January Catch Up

I'm kind of glad to report, there isn't really all that much to catch up :) January is, in general, my ahhhhh month. My rejoice in snow days because everything gets cancelled month. My read all the backlog of school books I need to catch up on since I spent December reading Christmas gift books month. We haven't been out much, and have slowly worked our way back into activities. So here's one of my famous (I don't know where they're famous) miscellaneous blog posts :)

1. Boys eating sub sandwiches from the gift cards Grandma J sent them; thanks Grandma J! (technically this was December, but who's keeping track? :)



2. The girls and I received our passports (and eventually all our other vital documents--that's a nerve-wracking wait!) in the mail. We also discovered we are fully funded for our mission trip to Africa in a couple of months!! Thank the Lord for providing in abundance!





3. All four kids were invited to help with our church's all-staff (from surrounding cities and states) prayer meeting. Caelan was on keyboard with the worship team, Gabby was on the prayer and words of encouragement team, and the boys were taking care of kiddos. I came along since they were all there and what was I going to do at home by myself? :) It was a really cool morning, so many things to pray about, so many encouragements for the staff--who are incredibly young, I might add. I was one of the oldest people in the room. This must have been what the early church looked like, young men and women and families setting out to plant churches and lead others toward Christ. Pretty awesome, actually!



4. Buck had a doctor appointment, so I went along for the ride and a lunch date. He insisted on taking my picture because he was so excited that I found a big, satisfying meal that fit my reinitiated Keto plan of action :)



5. We made it to puppy class, and since we had already made the long drive, we signed up for puppy care of the new litter once again. We were there this time for the microchipping. Everyone renewed their efforts at selecting which of these pups we'd like to have in our home once Newton graduates to his next stage of training--in fact, they were reasoning that if they all became trainers, we could take home half the litter . . . um, no. :) They sure are cute though, and I got to ask LOTS of questions about the program that I'd been wondering about (since we never did attend an orientation).





6. Graysen had a very celebratory week or so as his team headed into the playoffs! Also, he and Brennen and Buck invited their guy buds over for the national championship game. I was writing a paper for church that was over a month late, so I didn't get any pictures of the festivities, but fun was had by all! Buck grilled wings--lots of wings!




7. Graysen also discovered the pain of sledding on a sheet of ice, the aftermath of one of our many recent storms . . . ouch!!!



8. Buck invited me out for a date during a blizzard, because he got a little stir crazy :) We tried leaving our neighborhood in the van and slid backwards down the hill twice. Then we switched keys for the Nitro with its off road tires. It did much better in the break in the storm. We ran several errands, including buying lighter plug-in heaters to defrost the windshields in the two cars with no heat, and had dinner at a steakhouse--where Buck ordered chicken. We didn't eat the complimentary loaf of bread, so when Brennen opened the leftovers box and saw the loaf torn in half plus Buck's leftover plank of chicken he asked, "Is this a sandwich?" Lol! Whatever you want it to be, buddy :)



9. The doggies had a heat dish slumber party. I think they are not minding the homebound Crew, lazing around, reading books doing schoolwork. I've decided to keep track of how many books I read in a year, since I never have done that before and people keep asking me how many books I read in a year :) So far I'm at eight regular books (history, fiction, Christian growth, school) and seven books of the Bible (with one on repeat and another half way in). That's quite a lot for January, thus far, so probably also the reason I haven't caught the blog up much :)



10. Because it has been a stressful week with Buck having surgery on his neck, me clenching my jaw in my sleep, Caelan fighting a sore throat (she sang all three services again this morning, and gave the call to worship), etc. etc., and my sweet sis-in-law back in the hospital . . . the tears are real, the prayer need is real, the need for some silliness is real. So here's Chauncey modeling Buck's long-eared Broncos cap. Random. Completely random, but it made us smile :)



I think that's about it . . . at least that I have pictures for. Oh, choir started back up, only Caelan and Brennen are participating this round, but Gabby may join in the festival they've got planned (assuming it doesn't take place while we're out of the country). 

The kids have been helping a TON at our friends old fixer upper--steaming wall paper, scrubbing floors, pulling down window hardware from 50 years, taping edges, painting staircase railings and doors, hauling trash, moving furniture out of the way of progress, and Brennen even got to tear up a section of carpet--what he's been looking forward to all along :) We were supposed to go help again today, but the renovating family all fell asleep after church. Which is just fine because ALL THIS TIME, I didn't realize that the mama of the family was expecting a baby--in March. Seriously! My baby-dar was on distracted mode or something on that one :)

Oh, and the kids have been playing outside in the snow quite a bit--even--what?! Caelan!! They built a huge igloo on the hill that very well may last until July. Otherwise, lots of sledding, shoveling, and even building a tiny deck snowman which Caelan food colored green :) Gabby just told me she built a snow Hobbit on a bench, so if I get pictures of that I'll let you know. Whew! You're all caught up . . . I think :)

A Relaxing Hike in the Woods . . .

. . . Not so much :) I'm glad my kids are old enough that I don't feel the need to freak out and require them to stay close and within sight when out hiking in the woods with a group of 17 kids (and a service dog). My NGF and I just watched them disappear over ridge after ridge, while our friend with the two really littles had to turn back for bathroom breaks. I honestly don't know how she would have managed the remainder of the endless trail with a three-year-old. It was SO MUDDY!!! I slid down one large hill, Newton was more black than white from the knees down (apparently he pulled Caelan like a ski boat on water would pull a water-skier down the mud slopes), and Graysen told stories of his mud-slipping adventures back at the lodge.

We also heard Brennen's story, later. He took off at a run after two of the younger members of their people pod, who had ventured onto the wrong trail. An unknown hiker came into view, and Brennen wanted to protect the two wanderers. Well, thankfully, they heard him shouting and turned back. Brennen then succumbed to the mud and went "rolling down the hill," according to his sister. After listening to her recount the tale, Brennen said, "Did I look cool?" Lol!!







