Hannah's First Goal!

Hannah's Second Game and she scored! She is a Rock Star! I am such a proud mom. (I did mention she is the only girl on the team, right?)  Hannah showed the boys on her team girls can play just as well. I can't wait to see her play in a year...she will be fierce.

It's been a long hockey day. I left the house at 8:30 and we just got home. Matthew's team did not do so well. They were playing the first place team. The Team went out for dinner afterwards and we had a really nice time. I think Matthew plays more for the camaraderie. He did play his little heart out and he spent a little time with me in the penalty box. It was a busy penalty box tonight...I thought about just installing a revolving door. I love those boys.

More Hockey

It's been a busy hockey week. H & M both helped with "Learn to Play Hockey." They both did Stick and Puck yesterday. They spent most of the session trying to take each other out. H had a lesson with Matthew's Coach for stick handling. He spent most of the time trying to get her to bend her knees and not skate straight (like a figure skater). And Matthew joined Hannah's team for practice. I can't prove it but I have a feeling he wanted to show off his skills more than get the extra practice in. I have washed a lot of stinky gear this week.

 An even busier hockey weekend is ahead of us. H has her second game. M has two tonight and one at 7 a.m. tomorrow.

Roo has requested Matthew's future coaches be ugly so she won't spend so much time fixing her makeup from drooling. (Yep, he's a cutie but very married)

Speaking of Roo, she is off to St. Louis tomorrow for business. We will celebrate Matthew's birthday a wee bit early after hockey tonight so she won't miss it.

I am going to go steal the picture Roo posted of the kids at Stick and Puck yesterday so you can see my little darlings trying to knock each other down. Let the games begin.

That's my Girl

I love reading about American History especially Military history. I think it is genetic. My dad was a history buff (and anglophile) also. Greg's required reading for ACSC is what I read for fun.

I was a super proud parent when Matthew won the Social Studies award for his class for his class two years ago. 

BUT, the other night when talking about our upcoming hockey trip to Chicago, I asked the kids if they would like to go a day early and see a museum or two. Hannah immediately asked "Can we go to the Holocaust Museum? It's the only one with a German submarine!" That's my girl! I was over the moon with pride. The gene lives on.

Early Morning Mist

Chilly morning mist rising from the ground always takes my breath away. The quiet beauty of warm and cool mixing together. Captivating. It is the one thing I truly miss about our old house. Standing on the front porch, watching the kids get on the bus for school and being in wonder of the mist rising from the pond across the street. God gave me a little present yesterday after driving Hannah to school. As I approached our neighborhood the mist was lifting toward heaven from the ground and the neighborhood pond.

The mist rising from the ground has taken on special meaning after reading a morning devotion from Charles Spurgeon. He based the devotion on Psalm 9:1 I will praise You, O Lord. "Praise should always follow answered prayer; as the mist of earth's gratitude rises when the sun of heaven's love warms the ground."

The Creator never fails to take my breath away. Early morning mist...simple beauty.

To Cut or Not to Cut

I've been pondering the deeper meanings of life...like if I should cut my hair up to my shoulders. ..

Last night on my way out of the Rink to take H home, my friend suggested I cut my hair to my shoulders. I had not even considered this since I still like the swish of my ponytail when I exercise. 

I am rather attached to my hair due to many childhood/teenage hair traumas. For instance, my dad took me to the Barber's Shop with my brothers...Clarence the Barber cut my hair so short I looked like Matthew. He called it "The Twiggy." My hair was shorn into "The Twiggy" for most of my first 11 years. I am still scarred...hence, the long hair. I got called a boy in a dress at Disneyland and I am trying to avoid the comparison still...45 years later.

