Some Stuff We've Been Up To

Jackson and his latest creation

Savanna shoveling my driveway

The boys being silly

Savanna and the team at the OSU Gymnastics Meet

The girls with the OSU women's gymnastics team

Blue Hawaii

I had a dream last night that I was visiting my brother Jon in Hawaii. The breezes were warm and I can't even describe to you the clear blue sky. I just kept staring at this beautiful sky. Even in my dream I was saying "Wow, we haven't had a sky like that in forever!" Then, unfortunately, I woke up looked outside and saw nothing but gray. Gray sky, gray snow, gray trees. I am so sick of gray! I looked down and even the sweats I was wearing (and not surprisingly am still wearing) were gray. Have you ever read the book "The Giver"? It starts out with this society of people who live in a world with no color but they don't realize it. Since they've never had color they don't know what it is when they see it. That's how I feel and this dream woke me up to what color is. Wow, I miss it and honestly I really want to be in Hawaii right now.

Savanna's Floor Routine

Here is Savanna at her last meet. She got 2nd on Floor and this is her routine.

Survival

I recently read a book called The Survivor's Club. It was about how people survive, what gives them an edge, why some persevere and others simply give up. It recounted stories of cancer, unemployment, car accidents, mountain lion attacks, you name it. Anyway I've been thinking a lot about surviving lately. We had a couple of weeks I wondered if I'd survive. Now of course these were minor in comparison to having your face ripped off by a mountain lion, surviving cancer or having acid dumped on you but it was what I've been dealt...so far. Our family got a respiratory flu for about a week and then Luke's turned into pneumonia which triggered asthma and put him in the hospital for 3 days. That was a first for us, because a)I've never had the flu for that long and b)we've never had a kid in the hospital, scary. It definitely made me grateful for the time we live in. I couldn't help but think about the flu epidemic of 1918 when so many died from it. I hope we never have to survive something like that.
I think sometimes we can equate survival to the good times as well, like say surviving a family reunion. We had a great time, horseback riding, eating, fishing, eating, chasing kids, eating, laughing, eating...there was a lot of adrenaline going on and when that was gone I got violently ill for about 4 hours, probably something I ate. But I survived and with some great memories. All in all survival is one of those things that comes in all shapes and sizes, it can be small or huge and life changing, it can be very public or it can be something no one is ever aware of, it could be a trial and a burden or a satisfied sigh at the end of an amazing adventure. Regardless of what package it comes in we are all survivors.

Happy Birthday Liam!

Liam celebrated his 3rd birthday Sunday. I can't believe it's been 3 years since he was born. Here are a few pics of his big day.

Liam is a hug fan of Scooby Doo,

and also monster trucks.

Calling all Conservatives - The Follow Up

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post and for the interest you expressed. What I decided to do was find a group that was already formed. I used meetup.com and found a local group of conservatives that get together to discuss the books they are reading and talk about what they can do to make a difference politically and otherwise. We are meeting Tuesday, March 31st if anyone is interested in going with me. I'm a little nervous so wish me luck!

Calling All Conservatives

I was wondering if anyone out there with conservative ideals and values would be interested in starting a group of sorts. Somewhere we could get together, educate each other, share information, ideas and ways to support what we believe in and fight what we don't. I want to be involved but struggle with knowing where to look and what to do. Maybe if we share what we know we can be more of a voice. I'm not sure what the best setting would be, online or in someone's home I am open to suggestions. I just need some support so please comment with any ideas. Thanks.

Slipping Through My Fingers

I spent the weekend with Mark's mom and sisters. It was a great time and we watched the movie Mama Mia. For those of you not familiar with it, it is a movie made from a musical and all the music is by ABBA. I can't say much for the story line but one scene did catch my attention. The mother in the story is helping her daughter get ready for her wedding and sings this song called "Slipping Through My Fingers". I added it to my play list (it's in the bottom right corner of my blog) if you want to listen to it. I know a few ABBA tunes but had never heard this one. It really made me think about how much I absent mindedly wish away my kids childhoods or maybe it's more me wishing away my time as a "young mother" and I need to knock it off!

One of the lines says: Then when shes gone there's that odd melancholy feeling And a sense of guilt I cant deny What happened to the wonderful adventures The places I had planned for us to go(slipping through my fingers all the time)Well, some of that we did but most we didn't and why I just don't know

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now It's just been on my mind and I'm afraid of that "Melancholy feeling and a sense of guilt I can't deny." I don't want that to be me.

Anyone out there have any ideas on how to stay grounded? How do you keep them from slipping through your fingers? I mean I know they are going to grow up and I have to let them go but how do I do it without regrets?

