Busy . . . But Blessed ! !

2010-03-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

Another peaceful Sunday!! In our house, Sunday is "Family Fun Day" - no work allowed, only play together as a family. Needless to say, the kids LOVE Sundays and so do Rod & I. So far today we've had coffee and home made waffles, snuggled and watched cartoons, gone to Church and lunch with Gma & Papa, and worked out as a family. Right now Rod is playing Wii with Evan & Loren. I would love to join, but Evan's going through a bit of a mommy's boy stage these days - his bout with Strep throat isn't helping that - and I don't want to take away from their moment. Paige is having fun playing Barbies by herself downstairs with no sisters or brother messing things up, so I'll post and keep her company. Here are some snapshots of what's been going on with us this week.

Reason 671 why I love my kids' school! The girls are above holding their Lenten crosses. Every child and teacher in the grade school and preschool had to decorate a cross. Then on the Mon. after Ash Wednesday they all got together in the gym and chose a cross "secretly." You don't tell whose cross you have, and no one tells you if they have your cross. You are to pray for the person whose cross you got throughout lent, and their family, and then after Easter they will get together again and find the person they've been praying for. The girls have done an awesome job remembering our "Lenten Angels" as Loren likes to call them.

OK, good thing Rod never reads our Blog b/c he would Hate that I posted these, but come on!! This is Evan being a Musketeer. He has on Brooke's boots, Paige's Hello Kitty gloves and the sword is his. I think the t-shirt makes it even better, don't you? I only wish I had video of him doing a somersault then hopping up saying "On guard!!" Sorry for the fingerprints on the lens again! He's apparently a bit of a Clark Kent - taking photos by day, dueling bad guys by night!

This may be my favorite photo of all time! The kids were eating Girl Scout cookies by the space heater - we love the spacer heater around here - while Rod and I were in the kitchen cleaning up supper. Rod walked into the living room to check on them and busted out laughing. Evan had melted the chocolate on his cookie and smeared it all over his face. I promise, we did not do any of that - he did it all himself. Isn't that wild? Look how even it is!! Even a mustache! And no one in our family even has a beard!! I love it!!

My pretty girls before Church this morning.

2010-02-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

Just some random pictures of the past few weeks.

Brooke on Valentine's Day

Loren's Y basketball team - even though we don't (officially) keep score, one of the other moms was couting and they won every game!! Not that it matters!! Loren really liked it and we're thinking this may be her sport!

Loren moved into Evan's room several weeks ago, and promptly declared she did not want to sleep in a baby room. So, very sadly, I painted over the awesome mural my friend Natalie (see Paige's bday deco's!) had painted on the walls which were, I suppose, "babyish" for a 9 year old. The challenge was finding a room that fit both of their personalities. Good old brown!! I think it turned out awesome! Evan had a tough time adjusting and kept asking me to change it back, but he's grown to like it, too!

Snow days!

2010-02-27T16:33:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I am, like most of you I'm sure, totally sick of snow!! So I am posting these pictures of a great time we all had in the cold white stuff to remind myself that it is fun when you look at it through a child's eyes - even a big kid's eyes!

Loren & Dad trying to slide down the hill without sleds.

Brooke making me snow cookies.

I think he had fallen about 15 times by now, and his boots had fallen off about 10 times, but he did NOT want to call it quits!

Just plain beautiful!

I love this picture because it's so "real." There's Brooke, sucking her fingers which she's only supposed to do in bed. I'm pretty sure I'm telling her not to. Paige has obviously been crying about something, which is an almost daily occurance! And Loren is letting Evan do whatever he wants as long as he'll be close to her. A typical Sunday in the Hoelscher house.

2010-02-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight I had a great prayer group, and walked into my house at 7:00 feeling so grateful and blessed and "filled up" I couldn't wait to see my family. As I walked toward the bathroom where Rod was already doing baths I was met by 2 crying children, and by Rod's face I knew it hadn't been a good evening. We said a quick hello, he gave me a summary of what had gone wrong since they got home, and then headed out the door to a meeting. The evening did not go smoothly for me, either. Evan did not recover from having to get out of the tub and after crying (yelling) for 30 straight mintues it took me an hour and a half to get him down. Brooke & Paige got in trouble for fighting in bed, loudly, just as Evan was almost asleep only 35 minutes into my trying. I was short with Loren several times as she tried to tell me about her day because she's the one least in need of my attention, or so I tell myself. As I sit here now it hits me - how fragile my gratitude and joy are. How little it takes for my high to disappear. Shame on me. My trials are nothing, and I should know that better than most because I have the honor of watching some amazing parents walk their paths every day. What if God got frustrated with me that easily? I ask more of him than these beautiful children ever ask of me. What an honor he has given me, to raise these 4 beautiful children while on this earth, and how selfishly I resent it sometimes. So once again I will go to bed praying for help and promising to do better tomorrow. And because they are so much closer to God than I am, my children will greet me with a hug in the morning and once again give me another chance with no strings attached. So who's teaching who? I think I'll go kiss them good night.

