R&R, Day 15

Whew.  I can't believe it's here--day 15!  Yes, time has gone quickly, but I can honestly say that we truly have enjoyed every moment of the past two weeks.  God has been so good to us!  I didn't want us to spend all of Ted's R&R time dreading the day we'd have to say goodbye again, and we really haven't.  I know there will be some tears tomorrow morning when we drop him off at the airport, but I think we all feel stronger and refreshed as a family.  We KNOW we can do this!  We've been through the hardest part (Lord willing)!  There are only 107 days left--this will be a piece of cake!

OK, maybe not.  But I think...I hope...that this will somehow be much easier than it was May 22, 2011, when we said goodbye, knowing that we wouldn't be seeing each other again for over half a year.  I was incredibly hormonal and facing delivering our 6th child without my husband.  Now...we have a happy, healthy, 5-month-old baby boy!

It's been a good last day.  We had a blast serving in Kids' Street Live this morning with the incredible KSL team.  What a blessing to work with such fun and dedicated servants of our Lord!  Then Ted and I attended our Resolve to Read class, which we hadn't been able to attend the past couple of Sundays because of very late Saturdays for us.  (Instead we just attended the service.)

Charis, Tobin, and Arden stayed at church for AWANA Bible quiz practice, and the rest of us came home and had chili for lunch.  After Ted brought the older kids home, I lay down for a really long nap, probably my last good nap for a few months!  I just don't sleep as soundly when I'm the only adult in the house.  Ted played a final game of Settlers of Catan with the older kids while Lucan and Zaden were napping.

I didn't wake until nearly 5:30.  Before we turned on the Super Bowl, Ted gathered the kids around and we had a time of prayer together.  Very bittersweet, since we were praying for God's strength and help for the next few months as well as thanking Him for the blessings of the past couple of weeks and His grace in bringing us this far.

Now Arden and Ted, the diehard football guys, are watching the Super Bowl.  The other kids are in the basement watching Animaniacs.  Ted is preparing apples to make crockpot applesauce to go with pancakes in the morning, and I--finally!--have at least posted the highlights of each day we've had together.  I've hardly been on the computer at all this past week, which is just fine! 

I'm so thankful for these past 15 days.  Many people have been praying for God's blessing on our time together, and I can really tell.  Any number of things could have happened to create dissension and discord among us, but give God glory!  Ted and I have had wonderful conversations; we have reconnected physically, emotionally, and spiritually; and by God's grace, we have not had any "couple drama!"  The children have all responded well to Daddy being home--aside from the first day or two of them always coming to me to ask if Daddy could do something, they have adjusted very well to having him here and responding to his authority.  Ted has stepped back into his husband and dad roles extremely well.  It has been a joy watching him interact with the children and seeing them enjoy his presence.

So if you were one of the dear people who has been praying for us for our time TOGETHER, not just apart, thank you!  And thank you to all the ones who have been praying us through this year, this journey.  The growth we've experienced is something I wouldn't trade for anything.  But I still can't wait for Ted to be home for good!

R&R, Day 14

• Up and at 'em early!  Kids' Street Live rehearsal at church starting at 9 a.m.!  It was so much fun to get to do this together again!  
• Charis had a birthday party to attend right after we were finished.  Ted dropped me off at Kroger on the way so I could grab some fresh produce.
• While Charis enjoyed the party with her friend from AHG (they went horseback riding!), Ted and I played a different version of Catan with the boys.
• The one thing Ted wanted to do while he was home but hadn't yet done was go to Young's, so we ended up sending him there with all the kids but Zaden.  I stayed home and enjoyed a nice, quiet dinner plus worked on getting my business tax info together for Ted.
• We put the littles to bed somewhat early and let the older kids have a reading night so Ted and I could watch Courageous.  Wow!  It's good!  "I laughed, I cried...it moved me, Bob!"  (Veggie Tales line there.)  I'm glad I waited to watch it with Ted.  If you haven't yet seen it, GO GET IT AND WATCH!

R&R, Day 13

• Ted took Kenna and Lucan to base to run some errands.
• I put the older kids to work!  We did a thorough cleaning/organizing of the library and family room.  I also cleaned all the bathrooms.  I know, not very exciting, but life continues even during hubby's R&R!  The dirt doesn't take a break even if we do!
• The original plan was for Ted to take the older 4 kids to homeschool skate day; however, as we were talking about it, the boys really were not that interested in going after all.  We decided since our time together was limited, we'd stay home and enjoy another game of Catan.
• Ted went back to base for "First Friday" to hang out with some folks from his old squadron for a couple of hours in late afternoon.
• I made homemade pizza and salad in preparation for our family pizza and movie night!
• We watched a newer Veggie Tales (The Princess and the Pop Star) and an Animaniacs DVD, both from the library.
• Three words:  Stove top popcorn!  Mmmm!

