Stange Family

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-06-18T09:20:00.003-04:00

3 month old Daniel

Our kindergarten graduate

The tossing of the hats :)
(Daniel is on the far left)

Julia, the Professional Flower Girl

2010-06-01T08:30:00.001-04:00

Julia was in a wedding on Saturday for dear friends. This was her 4th flower girl "gig." She was so excited for this one since both the Bride and Groom are people she adores. For days before she was dancing, skipping, and hopping around the house singing about the Bride and Groom and about how much longer before the wedding. She couldn't wait to wear her wedding dress and wedding shoes and drop (not throw) the flower petals (throwing is MUCH different than dropping).
The wedding did not disappoint...she was beautiful and did a great job, and had a fantastic time. I think this will be something she always remembers.

Featured Art Work

2010-04-14T17:43:00.004-04:00

Julia picked an array of wild flowers and
showed them to me in a jumbled pile in her cute little hands.

Hannah then showed me the bouquet of wild flowers she had picked and
then tied with a piece of grass. It was a very pretty arrangement:

Julia then informed me that hers were in a pile because she was making a flower nest for the bird she was going to draw. She then asked me to turn on the basement light so that she could go downstairs and make her bird.
I found her later asleep on the family room floor, but when I went into the kitchen
I found her bird sitting in its nest.
I thought it was so cute that I had to take its picture:

Enjoying Spring

2010-04-02T10:28:00.004-04:00

We have been really enjoying spring lately. The warmth of the sun is a welcome
change from the gray of winter.
As I sat outside watching the kids play, I was amused by the different ways they chose
to enjoy the warm air...

the girls chose to sit together and draw...

the boys are alternately riding their bikes
and hacking at sticks that fell from the tree across the street...

Ah, spring...

Jay's Scooby Party

2010-03-22T12:34:00.003-04:00

Today is Jay's 8th birthday. We had a friend party for him last Friday. The theme was A Scooby Doo mystery. When the kids arrived, they were sent on a mystery hunt which included games and finding clues in order to solve the mystery of who stole the cake. They had a blast.I had fun dressing our four to look like Scooby characters.

(I figured they could use the costumes again for Halloween.)

Here is Jay taking a picture of me taking a picture of him with his birthday present...a camera!

Happy 90th Nana!

2010-03-19T09:59:00.004-04:00

John's grandmother, affectionately known as Nana, turned 90 at the beginning of this month. So, we had a big blow-out party for her (haha).
Here she is blowing out the candles on her cake and with her 8 GREAT-grandchildren!

Philadelphia Art Museum

2010-03-08T09:53:00.007-05:00

The kids had a random Wednesday off from school (teacher in-service), so we went to the Philadelphia Art Museum. We had a wonderful time!

Hannah loves VanGogh. Her favorite is Starry Night, but her second favorite is Sunflowers. She was so amazed to see this painting (it is one of 7). She stood looking at it for quite some time. Unfortunately for her, her siblings were getting antsy by that time which didn't allow her to sit and stare for as long as she would have liked.

By far, the kids' favorite area was the Coat of Arms Hall where they had
all kinds of different armor on display.

They are being statues :)

A Crazy Amount of Snow

2010-02-28T18:05:00.000-05:00

February was record breaking in our area for amount of snow.
It got to the point where you just had to laugh...
I'm posting this because I know in a few months, when it's sweltering,
it will be fun to look at the house buried in snow.

Historic Philadelphia

2010-02-07T16:08:00.010-05:00

A few weeks ago, my parents came for a visit. We decided to go down to Philadelphia for one of the days. We took a carriage ride around the city to start off our day.

The Liberty Bell. It has a long gallery of historic pieces and information prior to the Bell. As we strolled toward the Bell, Daniel kept asking me is that the Bell (referring to various artifacts throughout the hall). I kept responding, "No, Daniel, the Liberty Bell is big. You'll know it when you see it." When we finally got the the real thing, Daniel said, "That's not that big!" I think he missed the historical significance...

Inside Independence Hall. The chair all the way against the wall on the left side of the picture is the original chair used during the Revolutionary days.

Betsy Ross' house and the site where she made the first US flag.

In Elfreth's Alley which is the oldest residential neighborhood in America.

(I think this picture looks like a band's picture or an album cover.)

We went to the US Mint. I thought the kids, boys especially, would LOVE seeing money made, but unfortunately, nothing was in operation when we were there.

Posing on the lawn across from Independence Hall (you can see it in the distance behind them).

We had such a wonderful day. I enjoyed it immensely, and the kids still talk about it regularly.

Daniel's Birthday

2010-01-10T21:11:00.004-05:00

January 10th was Daniel's 6th birthday.

Being that he LOVES all things sports, we had a football-themed lunch.

Daniel's birthday guests (several boys from his kindergarten class
and several friends from church)

Birthday cookies for my child who does not like cake.

Some of Daniel's cards and the football craft we made.

Snow...And Lots of It!

2009-12-28T12:24:00.006-05:00

The Philadelphia area does not tend to get much snow. Some winters we don't get anything at all. Last week, much to our children's delight, we got over a foot. Some places near us got up to 2 feet! All the kids wanted to do was play in it. So, every day until it melted they spent an hour or so enjoying it. I, on the other hand, watched from the kitchen window! Growing up in Western New York and then living in the Pocono Mountains, I think I've seen a lifetime of snow already! haha

Our friend Josh helped the kids build a snow fort.
A few days later, they were able to dig a hole in the bottom
which they then lightly covered declaring
that it was their fort's secret emergency exit.
I kept seeing Daniel rolling around in the snow!

Here's Jay taking a flying leap into the snow in our backyard.
Needless to say, he was a little bit excited!

After the storm was over, the entire area was blanketed by a beautiful snow. I thought our house looked pretty surrounded by the snow and the blue sky.

Julia's Birthday Part 3 of 3

2009-12-15T21:09:00.006-05:00

Today Julia had a Prince/Princess Birthday Lunch. She invited her 3 and 4 year old friends to a Prince/Princess Lunch. They were to come dressed up and have lunch with her in celebration of her birthday. Pictured: Sir Ben, the Knight, Grumpy Dwarf (aka Daniel), Princess Laura, Princess Darby,
Sir Zeke, the Knight, Snow White (aka Julia), and Cinderella (aka Ella Kate).

For lunch we had:

Ariel's Mac & Cheese Shells

Sleeping Beauty's PB&J Spinning Wheels

Cinderella's Magic Wands (Pretzels Sticks with Mini Marshmallows on top)
Snow White's Non-poisonous Apples
Belle's Royal Punch
Tinkerbelle's Mini-cupcakes with Fairy Dust

Then we did a finger puppet theater craft...Princess-themed of course!

They had such fun!

Julia's Birthday Parts 1 & 2 of 3

2009-12-15T16:23:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was Julia's birthday. She's now four. She had quite line-up of
birthday celebrations.

First, on Saturday, we went to a friends' house to celebrate both Julia and Ella's birthdays. Ella is 364 days younger than Julia. After lunch, we went to Chuck E. Cheese. So, that was part one.

Part 2 was yesterday. We went to Chick-fil-a at her request and then came back
and she opened her presents.

She got an "American Girl" (or maybe it's a good replica of) named Amanda.
Now she can play with Hannah and her Samantha. :)

Here she is with the presents from her Nanie and PopPop. They left them here
for her when they were here for Thanksgiving.

Her Daddy burned her a cd with all her favorite songs on it.

She was so excited that she had her very own cd!

The Way a Kid Brain Thinks

2009-12-10T09:10:00.003-05:00

Check out the question I was asked yesterday after Daniel (almost 6) and Julia (will be 4 next week) had this conversation:

Julia: "Daniel, I saw birds flying the shape of an "S"!"

Daniel: "Cool! Mom, what does it mean when birds fly in an "S"?"

Me: "What?"

Daniel: "I know what it means when they fly in a "V", and when they fly in an "O" that means something is dead, so what does it mean when they fly in an "S"?"

I love moments when you get to see how a Kid's brain is working.

Is This Normal?

2009-12-02T23:06:00.003-05:00

After arriving home following Bible study tonight, I sent the kids upstairs to get ready for bed. "Please do it efficiently," I said, "I'm tired and would like you to get to bed quickly." Some shuffling and other kid noises followed as they began to get ready for bed.
A few moments later, the boys came charging downstairs with the following news...Jay: "Mom, I punched out Daniel's tooth!" Daniel: "He did! See?" They were both thrilled.
Now, Daniel's tooth had been loose, but really, was the punching necessary? I don't know I just had a sister growing up...

