...and another!

Yes, another snow day.  It's actually Mark's second in a row.  Roads were icy yesterday morning and since a two-hour early dismissal was already scheduled due to parent/teacher conferences, they couldn't just delay and decided to close for the day. Today is day #10 for him.  I estimate he'll be in school until June 20th at this rate...but he did say there is talk of just adding 30 minutes to the school day for the last couple months of the school year, rather than make up all those days.  Sounds like a good plan to me, but at the rate teachers are being targeted by the politicians these day, I'm not gonna count on it actually happening.

Karis was scheduled to have oral surgery this morning at 8:30. When I got up at 5:45, I couldn't even see the neighbors house across the street. I knew that it was only supposed to get worse in the next couple of hours, so we decided to cancel the appointment.  The drive was about 45 minutes in good weather, and we it just wasn't worth it! Hopefully they'll find us a new appointment in the next couple of weeks.  

The plan for the day is to be thankful that we don't have to go anywhere and we have a nice warm house to play in {and hopefully the play will include happy kids}! I do have to say, though, that I love all the snow. You won't catch me complainin' about it until the middle of March :O).

In honor of our blizzard here are some pics of our beautiful snowbunnies from back in January {...you've already seen them, though, if you're on facebook}.  

Another Snow Day!!

Surprise, surprise, right?!?!? This one was actually a bit of a surprise in that Mark only got a two-hour delay, but the kids' district cancelled. That very rarely happens because of his district's {ridiculously} horrible country roads. I'm usually all gung-ho about snow days, but I was a little torn this time around since we had MOPS this morning and I was scheduled to share a testimony, as were some other ladies that I was looking forward to hearing from.  When schools cancel, so do we, since there would be an overabundance of extra kids! 

Aside from a few "incidents", we enjoyed our time together. There were messes made, video games played, Newsboys blasted while we cleaned up around the house a bit, a batch of soft pretzels made, and, of course, some snow fun enjoyed!

Did you know?

Did you know it's National Marriage Week?  

I love that, nine and a half years into our marriage, God has put us both on our own little journeys towards making our marriage a better one. I'm working through the book Feminine Appeal by Caroline Mahaney right now in my ladies' Bible study. Mark is working through Loving and Leading by Bruce Wilkinson in the guys' Bible study at church.  I'm learning to be a better wife and mother...I'm being challenged to cherish Mark and our kids in ways that I've been too tired or comfortable to do in recent years, to have more self control in the way I manage my time, and to honor the call to homemaking in the way Scripture commands, among other things. Mark is being challenged to love, invest {two things he's already great at}, and lead us.    

We've always had a good marriage, and I'd be foolish not give God the glory for that, because there have been times that it's been on the back burner and could have easily gone downhill. When you start out buying a "fixer-upper" house, have your first two kids in the first 2 years of your marriage, and deal with near crippling back problems that lead to surgery by the end of year #3, survival is about the only thing on your mind.  

We've always been good to each other. We've compromised when needed. He's been way more patient with me than I've ever had to be with him. We've laughed at each other and with each other. I could probably count the number of fights {if you could even call them that} we've had on two hands...and 98% of them were my fault. We've held each others hands through the worst pain of our lives. 

It seems cliche, but we're perfect for each other. Yet, I know, in no way, does this make our marriage immune to falling apart. Too many of them are today because we're all so darn self-centered, busy {perfectionsts and workaholics}, and materialistic, and this whole marriage and parenting game gets in the way so much more than we expected. Unless you've been living in a cave, I'm sure you've seen the statistics on the failures. As teachers and parents of kids with friends, Mark and I are all too familiar with the results of all the dysfunction. 

We're feeling a new call to work at this, alongside the Lord, like we haven't done in a while. Not only do we refuse to become one of the statistics, we refuse to be one of those marriages where we go through the motions. For us, this doesn't mean fancy dates every couple of weeks {just not possible in our financial situation}, or chocolates and flowers. "Quality time" is no good if it only happens once a week, and "quantity time" is no good if it's not quality time, too, in my book. For us, this means being present to help each other {quality + quantity everyday, if at all possible}. Asking each other how we can best serve each other. Sitting on the couch together when the kids go to bed and actually talking to each other. Setting a lot of less important things aside make sure our kids know they are loved every day by both of us. Taking the focus off of what Valerie wants to do or what Mark wants to do, and asking God what He wants us to do for Him. I pray that our next ten years are even better than our first ten because of it.      

