Ah, The Life of a Dog...

...Just laying around. No laundry to do, no carpool to drive, no worries or cares. I wonder if I could do it...

...naaah. I would get bored too easily. Besides, laying on the floor is not that great anyhow.

David Crowder Band Concert!

We had a BLAST last Thursday at the concert! Josh and I rode with Clint and Keisa and met Chris and Mindy, and Brad and Rachel there. Upon walking in, I felt...old. Now, let me tell you one thing. I actually, am not old at all, but being surrounded by youth groups, and college students started to make me feel old. Well, I spotted some gray haired people, and then I relaxed. :)

The Glorious Unseen opened first. They were okay. I actually like them, but it was a little mellow for an opening act I think.

The David Crowder Band was AWESOME! It was actually like a big praise and worship fest. We just sang with them. (They were SO smart to have the words displayed! Loved it!)

After our awesome concert, and most of us running into people we haven't seen in a while (Like Josh and his old high school classmate, or Keisa and a guy she knew when she lived in Papua New Guinea as an MK!!!) we went for some frozen custard at Culver's. It was great because we have a friend who works there. It was so fun to see her in her little blue visor! :)

So, I am a lame-o who did not bring my camera, but Rachel gave me full permission to steal her photos from the night, and if you would like to see her blog post about it, you can go here.

I LOVE this picture. Not only is it a great pic of some of my closest friends on this earth, but Josh looks 19 in this picture and that makes me giggle, as he is FAR from 19. :)

Excellent!

I just thought it was a really cool picture with the lights and hands in the air. That round thing in the back is where they projected all the words.

I won!

I am super excited to share that I won a radio contest last week! What did I win? Four tickets to the David Crowder Band concert tonight, and four cds! Now, I have to share this. I was really wanting to go to this concert, but there was no way in the world we would be able to go on our limited missionary budget. $40 is not doable right now. I saw the contest on the radio's website and I prayed to the Lord, that He would make some way for us to go. He answered my prayers, and we won! Not only did we win, but we got a call the same day from friends of ours inviting us to go with them, because they won four tickets from a different radio station! So, I want to testify that the Lord cares about the little things too. I am getting super excited! I've been listening to them all day!

Thanks to my friend Rachel for teaching me how to post a video. I hope you enjoy. This is my favorite song of theirs. :)

Piano Lessons, Passing Out, and a Pathetic Pooch...

Emma had her first official piano lesson on Monday. She has been learning things here and there from Grandpa and her Daddy, but this was the first actual scheduled lesson. Our upstairs neighbor has agreed to teach her for use of our piano for her to practice. Honestly, I think we are getting the better deal, as she is an amazingly talented pianist, and it is like having a free, private concert in our own home. :)

Just learning...

A little blurry, but you get the idea.

Upon uploading these pictures to my computer so I can blog about Emma's lesson, I found another picture. Now, I'd first like to say that I don't normally like to post pictures of my backside, or really any pictures that are embarrassing of me (unless you have seen this post, which is also kind of embarrassing), but this was too funny and I could not pass it up.

It seems that I must have passed out on Monday night of sheer exhaustion. Or, maybe I was just too lazy to get ready for bed. Either way, Josh took this picture of me, laying on top of a pile of blankets, my boots on the couch (*gasp!), and my face smooshed. I can tell you it was not that comfortable, or at least when I awoke in that position.

Nice.

The only thing that brings me comfort, is that my dog is just as dorky as I am. No, I rephrase, he is dorkier.

I see those eyes open, you pathetic, desperate for attention fur ball, and I love you for it!

If Music Be the Food of Love, Sing On!

Josh and I were invited by our friends Richard and Joyce to join them for dinner and an evening with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra! We had such a wonderful time. First we went to this little Italian Restaurant off of M-50 Giglio's (or something like that) and we had wonderful food and even more wonderful conversation.

After dinner we went to the Potter Center and enjoyed an awesome evening full of Gershwin, and Berlin and Rodgers and Dickau. It was a lovely night full of beautiful music! We had such a great time with our friends as well. Thanks guys!

All gussied up with my funny valentine. :)

Josh also brought me these, with a lovely gift from the Swan Creek Candle Co.

Tulips are my favorite flower.

What a magnificent creation from an Almighty Creator!

MMMMMMMMM...

What is that I smell coming from the Mathew kitchen?

Oh, yeah. Homemade muffins.

From scratch of course, with big juicy blueberries.

You know you want one. :)

Two Times Two

This year we had a double birthday party for Addie and Brooke. They are just a month a part, and both turned two, so we had a mini birthday bash for them, Elmo style.

The birthday girls in their matching dresses Keisa made them!

This is my favorite picture of the night. It captures her personality so well!

Ready for cake!

Yummy Elmo!

New Things Happening at the Mathew House.

This past week has been a long one. By last Wednesday afternoon, I was not feeling that well. I stayed home from youth group that night and just slept, I went to the doctor the next day where he confirmed I had Strep throat AND a sinus infection! By Friday Emma had it, and then Saturday and Sunday Josh got a stomach flu, which I caught on Monday. CRAZY sick week. But, we are all back to almost 100%.

Today I spend a good five hours at the Kellogg eye center with Emma and Josie. I am excited to share that Emma's script has not changed, and her eyes are doing better at not crossing with her glasses off. Also, Josie does not need glasses right now!

