Basketball is Here

Usually by this time of the year we have been knee deep in basketball games. So far this winter, we have only been knee deep in snow! Because Alex and his friends all played football this year, they have had a late start on basketball. Because Rachel is in high school now she is no longer playing her season before Christmas. She has had several games, but they have a much longer season now so we don't have games every night between her and Alex both playing in the fall. This has been a good thing since I have not been up to par. It has been great to experience such a slow paced basketball schedule. That will soon end.

Both were scheduled to play in tournaments this weekend, so Jeff and I were going to have to split up. However, Rachel's was postponed and we were all able to go to Lamar today. Jacob and Drew were also playing there so we had double the fun! Alex played really well today. His team wasn't quite ready for basketball their last tournament, but they looked much improved today. Alex played really well in both games and they actually had a rematch with the team that beat them pretty handily in the first tournament. Today was really fun to watch because our team made some adjustments and was able to defeat a good little team. We also were able to watch Jacob and Drew play and see Jake hit a three pointer at the half time buzzer!

Although I was looking forward to seeing Rachel play, I'll get my chance. She has three games this week and will possibly start her postponed tournament next Saturday. I'm already sick of hot dogs and exhausted just thinking about it, but doesn't it sound like fun?

Big 41

Rachel baked this cake for Jeff all by herself last night!

What a bad wife, I tried to make him a year older than he really is and to top it off I only had one candle in our entire house to put on the cake!

_________________________________________________________________ Love you, Big 42. I was quite proud of myself for coming up with something that rhymed to put on Jeff's birthday cake that Rachel made last night. While he was finishing up his nap, we finished up his cake and birthday dinner. We were debating what to decorate with, when he shot up out of a deep sleep and said, "41!" We didn't know if he was sleep talking, listening to a ball game or what. But then he explained. "I'm not 42, I'm 41."
"Oh, yeah," I said kind of sort of apologetically. Then I realized I was the one who was 42, making him 41. What's really funny is that David was as confused as I was. He thought that Jeff was 40, making himself only 37. He actually turned 38 back in July! Oh well, who is really counting? Needless to say, we had to edit the birthday cake.
If you haven't heard, it is a little chilly outside today in Missouri. We did not go to school Monday or Tuesday due to weather, which gave me a little extra time to heal before going back. Tuesday was exactly 6 weeks to the day of my surgery. When the doctor told me he recommended eight weeks off from work I thought he was absolutely insane. I didn't have eight weeks to give up. I actually considered going back to school after two weeks for just half-days. Thankfully, common sense slapped me upside the head and I took off the last week before Christmas also. I was sure that one day shy of six weeks would be plenty of recovery time for me. But, Tuesday night at Rachel's ball game, when all the teachers were debating whether we would go back on Wednesday, I might have been the only one to say it would be okay if we didn't. I had to admit I was nervous about how I would feel, plus I have to go between buildings every thirty minutes of the day to pick up students. I wasn't really looking forward to traipsing through the subarctic temps. We did wind up going on Wednesday, which is usually an early out day for students. I stay with the ones whose parents cannot pick them up that early, but yesterday the school sent them all home early and allowed teachers to go home due to the impending storm. Even though I had only seen one class, I was okay with that. By noon, I was moving very slowly and was developing some strange twinges of pain. I took it pretty easy for the night while Rachel baked the birthday cake. It didn't appear we were getting the 6 inches of predicted snow so I was mentally preparing for going to school for a full day with a high temperature of 9 degrees. I can't say I sounded very appealing. Actually taking eight entire weeks to recover from surgery because the doctor said so was sounding more sensible. Later that night, though, we got the cancellation call. Today, Rachel's ball game is cancelled and her coach even called off practice. This is no minor feat considering they practiced on Christmas Eve. Even her tournament scheduled for Saturday has already been postponed.
I haven't even stepped outside, but I know it is too cold to be out there. We are supposed to watch the big college football championship game tonight at Larry's and Kay's, but I am already dreading getting out for that. No word on school for Friday, but I know many schools have already cancelled. Looks like I might just be getting close to the doctor's recommendation. If we miss tomorrow, I'll have only worked 1/2 day in seven weeks!