R&R, Day 12

• Piano lessons for the older kids in the morning--I'm afraid they weren't very prepared!  There has been a severe lack of routine around here lately, LOL!
• Ted left mid-morning to enjoy his 60-minute massage, Christmas gift from his mom.  (We checked into doing them at the same time, but the place where she got the gift cards doesn't do couples' massages.  Bummer!)
• I prepared things for the babysitter, my friend Charity who came over to watch the kids while Ted and I went on a lunch date.
• Zaden got to go out with us again, since he was going to need a feeding while we were out!
• We went to our favorite Indian restaurant and met our friends Lt. Col. L and his wife Genae and enjoyed a wonderful lunch and conversation with them.  Jason will be deploying to Kandahar in August, so you can just imagine the info flying from Ted's brain into his!  
• Ted and I then went to Half-Price Books and puttered around there for a little while...
• ...then went to the Family Bookstore, where I finally picked up a planner as well as the movie Courageous.
• Catan again with the kids!
• Ted took the boys to karate, and a friend picked up Charis for American Heritage Girls.  Kenna and I hung out for some good girl time, since Lucan didn't nap and went to bed early!

R&R, Day 11

• We enjoyed a lazy morning together as a family...this picture shows Arden voluntarily reading to his younger siblings.  He is such a great big brother!
• Charis had an orthodontist appointment shortly before lunch, so she and I went out together for that.
• Afterward, I took her to Walmart, as she wanted to shop for a few craft supplies.  We also picked up a birthday gift for a party she was attending on Saturday.
• Then we had a girls' lunch out at one of our favorite cafes.
• Ted and the other kids were enjoying some quality Wii time together at home.
• It was so gorgeous outside that I ended up going for a 2-mile run, my first run in at least 10 months!  I loved being outside and exercising, but my body really protested and let me know I am NOT as young as I once was...it took me 3 days to recover!
• During Lucan's nap time we set up the Catan board!  So fun to play as a family!  (Kenna played as Ted's helper and said "Harumph!" when things didn't go well for him!  So cute!)
• We fed the kids dinner and loaded everyone up to go to church and dropped off the older 4 for AWANA.
• Zaden and Lucan went with us to Chipotle, where Ted and I ate our dinner and laughed at Lucan's silly antics.
• Then we went to the mall so we could get Lucan's "Daddy bear" (from Build-A-Bear Workshop) a new voice recording, as the old one had been played to death.  Lucan was delighted! 
• We had enough time to let Lucan play in the play area awhile before going to pick up the kids and heading home.  It was so weird to be out with only our two youngest children...reminded me of when we were young parents with a tiny Charis and Tobin!

R&R, Day 10

• Ted got up EARLY to take Rhonda to the airport!  It was a short but very fun visit, and we are so thankful she was able to come spend some time with Ted and allow US to spend some time away!
• Zaden and I went to my ladies' Bible study (which has been fabulous, by the way--love Beth Moore's new study on James).
• Ted put the kids to work UN-decorating the house...when I came home, Christmas was GONE!  And the house was CLEAN!  What a blessing!  (OK, I did ask him to take down the decorations, but he definitely went above and beyond the call of duty!)  The house somehow looks bigger now that the tree is gone and the furniture rearranged, LOL.
• The older kids went to PE with friends in the afternoon, and the boys played with their friend Justin afterward.
• (I'm having a hard time remembering how we finished this day, but I'm pretty sure it involved playing Wii and Catan with the kids!)

R&R, Day 9

• We slept in just a bit, waking around 7:30.  
• Oh, what a wonderful breakfast!  And the best part was not having to cook it, LOL!  
• Ted and I also enjoyed coffee and blueberry scones for a mid-morning snack with our quiet time.
• The owner allowed us to stay as long as we liked, so we had a wonderfully relaxed morning with lots of uninterrupted conversation. :-)
• We packed up and left around 2 p.m.
• Enjoyed lunch at a favorite Mexican restaurant.
• I got a 60-minute relaxation massage, my mom-in-law's Christmas gift to me, while Ted and Zaden ran a couple of errands.
• The original plan was to meet Rhonda and the other kids, who had been at the Boonshoft Museum, at Chick-Fil-A for an early dinner before the boys had to head to karate...
• ...However, when I called Rhonda to tell her to go ahead and order for her and the kids, since Ted and I had such a late lunch, she and the kids were halfway to Cincinnati, having missed their exit to get back home!
• The unexpected detour finally ended, and Ted and Rhonda took the kids to CFA after all, leaving me a bit of peace and quiet at home.  (Boys missed karate, but it was fine!)
• Once everyone was home again, we enjoyed an Oreo pie from Ritter's as a birthday treat for Grandma J (whose birthday is Feb. 6) and as a special treat for Ted, since he loves Oreos!
• After devouring some chocolatey goodness, we played a game together before putting the kids to bed.

