Finding Time

New Schedule Update

2007-01-16T14:28:00.000-06:00

Well, the schedule is a couple of weeks old now and we are still following it. I do have to admit Tanner and Caelan are struggling a bit with Quiet Time now, but I'm committed to it! They do alright, but told me today that they want to take it off the schedule. They know to expect it, though, and stay relatively quiet and occupied reading their book selections. They have fallen asleep a time or two, but that is not really the point. I just want them (okay, and me!) to have a little down time in our day. I took a picture of our new schedule. Of course, we are never right on time with everything. I don't want this to rule our day, but to be an aide to our day. I am excited about how much it has changed our daytimes. The kids watch very little TV, only every few days for an hour or so. Otherwise they play or read books. We have a lot of books on tape we got from a daycare that closed down and they love to listen to those. They have found one that is an exercise routine and they do it almost daily. It's fun to watch Trevor try the moves in his almost-2-year-old way!

Desitin....

2007-01-09T20:39:00.000-06:00

....is really hard to get out of hair.

I've washed it six times, once with dish soap, and I can still feel it.

New Routines

2007-01-05T13:25:00.000-06:00

Today we started a new routine with the kids. I have been working at eliminating TV from their daily experience, but to do that I needed to have a schedule they could count on and I could follow. Yesterday during Trevor's nap, Tanner, Caelan and I worked on what their routine should include and made a couple of posters for them to follow throughout the day. They were very excited about it and jumped right into the routine today. I snuck in a quiet time for them during Trevor's nap time and as I type this post they are sitting on separate couches reading books quietly! I love it! Every time we finish an activity today they run to their posters and see what is next. The best part about it is that they helped me come up with the schedule, so they have really taken ownership of it. When Caelan started to protest quiet time today, I just showed her the poster and she quietly chose some books and climbed onto the couch.

I have been working on some new routines myself, as well. Not in the form of New Year's resolutions, just some changes I decided to go ahead and make. I am trying to get up at 6 o'clock each morning for some quiet time before the kids wake up. I have found that I am pretty grumpy though, if I don't get 8 hours of sleep. So, that means I must go to bed by 10! Tony's trying to adjust!! The nights I work (only two nights a week now) I will have to forgo the early morning. My kids don't deserve a grumpy, tired mom. But otherwise, I will be rising a bit earlier than has been my habit lately. Also, I'm trying to get myself back onto a routine for keeping up with the house and life otherwise. Catching up after the holidays has slowed me down a little, but I hope to be into the swing of things by next week.

Finally, we have been wanting to be more intentional with discipleship for our family. This Christmas we were able to find some great scripture memory music cd's put out by Max Lucado for the kids. We also got some devotional books geared for young children. And, my favorite, I found a two-volume set of Hymns for Kids that includes a book with the stories of the hymns and a music cd. The music is very nice and includes children's voices. I heard about the set over at Mommy Life.

I am excited about the changes, and the kids are, too. I'll let you know how we do over the next few weeks!

Looking Forward and Looking Back

2007-01-02T06:58:00.000-06:00

I read somewhere that a traditional symbol of the new year was an image of a man with two faces, one looking forward and one looking back. Looking back over this year in my memory doesn't do much for me. My mind dwells on the difficult days and places I don't want to go. But if I look back in our photos for the year I am reminded that God always gives us hope, even in the darkest days. My kids have grown so much this year! Tanner is learning to read, Caelan is becoming a person with thoughts and ideas that she is sharing with us, and Trevor is expanding his vocabulary daily, always surprising us with what he says. These are some pictures of the kids on Christmas morning.

I'm glad for the close of a year. Looking back is good, but I am looking ahead today. Looking forward to how God will restore what the locust has destroyed this year. Looking forward to relationships restored, routines regained and purpose re-recognized.

Who Knew?

2006-09-18T20:40:00.000-05:00

Who knew a few logs could spark such creativity?

Tanner and Caelan played for a few hours this afternoon in their new log house, complete with kitchen, living room, and bedroom. After these pictures, they furnished the house with a couple of small lawn chairs.

They were orphans, they built a pond, it was a castle....just too much fun!

He's Home!

2006-09-15T22:45:00.000-05:00

We went to meet Tony at the airport last night. The kids all made welcome home signs for him, and they all managed to stay awake on the drive to the airport even though it was past their bedtime. They were so excited to finally see him walking down the ramp. And, of course, so was I! Today we took it easy. Tony slept in while we had our morning routine and got up in time for lunch. Then I finally got to look at all of his pictures from the trip.

This afternoon we built a house for the kids out of the small logs from a few trees we had cut down. Now, lest you think we are incredibly ambitious, we actually created the outline of a small house out under our cedar trees. I'll try to take a picture tomorrow. We took the idea from Tony's parents, who created a similar house in their backyard for the grandkids. Tanner loved it and really got into putting the logs down. He was ready to build a mansion!

After supper it was baths for the kids and then they all went to bed and so did Tony. He is exhausted and trying to get his days and nights back on schedule. And now I think it is bedtime for me, too!

The Journey Back

2006-09-13T23:16:00.000-05:00

Tony has been gone for 10 days on a trip to the Philippines. We've done alright without him, but I sure will be glad to load the kids into the car tomorrow evening and drive to the airport to pick him up. Life just isn't right without him! He's had a great trip and I know that his life has been impacted because of his willingness to serve Christ wherever he has opportunity to go. I can hardly wait to see him and hear everything about the trip.