The reenactment...Jay showing the punch and Daniel showing his newly lost tooth.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T20:55:00.010-05:00

I love Thanksgiving. It is by far my favorite holiday of the year.

Here are a few highlights of the tradition...

This is at my Uncle Kevin and Aunt Patrice's house. We meet here each year for dessert, football watching and Christmas carol singing. The two favorite songs are "Silver Bells" and "12 Days of Christmas." Aunt Patrice always directs the mayhem.
Oh, and I think I counted 44 people. There are 3 sets of original couples (my Mom and two of her brothers); myself and 8 cousins (and some spouses);
and 21 second cousins (I think that's what they're considered).

This is my "Uncle" Joe (long time friends of the family). He has always entertained the kids (used to be my sister and I, now it's our kids) with his expansive train sets. I love watching the kids' faces and seeing it bring joy to Uncle Joe.

The cousins have such fun together. Our kids are the "big" cousins
and they take their role very seriously. :)

Daniel and my Dad

Julia and my Aunt Linda

Hannah and my Mom

And so the countdown begins for next year...

A Few Fall Crafts

2009-11-10T09:47:00.007-05:00

There is a book called, Leaf Man, where the author/artist creates pictures of different things using various types of leaves. It is so creative and interesting to look at, that we decided to collect leaves and make Leaf Turkeys. It was fun to look at leaves and try and figure out
what part of the turkey they could be. The kids had a blast walking around our
neighborhood and picking up leaves.
The first picture is Hannah's. She made several different turkeys, some of which are facing to the side. I was impressed with her creativity.
The second picture is Julia's. With a little assistance, she did a great job!

( I tried ironing them between wax paper but was quite disappointed in how they turned out...apparently wax paper isn't as waxy as it once was. The leaves move around inside if they aren't carried just right.)

Daniel had to "dress" Curious George for a costume party as a Kindergarten project.
Daniel LOVES Donovan McNabb (from the Philadelphia Eagles),
so he had fun dressing George like him.

This was a school project as well. Jay had to decorate the turkey so that the turkey could "hide" at Thanksgiving time. We chose to make the turkey look like a cow.

Halloween

2009-11-05T17:43:00.003-05:00

So, this year is brought to you by a Chef, a Kitty, the Thing (from Fantastic4), and a Ninja.

This was our first year trick or treating in our neighborhood...it's a jackpot! We actually quit when the kids were having a hard time managing their buckets! What fun!

Cousins

2009-10-29T15:01:00.007-04:00

All eight: (starting at 12 o'oclock): Jay (7.5), Rebekah (4.5), Hannah (9), Erika (7 mos.), Julia (almost 4), Ryan (nearing 3), Daniel (nearing 6), Joey (4.5).

Erika (7 months), Julia (almost 4), Bekah (4.5), and Ryan (will be 3 in January)
We have to dress Rebekah and Julia differently and do their hair differently or else we spend the whole day mixing the two of them up. They are roughly the same size, have similar hair, and their voices sound similar.

So, the kids have gotten whatever it is that has been going around and have been pretty sick for the past 2 weeks or so which hasn't exactly lent itself to many picture perfect moments.
However, last week my sister and her kids (so, 8 kids 9 and under in one house) came for a visit. Thought you'd enjoy a few cute shots of the cousins all together.

Super Cute Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

2009-09-18T09:18:00.000-04:00

Daniel and Julia were in another wedding this past Saturday (I think we should "hire" them out, they seem to be popular). This time it was for a cousin's wedding. Now, I am the first to admit that they are super cute, so I don't blame people for wanting them to be in their wedding.

Last time Daniel was the ring bearer (last December), he was quite upset when he discovered that he had to carry a pillow with NO rings on it. When the bride of this wedding asked him if he would be the ring bearer in their wedding, he asked if he would get to actually carry the rings. I explained, and she laughed and told him "absolutely." So, Daniel agreed to the job.

On our way to the wedding, Daniel was fussing about having to be so dressed up, to which John said, "that's my boy. Boys don't like being so dressed up, we only do it because the girls like it." But, oh, did he look handsome.

Julia, of course, loved every minute of it.

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I had to rely on pictures from a few other people. I'm sure the photographer from the wedding got a lot of really cute shots. They looked completely adorable together.

Julia LOVED the flowers she got to have. She had two in her hair and a ball of them to carry down the aisle. Here she is at Krispy Kreme donut shop enjoying a donut and chocolate milk (I know, a risk while wearing all white) while we waited for it to be time for the reception.
Here Daniel is showing all of his stains on his shirt...grass stains, dirt, coffee...he's ready for his debut with Tide!

Let the Games Begin

2009-09-15T13:48:00.003-04:00

This is how we all dressed on Sunday to commemorate the beginning of the new football season and to show our support for the Philadelphia Eagles. I was the only one who didn't have anything with the Eagles logo (so, I picked something that was the correct color), but I fixed that yesterday when I found a McNabb jersey for $13. Jay was a little disappointed that he didn't have a jersey, so I found one on the $13 rack for him, too. So, next week, we'll all be sporting our Eagles wardrobe.

Daniel Looks Like My Dad

2009-09-05T08:48:00.001-04:00

We noticed when Daniel was quite little that he resembled my Dad (which by the way, they both have the same middle name). I think the similarities have increased as Daniel has gotten older.

Here is a picture of my Dad at age eight (I think):

First Day, Part 2

2009-09-03T09:31:00.001-04:00

Daniel's first day of Kindergarten was Wednesday. He was so excited that he was up way too early, dressed, ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth with his backpack on, and practically ran all the way to the bus stop.

He had a great first day. According to him, his teacher is really nice,

and the bus goes REALLY fast.
After lunch, he and Julia sat down to watch Pinocchio and he was out in minutes. I woke him up when it was time to walk to the bus stop to get Hannah and Jay, and he was mad that he hadn't gotten to watch Pinocchio, denying that he fell asleep :)

He is eager and excited to go again tomorrow...I'm so glad.

The First Day

2009-09-01T21:08:00.006-04:00

Well, I...uh, I mean, they, made it through the first day of a new school year in a new school. Here are Jay and Hannah standing in front of our house right before we walked to the bus stop. Thankfully, they were excited.

Here's the crew waiting for the bus to come.

The girl in the center is our neighbor and good friend, Danielle.

Hannah and Danielle were disappointed that they weren't in the same class at school.

I thought this picture was cute...Daniel and Julia sitting on the curb

waiting for Hannah and Jay's bus to arrive.Hannah and Jay both had glowing reports of their day, their teacher, their new friends...

I thought it was cute, though, when I checked Jay's bag to see if there was anything in it that I needed to see/fill out, I discovered all the supplies I had sent him with. When I asked him about it, he replied, "When Mrs. Jewett said to pack everything up and get ready to go home, I put it all back in my backpack." Apparently, he didn't realize that all that stuff just stayed at school :)

Tomorrow, Daniel goes to school, too. He's in half-day kindergarten, so he'll only be gone from 8:50-11:50. When I turned out the light in his room tonight, I heard his cute voice say softly, "Don't worry, Mom. It won't be too long before I'm back." Oh, I thought I was going to lose it. I laid down next to him and hugged him, and he added, "I'm going to miss you." Tomorrow might prove to be harder than today...

Hannah's Sunflower

2009-08-30T08:44:00.000-04:00

Hannah planted this sunflower from a seed back in the spring. Oh, how it has grown! We have enjoyed watching it's progress (once we figured out that that particular sprout was a sunflower, since they weren't labeled). Now it is huge...

I'm not sure why it is drooping...anybody have any suggestions? Also, we'd love to be able to make sunflower seeds to eat...any suggestions for that?

A Trip to Western New York

2009-08-25T13:12:00.007-04:00

I grew up in Western New York, but since getting married/having kids/being involved in multiple ministries, I haven't gotten back there much. Last week we made the trek up there, and had such a good time. Here are some highlights of the trip...

Mandie and Tim came one day and we took all 8 cousins (well, Erika didn't ride much...haha), to Midway Park. It is a small amusement park that has all kids' rides. The 7 kids rode and rode...they had a blast!

I was so proud of Hannah. She is not the athletic one (sorry, honey, you get it from me), but she took on and conquered all three levels of difficulty on this rockwall. She was determined to get to the top of the most difficult level, and before we left for the day, she did it!

Hannah with her toes in Lake Erie

John teaching the kids how to skip rocks on Lake Erie.

The kids, amazed, in front of Niagara Falls.