R&R, Day 8

• Sunday!  Grandma J was here, so we all attended church as a family--second service only, since Ted and Charis got back so late from Winter Jam.
• Lunch together, and then Ted, Zaden, and I made our escape!
• We arrived at the Ohio Barn B&B in mid-afternoon and met the new owner, who made us feel at home and gave us the run of the place.
• I enjoyed a nap while Ted and Zaden had some quality guy time together. :-)
• My friend Eilene had brought us this lovely basket of goodies to take with us so we wouldn't have to worry about dinner arrangements and could instead just settle in and relax.  So we did!
• Had a lovely, leisurely evening together.  Zaden did very well sleeping in the other room in a pack-n-play, so we got a good sleep, too.

R&R, Day 7

Was it just a week ago we were anxiously waiting for news on Ted's whereabouts, hoping and praying he wouldn't be delayed too much in getting home?!  Time is flying!

We had decided awhile ago that we would have a separate "Christmas" when Ted got home.  He had fun shopping for everyone and finding unique gifts from Afghanistan, and the kids wanted to exchange presents with each other as well.  So we held off on some gifts until this week and planned for Saturday morning to be our Christmas Day together.  That gave the kids time to earn some gift money!  I didn't think of the idea until fairly close to Christmas, so it worked out, but here's how they did it.  We kept an ongoing tally mark sheet on the refrigerator for each of them, and whenever I needed a little task done that wasn't a part of their usual chores, they could earn a tally mark or two for completing the task.  Each tally mark was worth a quarter.

As time went on and I was mentally calculating how much each one was earning (I tried to give equal opportunities to do the jobs), I realized there was just no way they were going to earn enough money to give ALL of their siblings gifts.  So we had a family meeting and discussed our options, and the kids decided that rather than split the money and buy little gifts for more siblings, they would only exchange one gift--Tobin and Arden would buy for each other, and Kenna and Charis would buy for each other, and Lucan and Zaden presumably wouldn't have a clue they were missing anything, LOL.

So anyway, having Christmas on Saturday allowed the kids to do their shopping for each other when they were out with Ted, as Tobin, Arden, and Kenna all had their dates with Dad during the week.  Charis's date wasn't until Saturday night, so Ted took her and Lucan out to do a couple of other errands and the shopping as well.

Everything worked out beautifully!  We enjoyed a fun, leisurely morning that actually almost felt like a real Christmas!  You can see pictures and read explanations of the photos here.  I took a wonderful nap after all was said and done, and Ted got me up to have lunch and finish our Catan game with the kids.  Then he and Charis took off for their adventure--they went to church to meet other kids from Route 5:6 and went to Winter Jam in Columbus!  Thankfully there were enough people that they drove the big bus, so Ted didn't have to drive.  He slept all the way home, apparently!  I think they had a lot of fun together!

Back at home, the boys checked out the new sports Wii game we got for the kids while I ran like a whirlwind around my kitchen, stocking up on some needed supplies after a few days of laziness!  We had our pizza and movie night, and then after Lucan and Kenna were in bed, Stefanie came over to stay at the house while I drove to the airport to pick up Rhonda.  Tobin and Arden waited up so they could see her and played with their new Legos quietly, so Stefanie got to enjoy some quality time with Zaden. :-)

Grandma got to tuck the boys in bed and chat with them awhile, and then she and I visited until Ted and Charis came home.  Sweet reunion!  I know Rhonda is just as happy that we are that her son is HOME!!!

R&R, Day 6

Yesterday was a very fun FAMILY day!  It's been a juggling act trying to schedule one-on-one time for each child to have with Ted, but so far I think (I THINK) we've done a pretty good job of balancing our activities.  The timing for various things has just worked out so beautifully; I know God's hand has been guiding us and blessing our time together.  Many people have not only prayed for us to get through the deployment but are also praying for this R&R break, and I can certainly feel those prayers lifting us up!  Special thanks to those who have been part of this journey with us!