But he will not be the only one sharing about what has happened this week. I have over a week's worth of stories to tell as well. Our church family has been so wonderful while he was gone, taking the kids when I needed a break, watching them while I was at work, mowing the yard and helping out with a little extra yard work. We are truly blessed with some incredible friends! Of course, there are stories about the kids, too. We did school this week with Tanner and Caelan. They have been so eager to work on anything I could get together for them. (School this year will officially start in a week or so. Tanner will be joined by three cousins of the same age for school together. It will be kindergarten. I will trade off teaching with my sister and sister-in-law. I will continue to do preschool work with Caelan.) We rearranged some of the furniture this week. Hopefully Tony will like it!

However, just as I am looking most forward to listening to Tony's heart about his experiences and not just the details of his days, I am also looking forward to sharing with him my heart and the experiences that have shaped it this week. I will not be sharing all of those treasures here in this post. I do not know how much of it I will share here at all, but I do want to begin to write again. My mother-in-law asked me recently when I would be adding a post here, but quickly added that she understood why I had not posted. It has not been an easy year for me and my family. I have been dealing with some deep wounds and needing to heal. If you have read my previous posts, then you have had a glimpse of my journey, but that is all. I am not ready to openly share details, nor do I believe this is the appropriate place for the discussion, as many family members are involved, but I do want to share some of what is happening in my life, as it is my testimony to God's grace extended to me and my family in the midst of tradgedy.

The lyrics below are to a song by Casting Crowns called 'Praise You In This Storm.' My personal storm is by no means over, but I sense a breaking in the clouds. I have found a peace in the midst of raging winds and driving rains. There are still tears, but there is also hope that my torn heart, though changed, will heal.

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard me cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

Tony's journey back home is a long one. He has been far away. I'll be so glad to have him back. My journey has been long as well, eight months or more of storms. But I am coming back to wholeness, and though it has been hard, I'm glad to be here.

Flowers!

2006-05-15T22:18:00.000-05:00

We spent the day today working in the yard. It seems that we have spent almost every Monday (Tony's day off) working in the yard since sometime at the beginning of March. I have really enjoyed it and have learned a lot. We have so many flower beds. We still have not made it around to all of them for spring maintenance. Anyway, here are some of the sights around our house this week.

The Heat is On!

2006-05-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

Well, I now have two sisters-in-law who have begun blogging and are much better than I am at updating. I'm going to have to pay more attention to this!

Things at home are calming down. Work is going well. Last night I had my last night of orientation, so next week I will be working independently with the patients I am assigned. That is a little intimidating, but I am sure it will be fine. And, of course, there will be nurses all around who I can go to with any questions I may have. The kids are adjusting to being home with Tony on the evenings I work. They are getting special daddy time, playing games and eating bedtime snacks.

I think being at work 3 evenings a week is making me pay more attention to the details in my home. Being at home all the time can make you lazy - you have all day to get things done and often don't get it done because of wasted time. I'm getting just as much or more done now as before and I've started making more time to just BE with my children. We are playing together outside or connecting inside on days outside isn't an option. I want them to know that me being gone some of the time doesn't mean that they have less of me. They are really great. Big Brother is a Rescue Hero nut right now. He loves playing with his heroes and pretending to save people. Sister Bear is loving her outside time. I bought some new sidewalk chalk for her and her goal has been to get it to disappear. Every time we go outside she is coloring big patches on the sidewalk. She comes in covered in chalk herself, but feeling rather triumphant about the patchwork she has created. And my Little One is walking around just being proud of what he can do! He loves to pester his sister and takes just about any opportunity he can to see if he can get her going - a typical boy, I guess!

So, life is going well. We are studying the book of Acts at church right now, and I am excited to see what God is going to do to empower our church body and what He is going to do in my life, as well, as we look at the gift of Pentecost together. He is good to us, giving us gifts that are good when we least expect or deserve!

He's Walking!

2006-03-21T21:19:00.000-06:00

My Little One finally took his official "Snavely 10 Steps" tonight. His first birthday was Friday and I thought he would be walking a couple of months ago. I guess he just had his own ideas about it. About a week and a half ago he took his first step, but he didn't take any more that I caught until the last day or two. Then tonight I guess he just decided it was time and made it through all ten of the steps required by the Snavelys' before a baby is a true walker. I'm so proud! He'll be tearing up the road soon!

Tomorrow morning I start work. We decided a couple of months ago that it was going to be necessary for me to work part-time for the next year or so to catch up with life and get rid of some debt we have accumulated. It has not been an easy decision, but because of some poor planning it is needed for a time. My new job is at an area hospital as an RN on the Medical Unit. I will be working in the evenings after my initial training time. It will be an interesting time, I'm sure. I'll keep you all updated.

Just one final note...I don't know if all little girls are like this or not, but our Sister Bear, who is a mere 2 1/2 years old, has earned herself constant supervision and may be subjected to baby monitor after bedtime. In the last four days she has colored all over her daddy's computer screen, broken a light bulb by dragging the lamp across the floor (and then she cut her hand), conditioned our hallway carpet with a layer of lotion, colored said conditioned carpet with a sharpie, buttered our kitchen counters and candy dish, and painted my bedroom floor with fingernail polish. I'm not even going to tell you about what she did when she accidentally went stinky in her panties. I promise we really are good observant parents. I have no idea what has gotten into her, but whatever it is, it can turn this house upside down in two minutes or less. Speaking of which, I think I should go check on her......

