Today

Three years ago I sat in front of a TV at my father and step-mom's and watched the devastation of Katrina. Today I am praying for New Orleans and the surrounding area once again as another hurricane is headed that way.

I was cleaning out my garage and being one of the lucky ones who suffered very little damage from Katrina was very frustrated today. While going through boxes from the move, we have at least four boxes that have suffered water damage in the four months that we have lived in Massachusetts. I don't understand. Thankfully most of it was salvageable. One thing I am made at the movers. A picture of my mom and dad was in the BOTTOM of a box not even wrapped up, glass broken and mildewed. I am grateful that I am the one that photographed them. I am only out about $40.00 to get it reprinted, matted and reframed, at least I don't have to go track down the photographer and pay them for another print. There are still at least two boxes to go through but that will have to wait til Monday.

On to better sweeter news. Tomorrow I celebrate being married for 16 wonderful years. So today I get a call. I am fully expecting it to be Brian wanting to talk on his way home to stay awake. He says go outside but watch your step. I see a red rose. He says follow the trail. So I look down and see a white rose then a pink rose then a red rose and so forth. There were a dozen roses alternating colors leading to the back of the house til I got to him where he was holding another dozen roses. He can be so sweet and romantic some times. Tomorrow we are going to enjoy a beautiful Sabbath although rainy then we are going bowling as a family after Sabbath. Then Sunday Brian & I are going out just him and I to enjoy a day just us. I am looking forward to another 16 years. When we celebrate our 32nd anniversary the girls will have just turned 18 and graduated high school, the boys will be 22, 23 and 25. Seems so weird to think about. I am going to just try and treasure the little moments now as they come.

One of my brother's is home

Last night we drove up to Brunswick, ME to meet up with my brother, Matthew. He was passing through over night on his way home from deployment. I hadn't seen him since he got married in February 2007. The boys hadn't seen him since October 2006. It was so nice to spend some time with him and visit for a few hours. He is still my baby brother and I love him and am so proud of him and what he does in the military. I am thankful for him. Welcome home to him all all his group of guys. Job well done:)

Thankful Tuesday

GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS BEFORE WE EVEN ASK
BRIAN
A HOME WHERE WE CAN BE OURSELVES
FRIENDS
FAMILY
CHILDREN WHO BRING A SMILE TO MY FACE
RAINY DAYS
CLOTHES
BLANKETS TO CUDDLE UNDER

Kids and their imagination

The boys took all six dining room chairs and a blanket called it a "shuttle bug" and this is what the web cam captured Sorry for the picture quality (its just the web cam). I love their imagination. They were playing bus I guess and then took pillows and were taking "naps under there.

Our update

In the last week, Caleb has lost his two top front teeth. Then Reuben lost his first tooth on Friday night. My boys are getting so big. Reuben has an inner and outer ear infection in his left ear. Anneliese and Rebekah's vocabulary is expanding by leaps and bounds.

This week I met up with another twin mom at the library and then went to a MNO with two other moms that was so awesome to get out and have people to talk to other than the kids and Brian. I really miss my friends in NOLA. The joys of military life.

The boys got into trouble on Friday for not listening to us. As a consequence they are cleaning house. As I type this Brian is teaching them how to clean the kitchen. It is rather nice listening to the interaction amongst them. I have to make my grocery list and go shopping.

Yesterday we asked for our membership transfer from El Cajon. We never transferred it to New Orleans. So probably in about a month or so we will be official members of the Framingham Centre church. This fall they are starting a KIDS (program) Kids in Discipleship. We have had two sermons on it the last two months and it is amazing. The boys will start Adventurers in September. When the girls are three they will start in Eager Beavers. The boys will be starting some major schooling over the next few weeks. I found an awesome curriculum on USS Constitution that we will be working on this year.

Now I have written a book, I am going to go do my grocery list.

Anneliese

Ok a mother's worse fear, something happening to the kids. This morning I was getting dressed and Anneliese was jumping in the center of my king size bed. I guess Leo started playing with her, she slipped fell and rolled off the bed. She was screaming of course. I picked her up and she went limp, her eyes were reactive to light but she wouldn't say anything and was just hugging on me. Took her about 20 minutes to regain herself. Of course it was just as I was getting ready to walk out the door to take her to the ER, she returned to her normal self and never had another issue the rest the day. I don't think she hit her head so much as just really knocked the wind out of her.
This evening about bedtime Brian told her to go get Bekah, she starts yelling BEKAH BEKAH BEKAH. This is the first time she has called Bekah by Bekah. Makes my heart just melt.
I love my kids, they may be a handful but more a heartful than a handful.