Forgotten holiday pics

I realized there were a few holiday pictures on the camera from the holidays. Here's all the boys cheering on Ohio State at the Rose Bowl. (The Captain says I dressed them more like Texas Tech colors but oh well.)

We loved watching the game and were glad that OSU finally had a good bowl performance. Hope Uncle B and Aunt B had a great time at the game.

Christmas seems to go on for weeks around here. We started Christmas at Thanksgiving with some of my family. Then all the festivities during the month of December. Then all their gifts that they opened in Ohio arrive home in early January. It was like Christmas all over again.

Wingman was thrilled with this. You can see that he really gets into his work. He sat in the boxes for a good half hour playing with all the toys.

Crash cried the day we took the Christmas tree down. I promised him we would put it up again. They love Christmas.

The earring

Do you ever feel like you are losing your mind? I frequently feel that way these days.

A few years ago my husband gave me these beautiful gold earrings for Christmas. I just love them. As we prepared to leave for Christmas vacation, I packed them in a little bag with other jewelry.

You can imagine my surprise when I arrive at my destination to only find one of the earrings in my bag. I panicked. I looked all through my things and finally decided (or at least hoped) that I simply left it at home.

I have a sentimental attachment- they are from my husband. They are kind of expensive. So I was a little distraught.

As soon as we arrive home, I begin tearing through my jewelry box. I found earring B. It had attached itself to a necklace that I had packed and then decided I didn't need. I was relieved.

In a few hours, I begin unpacking my suitcase and was shocked to find that earring A was not in my bag. I began to panic again. How did this happen? I cried. I felt like a complete idiot.

I began questioning everything. Did I lose earring A? Did I mix up the one I had "lost" and the one I had "found?"

I call my mother-in-law in sheer desperation. Sure enough, earring A is up in our bedroom on the floor. Relief!!!

I have no idea how it got there. I am not in the habit of throwing nice jewelry on the floor. Anyhow, earring A arrived today via the mail. I feel somewhat sane for the moment.

Maybe, I need to install GPS on my jewelry.

Give thanks in all circumstances

The test pilot's Bible verse for AWANA is:

I Thessalonians 5:17-18

Pray continually.

Give thanks in all circumstances,

For this is God's will

For you in Christ Jesus.

I begin to explain the verse to him. I start by saying that we are to pray all the time to God. He is an awesome God who is always available to us.

I then move to the "give thanks in all circumstances" part. I tell him that we are to thank God when things are good. For example, when we get tons of legos for Christmas. And we are to thank God when things are bad. The first thing that came to mind was when the Captain was laid off. (We are at the 1 year anniversary.)

The test pilot asks why the lay off was a bad thing. I tell him Daddy didn't have a job and he wouldn't get paid so we wouldn't have money for our house, food, and more legos. (Got to put it on his level.) Then mommy had to work for awhile while daddy looked for a job.

He's quiet for awhile. Then he states, "Well, it wasn't bad for me and Crash. We got to see daddy all day long."

When you look at it that way, it wasn't so bad for them. Their world did not change one bit except daddy and mommy traded places for a little while and they love their daddy. I am thankful that apparently, the layoff did not mess with them at all.

I guess that's another reason to give thanks in all circumstances. You never know if it's going to be a blessing or trial for different people.

My handyman

I love it that my husband is handy. After we arrived home from our trip, he went straight to work cutting holes in my ceiling with all those beautiful hardware store gift cards from Christmas. Thanks to all the family!

We had a lighting problem in the dining room/kitchen area. It was dark in some areas so the Captain is working on replacing the existing fixture with some new recessed lighting and a fixture that is actually centered over the table.

I need order in my life. A fixture not centered over the table is driving me nuts. He knows me well.

Then he puts weird pictures like the below on the camera to study the wires. I couldn't tell you much about it except I know my husband is really smart and that's all I need to know.

Cows and horses

This is the stable where Cousin M and Cousin J take horseback riding lessons. They also participate in 4-H competitions. They took us out there to see their horses. The boys got to groom and feed the horses.

Wingman calls everything on 4 legs a cow so here he is sitting on a cow. His ride lasted about 10 seconds before crying set in.

Crash loved it! He has a big grin on his face the whole time. Here's aunt C helping get us settled on the horse.

Here's the test pilot riding with his lovely cousin. She is growing up. I can remember when she was just a wee little thing at our wedding. I digress.

We had lots of fun. Crash had a great time until his nose and fingers turned a purplish shade. It was cold and windy. Time to go get some hot chocolate.

The journey

We have returned from our winter journey to Ohio. It started out well, except for the part where I had to get up at 4am to start the day. Here we are in matching travelling outfits while we watch planes take off. That is so exciting.

The first leg of the flight was non-eventful. Then we arrived in Chicago and our day took a drastic turn. As we landed, we learned our connection was several hours delayed to the various storms around the U.S. We started checking the boards frequently because our flight was continually being delayed and switching gates.

Then it got really exciting as they cancelled our flight. Can I say a little bit of panic set in? I am in Chicago with 3 small kids, no car, no luggage, and it's the day before Christmas Eve. The next flight they could confirm us on was over 24 hours away.

Sweet Linda, the United counter agent, could see the panic on my face. She helped us arrange stand-by flights. She helped me get a hotel room for the just in case. (Can I remind you at this point that we have had only 5-6 hours of sleep and no naps.)

The perk was that Chicago O'Hare airport has this awesome Children's area where my children spent many hours playing.

There was another perk as well. Some friends from church were on the same flight. They have a boy near the age of Crash. Crash was thrilled. They walked through the airport hand in hand. They played together in the pretend airplane.

Thank you Chicago O'Hare for this ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismissal day.

The next flight to our destination had us as #20-#24 for stand-by so it didn't look good. I kept watching the screen as our names miraculously moved up. Apparently, many people all over the U.S. were missing connections. We had to sprint but we made it on one of the last flights out of O'Hare airport before they closed it due to weather conditions.

We made it and so did our luggage. Double bonus! We were tired, hungry, and tired. It was a very long day. Thankfully, the flight home was very boring and on time.

I am just so glad I did not spend Christmas in Chicago.

Merry Christmas from Ohio

This is Christmas Day at Grammie's house.

Here's Grammie with the boys. They are obviously not looking at me who has the camera. Oh well! At least, they are smiling.

It was great to be in Ohio for the holidays.

1. It was cold. Sixty degree weather is just not appropriate for Christmas in my mind.

2. We wore sweaters everyday. Yeah.

3. We saw a little snow.

4. Saw family and friends that we don't get to see too often.

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!