The Ross Report

We interrupt this blog break....

2009-07-05T19:18:00.004-04:00

To wish Sam a Happy 7th Birthday!!

I can't believe he was born seven years ago today! We love our little fellow so much. He is such a sweet, fun, energetic, inquisitive, smart little boy. We are thankful for the blessing he is to us.

Maybe I'll get back to blogging one of these days. I don't know why I have no desire to do it...we have enough to blog about in this house that's for sure! I'm not sure if anyone even reads this anymore! But, maybe my motivation will return...along with my motivation to eat right...exercise more...

A milestone in the Ross family

2009-05-02T15:45:00.001-04:00

My toothless Sam

Wordless Wednesday...sort of

2009-03-25T20:21:00.003-04:00

Here are some of my favorite shots of my kiddos lately. I sure love these boys...they are a tangible gift from God. Everyday I look at them and know His love for me.

Friday Favorites....FRIENDS!

2009-03-20T12:47:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, the boys and I headed down to Raleigh to see the Davis family, some of our friends from Florida. Luke was Samuel's first best friend. They met in preschool in Florida and were inseparable. Their bond was so strong! It was a sad day when they moved from Florida the year before we moved. If you check out this post, you can see them almost two years ago.

I had been promising Samuel that we would visit them once we move back up here to Virginia. Well, I finally made good on my promise! It was a great few days catching up and hanging out with their four boys (they've added another sweet little boy, Ethan, since we last saw them!)

Our time with them was full of lots of running, laughing, wrestling, ball playing, food eating, bike riding... you know all the fun things boys like to do! I can't believe how well all seven boys played together! It was sad leaving (Samuel and Luke both shed tears), but we are already planning our next together! Here are some pictures from our fun trip!

Not Me! Monday

2009-03-02T18:07:00.005-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

If you haven't checked out MckMama's blog, you need to click HERE and visit her. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Every Monday, MckMama does a Not Me! post. It is all about being human...sharing your imperfections as a mom (or whatever you may be in life). This is great for me this week, because lately I have been struggling with recognizing that there is nothing I bring to the table before God...but the GREAT thing in that is that Christ brings it all...I am clothed in HIS righteousness. Something I have to tell myself daily, hourly, minutely....

So, on a lighter side, here are some of my Not Me's!

A few days ago my television was not covered in at least a good inch of dust. And I most certainly did not write "Dust Me" on it. And then I most certainly did not go find my camera to take a picture of it. Nope, Not me! And then I did not let it sit there for a few more days before I actually dusted it...Not me!

In an attempt to get my boys to sleep later, I most certainly did not set the clock on their dresser fifteen minutes slower than mine. And of course, I did not stay in my bed until they came crawling in. When asked about why my clock was different than theirs I did not shrug my shoulders at them. Not me!

And of course, I did not bribe them to stay in their beds even later than their 7:00 wake-up time the next day. The ~~bribe~~ reward of course would not have been candy. And of course I would not give them this candy right after breakfast....and I never give them candy with high fructose corn syrup in it, nope, not me!

This past week I most certainly did not let a pile of clean laundry lay on Chris' side of the bed for a few days and nights. I certainly did not put hand weights under the pile of clothes to try and imitate what it feels like to have him sleeping there at night. I most certainly don't toss and turn throughout the night without him. Not me!

And of course when Chris is gone during the week, I absolutely do not ever allow a kid to sleep with me. I never, ever would dream of waking a sleeping child and carrying him to my bed to sleep with me. Not me!

I would never, ever admit my failings, challenges, shortcomings on a blog that anyone in the whole world could read if they wanted...no, NOT ME!!!!

Gratituesday

2009-02-17T19:29:00.004-05:00

Gratituesday is hosted at http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/ This is a blog I like to read. Sometimes in the past I've done "Thankful Thursdays." This is the same idea, just on Tuesdays. I figured after yesterday's grumpy, sad, pathetic post I need to spend some time being thankful.

*Chris has a job (even if it is in Florida). We have a house, food, and cars that work (mostly). We are not out in the cold. We are not starving. We don't have to rely on others for transportation. We are very blessed.

*Overall we are HEALTHY. It may seem like we're always sick, but we don't have any chronic illnesses or diseases. So many struggle with illnesses that are life threatening and that drastically change their quality of life. We are struggling with nothing like that.

*We are so thankful for our church here in Virginia. They are caring for us in amazing ways. Our community group has been providing us with a couple of meals each week. It has been such a blessing to not have to worry about getting dinner together for my boys a couple of nights a week!

*Janna Hope Ross. She is our new niece. Jeremy and Amanda welcomed their third girl about three weeks ago. I don't have any pictures to post, but if you check out their blog HERE, you can see just how adorable she is!

*I am very thankful for my mom and Chris' parents. I am thankful that our parents are believers. I am thankful for all their prayers and encouragement. They are such a blessing to us.

*Even though my boys are sick, I am thankful for the extra snuggles I've been getting lately. It makes me realize how much I miss my "big boys" sitting on my lap.

*I haven't blogged about it yet, but James turned 5 in January and Bennett turned 3 a few weeks ago. I am thankful for the years they've been given.

*I am grateful for Samuel's love for reading. I love watching him read, and read, and read....It just makes me happy.

*Sleep.....yes, I am thankful for that. With all this sickness, it has been a very long time since I've slept through the night. Last night I only woke up once to a sick boy. It has also gotten easier to sleep without Chris being here during the week. I am praying that we ALL sleep ALL night tonight!

The new "norm"

2009-02-16T19:29:00.003-05:00

It has been a month since I've posted last. Not much has changed really. Chris still doesn't have a job here in Virginia. And we've been sick for one month now. I feel like the new "norm" in our lives is having Chris gone all week while we are all battling illness.

The boys got colds a month ago. They turned into ear infections and bronchitis. Then I got it. Mine turned into pneumonia and tonsillitis. When I finally thought we were over it, Bennett got croup. Now all three boys have fevers. They spent the day laying around. Yes, that is right, laying around. They even fell asleep on the couch. They have to be sick.

Chris is on a plane headed south...battling a cold. We all kind of feel defeated...sad...and ready for this new "norm" to be the old "norm." Meanwhile the temperatures have been hanging around freezing...we all have spring and cabin fever.

If you are praying for us, we are thankful. We still need prayer, for the obvious, a job for Chris here in Virginia.....restoration of health. And right now I just have a really bad attitude...pray that I don't become bitter. Pray that I am reminded of God's love for me. Pray that I wouldn't grow weary, or that when I do I would look to Christ for my strength and rest. Pray for my husband...pray that he can be encouraged and know that his identity is in Christ alone.

The Latest...

2009-01-17T20:44:00.003-05:00

I want to thank all of you who have taken time out of your busy schedules to pray for us, care for us, love us... It has meant so much to have meals made for us (thank you Erin and Michelle!). Thank you too for all the phone calls. You have no idea how encouraging it is to have people call us to let us know how much they are praying for us. I know how busy everyone is with their own lives, so when someone takes that time to call us, we are so appreciative. We are humbled by the care we are receiving and so grateful for it.

We continue to struggle with Chris losing his job. I have so much more compassion for those who have gone through a job loss before. I guess I never realized how horrible something like this is. We are thankful that Chris can work in Florida, but to be quite honest... it stinks. It stinks that we have to be apart. It stinks that we are carrying such a heavy burden. It stinks.

I am trying to be thankful for all that I have. I have so much. I have a roof over my head. I have healthy children. I have happy children. I have a loving and hard-working husband. I have a supportive family. I have food in my cabinets and refrigerator. I have a church that cares in amazing ways for us....and I have a new sister-in-law!!

Yes, we are celebrating... my brother and Jenett are now married!! We are thankful for them and praying for them as they start their marriage! And later this week our sweet James is going to celebrate his fifth birthday!! Lots to praise God for... I have to remind myself of that all the time.

Grandma Dot

2009-01-09T18:08:00.003-05:00

Chris' grandma went to be with the Lord this evening. She got sick right before Christmas with pneumonia, was hospitalized and just continued to get sicker. She had a massive stroke last week, and today took her last breath. We PRAISE God that she is in Heaven right now! How amazing. And even though that brings us such joy, we cannot help but be sad about our loss.

Please pray for Chris' father, Sam. Grandma Dot also has three other living daughters, lots of grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Even though this was expected, you are never ready to feel the pain of loss from death.

We are thankful that we saw her in October. This was when the picture above was taken in South Carolina. Right before we left to come back home from the reunion, I realized that I didn't have a picture of her with the boys from this year's reunion. I quickly snapped this one right before we left. Grandma Dot had just stepped out of the shower! She was a good sport about getting her picture taken. I think she's just as cute as ever. And just think, she's even more beautiful and healthier than ever now!

On a side note, Chris flies back for the weekend tomorrow morning. While I was sad this afternoon that he wasn't on a flight tonight to get back home, I am thankful he is in Florida with his parents as they received this sad news tonight.

A very long day...

2009-01-05T20:22:00.002-05:00

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

This morning started off wonderfully. I had Chris wake me up at 6:00, and while I didn't get up right away I did get up before the boys...that doesn't happen very often with my household of early-birds! I did some straightening up, put a load in the washing machine, did some dinner prep, and sat down with my coffee and bible. (I am not telling you this to show how faithful I am in my devotions...more to tell you how faithful HE is to me.) Chris was getting ready for work, and then joined me on the couch. We read. We prayed. He left for work. I felt like we were getting right back into our routine nicely. I even felt ahead of the game!

The above Bible verse from Psalms was the last verse I read this morning. I decided to write it on my white board in my kitchen, so that every time I passed it I would think on it. At breakfast the boys and I read some Scripture and talked about this verse. I even told them that when we go through trials we can have joy and peace because of the Father's love, protection, and plan for our lives. We even had to make up trials because right now things had been going pretty well for us!

Little did I know at 7:30 am this morning, I would need this verse more than ever in a few hours.

Around 8:30 Chris called to say that "due to economical difficulties, he was being let go." Bam.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

I will admit that we are struggling with anger and bitterness. Yet, we are trying to take refuge in Him and be glad. It is a momentary process at this point. We know with our heads that God is Sovereign. We know from the journey we've been on to get here to Virginia, that HE is faithful...we know that, yes we know that. But we do have to keep reminding ourselves of this right now.

I am overwhelmed by the phone calls, messages, and emails. God is already showing His faithfulness by our loving, caring, praying family and friends. While wiping tears away, I smile at His tangible goodness to us through you all.

My house is eerily quiet. The boys are asleep, Chris is on a plane headed to Florida. He is going to work the rest of the week there with his father to stay on top of things. We are thankful he has this opportunity, as many in our situation don't have that. It doesn't make it easy though. Yes, I get tired thinking about parenting 24-7. Yes, I get selfish at not being able to take a break when he gets home. But mostly I get sad at being a part from my best friend. I love Chris more today than ever, and I already miss him.

Pray for us. Obviously pray for employment. But really, most importantly, pray for our family to take refuge and be glad, so that we can ever sing for joy.

Please Pray for us

2009-01-05T08:38:00.001-05:00

Chris just called me. He is on his way home from work. He just lost his job.

Spend Less

2009-01-03T13:28:00.003-05:00

One of my New Year's resolutions is to try and spend less money. That can be very challenging when you don't have much money to spend in the first place! Ha! A few months ago I did this post on some ways we try to save money. We still do most of those (it is too cold to hang our clothes on the line these days though, and my boys are more actively participating in the homemade haircuts! :) Another way that I am challenging myself is to spend less money on groceries. It takes a lot to keep my boys (both big and small) fed. Anyway, for the last few months I have been stalking some of these blogs:

I have learned a whole lot! I used to think coupons were a waste of time and money. Plus we've never subscribed to a newspaper. Well, my mom gets the newspaper, so I now swipe the coupons! I also always thought it was cheaper to buy store brand. And, I thought most of the coupons out there were for products that I wouldn't really ever buy or use. But I was wrong!

These blogs have helped me learn the ins and outs of couponing (there are tons of free coupons on the internet!), following sales, and learning deals at different stores. I am still a novice. I am by no means a fanatic and don't intend on becoming one. However, I have saved a whole lot! I won't go into all those details, and don't worry I am not going to change my blog into one like those above. But, I am excited about this...and my trip to the store this morning.

This is what I purchased.

The total before the sale prices and coupons was $47.53. I ended up spending $10.56 with tax! That is a 77% savings!! Here is what I ended up paying for each item.

Salsa: $0.35

Frenches fried onions: $0.24

Onion Soup mix (2 of them): $0.37 each

Dunkin Donuts coffee: $3.74

Special K waffles (2 of them): $1.14 each

Toothpaste: $0.25

Deodorant: $0.12

Tampons: $2.06

Chapstick: $0.24

Cough Drops: FREE!!

12 oz. container milk (2 of them): each was FREE!!

Pretty good deal, huh? So, my next endeavor to save money is to try and make my own detergent (it ends up costing one cent per load!). Maybe sometime this next week. If you want to know how to do that, click here!

Cooking with Ross Boys

2009-01-02T12:12:00.007-05:00

**Another blog post....I'm keeping my resolutions so far!

Most evenings when I am trying to get dinner on the table for when Chris gets home, my boys are over at my mom's for their Culinary Arts Class 101....aka...watching Paula Deen on the Food Network.

So, for Christmas My mom bought them Paula Deen's My First Cookbook. Here they are opening it on Christmas morning.

She also got them some cute aprons from Williams-Sonoma. (Which Samuel refuses to wear, saying "Aprons aren't for boys." The aprons even have football players on them...my other two want to wear them all the time!) James picked out a recipe the other day that he wanted to make. Cinnamon Rolls. As if they haven't consumed enough sugar over the holidays. Oh well. (We did make them eat some eggs first.)

Samuel reads the recipe to us:

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls, large marshmallows, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup sugar.
Spread out a crescent roll. Place marshmallow on the roll. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Now roll the marshmallow up in the crescent roll.

Place rolls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees,for 10 minutes.Wipe the drool from your mouth as you watch them bake.

Hot out of the oven! We decided to add some powdered sugar/milk/vanilla glaze...the more sugar the better, right?The best part, eating them!! I didn't partake (trying not to break my resolutions, you know!), however, my boys gave them a 6 thumbs up!Nothing was left!

More and Less

2009-01-01T21:03:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

I know that I have neglected this blog. I feel like I got on a roller coaster ride before Thanksgiving, and the ride just won't seem to stop. We have just been plain busy. Tons of things to blog about, but I just can't seem motivated to sit down and get pictures off the camera and put thoughts into sentences to update the blog. Then I get so behind I'm not sure where to start. I often think about what I could or should write...it is there in my head, but doesn't make it to the world wide web. Sort of like my Christmas letter/picture. I had an idea of what to write, yet it never quite made it to paper. So, if you have been wondering where our Christmas letter is this year, I apologize. We took a break this year. Don't get me wrong it has been a wonderful year, full of undeserved grace and blessings. I love receiving Christmas cards, and I usually, equally love sending them. I just didn't get it done this year. (Plus 2 of my boys gave themselves haircuts about 2 weeks ago...right before I was planning to take our family picture. I'll blog about that soon...)

Once I decided no letters this year, a weight was lifted, and I felt better. However, now that we are 21 hours into the new year, a weight is making its way back on my shoulders. That weight of New Year's resolutions. Yes, I make resolutions. I sometimes stick to them. I've failed at many. However, each time December 31st comes around my mind starts contemplating new resolutions. I usually make the same ones year after year. You've probably made them too. Eat less. Exercise more. Read more. Watch less t.v. Save more money. Spend less. Spend more time with my spouse and children. Work less. Laugh more. Be less stressed. Pray more. Worry less. Blog more.

There seems to be a theme. There are things we want and/or need to do more of. And there are things we want and/or need to do less of. I am hoping this year is a year where I keep more of the resolutions. And I don't think that is a bad thing to make yearly resolutions.