Long Pause? Sorry, I've been stuck.

2006-03-19T22:18:00.000-06:00

Have you ever experienced or been around someone who was paralyzed? I have a nephew who was born with spina bifida. He is paralyzed from the waist down. I don't know if he will ever walk. The doctors say he won't, but who knows what God may do in his life in the future. His paralysis is a result of a spinal injury and, aside from an act of God, he has no real hope that his paralysis will go away.

I had a friend in high school who had Bell's palsy our senior year. She was out of school for a few days because the illness caused paralysis in her face. When I looked it up I found that this paralysis is a result of a virus that causes inflammation of nerves in the face. It peaks after a day or two and the person usually recovers completely after a few weeks, although the effects may be felt for 3-6 months.

When I was in nursing school I worked in the Pediatric ICU. One of my first patients there was a little girl, maybe 18 months old, who was experiencing respiratory failure. I can't remember why her respiratory system was shutting down, but I do remember that she was temporarily paralyzed with medication so that she could be put on a ventilator while her body healed. Once her body had healed enough, she was weaned off the ventilator and was no longer sedated. The last time I saw her she was playing happily in her hospital room, waiting for dismissal, with no apparent effects from her illness and no sign of paralysis at all.

The past few days I have been thinking about different kinds of paralysis because I believe that I have been experiencing a spiritual and emotional paralysis of sorts. It is not a paralysis that is permanently disabling, as in the case of my little nephew; nor do I believe it is a paralysis caused by an illness, as with my high school friend. I believe the paralysis I have been experiencing is one similar to the little girl in the PICU that has been induced to allow healing in my spirit and emotions. In the past few months we have encountered family crisis of one sibling's divorce, another sibling's spiritual journey away from belief in Christ, and financial difficulties. At each encounter, and as each came, I have felt myself being slowed and eventually stopped in my tracks. Prayer has been difficult, not because I didn't want to or didn't believe Christ would hear or could intervene, but really just because I haven't known what to pray. I have been at a loss for words, and my communion with my Lord has been rest, quietness and dependence on His love for my family and knowledge of my heart. I believe there are times in our spiritual journey that words cannot express our heart, but Jesus knows us. When we are paralyzed, He knows our needs and uses the induced rest to heal us. At least I believe that is what He is doing for me. He has been my 'ventilator', breathing for me when I couldn't breathe. Sustaining my life while the Father has been healing my heart and making me strong again.

So, hopefully, I am coming out of this paralysis and I don't expect any negative effects to remain. I am looking forward to what our powerful Father can do, not only in my life, but in my family's life. He knows me best. He has sustained me. He has been healing me and building my faith in His plans. My life is different because of these experiences. My heart has been changed and challenged. Now I am looking forward to gaining new strength and joy.

James 1:2-4
2Dear brothers and sisters,[b] whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

Saying Goodbye

2006-01-14T12:57:00.000-06:00

My grandma passed away last week. She fell after Thanksgiving and broke her hip. She was doing really well until the last day. She had moved to a nursing home for rehab and had been enjoying the people there. Then on Jan. 3rd her body just gave up. She went into kidney failure and heart failure and died that evening around 9 o'clock.

(This picture is of her with my now 4 year old. We were visiting her on Christmas and a few of the somewhere around 70 family stockings are hanging in the background.)

I had been to visit her in the hospital a couple of times with my little one. She really enjoyed the visits and loved watching him climb around the room. "He's such a smart baby. And so beautiful. All of our babies are beautiful!" She never let an opportunity pass to brag on her great-grandson to the hospital staff.

My grandma was a very giving person. Every Christmas she still had gifts in stockings (that she had hand-stitched and decorated) at her house for each of her 4 daughters and their families, which was no small thing. She had 22 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren! What a legacy to leave. Her family was very important to her and we all knew she took pride in being our grandma.

Her funeral services were a great celebration of her life. All but two of her grandchildren were present, most with their families. The two who couldn't make it live out of the country, in Mexico and Japan. We shared many memories of family events at her home, times with grandpa and grandma centered around the pride of being part of such a great family. I'm going to miss her presence here when we gather now. I had a really wonderful grandma.

I Nearly Burned Down the House

2006-01-01T17:08:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I thought I'd let you all see how our New Year's lunch went today. I turned on the stove to warm the vegetables for our dinner and accidentally turned on the wrong burners. Whoops. Oh, yeah, I also had a dish cloth, a pot holder and a cheese grater sitting on the burner I turned on. Double whoops.

We went to Mcdonald's for lunch so the house could air out a little. And to think, I had actually managed to have a good dinner prepared on a Sunday afternoon! Oh well. Tony was glad for the excitement and a story to share. Go figure.

We had a wonderful Christmas, which I hope to blog about in the next couple of days. I have lots of pictures to share. I am glad the holidays are drawing to a close, though. I think we are all ready for a return to routine!

