Wildnerness at the Smokies

Just back from Wilderness at the Smokies and it was very nice. It was an all indoor waterpark/hotel. We stayed in a nice hotel room and had all of yesterday and today to frolic in the waterpark. It was pretty big with a number of rides, and a wavepool and jacuzzi. We saved the jacuzzi for the end each day. The best was the "toilet bowl", also called Storm Chaser. You go down an enclosed water slide then it drops you down into a toilet bowl like area and you slosh all around until you get ejected out the end slide. The kids loved that!

A lot like Splash Country, but without the sunburn or the heat.

What kind of day will it be today?

With all the kids home, it's a question I ask daily. Will the kids all get along today and be friendly or will it be one big "love-fest" (NOT). Today was a mixture of both and I'm hoping to end the week on a good note...

Gabriel visits with a NH friend tomorrow and Thursday. His friend, Owen, is visiting his grandparents who happen to live in TN. Then we will pick him up on Thursday and we are all headed to a hotel for the night. They also have an indoor water park at this hotel, so that is the added bonus.

Have stocked up on our favorite Izze soda for New Year's and also bought some sparkling juice (grape and strawberry). Will probably watch our taped Star Wars movies and play Bogdan's new game (Star Trek Scene it) and Gabriel's new game (Creationary).

Prayer to the Holy Family

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, like you we are members
of the Father's family. We pray that our family
love may reflect his love on its openness to all
people. May we forgive even when not forgiven,
and be patient with one another’s weaknesses.

Jesus, give us peace, unity and strength to
meet the difficulties of daily living. May we
use our family resources to improve the
quality of life for all people and ourselves.
Let us show joy in serving, for whatever
we do for others, we do for you.

Mary, inspire us, that our love may be
strong but not possessive. Let our willingness
to give depend on the needs of others
rather than on the cost of giving.

Joseph, help us to be attentive to the
Father's will. Let us be ready, as you were,
to act whenever he calls us.

Christmas Snow!

The kids were so excited that we had snow this morning and it is expected to snow for tomorrow too! Yahoo!!

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Merry Christmas

A Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.

Amen

A unique Christmas gift

We just bought 2 chickens, 2 rabbits, a goat, 2 lambs and 2 pigs. What??

Through the ministry "Gospel for Asia", they give these animals to families all over Asia. They use the animals for income, food and subsistence. An interesting way to give to the needy.

Remembering Bertha

Remembering Miss Bertha today, who passed away over the weekend. She was a hospice patient who suffered from brain, spinal and stomach cancer. So, her death was bittersweet. She was loved by many people and will be missed by them. But, her pain is no longer and she is on her way to her heavenly home.

Smells and tastes of Christmas

Around here we have many smells and tastes of Christmas. Among them are Sugar Cookies, decorated with sprinkles and sugar fresh out of the oven. Pork Pie, a family tradition, that now most of the family eats. Cranberry bread, made with real cranberries and orange juice to give it some extra zest. Always eaten the next day, better after it sits a day. Tapioca pudding is Bogdan's ultimate favorite homemade dessert. He would and could eat a huge bowl of it at one sitting. Real, old-fashioned made over the stove with large pearl tapioca, milk, vanilla and sugar. But, my favorite thing that will always bring back Christmas is homemade caramels. We just made them and just the taste of them reminds me so much of my grandmother, who made them for the grandchildren when we were growing up. They are melt in your mouth good.

Strange Way to Save the World

Sure he must have been surprised
At where this road had taken him
'Cause never in a million lives
Would he had dreamed of Bethlehem
And standing at the manger
He saw with his own eyes
The message from the angel come to life
And Joseph said...

Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade
Why Him, with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside a stable filled with hay
Why her, she's just an ordinary girl
Now I'm not one to second guess what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world

To think of how it could have been
If Jesus had come as He deserved
There would have been no Bethlehem
No lowly shepherds at His birth
But Joseph knew the reason
The love had to reach so far
And as he held the Savior in his arms
He must have thought...

Why me, I'm just a simple man of trade
Why Him, with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside a stable filled with hay
Why her, she's just an ordinary girl
Now I'm not one to second guess what angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the world

Tron

We all saw Tron:Legacy in the IMAX 3D movie theater last night. It was great. Lots of visual effects, not as great a story line, but a great experience.

Gabriel has finally set up the trains and they are all over the living room. He can even pull 5 cars behind the big train. Marian is having fun playing with them too. He decided against putting it around the tree, because the tree is too big and there's not enough space.

We are off to our Advent Potluck Party today. Hopefully, it will be a nice gathering. Gabriel is organizing an obstacle course for the kids.

Rocky Road Freeze

8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup milk
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
8 oz. tub of Cool Whip
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chocolate chunks
8 graham crackers slightly crushed

Mix cream cheese, milk, pudding mix and Cool Whip until well blended. Mix in marshmallows, almonds and chocolate. Spoon into cake pan that is lined with plastic wrap. Press graham crackers onto top. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours. Turn over onto plate to serve. Enjoy!

We thought this was the perfect dessert for a freezing rain day with the roads covered with black ice (Rocky Road Freeze, ha-ha-ha)

Black Ice and Freezing Rain

Definitions:

Black Ice=A thin, nearly invisible coating of ice that forms on paved surfaces.

Freezing Rain=Rain that falls in liquid form but freezes upon impact to form a coating of glaze upon the ground and on exposed objects.

Black Ice + Freezing Rain=What Eastern TN is experiencing right now.

And the alternative equation is...

Black Ice + Freezing Rain=NO SCHOOL

Freezing rain

The weather is reporting freezing rain coming our way. The kids, once again, are hoping for bad weather, because that may mean they have no school. We all agreed that the "Snow storm" on Sunday shouldn't have caused a school cancellation but just a 2 hour delay. That's how it would have worked up North...

Sweet Little Jesus Boy

Sweet little Jesus boy
They made you be born in a manger
Sweet little Holy child
Didn't know who You were

Didn't know you come to save us Lord
To take our sins away
Our eyes were blind
We couldn't see
We didn't know who You were

Just seems like we can't do right
Look how we treated you
But please Sir forgive us Lord
We didn't know it was you

Sweet little Jesus Boy
Born a long time ago
Sweet little Holy Child
We didn't know who You were
We didn't know who You were

Cookie Central

Here at Cookie Central we have:

Sugar Cookies by Anna
Spritz Cookies by Gabriel
Gingerbread Cookies by Karen

Eating by all!!

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

Well, my kids are happy! It's actually snowing outside, and it's sticking! They have canceled school in every area school except for here :( But, there is great hope (at least in my house) for a cancellation tomorrow. We'll see. Oak Ridge schools are weird in that they don't go with the rest of the county. Although we are in Anderson County, when the county cancels school it doesn't necessarily mean that Oak Ridge district is canceled. So, we have to check the website or wait for the phone call from the school.

UPDATE!! School is canceled tomorrow, the kids are SO excited.

Chilhowee Park

We wanted to check out the lights at Chilhowee Park in Knoxville last night. Yearly, Comcasat sponsors a show of lights in this outdoor park. It was a nice evening, not too cold and they had everything there. Lots of lights, and free everything (hot chocolate, hot dogs, eggnog, ice cream, face painting, balloon twisting, and a gospel choir!) Tons of people there!



Today we went to the latest Narnia movie and we won a free t-shirt! They were giving away a number of movie related items in the lobby afterward and we won a t-shirt. The kids won some free french fries and ice cream from Chick-fil-a. They loved that!

Tomorrow we are off to "The Nutcracker", the girls have never seen it live before!

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Watched the classic Christmas movie last night. The kids still love it! Bogdan's favorite part is when Shroeder plays "Jingle Bells".

Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat

And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

~Luke 1:46-55

Remembering Pearl Harbor

With our recent visit to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, we have a different outlook on this day in history. The kids were able to see and learn more than they could just in a history book. They have so many things there, but here are a few pictures.

Children Go Where I send Thee

Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee one-by-one
well one was a little bitty baby
wrapped in swaddling clothing
lying in the manger,
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.

Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee two-by-two
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Born, born, born in Bethlehem.

And the other verses

Three for the Hebrew children
Four for the four that stood at the door
Five for the gospel preachers
Six for the six that never got fixed
Seven for the seven that never got to Heaven
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Nine for the nine all dressed so fine
Ten for the Ten Commandments
Eleven for the eleven deriders
Twelve for the twelve Apostles

Freezing weather!

