Overdue Update

I know I've been terrible about updating the blog lately. Somehow the days seem to fly by and I can't find the time to bore you with my stories. To sum up this past week... my sister, Michelle left for Wales to attend the Bible College of Wales for the year. I miss her already but am so excited she is stepping out in faith and pursuing spiritual growth.

For our 8th anniversary, Tom took me to see Rascal Flatts (and Taylor Swift) in concert. We had a great time - what a show!! Tom took some good pictures I'll try to post soon. Mom and Dad Gheen came up from Ohio to watch the boys. Mom and Dad Reusser took care of Claire at their house. It was my first time leaving Claire, which was hard, but I knew she was in good hands. Thanks to both grandparents for the kid-free night away.

The boys have been funny lately. Let me give you a little background: My brother-in-law, Anthony, is a tall guy. I'm not sure exactly how tall but I think it's safe to say he's closer to 7' than he is to 6'. Now I'm sure Anthony gets tired of people commenting on his size but if he's tall to you and me imagine how tall he is to a 3 year old?!

One day, at lunch, I asked Drew & Reese to help me come up with Christmas gift ideas for their cousins. Instead, this prompted a discussion on what they want for Christmas. Tom & I are thinking of getting them a Wii so I just said, "you guys are probably going to get a few little things and one big thing for Christmas." Reese was so excited! "We're going to get Uncle Anthony for Christmas?!!"

On Thursday I was taking Reese to school. He's sitting quietly in the backseat when he asks me, "Mom, when am I going to see Aunt Michelle in sarks?" What?!?! Racking my brain trying to figure out what he's saying I ask him to repeat that. "Mom, I want to see Aunt Michelle in sarks!" I'm still puzzled... "You want to see Aunt Michelle in sharks?" "Uh Huh," he nods. The light goes on and I finally get what he's saying! Sarks... sharks... whales... "Oh, you want to see Aunt Michelle in Wales!" Reese can't figure out why I'm laughing. "Yes, I miss her," he says very seriously. He melts my heart.

Thankfully, Drew has recovered from pneumonia and some sort of infection he was dealing with last week. His energy level is back and he is just as sweet as ever. He loves to give me a hug and kiss before school everyday and is so proud to show me his "fish" when he gets home (he gets a fish for good behavior at school - 5 fishes equals a trip to the "treasure chest" to pick out a toy).

For the two of you who read this blog, thanks for tuning in and letting me share a little of what our daily life is like. Reflecting back on the fun stuff is therapeutic for me since often I'm simply exhausted from the not-so-fun parts of parenting. It's good to be reminded that parenting is a blessing and, most definitely, an opportunity for growth.