My Birthday Date

I posted earlier that I was looking for a good place to eat for my birthday and thank you for all the wonderful suggestions I now have a long list to choose from for future outings. My choice was highly influenced by Gordonfan's suggestion of Rib City. I love a good barbecue so I did a little research and went with Burbank's. It was very good, the price was right, not super crowded and the service was super fast. The onion log was very tasty though I wouldn't recommend getting it for just two people. It would be enough to feed five easily. We also got the pulled pork sandwich which came with cole slaw, very good, and a side. I got mashed potatoes and gravy which was just average and Mark got the sweet potato casserole which was deeelicious! I was practically licking the bowl and I'm not even a sweet potato fan, I normally pass it right on to the next person on Thanksgiving. Very tasty, I highly recommend Burbank's especially if you enjoy southern cooking and the humor of Earl Pitts!

After dinner we headed off to Borders Bookstore for hot cocoa, chocolate chip cookies, and good conversation. It was so nice to have an uninterrupted discussion with my husband. Then we just wandered around the store together and separately checking out this and that. I could spend hours browsing a book store, the quiet, the books, even the smell, I had forgotten how much I like doing that. It was a wonderful night. Thanks Mark for making my birthday a great one! I love you.

Halloween Fun

Once again our neighborhood rocks when it comes to trick or treating! Unfortunately Mark had school on Halloween so that left me taking 4 kids out to do the rounds not to mention getting them all done up. A big thank you goes out to the Jones family for letting me tag along with them for a little adult moral support. Phewww! So here are some pics of Halloween 2008 with the Chapins.

Anyone want to guess what Jackson is...Dr. 2 Brains from Word Girl on PBSkids!

Liam wouldn't get in the picture so I had to take a separate on of him.

A Request

Hi all, so my birthday is coming up and I am making Mark take me out to dinner and I have yet to fall in love with any specific restaurants in the area so I want to know what your favorite is. For those of you not from the Ohio/Kentucky area feel free to chime in anyway, maybe your favorite is a chain or maybe it will just make me homesick for my old haunts, either way I want to know. Thanks for your input, I'll let you know sometime after Nov 9 who the big winner is and maybe we'll get you a doggie bag!

Election Frustration

All right so I know I'm probably singing to the choir for most of you but I've got to get this off my chest and for those friends of mine that lean towards the left bear with me.
Aggghhh! I am so fed up with this election I am tired of biased media that won't be tough on Obama and tired of McCain who won't be tough on him either. I'm tired of trying to support a campaign where I can't even get a blasted sign for my yard or sticker for my car. I'm sick of politicians that won't answer the stupid question during a debate, JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION! I'm tired of seeing all these Obama signs everywhere and wondering if they really know who and what type of America they are voting for. Do we really want a country where the government has control of everything including as Obama says, "spreading the wealth around"? Of course we need to care for the poor but what he's talking about is Marxism and not what has made our country great. It's starting to look like either people are voting without all the facts (thank you to the media) or maybe that's the kind of government the majority wants. That scares me. I'm sick of the double standard feminists and their cruelty and disrespect towards Sarah Palin and I'm really sick of Hollywood (enough said on that).

I know politics really gets people passionate and fired up and that's why I normally veer away from political conversations but I felt like this was a safe outlet to express my feelings. So whether you agree with me or not this is how I feel and as far as I know I still have a right to express it. I hope I still have it at the end of the next 4 years.

Savanna & Luke Get Inspired

Savanna and Luke saw what Jackson was making out of a box of "junk" and could not resist joining in. Here are thier creations.

Bacuum, by Luke

Mouser, by Savanna

Shoot Boat, by Luke

Jackson Builds the Future

Jackson recieved a generous gift of wires, magnets, speakers, headphones, & switches from Mark's coworker Nicholas, and has been smiling in "creation heaven" ever since.

Bull Dozer

Cleaner Boleaner

S. S. J. Boat

Shocky

Bird Show Fun

In August we were able to go behind the scenes of the Bird Show at the Cincinnati Zoo thanks to Eddie, a friend from Nocturnal Adventures and performer in the show (Bob). It was a ton of fun and the kids had a great time. We got to watch the show and then take a tour of the enclosures the birds from the show stay in. Here is Eddie showing us the Stellar's Sea Eagle. Some of the enclosures are below the stands where the audience sits.

Here is Savanna feeding a Hyacinth Macaw. Each of the kids got a turn, even Liam!

Here are the kids on the stage of the bird show with their souvenir feathers. It was a great day.

Meet Marley and American Inventors 2

I know I know I'm insane but it's too late for that. Meet Marley the newest addition to the family. He is a 8 month old "puggle" half pug, half beagle. He's adorable and that's about his only saving grace at this point (just kidding). He's your typical puppy, he jumps on everyone, nips at the kids when he gets too excited, has an occasional accident in the house, chews on everything in sight, follows me around like, well, a puppy and my least favorite thing, his fondness for underwear, YUCK!On the up side, the kids adore him and love sitting on him which he tolerates, he sleeps through the night, barks very little, likes to lay at your feet and makes a great vacuum. All in all he's become part of the family and we're glad he's around.

