Back to it... Isn't it hard to come home from vacation and jump back into life again? At this point in the school year, it is a bit of both. I am ready to get back to school and enjoy the best part of the school year... the fun part. No big tests, no real stress, and a good time to break out the scissors, markers and glue. This is what I went to school for... the joy. It is so much fun to "get back to it" in the classroom. We are writing scripts, playing math games, and laughing and learning. Good to be home and ready to wrap up the year. It is such a nice way to make the kids forget all the testing and stress. Yea for the end of the school year.

New and Not so New

Yea for us... we are back at Lakeside. It is a good feeling to love this place and to see my childhood memories everywhere I walk. But there is joy in finding the new memories too. I now have new friends that I see on the street and at the park. The new is fun when you watch it through your family's eyes. The boys love the new playground and are excited when LKSD folks remember them and speak to them. Dan and I find it a bit crazy sometimes when we all pile back into the condo for "reprieve" and there is absolutely none of that going on.

We love LKSD, Ohio and embrace the new friends and adventures like: The Wild Animal Park, the park, the waterfront, kite flying, bikes, mini-golf, ice cream and Marilyn's shopping. I just love browsing the awesome shops. I love to sit on the dock alone and walking around. Oh, the donuts are the best. But, most importantly... the fun. Good to be back for another summer.

Working it Out

I love my three children. I will say that first. I don't like the carcus of a body that three children have left behind for me. I look at myself everyday and plan to take time for myself but, just like today... the day will fly by, the demands of motherhood will mount, and I will collapse into bed tonight without having "worked out" a plan for my physical reclamation.

With my motherhood role, also comes a full time job. I love teaching and know that it is my time for missionary work. Going into the "field" each day leaves me in God's hands so that I may guide, mold, and work through Him. This also leaves very little time for myself and the molding of my physique. As I sit here and vent about my plight in life andsuck down Easter's jelly beans, I know that my kids don't care what I look like. They don't even know what I used to look like or act like. They love me unconditionally, accept me, and know that I will be there for them.

The similarities between their need and my knowledge of what Christ is for me are wonderful. Christ's sacrifice for me was more than I can ever give. I know that I can sacrifice for my family and also find time to "work out" time for myself so that I can be the best mom possible.

Changes at Home

Why is change so hard sometimes? We grow from it, we need it, but we fight it most of the times. Take the arson in Old Town Pataskala. It changed the landscape of town forever. It robbed us of history and yet, with change a newness has spread over our town. There is an unspoken (sometimes spoken) fresh breath that has swept over Pataskala as if to say, "We are ready for change and it is time to unite for a goal". I feel it as I step on my front porch.

I look at my own family and I see my JCH starting to pull herself up and get teeth and with that brings a lot of change to the dynamics of the house and the grocery bill. JDH has become very successful with his language and with that come new frustrations for him. WCH is losing teeth rapidly, getting taller, and adjusting to different rules as he gets older.

Dan and I maintain this three ring circus to the best of our abilities and with the strength of our good God. No day is perfect, my house is not "in place" but, I am in love with my husband and with that brings changes as we grow older. I don't need to mention our physical changes, but we change emotionally and spiritually with each other too. How blessed am I but, yet so resistant to change. With all of this, why is change still so hard?

Winter fun

Winter brings a certain amount of fun every year. While it is not the joy of summer, it brings a moment to sit back and learn who your family has become. My family is growing up. We are still a young family but, as WCH turned 7, he brought to the table new skills and characteristics. JDH is gaining speed with his pronunciation of letters and sounds. He mastered the word 'puzzle' this week. JCH is bringing more personality to the house with her giggles, crawling, and need for total attention. As for Dan and I, we change with their needs, our work needs, and our own needs (sometimes).

Lately, we have been getting organized, playing a lot games together, and taking some time to just hang out. I love this time of the year when we can look at each other and learn more about one another. When summer and more sports come, we often don't take the time to do this. I wonder if this is how God feels when we take more time to get to know him. Am I spending enough time with him and when life gets busy, do I stray away until I have time. I imagine God desires our attitude to be more of a "winter" attitude where we get to know him and hang out.

Welcome to the Big Top!

Welcome to my circus. Wouldn't change it, just being honest...it is a circus around here. We are blessed to have it and wouldn't want it any different. We never have a day without high trapeze walks, the feeling that we are being shot out of a cannon, and moments where we feel the crowd cheering. Thankfully God catches us everytime we need it.

We had an awesome Christmas break. We saw all of our cousins, aunts and uncles. The gifts were nice, but the family time was the best. These are our top ten memorable moments:

10. Showing up to visit Santa and just missing our visit.
9. Everyone sick over break.... (I'll take it compared to two weeks of working with sick kids)
8. Sleeping in everyday, staying up later than normal, and sometimes... staying in our pj's all day.
7. Making birdhouses for our family and friends.
6. Seeing our Wisconsin cousins, our Hilliard cousin, and having our Pataskala cousin spend the night... They rock!
5. Going the Blue Jackets Hockey game
4. Getting a Wii from Santa and all the other stuff mom and dad gave the kids
3. Watching JCH learn to chatter, crawl little bits, and get bigger
2. Playing Wii with family: Papa Hayes' superhuman boxing skills, Mamma Lanfear's competitive bowling, and Nana Hayes thinking she was playing tennis when it was actually the replay.....
1. Laughter and good memories with family