My Dad and Julia relaxing on a piece of driftwood on the beach of Lake Erie (notice Julia's toes in the sand!).

Mercer Museum

2009-08-09T21:58:00.008-04:00

We live in a highly historic area. I enjoy taking the kids to see historical things, but with 4 kids, the admission price adds up pretty quickly. SO, I'm learning how to find free events or times. Last Friday we went to the Mercer Museum which is a castle filled (literally) with tools and simple machines that people in early America used to function in every day life prior to the industrial age.

I'm pretty sure that John and I enjoyed/got more out of it than the kids did, but at least it was a fun evening as a family...

Happy 9th Birthday, Hannah

2009-07-31T00:01:00.002-04:00

Hannah turns 9 today. NINE. I can hardly believe it. I tried to tell her she couldn't, but she defied me and did it anyway...

We have parties for the kids on certain years. Nine isn't one of them, but we decided to invite her two new friends (since we've moved), Danielle and Isabella over for what Hannah deemed a "luncheon."

Isabella, Hannah, Danielle, and Julia

The theme of the party was VanGogh's Sunflowers painting, and after the girls ate, they all painted with watercolors. According to Hannah, it was "very fun, and I got to hang out with my friends which was awesome."

This is a picture of Hannah and I from Fall 2001. She was a little over 1 here. This has always been one of my favorite pictures of her and I.

Hannah is a wonderful girl: helpful and sweet and responsible. God has given her a servant's heart, and I wonder what He plans to do with it.

(So, now, sentimental, as Moms get, I'm going to go upstairs

and hang out with my not-so-little-any-more Hannah.)

Bowling

2009-07-24T17:00:00.007-04:00

I had coupons that allowed the kids to bowl for free (I just had to pay for shoe rental, which by the way has gotten much more expensive compared to when we were kids). The oldest two have been bowling, but so long ago that I don't think they remember it. The younger two had never gone. I made it a surprise, and when they got there they were so excited.

It was funny to me how even in bowling their personalities really showed...

Hannah tried hard, but it didn't come easily. She kept with it and kept a good attitude (except for getting very flustered when she stepped over the foul line and set off the buzzer). Overall I think she had fun.

Jay was so excited when he got a spare (he actually wound up with 2 by the time we were done playing). He tried hard and did well for the most part (except for the time that his ball hit the bumper and bounced OVER it and into the other lane, WHICH was being used by some very nice people, and went into the opposite gutter and all the way to the end. Somehow, it didn't register as a gutter ball for the person who was mid-turn.) When it wasn't Jay's turn, he was either encouraging whoever was bowling or exercising in order to get stronger so he could do better when it was his turn.

Daniel's natural athletism showed even in bowling. He seemed to have the best form even if that didn't always mean he knocked down the most pins. He loved every minute of it, and in the end won the second game.

Julia was...herself. She started out SO excited and wanted no help from me. She wanted to struggle with the ball and barely roll it hard enough for it to make it to the end, ALL BY HERSELF. She could hardly stand to wait her turn. If she knocked down pins (which somehow she did most of the time), she was doing dances. If she didn't she grumpily declared that it wasn't working and that she didn't want to play any more. If she stepped over the foul line and it buzzed at her, she got really mad and grumpy. So, there is more than one picture of her, because one just didn't completely tell the story.

When I went to take this picture, I was actually trying to capture her EXTREMELY grumpy face, but by the time the camera "clicked" she had changed to a very cute smile.

A Tent in the Basement

2009-07-23T22:00:00.004-04:00

I remember as a kid LOVING creating a tent in our basement and then sleeping in it. So, for something fun, I set up a tent for the kids to sleep in tonight. They were thrilled!

Just Like Mom

2009-06-15T16:45:00.007-04:00

Sara Garms has been Daniel's favorite friend of the family for...pretty much his whole life. She is someone who was part of our youth group when we lived in Northeastern PA, she worked with us at camp, and now she is a student at Philadelphia College of Bible and living with us for the summer.

The other morning, my Husband and Daniel had the following conversation...

Dad, Sara is a lot like Mom.

Oh, yeah, Daniel? In what way.

In the way of cereal and patience.

This is a picture of Sara (when she was in high school) and Daniel (when he was one and a half).

Our Garden

2009-06-09T17:08:00.003-04:00

I've wanted to have a garden for a few years now, but it just wasn't practical. But now...it is. So, after much sweat, and a lot of help from my children, and a lot of wheelbarrows of stones removed by my husband...I HAVE A GARDEN!
We worked on prepping the area on Sunday. Then Monday morning, the kids and I went and bought some dirt and plants. Each kid had a plant request. They worked hard with me, so I was happy to let them each pick something out. We have planted: Strawberries and cucumbers at the request of Hannah, tomatoes at the request of Jay, watermellon at the request of Daniel, and more strawberries at the request of Julia. At my request (haha) I also planted peppers, cantalope, basil, cilantro, mint, and oregano.

I'll keep you posted on the progress of our little garden.

Oh, the ugly light brown spot is the remains of a stump. John cut down a tree to make room for the garden. Next year the stump will be completely gone...

Julia At Boulder Field

2009-05-28T12:59:00.002-04:00

We've been busy with a variety of things, the biggest of which is painting the basement of the church. It has pretty much consumed my life for right now, so you aren't getting a cute or funny story, just a picture of Julia in a field of boulders (yes, a whole field, probably the size of a football field) from a recent camping trip.

Enjoying the Backyard

2009-05-05T21:08:00.007-04:00

We have been thoroughly enjoying our backyard this spring. (now this week has been chilly and rainy, but last week was beautiful!)

Notice the difference in the retaining wall in the background...we've been painting it, that and the deck and picnic table, and John filled holes in the yard with topsoil and spread seed and scattered straw. I'll post "finished product" pictures sometime soon-when the sun decides to shine again.

(No we don't have an extra kid...the little one is cousin Olivia)

An Edible Art Project

2009-04-25T14:03:00.003-04:00

The kids and I recently made these edible flowers out of flour tortillas, a little cooking spray, and colored sugar. We baked them at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until dry and crispy. They were really yummy. We'll definitely do this again perhaps in a different shape!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-06T19:20:00.009-04:00

Yesterday we had an Easter Egg Hunt at church. We had 18 kids at church yesterday, 4 of which are under 4. They were released first so that they had an fair shot at getting eggs. Julia started out, picked up an egg, and had to see what was inside prior to dropping the egg into her bag. After picking up 2 eggs, she started to fuss. What could possibly be wrong? I wondered. Sometimes Julia has melt-downs, and I can't always predict when or why. This seemed to be one of those occasions. I encouraged her to find more eggs (which, by the way, were out in the open making them very easy to find). She was practically crying at this point and out-right refusing to pick up eggs. Finally, she blurted out, "WHY are they all yelling at me!" Then I knew, the older kids were watching the younger kids and cheering them on. To Julia, it just sounded like yelling...at her. I quickly informed her that they were cheering for her, and then moments later, the other kids were released to find eggs for themselves, and the noise ceased. Julia then wandered around happily finding eggs, opening them to see what was inside, dropping them in her bag, and then searching for more eggs.

Even now, a day later, her outburst of "WHY are they all yelling at me!" makes me chuckle.

The weather was perfect, and the other kids, of course, had a blast.

Happy 7th Birthday, Jay!

2009-03-22T19:48:00.001-04:00

I wasn't sure what to get Jay for his birthday. He has a lot, and isn't "into" anything in particular, so we finally settled on taking him to Target and letting him pick out what he wanted. Let me just say, that his choice made his father VERY proud...
He chose a U2 cd. Why did it make John proud? Because John got his very first U2 album as a birthday present for his 11th birthday.
Now, every night, the boys listen to U2 as they go to bed.

Happy Birthday, Nana!

2009-03-06T19:43:00.000-05:00

This is John's grandmother, so the kids' great-grandmother! We went to Nifty Fifties (a fifties diner that specializes on burgers, fries, and milkshakes) to celebrate her 89th birthday!

"Baby Big Bird"

2009-03-03T09:43:00.005-05:00

The weather was beautiful the other day (it has since snowed 4 inches). The kids were so excited to go out, so I sent them out in our fenced in backyard and continued what I was doing inside. Periodically I'd check on them. This is what I found...

...Julia was pretending to be a baby bird, so they "built" a nest around her.

Sorry for the lapse...I'm back. I guess you could call it half slump/half a battery issue (every time I go to use the camera, the batteries are dead-they are old and need to be replaced).

Happy 5th Birthday, Daniel!

