Snow Days and Sick Days

A snow day!

Snowball fights! 

Legos on a snow day!

We taught Nora how to make breakfast...  winning!

A date with this kid to "A Night to Shine"...  he was so much fun to be with!

More snowball fights!

This 5 year old!

A dog for protection!

Boys...

I forgot my hat!  (It was warmer than it looks!)

My love!

We got back from Disney and then had several snow days (we wondered why we didn't just stay gone!).  And then we had February break (J got sick for one day of it), and then we all got sick on Sunday morning.  So no one went to school yesterday.  Finally, everyone else is feeling better today.  I am still on the couch, but sitting up, so that's improvement!

While we all spent Sunday and Monday on the couch, we watched a whole lot of Netflix and other movies.  Pretty much every Disney movie we have!  (Yes, we need a TV detox after this!)  But as we watched the newest "Cinderella", it struck me that so many want to see the strong female lead and take away from the romantic fairy tale.  But this movie does a little of both.  She is brave and kind.  She forgives when she shouldn't, and perseveres when so many might have given in to bitterness and rage.  

At the end of the movie, when she's leaving with the Prince, I so wanted her to turn and rant at the step mother.  But she simply says, "I forgive you".  That is truly what our attitudes should be!  

And yet, I want my daughter to believe so deeply in the fairy tale... a handsome prince who can save her.  (I watched this as my handsome prince did everything around the house while we all laid on the couch!  This time, he was the only one not sick!)  She is strong enough to survive and yet vulnerable enough to be loved and rescued!  I want N to believe in love!  And I want my boys to be somebody's Prince Charming(s).  

Catching up...

the kids, as we got off the bus at disney!

cousins.

the most magical place on earth!

snow white mine ride!

more cousins....

It's been almost a year since I "really" posted.  And I am not going to lie, I have missed it.  It felt HUGE just sitting down with my computer today!  This is my place.  It's where I record memories (no joke, when I have to look up a date something happened or find a picture, this is the first place I start!).  And where "life" happens.  

Today, I woke up and realized it was after 7.  This is becoming a "thing" at our house.  The kids will get up and entertain themselves (read- play wii) until we wake up.  David and I laid in bed and chatted (read- checked our phones!  but also had big talks about what was going on in the world!) until after 8!  When I jumped out of bed after realizing that Nora and I were supposed to be somewhere at 9am!  

She and I left to go clean up the wreaths at the cemetery from Wreaths Across America.  We had such a fun time!  (And let me tell you- living in Rhode Island, there are some cool graves!!)  Then, a long overdue Starbucks date and grocery shopping.  She's getting so grown up and I tried to teach her some practical life skills- shop the outside, coupling, etc!

Military life is so much fun, so stressful, so hard, so worth it, so crazy and involves so much.  So much change, so much moving, so much time away, so much new, so much different, and so much more of things we couldn't do without the benefits this job affords us!  I really do love our life, despite the long separations, being far from home, moving a LOT, changing schools, churches, doctors, hairdressers, friends, coffee shops, grocery stores, handy men and mechanics, gyms, babysitters, and about a million address forms.  

Next.  It feels like we always think about what's next.  We know that wherever we hare living isn't forever (which is a great analogy of our spiritual lives- this is NOT our home!).  So, we look to what is next.  (And in a spiritual sense, it should make me constantly looking to Heaven!  Only passing through here!)  And I don't want to live a life half in a place, so I really do want to be fully invested in where we ARE.  David has done a great job of picking assignments that keep us in once place for at least a few years!  (Thank you!!!)

But we are looking at next.  In July, we will move BACK to Hawaii!  I cannot wait!  We have all wanted to go back since we left.  But, we are going back with four school-aged kids.  There are so many things that we can't wait for with four "big" kids in Hawaii!  But that also meant we really had to look at schools there.  I mean, as great as the military is, we don't make enough to send FOUR kids to private school!  We looked at me getting a job and we looked at a lot of different options.  And initially planned to send all four to the same school.  However, plans change.  

We made a big decision last week to send the two littles to school and to start homeschooling the two bigs.  Which is crazy and scary and so overwhelmingly exciting all at the same time!  For about six years, I have been praying that if this is what God has for us, He would have to change David's heart. I was ready if and when He called....  which meant that I had to make good on that when He called!!

David would tell you that God didn't change his heart, He just left us with no other option...  I just laugh!  Kicking and screaming, this is what's next!  

Each day that passes gets me more excited for this opportunity!  I am excited to have about 6 months to get ready.  To plan, and talk to friends who have been through this already!  To pour over curriculum and to organize. 

So there you have it!