A - M Updates

A is for:
Astronaut - Ella got to go to the Dayton (Air Force?) museum over spring break with her friend Addison and hang out like an astronaut. She had a great day and I was happy about that since we really did nothing over Spring Break this year...I was sick as a dog the whole week.

B is for:
Boston - During the April 15th Boston Marathon this year, terrible bombings occurred that killed 3 people and wounded over 180.  Horrific for Boston, heartbreaking for America, and for runners across the world...just unimaginable.  As a newbie runner for the past 3 years, I have ran 3 Half Marathons and maybe 20-30 other races.  The atmosphere at these races is always so amazing.  The feeling when you achieve a goal and cross the finish line is so rewarding.  I just can't imagine being shocked out of such a high by something so terrifying.  A group of us ran in a Support Boston run on Monday night - 1 week after the craziness.  A group that is usually 40 or so turned into a group of 400+ to support the One Fund Boston.  Wonderful to support and be a part of this.

 

C is for:
Cat - We still have one and her name is still Cleo...and she still likes to lay on her back in the middle of any floor. I think she really misses her playmate, Zoe...

D is for:
Dwight - We happened into some concert tickets (thanks for Donna and Lee) to see Dwight Yoakam at the Bluestone.  The Bluestone is a super cool converted Baptist Church in downtown Columbus.  Great place to see concerts now. He was good but not as good as expected. Too much guitar.  Justin said he was probably tuning up for a concert tour and then I just found out he's playing Bonnaroo...good call JPJ.

E is for:
Emotion - After the Boston bombings, I noticed this on one of my race shirts...nothing brings out the emotions of the people and a country like 9/11 or school shooting situations.  It puts people into action.  You go crazy if you sit still.

 

F is for:

Family - I'm so grateful for such a wonderful family.  We don't spend as much time together now that we all go in 1000 different directions but when we do, we have so much fun and it's wonderful to get together. This was the kids at Easter.

 

G is for:

Green - Ella had strep throat a couple weeks ago.  After she started her medicine, we had to throw her old toothbrush out.  She wanted a new electric one.  So, I bought both E and Silas new electric toothbrushes.  They LOVE them.  They light up and and change colors when they are supposed to brush different parts of their teeth and then it shuts off after 2 minutes.  Worth the money!

 

H is for:

Hair - Si had quite the hair day.  He is digging the spiky look these days and then couple that with a VERY windy soccer game...

I is for:

Itchy Eyes - Poor Ella's eyes are killing her because of her allergies.  I finally made an appointment with the allergy doctor and we get in the first week of May.  I feel bad that I didn't take her in the winter so that they could have tested and given her medicine for NOW!

J is for:

Junk - the ongoing battle in our house continues to be a plethora of junk!  It multiplies at a staggering rate no matter how much we sort, trash and donate...I'm pretty sure our front room will never be more than a "sorting room"!

K is for:

pinK concert - kinda cheating, I know. Saw her in March and she was so amazingly incredible.  I totally have a new-found respect for her music and her as an artist and person.  Loved seeing her and gaining a better understanding of what drives  her.

L is for:

Loyal Customers - Justin continues to work his JCS Construction business.  I will tell you: it is tough.  It stresses me to the max because of the inconsistent income, the problems that pop up on jobs, the stress that it puts on Justin and his body.  But I will also tell you - his people LOVE him.  He is fair, he is respectful of their time and their money.  And when he spends a month or three in their home...the kids absolutely adore him...

 

{Dear Mr. Yonger, Thank you for doing our kicken. And thank you for being so nice. You are fast at doing lost of werk. I give you an A++++++  Your friend,Abigail}

M is for:

Mason - and he will graduate in MAY!!  And wow, this year and the last 4 years when he has been in high school have gone so incredibly fast (remember this?).  Yesterday was his Senior night at track. He has ran track all 4 years in high school.   He has worked hard this year to work out, get strong, eat well and get faster.  

I am so...proud...impressed...grateful...for this kid.  I'm so sad on one hand that this baby boy is no longer my baby. On the other - it is so fulfilling to know that he is growing up and growing into what he wants to do with his life.                                  

(And Ella is to my chin now...really??)

Updates N - Z...coming soon.

Always playing the Catch-up Game!

Lot's of catching up to do on the blog!  The last few weeks have been very busy!

Mason got his license!!!!  I have to say it wasn't a smooth process but he eventually got it done.  He went for his (3rd) test on St. Patty's day and I think he had a bit of the luck of the Irish on his side!

(maybe wearing grandpa J's duck sweatshirt

helped!)

We had our spring break...Ella was the only one of us that got to go anyplace.  She went to the beach with the Mascos and had a blast. 

Though she did get homesick...we did a LOT of texting and Facetiming!

She was happy to be home again! :)

While Ella was at the beach, I took a weekend trip to Chicago with Beth to go help Andrea out and meet Baby Jack. It was a super quick trip but fun to snuggle with him (and to let Andrea try to get some extra sleep!).

Running season is here again...I participated in a 10k training run with the neighbor friends.  This coming weekend is the 15k and then on May 5th, my 2nd Half Marathon!  Yippee!

The Easter Bunny came for a visit and left some movies and chocolate goodies for the kiddos.

Silas was ECSTATIC when he got a Pokemon card holder in his basket.

The whole family got together for our Easter dinner at the church.  I took about 10 pictures and someone has their eyes closed in every one!!

