January

Yikes. It's been a month since I posted last. We've been busy. And this mama was out sick with the flu that her three boys had (I guess it's inevitable when living in such small quarters). But praise the Lord, we are all healthy again! So what else did we do this month? Well, I will just summarize in pictures... but the highlights were getting to see Alex Lehman and his parents in Lakeland, watching construction (aka the "excavator") next door, my son finding the Pirate within him (I really need to video him saying "Arrgh Matey" with his little finger forming a hook!) due to Gasparilla, Joel getting to spend a couple days with his friend Mark Miller again (we didn't go though, so no pictures were taken!) and finally getting to see dolphins with Dawn, and spending time with family (both the great grandparents AND Grandma and Grandpa!).

By the way, the baby is awake now, so I'll explain some of the pics later. If I remember. :)

Jesus is Coming Back

That's what my son told me today as soon as he saw me after class.

It marks the first time he's ever told me what he learned in BSF versus what toys he played with, the snack he ate, or the songs he sang. To say this was a blessing to me is an understatement (not that I don't love it when he serenades me with "Tis So Sweet" and the Doxology... :)

He said it with such excitement. And told me multiple times. A few times he even told me how we would know Jesus was coming back (ie an angel blowing a trumpet... and then I was lucky enough to hear an example of how the trumpet would sound :)

Jesus is coming back.

What a great reminder that leads to two questions...

1. Are you watchful and ready for His return, and telling everyone you know that's He's coming back?


2. Are you excited for his return?

No this blog hasn't bit the dust...

... it just went into hibernation mode while the blogger of the family took care of two sick (minor colds) kids as cold weather hit Michigan, followed by a trip to Indiana for Thanksgiving, a sudden last minute decision to go to Phoenix to surprise my parents for Christmas, followed by a week of packing and then a 20 hour trip to...

Tampa.

Yes, that's right. We now live in Tampa, FL.

So instead of spending a winter doing a lot of this...
(this was taken the beginning of December. I've heard they've had nice weather since,
and my tulips are blooming a couple months too early...)

or this...

(because this mom IS smart enough to know not to venture to the beach alone with a toddler that loves the ocean, and a baby that loves to eat whatever is in his hands)

we will be doing a lot of this.
Thanks to my sister who bought us memberships to both the zoo and aquarium. :)

... but for now, it's back to sick kids. Apparently this was all a little too much for Liam. And he got his first ever real fever. And an ear infection. Yikes. And then Aiden got it too. Double yikes. So my official position since Monday has been "Snot Wiper". You would not believe the amount of mucus a 7 month old could produce. Hopefully this will be their last colds for the season, because I don't think we (especially me) can handle sleep-deprived children for four months. :)

As for an update on Joel... He's been working. A lot. Some days far worse then others (aka Thursday-Sunday weekends when he ends up working almost 80 hours just in those few days!). But he seems to still be surviving- although this evening he fell asleep on his knees while waiting for his stubborn sick son to give him a hug.