A week in the Life

Here's a rundown of a crazy week in our home. Most of the activites have been in my planner for days or weeks.  There are, of course, plenty of everyday things like dishes, laundry, getting kids out the door to the bus, etc, that didn't make the list.  A few other things got thrown in unexpectedly...hence the "Added bonus".

Monday:  5:45am workout and Bible reading. Catch up a little bit on pace warnings, grading, report cards, and invoicing.  Coordinate with schools/parents/students to get a bunch of midterm exams taken in the next week.  Make chocolate chip muffins for tomorrow's breakfast.  Pack lunches. Do dinner and shower girls. Online teachers' meeting {during which Skype will not work so I have to call in on the cell} 6:30-7:30.  Bible Study 7:30-9:30.  Couch "date" with Mark.
**Added bonus:  Mark bringing home a letter from school informing all employees that there is a budget deficit in the district which will very likely lead to staff cuts. This is something that we have actually discussed the possibility of lately based on some things that have gone on there in recent months...things that lead us to believe that is not out of the question that Mark could be one of the teachers let go {this is a whole 'nother post that I'm not even comfortable putting "out there", so you'll have to just trust me on this one}.

Tuesday:  Early morning Bible reading/quiet time with the hope of fighting off looming anxiety. Get dinner in the crockpot while getting everyone ready for school and MOPS. Coupon hunting and grocery list/meal planning.  Pick up house and sweep/mop floors....it was bad...I even found an {at least} three day old grape smashed under the leg of the kitchen table. Memory and coloring. Talk and pray with Mom and Dad. Quick run to the grocery store when Mark gets home {taking Levi to the store when he expresses disinterest in going, as he did this day, is equal to commiting parental suicide}. Put away groceries and get dinner on the table. Take all four kids to Ethan's basketball practice 6:30-7:30.  Mark to Bible Study 7:00-9:00. Grading. Lunch packing/couch "date" with Mark.
**Added bonus:  Got to the MOPS meeting to find that they were waaay short on Moppets workers, so I got to work in the 2 year old room. They were {thankfully} pretty easy and I think I only had one snotty finger wiped across my shoulder.

Wednesday:  5:45am workout {after a restless night of crying from the two year old, 5am complaints about what I suspect were growing pains from the eight year old, and spilling a huge cup of water on and behind my nightstand}. Deal with the disaster that has been our bedroom/bathroom the past few days. Finally take a look at the Adventure Club lesson for Wednesday night church. More grading and helping students.  Late lunch and Bible reading. Playdough.  Bake cookies. Shower kids and eat dinner. Church. Crash in bed at 10pm.
**Added bonus:  One of Mark's students calls after school to bring over a load of firewood.  He comes into the house for a few minutes after they get it unloaded and I invite him to stay for dinner.  Good thing we were having spaghetti...there's always some to spare!

Thursday:  Early morning Bible reading/quiet time. Read 112 books and build GeoTracks masterpiece. Finally separate chicken and beef stew meat from Tuesday's shopping trip for freezing. Exercise while folding and putting away laundry. Make blueberry coffee cake and popcorn. Enjoy a frappe while starting progress reports.  Help a student on Skype while trying to clean up the huge mess in the kitchen and start dinner. Fight with Natalie about eating dinner so she can go to gymnastics with Karis.  Gymnastics 6:00-7:30.  Grade papers, answer questions from students, get kids in bed.
**Added bonus:   Helping a student who calls at 9:45pm (5 minutes before we were headed to bed) because she can't get the password to the midterm exam to work.  After several attempts to remedy the problem, I finally just resorted to removing the password so I could just go to bed and she could get the exam done because she waited until the last minute and her school wants her grade tomorrow.

Friday: Stay in bed longer than I should.  Quiet time.  Help desparate student who will probably fail my class, grade a few papers, send a report card.  Mid-morning workout and shower thanks to Barney and Max & Ruby. Dance party and cupcake making with munchkins.  More dancing and frosting cupcakes.  Make chicken rice soup.  Mark comes home for 45 minutes and then leaves to work concessions from 5 to 9:30 for tonight's basketball games at school.  Bathe kids, Skype Grammy and Papa, pick up the house put kids in bed. Eat ice cream.