2009-01-10T16:52:00.003-05:00

Daniel is now five. We had planning his first friend and family party (when our kids turn five that is the first party that they invite friends to), when the forecast turned ominous. They were calling for snow...and potentially lots of it...and all day. I was concerned about the party having to be cancelled and Daniel being crushed. Thankfully, we got a dusting in the morning and then nothing during the day. It was worth up north, so we did lose some family who come from north of us, but at least it didn't have to be cancelled.

He had a great time, and I have to admit, so did I.

The kid table.

Daniel doesn't really like cake, so I made him a Cocoa Rice Krispy Treat in the shape of a football. I had leftover Krispy Treats, so I made individual footballs for each kid coming to the party and then I wrote their names on them in white frosting.

Daniel is a great kid. He loves sports of all kinds. He's our comedian. He loves to be funny and it seems to come naturally to him. He of all the kids can be the most shy. He has even on occassion prayed that God would help him not to be so shy.

Longwood Gardens

2009-01-07T10:31:00.005-05:00

If you are ever near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Longwood Gardens is a place worth visiting. Now we went in December, which, obviously, is winter in Pennsylvania and it was still beautiful! I was impressed. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be in the spring. I had two favorite parts, okay, maybe three...1) the gigantic treehouses. I have always liked treehouses. 2) watching Hannah drink in all the history exhibits. She wanted to read and see and watch and listen to every part of it. She was definitely older than 8 in those moments. 3) the Conservatory. On our way there, Hannah asked me what a conservatory was. I have to admit I didn't have a real good answer for her. The thoughts that went through my mind were "well, there's a conservatory in the game Clue, but other than a murder, I don't know what goes on in there. haha" "I know that there are such things as wildlife conservatories, but I don't think that's what this is..." Basically, I had to tell her I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The minute I stepped into it, I wanted one (you know someday when we're exceedingly rich). It was a gigantic greenhouse of sorts. There were tons of plants, fountains, and paths. It was warm and humid and tropical feeling. It was like a taste of Florida in Pennsylvania. And in the cold of a northeast winter, it felt wonderful.

Here are a few pictures from the fun day we spent with our friends the Gifts at Longwood Gardens.

A Flowergirl and A Ringbearer

2009-01-01T19:10:00.007-05:00

Recently, Daniel and Julia were asked to be in the wedding of two friends of ours. They did a great job and looked completely adorable, so I thought I'd share a few pictures...

I just thought this last picture was cute. Apparently, Daniel got too tired during the ceremony and took a little nap. Thanks to Josh (a friend and groomsman) for taking the picture and for helping Daniel that day!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Julia!

2008-12-14T13:50:00.009-05:00

Three year old Julia

Julia as a baby.

Well, it seems that there are no more babies in our house. Most days I am perfectly fine with that, but I have to admit that today, on Julia's birthday, I am feeling sentimental (as I do on each of their birthdays).

Julia is a very entertaining and adorable three year old. She is a combination of sweet and endearing and fiesty. She seems to be quite similar to her Great-Grandmother (who is why Julia's middle name is Ruth).

Julia's birthday CareBear cookies. Since it was just going to be the 6 of us, I made cookies instead of having more cake than we could eat. So, each person got a special cookie.

Julia talks like crazy. One of the things that makes me laugh the most is when she quotes things from stories (either on tv or in a book). Although she is quite mature for her age, she still has that baby look and voice. My favorite word of hers right now is "creeps." She'll say, "that gives me the queeps." I ask her to say it now and then just because it makes me smile.

Julia showing her creepy face.

Another thing she likes to do is make her siblings laugh. The other day I went to investigate why the three older ones were laughing hysterically (often laughter like that has its roots in trouble). I discovered that Julia was laying on the tile floor by our front door, making "floor angels" with her eyes closed and a perfectly straight face. Circled around her were her siblings laughing their heads off.

Along those lines, Julia's secret talent is keeping a straight face. You know the game, "Don't smile!" You know, where someone tries to make someone else smile by looking them in the eye and saying, "don't smile" until they can't take it anymore and they smile??? Well, all the other kids (and I have to admit, me too) cave within seconds of my husband starting that game. Julia on the other hand can keep a completely straight face for the longest time. Even while all the rest of us laugh about it. It's rather entertaining.

One more thing about Julia...she has a very compassionate heart. She is a nurturer, constantly taking care of her "babies." She is incredibly concerned when someone is hurt. She has a very sweet spirit. I'm curious to see how God will use this wonderful girl He's given to us.

Julia taking care of one of her babies in her new baby bed that she got for her birthday.

Before and After

2008-11-23T09:24:00.006-05:00

Here are the first of the before and after series...

This is what our kitchen looked like when we bought it:

After much labor (wallpaper removal and painting) this is what it now looks like:

Here's the other side:

you actually can't get the full taste of what the wallpaper looked like from the pictures, nor can you see that it took 12 hours of steaming to get the wallpaper off, and then an additional I don't know how long to get the wallpaper glue residue off and then it needed to be patched and sanded and primed and then painted. The cabinets also took 5 coats of paint to finally look white without streaks.

We've also changed the way the kitchen table is situated about 4 times. I think we're settled on this way.

The newest change was the addition of drawer pulls. As ridiculous as it may be, I smile each time I use them.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-19T11:45:00.003-05:00

I tend to be a little obsessed with all things pumpkin and turkey around this time of year. This morning the kids and I made rice krispy treat turkeys. :)

Daniel being silly with rice krispy treat on his nose.

Favorite Time

2008-11-18T12:18:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving is next week. I spend all year looking forward to this holiday. Probably more than any other holiday. For as long as I can remember, we have gone to our aunts and uncles (and we used to visit my great grandmother) in New Jersey. We still go there only now there are a lot more of us. So, next week, we will cram about forty people from 3 generations (with about half of them being under 13). It's a wonderful insanity.

So, in anticipation of fantastic cousin time, here is a picture of Julia with my sister's daughter, Bekah. They are 8 months apart.

Cherry Street Youth Group, the College Years

2008-11-15T09:26:00.000-05:00

We are thrilled to be close to many of the people who were in our youth group at Cherry Street as well as working with us at PMBC. It's great to be able to still get together with them (just in a different living room!)

Kid Zone

2008-11-14T09:22:00.000-05:00

We just started a new kids' program at our church. We are praying that many more children come and learn about the Bible and God's love for them. Here is a picture from the very first meeting which was last week.

Follow Up to the Castle Playground

2008-11-13T09:17:00.003-05:00

Recently while Hannah and Jay were working on school work and I was helping them and also working on the computer, Daniel and Julia were building with blocks when Julia declared, "Look, I built the castle playground we went to!"

Of course, the camera batteries were dead when I went to take the picture, and then the castle got knocked down, so then Daniel wanted to help her rebuild it, but nonetheless, I was impressed with Julia's original building. So, this reconstruction will have to do as a record of her creativity.

A Visit From Dear Friends

2008-11-12T17:19:00.000-05:00

Isn't God good to put people into your lives that you can't imagine life without?

For the Julia Fans Out There

2008-11-11T17:15:00.003-05:00

I thought this was a really cute picture of Julia, one that showed her personality as well as her cuteness.

She turns 3 in one month. Though that seems crazy, she has definitely taken on "three-ness." She's silly and a chatterbox and has a long list of her own opinions.

The Coolest Playground I've Ever Seen

2008-11-03T19:16:00.008-05:00

This is it...am I correct in labeling it the coolest playground ever???

The boys: Daniel, Zeke, and Jay.
Julia and Ella Kate (who are 364 days apart) playing with chimes and sort-of sharing :)

Posing by the rock with our new friends Zeke and Ella Kate Gift. They are from our church and we love playing with them.

Hannah having a blast on the tire swing.

Julia was being grumpy on our walk to the bathroom, so I threatened to take her picture being a grump. She didn't stop, so here you have it...Julia being "Mrs. Grumpypants"

We were about to go down a gigantic (and very dark) curly slide for the first time.

A Bag of M&Ms

2008-10-31T15:03:00.003-04:00

I considered dressing myself as the bag of M&Ms... :)

A break

2008-10-26T21:26:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, on a Saturday, I took a break from the endless painting and unpacking and took the kids to a pumpkin farm and apple orchard. The kids were having fun choosing a pumpkin of their own. The pumpkin field we were in (courtesy of the haywagon that brought us out there) was right next to the apple trees, so I let the kids each pick an apple to (buy and then) eat. I chose Julia's to make sure she didn't get one with worm holes in it. When I handed it to her, she looked at me quite confused, and asked, "Is this my pumpkin?" After a brief explanation, she understood, and resumed her search of a pumpkin just her size.