I have my mental list of things I want to do more of and things I want to do less of. Yet, when it all comes down to it, what I really want is this: I want to serve my God more. I want to serve myself less. The thing with this "resolution" is that it is guaranteed that I will not keep it. In fact I cannot keep it, regardless of how hard I try. I've already broke this resolution countless times today.

However, I am thankful that God's mercies are new every morning. Not just every morning, every evening. And not just every evening, every hour...every minute. He knows I will not serve Him like I should. He knows that I cannot serve Him like I should. Yet, He loves me regardless. He loves me whether or not I exercise every day of this next year. He loves me regardless of the amount of money in my bank account. There is nothing I can do to make Him love me more. And nothing I do will make Him love me less.

Now if that doesn't make a weight lift from your shoulders, I don't know what will.

And yes, blogging more is really a resolution I hope to keep!

Good and Bad News

2008-12-15T20:58:00.006-05:00

Today Samuel had an appointment with his new allergist. He has a very severe peanut allergy. When Samuel was about 6 weeks old, he broke out in hives and horrible eczema. We didn't know it at the time, but it was because of my diet. I was breastfeeding at the time...and eating peanut butter. When he was about 9 months, we had some tests done and we found out what we suspected; he was severely allergic to peanuts (and milk and eggs at the time).

Since then he has been tested twice. The same results, still highly allergic to peanuts. However, his levels had come down slightly. Once it was a level five (which normally means anaphylaxis will occur if it is ingested) and the last test we had (not today) it was down to a three. We don't really know what that means because he hasn't had peanuts.

Today he had a skin test. His prior tests were only blood tests. He had all kinds of allergens injected into his back.

(Thanks to my camera phone I have this picture for you!) He was very brave. In less than one minute, the place where they did the skin prick test for the peanuts a HUGE hive appeared. I knew within seconds that he was still allergic to them. I took the below picture right away. Then I had to hold him to stop him from itching, so I don't have a picture of just how huge the spot got. Here's an idea. (See how red it is by the letter P.)

He was also very allergic to dust mites. My poor little boy had to refrain from scratching his back for 15 minutes while they watched to see what might happen. He had two severe reactions (peanuts, dust mites) and some other not as severe reactions (grass, mold, and tree nuts). They also monitored his breathing during all of this. The size of the reaction from the peanuts was not good. Unfortunately his levels were back in the five range. Finally he was given some allergy medicine and cream to stop the reactions.

In a few weeks we go back for some more blood work. However, it is pretty obvious that he is still allergic to peanuts. The bad news is that at his age now, there is a higher chance that this will be something we deal with for the rest of his life. I have to say though that Samuel handled the news very well, and was so brave today.

We are sad that this is something we continue to have to deal with. However, we are so thankful for how God has protected our child these last 6 years. I am thankful that we have never had a reaction. I am thankful that we have friends and family who are as diligent as we are. I am thankful for all of our friends who go out of their way to include Samuel by preparing safe food for him. You have no idea what that means to him.

The good news of the day was that we found out he can eat at Chick-fil-a. We have avoided that place due to the fact that they use peanut oil. However, for reasons that I won't explain on here, their peanut oil doesn't have the peanut protein in it. The protein is what he is actually allergic to. (If you want to know more about why he can have that, go here.)

So, of course when Chris got home from work, we headed out the door to eat there as a family for the first time ever. I forgot my camera...my brain was fried after a three hour doctor's appointment. Samuel devoured 8 nuggets and fries in no time...and was grinning the whole time.

We still have challenges ahead of us. I'm sure we'll still have tears about not being able to eat certain things, we'll still have to be overly cautious about eating food that we haven't prepared, we'll still rely on the things pictured below...

This time of year it is especially hard for Samuel with all the baked goodies and parties... However we have learned to adapt. Click here to see what we've done in the past.

After this long post, you probably don't care to read anything else. However, if you want to have a better insight on children with allergies and the challenges they face, you should read THIS. My friend emailed me this a while back. If you want to know exactly how we feel, this mom puts it into perfect words.

Wordless Wednesday-A long day

2008-12-10T20:19:00.003-05:00

(notice trashcan by B's bed)

Our Christmas Tree Story

2008-12-02T21:14:00.006-05:00

When we sold our house six months ago, one of the things that I was most excited about was being somewhere "cold" for the winter...especially the holidays. For the last 7 years, we have had our Christmases in nice sunny, warm Florida. They have all been wonderful, yet there is something to having it feel Christmasey...not tropical!

A month after Chris and I got married, we celebrated our first Christmas together in Virginia. I remember getting a real Christmas tree from a local lot. There were even some snow flurries in the air! The next Christmas we were living in Florida and I was newly pregnant with Samuel. I don't think we decorated hardly at all. The following Christmas was Samuel's first Christmas. We went out (in shorts) and got a real tree from a local lot. However, we didn't even have it up for 24 hours when it came back down. Our little 5 month old was allergic to it! He was wheezing, coughing, had watery, itchy, eyes...just miserable. After the holidays we took advantage of the great sales and bought an artificial tree.

That tree has been good to us the last 5 years. However, now that we are back in Virginia, Chris and I decided we would try for a real tree again. Samuel seems to have tolerated being around other real trees. Not only would we get a real tree, we were going to cut it down ourselves!

I pictured this cute Christmas tree farm with rows and rows of blue spruces, white pines, etc. Maybe even a cute little stand where you can get hot cocoa or Christmas ornaments. So, we looked on line and found a couple of different places, but none of them had web pages. We decided last Saturday to venture out to see what we could find.

When we arrived at our first "farm" we weren't sure we were in the right place. It was a house "out in the country" with a hand-painted sign out front advertising Christmas trees. There were a few teens hanging out in a trailer in the front yard. We drove up. They approached the truck and gave us the low-down. Drive through their front yard to the back yard. There will be a path back there. Drive down until you see some woods. Find a tree.

Hmm...this was not what I had in mind. Chris and the boys were game, of course. We started "off-roading" as the boys fondly called it. There even happened to be some other families on a Christmas tree hunt. There were no rows of tress...it was a pretty thick forest with "Christmas trees" sporadically growing. Most were huge, not very full, and well...not that pretty. We finally decided that if we were going to find one, we had to cut down the very top of a tree so it would fit in our house. Finally we found a tree that we all agreed on. Chris cut some of it down. We payed our $35. It came home with us. Had to undergo some pretty extensive trimming. Lots of jerry-rigging with fishing line. Finally we decorated it very carefully. Since it is the top of a huge tree, it isn't the sturdiest thing.

The boys love their tree. They are so proud of it. It makes me happy. It may not be the prettiest tree. However, the boys had the time of their lives hunting for it. They love that it stands tall in our den. I love that it holds all our precious ornaments. I love that we will always have this memory of our first Christmas tree in Virginia.

Currently the weather conditions in your area: SNOW

2008-11-21T08:42:00.004-05:00

Yes, that is right SNOW! Ever since we decided to come back to Virginia, my boys have been excited to live in a place where there is snow. You Virginians know that we don't really get that much snow. But, obviously there is a much better chance here than in South Florida! Well, we have had a pretty cold fall and they are predicting a very cold winter. This morning we woke up to snow! Not a white blanket on the ground (the ground is still too warm), but to it DUMPING from the sky. If it was cold enough there would definitely be a good amount on the ground. And, yes, the boys did get out and play for a few minutes. Hopefully, this is a small taste of what is to come!

And speaking of taste, later today I will put on my Friday Favorite....yummy Thanksgiving dishes. Stay tuned and stay warm.

Three little monkeys....

2008-11-17T17:16:00.006-05:00

There are tons and tons of reasons why you should NOT have a backyard trampoline. And after contemplating those reasons.....we decided, the fun and exercise that it gives is well worth it. Thanks to Grandma and Poppy the boys are enjoying their early Christmas present. However, I think I am enjoying their laugter, self-entertainment, and exhaustion more than they are! I mean, come on...Look at those excited boys!

Look at Bennett's face in this one...Ha! The angle makes it looks like he's a bobble-head or something!

Friday Favorites- FRIENDS...old and new!

2008-11-14T09:22:00.003-05:00

It is crazy to think that we have been living in Virginia now for 6 months! We are all adjusting well and making friends which is wonderful. We definitely miss our friends and family in Florida, but are thankful for the people whom God is bringing into (and back into) our lives here. This week I have felt especially blessed thinking about the friendships that are growing, the people with whom we are reconnecting, and being able to keep up with our friends who are all over the world! This is a picture of the kids in our Community Group at Trinity. A few weeks ago, we dressed up and had a little Halloween party. We love our Community Group and are enjoying the relationships that we are building. Every Wednesday night we meet for dinner, play, and bible study. It is such a blessing for our family. There are some really nice older boys who my boys love! It is so encouraging to have families in all different stages of parenting.

Below is a picture of two of my sweet friends, Virginia and Amy. Ten years ago, we all started teaching at Glenwood Elementary. We had so much fun teaching together! We lost touch over the years...we've all gotten married and have kids now. When I moved back I tried to look them up, but couldn't find any information on them. Then one day I was at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens with some moms from our new church when I ran into Amy! It was crazy! Then last week I was at Target (looking horrible...one of those days...in my sweats, no shower...) when I hear someone call my name. There walking into the store was Virginia (and she lives in NC)! It is amazing how God brings people into your lives...and back into them right when you need them. We met last night at Panera and talked for hours! They finally had to kick us out because they were closing.

Then via Facebook, I got back in touch with Matt and Michelle, a couple who went to Covenant with me and Chris. Ends up that they just moved to this area a few months ago! They live about 30 minutes away. Yesterday afternoon Michelle and their four kids met me and the boys at Chuck E. Cheese. Tomorrow night their whole family is coming for dinner. We are excited to get back in touch with them. I'll take some pictures and post later.

God is truly blessing us with friends who love and care for us. I should have never doubted given the friends that I have already been blessed with. God is so good!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-12T13:00:00.004-05:00

Richmond

2008-11-10T18:53:00.010-05:00

Here are some pictures from our weekend at Sara and Shawn's. We had so much fun playing in the leaves, kicking the soccer ball around, hanging out at the park across the street from their house...just being together.

Falling

2008-11-09T15:03:00.008-05:00

This weekend we went to Richmond to be with my sister Sara and my brother-in-law Shawn. I have gorgeous fall pictures I'll put on the blog later. However, the above pictures is what our backyard looked like on Saturday morning before we left. Just over twenty-four hours later, this is what it looks like now...

Friday Favorites-Parks!

2008-11-07T13:54:00.003-05:00

This Friday, LeeAnn wanted us to blog about our favorite parks. I'll have to admit that we are slow in finding parks here in Virginia. Mostly because we have a swing set in our huge backyard! However, we do have a park that we visit every Sunday and Wednesday. It is named Sully's Playground. This park is at our church, Trinity Presbyterian. My boys love running around playing there with their new friends.

A family at Trinity had their third child, a baby son named Sully, die when he was only 6 days old from Trisomy 18 this past year. When they received the diagnosis during the pregnancy, they decided to raise money to build this playground in honor of his life. I don't know them well, but I know that they still are hurting and struggling through the loss of their child. As you read my post today, I encourage you to pray for them. Pray for all those hurting from the loss of a child, unborn or born. And if you have children, praise God for those little lives that you've been given.

I don't have any pictures of my kids at the park. However, if you can, close your eyes and picture this park shown below with tons and tons of little ones running around, laughing, smiling, and playing...that is what it looks like every time we are there. And, I can't help but picture a little boy doing the same in Heaven.

Friday Favorites- Most Memorable Costume

2008-10-31T18:38:00.002-04:00

So, today for Friday Favorites, Kim wanted us to blog about our most memorable Halloween costume. Here you have it. This is what I wore today. Ok, I didn't really have to wear one. However, I was at the doctor's office, and it was determined that I have tonsillitis and an ear infection. So, here I sit on the couch. With my computer. With my soup. With my big bottle of antibiotics. Feeling pretty darn rotten as my sweet hubby is taking our kids trick-or-treating. Hopefully the meds will kick in and in the next few days I'll blog about their cute costumes. After all they are way cuter than me. Happy Halloween.

Animal Lovers?

2008-10-27T20:23:00.002-04:00

I just found these pictures this weekend. I absolutely love them. Right before we moved from Florida, we were out at Chris' sister's barn. A cat had just had baby kittens. Bennett has a thing for baby kittens. Right away he kept asking, "Me hold the baby kiki?" And sure enough that little boy held that kitten...for a long time. The kitten just slept on his shoulder. Bennett walked around loving every minute.

When I look at the pictures and remember just how darn cute the whole thing was, it makes me for a moment want my kids to have a pet. Then I remember that we all have horrible allergies and asthma. My boys and hubby get all wheezy and sniffly around animals. We have a hard enough time keeping three hungry boys feed, much less an animal. I hate taking my kids to the doctor, so I don't think that I would want to be carting an animal to the vet.

I know that some of you out there are "animal people." I respect that. I admire that. However, it just won't work for us. I have to tell you Chris and I were mutually relieved when we were dating and heard the other's answer to "Are you an animal person?" No.

Bennett's very dirty, kind of smelly, but quiet, non-wastemaking, non-eating "Kiki" will have to do.

Friday Favorites-Gifts!

2008-10-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, maybe it is because I celebrated my birthday yesterday...or because Christmas is only 2 months away! Whatever the case, presents have been on my mind. So, for today's Friday Favorite, here's the best and worst of presents! Check out Stacey, Kim, Shannon, Rachel and LeeAnn to see their best and worsts too!

Best: I have received lots of great gifts given in love over the years. However, one stands out from the rest. For our fifth anniversary, Chris gave me a great surprise. This is a gift in itself because he never surprises me! Usually as soon as he gets my gift he tells me what it is or gives it to me. However, he did some planning and made this a total surprise. I was very pregnant with Bennett and very tired with two other toddlers at home. So, for our anniversary Chris arranged for his brother, Jeremy and his wife Amanda, to come stay at our house for the night. (Amanda was a great sport because she too was very pregnant and had a toddler too to chase around.) Chris had saved up and took us to the Ritz-Carlton on Key Biscyane. We went to the Rusty Pelican for dinner and then just hung out in this great hotel. Then, he surprised me with diamond earrings and a necklace. I was so totally surprised. The best gift of all was that I got to SLEEP! I think I was asleep by 8:30. Poor Chris was left with the remote and a very expensive mini-bar. It was a short trip away from everyday life, but much needed.

Worst: Chris and I were married in November. We were so excited to be able to buy each other Christmas presents that year. We ended up exchanging gifts early because we went to NC for Christmas to be with Chris' family. Chris had seen this wool jacket that I had been admiring in Ann Taylor. I couldn't believe it when I opened the box. It was more than we had said we would spend, but man, I was excited! Until I saw the size. Size 4. I had tears in my eyes. He thought I was so happy. In reality I was so sad, because I knew that the jacket would never fit me! Against his insisting, I didn't try it on. I moved on to the other presents. Next was a cute pair of fleece pjs from the gap. Size XS. Ok, so these were two sizes that I basically skipped by in my life. I was so upset. I let the presents sit in the boxes under the tree. Chris keep asking why I wasn't going to wear them. All I could picture in my head was this:

Yes, you remember that part in Tommy Boy when Will Farley sings "Fat guy in a little coat." That would be me with that jacket on. Finally, after a few days, I had to admit to Chris that his gifts would never fit me. He, obviously, was very sweet. Even though it was a horrible experience for me, it was a good picture to me that he didn't see me as a size. We exchanged the jacket and pjs for the correct sizes, but of course I didn't let him know what that size was!!

For Christmas this year, Chris knows better than to get me clothes. Instead I am hoping for this

So, maybe one day I can get to that size 4!

