Dot Night

I keep forgetting to tell everyone about Awana. It's a a kid's Christian club that meets on Wednesday night at our church. It makes me think of having a weekly Vacation Bible School. There is always something crazy going on. This Wednesday was dot night. For every verse the kids could recite in book time, they could place a dot on the teacher's face. My rule was anywhere but the glasses. This was a crazy, good idea -- the kids have never worked so hard at memorizing their bible verses. I help with the K to 2nd graders. Brant helps with the gym and a bit with the older boys (they use his muscle threat in that room sometimes). I had somewhere near ten dots on my face, but after a few rounds of dodgeball and some relay races they fell off. Wednesdays always are a boost, just being silly for Jesus.

Still Here, Just . . .

What an icky, phenomenally, yucky week! Tuesday, started beautiful. Great weather, avid leprechaun hunts, awesome women's bible study -- a good day. After school our neighbor, Lisa (13), passed out in our yard. After 10 minutes of CPR and being hauled off on the EMT wagon, things were looking grim. The last part of that scene that keeps going through my head was her Dad yelling her name. She passed away Wednesday afternoon from a rare, genetic disorder that had gone undiagnosed and had caused brain bleeding.

Also Wednesday, Brant found out that Tate and Lyle is moving toward closing the Ft. Dodge plant. This sort of puts the issue of employment here, there, or anywhere up in the air.

Now, the great comfort in all of this is that these two events coinciding on the same day, really puts everything into perspective. I know that God has a plan, it's just that middle, waiting period that can seem so excruciating at times. Just keep us and the Darling family in your prayers.

Another Year for Me. Twelve for Me and Brant.

The day Brant and I got married it was the most perfect, dreamy weather. Sixty-five, sunny, just lovely. Every year since that day, the weather is full-on yucky. This year for my birthday, God delivered a sleet/snow slurry for the first half of the day, plus temperatures no higher than thirty. Oh well, I try not to take this weather on my birthday/anniversary personal, since God has pulled through on so many other parts of my life since that day twelve years ago.

All in all a great weekend. New jeans and khakis, which were much needed. I just haven't bought clothes since I had Ike and Ava. I keep hoping to go down a size, but, hmmm, well, that would require giving up so many things I love. Dinner out on Saturday and on Sunday (once for birthday and once for anniversary). Poor Brant had planned a surprise lunch after church on Sunday. So we braved the aformentioned weather to drive 15 miles to a hole in the wall that . . . surprise. . . is closed on Sunday. After a couple of giggles, we drove back through the freezy, cruddy yuck to have pizza at Godfather's. Got to admire a fellow who tries to be romantic, even if it doesn't work in his favor.

Thank you all for the support!

Thank you to all my friends and family for being so supportive over the last three weeks while I digested the entire Twilight saga. Thank you for not judging as I cooked dinner, folded laundry, or helped with homework whilst peeping over a book. Thank you to my husband for not being jealous of my love for Edward Cullen; it just can't be helped. I think that this is out of my system, and I shall move on to more adult fiction. : )

P & C's Surprise Redo

Paige and Claire have been so patient through the whole room redo. Never once have they hinted at jealousy that Ava and Ike will have their own rooms. This is very impressive for eight-year-olds. Really I think Paige and Claire love sharing a room, especially now that they are in different rooms at school. At night we hear them chatter back and forth to each other. It's a sweet part of being a twin sister.

For being so awesome about sharing, we surprised them with a loft bed. They have a nook in their room that fit the loft perfectly. The cool thing is that Brant designed the loft so that it can be pulled out sort of like a drawer. This means I can stand up behind to put the sheets on. No climbing up in the big space with my big butt to wrangle sheets into place.

Isaak also got a little surprise, we could now give him back his bunks. Boys love bunk beds. Did you know if you shove quilts all around the top layer, the bottom becomes a house, or a fort, or a space ship, or a monster truck, or anything you want that little hidey hole to be?
AND ta-da! Ava's room is pretty well done. She spent her first night in it Sunday. I think this worked out better for Ava than for Ike. He had a bit of room buddy longing in the wee hours, but we'll work through it. Ava LOVES her new pink room. She keeps dragging everyone in there to show them special things. It still needs some finishing touches, but for the most part, it's finished.