Coupla Fun Days

I just realized it's been a very long time since I've put anything new on here. Rather than try to write about all that's gone into the last few weeks, I'll just put up a few pictures. Oh, who am I kidding? I'll probably end up writing about it all anyway . . .

Zeke, Karis, Malachi and I went to a super-fun fiesta (I kept messing up and calling it a "siesta" - must have been wishful thinking) hosted by Mrs. Roth & Mrs. Riffle's 2nd grade class. The kids painted newspaper sombreros and ponchos, and set up stations all over the room. Several students stood at each station to tell the "visitors" about different aspects of Mexico. Rachel couldn't have been more excited. We danced, ate chips & salsa, and ended the party with a pinata.


She also got to share some of her own research with bro & sis . . .



When school finally ended, we took a long-awaited trip to Carriage Hill metro park near Dayton, with my sister Hannah and her 3 kiddos. In spite of the downpour we drove through on our way there, the day turned out to be a success, mainly because we still got to stop by the penny candy store before we left. They also loved the farm animals and the old-time school house and kitchen, as usual.





That night we headed to our LIFE group cookout, where we spent a great time with friends both old and new, and Rach & Zekers got to climb a tree, which they LOVE to do. It made me sad because it reminded me that our 2 backyard trees had to be cut down last year due to a disease that we've discovered our front yard tree now has. But I'm glad we have friends who are willing to share their trees. :)


Next up . . . The Cincinnati Zoo. Our membership expires the last of July, so we wanted to squeeze in a few more trips before then. I'm including a picture of our picnic lunch, because it cracks me up that this picture pretty well captures each one's personality. I love it.

One of our favorite features of the zoo is the workers who walk around with different animals that the kiddos can touch and ask questions about.


Feeding the giraffes, who unsuccessfully tried to pry the wafer out of Mr. Moo's hand. I think he secretly wanted it for himself.


Polar bear up close and personal. We even got to witness a fight between 2 of them, over a dead fish.


I can't believe we actually got all of them to sit on a fence at the same time.






When we got back to our van, around 4:00, it said the temp was 96. No wonder the kiddos were red-faced and dripping with sweat. We were definitely thankful for the "mist" areas scattered throughout the zoo. It was a very hot, but nice family day.

The Amazing Race

I woke up at 5:30 this morning, due to uncontrollable butterflies in my stomach! Today is the day I've been "training" for (I use that word very loosely!) for the past couple of months, and although I ran a 5K last summer, it was a much smaller one. With somewhere between 800-900 runners in this morning's race, my only aspiration was to run it at a pace of 9 mins. per mile, which is about the fastest pace I've ever managed to keep up for 3.1 miles.

Of course, not everything went as planned. I had my ipod charged, my playlist all set, with certain songs timed out for each part of the race. I pulled into Welcome Stadium around 8:15 and popped in the ear buds just to make sure everything was working properly . . . . and it wasn't. I couldn't get any volume, no matter what I tried. I started freaking out inside a little - I've never run by myself without music! But, the music thing clearly wasn't happening. I had to move on.

On to the next thing. I went into the stadium and picked up my packet, containing my number and timing chip. After tearing off the bottom portion of my number (which wasn't supposed to be torn off, but looked like it was!), and attaching the chip to my shoe the wrong way, I was about fit to be tied. Fortunately, I found my sister Hannah, and my Dad, who were also running, and things got better after that.

For about the first half mile, I didn't think I was going to make it - I was either going to throw up or my head was going to explode. But after that, I paced myself and thoroughly enjoyed the race, which started on Edwin C Moses Blvd, went alongside the Great Miami River, and ended with a lap around the track at the stadium. The sun was hidden behind clouds most of the time, and there was a nice breeze blowing when we ran next to the river, which helped. The whole thing just felt really good - even the last part! As I entered the stadium, my mom was standing there with Rachel, Zeke & Karis and they were all cheering for me. And just before the finish line I saw Danny and Mr. Moo. It totally made my day and helped me finish with a smile on my face, to see my family there cheering me on. Danny had gotten the kiddos fed and dressed and came down around the time the race began.

The best part is, I was certain I was going to be absolutely humiliated by my time. But I ended up finishing in 25:31, which to some, I know doesn't sound that great, but I was thrilled!!! It was definitely a moment. I would have done a victory dance, but my legs wouldn't cooperate. It turned out, there was something wrong with my timing chip, b/c although I saw what time I came in, it didn't register on the sheets they printed out and put up so you could see your finishing time, and your actual time. (The chip activates when you cross the start line, which takes a little while with that many people, so your actual time is not what shows on the counter when you cross the finish line. I was about 10-15 seconds back)

Afterward, there was a "fun run" for the kiddos - they got to run the length of the infield. Malachi wanted me to hold his hand the whole way, which of course I didn't mind doing. We left and went to Hannah's house for a cookout, where some other family members joined us for the afternoon. Aside from Karis and Esther locking us all out of the house for about an hour, it was a fun day. Now I'm ready to run another 5K!