Saturday:  Word time, shovel driveway, make bacon and eggs before 9:30. Put together spinach casserole for the "winter birthdays" party at the in-laws. Set timer on oven to cook casserole.  Basketball game 12:00.  Home to pick-up casserole and cupcakes, stop to get some cards, then get to in-laws by 2:00. Try to avoid puking over the fact that there 17 items on my "to grade" list and that the number kept going up faster than I could get it down. More progress reports. Cut Mark's hair after kids get to bed.

Looking forward to tomorrow.  Family Worship Sunday at church. My mom is coming down to stay with Natalie and Levi, while Mark and I take Ethan and Karis to the WinterJam concert in Cleveland. Very excited to see Newsboys and David Crowder Band and a few others!!

This next week has the potential to be just as nuts...three doctors/dentist appointments, at least one activity every night of the week, and volunteering in a classroom.

Weeks like these {in the quiet moments I do get} make me count my blessings, though:  our busyness means we have a houseful of healthy people; we really have amazingly well behaved kids that make all of these activities manageable; I have a hard-working, fun, available husband; we have the resources to provide our kids with opportunities; we have a church community to serve in and be challenged by; if I'm willing, I have a God who is willing to come alongside me to refresh and care for me in the big and little things. 

So, while part of me wants to turn my back on weeks like this and run the other direction, most of me embraces it for all it's worth.

Funnies

Here are just a couple quick funnies.  Lots of mental and physical busyness happening around here, so I'm hoping this holds ya'll over till I can {hopefully...probably...maybe} get a bigger post written towards the end of the week.

Levi after taking his amoxicillan:   "I have a pistachio (mustache)?"  {We've been eating a lot of pistachio's recently :O)}

Dinner time discussion about whether family members are right or left handed...kids naming off relative after relative asking which hand they use...
Mark:  "I think Aunt Mary {Mark's aunt} is left-handed."
Natalie:  "Nooo...she's too old to have a left hand."

This is a video of Levi praying.  He always starts with "Thank you for...", then continues on with sort of "hummm".  We are thinking maybe he's preparing for the monastary.  In this one he says "Thank you for praying...".  If you watch closely, after he's done humming, you can see his lips moving as he whispers prayers for some other unintelligable things. The innocence and sweetness of it makes us chuckle everytime!

Just Plain Cute

Only the offspring of Mark and myself could be this reserved as they play Just Dance (Kids) on the Wii...ya know...gettin' jiggy, but not *too* jiggy :O).  {Sorry, I know it's a bit dark, but stinkin' cute, nonetheless.} 

My Prayer for 2011

I'm not picking a word this year, but I do have a prayer for it...from a song that we sing at church every once in a while.  We had some great teaching on perspective yesterday and ended the service with it.

Lord, give me one pure and holy passion.  Give me one magnificent obsession.  Give me one glorious ambition for my life.  Lord, I want to know and follow hard after you.  I want to grow as your disciple in your Truth.  I know that this world is so empty, pale, and poor compared to knowing you, God.  Lead me, Lord, give me strength, Holy Spirit, and I will run after You.  (Adapted from "One Pure and Holy Passion" by Mark Altrogge)  

I want this prayer to influence my perspective on life.  It's not only for me, though, it's my prayer for my whole little family.  We made some changes and sacrifices in 2010 that rocked our boat a little bit, but I know we've got a ways to go before we get off our cruise ship and find our spot on the war vessel, as our pastor put it yesterday.

I want this prayer to shape the decisions we make this year about how we spend our time and money {one specific thing that has been on my heart lately in regards to this is what kind of "getaway" Mark and I will do for our 10 year anniversary in June}.  I want it to be the filter through which we decide what activities to say yes and no to.  I want it to be in the forefront of our mind as choose what books, movies, and TV shows to be entertained by.  I want it to be the thing that pushes us to invest in the relationships that are beginning to form with the families we deliver food to for the church food pantry.  I want it to be what gives me the desire to read through the Bible this year {using my new (thanks, Babe) chronological Bible}, not just so I can say I did it, but so I can know my God and my Jesus the way I desire to know them.  I want it to be what either reaffirms our schooling choice or calls us to pull the kids out.  I want it to be what gives Mark and I the strength to consistently train our children in love and grace, instead of nagging and frustration.

I'm confident that God will work through this prayer in the coming months, but I know that, realistically, I will get in His way all too often. Here's to hoping I'll be at least one step ahead of where I am today.