We are still alive

We have all been sick, Mama included! That is never good, especially because my hubby has been stuck on the boat 2 hours away!!! We have managed, but it hasn't been pretty. I mean that literally. My children asked me several times why I look like that. I assume they meant bad, being that my reflection in the mirror was pretty scary looking! I got a CHI hair straightener the day before I came down with this brutal cold and I must say, I love it! It has kept my out of control hair looking not so terrible after a week of not washing it! I think it is going to become one of those must haves for me this year, I can't believe it has taken me so long to hop on this wagon! I promise to post pics once I don't look, well, like that! Abby wouldn't look at me for the night I did it, I def look like someone else without my frizzy curls! She is used to it now though, you know, after a week of not washing it. I think it might be about time for a shower! Marvin made an appearance at home yesterday evening! He came bearing cold meds, Diet Coke, and dinner. Let me tell ya, I've never been more in love!!!! I went into a drug induced sleep around 10pm, but we had a whole 4 hours to visit! Things may be changing for the better with his schedule!!!! No more 3 on 1 off. They will now be working reg hours plus 4 section duty(they stay on board ship every 4th day) with guaranteed weekends. That means that if duty day is Saturday, they get Sunday and Monday off. If it is Sunday, they get Friday and Saturday off. So, he'll be home most evenings and have 2 days off each week. I am SO relieved. I am really praying this can work out and be the norm for us! I have so missed my husband! Other good news, my dryer is supposed to be fixed TOMORROW!!!!!!! I am so tired of hanging clothes INSIDE to dry! Although it is very nice today and they are getting blown dry in the nice sunny breeze outside today! Those days are few and far between this time of year in our soggy corner of the country! I was getting jackets out of the car today so the kids could play outside and soak up some vitamin D and my automatic doors wouldn't open. Uh Oh! I tried to start the van and it is dead, and I mean DEAD. I'm hopping that it is just a dead battery from my light happy children. That said, I'm not entirely sure how to get it started. There is too much junk to get the other car in the garage for a jump. The driveway is too steep to push the van out to get it done on the street(I can barely push the full garbage can up the driveway to the street for pickup!). I'm thinking we might need to call a tow truck, does roadside assistance cover driveways? I guess I'd better look into that!

Update on Forester

Forester is out of surgery. He is in PICU, recovering. Thank you for praying for this family. They need peace and comfort right now like never before. The future is uncertain, but the God we serve can be known and depended on! I am posting a link to their blog so that you can follow Forester's story directly. I'm sure that they would love to know that you are praying for them.

http://thebradburns.blogspot.com/

An urgent Prayer Request

I just learned that one of Michael's friends and teamate in Upwards basketball from Charleston was diagnosed this morning with a brain tumor. Forrester is 7 years old and is the oldest of 3 children. He will be having surgery to remove the tumor from his brain either tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what the next step will be. Please keep him and his family in prayers as they deal with the whirlwind going on around them right now. That they will rely on THE anchor in the the midst of this huge storm.

Playdough is my new best friend!

The morning of Josh's birthday I needed to get the house clean and I needed just 5 minutes of quiet! We had gotten Josh a ton of playdough and other sensory stimulating fun stuff and a bunch of extra playdough to replace the dried out yuck that I know it will turn into very soon. So, I broke out the extra and a bunch of kitchen utensils to keep them entertained. The boys have always loved it, the girls have only had it a couple of times while I was near. I set them all up at the table and went to cleaning! An hour later, my house was clean and they were STILL QUIET!!!!!! Abby did eat some, but after a long talk about dyes and how bad they are, she stopped!!!! Or, maybe it just tastes really grose! After that I got a picture of Abby on her feet! Sarah thinks it is the greatest when abby stands up, I can't wait for it to be a regular thing!

Josh man LOVES playdough!!!

Sarah thinks it is cool, too!

Abby is not sure at first

But smiles anyway(look close and see the pink evidence in her teeth!)

