Surprise, surprise

AS CHRISTOPHER JUST SAID, WE FOUND "HEAVEN ON EARTH" HERE IN WILLIAMSBURG WHEN WE CONNECTED UP WITH THE SISTER TIME SHARE OF THE ONE WE'RE STAYING AT. THIS ONE HAS AN INDOOR HEATED POOL, OUTDOOR JACUZZI, UNLIMITED GAMING ROOM, RESTAURANT AND BAR, MINI GOLF AND TENNIS. OOPS, FOUND IT THE LAST NIGHT OF OUR STAY HERE, OFF TO D.C. TOMORROW! WE ATE OUR DINNER OUTSIDE UNDER THE MOON AND LISTENED TO GHOST STORIES ABOUT OLD WILLIAMSBURG. THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTED, LADIES. OUR COUNTRY BEGAN WITH THIS PLACE AND WASHINGTON AND PATRICK HENRY AND JEFFERSON WORKED IT ALL OUT IN THE STREETS OF THIS TOWN. WHAT AN EXCITING PLACE THIS MUST HAVE BEEN. I CAN FEEL IT! MY BRAIN IS NOW ON OVERLOAD BUT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW. MORE THAN ANYTHING, I NEED SOMEONE TO SLAP ME CAUSE I'M EATING LIKE A HOG. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OK IN COLONIAL DAYS CAUSE I COULD HAVE WORN A BIG SKIRT BUT MY MUFFIN TOPS ARE SPILLING OVER MY JEANS TODAY IN 2009! AND THERE AIN'T NO HIDIN IT! i HAVE BECOME SOUTHERN IN MY SPEECH HERE, GIRLS. QUITE FUN. SARAH, YOU HAVE YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU WHEN I GET HOME. 4 WEEKS IS ALL YA GOT TO FIX ME UP BEFORE YOU GO HAVE THAT BABY. HELP!!! TIME OF MY LIFE! I WISH YOU WERE ALL HERE WITH ME ON A BIG TOUR BUS CAROUSING IN ALL OF THE TAVERNS AND WEARING BIG SKIRTS AND SHOPPING AND YELLING "HUZZAH" (A FORM OF HOORAY). SEE YOU ALL SOON. OFF TO BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING TOMORROW. DEFINITELY COULD USE SOME OF THAT CASH. HUGS AND KISSES. KARI

Surfer Boys

My two surfers are currently in bed and it's almost 8 am. I'll let them sleep a little while cause we were up late watching an emotional movie "The Devil's Arithmetic". I figured that before going to the Holocaust Museum, Christopher should get a little more info. on what happened in Germany. Very sad. Funny, the boys were more mad, like "I'd take my AK47 and blow them away..." I guess that's instinct and why we sent our boys over there to free the Jews...

On our walk with Sarah last night, she asked me all about how I learned French etc... It's always weird for me to do the short, reflect on your life and where you've been thing... I sometimes feel like it happened to someone else. I am so in the moment that I lose perspective.

I was laying next to Christopher in his bed the other night and he says, "You know Mom, 4 years from now I won't be sleeping in this bed anymore" (and then he calculated the amount of days which I have no idea what they were). I was much taken aback thinking how short the time is. I then of course I moved on to what a mean mom I am and how I have that face that Bill Cosby describes in his routine all scrunched up in anger. If there's one thing I ask Lord it's to be more loving especially in the short time left with these boys. On bad days, I ask myself why I homeschool and go thru all of the difficulties.... I think I know today... I get TIME with them and that counts for everything.

Big Stinker

I love this boy! He gives me grief daily but he's one of my joys. He made the necklace around Siri's neck and made her wear it around. She suffers many indignities throughout the day. It's hard to do school these days with the gorgeous sunshine peeking in the windows. I am on the homestretch. I feel like I graduate every year. This year I'll be graduating from fifth and eighth grades and I deserve a certificate of completion or a medal of honor or I guess I'll settle for the crown of Life from the Bible. I'm thankful for these boys and the husband I have.

The Boys in Mendocino last summer

Lake Life

Well, it looks like there's a little water in that lake. Enough for Christopher to go fishing and kayak a bit with a friend. He caught a small mouth bass and we're going to eat it tonite. I love living near that lake even if L.A. gets most of the water out of it every year! What a start to the spring/summer good times this year. We're all so anxious to do EVERYTHING since last year was the smokey summer from Hell. Ha Ha. Hiked down to the Head Dam on Sat. am and I've never seen it like that. The water was raging over the dam and there was literally no beach. Crazy. I guess the snow is melting early this year. Ron is busy getting all my drip stuff working properly cause I moved some plants and bought some new ones. I am furiously working the boys with their school cause Thurs. and Fri. they test and then Christopher and I are off to Washington, D.C. on Sunday. I am soooo excited and a little nervous to be navigating this whole thing, well maybe not the whole thing, my sister is sending me her GPS. The boys quietly made a pact this am to not tease each other and to not hit each other. I don't know where this came from but needless to say, I'm happy that it's in the works. We'll talk about the verse that Paul wrote later. You know, "I do what I do not want to do and yet I keep on doing it..." So far it's almost 2 pm and they're doing great though. Maybe this is God's plan for them and they are just following His orders without knowing it....???

Easter Chicks

Oh these baby chicks are sooooo cute! Nothing like baby chicks at Easter time. Christopher has been carrying these little gals around in a basket and letting them bask in the sunshine. I'm so glad he has this project. They really keep him busy. He needs a lot of these to keep him out of trouble. Today was a great day because church was special and different and then it was so gorgeous today. I laid on the lawn and took in the sun and read a book and visited with my mom and Gramma on the back porch. Later I reminisced with an old friend about seeing the Pope on Easter Sunday 27 years ago today!!! We didn't make hotel reservations and there was no room at the inn, to say the least, so we slept or stayed awake all night in the train station in Roma! What were we thinking? Crazy, I tell you. The stuff we used to do and think nothing of it. And here I am debating as to whether Erik should walk home from Stratton's Market.... Hard to let go, I guess.

