Our Craaaaazy Life!!!

Here are some recent pictures of my angels & a family update!! The first picture is Caleigh getting ready to go out in the latest snowstorm ~ doesn't she look excited?!? The next one is Caleigh enjoying a yummy yogurt drink ~ go, Diego, go!!

Pey Pey trying Daddy's hat on for size

Peyton hates having her picture taken ~ yeah, right!

Madame Butterfly

Our young Picasso

Ready to go sledding!

Caleigh & Mommy goofing off ~ what a snuggle bunny!!!

Family Update:

Life here on the homestead has been a bit hectic & crazy over the last few days. It has been a week filled with doctor's appointments, shots, medicine, & general crankiness!!!

There were a few perks in the week, though. One came yesterday on our weekly trip to the Salvation Army. We got a ton of great buys (I'm sporting one right now), including a bag full (& I mean FULL) of vintage kitchen playset dishes. We played "tea party" all night!!

Today was, well, eventful. It started with my dear sweet PeyPey waking up at 6:15 this morning . . . about an hour & 15 minutes too early. She must be her father's daughter . . . happy the minute her feet hit the floor. My other offspring, however, grumbled her way out of bed shortly after 7:30 & the first thing she said to me was, "Mommy, my covers are so snuggly." Ahh, like mother, like daughter.

Around lunchtime, I got to experience that heart-in-your-throat feeling that is all too familiar amongst mothers of toddlers. I was downstairs in the kitchen when I heard the *thud* of Peyton falling off of Caleigh's top bunkbed. She seems fine ~ possibly a sprained finger, but overall, quite lucky. About 10 minutes after being scooped up & comforted by Mommy, she fell asleep in my arms. Naptime??? It's only 12:30! Oh well . . . go with the flow, Christine. So off she went to bed.

Well, at least the hubby doesn't have class tonight & we all survived the day without anyone being seriously injured. All in all, a good day!

10 Things I LOVE about You . . .

10 Things I Love About PEYTON MARIE

1. her belly laugh
2. the way she sprawls out when she sleeps

3. her tenacity
4. the way she tries to verbalize her thoughts


5. her artistic nature
6. the way she gets over things so quickly


7. her carefree love of life
8. her inquisitiveness


9. the way she snuggles & kisses
10. the way she praises herself ("Yea, PeyPey!")

10 Things I Love About CALEIGH MORGAN

1. her smile
2. the peaceful way she sleeps



3. how pleased she is with herself when she does something good
4. the way she can make-believe so realistically


5. her love of small animals
6. her growing independence


7. her joy in running around naked
8. her exuberance


9. the way her mind works as she remembers things & puts ideas together
10. the songs she makes up as she dances around the livingroom

Bargains & Blessings

I love the Salvation Army!! I discovered our local store shortly after moving here to seminary. It didn't take me long to become a regular customer. Especially on Wednesdays . . . "Family Day" . . . half off everything in the store!!

Today the girls & I ventured out (even though it's a Tuesday) in search of some "new" used books at the Salvation Army. I figured it might be a good idea to have some new entertainment on hand in light of the impending snowstorm.

We walked into the store with a crisp $20 bill in Mommy's pocket & made a bee-line for the children's book section. We hit the *Jackpot*. We found a ton of great books! We even found a Disney Princess Mini Projector book with 5 different stories . . . and it had all the pieces!!! Since Jason & I are committed to not using our credit cards, $20 was the limit. I fought the temptation to go peruse the armchairs. We will be in the market for one soon, but it was not a necessity for today.

The girls & I took our purchases to the counter, paid for them, & headed out of the store. On our way out, something got my attention. Not far from the exit door was an armchair (see photo). It reminded me of a comfortable old slipper & had that vintage-look that I adore. Here's the best part ~ the sign on the chair said, "FREE." I quickly got the girls into the van, backed it up to the door, & went inside. I found the first available worker. I asked her about the chair & if I could go ahead & load it. She responded with, "What chair?" When I showed her, she said that she had never seen that chair before, but if it said "FREE" I could take it!!!

It is now gracing the corner of my kitchen. I already think it will be the perfect spot for my morning devotions :)

And the icing on the cake . . . shortly after the girls & I arrived home, I found out that my hubby's classes have been canceled for the day & he will be hanging out at home with us. I love snow!!!

Profound

A friend sent me this quote last week. Very profound.

I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I woke and found that life is service.
I acted and, behold, service is joy.

It's not the end, the end of the world . . .

It never happens to me. I don't know why. I'm just not one of those lucky people. When I have a problem or am in need of encouragement, I'm just not one of those people who can randomly open up the Scriptures, close their eyes, point . . . & viola . . . there it is -- the perfect verse with the perfect solution just perfect for the occasion. I just never have those surreal experiences.

Until yesterday . . .