It's been hovering at around 25 (F) all day today, with what TN calls flurries. Honestly, in the north, the weatherman wouldn't even report these minor flakes.

We want some REAL snow!

Decorating the house

Gabriel put on our calendar on Saturday "DECORATE THE HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS". So, we spent the whole morning decorating. It was fun to bring out all our decorations and ornaments. The kids have their favorites.

Unfortunately, we also lost one of the three kings!! But, then we remembered that his head fell off last year (perhaps from a sword fight?) We found him on the fix-it table, which is usually a huge collaboration of things. Bogdan was able to fix the king with a little glue and now he is as good as ever. Looks like he's had a little throat surgery, but he'll do fine.

Christmas Tree

We found a new place for Christmas Trees this year. It's called Buttermilk Farms, and it's a bit out of the way, but oh so worth it! They only have 2 types of trees and we chose a Norway Spruce. It's beautiful and 9 feet tall. (thanks for our cathedral ceilings!)

Gabriel proclaims it the best tree ever!

Sleepwalking

Ok, weird thing happened the other night. Marian sleepwalked. Not only did she sleepwalk. She went outside our house!! She woke up to find herself in my car!! Then she found herself locked out of the house. She put on my coat which was in the car and tried to knock on the door to wake us up. Apparently, we are too sound sleepers. She went back to the car and slept until morning, when she broke into the house by using the credit card trick (shown to her by her brother). Smart, ingenuitive and lucky! We warmed her up as we listened to her story with mouths agape.

An Advent Blessing

May...
the spirit of Christmas which is Peace...
the gladness of Christmas which is Hope...
the adoration of Christmas which is Joy...
and the heart of Christmas which is Love...
be yours now and tomorrow.

Christmas Picture 2010

Best Christmas CD's

Barry Manilow "Because it's Christmas"
Brian D'Arcy James "From Christmas Eve to Christmas Morn"
Harry Connick, Jr. "When my Heart Finds Christmas"
Partridge Family "A Partridge Family Christmas Card"
George Winston "December"
Straight No Chaser "Holiday Spirits"

And the all-time favorite, can't be Christmas without it, "A Christmas Carol" narrated and acted out by Patrick Stewart

Hawaii Postings

For those of you who have looked at our Hawaii postings, look again, we've added some photos! We are also trying to make a short slide show movie of the trip, so look for that coming soon.

Minecraft

Gabriel and Bogdan have found a new obsession! It's called Minecraft (find more about it on http://minecraft.net ) It's an online game of building, a completely new world and watch out for those Zombies! It looks like a Lego world because it is rather blocky. They love it and have been playing off and on all weekend. Even Marian likes it!

Welcome to December

December started off with a new Advent calendar. This year we splurged and bought a Lego Advent calendar and the kids love it! They get to build a new little figure or item each day. I think it works better now that they're older, the little pieces aren't getting lost.

Girl Scouts is focusing all on FOOD this month and we are actually going to attempt a semi-homemade meal at my house! Spaghetti and meatballs, with a brownie sundae for dessert.

The weather forecast is predicting snow mixed with rain this weekend and the grocery stores are already crazy. Here in the South when a snowflake "might" hit the ground, everyone runs to the store and stocks up on bread, milk and bottled water. It's pretty funny!

Boycotting Black Friday

We stayed home all day and only went out to a grocery store for milk. It was pretty empty. We raked all the leaves for the leaf pickup next week, nice to live in a city that offers that service.

We also finally put together our photo album/scrapbook of our Hawaii trip. Lots of fun doing that. We are off to Chattanooga and Alabama tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Prayer

May we be thankful for all we have,
For the ability to love and laugh.
For the ability to cry,

For every bite we have to eat,
For life itself,
For each heartbeat.

For our shelter,
For warmth and heat,
For our children, who bring us joy.

For our soldiers, to come back home.
For peaceful results in lands far and near.

For those who have gone
To your Heavenly Home,
May our actions and words
Show our love for them has grown.

For God's promise,
For his perfect love,
For his kingdom here and to come.

For two strong legs,
For two strong hands,
For the capacity,
To understand.
For all that you have made us to be.

For hope,
For love,
For faith,

For all this and so much more, we are truly thankful. Amen.

Thanksgiving plans

We were invited to some friends' house for Thanksgiving, we know them from church and they live in our neighborhood, and Bogdan also works with them.

Making cookies, rolls, and cranberry sauce for the day to share.

The kids really want to go to the Unclaimed Baggage Store, but we're trying to convince them to go on Saturday instead of Friday...we'll see who wins out.

Where we want to live

Bogdan asked me this question, "If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you want to live?"

I responded, "I want to live in the past, where everything in my world was right."

Happenings

Bogdan is home from his conference, with the news that ORNL no longer has the fastest computer in the world, now it's only number 2. China has the fastest and the 3rd and 4th.

Been playing lots of Kinect games lately. The kids love them. Now, Gabriel is obsessed with a new game called Minecraft. For its price ($10), he really is getting his money's worth of it. He has been playing almost nonstop since this morning.

We are all away!

Bogdan left for New Orleans for a Super Computing conference for the week.

Karen went to an overnight retreat for Girl Scout Leaders.

Anna went on a retreat with the church group.

Gabriel went to a Math team trip.

Marian went to her friend Scarlett's overnight.

I wonder if the fish missed us....

Back in the Swing of things

Well, after a long week, we are back in swing of things...

1. Lots of laundry done (and miraculously folded and put away!)
2. Gabriel getting thru a full blown asthma attack
3. Shocking cold weather (well, we're used to it being this cold in November, but no one else is)
4. A serious cold for me and a somewhat lesser one for Marian and Bogdan
5. Gabriel's last regatta of the season in the coldest weather (it's 35 today)
6. The Alzheimer's walk begins in an hour!
7. Getting the Xbox Kinect and now everyone will be over my house after school a LOT more.
8. Thinking about redesigning our living room for the above game...

Final Hawaii Posting

We had a pretty relaxed day yesterday and today. Yesterday, we went bodysurfing on our beach (Kailua) and the waves were really big! I lost my favorite sunglasses, oh well. Then we went to see about a surfing lesson in the afternoon. But, they were all booked up. So, the girls and Bogdan went to the zoo. That was our best budget buy of the week. Since we have a pass with the TN Aquarium, we only paid $6 for 3 people to get in and it was also good for today.

Meanwhile, I went with Gabriel and Bica to Waikiki beach. It was SO rocky and not as good as Kailua, so we are glad we did the research and picked Kailua beach. We waited until the group was done at the zoo, then we all got to see the sunset on Waikiki Beach, which was nice.

Today, Gabriel and I went surfing. He was a pro and got up at least 7 times. The instructor said he was really good. As for me, I got up the first time, but then someone else slammed into me and hit my ankle. It still hurts quite a bit. I was not able to get up after that, because of the pain. Oh well, at least Gabriel had a good time and now he wants to plan a vacation where he can surf again.

Bica and the girls used the zoo pass and went to the zoo, while we were surfing. Then we all ate out. The highlight of the trip to the zoo was that Anna filmed the turtles mating.

We leave tomorrow, and not much planned except packing and cleaning up a bit at the rental house.

We will stop in AZ for a day and back to TN on Monday.

More Hawaii happenings

The boys went parasailing and jet skiing on Tuesday and loved it!! Gabriel says it was awesome, "Mom, we have to get a jet ski!!" Too bad we live in a land-locked state, I say.

The girls went to the Arboretum and got a bit lost in the park. But, we saw some beautiful trees and flowers. There are some varieties that are at that Arboretum that live no where else in the world, because they are already extinct and the Arboretum is trying to save them.

Yesterday, we went to Pearl Harbor, although a bit too late. We saw the USS Bowfin and the USS Missouri. Very impressive. The Arizona Memorial was closed bacause the ferry over there was closed due to high winds.

Last night we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We had a short time to look at the villages. We saw a singing and dancing (well the end of it) at Fiji (?). We ate at the buffet and embarrassed Bogdan by singing Happy Birthday. Then the big event of the night is the show. Ha, Breath of Life. There was singing and dancing from every Polynesian island, and fire dancing and juggling. And superb drumming. At the end of the show, a man gave Marian a beautiful flower lei, with pink flowers!! It was very tiring and Marian fell asleep within minutes of driving away.

