It's warming up!!!

Our weekend weather was just gorgeous!!!  After a really cold couple of days last week, we were like little hibernators coming out of our hibernation!!!

Last week, we had some really cold days and after mowing the lawn on Thursday evening, I was chilled to the bone.  I had two jackets, gloves and my rain boots on to mow but when I went to jump off the mower, my feet hit the ground with nerves screaming!!!  My feet, my hands, my whole body was so cold.  For sure, the coldest I've been all winter!!!  I felt chilled to the bone.  I was even still shivering after a hot shower and just couldn't warm up fast enough!!!  But, the cold passed through and Friday and Saturday were a bit warmer!!!  And yesterday, was a gorgeous Spring day!!!

I decided to go buy more of my garden plants on Saturday.  It was sunny and I am so ready to get more things planted!  I bought tomato plants, peppers, basil, parsley and an egg plant.  I planted everything but the egg plant.  Mainly because my garden beds are full and I requested one more raised bed to be added to my collection!!!  Hopefully, Mike will get to that this week!!!  I did notice some growth from the seeds I planted a few weeks ago.  We really only had a few sunny, warmer days since then but the radishes and lettuce like it cooler.

We all woke up yesterday morning with sunshine beaming in our windows!!!  It feels so good to have the sun shine bright and the tempts were looking wonderful!!!  I had mentioned to the kids on Saturday about going to the park.  I thought that when Matthew cleans out the car wash vacuums we would get a chance to walk over to the park while he finishes up his job.  But, when I dropped Matthew off at the car wash, I then took lunch to the working men that are building our new church building in Honey Brook.  Our church has been dreaming and saving up to build a church house for years and it's finally all happening!!!  Mike is one of the men that are in charge of the project and even though this is requiring tons of his time, Mike is enjoying the project!!!  By the time I got back to pick up Matthew, he said he was already waiting for two hours.  :)))  I'm not really sure I'm believing that time judgment but by then I wasn't going to stroll the park with the little ones and make him wait more.  So, when I woke up Sunday morning and saw the sun rise and the temperatures rising outside, I mentioned to Mike that we should go to the park after lunch.  Everyone was into that!!!  Matthew wanted to hit balls with Mike at the park.  I grabbed my Bible, a few snacks, camera, water and some bread to feed the one lonely duck swimming at the park.  Mike loaded up Austin's hunting jeep on the back of his truck and the kids had a real blast riding on the park paths!!! 

Here's Austin at the church project!!!  He's glad to help in any way he can!  :)))

I sat on the park bench just enjoying the warm sunshine.  Somehow I already forgot how good the warmth feels and it reminded me of just how ready we all are for summer!  I sat there watching Ashlyn and Austin break off pieces of bread and throw it in the pond.  They gently said, "Here ducky, ducky!"  I wish more ducks would join this one lonely bird at the pond but finally Ashlyn ran over to the other side and threw in more bread pieces.  The duck swam to the bread and enjoyed it!  It did finally come over to where Austin was and the kids loved feeding it!!!

They jumped onto the jeep and rode over to the playground.  I threw a blanket on the ground and pulled out my Bible while watching them slide down the sliding boards and giggle and laugh and enjoy the outdoors.  We had a very touching message at church and a very inspiring Sunday School lesson!!!  Nelson Cobletz preached and Mike and I sat there drinking in every word spoken.  Both of us have made comments to Jesus while attending Nelson's crusades in years past and so hearing his voice preach the gospel was spiritual food!!!  Nelson had everyone's attention as he preached!!!  I tried to jot down some notes in between trying to keep Austin and Ashlyn sitting still and listening!  Some of the things I wrote down were this:  "There's no greater honor than to be workers for Jesus!"  I was challenged when Nelson asked, "Do you love to see God in your everyday life?"  Can God trust me with His "work" even if or when I am falsely accused, hurt or wounded?  God's perfect will is that we would be saved, filled with His Spirit and live with Him in eternally forever!!!  God also has a permissive will and this is the part of life when things happen that we don't understand.  Things God allows to prunes us, give us growth and make us stronger Christians.  Nelson preached on how Jesus was fully the Son of God, yet fully the Son of Man.  Yet without sin!!!  He read the scripture in the Bible that talks about Jesus praying in the garden but was sorrowful.  Why was he sorrowful?  A new perspective was explained.  Jesus knew he would make it through his upcoming crucifixion as the Son of God because of his deity!  But how about the Son of Man?  Jesus had never felt the rejection of his friends (his best friends/disciples) leave him.  He hadn't yet felt the spits in his face, the beatings, the mockery that was about to happen to him.  How would he bare that rejection?  He cried out for help and an angel came to strengthen him!!!