The Christmas Tree

2005-12-06T22:26:00.000-06:00

My little girl is in love with our Christmas tree. Tony and I set it up one afternoon during nap time. When Sister Bear woke up and came downstairs it was all lit up and she was in awe. She keeps me reminded to plug it in so the lights dance for her and she cannot keep her hands from touching the ornaments that cover the tree. (I'm just glad I went ahead and bought the plastic ornaments last year instead of those glass balls!) She loves to play with the little nativity set I received for my high school graduation from Granny Meg, our library's storytime reader. The wise men and angels are her babies and she carries them quite carefully. Christmas is becoming more exciting each year as my children are growing older and are beginning to anticipate and understand the celebration. Big Brother actually remembered that he put the star up last year and was sure to be in the room for the tree decorating finale - he again put the star up on the tree. The Little One is going to be close to walking by the time Christmas day arrives. He isn't there yet, but he is learning so much every day; I don't think it will be long.

It is always a busy season. We are in the middle of "crunch week" for the children's Christmas production at church. Three Wise Men and a Baby. The kids are doing great. I am up to my eyeballs in costumes for the Wise Men and King Herod, but I think it will all get done in time! When the play is over we have Christmas parties for the kids at church and a little time to get ready for the excitment of visiting with family over the holiday. I am looking forward to the lull after Christmas day and the opportunity to spend some time with Tony and the kids just playing. It has been a while since I have taken a day to live in their world.

My goal this season is to create some family memories that they just might hold on to for life. One of my favorite things to do during Christmas is to sleep in the living room with the tree all lit up. The atmosphere of the room lit by the tree and the family snuggling up together on the floor with blankets and pillows all around speaks of peace and comfort and closeness to me. Maybe we'll play some games or put together puzzles or just drink hot chocolate and read stories out loud. Whatever we do, I plan on having a good time and enjoying the awe of Sister Bear as we have fun around our Christmas tree.

When It Rains, It Pours

2005-10-01T13:08:00.000-05:00

It seems like forever since I've written anything here. Sorry about the long pauses, life just carries me along! The Little One has been sick this week, and when he gets sick he's sick! The others have a little cold, but he runs high fevers, doesn't sleep for nights in a row and loses his usually voracious appetite. He is better today, but only after throwing up in my bed three times last night!

I've started attending a small group for wives and mothers at my sister's house on Wednesday nights. It's nice to go and be around friends. This week we talked about trials and how they bring out what is inside of you. Well, I guess God was trying to give me an advanced warning of the rest of my week. That night was the Little One's first night of little sleep. Then I started feeling sick. Then yesterday the flood waters broke loose, literally. I was getting brunch ready for the kids (a slow start to the day!) when I heard a gush of water. I turned around to see water streaming down the wall behind my sink, inside and outside the window. It was raining from the ceiling and pouring from my kitchen cabinets. Wow! I raced upstairs to try to find the source and discovered the bathtub had sprung a leak at one of the faucet pipes. Water was spraying a good four to five feet high, and was obviously pouring downward as well, into the floor and through the walls and ceilings below. Well, I ran down to the basement (fortunately I knew where the water shut-off was!) and turned off the water. Then I called Tony and let him know that we had a little leak and he should probably come home. He arrived and was assessing the situation when Sister Bear decided to dump her lunch for the cat to eat. This happened the same time the cat decided he was thirsty and spilled Big Brother's milk all over the table and chair Big Brother has been sitting at. And I had no water for clean-up. Oh, well. It was a test of my ability to handle little high-stress situations in rapid-fire succession. Like I said, when it rains, it pours!

The good thing about God is that He is always faithful to us. He always sends us reminders of His love and providence, even when we don't understand why those little high-stress situations need to pop up. Yesterday, starting before we even had a chance to begin the repairs on the pipes, a friend called just to chat. She had been thinking about me. She was able to encourage me and help me to laugh in spite of the circumstances. Later yesterday afternoon I received another call from a friend. She had actually been trying to call for over a week, but had always missed me until yesterday. She had encouraging words as well. Then, just after getting my kids down for a nap, my sister, Ruth, called to talk. It seems that just as I had been assaulted with trials and opportunities for discouragement, God was also showering down His love on me. Letting me know that He remembered me and my day. He placed it on friends' hearts to call and check on me and be a reminder to me that His love for me is steadfast and sure. Like I said, when it rains, it pours!!

One of the verses we looked at Wednesday was James 1:2-4. "2Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way."
I'm glad that under the stress and in the trials our faith-life is revealed. It's good to evaluate where we are, and it's good to know that we are growing. It's also good to know that the same God who takes us through the trials loves us beyond anything we could imagine and desires for us to succeed. Not only that, but He cheers us on the entire way, giving us the hope we need to continue.

Incredible!

2005-08-28T23:14:00.000-05:00

The Incredibles have invaded our home. For the past three days Violet, Dash, Jack Jack, Mom and Dad (who I am supposed to call Bob) have lived here. Big Brother (who I will now refer to as Dash) has played almost non-stop since Friday. I'm not sure what I'm going to do if I hear "No we're playing the Incredibles, remember? I'm Dash!" one more time! It's pretty amazing that the same little one who cannot remember to put his clothes in the laundry or let the kitty go when she cries has not even once forgotten that he is playing this game. Violet (Sister Bear) has even started calling him Dash, although I'm not really sure she knows why! The preschool mind and imagination are a pretty incredible thing, aren't they? If only we all could enter another reality as easily. It sure would make life a little more exciting. The baby wouldn't be crying just because he wants held, No! He would be needing rescue from some evil menace and YOU are responsible to save him! I keep hearing Dash telling Violet that they must save mom. They race all over the house until they find me (which in this big, new house can take a minute or two) and then proceed to save me from whatever has trapped me - most often some chore or something that I would really like rescue from. There are moments that I almost wish I could join the game with the same abandon my 3 year old has found! But, alas, I gain only glimpses of the pretend world nowadays - it seems my adult mind has lost it's ability to be lost in the fantasy. I can remember what it is like though....