Another time, I had a friend cut my hair. It was right before 8th grade and I looked like I had my hair cut by a lawn mower. I had to wear a bandanna until a professional stylist could fix it. She gave me the "Farrah Fawcett" cut. Then when the Stylist married my dad 4 years later, she BUTCHERED my hair with a perm and cut that made me look like Barbara Streisand in A Star is Born. I cried for days. I think I let her chop and perm because I was devastated by a boy who broke up with me. I somehow got it in my head if I changed my looks, he would apologize, tell me what a fool he was and we would reconcile. My poor hair, it seemed to always suffer from my love life. As if a new 'do could fix my broken heart. 

Now that I am on the downhill side of life, I am finally at peace with life and my hair is a symbol of this serenity. I posted my pondering on FB and the consensus of friends is to cut it...one even reminded me that women over 50 should not have hair longer than their shoulders...sigh. 

I think at this time, I am more uncomfortable with the idea of cutting my hair than cropping it. I think I will save this humongous step for my next birthday. When I begin collecting my senior citizen discount...at least that is how I feel today...

After all, I'm a woman and it is my prerogative to change my mind whether to cut or not to cut.

Sunday and Monday

Just another Sunday morning drive to church and I wanted a picture of my two beautiful children. What mother wouldn't? This is what happented.

This is what happens when "Mean Mom" says "Smile! Or no Chipotle for you!"

Let the games begin! After Hannah's first game being postponed for the NCAA Football Championship, the next game being postponed for snow, finally...it is time for her first game. She was excellent.

Hannah and her figure skating coach, Melinda

Birthday Celebration

I will write later but here are some pictures from yesterday...I have to be at Prayer by 9 a.m. and Hannah has her first game of hockey today. (I think...they haven't announced the Rink being closed due to snow yet) And as soon as I wrote that, they announced the Rink closing...off to Saturday Morning Prayer I go!

Fourteen!

19 years ago, the doctors said we would never have a second child. 14 years ago, Hannah proved them wrong. And typical of Hannah, she arrived before her Valentine's due date. She spent 3 weeks in the NICU, was "bagged" a few times and proved what a fighter she is. She changed our world forever. We are abundantly blessed. (And she is so happy that it is supposed to snow today and school is dismissing early)

(I'm being lazy, I just copied and pasted this from Facebook. I need to get lunch made for the kids who will be walking in the door any minute...and they are always "starving" when they get home from school.)

This last picture is Hannah in her natural state. Texting. Typical Teenager. 

Home Sweet Home

Brrrrr and fun, those are the two words I would use to describe our hockey tournament over the past weekend. We didn't win but the boys had a blast hanging out in the pool, going to the City Museum, playing laser tag, and bowling. Their favorite part was playing a game outside in Florissant, MO. It was soooo cold. Matthew called it "The Pee Wee Winter Classic." If he is happy, I am happy. I am just thankful I still had the silk underwear, snow boots, and squall jacket from our days in MA.

Once we got home Monday night, I jumped in Greg's car to drive Hannah to her hockey practice. It's kind of comical, 7 a.m. hockey game for Matthew and a 7:30 practice for Hannah in Huntsville. I really am the "IceMom" my license plate proclaims. However, in retrospect, I should have asked for it to say "2THERNK." Next time.

We have arrived at our destination

The Weekend Forecast 

I learned what a "Balaclava" is after the Coach recommended we all go get the boys one for Sunday's Outdoor Game

Let the games begin

Oh my gosh, are they not the cutest boys ever?

The best part about Travel Hockey is the down time

We woke up to snow on the morning of the Pee Wee Winter Classic

It wasn't the 14 degrees that was so bad for the Winter Classic Game...It was the wind

Yep, cold

Ready to play

Geared up and ready to go

It is really hard to take pictures when your hands are numb

No. 8 is Great!

Play time at the City Museum with Larry, Moe, and Curly

Leaving the Museum and heading to some Laser Tag and Bowling with some beat boxing by the Boys

A great weekend...next stop, Chicago! Hannah will be joining us for that trip...after all, Chicago is the setting for Divergent...her favorite.

We have arrived at our Destination

Let the hockey fun begin. 