Michael and Josh having fun

My cute kids and the neighbor's ugly truck!

Sam helps Abby walk, Sarah says," like this!!!"


And yes, they are still in their jammies at lunch time! Is there something wrong with that? Remember I have no dryer, the less dirty clothes, the better!

Happy Birthday, Joshua!

I cannot believe that I am here for yet another birthday boy post! Joshua turned the big 3 today! I cannot believe my baby boy is a big boy now! I'm telling you, with all these birthdays I'm a little depressed! My Joshua has always been my cuddle bug. From the moment of birth, his head has been attached to my shoulder! My boy did not walk until he was 23 months old, partially, I think, because he SO enjoyed being held! He has utter determination. Everything has been harder for Josh to accomplish having to deal with his major Sensory issues. Normal everyday things that most take for granted, Josh has spent hours and hours in Physical, Occupational, Speech and Early Intervention therapies. But he accomplishes it, I am so proud of the huge strides he has made! From the time he was only months old, he has been able to melt my heart with just one look. He knows this, of course, and uses it to his advantage! Who could resist?











Joshua Phillip,
I look at you and am just in awe. You are such an amazing and wonderful little man. Our hearts broke when we saw that life would be harder for you than other kids. Oh, how we were mistaken. Every step you take is one you have fought for, one we have worked together for. You have brought so much into my life. You have taught me patience, you have taught me unconditional love. You have shown me what determination really looks like. I'm so amazed at how far you have come in the last year! Abba and I weren't sure what you'd be able to accomplish a year ago, how much you'd be able to actively love us back! You have blown us away! Life may never be "easy" for you, but I think it might be better that way. You will never take for granted the "little" things! My prayer is that as you move on in life, you will draw strength from the Creator. I pray that you will learn to hold on to Him in the good times and the hard ones! You have come so far, and I can't wait to watch you reach for so very much more! I love you, little man!

Well, has it ever been a crazy few weeks! Sam's birthday was a great respite to the craziness so that we could all focus on fun together. Our dishwasher has been leaking for close to a month. It is messing up the floor, but the landlord didn't seem to care much. We had a heart to heart last night and I hope that we finally have a plan of action. Basically, that I'll just get things taken care of and let him know what I'm doing along the way. Works for me. I already have an appointment set up for first thing Monday morning to get that taken care of. The other BIG thing is that we have no dryer. It keeps blowing a breaker. It is BRAND new, we just got it when we moved here. The repairman was at the house all day on Sam's birthday, but was not able to fix it because he needed to order a part. And guess what!!! It takes over a week to get this part. This is NOT good news. I'd hang the clothes outside, but we live in the wettest place on earth!!! So, for now they are hanging on the deck until the rain starts tomorrow, and then we'll have to figure out how to do it inside, probably the basement. The silver lining? At least our electric bill will go down this month. No dishwasher, no dryer. Maybe I should learn to garden and make my own bread. Marvin and I have always laughed at how we'd starve if we had to live in little house on the prarie days! If I had to grow our food and he had to kill it, we would be in dire straights!!! I'm starting to feel it, makes me want to quilt or something! Tomorrow is Josh's birthday. He's pretty clueless, but he's been telling everyone he is 3 since he turned 2. So, at least he'll be correct now! Marvin is still working ALL the time. We can SO use your prayers for his schedule. A big group came from the Navy Admiral's office on Wednesday to find out why they did so badly on the last inspection. One of the things they were looking at was the morale, which is pretty low right now. We are really hoping that things will change. I KNOW that God is moving and working, for both of us. God has taught me to rely on Him, no matter what happens with Marvin's schedule, I know I rest in His arms and that He will bring us through this. WE serve a truly amazing God! I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with new photos of my Josh man, if it is still sunny, which I and my clothes are hoping for, contrary to what those depressing weathermen out here say!

Happy Birthday, sweet Sam!