32 Things to Know

2008-10-23T20:00:00.002-04:00

As you can see from the last post (which was done by a hacker-my sister), today is my birthday. I am 32. My husband's cousin, Heather, celebrated her birthday yesterday. On her blog she had a list of things about herself...one for each year. You can check that out here...and wish her a Be-lated Happy Birthday. I am going to copy her. Here is my list. Thirty-two things about me that you might not know...

1. Fall is my favorite season. So, I am especially lovin' being back in a place that has a real fall!

2. I love peanut butter. It makes me sad that Samuel is allergic to peanuts.

3. I love chocolate...any kind, dark, milk, white...I usually have something chocolate to eat everyday.

4. I love to exercise. Yes, really. I know that you can't tell by the looks of me. (Probably because of numbers 2. and 3.)

5. Regrettably, I was not the nicest sister to my two siblings growing up. However, my sister and my brother are now two of my favorite people in the world.

6. I did not like my husband when I first met him.

7. Five years after that I fell in love with him and married him.

8. Eight years later, I love him more than I ever thought I would.

9. I hate shopping.

10. But, I love good deals, great sales, and bargains.

11. I hated my curly hair my whole life. The last few years, I have come to enjoy it actually.

12. Since being a little girl, I have always wanted to be a mom of four children.

13. We would still love to have another child one day, but I am so thankful for the boys I have.

14. I have the best job in the world.

15. I have a tatoo!

16. I'd rather read a book than watch a movie.

17. I am a home-body.

18. I am very clumsy.

19. I hate gossip.

20. I want to go to Europe one day.

21. In the 1st grade, I lied to my teacher and told her that my real name was America and that Amy was my nickname. I don't think she believed me.

22. I love pickled beets.

23. I am addicted to coffee.

24. I'd rather have a few really close friends, than tons of friends who aren't that close.

25. If I could do something other than being a homeschooling-stay-at-home mom, I'd like to have a bed and breakfast.

26. I love celebrating birthdays, including my own!

27. I had a happy and fun childhood.

28. I used to love roller coasters, now I can't stand them.

29. I have absolutely NO musical talents or abilities.

30. I regret missing my Grandma's funeral. I had just had an emergency c-section to deliver Samuel a few days before it.

31. I worry way too much and struggle with trusting God and others.

32. I have the best family and friends ever!

Blog Theft......

2008-10-23T08:33:00.004-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!!!!

Hope your day is wonderful. We all love you!

p.s. I'm super proud of myself for doing this! Now I just have to figure out if you'll check this. Love, Sara

Food, food, and more food

2008-10-21T21:19:00.007-04:00

I feel like all we did at the reunion was eat, eat, eat. Lots of sweets, biscuits, grits, ham, corn chowder, corn bread... I could go on and on about all the good southern food we had.

The kids enjoyed the cupcake decorating, s'mores making, and cake eating. We also celebrated Craig's 40th Birthday! He and Jill (Chris' cousin) are expecting their first child next year! Lots to celebrate...now back to the treadmill...

Hayrides and Horses

2008-10-20T21:14:00.004-04:00

Here are some more pictures from the reunion. The kids had great fun riding the horses. Bennett took a nap with mommy since he wanted nothing to do with the horses. We all had fun on the hayride. The sun was going down, the air was chilly, it was perfect!

Shelby and James

Taylor and Samuel

Aunt Sandy and Uncle Carroll

Aunt Sandy and Bennett

Chris' cousin Jennifer leading James around the horse arena.

Taylor
James being a ham.
Samuel posing for the camera.
Taylor, Aunt Debbie and Chris' mom

4th Ross Family Reunion

2008-10-19T20:18:00.007-04:00

We spent this weekend in Camden, South Carolina at this great ranch for the 4th Ross Family Reunion. Fortunately, we've been every year. The boys start counting down to the next year's reunion the day we leave! They love every minute there. Our weekend was filled with tons of laughter, hanging out by the fire, running around in the woods, fishing, hiking, eating and eating and eating. We are thankful that they are making these great memories to have with them as they grow up. I took tons of pictures, but I'll try over the next few days to put up a few each day. Shelby, Poppy, James and Samuel on the pontoon boat ride.Bennett giving Grandma some lovin'.Poppy, Samuel, and Shelby out fishing.Second cousins? Chris' cousin's kiddos playing with our boys. (Left to Right: C.J., James, the other James, Taylor, and Bennett)Chris' cousin Jennifer playing Jenga with the boys. Me and BennettChris and his dad playing horseshoes.Elizabeth (Chris' cousin's daughter) walking with Bennett.The "other" James and Bennett playing with slinkies.
The kids playing in the woods.Oh, so much to play on. These kids never sat still!The "kids"Uncle Carroll lifts James so he can see the view. This is the view after we hiked up one of the hills (or mountains as Bennett called them.)

Friday Favorite-PUMPKIN!

2008-10-17T04:00:00.001-04:00

So, I am actually setting this post up to show up on Friday, since really I'll be in South Carolina for the 4th Annual Ross Family Reunion! Hopefully it works.

Some of my friends, who also blog, and I am are going to do a Friday Favorite theme. This week, appropriately, it is our favorite pumpkin recipe. (After I see who put their recipes on their blogs, I'll put a link to them at the bottom of this post.) I love pumpkin. Besides chocolate, it is my favorite flavor. So, this was tough for me. However I think I finally settled on my favorite recipe. I've made dozens of pumpkin breads over the years, but this is my all-time-favorite! I got the recipe at one of my wedding showers 8 years ago! I don't remember who's recipe it is, but it is delicious. Then, I've added a spread from another recipe that makes it even better!

Here's what you will need.

Pumpkin Bread:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon each of ground allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

2 teaspoons of baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 can of pumpkin (16 oz.)

optional: 1/2 cup of nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips. (I usually just do it plain, it is that good.)

Mix all dry ingredients together. Then add oil, eggs, and pumpkin. Mix well. Pour into two greased loaf pans. (I usually do only on loaf and then a dozen muffins. It is moister in the loaf, but easier to give the boys as muffins). Bake 1 hour or 1 hour 10 minutes (less for muffins) at 350 degrees.

Ok, the stuff that makes this recipe unbelievable. This is taken from Betty Crocker's Ultimate Cake Mix Cookbook. It is for their recipe called "Spice Pumpkin Praline Roll." I've made that before, but I like my bread with this spread better than their recipe.

Cream Cheese Spread:

1/2 package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted*

Beat cream cheese and brown sugar on high speed until smooth. Gradually add whipping cream; beat until stiff. Stir in pecans. Store covered in refrigerator.

*I made this once and skipped the toasting part. DON'T skip it. It doesn't taste nearly as good. Toasting is simple. Use a heavy frying pan, pour chopped pecans in. Keep stirring them over medium heat until they are a darker brown.

Enjoy! (Sorry that I don't have a picture of the spread... I just made the bread this time, since we are packing it up and taking it with us to the reunion.)

Check out these other yummy looking pumpkin recipes:

Stacey, Kim, LeeAnn, and Shannon

And, I am going to try a Pumpkin Latte from one of my favorite blogs.

Thoughts on blogging.

2008-10-15T14:03:00.002-04:00

Warning: This might be a long post.

When I started blogging 2 and 1/2 years ago, it was first just to jump on the bandwagon. I had some friends who were bloggers, and it seemed pretty easy and fun. Also, it seemed like a great way for my family and friends (who are spread across the world) to keep up with our family. At first it mostly was just pictures and a little commentating on the happenings in our family. I never intended it to be anything super serious. In the midst of having three little and very busy boys, my hobby of scrapbooking quickly became a thing of the past. Blogging was my new way to be a bit creative while capturing the fleeting moments in the lives of my quickly growing boys.

Somewhere along the road, my blog became more of a journal. As first I was a bit skeptical and nervous about sharing my thoughts, beliefs, and struggles with the world wide web. However, it is an outlet for me. I think it is good to have others know you and love you inspite of yourself. I wasn't fearful of what strangers would think... more what those close to me thought. However, I am blessed with so many that love us and pray and care for us. In letting you readers into our lives, I wanted to show you both what we struggled with and what we rejoiced about. I am a person still in process. I don't have it all together. I am not super-mom. I am not the most loving and compassionate wife. I can be a rotten friend. I fail people all the time.

(Here is a little aside. Let me just tell you what's gone on in my home today. James was up several times in the night. (He has bronchitis, a sinus infection, ear infection...) Instead of being a compassionate loving mom to my sick child, I am complaining in my mind and mad about my interrupted sleep. I ask my husband to see what James needs instead of doing it myself. When morning comes and bouncy, happy, (coughing) children enter my room, I tell them to go put the t.v. on I need more sleep. After a few moments, I drag myself out of bed. Make breakfast. I am not happy today. We have had a haphazard day of school. I am impatient with my children. Laundry is piled on the floor...dishes in the sink...I have barked at my children more than I care to admit. I fed my children hot dogs for lunch and gave them tootsie rolls to show how sorry I was for being grouchy. I have called my husband just to complain about my day. I am still wearing my pajamas. All I want to do is sit on the couch with a bag of chocolate chips and the remote. I don't even think I have hugged my kids today or told them that I love them.)

Yes, there you have it. That is me. That is us. We are far from perfect. Even as I type about this, I feel the need to defend my parenting and remind you this doesn't happen very often. However, the fact that it happens at all, shows you what is in my heart. And it is not good, folks.

Thankfully, God does not see that when he looks at me. He sees perfection. He sees Christ. There is nothing that I can do to make Him love me less. There is nothing that I can do to make Him love me more. My attempts at good parenting don't impress Him. My self-righteousness cannot even begin to please Him. My good works are rubbish to Him. However, the acceptance of my sin, the recognition of my desperate need, with His sacrifice make me pure...Through Christ I am being perfected. I won't ever be perfected on earth, but have the eternal hope that I will be one day in Heaven. All because I am His child.

So, when I blog I am not trying to give you a picture of perfection. Far from it. I really don't want to over think and analyze everything that I put on this blog. I am not trying to offend anyone. I am not trying to make you feel insecure. Instead, I am trying to say, that I am right there with you... I struggle...over and over, I struggle. And over and over, I am loved. More than I ever thought possible. More than I really will ever comprehend.

So, for those of you who follow our blog, I hope that you are encouraged that we are a Covenant family who needs God's grace and mercy. We need your prayers. We need your love. If you follow our blog and don't see that, I'm sorry. And in the most loving way that I can say it, If you don't like the blog, don't like our family, or don't like me; don't read my blog.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have kiddos that need some loving... and I need a shower.

Friday Favorites- Things I use on a daily basis (or almost)

2008-10-10T13:34:00.006-04:00

Sometimes I do a Friday Favorite. Usually it is pretty random. One of my best friends, who is an ocean away in Vienna, Austria, is a much better blogger than I am. Check out her blog here, it is definitely more interesting than mine! She is way more consistent in her Friday Favorites. She emailed me and suggested that some of us do some similar Friday Favorites. I think it is a fun idea, and hopefully it will inspire me to be a better and more frequent blogger! So, here are the 10 things that I use everyday!

1. This is what I use every morning to make my first cup of coffee. I love our coffee pot. We got it a few years ago for Chris' birthday. It is super fast since it keeps the water hot all the time...my coffee is at my finger tips in seconds!

2. Most of our floors in our house are wood. So, everyday I am using my microfiber sweeper.

3. I have been reading a chapter of this book everyday. It is an encouraging devotional type book geared towards moms.

4. My cheap-o orange peeler. My mom got it for me at some kitchen store in the Outer Banks... I love it! We had one from Tupperware when I was a kid, and believe me it makes peeling oranges super easy!

5. Hair mousse. Yes, this is a necessity with my crazy curly hair. When I was in college, my mom used to mail me care packages full of mousse. My roommates used to make fun of me, but then they saw my hair without "product" and I think had more compassion then. You wouldn't understand unless you have curly hair, believe me. I have noticed over the years, though, that I am using less and less, and my hair is definitely not as curly as it once was.

6. Flonase.

7. Claritin.

8. My bread maker. Our new favorite recipe is here. I usually stick to our normal whole wheat recipe that we eat everyday, but this is a good one to do with spaghetti or any Italian dish.

9. My cell phone. Everyone in my family has Verizon, so it is free to call each other... Chris' work even uses Verizon. So, if you have a Verizon cell phone, give me a call, it is FREE!

10. Our espresso maker. My brother gave this to my husband a few years ago for Christmas. Chris has been good about using it. However, I just learned how to make espressos. My favorite drink is a mocha from Starbucks. I am perfecting my own take on it. It is much, much, cheaper...and I don't have to go get in my car to get one! I think I am going to go make myself one now...

Our Charlotte

2008-10-06T19:14:00.004-04:00

We just finished reading Charlotte's Web. I can't tell you how many times I have read this book. I think as a child I read it until the cover fell off. Then I read it each year that I was a teacher (in a classroom setting). This is the second time reading it to my kids. This time it was part of the curriculum we use for Samuel. Their comprehension of what happened definitely was greater this time around. Samuel was fighting tears at the end. (Don't tell him I put that on the blog!)

A few weeks ago, we found "our Charlotte." Every night just outside our sliding glass door, this huge spider starts spinning its web. I cannot believe how fast he puts it up and how huge it is! Early each morning, he cleans it up and disappears until the next evening. One night we woke up the boys to see, since he makes his appearance rather late. I tried to take a picture, but it doesn't do the web size justice. The boys are convinced that we need a "Wilbur." Chris and I are not convinced.

Chris and I were trying to figure out how we could get some kind of writing in this spider's web. Imagine the boys waking up to find words in "our Charlotte's" web!
In keeping with the spider theme, today we made spider hats. Bennett was most excited as he loves to cut and glue! I think they turned out pretty cute. And here's Samuel's book report on Charlotte's Web. He is all about doing book reports these days...we'll see how long that lasts! (You might be able to click on it to see it a bit more clearly.)

Friday Favorites- Backyard Camping!

2008-10-03T07:02:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago, I watched an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, where they camped out in their backyard. It inspired me to do the same thing with the boys.... it didn't inspire Chris, but he was a good sport. I figured it would be a great way to introduce camping to them, not to mention cheap and easy, or so I thought. We had been given a tent last Christmas that was sitting in the attic still in it's box.

On this first cool Friday night I decided that we'd cook out, and then put up the tent, play outside until the boys were worn out, make s'mores, and then climb in the tent and fall fast asleep listening to the crickets while feeling the cool breeze....ahh. OK, so here's how it really happened.

Chris didn't get home until about 6:30, so we had a late start. After dinner, he had to find the tent, that took a bit. Then he had to put it up. In the dark. With 3 boys wanting to help. It was fun.

He's such a good sport. After a while, we had a nice big tent set up! The boys loved running in and out of it.

Now it was fire time. I had found this fire pit on super clearance at Wal-mart. However, I neglected to get any fire wood. You can tell that I am not an avid camper. However, not wanting to spend money on wood, I told Chris about this tree that had been cut down in town. He stopped by on his way home and loaded up the truck with some of the "free wood." However, we don't own an ax. So, we did some sawing (by we, I of course mean Chris), some more sawing... more sawing, and finally were able to get some decent wood to burn. The boys hunted in the yard for some starter wood. And finally we had our fire.

Notice, there are no pictures of us around the fire roasting our marshmallows. Yes, it was the first real cool night of the season, but along with the coolness came the wind! This picture doesn't give justice to how windy and high that fire really got. Chris toasted some marshmallows very quickly so we'd have some s'mores. Then he got a bucket of sand from the boys' sandbox and put out the fire. We were happy to have our s'mores though!

Now it was time to settle in our tent for the night. The boys were excited to sleep in their little sleeping bags. Chris and I were planning on sleeping on air mattresses. Yeah, we are really hard core campers here. However, one had a leak, so Chris so sweetly brought one of the boys' mattresses out for me. Now we are all settled in and shared a few "scary" tales.