When we were kids we would pretend we were lost on a desert island, or we were an Indian family who lived off the land and hunted food with bow and arrow. We started campfires in the backyard and cooked rhubarb soup. We drew roads on the sidewalk and road our bikes through our homemade city, complete with all the necessary stops - police, the gas station and a grocery store. We played house for hours on end with the neighbor boy. The land of pretend was our playground. It was an exciting place to be! I treasure my memories of pretend play. So, the Incredibles are welcome here, even when I am tired of them. They are my kids future memories, and though it is a difficult journey for me to make anymore, I want them to create and play and enjoy living in a place that is full of whatever adventures and opportunities they can imagine!

Simplicity

2005-08-28T22:54:00.000-05:00

It seems the craziness of summer is just about ready to give way to the routine of fall. I can only hope that the routine others find will settle into my house as well! I have spent a lot of time recently evaluating my activities and what keeps me busy, you know, besides the three children, the laundry, the dishes.... Looking at what I want our life to be like and what it currently resembles leaves me challenged to create something better. I hope it is not just nostalgia and longing for simplicity that I won't be able to find, but simplicity is what I want. I am working at paring down the extras and focusing on and being content with what I find at home to do.

I am anxious to start preschool again with Big Brother. He loves the activities and learning and his Sister Bear is really beginning to enjoy it, too. She has been learning the alphabet and counting from him all summer. They together wrote the alphabet on the sidewalk the other day, him making the letters, her telling him what comes next. School will be good for us together. It will be fun to spend time with them where we are not hurried and trying to finish up so we can get to the next activity!

Sister Bear and Nevada

2005-08-02T23:17:00.000-05:00

Sister Bear and Nevada
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

Please help us welcome the newest member of our family. Actually, she is here to work. Upon moving into the house, we have discovered evidence of mice everywhere. Mouse and rat poison and traps had been placed strategically throughout the house. Having such young children and such a large space, we decided against continuing to use the poison and traps.

So enters Nevada. This new little kitten is our weapon against the invasion of mice. Now Sister Bear believes we have acquired this new pet for her amusment, and I suppose we will let her believe that for the time being, but the time is coming soon that we hope this young charge will earn her keep around our home.

I am not a cat lover, but I am sure that Nevada will worm her way into my heart. She is joining us as our third pet. We have two dogs, Dakota and Montana, as well.

Finally Home!

2005-08-02T22:56:00.000-05:00

all the kids
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

It has been one amazing month! Kid's Camp was great. All the kids had a great time. Moving was an effort, but definitely worth it!

My twin sister and her family came for a visit just as we were finishing our move. They have 3 kids and we all had a super visit together. We only see each other about once a year, so it is a real treat to have time together. All of our kids had fun playing together and getting reacquainted with one another. And of course, it was the first time they met our Little One.

Finally we have had some time to just be at home and enjoy this big house. Big Brother and Sister Bear have enjoyed the front porch and all the playing room. They can even ride their bikes and have a pretty good race around. They have become quite confident in the pool, swimming from one end to the other - of course, they are wearing floaty swimsuits and floaty rings around their waist, but they love it. We are going to have some fun memories here!

Last night and this morning we enjoyed a brief visit from Tony's parents and his oldest brother. It's wonderful to have them around. Grandma played games with Big Brother. He loves games!

Our life is busy and so full. We are very blessed. I am reminded often of the great gifts I have received from the Lord. He has given us a beautiful family and wonderful extended family to enjoy. He is a good God!

Closing

2005-06-28T14:15:00.000-05:00

We finally have a final closing appointment! Thursday at 11 a.m. we will sign papers and receive the keys to our new house!!!! We have been packing and hoping that everything would happen before kids camp and it looks like we may get to move on Saturday. Our house is a disaster, but I think I'm making progress toward the goal. Sometimes it's hard to tell. :0)

After camp Tony will be taking a week of vacation so that we are able to settle in. It may be a while before I post again - probably after camp at least, but then I'll put in some pictures of all the excitement and let you know how camp went. We are leading praise and worship. It's an awesome opportunity and blessing to see 400 - 500 kids honoring God through worship. The kids from our church are primed and ready to experience a new level of relationship with the Lord and to have a super time building relationships with each other. It should be a great week!

Huh?

2005-06-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

Huh?
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

So, I'm sitting here tonight vegging out and doing a little work on the laptop for kids church (Tony is at a campout with some of the Rangers from church), when the Big Brother at our house picks up a pen and some paper to make a picture for his friend Josh. Once he fills the paper with circles and squiggles, he asks me, "Mom, how do you spell Josh?"

I'm absorbed in what I'm doing and don't answer soon enough, so he says, "Josh starts with 'j', right, Mom?"

"Mmhmm...", I reply.

"How do you make a 'j'? Like this?"