It has been very windy since we've been here. It looks to be a nice day today. We hope to bring the kids to have a surfing lesson.

Been playing lots of Monopoly and Honolulu-opoly since we've been here. We've found out that Marian likes to cheat and Bogdan likes to dominate the games.

Hawaii happenings

Arrived first day and drove around the island. Found our rental house and we all love it. The kids went to the beach right away. Body surfing and boogy boarding!! Saw the moon rise the first night and it was beautiful.

Bogdan woke up early and saw the sun rise on the beach, and took some great photos. The second day we had a nice big breakfast and then went to mass at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. (we have seen more Catholic churches here than in all of TN!) Mass was nice and they greeted all visitors with a shell necklace and a public welcome. Lots of Hawaiian music during mass. Then we spent the day at the beach, which is in our backyard, a short walk down the grass alleyway. Sunny and a bit cloudy.

Yesterday we went to Pali Lookout, which is about the windiest place I've been to since Mt. Washington in NH. Great views and lots of wind. Then we went snorkeling at Hanamua Bay. Marian didn't like the snorkeling too much, but Gabriel and Anna and Bogdan and I all went out. We saw tons of fish and Gabriel invested in an underwater camera. Can't wait to see the pictures developed. We came home and had leftovers and then the kids played Monopoly with Bogdan. They've decided that they don't want to play with him again, he's too cut-throat.

The boys are off to parasail and jetski today. The girls are going to find something to do. Possibly the Arboretum?

The weather looks pretty windy for the rest of the week, mid-80's in temperature with some rain. But, the kids will swim in any weather. We also watched Avatar and How to Train your Dragon, which everyone liked.

Tomorrow we are going to Pearl Harbor in the morning and the Polynesian Cultural Center in the afternoon and night. There is a big show at night, as we're celebrating Bogdan's birthday.

Our favorite activities so far: body-surfing right off our beach, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay.

Arrived in AZ

We successfully arrived in AZ, with no kids lost, no baggage lost, but not much sleep. We're all excited.

Crazy days

We have had crazy, full days in the past week. We're getting ready for vacation, finishing first quarter for school, doing a Religious Ed retreat, Girl Scout meetings...so many things!

We leave tomorrow, and are sleeping overnight near the Nashville airport. Then on Friday morning we leave for Phoenix where we'll meet up with Bogdan's mom. Then we all leave on Saturday morning for Hawaii!! It will be lots of fun and we can't wait.

We're staying at a house on the beach and enjoying as much as we can in the week. Let's hope we are all talking to each other by the end of the week!

The coolest train set EVER

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/exhibit/video/4-minutes-wunderland/

iRow

Gabriel's new t-shirt says iRow on the front with COXSWAIN on the back. He loves it, but still wants to both row and cox. He has one more race this season. Today's race was long, hot, but fun. They did not place in the top 3, but did better than last week. (No crabs)

Marian is tired from watching and playing outside in the sun and is fast asleep on my bed. Anna, who was at the Fall Festival all day and helping out and also babysitting is fast asleep on her bed. The rest of us will be as well.

We won a big screen TV at the church auction. We put it in the basement for sleepover/movie nights. Gabriel is psyched!!

The Good and Bad

Good: Going to the library and finding 3 books that you've wanted to read all year, they are finally in and NOT on any waiting lists!

Bad: Not having any time to read any of the books, but looking forward to them this weekend....

This week so far

Gabriel had his first regatta this past weekend. He had a busy but fun day. Once he got in the water, he was on there almost all day. He was cox for 3 teams, 2 four's and 1 eight. He did well for his first race, and the best he did was 2nd place with the 4 man varsity team. (He is cox for 2 varsity and 1 novice crew) We are off to Chattanooga this week for another regatta, he will cox for those same crews. He will start the day with a 10:40am race and his last race is at 4pm. He will be tired, but he loves it!

While Marian and I are at the Chattanooga races, Anna will help out at the church's Fall Festival. She is helping out at many booths and will also babysit for some kids. She's looking forward to it.

Bogdan has his oral surgery today, to remove 2 wisdom teeth. Hopefully, this will go well and relieve the pain he has been having. We have stocked up on ice cream.

Marian reports that during reading time at school, she got an "eye roll" from her teacher. I asked, "So what did you do to elicit an eye roll from your teacher?" "I don't know, I guess I finished first and was answering all the questions." It remains a mystery. But, she tells me I can't talk about it with her teacher.

A last minute win

The boys went to the UT v. UAB game and had a decent time. They had horrible seats (something we'll remember in the future when ordering) and tried to move around for a better seat, but never really found it. UT did win in overtime and so it was a good game.

Gabriel spent the rest of the night playing his new game, which he is playing again now. Civilization Revolution. Everyone is telling him what to do, so it is a communal game, whether he likes it or not...

To Save a Life

A new movie, just out on DVD.

Very good portrayal of teenage issues from a Christian perspective. The kids enjoyed it and were rooting for all to work out in the end. (Which they did, but not all perfectly) A very good approach to teen suicide as well.

Busy week

Lots of happenings this week...

Girl Scouts has begun, both for Anna and Marian. Anna's troop is planning a trip to NYC, but unfortunately she won't be able to make it, since that's when we're going to HI. She is also hoping to do a Gold Award project. This is the Girl Scout equivalent to an Eagle Scout Award. She will learn more about it in November. Marian is now a Brownie and there are 14 young and eager girls in her troop, which I have to corral.

Gabriel is busy with rowing and Math Team. Oh, and he also has a girlfriend, according to his friend who told me yesterday. She goes to our church and so I said to him, "Well, I guess going to religious ed won't be a problem..." He is also working on a Spanish project and he turns 12 this week. He is going to the UT game and otherwise hanging out with friends.

Bogdan finally met with a good oral surgeon (yes, there are many "not so good") and will have 2 of his wisdom teeth removed in a couple weeks. Glad it is all happening before we go on our trip.

Working on a sewing project for a neighbor, making them a padded seat for their outdoor porch swing. Then, I have a couple small things to make for the girls.

Clash of the Titans

Well, everyone agrees that the old version is MUCH better. After waiting many weeks to get the new Clash of the Titans, we were sorely disappointed. There was hardly a plot, way too many computer graphics and no sense of honor. Too bad, they could have really done a nice job. Liam Neeson is sadly one sided in the movie, just angry. And the computer graphics weren't that stellar.

Oh, well, sometimes best to leave well enough alone.

While I'm waiting

Lyrics to While I'm Waiting (one of my favorite songs)

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Weekly happenings

CCD has started and I am team teaching with 3 other moms, we are tackling 30 second graders who will make their First Reconciliation and First Communion this year.

Anna has 4 tests this week, but ends the week with a fun Girl Scout event. She is doing a murder mystery party with her troop, a Hawaii-themed night is in the works.

Bogdan is loving his new laptop (Mac Book Air) He keeps on showing us new things about it, and now Gabriel is loving it too. We told him, he can buy his own. At $1500, we told him to keep on mowing lawns and save up.

Huge rainstorms came in last night, but clear weather predicted for the weekend.

Being a home game tomorrow, all the UT fans are decked out in their beloved orange. Gabriel and Bogdan are going to the Alabama game next week to celebrate Gabriel's birthday.

Katerpillar Kids' Camp

The weekend was busy with Katerpillar Kids' Camp. It's a camp for grieving children sponsored by Covenant Health and Covenant Hospice. There aren't too many like this in the country and it's a huge success. I did the music for the younger kids (grades 1-3). They had about 80 kids and it represented most of East TN. Grades 1-12. We were at Camp Wesley Woods for all of Saturday and Sunday. There was hippo-therapy (horses), climbing walls, ropes courses, hikes, group time, therapy dogs, music, puppet shows, and a release of butterflies at the end. Of course, it didn't solve anyone's problems, but it helped the kids take a step toward healing.

Boomsday

We spent the weekend at a cabin on a lake, it was a beautiful weekend. The weather was cooler and we even started a fire in the fireplace at the cabin. We hiked and canoed and the kids went swimming.