We finally had settlement on our house yesterday. And after 8 months of carrying the burden of an extra residence that came with a mortgage, oil expenses, heat expenses, municipal expenses, & insurance expenses, you would think that I would be elated to be rid of it. But instead, I met the day with very mixed emotions. Although I knew some of the financial freedom this occasion would bring, I was more focused on losing the last thread that connected me to my sense of security. I knew that once the house was gone, there was truly no turning back. I started to reminisce about bringing each of the girls home from the hospital . . . our dog Livvy . . . family dinners . . . birthdays . . . holidays . . . fireplace . . . *sigh*. And then to hear from our buyers all the changes that they were planning to make -- that put me right over the edge.

As we left the meeting, I was pretty teary-eyed. Jason & the girls got into the car & I got into the van & started to drive over to our "celebratory" dinner. I turned on the radio. Now, let me just interject that this NEVER happens to me. On the radio was a Matthew West song & these are the words that greeted me:

It's not the end,
the end of the world.
It's just another day
depending on grace.

Okay, I got it.

Banana Chocolate Chip Softies

Okay, so here it is by popular demand . . . the recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Softies. Enjoy!!!

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 ripe, medium banana, mashed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

Place flour, baking powder, & salt in a small bowl; stir to combine.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, & brown sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light & fluffy. Beat in banana, egg, & vanilla. Add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in chips & walnuts with mixing spoon. (Dough will be soft.)

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cookies stand on cookies sheets 2 minutes. Remove cookies with spatula to wire racks; cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature. These cookies do not freeze well.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Success!!!

Just wanted to let you all know that Jason got his final grade for his first semester of seminary . . .

4.0!!!!!!!!!

We are praising the Lord for His faithfulness! Thank you to all our friends & family who have & are continuing to support this "Great Adventure." We look forward to reporting more success as Jason begins his 2nd semester on the 29th!!

A Day in the Life

It was a pretty quiet day in the Dickinson house yesterday. And quiet days happen to be my favorite! So we took the opportunity to try out a new cookie recipe ~ which turned out to be delicious, by the way ~ & to try out my new Kitchen Aid mixer! We made Banana Chocolate Chip Softies ~ quite possibly a new family favorite. So here are some pics from our afternoon of baking:

Peyton didn't bake. She colored instead.

Caleigh enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Our only disappointment was that after all the baking was over, then came the clean-up. And with the clean-up, we discovered that my Kitchen Aid mixer is broken :(

After Peyton got up from her nap, she got to enjoy her cookie & some snuggle time with Mommy.

Okay, so we aren't snuggling ~ but "This Is the Way the Ladies Ride" is her favorite game!!

Our Christmas in Pictures

Let the festivities begin . . .

Thursday, December 20th -- Big Night Out

Caleigh & Mommy -- all dolled up for an evening at Sight & Sound's Christmas show "Voices of Christmas"

Friday, December 21st -- Aunt Heather comes home from Indiana

Caleigh loves the gift from Aunt Heather

Who needs toys when you can have laundry?!?

Sunday, December 23rd -- Christmas at MomMom's & PopPop's

Caleigh felt like a real princess in the Cinderella dress from Uncle Adam.

Is it time to open the presents yet????

Peyton & her new blanket

Mommy & PeyPey opening presents together

A favorite gift for Pey -- her new baby bassinet

Jason gets in touch with his inner rocker with "Guitar Hero" from Playstation 2.

Monday, December 24th -- Twas the night before Christmas . . .

Our tree, complete with presents

Tuesday, December 25th -- Christmas Morning!!!!

It was all we could do to hold Caleigh off until 6:30 am

Say "cheese!"

PeyPey joins the fun & finally sees what all the fuss is about.

A little Christmas morning serenade on her new recorder.

How does this thing work?

The princess gets her long-awaited crown.

It's never too early for a cell phone!

It was a Princess Christmas -- complete with a Princess cash register.

. . . and a Princess ride-on toy!

And now we all enjoy a perfect Christmas breakfast.

Mommy's favorite Christmas gift!!

A Christmas gathering at Mimi's brought more special presents -- including Baby Cindy.

Caleigh models her new winter outerwear!!

It was a wonderful Christmas for our family!! And we wish all of you a blessed New Year!!!!

You Couldn't Write This Stuff . . .

Simply outrageous!!! I'm telling you, if all these crazy things hadn't been happening to me, I would never believe it!!

So, as you all know, life has been a bit trying lately, to say the least. We spent this past weekend at Jason's mom & dad's house. Even though Peyton & I were not feeling up to snuff, with MomMom & PopPop's watchful eyes, we were able to get a lot of good rest. We headed back home last night around 9 pm.

It was a clear, crisp winter's night as we left Pottstown. The closer we got to Myerstown, however, the worse the situation got. Everything was covered with a thick coat of ice -- so much so that several trees had buckled under the weight & were lying in the road. The wind didn't help matters any.