I read the "Tale of the Three Trees" to Erik tonite. What a great book! All about the story of Jesus thru the "eyes" of the three trees which were made into the manger, the boat where Jesus calmed the storm, and the cross He died on. If you ever want to borrow it, it's here! Happy Easter and thank God it's true, He's really alive!

Hiking in Hobbit Land

Hard to believe there are still places like this around here. Completely pristine country with meadows and mountains and granite rock and birds and beauty everywhere. We had a great day checking out this wonderful spot. This picture is the guide who took us in. He was quite the character, not a lot of patience for dumb questions which you can imagine, I asked a few. I got into a mode with him though since I was his driver and I wasn't gonna keep getting verbally pushed around. :D I think we understood each other by the end. .. Cool thing was my son, Erik found an incredible arrowhead, dating from who knows when near the trail where we were hiking. He showed it to the guide and never got it back. It was "appropriated" as the government sometimes tells us. So bizarre. I did understand that it was an archeological find and needed to be kept for future tourists to admire but the way he did it was... well, a little shady. I told the guide later that my son needed a better explanation as to why he couldn't just hang on to it and this picture is him explaining how he'll give Erik the credit when he shows it to his other tour groups. When he retires though, I wonder if it'll wind up on his shelf... Such a fun day hiking around and looking at the history of the area. The day was perfect and my hubby got to go. We loved it. I want to go back again sometime. I guess there's a law suit going on right now between the landowners in the area who have people driving in there through their easements and the state parks and historical societies who bring in the tours. I hope this is not the end of seeing this beautiful spot.

Cute Chicks

Christopher got 6 new chicks today. He really attracts the chicks!! They are all Buff Orpingtons which are the sweetest breed of chicken and the biggest. They are massive ladies when they're full grown. So fun for him to have this little business to take care of. I now have him logging on the computer all of his income and expenses to see how much he actually makes from eggs. Another peaceful rainy day at home. I washed all the tile floors today and I think I have a blister on my hand from all the mopping. That shows you how often I actually do it. I couldn't help buying the boys some Easter basket stuff today. I know they're too old but it's so fun to hide the baskets... I also made them watch a video about the Easter story. It was somewhat interesting but a little boring so we turned it off and prayed together. Nothing would make my motherly heart happier than to know that my boys will someday walk in the truth. Please Lord, make it so.

Stretch after jogging!

Summer Boating is Coming! Fill the Lake!

Didn't get to go with the girls to Nevada City but I do get my husband to myself today. He's been working soooo much and he's not today so we're hanging out together. I got him yesterday too and I love it! He fixed my fence yesterday so the dang neighbor can look at wood instead of us! He built up his yard so high when he built next door that he was a full head and chest above the fence! Well, all of his promises to fix our fence never came to anything so there my hard-worker husband went to fix it. I feel bad cause his shoulders were really sore last nite too. Darn Neighbor!

I have a lot to do today. I'm into Spring Cleaning too, Michelle. Getting rid of all kinds of stuff and organizing. Didn't do my windows though. You are the Clean Queen!

Sarah about killed me last night. Arms and legs and everything is sore. I knew I would be! Good sore though. I must say she's one of my favorite people. I love my class!!!! Trying to get Michelle to come visit tomorrow night. Cmon girl!

Doggie Love

Well, love on Shakespear's part, tolerance for the younger man on Siri's part! These 2 luv their runs on the flume and so do I. I am so happy to live in this place with cool trails and rivers and lakes. Ran on Saturday with Michelle and the dogs and now she's pushing me cause I'm a little out of shape after the knee thing. She's fast I tell you.

Monday morning of Easter Break and we have to do some work cause Christopher and I will be gone to D.C. the last two weeks of April. The boys do not like this fact. Oh well, once again I must be the bad guy. I am going to do something with them outside for sure though. It's going to be beautiful again today. Love this perfect Spring weather.

A friend of mine says she's going to teach me to shoot. I would really love to learn. I hate to be afraid of guns. And, well, with my 2 boys around, especially Erik, I'd better learn. That's it for now, have a great day!

It's a Wrap!

Ron finally finished the job from you know where and we had a party: spaghetti and a green cake! Yuck! We were all so sugared up it was scary. My husband is the hardest worker I know. I wanted him to know how much we appreciate him. I haven't worked for 13 years and he's supported us and took care of us. He never complains. I am so thankful God put us together cause I'm sure it was no accident. I hope these boys catch a little of that hard-working spirit.

Flowers at my house

Hollywood Mouth

Yahoo! Erik's got braces, on his way to a Hollywood smile! God is good. We could never have afforded them if things hadn't gone the way they did! He's in some pain but holding up well with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I am doing ok but having some problems, as some of you know, with respect issues in the home. I don't know why these boys have to test it but I guess I did the same as a teen. (a little divine retribution) I'm hanging in there for the "wild ride" but it's funny how sometimes you think "I just can't do this anymore" but what are ya gonna do? Put em in the street? Say, "all parenting's done"! Nope, long haul, marathon attitudes that's what we're praying for around here.

I have been reading "Sermon on the Mount" again by Martin Lloyd Jones. It is so good. Today was on prayer and how to approach God first by remembering who He is and how we are now related to Him. He adopted us and He loves us and He's mighty to save and Creator of the whole Universe. He holds this entire world in His hands. And He's interested in us, enough to die to save us! I don't get it but I keep trying to ponder it. Hopefully, He's mighty enough to save these two little sinners I'm raising... ;D