Jesus understands what we go through!  What we face.  Jesus can feel how I feel when I say, "I don't know what to do because I've never felt this pain before."  Oh glory ... thank you Jesus!!!  He felt the natural but stayed in the spiritual!!!  I was reminded to let God heal my pains!  Let the things that break Gods heart, break mine too!

Nelson shared some of his personal story but he never focused on his past mistakes but on Jesus brings healing and life and joy and peace!!!  He is an evangelist that goes to prisons to preach the gospel!  He talks to people all the time that have messed up big time and need encouragement.  He said, "Don't waste the pain of the past.  Let the pains of the past help heal others.  Let beauty come from ashes.  God uses people who fail because there isn't any other kind."

His whole message to us that morning was bold!  God knows that we humans mess up.  I fail.  I sin.  Satan wishes to sift Christians like wheat but Jesus told Peter, "I pray that your faith not fail you."  When I mess up in life, which I do and will, I need to cry out to God and ask for forgiveness.  Turn from sin and set my eyes on eternal goals.  I need to put my focus on Jesus and let Him use me today!!! 

When we got home for lunch, Mike and I were anxious to hear from the children on what was preached.  Hadassah and Jess were inspired and asked us what we thought about the preacher.  :)  I was eager to tell them that we listened to him preach many, many times!!!  As a young girl, my parents would often take our family to the Gospel Express Tent Crusade often!!!  Nelson's emotions come through his sermons and his way of evangelical messages are convicting!!!  Thank you so much for coming to preach at Honey Brook!!! 

Anyway, I laid on the grass at the park and opened my Bible to Revelations.  We just finished up a study on this book and never before was I enjoying this book more than now!!!  As we sat in a circle with our Sunday School class each week, I learned, studied, looked up verses, listened to other messages on this book and simply drank up all the things that are prophesied to still happen.  On Sunday, we finished with the last two chapters and I was awed as we read how the streets of heaven are made with pure gold, clear as glass.  Christians will be live together with Jesus and God forever and ever!  There will be no more need for a sun because God will be there!!!  The book of Revelation has a whole lot of information about what's still to happen to this world, good and bad.  It was so awesome to finish the book with promises of a new heaven and a new earth!  A world that us Christians will forever be without sin and pain and problems.  Forever with Jesus and in God's presence forever!  I wanted to reread these verses.  The sun felt warm on my back and as the children were enjoying the slides, I was refreshed too!!! 

Mike and Matthew were at another part of the park throwing and hitting softballs.  Matthew's ballgames have begun and so practice in now a most for him!!!  After a while, I saw them drive out of the park and they soon returned with Mike running and Matthew on roller blades.  It was then that I got up and started walking the park paths too!  I've been wanting to start up running or walking and now I had no excuses and wanted to get some calories burned too!!!  Ashlyn and Austin followed us around the paths on the jeep.  This day at the park was so fun and we hope to do this again soon!!!

Weekends are so fun for us!!!  Yard sales are beginning.  The kids can sleep in.  Mike is busy selling sheds!  Hadassah cleaned out the vehicles and washed them off!  Warm weekends that we just had are so wonderful!!! 

