The last several days...

Wednesday: BENThursday: ADAM and BENFriday: BRAD and ADAM and BEN:

They are dropping like flies around here!


Bless their little hearts, they all got sick this week. With high fevers. Maybe i shouldn't admit this, but i secretly have loved those few days. A break from the training and the discipline end of parenting. Wednesday, since Ben was down, the other 2 played wonderfully together. Thursday Brad was my little helper since the other 2 were down. And Friday they were all couch bound, so i made 2 1/2 gallons of spaghetti sauce! They were so lathargic i didn't hear much more then a peep out of them.

Let me just add that i do love my boys and don't like to see them miserable :)

Now 2 of them have a hacking cough. And I'll be glad when that is out of their system. As we speak, Ben has been coughing for literally 1 1/2 hours straight. NON.STOP. We stayed home from church today and did an 'at home' Sunday school lesson on Jesus heals the sick. I didn't search long online, but enjoyed this website for printing out free Sunday School lessons: www.ebibleteacher.com/children/lessons.htm

Brad was halarious on Friday. He had a very high fever all day Friday, like 104. but he wouldn't sleep much, he just layed there and looked around. Finally i said to him "Brad you have a fever of 104, you need to sleep!" His reply? "I sleep with my eyes open." Well, ok then! He managed to dodge the coughing thing.

Clay, i think has a fever now this morning. I haven't invaded his body yet to get a temperature reading. Certainly hope he doesn't start coughing too, that would be so sad.

I'm so grateful that these guys are generally very healthy, they really don't get sick very often. That is a GIFT that i don't want to take for granted!!

We aim to be fully healthy for this coming weekend; a trip to the cabin w/ some extended family!

Grandma got Adam's outfit at a thrift shop years ago. I was proud to finally put it on him! And daddy surprised us Sunday morning by getting out his dressy clothes and finding a great match to Adam!On a less formal note, this is how you're more likely to find my guys dressed :)
crazy kids!

Day of Rest

So i've been pondering Sundays lately, and how i need to obey and actually rest on this day (even though Sabbath was probably Saturday, I'm not interested in debating that one!)

Throughout the past several months, occasionally when i ask the kids to do something they respond with "but it's Sunday", or something along those lines. They did it again yesterday. And well, they really make me think! They are learning and trying to understand what it means. I want to be a good example of setting aside this day to worship and rest. Rod is very good at not working on Sunday. Of course he's closed Sundays, but he doesn't work at projects outside or in the house. I'm sure that's tempting at times (or maybe not:) Up until very recently I would do a load of laundry on Sunday to stay caught up. I've stopped doing that. The bigger temptation will be this summer when my garden and flower beds are needing to be tended to! I know last year i would weed a flower bed here and there as we were outside playing on Sundays. That's not work to me! But i thought about it then, that i shouldn't do that. Not just because the boys were watching, but because God commanded us to rest. It's so hard! What am i doing to keep this day Holy? I don't think we need to be SO strict on this, but there must be some things that shouldn't be on Sunday's agendas. I appreciate that my parents never worked in the fields on Sunday or did miscellaneous farm work. Of course the cows had to be milked. But that's where it stopped.

I'm not judging anyone on this, but i'm surprised how much people do on Sundays. Several years ago i questioned friends of ours on it, the husband worked in the yard regularly. Hard work, like it was any other day. This was before Rod and I had kids. His response was "wait till you have kids, you'll have to work on Sundays too". Hmm, i thought....i don't think so.

So i'm trying. And will strive to be more deliberate with my resting. I have 4 boys watching. But more importantly i want to honor God. If He needed to rest, then i believe we would be blessed by doing so too.

Again, not judging. Just contemplating this for me and my family.

Thursday was a good day. The boys played outside for 4 straight hours. 4 glorious hours! (i'm still cleaning up after them, but still...) Then my mom came and took them until Saturday morning. Ahhh.


I especially enjoyed the free time because I didn't have anything pressing that HAD to be done, but had lots of things i've been wanting to do. I was able to do some of those things.


I did my yearly trip to Sharp Shopper and stocked up on canned things, paper supplies etc. I should really go more then once a year. I felt silly buying 20 boxes of tissues.

Finally made these Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon rolls! WOW! I got this recipe via a friend's email about 2 years ago, and decided today was going to be the day. I think you need to try them. SOOO good. The link is HERE, scroll the whole way down for the printable recipe.

Browned 18 pounds of ground beef. That oughtta last a little while.

Played cards with Rod. We love games, but it's hard to find fun 2-player games. Rod found one online and we like it. It's called 3-13. It's similar to Rummy.

Watched my youngest. Spent some uninterrupted time with him. Here's a cute video. He has a bad cold right now, but still manages to be easily amused.