The break was nice, the day was beautiful, and the kids had fun. I think next year, I may go out and pick apples...

The Way It Was...

2008-10-25T18:06:00.004-04:00

During the month of September, we spent a lot of time painting and working on the house. At that time we had no furniture. So, here are a few pictures of what life was like then...

Living Room furniture (pre-carpet)

Kitchen furniture

Sleeping arrangements

We've come a long way from these pictures. We're not quite done yet, but we are getting there. Stay tuned...

I'm back

2008-10-24T12:17:00.004-04:00

Well, we finally have internet at the house, and the camera is finally charged, and though I have painting I should be doing, I am here, sitting at the desk, updating my blog for all of you who have been patiently (and some not so patiently...) waiting.

I'm going to back up a little and show some pictures from the past few weeks and then gradually catch up to current pictures.

In the middle of September, the kids and I took a trip out to Pittsburgh and my sister and I took the seven cousins to the Pittsburgh Zoo. Just like last year when we went, Julia still liked the elephants. She didn't, however, still call them "el-mints." This year there was a baby elephant which combined her two favorite things: elephants and babies. She was thrilled. I have to say, I was too. The baby was so cute. I commented "look how little she is!" To which my sister added, "yes, but she weighs 3oo pounds!" I guess she just looked little compared to the gigantic adult elephants.

My favorite animal at the zoo is the giraffe. Hannah speculated that the giraffe is my favorite because it doesn't make any noise. Hmmm, my daughter knows me well.

Apology

2008-09-10T10:31:00.002-04:00

I promise I will get back to posting more regularly, but life is a little crazy right now....please forgive me and check back again in a few weeks. :)

Conversations From My Life

2008-08-30T13:40:00.010-04:00

Jay to Hannah: "What song am I singing in my head?"
Hannah: "I don't know, what?"
After trying to give clues...
Hannah: "Jay, just tell me...not in burps, not in chewing, not in chomping, just tell me."

*************************************************************

The other day, when we took the kids to Tasty Swirl (a favorite local ice cream stand), I asked the kids what they wanted. Hannah responded with "vanilla cone in cup, please," Jay and Daniel both "ordered "twist cone in cup," but Julia's answer was the cutest thing. She eagerly responded with "cho-to-wit tone in tup, please!"

Only a Boy

2008-08-21T09:45:00.005-04:00

I was outside last night when I heard an abnormal crash and then a loud yelp. I ran to the playground on our property to see what had happened, wondering on the way if I was about to make our first trip to the emergency room. When I arrived, I found Daniel sitting at the end of the slide with blood dripping out of his mouth. I walked our screaming four year old up to the house and into the bathroom where I had him rinse his mouth out so I could survey the damage. He has a pretty nice cut on his tongue. I was puzzled, though, because it did NOT look like he had bitten his tongue. I asked him to stop crying enough to tell me what had happened...the story??? He had gone down the slide headfirst and cut his tongue on a rock at the bottom of the slide! I shook my head and thought to myself...only a boy would wind up with that kind of injury.

Later Jay (our 6 year old) offered this advice: "I don't think they should have put any rocks at the bottom of the slide." My response? "I think the solution is that you don't go down head first!"

Boys...

A Conversation With Julia

2008-08-18T13:50:00.003-04:00

The other afternoon, Julia came to me and said, "Mommy, my toes are dirty betuz I fell off the montey bars."
Now, I thought she said "clothes," so I said, "That's okay, honey, I'll put them in the washing machine later and they'll come clean."
Julia: "You mean, the bathtub?"
Me: "No, the washing machine."
Julia: "You're going to put ME in the washing machine????"
Me: "No...oh, did you say clothes or toes?"
Julia: "toes."
Me: "Oh, sorry, I thought you said clothes. No, I'm not going to put you in the washing machine. We'll wash your toes in the bathtub."

I thought it was funny how she' completely stayed with me throughout the whole conversation, even though I hadn't heard her correctly. She's just a little over two and a half, but her speech is impressive.
I hope this story brought a smile to your face like it did to mine...

Knoebels

2008-08-04T09:58:00.005-04:00

We have a break week in the middle of the camping season. Over that break my parents came for a short visit and we took a trip to Knoebels. For those of you who aren't familiar with the amusement park, it's awesome. Clean, plenty of trees, good food, no admission fee (you can buy a hand stamp for all day or tickets for individual rides), a great kid-ride section...it's great for families.

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the fun day...

My Mom and the four kids.

My Dad on the Flume with Hannah and Jay.

Julia's introduction to cotton candy...she loved it!

Hannah's Birthday Party

2008-07-23T07:46:00.005-04:00

As many of you know, we direct a camp. Most of the time during the summer we are extremely busy. This is the half-way point in the summer, and we have a week off. So even though her birthday isn't till late next week, on Monday, she had her birthday party.

Here you see a mixture of friends from Cherry Street Bible Church, Geneva School, and Clifton Community Church.
Hannah loves Geography, so I made her a globe cake.

We Have Another Swimmer!

2008-07-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

Jay has now also proven that he can swim in the deep end!

I knew when Hannah showed that she could swim, that Jay wouldn't be far behind her.

We Have a Swimmer!

2008-07-14T06:37:00.000-04:00

Hannah has proven that she can swim. She is capable of jumping off of the diving board and swimming independently to the ladder (to climb out and do it again)! She has been working on this for awhile now, and has accomplished it. I had a proud moment watching her (and also felt a little less nervous about her being in the pool).

Good work, Hannah!

(She actually posed, mid-air, for this picture.)

The Smile With the Missing Tooth

2008-07-09T22:19:00.002-04:00

Here is the promised picture of Jay's new smile (see previous post for the story).

Please excuse the chocolate all over his face...he really enjoyed his "Moose Tracks" ice cream.

Jay's First Missing Tooth

2008-07-08T22:48:00.003-04:00

On Sunday Jay discovered that his tooth was extremely loose. Being that this is his first to go, it pretty much made his day. He was so excited that today might be the day it fell out. I encouraged him to keep wiggling it with his tongue so that it would be ready soon.
Well, today Jay asked his Dad to step in and assist the process with a pair of pliers (I guess the suspense was just too much). On the second tug, the tooth came out. He proudly showed it to his siblings (Daniel was especially interested). We then put it in a tooth box and he put it under his pillow.
Since Hannah lost her first tooth, I have jokingly told the kids that when they lose a tooth that then I "put on my tooth fairy skirt, pick up my tooth fairy wand and skip down the hall to put a surprise under your pillow." They think it's hilarious, picturing me skipping down the hall all dressed up. Jay brought it up tonight as he was carefully placing the tooth box under his pillow.
He's upstairs now, sleeping, anxiously awaiting what the "tooth fairy" will bring.
Tomorrow I'll post a picture of his new smile. Oh, that missing tooth is going to make him look older...*sigh*

A New Vocabulary Word

2008-06-28T06:22:00.000-04:00

"Mommy, I have sa-lima on my thumb!"

(Julia trying to use the term saliva which

she heard her older siblings discussing the

other day.)

Check out that crazily long tongue and out-of-control morning hair!!

Brotherly Love

2008-06-26T18:13:00.004-04:00

Most of the time, our boys get along. They have extremely different personalities, but manage to have a brotherly comraderie which I love.

That being said, I walked into the kitchen and saw Daniel standing there with only one sock on. When I asked him why, Jay jumped up and showed me that he also had just one sock on. The reason? They had started the "sticky-slippery" club. The socked foot allows for slipping across the kitchen floor while the unsocked foot sticks to the kitchen floor. (Notice, too, that they are dressed alike. I overheard the conversation in their room where they decided on what to wear. It was really cute.)

How have I made it this far in life without being a part of that club? I hope they'll let me join...

Tami's Wedding

2008-06-17T22:29:00.007-04:00

This past Saturday was my sister-in-law, Tami's wedding. It was truly one of the most fun weddings I've been to.

Here she is...

(my sister Mandie, Sara Garms, and I arranged the flowers)

Pretty flower girls...

Me as a bridesmaid...

The boys handed out programs. The looked really handsome and took their job pretty seriously.

Mandie, Sara, and I also made the cake.

Julia at the end of the day...

Knoebels

2008-06-11T23:17:00.003-04:00

Knoebels is the best amusement parks for families.

We took the kids there today and had a blast.

John and the kids on the Kiddie Roller Coaster.

The kids and I on the Flume.