I found these shoes at a local consignment shop and I'm really enjoying them!!!  I looked up the normal store price online and it said, "$57.00!!!"  I paid $8 for my pair!!!  Score!!!  :)))

I had to chuckle when I looked up at the temperature gage in the Yukon yesterday!!!  Mommy D. has an outdoor thermometer hanging on the side wall of her Florida home.  Every time we call her during the winter months, I ask her how warm it is.  She walks over to the warmest spot on the property and reads the numbers.  I thought of her yesterday when I was parked in the sunshine at school and waiting for the children to come out.  Now, in reality it may have said 91 degrees but as soon as I put it in drive and drove away, it went right back to 70!  :)))

The Tigers won their game last night!!!  Way to go boys!!!

Looking ahead at our week it will be filled with school days.  Baseball games.  Community Clean Up Day at school.  Volleyball practises.  My life right now is very active with the children and sometimes I need to be reminded to stop and take it all in.  Like yesterday.  We needed groceries so I made a stop at Sharp Shopper and then Costco.  Austin is my little tag along and it's fun to have him with me.  We grabbed some lunch at home and then made a quick stop at a greenhouse.  I'm starting to buy some flowers and I'm soon ready to get some planted!  We then went to school to pick up kids.  Jess came along home and we dropped the girls off and then I took Matthew and Ashlyn around to some businesses to collect funds for our Community Clean Up school fundraiser!  It was then time to whip together some spaghetti for supper and off I went again to take the girls volleyball practice.  Dishes were done and baths were given and off we went one more time to go watch Matthew play ball!!!  All day long I felt like I was go, go, go.  The sun was shining and I would have had plenty to do at home all day long too but being a mom of four active, healthy kids, keeps me stepping!!!  I love it!!!

April is coming to a close in a few days and then it will be May!!!  Time has a way of just passing right along!  We are getting ready to start our "school days count down" and we look forward to summer time!!!

Enjoy the sunshine!!!  Get outside and feel it!!! 

God is so good!   

Volleyball tournament.

Well, the sunny, warm days are behind us now and Ashlyn was singing this morning, "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.  Little Austin wants to play. Rain, rain, go away!"  She grabbed her new umbrella that sister Jody gave her for her birthday before heading out the door for the school this morning.  After having such beautiful weather the end of last week and in the 80's on Saturday, yesterday didn't even seem like the same month.  We are back to rainy days and chilly.

Hadassah had a volleyball tournament this weekend and I try hard to make these priority.  I have found that it is sometimes hard to always be involved in her teenage events and even with her growing up with sports, I have tried to be there if possible!!!  It's a chance to be there with her.  I believe that it's important for us parents to be in the stands cheering if possible.  If we don't cheer for them, who will?  I LOVED to watch her play soccer and volleyball in middle school.  I cheered and even teared up when she was breaking long jump records in track and going to MACSA to compete.  And I love even more to now go to her games and cheer and see the higher competition!!!  And I might add that it is getting easier with the little ones too.  It is challenging to take a baby and little siblings along and have them entertained while trying to watch a sports game.  I've had comments like "the children need to stay on the bleachers".  Sometimes I have wondered why I even go if I have to keep one eye on the little ones and one eye on the game.  But with a few toys, a coloring book and crayons and a few snacks, we survived!  :)))  

Hadassah is playing for a Blast Team for the first time this Winter/Spring.  It's a club volleyball and open to girls that want to get more playing time and learn more skills.  She's been really enjoying this even though she had a set back in the very beginning with spraining her ankle.  Most of the girls on her team she didn't know before.  Most come from the public school system and it's an opportunity for her to show good sportsmanship and be a witness for Jesus.  This team of girls are all in high school so the level of playing is tough stuff.  There are hard serves and slams and great blocks all the time!!!  It's a "blast" to watch!!!