We also went to Boomsday, which is a big fireworks display in Knoxville. It was a good display and lasted about 1/2 hour. We (luckily) avoided traffic coming home. There were supposed to be 500,000 people there for the whole day and fireworks. And Bogdan heard from some officemates that the police issue thousands of parking tickets. We found free parking under a bridge and lucked out.

Having a BBQ tonight with friends from church.

Prayer for Today

God our Father,
you made the great lights in our sky:
the sun to rule in the day,
and the moon and the stars in the night
- all because your great love lasts for ever.
Our sun and moon
and the stars that you call by name
all give you praise,
because they do what they were created to do.
Lead me, Father,
to reflect the light of Christ your Son
and so live fully
as, in your love, you created me to do. Amen.

2 weeks already

School has been in the swing for 2 weeks already and we are as busy as ever. The kids are all enjoying school.

Bogdan was excited to receive his new Macbook Air from work. He is amazed at how light it is, paper-thin he describes.

Gabriel has been rowing after school, 3 days per week. He loves it and is the position of coxswain, most of the time. The cox is the person in charge of a boat's navigation and steering. The root of the word has a literal meaning of "boat servant".

We are missing our Family Beach Reunion today, but everyone realizes our distance causes us to be away.

Rowing is a go!

Looks like rowing is a go for Gabriel! He will be on the novice (JV) team and really likes the physical part of rowing (in addition to the actual rowing part).

Many kids from this rowing group have gone on to row in college and many get scholarships, Mom and Dad are hopeful....

Sugar High

We made our annual trek to the Mast General Store, kind of an all around store, trendy stuff, touristy stuff and candy by the pound. We bought just over a pound of candy and the kids all got interesting sodas (birch beer, root beer, Nehi, etc.) Hopefully, this will keep them happy for awhile, meanwhile the sugar high is over and the kids are at school (and not allowed to bring candy to school!)

Allergy testing

Due to Gabriel's recent and increasing episodes of angioedema (check out visual images of this online), he had to have more allergy testing done.

He is officially allergic to mold, cats, dogs, and dust mites. So, we are trying something for 2 months and then have him seen again. Until then, we also have a prescription for an EpiPen, should it happen to his throat. Mostly the angioedema has been occurring on his face, hands and feet. I took a picture of it the last time it happened, and brought it to the doctor's visit today. (they were happy to see an example of it) But, I promised him I would not embarrass him by posting it on the blog. :)

First Day of School

Highlights of the first day of school

1) Anna didn't get lost!
2) But, she didn't know where to get off for her bus, so she stayed on the bus until the end and then the bus driver dropped her off in front of the house. Hopefully, she'll figure out where to get off today.
3) Gabriel is in classes with some friends.
4) He tries out for the novice (JV) rowing team and is still feeling the pain today.
5) Marian is still wondering why she got the only male teacher in 2nd grade...

Make Good Choices!

Quoting one of the kids' favorite movies (the new version of "Freaky Friday"), I told the kids as they were off to school "Make Good Choices!"

All were up early and eager for school. Marian did speak a single word to her new teacher, at which point I told him that she was very shy. Hopefully, she'll feel more comfortable with him by the end of the year?!

It's Official

We've been in TN for a year now. Some days it seems longer...

Still miss NH and all our friends there.

Last day of vacation

The kids are officially done summer vacation.

Anna had her orientation for high school (she is very nervous for high school), she likes her teachers and was accepted to the Early Childhood Academy. That's really just a series of classes where they learn about teaching young kids and eventually teach the preschool classes at the town's preschool. (offered free by the town)

Marian is devastated because she has a "boy" teacher!! I hope she can handle it. She has 2 friends in her class, so she's happy about that.

Gabriel finally finished his writing assignment for his summer reading. (Just in time!) He tries out for the rowing team all next week. He'll find out at the end of next week if he's made it.

Tax free holiday

As is the trend with other states, Tennessee is making this week a tax-free weekend. Of course, I don't need to buy anything right now, so it won't affect me. The kids are all set on clothes, school supplies and computers (those are the only items that are tax-free)

Anna is still chipping away at her reading for the school year. She's not too impressed with Animal Farm.

We went to Frozen Head State Park yesterday, hoping to cool off in the streams and waterfalls there, but it was pretty much dried up and the streams were not running at all in many places. I guess we'll have to try it again in early spring.

10 days and counting

Gabriel just looked at the calendar and said, "10 more days until school" with a sigh. He and Anna still have yet to finish their summer reading assignments. So, on this rainy day, they are cleaning their rooms and then attacking their summer reading.

It has been hot lately, but not unbearable. We do have central air conditioning in the house after all, I'm sure people in South America and Africa suffer more than us pampered US citizens. We have kept inside and stayed cool that way.

Gabriel has made a tough decision to not pursue football. He has been diligently going to practice and has never been doing any plays. He is the smallest on the team and has seen that those that are chosen are larger than he. So, he had a talk with the coach and left the team amicably. He has decided (after 2 weeks of rowing camp) to pursue rowing or crew. He loves it. He will be signing up for the fall rowing program. I think it's a good decision for him. We are close enough for him to bike to the marina and his good friend Matt is joining as well. (So, I assume Matt will be over plenty before or after practice.)

Kitchen Catastrophe

Hello Blog Viewers Anna here, telling you about my Kitchen Catastrophe. Ok, so I had successfully made hot dogs by steaming them and I was making Brats for my Dad for when he got home. My Mom was at a meeting so I was in charge. I went into another room and started watching TV and COMPLETELY forgot about the Brats until Marian noticed smoke in the Kitchen. It turns out the water had completely boiled off and all that was left were Brats burnt on one side and resting in a completely ruined small sauce pan and steamer basket. By this time, both my mom and dad had come home. I did the best I could in cleaning them, but they were still ruined and so we had to throw them away. As for the smoke, I had to open all the windows in the house to get the smoke out. Goodbye for now and I have definitely learned my lesson.

Unclaimed baggage

Finds from the Unclaimed Baggage store:

1) Docking station for Gabriel's iPod Touch
2) Clothes for school
3) Receiver to replace our broken one
4) MP3 players for kids (bought with their own money)
5) Sandals for Bogdan

Water Balloon Wars

Kids having fun with a water balloon war. Water balloons are harder to fill than they thought (and even harder to tie off). They are now just filling them and throwing them at each other without knotting them. Gabriel is completely soaked from filling them, as am I. The girls are in their bathing suits and having fun.

2012

Finally saw the movie that Gabriel and Bogdan have been wanting to see forever. 2012. We all agreed that it was rather disappointing. Very predictable. We felt like we were watching a video game and that after each disaster was diverted, we reached a new level in the video game. We had recently watched "The Core" which has a very similar plot-line so it was humorous to watch "2012" and make comparisons.

This week

Gabriel is off to rowing camp this week. It's 8:30-11:30 each morning (except Friday). There is a long and narrow lake here that is optimal for rowing and there is a large rowing association here. They do many regattas and also offer clinics for beginners. 2 of his friends are in it and he has expressed a lot of interest in it, so he is there this week. Of course, he still has football in the afternoons, so I am sure he will be tired.

We are planning on going to the Aquarium on Friday and possibly hit the Unclaimed Baggage Store. Yep, it's just like the title says, a huge store of items from unclaimed baggage. The store has a contract with several airlines and they buy huge lots of unclaimed baggage (sight unseen) and then turn around and sell it. There is everything you could think of from electronics to clothes to books to shoes. Like a large indoor yard sale.

Rain Drops

It's been raining everyday this week and today and tomorrow are finally predicted to be sunny. So we are off to find something to do.

We had a tie-dye day this week. Using a kit, we tie-dyed a number of white clothes. They came out very nice.

Only 3 more weeks until school begins again! Yikes. Gabriel has read his summer reading, but needs to finish writing his 2 required essays. Anna has not read her summer reading yet. But, she'll get started this weekend.

Yard Sale

We hosted a yard sale at our house. Mostly because we had a good driveway, location and carport. It is a fundraiser for our Mom's group Bible Study, to help pay for childcare costs during the bible study. We made $300 today and then there's tomorrow morning. We are hopeful to bring in some more.

Everyone tired, but it has been a long day.

Finally got rid of some old VHS tapes that the kids were willing to give up.

Gabriel found a summer job (finally) and will mow lawns for some neighborhood families, so the yard sale was good for that. He also got a pair of speakers out of it.

