Christmas concert

Yes!!!  We are finally done!  It is a huge relief to be done with this year's Christmas concert at church.  It is a really stressful time for Ehren who is running the sound for everyone, from little toddlers to adult choir with solos and millions of instruments.  It is kind of sad that he doesn't get acknowledged for his work at all, all those practices he has to be there for, all those complaints from singers/musicians he has to fix and work on.  He does it gladly though because he is good at it and likes it, but at the same time it is very stressful and we all feel it at home :) and I know it would make him feel so good if he got thanked for it as much as they thank places that let us use some of their lights. :)

I can't really compare my little stress with his but to me it is a big deal to get our little 4-6 year olds ready for their Christmas program.  The last 3 Sunday school hours we worked on our video which turned out really cute.  The kids were acting out the story of Christmas.  I had an idea in my head I wanted to portray but pretty soon realized we had to simplify it because we can only do so much in one hour that we have with those kids.

But the main thing was to teach the kids a new song that they've never heard before and even though it is an easy song, with just a few Sundays of practicing that doesn't give us much time so I was very nervous about it.  Plus, we not only had to do our little program one night, we had to bring the kids there 2 nights in a row because that is what the leadership decided.  None of us moms and teachers were happy about this but who listens to us?  Well, since it was too late in the game to do anything about it we had to suck it up but I am getting ready to write a letter to change it for next year.  When something doesn't make sense and other people feel the same way I do you can count on me for being the voice of change. :)

But, I have to say all the kids did so well considering everything, being tired and nervous.  Anika was singing the loudest, she was so cute and I was so proud because not that long ago she started crying during her school program.  All the kids were really cute and I just loved the song I stumbled upon and the meaning behind it.  Kids especially are so focused on gifts at Christmas time so I thought it is just really fitting to sing about a gift to God.  What would God want for a present when He has everything already?  The answer is us, each and every one of us, living for Him is the best gift we can give to God.  And so our little kids wore a big present around their body to show that they are a gift to God and sang "I'll give God me this Christmas".  That song just makes me smile every time.  Of course, I couldn't find sheet music for it anywhere but thank goodness Audrey (Ehren's mom) is such a good pianist she could just pick it up by listening to it a few times on you tube.  She is so good at it and when we mess up she just brings the song back to where we are with our singing so it worked wonderfully.  We did mess up the first night because the kids got confused with one line and they were a bit scared and not watching me but the second time they did great.  So I'm just really proud of them and it feels like all those stressful Sundays when they would all rather be playing than singing are worth it.  I like coming up with different things for them to do for a program because when Kade was little the kids sang the same exact songs year after year and that gets a bit boring.

It is heart breaking to know that 20 kids about the same age as the kids in our Sunday School won't be home for Christmas next week.  Yet, I just realized as I was thinking about our kids' song that those little children get the best present this Christmas - being in God's presence and in the best imaginable place they could be.  God gets to hold them, comfort them, take care of them and they get to be worry free and pain free.  God doesn't want these ugly things of this world to make us fearful and worried because He's all we need and no death nor anything can separate us from Him.  So I will put my Hope in Him and pray that our kids can grow strong in their faith and keep their eyes on Jesus.  

Below are a couple videos of the Christmas program.  The big kids did some great songs too and since it takes so long to upload it to you tube I'll only post one of those.


Christmas Story:


Kason and Anika's SS class:





Kade's SS program - last song:

a new kind of workout

Working out in the winter really stinks.  I get so bored of the treadmill and my dvds and it's just hard to get out of bed.  So today, I did something new - I went to a workout class at 5:30am.

I have heard about a small fitness center in our town a while ago but I always thought they didn't have any good classes or not at a good time for me and mostly I thought it was too much money.  Then recently, a friend of a friend on fb :) mentioned how she started going there for workout classes early in the morning and it was great.  I looked it up and was surprised to see that with our health insurance we get a discount and with that it doesn't seem that expensive.  Plus it would make me do it and get back into shape a little during the long winter months.

So this morning I went to the first "fit n tone" class and I had to get up at 4:50am, which was probably the hardest thing to do, especially since it was FREEZING outside.  But since I signed up I had to go and I was glad I did.  It was a bit getting out of my comfort zone because I didn't know anyone there and almost everyone was at their spots when I got there.  The instructor was a 60 some year old lady that is all full of energy and talks loud.  That would have been fine but right away she starts talking to me into her microphone  and bringing attention to me so everyone there would know who I was and I didn't care for that much.  If I'm going to go to a group thing like this I want to be somewhere in the back so nobody notices me, talks to me or anything.  Especially at 5:30 in the morning, you don't talk to me. :)  I can get out of bed and even work out, but talking and being cheerful is a completely different story, as my husband would tell you. :)

But nevertheless, it was a good workout.  Despite them doing a ton of step routines which kind of felt like going back in time, but with how out of shape I am at the moment it was great.  My thighs were burning like crazy because the focus was on the legs today.  And the nice part about the class is that I get home right as I need to get the kids out of bed for school.