Contrary to the pictures, there were plenty of rides that Julia could ride on, too.

I just liked these two pictures best.

Maybe I'll post more another day...right now, my pillow is calling me.

Last Day

2008-05-30T20:46:00.004-04:00

Hannah and her teacher, Mrs. Davis

Hannah's class

Today was Hannah's last day of second grade. Hard to believe how fast this year flew by. She enjoyed school...liked her classmates and teacher, and she did well on her report card.

However, I am SO glad she'll be home again. I never did get used to her being gone all the time. And it felt like ALL the time. She left at 6:55 ever morning and got home at 4 every afternoon. I hated feeling like I never saw her.

So, while many parents don't know what to do when summer comes or are constantly looking for things to enroll their children in during the summer months, I am THRILLED that I will have all four at home again!

Two Sides

2008-05-21T17:09:00.001-04:00

There are two sides of Julia and these pictures spell it out pretty well...

"Frettles"

2008-05-20T17:06:00.004-04:00

Julia will frequently declare: "Daddy, you have a mustache. Mommy doesn't have a mustache, she has a frettle." She recently discovered two "frettles" of her own. She is very proud of them and willing to show anyone who is interested. The first on is on her stomach (she says it's on her body). The second one is on her arm...

Mother's Day and the Mallard Ducks

2008-05-11T19:07:00.006-04:00

Today for Mother's Day, my husband took me out for dinner and then we all went to a park. We were enjoying throwing a frisbee, throwing a football, picking flowers, and just running around, when a family of Mallard ducks wandered across our path. The parade was led by Daddy Duck and then about four feet behind was Mommy Duck and six Ducklings (one of them is hidden in the grass, so you can only see five). The Dad was forging the path, making sure that the way he led his family was the safest possible. He turned them away from the road, avoided the people, and headed toward the lake. Every so often, he would turn around and snip at and squawk at the Mommy Duck, Mommy Duck was patiently sticking with her young ones who had shorter legs and couldn't keep up with Dad. The whole thing made me laugh. It was a good picture of how family life works...each parent has their role, established by God, and when they work together, the family is complete, safe, and happy.
Here I am, the "Mommy Duck" with my four ducklings. I am so thankful for them and for the Husband God has blessed me with.

The boys...being boys: wrestling, throwing the football & frisbee, and running around like crazy...

The girls...not interested in catching the ball or frisbee...the flowers in the field are much more interesting (and less likely to hit them in the face)...

May 2, 1998

2008-05-02T00:00:00.001-04:00

Today marks the ten year anniversary of our wedding. I am grateful for the past 10 years, and hopeful for what God has in store for the next.

(February 2008)

P.S. Thanks for picking me, Johnny...

Flashback

2008-04-24T09:20:00.006-04:00

Sometimes it's fun to look back at how little the kids were just a few years ago. A few years often doesn't make much difference in the life of an adult, but it is huge in the life of a kid. Here are pictures from spring of 2006...

Daniel would be2.5 and Jay would have just turned 4.

This is Hannah on her new bike on her 6th birthday.

Julia is 6 months here.

Springtime Fun!

2008-04-18T14:53:00.006-04:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately, and we have been soaking it up!
The bikes are out of the attic, the sunglasses are on, and the kids are off and running (or riding)!

Daniel and Jay spend a lot of time on their bikes...

Jay has found a love for climbing trees. I just hope he does a good time

differentiating between good and bad branches to lean on!

Julia is mimicking her older sister and trying her hand at jumping rope!

Hannah was at school when these pictures were taken. I'll have to get one of her posted, too!

Why...

2008-04-12T20:34:00.001-04:00

Why children need parents and why parents are amused by children.

Hannah's Art Project

2008-04-07T19:39:00.002-04:00

Here is the promised finished product of Hannah's art project. She took the picture of the crocus and then painted a picture and drew a picture of it and we mounted the three together. It will be on display at her school's art exhibit this weekend.

A Sign of Spring

2008-04-04T11:36:00.002-04:00

Up on the mountain, we still have a few weeks to go before we see true spring, but I found these crocus flowers peeking through. Needless to say, I was a little excited.

Hannah actually took this picture. She's using it for an art project for school. I'll post a picture of the finished product when she's done.

Funny Childhood Memory

2008-03-31T22:43:00.000-04:00

I had given Julia her bath (she's always especially cute in the tub, pretending to be "Samu"). Next it was the boys turn. I was out of the bathroom helping Julia and they were in the bathroom preparing to get into the tub, when I heard hysterical laughter. Daniel was in the tub and Jay was nearly rolling on the bathroom floor he was laughing so hard. I went in to investigate. Daniel was sitting in the water still wearing his socks! He, through much laughter, explained that he had forgotton to take off his socks before getting into the tub (which prompted a new wave of laughter from Jay). I reached in, peeled off his plastered on black socks, wrung them out and went to put them in the laundry room. The boys were still laughing.
As I walked toward the laundry room with two wet balls of sock in my hand, I remembered once when my sister Mandie and I tried to convince my Mom to let us wear our socks in the tub. (According to Mandie, it was just my idea.) For whatever reason, I thought it would be really fun...I have no idea why... :)

PS For the decency of my children this post will remain without an accompaning picture.

Daniel

2008-03-30T14:50:00.002-04:00

Look at this cute smile. It's so infectious. I can't help but smile when he does. Now that Daniel is four I've noticed some changes.
He looks older. His face has thinned out and lost it's baby chub. I looked at a picture of him from just 6 months ago and was surprised by the drastic change in such a short amount of time.
He has also lost some of his "anything goes," easy-going personality. It is now possible to make Daniel mad. As much as this can be a pain (more fighting between the boys), in some ways I'm glad. I don't want him to be spineless and easy to walk over as he gets bigger.
One thing that hasn't changed: he is still the funny one. He has a good sense of humor and often makes us laugh with his commentary, songs, or antics. He is our comedian.

My Parents

2008-03-27T18:25:00.000-04:00

My parents came to visit this past weekend. It was so nice to have them here, even though it was short. I wish we didn't live so far apart...
I thought this picture of them turned out nicely.

I love you, Mom and Dad.

Easter Sunday

2008-03-25T23:05:00.000-04:00

My attempt at taking a picture of them Easter morning...this is the best of the pictures I took. It's nearly impossible to get everybody cooperating at the same moment! haha

On the subject of Easter, I was so irritated when watching the news this morning and hearing the interviews of people, standing outside churches and declaring how Easter is a nice time for family to get together and eat good food. Will Easter become as pagan as Christmas has?

Happy 6th Birthday, Jay!

2008-03-22T19:07:00.008-04:00

Saturday was Jay's sixth birthday. I tried to forbid him from turning six, but I failed.

Jay...
favorite food: soup
favorite color: orange
favorite subject: reading
favorite movie: Cars
favorite toy: build-a-car (a toy truck with magnetic pieces) and Steve (a Webkinz dog)
favorite thing to do: ride his bike and play on the computer
wants to be when he grows up: a pastor

Here are a few pictures of him...

(the build-a-car)

(Steve)

Oh, Julia

2008-03-18T10:12:00.004-04:00

We have four kids. All of them are quite different from each other.
This is the first time we've EVER had one write on a wall.
Culprit?
Julia Ruth Stange. Yes, cute little, sweet little, everybody loves, Julia.
She did it the other night while we had people here. I didn't know she had done it until much later. I was sitting at the desk, and Johnny came in. He looked past me with a horrified look. I hesitantly turned around, and declared, "JULIA RUTH!" I recognized her "drawing style." Well, I hoped that it would easily come off with soap and water...I was wrong. I pulled out the Magic Eraser. It came off, but not easily and not without removing some paint along with the purple marker.
Now, if I had caught her in the act, or shortly thereafter, she would have been spanked. But, when I asked her the next morning if she had written on the wall, she either didn't remember or is already capable of crafting a lie. Either way, she denied it. So, I didn't spank her because I didn't want it to be an unconnectable spanking in her mind. Instead, I gave her a stern talking to concerning where she can and cannot draw.

For all of her rascally-ness and strong-willed personality, she is also really cute and says funny things...

Last night while my husband and I were enjoying a movie, we heard the sound of kid steps coming down the stairs. [Dad, Julia, Mom]
"Who's out in the kitchen?"
"Ju-ee-ah"
"Come out in the living room."
Julia emerges from the darkness wearing only her diaper.
"My happy-nappy time is all done."
"Julia, where are your jammies?"
"I toot them off while I was seeping in my bed."
"Why?"
"Betuz I wanted to be NATED!"
"Julia, you need to wear your clothes. You'll be cold without your jammies."
"Otay."

