A Holiday Recap

Well, our holidays are quickly coming to an end! I must say that they have probably been the most uneventful holidays that we have had!!! We decided to not go anywhere during these holidays. We have travelled so much in the past year that we thought it was time for a break. It is so nice to actually have a place to call home of our own that we can just relax at.

We have visited a local playground a few times. We have gone to Noah's school to play on the playground. We have visited a local pool twice and have only had to leave when the locals became overwhelming for the kids. We have enjoyed taking the boys for bike rides in our neighborhood (when Noah's bike finally got fixed...and just this morning the training wheel on Dave's bike broke)! We drove 2 hours one morning to a beach that is south of here. That was really cool. It was a big day, but it was still nice to catch a glimpse of the ocean and stand on nice sand!

For Shane...this has been a great holiday of reading Phantom Comics (thanks Carlie) and listening to a few other books. He has enjoyed taking the boys out regularly for motorbike rides and getting out our Dangerous Book for Boys and doing some fun stuff with them. They have built airplanes, hats, boats, etc...examined the moon...and played some investigation games. Shane has also enjoyed seeing some American football on an internet sight that he found. The feed is sometimes slow, but Shane has enjoyed it nevertheless.

For Noah...this has been a holiday of Lego building. In 2 days, he managed to build all of the lego that he got for Christmas (including a Mac Truck (from Cars) and a space shuttle). He needed almost no help, and was quite happy to look at the direction book himself and do it all on his own. This has been a huge holiday of reading for him. He read all 3 of his school textbooks, and we have finished reading 2 story books (the boys listen and I read)! He has loved playing with his leapfrog that Grandma & Pe-pa got him. We have gone through a few sets of batteries already! Noah has enjoyed his piano lessons too and will practice on his own without me even reminding him.

For Dave...this has been a holiday of Thomas. Trains...Trains...Trains. Dave is defiantly my most creative child and loves to just play. He likes his piano too, and other than the fact that his hands are very small for those big keys-he will also practice on his own. He has done very well listening to me read to him. He is full of questions, and today we had a deep conversation about Heaven and Hell...whose is going and who isnt!!!! Dave loves his bike, and he begs to go out everyday in the neighborhood for a ride. Such a contrast from the boy who didnt want to leave the house for fear of the locals touching him! Maybe he thinks that he can ride away from them now!

For Maggie...this has been a holiday of babies and kitchens and following her brothers around. It has been a holiday of teeth! Finally, she is starting to get teeth in. Be careful though or she will bite!!!! She hates to be left out of the things the boys are doing. It drives them crazy, but they are learning to put up with her and her constantly destroying their room or their toys or anything else in her path. She is so easy going and is happy just hanging out in the background. She is quite well known at our local market now, and I can understand why she likes going there. She loves the attention and the free food that they give her to eat!

For Me....this has been a holiday of resting. A holiday of cooking...sewing....crafting...and just enjoying the kids. I have mostly enjoyed reading to them, and seeing them actually learn to sit and listen while I read chapter books to them. I have enjoyed the chats we have had. My boys are problem solves and they are trying to work out so many things in our life. I've enjoy reading....a lot! I am currently finishing one of the original Sherlock Holmes books, and a book by Beth Moore on Insecurity. I have learned to much about myself from that book (the Beth Moore one) and about some struggles that Dave has had as well. I have finished a James MacDonald book about being gripped by God, and I now have started a fresh new year of reading through the Bible by listening to dailyaudiobible.com. I have also really had a time of thinking about how we can focus on prayer this next year....and how much it is needed.

All in all....while there have been lonely times....there have been many joyful and restful times for us all. If we are alone next Christmas, we are thinking we will try to go away somewhere to minimize the loneliness. Noah, Shane, and I all start back to school on Tuesday. We all feel rested and refreshed and ready to jump back in. A part of me wants to stay on holidays forever....dont we all? We must be diligent with the time we have been given-we are only here for a season.

Well...I've been on here enough. I'm going to go and enjoy the kids...and maybe Shane too!