When my NGF and I finally caught up to the children (we only had two stick with us, one is barely kindergarten-aged and the other thought we should call a taxi to pick us up---YES!!), they looked like the first photo . . . and clearly, we looked like the second :) Might have been kind of ambitious for the first day of our New Years' resolutions ;)







Back at home, Newton found a cozy spot to sleep under the Christmas tree, and I decided to let the "cleaned as best we could before we got in the car" shoes wait til the next day for attention. I'm glad we went hiking. Next time, we moms use the treadmill for AT LEAST a week first, ha!

Happy New Year!

We were so glad when our pastor and his wife invited us over to their house to celebrate their oldest's birthday . . . which just happened to be on New Year's Eve :) Lots of good food, lots of good friends, and a great way to ring in the new day, new year, new decade!


If it looks like everyone is looking at their phones and ignoring each other, it's because they were all loading an ap, so we can play a game :) It's like Telestrations, but you pass your phones around to draw and make guesses. We were cracking up at each others' art abilities (or lack thereof). 


Unfortunately, Buck's buddy got called to work for an officer-involved shooting. Buck and our pastor drove him to the police station so his wife could keep the van and get the kids home at a reasonable time . . . it was a great plan, except he forgot to leave the keys (which was realized well after midnight). But it all worked out, his wife payed the broke college student to drive her down to get the keys and the kids got an extra hour together in the new year :) Not our kids though. Buck was ready to roll.



Wow, that was a very brief summary of the evening, and not any pictures, so here you go! The kids mostly played xbox or rode tiny scooters and held jousting practice. They enjoyed the silly string poppers and sparkling cider at midnight. We did not sing Auld Lang Syne. But we laughed a lot :) Oh, and our 14-year-old boy count is now at four. That's a lot of 14-year-old boys!

To Maga's House We Go

Buck got three days off in a row for New Year's, which was great! It gave us a chance to drive up to my mom's and finish the final basement room that needed clearing out. We also dropped off birthday gifts for my sister's December crew, and mom gave the kids their gifts from her . . . a sea of boxes and giant luggage . . . nice!!







Gabby made Maga a special memory bear from one of Dad's shirts. He looked pretty proud getting to ride up in the front seat on his first ever car trip :)



After eating some lunch, we went to work on the basement room. A lot of it was books my dad had collected during his seminary and ministry years. There was plenty to donate :) But Gabby is interested in Greek, so she found a treasure-trove of resources to continue her studies. Buck also brought back a bunch of commentaries for our pastor, and he considers these solid gold. In actual financial finds, there was a grocery store gift certificate (who knows from when!) that the grocery store honored when mom took it in! Also a Panera card with enough money for lunch on it :) Found a few of my brother's old parking tickets from his university days, and a savings bond that I'm really glad Graysen (who couldn't do basement work) didn't accidentally shred. Brother Bob took care of burning off all the remaining items from the trailer a few days later. Yay, teamwork!


The other project mom wanted completed was getting rid of old paint. Many cans dried themselves up, so helpful of them, but the rest she wanted spilled out on a tarp on the floor to dry (the water-based ones anyway). That was my job. It was fun doing something my mom wouldn't have let me do when I was a kid, ha! She even jumped in and helped me :)





Buck and Gabby got the railing back on the basement stairs for the first time in . . . 15 years? It was a good day of accomplishment. 



Mom took us out to enjoy Mexican food for dinner, and then sent us home with the Escalade. Once we get it fixed up a bit (which Buck and the boys have already been working on, swapping wiper blades, cleaning headlamps, popping out a dent that made the front door squeak, buffing out some of the white paint that matches the church Dad hit in California . . . you know, little things like that :), it will be a good car for winter-driving and for the kids. Oh, the car crew also got the back seat working again, and we ordered seat covers for the front seats (which are losing their stuffing). Buck is taking it in on Monday to figure out why the check engine light is on, and the starter is all kinds of sluggish--but hey, it has heat! Win :)

Christmas Leftovers

There are always a few pics I miss in the quest to record Christmas. Wouldn't want you to miss out on any treasures :)

First up . . . actual leftovers!! Sooooo many leftovers. What we don't eat, we feed the chickens (who are again not laying eggs in return, but that's what the grocery store is for I guess, lol :)



Second, left over pictures from the youth group Christmas party. Buck looks pretty intense in that Christmas sweater. Looks like he and C are going to go crack some heads, lol! "You WILL have Christmas cheer!"









Christmas gift and apparel pictures . . . the givers of these gifts have already seen the pictures, but it's for posterity. Ha!  (Ties from Grandma J and a neck warmer/massager thing for me from Buck--it is magnetic in the front, I don't know why, but it doesn't fall off my shoulders :)



The Christmas card wall got off to a good start . . . we've filled in the bottom since with more cards (I won't say "leftover" because it is not easy to get those things out before Christmas :)



Caelan got an after-Christmas promotion on worship team--she now has a mic to harmonize with the worship leader (before she was in charge of keys, no vocals)! Gabby is her teacher, because Gabby just does this harmonization naturally. Actually, had Gabby not been covering two teaching gigs for my NGF (she was sick), Gabby would have been on stage playing bass that morning. Such little talented kiddos I have (okay, not little . . . wahhhhhh!!! :)



Leftover Newton, ha! More like left out Newton. He was not super glad that the girls left for their karate work party, and didn't invite him! He's easy to watch when Caelan is not around. He just looks out the window and waits for her to come back (saving up all his naughtiness for her presence :)



I think that's all I've got! Hope you enjoyed our Christmas leftovers as much as we did (well, except Newton :)