Well, it didn't take long and all three boys were happily snoring. Chris and I were tossing and turning, drifting in and out. Then around midnight, we heard this barking. It sounded like a dog was near. But, it turned out to be Bennett. Croup. Yes, again. I guess third time's a charm. So, we took everyone inside. Bennett ended up camping in the bed with me. Every couple of hours, he'd wake up barking and we'd have to go do the whole shower treatment thing.

So, our camping adventure was definitely an adventure. It might be a while before we try again. What I don't understand is how Jon & Kate do it so easily with 8 kids, and we only have 3! Oh well. Thankfully we don't have cameras following us around.

Some OBX pics...finally

2008-09-29T21:31:00.007-04:00

Finally, I am getting some pictures up from our trip to the Outer Banks with my family. These are just some from my camera. I'll post some more this week that my sister and mom took. I feel so behind on this blog...hopefully, I will get caught up and be a more frequent blogger...

Friday Favorites- Fall Ball!

2008-09-19T17:13:00.007-04:00

Last weekend the boys had their first games for the fall. Samuel is playing t-ball and James is playing soccer. It is fun watching them play and being outside in this beautiful fall weather. Samuel is still way too competitive for a 6 year old, and is annoyed with the fact that they don't keep score for his age. He also doesn't like the fact that everyone on the team gets to bat each inning. He always wants to slide to the bases, and I think he thinks he's a Major Leaguer in his cute little uniform.

James on the other hand could care less about scoring or even getting to touch the ball. He is improving his efforts, but his care-free attitude shows on the field too. After Samuel's game last week, he (Samuel) was sitting on the side-lines of James' game yelling at James to "hustle" and "get in there!"

When we watch Samuel play, James is out and about looking for rocks for his collection. Night and day I tell you.

Anyway, these pictures are on my camera still, so I am able to download them to my mom's computer... we are still hoping we can get all of our other pictures off of our computer... when (if) I do... vacation pictures will be next!S

Samuel on first base catching the ball... not quite an out.

Samuel turning the corner at third base, heading home. Chris is right there in the corner as the third base coach.

Check out my little number 29. Here's a picture of him in action.

Check out his fancy footwork.

2008-09-17T11:06:00.002-04:00

So, we are back from vacation... which is always a bummer. However, we were glad to be back with Chris (he wasn't in OBX with us the whole time.) We hit the ground running, t-ball games, soccer games, church activities, birthday parties, school.... and then Monday night I woke up with a horrible, sinus headache and congestion. Yesterday I spent the day in bed...thank goodness for DVR. My kids had a marathon day of watching the Magic School Bus. When Chris got home, I headed to the local urgent care... three hours and too much money later, I headed home with antibiotics and steroids to get rid of this horrible, horrible, sinus infection. The meds are starting to work, although I still feel like I've been hit by a truck and am run down. I hate being sick and having my whole world come to a halt.

And... our computer is not working. I guess since it is older than Samuel, that is pretty ancient in computer years. So, all my nice vacation pictures are on it. Hopefully, we'll be able to get them off before we bury it in the back yard. So, right now I am using my mom's. In the near future I guess we'll be computer shopping. Any feedback on cheap but good lap tops would be welcome.

On a more serious note, pray for my brother today. He is probably still in surgery right now at Johns Hopkins having a tumor in his leg removed. The doctors are pretty certain it is benign. However, we still would appreciate your prayers for his recovery and that there would be no signs of cancer.

So, this blog might be out of order until I am feeling better and until we have another computer... hopefully it won't be too long until everyone is back in commission.

Friday Favorite-The Ice Cream Man!

2008-09-05T15:07:00.007-04:00

I actually took these pictures on Labor Day. We had a nice, quiet, lazy Labor Day this week. Bennett was still getting over a stomach virus, so we stayed close to home and just enjoyed the last of the summer days.

We have an ice cream truck that comes around pretty frequently. Thankfully, when we are indoors, my kids can't here the obnoxious-kid-enticing music. However, we were out playing, so there was no denying the call. Hey, it is the end of summer, right!? And for the first time in my kids' lives, they will get to experience the changing of seasons right before their eyes. The end of summer, however, is still pretty confusing to them all. I cannot wait!

Well, by the time Chris made it inside to get his wallet, the ice cream man was passing us by.However, ~~being the loving, caring, dad~~ sweet lover that he is, he jumped in the van and headed off to catch him! Here the boys are waiting very patiently for his return...

Bennett trying to listen to the ice cream man's music...

Showing Grandma Sugar their goodies
All my boys enjoying their sweet treats!

So, even though we celebrated the end of summer, and we officially started another year of homeschooling (another post coming soon), summer isn't quite over for this group.

Tomorrow we are supposed to be heading to the Outer Banks of NC for a week at the beach with my family. However, Tropical Storm Hanna is interfering a bit. We are bound and determined to get there, and are praying that this is a dud and that the rest of the week is glorious!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

Beech Mountain, North Carolina

2008-08-25T10:45:00.006-04:00

This past weekend we traveled down to Beech Mountain to see our dear friends, the Hunters. They are missionaries in Vienna, Austria and were Stateside for a few weeks. We haven't seem them in over a year, and amidst their crazy, busy time in America, they were gracious enough to invite us to spend some time with them at their favorite place in the world. Of course, we would be happy enough to hang out anywhere with them, but being in Beech Mountain made it even more wonderful.

Now it is Monday morning. I am still in my pajamas. My fridge is empty. My laundry baskets are full. My grocery list is long. My patience is short. My heart is heavy. My schedule for today is too light. It has been hard to come off the mountain both literally and figuratively.

Being with our dear friends, made me miss them even more. Makes me feel even more lonely here in Virginia. Friends like them, don't come along too often in a lifetime. Friends with whom you can pick up right where you left off. Friends that love you for who you are. Friends that love your own kids like their own. Friends that can encourage you in your parenting and marriage. Friends that laugh and cry with you. Friends that need you as much as you need them.

So, now it is Monday morning. We are all a little sad. We are all very tired. And honestly, I am wondering if it was worth it. It is so hard to come off the "mountain" after being with those whom you love so much. I know in my head it was worth it, but my heavy heart is telling me otherwise. It is just making me more aware of the need to have relationships. It reminds me that we aren't there yet with people here in Virginia. However, I am hopeful and prayerful that we will get their soon. It reminds me of how wonderful Heaven will be.

Here are some pictures of our time with the Hunters. We loved being outside, making forts, fishing, skipping rocks at the creek, playing the Wii, dancing, eating (way, way too much!), watching Tom and Jerry, and just being together... We miss you Hunters and cannot thank you enough for making time in your crazy schedule to spend a few days with us!
The kiddos dancing around.Playing the Wii.
James and Levi playing by the creek.

Brad giving the boys a lesson on skipping rocks.

Abby and James hanging out in the fort.

Very happy boys getting ready to go fishing!
Brad and Chris after one of our many delicious meals!
Me and Stacey

Making and eating s'mores!
Some down time with Tom and Jerry!

And in the words of Bennett, "I miss my friends."

Olympic Spirit

2008-08-21T13:29:00.003-04:00

Yes, we are plugged in these days. To say that we are obsessed might be a bit much, but we all are enjoying the Summer Olympics! We loved watching Michael Phelps, and continue to watch as much as we can. The boys love watching anything we let them. It definitely has motivated them in their play. Every time we go to the pool, they sport their goggles and imitate the Olympic swimmers. Even in the backyard I hear them "running for the gold!" We have been tracking the medals with a chart. Samuel gets on line several times a day to check the medal count! We've even participated in our own Olympics with the Wii that my mom bought for the boys. I think that Chris and I enjoy it just as much as they do. Hope you are enjoying the Olympics too! Here are some pictures showing our "Olympic Spirit!"

Making our chart to keep track of the U.S.A.'s medals.

Racing in the backyard.

Wii family bowling tournament!

Homemade Haircuts

2008-08-13T21:15:00.002-04:00

During these "leaner" times, we've been trying to figure out ways to spend less and be wiser and better stewards with what we have. God has always provided for our family, and we continue to trust in Him for his perfect provision. Some of the things we have been doing that save a bit here and there, and sort of even seem fun in a strange way, are pictured below: Using a clothesline
Eating from our garden Homemade yogurt and fruit popsicles

Homemade bread (well from the breadmaker, anyway)
Homemade yogurt and granola...
and YES,

"Homemade haircuts" as Samuel put it. After looking at what we spent each month in haircuts for the four boys (I am counting Chris in that), I headed up to our local discount store and spent a whopping twenty bucks on some clippers. Needless to say, they've already paid for themselves. They even came with a "How To" DVD. Samuel's haircut was pretty easy. There are few spots that lay funny, but overall mission accomplished. James' cut wasn't too hard either. (The picture of them eating the popsicle is after their cuts.) Notice there is not a picture of Bennett in this post. No, he doesn't have another bad hair cut. Remember this post? We haven't attempted to do his yet. Maybe I'll get some nerve to do it this weekend. Pretty soon his will be long enough to put in a pony tail!

Speaking of pony tail. A tale for another post. I got my hair cut, chopped rather, yesterday. Oh, my. I can barely put mine in a pony tail. Oh, I miss my hairdresser in Florida.

No Friday Favorites...

2008-08-01T11:17:00.002-04:00

So, the boys started off the week with head colds, which moved to their chests, triggered their asthma. Finally I thought we were turning a corner yesterday. This morning, very, very early we were awakened. All three of the boys are throwing up, yes even at the same time sometimes. So, we started the week with lots of tissues and breathing treatments. We are ending it with puke buckets and cold wash cloths. I'll be back next week, I hope.

I am "that" parent!

2008-07-28T20:43:00.005-04:00

** If you aren't interested in the bathroom habits (or lack thereof) of toddlers, come back in a few days, and maybe I'll have another post up.

So, let me start by giving you a little history. Right before Samuel turned 2, I decided it was time to potty train. He was showing all the "signs" and I was ready to not have two kids in diapers. (James was 6 months old at the time.) So, we did all the right things, and in about 3 days he was potty trained. Basically we took one whole week, cleared our schedule, stayed at home, drank tons and tons of fluids, went around without wearing bottoms, took our little potty into whatever room we were in, set the timer to go off every 20 minutes, and did a potty dance at each elimination. I will tell you, it was easy. It worked. We would have a few accidents in the following months, only pee ones though. Usually it was when he was too busy playing or had tons and tons to drink. But I think it may have only been 2 or 3 times.

Now onto James' experience. So, James turned 2, two weeks before Bennett was born. I had decided that I was going to wait to do the whole potty training thing. I didn't want to start before Bennett came, and definitely wasn't going to do it with a newborn around. I figured we'd wait until he was about 2 1/2 or so. Well, when Bennett was about 2 weeks old, James took off his diaper and told me that he wasn't going to wear it again. And, I am honest when I tell you, he never wore one again! I did nothing, and he was potty trained. The problem was just that I would be nursing a newborn, trying to keep tabs on a three year old and my little 2 year old would decide he needed to use the potty. I will be honest in saying that I tried to discourage it, but it didn't work. I'd be up nursing several times in the night, about to finally fall asleep and I'd see the bathroom light flick on, hear the pee, and the loud flushing of the potty. Although it wasn't the most convenient time for me, after a few weeks of having two out the three potty trained and only one in diapers, I was pretty happy. Not to mention the added benefit of having done absolutely nothing to potty train James.

Now there's Bennett. I should be a pro, right? Yeah, that is what I thought. I thought the only problem would be finding some big boy underwear to fit his skinny tushy! All along Bennett has shown signs of being an early potty trainer. He always wanted to copy his big brothers and pee on the potty. He would put their underwear over his clothes. He would tell me when he had some "stuff" in his diaper. So, a few months ago, I decided it was time. We cleared our schedule as best as we could and started potty training. All of a sudden, my little eager beaver had no interest in the potty. I was a bit discouraged, but decided we'd wait. We waited. So, I tried a few weeks later. Nothing. No biggie, he is not even quite 2 1/2. Yet, I was tired of lugging a diaper bag, and knew that physically he was able to do it, he was just too stubborn. He'd say things like, "I will wait to use the potty until I am a big boy." "I need my diaper to go poopy." "Don't look at me, I am going potty." Yeah, if you can say all that, you can put your "stuff" where it belongs. So, we tried again. Meanwhile the last few months he was pretty much trained when it came to the pee issue. He would be dry after naps and even after a whole night of sleep!

So, fast forward to about 2 weeks ago. I was done with diapers. So, we got the potty back out and did all the right things, again. No luck. He was refusing to use the potty to go poopy. So, I decided I would do all the things I had sworn I would never do, the things that I actually thought were the result of being a bad parent. We bribed with candy, t.v. time, special treats, cake, balloons, toys, you name it. Nothing. We would use various forms of discipline when he would poop in his underwear or diaper. Nothing. I was humbled.

I was doing all the things that I said I would never do. All the things that I thought were unnecessary to get a child potty trained. I was "that" parent. "That" parent that I used to view as weak. Now I realized was a parent that doesn't know it all. A parent that is being sanctified. A parent that is no where near perfect. A parent that understands he/she cannot control their child, as much as he/she would like. A parent that needed grace and mercy that can only come from the Lord.
As I was praying for patience, I was praying for guidance in potty training. And, yes, I was praying for poop. Poop in the potty that is. So, we tried a different idea. Bennett was all about hiding when he pooped. So, I found a little corner in our dining room, and put the little potty down on a towel. I tied some sheets up to make a little "room." I set a timer out and we would go over there to the private bathroom and sit every 30 minutes. And guess what, he pooped on the potty!

So, I immediately screamed. We all yelled and danced. I turned the stove off (I was in the middle of making dinner.) Loaded up in the van. Hit Kroger. Bought a cake. Brought it home and redecorated. After dinner we lit candles and all sang, "Happy Poopy on the Potty to you..."

And while I was most excited that we had turned a corner. I was more excited that God has forgiven me. Forgiven me for relying on my own strength. Forgiven me for my desire to be in control. Forgiven me for being judgemental of others and full of pride. And, I have realized (a realization that comes frequently, yet fades quickly) that my children are part of my sanctification. And that I will never have it all together. And that that is OK. I am that parent.

So, it has been about 2 weeks. Bennett still isn't the willing participant I'd like him to be. However, there are less and less accidents. This process wasn't as quick as I'd like, as most things in life... especially my sanctification. Yet, it is a process and we are making progress.

Here's my little fellow proud of his big boy underwear! And, I am happy to say, that for the first time in SIX YEARS we are not buying diapers!

******* A quick update this morning. Bennett went to the bathroom (I forgot to mention that we have move his potty now to the bathroom) and pooped in the potty without assistance. He then proceeded to wipe, dump his "stuff" in the big potty and get dressed by himself. Let's just say I've been spending the last 30 minutes cleaning up after him. However, I prayed for poop, right!!??

Good Neighbors

2008-07-22T19:55:00.003-04:00

We have good neighbors. I mean great neighbors. Directly across the street from us, live an older couple (he retired a few months ago, she still is a school librarian). When we moved here, they brought over brownies. Not only do they wave hello, they come over and make conversation. My boys love "Mr. Neighbor" and fondly yell hello to him every time we see him. The neighbors have always been kind to my mom, and helpful too. They hired Chris to do some work in the yard, which was a bit of some much needed extra income.

My great neighbors are on vacation. We are picking up their mail and paper every day. My great neighbors have a great pool. We've been over a few times to swim. They told us that we were more than welcome to enjoy the pool while they were gone. And oh, we have.

My great neighbors went to this orchard over the weekend and brought back these delicious peaches for us. (They actually brought back a whole bag... and the peaches were gone in two days!) They brought donuts for the boys, which didn't even last long enough to be photographed. Then my great neighbors left again and will return tomorrow from another trip. I just finished making them my favorite chocolate chips bars. These are the easiest, most delicious bars! (I will put the recipe at the bottom of the post.)

My great neighbors put me to shame. While I am overwhelmed at their generosity, kindness, friendliness... they remind me of what a horrible neighbor I've been in the past.