I finally pull myself out of what I'm doing and look at his picture to find he has started Josh's name on his own! He made a letter 'j'! Wow! As is evidenced by the masking tape 'f' on our basement floor, our feeble attempt at homeschool preschool only took us through the letter 'f' this year. And we didn't really learn to write any of the letters. My son has learned all by himself how to make a letter 'j'.

Well, that got me to thinking...how many letters can he make on his own? We finished Josh, then did Haven, Travis and Stacie, all with minimal assistance. I think I must have the smartest 3 1/2 year old around! I got around to suggesting writing the alphabet about the time he ran out of steam, but he did write ABCD for me. His letters are legible, too. Needless to say, I am impressed!

the little man

2005-06-16T00:59:00.000-05:00

the little man
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

This Little One is the most amazing baby around. He has discovered his hands. Most of his time is now spent getting them to his mouth so he can suck on them and poke himself in the eye. It's quite the talent! His smile is so beautiful. It really makes you feel as though you are the most loved person in the world and makes you love him so much at the same time.

Yesterday at the young mom's small group at our house we put him next to a little boy who is four weeks older. They sat looking at each other for several minutes, just cooing and gurgling back and forth. It was quite the conversation.

Sister Bear and play-doh

2005-06-16T00:54:00.000-05:00

Sister Bear and play-doh
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

This is the new favorite plaything at our house. They love it! We recently were given a whole set of play-doh toys and play-doh, so Sister Bear and Big Brother have been creating and manipulating. This Sister Bear has been talking so much lately. Tonight we were getting in the car and she said, "whe we gon', mah? N da cah?" Sunday morning I picked her up out of nursery early, before the end of service, and she excitedly began looking for her Big Brother. She was yelling his name and wondering, "whe'd de go?" I keep hoping to catch some of her baby babble on video, but have yet to get it done.

She has also recently mastered riding her push along trike. She has picked up some pretty good speed. She and Big Brother were riding through puddles this afternoon.

on the playground

2005-06-16T00:45:00.000-05:00

on the playground
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

The Big Brother at our house has been talking non-stop this week. I think my nerves are just about shot! He is shooting out rapid fire questions and giving his commentary on life every moment he is awake. I'm afraid I've commanded silence a few too many times because Sister Bear has begun growling his name the past few days when he begins bothering her. It's really cute, but probably one of those things I'm going to have to stop.

He is becoming aware of his surroundings in a new way, wanting to know if we are lost if he doesn't know where we are driving, paying attention to people he sees in restaurants and stores and making comments about them (no embarrassing ones, yet!), and asking his dad if we can go to Texas. Why does he want to go to Texas? I don't really know. He picked up somewhere that that was our vacation spot and he is ready to drop everything and return. He is also reading letters as we drive around town. "L-E-T-O-H. What does that spell, mom?" (It's 'hotel' for those who didn't see it backward! It was a vertical sign.) He's growing up! Kindergarten is still 2 years away, but I don't know if he'll wait that long to read!

The picture above is on the playground at our church. He was playing outside for a part of his Rainbows class tonight.

A Place to Love Living

2005-06-04T17:13:00.000-05:00

This has been a weekend of downs and ups. I know it's supposed to be ups and downs, but we had our down before our up, so that's how it's been for us. We found out on Thursday that our beloved new home had not appraised for as much as we needed it to for the loan we were needing. Needless to say, after some negotiations that failed, we were asking for our earnest money back and had begun the search for another house that would fit our family and our dreams. Now, after getting our heart set on this house, finding another that would equal was not going to be an easy task! We went to see one this morning. Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, 2200 sq. feet of house, 430 sq. feet of deck. It was nice. It was in our price range....kinda. But it was just a place to live, not a place to love living. So, we looked and came home. We talked a little, but it just wasn't the spot.

Then came the news: She has changed her mind! Our house is now available to us again, a new contract is to be signed tomorrow. That is wonderful, but that is not all. It is now available to us at a price below our original offer and $25,000 below her original asking price!!! WOW! The Lord is incredible! What a weekend, and it's only Saturday evening! We are so excited. We are feeling amazingly blessed. What is it that Ephesians says....He is able to do abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine!

Making Menus

2005-05-31T23:43:00.000-05:00

I have a friend who I have been talking to about making weekly meal plans together in an effort to keep our families from eating out as often as we do. Time is our biggest reason for not getting dinner made for our families. We both work helping our husbands and don't end up doing things that we need to get done at home, such as planning and making quality meals. Our goal is to come up with simple ideas that can be made with relatively few ingredients and in a short amount of time. Here is our first week's menu:
Day 1 - Stromboli
Day 2 - Meatloaf
Day 3 - Chicken Enchiladas
Day 4 - Chicken & Dumplings
Day 5 - Herb Chicken with broccoli

The recipes and processes are simple and good.
STROMBOLI
ingredients:
Frozen bread loaves (they come 3 to a package, so we made two stromboli loaves and one loaf of bread)
pizza sauce
pepperoni, beef, salami, canadian bacon or whatever other meat you want
mozzarella cheese, pepper jack
greeen onions
process:
allow dough to rise according to package directions, roll out the dough and put in the ingredients you have chosen. It was my first time to make this and I could have put more meat in than I did. Don't skimp on the meats. Bake according to bread directions. It is delicious. If you don't want to put sauce in the bread, you may use it to dip the finished product.