So, getting out of your comfort zone can be good.  I'm glad I got my lazy bum out of bed and did something good for me.  Even though I dozed off on the couch during nap time because I'm not used to waking up so early. :)  Now to make a habit of it and go back because that is the only place I can go to a workout class at that time of the day.  I guess I should just get there 5 minutes earlier so I don't have to be in the front and be the person for the instructor to talk about.

family day

Today was just simply a family day.  A happy day.  Usually, Saturdays are all about getting the house in order.  Things like washing the floors, bathrooms, de-cluttering the kitchen after a week of 5 of us contributing to the things that somehow always end up on one of the kitchen counters.  But somehow, today none of it got done and I am sitting here in a mess and I'm not bothered by it because today my tank is full. :)  We did sleep in a little this morning which was nice and needed because both Ehren and I have not been sleeping well at night.  I have a shoulder/arm pain that somehow intensifies as I am sleeping and lately wake up in such pain I have to take pain medicine so I can go back to sleep.  So sleeping in a bit felt really good.

Then we got to chat  a little with my brother and his sweet family on skype and that was really nice.  Makes me really miss my family, especially as the Christmas is coming.  It was exactly 10 years ago that I was home for Christmas the last time because while Ehren and I were there we found out we were expecting our first born, Kade who is 9.  Sad to think that it was that long ago but life goes on and I need to make most of my time here with my family.

Around lunch I went over to a friend's house for a baby shower.  It was for a woman from our church that has been coming for a couple of years with her husband but very few people really know them.  I am so glad I went to it so I got to know Jenny a little (the girl that had the baby) and was able to fellowship with some awesome ladies and friends.  They are my family here and mean the world to me.  I would have loved to just talk to them for hours and hours, somehow I never get tired of it with the right women and I feel like I learn so much from each of them every time I talk to them.

By the time I got home it was after 2pm and our plan was to go to a Christmas tree farm to get a tree with the kids.  The friend who had the baby shower was going to the same place to get their Christmas tree so we all drove together.  Guys were in our car with our 3 boys and us girls were in their vehicle with our 2 girls.  It takes a while to drive up there and it was so nice to chat with a friend during that time.  Guys enjoyed their conversations too (except for the drive home when the boys were a bit too wild in the back) so it was great.

Our kids all loved running around looking for the right tree.  Our friends found theirs pretty quick but it took us a while longer and I think they laughed at me a bit because none of the trees we passed by were quite good enough for me. :)  But in the end we found one and it's beautiful.  It might be a bit too tall but we can chop the bottom off if we have to.  Our kids cannot wait to decorate it, they love getting our house ready for Christmas.

So I'm pretty sure I got my tank filled today.  Some days, all I need is some good connecting with friends and everything seems better.  Coming to a messy house didn't bother me at all, it just doesn't compare with the real important things in life.  And that is me being more like Mary and less like Martha today (Tiff :)).

cutting our tree down

our good friends Jason and Lacey

enjoying some hot chocolate and cookies after getting the trees.

bad mom moment

I had one of those "bad mom" moments today.  We've been having a great Thanksgiving weekend in the Cities at Ehren's aunt's family.  We did a little shopping, kids went swimming, sledding, we watched some Christmas movies, laughed, visited with relatives and this afternoon we had some BIG plans. :)  Ehren and I thought we would take our kids to the Holidazzle parade, which they've never been to.  It is pretty much a lights show parade with Christmas and different fairy tale characters.  Then I had an idea to leave early and take the kids to the Macy's santa land which is right by there.  It is just a cute area decorated as life of elfs.  I knew it wouldn't be anything huge but something to go do - well, I'm not so sure it was really worth it.  We get there and all we see is a forever winding line of people.  We're not even sure what we're all waiting for, but we stand in line and I got another glimpse of why we're never going to Disney World. :)  Our kids can't even handle standing in line for 30 minutes.  Kason is rolling on the ground, sitting down and just acting really tired 5 minutes into waiting. :) But we made it to the Santa Land and it was cute to see all the little details in each room of an elf's life.  Afterwards we grabbed a quick bite to eat and even though we still had an hour before the parade started people were starting to save their spots along the road so we made our way there.