In Florida we lived next to a family with three children. At first things were fine. We'd say hello and have brief conversations. Our kids would play in the backyard sometimes. They invited us to birthday parties. We'd make Christmas cookies and bring them over. Then it just got more difficult. Our neighbors were not considerate, having very, very late night parties that were unbelievably loud. Their children would come, rather run into our house uninvited. They didn't keep up with their yard or children's belongings. I began to get bitter, upset, and down right annoyed with them. My annoyance just began to fester. I would avoid them as much as possible. My pride was incredible. I judged and criticized in my head when I would see them bringing home fast food each night, or when I heard their kids up past ten on a school night.

The last straw was when they put their house up on the market a few months after we did. And when we lowered our price, they would lower theirs to exactly what we were asking. I was more than angry.

Now, we are in Virginia. Loving our neighbors, thankful for who they are. And I am reminded of who I am. Mean, nasty, hateful, wicked, judgemental... I can keep going, and going. I never loved my neighbors like I should have. I didn't pray for them. And I wonder what they thought of their "Christian" neighbors.

I can't go back. I can pray for them. I can pray for myself...to be more Christ like and loving to those around me. I can pray that I will be a better neighbor regardless of who my neighbor is, and despite who I am. I am praying that I will be loving to our neighbors now. That I will show them my need for a Savior. And just maybe, through Christ working in me, they too will see a need for a Savior.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!

2 sticks of butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 bag of chocolate chips

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time. At vanilla and continue to cream. Add dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Put in greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

Maybe you have a neighbor that would enjoy some!

Friday Favorites - Ocean View Beach

2008-07-18T14:52:00.006-04:00

Hawaii, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Bahamas... Those beaches have nothing on Ocean View! Well, maybe they are prettier and more tropical, but my favorite beach in the whole wide world is in Norfolk, Virginia at Ocean View. There really isn't anything too special about the beach. If you were a tourist, you probably would rather hit Virginia Beach. But for me, this beach is the best.

A few weeks ago, my mom, the boys and I headed over for the day. It is actually the Chesapeake Bay, rather than the Ocean. This beach in Ocean View, called Sarah Constant, is the beach that my mom grew up going to. It is only a few blocks from the home she was raised in. As children, we also frequented this beach and fondly called it, "Grandma's beach." I even remember thinking at one point that she really owned this particular beach!

I have so many fond memories... going crabbing each summer, walking on the pier, making sand castles, collecting shells, playing on the frequent sand bars, laying in the sand reading Nancy Drew books, chasing cousins, hanging out with my Grandma, riding the boogie boards... ahh...

It has been years and years since I have been back. I almost got choked up when we pulled up. Everything seemed the exact same, yet a bit smaller than I had remembered. My boys immediately took off and it was so wonderful sitting in the sand with my mom, watching them play on the same beach that my mom and I both played on when we were their ages.

We had a delicious lunch at the pier. The boys were wiped out after playing in the sand and sun. We plan to go back each week this summer, and I hope that my boys start making sweet memories there too.

(Oh, and in the picture of Bennett and me, he is crying because he just had just hit his head on the table a few seconds before!)

The last few weeks... in pictures

2008-07-15T10:00:00.002-04:00

Since I have neglected this blog, I am trying to catch up this morning. However, there is just way too much to write about, so I am taking the easy route. Pictures. We've been busy with Samuel's flag football, a wonderful visit from Chris' parents, celebrating the Fourth, celebrating Samuel's sixth birthday, an afternoon in Williamsburg... So, take a look at the pictures...a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So here's 22,000 words for you. Praying before the big game
Samuel out on the field
Samuel is the one about to hike the ball
Loyal fans, Sara, Shawn, James and Bennett
Look closely, Samuel is the one grabbing the flag
Samuel as he is about to catch the ball
Grandma and Bennett in WilliamsburgWalking the streets of Colonial Williamsburg

The boys checking out a garden
Poppy, Samuel and James

Just thought this was neat

Celebrating the Fourth with a bike/scooter parade in my Aunt Sue's neighborhood. My cousin, Peter was a great sport at being the Grand Marshall...he's the one in the front
My three boys (Samuel on the scooter, James on the bike, and then Bennett on his scooter)
Grandma Ross and the boys
Samuel and James practicing their battle skills in Williamsburg

My big six year old

Grandpa Hughes and Aunt Patty
From Left to Right... Patrick, Peter (two of my many cousins), Aunt Patty, and my cousin Mary Katherine
Samuel's dream birthday... a flag football game in our own backyard

Blowing out the candles... I can't believe he is another year older. Or as Chris put it, 1/3 of his way to being 18!

Poppy, Grandma, me and BJohnny, Jenett, and the boys

Did you know...

2008-07-11T15:45:00.003-04:00

that Elefun is a contact sport??

Hopefully later I'll get a real post up about our happenings the last few weeks...so stay tuned.

One of the happiest days of our lives....

2008-07-05T11:28:00.004-04:00

Six years ago, God blessed us with our first son, Samuel! Today we are praising God that he has blessed us with these wonderful six years of watching him grow and change. I cannot begin to tell you what a blessing he is to us, his brothers, and the rest of our family. We are excited to celebrate with a visit from Poppy and Grandma and later today to have a cook out with all of my family too (minus Sara and Shawn who are in Europe!). More blogging to come later...we've been super, super busy.

Happy Birthday Samuel, We love you!!!

Two New Additions to the Ross House

2008-06-26T15:17:00.002-04:00

Cleats and a mouth guard. Tonight Samuel starts something he has been dying to do since he could basically talk and walk. Play an organized sport. It doesn't matter the sport, Samuel wants to watch it, play it, go see it... A true sports FANATIC! He will even wake up early in the morning to sneak and watch ESPN. So, this evening at 7pm, my little boy, will begin something that I have a feeling will be a major part of his life from now on. He is signed up to play flag football on a homeschool league. Pictures to come soon...

A fun Week at VBS!!

2008-06-22T20:15:00.003-04:00

Last week we had VBS at the church we've been attending. Click HERE to read more about our new church. While we sure do miss St. Andrews, we really like Trinity. Their VBS was a bit different than we've experienced before. The pre-schoolers (James and Bennett were in that group) met at the church and had a typical VBS morning. The elementary kids had their VBS at a local low-income housing neighborhood. It was called The Camp. The children could either choose an Arts Camp or Sports Camp. You can guess which Samuel chose. They were actually there from 9-2 everyday. The great thing was that this was a ministry not only to our own children, but to all those children in the neighborhood. You wouldn't believe the turn out and the involvement on Trinity's behalf.

I worked in the 2 year old class at the actual church. That is because little Bennett is having horrible separation issues. Since we are still new to the church, I figured he would do better with me being one of his teachers. All three boys had a great week. It was good for us to jump right in and get to know the people of Trinity. Today, the boys were all smiles as we went to church and they heard, "Hey Sam." "Hi, there James." I have to admit it was nice for me being a little more known too.

Sorry I didn't get a post up on Friday about our favorites. We were just wiped out after VBS and all the driving to and fro. So, we'll let VBS be our favorite this week.

Well, here is a video of Bennett singing one of the songs they learned. I can't believe how talkative and big he is getting! The sound isn't great, but you'll get the idea. Here are the words to the song:

The birdies in the tree-tops sing their songs,

The angels in the chorus sing along,

The flowers in the garden lend their hue,

So why shouldn't I, why shouldn't I

Praise Him too?!

Friday Favorite

2008-06-13T13:29:00.004-04:00

Fireflies!! Last night we kept the boys up past their bedtimes since Chris gets home later from work here in Virginia...and because it doesn't get dark until after 9pm! We waited, and waited, and waited until finally the night was lit up with Fireflies!! The pictures aren't that great...I'm not a great night-time photographer. However, the fireflies were everywhere...notice, even in James' hair!
And, we do cannot claim that there were No Fireflies hurt in these pictures. Bennett wasn't quite skilled enough to catch them gently enough for their survival!

Weekend Review!

2008-06-08T21:43:00.003-04:00

Saturday morning we left Bennett here with my mom. We took Samuel and James up to Richmond to spend the night with my sister, and her hubby, Shawn. Chris and I then learned our way around Richmond... going Here, Here, Here, Here (thanks to Mom for the giftcards), and finally ending up for the night Here. We had a wonderful little break from our kids, for some much needed time together. The only problem was this:Yes, you are reading that right. We are currently under an extreme heat wave, breaking high temps left and right. It was so stinking hot out, that we were miserable any time outdoors. And, unfortunately I woke up in our hotel room this morning with dehydration... not the way to get to know your hotel bathroom...and so much for sleeping in. However, all in all it was a GREAT weekend.

To see the boys with Sara and Shawn, check out their blog Here!

Stay cool... we're trying. Tomorrow's high: 101. With the heat index it should feel like 110. And we moved North to escape the heat! Ok, my Florida friends, stop laughing.

Friday Favorites

2008-06-06T08:11:00.006-04:00

Last Friday we headed to Virginia Beach. Chris was in Florida, so we were trying to stay busy. We went to my Grandpa's golf course. He is the head pro at The Signature at Westneck. It is a beautiful golf course open to the public. We enjoyed a nice dinner at the restaurant. The food is delicious! This has been one of our favorite places over the years...and of course Grandpa is our favorite too. The boys loved spending time with "Grandpa Hoos."

Surprise!

2008-05-31T19:13:00.007-04:00

Surprise! I've blogged three days in a row! Pick yourself up off the ground! It does help that our internet connection here is tons faster. Our ancient computer is still slow, after all it is older than our children (6 years old!) I am not sure if I'll keep up this pace, but with Chris being gone I know he likes to see what we've been up to.

We've been trying to stay busy, busy, busy. Yesterday afternoon we went to Virginia Beach and had dinner at my Grandpa's golf course (pictures soon coming). Today, Chris was in Florida out in that hot, nasty sun working... He thought we were lounging by our pool.

Ok, so James did a bit. But we weren't!

We spent all day tilling up the side yard and planting a GARDEN! We are so excited and can't wait to eat the fruits (mostly veggies) of our labor. Hopefully soon we'll be enjoying tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, green beans, carrots, snap peas, a cantaloupe and a watermelon!
After all that tilling, raking, shoveling, planting... we are all worn out. The boys are fast asleep. I'm about to take some motrin (I know I'll be hurting tomorrow). And, if you know me, you know that I have to be awfully proud of this garden to put such a flattering picture of my backside on here! It might be removed soon!

Friday Favorite: Norfolk Botanical Gardens

2008-05-30T08:13:00.010-04:00

Our good friends the Hunters have been living in Vienna, Austria as missionaries with WHM, for nearly a year now. Stacey has started something called Friday Favorites on their blog. While, I know that Vienna is far more interesting to read about than Virginia, I thought maybe you'd like to see some of the places we love here.

A few weeks ago, we ventured out to Norfolk Botanical Gardens with my mom. This is a place that she went to growing up, as did I. It is absolutely gorgeous this time of year. And the wonderful thing is that you can just roam as you please and enjoy the gardens. Thanks to my mom, we now have a year's pass and will be frequenting it often! They even have a great water play area for the children. Here are some pictures of our time there with my mom...and our time there with my Aunt Patty, Cousin Jessica (and her son Grayson), Jessica's friend and children.

Grandma Sugar and her fellows pose for a picture.

The boys doing a Rocky pose after climbing some steps.
Some geese and their baby goslings. This was Bennett's all time favorite thing there.

Lots of places for little boys to run, run, run.

Picture One: Boys posing on the eagle they just sprinted to.
Picture Two: The sign we read after we already took the picture. Oops!
More running... Thankfully we caught B, before he got into the water...yes, he would have gone for a swim, I'm sure of it.
More running. See why I like this place!
My boys. My cousin Maggie. My cousin Jessica's son Grayson (standing off to the side), and my cousin Jessica's friend's kids.

Here's the mama eagle guarding her nest.
The boys in front of the mermaid. These are all around Hampton Roads, especially Norfolk. My boys love spotting them.
At the children's play area.

Dog pile on top of Aunt patty.
More hanging out in the kid's area.

Looking for frogs. Bennett kept asking if there were alligators in there...that's what happens when you live in Florida and have a mom who is paranoid about gators.

The kids were wiped out!

Ok, the good stuff... I am not much of a photographer, but...Here are just some of the beautiful plants and flowers that you can see. (For you Floridians, look closely, they even have banana trees!) And the picture of the rose garden doesn't even do it justice. It literally is breath-taking...and smells unbelievable!

A memorable Memorial Day

2008-05-28T20:26:00.008-04:00

We just had our first official holiday as Virginia residents. It was nice to be back in an area that really celebrates the holiday for what it is. With all the military around, you really can feel the patriotism.

We celebrated the holiday and the kick-off to summer (that feels weird to us, since we've lived in a summery environment for the last 7 years!) with my mom and Auntie Sara and Uncle Shawn (or as Bennett calls them "Uncle Sara" and "Auntie Shawn.")

Here are a few pictures from the fun weekend.
Ok, while some of us were playing others were working. Chris (with lots of help from my Uncle Johnny, cousin Patrick and here Shawn) put up a fence!!! Now my boys can run loose without me worrying too much. Did I say we had lots to eat? Here's Bennett shucking some corn.

Samuel playing the Wii, and Bennett thinking he's playing the Wii.
There's an elementary school two blocks from our house. Unlike in Florida, here you can play on the playground if school isn't in session. We took advantage of that and the beautiful weather.
Everyone wanted a turn in Grandma's lap. Even me and Sara!
We enjoyed some water sports in our yard. Sara and Shawn brought water guns with them. My boys came up with a shooting range with some empty soda cans. Then they took it a step further and sported their swim goggles while standing behind the cans. Little boys and their ideas...

The boys and Shawn spent lots of time wrestling.
Here's James on one of our bike rides.
Playing soccer in the backyard.

Yes, that is Sara on the water slide. I think she went down it the most. The water still was a bit cold, but that didn't stop her!!

Stay tuned... tomorrow I hope to start something on my blog about Favorites. My friend, Stacey, does that every Friday, so I thought I'd start so you can see some of the things in Virginia.

Please keep praying for us. Chris' job fell through. The company is going through a stage of lay-offs and a hiring freeze. Chris flies back tonight to Florida to work there for a week.

Sara and Shawn

2008-05-21T22:09:00.006-04:00

My sister and Shawn were married in February. However, this past Saturday they celebrated with their wedding reception. The day was absolutely beautiful. They had the party at their lovely house with their amazing backyard. It looked like something out of Southern Living. We had so much fun and are so blessed to have Shawn as a part of our family. Here are some pictures from the day. (Sorry about the different sizes of the pictures...different cameras)

Sara, Shawn and their pastorSara and JamesChris, Johnny, James and BennettMom and JohnnyThe happy coupleMe and BThe cake. Oh my, it was so good.... almond pound cake. I won't tell you how many pieces were consumed by the sister-of-the-bride. The only time all three boys were in one place and sitting still was when the cake was about to be served! My Uncle John plays ball with the boys. Look at that beautiful yard in the background!

What we've been up to lately...

2008-05-13T22:32:00.006-04:00

So, I've located the camera. We've unpacked the computer. My excuses for being "un-connected" are no longer valid. And while I did miss checking blogs frequently, emailing, etc... I have to tell you that I enjoyed the "un-connected" life for a while.

Today I broke out the camera and took some random pictures to show you just what we've been up to lately...

Ok, this is the obvious one. Unpacking boxes. Oh, I can't wait to be done with this.Breathing treatments. I am not sure if it is everything blooming that is triggering allergies/asthma...or if it is just part of the nasty virus we've all had. Fever, sniffles, coughs, and even a trip to the ER for Bennett having croup! We've all been grumpy, medicated, tired and needy...even me! I think we have turned a corner today... or at least pray so! The boys have been taking their turns on the nebulizer.