July happenings

Went to Dollywood yesterday, left as it was beginning a rainstorm.

We are off to a State Park today and enjoying some mild weather. Then it should rain all week.

VBS 2010

Here is a link to the St. Mary's VBS movie/slide show. Enjoy!

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=812c07edb6c67dae348d

Camp is Over!

Well, Girl Scout camp is over. It was an exhausting but fun week. There were a number of girls that cried during the sleepover and 2 from my group that couldn't be convinced to stay. But, other than that, it was a successful week.

We are looking forward to a free and clear July, hopefully this mild weather will stay and we'll have an enjoyable 4th of July holiday weekend.

Update

The boys have made it back from NH and their Father/Son Camping Trip. They had a blast, got to catch up with lots of friends. They unpacked and just have to vacuum the car.

Girl Scout camp has been tiring and busy, but well worth it. Anna is having fun as a camp counselor, her camp name is "Sleepy" and I've been dubbed "Harmony".

It's been cooler here, which has been very nice.

Boys' Camping Trip

Bogdan and Gabriel have arrived in NH for their Father/Son camping trip. They also picked up Gabriel's friend Owen and they are all headed up to Glen, NH for a camping trip with our old parish. They should have good weather.

Here, we just got pelted with a huge cloudburst. Marian and I were at the bank and got doused just going from the car to the bank.

Fireflies

Amazing fireflies around here every (clear) night. We can see them in our big picture windows in our bedroom and family room. We've noticed that they are quicker here, they seem to flash off and on quicker than in NH. Also they are more green than yellow colored in their light. Interesting. I'm sure there's a scientific reason.

Marian had a double header softball game last night, at 6:30pm it was 98 (F) outside! It finally cooled off to 85 (F) by 9pm. We doused the girls with water in between innings. They went through 5 gallons of water.

Anna has a double header tonight and it's predicted to be 95 (F), so it will be another hot evening for them.

Splash Country

Wet, but fun, time at Splash Country. (Dollywood with water) We all have sun on our shoulders and faces, but it was fun. And it was very hot, so the water was cooling.

Busy Week

VBS is almost done and it has gone so well. Except for a stomach flu going thru the group, yes, my kids got sick, but are all better now.

We are all looking forward to sleeping in!

Sweltering

It's been very hot here, 95 most of the day! Gabriel was happy that the lawnmower wasn't working, he really wasn't looking forward to mowing in this oppressive heat.

1st day of Vacation Bible School was successful and fun.

A Night Game

We went to the Smokies baseball game tonight, they are a AA team that feeds into the Chicago Cubs. They had a special deal for ORNL and we got a BBQ meal and tickets and had a nice night out. They lost to the other team (Jaxx?) 7-5.

There was rain predicted and it did rain on the way there and back. It was a warm night otherwise. It went from 90 to 84 by the end of the game.

VBS is this week, so we'll be busy.

Dollywood Saga

Here is the short story of it, well it may turn into a long story

6 Girl Scouts + 2 siblings + 2 leaders + 6 other family members=16 people

5 seats in car A + 5 seats in car B + 5 seats in car C= 15 people

The math is pretty clear, I needed to borrow a mini-van. So, I set up with
someone to borrow a mini-van, and then this woman ditches on me at the last
minute. Literally, at 8:30pm last night, before I had to leave this
morning. Liability, what if one of the girls sues me? She tells me. I left
without saying much at all, for fear my anger would kill her.

On the phone with car rental places, none has any mini-vans in area. NONE.

Decide to leave my older kids home and not come. Tears and frustration and
bad words. Then, miraculously, 3 people back out and now we have enough to make it this morning.

And I survived Dollywood with all the kids and we didn't lose anyone,
anyone's cell phones, anyone's glasses/sunglasses and we were all pretty
happy. AND it didn't rain!! Well, it did sprinkle a bit, but that doesn't
count, we were already wet from the water ride at that point.

Oh and by the way our AC is not working....repairman coming tomorrow morning. UGH

Southern Hospitality is Dead

Remember asking a neighbor a favor, like a cup of sugar, or borrowing something. Well, those days are gone now. Liability and worry have taken over and the simplest of exchanges no longer happen.

All those stereotypes about the South are just urban legends. There is no Southern Hospitality. No one lends helping hands, no one cares. So, tell me how do these begin?

All kids accounted for

7 boys slept over and all are accounted for this morning. Most are all still sleeping. They abandoned the movie we got and spent it outside instead. When they all went to bed, we realized that the air conditioning is broken in the basement. So we gave them box fans to cool down with.

Now, of course, we have to see about the air conditioning! The joys of living in the south.

Rain is predicted for most of the week, and Marian is worried about our Girl Scout trip planned for Dollywood on Thursday.

Lat Day of School!!

The kids will be home shortly, last day of school and it's a 1/2 day at that!! They are excited. If the weather cooperates, we will be heading to the pool. Gabriel is having some friends over for a sleepover. He is very excited.

Florida trip

We took a spontaneous trip to Florida this past weekend. The kids were excited to go and so we went to visit Uncle Jerry and Aunt Marilyn. The kids got spoiled by them, and came home with tons of junk food (all gone by now!) It was a nice trip and we all arrived safely home in time for dinner yesterday.

Things we saw along the way:
More tire treads than we could count in GA
A purple Lamborghini in GA (Gabriel was very excited about this siting)
A mail box in the shape of a golf ball
A huge peanut off of I-75 in GA
6 roadkill deer
A Swift truck that Anna thinks is following us (still) from NH
Gas as high as $2.90 and as low as $2.49/gallon
Alligator sighting signs at the beach

The kids have 4 more days of school, but not much going on, just fulfilling the state requirement of a certain number of school days. Anna does have 2 more finals and then she will be (officially) a high schooler!

Weather reports predict rain for the next 10 days, so there may not be too much softball practices or games this week.

Prayer for Denise Mooney

Dear Lord, relying on your promises to us, I turn to you in trust that my friend Denise is with you and that she is enjoying your loving embrace. You alone know how she loved the best she could and how she faithfully endured the struggles that she faced. You know the graces you gave her and you know the grace she was for so many. She truly loved the way you loved her, please reward her, Lord. May she enjoy the communion of all her family and friends who are with you.

Lord, I know Denise still loves us who are still here on earth. I ask you that you might listen to her fervent prayers for us.

I ask you this with faith in the resurrection, Amen.

And the grade is

Anna got 105% on her American History Project! (extra 5 points for presenting in class)

Yahoo!

Prayer of St. Bonaventure to the Holy Spirit

Lord Jesus, as God's Spirit came down and rested upon you,
May the same Spirit rest on us,
Bestowing his sevenfold gifts.
First, grant us the gift of understanding,
By which your precepts may enlighten our minds.
Second, grant us counsel, by which we may follow
in your footsteps on the path of righteousness.
Third, grant us courage,
by which we may ward off the enemy's attacks.
Fourth, grant us knowledge,
by which we can distinguish good from evil.
Fifth, grant us piety,
by which we may acquire compassionate hearts.
Sixth, grant us fear,
by which we may draw back from evil
and submit to what is good.
Seventh, grant us wisdom,
that we may taste fully the life-giving sweetness of your love.

Nine days of school

The kids (and I imagine the teachers) are excited that there are only 9 more days of school!! Everyone is looking forward to no alarm clocks!

May has been very busy, with Girl Scout events, softball practice (and many rained out games), final projects and much more. Marian has successfully completed the Daisy level of Girl Scouts and will move onto the Brownie level in the fall. She is going to Girl Scout day camp in June and is looking forward to it.

We are contemplating putting a shed in the back yard, as we really need a place to keep our stuff (that would normally be in a garage) Hopefully, we'll find a suitable place. There are many building codes that we must comply with.

Anna's Project

Check out Anna's American History project. We'll let you know her grade!


PS We realized the typo after the project was all done, we know, it's "Yoko Ono"

Rain and Sun

Lots of rainstorms and lots of warm weather here lately. Gabriel didn't want to mow today, it being so hot, and as luck would have it, the mower broke. He has his sight set on an electric mower by Neuton, so he thinks this will be the perfect time to swap out this gas powered for an all electric.