By that time Kason started to get really tired and something made him really upset and neither Ehren or I could make him stop whaling.  Finally, I sat down on the curb of the road with him in my lap and tried calming him down but nothing worked.  And that's when my bad mommy moment happened.  As I'm trying to calm the loud crying Kason I see another little police petrol car zooming in the middle of the road, right in front of us and what do I hear myself say?  "Kason, look there is a policeman and he's looking for all the kids that are crying and he's going to take you away if you don't stop."  I know, some things that come out of our mouths!  Actually, I was expecting him to not care at all but it worked like a charm and he calmed right down and was a sweet boy after that, besides being really cold.  But, I actually said it louder than I thought and at least 2-3 different parents heard me.  A lady next to us with 3 boys was sympathetic and said to me:"desperate times call for desperate measures" and that's really how I felt.

We then enjoyed the whole parade and kids loved looking at all the lit up floats and people.  On the way home though, I felt pretty bad about what I said especially because Kason is our little guy who really thinks about stuff that is said and happens and takes it to heart.  So I told him I was sorry I lied and that police men are here to protect us and keep us safe and would never take him away.  He seemed ok with that and agreed with me that that made a lot more sense then police taking crying kids away. :)
 
So, I learned a lesson today and even though you'd probably think I would learn to react more patiently or not to say stuff I didn't think thru, I think my real lesson is that it's ok to mess up but the important thing is to make it right.  To say "sorry, I made a mistake" because little kids especially understand what it's like to do something bad or naughty and they are more than eager to forgive us.  And to be honest, it doesn't come easily to me to say "I messed up here, I should not have said that, please forgive me" so today was a great reminder to me how important it is for our kids because that is how they know they are loved.  And letting them know we are just sinful humans doesn't make them love or respect us any less, it is just the opposite.

I'm also really glad there is certain Someone that loves me just the way I am.  With all the ugly and bad and sinful, He thinks I am perfect.  And the thought that He would leave the riches of the Heavens and the status that belonged to Him to become a nobody on this Earth just for me and us, is unimaginable.  I want to really think about that this Advent season and remember what Christmas means to me and what it should mean to all of us.  

at Santa village

crafts

I would never call myself a crafty person. I know a few and I'm pretty sure I'm not one of them.  Even crafts with kids drive me nuts because I hate the mess that comes with it and when we do something more times than not I just take over and do it for the kids because I can't watch them mess it up. :)  I know, it's terrible of me.  I have to say I like to do SIMPLE crafts that look nice at the end but don't require a trip to Grand Forks to purchase a bunch of crafty materials and stuff.  So I do some crafts with kids, but in my eyes it's pretty pathetic.  I've always hated cutting and folding or hand sewing which kind of made me think I have no artistic bone in me.  But as I've grown older I'm realizing I do have an artistic side to me.  I may not have the creativity to come up with a totally new concept, but when I get inspired by something, I want to make it right away and I want to make it into my piece.  That's why I like painting because even though it doesn't have a retail value or is not painted by a famous artist, it is mine and I did it.  It means a lot more to me than something for the house I would buy in a store.

This week I had a new inspiration and I was not going to be content until I finished it. :) It is really funny how it is for me.  Whenever I start working on a big craft/painting it is all I think about and can't sit down or do anything else until it's done.  And of course, daily things (like feeding my children :)) make me leave it sometimes but even when I do, I keep thinking about my next step with it.  So today, I worked and worked on this stick Christmas tree that I had in my head (after I saw a picture of a similar one) for the past week.  The whole thing didn't take very long at all but then I had an idea to cut out little snow flakes with the names of all my daycare kids.  I didn't think it would be that tedious but it took way longer than making the tree, probably because like I said earlier, I hate cutting. :)  But, I have to say I love how it turned out.  I really enjoy natural pieces like wood,stone and stuff in the house so it was a no brainer.  And I found a perfect place for it.  In our kitchen we have a blank wall spot and it is the first thing we see when we come inside through the mud room.  It is the perfect spot for it, especially as we're getting closer to Advent time and I am looking forward to coming home and seeing my stick tree.  It was funny because when I started making it I asked Kason and Anika what they thought it would be.  I said it's something to do with Christmas, but all they saw was a triangle. There was no star yet but I still saw a Christmas tree.  Ehren wasn't so sure about it either but he likes it when I get into something like that.  When I said it is supposed to be a Christmas tree, Kason and Anika both thought it was cool and when they got their names on it that was the best ever. :)

So all in all, it was a great day.  I love Saturdays when there is absolutely nothing planned for us and I don't even have to leave the house.  We actually played outside quite a bit as I was looking for my sticks :) because I couldn't miss such a beautiful and warm day in November and just be inside all day.  I really, really hope this winter will be mild, it would be lovely.