2010-02-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

Quick post - crabby kids upstairs with husband!! This is from Paige's birthday, then her party. The awesome cupcake toppers were made by my friend Natalie. Thanks again, chicky!!

2010-01-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well, better late than never! I am doing my monthly post! We have been snowed in for 2 straight days now - Rod could finally get out with 4-wheel drive once the maintainer went by after lunch. The rest of us are stuck in here and going a little stir crazy. So I took a little time for myself to get some pictures of the last month up. Like many we had to change our Christmas plans thanks to Mother Nature. But also like many, there were things about the forced quiet we enjoyed. As some friends and I decided, maybe it was God's way of saying "slow down and remember what this season is for."

Modeling their new comforter.

Just because she's so cute!!

Loren & her friend Bailey at their Christmas program.

Brooke with Santa at her preschool Christmas party.

The kids modeling their "letters" in their lockers. (notice the Evan fingerprint on the camera lens!)

Painting pictures for the Grandmas!

Evan loved this and painted about 25 minutes longer than his sisters!

Loren making the famous Hoelscher sugar cookies for the school party.

2010-01-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

On the 23rd Uncle Ryan & Aunt Elizabeth brought their presents over. This is always very exciting for the kids!! You'll see why in a second!

Brooke with her new Karaoke machine.

Paige with her DS

Evan with his combine - he immediately noticed "it has a combine head and auger!"

Loren got an iPod nano - which Mom borrows regularly since I don't have an iPod!

The future looks a little scary - notice the song?

Evan with his ornament for the year.

All of the girls had made us ornaments at school. We were so proud because they were all so excited to give them to us they forgot to even ask for their presents until after we ate. Here are the 2 Loren made us.

Brooke with hers - which was a "victim" of her little brother running laps around the tree for the last few weeks.

Paige with hers. Just loved them all this year!!

2010-01-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Somehow, the only picture we got taken Christmas Eve of the kids. Evan's not even in it!! I guess that drive home from mass in Columbus at 35 mph had us all a little frazzled! Plus, my camera is on the wrong setting so it's all fuzzy!!

Loren reading the new Christmas Eve book we got - Rodney the Reindeer. I couldn't resist! (Still on the wrong setting!)

Finally in our comfy pj's!

Celebrating Christmas with the Hoelschers after papa came to get us in the 4-wheel drive. We'd been stranded at home by this point for 4 days!! The matching jammies are from Grandma!

With the Barbie House!!

Our little farmer and (some of) his new equipment.

My "baby" turned 9 and wanted a Lego cake. Let's just say I'm not that good at straight edges!

I guess Brooke got this idea from Loren's Christmas program!

Somehow the only picture I took at my parents when we celebrated Christmas there on New Year's Day.

This is for my friends who live in warm states - this was storm #2 (we've had another since) that left us trapped in our house for days and burned 30+ hours of my vacation!

'Tis the Season!!

2009-12-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Advent season!! I'm sure I'm not exactly unique, but I absolutely love the Advent season and anticipation of Christmas. In our house, it starts Thanksgiving night when the kids get their new Christmas jammies and we put up the tree. It gets easier to control that process evey year! We also get out our Santa mugs for cocoa, read the Christmas books from years past, and snuggle on the couch watching a Christmas video. The kids did a great job with the tree - though we have migrated the ornaments upward as Evan would notice one he thought would be fun to play with!

My husband went way above and beyond this year in helping me decorate the outside of the house to match the excitement we all feel while we await the celebration of the birth of our Savior. The picture doesn't do it justice! We even have one of those machines where the lights "dance" to Christmas carols! The girls are on the porch dancing to the music. On the list for next year, when we have room in the budget, my dream Nativity scene!!

OK, this is just plain a brag picture because my little girls are getting so big and, though I'm prejudiced, even more beautiful!! Rod wouldn't take the picture unless I got in it so bear with me and my "these boots are made for walking" boots! An aside, as we walked into church I noticed that the dress Loren is wearing is at least an inch shorter on her than it was when she wore it a few weeks ago! She's going to be taller than both of her parents by 12!!

Boys will be boys!

2009-11-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

Last night I was in the bedroom with the girls when I heard Rod say, "Evan, are you OK?" Then silence for, like, 15 seconds. I was getting pretty nervous when I finally heard a big cry out. By the time I got to the living room Evan looked like this. I post the other picture so you have a "before" nose. He was playing with Rod and ran into the dining room table full speed! I guess we won't be taking Christmas card pictures next Friday after all!!