I cannot believe that my second born is 5 years old. It seems that just yesterday we were holding our bitty baby in our arms with his funny shaped head. His head rounded out nicely, as did the rest of him for quite a while! He climbed EVERYTHING in sight long before he used those feet for walking! We were sure he might have mountain goat in his genes somewhere! So many near heart attacks. We watched his tender heart grow and saw the unbreakable bond he formed with his big brother! Then we watched as he became not just the little brother, but the big brother as well. He filled that roll with such tenderness times 3. We watched as he conquered every physical challenge that laid before him with eagerness and so quickly! We are amazed at how such a boy's boy can have such a tender heart and sweet spirit. He loves to help, dubbing himself superhero Sam! He is such an amazing guy!

























Dearest Sam~
Sweet boy, I am so very proud to be your Mama! I've watched you grow these 5 years and am in awe to watch God's hand at work in your life. I am so glad that I have been able to watch you grow and change. I do not take for granted even one moment I've shared with you! You are such an amazing little man. You are so filled with spunk and yet so much love to offer everyone you come in contact with. I cannot wait to continue watching you grow. My prayer is that you will continue to love with abandon and that your heart will be soft toward your Savior. I know that God has great plans for you and I cannot wait to watch them unfold. I will enjoy every single minute of our great adventure together, my sweet Sam. Happy birthday!

Valentines Day!

I didn't write about our day yesterday because, well, my valentine was home and he comes before the computer!!!!! Marvin's schedule has been awful and looks to remain so for quite some time. You can pray along with us that things change there, it is very wearing for us all to have him gone so much. He is home 1 day and gone 3(including nights, he has to stay on board the boat on those days). It is very hard for all of us during this time. BUT, he was off yesterday for Valentines day!!!! Now, we are not very romantic people, I've never really cared about Valentines day, but any day that Marvin can be home with us is a GREAT day in my book! My most wonderful husband let me sleep in while he fed and dressed our troop and I was awoken with excited giggles as they brought me a gift to bed. It was a pair of pajamas with Thumper on them. Don't laugh, let me explain why it made me appreciate my husband so much in that moment. And no, it is not because Thumper is my favorite. However, it is Josh's favorite thing(remember that we just had to replace his over loved "Bunny"!). Josh has been having a hard time this week. When he is having a hard time with his sensory stuff for any reason, he shuts down and it just breaks our hearts. The one thing that brings him out of it somewhat is his Thumper. He LOVES bunny and when he can't communicate himself, he sometimes can use bunny to help. Let me tell you how my little man lit up when he saw his beloved "Bunny" on my pajamas! I cannot tell you how many times he has pointed it out to me, and yes, to "Bunny" as well! Pajamas are my favorite thing, what I wear when we are not leaving the house. My husband knew me well enough to know that my greatest joy would be seeing that light in my Josh's eyes, and he did it with my other favorite thing! I so love you, Babe!!!!! I'm not sure if it was the jammies or not, but Josh is having a much better day today! It is so strange, almost like a veil brought down suddenly, hiding his sweet self from us and then just as suddenly it is lifted and he is back. All afternoon we did our errands done, Marvin changing oil, me cleaning our very neglected house! My Valentine took us all out to eat. We thought it would be crazy busy, so we tried to pick the least romantic place, which happens to be my favorite, BBQ! Well, boy were we wrong! An hour and a half wait! Are you kidding? What happened to the romance, people! The people there were not even families, mostly couples, and dressed up at that. Am I off here? Maybe I am more of a romantic than I thought, but I don't think I'd be pleased if my Valentine had taken me out for a romantic dinner and ended up eating BBQ!!!!! Oh well, surely the mall food court would prove reliable. On our way there, we pass this little Family Mexican Restaurant. We figured we could give that a go. Guess what, no wait!!!!! So, we piled in and had a hard time controlling our giggles when, in the midst of the quaint beach themed Mexican restaurant, we were SURROUNDED by hearts GALORE. I'm talking paper heart streamers all over the ceiling, red cardboard hearts and cupids taped to every beach painted wall and windows(next to the beer neon signs!). It was priceless! The food was great and we had so much fun together as a family. I must brag, my children were complimented more than once for their awesome behavior! This used to happen quite often. Then we had Sarah! HA!!!! It doesn't matter how good the others are in public, when one is screaming and throwing huge tantrums, no one sees anything else! I was so proud of them last night, we had time to enjoy each of them. After dinner, we went on a romantic trip to....TARGET. Oh yes, and do you know why? It was so that we could spend a small fortune to replace tooth brushes!!!! You gotta love that! Is it sad that I wouldn't trade my life for ANYTHING that most would think is actually romantic. My life is so full of love, the REAL stuff, I would take that any day over romance(you're not off the hook, my love, some romance every so often on top of what we have would make it even better!)!!!! After we put our little people to bed, we watched a movie that my husband got from someone on his ship. Only I can't give details because I'm pretty sure it is not legal for him to have it!!!! I have brought him up to speed on how illegal it is to get movies that are not out of theaters yet and that he should steer clear of his provider from here on out. But we already have this one, so we cuddled up on the couch and made the best a bootleg film, now THAT, my friends, is romance!(Hopefully authorities won't haul us away, I promise we won't do it again!