a milestone

A few days ago we celebrated Ehren's birthday.  He turned the big 40.  When you say 40 it sounds pretty old, like it's really far for us to be in 40s but the years fly by so quick it comes before you know it. :)  I still have a few years before I get there which I'm glad because I'm not quite ready to join the 40 club yet.  But it fits Ehren.  His hair is graying more and more as he's getting older but it looks very nice on him. :)  I think if it was me turning 40 I would not be too excited but since it's him, it is great.  We were also able to spend a weekend alone at his parents' cabin and it was a very nice time, especially the quietness when it was just us.   We just don't get many times like that and in this hectic life we live in, it is great to just stop for a minute and be still.  And without the kids sometimes. :)

Recently, Ehren had a pretty big disappointment at work when he was applying for his boss's job.  His boss was moving to a different department and she was looking for someone to replace her.  Out of the applicants that applied Ehren felt really confident about it and his boss even gave him some hope that he would get it but then the VPs got involved in the decision and picked a guy who didn't apply and who is not even a people person, just does whatever he's asked to.  He won't rock the boat at all and that's the way they like it.  And Ehren likes to come up with ways to do his job more efficiently and thus change some things which some people higher up don't like.  But that's the way it goes in a lot of places, even churches as I'm finding out. :)  It was hard on Ehren but he had to realize his job is not who he is and there are far more important things he has in his life, 4 of them at home.  He's still grateful to have a job because it is a big blessing in this economy and he's done really great there but that's not what defines him.  He's been trying to find the best way to use his gifts and abilities at our church and it's just nice to see him maturing in that.  It can be very frustrating because there are many needs at church and to find the balance between that, our marriage, family and everything is not easy.  But we do what we can with God's help.

I like how the longer we're married the closer we are and it's so nice to have this man by my side.  As we're getting older, it just feels right and I'm actually looking forward to growing old with Ehren, if we're both here that long.  It's funny because we have not even been married that long and yet it already starts to feel like we're one of those old couples, totally dependent on each other. :) I'm guessing it will only get more so as the years are piling on.  But at the same time, I'm so grateful that our hope is in Someone else and no loss in this life, no pain or hardship can take it away.
 

teeth stink

That's my summary for today. :)  Why can't we just be born with perfect teeth?  Or semi-perfect.  I am probably repeating myself but our family is doomed in the teeth area. :)  I am not even done with getting my front teeth fixed and we're starting a new chapter - orthodontist appointments for Kade.

Today was our first visit and while the orthodontist did say Kade has a bit of time left, his mouth is way too narrow and will need 12 months or so of lower and upper braces that pretty much just make his teeth lines wider so when he's about 12 years old there will be enough room for all the permanent teeth.  The money part of it bites, but is not horrible and I would even be ok with the appointments, if they were in our town.  What really stinks is that we have to go to Grand Forks every 3 weeks, for 10 minute check-ups during regular business hours.  So right now, my biggest concern is how to make it work with our schedule because it is more complicated with me watching other kids here.  I know it will work out, I just want to complain to someone I guess. :)  All 3 kids inherited my tiny mouth while Ehren has a nice big jaw they could have had, isn't that how it always goes? :)  

This happened just a day after my appointment with a new chiropractor.  I went there with a bad shoulder pain but he pretty much assessed that my whole back is out of whack and will need 3 months of appointments with him.  I did like how he looks at your posture and can tell what is wrong just from that.  I thought my posture wasn't that bad, but from a side view, it is all crooked.  It gave me an idea to bring Anika there too because I always thought her posture has been really strange.  Well, when I thought my picture showed a pretty crooked back, Anika's was way out of line from what it should be.  He says that kids respond to the back adjustments a lot quicker than adults so now it is our girls night out to go to the chiropractor.  Whoo-pie!  I mean that sarcastically, of course. :)  I really just want to stay home and do nothing with my family in the evenings so it's hard to have something going on every night but I really want to see if it helps Ani's posture.  I am still half skeptical of chiropractics and I am not going to turn into one of those hypochondriacs who go to a chiropractor every day for something.  So I'm giving him 3 months and then I'm done.  Plus, how come I feel like I've been beaten up after every adjustment? :)

I guess God is just teaching me how to be really organized with my time and to be able to manage everything I need to.  And I am very thankful in the midst of this that I am able to stay home right now so I have more time for simple things like laundry, cooking, baking and stuff and I have absolutely no idea how the full-time working moms do those things.

Here are some pictures from Halloween last night.  The kids had fun and it was pretty quick because they got a ton of candy right away.  Kason was a Hulk and it fits his personality perfectly.  He is our little hulk sometimes and even does that "roar". :)  They love going to nana and papa's house, aunt Judith's and some neighbors. Kason did not disappoint with his bluntness and when we got to see great aunt Judith she was just getting up from a little nap and he asked her "how come you look like you're going to die?"  I was relieved she didn't think anything of it and just replied to him that she was sleeping so that's probably why. :)