100th Post! Off to Mexico...

Wow.  This is my 100th post and it seems as if that should be very significant.  Not sure why...   Aaron just wondered if I was going to give away any prizes.  Hadn't considered that, but maybe I should look into it... :-)

Anyway, of far greater significance than what number precedes this post (and the reason I'm actually writing) is the fact that we leave our house tomorrow morning at 4:45 am to head to the airport.  The kids and I are finally getting to go with Aaron on SERVE, the mission trip to Mexico that happens every three years to El Florido, about 20 minutes east of Tijuana along the border.  Every previous trip, we've either just brought someone home to join our family, been about to bring someone home, or been waiting for passports or citizenship after finalizing the bringing home of several someones.  This year marks a new era: the number of people in our family has plateaued, and we are all passport holding US citizens.  Whoo-hoo!

All our bags are packed and actually already on their way to southern CA, along with the luggage of the 220 other students and leaders on SERVE 2010.  All that's left for us to do is get our tired little selves out of bed at a truly unkind hour, get dressed, and grab our backpacks.  We'll fly to LA and stay at The Master's College for a couple of days for team building and training, then drive across the border into Mexico.  I'll try to update as I can, although I'm not sure when I'll have access to the internet.

It will be quite the adventure, as we head into a lot of unknowns.  Living in a tent with all my kids in the midst of 220 other people leaves one feeling rather on display. :-)  And, as we all know, we'd rather our kids displayed the best behavior and attitudes when out in public (well, I guess myself, too!)...  what are the odds THAT'S going to happen for 2 weeks straight?  Pretty slim, I'd say.

Real life.   That's what we will "display."   Real life.

I just hope I do real life well these coming weeks.  :-)

Conversations of note

Ella sneezes.  "Oh!  I think I'm catching up to someone's cold."


This afternoon I had a great request from Alex as we were conversing together: "Mom?  Can you "pause" the talking 'cuz I have to go to the bathroom."


Alex and I are in the van today in a hurry to leave when I can't get the garage door to close... something seems to be in the way.  "Oh, for crying out loud!" I said as I got out to investigate.  It turns out that a rope had fallen across the sensor and so every time I started to close the door it sensed something under it and opened back up again.   I moved the rope, successfully closed the door, and hopped back in the van.  As we started to drive away, Alex cautiously said to me, "Mom?  When are you going to cry out loud?"


Late night update (can't pass this one up):
Max and Kyler just came out of their room to inform me that they are scared.
"What are you scared of?"
"That the angels of death might make... what's that woman's name that cut Samson's hair?"
"Delilah."
"Yeah, that they'll make Delilah come back to life and they'll surround us and she'll cut off our hair and we'll lose our strength."

This from two boys whose hair is less than an inch long.  And was just cut two nights ago.  Which apparently didn't impair their mighty and world-renowned strength then.

And really?  Delilah? 
They seemed more afraid of her than the angels of death in their story... ah, the power of a woman. ;-)

Mom is getting her new heart!

Aaron's mom, Jackie, is is surgery right now preparing for her new heart.  Her new heart is on it's way from Colorado with the surgeon, who has inspected it and pronounced it the heart for her!  Please check out her CaringBridge page for more updates throughout the day.... (link also at right on sidebar)

My grandma, my mom's (Marianne) mom,  passed away early Thursday morning, so the loss and grief that another family is experiencing today is very real to me.

Breakfast conversation

Overheard at the breakfast table early Easter morning:

Max:  Have any of you entered puberty yet?

Elizabeth:  No, but if I had, I wouldn't tell you!

Question from Ella

"Hey Dad!!  I have an idea... Maybe if you're not working today, maybe this afternoon the three kids: you, me and Alex, can go on a bike ride!  Do you think we can?"

Hahahahahahahaha...  :-)



Right now, Ella is currently clarifying after Aaron asked again how many kids:

"Yes, three kids.  You, me and Alex.   'Cuz you are a kid 'cuz you have a mom."

Big day

Pants buttoned and drove car.
Such accomplishments!
:-)

Support group suggestions?

In keeping with my 5 year old daughter's commitment last week to quit smoking, I have a confession to make.  I have been under the illusion that I could stop a certain behavior of mine anytime I wanted to. 

  ..."It's not that I NEED to do this,  I'm just choosing that I want to right now because I'm more comfortable that way.  Really, I can stop anytime..."

Well friends, it turns out that I can't "just quit."

I tried, and I couldn't.  It wasn't possible.

I have had to face the hard truth that I cannot give up my drawstring pajama pants and sweats.

I can't get my regular pants buttoned.