Speaking of blooming... I love spring. The pink roses are in our new yard... and the geraniums are on my mom's front porch. I love seeing all the pretty colors... although my sinuses aren't quite as happy.Painting. Well, I can't take credit for this. Chris is the "painter" in our family. However, he is back in Florida for the week, so here the cans sit. Hopefully sometime soon we'll have some pictures to post of our new house here in Va!So, while Chris paints, I sew. I've been busy making pillow covers, curtains, etc... This is a taste of our new home for you!Hanging pictures. Trying to figure out how to decorate, where to put everything, what to get rid of, what to change... I am ready to be done with that! However, it sure is nice going to bed not worrying about how clean my house is in the chance that a potential buyer might be coming over!!! Enjoying the unseasonable cool temperatures! I know you locals are ready for warm weather. But having lived the last 7 years in South Florida, I am more than happy to wear pants and sweaters! While it has been super cool here, Florida hit a record the other day in the upper 90's!Working in the yard with Grandma. I am not sure who is happier... Grandma having her boys here or the boys being able to help Grandma in the yard. The boys want to spend every waking moment outside!Learning about more northern environments. James keeps calling the pine cones "porcupines!" That's Ok, he can name any kind of palm, tropical fruit, or lizard! Ha!!Perfecting our scooter and bike tricks. Here's Bennett (wearing his garden gloves that he will NOT take off) waving at the camera! I need to make a video, it is just too funny watching this 2 year old whiz on by. And, yes usually he wears his helmet.Just hanging out...playing and loving our new home!And I am just putting this one in because it is so cute. Bennett is definitely in that independent-I-can-do-it-myself-2-year-old-stage. He wouldn't let me fix his glasses the right way. Whatever works, I guess.

YES!!!! We SOLD our house!!!

2008-04-30T21:40:00.003-04:00

The last two weeks have been a crazy, hectic, chaotic mess! The last two days even crazier...However, WE CLOSED ON OUR HOUSE TODAY! We are currently staying at Chris' parents and will be Virginia bound on Sunday. We have a few more extremely busy days, full of fun and lasts... Someday I'll blog about the last few weeks and days, but for now, it is bedtime!

Oh, and Happy Birthday to my sister, Sara!

Yes and a No

2008-04-15T22:10:00.003-04:00

Yes, I am bad about posting. Yes, I am bad about returning phone calls. Yes, I am bad about responding to emails. Yes, I need you to forgive me for being a bad friend. Yes, I am trying to keep a house showable. Yes, I am homeschooling. Yes, Jesus loves even me. Yes, I am semi-potty-training. Yes, I have tons of pictures that I should post. Yes, Chris' surgery went as well as possible. Yes, he goes back tomorrow for his post-op appointment. Yes, we have had some action on our house (9 people came to look in 4 days!). Yes, we had a low offer today. No, we cannot take it. Yes, we still need your prayers for a buyer. Yes, my brother comes tomorrow for a visit. Yes, the boys are more than excited. Yes, I am off to bed.

Be careful when using knives...

2008-04-09T12:47:00.003-04:00

Lately, my boys (Chris, Samuel and James along with Poppy, Chris' dad) have been hitting the lake every chance they get. Chris' sister, Angie, lives right near this little lake/pond where they go. I can't believe all the fish they catch! They throw them back, but sure have a fun time trying to catch them.

Two Sundays ago, the boys headed out after church to fish. I then received a phone call from Chris. His first words were, "I'm alright, but..." To make a long story short he cut his hand with a knife while trying to get some plastic wiring off of a new fishing pole. He headed to the ER and received some stitches.

Now, almost two weeks later, he still has a very swollen hand with no feeling in his thumb. This morning he had a doctor's appointment with a hand specialist. Tomorrow morning Chris will have to undergo surgery. Apparently not only did he slice his hand pretty badly, but he severed one of the major nerves in his hand.

Please pray for him tomorrow. Pray that the doctors are able to repair his hand to full health. Pray for a quick recovery and no recurring problems.

Here are some pictures from one of their fishing trips!

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!

2008-04-02T18:13:00.005-04:00

A couple of post ago I mentioned a woman named Tricia Lawrenson. A woman with CF. Back in January she delivered a 24 week old baby, Gwyneth. Tricia has been in the hospital ever since. She basically will not be going home without a double lung transplant. A couple of days ago they received word that donor lungs were coming. That didn't work out. However, I just checked their blog and it looks like a set of lungs is being airlifted this evening for Tricia!!!

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY my friends! Pray that these indeed will be a great match for Tricia. Pray for all the doctors and nurses that will be in her surgery this evening. Pray for her husband, Nate. Pray for her parents, siblings, friends, etc. Continue to pray for their little, little baby girl. And pray for this family who is mourning the loss of a loved one this evening.

To visit their blog click HERE.
Oh, and today is Tricia's husband, Nate's birthday!

A Day at the Zoo and Happy Birthday Chris!

2008-03-29T13:49:00.000-04:00

Today is Chris' birthday!! We celebrated a few days ago with a trip to the Miami Zoo. It was a beautiful "spring" day in South Florida. We had a great day seeing all the animals. Here are some of our favorites. The zebras eating their lunch.
A rhino, or as James says a "rhino-saurus"

This camel was Bennett's favorite. "Funny Camel" is what he kept saying.
Ok, so this iguana wasn't part of the exhibit. Just a Florida norm. He was chilling out with the elephants. The tiger checking us out.Florida flamingos
So, we tried to go feed the giraffes. They were not interested in our food. In fact we had to leave pretty quickly because they were only interested in each other. I was not ready to give that lesson to my little boys. Here's a G-rated picture of the love birds.A pretty birdie

All my boys on the elephant

Mommy and the boys in front of the real elephants Bennett and James pose for a picture
Napping animalsThe animals weren't the only ones tired. The boys focus on slurping up their slurpees to give them a sugar boost!At the end of the day it was getting hot! Here the boys cool off in the mister.We had such a fun day! It was a great way to celebrate Chris' birthday.

Funny Friday

2008-03-28T14:00:00.005-04:00

I thought this might make some of you smile. I don't know about you, but I could use a good laugh today. Today, March 28th, is the day we were going to be closing on our house. Which means, we would have been Virginia bound tomorrow. So, it was a little sad this morning when on my calendar I had to scratch out the words "CLOSING!!!" I'm also a bit sad because my good friend Kim and my good friend Stacey are together, and I'm not there with them! Stacey and her family are missionaries with World Harvest serving in Vienna, Austria. Kim and her family left last night and right about now probably are having such a sweet reunion. Sniff, sniff. I am excited for them and know that they are going to have so much fun together this next week.

So, here's my Friday funny. About a week ago I plastered my house with sticky notes (on my bathroom mirrors, refrigerator, computer screen, kitchen cabinets, by the thermostat, on the shelf above the washing machine, etc.). On the sticky notes are written Bible verses to give me perspective, to encourage me, and to help me to praise God throughout the day. (A lot of them came from my dear friends and family and all their encouraging emails over the last year.)

Well I put them up after the boys were asleep for the night. The next morning the boys got up. Samuel came downstairs and was so excited thinking that their was some sort of scavenger hunt going on. They were very disappointed when I explained the real reason that they were everywhere. James then said, "Oh, so you have AWANAs too." I then had to explain that we not only memorize scripture for AWANAs, but to keep in our hearts and minds. At the breakfast table I explained how having these scriptures around our house helps me.

James said, "It looks like you need a whole lot of help."

Day 7 of Praise

2008-03-23T20:21:00.001-04:00

Today I praise God that the tomb was empty.

Day 6 of Praise

2008-03-22T21:26:00.002-04:00

This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

I praise God today simply for another day. A calm day. A productive day. A fun day. A rainy day. A day to praise Him, for He made it.

Today was a day of baking, cooking, cleaning. It was also a day of basketball watching, egg dyeing, and Resurrection Roll eating. It was a day of reading books and watching the rain. It was a day of snuggling on the couch and laughing. It was a day of just being together.

The day is almost over. My three fellows have been fast asleep for a while now. All food preparations for our Easter celebration are done. All clothes for church are clean and ironed. The last load of laundry is in the dryer. The dishes are all put away. The Easter baskets are out and filled with some books, a new pair of pj's for everyone, and a little bit of candy. I'm going to end my day very, very soon...

Thank you Lord for this day.

Day 5 of Praise

2008-03-21T21:17:00.002-04:00

I am not a big blog hopper most of the time. I usually stick to the blogs of my friends and family. Some nights I have been sucked in to Bloggerville checking out friends of friends of friends...etc. My friend Rachel had a link on her blog to pray for a woman named Tricia who has Cystic Fibrosis. Her husband, Nathan, has a blog about their lives. They gave birth to the most adorable little girl, Gwyneth back in Jan. She was born at 24 weeks and is still in the hospital. Tricia is also in the hospital awaiting a double lung transplant. If you want to check out their blog click on this link: http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/

I am praising God today for this family. Their faith is strong and their love for God is obvious. The incredible thing is the amount of people who are checking out this blog everyday! Praise God that he is using their blog to share their story... but more importantly to share the Gospel unashamedly. I urge you to read their story. I urge you to pray for Tricia, Nate, and Gwyneth. I urge you to praise God for trials that bring us together as fellow believers in Him and the burden we can carry for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I am fairly sure that I will never meet this family this side of heaven. (Even though I just read that they spent the first 2 years of their marriage in Portsmouth, VA...where my mom lives and as soon as this house sells we will too!) However, praise God for the saints all over the world that make up His Kingdom.

Day 4 of Praise

2008-03-20T21:29:00.002-04:00

Today I am praising God for my husband. Eight years ago today I knew that I wanted to marry this man. Nothing crazy happened that day, nothing super romantic, we weren't even in the same state. However, it was the day I realized he was "the one." He said he knew before then, but I definitely think it was a defining day in our relationship. We had been friends for five years before then. After we graduated from college, we stayed in touch. However, January of 2000 we started emailing more and more frequently. In March we were emailing several times a day and talking on the phone several times a week. In May Chris came up to Virginia for a visit. In July I came down here to Florida and we got engaged! We were married in November!

I praise God for giving me a husband who loves and serves the Lord, a husband who is thoughtful, helpful, kind, a husband who is fun, & a husband who loves me as unconditionally as humanly possible...for that I am thankful. My cup overflows...

Day 3 of Praise

2008-03-19T13:52:00.002-04:00

Any guesses as to what these pictures have to do with praising God? Oh, let me tell you. These were taken when we were in Peru visiting Jeremy and Amanda back in February. If you look closely, they are pictures of footprints outside of a second story window ledge. Now, any guesses to whom those footprints belong? If you guessed Samuel, that is a great guess, but wrong! If you know my children, you know that Samuel is the boy with no fear who will do anything. James on the other hand is very timid when it comes to "adventures" or doing new things. However, he definitely went on an adventure in Lima.

One afternoon while we were there, James headed upstairs to play. At home if things are quiet and James is missing, usually he is tucked away in some corner looking at books or playing with Legos. If Samuel or Bennett is missing and all is quiet, trouble is probably brewing. Anyway, after about 10 minutes, James came back down stairs. He was covered in dust and dirt. I asked him what he had done and he told me that he had been climbing near the window. Never did I think he meant the 2nd story window! All week the kids had been playing near one of the windows on the first level. I assumed that he had been playing around that little ledge. Samuel then informed me that James had climbed out of Jeremy and Amanda's window on the 2nd story and walked along the ledge to the end of their house (probably 10 feet!) to the electrified wire!!! I had James show me what he did, and indeed he took me up to their room and pointed where he had walked. Ok, even to this day, it makes my stomach turn. These are pictures we took of the evidence of James' adventure. If you look closely you can see how far up it is, and you can even see his footprints. But, what you do not see in these pictures are the angel footprints.

Yes, I truly believe God had angels around my little James that afternoon. And I praise Him for that. Being a mom of three boys, I know that there will be accidents along the way. However, I constantly ask for a hedge to be around my children. And God has been so faithful in doing just that. Case and point, the above pictures! I was just telling a friend the other day, that we've never had an emergency room visit for any accidents (only breathing issues and dehydration), no stitches, no broken bones*... She said "Go knock on wood!" And I replied, "No, praise God!"

So, tonight I am praising God for protecting my children from physical and spiritual harm. I praise Him for the protection he provides that I am not always aware of... the angels that surround us...the Holy Spirit that is in us... I am also trusting Him to continue to protect our bodies, hearts, and souls.

*Right after I had that conversation I noticed that Bennett's front tooth was gray! We ended up a the dentist because he apparently had a fall and has damaged it! Nothing we can do, it will stay gray until his permanent one comes in in about 5 years!

Day 2 of Praise

2008-03-18T13:09:00.002-04:00

First, I am praising God for this moment. Bennett is asleep, and the "big" boys are listening to Adventures in Odyssey. I am thankful for the snippets of time that God gives me to praise Him. Today I am praising Him for those. If you are a mom, you know how hard it is to find time to sit down and have a quiet time. I am learning that the stage I am in in life right now doesn't always warrant long times of quiet, uninterrupted reading and praying. Instead, I find myself meditating on a few verses each day, trying to pray throughout the day, worshipping with music, reading the Bible with my kids, singing silly Bible songs with them, etc... And that is good. While there are days when I long to be able to sit and pour my soul out in one setting or read more than a few verses at a time, I think that now is a time in my life where God is showing me what it means to constantly be in communion with Him.

I usually start my day with this devotional. I love it because the author takes scripture and turns it in to prayer. I try to grab this book right when I wake up, but sometimes it is while I am using the bathroom, brushing my teeth, sitting at breakfast, or whenever I can get a moment... Today's verses/prayer I know was a direct reminder to me. I praise God for His sovereignty in giving me these words this morning.

Day 18 (Scripture References: Romans 8:28-29, I Peter 1:6-7; James 1:2-4, Psalm 68:8-12; 138:7-8, Job 23:10; Deut. 8:2-3; 16-17; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18; John 12:27-28)

Father, I am so delighted that You are both loving and sovereign, and that You cause all things to work together for good to those who love You, to those who are called according to Your purpose. So I thank You for each disturbing or humbling situation in my life, for each breaking or cleansing process You are allowing, for each problem or hindrance, for each thing that triggers in me anxiety or anger or pain. And I thank you in advance for each disappointment, each demanding duty, each pressure, each interruption that may arise in the coming hours and days.

In spite of what I think or feel when I get my eyes off You, I choose not to resist my trials as intruders, but to welcome them as friends.

Thank you that each difficulty is an opportunity to see You work...that in Your time You will bring me out to a place of abundance. I rejoice that You plan to enrich and beautify me through each problem, each conflict, each struggle...that through them You expose my weaknesses and needs, my hidden sins, my self-centeredness (and especially my self-reliance and pride.) Thank You that You use trials to humble me and perfect my faith and produce in me the quality of endurance...that they prepare the soil of my heart for the fresh new growth in godliness that You and I both long to see in me...and that my momentary troubles are producing for me and eternal glory that far outweighs them all, as I keep my eyes focused on You. I'm grateful that You look beyond my superficial desire for a trouble-free life; instead, You fulfill my deep-down desire to glorify You, enjoy Your warm fellowship, and become more like Your son.

I thank You for the bitter things
They've been a friend to grace,
They've driven me from the paths of ease
To storm the secret place
-Florence White Willet

A Week of Thanks

2008-03-17T19:57:00.008-04:00

First I need to thank all of you, my dear family and friends, who have been lifting us up in prayer. Thank you for all the comments, calls, cards, and emails encouraging me, especially. I am so grateful. I know that God is good. I know that He has a plan for our lives. The last few days I've been reflecting on all that's happened (and not happened!) this last year. I am learning more and more that I fail at praising God for all the things He has done in our lives. As we reflect on the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ this week, I am trying each day to spend as much time as I can praising God for all that He has done, rather than beseeching Him to do things. I've also decided every day this week to post about something I am thankful for. So, stay tuned!Today I am thankful for my family. Five years ago today, we were going through another great trial. I had an unexpected 2nd trimester miscarriage. We were devastated, sad, angry, questioning God's sovereign will in our lives (much like I am now about the non-sale of our house). However, now, five years later, I can see how He used that to work in our hearts. I praise God for using that for His glory and good. And, I praise God for my three healthy and happy boys! I know that one day we will look back on these times and praise God for His work in our lives as well.

