Six Wilsons

2010-01-27T21:41:00.005+08:00

I know it's been For-e-ver since I last put anything on here, and in my inability to sleep last night I was thinking about it. Wondering, do they delete your blog with a certain time of inactivity? Anyway, I dion't have anything profound to write-lack of sleep zaps half your brain cells. But, here are some pics of the kiddos lately. I will do my best to write something about what we've been up to, later.

Aaron working on a snowman

Reapacheeep in Aaron's sleeve, his favorite place to play! The grandchildren with Gram and Papa

The Wilson children and grandchildren at Mom and Dad Wilson's

for Christmas

Cousins having icecream and a movie

Aaron got an ipod for Christmas this yr and he didn't even have any interest in the other presents! I just thought this picture was cool.

Aaron and his cousin Nicole, getting ready to run outside when it turns midnight, NYE. Great fun these guys have! (doesn't aaron look like ralphie's friend on The Christmas Story movie!!)

Catie Joy

Great Great Gramma

2009-08-14T13:14:00.003+08:00

I love you Gramma

Has anyone seen Caitlyn???

2009-07-27T07:34:00.002+08:00

While the boys were away at Cousin's Club (they were gone for 3 days), Caitlyn was somewhat beside herself, not knowing what to do without her brothers. She clung to me like bees on honey. Always wanting me to play or read or hold her. While I enjoyed this extra time with her, it did get somewhat frustrating when I had plans of organizing my school room. Imagine her delight when she woke to them coming in after her nap yesterday afternoon! I haven't seen her since! She has been off playing with them all day! I am so blessed that my children enjoy eachother, and I pray that I can continue to foster this as they grow.

Motivate me!!??

2009-07-06T11:27:00.003+08:00

I have been desperately trying to get back into shape after my very long recovery from major illnesses after Caitlyn was born. I actually started to run last summer and did it for a while, and lost some weight while doing it. But then we moved to Upstate NY in winter!! After the long break, let's just say, my same ol' attitude about running is back. I only run when chased! Karate has been fantastic, but it's not enough, at only 3 days/wk for 45 min. The roads out here are great, little traffic, beautiful scenery, and a little hilly (which isn't great for a beginner runner). But, I just can't seem to make myself do it! There is a 5k race in Sept, which seems really far off, and such a short distance. i cannot find anymore races around here, was hoping for a 10k. Although, that sounds like soooooooo much running! Oh yeah, not to mention the really scarey Rotty that lives about 5 houses down! He's one scarey, and BIG dog!! He lives down the flat road, which forces me to run down the other hilly road. So, there's my babble and whining about running and fitness. My dear running friends, kick my cyber bum and get me motivated to run!!!

Freedom

2009-07-06T10:45:00.002+08:00

FREEDOM: 1.exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc. 2.the power to determine action without restraint. 3.political or national independence. 4.personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery

Today our pastor spoke on Freedom, and what it means to those of us who believe. As we celebrate our nation's freedom, with picnics, parties, fireworks and all the festivities, do we really understand what we have? Do we understand the lengths to which the soldiers went for this freedom? Freedom to worship Him who gave us this freedom. What else are we free from, in Christ?

Free from fear of death. When we believe in Him, we have no reason to fear death. Death actually means life, no more sin and sadness but life for Eternity with Him!

Freedom from condemnation. Christ died so that our sins would be forgiven, wihout guilt and conviction. To know that if we make a mistake, we can come to Him, with a repentant heart and He will truly forgive us! That we can brush off, and start anew each time we fall.

I know sometimes I take these things for granted, much more than I should. Thankyou Lord, for all you have done for us, and for the freedom we have to worship you. Thankyou for the men that fought for this freedom, let us not take our freedom for granted!

2009-07-06T10:30:00.003+08:00

I had the feeling I was being watched by something tonight. As I was standing on our sidewalk waiting for the kiddos to come inside, and I turned towards the bush in fron of me and there sat a bird, about 2 ft from me. He never moved, just continued to watch me, and then Caitlyn, Ethan and Aaron. Yes, we looked him over from a small distance to make sure he wasn't hurt, nothing seemed to be wrong. Bizarre. He just kept tilting his head, wondering what we were doing. The children even got really close to it and he never moved. Nature is so amazing!

2009-07-04T08:23:00.003+08:00

My neighbor called us over today to see an iceberg. Now, it has been an unseasonably cool summer, but not that cold! Turns out they went to Newfoundland for holiday last week and saw some icebergs. These icebergs make thier way all the way from Greenland, and float down what's now known as "Iceberg Alley" near Newfoundland. It actually takes these icebergs 2 yrs to go this distance. here is the remains of the one she brought home with her. She asked the boys if they wanted some for thier cold drink, but they thought that was gross! Truthfully, it's pretty pure water from the mountains, even though it spends it's time in the saltwater all throughout it's travel. Ryan took the picture, a budding photographer that boy!

Some of the many faces of Caitlyn

2009-07-04T05:22:00.003+08:00

2009-07-04T04:26:00.004+08:00

We have baby birds! Steve pointed out the nest on our front porch the other day and he wasn't sure if there were babies or not. Well, I managed to catch the mama going to feed the babies, and must have scared her away. That left the babies wondering where their food went! Sorry babies!

Horses and Turkeys and deer, Oh MY!

2009-07-03T01:31:00.003+08:00

Because we live out in the country, we see a number of farms and wildlife whenever we drive somewhere. Caitlyn loves looking for the cows and horses, they are pretty easy to spot from her point of view. One of the things I remember vividly from my childhood is my dad always looking out the car window for deer and turkey. He's a hunter, so was always looking out for them, hunting or not. My mom also burned in my memory the fact that deer run out in the road when you least expect it especially in the spring and fall, so we always had our eyes peeled at dusk looking for them. Funny the way you remember some things from growing up. So, I have been teaching the boys to spot deer and turkey as we drive through the country side. Caitlyn is always asking me where the cows and horses are and I saw Aaron sitting up looking very intently out the window the other day in the car, it was so neat to see him interested in it like I was/am.

2009-07-03T01:17:00.002+08:00

Last Week I took the plunge and brought everyone to the strawberry patch down the road to pick strawberries for jam. I was so excited to be making jam again!!! We picked 2 flates of strawberries (which is about 9 quarts-i think). It was a little difficult to convince Caitlyn they weren't for eating yet, hopefully the stained face and clothing didn't give her away to the farmer!

One of the blessings of many hands is, light labor. It only took about 1/2 an hr to pick all those strawberries and they were delighted when I mentioned they all needed to be smashed! So, they took turns mashing the berries woth all the noises that accompany boys smashing things.

Unfortunately, my luck ran out at that oint and the process became more difficult from there. I bought the wrong pectin. I will spare the details. So, 3 trips to the store, 9 boxes of pectin, and 24 hrs later, I have 24 jars of homemade strawberry jam! Yeah!

2009-06-26T12:25:00.003+08:00

A few months ago the boys and I joined karate. It was a love of mine from childhood. I never got my black belt, and have always wanted to meet that goal. What better time to do this, then when you have 3 boys to enjoy it with!

Here they are having fun showing off some of the things they have learned so far.

2009-06-26T12:14:00.004+08:00

Caitlyn is very instinctual, and it's been fun watching her. If there is a need, she seeks to help and fill that need. Especially when it's cleaning something, maybe because it's something she knows, and it's easy, who knows if it will branch out as she grows.

When we were at Aunt Pammy's house a few weekends ago, she saw the floor was dirty and needed to clean it. What a sweet little one. (now all i need to remember is these moments when she is pitching a fit when i ask her to clean up her toys, cause we all know that's not so sweet!!)

2009-06-26T12:08:00.000+08:00

2009-06-07T10:38:00.000+08:00

What's up mom?

How's my photography?

2009-06-07T10:30:00.001+08:00

I am having fun with my camera, and I found I really love close-ups of things. Nature, faces etc. Don't have lot of time to take pictures or really learn how to do it right, but I am having fun playing anyway. So, how'd I do??

