a quote from Caroline...

Tonight before going to bed, Caroline comes into the living room with her Bible and says "I have got to write some verses down--with all of this madness going on!!" Is she referring to March Madness? We aren't sure-- will have to find out!!

It'll Take a Week to Clean Up!

You got it...MONSTER TRUCKS! I've always joked about Monster Trucks, mostly because I LOVE the crazy commercials...can't you just hear, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...come see the metal-eating, methane-burner, car-crushing MONSTER TRUCKS! IT'LL TAKE A WEEK TO CLEAN UP! It was truly one of my favorite phrases marching drum corps, mostly because when the monster trucks were in town, the show was directly across the street from our practice field. The trucks were SO LOUD, we had to stop rehearsing. It was an early evening visit to the milkshake shop on the way to the dorms...Yes! Monster Trucks!

Well, the Monster Jam show comes to Memphis every year, and every year we always chuckle when we see the commercials - this year included. We've always thought to ourselves, we should go at least once, but never wanted to spend the money. Rewind to Friday, 2/12...I get a call from my pastor and buddy Rayden, exclaiming that our mutual friend & church musician Shawn (who is a Ticketmaster guru) has the Ticketmaster box at FedEx Forum, and there's room for us all. They throw in parking, and we can bring a backpack of snacks...WHAT? I never thought Karen would go for it, but Mrs. Spontaneity jumps on it, and we quickly load up the van and head to Monster Trucks...WOW!

They also had Freestyle bikes (motor & BMX), which were awesome, and yes, Grave Digger won again...I think he has to, ala pro-wrestling style. Still, we had an awesome time hanging out with The Hollis clan, along with Shawn. We all brought our heavy-duty earplugs...WOW, they were LOUD!

Love!

I woke up this morning with a song in my head! I must say that happens a lot--my husband is a musician! I never know what song will wake us up in the morning. But I was thinking of how loved I am and David Crowder's song HOW HE LOVES! has been in my mind and heart all day. I love that song. It is a beautiful song that-for me-describes how passionately God loves me. I am so thankful for that love. I am also thankful that I have a husband that models that love for me daily. He is selfless and I have no doubt that he is the perfect man for me. He loves me unconditionally and I am forever grateful that God has allowed us to share this journey together! I love you, LOVEY!!

Here are the words to HOW HE LOVES! I hope you will allow them to speak to your heart!

He is jealous for me

Loves like a hurricane

I am a tree

Bending beneath
                                          
The weight of his wind and mercy

When all of a sudden

I am unaware of these
                                
Afflictions eclipsed by glory

And I realize how beautiful you are
             
And how great your afflictions for me


Oh how he loves us so
                   
Oh how he loves us
                          
How he loves us so


We are his portion
And he is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in his eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart burns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way
He loves us

Oh how he loves us so
Oh how he loves us
How he loves us so

Super Bowl!!

We were so excited to have the Colts in the Super Bowl! Nicholas is a huge Colts fan and if the Steelers couldn't be there it might as well be the Colts. We had our good friends the Hollis family, along with Lindsey and another friend Matt over for yummy Super Bowl foods! I actually had the night off-a rare event!! We had a great time watching the game and I think we all ate too much food. It was a fun and happy time--well, until everyone left. That is when Nicholas lost it--it hurts when your team doesn't win!!



Here's Rayden, fixing his plate...Yummo!












Caroline, Lindsey, and Sarah catch a quick game of LIFE: the Pirates of the Caribbean edition...arggh!







Nick is sporting the "colors"...and still lamenting quietly about the defending champion (his Steelers), not defending their title! (they didn't even make the playoffs...)




The kids did their best "dogpile" on Lindsey...




















Here are Nathan, Nicholas, and Kaleb (Nicholas isn't crying yet...he just accidentally closed his eyes right before the picture!)






...and Aubri Jane with her straw!

Snow Day #2!!

We have had more snow this year than the first 9 years combined! The schools have closed for 3 snow days. We have had a lot of fun and any excuse to stay at home is our pj's is always welcome! Here are a few pictures from about a week ago when they weren't even predicting snow for Memphis! We woke up to about 4 inches! Nick and the kids made a snow family while I worked on call. Didn't they do a great job! (as I type this post we are currently under a winter snow advisory!!)

A Little Cabin Fever

Truly, in this winter storm (see previous post, Snow Day 2010), we didn't leave the house from Thursday evening until Sunday morning. We all had a tiny bit of cabin fever, though certainly enjoyed the extra rest and staying in our pajamas all day long (for Nicholas, for several days...)

Caroline chose to make the most of her time, and donned her Home Depot apron and informed us she was opening a restaurant/spa in our home. We were required to attend a tea-party, and drank tea soup. She then gave hair-dos, foot massages, and back rubs to any and all who wanted them.


Nicholas felt like he should be able to play the Wii every moment he was awake, and when he learned otherwise, he was...well...bored. He reminded us of that fact often...and repeatedly...
he later decided that reading his Harry Potter would ease the pain...












I passed the time in many ways, like keeping the fire going...













and painting Karen's toes...













The kids passed the time watching TV (here with Lexie).












The "fever" even got to Halbo...he allowed Otis to share the same floor for a short time!

Snow Day 2010

We had a minor snow day last week or so; got out of school on a Friday, but the snow was so fine and dry, it wouldn't even clump together to form a snowball. What fun is that?

This past Friday, we got a fairly good winter storm here, but it was more ice than snow. It started out as sleet, and then we got a few inches of snow on top...super slippery! This stuff did clump together well, and the kids & I promptly resumed our annual on-going snowball fight (if only we lived somewhere really "snowy")...Caroline & I did our best, but Nicholas is getting too good with that snowball cannon of a right arm. He sought refuge behind the Corolla, so I just started lofting them his direction - couldn't even see him. Of course that's precisely when I drill him right in the nose with a snowball...poor guy! I swear I couldn't see him...

After the few inches of snow, we got another inch or so of ice (from sleet) again, which made the roads just awful. Karen got to take some emergency call because the office was closing early, and it even canceled a day early for Saturday (which hasn't happened in our 9 years here). Since we could no longer partake of the snowballs, we decided to turn a rubber-maid lid into a make-shift sled, and hurl ourselves down our driveway and into the street. In a word, GLEE!