Anna is busy with final projects for 8th grade. She has a history project and has decided to do the music of the 1960's, her title being "The Times They are A-changin'". She is trying to do the project as a movie with music as the background for her still slides. (Mainly a PowerPoint with music) She is focusing on Rock and Folk. She also has to do a "book report" on the holocaust book "Night" by Elie Weisel. (Who by the way is Romanian)

Marian and Anna had hot practices today and everyone has a game this week.

Gabriel is back to school and spring football practice is over for now. It will ramp up in August.

I've joined a casual Scrabble club here in Knoxville and am hoping to start a club at the school. I just have to find a teacher to help sponsor the club.

Peer Pressure (from Gabriel)

Pressure: the external force on one object causing a change in behavior or actions.
Peer Pressure: People coercing someone to do something they want them to do.

I was recently involved in a situation where I was pressured to do something wrong. I was called names over and over and over again. People who pressure others don’t stop until you do what they want. It was like pests annoying you until they get what they want. It made me feel like an insignificant person and very hated. I felt like all the names they called me, I felt like there was no way out. I once told someone about this, and then I was called a snitch. They said no one likes a snitch, and everyone hates me.

I would’ve changed my reaction to it if I had thought about the big picture of life and what and who I was affecting. So this is my personal advice: 1) If your peers are telling you to make fun of someone else, don’t listen, tell someone you trust 2) Tell the bullies stop it and ask then yourself why you are doing it. I know I should have stood up to the bullies and ignored their requests. Unfortunately, the quotes below are true, but knowing it and experiencing it are very different things. Hopefully, I will learn from this experience.

“No child is immune to peer pressure” ~Kathi Hudson
“Kids ... can get to the point where they feel peer pressure isn't even there” ~Walt Mueller

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day is often a day for accolades. A day set apart for honoring mothers. The first thing I should mention is that my mother always told me she hated Mother's Day. She said that every day should be Mother's Day and that it shouldn't take some artificial holiday to tell your mother you love her. I could tell you about my mother. I could tell you how she was born in 1942, grew up on the West Side of Manchester, NH. Or that her name was Joanne Duval Weed. I could tell you she was a lover of music, how she played and taught piano. I could tell you countless stories of her, her love for God, her love for life. But, I will also have to share that she died March 2, 2007. If there could be a World's Worse Disease, Lewy Body Disease would surely be close to the top. It is a disease that combines the symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and eventually robs you of mind and body. When my mother was finally diagnosed with this disease, we all searched the web for information. I found countless websites about this disease, that just months before I was clueless about. It was a disease that, according to most medical records, came on slow and progressed slowly. But in my mother, it was like a cassette tape stuck on fast-forward, all of us fumbling to stop it. But it did not. And so we saw and she experienced on a week-to-week basis what for some took years. The reality of this life is that we all will die someday. When my mother was diagnosed with Lewy Body, I knew she would die, most likely sooner than later. But, we all thought there would be more time, one more birthday, one more celebration. For the most part, I lived my life here in NH. Yet there was a chunk of my life, about 10 years, when I was living elsewhere. I have always wondered the reason why I came back. Of course, I can point to the need for a better job, a stable life and a safer place to raise kids. But, looking back it was more than that. I was called back here so that I could have 12 more years with my mom. 12 years when I became her true friend. Years not encumbered by my adolescent hormones. Years of sharing stories, countless phone calls, years of becoming each other’s confidantes. And in the past months, seeing my mother change and become consumed by a disease she could not control. There are so many things that go on between mothers and daughters, some said, some unsaid. I am not ashamed to say I love my mother and I miss her. People have told me what a good daughter I am, how devoted to my mother I was. I tell them honoring our parents is a commandment, not a suggestion. But it can also be a tremendous blessing.

What's happening

Very warm weather here, finally turned on the air conditioning. Bogdan is very happy. The fans in the master bedroom and the family room also help to circulate the air.

Anna lost her first softball game, 7-1, but she had a good hit (first at bat) and played well overall.

Gabriel is home for 3 days because of a school suspension. Short story is that he was being pressured by some older boys to write harassing and damaging things about a girl in class. He wrote them and she reported him. We're dealing with it.

New Hampshire State of Mind

The most hilarious video, check it out on YouTube

Here are the words

Yeah. Yeah, Imma up at Conway
Now I'm down in Manchester
Next to Adam Sandler
But I'll be woods forever
I'm the new Salinger
Cuz I could live anywhere
But I choose to live here
The middle of nowhere
I used to shop in Salem
Next to Rockingham Park
Right there up on 28
Youll find Canobie Lake Park
Bring me up to Portsmouth
the saloon at State Street
Catch me up at Gilleys after closing for some late eats
Its not the kangamangus
The Kancamagus
Its a scenic byway
That I like to drive in August
Now Im down at Bedford
Home of Seth Meyers, yeah
Also Sarah Silverman
were funny ********** here
We like to say whatsup guy, its the way we say hi
In February it is good to know a plow guy
It is shaped like a key, also where I like to ski
Tell by my belt buckle that I most definitely from...

NEW HAMPSHIRE
LAND WHERE THERES NO INCOME OR SALES TAX
THERE S NOTHING MUCH TO DO
HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
THESE TREES WHERE LEAF PEEPERS DRIVE TO
MAPLE SYRUP IS PRO-DUCED
THIS IS NEW HAMPSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE

Catch me up at Loudon, at the Speedway for the race yo
I made the flannel shirt more famous than a scarecrow
Dont drink and drive here, listen to what I say
even though we put our liquor stores right on the highway
You can drive Mount Washington
hike up Mount Monadnock
in 1787 we invented the alarm clock
Concord Coach, Dartmouth Coach, DowneasterAmtrak
On Squam Lake, Henry Fonda taught yall how to act
Derrys Alan Shepard, first guy in a spaceship
Its a pity Christa McCaulliffe didnt make it
Didja hear about the ice storm in December of 08
I went without power for eleven straight days!
You can buy a handgun
You can buy some fireworks
Sandwich Fair, Rest in peace Daniel Webster
Americas Stonehenge, long live the dairy trade
Long live the old man
I'm from the Granite State thats

NEW HAMPSHIRE
PLACE WHERE STONYFIELD YOGURT IS MADE IN
AND COW TIPPINGS SO COOL
HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
DSL SERVICE IS BRAND NEW
YOU MIGHT EVEN SEE A MOOSE
HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep

Thats some Robert Frost, hes our most famous poet
It was actually written up in Vermont but its associated with
The 603, where its a fact I
Dont know any Hispanics and just one black guy
You can go to Bike Week thats up in Laconia
In the winter months hit the notch in Franconia, home of
B-O-D-E our Olympic Ski Champion
He faced high pressure like my man Al Kaprielian

NEW HAMPSHIRE
IF YOU DONT WANT TO WEAR A HELMET
THERES NOTHIN THEY CAN DO
HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
MARKEYS VERSE BROWNS ON THE SEAFOOD
TELL ME WHICH ONE WILL YOU CHOOSE
WHEN YOURE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HAMPSHIRE HAMPSHIRE

NINTH STATE RATIFIED OUT OF ALL FIFTY
IT CAN GET COLD
BUT STILL THE AUTUMNS VERY PRETTY
WHEN THIS SONG MAKES ME RICH,
I'M A MOVE TO RYE
EVERYBODY PUMP YOUR FISTS AND YELL
LIVE FREE OR DIE! LIVE FREE OR DIE!

IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
STATE WHERE TRIPLE H THE WRESTLER HAILS FROM
THAT GUY WOULD DESTROY YOU
IF YOU KNOCK NEW HAMPSHIRE
ITS JUST LIKE OLD HAMPSHIRE BUT NEW
WERE OUT OF JOKES TO DO
ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE

Best Muffin Recipe

The kids love these muffins and eat them up whenever I make them. Makes 2 dozen.

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs or equivalent egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups applesauce
4 cups flour
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup oat bran
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Mix in ingredients, one at a time, until all blended. Pour into 2 muffin tins (24 total) and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Enjoy!

Rainy season

There was considerable rain this weekend. We stayed high and dry, but others we know had flooded basements. Even the interstate flooded.

We went to Dollywood yesterday and had a short but fun time. Great roller-coasters and Marian is now tall enough to join everyone on the big and scary rides. She loves roller-coasters, in fact all the kids do.