2009-06-07T10:27:00.000+08:00

Our little stream

2009-06-07T10:19:00.001+08:00

2009-06-07T10:03:00.003+08:00

Loading up tools to work out in the back 40. Off they go! The tiny spot in the sky above the truck is a hot air balloon. it was really pretty to watch, but the camera couldn't pick it up well (hint, hint, I need a zoom lense!) Ethan and Aaron worked on this the whole afternoon. The ground gets very wet and mushy by the stream, so they made a little path with sticks to cross on.

They also put a makeshift railing to hold while going down the steep part of the path.

The guys are finally seeing how fun it is to play outside, and not asking about computer time every day! Yeah!!

Sunset on Hencoop

2009-06-07T09:56:00.002+08:00

I know God does amazing water color all over the earth, and this sunset isn't the only cool one I've seen. But, each day I find new blessings living here. God's creation is so beautiful, i just have to share.

Our Garden

2009-06-03T11:48:00.003+08:00

So, I had this grandiose idea for a garden this yr, and since it's my first, I may have bitten off more than I can chew (ha ha-pun not intended!)

On one side I have a 3 ft square for each boy to tend. Ethan chose peppers, Aaron chose watermelon, and Ryan chose celery. Then, behind them we have pumpkins, zucchini, cucumbers and finally broccoli and tomato plants. Oh yeah, we have a pole bean tee pee somewhere towards the center of it all. It seems that in a majority of my garden are vine plants! So, it looks quite barren at the moment, but in a few weeks time, it will be overflowing! I actually decided to plant the lettuce up by the house (forgot to take pics of that-will next time) due to the wildlife that will enter my garden and eat the fruits of MY labor! That, and, I didn't have anymore room after accounting for the vines that will overtake the whole space.

Yesterday we finally got the bean plants in the ground. We had a little fun experimenting with them for Science class first. Photo tropism and Geo tropism are so cool, and our God is so cool for his creativity! We actually have one plant left, in an experiment still, hopefully he will be happy enough at the end to survive the transplant.

We are having one little (well, monumental in my world) problem though. Something is eating my broccoli!!!!! I have planted seven plants, and only one is left with any leaves!!! I have sprayed the leaves with an organic spray, containing oil of oregano, and hopefully this will help. I have since resigned to the fact, if I have any fruit at all from this garden I will be very happy.

We are having lots of fun with it anyway. The country is way cool

A work in progress

2009-06-01T08:38:00.003+08:00

Steve and the children have decided to turn the back woods into a place where we can go to hang out and enjoy nature, a little more comfortably (?). They cleared a path to walk through, without being attacked by a variety of branches and thorns, and Steve is working on making steps down the steep hill to the stream. We also have a fire pit! When these things are finished they will start on a bridge to cross the little stream, the ground is so muddy that it's difficult to cross without sinking!

How fun! Have I told you how much I LOVE the country lately!!??

2009-05-26T10:49:00.004+08:00

It didn't take long for the boys to love campfires! Especially when campfires usually mean s'mores!! We have had 3 fires already and I see many more in the future. What I love is the conversations that start around the fire. Ethan has asked some great questions for his age. Like, "Mom, how does the moon change shape? , but what i really loved was when he started singing "This little light of mine"!! So, the things we do and say really do sink in sometimes, thank you Lord.

Have I mentioned how much I love the country!?

bambi

2009-05-24T10:27:00.003+08:00

Wednesday morning was unlike any other morning I have experienced. First, Steveoke me at 6:30 in the morning, which is way earlier than I would normally grace the day with my presence. But this morning, there was tiny little package waiting for me! As Steve was walking to the back 40 that morning, he was praying and gathering wood for a bon fire. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something and did a double take. A baby deer! A fawn, a newborn baby deer! Is it, hurt, orphaned, what? Why won't it move or call for it's mother? He decided it was in danger and brought it home and give it some milk. Then, he woke me to come see it and figure out what to do.

Well, after researching a bit, we found it is a very big misconception that a fawn left alone has been orphaned. The mother actually leaves the fawn in a safe place, within distance, while she goes to forage. A predator seeks movement, and if the fawn is very still, its in less danger, same reason the mother forages away from it, decreasing the chances of movement nearby.

The next big misconception is what to feed a baby deer, if by chance you have found one in need. Most people would think milk. Close to deer milk right? WRONG!!! It's one of the worst things to give a fawn. It can cause major damage inside and even cause death. If you must give something, try water first.

The last misconception we discovered was about the scent left from humans. Most people think if you touch an animal, the mother will reject it due to the scent. This is also very wrong (in most cases)!! The mother is very distraught for losing it's young. And it's also very happy to find it's young when it's returned/found!

Best thing to do if you see a fawn laying very still is to leave it be. The mother is probly watching him very closely nearby. If he seems in distress or extremely weak then is the time to intervene. Call the local wildlife conservation and they will know exactly what to do.

So, after all this, we decided the best thing to do is to return it back to the exact spot where he was found. I prayed all day that this little creature would not be negatively affected by the cow milk and the mother would find him and re-bond with him. When we retured at dusk to see if she had come back, he was gone! Yeah!! I love happy endings!

Another blessing.....Steve drove out early this morning and just a few houses down the road, he saw a mother deer crossing the road with a very tiny baby fawn, struggling to keep up. This was out little deer, united with his mommy! Thank you God, that was a sweet little blessing.

I love the country!

2009-05-24T10:07:00.003+08:00

We decided to take a hike beyond our property to see what was there. Acres and acres of farm. It's beautiful, just green everywhere, for now anyway. At one point we reach a little hill, and another farm, but we could see the lake in the distance. It felt so surreal.

We were only in Sg for 4 1/2 yrs, there were buildings everywhere, little grass to run on, no "country" to speak of. Now that I officially live in the "country" I am just continually in awe of God's beautiful creation. The colors, sights, sounds, smells, I can't get enough!

2009-05-23T11:33:00.002+08:00

This is a new mode of transportation. Not sure who's idea this was, but you can totally tell she has Ryan wrapped around her little finger!! That look in her eyes totally gives her away. Cheeky little thing.

2009-05-23T11:32:00.000+08:00

Eat your peas please

2009-05-23T11:21:00.003+08:00

Mom Wilson and I got creative for lunch one day. We saw these recipes in the Family Fun magazine and had fun attempting to duplicate them.

The one that looks like fish sticks and peas with ketchup is actually wafer cookies covered in peanut butter and rolled in cornflakes, with taffy rolled into tiny circles for the peas and jam for the ketchup.

Of course they wanted to eat the frog apple first, but we said the needed to eat thier "healthy food" first. (okay, i won't debate about fish sticks and peas being totally worse than apples and peanut butter right now!!) They were bummed but took a bite anyway. It was fun to watch the look on thier faces as they bit into a "fish stick" and getting something totally different, a really yummy treat! (now the really cool part was they couldn't actually finish the fish sticks and peas due to the sweet-ness, but they loved the apple and p.b , asking for seconds!)

Homeschool trip to the Hudson River

2009-05-23T10:59:00.007+08:00

Sorry in advance for the kink you will get trying to see the picture. Can't figure out how to flip it for some reason. And for the sake of "being easy" I am going to leave it as is. Ok, deep breath!

Anyway, this is Henry Hudson (aka Ryan) and Queen Elizabeth (aka Frankie) doing a bussiness deal for before Henry had set sail. They had lots of fun with this reinactment!

The group after the Duck Tour

U.S.S. Slater

There was a film crew shooting a new movie with Jenifer Lopez! Nope, we didn't see anyone famous, but it was cool anyway.

Two peas in a pod, or should I say tow ducks in a boat?

The Halfmoon

The Anderson's Are Coming!!!

2009-05-23T10:47:00.003+08:00

The Anderson ( Michael and Lisa, Kevin, Matthew, Christopher and Nicole) family has a special place in our hearts. I met Lisa on a homeschooling board shortly before moving to SG. Turned out they were moving there also! Coincidence, I think not. We talked quite a bit via email and finally met up in Sg within the same week we both arrived. There family has 3 boys and a girl, just as ours does, only they are a bit older.

The children really enjoyed playing together in Sg and we were sad to say goodbye to them a yr later.

