What A DAY!!!!

Started out rolling out of bed at 4:00 in the morning made some breakfast wraps to eat on the way packed  up the kiddos and off we went...

Not knowing what we are getting ourselves into we get to the parking lot where we are suppose to meet,  I look out and I'm thinking WHAT AM I DOING HERE.. there were all kind of guys warming up and you could tell this is not their first race...inside  I'm thinking  I'll just stay in the van a bit longer:):)

But by the time we got registered I was beginning to get a little more relaxed..

had a time of worship and then we were off!!!

we had 6 hours to complete as much of the course as possible.. you had a map and on the map were all the activities.. there were like 4 different running courses and like 7 different bike trails, we started out with biking and then we ran 3 got back on our bikes and rode to the lake and did the paddling.. we had to go to 6 different buoy's and under each one was a letter we had to come up with a word or you would not receive the points for that course...the whole thing was all about points...

 the weather was gorgeous and the scenery was incredible.. I really enjoyed the running part but the biking was little over the top for me:) lots of rocks and tight trails, we had so much fun and working together as a team topped it off...we figured we ran 11 and biked 25..

                                             getting ready to head out..

         we were allowed to team up with another group for the paddling..

                             Here the kiddos could watch us do the paddling and part of the run..

                      

           After each course we had to get punched so they knew we did that course..

A big thank-you to Elvin and Ruthie for getting out of bed that early and hanging with the kiddos for the day..also Janelle for opening up her home for a hot meal and shower afterward..
                                                It.was.a.good.day.

the joys in motherhood

Oh the joys of motherhood .....so.much.fun.

The little guys bring so much joy and laughter to our home, yes we have our challenging days they are crawling and joseph is pulling himself up and walking along furniture, pulling paper out of their mouth and saying no,no is an all day affair, finding it to be a challenge with having the older ones with lego's crayons, and such, to not have it lay around that the boys can get into them,

in a span of 15 min. I had Joshua a second away from dumping my bucket of water to joseph pulling the magazine basket down on top of him, to joseph chocking on a rubber band, and yes sadly Joshua fell off my kitchen counter landed on his head, talk about feeling like a bad momma, I was pretty shook up about it but was in contact with my brother who is an emt and he told me to wake him every hr. and so I watched him pretty close and he seems fine.. PTL..

Not only do my boys not look alike but their different personality's are total opposite!!
example...
Joshua is belly crawling and can get somewhere fast..
Joseph is crawling the right way but cant get there as fast as Joshua..
Joseph is pulling himself up and even walking along furniture..
Joshua makes no attempt to pull himself up..
Joseph loves to eat and will eat anything off of a spoon..
Joshua is the chubby one and yet does not like to eat off of a spoon..

Yes there are still times when I walk into the nursery and stand there a watch them sleep and marvel at these two little guys I can truly say I am loving every minute of all the ages of my children yes there are evenings that I just turn off the lights and go to bed with an absolute mess in my house, Laundry sometimes does not get folded for 2 days, there are crumbs on the floor and dishes in my sink but there is always another day:):)
another exciting thing is Ty and Brianna started piano lessons and they are loving it!!! I love listening to them learn and discover new things...and they have an amazing teacher.. I highly recommend Kendra Bigley if anyone is looking for a teacher.. it is all the way in Lancaster city and with taking them every week it can be overwhelming but everytime I go I am amazed how much they learn and she has a way to totally keep their attention..
                               Joseph and Joshua's baby dedication...

A little late for these..:) Tyler entering 2nd grade and Brianna 1rst..

They Love school and are having a very good year so far..it is so much fun having them so close in age and they are learning so many things together..

                   yes this sister does miss big sister a lot!!!

 

 

Yesterday on the way home from dropping the kiddos off at school I pulled out from my parents stand behind a shed truck and headed west on 741.. suddenly we came to a stop and I pulled out to see what happen and I seen that something was across the road and thought it was a truck flipped on its side so I park and tell Olivia to take care of the boys and I will be right back..as I was running toward the accident and I heard people screaming and it hit me its a school bus!! and I hear kids crying and screaming.. seeing the bus was leaking oil my first instincts were we got to get the kids off the bus someone pulled the little emergency door open on top of the bus and help some adults off.. I remember looking in the bus and seeing two little boys hanging from their seat belts and the guy looks at me and asked do we get them out?? part of me knew we should never remove a patient because of neck injury's ect.. but seeing how scared and knowing it could hurt them more to keep hanging their someone yelled he has a knife so we cut their seatbelts and carried them out, the driver was screaming and going crazy trying to calm her and the other ladies down and then got three of the boys and sat down and held them.. I yelled for some blankets because we were all shaking and cold my aunt that lives close by ran and got some..Dad showed up and I told him to go to the van to be with Olivia and the boys... the boys  that I was with all seemed  fine and I kept talking to them and asking them if anything hurts they all told me their names and I explained what was about to happen because I knew in A matter of minutes there is going to be lots of sirens and action, they all were very brave!!! When the ambulance crew came and started talking to them and explained that they will have to go with them they all started to cry and were clinging to me and trying to hide under the blanket and yep I cried right with them..I knew they were fine and knew in a matter of minutes they would be with their parents.. as soon as they took the boys I left the scene and went home, yes I Hold my children a little tighter and I realize once again IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!! slow down, don't use your phone when driving, make sure my children are always strapped in properly!! you might not be the cause of the accident but things can happen and I do not want to be the one breaking the law...

