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

Five People in My Family

Do you remember that old Sesame Street song where they sing... "Five people in my family" I live it now and while stress and exhaustion go hand in hand with motherhood, I wouldn't change it. WCH is loving the first grade and seems to be just fine with my presence in the building. JDH is doing better now that we pulled him out of pre-school. He has such a wonderful outlook on life and he makes me laugh constantly. We are excited that he possibly qualified for speech services. JCH is growing and changing so much. She can already sit up and is on her way to getting around the room by rolling and possibly scooting soon. Pretty good for a once three pounder. So, if you thought I was off my rocker before... You should see me now.

Where do I even begin?

Not much time lately to really write from the soul. Life has been dragging me every which way. Although sometimes I feel that I can barely rise out of bed and do it all over again, I made my self stop and look back at the last few months. I am proud to say that we did it! Dan and I managed to make it through all of these things since summer:

0. Losing an old dog and training a rescue dog
1. The Pataskala Street Fair
2. The beginning of school
3. Taking my first grader to work everyday
4. Papa Bill's campaign for 91st District (State Rep)
5. Accepting a dirty house
6. Dan's new presidency of Pataskala's Rotary
7. Dan's new chairmanship of the Licking County Republican Party
8. Dan and I threw the biggest birthday party of our life (at school).
9. Soccer season for both boys
10. solid food for Claire
11. realizing that Will is my genetic dump off site and he will suffer for that
12. Teaching Will how to contain all of that energy during the school day
13. Teaching James not to beat the tar out of the "first child"
14. Getting James tested for speech services
15. Is she sleeping through the night? Can't tell
16. Parent/Teacher Conferences
17. Dan's travels
18. Watching Papa Bill gracefully accept a Republican defeat for the State House.
19. Enjoying my Grandmother now that she lives in town at the Oaks.
20. 10 years of marriage
21. a concussion for me... Performing in Camp O'Bannon's Murder mystery is dangerous

Phew!

We did it!

Happy 100th Birthday Pataskala School!

My school and my husband's alma mater, turned 100 years old this year.

Dan and I pulled it off! For the last two years, Dan and I have been planning the 100th birthday party for Pataskala Elementary. We managed to pull off the art auction, fund the Ohio Historical Marker, develop school activities, and host over 200 people for an alumni banquet. It went better than I could have ever hoped. We had a blast and are still recovering.

1908-2008

Breathing down my neck

It's that time of year again... when school is around the corner, the street fair is looming in the near future, my children must return to school and life without me, and when I must rejoin society. It happens every year and I manage to get through it just fine. I stress, fret, freak, toil, and geek about all of it and without it, I would not be who I am. So, please keep in mind... that I mean no harm, I am just working through my issues. CAUTION: Keep a clear distance!

New Eyes

I rise each morning determined to leave a good work in each of my children's hearts. I really try to be loving all the time and to teach patience, strength, and love. Not every day is always successful in these areas. While that bothers me, I know it is part of life. Being the mother of three has strengthened me and well, mentally strapped me too. I am wiser and yet, still clueless. There are days when I question my abilities as a wife and mother and then I am reminded of God's Grace and his infinite wisdom. He would never have given me these three beautiful children without a master plan. Why do I complain about my path in life when God has done so much for me? He gave his only son so that I might be saved and I seem to forget that when I am complaining away about my day, my struggles with work or children, or when my weaknesses become obvious.

I was reminded this week at church to look at life with child-like eyes. I need to remember that God made the most majestic mountains and yet the softest breeze. My children continue to share their view on life with Dan and I and we are given a new way to view the world. After JCH's four month check up yesterday, I was reminded again of God's goodness. She is perfect (weight, developmental marks, etc.). I am blessed to be handed this precious child who trusts me and loves me. Her trust is breathtaking. I am reminded of the love God has for us through the bond I have with my three. No matter my sins, my children's faults, or how my day ends, looking at it all with new eyes is certainly helping.