We have kept in touch a bit over the yrs, so when they were driving through on the way to Boston, we said "Come on over"!! There stay wasn't nearly long enough, but we are so blessed to have seen them again. God is truly amazing the way He orchestrates friendships just when we need them. God bless your family!

2009-05-23T10:40:00.002+08:00

My baby turned 11 this year, can you believe it!?! I have a hard time thinking about it sometimes, but in the same breath, its certainly exciting!

We invited a few home school families to the indoor soccer field nearby, Ryan's request. It was a great time, and I loved the fact there was no clean up!

2009-05-23T10:34:00.003+08:00

Ok Leslie, I was so blessed by your comment, on missing my blog posts, I decided to put up some pics. :-) Thanks for giving me motivation, and a little kick in the behind! So, there is no order to the pics here, am just putting things up that have happened in the last month or so. I have actually started trying to be more "easy going" like Steve, and in doing so, my desire for perfection is waning. This is wonderful news for Steve, but it means I am slacking in so many areas right now. Guess I need to find a balance that works for me huh? None-the-less, I have fun memories and experiences to share, hope you like 'em!

Visiting Gramma and Grampa Wilson

2009-03-30T04:43:00.005+08:00

While Steve traveled this last week, we decided to break up the long week and visit "nana" and papa" as Cate calls them. They had a blast working in the woodshop with grampa and cate sewed with nana, we also did some science experiments with grama while Cate slept. We also went to the best wooden playground near thier house. It's big enough that even I can play with them!

2009-03-30T03:45:00.001+08:00

The Great Outdoors

2009-03-30T02:54:00.003+08:00

This makes my heart smile, seeing my boys outside doing boy stuff. Racing downhill on the baby's tractor seeing who will get there without falling off, digging for worms and playing with a ball and bat. We have also taken many hikes to the "back 40" I call it, but we really only have 8 acres. They have made a fire pit and wooden steps and we plan on bringing a picnic table back there to have lots of picnics once the weather is nicer.

2009-01-25T06:33:00.003+08:00

I thought Caitlyn looked so cute walking aorund with this kitchen towel on her head, and couldn't help but take a picture. And, I am really hoping that as she gets older, when I tell her to smile, she doesn't look like she's constipated!

2009-01-25T06:01:00.003+08:00

I think I wrote a post on the boys all riding the snowmobiles, but I can't remember truthfullly. Well, either way, we got an Artic Cat, aka - snowmobile, when we bought the house and this has provided much fun on our lazy Saturday afternoons! Steve said it was "for the boys", but I think we all know who it was really for. ;-) I love that my man loves to have fun!

Here is a pic of he and Aaron riding today, and Caitlyn watching out the window.

2009-01-25T05:28:00.003+08:00

We had our first ER visit of the year, already! Ryan came down with a cold on Tuesday this week and by Thursday he had gotten so sick I took him to the ER at 4am. Can't say as i was all that happy with the experience, but that's a story for another time. Long story short, he has pnuemonia and severe asthma! When we got to the hospital, his oxygen level was only 85%!!! By the time we left (he had to stay overnight, so it was about 36hrs total), it was at 93%, still not optimal, but good enough to come home with nebulizer treatments every 4 hrs around the clock, steriods and abx. He also needs to be seen again on Monday for a follow-up. Unfortunately, the Dr thinks he needs to be evaluated by a Pulminologist and go on some preventive meds because his track record for respiratory illnesses is getting worse, not better. But, my God is bigger, so will just keep that in prayer.

Our new family member

2009-01-25T05:21:00.002+08:00

So, I caved and bought the children a pet. It's a rodent, er, I mean, a gerbil. The night before we got him we took a vote on his name, and we all came up with "Reepacheep", who is from Narnia. Cute I thought. He has actually been super cute and even fun, dare I say. He has actually gotten loose twice from his ball, which caused quote a rauckus! Aaron is amazing and caught him thankfully. Catitlyn is constantly asking, "where mouse?" in her own little language.

Hopefully this will last long enough so I don't need to buy a dog anytime soon!

2009-01-12T04:38:00.004+08:00

What a cheeky little grin! I don't think I want to know what he's really thinking, or do i??? It's a good thing your so cute!

Boxes, boxes and more boxes

2009-01-12T04:33:00.003+08:00

This is a glimpse of what the house looks like after we cleared a few boxes away. We have our work cut out for us. the next few weeks will be filled with unpacking, decluttering, sorting and donating all of our Stuff. Where does it all come from??? Steve and I have been slowly adopting the mindset of "Less is More", but somehow we always end up with more and not less. Hmm, I think we need to re-evaluate! I actually should have taken pictures of the basement and the boys room to g

ive you an adiquate idea of what it really looks like. But, quite frankly, it's too embarrassing!

Winter Storm Advisory

2009-01-12T04:22:00.004+08:00

We didn't think the sea frieght shipment was actually going to make it on Thursday since the weather was so trecherous, and they hadn't called to confirm. They were driving from NYC. When they delivered the air freight, they had cancelled 2 days in a row due to the weather, conditions less than this.

So, at 9am they show up a the door and wonder why we were all running around like crazy!

Here is a picture of the truck completely stuck in our driveway. Then a neighbor came by and helped pull them out thankfully! Poor guys had to unlead 200 boxes/furniture from the big truck onto the small truck and down into a our driveway and into the house. They earned thier pay that day!

Fun with Boxes

2009-01-12T04:18:00.002+08:00

Our sea frieght arrived on thursday last week, bringing most of our household from Camelot. It's been long awaited since we have been without much of it since November! The boys just kept saying "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas"!! A couple weeks too late, it sure would have saved alot of money, had I known they would be satisfied with their old toys.

Here they are "helping me unpack the kitchen".

Pucker up

2009-01-12T04:13:00.003+08:00

Caitlyn was helping me make dinner the other night and decided she wanted to taste the lemon we just squeezed the juice out of. She actually wanted the unused half, but thought that would be too shocking! Ofcourse, the faces she made were hilarious especially since she kept going back for more, and ofcourse, I wasn't quick enough to capture the best faces. But you get the idea.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T11:49:00.006+08:00

We had a great first day of the year 2009. The children played, I sorted and organized, which I love to do, and Steve did a little of both, he plays hard but he also works hard. My parents came over for dinner and my dad made a wonderful meal!

As we sat around the table, Steve suggested we all share a few of our New Years resolutions. Here's what we all shared.

Steve: To run in the Green Lakes Triatholon in July -and- To make daily devotions a priority.

Wendy: To make exercise a part of my lifestyle again -and- To make devotions a daily priority (are we sensing a theme here?)

Mom: To read through the whole Bible in one year -and- To spend more time playing with her grandhildren.

Dad: To be a kinder, gentler grampa (aw, he's so great).

Ryan:To have better handwriting -and- to have his multiplication facts memorized and to be able to say them really fast.

Aaron: To be able to run as fast as Ryan.

Ethan: To be able to read bigger words -and- to be able to run as fast as the bigger boys.

We wrote them down so we can revisit them in June and again on December 31st to see if we accomplished our goals. I was blessed by this idea, it seems very positive and motivating for the children to see that they have set out to accomplish something and at the end of the year to have achieved the goal.

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

The Hen coop

2008-12-30T02:48:00.011+08:00

Our new home is on Hencoop Road. Thankfully it didn't come with any hens and there aren't any around. Here are some pictures of our new home, since so many of you have been asking to see it! It's still real messy right since we moved right before Christmas. I think I will put some of the pictures from before we actually moved in.

The front of the house, our property goes all the way back to the tress behind! The boys standing in front of the house. The house in the distance has four children also! This is the kitchen island, looking into the greatroom. Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree is in the background. This is Aaron and Ethan's bedroom. The beds are from the previous family, we have bunk beds for them. The border is great, bugs and frogs, perfect for our boys!

This is the view from the loft/hallway looking down onto the greatroom. The previous owners had great taste for decorating, I would love to have her to decorate it with us!