So, highlights from our Friday together:

After a late breakfast, I had to run to base to pick up a prescription, leaving Ted and the kids to hardly notice I was gone while they made some serious progress on a Wii game. :-)  We had lunch here at home and then loaded everyone up to go to a surprise somewhere.  It was fun listening to the kids guess where we were taking them...even with the clue that no one in our family had ever gone to this event before and that it was NOT a restaurant, they still made all kinds of guesses that defied the parameters!

A dear couple from our church wanted to bless our family with some money to allow us to enjoy something together.  So we chose an event, Discover the Dinosaurs, that was in the city for this weekend.  I had looked at the web site when someone posted it on our church's homeschool Facebook page, and when I saw the prices, I immediately ruled it out.  Not for our family!  But the generosity of these friends changed all that!

We had both of the little boys in strollers, which was helpful since it was Lucan's nap time and he seemed content to simply observe from his seat, taking in everything around him!  There was a considerable amount of noise from all the roaring of the animatronics.  The lighting could also be a bit overwhelming.  We were there on a Friday, so there was probably a lot fewer people than there surely will be today and tomorrow, so that did help.  I was thankful that both Zaden and Lucan seemed to enjoy the stimulation and weren't upset by it all.  Truly, I was surprised that there weren't screaming toddlers everywhere, but I suppose those who would have been upset by the scenes were probably ushered to the other side of the convention center where there were bounce houses and other entertainment in a non-roaring environment.

We actually made our way to the other activities shortly after arriving so that I could find a seat and nurse Zaden while the kids did some activities.  Everything required tickets, and at $20 per 12 tickets, it was definitely steep for a family our size!  Again, we were so grateful for the monetary gift we received, as it allowed us to purchase 24 tickets and disperse them among the kids.

Tobin, Kenna, and Lucan chose to go through a ginormous inflatable play area first, while Charis and Arden discussed the best way to maximize their tickets.  They ended up splitting a small bag at the mining station and spent some time "mining" for pretty rocks--I thought they made a very wise choice!  It allowed them to each have a little souvenir to take home plus conserve more tickets!

Kenna and Lucan spent some time digging around the "dinosaur bones" in a sand pit while Tobin did a mining activity as well.  Charis and Arden both had enough tickets left to purchase necklaces.  Arden found a cool obsidian arrowhead, and Charis chose a cut and polished heart stone.  (Later, our sweet and thoughtful daughter took some of her own money and bought a similar necklace for Kenna, just because she wanted to!)

Once our tickets were spent (and it didn't take long!), we went back to the dino scenes and looked around for the answers to the scavenger hunt sheets we got at the door.  That took us through all the displays, and we also spent time looking at a collection of REAL fossils.  So hey, it was very educational, too!

The kids traded in their trivia sheets for little prizes, and then we all agreed we were ready to head home.  It was way past Lucan's nap time, and we had hopes of him getting a nap before we went to church that evening.  We did put him down, but the stinker never did go to sleep!  However, the older kids and Ted and I played a game (or at least started a game) of Settlers of Catan while Lucan was in his bedroom, and that was a lot of fun!  Kenna "helped" Ted play and did a fantastic job of saying "Harumph" when the dice didn't favor Daddy.

In the evening we went to church for dinner, fellowship, and a program that included games and an overview of 2011 with a vision for where God is taking Faircreek in 2012.  It was a wonderful time, though we were pretty wiped out by the end!  We left just a few minutes early, as I needed to nurse Zaden as soon as we got home.  We managed to start a movie with the older kids but then went to bed when Daddy started snoring--loudly!--through the exciting scenes!

For more dinosaur pictures, go to my Facebook album!

R&R, Day 5

Catching up so I don't forget...Thursday was a big day for Ted; thankfully the jet lag is getting better!  We kept him on the go from morning 'til night!

• Piano lessons continued as normal at the house.  Arden went first so he could be ready for his date with Dad afterward!
• Arden got to go to the Lego store and shopped (both for himself and for Tobin), then had lunch with Dad.
• After coming home for a quick drop-off, Ted took Kenna out for her date with Daddy!
• Kenna went with Daddy to Michael's to shop for Charis's Christmas present.  Then they went to Friendly's for ice cream.  Kenna had only been to Friendly's once before (last June!), but every time we pass there she comments on it and asks when we can go again.  So I thought it would be a fun surprise for Ted to take her there...and yes, she was definitely excited.
• Back at home, I made two loaves of bread--I'm now using flour from this company and hope to get a wheat grinding attachment for my KitchenAid mixer soon so that I can simply buy the soaked and sprouted wheat berries, then grind my own when I'm ready to bake.  (Cheaper and more nutritional value that way.)
• Those of us at home also enjoyed lots of Wii time together. :-)
• I made a big dinner for us to have early since the boys had karate.  One of our favorites:  lemon chicken!
• Ted took the boys to karate, where they had their first belt test.  Both of them and their friend Logan passed, so they are now yellow belts!
• While the boys were gone, we girls watched a Christy movie and had hot tea and Stroopies.
• We got kids in bed at a reasonable hour, and Ted and I had some time to start a movie while I nursed Zaden for the last time.

