FCA First Graders at the Discovery Center

I can't remember the last school fieldtrip I was able to go to.  Grandparents had started participating in them the past couple years while I stayed home with the other FCA kids doing homework (fieldtrips are usually on homechool days).  Well, yesterday I decided to go to Caleb's trip to a Nature Discovery Center with his first grade class.  It was pretty fun! Very hands on and a fun time catching up with other FCA moms.  It's most interesting to me to see how each of my children interact with their classmates.  Oh, how different all 4 are!  We have started making decisions about the fall and I can't believe all of my children will be in school!  Wow!  More to come on those decisions soon...

Sunday Evening Hike

This Feb 26th was another beautiful winter day in Kansas City.  We  made it to 60 again!  So we went on a short bike ride and a long hike on a wooded trail.  It was a great evening to all catch up!

Double Trouble

Our kids are completely a mix and match of John and I. We have noticed it much more as they get older.  We have also noticed how they usually do things in pairs, even weird things.  Here are a few examples:

1. 2 kids are clearly morning people.  They get up with an alarm clock, love to get ready for the day and are usually waiting around for the rest of us night people.
2. 2 kids love to sleep.  They just go to bed when they are tired and don't have to be asked twice to go to bed at bedtime.
3. The other 2 hate the idea of getting in bed.  They procrastinate every night and are usually more wide awake when we finally go to bed.
4. 2 of the boys love doing puzzles.  They started at young ages and are actually really good at them.
5. 2 of the kids love to read.  They read when they are bored and would now say they like the book better than the movie.
6. 2 of the kids love routine.  Of course that means, the other 2 do not.
7. 2 of my kids love to please others and care what others think.  Yep, the other 2 don't.
8. 2 of the kids are obsessed with movies and TV.  Strangely enough, these are the 2 puzzle lovers.
9. 2 of our kids are naturally athletic.  They are both really quick and don't have to try really hard at learning a new sport or activity.
10. 2 of the kids are mama boys.  They are slowly out growing this, but still would prefer to do what I am doing over John.  The other 2 just care what is being done and goes with who ever is doing that.

I am sure there are many others, but I thought I would list a few while I was noticing it today.  It's so funny to see John's personality bottled up in our only girl and Jonathan becoming a mini version of me.  I am certain that this will change as they get older, but right now in 2012, it is very evident :)

Praying for Chad and the Inmans

I have had the opportunity this past year to really get to know two of the most passionate and genuine people I have met in Kansas City. These 2 good friends are preparing to return to the mission field to Chad, Africa this March. John and I are partnering with them this next year in their ministry anyway we can. Our long term goal is to visit them sometime next year for a couple months. In preparation for their trip, we have began researching Chad and praying for the Arabs there. We have decided to help create a website for our friends with information about how people here in the US can help pray for the Chadian Arabs. The site is in it's early stages of development, but something I look forward to growing bigger this next year too. This past week, my best friend and I were able to work together to make them a prayer card. She took the pictures and I designed the card. The Inman's came up with the feet picture idea along with the verse on the card to help start it. The pictures are adorable and amazing and everything came together so well. We plan to pass them out at school and church starting next week. Here is a sneak peek of the card and the beautiful family we love so much. We will miss them greatly.

Snow in KC in 2012

I am a little behind on my blog this week. We had a snow day on Monday this week (first snow storm for KC over an inch!) and the kids woke up very excited. So we got to sled first thing in the morning. My car battery was dead that day when we tried to leave for our neighborhood hill, so we were REALLY snowed in. Here they are enjoying the fun...

Because it was the day before Valentine's Day, we surprised John with a note in the snow on his Facebook wall...

The snow is all melted today (Friday). We wonder if we will get anymore before winter ends?

Happy Valentine's Day

My new favorite place (yes, Pinterest) gave us some great Valentine Card ideas...

We also made some cute teacher gifts...pics to come tomorrow. Because we had a snow day on Monday, our homework was much lighter for today.  So we enjoyed our Valentine's a little more today.  John and I ended the evening with a fun surprise date to Outback for dinner.  The kids enjoyed our traditional heart pizza from Papa Murphy's.  Happy Valentine's Day to all my avid readers :)

All Recovered

Sorry the late update.  We are all finally better from our 24 hour stomach bug.  Josh began Tues, John and the other kids on Wed, and me on Friday.  We are officially not contagious and getting our appetites back.  What a rough week!  Hopefully that will be all the stomach virus' this winter....today we had our first snow (over an inch at least) We got about 3 inches total :)

Chain of Events

• One week ago today - body aches, fever, horrible headaches, nausea for Mamma Bear

• Thurs all day and into Friday - complete misery for her.  But finally better on Sat. and never officially threw up

• Sunday - Pappa Bear started getting same symptoms.  Lasted through Tuesday morning and better

• Monday in the middle of the night - Joshua Bear throws up all night.  Unable to do any homework on Tuesday and miserable.

• Tuesday morning - Jonathan Bear's cold turned more crupe like.  Cough sounded horrible with low grade fever.  Pretty bad running nose too.

• Wed morning (today) - Joshua Bear is finally better, but missed school to make sure contagious symtoms are not spread.