God has blessed us in so many ways, and I can't beleive I am living in such an amazing house, in this amazing country setting. My dream come true! My husband is a blessing to allow me to come live in the country. It is actually only 5 miles from the village in which he works so that helped matters. We have been out on the snow mobile, building snowmen, sledding, and can't wait to enjoy it in the rest of the seasons. In the back of our lot, beyond the trees there is a small stream with some tiny little waterfalls, so sweet and a great place to catch frogs and all sorts of wildlife. As you can imagine, Aaron is in heaven back there (and secretly, I think I will be too! ) In the spring I will be starting a garden and am so excited to do so as I have been wanting to garden for quite some time now. One day at a time. Our sea freight is due to be delivered on January 7th and I will have ots to organize and sort. It will just become more of our home by then, I can't wait!

Thankyou Lord for this amazing blessing.

2008-12-18T19:14:00.002+08:00

This is a common sight around the house, I am so blessed the children love to read so much!

Guilty as Charged!

2008-12-18T19:03:00.003+08:00

I wrote a post back in the summer about Caitlyn's quiet behavior, even when supposedly sleeping, and am back to write about it again. I am always a fan of a child resting during naptime, even when they can't actually sleep. She's young, and I need the one on one time with the children for school. I knew she was awake in her room, and not sleeping today, but had a relapse in memory somehow. I blocked out the time she had colored all over herself during a time she was to be napping. She did it again! 1 1/2 hrs later I here her complaining to come out and play, so I decide it's been long enough and go in to greet her with a "mama missed you" kindof smile, only to have it fade and be quickly replaced with shock. She found a drawer with Sharpie markers in it, along with a pink highlighter! Needless to say, the crib, her body, blankets and cabinets next to her were all graffitied by a known artist named Caitlyn.

Grace Sufficient

2008-12-13T06:09:00.004+08:00

2 Corinthians 12:9 "But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me". 2 Corinthians 12:9

This has been the whole of my strength and ability to go on daily without giving up. Since we have arrived in NY we have been bombarded with every illness conceivable, as well as very trying circumstances. This past week Steve had to fly to Portland for business, my parents went to Fla and I stayed with the children intending the best of homeschool and daily living. Suffice it to say, God had other plans for us.

As Steve left, the children and I were battling sinus infections, without an "in network" Dr whose philosophy I agreed with. That's ok, I thought, I can handle it. And off I marched to the Health Food store to buy every remedy I could find to relieve our symptoms and rid the infections. Awesome, it worked! We were doing great and ready for schooling and life skills they so desperately need (or is it me that needs for them to have those skills?). That night Caitlyn slept through until 6am, which is completely unheard of, Praise God! But, Aaron woke up vomitting like there was no tomorrow. UGH. Let's just say that it went through all of us in the course of the week. At one point, there were 4 of us being sick almost simultaneously! Not a pretty sight. I was here on my own with noone to help. Grace Sufficient.

Grace Sufficient is all I could manage to think, pray and believe to keep going. And truly, by His Grace alone, I am standing here healthy and ready to take on what God has for me. For when I am weak, He is strong, and what better strength to go on daily!

Christmas on Orchard

2008-12-07T19:26:00.005+08:00

Every year we would stroll down Orchard Road around Christmas time to see all the lights and decorations. As you can see, they really go all out. Sometimes it's actually overwhelming to see everything at once. We wanted to take our stroll one last time before we left, it felt kindof nostalgic, in a wierd way. It always made me want to go home and celebrate with family and friends the way we always used to. This time, I was a little bit sad to leave my friends and family in SG at this wonderful time of year.

A Huge Screen TV just like in Time Square

Aaron sitting on a small pillar, he got tired and decided it was more fun to watch the huge tv than to keep walking. Only in Singapore!

This is what I like to call the Singaporean Dunkin Donuts

A street Seller

It feels more like Candyland than Christmas!

Goodbye ICS, We will miss you!

2008-12-07T18:59:00.005+08:00

On the boys' last day of school, at International Community Scool of Singapore, I went in to hand out cookies and take some pictures, I thought this would be a nice way to say "goodbye" and have closure for them. They have seen many friends go and some new students join thier class, and now it was thier turn. I tried to have them talk about it, but we all know how easy it is to get boys to talk about thier feeling! Ethan and Ryan chose Oreo cookies and Aaron chose Chocoalte Chip, so we passed them out at lunch time and had some pictures with thier friends and teachers. This week was also School Spirit Week, so everyone dressed down each day, and this day was Pajama Day, so that's why Ethan's teacher has rollers in her hair. Ethan and Miss "Ringy". Thanks for being such a great teacher!

Ryan's class, he is the one in the middle left of the pic with blue pajamas on.

Aaron's class, he is the one in the middle right of the pic with brown pajamas on.

Aaron and his buddies

2008-12-07T11:58:00.002+08:00

If the house is quiet and Caitlyn is not sleeping, you really need to wonder what my little inquisitive wonder is up to. She is very resourceful, as you can see, we didn't have a stool at the apartment, so she decided the garbege can would do. She loves playing in the sink, and this is how I found her at one of those "Oh No, it's too quiet, were's Cate" moments. You see the smug little look on her face when she got caught!? This is the same day she actually locked herself in that kitchen and I had to call housekeeping up to get her out! Luckily I managed to get her out before they came, boy was that traumatic!

Little Mother

2008-12-07T11:35:00.002+08:00

This is our room in the serviced apartment. She really had fun in front of the mirror. Super Cute!

Happy Un-birthday to you

2008-11-19T22:14:00.003+08:00

Caitlyn turned the Big 2 yrs old yesterday, November 18th 2008. However, because we are moving internationally, and the packers were coming a day later, her birthday celebration wasn't quite the norm. I did bring her to Parkway (the mall close by) and get her a dog balloon, at which she will screech with excitment every time she sees. You'd be amazed at the eagle eyesight a toddler can have for something they want! It's so cool, a helium balloon, on accordian style paper legs with a leash so you can pull it along and it "walks" like a real dog. Great idea! Unfortuantely, I couldn't get a picture of her with it, because Ethan enjoyed playing with it a bit too much, and it popped. :-( I also made her chocolate avocado pudding and strawberries - one of her favorites - but she slept through it, because she also caught a cold the same day! So I have decided to celebrate her birthday officially when we get to the states. I am a real traditions type girl, so I feel the need to celebrate her birthday the "right" way. You know, have a cake (or other favorite dessert) with candles, then she tries to blow them out and everyone sings "Happy Birthday"! So, who's up for a birthday party!!??

Farewell Camelot

2008-11-17T22:19:00.004+08:00

This process of saying goodbye is not likely one I will ever forget. In this transient society, we so quickly make friends, friendships that most often become our family. Unfortunately, as quickly as we develope these relationships, we have to say goodbye. In our 4 1/2 yrs here, we have seen many families leave. We have had farewell parties, helped them clear out their pantries, and gone through the last days with them. It always felt odd, wanting to be happy for them , often going home, or another luxurious location, yet feeling sad to see them leave. Sometimes there was a bit of jealousy, wanting it to be you whose going home.

Now it's our turn! This is bittersweet as you can imagine. It's time for us to go home, and leave our friends behind. Those whom we have gathered around the Thanksgiving table, and spent Christmas with. Those who we've shared our joys and saddness with when missing our homeland. They have been with us throuhg thick and thin.

Our friends from Camelot had a farewell party for us on Sunday evening. All the children ran freely around the pool and ate tons of sweets and crisps, swimming and playing thier fvorite game of cops and robbers. Everyone asked about our new house and what it's like "back home" They spooke of how much they will miss us when we are gone. It's so hard to balance the emotions in this situation! We were blessed with great neighbors in Camelot!

Here arre some pics from the night............

Patsy and Wendy

The guys of Camelot

The Camelot Ladies

Beena and Wendy

All the children lining up for a peice of Erin's homemade cake

(this is after they've already decorated 2 of thier own cupcakes!)

