Friday Fill-Ins

1. Anonymous sure has written a lot of poems.

2. Rachel is a cutie pie.

3. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, um, yeah, let's move on to #4.

4. Warmer weather and sunshine are what I look forward to most about Spring.

5. Who needs therapy when you've got Scrapshare.

6. M&Ms and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups MUST go into the Easter Basket!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Good Friday church and Friendly's afterwards, tomorrow my plans include the Easter Egg Hunt, grocery shopping, Easter preparations and Sunday, I want to go to church and praise the King! The enemy's been defeated and death couldn't hold you down! We're going to lift our voice in victory, We're gonna make your praises loud. Shout unto God with a voice of triumph, Shout unto God with a voice of praise, Shout unto God with a voice of triumph. We lift your name up! We lift your name up! Sorry....went off on a little Michael W. Smith tangent there (#6 on the new CD).

Another great field trip

Alpacas are one of God's beautiful creatures. Their gentle nature, tranquil temperament, luxurious fiber and calming humming sounds make you want to bring a few home. Today we visited Full Tilt Alpaca Farm. We were able to pet, feed, walk, hug and even kiss them on the lips if we so desired. They were so loving with the owner but a little on the shy side with us. That is until we were holding carrots in our hands. Then we were quickly surrounded with sweetness.


Rachel wasn't too sure about getting up close and personal but she did a great job walking her friend on the lead.


Benjamin was great with them too.

And I think I found the solution for my freezing feet... alpaca socks! But at $20 a pair I decided I better wait and think about it. They were reversable so it would be like getting two pairs, right? What feet wouldn't be toasty warm and happy in socks like that? It might be just what I need to survive another winter in Cleveland!

Wordless Wednesday

Double Digits!

That's my boy!

Ten years ago today I was at a laundromat washing the comforter from our bed because it was too big to fit in our washing machine. While it was washing I popped over to Taco Bell for a bean burrito with sour cream and no onions. A lady at church had told me that Mexican food always put her into labor so I wondered if Taco Bell was Mexican enough to put me in labor. Apparently the answer to that question is yes. I woke up around 4:00 am pretty sure "it was time." I let Steve sleep until 6:00 and when I woke him up and told him he said something along the lines of, "You mean I don't have to go to work today?!"

The last decade has been amazing. God has blessed us tremendously with a smart, sweet, loving boy. He has a special love for animals and nature and he will read just about anything he can get his hands on. He plays the piano beautifully and has an arsenal of knock knock jokes ready to share. He can build and create masterpieces with Legos and K'nex. He has a special gift of being able to draw and is currently putting together a book of comics. There is nothing he can't do when he sets his mind to it.

I can only imagine how many hermit crabs and other creatures will be walking around when he gets a house of his own. (Although I do believe I have him on video promising to never leave home...I'll have to look for that.) Oh, and his backyard will probably be quite amazing if he puts into action all the plans he currently has for our backyard.

My prayer for Benjamin is that he will clearly see the plan God has for his life and courageously follow that plan. I pray that he will always be surrounded by people who truly care for him and who also love and serve Jesus. I pray that God will bless him with a wife and children and they will grow together in their love for each other and the Lord. I pray that Steve and I will continue to raise him in the way God wants us to and that we will provide him with a good, solid foundation. I also want his life to continue to be filled with happiness and laughter.



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I love you, Benjamin Charles!!!!!!!

Crab update

When your soon-to-be 10 year old, hermit crab expert of a son pleads with you to put the molting crab in an isolation tank, LISTEN to him.

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of our dear hermit crab, Ariel, who later became Acrobat after discovering “she” was a “he”. Thorin, the “quiet” crab decided to attack while she was most vulnerable. He flipped the shell over and tore her legs off.

I really do feel bad about the whole situation. Benjamin took such good care of them and managed to keep them alive for a whole year. He had been patiently waiting for the molting process to begin and it finally did. Unfortunately, I didn’t listen. I didn’t read the web page that explained the importance of the iso tank. Benjamin repeatedly asked me to read the page on molting but I didn’t make time for it. After it was too late I did read it and very clearly in large, bold letters it said, “A NOTE ABOUT CANNIBALISM:” It went on to explain how hermit crabs find the smell of freshly-shed exoskeleton irresistible.

Nope, I won’t be getting mother of the year this year.

However….. in an attempt to make it up to Benjamin we went out and purchased three, yes three, more hermit crabs.


Allow me to introduce you to Hermie, Fluffy, Crabby and Thorin.

Thorin is now residing inside Ariel's old shell. Yes, that's right, he killed her and then immediately took over her shell. Watch out, new crabs!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Angel or not, I will always love Emily. She keeps us on our toes and makes our lives and family complete! Just love her to pieces!!!!