October Fun

2009-11-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

The girls & Evan had fun painting gourds from our garden - thanks for the idea, Natalie! I didn't even realize until yesterday that we never did carve jack-o-lanterns this year. The kids didn't even miss it, I guess!

I think Evan had more paint on than the gourd!

One princess, two drama queens and a frog!

With Great Grandma - Great Grandpa managed to dodge this photo op!

2009-10-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

OK, OK, finally I am posting some pictures of the house now that it is basically finished. Notice the snow - crazy for Oct. 10th, huh? We ended up with about 5 inches here. Anyway, here it is! It is very lived in already so please ignore the dust and "stuff!"

Half of "Rod's garage" - the door into the house.

The mudroom! It came in handy today getting ready to go out and play in the snow.

My very used laundry room. Notice the missing cabinet doors - the final piece we're waiting on!!

My pantry! Love this thing! You would think I cook, huh?

2009-10-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

The view from the back, from a distance. It's best that way. :)

Half of the half bathroom.

Rod's "locker"

The kids' lockers. My favorite part of the whole thing!!

The bench - notice the 2 doors that open up for storage!!

2009-10-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Just because they're cute.

We decided the girls would get more use out of their Christmas presents if they got them this fall. Loren is still getting used to a bike that is actually her size.

Loren at her soccer game.

2009-09-06T05:17:00.000-07:00

After over 10 years of living just a few miles from my parents, my sister, her husband and 3 boys moved out to near North Platte. Exciting for them, sad for the girls. We ventured out to see them one weekend. My Aunt & Uncle from Scottsdale, AZ were at my grandparents house not far away and happened to be watching my cousin's 3 kids. All the kids had fun playing with their cousins from San Fransisco. Of course, I'm realizing now we never lined all the kids up for a nice picture!!

Evan of course loved the Gator the most!

The boys on the end are my 2 youngest nephews. Dane is 5 weeks
older than Paige, and Cauy is 5 weeks older than Loren.

My oldest nephew Cade helping Evan "drive."

2009-09-06T04:42:00.000-07:00

Brooke turned 4!!

An early present from Gma & Papa Hall - are you noticing the Sleeping Beauty trend yet?

A new bed for her My Twinn doll.

The whole gang getting ready to go to town!

Modelilng her new Husker cheerleader outfit

2009-09-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

Evan in Daddy's work shirt

Hanging out at Great Gma & Gpa's 60th Anniv party

1st day of school - Loren's in 3rd grade & Paige is in Kindergarten!

Brooke's 1st day of preschool - 2nd year, though!

2009-09-06T04:20:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness - a month and a half have flown by since I last posted! Whenever I feel like days are crawling I need to look at this and realize how quickly it's all really going. We are doing well here. Settling into the routine of 2 in school now, making much progress on the addition and overall counting our many many blessings as we add new loved ones to our prayer list almost daily. We are finally officially activity parents as Loren started soccer a few weeks ago - pictures of her 1st game to come in a week or so. Rod is putting in lots of overtime at ADM and I am getting more single mom time, which isn't so bad except when I'm trying to get us all out the door by 7:00 - alone! Thank goodness we have such great kids! I guess pictures say it best so I'll just cut to the chase!

How it looks from the oustside. Not much has changed out here since then, except we have gutters now. Most of the progress lately is in the addition which has been painted and will start being finished next week. Flooring to be installed 9/17!

Taking a ride with Uncle Ryan.

"Helping" dad mow.

Progress on the garage

2009-07-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

We've made some pretty good progress on the garage and house addition since my last post. It's so fun to see it coming together!! We have been wishing we could park in there during those few rare rains lately!

The girls standing "in" the bathroom - or is that the pantry? - a few weeks ago.

How it looks today

This is standing in the kitchen doorway looking out into the mudroom. The framed in area on the right is the closet. On the left wall will be lockers for the kids, and under the window will be a long bench they can sit on to get ready.

In the past 6 weeks . . .

2009-07-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

Evan turned 2!!

We slept - really well!!

We baked cookies for the 4th.

We Celebrated the 4th of July!!

We chased parachutes.

We decorated 4th of July cookies.

Spent time with Great Grandma.

Smiled for the camera.

Got ready for fireworks.

Evan ate politely.

The girls got new "goodies" for their MyTwinn dolls.

2009-06-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

Rod's birthday and his gifts from his kiddos - notice the

Husker theme again!

Getting ready to move the car port (see next post). After getting it relocated

the guys were going to anchor it down but the tractor they needed

had a dead battery. In the 3 days until Rod's dad could

get a new battery we had a huge wind storm and the shed

ended up on its top on top of Rocky's kennel. He wasn't hurt.