After letting her sit with us and watch the movie for a few minutes (which she talked the whole time), we told her it was time for her to go to bed and get some sleep. I took her upstairs and put her clothes back on and tucked her in.

About ten minutes later, we heard kid steps again.
"Julia, are you in the kitchen?"
"No."
"Where are you?"
"Up stairs." (or on the stairs to be more exact)
"You need to get back in your bed or you're going to be in trouble."
"Otay, I yisten!"
Then we heard thump....thump...thump....thump thump thump.....as she first climbed up the stairs, then started off walking down the hall and then began to run. It must take her a hundred steps to make it down the hall. We sat, movie paused, and listened and laughed at the cuteness of our little two year old girl.

Here she is this morning, watching a cartoon, apparently tuckered out from last night's mid-night adventures.
Now, normally, I tell her to take her thumb OUT of her mouth, but I let it go for that brief moment...she just looked too cute.

A Hobby or An Obsession?

2008-03-14T23:29:00.004-04:00

The time has come to post something not related to our trip to Florida...so sad...

I love to decorate cakes...

People often ask me if it bothers me that I spend so much time making the cake only for people to cut it up and eat it.

Or, if I have a hard time cutting the cakes,

and somehow, the answer is, No.

I do not mind that people are going to, in essence, destroy my work. I don't even care if people rave over what I've made. I get satisfaction purely out of the accomplishment of a cake that looks how I wanted it to. I'm not certain whether my cake-making is just a hobby, or is bordering on obsession...

Here are three cakes that I have made within the last week.

Shamu the Orca Whale for our son, Jay's sixth birthday party... An Apple for our daughter, Hannah's student teacher's last day...

A wedding style cake for my sister-in-law, Tami's bridal shower...

My sister and I both love to decorate cakes. You can see all of the cakes we've made by visiting http://www.twosisterscakes.blogspot.com/

Florida Vacation, Part 6: A Few Remaining Pictures

2008-03-11T13:37:00.001-04:00

A family picture in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, Celebration, Florida...

Cute kids...
Silly kids...
Annual picture in front of Dillard's (a Stange family tradition)...

and...

Can't wait for next year...

Florida Vacation, Part 5: Hannah

2008-03-05T20:18:00.000-05:00

Florida memories according to Hannah...

I was glad when we got to Regal Palms where our vacation home was.

I enjoyed that music.

I like standing with Cinderella. That was fun!

When I barked to the Sea Lion, he barked back. That was funny.

That was extremely fun. I was playing in the water fountain on Celebration Avenue.

I enjoyed walking up in the Swiss Family Treehouse.

I was aiming at the "z's" on the Buzz Lightyear ride.

I loved the slide. It was extremely fun!

Florida Vacation, Part 4: Jay

2008-03-05T19:35:00.000-05:00

Florida memories according to Jay...

Isn't this picture funny?

I was having fun playing in the fountain, but I didn't get that wet. But I stuck my head in at the end and got it wet. I wanted my hair to be all spikey, so that's what I did.

I had fun playing pinball. Dad was helping us by teaching us how to play pinball.

We had fun at Tom Sawyer's Island at Disney World. We ran around all over the place. It was fun.

Daniel and I liked having our picture taken with Buzz Lightyear.

We are looking at a Sea Dragon made out of Legos. I liked it.

I had fun going down the slide. Going to the pool in Florida was very fun.

On the Buzz Lightyear ride we got to shoot at things. It was fun. At one point we had to shoot the "z's" Anyway, I didn't get that many...

This is a cool action shot of me jumping off side of the pool.

Florida Vacation, Part 3: Daniel

2008-03-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

Florida memories according to Daniel...

We were at the fountain, and we were waiting till it comed up, and it sprayed us! It was so fun. I couldn't believe it!

I was playing pinball. Dad put quarters in and told us who's turn it was. I liked playing pinball. Once when the ball shooted out and I forgot to do the flippers then the ball went back down through the flippers.

This is the Shamu Express. It was really fun. It went really fast. I loved it! I was tall enough for that ride. It was my favorite.

(he really did love this ride...it was his first roller coaster experience. all he wanted to do is ride again and again.)

Jay and I are being with Buzz Lightyear.

I'm going down the waterslide with Dad. I asked Dad if I could go down the waterslide on his lap and he let me. It was so fun! I loved it!

This is me and my green tube.

I'm jumping into Dad's hands. I look like Superman in this picture!

Florida Vacation, Part 2: Julia

2008-03-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

Florida Memories according to Julia...

"I yike Piddet's House. It's my size."

(Julia's favorite ride was It's A Small World. She kept pointing to all the kids and calling them babies. The whole time she would gasp and laugh and point to everything.)

"I'm sitting on Daddy's soulder! On his head! I yike that! I'm having fun!"

"I'm kissing Daddy, Mom!"

"I'm sitting in Minnie's House! I yike her house."

"I'm sitting in the storrer eating my yunch. It's a sandwich. It was mummy."

"I'm in da pool. I'm wearing my baying suit. And I spwash like a dolphin, yike Samu."

"My baying suit is purple! I yike sitting in the water."

"I'm riding with Daddy on the yazy river."

Julia's thoughts on Florida:

"I yiked Fworida."

"I'm stared [scared] of Jack Sparrow. He's pretendered to be a pie-wut (pirate)."

"I yike Mickey Mouse. He's nice. He's not stary [scary]."

"I yike Samu. He spwashes."

"I yike Cinnewewa's Castle. It's pwetty."

Our Florida Vacation, Part 1

2008-03-02T12:40:00.017-05:00

This post will be a collection of group pictures.

The next posts will highlight each kid separately.

Here we go! We have been so excited to take this trip! We're packed and on our way! It will take us two full days of driving to get there. First stop: Chick-fil-a in Hagerstown, Maryland, about 3.5 hours from home. We love Chick-fil-a and don't have one near us.

(Be sure to compare this starting picture with the ending picture...) We've arrived! This picture was taken in our townhome in Regal Palms. We loved staying there!

Silly kids...

This dragon is built entirely of Legos!

Sea World...

underwater dolphin viewing...I thought this picture was cool.
Eating a packed lunch... The exhibit on Arctic Wildlife. This was a replica of ice caves.

Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom!

They are "eating" honey from Winnie the Pooh's giant honey pot.

Eeyore's Gloomy Place...
The LONG trip home...(never quite as exciting as the trip there)

We're happy to be home (even though the weather is drastically different). We had such a good time. I am truly grateful for this wonderful vacation.

A New Cousin

2008-02-12T16:26:00.000-05:00

Well, sweet little Olivia finally decided to join us early this morning, much to her Mommy's relief... :)

In spite of the snow, the kids and I ventured to see her this afternoon. Here are the pictures of the very eager cousins. They were all very excited to hold her and kiss her head.

Julia was especially cute. When she first got a glimpse of her, she gasped and said, "Is that Owivia?"

And then she proudly told the nurse, "She's my cousin!"

She also told me, "Owivia is pretty."

