MUCH better!

a much better afternoon was had by all over here. It's been a rough start to the week with some behavior issues. after doing some reining in and pulling WAY back to focus on a few things, this afternoon was finally a better one!! Sigh of relief! Now to look forward to a few very special visitors over the next few days, and then Thanksgiving next week!!! I am SO thankful - remembering what a challenging time was last year and seeing just how much God has blessed us with over the last year. God is SO good!

whew!

anyone else feel like they need to resurface and catch their breath? it's been a tough couple of days with the kids, but i'm hanging in there!!! i have much to be thankful for though, and am SO thankful for them...even when they are testing me so much!!!! more later on this week...with some happier hearts and faces to report hopefully!

just here

it was a crazy week here. not because we had a million things going on, but because i felt like i was two steps behind all week long. trying to get caught up after being gone for 4 days, trying to catch up on sleep from the jetlag/time change (catching up on sleep just doesn't happen as a mom. sad.). i came home from CA only to find that david and the other kids all had a cold. david spent much of his day off (which means MY day off) in bed on friday sleeping it off (and he's much better now thankfully). i missed out on a couple of INCREDIBLE deals on Friday because i can't just up and GO anytime i want....the price you pay for 4 kids. i did get caleb's 3 month pictures made on friday and was pleased with the outcome at least. waiting for david to come back from his run so that i can go out on mine. my sisters and i are doing a marathon relay in a month (YIKES!), so we're getting serious now! plus david & i are training for the half in feburary... it rained for 3 days here (cats & dogs!), but the sun is out - hooray hooray! (and my yard isn't flooded like all my old friends in VA!). but perhaps the best night is that david and i are getting to go out on a date night tonight. have no idea what we're going to do, but VERY much looking forward to it. it doesn't happen often enough, for many reasons, so we're both VERY excited. we needed it. badly. so here's to a great night with JUST my man!!! (and praying the 4 kids are good for our friends who are keeping them!)

Just chillin'

After a long day, everyone had to unwind a bit. This is what Caleb chose! :)

Whew! What a day!

After the memorial, luncheon, and graveside service, we headed to the airport hotel where Mom & I would spend the night that night. The other 3 girls were all taking red-eyes back that night. They got all their suitcases re-situated while the babies had a little time to stretch!!! :) It had been quite a day!

Chewing away...
"Hey buddy! What's up?"

"Who? Us?"

Mom and Joseph...getting ready to say goodbye :(

I love my sisters!!! :)

(They were so mad at me for taking this picture, but I realized I hadn't taken one all weekend of ONLY the 4 of us girls!!!)

Celebrating the life of Rev. Keith J. Hill

On Saturday, we really had a wonderful day celebrating the life and ministry of my grandfather. The service was such a wonderful tribute to him, and testified to his love of his Lord, his family, and his music! I was so glad that my sisters and I were all able to be there together with my Mom - it was a very special service. There was a part during the service where members of the family were invited to come on stage if they wanted to share anything about Granddad Keith. Kelli and I both went on stage - one of the things she said was that they named Joseph after Granddad Keith (Joseph Keith is his name) and pray that he grows to be a wonderful man of God like Granddad Keith was. Talk about emotional! I managed to hold myself together and shared about the joy that he brought - and his love of ice cream! :) I also mentioned how appreciative I was that he played a role in marrying my other two sisters and I. He gave a "charge to ministry" to us in our wedding, and it was very very special. What an amazing man! It was emotional, but very much a celebration as well.

My mom and her cousin, Barbara

Kristen and Caleb

Aunt Debbie Sue and Kelli Sue

Mom and Aunt Debbie

After the service, there was a luncheon reception for everyone in the gym. Caleb passed out on Kim's lap!! :)

Keith Wells was one of the ministers that officiated the service. He was SO special to us over these last few weeks. He went to college with my Mom (she actually played for his voice lessons), and he was by my granddad's side pretty much non-stop over the last 2 weeks. He was a wonderful encouragement to us!

The Visitation

On Friday morning, we headed over to see Grandma Joan. It was great to get to see her and she was SO happy to love on Caleb!!
Joan had lots of family over for a meal before we headed to the viewing. Lots of family had flown in that day and so we enjoyed getting to visit with them. This is my mom's sister, Debbie, and her husband Dan and their daughter Rebecca.