The guys managed to flip it over a few days later, as you'll see.

Good as new - almost!A few holes in the top and some major damage to

Rocky's kennel but they managed to save it.

Yea!!

garage

2009-06-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, we are (finally) adding the garage and mudroom onto our house!! Yea!! Below are some pictures of the work in progress.

Some before pics of the house - notice the open ended shed that

has been our "car port" for the past year or so - thanks to Rod's folks!!

Step 1 - the footings are poured!

Finally concrete!! The darker cement is the driveway and

the lighter is the garage floor.

More pictures!!

2009-03-28T20:41:00.001-07:00

Posing with their Valentine's Day loot

Brooke helping me make sugar cookies - I think
the hat works, don't you?

I strongly dislike the cold, so on my watch

the snow comes inside to play!

My little man - all ready to play in the snow

or stalk prey!

They were having fun - really!

Brooke, my independent dresser. We had to be all

pink for the preschool Valentine's Day party.

Paige still lets me dress her!

Loren working on her First Communion Banner

The finished project

The day after Evan fell face first onto our concrete

porch steps - it's puffier than it looks. It was kinda

tough to suck on his binky for a day or two, but

he managed to work through it!

First Holy Communion

2009-03-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Loren made her First Holy Communion on March 22nd. It was an incredible day and she was so excited about being able to finally accept Communion. We were able to celebrate with family afterward and she was especially excited b/c her cousins came! Of course, my mom has those pictures so will have to post those another time!

Loren and her good friend Bailey.

Renewing Baptismal vows

Catching up!!

2009-03-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am really behind on pictures b/c we couldn't find the cord to download from the camera for a while. Anyway, here we go . . . the last 3 months in a nutshell!

Loren the night of her First Reconciliation. It was a beautiful ceremony

and she was not the least bit nervous. I love how comfortable she is with Fr. Joe

because he's in the classroom every week!

Loren's 8th birthday - celebrated at Grandma Hall's

Evan & Great Papa - every day they get with him is precious!

Loren celebrated her 8th birthday along with a classmate and

son's friend at a water park in town. Almost their whole class was there and loved swimming in Jan.
Even Paige & Brooke got to come!

Paige with her My Twinn doll and new accessories from Gma Hoelscher.

I think the picture says it all.

Paige is 5!!

Hanging out at Grandma Hall's

Paige and cousin Dane

Valentine's Day celebration b/c the girls couldn't wait to give Daddy

his presents. Love is . . . . Husker gear!

The girls thought Evan absolutely had to have this

Husker blanket. As much as he looks like he loves it here,

he has refused to touch it ever since.

Much needed words of wisdom

2009-02-06T06:39:00.000-08:00

I am writing this for the benefit of all of my friends who have had to listen to me complain lately about my schedule and how I can possibly make it better. Rod and I have explored every option from me changing jobs (not an option - I love my job) to moving to town (not an option - we love our acreage). None of them have seemed like the right answer. I have been praying like crazy asking God what I'm supposed to do and I'm sure he was quietly answering but in typical Cris style I couldn't hear him until he used a bullhorn.
I have an almost nightly tradition of taking 30 minutes in the tub to read some sort of inspirational book. It seems the bathroom with a locked door is about the only place I can find any privacy! Lately I've been reading "breathe - creating space for God in a hectic life". This is an excellent book for us busy moms. Anyway, often each chapter speaks to me on a different level. Wed was an especially trying day for me and I climbed into the tub feeling like the chance of slowing down was hopeless. I started reading the chapter "Reassurance - For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." I reached a part of the chapter that said . . .
Many people want to slow down, so they make dramatic, sometimes costly, changes in their lifestyles. But hurry, at its root, is not about lifestyle or where you live. It's about how you think and how you perceive the world. You can rearrange the externals of your life in a radically different way, but you always take your thinking with you. If you are a hurried, rushed person in the city you'll also be a hurried, rushed person in the country. This is good news. That's because many people can't make huge lifestyle changes. YOU LIVE WHERE YOU DO AND SOMETIMES CIRCUMSTANCES PREVENT YOU FROM MAKING A RADICAL MOVE. If you are the parent of a baby and a toddler that's who you are; you can't change this fact (although circumstances will change as the children grow). But if you're a hurried, rushed parent with a baby you'll eventually be a hurried, rushed parent of a teenager. THE TRICK IS TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK. That's where the good news comes in. It is possible to change the way you think.
This may seem like a "well, duh" way of thinking to many of you, but for me it was an epiphany. I have a tendency to run around full of stress and think about how much more relaxed I'd be if I changed externals in my life. The truth is, I have to start by changing how I view my day to day life. The only thing that's rushing my day is me, and the only one who can slow it down is me. Hope you learned something from my "lesson of the day" and I'll keep praying for all of you if you'll keep 'em comin' for me!!