2. I'll cut your hair any way you want me to.

3. As my mother used to say, you're full of baloney. Truthfully, though, I don't think she ever said that and I doubt that's how it's spelled.

4. I drink a tall glass of ice water after I'm done working out or doing something strenuous. And then I head for the Cookies and Cream ice cream cause I deserve it, right?

5. Even in the most crowded of rooms I can find my way to the bathroom.

6. Today is a day fraught with peril. We had a hermit crab fatality...more on that later.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Rachel's ballet, my inlaws returning home from their 3 month stay in CA, practicing my memorized scripture for Sunday and a long, hot bath, tomorrow my plans include Benjamin's soccer game, Rachel's ballet, Henry's 1st birthday party, some shopping and practicing my memorized scripture for Sunday and Sunday, I want to go to church and Benjamin's 10th birthday party at Lazer Xtreme!

United Tour

This was not a concert.... it was an incredible night of praise and worship led by two very talented and holy men.

The Allen Theater was filled with the Holy Spirit as Steven shared of his broken heart and the hope we have in Jesus Christ. This life is hard, but God is Good. He's got us and will never let go. When it becomes unbearable, He carries us. This servant of Christ is still hurting deeply from the tragic loss of his precious daughter Maria Sue. And he will for a long time. But God will be there, holding him, carrying him, loving him. Beauty will come from the ashes because God is good, all the time and All the time, God is good!

The Holy Spirit moved as Michael led us in an incredible worship experience. Jim Houser, SCC's manager, said on his blog, "I can't imagine King David led worship any better than Michael W Smith does. I'm looking forward to that co-lead..." Yeah, me too. MWS was moved to do, Here I Am to Worship, which wasn't on the set list and for me, it was one of the high-points of the night. He started in the middle of the song..."And I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross"....and sang it over and over. I love those moments in worship when you repeat the best part of the song and you can just lose yourself in the moment. The Holy Spirit moves through you and speaks to the deepest part of your soul. There were many other moments like this through out the night. These aren't moments that you can plan. These are God moments where the Holy Spirit leads and you follow. I crave moments like this. And you know what? I think they are all around us, happening more often than we realize. We just need to open our eyes and watch for them. God is always at work in our heart and our lives.

Here's a fun little tidbit: Just as we were pulling into the parking garage before the concert, who did we see hanging out, skateboarding in the street behind the Allen Theater? One Caleb Chapman. How cool is that? Lesson of the day - always have your camera at the ready! Although, he might not have liked that so much. He's trying to get some fresh air and enjoy a few moments of peace before the concert and here comes the crazy fan snapping pictures.

Now I just need to figure out how to get to Baltimore for tonight's concert... I still need to hear You Are Holy and Forever.

Wordless Wednesday

All is well

1. Sarah's night night has been found after being MIA for 24 hours.

2. The hermit crab is not dead, just molting. Or at least we think that is what's happening. Our more active crab has been sitting in the exact same spot for days. When I came downstairs tonight after getting everyone tucked in, Steve had it in a plastic baggie with several broken off pieces? legs? He said, "It's dead." When I presented the possibility that it might be molting he decided to put it back in the tank and we called Benjamin and Rachel down to assess the situation. Since we don't smell any "stink" yet we're going with the molting thing. Benjamin, our resident hermit crab expert, says we need to move it to an isolation tank and put the "pieces" of legs and whatnot with it so it can eat it and regain calcium or something like that. In the words of Benjamin, "This is a great day!"

God is Good

All the time.

ISO Salamanders

We had hoped to see hundreds of these little beauties wriggling across the road to their ancestral breeding ponds. The conditions need to be just right for it to happen: 1. temperature above 40-45 degrees, 2. wet/rainy, 3. dark, 4. usually first or second week of April.
It was 52 degrees and it had rained on and off all day. So we headed out around 8:00 pm. A friend from our homeschool group had seen a few migrating a week or so ago so we thought we'd check it out. The rangers close the roads to cars and people come armed with umbrellas, flashlights and cameras. It's pretty cool to be walking down the middle of the road in the Metroparks after dark. We heard a lovely chorus of spring peepers and wood frogs. They sounded like they were having quite the party out there in the woods. We ventured "off road" just a bit to see what we could see. And, lo and behold, I spotted some spots! This poor little guy was lucky to be alive because Steve, Benjamin and Rachel had already walked through this very spot. (I'm trying not to think about the unfortunate ones we didn't see in time under the leaves.) A few minutes later Steve saw another one that quickly darted away. Unfortunately, we didn't see any other action except for the several deer we saw on the way home. But it was great fun to get out "after dark" for some exercise and fresh air in the lungs and hear the sounds of nature in action!

