Awake-Wake

There were 4 main reasons why we went to Pennsylvania  last week- in no particular order:
1) Attend Patsy's Awake-Wake.
2) Attend the Kohrman Family reunion.
3) Go to the DC Temple to attend the sealing of Jeff and Zaikea.
4) Finally take a "vacation"- Chip hasn't had this much time off, even when the boys were born, since grad school. 

------------------------------------------------------------

When Patsy and Nomi learned that there was no cure for this cancer- they remembered that when Nomi's sister was about to lose her husband due to illness, they had an awake-wake- and thought it would be a good idea to do the same for Patsy! Basically, it's a wake for someone while they are still alive- just to say good-bye and share memories with each other.

Things didn't go off without a hitch- I think back in April invitations were sent out, people were notified, plans were being made to move into a new house- as the old house was being sold, and they would have over a month to prepare for this big shin-dig....... only things hit some bumps- and it turns out they didn't move into the new house until 3 days before the party where they were expecting more than 150 families (150 families that RSVP'd- and there were people who forgot to RSVP who showed up too!). There were so many people that came- that they had to park at the church (5 minutes away) and we hired a shuttle to move people back and forth!

Nomi didn't know what to expect as far as food went- we didn't know if anyone would bring anything (as it certainly wasn't asked for people to bring food)- but holy moly- people brought, and brought, and brought! We had so many left overs it was insane! Deliciously insane.  Veggie trays, fruit trays, boxes of fresh hot pretzels, treats, and more treats, main dishes, etc.... it was awesome. 

 (This was just a tiny portion of people who came- I took this picture about 20 minutes after the party started!)

People came to honor Pat from far and wide, old co-workers of his traveled 4 hours or more to be there, people from church came, friends came, family came- it was so wonderful to see how many people cared so much about Patsy and came to say good-bye to him. I got to talk to lots of people who were just enamored by Patsy on all fronts.  (Guy sitting down in the blue shirt is Patsy.)

 (Maggie and her "cousin"-  She's Zaikea's niece, so I guess she's a cousin-in-law. Maggie really loves her!) 

 

  

 ( Miles was pretty cheerful and wanted his picture taken too.) 

At Patsy and Nomi's new house they have a nice big pool! As part of the invitation it said for people to bring their suits and towels to go swimming too!  Almost all of the kids and a few of the adults took up the offer! It was so fun to see everyone splashing around and shivering (it was about 60 degrees {pool guy said no solar heating cover while little kids were around- if someone fell in, nobody would be able to see it} burrr!). As I was randomly shooting pictures, I caught this missionary throwing a kid in the pool! Ha! 

It turned out to be a spectacular evening. It was fun to see and meet so many people. :)

I think a lot of people (and I'm sure Pat too) felt good about getting to say good bye. It's always nice when things aren't left unsaid, hugs aren't held back, and memories are made. 

6 going on 16

Maggie has been telling us since around Thanksgiving that she wanted her ears pierced for her birthday- and she wanted a Candy Land decorated cake.

A month ago she said she changed her mind about the earrings- as she was scared it would hurt....... but on the day of her birthday we were walking around in the mall and she said "Mom, I think I want my ears pierced now for my present"... Okay! So we went and did it. She fantastic- only a few tears afterward.... (I begged for two people to pierce her ears at the same time- so much less drama involved.)

After getting her ears done, I had one of her friends secretly meet us for lunch- and then a nice play date in the water fountains. She was in heaven- and her friend Abbey gave her a gift card to Toys-R-Us for her birthday! Talk about a lucky duck!

We ran home after the water fountains, put the boys down for their nap, and skittered on up to Toys-R-Us so she could pick her prize. She went up and down every isle and decided on makeup. Surprise, Surprise.  She told everyone she could that it was her birthday- they gave her a crown and a balloon, which of course, she was smitten with.

Maggie wanted to celebrate with all of her aunts, uncles, and grandparents in Reading when we went- so instead of having a big party at home- we just did cupcakes and opened the presents that were mailed to her- Maggie picked princess plates, rock star napkins, and duck cupcakes (pretty homely duck cupcakes, if I do say so myself). Not sure about the theme there, but I'm sure Disney could make a movie from it.