The tournament began on Saturday morning.  Honestly, I was hoping to go yard saling but Hadassah and Jess needed a ride to their games, so I willingly raised my hand!  :)  Mike would have loved to attend to but with the weather being SO nice, it was going to be a busy day at work!  I dropped my littles off at Jody's house (thanks so much again) and Matthew got to go to Madison's for the day and then the girls and I went to volleyball!!!  I had a little time to kill after dropping them off at a school in Lancaster, so I was off to go to a nearby development yard sale just a few miles away.  I strolled through the sales and then went back to the games to cheer!  They played well and started with some wins!  After lunch, I needed to pick up the children and then came home for a short time.  Ashlyn and Austin went right outside and rode their jeeps around the yard.  It was so warm outside.  We all went back to the games to cheer for the last of the volleyball games for Saturday.  On the way home, we picked up Matthew at Dutchies and he was soaking wet!  The boys decided to jump in Mike's pool ... green water and gross ... but they didn't care a bit.  Matthew was soaked and came home for a good shower!  :)  Thanks Rosa for letting Matthew come over!

 

Hadassah went home with Jess on Saturday night and the rest of us were ready to relax and enjoy some time at home.  We ordered pizza and wings and got to bed in good time!!!  Tomorrow will be another day of volleyball.

The volleyball tournament continued on Sunday.  Verna took the girls to their first game this time.  The games were in Millersville this time with their game beginning at 8!  Mike and I drank our coffee together, read some scripture and then got the kids up and dressed and off we were to cheer for Hadassah.  We made a quick stop to get the kids muffins and donuts at Dunkin Donuts on the way there.  It was much colder than yesterday and drizzling rain.  It didn't seem like the some month at all!!!  But it didn't dampin the girls playing!!!  They played well with some loses and some wins.  At lunch time, the team was scheduled to play at the Volleyball Corner and finish up the tournament there.  (This was a big tournament with multiple locations of playing.)  The kids were getting tired of sitting and watching, so Mike took them home and Gerald and Verna's children went to our house too.  There they played while us adults finished watching the volleyball games in ease.  :)  Hadassah's team made it to the Semifinals but ended up losing to their own sister team.  Blast has an A team (mostly Seniors) and they beat us in the semi's.  Hadassah was tired and ready for a shower and then chill out at home!!!

 I couldn't wait to get into our PJ's and wrap up in a blanket.  I was cold and tired too but after eating some soup and coloring with Ashlyn on the living room floor, we decided to go play some dice with Matt's.  The kids always cheer when we go to Matt and Lena's and this time was no different.  Mom Lapp was there too and the games of dice were fun! 

We are so blessed to have good health and warm, dry homes!!!  Hadassah played great all weekend and our warm beds felt wonderful last night!!!  I want to document weekends like these because I know that some day we will look back and say "yep, those were the good ol' days!!!"

It's looking like a rainy week ahead which probably means the ballgame that is scheduled for tonight will most likely be canceled.?.  The grass is loving this rain and the garden will be up and growing after the showers are passed and the sunshine returns!!!

I'm now off to fold the laundry and sweep my floors!  Have a great week everyone!!! 

 

Spring weather has arrived!!!

Spring weather has finally arrived and we are so enjoying it!!!  Yesterday, the kids came home from school and went straight outside!!!  Matthew pushed the trampoline over against Ashlyn's little playhouse and they were carefully climbing on the side of the roof and then jumping onto the trampoline.  I was gonna put a stop to the high jumps but then I didn't.  I was so glad to have them playing outside and I knew Matthew was being careful and helping Ashlyn!

And while they jumped, we had the sprinkler going in the garden.  I planted my greens and seeds the other day and it's important to keep them watered!

As they jumped, Austin was riding his "hunting jeep".  He loves this Christmas gift and rides all around the property.  This time without a jacket and in flip flops.  The kids kinda go nuts with their attire when the weather is warmer.  Ashlyn came flying in through the back door and said she's gonna put on shorts.  Matthew was bare feet.  I grabbed Austins shoes and demanded he keep them on while playing outside.  I know the weather seems warmer but the ground is still cool and I'm not interested in any more sickness this Spring!!!  When they all came back inside at dusk, I almost forgot to give Ashlyn her spelling word practice sheet and go over Bible Memory.  We still have a few more weeks of school left and we will be ready for summer vacation, but until then ... we press on!