Stellan

Through my somewhat new hobby of surfing blogs, I have found an incredible circle of women. You can follow the links to their blogs to the right of my posts. They are funny, honest, positive moms who have strong Christian values and share openly as they are learning and walking with God. I feel connections with these women for different reasons: our kids are similar in age, some of them homeschool, their sense of humor, they love Jesus and some of them also have a child in heaven with Joshua. They share God moments, insights and prayer requests. One of these ladies, Mckmama, is currently in the picu with her son Stellan, as he is very ill. This is one of her recent posts regarding God and prayer. It is beautiful and so well said. The power and love of God is simply incredible. To have a child who is fighting for his life, and still be able to share thoughts like this - that's God speaking through Mckmama. God wants us to be in prayer with him. He wants us to be in a relationship with him. He desires for us to be close to him. No, that's not why this is happening to Stellan. On this side of heaven, we won't understand why. But I have no doubt God's loving arms are wrapped around Stellan and his family right now and they are experiencing a peace that only He can provide. God Bless You, baby Stellan!

Shelby and Jasmine

It was 12 years ago that one of my 3rd grade students approached me with an offer I just couldn't refuse. She had heard that my new husband (of 4 months) and I were looking to start a family, a fur-family that is. All my years growing up we had kitties sharing our home, making life interesting. It was just too quiet in our new house. I knew just what we needed and so began the search for 2 female kittens from the same litter. We checked the Animal Protective League and Stay-A-While Cat Shelter but no such luck. One day a little girl in my class told me her mom had found two kittens behind their garage, shivering in the cold and snow, and she wanted to know if I would like to adopt them. I called her mom to ask if they were male or female. I didn't want a male, even though they are extremely affectionate, they seem to have issues in the potty department, if you know what I mean. Unfortunately, one was a girl and the other a boy. I told her no thank you, we were looking for 2 females. She called me back a day or so later to see if I had changed my mind. She said she had offers from people willing to take one or the other but not both. She was hoping they could stay together and wanted to know if I would just stop by to "take a look" at them. I called Steve and told him I was stopping by to just "take a look" on my way home from school. We both knew that meant I was coming home with 2 adorable balls of fur that night. Jasmine is the quiet, gentle, shy, dark, female tabby. She LOVES to have her belly rubbed and cuddle in your lap if the noisy people aren't around. Shelby is the blond male who is the exact opposite of his sister. He hates to have his belly or feet touched but LOVES to get 'toe-love'. That means he likes to lay by your feet and have you pet him with your feet. Every night when everyone is in bed and just about asleep he starts this awful howl that sounds like something is terribly wrong. But not to worry, he's just capturing and delivering all of his toys to my bedside. He's such a good hunter and provider:)
I'm so glad Mrs. Moriarty called me back and asked me to come over and just take a look at them. It would have been very sad if they had been separated. They love each other and still play and snuggle up together. I must say that Shelby will definitely be the last male pet we ever have. He does have his potty issues, as I knew he would. But I love them anyways and couldn't imagine the last 12 years without them. Spoiled little kitties...

Harry London (as in chocolate)

Today Benjamin, Rachel, my mom and I journeyed to North Canton to the Harry London Chocolate Factory for a field trip. Oh, how I love homeschooling, especially when it involves chocolate!
I thought it was interesting that Harry London started making chocolates in his basement as gifts for his friends and family. He expanded his business by purchasing the house next door and constructing an underground tunnel to connect the two houses so that he wouldn't have to go outside and risk the chocolate melting. An electrical fire destroyed one of the houses and at that point he built his first building/factory. After 5 years of success he added a second floor to that factory and today they have a 200,000 square foot facility in North Canton.
Yum-deli-cious is about all I have to say about it. Unfortunately for Rachel it's not gluten-free but she was content with the GF chocolate donut and the granola bar I brought along for her. You know what's silly? These chocolates have a shelf life of 6-9 months. As if they're going to be sitting around that long!

Friday Fill-Ins on Saturday

1. When I look to the left, I see pretend kitchen food that is actually put away where it belongs, go figure.

2. The family room is the room that has the best view in my home. From here I can view my tv or my laptop or my kids doing schoolwork or my personal favorite, watching the kids play in the backyard!

3. Let it work for at least two minutes before rinsing. Do you know what I'm referring to?

4. I would like to get my housework done dirt cheap! (no pun intended)

5. Recycling is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.

6. If you have any chocolate feel free to share.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking Rachel to ballet, going to Giant Eagle for chili ingredients, making chili and finishing up the tax prep for my CM stuff, tomorrow my plans include soccer pictures for Benjamin and Rachel, dance for Rachel, Chili Challenge at church, Target, bank and Sunday, I want to go to church, Marcs and a going away party.