I just loved the look of her eyes when she was getting sung to! So cute/crazy!

and of course, when we were in Reading- we had a big birthday party for her- with all the aunts/uncles/grandparents..... I made a Candy Land cake- or should I say brownies... (we were pretty caked out).....
and I totally forgot to take a picture until it was almost gone. Ohh well.


Next year I have already been informed that she wants a rainbow unicorn cake. That'll be fun, I'm sure.


--------------------------------------------------------------

Maggie,
You are the most fun, wild, crazy-pants kid I know. 
New adventures every day.
I'm so thankful that you're mine.
I love you!
 - Mom.

Thoughts of a sweet person

It's been a whole 16 days since I've posted anything- So much has happened- I didn't really get any chance to write about it- so I'll try to remember all of it, but it'll have to be over a few blog posts....
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the wee hours in the morning on June 9th, my wonderful friend, my visiting teacher, and one of my children's very few babysitters passed away.

Chip and I got a phone call Friday evening - due to a ward call chain- letting us know that Debbie had gotten in an accident- and her son Chris was also in it too. Debbie was in critical condition. Chip and I prayed and prayed that night for them and their family.  We went to sleep- and the first thing we did in the morning was look for updates on Debbie's condition- sadly, we found that she had passed away during the night.  Chip and I held each other and cried- and we've been teary eyed ever since.

Let me tell you a little about Debbie- When we first moved here, her husband was our bishop. She was actually the first person we talked to in our new ward- both in person and over the phone. Over time we grew to be friends- she was so fun to talk to.  Debbie invited me to join in the ward's quilting group that was held in her home- it was there, hanging out with those amazing women, that I really caught the quilting bug (I was previously a dabbler... but not an addict). I actually don't think I could have survived my first 18 months of twin parenting at church without Debbie and Sis. Whitehead-  each of those sweet ladies took turns with the boys, and they each kept their purses stocked with baby toys to entertain the boys with. Lifesavers! Even after the boys graduated to nursery- she still constantly entertained them (and the girls) at church- as she and her boys sat in the pew in front of us nearly every Sunday (there's no assigned seating at church- but it seems that we usually sit in the same places every Sunday- weird!) Debbie frequently came to storytime with me to hold one of the boys on her lap so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed with two toddlers running in different directions. She also would randomly pop by places that I would post that I was going to on Facebook- inviting others to join in (aka: Hey! I'm going to the water fountains- who's game!)- just so she could chat with me. She would ask if she could watch the kids so Chip and I could get out- and she would feed them her delicious homemade pizza almost every time.

Debbie has always been such a good example to me. Her family/family time was always #1. I always admired how she declined going out and doing things in the evenings- so she could make sure that every minute with her family counted.

She truly was a special person. I will really miss her.  I know she's doing wonderful things on the other side right now.

We were unable to attend her funeral, due to being in Pennsylvania, but we heard it was so beautiful. She was loved by so many- and touched many lives. She will be missed. I just hope that one day I am able to be more like she was.

Mixed Blessing

I spent the most enjoyable Thursday afternoon taking the kids swimming at a friend's pool- until I looked at the time and realized that I was supposed to be at a meeting across the city in 10 minutes. Which meant I had to get all the kids out/in the car/back to the house/get dressed/get my stuff together/scarf down some dinner/ and head out the door in less than a second. Needless to say, I was a smidge late to the meeting. I have been slightly obsessed with a book on CD lately (The Maze Runner series... Chip found it at  Barns and Noble at a table marked "If you liked the Hunger Games"... so he ordered it from the library for me. So far... It's pretty darn good..) so I took the van to the meeting.(Our only car with a CD player)  I thought it would be a waste if I didn't get in that extra 40-60 minutes of "reading" in.  I slid the CD in the player and went happily on my way.