2009-02-06T06:24:00.000-08:00

I am finally posting! First, a few pics from Christmas with the Halls!

Paige with her My Twinn doll - a Grandma Hall tradition when the girls are turning 5.

Brooke modeling her new shirt.

My nephews - Cauy 8, Dane 5 and Cade 10 now in their new Husker gear!

Christmas

2009-01-01T11:04:00.001-08:00

Welcome to my 2008 Christmas card and letter! For those of you who haven't been around to listen to me "whine" about it, our wonderful vacation and overall busy life have caused me to run out of time for a Christmas letter and card this year. So, for our friends who visit the blog, Merry Christmas!! We had a wonderful year full of family, laughs and lots of celebrating of Jesus' birthday - birthday cake for Jesus Christmas Eve and birthday pancakes Christmas morning, complete with candles and singing! The kids got way more than they needed but all was given with love so we just teach them to appreciate it and hope some day they'll understand how truly blessed they are, and not just "gift wise". We got to spend time with both families and count at the top of our list of blessings the fact that everyone was healthy and happy. Here are a few pics from Christmas with the Hoelschers - the Hall family Christmas pictures will be forthcoming as soon as I find the camera!! We hope all of you had a blessed Christmas season and wish you a new year full of blessings, peace and joy.

Showing off some treats from Grandma

The GIANT stockings are from Rod's brother Uncle Ryan and his wife Elizabeth. They are an annual tradition and are full of "Dollar Tree" goodies wrapped individually. It takes about 25 mintues to open them all!!

Paige modeling her new robe.

Evan with Elmo, a favorite with everyone!

The best vacation ever!!

2008-12-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

Finally some pictures from Disney World. Let me say, it was the best trip ever. It could not have gone better. We had great flights, great weather, great tickets and 6 days of memories that are priceless. If the girls weren't grinning from ear to ear they were asleep. For anyone who hasn't been there, Disney truly is a magical place. Everyone was smiling from the minute they woke up to the minute they fell asleep. The girls had a magical time and we all had a blast watching them. We were planning our next trip with Evan before we left! Here are some of my favorite pictures - not an easy task since we took over 2000 of them, which I "narrowed down" to 677!!

Our 1st night there we take in a show and already the girls are already in awe.

In the lobby of Pop Century, our hotel.

At Mickey's Christmas Party - don't ya love the hats? Just remember, in Disney World we didn't even stand out as unusual!! In fact, we were mild!

Having brunch at Chef Mickey's - look at those smiles!

The girls wanted their faces painted at Hollywood Studios and thought mom should, too. A whole new meaning for "Ice Princess"! By the way, we did not instruct Paige & Brooke to strike rapper poses!

Posing with Woody and Buzz, who were hilarious! Notice the set is Andy's Bed - isn't that cool?

My favorite part! We had lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table which is in the castle on our last day there. Loren was absolutely floored when Cinderella called her "her twin". If nothing else cool had happened, her face at that moment would have made the whole trip worth it.

Meeting up with Papa & Dad after lunch with the princesses. I had to post this picture because of Loren's face - look at that smile! Trust me, at almost 8 she doesn't smile like that about too many things anymore.

2008-12-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from our tree decorating night!!

For some reason on this day Evan figured out to say "cheeeeese" every time he saw a camera. No more cute little smiles!

Really a peaceful picture considering at this point we were
an hour and a half past bedtime!

Those of you who know about Paige & Brooke's
love/fight relationship will appreciate the Christmas magic
this picture involves!!

Well, we are getting ready to go to Disney! We fly out Sun. morning and are very excited! For those who don't know, Rod's parents are taking the girls to Disney World next week and Rod and

I are allowed to come along. :) Evan will be spending the week with my mom and my sister - she has 3 boys so I'm sure Evan will enjoy having some "guy time" for a change. I'll flood you all with Disney pics when we get home!!

2008-12-01T05:50:00.000-08:00

Only 6 days until we leave for Disney World!!!!

Halloween Pics!!

2008-11-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

After a trip to Vala's with Uncle Ryan and Aunt Elizabeth - sugar induced smiles!!

A smile that can truly light up a room!!

Mom's attempt at a Halloween "craft" - edible Frankensteins.

Carving pumpkins - the verdict was "it's gross."

So of course Evan loved it!!

Halloween Night

Hannah #1 - with a wig that didn't fare the school Halloween party so well.

Hannah #2 proving roots can look fabulous!

This was our final costume decision after being Hannah #3 suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea!

One week or one more cracker and this one wasn't going to fit - he had quite a diaper "wedgie" by the end of the night.