Chuck E Cheese and rocking out!

Marvin got home yesterday afternoon and I took off to do some grocery shopping and to rummage through sales bins at Gymboree. They were having a President's day sale and everything was $4.79 or less! Can't pass that up. I didn't find a lot, but got a few good things for the girls next year. It just felt good to be out ALONE!!!!! Even grocery shopping is relaxing by my self! When I got home, we got ready and headed out for some Chuck E Cheese fun!!!! It was the girls' first time(that they weren't immobile in their stroller!). They all had a blast, but it was REALLY busy! The girls go in opposite directions and Josh is not too thrilled to be in the middle of all the chaos, but I think it was a great trip overall! I'll add some video of the girls riding their first ever ride once I get it onto my computer! We got home in time to take baths and get the kids in bed. Sarah and Abby were so ready that they were actually waiting by their cribs, calling me to put them in! That does not happen very often! After the kids went to bed, Marvin and I got the Guitar Hero World Tour for our Wii out and we rocked out. I must admit that we can rock it(at least tucked away in the basement with the settings on easy!!!). It is so good to spend time with my forever Valantine!

Ode to the Magic Bullet

I am not one to get swept away in infomercial trends. No snuggies in my near future!!!! However, my mom is a little bit more daring than I am. She got a Magic Bullet and for several days she raved about how great it was. I wasn't convinced at first, but after days of positive reviews, I thought it might be time to step out of my box and give it a try. I picked one up on one of our many outings this week. We came home, washed it up, and then started experimenting. It took a few batches to get the right mix(you know, cause recipes are NOT what I do best! I like to just throw stuff together and hope!) but we are all loving it. A little whole milk yogurt and whatever fresh fruit I pull out of the fridge first and we've got a very good for you snack! I'm excited to try some of the dips and soups! Here's to stepping out of my box! Thanks, Mom!

Snow days!

The most said phrase when we told people we were afraid to be moving to the rugged north west was "Oh, it really does not snow there. And if it does, it usually does not stick!" Well, can I say for a place that never gets snow, we've had a LOT of snow this year!!!! We thought it was starting to be spring here, but we were mistaken. It snowed again yesterday. It started overnight, but it was so warm and so wet that it didn't start sticking until mid morning. It snowed HARD most of the day. We had a good 4 inches. To top it off, the water underneath the snow made our driveway very interesting to say the least. We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny, pretty warm day! The snow was melting with haste, so we thought we should get out and touch it...hopefully for the last time this winter!!!!! It was warm and so the snow was really wet, but the girls had never touched snow before, so I got out their really BIG snowsuits and let them loose! They had a really good time, and of course, I got pictures!