Now for the second part of my post. Meet the next two inventors in the family. Luke and Savanna came up with this great hat all on their own and here's my favorite part...

The "food catcher"! You can put food in the side and reach in anytime for a quick snack. I love it! Wouldn't that be great to have around, you know, on errands or while watching your favorite show, you wouldn't have to get up (or in my case make my husband get up). There's even a floor below the hatch so the food doesn't get on your head. We will be patenting it shortly and you can find it at stores near you.

Jackson: American Inventor

I know, I know. His birthday was May 29 and here it is almost August. So I'm a slacker, I think we've established that. Now with that out of the way a few words about my first born. He is his own person. He loves playing with the gang but enjoys his space as well. If any of my kids would appreciate his own room it's Jackson. He has one of the most creative minds I know and there are days that if I hear, "Mom, I want to make a..." I think I will lose it. My recycling bin will never see a card board box and someday I'm sure Jackson's inventions will save the world. I mean how many kids do you know that have a favorite inventor? Jackson's is Thomas Edison. Did I mention his favorite TV shows are Nova, Nova Science Now, and American Inventor. If there is anyone out there with a knack for assembling household trash into a robot please speak now! I want to encourage him but physics was never my thing. Lucky for me he has a fondness for wildlife as well, now I can handle that. Here are a few pictures of my eldest in action:

Swimming on 4th of July

Summer baseball at the YMCA

Sir Jackson

At the Krohn Conservatory Butterfly show

Savanna Gale

Wow, time has flown. Savanna's 6th birthday was on May 11 and here it is June already. So forgive me Savanna.

Savanna is my only girl, my cohort in crime, my informer and my one familial attachment to girl stuff.
She enjoys girl stuff a little more than I ever did but it's good for me. She encourages me to wear makeup and learn cool hair styles, for her not me. Her career aspirations... "a missionary, ballerina, mom."
Even though she is girlie, with three brothers she has no problem holding her own and she is far from squeamish.

Her faith is awe inspiring and often informs us we've forgotten prayer or that she "feels the spirit when she hears this song." Savanna is my cheerleader, my helper, my shopping partner, my daughter. I love you Savanna. Happy Birthday.

Terribly Cute 2s

So we've reached the "terrible twos". Liam's birthday was May 3 but so far the terrible part hasn't hit yet, unless you count terribly cute as terrible. From my past experience with this stage I would have to say that this title holds true more with 3 or maybe 2 1/2 but for now I am enjoying this fun, adorable little guy! I love watching him try and be like his older siblings while developing his own unique personality.

Liam loves going outside, singing, nursery, Curious George, yogart, his Nemo sandles, going for rides, kicking the soccer ball, bath time, anything with Lightning McQueen on it, knowing where everyone in the family is at any given moment.

Liam does not love having his diaper changed, dinner food, getting dressed...actually, he is pretty easy going and I am having a hard time coming up with anything else.

Finding my Anchor

As most of you know, I recently spent 4 days with my mom in the counties surrounding Philadelphia. Describing all I learned about myself, where I came from and the changes that I am making in myself because of those 4 days is difficult, but I am going to try. I think it is very healthy to get away by ourselves from time to time. It allows us to find our anchor and become grounded so we can remember what's important.

I love to be surrounded by history and what a perfect setting for history, not just of our nation but of my family. My mother's ancestors lived (and some still do) in this area since the early 1700's so it provided a wealth of information on those ancestors.

I was able to reconnect with my grandparents who passed on when I was in high school. We visited their grave sites and heard story after story about what they were like. Sometimes I feel we are robbed when our grandparents die before we are able to get to know them as adults. We lived close by when I was small but I don't have many memories of that. Then my grandfather got Alzheimer's and my grandmother suffered from cancer so I never really got to know them for who they are. What a blessing to know we will have that chance someday.
I know where I got my name but I rarely think about the person for whom I am named. Most of the time I begrudge the fact that my name is so old fashioned and correct people when they mistakenly refer to me as Dorothy instead of Dory but I don't feel that way now, I learned that my grandmother was well liked, enjoyed antiques (like me) and had an easy disposition. It is because of the faith of these grandparents that I have the gospel of Christ in my life today. That is nothing to be ashamed of. As I learn about my ancestors through family history research it makes me so excited to get to meet them when we all pass on.

So along with the Philly cheese steaks, Tastee Kakes and soft pretzels I have found many more things to love about Pennsylvania.

Here are a few pictures of places we visited.

Berks Co. Historical Society - where I found some great information. Including that my 3rd Great-grand father fought in the Civil War.

The city of Reading

PA The train station in Langhorne, PA where my great- grandfather worked as a telegraph operator.

The farm house where my mother grew up.