Brooke-ipedia

2008-10-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

Some common "Brookeisms"

yesterday after later - any time in the future.
ex: "Papa, are you going with me in an airplane to Disney yesterday after later?"

yesternight - also some time in the future, but much more urgent than above.
ex: "I want to come to your house yesternight to have ice cream."

hake - to strongly dislike, hate
ex: "I hake lady bugs. Do you hake lady bugs, mommy?"

quit - to be done dealing with something, even if it remains present
ex: While standing on our porch looking at the side of the house COVERED with Chinese Lady Beetles, "I quit bugs." Immediately followed by a look of disgust while walking back into the house.

7 Things About Cris

2008-10-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

OK, I have been tagged by 2 people for this so guess I'd better do it!! I am to list 7 things about myself that may be unknown to most (some) of you. So here goes!!

1. My undergraduate degree is in Agricultural Business. I was 3 credits away from graduation and had a guaranteed job as a grain merchandiser with pretty great pay when I decided I hated it. I liked kids and I liked to work out, so a friend of mine told me I should shadow a PT at a Peds clinic in Lincoln. I did, liked it, applied for 3 PT schools, chose UNMC, and the rest is history!
2. I was unofficially engaged 3 days after meeting my husband. I got my ring at 2 weeks, but we had decided to get married on day 3.
3. One of my favorite meals is white rice, peas and ketchup. (Yep, canned peas, Delanie!!)
4. My name doesn't have an "h" in it because my Dad thought it looked too much like "Christ" and "Christmas" with the "h". Not that he doesn't like those things, just not for my name, I guess!
5. I once swam with sea lions off the coast of Mexico. My friend and I got so far away from the boat and close to the sea lions that the "bull" dove into the water. Apparently he found us threatening. Call me crazy, but I don't think that's very flattering!
6. When I was a kid we didn't have enough Ken dolls for my friend Sara and I to play with, so I cut the hair off one of my sister's Barbies and hid it behind a dresser. In all fairness, it was this doll that came with a horse she had gotten and it was really more masculine than feminine anyway.
7. This one's kind of serious. The night my Grandma Hall passed away I had a dream about her so vivid I can still remember it clearly, 10 1/2 years later. She was so young and vibrant looking, even after years of suffering, that I have never doubted the splendor of Heaven since.

So there you go!!! The sad thing is, I don't have 7 more blogs to challenge to do this - in fact, all but one of the blogs I follow have already been tagged. So I guess I'll "encourage" my friend Megan L. to do this. It's kind of fun!!

Aww. . . .

2008-10-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

These jammies were Rod's when he was little - can you believe his Mom could actually find them after all these years? He was having fun being SpiderMan, even with a toe peeking out the end.

I got to go with Paige's preschool class on a field trip to Poppy's Pumpkin Patch. Isn't she cute?! The little boy in this picture had to ride with us (the only other girl in Paige's class was gone that day), which he wasn't too excited about at first, but in the end they had a good time.

Memory Lane . . .

2008-10-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by Natalie at "The Riecks" for a fun game. I had to open my 6th folder of pictures and down load the 6th picture, with explanation if I can remember. I have to admit I cheated a little. I name my folders by year and only have 3 folders so I decided to go to the 6th folder, 6th picture of 2007. This is a picture of Brooke, 22 months, on a hot summer afternoon 3 days before Evan was born. Don't you love all those rolls!! The girls were having fun playing in the mud with their dinosaurs. I added a couple of pictures of the other girls so you can see how messy everyone was, and even one of me so you can all remember just how miserable I looked at that point!!

Inspiration

2008-10-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

If some of you have noticed the time of this post and are wondering how I am managing to be at the computer before bedtime, my topic of the evening will explain. When I attended mass last Friday morning Father Joe gave an awesome homily and I have been wanting to share the message with all of you ever since. For some background, all classes of St. Isidores except Kindergarten attend Mass on Fri. so he directs the homily to the kids. The reading that day was Ecclesiastes 3: 1 - 111 "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted . . " etc. So father spoke to the kids about how there is a time to be loud and scream and play - recess of course. And that while it's always good to pray, you really should do those other things at recess instead because if you don't you'll drive your teacher crazy later with all your extra energy. Then he talked about how it's not OK to scream in church, unless Father Joe falls asleep, because that's your time to pray. He then turned to the adults and basically said we should watch the kids around us. He talked about how when it's time to play, they play. They don't worry about what they're not getting done or feel guilty for taking time for themselves. They just play. And when they are working . . . well, sometimes that's not quite the best example for us!! Which brings me to why I'm "blogging" at 7:20 on bath night. It's just been one of those crazy weeks - at home and at work - with little down time. By the time we were headed out of town tonight I wasn't in the best place. So I (translation: my husband) decided I could use a little break from my responsibilities (trans: I was being crabby with my family and he wasn't enjoying my company). So here I am, on the Internet listening to my husband upstairs figuring out bath night for 4 kids without any help from me. And you know what? I don't feel guilty. Because right now is my time to rest. Later I will "toil" - and now I will do it with a smile.