Sarah (NOPE, she has NOT grown that much!)

I'm not fat, I'm fluffy!

Sarah pondering how to get up the steps in her "fluffy" snowsuit

Sweet bundled sisters

3 babies, 1 car...what's a family to do?

After Sarah enlisted Abby's help with her mittens, she touches snow for the first time!

Abby's not so sure about this cold, wet stuff

The car is better than the snow!

School Days and other stuff!

The boys go to a program for home schooled kids every Monday. They get together with other kids their age and do things as a group(PE, music, class time, and lunch). The biggest thrill on Sunday evening is finding something they can take for "hotel", that is what Sam calls Show and Tell, no matter how many times I remind him off the right term. They hunt down treasures to take for "hotel" and place them by the door with their shoes and socks. The other thing is that they help me make their lunches. They make the sandwiches and pick out which treat they want to take along. I always slip a note inside after they go to bed. It usually says "I love you" or "You're cool" or "You're the best!" (you get the idea!). Last week, Michael said I should stop sending them, he didn't want his friends to laugh. I told him okay, if he was embarrassed, I wouldn't send them, but I still think he is really cool! On the inside my mommy heart was bleeding, my baby was embarrassed by ME. That night, after they were in bed, I was cleaning out their lunch boxes and found my note, folded nicely and carefully placed in the pocket of the bag. My boy might be embarrassed about getting my notes, but he still loves to know I love him!!!! So, now I put the notes into the pocket instead of into the box part, so he knows I love him, but his friends won't laugh! When I pick them up from school, they are so excited to tell me everything they learned about. Michael tells me all about Mexico, the rain forest or whatever place they talked about that day. Sam tells me that he learned not to push, not to hit, to take turns, and that you should always use your manners. I guess life skills are way more important than rain forests anyway!

Marvin got home from his underway yesterday. I was SO happy to see him. The boys were very excited to see him as well. Sarah would not even look at him for a long time. Thankfully she warmed up by lunch time today! Now her Abba is number 1 again! I'm so glad that little ones are so easy to go with this crazy flow of military life! Michael is having a hard time adjusting again. Change is not easy for him, good or bad, he just doesn't like it. Please pray that we can stay consistent through all of these changes so that he continues to do as well as he has for the last couple of weeks! I'm so happy my joyful little man is back, I sure did miss that guy!

Tired!

Josh is sick, he can't tell me what is wrong, I can just tell he is miserable. It is frustrating to know something doesn't feel good and not know how to fix it because he can't tell me. It is hard because when ANYTHING upsets his delicate balance, he completely shuts down. Loses all communication, all control. He just lays on the couch and moans, it breaks my heart. I gave him all kinds of meds tonight at bedtime, since he can't tell me what is wrong, I figured I'd cover all the bases! Hopefully he feels better in the morning! Abby is getting her molars in and is either fussing or eating her hand(yes, her WHOLE hand!). Sarah is being Sarah to the fullest(need I say more?)! Michael woke up WAY too early this morning and was not much fun to be around until nap time. And Sam just bounces off the walls, and I'm talking literally here! To top it all off, I am miserable with what I guess to be a sinus infection. I feel like I'm beginning to come unglued! We have conquered this month long underway with great strength up to this point. I'm hanging on to God's leg tonight, it is the only place I can be! I wish I could fall into bed and sleep for the next 2 days! But, I can't, so I'm hanging on the promise of God tonight to give me the strength that I need to love my kids the way they need to be loved. And to continue to follow Him with Joy. I think I'm in such dire straights. And then I think of little Abby Riggs in the hospital fighting for her life and in so much pain and yet smiling that brave little smile of hers. I'm sure she would give just about anything for just a stupid sinus infection and a day in my life! How selfish I am to even feel sorry for myself. My children may get on my nerves at times, but they are all healthy enough to be getting on my nerves. Something I thank God for every single day. God has promised me that He would give His grace, His strength, His peace, His wisdom. All I have to do is ask and then rely on Him. Sometimes I think God allows me to make myself so tired that I have no choice but to rely on Him, to cling to Him. I'm there tonight, and I'm choosing to let go of my pettiness so that I can hold onto Him! I'm feeling better already! My God is amazing, beyond anything I could even begin to describe. I'm so glad that He is steady and unchanging even when my world seems to be rocking!