MEATLOAF
ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 eggs
1 package crackers, crumbled
you can also add for flavor: garlic, tabasco, green peppers
process:
mix all ingredients and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. This makes great sandwiches the next day.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
ingredients:
boneless chicken
cream of chicken soup
sour cream
green chilies
Mexican style shredded cheese
tortillas
process:
boil chicken and shredd. mix soup, sour cream and green chilies and add to the chicken. cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 until heated through. serve wrapped in warmed tortillas. can also be used as a dip for tortilla chips.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
ingredients:
boneless chicken
white gravy (we used the white gravy packets)
buttermilk biscuits
process:
boil chicken and shredd (can be done the same time as the enchilada chicken!), mix with white gravy. cut biscuits into forths and add to chicken and gravy. Bake at 350 until biscuits are golden.

HERB CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLI
ingredients:
Boneless chicken breast
cream of chicken with herb soup
frozen broccoli
pasta of choice
process:
cook chicken on stovetop in tablespoon of oil. when chicken is white through, add soup and frozen broccoli. heat through.
serve over cooked pasta

Most of these meals provided leftovers for the next day's lunch. My family liked eating them and they are all simple to prepare. Hopefully this is something some of you can use! We will be working on another menu soon and I will try to post it when we do.

Is It Next Week Already?

2005-05-29T23:28:00.000-05:00

My Little One
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

This week has flown by! This was the final week of the childcare center at our church. Our older son spent his last week playing with the kids he has become friends with over the past two years. It has been nice having a built in group of friends for him who were available at just about any time of the day. He is going to miss being able to go play with them on the playground behind our house and eating lunch with them once or twice a week. This week he went to the zoo with them, went to Pizza Hut and spent a day playing at the park. It was a good final week with these friends.

With Big Brother gone some this week I got to spend some good time with Sister Bear. We went shopping one morning with the Little One. It was a really good time together. She got to be the Big Kid and help me with the baby. It was fun to watch her try to quiet him if he was getting upset. She actually does a very good job. We stopped and got a hamburger and chicken nuggets for lunch and had a good time playing together at our table. She is getting so talkative and playful. This week she has let me put her hair up in pigtails for several days in a row! That is a major accopmlishment!

And my Little One is getting so big. He is so happy and just smiles all the time. It is rewarding to look into his face and see his smiles and listen to him talk to me. He is such a blessing!

This week our goal is to get some packing done. It looks like we may get to close early on the house, so we have some work to do over the next couple of weeks to get things done here!

In the Doghouse

2005-05-23T23:05:00.001-05:00

In the Doghouse
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

Here is Sister Bear in one of her favorite playing spaces!

Sidewalk Chalk

2005-05-23T23:05:00.000-05:00

Sidewalk Chalk
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

We've had a busy week. It seems like there is always something to spend time on - church work or house work is always pressing. Tuesday morning the small group for moms that meets at our house was about serving our kids. Taking time to do what our children want to do is not easy, but it is important to spend time with them. They need to feel important and included in our life. I needed the reminder to take time for them. They love drawing with chalk on the front sidewalk and driveway, so we spent a morning working on some masterpieces. This is a favorite of mine. Big Brother and Sister Bear posing by their images.

Our New House

2005-05-16T22:39:00.000-05:00

Our New House
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

Well, here it is. We have a contract on the house we've been looking at. We are so excited and can't wait to close and get moved in. Our closing date is set for the end of June, so we have a little bit of time to get packed up here. It's a good thing, because we have accumulated a lot of stuff in a short two years! This house has so much character. It has beautiful woodwork and wood floors. There are four bedrooms on the top floor, a living room, family room, formal dining room, formal entry, and a large kitchen on the lower level. It is just a few blocks from a schoolyard playground, the local library and my parents house. We are still pretty shocked that it will actually be ours, but we feel very blessed. It will be a wonderful place to raise our children and make our home!

The 3 kids

2005-05-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

The 3 kids
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

Just thought I'd stick this picture in of the 3 kids.

Just a Monday :0)

2005-05-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

The Big Brother
Originally uploaded by Sarah Snavely.

We went and looked at a house today. It's one we have looked at before and really like. It was built in 1912 and really has a lot of character. We are going to make an offer on it tomorrow. One good thing is that when you make an offer like we are making, it would be a miracle for them to take it. Now it may not sound like that is such a good deal, but I happen to know God doesn't leave a miracle unfinished. It's good to know that if we buy this home He will help us with all the details it will bring with it.

For Mother's Day yesterday we had a family day. We had gone out for dinner on Saturday night to avoid the Sunday afternoon holiday rush. The restaurant we went to had escargo, so of course we had to try some so Tony could add it to his "weird foods I have eaten" list. Tony fixed a great lunch on Sunday, with Big Brother's help, and after naps we all went on a bike ride. Big Brother has a new two-wheeler we picked up at a yard sale and loves every opportunity to practice riding. He did get a bit frustrated when turning corners - he hasn't learned how the brakes work and kept tipping over on the curves. He was quite persistent and kept getting back up though. Sister Bear and Little One rode in our bike trailer. We padded the seat and made a little spot for Little One and he fell right to sleep when the ride began. After the bike ride and getting Sister Bear in bed, Daddy and Big Brother had a little ice cream. Big Brother must have been tired, though, because he fell asleep while eating. After all the children were in bed Tony and I watched a big thunderstorm roll in and enjoyed the refreshing smell of the first big spring storm. There was a little hail mixed in, but not enough to damage anything. It's always so nice to hear the rain falling and experience the power of the lightening and thunder. I'd say it was a pretty good Mother's Day!