The Magic of Painting

Sarah and Emily share a bedroom and will continue to do so for many years to come. Sarah, however, has better plans. When I was putting them to bed the other night she asked why Emily sleeps in her room. I explained that they 'share' a room because there are no other bedrooms. She asked why I couldn't just paint Emily her own room. I thought she knew of an extra room that I could paint and turn into a bedroom. She pointed to the wall in between Rachel and Benjamin's doors and told me that is where I could paint a room for her. She also told me to paint a TV in Mimi and Papa's car so that she could watch a movie when she rides with them. You want something? You just paint it and voila! There it is! Oh, if only it were that easy!

You're rotten!

When I say to Emily, "You're rotten!", she answers in her sweet baby voice, "No, I precious!"
You decide.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sarah!

It's hard to believe my little Sarah Bear is 4 years old already. She is so precious to us. She was our answered prayer 16 months after Joshua went to be with Jesus. Sometimes her milestones are bittersweet for me because I think of how Joshua never got to do that particular thing.

Sarah is a lefty, and I've always thought left-handed people were unique. She is our quietest, calmest child - as long as things are going her way that is. She doesn't show her temper often but when she does - WATCH OUT. Run for your life, take cover and most importantly use ear plugs. I joke that she would make a good "only child". She likes for things to be her way and her requests aren't all that unreasonable, it's just that with 4 kids, it can't always be your way.

Sarah is the only one of our kids to have a night-night blankie that rarely leaves her side. I remember how she used to hold her socks or her dirty bib up to her nose and it would comfort her. That's when I knew I needed to get her a special blankie. I would have bought 2 identical blankies had I known just how special it would become. She's also the only one to suck her fingers - the first three fingers on her left hand. Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. She promised her daddy she would stop sucking her fingers when she turned four. *ahem* That didn't go so well.

Sarah was our earliest and easiest to potty train. I remember physically holding her on the potty chair while she screamed (quite loudly) and cried. I was sure I was going to emotionally scar her for life. However, once she figured it out there was no looking back:) She never needed pullups at night and she can hold it f.o.r.e.v.e.r.

Sarah is sweet, cute, loving, shy, smart and absolutely adores her siblings. She loves to sing, play the piano (thanks to grandma's lessons), play barbies, dolls, house, play dough, read, puzzles and my favorite snuggle. She likes kisses on the cheek, but no lips!!!! (except for the minstrel boy statue in my parent's living room)

Sarah's funny words -> ska-betty, pit, I'll be the mom and you be the swee-T, and milkies.

You are one-in-a-million and I love you to pieces my little Sarah Bear!

ABCDEFG

A while back I was tagged by a fellow blogger. She's a riot and an all around terrific person! Check out her blog... you're guaranteed to laugh and be uplifted! Anyways, thanks for the tag, Beth. Here goes.

ABCDEFG.... are you sick of reading about Me?

A. Attached or single? Attached
B. Best friend? My husband.
C. Cake or pie? Cake with BIG frosting flowers
D. Day of the week? Friday
E. Essential item? laptop
F. Favorite color? purple
G. Gummi worms or bears? I dont' do gummies
H. Hometown? Parma, OH
I. Favorite Indulgence? long, hot baths
J. January or July? July, can't take the cold and dreary, short days
K. Kids? 3 girls, 1 boy and 2 angels in heaven
L. Life isn't complete without? Jesus
M. Marriage date? November 30, 1996
N. Number of siblings? zero
O. Oranges or apples? fuji apples
P. Phobias? high places and small spaces
Q. Quotes? I just read this one earlier today but not sure who the author is: "Live Simply, Love Generously, Care Deeply, Speak Kindly and Leave the Rest to God"
R. Reasons to smile? my husband's sense of humour and the cuteness of my kids
S. Season of choice? Summer
T. Tag one person. Tracey
U. Unknown fact about me? I HATE wet socks!
V. Vroom Vroom... What kind of car do you drive? Dodge Grand Caravan Sport (2003)
W. Worst habit? falling asleep during movies
X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound.
Y. Favorite food? pizza
Z. Zodiac sign? Cancer, but I don't believe that nonsense. Don't even bother reading it.

Bust out the Pink and Red!

Love is in the air... or are those just bubbles?

Party #1 Sarah and Emily at the Gymboree Valentine Party.


Party #2 with the Preschool PTA. Sarah and Emily enjoying some pizza.


Party #3 Emily crashed Sarah's preschool party at Royal Redeemer. It's hard to believe they'll both be in preschool next year!


Benjamin, Rachel and Sarah attended Party #4 with our homeschool group. They each made a Valentine box.

Sarah won for her age group!

Crafts....

good old Musical Chairs....

decorating cookies...

eating cookies...

and the much-anticipated, long-awaited reading of the Valentine's!!!!

Those Carpenter kids love a good party!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever." Psalms 118:1