Clarification

2008-11-03T22:41:00.002+08:00

I just realized many of you reading the blog might not be aware of all the goings on since I have last posted. The comment in my last post, "Cate and I stayed home from church so as not to scare away any visitors with her cough and purple face" may have found you quite curious and possibly frightened! Well, about the 3rd week in September Ryan came home with a cough from school. No big deal, they pass things around a school like candy on Halloween day. The thing with this cough was it was really severe. What started out as a minor cold turned into a very violent coughing spasm! What's worse is Catitlyn started coughing just a few weeks later, when we were in the states. After much research , a few trips to the Dr (which, again, proved pointless), lots of sleepless nights and many phone calls to my mom, God bless her, we decided they had Whooping Cough, aka, Pertusis! Whoa! Where did this come from? The Drs wouldn't support this theory of mine because "he had the vaccine, so surely it can't be that"! Well, in my research (www.whoopingcough.net) i discovered there is a rise in Whooping cough cases between the ages of 11-14 due to the vaccine losing it's affects. Now, if they had exposure every few yrs, they would be able to build up immnuty and keep strong, but thats another topic for another day. That's why Ryan came down with it and Caitlyn did because she hasn't had the vaccine (again another topic for another day). Aaron and Ethan didn't come down with the full blown illness but have a cold and bad cough. With Pertussis, you start coughing and go into a violent fit, often losing your breathe completely, turning shades of blue and purple, eyes bulging, and finally vomitting before you can finally catch a breathe again. It's really quite scary! They have been on antibiotics and are doing MUCH better, even though the Drs insist the antibiotics don't kill this bacteria. I truly don't understand Drs. Ryan got better over 6 weeks, and after missing much school. But he started to have these breathing attacks in the middle of the night. All of a sudden he would wake gasping for air! It is a horrifying sight and sound to hear, let alone be woken by in the middle of the night! This would last from 30 seconds to 2-3 minutes! It continued for a week or so and I took him in again in hopes they could tell us what was happening. She didn't give me much hope of a diagnosis but sent us to a Pediatric Pulminologist. I won't bore you with all the details, as it was quite an ordeal-par for the course in SG. Anyway, turns out he has something called Spasmodic Croup, characterized by just that, the throat spasming starting and stopping at any time. Scary! It can often be triggered by an allergy as well as an illness. We had him tested and he is severely allergic to dust mites! Now he is on a low dose corticosteroid for 3 months to keep this from happening. We need to find a Dr in the states in quick order to get him updated and continued support for this. So there you have it. This is why I haven't posted much lately, our house has been sleepless most nights and we are exhausted! Good news is, the children are on thier way to being healthy again, and, God Is Still On The Throne!

Baking with Mommy and Cate

2008-11-03T00:17:00.005+08:00

On Sunday morning last week, Cate and I stayed home from church so as not to scare away any visitors with her cough and purple face. Well, I could have chosen any activity like going for a walk, reading books and the ever popular cleaning up the house, but I decided we would have our first baking experience as Mother and Daughter! This may not sound that exciting, but when you have baked banana bread with 3 boys "killing" the bananas and making sounds of anguish only boys can think up and having the ingredients beat eachother up in the stirring process, you would understand! Caitlyn took her job very seriusly! She wanted to add every ingredient and stir each time. I can tell, this is going to be lots of fun!

What does it feel like mom?

She had no problem adopting the rule of "every baker gets a taste". This is the boy's favorite part, and I think hers as well.

After a while she got a bit antsy, and just wanted to eat all the dough, so I decided to get a little crazy and give her the almost empty flour container and a measuring spoon. That kept her busy for a good half hour!

I was kinda proud of myself, can you see the mess? Inside I started to get anxious about all the mess she was making and I wanted to put an end to it immediately. I mean, when the boys come home and I am exhausted from the morning with just the girls, what will Steve think? Well, I held back those reservations and just let her go at it. She was so happy! Putting the flour in the container and taking it back out again, then smearing it all over the floor, repeat steps one and two 25 times.

The true test of a woman came when I told her it was time to clean up. I totally expected a meltdown only a 2yr old could give when in the middle of such fun. But to my delight, she said "OK" in her adorable little voice and promptly got the towel to clean it all up. I gave her the broom and she was content for another 15 minutes while I got everything cleaned up on the counters!

I am blessed by such experiences and can only imagine the fun she and I will have in times to come. Thank God for little girls!

Celebrations around the world

2008-11-02T23:50:00.010+08:00

Last week Singapore had another public holiday called Deepavali. Also called Dewali, its an Indian holiday much like our New Year. This is a very important holiday to them, celebrated over 3 days in some parts. Our neighbors are Indian and they invited us over to celebrate with them. The children painted candle holders in preperation for that night. They also had a party for the rest of the complex this weekend. They had fireworks, aka, sparklers, henna painting, and amazing Indian food! We donned our Indian attire and headed our for a night of fun and festivities.

If you look closely on the boys hands, you can see the henna tatoos they got. Made from a paste of henna leaves, green tea and some other stuff I am not sure of, it stays for about 3-5 days.

Julie getting a henna tatoo Cate was so excited about getting her hands painted. She had her first one, a little flower, and then it got smudged after she tried to touch it. So then she got back in the queue to have it fixed. That wasn't good enough, she had to have the other hand done as well. So cute!

Ryan got a scorpion

Ethan got a peacock on one hand, and a heart with his name hidden in it on the other hand

Aaron got a peacock and a scorpion too.

Preperations for the special day

Creating a picture with colored rice

All the children gathered and painted small candle holders for the "festival of lights"

P.S. these picture are all backwards. I am still technologically challenged and can't figure out how to load the pictures when i have several that have a specific order. So, the prep obviously happned first and the pic of me and the children was actually the end of the night.

2008-11-02T23:08:00.002+08:00

I haven't updated much on our move and house search, I know. Part of it has been due to the illnesses and craziness that comes with that. But a bigger part is due to the uncertainty of it all. I started composing a post about our nbew house, but never finished it. Now I am glad I didn't. We had a house we loved, and through a series of events and much prayer, we put a purchase on what I have called My Dream House for the past 5 yrs! What's not to be excited about right!??? Well, I did talk about it and dream about the spaces, ect, but I always felt inwardly that I needed to gaurd my heart until all the paperwork was finished and we closed on the set date of Dec 1st. I couldn't imagine that anything would go worng. I mean, it seemed that God was lining everything up and this was the house He has set apart for us. So, what's to worry about? This past Tues we had the inspection and decided to do a Radon test, much to our realtors dismay (which we thought was weird). We recieved the results, which at first seemed great. But, then, that's when we got the worst news we could have ever recieved. The radon test. The radon levels are 20 times the legal limit!!! This is big, I mean, HUGE!! This is not like a leaky pipe or an electrical outlet that needs to be fixed or even a crack in the tile flooring. We are talking about the long term health of our children and our family! Come-on, I don't even let the children drink milk due to the hormones and antibiotics, you think I will allow them to be in a house that needs 4 (yes, you read that right, 4) mitigation systems!? Right, NO!!! I mean, this is cancer causing stuff! Being radioactive is not one of those things that you want to brag about these days. So, as you can imagine, we decided not to go through with the purchase of the house. Three weeks before we are due to fly out, we have no house. I am okay with it, really. At first I was really upset, not about losing my house, but about the uncertainty of it all. Where will we go, do we buy or build, having to rent and move again in 6-9 mo. etc. But, I talked it out with Steve and my dad extensively and prayed alot and am doing much better now. Steve left for the states this morning. He will see a few building sites and a house that's in the final stages of building. Hopefully we will have a better idea of what God has for us. The best news is God is still in control!!