As we turned off the main road & approached the seminary, Jason turned to me & said, "Honey, I don't see any Christmas lights." Things did not look good. As we pulled in to our driveway, there was not one street lamp, not one Christmas tree, not one window candle to be seen. Not only that, but all the cars were parked far away from the trees. Hmmm, that's odd. It didn't take us long to see why. The wind was blowing shards of ice out of the trees & down into the exact spots where our cars would normally be parked.

No power meant no heat for us as we have electric heat. It was going to be an interesting night! I quickly located the matches & lit all the candles. Thank goodness I'm a candle-junkie! Then we got everyone into double sets of jammies. We settled the girls down in our bed to snuggle together while Dad & I took care of everything else (finding the lantern & the flashlight, packing the fridge with ice, & gathering extra blankets). After all emergency measures were taken, we got the girls settled into their own beds with everything but their parkas. It was a long night, with the temperature dropping a few degrees every hour. By morning, the power was still gone & the house was a nippy 40 degrees.

It's one of those situations where, if you don't laugh, you'll cry. So we chose to laugh. I greeted everyone who called on our cell phones with a melodic " . . . Jack Frost nipping at your nose . . . "

So, here we sit, at Jason's mom & dad's again. Weren't we just here?? It is rumored that we may be without power until at least tomorrow. Oh well, it gets me out of doing the laundry for a few days!!!

Welcome Infectious Diseases

We made it through finals week with our health & our sanity still in tact . . . well, our sanity anyway -- our health, not so much.

It was a tough week. Satan has a way of kicking you when you're down. It was obviously an important week for Jason. It was imperative that we stick to the schedule & give Daddy plenty of uninterrupted study time. Ha!!! On Tuesday night, Peyton's eyes started looking a little pink . . . eerily reminiscent of Thanksgiving day. By Wednesday morning, it was pretty obvious that our weekly trip to church (5 hours of study time for Daddy) was not happening. So Jason was trapped in the house with us all night . . . not the most conducive environment for studying. Things went from bad to worse pretty quickly on Thursday morning. The seminary was officially closed due to the weather, so Jason's 4 hours of studying in the library also went out the window. The planned babysitter for Thursday evening also became a fleeting dream as Peyton's eyes got worse. Our evening ended with a trip to the doctor's office . . .

Now, this section is only for those of you who can handle children & their complete & utter grossness.

I called the doctor on Thursday to request an office visit. He asked me to explain what was going on with Peyton. I said, "This is really gross, but this is the best way to describe it. It looks like snot is coming out of her eyes." When the doctor saw her in the evening, it turned out that I was right!!! Apparently, the congestion in her nose is traveling up into her tear ducts & coming out her eyes!! And it's just nasty!

Friday morning ushered in yet more sickness as I woke up with my throat on FIRE!! I think the doctor jinxed me. He made the astute observation that everyone had been sick except for Mom. Thanks.

But finals are over. The semester is over. And we have Jason all to ourselves for 5 WHOLE WEEKS!!

The Holidays Are Upon Us

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . .

And it's finally here!! I would like to be able to say that my overly-organized self has all my Christmas gifts picked out, purchased, wrapped, & sitting under my perfectly-decorated tree. But life is bound & determined to teach me to go with the flow (no matter how much I may resist). Besides, the only thing I love more than being organized is the hustle & bustle of the holiday season. I love to be out amongst the crowds, sipping mocha cappuccino, listening to Christmas music, looking for that perfect gift for that special someone.

Truth be told, this year is a bit out of the ordinary for us. Being our first year at seminary, we are still getting used to all the new demands on our time. Jason has not had the luxury of shopping, decorating, or baking with his girls. Now if Christmas cheer consisted of paper-writing, theological journal-reading, or visits to the library, he would be Kris Kringle himself! But we are learning to grab ahold of special moments when they happen to come along . . . to heck with the best laid plans.

So our Christmas tree, which always goes up the day after Thanksgiving, is not gracing our livingroom as of yet, but hopefully it will tonight after the girls go to bed. We may not have the traditional marathon session of decorating the tree, but throughout the course of the week, we should manage to get it done.

As for my shopping, most of it is done. At least the gifts that are non-negotiable, must-haves. Nothing is wrapped yet, but I'm sure it will be done before Christmas morning. Maybe Christmas Eve, but better late than never!

But in the meantime, we are on the countdown . . . 11 more days before Jason's first semester of seminary is over!!! He has lots of projects & papers due this week & finals the week after that. We are bracing ourselves for one big push through to the end & then CELEBRATION!! I already have a babysitter lined up for the night of Jason's last final. :)

But, until he is free to celebrate with us, we will continue to play our Christmas music in the kitchen, make our Christmas cookies for Daddy, & decorate that tree, one ornament at a time.

Happy Holidays!!