I got about a mile and a half from home- I was sitting at a light- all of a sudden my battery light popped on, the radio quit working and the car powered down completely.  I was like "What the what?!?" I tried turning the car on, there was nothing. It wouldn't even turn over. I tried putting on my flashers- but nothing came on.

I called Chip and realized that he couldn't come help me.... as he had the kids and a car without car seats. I was looking at the contacts on my phone and realized quickly how little the amount of phone numbers that I had put back in my phone since the stupid heads at Best Buy deleted them all.  I called my neighbor to see if she could watch the kids so Chip could come get me.... no luck. She wasn't home.  Then I realized a few months ago my friend Melissah said "Ya know, just in case, why don't you put Sven's cell phone number in your phone. You never know when you'll need it"... boy howdy, I'm so thankful that she listened to that prompting.  I mean, you have your friend's phone numbers, but do you usually have your friend's husband's number? Not really.  So I called him- he quickly came to our aid, including picking up Melissah and their sweet kiddos- dropping them off here to watch our kids, and picking up Chip and coming to my rescue. 

Long story short:  after being called an a-hole about 30-40 times in an hour for being broken down in the middle of the road- and being flipped off more than I can count-  only TWO people physically stopped to see what they could do- a mom with a minivan full of kids, and a guy who, I'll admit it- if I saw him at night in a dark alley, I'd run away from him screaming..... as he looked like a scary thug man..... and he actually helped Chip and Sven push the car up hill, even though he was running late for work himself.  It's always the people you wouldn't think would offer service that surprise you the most. 

But ya know.... the breakdown was a blessing in disguise.

Yes, breakdowns suck. It's always a scary thing when faced with car repairs- you don't know how much it'll end up costing you- and you realize how much you really depend on a working vehicle.... and a vehicle that all of your children can fit in to boot.  BUT the breakdown couldn't have been timed better.

1) I didn't have the kids with me.
2) It was just the alternator, battery, and a few fuses that needed replaced.
3) It didn't break down on my way to or from West Virginia when I dropped Alli off.....
4) It didn't break down on the PA turnpike... which we're going to be on on Thursday. (If you've never been on the turnpike- imagine a very expensive road that only has exits every 20-50+ miles and has gas stations/rest stops sparsely placed between those exits.  There just really isn't anywhere to fix a broken down car...)
5) The car broke down on a weekend where Chip wasn't working at his day job and had the time (I say that loosely, as Chip is a super busy and doesn't really have any "free-time" to spare) to fix the car.
6) We have another friend who's parents live just a mile or so from us that has every car tool known to man and her dad let Chip fix the car in their driveway and use all of  his tools and even he lent a hand.
7) It wasn't a scorching hot day, only a mild 70 with gentle breezes- so I didn't suffocate while sitting in a car that I couldn't roll down the windows in.

I called a few repair shops for estimates on getting the alternator fixed and they were quoting between $500-$600 (for alternator only).... which made me super thankful that I have such a wonderful husband that can just fix pretty much anything  that goes wrong around this place and he did it for a fraction of the cost, even using a coupon on the part- which brought it down to $200- including the new battery. phew! Gotta love a Mr. Fix-It man.

And now my first breakdown in the middle of the road experience has passed. Just another one of life's experiences under my belt.

The good news is I learned a few key phrases that I can now yell a people that I pass who are broken down on the road.  Knowledge is power. ;D

School's out for Summer!

Last Tuesday was Maggie's last day of Kindergarten. She was so excited! She has been begging for the last day of school for a month or so. I knew there would be a big graduation ceremony at school- and they sent home fliers asking children to be dressed in their best/nicest outfits. There were kids suited up to the hilt... but not Maggie.  She came out of her room with a pink snake skin print skirt, and a butterfly shirt that has rhinestones on it (it also has 100 bleach stains and is about 3 years old). I told her to go change her shirt and find a nice one... she was like "but mom! This is a NICE shirt! See... it has sparkles on it!" Who am I to argue with that logic?

 Seriously, this is the most amount of parents I have ever seen at the school.... EVER. I was shocked! The whole gym was filled.  Even though the school has been awful this year- I was pretty impressed with the graduation program..  It was a nice good-bye to this school.