Transitions

2008-10-14T08:57:00.003+08:00

As most of you know, we are moving back to the U.S.! The news came quite gradually, over the month of August, now confirmed, with a departure date around the first week of December. I am beyond thrilled to be going home, to my family, my friends, my native climate, to be there for Christmas. I feel as if my body has been in a dormant state living here, in this hot, humid climate, for 4 yrs without a break. Yes, there are things I will miss, but for now I am focusing on the things to come. This will get me through a transition period, which everyone knows is always difficult. Whenever I hear the word "transition" I automatically think of labor (mom, are you proud or what?!) Having had 4 children completely natural with no drug intervention, transition was a word both glorious and terrifying to hear! This meant that it was almsot over, but, the worst is yet to come. It is still an uphill battle, but the end is in sight. So many details to be decided, things to be sorted, friends to spend time with, children to reassure that this will be great despite the sadness of saying goodbye. We still don't know where we will live, and I think this is the single hardest thing at the moment. Ask me in a few weeks when we are living in the midst of boxes and not sleeping due to our minds racing and the insecurities of Caitlyn because of all the change, and saying goodbye to the friends I have also called family for the past 4 years. But, for now, I am really struggling with not knowing where "home" will be next. I want to invision the spaces and how I will set them up. What things I can give away here and what I must keep. Where I will homeschool the boys and how the room will look, and how I will set things up for Caitlyn during school hours. How I will decorate the spaces I was blessed with, the colors and decor, the furniture in which places. I am a Home Maker, and right now, I dont have a home to make. The decision will come soon enough, but it doesn't feel that way right now. Each day that passes Steve and I talk over the same spaces of the same 4 houses I chose 2 weeks ago, trying to decide which one is right for our family. May God guide us to the place He has for us in this next season! I need to choose to dwell in His peace and grace that His timing is perfect, and not my own. I guess I ended up focusing more on the difficult things rather than the things to come this time. My next post will be filled with anticipation of our new home and what life will look like back in our home town! The sights, the smells, the seasons, I can't wait!

Change

2008-09-09T21:22:00.002+08:00

I decided, as I have exactly twice in my life, to change my hair. I still cannot figure out what possess me to do this, I love long hair! It seems as if when change is imminent, I need to control this change and do something drastic. ??? I did this when Ethan was born and again now. ??? I don't know either.

The cool thing is I actually like it this time! Yeah! Here's me and Cate this morning modeling my new haircut.

My Nature Lovers

2008-08-31T11:19:00.003+08:00

Julie has taken to showing Catilyn and Aaron, my nature lovers, any bug or insect she can find. Yesterday, she found this HUGE caterpiller! Does anyone know what kind this is? I have never seen one so huge before.

Ryan has also been deiscovering frogs in the most piculiar of places, his sneakers! Twice now he has tried to put his shoes on before school only to find it previously occupied by a frog! He is not quite so excited by this as Aaron is. Needless to say, he keeps his shoes inside now.

2008-08-31T11:17:00.001+08:00

Ethan and Megan, best buds

Happy Birthday Aaron!!!

2008-08-31T09:56:00.003+08:00

August 30th, 2000, God blesses us with another son, Aaron Michael Wilson . I can't believe my little man is getting so big! He really wanted a party this year, so we decided he could have 8 friends. Well, it ended up being more like 13 children not including our boys! Ohmigoodness! But, it's okay, we planned an outdoor party. Well, it had been raining all week, and we just kept praying that Saturday would be nice and sunny, cause God knows I would not make it with that many children in our house. Awesome, Saturday morning greeted us with beautiful sunshine and hot weather, perfect for a soccer and swim party. Wel, around 3pm, the clouds rolled in, to stay. I was getting a bit nervous, but Steve assured me, repeatedly, that it would be ok, he had it under control. My husband is awesome! It rained for the whole party, and he occupied them with games galore! At 5:30, even though it was still sprinkling, we sent them all out to eat Aaron's choice of KFC for dinner followed by cake. They finally got to swim after that. The party was suppossed to end at 6:30, but most of them stayed until 7:30!

All in all, Aaron has a great time, and that's what is most important.

Happy Birthday my son!

Camelot Olympics 08

2008-08-31T09:44:00.004+08:00

We all know how Steve loves to come up with games, he is so great at it! Well, what started out as family fitness night, turned into a full Olymic event. Each evening we have anywhere from 2-6 boys knocking on our door wondering if the Olymopics is on!

They start out warming up, and then move to sprints and swimming, and they all beg to do shotput. On the days they are not doing individual sports, they are having soccer matches.

I am so blessed that the boys have so much fun with thier dad!

2008-08-31T09:40:00.003+08:00

Bobby and Tyler are some other friends from Camelot the boys often hang out with, they are 4 1/2 and 6. Mark, thier father went to school with Steve for the MBA.

Two Peas in a Pod

2008-08-31T09:34:00.002+08:00

This is Aaron, and Erin. Erin's family just moved into Camelot last week, and these 2 have hit it off incredibly. Unfortunately, they are of the same personality, so you never know what they will get into, or come up with! Erin loves nature and bugs and animals, just like Aaron does, he is so excited to share this with someone. They are inseperable most days.

Erin has 2 brothers, Elliot, who is Ethan's age and Ilan, who is Ryans age. All 6 of them play quite well together.

First day of school

2008-08-31T01:01:00.003+08:00

School is here once again. They donned thier uniforms, got thier backpacks ready with thier list of school supplies, packed thier lunches and off they went. It was so easy this yr to get everyone inot routine, what a blessing.

The banner they have hanging on the school is based on 2 John 1:1-6. This is there school theme! What a blessing we have in the ability to teach our children God's Word, at school, in S.E. Asia! God is so good.

Cate and I have missed them throughout the day, but we are relishing the quiet time we have together, for they are now numbered!

I didn't even get teary at seeing the little ones (mostly Ethan) going off to school. That is, until I took him to the bus when Steve had to go in to work early one morning. Seeing Ethan board the bus, blow kisses out the window and waving feverishly at me for fear I might miss him, it broke my heart! It was so precious to see, these days are gone in an instant, may it serve as a reminder that I need to cherish each moment I have with my precious children and never to take advantage of the time we have.

Underwater World

2008-08-31T00:47:00.004+08:00

While John and Jake were here we took them to Sentosa Island and visited the aquarium. It's pretty cool there's a "touch tank" where you can litterally touch the stingrays and other fish. Aaron, as you can inagine, is loving this! After the aquarium, we headed to the Dolphin Lagoon for a dolphin show.

P.S. John, I am working on getting your pics on the cd and out to you, really I am! Sorry, I have been a bit distracted lately, can you blame me?

Daddy's little girl

2008-08-31T00:41:00.004+08:00

He came, He saw, He conquered

2008-08-03T11:37:00.006+08:00

SINGAPORE 360

Jacob was super excited to see a knee boearding place to try on his visit to S.E. Asia, so each morning we assessed the days possible activities along with the weather, trying to determine the best day to go. Alas, the day finally came and he was so excited, although Jake is somewhat reserved in nature so it's kindof hard to tell what eh's thinking. ;-)

He watched pensively for a while and decided to take the plunge. Literally. The boys were so proud of thier cousin being able to do such a cool thing, and all wanted to try. You only have to be 7, so the bargaining began, on how and when we should come back so they could give it a try. Ethan was fine with not being old enough, he's a bit more cautious than the older two.

After many attempts and observing others, Jake made it the whole 360 degrees!

Way To Go Jake!

2008-07-29T08:17:00.001+08:00

Okay, so if she weren't biting her fingernails, this would be a great shot! I guess it's a mom thing, I love all the pics of Cate!

Special Time with Uncle John

2008-07-29T08:13:00.002+08:00

Steve's brother John and his son Jacob have come to Singapore to visit. We love having family here, showing them life in Singapore is so fun! The boys just love having an Uncle to do all sorts of fun stuff with, they especially love snuggling down for a good book, or even "2o winks", which is the Wilson word for a NAP!

2008-07-29T08:08:00.000+08:00

2008-07-29T07:57:00.001+08:00

2008-07-29T07:54:00.001+08:00

Cate tries to play twister

3 Things

2008-07-17T05:57:00.003+08:00

There are 3 things in life I have always proclaimed as being aweful. 1.Mornings 2.Running 3.Cockroaches I can't believe I am saying this, but I actually prefer to get up early in the morning now. My health is better than it has been in 15yrs or more, I sleep wonderfully and wake without pain! I actually have so much more time in the day to accomplish things, and taking a midafternoon nap is still okay because I have already been awake for so long! Now, Cate has been up since 4am the last 2 days due to good ol' jetlag, but I think this is a bit excessive. The sun won't rise for another 3 hrs. I now view being greeted by the morning sun as a pleasant way to rise! And running. Slow torturue I would call it. There was no worse way to "exercise", between being totally out of breathe, killing my knees and hips, and not to mention it's incredibly boring. Again, I can't believe I am saying this, but, I am running now! No big distances yet, but I am running about 2 miles every other day, or at last that's my goal now that we are back home. I would like to join a 10k race in the end of August, but we shall see. Oh, Cockroaches. Well, I still think they are among the most grotesque things on earth! We have encountered 2 very large ones since being home. I am normally quite against chemicals such as insect sprays and the like, but for cockroaches, I must do whatever necassary to get them out of my house!

