Things they say

Welcome to another round of crazy things my boys' say...

C:  You can't talk during silent reading.  You can breathe though.

(at lunch)

L:  Yuck mommy I smell that salad. 

      (and another time)  Don't sit next to me I don't like your food.  (I was eating a banana)

C:  So a little girl in Connor's class wants him to meet her mom. His answer was I just don't think I can do it.

Me:  I spy something yellow.
L:  Is it blue?

L:  I helped Jake fight the evil emperor Zurg and killed him.  Kachow!

(While playing guess the movie game)

Reilly:  Is it real ppl or animated?
M:  It's laminated.

C:  I know cause its in my brain.  My brain tells me everything.

C:  Did you know H has four girlfriends?

L:  Aye aye master mommy.

L:  Angels we have heard on hive.

L:  George doesn't wear underwear he's just naked booty.

bike trail

On MLK day we took the boys to bike on the South Rockdale River Trail.  The county has put together a great system of bike paths and part of it is a 2.5 mile trail from the Monastery to a local elementary school.  The day was gorgeous, the boys had great attitudes even while struggling up and down the really big hills we weren't expecting and we made some great memories.  Well I definitely did so I'm hoping they did too!  

It took us an hour to bike the 2.5 mile trail.  There was lots of resting and pushing bikes up hills and an extended pit stop at the bridge for pictures and discussion on whether or not the logs were alligators.  When we finally arrived at the school we had a picnic lunch and played on the playground.  Micah and I also played an epic game of name that state on their sidewalk map.  He's really good!  Zach decided that everyone was in such great moods that we shouldn't press our luck with a return trip so he rode back to get the car and pick us up.  By himself, he made it in 14 minutes.  Such a perfect example of what it's like to do anything with kids, but totally worth it!

sunday song

Moving Forward - Colony House

I found life and I found laughter
In forgiveness I found rest
On the shoulders of redemption
I found hope when hope was dead
I could lose it in a moment
So I dare not close my eyes
Or watch fear fall with the sunset
And see hope rise with the tide

And when the pain is true
Sometimes these troubles prove that I’m alive

My eyes are open, my heart is beating
My lungs are full and my body’s breathing
I’m moving forward, I’ve found my freedom
I’ve found the life that gave me reason to live

As this dusty road now settles
And I see what lay before
Every tear that held a broken dream
Is now shattered on the floor
And now bursting forth in splendor
Are the blossoms of second tries
Because dreams that bear the mark of love
Are dreams that never die

Sometimes
Life can feel so unkind
But sorrow won’t define me
So just reminds my soul
My soul

My eyes are open, my heart is beating
My lungs are full and my body’s breathing
I’m moving forward, I’ve found my freedom
I know the sorrow, I know the heartache
I know with fear comes a tragic heartbreak
But I’m moving forward, I’ve found my freedom
I’ve found the life that gave a reason to love

super hero house

Zach spent the majority of last Saturday building what we affectionately call our Super Hero House.  We have been planning to make something like this for months and were hoping to have it done for Christmas but as our Christmas was a little overwhelming this year we put it off for later.

tato heads

I recently redeemed myself and bought a big box of potato heads and accessories from our local buy sell and trade on facebook.  Lots of building and giggling has commenced!

builders

My kids go through phases of which of their toys they are super into.  The obsession lasts for a week or two then dies down as they move on to something else and then will circle back around eventually.  It took my awhile and a couple hard lessons to learn this.  The Potato Head drama of 2011 will never be repeated.  I kind of thought they were over them since they hadn't played with them in a couple months so I gave them away only a few weeks later to have to deal with tears because their beloved heads were gone.  Since then I've been much more observant before my purging of toys.

There has been a large amount of castle, fort, bad guy jails, cities, etc being built recently.  They never stand for long because Logan does live here but they are always so cool and much much more creative than I can ever think of building something.  I just love seeing what they come up with.

sunday song

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.

Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
Oh, receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.

All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call?
Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—
Lo! on Thee I cast my care.

Reach me out Thy gracious hand!
While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand,
Dying, and behold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
More than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.

Just and holy is Thy Name,
Source of all true righteousness;
Thou art evermore the same,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.

Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart;
Rise to all eternity.

target practice

I hate guns.  Nerf guns and water guns are fine.  Pretend play guns, not at all.  Hate them.  They make me nervous.  They terrify me.  Everyone in my husband's family thinks they are awesome and amazing.  Which is fine.  I'm not against other people liking them I just don't want one near me, like ever.  I've been told I would change my mind if I tried.  I don't want to try.  

That said I put my somewhat rational and somewhat irrational fears aside and watched my boys shoot their Uncle Andrew's new airsoft gun.  They of course thought it was amazing and immediately asked for one.  

Sigh.  

phone pic friday

and now a random collection of pictures...

I moved the antique piano I have yet to finish refinishing into the house so that Micah wouldn't have to practice in a below freezing garage.  It's much warmer but much louder during practice time.

Zach and I decided to be real grownups this winter and buy a load of firewood instead of buying individual bags at the grocery store whenever we went.  Yay for our first fire!

This is just downright miraculous!

 Micah worked really hard on a science project this week.  They have been studying the solar system.  I'll share more details soon because he was just so darn cute getting it together.

One of my awesome friends from church had a friend who sent her three license plates for me!!  Woo hoo!!  Almost half way there!

I changed the artwork on my chalkboard (copied straight off pinterest) and added a definition at the bottom.  I'm planning to slowly go through all the fruit of the spirit with the boys.  The goal is to memorize the verse, learn what they each mean individually and ways to show them to others.

Micah is super into comics right now so Other Zach surprised him with the best ever, Calving and Hobbes!

I finally hung something in our kitchen!  This is an awesome calendar Zach bought me for Christmas.  Each month has a different hymn on it and January is my fave!  Honestly though they all are amazing and warm my heart because they bring me back to RUF and the great memories there.

Connor making it rain at bball practice.

Logan and I made an impulse decision after Crossfit this week to go to Hobby Lobby and buy him a treasure chest.  Or treasha chest as he says.  He painted it all by himself and has been toting it around everywhere!

Yesterday morning I woke up at 4 am feeling like crap.  I stayed in bed almost all day while Zach took the boys to school and took care of Logan.  I used the time as a mini little spiritual retreat and caught up on some writing, studying and reading.  This book was suggested to our entire congregation from our session.  We are having a discussion on in this Sunday night.  I can not say enough about this book.  I have LOVED it.  When you open my copy you will see massive amounts of underlining and margin notes and I know when I re read more will pop out. 

Today we had our first sunshine and blue skies in over a week.  It was glorious!

Zach and I won a food battle against one of our boys tonight.  The culprit was this ridiculously small amount of broccoli which just so happens to be this child's favorite vegetable.  Oh the drama.

Zach chose one of his childhood favorites for movie night tonight.  The Pistol.  It's all about basketball legend Pistol Pete and his first year playing in middle school.