I Much Prefer the Title of Cook

2008-02-02T19:40:00.000-05:00

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT tell this story so you will feel sorry for me, but so that you can laugh along with me...
Friday morning brought sleet/freezing rain to most of Northeastern PA. John, thankfully, takes care of the grounds aspect of camp. I occasionally help with things such as planting and weeding, but very rarely with things like snow removal.
Friday was different, however, since he was stuck in Tampa, Florida (I know, too bad, huh?!) We had a retreat group coming around 5:30pm. As the day went on, it became clear to me that I was going to have to do something about the driveway, parking lot, and sidewalks (most of my readers have been here and know what that entails). Early in the day I took the iniative to shovel the portion of the sidewalk that the guests would need to use to get from their rooms to the dining hall. I was tired and my muscles were feeling the burn of an activity I don't usually participate in. I was proud of myself for taking care of it. It's no small length of sidewalk. I shoveled and salted and hoped the rest of the areas would be okay. The sleet was supposed to turn to rain as the day went on and the temperature rose above freezing.
Well, a few hours went by. I had dried out and warmed up, although my head still ached a little from the cold wind in my ears.
Around 3pm I checked outside again, and it became clear to me that what I had hoped would "take care of itself" was NOT going to. I was concerned that once the sun went down, the whole slushy thing was going to be solid ice (which by the way I was right...it would have been bad).
Hmmm...where is the snowblower kept???? Well, I found it (and it is, by the way, a beast of a snow-blower). I pulled to get it out of the shed...and fell over, landing on the ground. Well, that can't be a good sign. I tried again and succeeded that time. Now, how do I turn this thing on. I don't see a key. Oh...I was hoping there would just be a key. So, I called our friend Tyler who often helps John with projects around camp. He told me to put the choke down low to which I said, "I know this a very girl question, but is that the thing with the turtle and the bunny?"
"Yes."
And then to push the primer button 5 or 6 times and then to pull the pull-cord Yeah, that's not going to go well. Girls were not meant to use those things. When I hung up the phone, I literally said out loud, "God, You know what needs to happen." And I tried with all my might. (If I were telling you this in person, I'd use the hand motion to mimick my attempt to pull the cord, and I'd still be able to feel the soreness of my muscles.) The snowblower, to my delight, rumbled, and then to my dismay, stalled. I tried again. And again. And then I called Tyler back. "Is there something I can do other than stamping my feet on the ground, to prevent the snowblower from stalling when I try to start it?"
"Yes, when it starts, put the choke lever up and it should stay running."
"Okay, thanks!"
So, I tried again and it worked!! I was thrilled at my mini-accomplishment! Okay, now...how do I work this thing? I figured it out and was taken for a walk by the snowblower. Initially it reminded me of walking a large dog that was eager to run. I soon go the hang of it and began to walk around the one-fifth of a mile circle driveway. I figured I would need to go around 4 times in order to make a decent path for cars to drive on. That part was easy and I accomplished it with minimal difficulty. I walked, it blowed snow...all was well.
When, I was about done with the circle part of the driveway, I knew I then needed to tackle the entrance/parking area. This was going to be more difficult. On top of the trickiness of that area, it had now started to rain big mean cold drops.
At first it wasn't too bad. Then I realized that if I kept going in circles around the area, I was going to be in trouble because I'd run out of uncleared places to "throw the snow." I had figured out how to turn the chute and change where it would land, but needed to figure out the right path to take so that I wouldn't be throwing snow where I had already cleared it. The real difficulty in this is that it is extremely hard to turn the snowblower. If it is moving, you can't turn it all that quickly. If it isn't moving it is very heavy to drag in attempts to turn it around.
Well, I wound up redoing some of the already cleared area. There was just no way around it. Some areas were already too frozen for me to clear and some were about four inches of pure slush (add-lemon-lime-flavoring, scoop-into-a-cup, stick-in-a-straw-and-enjoy-slush).
I was rather proud of my accomplishment in spite of being soaking wet.
I was now done. I walked the snow blower back to the shed. Now, how do I turn this thing off? I turned the choke lever down to stop, and it turned off. Well, I guess that takes care of that. I then tried to push the snow blower back into the shed. I couldn't get it to budge, not even and inch. Uh-oh. I tried again using every last bit of energy I had. I got it to the shed door, but couldn't get it over the lip of the edge of the door. I pushed and tipped the snow blower and pushed some more till I finally got it in.
"Good-bye new friend. Thanks for the help." And I locked the shed door and proceeded to spread salt on the sidewalks.
I was now completely soaked. I went inside and got clean and dry and looked at the clock...it was time to go to the dining hall to make dinner for the group...

Well, John got home and was impressed with my efforts. I'm glad he is back, mainly because I missed him, but also because I am VERY glad that my job is cooking and not clearing snow.

So, today's (Saturday) forecast was for partially sunny and 40 degrees. If the sun could just shine for a little while, it would melt and evaporate the little bit of water still on the driveway and all would be well, and my struggle would truly pay off. The sun failed me. There's ice everywhere.

So, today I feel proud of my accomplishment...and extremely sore. :)

Cute Stuff

2008-02-02T16:43:00.000-05:00

My husband has been gone all week. He finally got home around midnight last night. The kids were all soooo excited to see him (he was supposed to get home Friday afternoon, but the flights had to be changed) that I let them stay up until he got home. They all cutely laid on my bed for about 2.5 hours calmly watching tv waiting for Daddy. When he walked into the bedroom, the room erupted. All four kids were scrambling to get to him and were all talking at once. Julia wanted to show him her newly painted fingernails. She held up her two little hands and declared as loudly as she could (in attempts to actually be heard over the din of the 3 older ones), "Yook, Daddy, yook!!! Yook at my finders! They have....they have....they have....Mom, what's this called?"
"Nail polish."
"Yook, Daddy, I have nail polish!!!"

Goodbye, 116 Jersey Road

2008-01-26T20:15:00.001-05:00

Well, the time has come. We signed papers yesterday and it will officially close on Thursday. 116 Jersey Road will no longer be ours. I'm more "okay" than I thought I'd be. Not that I haven't shed tears, but I haven't for quite some time. I used to cry each time I went there. Now, I am just grateful for the time that God allowed us to enjoy that house and grateful that He has supplied a buyer.

We lived in this house for 4 years. Hannah was just over two and Jay was just 7 months old when we moved in. So, Daniel and Julia were both born while we lived there (although, I'm sure neither of them will remember living there). It was such a perfect house for us.
Oh, how I loved this kitchen. My husband surprised me in 2004 with new appliances (not shown in this picture).

My most fond memories took place in this room. The times we spent there with the living room PACKED with people...youth group, superbowl, church parties,family parties, youth group... :)

So, goodbye old friend. Thanks for the memories. (okay, so now I am feeling emotional)

Funny Statements

2008-01-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

Just a short post to share a few funny things said by our kids...

Julia (in her surprisingly bossy two year old tone): "WHOBODY turned off the yights? WHOBODY?!?"

Daniel: "God created Adam out of the sand and Eve out of a ribbon from Adam."

Daniel: "Mom, my stomach just boiled two times. That means I'm hungry."

Julia in response to Daniel declaring that he had to go to the bathroom: "Huuur-weeee, Dandle, Huuuur-weeee!"

Daniel at Gertrude Hawk's: "Look, they have candy that looks like animal poop!" They were chocolate covered cashews. I guess they did sort of resemble the animal waste in the courtyard that I recently told the kids NOT to step on! :)

Little Bruiser

2008-01-21T13:34:00.000-05:00

When we have retreats, meal time can be tricky for the kids. They often play in the stockroom or in a lounge so they aren't in the way of the meal preparation. Well, Saturday evening, after dinner was over and we were all busy cleaning, the kids decided to play in a lounge. They were being good and enjoying themselves. Suddenly I heard Daniel crying and rushed to see what was going on (primarily because he was being loud and the retreat group was having a worship session in the loft...not that I don't care about their cries, but generally it's nothing...trust me I'm not a negligent parent).
This is how the conversation with Daniel went...
Me: "Daniel, shhhh...the group is meeting in the loft. We have to be quiet so we don't disturb them. Now, what happened?"
Daniel: "I fell."
Me: "How?"
Daniel: "The lights were all off and I fell off of the chair and hit the floor."
Me: "Where did you hit?"
Daniel: "On the floor."
Me: "No, where on your body did you hit."
Daniel: "My face."
Me, after kissing his face multiple times: "Do you need to sit in the kitchen for a little while or do you want to go back and play some more?"
Daniel: "Play."
Me: "Okay. Wait, Daniel, why were the lights off?"
Daniel: "I turned them off."
Me: "Please don't do that anymore, okay?"
Daniel: "okay."

So, he went back to playing and I went back to cleaning. About 20 minutes later, he came into the kitchen of the dining hall where we were all finishing up. I took one look at his face and gasped. His left cheekbone was pretty swollen and he had a nice bruiser under his eye. I had no idea the extent of his injury when I asked him to be quiet and then dismissed him to go back and play. Here are pictures...

It was worse the second day...(like the face he made when I told him I wanted to take a picture of his bruise? Oh, Daniel!)

He's been really good about it. He has hardly complained about it at all. I think it must look worse than it is. (I have to admit, though, I wondered if it was more than just a ugly bruise.)

He is currently in the next room making up a song about how awesome God is and how He has healed his face and how nice that is of Him. Child-like faith...no wonder it is so pleasing to God!

Countdown to Florida

2008-01-18T00:47:00.000-05:00

Our family is actively counting down to this year's trip to Florida. Not a day goes by that one of us doesn't make some reference to our trip. Hannah and Jay remember just about every detail of last year's trip. Daniel has some memories (primarily of the dark and "sooky" Haunted Mansion). Julia, obviously, doesn't remember it, but loves looking at pictures from the trip.

Here are some pictures from that trip. When I was looking at them earlier, I was a little surprised at how much older each of the kids look (the changes in Hannah and Jay surprised me the most).