PLEASE PRAY FOR ABBY

I have been following Abby Riggs' battle with cancer. She is an amazing little girl with such joy and strength. I put her button on my blog when I came across her story. It caught me immediately. I received an update tonight that she has been admitted to the hospital and is not doing well. Please pray for her tonight. She needs to be lifted up to the great Physician fervently. Please join me in praying for this precious little girl. If you click on the Pray for Abby button on the right side of my blog, it will direct you to her blog and newest updates.

Sweating to the oldies!

We got some free baby legs with our last cloth diaper order. I'm not completely sure how I stand on the baby legs, but oh can my girls work them! They sure are cute, in a very strange, 80's kinda way!
Sarah's working out!

Trying very hard, work off those animal crackers!!!!

It is SO not easy being this cute!

Got in a good workout, now it is time for a bath!!!!!

Sunshine, struggles, and shopping trips

We had a BEAUTIFUL day today! I love it when the sun comes out here in the dreary state of Washington! We got home from Bible study and just had to spend some time soaking in some much needed Vitamin D! We had a picnic lunch and spent a long time riding bikes and scooters and running(or crawling, as the case may be) in the sunshine!
Proof that sometimes, the sun really does shine here!

Josh and Abby think they might melt!


After I put the littles down for a nap, I enlisted the boys to help me clean up our Little Tikes climber/slide that has been in pieces in the backyard since we moved in. I had NO idea what that plan would entail! I thought if I set it up in the playroom, maybe they could stop flipping off my sofa when it is raining and we are stuck inside. Today was the first oppurtunity I had to clean it enough to bring it inside. Man, the next 1.5 hours were both comical and sad! I turned it and myself every which way and could NOT get it together. Unfortunately, it was given to us assembled by our neighbors in Charleston, so I had never seen it get put together and we had no instructions. I tried to get the instructions online, but my computer wouldn't load them(take note, this use of my computer in the busy basement is gonna be important later!). So, I wrestled some more. After I contorted myself into positions that no mother of 5 should, I was feeling defeated! I went back to try one more time to get the instructions, to find my computer on the floor(I didn't leave it there!) in pieces! No one would fess up to the crime, they stood together in a united front. I lost it. My kids were in shock. I walked out the back door and screamed. Not a proud moment, and one for which I apoligized to each of them for. Then I piled them into the van and high tailed it to Best Buy. I've been looking at new laptops(they are really lucky!), so I had already narrowed it down. I talked to the salesman over Josh's cries of hunger and purchased what I hope will become one of my new friends! We got drivethru on the way home, mostly because this mama is plain wore out!!!! Then it was bedtime...FINALLY!!!!!! I got the instructions to the climber from my new computer and put it mostly together, enough to play on until Marvin gets home. Only 6 more days!!!!!! I've started my countdown. The boys have stopped asking when Abba is coming home and Sarah is no longer going from room to room calling him, that means he's been gone way too long! We'll all be happy he is home in less than one week! Also, Abby stood up all on her own 3 times yesterday!!!! That is a HUGE for her! I have a feeling she'll be running after Sarah very soon!

Sarah has decided that she is a princess who should be sitting at the table, fed whatever she pleases by her adoring brothers! Josh and Sam, showered her with their blueberries at breakfast this morning!
The princess herself!

Her sweet, brother servant