Monkeys

These two both love love love to climb.

This little girl is super strong.  Steve often jokes, "You don't want to mess with G!!!"

Cast!!

For years it has been a dream of Claudia's to be in a play or a musical.  It just hasn't worked out, the opportunities that presented itself didn't make sense to our schedule.  We knew once she started going to school she would be able to audition there.

We've talked about it over the years and I was never involved in theater and didn't know what skills really are required.  I know she can sing well and loves to act, but I didn't want her to be over confident and then be heartbroken.

A few years back Claudia caught the greased pig at the local fair and my good friend from high school said to me, "That girl is so determined.  She can do anything she sets her heart on."  It stuck with me because I hadn't ever really thought of her in that way.  As her mother, I knew she was strong willed and could carry a good argument, but never thought of it in the light of 'determination'.

My dear, sweet, determined girl walked right into that audition and nailed herself a role in Grease!!!  She got cast as Patty Simcox.

Though the next few months seem a bit daunting as I look at her practice schedule, I am so happy for her that she gets to do something that she's always dreamed of.

Aaron: 9

Our dear Aaron turned 9 last week.  He was such a trooper on his birthday. Steve and I had both a wedding and a funeral to attend that day!  The night before his birthday, Steve took Aaron and a friend to the new Star Wars movie so that made up for our schedule a bit.

We love having Aaron in the mix.  He is smart, lively, tender-hearted, friendly, thankful, loves sports, notices and remembers everything.  Aaron loves to talk and discuss things.  I love that he is aware of people and remembers their names.  I think he has more friends and is invited to more birthday parties than any of my other kids!!  He is almost always the first person to thank me for a meal, even if it's a meal that he doesn't like.  Aaron has always been and continues to be an early bird.  He's awake early and chipper and wants to talk...and talk loudly!!

It is fun to see him developing a love for sports like his dad.  Aaron doesn't particularly love to sit through game after game, but he always cares about who wins, knows his favorite players and is starting to learn the ins and outs of the rules.

 Happy 9th, bud.  We love you!!!

Star Wars with his good buddy, Jaden.

Josiah loves Jaden as much as Aaron does.  He thinks they are all 'best buddies".

When it rains...

it pours.  It's still pouring here.  We thought we were almost through our house repairs with the demo and repair required from our living room/crawl space drama.  We had to purchase new flooring for the living room and while we were at it we got some flooring for our basement.  The walls and ceiling have been finished down there for years but the floor has been concrete with some old carpet on top.

As Steve was laying the basement flooring (we got a beautiful laminate that looks very similar to our wood floor upstairs), he had to rip some boards off the one wall.  In process of that we discovered that we had a significant infestation of...wait for it...termites.

We are a couple of weeks into the termite drama now.  We have a reputable exterminator on the job and as of today have done all the demo needed.  We are tired.  It's been a long couple of months with our house in disarray and all the extra work required from the repairs.  Steve is working, working, working and I am cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.  I think mold/rot/termite repair might be better than a gym membership.

I have no photos of this process right now.  Why would I?  It's gross and nasty and it's hard to believe this is our house.  Hopefully soon I can post a picture of my lovely completed basement.

Instead I will post some pictures of my beautiful kids.  I've really been wrestling though all this house drama.  It's been surprisingly emotional for me and also stirring up some fears.  I keep reminding myself that it's just a house.  I keep coming back to being grateful, especially for my husband and our precious kids.  We love them so.  They have been troopers though all the drama as well.  Sweet little Jojo still prays that daddy would fix the mold.

I took these pictures of the kids back in October on our trip to Massanutten.

Josiah: 4

Sweet Josiah turned 4 last month.  His birthday is late on the blog, thankfully he doesn't care!!

Our family adores this dude.  Everyone wants him as their BFF, often the younger ones are fighting over his attention.  He's a snuggler and us older ones love to take him up on that.  His siblings all call him baby and I'm trying to get them to stop.  He'll announce that he's not a baby but a toddler.

Josiah loves to be silly and wrestle and run.  He is already talking about being able to do track and field day this year. He'll ask me, "Mom, you'll love me if I win, right?"  I then inform him that I'll love him even if he looses.  Then Steve whispers to me, "But you know you'll love him more if he wins."

Josiah loves all things trucks and cars and legos.  He has no interest in learning to write but can draw a pretty cute stick figure.  He loves to participate in our after dinner devotions.  He's very into saying cute things like God does not have arms because he is a Spirit.

He's opinionated but also very tender hearted.  As only a 4-year old can, he cries when scolded and pitches a fit when told no.  If he says something and we correct him, he'll often announce that he was 'just kidding' because he doesn't want to be wrong!  It's pretty funny.

We are so grateful for you, Mr. Jo!!!

Just keeping it real... I made the mistake of taking these pics when he was a bit banged up.  I cleaned him up a little with editing in the other pictures.

During out little photo shoot he kept hugging my leg and telling me he loved me.  Couldn't have asked for a sweeter little dude!!