So, two weekends ago, we had a weekend away with Chris' parents. It was when we thought we had a contract on our house, so it was a weekend to celebrate that, relax, and enjoy time with Poppy and Grandma. Thanks to Chris' co-worker, we had a great house to stay in for FREE!! Although the weather was cool, we enjoyed our time in Lake Placid. I am thankful for that time of refreshment. It was much needed, and now appreciated given the stress of the week we had following our time away!

Bennett was in heaven!! He just played, played, played in the sand with his truck.

Playing in the sand

Samuel and James enjoyed playing ball with Poppy and Daddy. In that first picture check out the baseball that Samuel just hit!!

Poppy and Grandma with the boys!

On Sunday afternoon we went to Henscratch Farm. We feed chickens, picked strawberries, and ate the most delicious strawberry shortcakes!

So much to be thankful for!! See you tomorrow...

The Roller Coaster Ride Continues...

2008-03-13T12:42:00.002-04:00

We do not have a contract on our house. The buyer couldn't get her finances together enough to her loan. We found out yesterday afternoon. Packing stopped. Unpacking started. House back on market. Have to get it back to looking decent for potential buyers. Have to stop crying. Have to trust more in God's plan for our lives. Pray for us.

We interupt this blog break...

2008-03-08T06:44:00.001-05:00

To let you know that the contract on our house is back on! It has been a crazy, crazy, week. Finally last night we knew for sure that we have a contract on our house. The price is much lower, and we are sad about that. However, we have a buyer! We are still set to close March 28th. We still do not know about Chris' job. They will be getting back with us this coming week. In the meantime, we are headed for a little family vacation until Monday morning with Chris' parents! The only goal I have this weekend is to RELAX!

Official Blog Break

2008-03-05T14:32:00.003-05:00

This afternoon we lost the contract on our house. I am going to take an indefinite break from blogging. I appreciate all the encouragement, emails, comments, and mostly prayers. If you don't mind, please keep praying. Chris' interview is actually tomorrow. Pray as he has to tell them for the 2nd time that we are not yet moving to Virginia. I seriously doubt they will keep anything open for him anymore. Pray that God would miraculously open doors for future employment and somehow provide a buyer for us. And in the meantime that he would heal our hearts and turn them towards Him.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY

2008-03-04T17:44:00.003-05:00

So, things had been going smoothly with our buyer...we had an inspection on Friday and there were a few things that were problematic. We have agreed to replace the front stoop and some wood around the window by the garage that has rotted (all cosmetic, mind you, nothing structural!). The buyer is being very difficult about this. Without going into too much detail because I am tired, been crying, and need to feed three boys dinner, please, please, please pray that this lady doesn't break the contract, or that we don't get forced to a position that we have to. We might have to go through tons of hoops (getting bids, re-inspections, etc.). Pray this is resolved before all of that. This lady is already getting a great deal, and we've been bending over backwards. We are in a hard place, because we want so badly to sell.

Also, Chris has a a re-interview on the phone tomorrow. Please pray the house situation will be resolved before then, that he will have a job, and that we will still be moving at the end of the month. Until then I constantly feel like I am going to cry, have a breakdown, or heart attack.

Over blogging...

2008-03-01T17:35:00.005-05:00

Could it be??? YES!! I don't feel like a blogger anymore... I apologize for those of you (if there are any) who check regularly. I don't know what's wrong, but I just don't have the energy, time, desire to blog anymore... Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed blogging about everyday uneventful life...now we are on a roller coaster. Things are moving fast and I don't know how to keep up with everything, especially the Ross Report. Maybe I'll be inspired. Maybe I'll change my mind. I hope so. I'm just over it right now. However, I will catch you up on what is going on.

YES, we have a contract on our house!!! This is an unbelievable PRAISE!! We are supposed to close March 28th. We will head to Virginia very, very soon thereafter. While we praise God for this blessing, there are still several things that need praying about.

*Pray that our buyer gets her financing. There is always the chance these days that will not happen. So far things have gone smoothly without any hitches. She is pre-approved for her loan, but that doesn't mean she will get it. Pray she does.

*Pray for Chris' job. The details still have to be worked out. Pray that he will be gainfully employed upon arriving in Virginia.

*Pray for wisdom in deciding how to physically prepare for a major move in four short weeks. To pack or not to pack, that is the question. In the case of our contract falling through, I don't know if I can handle it emotionally...and would have a very hard time unpacking. On the other hand, with three children, homeschooling, etc. I don't know if I can pack my whole house in a few days.

*Pray for my children. While we are overjoyed to be moving back to Virginia, we have spent the last 7 years of our lives here in Florida. We will be leaving family (Chris' parents, sister, nieces), friends, AWANAS, our homeschool co-op groups, Saints PE, St. Andrews, and the house my boys have spent there whole lives in. Pray that my children (and myself!) will be healthy about saying good-bye. That during this time of extreme emotions (both happy and sad) we will turn to the one constant thing in our lives... our Heavenly Father.

Thank you so much for keeping our family in your prayers. You have no idea the peace that comes over me sometimes when I think about all of you (around the world!) who are lifting us up in prayer. Speaking of all over the world. I will leave you with some pictures of my little world travelers. I received a suggestion about posting a picture a day of Peru. That would take over 250 days! Yes, we took tons of pictures. But, I will leave you with some of my favorites from our trip. And, if I do keep blogging, maybe one day I'll journal about our time.

Update...

2008-02-23T16:36:00.002-05:00

I know that I've been bad about blogging. Here's a real quick re-cap of life as of late. I am in Virginia (alone!). My sister got married last night and I flew up yesterday morning. I leave tomorrow morning. I've had a fun weekend with my family (mom, brother, sister, new brother-in-law, aunts, uncle cousins...). My family (Chris and boys) are in Florida. We will all come up in May for a big reception for Sara and Shawn.

My email is not working, so I apologize if you've emailed me as of late. Hopefully, it will be working soon.

Update on the house... KEEP PRAYING! We gave a counter offer that had very little changes. The potential buyer was supposed to accept it by this evening. She has asked for an extension until Monday at 5pm. Yikes! Pray she isn't getting cold feet or deciding on another place. Please, pray for overwhelming peace for us right now. I don't like this waiting, wondering, hoping phase. It stinks. Pray this indeed is the buyer...pray she can get financing. Pray our journey to Virginia is near an end.

I promise I'll post Peru and wedding pictures this coming week! Until then, thanks for your prayers, we need them.

We have an OFFER!!!

2008-02-20T08:23:00.002-05:00

Yes, we got a real, official, decent offer on our house last night!!!!!! PRAISE GOD... and keep praying. While the offer is for our asking price, there are still some things we are going to try to negotiate AND the financing has to come through for the buyer. Pray for that in this crazy, crazy, market. Thank you for praying for us. God will provide, we know. Pray for belief on our part. Pray for the next few days, weeks, that things would go as smoothly as possible! Thank you, my friends and family. I will keep you updated!

Barely hanging on...

2008-02-18T19:46:00.006-05:00

Both Samuel's tooth and his mommy have been barely hanging on this week... but alas, the tooth finally came out with the help of Daddy! I can't believe my little Samuel has lost his first tooth! I remember when that first tooth popped through his gums. It feels like yesterday we were oohing and ahhing over every little baby milestone. And, now we are entering a whole new phase. He definitely isn't a baby, toddler, or pre-schooler, any more... he's my BIG kid!!

As for me barely hanging on... I am still trying to get it together after being in Peru for 2 weeks. I always think that we'll ease back into life after traveling, but it never seems to happen that way. We hit the ground running... laundry, trying to get back into schooling, birthday parties, P.E., co-op Valentine's party, church activities, etc... So, I hope you understand why I haven't blogged about our trip. I just can't seem to find the time, and when I do, I get overwhelmed thinking of our 250 pictures to pick from and trying to figure out what to write! I will do it soon, I promise. I know lots of you are waiting... what's a few more days?

In the meantime, we might have a possible buyer (how many times have I said that??). So, you can pray that this lady who came to see our house twice this past weekend will make us an offer!!!!

What's the going rate for a tooth anyway?? Any of you veteran "tooth fairies" know?

2 years ago...and 10 hours from now...

2008-01-31T07:03:00.000-05:00

Almost two years ago, we welcomed our third son into the world! It is fitting that I do his birthay post now, for two reasons... Reason #1: When you ask Bennett when his birthday is, he yells, "January!" Reason #2: For his actual birthday (Feb. 8th) we will be in Peru!

Bennett is our "suprise" child! When I found out that we were going to have our third, I literally laughed (and then cried). Since Samuel and James were only a year and half apart, I really wanted some time before we had another. However, God had different plans, and for that I am so thankful. At the time I couldn't imagine life with three kids in three years. Now, I cannot imagine my life any differently. The blessing of Bennett's life has been amazing to all four of us. The unexpected things in life often end up being the best!

Bennett loves his brothers. He does everything they do. I can't believe that my baby is almost 2, but at the same time I can't believe this little person is only 2 years old! He talks more than they did at this age (which if you know my kids, you know that they will talk your ear off!!). His favorite things to say are, "My turn!", "Where my brothers?", "Sam-moo, James, play catch wif me!" He is definitely the comedian of the bunch. His antics keep his brothers laughing, and after Bennett performs a little show, he proclaims "That's funny!"Bennett is also a mama's boy!! To those he doesn't know he is definitely shy. He likes to cling to his mama like a koala bear! However, when we go anywhere, he greets everyone in his path. Besides his mom, he loves his thumb. Man, that thing is always in his mouth.

Bennett brings such joy to our family. Each day he is growing and becoming more and more a little boy. He may be small, but he makes up for it in his personality! This evening we fly to Peru to be with Chris' brother Jeremy, his wife Amanda, and their two girls Kayla and Bella. We are excited (and a bit nervous) about our first international travels as a family. We are so excited to be able to celebrate Bella's birthday (Feb. 3) and Bennett's while we are there.

Pray for safe and smooth travels, healthy kids (and parents), and a sweet time of fellowship while we are there. I will try to blog some, but for sure will have tons of pictures when we get back (Feb. 12). Oh, and I know I am always asking for prayer for our house, but please pray on Feb. 2, for our Open House. Pray for a good turn out. Pray for a buyer. Pray for an offer and contract! Adios!

Not so good news...

2008-01-26T11:29:00.001-05:00

We heard from that other realtor. Unfortunately, the "possible" buyer qualifies no where near our asking price...about $75K less!! Therefore, we won't be selling our house to him. This is sad news. The good news is that our Heavenly Father's timing is perfect, his plan is perfect, and His love for us is unwavering. We are trying to keep focused on that. But, I have to admit it is so hard. Please keep praying for us. I feel overwhelming discouragement.

On the bright side, less than one week and we are Peru bound!

Pump it Up!

2008-01-24T14:05:00.000-05:00

Tuesday afternoon we celebrated James' fourth birthday at Pump It Up with some of his friends. It was so much fun watching all the kids bounce, bounce, bounce!! He was so excited all day counting down the hours until his party. Here are some pictures...

**House update** I know that I haven't updated. That's pretty much because there is nothing to update at this time. We haven't heard from that potential buyer. Our realtor is going to call tomorrow and check in on the situation. We've also decided to lower our price again. Hopefully that will give him some incentive. And, we'll have another open house in 2 weeks here when we are in Peru. So, plenty to pray for! I'll keep you updated!

Look Who's Four!

2008-01-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

Today our James celebrates his fourth birthday!! I just can't believe my little Jamesie is four years old! We had a little family party last night and he's having a "real" party with his "real" friends on Tuesday.

James truly is a blessing to our family. When Samuel was only 5 months old I found out that I was pregnant. We were devastated when I miscarried at 3 months. One month later I found out that I was pregnant again...with James. So, when Samuel was just a year and a half, we welcomed James to our family. As hard as our miscarriage was, we can see God's perfect plan for our family in giving us James.

James is such a tender spirit and sweet boy. He's our go-with-the-flow child. 99% of the time he is full of happiness... but of course he is a normal little boy too. He loves his brothers, and they love him. Praise God with us today was we thank him for allowing this little boy to grace our days and lives.

A Day at the Races

2008-01-19T21:07:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of Samuel's week is Friday morning P.E. He is enrolled in the Christian Homeschoolers Athletic Association's P.E. program. For three hours every Friday morning, he is in sheer bliss. This program teaches him all kinds of sports, allows for lots of energy to be burned off, provides tons of love and support from awesome coaches, and a fun time with his friends. Today was their annual Track and Field Day. Samuel has been looking forward to this day for months. He was awake at 5am! with so much excitement. Here are some pictures from our day.

Samuel doing the softball throw.

Adrianna and Samuel between races...Yes, they were running even when they didn't have to. Can you imagine?
Samuel doing the 100 yard dash. This little competitive boy couldn't keep his eyes of his "competition!"
Still looking at his competitors. At the end he almost swerves into the next lane he's so busy checking out everyone else!
Poppy watches Bennett do the "Diaper Dash!"

James participates in the pre-school 50 yard run. Our little laid back one sure did book it! He came in first!

Samuel doing the 100 yard hurdles!
His Great Aunts, Gail and Mary, are here visiting and made great cheerleaders! They were sweet enough to come to Samuel's big day! Check out the boys' medals!
Grandma Ross and B.Ahhh...those snow cones sure were good on this hot Florida day! (Yes, while most of our friends and family are enjoying some really cold weather and snow...we are in the 80's!)

The best part of the day!

Journey to Virginia...

2008-01-17T17:36:00.000-05:00

As many of you know our house is still on the market here in Florida. And you also probably know that the market here in South Florida is probably one of the worst, if not the worst, in the nation. It has been on the market since April of last year. We've continued to drop, drop, drop the price...still no bites.

When we got back from Virginia after Christmas, we changed realtors. We now have a friend who has graciously listed our house. Last weekend we had someone look at it and they "liked it a lot."

That person is now in the process of getting financing. According to his realtor we are in his top three. Pray that he would get financing in this crazy mortgage crisis, pray that we'd be his top choice, pray that we'd have a contract on our house.

We are encouraged with this possible lead. Yet, we are trying to be realistic in this crazy market. I am trying not to get my hopes up. I am trying to guard my heart. Yet, I can't help but wonder and hope this is the one. I don't know whether to cry or laugh. That's pretty much how things are usually in this household. Pray for me, please. I feel as if I have been on a roller coaster for almost a year now, and I'm ready for the ride to be over.

Praise the Lord!!!

2008-01-16T11:37:00.000-05:00

I just got off the phone with Bobbilee. Sadie had her surgery this morning and did very well!! They placed the shunt in successfully. She woke up very soon after and already had the breathing tube taken out! The nurses said she opened her eyes when they were wheeling her from the OR to the NICU. They think at this point she will be discharged when Bobbilee is (sometime on Friday). She will go to the pediatric neurosurgeon in one month to have a CTscan to make sure everything is functioning normally. Pray for them over the next few days as they (Bobbilee and Sadie) both heal. Pray that little Sadie develops as she should and that there are no further complications.

Thank you so much for praying. Praise God for our family of believers!!

Sadie update

2008-01-15T21:00:00.001-05:00

Sadie will undergo surgery in the morning. They will be placing a shunt in her brain to try and fix the accumulation of fluid. Please pray for that this will be effective. Pray for the doctors' hands and minds. Pray for the whole Tanner family tomorrow. I will update when I have more info. Thanks.