Humbled by a Baseball Bat

I ran across this today and had a humbling moment. When I was 19, Billy Martin sat beside me on flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix. We had a nice conversation about books and my grandmother's love for the Oakland As.  He gave me these, making sure I realized he wrote me a note on the back of his deposit slip. I read the note. I was appalled. He was older than my dad and I thought my dad was really really old...after all, I was born when he was 33. God has a way of humbling me. Not only was I forty-two when Matthew was born. I think I am now the age he was when he hit on me. I am officially a relic. 

Social Media Growing Pains

I am trying to reconcile my relationship with Facebook. I hate it, I use it, I take a break,

I decide to go old school. That didn't work so well, I rarely have time to sit down and write a letter. And, my handwriting these days I am told is fairly hard to decipher.

I realize I am missing out on my major events in my friends' lives...I re-activiate my account...

I log in and see all the "shared" links, the memes, the political nonsense. I realize why I deactivated my main Facebook in the first place.

I try to streamline and close two accounts that aren't being used (Kids mostly used it for Farm Town and Sorority Life, the kids have moved on to bigger and better games). I log in to deactivate an account and find a message from last October. I wonder how rude the person thinks I am for not answering in a timely manner. (I did answer the message before deactivating the account. Will the message from a deactivated account be sent, I have no idea. I am technologically challenged.)

My newest attempt is streamlining my friends...whenever Facebook reminds me of a birthday, okay, this is going to sound really mean...if I don't like them enough or know them enough to actually send a birthday card in real life...they get "unfriended." Yep, that's my birthday present to them...one less friend with annoying shares, memes, political opinions. Yay!

In the meantime, I find Instagram nice. I have ignored most "follower" requests...stuck to those I would actually send a birthday or Christmas card to....and it is restful. Small. Quiet. Intimate.

Perfect.

Ghosts

Today, I was exiting a store and a man was walking in front of me and I thought "Steve!" Same walk, same style of dress, same shaved head, same hat...

Then I remembered...Steve isn't here any longer he left this earth a few years ago. My sunshine day was clouded by a sad memory of a friend who fell into a pit so deep he couldn't pull himself out of it. He taught my kids to swim, taught me how to use the gym weights, had an awesome whistle that grabbed every kid's attention in a 500 foot radius, a passion for Auburn in a Bama dominated region...but he couldn't save himself. I cannot imagine a pain so deep it violates every sense of a body's natural instinct to survive.

I wish I would have given him the name of a counselor instead of the divorce attorney. I wish I would have listened to the voice telling me he was acting like someone else I knew who once wanted to take his life. The voice was so strong in my head but the memory of the other experience was so painful that I just pushed it down and didn't listen to it.

I wish...I wish...I wish...I wish I had seen Steve today. Living, breathing, walking in front of me, cursing all the Bama paraphernalia...my memory of him is fading, transparent, distant, seen infrequently...a ghost.

What I have Learned

I learned two things last night at the Ice Rink.

One, my fasting and praying is not creating a pure and humble heart within me. I said and thought things that were...well...not so pure, not so humble. I will probably be fasting for the rest of my life at this rate. I am really going to miss meat, bread, breakfast tea, and sweets. A lot.

Two, My Yeti drink holder really does work and is worth every penny I paid for it. I mentioned I am fasting from my breakfast tea, but I did not give up my jasmine tea. Last night, I needed a boost in my energy so I begged for some hot water from the snack bar, threw in my tea bag (yes, I carry tea bags in my purse. I am that crazy. And yes, my purse has a lot in common with Mary Poppins' bag.) Whoops, took off on one of my rabbit trails again.