Marian's game was canceled because the rain made the fields too we to play on (despite it being very hot today!) Bogdan lost his game, and Anna plays tomorrow. Gabriel has spring conditioning for football for the next 2 weeks. He loves playing again. Because it is a school team, he has a football locker, which he thinks is cool.

Outdoor time

It is definitely outdoor weather, making more things on our new grill. (Which by the way, we love.) We've attached the gas section (it's 1/2 charcoal and 1/2 gas grill) to our Natural Gas line, so no more empty jugs of propane to deal with. We are also picking up some patio furniture tomorrow, which will allow us to have some outside meals.

The girls will keep me busy this coming month with softball games starting on Monday and Tuesday. But, the good news is that their Wednesday night commitment, Religious Ed, ends this week. (The kids do like it, so it's sad that it's ending, but it is one less commitment for us all.)

I have said to more than one person that it seems that organization has been left out of the dictionaries of Southerners. But, that is coming from someone who knows where most things are in her house at the drop of a hat (even if her own son cannot find a thing!)

Quote for the day:
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. ~Flannery O'Connor

April Showers

Lots of rain lately, although no tornadoes! We had bursts of downpours and now it is cloudy, hovering around 60(F).

Marian had her first sleepover at her friend Scarlett's house and loved it. She has also reorganized her room and it's much cleaner, wow! And she found her lost library book, which I told her would happen if she cleaned her room.

We went to the Charismatic Mass last night and we all enjoyed it. I think the kids were amazed and impressed by the witnesses at the end of the mass. Something's working at least!

We bought our tickets for our big fall trip to Hawaii, everyone's getting excited.

News of the week

Had a great visit with my cousin Pam. She is down here for a conference and we met up in Nashville. We found a real "down-home" diner and had some BBQ pork sandwiches. We talked about the lacking education and the funny way the South does their schools.

Received a great surprise package from one of my bosses. She sent us 1/2 gallon of maple syrup! The family stared at it like it was manna from heaven! They can't wait to make a big batch of pancakes to eat with the syrup!

The girls are starting piano lessons in the next few weeks. We found a young piano teacher who teaches from her home. The girls are excited and we all know their grandmother would have been proud.

Gearing up for summer camp. Both girls will attend Girl Scout camp, Anna will be an aide and Marian a camper. I have been recruited to help with music (shock), so I am brushing up on camp songs. Lots of memories coming back. Anna and I also said we'd help out with Vacation Bible School at church, although we have yet to hear from the organizer.

Marian has received an official letter stating that she has been tardy a large number of times. I am not sure how this really affects her as a 1st grader?

The kids only have 6 more weeks of school and are excited and ready for summer. Patience children....

Quote of the day:
For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.
~Audrey Hepburn

Doing the little and the great things

Teach us, Lord,
to do the little things
as though they were great
because of the majesty of Christ
who does them in us
and who lives our life.
Teach us to do the greatest things
as though they were little and easy
because of his omnipotence.
~Blaise Pascal

(In honor of our godson Pascal)

Happenings

Softball is in full swing and all the schedules are working out (so far). Marian and Anna have practice on the same day, but at different times. Thankfully, Anna's practice is not first thing in the morning, since she is not a morning person. Their games are on the same night at the same time at the same field (2 different fields), it will be my challenge to root for them simultaneously.

Bogdan is also in a softball league and they won their first game. Bogdan played 3 innings as the catcher and hit a pop fly. Anna watched his game and became their unofficial mascot/cheerleader.

We found out that Gabriel opened a Facebook account without our permission. We chewed him out for it and promptly deactivated his account. He's not even old enough to have an account, hence he lied about his birthday to start an account. "But all my friends were doing it", oh well I say, not you!

Our Girl Scout year is coming to a close and we're trying to plan a big end of the year trip and also party. Fun, fun, fun!

We got a new BBQ grill. It's a combo grill, 1/2 gas grill and 1/2 charcoal grill. Gabriel, somewhat single-handed, put it together. Everyone is eager for our christening and first meal from it!

Hospice

I have finished all the required work for my hospice work, and will soon be assigned a patient to work with. They do not have a hospice house locally, the nearest is an hour away, so all the hospice work I will do will be in a patient's home. I am eager to see where this new ministry will lead me.

I am also reading a few books on hospice work, including one who works with dogs/service animals and hospice.

New looks

Anna has cut her hair again and donated it to Locks of Love, the non-profit who makes wigs for people with cancer, who lost their hair to chemotherapy. She donated over 12 inches and her hair cut is very cute, and just in time for the hot Southern summer.

Gabriel also has a new look, he got braces yesterday and is trying not to smile too much. Of course, he has orange and white bands on, since those are his favorite colors. He's been in some pain and taking Tylenol for it. But, not enough pain to get out of school...

Marian feels left out and wants something new, I told her she is fine the way she is.

Happy Easter!!

Resurrection Day by Matt Maher

It’s the weight of your glory brings the proud to their knees,
and the light of revelation lets the blind man see.
It’s the power of the cross breaks away death’s embrace.
And we celebrate our freedom dancing on an empty grave.
Roll away the stone. Roll away the stone.

We sing for joy, we shout your name,
we celebrate your resurrection day.

You declare what is holy, you declare what is good.
In the sight of all the nations you declare that you are God.
It’s the power in your blood breaks away sin’s embrace.
And we celebrate our freedom dancing on our broken chains.
Roll away the stone. Roll away the stone.

We sing for joy, we shout your name,
we celebrate your resurrection day.

Prayer for Good Friday

This is the wood of the cross,
on which hung the Savior of the world.
Come, let us worship.

This is a very special day of intimacy with our Lord.
It is a day to pray the Stations of the Cross.
A day of fasting and abstinence, in order to sharpen our awareness and openness.
A day to stand at the foot of the cross as a forgiven sinner -
to stand there side-by-side with everyone else who is forgiven.
It is a day of profound gratitude.

April Fool's Day

Just pulled a prank on both Anna and Gabriel, convinced them they were late for school and they had to get up immediately. They both fell for it and were up like a shot! They both reacted the same way too! "Oh, I hate you" Ha-ha to them!

A Prayer for Holy Week

O God, holy and eternal, you permit us to enter into the fellowship of that holy suffering by which your dear Son, our Savior, conquered sin, death and the power of the devil. Grant that we may celebrate his passion with true devotion, accept the cross as his disciples, and thus fulfill your holy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rain Showers

We had rain showers (actually downpours) off and on all day. There was a downpour right before church, so we did not process outside for Palm Sunday. Then when we were home we had 2 more thundershowers.

The kids are looking forward to sunny weather this week.

Anna and Gabriel went to the junior high retreat this weekend and loved it. Marian was sad without them.

Cold mornings/hot afternoons

The kids love the weather, especially when they come home from school and it is 70 (F). They tear off their school clothes and put on shorts and enjoy the weather. The mornings are still cold, in the high 30's.

Daffodils everywhere in bloom! Although, none in our yard. It appears the previous owners liked easy to maintain bushes, rather than flowers or bulbs.

I think spring will be short

Since it already feels like summer. It's 60 (F) right now and today's high was in the 70's.

We are sad that we didn't plant any bulbs in the fall, but we hope to do that this fall and be able to see the colors bloom the following spring.

Anna had a bike accident today, only scrapes, so no broken legs...

Spring is in the air!

Although it is colder today, it has been nice and warm this week. Bright sunshine and flowers coming up everywhere.

Bogdan's department attempted to apply for some funding for a new project, but they were rejected. They basically told them that they needed to have the project done and then they might get funding. That's wonderful federal bureaucracy for you!

Gabriel slept over at a friend's and we haven't seen him in 24 hours! The girls haven't missed him too much.

Marian is off to a friend's house soon and anxious to play for 6 hours!

Happy Spring!

St. Patrick's Breastplate

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever.
By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;*
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of the cherubim;
The sweet 'well done' in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,
The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord,
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan's spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart's idolatry,
Against the wizard's evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One, and One in Three,
Of Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Vacation Events

Monday we went to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga with the Moshers, our friends from NH. It was fun for all, and only once did someone stop and ask us if "those are all your kids?" We had 9 kids between us.

Tuesday we went shopping (spring clothes and then food) and also had our carpets cleaned. The blue stain is now much fainter.