I was working so hard here at home yesterday and just knew that by the end of the day, my muscles were gonna be sore!!!  :/  I started with taking the kids to school and then I needed to drop Hadassah off at the high school because she didn't have any other ride this morning.  Austin and I came home and I got a text from Lena asking for some children's meds.  Adrian wasn't feeling the best and I sure hope he's not getting what Austin had all last week!!!  I took some Motrin out and we brought Hunter along home with us.  Austin loves to play with Hunter and I figured it would be a great playmate while I clean the house.  Bethany couldn't come help me clean today, so I had it all to do by myself.  I got right to cleaning as the boys played. 

I was always glad that the one instrument Hadassah played was the piano and I pitied the moms of drummers.  Well, Austin is intrigued so much by drums and is always looking for Josh at church, since he's the drummer.  The other week, Josh gave Austin a set of drum sticks and this was SO cool to Austin!!!  Hunter and Austin really had it going for a little bit!

After giving the boys lunch and finishing up cleaning my floors, I headed outside.  I knew that Hadassah might not be able to find a ride home from school today and that means I need to pick up the kids at main campus.  I tucked my phone in my pocket and decided to get to some outside work until she calls me.  I started with the edging!  Austin was napping and I ended up doing all of it!!!  Oh boy, my muscles are going to be screaming at me tonight!!!  She did text and say she needs a ride, so I dropped my work and we went to pick up the children at school.  We stopped at Latte Love for some refreshing drinks and then came home to jump on the mower.  But it didn't start!!!  Hadassah was wanting to mow for me but now we need to wait till Mike comes home from work and get it started for us.  Meanwhile, I raked and pulled weeds in the flower beds.  I can't believe it but the outside work is being worked on and it won't be long before we will be ready for mulch and flowers!!!!  Mom Lapp said the other day that she might plant some petunias by the end of the week and honestly I said, "Oh wow!  I'm not near ready for that yet!!!"  But, here I am with the edging done and the weeds mostly pulled and after taking Hadassah to her volleyball practice, Mike had the mower started and ready to go.  Austin and I jumped on the mower and off we went!!!  The grass was clumpy and not real high just yet but it looks nice with fresh mower marks and it all even!!!  Now, the mowing season officially began.

I just felt all day long like I was going, going, going.  This warmer weather is exactly what we were waiting for and we are now taking advantage of it!!! 

And now today is going to be another warmer day!!!  In the 80's!!!  Our weather pattern has been unusual and even though I love 80 degree days, I hope we didn't skip out on the 70 degree days!!!  I'm sure they will come and more consistent as the days go past.  This is one thing that I don't like about Spring that the days are not consistent.  It's usually lots of rain showers and one day warm and the next day cold.  But it's so good for the garden seeds and plants!!!

Here's a flashback of some of our week ...

Yes, that is snow falling while Matthew practises for his ballgame.  Matthew's first game was scheduled for Monday night.  Mike had meetings to attend, so I was the one to wrap up the children and take Matthew to his game.  He was excited but I was trying to come up with a good idea for the other kids.  Ashlyn's been begging to watch Dolphin Tales, so we borrowed the movie from my sister and popped a big bag of popcorn.  We grabbed some blankets and off to the ballpark we went.  Matthew jumped out and joined his team.  It was snowing and snowing and so cold outside.  Matthew was still lagging from not feeling well most of last week and I didn't like that he was getting wet and cold but he was so into his game.  Meanwhile, Ashlyn, Austin and I put the movie in the DVD player in the Yukon, wrapped ourselves in blankets and watched the movie in the ballpark parking lot.  Austin was still not 100% either from being sick last week (it was a long week of fevers, coughs and not feeling well.)  So, staying inside (or at least not out in the snow) was the best choice!!!  It was fun!  But soon Matthew came and hopped in the Yukon totally not impressed.  The game was canceled because not enough of the boys showed up.

