Going Home

Today as I sit here in Kansas City International airport I am thinking about what it means to go home. It means sleeping in my own bed, using my own bathroom and shower, not having to explain to everyone why I am not there but instead am going to be X, Y or Z. Not looking at disappointed faces and listening to combative thoughts from sad or angry people. It means being able to relax and just spend time with my family. Ah...I am so ready to relax with my guys.

Sitting here I also am able to just enjoy my kids as they are. Caleb is a few aisles away doing what he does best ~ namely making babies happy. So heart-warming to hear him being silly just for the chance at making a small child laugh. He is just so good with little ones. Jared is sitting here making comments on the game he is playing and also bragging about how much of his book he read on the first flight. They really are such great kids.

I feel sad that the past two weeks of "visiting" family one last time before heading to Italy meant not really spending quality time with the kids. There were so many issues to take care of that it wasn't always possible. Many people who wanted to see us and many whom we wanted to see. Some understood why we couldn't spend more time with them, some spent their time being grumpy and disappointed and some just accepted the small amount of time we had. I am glad that we were able to see our family but wish that we would have had more time to just sit and chat, instead of arguing, play games, take walks ~ basically just enjoy each other. Perhaps we will be able to do that next time.

The next few weeks are sure to pass in a whirlwind. We should be receiving our visas soon and then the real fun begins. Before that happens though we will be going through the house, brutally if necessary and clearing things out. Clothes, books, toys (kids and adults) will be really thought about before deciding that they are indeed coming with us to Italy. I have already started cleaning out my stamping supplies and clothes. The boys have grown pretty fast lately so we don't have much to go through clothing wise for them. Just their toys and books and "collections". We have decided to put some items in storage this time. Our new washer, dryer and vacuum, most 120 electric items as well as the baby books, blankets and toys that we are saving for the grandkids some day. That will help as there isn't always a good place to store things when living overseas.

I am also in the process of starting a new home business. It is for Bagolita bags. They are so cute and well built and AMERICAN made. Can't wait. I finished all the paperwork and got it submitted yesterday. I am starting this new venture with my great friend "C". She is totally excited too! Should be a lot of fun and a great hit in Italy. I will have a website too for purchasing the bags which I will post when everything is up and running.

There is probably so much more I could say and I know I am just overflowing with all kinds of conflicting emotions due to this trip and our upcoming move. I am so thrilled with the opportunity to go back overseas. Praying that this job will be a great one for James (almost anything though will be better than what he has currently). I am also very excited about working with the Italian church and the missionaries that are there spreading the gospel to the people of Vicenza. What a wonderful opportunity. We did pray that James would get a job in a place where we are needed for God's work so this seems to be an answer to that prayer. We are already in contact with 2 different missionary families that are located there. What a wonderful learning & serving opportunity for us all but especially the boys. A great way to learn God's word too ~ they say no one learns as much as the teacher does. I am also saddened that some of our family has taken this move as a personal affront to them. In truth this is a great opportunity for our family - a way for us to have more family time, James to have a job he truly enjoys, a way for us to help spread God's word and to travel. This is all about what is good for our family. We tried finding a job for James that was closer to family but none materialized. This was it. So we are thankful for this and just grateful for this opportunity.

God's blessing to all of you who continue to follow me on this wide and meandering trail of my random thoughts. Thanks for sticking it out with me. Now that our trip is over I hope to be a little more regular at posting here. See ya soon!

Hey Dad, What are these?

When Jared was about 3, we were in Corpus Christi, Texas on vacation. We were getting ready to go to the beach and were changing into our swim trunks. Angy was in the bathroom and the guys were in the room.

Jared was about to pull up his swim trunks when he looked down and asked, "Dad, what are these called again?" I cleared my throat and said, "son, those are called testicles." Hoping that was the end of it, I continued getting dressed. However, Jared still had a very quizzical look on his face. And the question I was dreading came out....."What are they for?" My first thought was to say go ask your mother, but I did not want to sleep alone that night. So, I groped for the proper thing to tell a 3 year old. I said, "well, when you get married, they will help you and your wife to have babies."

I was quite pleased with how brilliantly I handled that. Then out of nowhere, Jared said, "Oh, so I'm only going to have two kids."