Today we are having all green foods. Green eggs and ham for lunch and then we're having multi-colored fettuccine (yes, there's green in there) and rainbow sherbet for dessert.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Matt Maher

All went to a Matt Maher concert tonight. Excellent. The Bishop came and it was so encouraging to see him there.

Vacation

Kids are excited, today is the last day of school before vacation begins next week. We are planning some day trips and looking forward to warm weather. It's been in the high 50's (F) for about a week now. We hope to at least visit the Aquarium and the Whitwell Paper Clip Project.

Off to a church retreat tonight and tomorrow, led by composer and musician Christopher Walker.

A Cradle Song

The angels are stooping
Above your bed;
They weary of trooping
With the whimpering dead.
God's laughing in Heaven
To see you so good;
The Sailing Seven
Are gay with His mood.
I sigh that kiss you,
For I must own
That I shall miss you
When you have grown.

William Butler Yeats

A lovely night sighting

As I came home from my Girl Scout planning meeting, I spied 3 white-tailed deer on my neighbor's lawn. I ran in to get the kids and we all tiptoed out to see them, as they munched my neighbor's grass. They didn't care we were there at all.

A lovely sight!

Oscars

Best part of Oscars: seeing Sandra Bullock and Mo'Nique win in their category, James Taylor playing "In My Life".

Worst part: seeing what's her name win again for costume and saying "I've got 2 of these already", let's not rub it in shall we?

Beautiful weather

While the saying says that March roars in like a lion, here it is almost 50 (F) today and lovely. I am kicking everyone out for some fresh air activities.

The crocuses and bulbs are already out around here, a lovely sight, since it's probably still snowy in NH.

Double Birthday

Happy Birthday to both Fayth and David today. David is so old I can't even tell you his age (two years more than me) and Fayth is old enough to make me feel old.

Best to both of them!

Prayer for today

Lead me, Lord,
to recognize you
in the person beside me.

Cookies delivered

Cookies are being delivered and people are eager to have their cookies! And we are selling more...I am picking up 15 more boxes tomorrow for people who've requested additional boxes.

We have 6 boxes in our freezer.

Almost 600 boxes of cookies!

Yes, they all fit in my car. Of course, I had no kids with me at the time. Now, the task of delivering cookies! But, at least, Marian is only responsible for delivering 115 boxes...

Thin Mints won out as the most popular cookie, I have 15 cases of them in my kitchen, that's 180 boxes!

Father/Daughter Dance

Bogdan and the girls attended their yearly Father/Daughter dance. This year it was at the YWCA and sponsored by Miss Tennessee. A fun time had by all.

Happy Birthday Karen

Karen has achieved the age that is the answer to life the universe and everything. Now if we could just figure out what the question is...

Happy Birthday to her.

The kids and I are performing 'acts of service' for her today. Wish us luck.

-bogdan

Ash Wednesday

As we begin Lent, and the journey toward Easter, I pray that I can reflect at this time, clear those things that prevent me from being closer to Jesus. May my fasting and praying and almsgiving bring me closer to Him.

Happy Birthday Anna

She turns 14 today! Happy Birthday!

Snow

Ok, it is only 1 inch. But enough to cancel school today. The kids were so excited. The school district always calls to let everyone know that school is canceled. I did not appreciate a call at 5:15am....

The kids have been watching the Olympics off and on all day.

Carpet stains

1) Marian drops a freeze pop on the carpet. Not just any freeze pop, a red one, onto a beige carpet.

2) Gabriel leaves his printer on the same carpet and stains it with blue ink.

3) Now our carpet is red, white and blue...not because we are patriotic or anything.

Moving rooms

Gabriel and Anna have decided to swap rooms. Anna is giving up her privacy and bathroom to be closer to everyone on the first floor. Should I take her temperature? Anyway, they have been moving furniture all day and are almost done. I have done nothing except tell them to get it done today.

Healthcare at its....

No, not finest.

Marian was complaining of her ear on Thursday night. I gave her Tylenol and she slept fine. Friday morning she woke up with her eyes crusted over and the first signs of pink eye. Her ear also still hurt. Now, this is a child with a high tolerance for pain. So, for her to complain, it's a pretty big thing.

I called our new pediatrician's office. I was told that they couldn't fit her in until Monday, in 3 days. That was because I was a new patient and had neglected to make a new patient appointment, and they don't take new patients on Fridays. Now, I'm pretty pissed and I just hang up. So, I call my insurance carrier and explain the situation, they advise me to see an ER or an urgent care clinic. So, I walk in to the walk in urgent care clinic at Walgreen's. We waited only 10 minutes and they gave her a thorough look over and she has an eye infection (pink eye) and an ear infection. Meds prescribed and now she's fine. Of course, the worse part of it for her is that she missed her Valentine's Party at school.

Now, while I realize there are certain procedures, and I should have made a new patient appointment, I am really tempted to drop my pediatrician, who wanted my child to wait 3 days before seen. What if it was something worse, what if it was their child?

Death to Auto-Tune

I feel like we've moved into a world where we never know what is real. In a world where the media show us what is "true" and what is not, where is the place for something actually real. It even boils down to singing. Now, I really put singing on a higher standard. Just ask my kids. I will listen to almost anything, but only if the singing is excellent. And now I can add, only if it's real. Auto-tune has changed it all. Anyone with a mouth can sing with this horrible sounding voice manipulator. But, the truth is, it's not singing. It's some nightmarish device that poisons the world of singing. Give me an a cappella group and I'll call that singing.

Ilu finu
maleh
shira
kayam...

Were our mouths
as full of song
as the sea...
...still we could not praise God enough

~Nishmat prayer, Shabbat morning service

GO SAINTS!!

YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recipe for Super Bowl

Fall off the bone ribs with homemade BBQ sauce
Roasted vegetables
Chips and salsa
Pretzel sticks
Izze soda
PB covered pretzels
Cocoa Krispie footballs, see picture

Go Saints!! Don't you think it's about time New Orleans has a miracle?

For those who are busy

O Lord,
you know how busy I must be this day.
If I forget you,
do not forget me.

(Sir Jacob Astley, before the Battle of Edgehill, 1642)

Success

Bogdan had great success at work and they have sent him home to take his wife out to lunch and have the rest of the day and weekend off. :)

The incredible shrinking troop

Another girl is leaving our Girl Scout troop, making our troop probably the smallest in the area, now it's a total of 6 girls. We started out with 12 girls, but then for one reason or another, the girls have (in Anna's words) disappeared. Really, it's nothing we did! This last girl to leave loved the troop, but her parents are moving because of job issues.

Despite our small numbers, our troop sold...589 boxes of cookies!! Yahoo for them!! The most popular cookie? Thin mints!! (Of course!)

Marian sold a total of 115 boxes! Great for her first year!

Prayer for today

God our heavenly Father,
when the thought of you
wakes in our hearts,
let its awakening
not be like a startled bird
that flies about in fear.
Instead, let it be like a child
waking from sleep
with a heavenly smile.

Snow in TN!!

The official snow fall is 3 inches!! The kids are having a ball playing in the snow, they have a snow fort and having a snowball fight.

Typical Anna, she spent 1/2 hour outside and is back inside in her pajamas and enjoying taunting the others outside.

Prayer for Today

God be in my head
and in my understanding.
God be in my eyes
and in my looking.
God be in my mouth
and in my speaking.
God be in my heart
and in my thinking.
God be at my end
and at my departing.
(from the Sarum Book of Hours, 1514)

The new total is....

Over 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies sold!!

Plecostomus

If you're wondering what the heck that is, it's what Marian fondly refers to as a "sucky fish". We like it because it will eat the algae in the tank. A vacuum cleaner fish.

Loved the Charismatic mass on Sunday, nice to be surrounded by that again. Ours were the only kids there. It was a small crowd, maybe only 25 people at the most? They offered healing prayer in prayer teams at the end, which was very nice.

Anna is doing better in school, has raised her grades to 2 A's and 2 B's!!

Thanks for reading.

Math Meet

Gabriel went to a math meet in Alabama. Along the way, the team stopped in Huntsville AL to see the space museum there. He had a great time. The team came in 1st place and he was 3rd place overall for his grade level.

We found out about a Charismatic Mass tonight and we are heading there! Will be great to be there.

Raining all day, at least it's not leaking into our basement!!