Two Peas in a Pod

2008-07-08T01:54:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday Steve!

2008-06-30T10:26:00.005+08:00

We celebrated Steve's 40th b'day the week we arrived in NY. To surprise him, I had his siblings in to visit, which is very special to him! We did some silly games and just hung out. We also went to a fun park where we did rock climbing, bumber boats and the reverse bungee! Steve even outdid everyone and did a forward and backard flip on the bungee. Hopefully he had lots of fun and realized turning 40 isn't the end of the world, or the end of fun either!

Singapore Air Rocks!

2008-06-29T11:02:00.004+08:00

Okay, so some of these newer posts are going to be out of order in the sequence of events. But, hey, at lest I am getting them up in a reasonable amount of time.

So, these pictures are of the amazing new plane by Singapore Air. This plane only flies busines class, and let me tell you, it is worth every penny when you are flying that long with children! The service is amazing, the food is identifiable and totally edible, the movies are endless and the seats are huge, and, they lay completely flat! I was even more blessed to have an empty seat nearby, so Cate could have her own when it came time to sleep. Only thing is when you train a child to go to sleep by themselves (or the child is just realy nosey), it's quite difficult to get them to sleep on a busy plane. So, she slept for a grand total of 6 hrs on our 18 hr flight. At least she was pleasant, for the most part. As you can tell, the boys made themselves right at home, and the only time we heard from them is when thier movie was over, and they asked "Can we watch it again?" At which point it's always "YES!"

I love Singapore Air

Snowball Fight!

2008-06-29T09:31:00.008+08:00

At one of our favorite playgrounds by gramma Wilson's house there is also an ice rink. The boys love to go there not because of the cool playground, but because they dump the ice right outside into a big heap. This means one thing...SNOWBALL FIGHT!

This was Cate's first experience with snow, and she didn't hesitate a bit. She wanted a piece of the action, it didn't take her long to learn to throw snowballs at the boys. Watch out Cate, they show no mercy!

Adventures with the Lloyds

2008-06-28T11:12:00.006+08:00

The other day we had some more adventures with the Lloyds. First we went to Firt Stanwix and learned all about the Indian tribes in Ny and the trials they faced and the customs that are different from the way we live. It was an eye opening experience for the boys, but I think the most fun they has was when they got to hold the wooden muskats and learn the different commands! Ryan and Gramma thought this toy looked like an old time transformer.

Then we went to Fort Rickey Game Farm, and had a blast feeding the deer, and holding snakes and baby goats! Caitlyn was in Heaven with all the animals around. She loved watching, and petting, she just ran from one place to the other laughing and babbling about what she saw.

Actually, we went to Fort Rickey first and Frot Stanix last, but I loaded the pics in the wrong order. Details, details, oh well :-)

Little Mommy

2008-06-28T11:02:00.003+08:00

We went to visit some close friends of ours the other day, they have a new baby boy who we just couldn't wait to meet. Baby Jeremiah is a sweet little one, and Caityln couldn't agree more! The whole time we were there she played very little with toys, but instead tended to little Jeremiah, giving him hugs and cuddles and putting his blanket on just so. If he wiggled even the slightest bit she would have to reposition the blanket. How precious it was watching her nurture another little being.

2008-06-28T10:58:00.004+08:00

Just because it's naptime and she played super hard all morning, and she's quiet in the backseat, you can never assume she is sleeping!

Hole in One

2008-06-25T11:48:00.003+08:00

We went to play Putt Putt today, and on hole number 12 Aaron got the first hole in one. It would be an undertsament to say he was very excited! Ethan got a hole in one on number 17, after shooting the ball with his hand! There is this new twist on the game, a spinner with different variations to the game, to make it more interesting I guess. One was, any opponant can be placed on the green as an extra obstacle, another was using your club up-side-down, the one they liked the most was being able to use your hands for the first putt. Well, Ethan didn't quite get what it meant, and he chucked the ball, AND, he ended up with a hole in one!! Of coarse, the siblings didn't quite think it was fair, 'cause there was no spinner at this particular hole. So, I let the other two give it a try, and Aaron got a hole in one that way as well. A fun way to end the game I thought. Caitlyn, well, she had fun running throughout the course, stealing clubs, and trying to kick the ball. So we got her a club and ball of her own. Daddy would be proud.

2008-06-25T11:44:00.001+08:00

2008-06-24T20:35:00.004+08:00

After days like yesterday, I really need to play around some with my thinking and emotions. We had such an amazing day with our best friends, family really, the Lloyds. Each of the children has a friend their age. Ryan and Beca and 9 days apart, Aaron and Chris are 6 mo. apart, and Ethan and Sammuel are 6 mo apart. The young ones, Zach and Caitlyn were actually born on the same day, one yr apart!

When we arrived, the first time in 1 yr, the children could barely wait for the van top stop moving. They jumped out and ran immediately to their Lloyd counterpart, and we littereally didn't hear from them for at least 2 hours. There was a huge yard to run around in, a maze to run, tire swing, huge trampoline, and trees to climb. They were in heaven!

Mandy and I could actually sit and converse about whole topics rather than be interupted mid thought, which used to be the norm when all our children were 4 and under. We went to Wegman's for lunch, which used to be one of our usual stomping grounds. One of us would call the other and say "hey, I gotta get some groceries, you wanna meet and have lunch?", or " i gota get out of the house, come out to eat with us!". Then we would trapse out with all 6 children, dodging the glaring eyes and thoughts behind those looks saying we were either crazy, or a small daycare! Today, we got the same looks and thoughts, I'm sure, but this time the children were all (well, mostly) calm and obedient, and helpful. Save for Aaron and Chris who have way too much kinetic energy, totally feeding off eachother!

These things make me really want to stay. It's really quite difficult to process the emotions with coming back to the states each yr. Do I want to settle down and get back into my normal, predictable routine, and have these times more often with the children? Or do I want to continue to have other amazing experience, seeing the world, meeting new people, developing new friends, only to have to say goodbye in a moments notice becase they have to relocate? Traveling the world is something I would never have thought we would do. It's incomprehendable, I wouldn't change what we have done. But, there is something said for staying put for a while, predictability, old friends, family and routine. I will never have my ultimate dream of raising the children modern day Little House on the Prarrie style, but, I know there's got to be a comprimise out there somewhere.

This is obviously the meloncholy in me talking today! i am just blessed by all experiences God has given us, both here and out there, in His big wide world!

Meanwhile, we will take the days like we had today, any time we can!

If she only knew!

2008-06-24T20:27:00.002+08:00

If she only had a clue what their real motive was. She is thinking it's pretty cool, wondering, discovering, learning. They, on the other hand, and plotting, scheming, laughing - wishing they could be squirting their sister for real! Growing up with 3 older brothers will have it's blessings and it's trials for sure.

Favorite things

2008-06-24T11:22:00.007+08:00

Some of my favorite memories from growing up are target shooting with my dad and campfires. The one on one time you get is priceless no matter the activity, and target shooting is one of the things my dad really enjoyed, so I got in on the action. It's something I never thought my boys would experience because, well, living in Sinapore, options are limited for that activity! But, this year my dad desided that would be a fun activity to teach them. Great idea, they love it! I am so blessed my dad can relate to them, and they can gleen from him.

Ahhh, and campfires. We would have them every night when we went camping in Coles Creek. The smell of the fire, roasting marshmallows for s'mores, sitting on mom or dad's lap, and sometimes singing songs. Those were good times. Well, we don't go camping at Coles Creek, but dad designed a fire pit in his backyard so we could do campfires whenever we wanted. The boys request it quite often, but I think they love having s'mores and staying up late. And, having the Poker Stick is an honor everyone vies for, but only the lucky are priveledged with!