Quick Pics!

2008-09-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

I keep getting a hard time for not updating for a while so thought I would quick post a few pictures of the kids modeling Dad's ADM hard hat. For the first 3 months you work there you have to wear a blue hat so everyone know's you're new. On Aug 19th Dad got his white hard hat - yea Daddy!!! - and everyone is sure having fun with his old one.

I'm too tough for a hard hat!!
Where was that smile on family picture day?
Brooke proving it's not what you wear,

it's the attitude you have while wearing it that matters!!

Yes, that's her swimming suit.

A new "Mom" Do!

2008-09-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

I post this only because most of you know how much a security blanket my long hair has always been. I am either really growing up or desperate to do anything that means I don't have to get up any earlier in the morning! Anyway, it took me 2 appointments over 2 weeks to get it done (mostly b/c my hair dresser was afraid to take more than 2 inches at a time - I'll save the story about wanting to change my "do" while 8 mos. pregnant with Evan for another day) but I am offically about 5 inches shorter and 3 pounds lighter after she thinned the bejeebies out of it. I'll give you a before/after shot. My "in-between" do was modeled in Brooke's b-day picture.

Just one year . . .

2008-09-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

A quick look at how much we've changed in just one year. Doesn't time fly!!

EVAN

BROOKE

PAIGE

LOREN

Labor Day 08

2008-09-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

Every Labor Day the girls get to ride in the Schuyler parade with Rod's brother Ryan and his wife Elizabeth in a cart pulled by her Percheron Kahlua. This year I decided to keep Evan & Brooke home to nap since the parade was at 2:00 and we were all supposed to head over to Ryan's for supper afterward. Of course, because I would have had the house to myself while the little 2 slept neither of them napped longer than 45 minutes!! Here are some pictures of my little "parade pros." The shades were all their idea.

Everyone was pretty worn out from the day and slept like champs that night. Aww, aren't they angels!!

A Day in the Life . . .

2008-08-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

I am realizing lately how many of you don't know much about what my life is like. I get the question "How do you do it?" a lot. So I thought I'd tell you.
As most of you know, Rod graduated in May with his Assoc Deg in Industrial Technology. The last few months exploring job options was a little scary. Usually starting positions in that field are not great pay and involve working nights and/or weekends. One day when Rod was in a teacher's office a guy from ADM called to ask if he could recommend any students for a position they were trying to fill. Rod's professor put him on the phone that second - guess it pays to be a teacher's pet!! Anyway, one interview and a few agonizingly nerve racking weeks later Rod found out he had gotten the job. He is actually a "Process Control Systems Specialist", which is not an entry level position. They recognized his past experience in the Air Force and as a civilian working on Offutt and said they were willing to train him. So, he ended up with a Mon thru Fri, 8 to 5 job that pays pretty darn well. He is under a lot of pressure because usually before you're in his position you've put in some time with the company and know the process/computer systems. But I know he's doing a great job!! Best of all, we get to ride to and from work together most days. So, inquiring minds, a typical day for us goes like this.
5:15 - Rod's up and, in theory, so am I.
5:45 - I'm finally up b/c Rod sounds panicked about getting to work on time.
6:20 - wake the kids up if they're not up already (how do you people get your kids to sleep past 6:30?)
6:45 - out the door, hopefully with no more than 2 of us in tears
6:50 - begin morning prayers, breakfast and entertainment in the van. Most mornings this now involves me embarrassing Loren horribly by loudly singing some 80's song into a Happy Meal toy that looks like a microphone.
7:20 - drop Loren, Paige & Brooke off at Father Price
7:30 - drop Evan off across town at Taylor Tots (don't ya love the name!!)
7:45 - Rod drops me off at work
. . .fast forward . . .
5:45 Rod and the kids pick me up from work
5:50 - 6:20 - see 6:50 a.m. but sub snack for breakfast and me entertaining for 5 people simultaneously demanding my attention - LOUDLY
6:45 'ish - eat something hopefully involving more than 2 food groups
and the rest of the evening most of you can imagine - just take your kids x 4, 2, 1.5 or whatever the appropriate multiplier is.
Friday is, of course, different because I don't work. So now Evan goes to his new daycare, the girls all go to "school" and I get groceries, clean, do laundry and bills - all that fun mommy stuff. We're hanging in there. Some days I curse that drive, some days I love the chance to have the kids undivided attention. Any chance we get to be outside I am so grateful for the quiet and privacy I swear to never complain about the commute again. Then Evan gets buckled into his car seat!! We are all works in progress, right? I just thank God for giving me another chance to get it right tomorrow!!