 

 

 And since Austin was not feeling the greatest, he's been taking a lot of baths.  I added Epsom Salt and oils and let him soak!  He asked for his tractors and then Lego's.  This is one fun way to soak in the minerals and oils!!!

The weekend is upon us and I'm not complaining about that!!!  I'm so ready to go to some fun yard sales, go watch Hadassah play in her volleyball tournament, be outside and love on my family!!!  April is a busy month for us and the next upcoming weeks is filled to the brim with church events!  Mike is in charge of the building project at church and this is requiring lots of meetings, lots of work days in Honey Brook and lots of organizing breaks and foods for our working men!!!  Honey Brook Community Church has been working hard and praying for a new building for years and now that the church is finally getting built, we are all excited!!!  Mike is also on the school board and that to has been filling up his time with meetings.  Linville Hill Christian School is growing fast and there are some important decisions being made that will affect our school for years to come.  Mike loves both of these boards and they are tugging at him at all sides these days. 

We love Spring time and especially the warmer days!!!  I'm off to go finish the laundry and then work outside again!!!  I love sunny days!!!

Weekend memories.

We love weekends here at our house.  It's a time when we spend time together!  It's often when we watch a movie together.  It's when we read books on the couch or make extra treats in the kitchen.  Weekends always include church.  We gather and sing praises to Jesus and fellowship with other believers.  It's very refreshing!!!  Well, this weekend consisted some of these things.

 

On Friday, I finally got the seeds planted in the garden!!!  I was looking forward to going to the greenhouse and buying vegetable plants and getting them in the ground!  My raised beds are now almost full!  I need to wait just a bit longer to buy my tomato plants and more tender vegetables.  Frost will hopefully be over one of these weeks and then I will plant those other more tender plants!!!  Ashlyn is patiently waiting to plant her seeds too.  She requested getting some flowers for her little garden.

 

Austin is still not feeling the best.  He's been sick since Wednesday but Friday, I finally thought that he's getting well!!!  He still didn't look that great out of his eyes but he was up and playing and seemed to be on the mends.  Mike and I got to take John and Suz down to Ruth's Chris Steak House that night.  John searched and found Mike a nice truck months ago and even though we paid for the truck, Mike wanted to thank John with treating them to a night out!  Mike really likes his truck and the night out was fun!!!

 

Saturday, was a lazy day for us.  I loved it that way!!!  We were still lazy and relaxed after we woke up.  The children slept in and after breakfast, we got to some chores but even then the day was just low key.  Mike was out of the house early because they had customer appreciation day at the shop and I considered taking the kids over there to get a free soft pretzel but sometimes that is distraction for Mike.  The little man always begs for a tow motor ride, which he did get on Friday when we stopped in after buying our garden seeds, so I decided to just stay home on Saturday.  The kids rode their toys outside and Matthew got out the bag of softballs and started his routine of swinging bats.  Baseball season is starting up and he's excited! 

 

Ashlyn wanted to make Popsicles.  I'm not sure why because the weather is still chilly and cold outside but we looked up a recipe on Pinterest and mixed, poured the juice in the molds and froze it.  Here's the turn out.  We put watermelon chunks, frozen strawberries, lime juice and some lime zest in the blender and started it up.  It whipped together all the fruits and then we poured it into a Popsicle mold.  Then in the freezer it went for four hours.  The kids were happy with the finished treats!!!

 

I was happy to offer these to Austin because ever since he was sick, he is still not eating much.  And now he started with a cough.  He sounds terrible.  He doesn't have fever anymore but is now finishing off this sickness with a nasty cough.  :(

 Matthew doing what he loves best!!!  Baseball!!!