This is Joan's daughter, Mary Jo, and her boyfriend James. James was a HUGE help at the viewing and the service on Saturday. He'd come and take Caleb or Joseph and walk them around for us or just give Kelli and I a break! We were thankful!

This is a freezer! (obviously)! But one of my fondest memories (and I even shared this during the memorial service on Saturday) is my granddad Keith sending us to the freezer to get ice cream. We'd open it up and he would have cartons and cartons of ice cream to choose from! One time I counted 14 half gallons!!!! Seriously! He lived through the great depression and promised that one day, he'd have enough to always have ice cream after dinner!!! :)

Joseph will eat anything that you put near his mouth! :) Even Caleb's hand!

Joan and Kelli were matchy matchy that night! :)

Sisters - Debbie and Mom on their dad's piano bench. He was their first piano teacher, and they are both incredible pianists! :)

These are the flowers that my mom's church sent. They were gorgeous, and their note was so sweet. Mom has had meals brought to her and cards sent - what a blessing the family of God is!!! (The head of our deacons here even called me from out of town on Wednesday night to tell me that he was praying for us and if there was anything we needed!)

Kristen, Mom, Kim, Kelli (holding Joseph), and Katy (holding Caleb).

Mom got us all matching necklaces last year in Williamsburg, and we decided to all wear them on Friday night. It was very special.

Katy (holding a sleeping Caleb), Mary Jo, Joan, Kelli (holding Joseph), Kristen, and Justina (a violinist that Keith had a HUGE role in her life). Kim is kneeling on the front row.

Off to California!

On Thursday morning, I got up VERY early (3:30 AM!!) get showered and dressed to leave for the airport. My flight was out of Charlotte, which was almost a 2 hour drive. Caleb slept on the way there, and then I fed him at the gate while I was waiting to board. He did great on the airplane, and we were SO glad to arrive there a little after noon (CA time). He was AWFULLY tired that night, and didn't understand why I was making him stay awake for SO long (trying to get him on CA time quickly). He enjoyed looking at his cousin Joseph, and that helped the time pass for him! I was the last of the sisters to arrive, and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon and evening together.

Hello Cousin Joe!!!
Kelli with both boys (Caleb on the left, Joseph on the right)

Talk about a view! We stayed in Dana Point, and this was the view just a short walk from our condo!!

Stroller babies

The SLOW walkers (Kristen, Mom and Kim). Kelli and I had (apparently) raced ahead! :)

Kristen pointed out that the last time we were away, just the sisters and Mom, was last February when we went to Williamsburg to celebrate my Mom's 60th birthday. There were even 2 nursing babies (Callie and Matthew, Kim's youngest) - except this time, there were 2 DIFFERENT nursing babies (Caleb, and Joseph - Kelli's son). Isn't that a riot!

Kelli trying to keep Caleb awake with some conversation...

Caleb LOVES his Tutu!

made my day!

I sent in some pumpkin muffins with Josiah this morning for his class. I had asked his teacher weeks ago if I could send them in when they did their unit study on pumpkins. She told me they'd be doing it the first week in November and that it would be great! Well, I didn't know the first week of November would be the crazy week that it has been, and so I almost backed out. I didn't though, got the pumpkin yesterday and made them last night...in between folding laundry, making lists for David, and finalizing child care arrangements.

Well, I asked Josiah if his friends liked the muffins that he brought in and he said, with a HUGE grin, "YES - they asked if I could bring them in EVERY day"! He made my day!! :) (Courtney - you get all the credit...i've given this recipe to SO many people over the last several years - they are always a HIT!)

note to self

if the hairdresser ever again says "look straight down so that i can clean up your neckline" and then proceeds to get out the BUZZ CLIPPERS, your haircut is going to be TOO short!!!

normally, i'm all about short. i hate to pay for a haircut and then hardly feel like it looks any different. but it's pretty short. not my favorite for sure. makes me look like i'm 12. and we have our family picture appointment this afternoon with Olan Mills for the church directory. and there are going to be lots of picture taking this weekend. and i'll hate my hair in all of them! oh well..