A few here and there thoughts...

First of all...my apologies for not getting pics of the kids' cakes on here. They just refused to be uploaded and after quite awhile of attempting...I gave up. :)

Second... we just got back from Youth camp/few days of R&R. Troll and the three oldest left last Monday for Knoxville, TN where Troll was the speaker for the Bible Methodist Youth Camp there. Me and the youngest two and the two dogs left on Wednesday to go out. It was a fun week, gorgeous weather (to the point of chilly in the eve) and a nice time of meeting new people (for me since Troll already knew them all!). We left there on Sat a.m. and went to IHOP where we hadn't eaten since Eth was a baby! I was thrilled to finally stuff my face full of the Strawberry Topped Stuffed French Toast. It was SO yummy!! O...I forgot to say that when we were loading the vehicles that a.m. at 7:30, I noticed that Ethan's pillow was wet. I couldn't figure it out cause it had no smell, the bed hadn't been wet...nothing. I was like, Eth, why is your pillow wet? He tipped his head to the side and said, "Well mom...you know...it was all those tears!" He musta been crying in his sleep! :)

We drove about 550 miles that day (grrrrr) to get to Yorktown, Va. On the way there we were just toodling along when all the sudden I see Troll slam on his brakes and swerve left into the other lane of traffic. In the split second for me to register a "what in the world is he doing!" I see coming right at me the blown out truck tire he'd swerved to miss! I did a quick jerk to the berm on my right. That tire was scattering us like feathers!! It all happened so fast and jerkily (i don't think that is a word) that it jolted my passengers pretty roughly. From the back seat Eth says, "Mom! You almost killed me!!" Lol!! I was very thankful God protected us and that we got back on the road safely.

We were able to walk around Yorktown and enjoy some history. The drums and fifes corp did a little show that was pretty cool. Kids really enjoyed that. Then yesterday we sat around until the rain ended and then took the kids to VA Beach. They had so much fun. The water was chilly as the weather was a crisp 72 after the rain so I didn't get in. I stayed up on the beach and molded a man's head into the sand, complete with golden colored stone hair, white shells for teeth, eyes, ears and nostrils, formed a frame around it and called him BOB! It looked just like a mans head laying there! lol! Sorry...didn't have my camera to take his pic. I was thrilled with the fact I'd managed to accomplish it! Two little kids up above me were excitedly telling the lady they were with that "it even has ears"! lol! Bia was content running along the beach collecting shells and staying right at waters edge. The other four were a hoot to watch. The waves were pretty decent so they'd sit down about shoulder height and when the waves would come they'd plug their noses, tuck head and let the wave do its thing. Eth usually ended up being tossed backward towards the beach about 3-4 feet. Aust got completely flipped over backwards!! I almost left a puddle that I couldn't have blamed on a wave when I watched that one!

It was a much needed time of us just being together as a family, laughing, sharing, talking about our future, crying and praying. And of course eating! I was thrilled to finally taste caviar. That was the weirdest stuff ever! lol!

So many of you are asking what now, what next! lol! Nope...we still don't know. :) Just this past week Troll also resigned his position as High School History/Bible teacher at Penn View Christian Acad. I won't go into anything about this other than it is/was not a knee jerk reaction. This was something that came about after awhile of talking, praying, talking, talking, talking, praying, talking! We told our kids Sunday and were so very thankful to the Lord for their willingness to be open to whatever is next in our lives. I was afraid it would be met with tears and upset but not a one of them were. :) I'm grateful for the kids that we have and how they have taken these last few months of total change for us as well as they have. I know God has been here all the way and I'm forever grateful.

Every aspect of our lives has changed. Our church, our job, our school and soon our home. A T-total upset of the life of a family. BUT...we are still a family and that is the most wonderful grounding a person could have. However, most of all, we are still grounded in the unshakable truth that GOD is behind us, holding us up and leading us on!! Of that I'm POSITIVE!!