Sadie Tanner

2008-01-15T12:33:00.000-05:00

My friend, Bobbilee, had her c-section this morning. Everything went well. "Little" Sadie weighed 9lbs, 3oz!! She seems perfectly healthy! However, she will be undergoing some tests, namely a MRI, this afternoon. Please pray that the swelling in her brain has subsided and that she will not need brain surgery. I'll keep you updated. I hope to go up to the hospital this evening, and maybe will try to get a picture of this little blessing! Thanks for praying, and keep at it!

Christmas Pictures...way late...

2008-01-10T19:27:00.001-05:00

Here they are... well some of them anyway. We took over 200 pictures when we were in Virginia. I haven't put them on the blog because I simply have been overwhelmed at picking pictures...finding time...not being sick...catching up on life...homeschooling...playing with tinker-toys...fixing meals...cleaning...etc. So, for those who have been waiting, here are some snapshots of our Christmas with my family. Sorry for the lame post and hodge-podgy photos!The three boys in their Christmas pjs.

Shawn, James and Sara ice-skating.

Playing with the nerf guns.

Bennett and Daddy

Mommy and James making a gingerbread house.

Sara and the boys.

Go UVA! Before the game, Uncle Johnny and the boys(they were not smiling after the game!)

Helping Grandma Sugar open presents Christmas morning.

Samuel and James out at my cousin Jessica's house.

Jessica's son Grayson and Bennett on the little John Deere. They could be twins!!

Ok, that's it for now. Maybe when I get a chance I'll post some more from our trip.

Keep Praying!

2008-01-09T14:01:00.000-05:00

My friend, Bobbilee, had her ultrasound yesterday. The good news is that the swelling has not increased. However, it has not subsided either. Please keep them in your prayers. On Tuesday morning, Sadie will arrive! She will then have a MRI. Pray the MRI shows complete healing! Obviously, pray for all the doctors and nurses involved and all the decisions that will need to be made. And, of course pray for the whole Tanner Family.

Prayers Needed

2008-01-04T19:11:00.000-05:00

We need your prayers for our dear friends, Bobbilee and Lucas Tanner, and their unborn daughter Sadie. (Lucas is the Minister of Youth & Families at our church.) Last week Bobbilee had a routine ultrasound when they found out that soon-to-be born, Sadie has severe swelling in her brain. They have performed numerous tests and met with many doctors. It seems that she is suffering from a condition known as venticulomegaly. The pediatric neurosurgeon believes that she will need immediate brain surgery after she is born. He is hopeful that placing a shunt will be necessary and will remove the swelling. They are hopeful because the swelling seems isolated and there appears to be no chromosomal abnormalities.

Pray that when they go back this Monday for another ultrasound that the blockage causing the swelling is gone and that she is healed completely from this. If this is not the case, pray for the doctors minds and hands as they operate on little Sadie after birth. Obviously, pray for overwhelming peace for Bobbilee, Lucas and their 2 year old son, Isaac. Bobbilee is scheduled to have Sadie on Jan. 15th.

Keep praying and I'll keep you updated.

We're "Home"

2008-01-03T07:58:00.000-05:00

Last night we made it home from Virginia. Our trip home wasn't too bad... about 14 hours, which beats our almost 18 hour drive to Virginia before Christmas. We're tired. We're grumpy. We're sad. We're sick. We're cold. Literally the cold weather followed us down I-95. It is in the 30's this morning here in South Florida, with wind chills in the 20's!!! That is colder than it was ever in Virginia when we were there!

So, I am not sure which pile is larger, the new toys to be put away, the clothes that need to be washed and put away, the mail that needs to be gone through... Needless to say, it is going to be a long few days... oh, and I still have ALL my Christmas decorations up... Ahh...

So, pray for me today. I am not sure what is going to be harder... my sugar detox or my "nanny" detox. For the last 12 days I have had daddy, Grandma Sugar, Auntie Sara, Uncle Johnny and Shawn all doting on my three boys... Today I am flying solo again.

Back to walking in circles... trying to make a dent in all of this craziness and see what creative dish I can make for dinner from my bare pantry and refrigerator. I am definitely smarter than taking all three boys out to the grocery store today.

On the happy side, our trip was amazing... which is why it is so hard to come "home." We long for the day when Virginia will be our home again. Until then, we keep praying for our house to sell.

For all of you who have emailed, called, written... I will get back to you once I come up for air. And, hopefully sooner than later pictures of our trip will be up here too.

Christmas Letter 2007

2007-12-20T19:53:00.001-05:00

Most of you should have received our letter in the mail... If not, here it is! Merry Christmas!

The Ross Family ABC’s
2007 in Review

A is for AWANAS. Samuel and James started AWANAS this year at Chris’ parents’ church. James is a Cubbie and Samuel is in Sparks. Chris and his dad volunteer. The boys are really enjoying it and learning tons of Bible verses! They look cute in their little vests… if I do say so myself!

B is for Birthdays! Samuel celebrated his 5th birthday in July. James turned 3 last January, and Bennett had his very 1st birthday in February. And yes, Chris and Amy each added another candle to their cakes as well.

C is for Church. St. Andrews PCA is still our home. We love the people there and feel as if they are our own family. We praise God for the last six years at St. Andrews. Our children know no strangers there, and love it as much as we do.

D is for Disney World. Having not been there in twenty-some years, we’ve been twice this past year! In February, we went for three days with Chris’ parents and visited the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. At the beginning of this month, we took the “bigger” boys there with our good friends, Matt, Kim and their two kids. We surprised the kids on the morning of our trip, and truly had a magical time at Mickey’s Magical Christmas Party. (We even had snow!)

E is for ENERGY! Three boys, 3 ½ years apart equals lots of energy! They are non-stop! Bennett at 22 months (going on 5 years old!), does everything he can to keep up with Samuel and James…climbing bunk beds, running up and down the stairs, scooting on the scooter, swimming… you get the idea. To say our household is busy is an understatement. But, I have to admit, there’s always fun to be had and never a dull moment.

F is for friends. God has blessed us with wonderful friendships. This year, though, we had to say good-bye to two families that have meant so much to us. The Hunters took off in May for Vienna, Austria as missionaries with World Harvest. A month later, the Davis Family, moved to North Carolina. This was especially hard for Samuel, as their Luke was his very first best friend. While we’ve shed lots of tears, we praise God for the Cates and Dorn family. Two families that have grown even dearer to us.

G is for Girls Weekend! Before Stacey Hunter left for Vienna, Kim Cates and I (Amy) were able to take her away for a night to Lake Placid. It was a quick weekend, filled with lots of tears, laughter and good food! We even were able to spend some time with other friends who have moved up there in the last few years. After the girls left, Chris and the boys drove up. Thanks to one of Chris’ co-workers, we had a house on the lake for the whole weekend.

H is for homeschooling. Yes, a former public and private school teacher, who said she would never homeschool, is homeschooling. For various reasons, we have decided to give this a try for Samuel’s kindergarten year. Even though it is a lot of work, we really are enjoying it. Samuel especially enjoys our co-op group and homeschool P.E. program. Samuel is a sponge, and loves to learn and at this point still loves his teacher! James and Bennett want to do whatever Samuel does. Bennett even says the pledges and every morning says, “B use scissors?”

I is for I.V. Twice this past year Bennett was hospitalized for extreme dehydration from having bad stomach viruses. We received such great care at the hospital and are thankful that overall our children are very healthy. We haven’t had a stomach virus in about 6 months and hope to continue this puke-less stretch of good health!

J is for Jack-0-lantern. So, in the busyness of life, we forgot to carve our pumpkins this year! We did have our annual Fall Festival at church. The boys were very excited to be cowboys and Indians. (They very much were in character, I might add!) Bennett figured out the whole trick-or-treat thing too quickly and we’re not sure how much candy he had eaten (wrapper and all) by the time we figured out what he was up to!

K is for Kid’s Choir. For the last few years, Samuel has longed to be in our Children’s Choir at church. Now that he is five, he is full fledged choir member. He takes it very seriously and has sung several times already, even at the Christmas Concert.

L is for Lima, Peru. In a month and a half we will be world travelers! On the last day of January, we head to Lima for ten days to be with Jeremy, Chris’ brother, and his family. Jeremy, Amanda, and their two girls are missionaries there with MTW. We look forward to seeing their new “home” and the community they so faithfully serve.

M is for Marathon…that never happened. After six months of some pretty time consuming training, Amy was ready to run in the Richmond Marathon with her sister, Sara. However, after hurting her foot during one of her long runs, it just wasn’t possible. She hasn’t given up on running yet, and hopes to run one in March of this next year.

N is for New house? Yes, our plan is still to move to Virginia. No, we don’t know when. We honestly thought we’d be there by now, but that is obviously not the Lord’s plan. However, Amy’s mom’s addition to her house is near completion! That will be her new (true to the definition) house, and we will move into the main part of the house which will be our “new” house.

O is for Ocean. Living in Fort Lauderdale, we are so blessed to see God’s beautiful creation all the time. We enjoy living so close the ocean and have spent countless hours playing in the sand and sea. Thankfully, when we move up “north” we’ll still be close to the ocean!

P is for Peanuts. Or should I say NO Peanuts. Unfortunately Samuel still has a severe allergy to peanuts. He was tested a few months ago and his allergy is definitely still a bad one. We were hoping his levels would have dropped, but this wasn’t the case. Now that he is older, it is easier, because he knows to ask about food. However, it is harder because he knows how much he is missing. We are thankful, that we’ve never had to use his epi-pen. We praise God for His protection of Samuel.

Q is for quiet. Ok, so that only happens between the hours of 7:30 pm and 7:00 am. Except last March when Chris and I went away for a glorious weekend to Vero Beach, Florida. It was so nice to get away, sleep, talk with no interruptions, and actually take our time to enjoy a meal. We are about due for another weekend away…anybody want to baby-sit?

R is for Ross Family Reunion. In October we were in South Carolina for the Third Annual Ross Reunion. This is a highlight of the year for the all of us. We stay at a campground and the boys love running wild. We have campfires, lots of food, hikes in the mountains, and wonderful times with almost the whole Ross Family. We love this tradition and know that our children will cherish these memories.

S is for Seven years of Marriage!! In November, Chris and I celebrated our 7th anniversary! Memoo, an adopted Grandma, watched our boys while we enjoyed a nice dinner and some time at the new IKEA! This was our very first anniversary where I was not pregnant and/or nursing a baby!! Kind of nice, I must say.

T is for Time with Family. We’ve had some really special times with our family this year. In August we were able to be in Virginia for Amy’s Grandfather’s 80th birthday celebration. In November, Jeremy, Amanda, and their girls were here in the States for a couple of weeks. We hadn’t seen them in a year and a half! We cherish each moment we are able to share with those we love so much.

U is for University of Virginia. In October, Johnny, Amy’s brother, UVA alum, and Samuel’s hero, flew Samuel and Amy up so that they could go see UVA play Wake Forest in football…a five year-old’s dream come true. The weekend was nothing but fun and of course it helped that UVA won…in the last second!

V is for Vacation Bible School. Way back in June, we enjoyed a week of VBS! Bennett hung out in the nursery, while James had his first year of being a VBS-er. Amy was an assistant in Samuel’s kindergarten class.

W is for Weather. This has been the year of great weather for us South-Floridians. NO HURRICANES!! Not even the threat of one! And while I really miss the changing of seasons, especially fall, this time of year in Florida can’t be beat. It really is a blessing to be able to play outside and swim all year long!

X is for X-ray. Can you believe that with three little boys, not one has ever had an x-ray, or stitches for that matter!? Hopefully I am not speaking too soon… I know, it is just a matter of time.

Y is for YOU! Ok, this one is cheesy. But if YOU want to know what is happening with us on a regular basis, check out our blog: http://rossfamily5.blogspot.com/ You can read the Ross Report and see pictures from all of these events over this last year, and continue to follow the happenings of our family.

Z is for Zero. Zip. Zilch. Null. Nada. Nuthin’. That is how many offers we have had on our house. Ahh…heavy sigh. As I finish this Christmas letter, which I thought I’d be writing in Virginia, we ask you to pray for our house to sell this year. We long to be in Virginia, yet are thankful for this “extra” time we’ve had with our family and friends in Florida. We are thankful that God’s plan is perfect and we trust in His timing for our move. While we struggle with feelings of doubt in regard to our house ever selling, we never doubt His love for us.

We hope that during this Christmastime, you are able to know and understand just how much you are loved by your Heavenly Father…so much so, that the baby who was born in that manger, hung on a cross to die for you…so that you can be in Heaven one day with your Heavenly Father. There is no greater love.

For that love, we are thankful. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

Chris, Amy, Samuel, James and Bennett Ross

And We're Off!! (and Thankful Thursday)

2007-12-20T19:35:00.000-05:00

Almost everything is packed, lunches are made, the gas tank is full... we should be ready for our 4 am departure time!! Tomorrow morning we are cramming in the truck and heading to Virginia like a bunch of rednecks!! Ha, ha!! (no offense to those of you who might consider yourselves a redneck.) We are driving the truck because it is more reliable than our van. So, if you are reading this and it is Friday, pray for us. We will be on the road for about 15 hours...if traffic cooperates. We are so excited to be able to be in Virginia for Christmas. This picture was taken 3 years ago at Christmas of my mom's house when we had a foot of snow! I don't think any snow is forcasted this year, but we'll take the colder weather, for sure!

Obviously I am thankful for our upcoming trip and time with my family. However, I am especially thankful for my dear, dear friend Meegan. She took my "big" boys for four hours this morning so I could pack, clean and get the five of us ready for this trip. I praise God for giving me such a generous and thoughtful friend!!! She has three of her own kids, and yet willingly offered to take my boys. She even did school with all those kids!!! She blessed me beyond knowing. I will not be up until midnight, and my house is nice and tidy. So, pray someone comes and sees it while we're gone and makes an offer to buy it! Now that would be an amazing Christmas gift!

Stay tuned.... my next post will be from Virginia!

My Favorite Things

2007-12-18T14:05:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year. I am not a big fan or watcher of Oprah, but I know that she has a show about her favorite things this time of year. I've seen a few of the shows in the past. So, it gave me the idea to share with you some of my favorite things.

1. Peppermint bark. I really like Williams-Sonoma's version. However, it is way to pricey for my budget. I have come up with my own recipe that is pretty stinking close, I think. I just can't get enough.
2. Christmas Yankee Candles. This one is burning in my kitchen right now.
3. Loading up the boys and driving around at night checking out the lights. Bennett especially loves it and says, "Oh, cool, see the big one!" He says that over and over and over... Even though we've been in Florida for 6 Christmases, I still chuckle seeing palm trees decked out in lights!
4. Buck-eyes! Mmm... These are like little Reese cups. These are the peanut butter version. (Yes, they are way out of Samuel's reach in the refrigerator.) I promised him we'd make the soy nut version too this year. Click here for that recipe, and if you want the traditional peanut butter ones, it is an equal substitution.

5. Non-fat, decaf, Peppermint Mochas from Starbucks.
6. The book, Christmas Carols for a Child's Heart. To order your own copy, check it out here.
7. Christmas parties!! Wow, we've sure had a good share so far...and look forward to the 2nd go-round in Virginia next week! Here's a picture from a little get-together at the Cates' house. (Thanks Kim for the delicious dinner!!)

8. My newest Peruvian manger scene. I don't mean to be irreverent, but isn't this so cute!? (Thanks Jeremy and Amanda!)
9. Hearing my boys belt out Christmas carols! Bennett is a hoot singing the "Glooooo-ooooo-ooooo-ria" in Angels We Have Heard on High.

10. Sitting on the couch with all the lights out, except the Christmas tree, at night after everyone is in bed. Unfortunately that has only happened once this Christmas season! I definitely do not like the busyness of the holidays.

So, there you have it. Now, it is your turn. What are some of your favorite things?

A Little Christmas Party

2007-12-14T21:32:00.000-05:00

On Thursday we had a little Christmas party. We had some of our friends from church over to play, eat and decorate cookies. Here are some pictures from our fun time together. To see more pictures, click here.