 Wednesday was Alli's last day of 3rd grade. .... She is so excited to be going into 4th grade.

We had a fun experience on Tuesday at the school..... the 3rd and 4th graders were taken on a field trip without parental consent or notification!  I found out Monday night when Alli came home from school and informed us that she didn't need a lunch packed for her the next day. When I asked her why she told me about this secret field trip. I called up the school and talked to Alli's teacher. She said they didn't send notice to the parents because there was no cost involved with the field trip- so they didn't feel the need to clue in the parents. Also, they decided to use the emergency permission forms that we filled out at the beginning of the year (ya know... for emergency purposes- like if the school blows up and they need to take her to safety and can't get a hold of me... ) for the permission slip used for the field trip.

I was like... um.. what would happen if I had a family emergency and needed to run and get Alli from school and I went and she wasn't there.  Or... like.. .if I don't give my permission for teachers to take my children from school grounds... isn't that technically kidnapping?  Or like the fact that there were 6 teachers and over 100 students at an large, open, metro park where anyone and their dog can come in and there aren't enough chaperones for the student's safety.

I made lots and lots of phone calls. One of which was to the not so super super... in which I requested the girls be moved to another school next year. He gave me lots of crap and ended up hanging up on me after I told him that I wanted a school that was free of corruption and had equality.  It's been a week now, and I still haven't gotten a call letting me know where they will be assigned.

Anyway... We are happy that we will no longer be going to this school next year!....

Yay! Hopefully I'll never see any of the poo-pants people again and my kids can have a happy experience next year at school! Who knows.... maybe they will even have a non-corrupt PTO :D

Day in Numbers

Total number of miles driven: 452

How long Mapquest said it would take: 7 hours 58 minutes.

How long it actually took: 12 hours 30 minutes.

Time we woke up: 4:45am

How long children slept during the trip:  Maggie- 10 minutes, Miles and Dexter- 30 minutes

How many hours children were supposed to sleep during the trip: Alli and Maggie- at least 2 hours, Miles and Dexter- 5 hours

Number of crayons that melted causing two complete meltdowns by one redhead: 3- One black, One brown, One red. Stupid crayons got all over the back window, the roof, Maggie's pillow, the seat, and the console.
New rule: No crayons in car.

Minutes playing at the playground while waiting for the 2nd leg of the trip: 45

Number of children fighting over my awesome pink ipod: 4
.... which also happens to be the same number of children that rocked out to said awesome ipod.

Amount of money spent on lunch at rest area- which consisted of: 1 small lunchable, a fruit cup, 1 rootbeer, 1 Burger King 4piece nugget kids meal, 1 Burger king chicken sandwich meal: $30 (I hate stupid rest areas!!)

Number of apple juice boxes that completely emptied in my purse and wallet: 2 (yeah... sticky)

Number of complete and utter meltdowns where two toddlers were screaming so hard I thought they were going to puke: 2

Packages of gum that two toddlers bit to shreds during said meltdown that I had to buy at the gas station we stopped at: 5.

Numbers of flavors that I liked of those 5 packages of gum: 0. (mmm.... cotton candy bubble gum.... blech)

Number of people giving me the stink eye while two two year olds were throwing themselves on the floor turning purple from all the screaming at the gas station: 12. (I felt about 5 inches tall)



Number of times I stopped at the same McDonald's on the Ohio/West Virginia border: 3


Number of awesome wheelchair scooters parked outside of McD's: 3

(although by the time I took the picture two of the people rode their scooters next door to the K-mart.....  But I got a picture of them anyway..... lol. Who rides their wheelchair scooters around town  and PARKS them to go into the McD's?? It was awesome..... although I felt super sad that I didn't have a wheelchair scooter to ride around with them! ) 

Number of minutes spent tonight trying to get three overly tired kids to sleep tonight: 90

Number of super duper happy children who is now staying at her Oma and Opa's house for 2 weeks by herself with four puppy dogs to play with and one extra large pool: 1

The trip was totally worth it.