All in the Family

OK, enough early-morning rantings from me . . . here are a few highlights from the past couple of months:

Karis is my chief peanut butter sandwich maker. She takes her job very seriously.


Zeke has been working on his writing this year - a real struggle for him. But slowly, we're starting to see some improvement. I was so proud of him for writing 12 thank-you notes after his birthday. He wrote one or two each morning until they were all done.


Malachi's eye continues to bother me much more than it bothers him. Due to a strong kick to the eye, his chalazion drained quite a bit this weekend and I thought we had seen the end of it. But it seems to be growing again, so we're currently trying to decide what, if any, course of action to take. Poor guy. As if he needs one more disfiguring thing on his face.


Yet nothing deters him from being a little clown. Not sure where this look came from . . .


One of the kiddos' favorite things to do is to have a picnic lunch. Sometimes we go for a bike ride afterward - Karis rides the extension on the back and helps me pedal, while Moo loafs in a baby seat in front of me. I think they could live outside and be just fine with it.


There is truly nothing more exciting to Karis than ice cream. OK, maybe getting to paint her fingernails. On this particular afternoon, she was treated to both!


Rachel's new look


ice cream and good friends



Karis and I got to accompany Zeke's class on a field trip to the Greenville City Street Department, where we learned all kinds of interesting things and the kiddos got to sit in some pretty cool back hoes and honk some horns.




I'll end with a few choice tidbits from our own little Kari Bou.

Me: Hey, how about we have a picnic lunch today in our yard?
Karis: Are we gonna use the picnic table?
Me: Well, I thought we'd eat on the wooden platform on the swingset.
Karis: Mom, are you SURE it won't break if you try to go up there?


Karis: Was Great- Grandpa Emch 200 years old?
Me: No, Sweetie. He wasn't even 100 years old.
Karis: How old was he?
Me: I think he was 87
Karis: So . . . he was even older than YOU??


Karis: Mom, you looked like a big ol' log when you were pregnant with me.
Me: How do you know if you weren't born yet?
Karis: Mom, I've SEEN the scrapbooks.

Becoming

It's 1:00 am, and I can't sleep. Maybe it's the restless thoughts roaming around inside my head that refuse to be quieted. Maybe it's the strong cup of coffee I drank several hours ago. Either way, it's been a full day . . . and my brain and my body just won't shut down for the night.

As we sat down to eat dinner, I received a phone call. Somehow, although what I heard didn't surprise me, I wasn't prepared for the news, or for the rush of tears that immediately followed. oh, Jesus, why must some people suffer so?

A lot of things have been weighing on me lately. And I realized tonight, as I lay in bed unsuccessfully trying to will myself to sleep, that most of it boils down to . . . feeling desperately inadequate.

I've always taken my job as a mother very seriously, but recently I've begun to feel the weight of it - the significance of this staggering responsibility I have to play a key role in 4 young lives. Modeling, and instructing them in, the ways of Christ; teaching them to love and follow Him when I myself fall so woefully short. I see them picking up on attitudes they see in me - repeating words & phrases they hear from me - and it takes my breath away, the amount of influence I have in each of their lives, for good or for evil. I try to be consistent with discipline, to lavish them with love, to demonstrate joy, but sometimes I'm just . . . tired. You don't get to say, "OK, this week you'll have a substitute Mommy - I'm going on vacation." You don't get a break from it, because even when you're most worn out or discouraged, they're watching and learning from you. oh Jesus, this parenting thing is hard!

I also feel inadequate as a wife - particularly as a pastor's wife. How do I encourage my husband, but also help to sharpen him? I want to be there for him, to always have the perfect words roll off my tongue - the exact words he needs to hear to make everything alright. Instead, so often what rolls out of my mouth are words of self-pity or criticism. And how do you make your home a peaceful haven when he comes in the door after work to find Polly Pocket dolls and Little People scattered all over the living room - not to mention the piles of laundry I haven't gotten to yet? Did the Proverbs 31 woman ever have days like this?

All around me is pain. Broken bodies. Broken marriages. Broken hearts. I feel it sweeping over me like some kind of unstoppable current, and I am powerless to do anything to make any of it better.