I still need to get a picture of Arden with his Lego set and Ted!

R&R, Day 4

Wow, time is ticking away!  But today was the first day Ted did not take a nap, so we are making progress, LOL.  Today's highlights:

• Breakfast around the table with EVERYONE present!  (Well, Lucan drifted in and out, but that's typical these days.)  We had homemade berry and yogurt parfaits and enjoyed some yummy granola from our friends in India, who sent us a big box as a treat to enjoy while Ted is home!
• Tobin's day out with Dad--they went to the Lego store with gift card and spending money in hand!  (Grandma J gave the boys gift cards for Christmas.)  Tobin also shopped for a Christmas gift for Arden with the money he has been earning recently for that purpose--we're doing a belated family Christmas probably Saturday morning.
• At home, I held the other kids off from Wii for awhile at least; they colored and did puzzles; Arden and I played checkers (he beat me soundly); and Charis, Arden, and I played Chinese checkers (Charis won handily when Arden began blocking my brilliant, strategic path).
• And then we all played Wii. 
• We ate a healthy lunch (much to their chagrin) while Ted took Tobin to McDonald's as part of their "date."  (Ted passed on McD food and came home to polish off the chicken soup that was leftover!)
• Tobin disappeared to his room to put his new Lego sets together.
• Ted took Charis and Lucan out to do some errands.  Charis did her Christmas shopping for Kenna.  (The kids decided rather than spend piddly amounts on every sibling, they would simply exchange one gift--boys with boys, girls with girls.  Lucan and Zaden are blissfully unaware of any such arrangement!)
• Tobin and Arden played a Wii game from the library while Kenna watched and I prepped taco fixings for dinner.
• Ted took the older kids to AWANA while I ate my own dinner (was nursing Zaden while everyone else ate) and cleaned up.
• Lucan got an early bedtime (after stories with Daddy), then Zaden went down for his evening cat nap.
• Ted and I started a movie together before time to pick up the AWANA kids.
• Now Kenna is in bed, and the older 3 and I are going to watch American Idol while Ted goes to bed early.

R&R, Day 2

Jet lag is a major downer.  But we've managed to enjoy at least being together despite the exhaustion!  Today's activities included:

• Hot tea and a quiet time before kids woke up...Ted made me tea. :-)
• Breakfast made by Ted (scrambled eggs with sausage)--it somehow tastes better when someone else cooks for a change!
• A relaxed morning with kids playing or reading while Ted updated his laptop in hopes that it will work faster once he goes back overseas
• A trip to the chiropractor--aaaaahhhh!  My neck and right shoulder blade had so much tension, and I can't even express how much better I feel now!
• An oops moment when we started to drive on base for a couple of errands only to realize Ted had left his ID at home...so much for that!
• A trip with Tobin to return overdue books to the library and Kroger for some much-needed produce
• A much-needed nap for Ted while kids played Wii and I did some laundry and kitchen work
• Dinner with the girls and Lucan while the boys attended karate class
• Haircuts for all the boys (except Zaden!)--our family barber is back now!
• Cuddling on the couch with my sweetie watching the latest Tim Hawkins DVD
• An early bedtime for ALL of us!

Ted reads a newly buzzed Lucan a bedtime story.

R&R, Day 1

Highlights from Ted's first day home:

* Sunday morning pancakes and strawberries, a tradition that just isn't the same without Daddy!
* Attending church today and being overwhelmed by the love and support from our church family
* Watching Zaden's face light up when spending time with Daddy
* Lots of snuggles and stories on the couch
* Eating a family favorite lunch (pulled pork, squash bake, garlic green beans, almond flour biscuits) and sitting around the dining room table--not the kitchen table (which only seats 6), where the kids and I normally eat
* Boy bonding time watching the football games
* A 3-hour nap for me!
* Stove-top popped corn for dinner (coconut oil + sea salt = yum!)
* More cuddles on the couch
* Evening nap for Ted, still trying to adjust to a new time zone
* More cuddles on the couch while watching American Idol with the older kids