Horse "Whinny"er?

A couple of weeks ago I promised that I would post a fond memory of Caleb. I have had this in mind for awhile but kept forgetting. This is one of my favorites... (posted by James)

When we lived in Wiesbaden Germany, Caleb was very interested in making animal sounds. His nickname was Dolphin Boy around the military base since he could and still can make a sound like a dolphin. On the road to town from our home, there were quite a few horses in pastures. Once when we were stuck in traffic, I rolled down the window and asked Caleb to whinny to the horses. The horses were all about 100 yards from the car and eating grass. When Caleb whinnied, the horses looked up and started trotting over towards us. He whinnied again and they answered back. He has done this in several places so we know it is not just German horses that he can speak to.

Fast forward about 3 years. (posted by Angy)

The boys and I go for a bike ride out on the country roads that surround our subdivision. While we were riding we pass a house with horses in the pasture beside it. We start to ride past and then I asked Caleb if he thought he could talk to "American" horses. So we decide to stop and see...We park our bikes on the side of the road and go over to the fence. Caleb starts making his whinnying noise (not sure how to spell that word exactly). The horses prick up their ears and turn and look at us. He does this several more times and the horses start to answer back and then come toward us. Really fun to be there and see that happening. Quite unbelievable if I didn't see it and hear it myself.

I am hopeful that we will think of more later.

Caleb's birthday photos

Miles & Allen eating pizza.



Drew trying to hide her face and Christian.



Caleb & Jared at the birthday party



weird close-up of the birthday boy's face.


Sure thought we had taken more photos of the party but I guess not. The kids did have a great time though. I do have a few pictures of the super chocolately lopsided cake but chose to not post them and further embarrass myself.

Saturday morning pancakes

Caleb, Donovan and Christian on Saturday morning after the Friday night party.


Jared, Miles and Caleb preparing to eat James' pancakes.


James with his spectacular, chocolate chip pancakes made with L-O-V-E.
(probably should explain the L-O-V-E comment~years ago the boys stated that Daddy's pancakes were better than mom's pancakes. Mind you they are made with the same exact recipe but for some reason the boys like James' pancakes better than mine. James' remark??? Oh, that is because I put a special ingredient in them L-O-V-E. Fine by mom! Saturday is James's day to cook! I do grind the wheat prior to the making of the pancakes and make sure that we have all the essential ingredients. YIPPEE - a meal off for mom.)



AND FINALLY....

the pièce de résistance... a close-up of the beautiful pancakes

Birthday parties, V-Day and more

Well, we have our flight reservations for going to see our family. It will be a frenzied time of running hither and yon trying to get everyone seen without hurting anyone's feelings. Going to be hard to do. But it will be nice to see everyone and how they are doing.

So look out family here we come.

On Friday, when James came home from work he pulled from behind his back two bunches of flowers. They were so pretty and I was so thrilled. I didn't expect it at all (we normally don't do much to celebrate Valentine's Day). AND THEN he pulled out of the grocery back a package of snack sized SPECIAL DARK CHOCOLATE bars. Man, was I in heaven. The perfect little pick me up! It was so wonderful. That morning I had presented the boys (due to the birthday party and sleep over) little boxes full of candy and a card for Valentine's Day. I normally don't do that but thought that I should put my card making skills to use for my guys, too and not just friends. I found cute little boxes in the $1 spot at Target and then filled then with their favorite candies. They really enjoyed it.

Friday night went well. That was Caleb's birthday party and sleep over. The boys were up until midnight (when I made them go to bed) just playing video games and talking. It was great. The noise level was a little higher than normal but nothing excessive especially considering that there were 5 boys in the house instead of the normal two. I think the kids had a great time. They went through 3 extra large pizzas and 2 liters of soda (yep that is it only 2). Only one or two boys even ate the birthday cake. There wasn't even a mess to clean up afterwards - not really. Just plates in the trash, no spilled soda or food on the floor (except for where Jared ate cake while trying to watch the tv). Then Saturday morning when the boys got up they were quietly playing games on the computer or the Playstation while James and I (mostly James) fixed breakfast for them. James made his famous Chocolate Chip pancakes (made with L-O-V-E) and they went through quite a few. I think he tripled the recipe. We took pictures of the party and breakfast, etc. I hope to get those uploaded from the camera to the computer and posted within a day or two.