The kids had worked hard on an Easter play - The Bunnies that Saved Easter, was the name I believe.
Guess who the bunny was?? :)
It was cute - they did a really good job and Justin was a natural!

Things have just been busy, busy, busy...Mason is back in track, Ella and Silas have started soccer and Justin is coaching both teams again.  Work is kicking my butt, Justin is trying to finish up a kitchen remodel and move on to a few bathroom remodels (here in the neighborhood which will be great for the gas budget!).  We continue to work on clearing out some clutter, keeping up with things like laundry, grocery shopping, and having some fun (we've got to a few more concerts in the past month).
Summer will be here before we know it and we've got some family vacations and fun stuff planned!

I'm (over)due for a YOSP update too...soon, soon...

Spring

If I keep slacking on the blog, it's just going to be one update per season soon.  There has just been no time or energy to get to it.  I realize that I haven't even done an update on March YOSP so I guess I'll just combine March and April here soon!
There is a lot going on - by the end of this week we will have a housemate.  Aunt Amanda is going to come to Columbus to hang out with us for awhile.  We are excited to have her and spend more time with her (and possibly use her to run kids around here and there ;)

We celebrated Easter this past weekend - the weather wasn't very nice but spending time with all the family was great.  The kids colored eggs on Saturday night.  3 dozen this year.  We're eating a LOT of egg salad sandwiches this week!

Silas did a great job of writing his name on one with a wax crayon and then coloring it. He's not much of a colorer (which he readily admits) so anytime we can get him to do something "crafty" is a big step. Of course, he always loves making a mess so egg coloring is right up his alley.

We have had a VERY soggy soccer season so far this spring.  Seems like constant rain. Both Ella and Silas are really enjoying it though.  They are both on the same teams as last fall and Justin is coaching both again.

Ella has been quite the little superstar this season.  She's really going after the ball and last game, she scored 4 or 5 goals.  We read a Mia Hamm book a few months ago and I think that got her all excited. She's really aggressive (and has to watch her elbow throwing) and pretty quick.

I think I might have a little dweeb on my hands.  On one of our trips to New York last fall, Silas ran out of underwear, so we ran to the Dollar Store and all they had was white undies - a size or two too big for him.  I thought he would throw a fit because there weren't characters on them like his usual undies.  Nope, he loved them.  Proudly pulled them up to about his armpits and pranced around in his "whitie tighties" as he called them. And just to verify the dweebie-ness...he tucks his jacket into his pants.

He asked me yesterday if he could wear "short sleeved pants" to school since it was warm out :)  He's such a cute little goober!

Easter Day

We had a beautiful day yesterday! We started our Easter by doing something that we haven't done in awhile....going to church services. The kids were great and I love Danny, the minister (preacher as he calls himself). I've gone there (off and on) for almost 30 years and he baptized me when I was 12. It never loses that comforting feeling. It was a great way to start the day.

Ella and Mason were the first two to get up yesterday. It was pretty early so we let them find their baskets before Silas even woke up. I knew it'd be a long day and didn't want him to wake up before he was ready.

Ella digs through her basket

After church, we went home and started cooking for Easter dinner. I made berry cobbler, banana/peanut butter bread and broccoli casserole. We enjoyed a fun afternoon of cooking and I enjoyed some yummy cab rose with Justin. At 4 o'clock it was back to the church to have dinner with the whole family. We had the entire place to ourselves and it allowed the kids plenty of room to run...run...run...


The weather cooperated this year and so the kids got to have fun with an outside Easter egg hunt.

Ella, of course, wanted to stay in her Easter morning dress - she was too cute to argue with...

Will the real Easter Bunny please stand up?

We stuffed ourselves silly with all the food and desserts. We ended our great day with a MAJOR Silas melt-down once we got home. Can't blame the kid...the rest of us were close behind!

Easter Day and Spring Break begins!!

What a fun Easter weekend we had! We colored eggs on Saturday afternoon:And of course the Easter Bunny came and brought the kids books, movies, puzzles and a bit of CANDY - Si as SO excited when he learned that there was "junk" in the plastic eggs!

And oh, what a yummy Easter dinner we had! There was food galore!! Because our family is so HUGE we have started going to the church for Easter Dinner. We have the entire place to ourselves including the Youth room which has pool tables, air hockey, foosball, and a space for basketball too. There is also a big toddler room with slides, kiddie cars, puzzles, a little house with kitchen - all the stuff that our kids need to wear them out!

Jaden, Ella, Silas, Hunter and Brayden

Jaden, Ella and Hunter playing air hockey

Brayden, Maya, Hunter and Ella

There was also plenty of space for an indoor Easter egg hunt - actually 3 hunts, one for the little ones (Si, Aliyah and Skyler)

Silas gives Aliyah an egg

one for the medium kids (Maya, Elijah, Jaden, Ella, Hunter and Brayden below)

and then one for the big kids (Mason, Tyler and Brooklyn). The big kids actually started off in the dark with flashlights.

And this is just a movie of the kids running around in the gym playing basketball and being goofy



Afterwards, we came home stuffed to the gills, got the kids to bed and crashed pretty early. The kids are on break this week so I didn't schedule ANY clients at all - just doing my computer stuff and it's great! We plan to clean out closets, sort through clothes, go swimming at the Y, go to the downtown library and hopefully catch a movie too.