 

This weekend we head out to chambersburg to do the MTEC team challenge..have been training since june so part of me is ready to not be so busy with trying to get our runs and biking in and yet its a good way to get out there and exercise  Allen sam and I are on a team.. Its a running biking and paddling across a lake ..have no idea what we got ourselves into:/ !!!! got our email of whats all to expect and it says.." paddling strength and endurance training is strongly encouraged for the course"!!!!!!!!!! yikes!!! :)  

Its A beautiful fall day so I am going to head out for a run and then its supper, bible memory, and piano with the kiddos, never a dull moment..

Have a blessed week..

 

 

 

Summertime fun..

Again I have a new appreciation for health.. I woke up Monday morning in a sweat and just didn't quite feel right but had a busy day planned and went ahead with it until around 4:00 I crashed crawled in bed and stayed there till Tuesday eve. never did I have a sore throat and ear ache like I did and really had no desire to eat or drink... was gurgling with vinegar and taking some natural stuff thinking it was maybe stret throat but when it kept getting worst and I was not swallowing at all..(literally spitting in a cup) we decided to get a diagnoses.. ended up to be tonsillitis.. he said they were so swollen it blocked my ear canal and that caused pressure in my ear..so today I am still breaking out in sweats and fever is up and down..  so once again my hubby just steps in and bears the load, never complains but I know its not always easy, my niece came both days to hang out with the boys, and the children have been getting a kick out of catering to momma, little miss Brianna is an amazing nurse,:)



We are truly enjoying our summer!!! And its going to fast, with the cooler temp. it feels like I should be house cleaning or school shopping but really I do not want to hear the word SCHOOL yet... not sure what it is this year but I am having a hard time thinking of school schedule coming up.. I know for sure  I am going to miss my helpers!! and I truly mean that, they do so much with the boys and all their chores.. I know another thing is the driving back and forth everyday.. But we are thankful for the opportunity to have good schools and all the hard work and effort the teachers put in to it..

someone Ask us recently how the twins changed our lives in a positive way.. at the time I could of course have a few that came to mind but the more I thought about it I was blessed how looking back how many GOOD changes they brought...

1. Hubby and I always worked as a team in the whole parenting thing but having twins made that even more a fact.. when we are getting ready or when we are away he has my back and is constantly on the watch to see if I need help...
2. we stay at home!!!! and we love it, campfire and kickball with the kiddos is way more inviting then going away,..
3. my dependency on the lord.. on my own strength I cannot meet the needs of my 5 little ones.. 
4. with being home a lot more I still felt like I need to get out and somehow exercise so with hubbys support and him actually joining me we started runnin... yes I know when do I find time to run, we take one day at a time, most times we go right after sam gets home from work and just to get out and talk about our day and be together alone for those 30 min. actually gives us energy to face the rest of the day:)

The Boys are 6 month already!!! they are a total blast.. sitting on their own and getting around in their walkers, they did super on our vacations!!! love them to pieces...

some pictures about our summer....


                   we got to enjoy a lovely condo oceanfront for free... thanks to someone that sam did a job for, this is actually the third year we used it..although camping is our first pick for vacation its good to be able to spend a few days on the beach..

LOVE MY GIRLS!!!!!!!

                                                 the boys did great..

                                                Noahs ark..

                                               we stayed on the 13th floor..

                                         early morning biking..

 

This lovely lady spent the week with us..

Also our family tradition that we started 6 years ago.. Raystown lake.. now some  of my family joins us and we love it..Jr and lin bring a camper and the rest of the people tent..so.much.fun.
the kiddos had so much fun...this year we had the best site we ever had waterfront with lots of yard.. I really didn't need to go anywhere the kids could swim,fish and bike all where I could watch them without leaving the campsite..   the big tube that was the week hit..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                        we did  lots of biking and running..

 

 

 

 

 

                               

 

something I have been challenge with lately...

we do not have to be an appointed pastor, street Evangelist, youth pastor, bible study leader,

to preach the gospel but to "go tell the world about me' those around us ALL the time everywhere we go we should be spreading the good news.. do I?? or am I so wrapped up in my world ,my work, my STUFF, 

 

have a blessed week...