Back to my Yeti cup, I steeped my tea, I conversed with a mom...I completely messed up my fast in the conversation (see above) and after what is normally a sufficient amount of time to take a sip of my delicious tea, I took a sip and I scalded and I mean SCALDED my lip. Holy Cannoli that tea was hot! Now, it could be said that burning my top lip and tongue could be punishment for my saying "After 3 marriages, you'd think he'd figure out it's not them, it's him, and maybe it's time to stop getting married...or something equally awful. So, I tried the ice water experiment...I made some ice water before going to bed and when I took a taste during the night, the water was deliciously refreshing and this morning the ice was still there. It had barely melted. Okay, so now I see what all the fuss is about regarding Yeti products. I always thought people a bit daft for putting Yeti bumper stickers on their cars. I will never put a Yeti bumper sticker on my car (I am no one's billboard) but I am converted.

And that my friends, are the two things I learned last night. First, my pure and humble heart is light years away from being pure and humble. And second, I like comfort...I am all excited about a cup that keeps hot things hot and cold things cold. In a nut shell, I'm shallow.

The National Championship

Roll Tide! See? I can be a good Alabamian. I may not have the I'll lay my life down for the Tide attitude but I can be loyal. However, my husband cannot. He hates the SEC, with a passion.

Another year of the National Championship in our marriage. Another year of cheering for the opposite teams. You would think at this point in our marriage, we would think as one. Nope. Polar opposites.

Again, one would think when we were stationed at Edwards AFB and Danny Wuerffel's Dad was our chaplain that Greg would at least cheer with me for the Gators to win the Championship. Nope. His words "I hate Spurrier." We were in a hotel when he made that statement. He earned himself a double bed all to himself after his obnoxious cheering against Danny. Lauren and I were quite cozy in our double bed...Greg's side of the room was chillier than our side of the room. Greg even sang with Danny's mom, Lola, in the choir. Once again, one would think being friends with his mom would entice some good sportsman-like behavior. Nope. Opposite teams for the the spouse and me. (Suffice it to say, I am a better friend. I will cheer for your team, Greg will not. (And  one of my favorite memories of life at Edwards AFB is talking to Lola when she would ride her bike to the BX to get a copy of USA Today because her son was in it. How cool is that?)

I'm a Thief

I admit it. I am a thief. I will steal pictures of my children's social media to post here...I did that today. What can I say?

Hannah had a girls only afternoon at the movies

Practicing Theatrical Makeup Techniques

God's Country

I don't know why but Tennessee just feels like God's country to me. There is something magical about it, even in Winter.

I had an appointment in Nashville this morning and I just loved it. The water that trickles out of the layers of rock next to I 65 were frozen into large icicles giving a Sabre tooth tiger effect to the rock formation. We made a short stop at Greg's favorite McDonald's (they have cheap, as in inexpensive coffee. If Greg drank cappuccinos I could make a cheapaccino joke her, but he does not ). I grabbed my phone and took a few pictures. Why? Cuz it was pretty...and looked like God's country.

Doesn't it look like the clouds were being applied with God's paintbrush?

Themes

Saturday morning prayer is probably one of my favorite things I do each week. I am extremely selfish and praying over the cards helps pull me back to reality. The world doesn't revolve around me. Shocking, I know.

I have noticed the prayer cards I get each week seem to have a theme to them. Last week it was interceding for those facing divorces and financial difficulties (Connection? I think so). Today was tobacco addiction and infertility. I haven't faced a tobacco addiction but boy, could I empathize with the other subjects. My heart melts at these requests. The pain for these requests must feel so overwhelming. I get so busy trying to get my list of to-dos done each day. Stopping to pray for others helps me slow down in the other places. I don't know the burden of the person I am wishing would get moving and stop slowing me getting my "to-do" list completed. Intercessory prayer helps anchor me to be kind and smile at the person holding up the line instead of judging them for exceeding the 10 items or less by a 100. I have no idea of the difficulties they are or their loved ones are facing.

I hope I never take for granted how abundantly I am blessed. I look forward to the day that I am nice all the time. I don't ever want to stop praying for others but I really do want to be kind, gentle, peaceful, joyful, patient, self-controlled...I am not sure I am ever going to get there. I pray I do. In the meantime, I look forward to the next Saturday morning prayer. I wonder what kind prayer cards I will get...I hope some of them will be cards of thanksgiving for answered prayers. My heart will sing...

