Life in February

It's Friday!  Yay!  We are still freezing here in Michigan and Eli was really hoping school would be cancelled.  I assured him that it was unlikely due to the fact that they have missed so much already.  Despite that, this morning as I packed lunches he said "Mom, are you just packing those IN CASE we have school?"   So funny.  What can I say? He's a dreamer that one.  I tried to encourage him with the fact that it is Friday and he has 2 days off after today.

I logged on to my computer this morning to post today and the computer that has my pictures on it will not connect to the internet and the computer I am currently using does not have my camera program installed anymore, apparently.  So I decided to post a pictureless post anyways.

Adds and I grabbed groceries this morning and are now home hibernating.  The wind chills this morning were between -5 and -15 so I had to fight to even make myself go out to do that.  I cannot wait for Spring.

Last night we visited a woman from church in the hospital that had her daughter at 28 weeks.  We hoped to encourage them in the journey that is the NICU with a sweet preemie.  We got in the car and man it hit me.  I remembered all the fear that was wrapped up in those first hours, days, weeks and months.  God's grace was so sufficient.  His hope was ALL we had.  No one could reassure us that they'd be "fine".  It was not a given.  I truly pray that type of grace and peace over this family.

We also have a friend that is 33 years old and has 4 boys, ages ranging 3-12 who has been diagnosed with cancer.  And I have yet to mention here that my nephew Teddy is undergoing radiation for his tumor that returned and continued to grow despite a year of weekly chemo.  It's been a rough winter and this world can take the joy right out of you.  I am so thankful for our relationship with Jesus Christ that assures us that none of us are long for this world.  This life is but a vapor.  Our home is not here.  I need that reassurance today as we see so few answers for all that is  taking place in the lives of those we love.  God is good, all the time.  Painful as this world sometimes can be.

Just some things....

Addie's been out of diapers since before Summer but I just found these in the top of her closet and passed them onto my sister which means there is not a. single. diaper. in. my. house.  WHAAAT?  Crazy.  First time in almost 7 years.  And once Jared and I found out we were pregnant with twins we started buying diapers at most grocery trips SO it may be more like 8 years.  (In hindsight I wish I had a picture of the stockpile of diapers we had.  We were prepared, to say the least.)

I let Addison pick the toothpaste recently and Eli was none too pleased.  I explained that Addie has NEVER picked and she always uses their kind, yada, yada.  To which he replied:  "OK as long as it is not pink and sparkly".  "Eli, just because it is Addie's pick, that DOES NOT MEAN it will be pink and sparkly"  says wise Mom.  Except that when we went to use it, it was in fact, pink and (of course) sparkly.  I laughed so hard at his sheer terror.  :)  Good times.

Here she is re-enacting their favorite scene from "Night at the Museum" (second one),  "Boom, Bang, Firepower!"  The thinker is flexing his muscles.  She cracks me up.

She absolutely loves to be chased.  She cackles.

I was getting a picture of Addie's Cubbie uniform and Eli wanted to a picture with his new library book.  Eli is such a reader.  He reads everything he can get his hands on.  He wanted binoculars for Christmas so he can bird watch and I just reserved a book for him at the library about Michigan Birds.  He is going to be so excited.

And that's a little of what is going on here.