The Boys are Back in Town

Here is a picture of my shopping companion and one of my very best friends ever!
Here we are after our little pampering session, Saturday. It always feels good to have your hair done by someone else, doesn't it? I really wanted to bring our stylist home with us!

This is our first time to play around with the Bump Its Rachel got for Christmas. We had a good time playing this weekend, but we are so glad Jeff and Alex are home with us!

The Great White Hunters are finally home! I'm so thankful they are safely back and had a good time. Alex has been filling us in on everything from the weather, to what they ate, to the actual hunt. Considering the single digit temps, it sounds like it wasn't a total bust. They killed some pheasant, quail and even some ducks. Alex actually shot a quail, but unfortunately a hawk swooped down and carried it away before they were able to retrieve it. Our "hunting" dog didn't do much, though. Bud is a big Lab who just wants to be a little lap dog. I think his biggest contribution was that he befriended and kept company with David's new Irish Setter puppy who hadn't ever been separated from at least one of his family. Jeff seems happy to be home in a warm, cozy room with some Dr. Pepper. He enjoys the hunting and spending time with the guys, but this kind of cold is not for him. Alex has definitely inherited this trait.

Meanwhile, in Missouri it has been a few degrees warmer than where the guys were in North Central Kansas, but we received 3-4 inches of snow last night and today. It is a beautiful snow. The flakes were big and fluffy, but it is very cold. The high today was about 17 and by Friday the high is only supposed to be around 7. We have our first official snow day tomorrow because the roads are not cleared. I feel for the MoDot workers tonight. Those poor guys worked all day and they probably don't feel like they have accomplished a thing. It snowed all day, plus the snow is so powdery it just blows every where and to top it off it is super cold so nothing will melt. It doesn't sound like things will get better any time soon, so Rachel and I stopped at the grocery store after church today to stock up.

Rachel and I have kept ourselves busy while the boys were gone, which helped the time go much faster. She had a couple of basketball practices Wednesday and Thursday. Thursday after practice we shopped Target and Kohl's, then celebrated New Year's Eve with my Super Awesome Mother and had a great time. We ate pizza, watched a couple movies and then rang in the New Year with some sparkling grape juice, funny hats and some goofy pictures. The celebration continued the next day as the three of us bargain shopped again at Target and the mall. Rachel chose the restaurant, Ruby Tuesday, for our New Year luncheon. It was chosen on the basis of the mashed potatoes, but a great choice nonetheless! You would have thought that I had never eaten a salad:) That evening Rachel went to a friend's and I unloaded the van, laid out my dinner and set up for a movie. I thought I would take a little power nap and then eat and watch, but when I fell asleep at 8:00 I actually slept through until 8:00 the next morning. (This was quite a feat considering I have only slept more than 5 consecutive hours a few times since my surgery.) Saturday I had planned to clean house and begin preparing to resume our normal lifestyle since I would begin work on Monday. However, I was quite distressed about the appearance of my hair and we made yet another trip to Springfield!

Rachel and I treated ourselves to a little pampering with new hairstyles and color (for me) and (surprise) shopped a little more. Kay went with us this time which was nice for us. We were able to get some things for Jeff's birthday and Rachel and Kay found me a new coat. Of course, we had to eat and when we joked about going to Ruby Tuesday, Kay thought it a fine idea so we went again. The really funny thing is I was just excited about the salad the second day as I was the first! As we were leaving, Mom called and just about died when she found out we had gone back to Springfield for the third day in a row! Today we went to church, which was a pretty small group, but still a good worship service. When we came home and were trying to rustle up some lunch, Rachel was wishing Stockton had a Ruby Tuesday! I honestly think she would have even ordered the exact same thing she had the past two days. Wait until she has to go back to packing a lunch or eating school food!

Not much has been accomplished today except napping and blogging and greeting the boys. I am praising the Lord that they are home and we don't have to get out in the cold tomorrow!

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!