But that's just it. I am inadequate. HE is not. Jesus Christ, the all-powerful, unchanging, sovereign Lord of all, is able to do everything I cannot. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

And even now, in the wee hours of the morning as I sit here trying to make sense of my feverish thoughts, I hear his still small voice: "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden (beating your brains out trying to do what only I can do) and I will give you rest . . . take my yoke upon you and learn from me . . . for my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I hate it when my own weakness and helplessness stare me in the face. But I love that my Savior's strength and peace and perfect love reside within me! And if I have to be faced daily with my own inadequacies in order to appreciate His glorious grace in my life, then I am grateful for those inadequacies (or at least am becoming more so).

Jesus, help me to live a life worthy of the calling I have received. My words will fix nothing. But Your Word brings comfort and hope. My efforts are in vain. But Your grace is sufficient. oh, how I love You!

. . . not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)

. . . And Another One

It finally arrived: the day Rachel has looked forward to for over a year, with breathless anticipation.

We got up early and drove to Kenneth's in Columbus, so Rachel could have 10 inches of hair chopped off and donated to Locks of Love. Ever since a friend from church donated her locks last year, Rach has had her heart set on this. We knew of a hair salon in Columbus that gives free haircuts to anyone wishing to donate their hair, and since my grandma lives in Columbus, and my Aunt Marcia had flown in from France for 2 weeks and is staying with her, and we have long-time friends who live there, we decided to make a day of it - beginning with the haircut.

Waiting . . .


She didn't appear to be the least bit traumatized by having her 2 long ponytails chopped off.


It was looking really cute and curly, but her stylist said it would be easier to make sure everything was even if she straightened it. You'd have thought I'd just told Rach she could have a candy-themed sleepover. She was that excited.


Transformed . . . after about half a dozen different gels and 20 minutes of styling. I've told her not to expect to look like this every day! What I'm still trying to make sense of is how I saved $20 on the haircut, but managed to spend way more than that on a flat iron and several bottles of product that the stylist convinced me we just can't live without. At least the flat iron was 20% off and came with a lifetime warranty!


We spent a lovely lunch/afternoon with Grandma & Aunt Marcia.


Then we spent a lovely dinner / evening with Dave & Johanna & their munchkins. We got to talking about a trip we took with them and 3 other couples in the pre-kids era. Back then, there were 10 of us, and we took a week-long trip to Sedona, AZ. Now, after adding 14 children to the mix, there are 24 of us, and I guarantee that IF we ever take another trip, it will be somewhere local, with playgrounds and fast food. It's amazing how things can change in 8.5 years.

But of course, I wouldn't trade our munchkins for 20 Sedona-like trips. I'm so incredibly thankful for our four kiddos, and for Danny. Today is the perfect reminder of the gift that they are.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

It's Official

No, we're not having another baby. *grin* But I am officially registered for the Lou Cox Memorial 5K to be held at UD on May 31st. To be perfectly honest, I really don't want anyone to know about it, with the exception of my dad and sis, who talked me into running it "with" them (in this case, "with" = "way behind"). I hate committing to this, because it means getting up earlier every morning and running more than once a week. It means actually disciplining myself and working at something . . . ugh.

So . . . I'm broadcasting this on my blog for accountability, I guess. This is a HUGE, and very competitive 5K, so my aspirations include: 1)finishing and 2)not making a fool of myself. They do NOT include 1)winning the $2,000 cash prize or 2)placing in any category AT ALL. If I know that other people know I am doing this, it will help me to stick with the program! I've run 3 out of the last 4 days, and feel great. Let's hope I can keep this up for another month.

If I can give birth four times, I can do this . . . . right??

It's So Short

At 2:30 this afternoon, we said good-bye to Karis' hair. Well, to most of it, anyway. Thank goodness for sunglasses, which hid my tears from a very excited little girl, who adores her new 'do. I'll admit it - I cried. Then I devoured most of an 8-oz block of Swiss cheese which I had just purchased at Kroger. Most people drown their sorrows in chocolate. I go for cheese - lots and lots of cheese. Which may explain my need to drink so much coffee.

Anyway, I do realize it could have been much worse. But for now, I'm going to let myself be just a little bit sad as I mourn the loss of pigtails and braids, and try to console myself with the thought that it really will grow back.

We're a Mess - I Mean . . . a "Work in Progress"

It's been a week . . . a week that has felt like a month.

Nearly 8 years of mom-hood has taught me that daily life rarely turns out the way you had planned, or even hoped, it would. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just that some days (weeks, months) are messier than others. Like this one. And I want to someday look back and remember it all - to keep it close to my heart, and maybe even to laugh about it.