Car Conversations

Conversation One took place with Hannah yesterday. I had her tweaking Matthew's Hockey Play List...the above was the first song to be added to it. H picked the song but apparently never really pursued the title of the song so she asked me what "Novocaine" was...I explained...Her response was priceless. "Now that makes sense!" Keep in mind Hannah is a huge FOB fan and asked for Fall Out Boy tickets for Christmas. You would think she would use a dictionary way before using the Mom Dictionary.

Conversation Two took place this evening while driving home from the Rink. Matthew realized his hockey playlist had been tweaked with Hannah's assistance. The conversation went like this:

Matthew "Hannah, add some Fall Out Boy."

Me: "I had her do that yesterday."

Matthew: "Mom, that is the kind of music people our age listen to."

(Keep in mind the original hockey playlist came together from a Preds game I went to a few years ago, what I didn't have on my phone, I added, if I didn't know it, I used Shazam.)

In the meantime, Hannah was adding to the playlist (He is so lucky Adele's Hello didn't end up on there).

Conversation Three followed Conversation Two this evening while Hannah had my phone and worked on his playlist.

Matthew: "Make sure you add some AC/DC, it's gotta have AC/DC.

Me: Ummmm, Matthew, you do realize AC/DC music is from when I was a kid? (I know it is a hockey standard but after the dig above, I had to get my own dig in...yep, I was born sarcastic, it's a Hampton trait. We all have it and I have tried really really hard to suppress it).

And just so you know, Hannah did get the Fall Out Boy tickets for Christmas and I will be her mandatory adult...I will wear a hockey jersey and I will be ready for Novocaine. (which really is the ultimate song to play for the hockey players warm up, I digress, like usual) When Novocaine plays, I will dance my little heart out and I will be every teen's Worst Nightmare, kind of like the song.

Change

Everything changes. It is a condition of life. Seasons change.  People change directions in their lives...they change jobs, they move. Children grow up. It's inevitable.

I was looking back to when Lauren first started this blog. I came across a post about how much I enjoyed the cows and horses just outside our neighborhood. I loved the crop duster that sprayed the farm fields. I adored the little country restaurant by our house filled with seasoned farmers. They are are gone now. The restaurant is closed, the cows sold, the horses moved, the fields plowed up for more subdivisions. We moved down the road, I no longer have a beautiful view of the lake but of a new Sonic. I miss it all. I miss hearing the cows moo while I sit on the back porch.

I do find comfort that God never changes. But for the rest of it...I hate it. I wonder if that is why I find it so hard to change my many shortcomings. I am afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone. That's a deep thought...and it's early and I haven't slept. I'll be like Scarlett O'Hara and ponder it later, after all, is another day.

And today, nothing has changed. Matthew missed the bus, I drove him to school in my pajamas. That's the the same. I will drive Hannah to school in a few minutes, nothing new in that...I will drive to the Rink this afternoon...routine...an ordinary day.

Elusive

I was so excited to go to bed last night. I had a nice time at the Rink, several of the hockey parents had me in stitches, tears rolling from laughing so hard. I learned I need to get out more. Every time I said something they would start laughing...I finally had to whip out my Urban Dictionary. Oh. My. Stars. No wonder they were laughing like a couple of school boys. Laughing is good for the soul...but I was so tired. I was so glad Matthew had a short practice...alas, sleep eluded me. I tossed, I turned, I took some melatonin and Advil. I tried the right side, my hip hurt, I tried the left side, my hip hurt. (Yoga class will be a priority today) I put a pillow over my head (there go my pretty curls from the hairdresser). I even tried sleeping on my back which is a guaranteed headache inducer. A headache I got, even though I had taken the Advil.  I admired my ceiling. I went through my list of things to do. I watched my children sleep. I wish I could sleep like that. Sleep, where are you?