• Today after school - Caleb's teacher notifies us that Caleb feels like he might throw up around 3:30

• By 4:00, Caleb Bear is officially sick

• By 5:00 - Ashlyn Bear joins him and says that her stomach has never hurt so much before in her life

• Around 6:00, Joshua Bear and Mamma Bear enjoy making dinner for one another - Cashew Chicken (I didn't know we would all be sick this morning when I picked the menu). 

• Around 7:00, Jonathan Bear joins the other 2 in the bathroom and begins throwing up.

• Around 7:15, Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Joshua Bear start dinner.  We realize half way in that the chicken was not cooked all the way.

• Around 7:30, Papa Bear joins the rest of the crew and begins forming a line at the two bathroom doors

• 8:00, Joshua Bear joins the other 4, but believes it is the chicken and not the stomach flu he already had...we will wait and see.

• Yes, it is only 8:30.  Yes, I have cleaned up way too much already and wished our 3rd bathroom was done.  I have setup a temporary bed for me tonight in between the two bathrooms where the rest will most likely sleep.  Wonder what I will report tomorrow...

To love or hate Broccoli

At dinner tonight, we had two children who ate their broccoli like it was candy.  Ate it faster than the rest of their food and then asked for more.  They even snacked on it from the serving dish.

The other two fought tooth and nail to only have to eat 2 cuts.  They cried, gagged, and complained the entire meal.

Any guesses on who they were?

Bear Day

Jonathan has the privilege to go to Caleb's former preschool 3 days a week.  It is really a fun place to be every M, W, and F. They focus on one letter and one number a week.  So the handwriting sheets focus on that letter as well as the craft and snack.  Last week, the letter was "B." Jonathan got to bring a stuffed bear one day and got to play cubs all 3 days.  When I picked him up from school, the classroom was dark like a cave, and the half door was open.  Each cub came through the cave to go home with their mamma bears.

So since last week, we have been playing "bear day." In the morning, Jonathan will wake up and say, "Mamma bear, today is bear day!"  Then all day, he uses "bear" at the end of our names.  So Ashlyn Bear can help him with the Wii, Caleb Bear can help him pick up his room, and Joshua Bear can help with his lunch.  Even Daddy Bear comes home from work in time for the fun.  It's hilarious.  And it reminds me of the Berenstain Bears.  Mamma Bear wanted to get it on record :)

A Letter to my Children about Marriage

I read an excellent article today on Raising Homemakers that I wanted to share.  John and I pray this same message for our kids and their future spouses....

Dear Children,
Should the Lord give you the good gift of a husband or wife, and I hope He does, there are a few things I want you to know. Things that you may not hear from anyone else, and certainly not on TV or other media. Sadly, your church may not even tell you. Marriage, sweet little people, is not for the purpose of your happiness. Happy as I want you to be and hope you will be, you must yet understand that marriage is God’s design and His purposes must be pursued in order for you to be truly happy. His end is holiness and He will use all things in a life devoted to Him to fulfill that end.

To my girls:
Marry a man whose first pursuit is Christ. After that, he is not hard to please. Admire him, cheer him on and show gratitude, and he will fall over himself trying to please you. Smile often, speak well of him always, and do whatever necessary to try and maintain a pleasant mood about you so that it transfers to your home, making it a place where he and your children love to be. You’ll have bad days of course, crying days even, and that’s when you go to your bedroom, kneel on the floor and beg the Lord to carry you. Then get up, get a fresh perspective (crayons will come off the wall), and try again. Above all else, make a home.

To my boys:
Marry a woman whose first pursuit is Christ. After that, she may be hard to please only if you don’t know “the secret”. What is that? I’m glad you asked. The secret to pleasing your wife is to make her feel safe and treasured. You may have to move out of your comfort zone to do this at times. She won’t always readily translate the oil change to love, though it means that. But let me give you a “secret question”–a question you need to ask her often. It’s not just in the asking, though. Be sure to focus your eyes on hers, maybe even touch her shoulder or face, and then ask: “What’s on your mind these days? “ And then be ready to listen. She wants you to draw her out. She will perceive this as your protection over the matters of her heart. Tenderness, listening, protection. That’s what she wants.

To you all:
If your wife or husband does something really stupid, forgive. If they do it again, forgive again. Forgiveness must be the propelling force in your lives each day. Dwell on the strengths, push out thoughts of their weaknesses. Take every thought captive–choose to love.

Here’s that part you are not going to hear often:
If you find yourself “not happy”, having lost attraction, disinterested, etc., you are not permitted to even think about a divorce. If you find yourselves arguing more and more, don’t think for a minute that “the children will be better off out of this”, because they won’t.

The vows you took on your wedding day were not suggestions. They were covenant vows, before a Holy God, family and friends, to stay with this person the rest of your life, even if you don’t feel like it. You swore a solemn oath and if you can’t live up to it, don’t get married. Decide up front that your marriage is irrevocable. There is far more motivation for getting along if your “marriage house” has no door.

Do not share intimate thoughts or feelings with anyone of the opposite sex. Do not find yourself alone for any length of time with such either.

Divorce is not a “private option”. It will affect multiple families for many generations. When you “separate what God has joined” you permanently injure far more than just yourself. Guard your marriage as fiercely as you would guard your own life. Treat your spouse as an extension of your flesh, just as God sees you. Treat your spouse like other family members. You know, “you gotta love ‘em, they’re the only family you’ve got”.

I want you to be happy, I surely do. But I will pray for you to be holy.