But rather than rambling on about our week, I'll just let you see a few snapshots of it. It wasn't BAD, as much as it was crammed full of little, and big, surprises. And some elements of it were just . . . pretty typical.

First I'll tackle Mr. Moo. I could just say "he's 2", and leave it at that - no explanation needed! But the past couple of weeks he's been especially 2-ish.

His battle-scarred face bears witness to the fact that it is nearly impossible for the little guy to avoid catastrophe 2 days in a row. His mishaps with bikes, teeter-totters, furniture and his own feet (most of which, I just realized, have involved Karis in one way or another), together with the growing red lump that's been camping out under his eye since Christmas, have pretty much kept me on the alert for Childrens Services. I expect them to call or just show up and take him away at any moment.

Fortunately, I was able to get a last-minute appointment with an eye surgeon on Monday, who informed me that the lump is due to a blocked oil duct, needs to come to a head and then drain, and should do so within the next 6 months. I wasn't exactly expecting to receive a diagnosis of "huge year-long eye zit", but hey, at least it's nothing 5 or 6 warm compresses a day can't cure!

By the way, the caption for the picture at the top reads: "Why not to turn your back for a couple of minutes when Malachi is eating tofu pancakes" (I use the word "eating" very loosely.)

On to the next mess . . .

It's almost never a good sign when you get a call from the school nurse, especially when she uses the words, "head injury." It turns out, Rachel had a run-in with a little boy during gym class, fell backwards and hit her head pretty hard on the concrete. Her eye looked more purple each day for about the first four days after the incident - that little boy must have had one hard head! As for Rach, she's thrilled to have one more reason to act pathetic. (Interestingly, her eye really starts to bother her when she's asked to make her bed, clean up her room, or do homework.)




I walked into Kari Bou's room yesterday to find this . . .



Assuming (desperately hoping?) it was doll hair, I went to ask her about it, and found this . . .



Let's hope the hairdresser can work some magic on Tuesday. I didn't take any disciplinary action, because she was devastated enough when she realized she may have to have all of her hair cut short like a boy.

So, Moo is a mess, Rachel is a mess, Karis is a mess, and now even the outside of our house is a mess. At least it matches the inside, I guess! Danny has begun the process of scraping and primering, and hopefully within the next month or so, we'll have the whole thing repainted - and there won't be any debate this time as to whether it's gray or blue! I can't wait.




As for the Beef Man, I've dubbed this "The Week of the Meltdown." I think just about every day this week has involved at least one. But it's all good, because I finally got a decent picture of him and it's been less than one month since his birthday! Last year it took me 6 months - my silly little dude just does not like cameras.



I don't have the room here, or the time, to go into the other "hiccups" that have taken place of late. But I'm thankful for the past couple of weeks. Mostly I'm glad that not every week is the same, and that my kids' personalities are so different, it forces me to study them, to learn what makes each of them tick. It makes me appreciate the love and support I receive from Danny, the time he spends playing with, and teaching, our children. I'm thankful that life is not predictable, because how boring would that be?

Mostly I'm thankful that God is good no matter what, and that His grace is sufficient for any and every hiccup, regardless how large or small.

Good-Bye

I've shared several other posts on this blog about our family visiting my Grandpa Emch. One week ago today, he exchanged his earthly body for a heavenly one.

We knew this day was immanent. Ever since a major surgery he had last August, his health, and his ability to think clearly, had steadily declined as his body began to shut down. The news of his passing, while not surprising, was still strange. He's been around all of my life. I used to climb up on his lap as a little girl and share ice cream cones with him. He would hold me and tell me how special I was. He took us for motorcycle rides and told us stories about life when he was a boy.

But after hearing so many captivating accounts of his life, I didn't realize how much about my Grandpa I never knew - until my Uncle Daryle shared at his Celebration of Life service on Wednesday. I always knew that Grandpa and Grandma left their church, which was really more like a family, shortly after they married, and that this was prompted by a pursuit of Biblical Truth. Their faith was in Christ alone, not a works-based religion. I knew that they were shunned by friends and family alike afterward and as a result they faced much loneliness. What I didn't know was how much hostility they faced, even to the point that my Grandpa's own parents burned the Theological books he had purchased while he fought in WWII. Still, he pursued the truth.

I knew Grandpa had fought in WWII, as a medic. What I didn't know was that he was sent to the wrong location at first and asked to handle a gun, and because of his convictions he refused, asking to be transferred. He endured hostility and persecution at the hands of fellow soldiers and officers alike, until the situation was finally corrected.