I talked to the boys Friday morning at Gma's. They were having a good time. Adam said he wanted to email me. We hung up so Gma could type Adam's email. Here's what Adam emailed me:

"Me and Dustin are twins and Clay is my twin and Dad is my twin. Some people look like other people and Dana looks like a lot of other people. Jesus and God and the sun and the moon and the stars make the world light"- Adam.

So sweet! and so weird at the same time, i'll be the first to admit that :)

Thanks mom for the nice break!

Wordless Wednesday

March for Babies

Our family is doing something new this year. In May we will be participating in the Walk for Babies. The money raised from the walk will help NICU's with their ability to do different kinds of therapy for preemies, also it will provide counsil and info to parents with babies in the NICU. This is something very close to my heart and when i was asked to do it i was glad for the chance to help. i'm also looking forward to the twins being involved in this way, since they were preemies. The walk is May 1st at Greenfield Corporate Center. 11:00 is registration, then a 'parade' of sorts for all kids and adults that were preemies. The twins will be involved in this, and they even get a medal for graduating from the NICU. I will most likely cry. Then the walk starts at 12:00. It's a 3 mile walk, rain or shine!

There's a great website for our team, called Team Miracles. You can check it out at www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?SeId=1459085&si You can scroll down and click on my individual page. My goal is to raise $500. If you'd like to help out, you can do so directly from my page. We'd appreciate any donations, no matter the amount. We'd also love to have more walkers, so let me know if you'd like to participate with the walk itself.

The 'captain' of our team are the Shellenberger's. About 18 months ago i posted on here that they had twins born at 25 weeks (over 3 months early). I saw them Monday and they are walking, babbling, happy, and the cutest little toddlers. Our team is full of miracles, hence the name!

If you're looking for an excuse to go out to eat, next Monday the 21st Friendly's Restaurant in Centerville is helping us raise funds, by donating 10% of your bill directly to our team. Just tell your waitress. The hours of the fundraiser are from 5-8pm.

Camo Thursday

Before having kids I said I'd never dress my boys in that trashy camo stuff. That was before daddy started finding camo at yard sales for 10 cents a pop!

Plus they really like camo.

I crocheted some hats to match. Clay liked them.

First of many...

Today Adam and I stepped foot in his school for next year. It was the first of many times going in and out of this building. My first thought? Why is it so dark and old looking in here? I guess that will grow on me. It's so nice on the outside, that i thought it would look very nice on the inside! They are supposed to renovate things this spring, so..fingers crossed!

Anyway, about the preschoool. It was an interesting 45 minutes. There were close to 20 kids there, with their parents. Many seemed to know each other and the routine of the afternoon. Since we started this halfway through the year, we didn't know what to expect. I did "know" 2 moms, which was nice. There was 1 little girl there from Adam's Awana's class, but i'm not sure he recognized her. Adam was sooo excited to go to this, it was all he could talk about for a few days. But when he was there he didn't seem happy to be there. I knew no matter where he'd go to school, it would be an adjustment for him, as he is strange around new situations. So this was not a surprise. I just hope he can adjust quickly and enjoy the other kids and activities.

I don't like new things either. I'm at peace and ok with this new season of life, but i'd rather fast forward a year, to where it's a routine, we're comfortable, see familiar faces, etc. That's how i am with everything. Change just isn't easy and i like to know what to expect. The one mom, who's husband farms our ground, was so sweet. She has 'taken me under her wing', and i appreciate that. She's how i found out about this preschool class. She already has 2 children at this school, and another one starting next year. So this is all familiar to her and she's been kind to help me along.

But this isn't about me... or it shouldn't be anyway!! I feel for Adam as this change is coming, knowing we handle change similarly and the feelings he's probably having. I believe the twins are much more adaptable and carefree at this point (somewhere along the way, the twins and Adam reversed. So nice of them to take turns :) This likely won't be an 'issue' for the twins the following year when they start K. Plus they have each other. But Adam analyzes everything, likes being in charge, and just doesn't like new situations, he likes to know what's coming. He does shine when he's comfortable though and is a rather halarious little boy. So the question is....how long until he feels comfortable and at home with his new school? Not sure, but i believe this is good for him. Very good for him. There's so much learning and fun to be had in elementry school. I'm praying he has a good experience at this school as his daddy did 30 years ago!

ps. I saw a kid eat a boogie during school, a BIG boogie. It was so gross. Can't stop thinking about it.....

Icy pics

The ice was very pretty today. Although i didn't have to work in it, walk in it, or drive in it. I was out long enough to shovel a bit and take pictures. . I don't have the 1 hour rule for myself :)