We had a good weekend!   Holly did end up driving up on Friday night and made it fine.  We were worried, but it worked out great because Mom ended up having sciatica problems and could barely walk Saturday and Sunday.  She seems to be doing better but was walking with a walker.  She is going to the chiropractor today to see if he can help, but he told her that she needed to rest it.     Holly got to spend most of Saturday with us and Sunday afternoon too, so Luke was happy to see his aunt.   We played outside in the snow for awhile Saturday late morning and then the rest of the day was spent getting ready for our party Saturday night.    Here are some photos from our snow adventure!  There is also a video of Luke trying to make a snowman and singing a song that I think he learned at school, it is really cute!

 

 

 

 

 

We had our family movie night on saturday.  We only had 2 families this year due to snow, but both families had 4 kids each so that was still a lot of kids.  We decorated cookies, watched Happy Feet, ate dinner and lots of popcorn!  Here are a couple of photos of the cookie decorating. 

 

 

I got to meet Christine, who has the 4 boys, that night.  She was given our name by our Pastor who had been talking with her over the phone on some personal issues and though our group might be good for her.  She called me last Friday and we talked for about 2 hours.   Her husband left their family a few weeks ago.   He left for another woman initially but now that relationship is over already but he isn’t coming home.  He sounds like he was not a great husband or father anyway and the mom seems a little relieved but still very scared and unsure how to be able to afford to raise her kids on her own without any family, few friends, no job, etc.  The family has a strong faith in God but are struggling with their loss.    She needs to be around other adults and rarely gets a break from her boys who are 4,5,9 and 14.    She comes on a little strong because I think she is so lonely and has so many troubles right now.   I have been trying to help her son get some shoveling jobs and he also cuts grass too.    They are struggling to make ends meet and she is afraid of losing her kids to a man who was abusive and insists he wants to take the kids from her.  A man who used to be a Godly man who turned his back on God and his family for temptations that took his focus off of God and his family duties.  I feel so bad for them and pray that things get better for them.   God knows what is best for them and even though they are going thru a rough time, I am sure that He will take care of them and lead them where they need to be.  Not sure what my role is in all of this yet.      It really makes me appreciate what I have and not take things for granted.  

 

All the kids were really good and we had a good time!   Jody’s kids were really fun and they were all so cute decorating their cookies.  Their one year old, Isaac is so adorable!  It was fun having a baby in the house again.   Luke was really cute with him.     Sunday, we hung out at home all day and Holly left around 6 after I made us all some pancakes and sausage!  Love breakfast for dinner!!  Mom, Holly and I rented Four Christmases on Demand and it was really funny!   I rarely just sit and watch a movie, so that was a nice treat.    I decided not to go to the Super bowl party.  With the cold and the snow and dragging Luke to Fairfield just to leave again at half time didn’t sound great to me.  Plus, he is way younger than the other kids and I would have been nervous trying to keep up with him since I would be by myself, so better not to go at all.

 

So far, Luke has been a good boy with daddy gone.   Matt left early Sunday a.m.

 We tell him that daddy is in an airplane.  Last night I said where is daddy?  He said he’s gone!   With a sad face and then said “in airplane”.   He is my little sidekick and has to know where I am at all times.  He is such a sweet little boy with lots of hugs and kisses for mommy.  

 

There are 2 commercials he loves right now.  He loves the pillow pet commercial because he has 2-one for home and one for school.  It is a green frog and whenever it comes on, he races upstairs to get his and then he hugs it just like the kids do on the commercial and everytime they show the frog he points and yells, frog!   The other one is a garbage bag commercial and there are 2 little boys doing play by play with the mom throwing something in the trash and then the bag falls into the can and they say AWWWW!   He just starts cracking up, we aren’t sure why but it is funny to watch.    He also likes the new Huggies potty dance commercial, he gets up, does the dance and then grabs his guitar to play with the guy who is playing a guitar.

 

Park hired a children’s ministry directory so I am really excited to see what she’ll bring to the church.  She and Pastor are visiting Saddleback church where Rick Warren preaches for some seminars, so I’m sure she will get lots of great ideas.   It is definitely a step in the right direction!! 

 

More on our week later!  I hear we are supposed to get more snow so it should be quite interesting!!! 

Last photo --Luke Wiggle, future Wiggly guitar player when Murray retires