Grandpa was not the perfect husband, father, or grandfather. He had a fierce temper and could be very harsh at times, especially to those he was closest to. But I've gained a new respect for him, and for the legacy he left his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His life wasn't easy. Despite losing friends, family and a business he'd devoted countless hours and energy to (in a fire back in the '70's), he remained strong. And there is no doubt that He loved his Savior.

I pray that I can pass his strength, and pursuit of truth, on to my own children. I pray that I will be faithful to share with them the way that God worked in the life of their great-grandparents and has continued to work in their parents. And I love that I will someday see him again in heaven. Good-bye Grandpa . . . until we meet again.

3zekiel 6 Years Old

That is what I wrote, in bold black icing, on his cake board today! Then I realized I had the "E" backwards. So for today we are calling him "Three-zekiel".

Zekers is an odd child. I think that's what endears him to me - we are so much alike! About a month ago, I asked him what kind of theme he'd like for his birthday, to which he promptly replied, "Rock, Paper, Scissors." "Wait a second - you want a Rock Paper Scissors cake?" I sputtered. And that is exactly what he wanted.

After processing through his bizarre request, I finally came up with some ideas for the cake. And that's when he informed me he wanted a Henry and Mudge cake, to go with his favorite book series. And not just ANY Henry & Mudge design - it had to look like the cover of the very first book, complete with title and author's name.

It wasn't until a few days later, when he decided he'd like a giant squid cake, that I made an executive decision, and informed him that I'd be making a great white shark cake (I'd gotten the idea from the Family Fun website.) From now on, the kiddos will be choosing their birthday cakes from there - end of story! As it turned out, he loved his cake, and so did I, as it gave me an excuse to buy Swedish fish to go with the cake.

Since it IS his birthday today, I thought I'd share just a few of the things I love about my 6-year-old:

- He absolutely ADORES any kind of animal. He wants to be a zoo-keeper when he grow up.

- His love for animals is overshadowed only by his love for vanilla ice cream. Just plain old vanilla.

- He has read Happy Birthday Bad Kitty maybe upwards of 100 times - no exaggeration. I realized this is because he is alarmingly similar to the title character.

- He is so good with Karis and Malachi (when he's not annoying them to death). He often reads to them, or shows them how to play video & computer games. He's even trying to teach Karis to read - not too successfully, but it's sweet.

- Whenever I pack him a lunch he likes or make a favorite dinner, he gives me an extra kiss and hug at bedtime. I've earned up to 8 of them some nights.

- One of his favorite foods is carrots. I can't complain about that!

I love you Beef Man. Happy Birthday!!

The Last Few Weeks

After spending what seemed like most of February on a Level 3 Snow Emergency, we've welcomed the craziness of March! It will be much less long and boring to let pictures do the talking . . .

An unfortunate side effect of growing up with older sisters.


The winter olympics were apparently quite inspiring to some. I really got into the figure skating, snowboarding and skiing. It does get old after a while, though, when every men's event involves head-to-toe spandex, and/or hot pink piping.



Now that Karis' hair is shorter, it's lots more fun in the bath.



Rachel enjoyed practicing for, and taking part in, Sparks-A-Rama, the AWANA games for grades K-2.


I THINK Zekers liked it, too - at least that's what he told me when I asked him. But you wouldn't have thought it to look at him. He's the one hiding behind the trophy.


The kiddos were excited to see one of their favorite babysitters who moved away several years ago . . . .


. . . at the wedding of a sweet friend and her husband, who met in Mali - Rachel & Ibrahim Maiga. Danny had the privilege of marrying the 2 of them, and I had the privilege of keeping the kiddos entertained while he did it!


The next afternoon, we got to spend some time with another favorite past babysitter, Marissa. Karis was heartbroken to wake up from her nap and find her beloved "Mawissa" had gone.



Rachel and Danny had a very special night at the Father-Daughter dance put on by her school that evening. She donned her most princess-y dress, had Mommy put flowers in her hair, counted down the minutes until the event . . . and then spent most of it dancing with her friends. You gotta love second grade!


This past Saturday, we drove to Columbus to visit my grandparents. Grandpa is in a nursing home and Grandma has settled into a nearby community. First we stopped and saw her new place, and then we visited Grandpa for several hours. It was hard to see him so thin and tired, but he seemed to be in pretty good spirits, and he recognized all of us.


Grandma's girl


Afterward, we stopped by to see our dear, long-time friends Dave and Johanna, and their clan, which was increased by one last Monday.


So much chocolate . . . so little time!