On Saturday, Valentine's Day, we headed to Alexandria, IN for "A"'s birthday party. They bowled at a small bowling alley in town. After the bowling party we headed back to the church for the Sweetheart Banquet. We were honoring those who had been married for longer than 30 years. There were 11 reservations made but due to a new grandchild the night before one couple wasn't able to make it. However, the 10 that did make it were treated like royalty. The tables were decorated beautifully, pictures of old couples every where (the theme was Famous Couples)(Lucy & Ricky, June & Ward, Fred & Wilma, Cleopatra & Marc Antony, etc.) My boys actually volunteered to be servers (no I did not twist their arms or bribe them - I just asked if they wanted to help). Each server had two couples to take care of... they took their orders, brought their drinks, salads, meals and dessert, cleaning the table in between courses. They did a great job and I know the couples appreciated it.

After the meal they separated the couples into men and women and took them into different rooms to answer some questions. They then brought them back together to play the Oldlywed Game (instead of the Newlywed Game). What fun that was. The questions asked, the faces that were made, indignant replies. I really wish we had video taped it. One couple (probably one of the oldest married) had just priceless looks on their faces. Bob would just shake his head with this disappointed look when Gladys would get a answer wrong. Too funny - just the look on his face. And he met her in the watermelon patch. Another couple who was there was Norm and Dortha (their daughter was the in the couple who couldn't come due to a new grandchild)(so you know they were married a long time to have a daughter married over 30 years). I just loved listening to them "argue" over their answers. One in particular had me burst out loud laughing. The question for her was how does he put his socks and shoes on - sock, then shoe, then sock, then shoe OR both socks, then both shoes. (While in the room with them while they were being asked this question I wondered aloud "who actually does that?") So he is asked the question and he answers very definitively, as if there is NO OTHER WAY - ONE sock, ONE shoe, ONE sock, ONE shoe. Dortha justs turns and looks at him and says, "Now that is just ridiculous, who does that?" She just kept telling him that was so silly and did he really put his socks and shoes on like that? A great time was had by all and I am glad that we (James and I) decided to stay (we were just supposed to drop the kids off to serve).

Thanks for coming to visit. Leave a comment and let me know what you would like to hear about....

MEMORIES OF THE BOYS

February 2004 ~ One day while riding in our van Jared asks us to put the Do Do song on. (This was Oh Lord, Our Lord ~ during the very beginning of the song they are just making a tune singing do do do do do do do do). Then he very earnestly starts to sing the song. About halfway through the song he states "If I sang this on Star Search, I bet they would love it and give me 5, 5, 5." If you have ever watched the show you know that the best score you can get from a judge is a 5. Oh, the joy of innocence.

Early 2004 ~ One day while playing at McDonald's, Jared says "Some day, when I a preacher..." Then I asked him, "What are you going to preach? The Gospel?" He just looks at me and says, "You know, God stuff." Then I said, "I think that's the gospel, honey."

July 2005 ~ Caleb & Jared are riding in the back seat of the car while we are headed to summer school. (This is a special adventure school that was offered for kids - like a mystery solve the clues game) Jared is speaking in a weird voice. He is repeating the same nonsense phrase over and over. Then Caleb starts doing the same thing. So Jared then says "Caleb, stop it! Caleb, please STOP IT!" He repeats this a few times, getting louder and more whiney each time. Finally, I ask him, "Jared, why are you getting angry at Caleb when he was doing the same thing you were doing?" His reply? "Because, mom, I don't annoy myself."

Now the following memories are of Caleb... (contributed by James)

One day when Angy was mowing the grass when we lived in Texas, Caleb and Jared were across the street at a neighbors house. The neighbor asks why aren't you boys helping mow the grass. Jared, 3 at the time, says "I am too little". Caleb, about 5, says, "Because the women in our house are slaves." The neighbor asks who told you that? Caleb says, "My dad."


I hope you have enjoyed these memories. I hope to come back later today or tomorrow with more memories of Caleb.