2008-08-23T07:36:00.001-07:00

I'm back after almost a month without internet! What a big month August has been! We spent the first weekend at my folks' for the Wheeler Co. Fair and the kids had a blast with their cousins, as always. My aunt & uncle from AZ, and cousin & family from San Fran came to visit so that was really cool. I'm embarassed to say I don't even have a picture from that. The next weekend we were off to Coco Key in Omaha -- as you'll see the kids and grown ups had a blast! Then it was time for school. Loren started 2nd grade at St. Isidores - I'd love to have a picture of it but I wasn't allowed to bring the camera. She's too cool!! I do have one on my cell phone which I'll have to learn how to download. Paige started her 2nd year of pre-K at Father Price and Brooke started her 1st year of pre-K at Father Price, which is the daycare assocaited with St. Isidores. It's so nice to drop off all 3 girls at the same place. Finally, on Thurs. Evan started a new daycare. We are VERY excited about that!! Here are some pics!!

Our trip to CocoKey in Omaha. Everybody loved it!!
Brooker turns 3!!
Papa Hall helping Evan "ride his bike" without his feet

touching the grass too much.

Loren figured out how to ride without training wheels!! This is more impressive when you remember our yard is the flattest spot she gets to practice.

Brooke's 1st day of Pre-school.

Paige's 1st day back at preschool with Ms. Carmen, who also teaches Brooke.

Children are truly a gift from God

2008-07-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

During our nightly prayers the girls always say what they're grateful for that day. Usually there's a lot of "I got to play with friends" or "I went to Grandma's" or "We ate at McDonald's" (probably get to say that one too often!). Then the other night Paige blew Rod and I away when she said "I pray for all the people who don't have homes and have to live in boxes that they can find a house to buy, and for all the mommies and daddies that they don't get lost for their kids."

Not to be out done, a few days later Brooke looked at me and said "Mommy, what color are your eyes?" "Blue." "What color are my eyes?" "Brown." "Why?" "Because, that's the way God made us." "Oh . . . . good job God!!"

And finally, Loren, our little saint in training. I found her alone in her room the other day, just sitting on her bed. I asked her if she was OK and she said yes. So I said, "Did you just need a little break from your sisters and your brother?" She said, "No. I just needed to be alone with God for a while. We needed to talk."

I guess we're doing something right.

Just because it's cute!

2008-07-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Did you know that "QRN" are the most powerful letters in the alphabet? Apparently they can represent any word in our spoken language. Let me explain. Back before Loren could read and spell everything, Rod and I would spell all the good words - you know, like our parents used to and we swore we'd never do. Well, Loren quickly picked up on that and has taken to spelling things she doesn't want her sisters to know. Like, "Can I stay at g-r-a-n-d-m-a's?" or "Can I play c-o-m-p-u-t-e-r?" Paige, not wanting to be out done, has taken to spelling things as well. However, since her phonics is a little more limited she has designated "Q-R-N" to be universal for all wants. Like, "Can I have a q-r-n?" (a.k.a. treat) or "Can we go q-r-n?" (aka outside) or "Can I stay at q-r-n's?" (aka grandma's - see a pattern?) Amazingly enough, we always know what she means!

2008-07-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

Our future gymnast, Paige (4).
We take corn on the cob very seriously at our house!!

2008-07-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

The girls at Relay for Life - I have a co-wrkr who's daughter was diagnosed w/cancer at 7 mos old. At 2 years she's doing great!!
Our favorite holiday, the 4th of July!!

Brooke - almost 3!

Some Recent Pics

2008-07-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Loren (7) & I at her 1st grade field day in May.

Rod and some good friends at the party to celebrate his Assoc. Degree in Industrial Technology from Central Community College this May. By the way, he had a 4.0 and was Ind Tech Exceptional Student of the year!!
Evan (11 mos then) & I celebrating at Rod's party because we survived all those single parent nights while Dad was at night class!!
Loren being Loren - all smiles, almost always!
Paige (4) during her riding lessons with Aunt Elizabeth (Rod's brother Ryan's wife) - she gets as excited about feeding "Pork Chop" as riding him!

Hello!!

2008-07-27T13:16:00.001-07:00

Hello friends! I have finally decided to join the modern world and create a blog. I am not pretending I will have anything earth shatteringly interesting to say, but I know how much I enjoy getting updates from all of you and thought this would be an easier way for all of us to share. I'm not sure how often I'll get to update but we'll try it. As I write this the kids are enjoying some much needed down time after attending a wedding in Lincoln yesterday. They were angels and we were so proud of them. Hard to believe how big everyone is getting! I will post pics from the wedding when I get them from Rod's aunt.