Driving Miss Daisy

Today is a driving day. I have many miles to put on Miss Daisy on this cloudy day. Yes, in my tradition of naming things my mini van's name is Daisy)

I actually love driving when no one is in the car with me...I find it therapeutic. During my teenage years which were full of angst, many miles were put on my '63 Fairlane and my Datsun 210. Which turns out to have been really good training for the rest of my life. Looking back, however, my parents really should have put a GPS monitoring device on me. I drove to the ballet alone once without permission...in Los Angeles...and almost got killed by a crazy guy with a baseball bat and a lot of road rage...I can't listen to Werewolves of London without remembering that experience. Now that I am a parent I realize how stupid I was for driving to LA at 16. Alone. Driving Goode Hill with barely 10 hours of driving experience etc etc. I got my license earlier than my peers so I was also the chauffeur. I drove the mountains, I drove to the beach. We would cut school...and go to the beach...drive...drive...drive...it was good prep work for parenting, if I think about it.

Driving with both kids these days...not so much fun. I don't enjoy playing referee and chauffeur. However, when I only have one child at a time. I really like it. My kids will talk my ears off...especially Hannah. It's a nice time to find out what is going on in their lives. This is very different from Lauren was young. We could drive for hours and she wouldn't say a word. We drove from Dayton to Boston, she said about 6 words. We drove from Dayton to Baltimore, silence....nothing. I always wondered what is going on her mind.

I drove Lauren all over OH and MA for her piano, dance lessons and youth group. I would put a 100 miles a day on the car, Monday through Friday...and now I am doing it again for the two latter blessings.

Today, however, is a day I would prefer not to be driving...I am really really tired. I would prefer to be in my warm flannel pajamas with a blanket and a pillow. I slept through my alarm this morning. I am usually awake before the alarm. I only woke up because Greg was calling. I was in the middle of a dream, I thought it was the middle of the night, I assumed it was a bad thing the phone was ringing. I stumbled through the morning doing really stupid things. The kids recommended I go back to drinking my breakfast tea...I traded in the hot water with lemon sub for my usual morning gold for a cup of Jasmine. It is probably cheating on my fast but I successfully drove H to school.

Next up this morning was driving across town to for my allergy shots and a haircut. I left for the appointments after taking a long lingering look at my bed and pajamas. (I did make the bed...but only to take away temptation.) Into the car and off I went still tired but not too tired to admire the hills being hugged by the clouds with a few peeps of blue poking through. I think I actually fell asleep while my hair was being blow dried.

Now, I will feed the kids. Drive H to the Huntsville Rink, kick her out of the car, and drive M to the Decatur Rink. I am already excited about going to bed...and its only 3:30. I am sure I will pep up when H tells me the Junior High drama and if that doesn't work, I think the beauty of the Tennessee River will make it all worth it. And if it doesn't...at least these followed me home from my first round of driving...

They followed me home. What can I say?

Getting my hair washed and blow-dried was really nice. It takes forever to dry my hair. It is really lovely to hand the job over to my stylist...

Back in the Groove

January 6, 2016 is the most wonderful time of the year...the kids returned to school from their Christmas Break. (Officially, it is called "Winter" Break but I will go down in flames for my non-politically correct views. It's Christmas, People!) 

I drove Hannah to school. Her bus comes at a ridiculously early, 7:10 ans school starts for her at 8:05. Matthew's bus comes at the same time so he consumes my energy making sure he doesn't miss his bus. I fell into my bad habit of driving her in my pajamas.  I made an effort to change prior to Break. There is lots of road construction going on by our subdivision. I had visions of being rear ended and standing on the side of the road. Tomorrow, I will change out of my pajamas...maybe. 

I went back to the Gym today. I'm always amazed at how long it takes to get in shape and no time at all to get out of shape.  I did laundry. I cleaned the kitchen...I am back to driving to hockey tonight. Well, normally, Greg drives Matthew to Decatur on Wednesday night but he is somewhere in Pennsylvania...so I am the official "IceMom." Actually, I like the drive to Decatur. I love driving over the Tennessee River. Tonight will be especially breath taking since the sun will be setting. I like winter sunsets. The trees make such striking silhouettes against the orange sky. 