Do Queens Sleep Alone? and A House Fit for a Queen

2005-05-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

Some mornings I am awakened by my husband bending over to kiss me before he leaves for work. Others, the squirming baby beside me persuades me to leave my dreams behind and welcome the day with him. Today it was the voice of my three year old, ready to greet the new day with enthusiasm and renewed energy! He jumped up into the bed, letting me know it was daytime and that I and Little One needed to get up. His excitement traveled down the hallway and Sister Bear heard his cries and decided it was time to get up too. As soon as he heard her, Big Brother ran to her room to help her up and they both came back to share my bed space with me. Big Brother was declaring something about our whole family being in the bed together. It was a very exiting moment for him, he was jumping around like a wild man, randomly landing on legs and throwing pillows. Then my dear husband asked the question of the day, "Do queens sleep alone?" (Ours is a queen-sized bed, after all!) I had no response then, as I was still trying to get out of my morning fog, but I suspect that if they do they are missing out on quite a lot of early morning excitement!

Speaking of excitement, we are experiencing the ups and downs of searching for a new house. Right now we are living in the parsonage of our church, but we would like to find a place of our own where our family can grow and make memories. This morning we were supposed to go look at a place that we were beginning to feel hopeful about. But we received word last night that the house had sold. Then we learned that a house we have already looked at may be available to us at a reduced price. It is a beautiful home and we would love to have it, so we will return there next week for another look around. We'll see what happens, but as my three year old keeps reminding me, "God is building us a house!" I'm not sure which class at church he learned it from, but he knows that God has houses in heaven. His theology may be misapplied, but it is a good reminder that God does have a house for us and we can trust Him to bring us to it at the right time.

Rainbows

2005-05-03T22:02:00.000-05:00

Tonight we had a Mother's Day event with the children at our church. It coincided with the presentation of awards to those in our Missionettes and Rainbows programs. My older son is in Rainbows. It is the preschool aged class. He received awards for all his work this year and shared some of what he has learned. His class sang their Rainbows song. It says "I'm a Rainbow. A promise of God's care. I love to share His happiness with my friends everywhere." It's exciting that they are learning from such an early age that God loves them and He wants them to share that love with others. All the kids were very excited to receive their awards.

I think the night was special for the mothers as well. They had worked to create a special video for the kids, sharing why they love them so much. I enjoyed watching the kids faces as they heard their mothers speak words of life about them. I think those words will impact the kids in a great way. It's easy to forget how important praise is to our kids. Not only is it important to praise our kids, but it is important to praise them in front of others. One little boy just smiled and giggled as he listened to his mom say why he was so special to her. The girls' faces were beaming as they heard pride in their mom's voices. As much as the kids enjoyed the praise, though, I think it was almost as good for the mothers to hear themselves praising their children. In the hustle and bustle of life we tend to take our children for granted. It's nice to be able to be reminded of how important they are to us and to put into words how special God made them. I'm glad we had the opportunity to publicly praise them and to hear other's public praise. I think that reminder is the best Mother's Day gift for me!

Rain Showers

2005-05-01T00:28:00.000-05:00

We had rain showers at our house tonight. My husband doesn't know it yet, but Big Brother and Sister Bear played in the rain. The grass didn't even get wet. Sister Bear pulled up the shower knob while the bathtub was filling with water. They were so excited about the water falling on them that I let go of that instinct that makes me cringe at every splash of water that goes beyond the boundries of the tub and just let them play. Big Brother was giggling and bouncing with delight. Sister Bear was laughing at his antics. They had fun playing in the rain and were quite disappointed when I had to turn off the water for fear of an overflow. Now they are in bed and I probably need to go clean up the floor in the bathroom. But I won't mind it so much tonight.

Long Days

2005-04-28T23:40:00.000-05:00

Today has been a long day. It began yesterday really. My youngest child, at 6 weeks old, decided yesterday evening that sleep would not come easily to our house. He has been battling some chest congestion and spent about 4 1/2 hours wailing about it. His temperature rose to a startling 102 degrees and nothing was settling him. Grandma came to the rescue at 1 am. She offered that special touch that only a grandma can and Little One was soon resting in her arms. She stayed for over an hour, snuggling and comforting, then she returned home to her own bed. I was left again with him. Quiet reigned in our home...well, for a little while anyway. The squirming infant woke me shortly after 3 am with wails of discomfort, frustration and fatigue. And he was crying too. We called the Dr., who wanted to see him first thing this morning. He's okay now, but I'm longing for my pillow. We're getting ready for bed now, but not before Big Brother and Big Sister have an evening wrestle with Daddy. They love their time with him and, though he may act a little disgruntled, he loves it just as much. It's good to watch at the end of a long day.

Finding Time

2005-04-26T15:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm going to try it. My attempt at a record of my times. My hope is that as I am intentional about this time, that I will grow and others will be inspired toward intentional living as well. I don't want life to happen to me. I want to create a life that is on purpose. Here I will share as that happens, and the moments it doesn't happen. Life is a journey. Let's know where we are going!