fast!
Her new style. She is pouting because she was done with me taking pictures. It looks so cute though and there are still some curls.

Winter Days

With the weather being cold and rainy today, and the fact that we finished school early, we needed a project. Gwen asked to play playdough and we had none; so we made our own. Its super easy and fun. What a great activity it took up lots of time and they all got to measure out ingredients, stir and then play.

Here we are measuring out the ingredients.

Choosing the colors, the boys wanted green and the girls wanted yellow. Mixing it all together.
Careful, it's hot!
Time to play.
Or eat burritos.
Or make cookies.
Or sulk because it smells funny.
I thought it smelled perfect; just like childhood.

Days gone by.

New years seems to always make me stop and think about the things that have happened in the last year. Some noticable and some that slip through quietly and you don't even realize they have happened until later. 2008 was a big year for firsts and lasts. Gwen moved into Fiona's room to share bunkbeds, she was pottytrained in January and can count to 12 or so. All very big things for my baby, who really isn't a baby any more but insists that her name is Baby Gwen. Fiona learned her alphabet except for TUV, she still leaves those out. She can sing Away In A Manger and count to 30. But somewhere in all that the baby toys are gone, the potty seats are no longer needed, the changing table became a potting bench, and the crib is sitting in a corner in the basement. Fiona can buckle herself into the carseat, no one needs to be carried in the parking lot and they all help carry in the groceries. Owen and Miles both learned how to read, they can both count to 100, and money makes sense to them. And then the other day I noticed Miles bobby(blanket) sitting in the closet. He no longer needs it to go to sleep and he hasn't had a night time accident in 3 months. The boys also learned to ride their bikes, clean their rooms without help and Miles announced that he is to old for baths. Where did the time go? When did my babies grow up? Somewhere between dishes and laundry, scrapes and bruises, hugs and kisses, tears and laughter, yes; right before my eyes. Thank God for the photographs.

Christmas Day

Here are some photos from Christmas day. We started out by opening our stockings, then a big breakfast of cinnamon rolls, bacon and eggs. Next its photos in front of the tree and advent reading and devotion. Then finally around 11:00 we started opening presents. It makes for such a nice long morning!