On a humorous note, Hannah's hockey game (her first of many given she has announced she wants to be the first female to play in the NHL) has been postponed due to the Championship Game being played on Monday. Apparently, the Alabama vs. Clemson game has taken to cancelling our regularly scheduled program much like a religious holiday..or a national disaster. The official verdict of Religious holiday or National Disaster will depend on whether the Tide wins...or loses.

I was moving through my fast, easy peasy...then I tripped myself up. I decided to order a pizza for dinner, I mentioned the clean kitchen, right? I totally forgot there is yeast in that there crust. I should know this for as many times as I have made pizza crust. Face Palm and move on. On the bright side, I did only have cheese, so no meat...but then since I was a tad bit more hungry than I usually am, I began to stare at the pepperoni side of the pizza. I began to get philosophical...since Daniel wrote "No choice meat" does that mean I can eat pepperoni? Or a hot dog, as long as it Kosher? No one would refer to those meat products as "choice meat." I will not eat the pepperoni or the hot dog (I stopped eating hot dogs when I found out what was actually in the hot dog) but it was fun debating it in my blonde brain.

Okay, Hannah just walked in and she is cracking herself up and must share her silliness so that's about all that is new in our life. It is time to listen to Hannah, who apparently thinks she is a cat...We have some travel hockey coming up. All is chugging along in its proper order.

Winter

Finally, Winter. Well, at least as close to Winter as the South can imitate. It is so beautiful. I love the light the afternoon sun casts across my kitchen. It lulls my soul when I sit at the kitchen table with a book and a hot cup of tea. The warmth softly coming through from the sun provides a calming rhythm to the tumbling of the dryer.

My favorite thing to wear is a soft sweater and finally after a long warm Winter, I can put one on and feel a comfort that doesn't come from other clothing...at least, for me, sweaters are the most soothing of all body coverings.

Winter sunsets can just take my breath away with the array of colors and floating clouds. When the foliage has fallen from the trees and the morning frost has covered the vegetation, it looks like diamonds have covered everything as far as my eye can see. Exquisiteness...

It seems like nature is sleeping in Winter but I think it is nurturing us, telling us to slow down our pace...stop, rest, and just breathe.

My Assistant

I have an assistant. I didn't ask for an assistant. She appointed herself. She is kind of bossy that way. She already knows she ranks higher in the family's affections (well, except Matthew, he voted to let his older sister have her when the doctor said to get rid of her because of my allergies...everyone else pointed to the direction of the Allergist's shot clinic. Matthew is my favorite Bice). Meet my pushy, overbearing, and spoiled by Hannah assistant.

Watch

1. Be Passionate

2. Be Persistent

3. Be Precise

Watch 

http://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/service/

Yikes!

You know there is trouble when M does not attack his Chick Fil A chicken nuggets and waffle fries.  M had been complaining of a headache earlier that morning and when H or M say they have a headache...they have a fever. I took his temperature. No fever. Off to Hannah's hockey practice we went. We went to lunch after and that is when M sat in the chair by the window where the sun was streaming to warm up...hmmm....then he didn't eat....uh-oh.

Greg took the kids home, I went to the Commissary. I was almost done when Hannah texted for chicken noodle soup for Matthew. He had a fever of 100.4. Nurse Hannah was on the job.

I was half way through putting away the groceries when Greg told me I needed to go peek in Hannah's room. I did. So sweet. I am not sure if I will ever see such a sweet vision again. So I pulled my phone out of my pocket and took a picture. Because THAT is what moms do when their kids are not fighting and need to document it for future reference. At least, that is what this old mom does because I might forget there ARE sweet moments and it isn't always trouble and strife. I love my kids...they are beautiful...even when they are fighting...or taking care of one another...but I really melt when they are sleeping and innocence reigns...