Here is our pretty driveway this morning. It was just a little snow, but the powdery sparkly kind. It's just enough to be pretty, but it won't keep us from doing anything. Sadly it wasn't enough to keep the guys from going on their annual pheasant hunting trip. As if I haven't had to struggle with missing the love of my life every year during this time, now they have stripped me of my youngest child, too. This marks the first time Alex will go with them on their hunt. I know I should be excited, but I will miss them terribly!

Here are the guys preparing for the great white hunt. Alex has been looking forward to this for a long time. I know his Dad and PaPa are happy about it, too.

Even though these two have done nothing but fight and argue for the past week, I got the satisfaction of knowing they actually love each other when Rachel hugged Alex goodbye.

This was, of course, after they had a snowball fight just to annoy the other.

However, this may actually be a more accurate depiction of what was really going on. It is possible that quiet, sweet Rachel was just hugging him to get on his nerves one last time before her little brother left.

These are some pictures of our big Nerts game with the Ewing family a few nights ago. Rachel and Jeff were partners. I like this picture of them--so cute!

Of course, these two just had to be partners. They are always good for entertainment value. Kind of scary, but they had fun. We had to keep an eye on them or they would move the table so far that Nathan and Steve were pinned up against the fridge!

Hannah and I were partners and winners! I'm looking pretty tired by this point in the evening. If you have never played Nerts you don't know how physically demanding a card game can be. I actually thought I had popped a few stitches leaning across the length of the table to make a play! I definitely had to rest the next day to recuperate.

Here are all of us playing a super fun game called Nerts. You can't tell from this picture, but it is fast paced and can sometimes be a little dangerous!

Our family Christmas picture this year tries to capture the spirit of our family life this season. I don't know if it was because we've all been together so much because of my inability to go places or what, but these two have been at each other since school dismissed. Even one of Alex's closest friends (remember he is male and twelve, which means he notices nothing) mentioned that he had never seen them fight like this before. I know they love each other and maybe things will be better after the hunting trip and school starts next week. I can only hope:)

The Aftermath

Small flakes are swirling around outside this morning. It's difficult to say whether this is new snow or just the wind blowing around yesterday's batch. No matter, it is still pretty from my viewpoint, which is from inside. We are still experiencing the 50mph wind gusts and low temps. I am so thankful we don't have to go anywhere! Instead I will stay in my cozy little abode tucked in the woods and enjoy the snow from my chair.
Jeff and Alex are still sleeping. This concerns me a bit, not because it is 10:30am (they like to sleep in), but because I suspect they may be coming down with a stomach bug that Rachel and I have already experienced. I am hoping they are only paying the price for their Dr. Pepper debauchery, sweet tooth spree, and video game vice. Meanwhile, Rachel is in the shower and I am mindlessly staring at my house.
It is suffering from what appears to be a post-holiday hangover. Kay did a lot of work yesterday since I had apparently overdone things for two days and my swelly belly has reappeared. Somehow, we still have items strewn everywhere and not the normal ones like Alex's socks, Jeff's coats and Rachel's bags.
There are bits of paper, instructions to new electronic items, warranties, and cords. There is still a pitching machine which Rachel compares to a Mars Landrover towering in the sunroom. (Which incidentally will have to be completely dismantled to move it to the basement. Poor Santa. All that work in the wee hours of Christmas for nothing! I guess that's not true. He was able to enjoy the excitement of a 12 year old boy!)
In the kitchen there are a few dirty dishes, but it is mostly landscaped with a dozen bags of homemade holiday delectables from friends with only one or two remaining bits because nobody wants to take the last one.
The dining room table is littered with Dr. Pepper cans, candy-stripped stockings, empty glasses, playing cards and the Life game set up and ready to be played today.
Well, Rachel has just descended and is shamelessly eating the last piece of fudge for her breakfast along with the last few peanut butter kiss cookies! I also think I can hear the master of the house stirring. If I were a good wife I would go greet him with a kiss and make him a hearty breakfast using the delicious salty ham leftover from Christmas dinner. However, I think I'll bid you adieu so that I can beat him to the last two slices of toffee caramel apple and the final peanut cluster!
Have a great day and for heaven's sake stay warm!

Christmas Fun

We hope that you have all enjoyed your Christmas day. At our house Pa has settled in for a long winter's nap and no one is stirring except Ma with her mouse. There is a clatter outside, but it is the wind which is still blowing furiously in the bitter cold. (And when I say cold, I mean 16 with a windchill of -2. Not 50 like you Texans and Alabamans call cold!)

Our family has had a great day so far and I believe a game of cards has been scheduled for later tonight. The kids really enjoyed their gifts. This Christmas has been different in many ways, but they have really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure they were even really into the whole thing, but I have come to realize that, sadly, they are just growing up and they are just excited in a whole new way. They weren't bouncing off the walls like in years past, but they have learned to appreciate and give thanks for what they experience. They really are learning that this whole season is about more than just exchanging gifts. As parents we know that is an answered prayer, because we have tried to teach them this for many years. Yet, there is something so fun about watching small children excited about the possibilities awaiting them under the tree on Christmas morning. Even though they have outgrown Santa, they were still excited. It has taken on a whole new look, though. They used to be giddy and write letters and lists and check the radar for where Santa was. Now they want to keep and share secrets and argue about the secrets (hence the Peace on Earth picture). They even wanted to make sure they got to spend time (not just money) with their loved ones. I think this year is the first year they have been more excited about what they were giving than getting. Maybe what surprised me and gave me the most joy was listening to them talk about how much they enjoyed our Christmas Eve service. It was a little different than usual, but they seemed to truly enjoy and understand its meaning. Communion as a family was very special and a monologue given from Mary's viewpoint was very meaningful. I hope that whatever your celebration was, you found God's peace and joy!