"Mom, watch this"

2008-06-24T11:14:00.002+08:00

Going..... Going..... Gone!

Some things you never have to each a child to do, one of them includes slurping spaghetti.

More adventures with Cate

2008-05-30T21:19:00.002+08:00

When gramma and grampa Wilson were here we took them to the new Children's Garden that recently opened. It has so many things for little ones, Cate loved going from one place to the next. There is a place to water flowers, a humongous treehouse, sandpit, and many different tropical flowers. You have to go in the early morning, otherwise it gets quite hot and crowded, but even then it's a great place to get out of the hustle and bustle of every day life.

Connected to the vine?

2008-05-30T20:46:00.006+08:00

This is our trip to McRitchie Resevoir, and adventures swinging on the vine. Obviously you know the end result of vine swinging, but it was fun up unitl the last swing, so thought I would post the pics anyway. It brings new meaning to the verse, "I am the vine you are the branches, whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit". I guess we can litterally say that when you aren't connected to the vine, it can be quite dangerous!

Well anyway, Singapore has some beautiful places, outside of the city and full of green spaces! This does my heart good, now all we need to do is lower the temp about 15 degrees and the humidity about 30 degrees and it would be perfect!

ICS Soccer match

2008-05-30T20:14:00.003+08:00

After school today the boys had thier ICS soccer match! It was great fun to see them so enthused, and using the skills they have been practising all semester. Ethan did not join the game, as he is the smallest there and it's hard to keep up. He has a friend named Leah, whose brother is on the team as well, and they had a blast playing together around the school yard.

$5 Tomato

2008-05-27T14:33:00.003+08:00

When Mom Wilson was here, she helped me buy a tomato plant and get it established, knowing my desire for gardeing and yet severe lack of skill. We took great care of it, only the best soil, vermiculite, and compost would do. The perfect pot, the perfect spot, and the little fencing to support it's soon to be heavy branches, because I was sure it was going to yield so many tomatos with all this great care!

Unfortunately all that was in vain because only a few nights later we had one of Singapore's tropical storms, the kind where you wonder if the thunder and lightening can actually get any closer or possibly get inside your house! Our poor tomato plant tried, but there was just too much water! It actually survived this storm, but ad insult to injury, there was a second storm 2 days later, saturating the drowning plant again.

So, this is my $5 tomato. I am not sure gardening is in my future.

I love Saturday mornings

2008-05-27T14:27:00.006+08:00

This is a typical sight on Saturday mornings if you peer into our house. While I make pankcakes (no I haven't lost my kitchen abilities!), the boys enjoy reading liesurely, taking advantage of the ability to relax and not rush off to school. They will often be splayed out on the bean bags, or couches as well. Steve is so happy they have inherited a love for reading as he has! Unfortunatly, it's s short time, as we have to rush off for soccer by 9:15 am, but they enjoy what they get!

Adventures with Caitlyn

2008-05-27T14:21:00.003+08:00

Caitlyn and I enjoy our mornings together these days. When the boys head off to school she and I will often go for some exercise. I rollerblade and she rides in the jogger. We often stop for her to stretch her legs or say hi to any of the numerous dogs she loves to see. At the end we sometimes stop at the castle playground for some playtime. Here are some pictures of our adventure today.

Update on Ryan's leg

2008-05-27T13:46:00.004+08:00

I guess by now you have heard the line, "it's been crazy here", enough so I will spare you this time. :-) Ryan's leg is healing quite nicely. About 1 1/2 wks after the incident, we were getting a bit worried because some of the stitches were beginning to get closed under the healing wound. I talked with mom about it, wondering if we could have them take the stitches out sooner, and she prompted me to take them out myself! WHAT!??! So, being totally intrigued with everything medical and being less dependant on allopathic Drs, I decided to give it a try! I did talk to Steve and Ryan before hand to make sure they were both on board. With all systems go, I gave Ryan sufficient preparation on what to, and what not to do in the event of various degrees of pain. And with his permission I took hold of the stitch and tugged in different angles and degrees of pressure. No pain! Praise God, that is a huge step in the success of our adventure. So, with a careful snip, I released the first stitch and we both breathed a huge sigh of relief. I continued to snip, until all 10 were out and we both let out a triuphant yell and gave a high five! He felt free, like the stitches were holding him captive, not allowing him to partake in his favortie activities. Unbeknownst to him, he was still bound, needing to allow his leg to further heal before he commensed normal activity. One Month later it is almost totally healed with just a scar to remind him the lessons of listening to your father's voice, both heavenly and earthbound. Now, I am posting some pics, but I want to warn you. I love things like this, but understand not all might enjoy looking at gaping wounds. So, for the faint, weary or those who only enjoy looking at flesh in it's intact state, CLOSE YOUR EYES! Those of you looking, the first pic is with the stitches, after we took the first one out. As you can see the 2nd stitch is partly under the skin. The first one was mostly under! The 2nd pic is after successfully taking them all out and the 3rd pic is from today, 4 weeks later.

A trip to the ER

2008-05-03T15:11:00.002+08:00

Today we took our 2nd trip ever to the ER with one of our boys. What started out as a fun hike on a Saturday morning ended up with a little bit of blood sweat and tears. There was a vine hanging really low from one of the nearby trees that looked super fun to swing from, so Ryan and Aaron took many turns swinging, trying to make and beat silly records. Usually moms can't watch stuff like this that thier kids get into, for fear of what might happen. But, they are pretty cautious and it didn't seem too bad. I was even taking pictures (to be posted later). After Ryan said "just one more swing", he took ahold of the vine and lept into the air to abruptly meet the concrete streps below when the vine snapped! Usually I am pretty conservative and believe we can handle most things outside of the hospital or Drs. care. But this time I was really sure I was not equipped to handle it! I spelled it out (h-o-s-p-i-t-a-l) to Steve and he must have been in shock, because he thought we were ok. Ryan had a gaping would on his shin, revealing some tissues below that made me totally freak out, and a bit nauseas!! I quickly bandaged the wound before Ryan, who is screaming so loud all of Singapore can take part in his misery, could see the extent of damage done to his leg. It took 45 min to get home through the Sat. morning traffic. We prepared Ryan for the pain while we assessed and cleaned his wound, and I sat there feeling totally helpless as I knew it was beyond my control. What a helpless feeling for a mom! Steve kept looking at me to do something, but I just couldn't. At this point Ryan was screaming even louder and I KNEW I could not do this on my own. So Steve and I prayed for God to guide us, wether or not to take him to the hospital. God gave my husband wisdom and I took him in. We have a hospital within 10 min drive and we only waited about 10 minutes to see the Dr. Ryan was really brave. He shed a bit of tears through the pain, but refrained from screaming, and relyed on The Lord's strength to get through it all. We talked about Jesus' pain on the cross, so He understands the pain Ryan had to endure, and we spoke of things lovely, pure, noble and right in order toget our minds off the things that are causing pain and anxiety. One and 1/2 hours and 10 stiches later we depart and head back home. The biggest blessing from this came when all was done and the nurse was putting the bandage on. He said, "Mom, I think God allowed me to go through this for a reason". Wow! As you can imagine, I was so blessed and proud of my son! We talked a bit about why He allows us to go through difficulties and how He provides all we need to get through it. God is our Provider, Healer, Comforter, Guide and Friend! Praise Him!

Singapore Best Friends

2008-04-28T19:03:00.003+08:00

The Erickson family came to visit singapore over Chinese New Year this Fenruary! We had so much fun seeing them again, just like a big family reunion. The children didn't miss a beat, and they are all pretty much old enough to go off and play so Tracy and I had some great time to talk.

We took them all to Malaysia to ride horses, which they loved, and also went bowling. We also had lots of fun just hangin out at the house.

Super Cute Cate

2008-04-09T08:39:00.003+08:00

Gotta love it! Taking pictures of Cate is one of my favorite things to do, and who can blame me when she has such cute expressions and adroable clothes. This outfit reminded me a bit of Punky Brewster. I never understood the saying "I could just eat you up", but, even in my lack of understanding, I find myself wanting to say that to her all the time!

Ooooh, I could just........... :-)