 

Saturday night, Hadassah went to Jess's house to hangout and sleep overnight.  These two girls do most things together and they just absolutely love to be together.  Becoming such good friends reminds me of my teenage years.  Every chance I could be with Rosa was a plus!!!  We had so much fun and I love seeing Hadassah share the same memories!!! 

Matt and Lena came over and we played numerous games of Rummy O.  This game we play often with them.  It's fun but only four people can play so that's why its a fun game to play with another couple.  The little kids played with toys and had fun too!!!  Thanks for coming over guys!!!

Sunday morning, I woke up Ashlyn and plans were for only her and I to go to church.  Austin was still coughing a lot and Mike decided to stay home with him.  Matthew decided to stay home too until we were up eating breakfast, Matthew decided to go with us after all.  He loves his church buddies and enjoys seeing them at church!!!  I was asked to teach Ashlyn's Sunday school class and she was again thrilled that I would be her teacher.  Before, the three of us headed out the door, Mike made a comment that if Austin perks up, they might come after Sunday School.  And that's what happened!  I was happy to see them walk in and join us for the sermon!!!

When we came home, we grabbed some lunch and then Mike took Matthew to a birthday party.  I relaxed on the couch and took a nap.  Our small group was having a "Passover Meal" and I was asked to bring potatoes.  I mixed up a big pan of red potatoes, topped them with Ranch dressing, cheese and bacon bites and stuck them in the oven.  The relaxing afternoon was great!!!  Mike went out for a run and I know that one of these days, I will make myself get on my running shoes too!  Getting more exercise is a spring time must!!!

We enjoyed the Passover Meal with our small group.  Austin was still coughing and not feeling the greatest but it was interesting to eat some Jewish foods, including lamb!  We talked about some foods they would have eaten back in Jesus' day.  Foods like dipping lettuce into salt water to remind them of the tears that were shed while in bondage in Egypt.  And eating horseradish and remembering the bitterness of sin.  I really enjoyed the meal and it was neat to share this with the children and explain some of the things Jesus would have done as a child!

Then on the way home, we made another stop.  Mom Lapp had a birthday last week and her siblings all gathered at her house as a birthday party for her!  We stopped in to say hello and join the party!!!  What a fun group of Aunts and Uncles!!!  They make life so much fun!!!

We tucked the little ones into bed and they were all ready to lay their heads on their pillows and get the blankets tucked in around them.  We prayed over the children and asked God to touch Austin and heal his cough!!!  Then Mike was off to pick up Hadassah.  :)))  I just know that one day we will look back and say "those were the good old day's!!!"  The days when we would run all over the county taking our kids here and there.  From birthday parties to picking them up at youth group late at night!!!  Some days I wonder how we get it all accomplished but most days we love every minute of it!  Mike has become the one that usually goes to pick up Hadassah late nights.  One reason is because he is the one that enjoys later nights.  I'm usually ready for bed way before he is.  Another reason is because he sees it as a time of chit chat for him and her.  Hadassah and Mike have shared a lot of good time already by just these rides back home!!!  The other week, they did something that they used to do when she was a little girl.  Way back, Mike would sometimes wake up Hadassah at night (like at 11:00 PM) and say, "Let's go to Sheetz and eat cheese fries!!!"  When Hadassah was only five years old, this was big stuff!!!  She loved it every time they went out!!!  It's something so small and fun but it will be a forever childhood memory for Hadassah.  Well, they did this the other week after he picked her up late.  They laughed together and ate fries.  I've learned a lot from Mike when he does some tasks like this.  He makes the best out of these 11 PM pick ups and it is such a blessing to see them have fun together!

Now, we are the start of a new week.  The kids are back in school.  Mike's in the office and reviewing new orders they received over the weekend.  The laundry is getting done.  The forecast is saying some snow flurries tonight yet but by Friday it is to in the upper 70's!!!  If this really does happen, it will be working outside for us and starting those Spring projects!!! 


Have a great week and enjoy the beginning of warmer weather!!!