Merry Christmas To One and All!

Merry Christmas !
Rachel and Alex are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their grandparents. (Alex decided they needed an audience since Grandma Charlie was in sunny Alabama and he set the time for 9:00--without consulting Rachel!) Therefore, we are waiting to open gifts while Jeff is catching some extra zzzzs. We do have a White Christmas! And the weather outside really is frightful! The wind has been howling since last night, but the ice has turned to snow. Soon the house will be warm with the smells of a baking ham (9 out of 10 people prefer it to turkey, you know!), rolls and green bean casserole. I am so thankful we can just cozy up all day and enjoy each other.
Which reminds me, I need to put the ham in! Will post some pictures later.

May each of you have a glorious day remembering what our AWESOME SAVIOR has done for us on the day we celebrate HIS birth!

Progress and Parting Ways

Finally. Yesterday marked the third week since my surgery and I think I might being seeing some progress! Now note that the progress I am about to describe may not sound like much to you, but I was so giddy when my husband came home from lunch today that he was actually laughing at me.

Before surgery women kept telling me not to put it off, how much better I would feel and it would be the best thing I could do. I can't exactly say I have come to that place, yet, but I am sure that I will. Recovery is a slow process I heard. For a person who is basically a very healthy person, never had surgery or a c-section, slow has an entirely new meaning. I am not used to all of this sleeping, aching, weird dreams, medication and soreness. The first week I could barely move, but was heavily medicated. Week two, very tired and very sore. Week three, bordering depressed because I was wondering when I would ever feel better. To top it off, I had some sort of stomach virus over the weekend. Monday, though, I felt good and probably over did, because yesterday I didn't do too much. The plus side is that I haven't had any pain medicine since Sunday night! I don't want to talk badly about all the pills I've been taking, though. While some of them gave me some of the weirdest dreams I have ever had, some have come to be my friends. Good old Mo (Trin) has become my friend in the past few years, but I have been introduced to her bigger, stronger sister and I really like the family. Another first time acquaintance is Corre (C. Tol). She has been a real lifesaver. Now that Mo's sister is gone, though, I don't think I'll be seeing Corre as much either.

Which brings us to today. Glorious today. Now remember, I haven't been doing too much before 10:30 or 11:00 am for three weeks now so today really shows progress. Before noon I had already accomplished the following:

• Packing lunches and sending everyone off to school and work.


• Folding a load of laundry.


• Tidying the house. (Main floor only!)


• Having a quiet time with the Lord.


• Taking a nap.


• Taking a shower.


• Eating lunch.

Shortly thereafter, Jeff came home for lunch and it is only 1:30pm and I am now blogging and I'm just so excited because I have accomplished something and I don't feel like I am living in a fog! If it wouldn't hurt so badly I would do a happy dance, but I'll save it for later :) It's just so nice to finally feel like myself again I can hardly stand it. I am actually starting to get excited about Christmas so I am hoping that sometime this weekend I will be posting a new family picture and background. Plus, the new Christmas tree I ordered should be here by then and I have presents to wrap and I'm thinking about those yummy little peanut butter balls! Well, I suppose I should be careful. If you don't see anything new by Monday, you'll know I went a little overboard and have taken up my napping and visits with Corre and Mo again.

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Yes, I am alive and yes I'm doing well. Greetings from Missouri! I realize it has been quite some time since I last blogged. As you can tell, it has been busy enough that even Rachel hasn't blogged for a while. After a very short hiatus from fall sports, basketball practice is in full swing, second quarter is drawing to a close at school and until Thanksgiving even Jeff has been busy at the store. Also during this time I have been busy preparing for the holidays and a substitute for the next three weeks. You all know that I have recently had a surgery and am at home recovering. After a week I am becoming a bit restless about this whole rest and recovery thing. I can tell each day is better, but I am ready to be going full speed ahead. These days, full speed ahead means taking a shower and finishing season four of Lost. Those milestones are crammed in between my three to four naps per day. I know I shouldn't complain. If I were leading my normal life, I would love a day of doing nothing but lying around in my pjs, watching movies and sleeping. In fact, there are many things to be thankful for in this situation. Here's the short list:

1. Jeff. He has had to deal with the whole surgery, driving back and forth, taking care of me and the kids on top of working and his own regular stresses.
2. Mom. She let us invade her house for three days and is now taking off work for a week to help us at home.
3. Rachel and Alex. They have done everything I have asked without blinking an eye. How long do you suppose I can pull the surgery card?
4. Kay and Stephanie. They have fixed meals and taken care of my family.
5. Larry and David. They have run taxi service.
6. I have a job with insurance.
7. I have a job with paid sick days.
8. I have had no set backs in my recovery.
9. I got to come home a day early on Thanksgiving Day and be with my family.
10. In a few months, I believe I will feel much better than I have in a long time.

When I begin to count my blessings I realize how petty my complaint about resting is. God is so good and has provided for us in ways that are totally undeserved as well as exciting. So I will go back to resting and be happy about it! After I take a shower maybe I'll watch White Christmas and listen to Bing sing about his blessings as a reminder of all of mine. By then I'll be ready for another nap!