I also wanted to share how much Emma is learning in Kindergarten. She is reading words out of any book she picks up! She is also writing a lot. She wrote me a note for the first time this week. I cried! I am so proud of her!

Well, that pretty much wraps up our week. What have all of you been doing to keep busy?

Spending some time watching The Lord of the Beans. :)

My own silly little bean doesn't need glasses!

Emma's note she wrote me. She also drew a picture of us as "heart shaped balloons, with our stings holding hands". So funny, that girl!

Oh, the Wonders of Technology!

My have we evolved in recent years. The rate at which technology grows is so helpful in:

*Talking with each other. That's right. We are all sitting next to each other on our laptops, posting messages on facebook to each other.

*Aiding in our homework. Now there is no need to go to the library when all the info you need is at your fingertips, and silence is just an IPOD away!

*In long distance birthday wishes. Now you can have Grandpa and Grandma sing in surround sound!

Most importantly, technology allows me to blog, and for you to waste a few minutes as you read the silly things I write. By the way, I'm glad you all took those minutes to stop by!

When Did This Happen?

Two years ago I lay waiting in a hospital bed. Josh was with me. Helping me not be nervous. All of the preparations were done, and soon I was being rolled down a hall by myself. We made a joke that since we did not have a girl name picked out, this one, our number three, would be a girl as well.

After a couple more pokes with needles I found myself strapped to a table, with my dear Joshua by my side. A few quick cuts (later we learn maybe TOO quick) and she is out. So quiet. It's a girl! No surprise there. Oh, we waited to find out, but I think we both kinda knew. Hence the pressure to try and nail another perfect name for another perfect daughter. I see a few glimpses. Her hair is a fluffy light brown. She is SO red. Just a moment. One kiss on her forehead and my baby is gone with her loving Daddy. As I lay on the operating table, thinking of my darling new blessing from heaven, one name came. One from a list of nine we had. Adelaide.

As they wheel me into a recovery room Josh has our sweet bundle in his arms. "I think this is our Addie" he says. Two separate rooms, not able to discuss and we both picked the same name. "Adelaide means of noble and kind spirit" we tell the nurse. "Let's hope she lives up to that" she quips back.

The rest of the day seems a blur of sheer bliss, and heavy drugs. Emma and Josie come to meet their newest little living doll. Emma is ecstatic, Josie unsure. After all, she just having 16 months with me was still a baby herself.

In the quiet of the night though, when Josh takes the girls home, when the stream of students ends, when the nurses seem to have forgotten the room at the end of the hall, I get to know her. My girl. She has so many birthmarks! Her hair, looks, curly? She, at 8lbs, 4oz and 20" long is by far my biggest baby, but she seems so tiny in my arms.

Those are the times I cherish. Special one on one getting to know you times we shared. More, than we originally planned, as during the c-section they nicked my bladder, and my bladder decided it did not like that and so it bled... a lot. They really wanted me to stick around until that stopped. I didn't mind though. I knew that when we got back home, I had two more sweet little ones that needed my attention, and a husband who needed me, and students who needed me, and minus the two am feedings, this was our only alone time.

Fast forward two whole years. Today! I wait for my darling to come home from morning carpool, with the smell of cupcakes in the oven, so we can do our family tradition: waking up the birthday girl with a birthday song. Emma was sad. This is the first time she would miss this. I told her I'd sing twice as loud for her.

My baby. No. My GIRL is two!

Just Like Her Big Sis!

Emma was doing the dishes after dinner and Addie had to come help. She didn't care if she couldn't reach the sink. She was helping!

Addie supervising the job.

Caught ya cuties!

Homework

Homework? In Kindergarten? I am not complaining. Emma LOVES to do it. I like doing it with her. It just seems funny to be in kindergarten and have homework every night. I guess it is working. Emma is learning to read. She can add and do some subtraction. She is even learning greater than and less than.

I am loving her learning, and loving even more that she is loving to learn. Is that a tongue twister or what?

A little number practice at the dining room table.

Emma, Daddy isn't being silly, is he?

My Night Out with Keisa!

Last Friday my dear friend Keisa and I were able to hang out for a night. We have been friends for at least ten years, but it seems the only time we can get together is when NTBI is on break, since both our families minister at the Bible school.

I'm okay with that though. Keisa and I are the type of friends where you can just pick up where you left off, never missing a beat. She is a true friend who loves the Lord, is encouraging, giving and helpful. The kind of friend that can tell you what you need to hear, even when it's hard to say (and hard to hear!) She is a wonderful mom to four great kids, loving wife to a great husband, an amazing seamstress, and she's stinkin adorable too! I love ya Keisa! Thank you so much for your friendship. :)

We started out by having dinner at Panera. Gotta love their broccoli cheese soup!

Then we went to see Bride Wars. Very fitting as we were brides together. We, however, did not attack each other. :)

Big Baby Blues!

I just love my Adelaide! She reminds me SO much of Emma when she was this age. They look so much alike. Especially those BLUE eyes! The only major difference was Emma's hair was white blonde and stick straight, while Addie's is more of a golden blonde with curls.

Her new favorite game is to say "Mama!" over and over again. Cute sometimes, and other times quite annoying. :)

I just love having little girls!

My Adelaide Marie!

Emma is SIX!

Emma turned six years old on Saturday. We asked Emma what she wanted to do for her birthday, and her answer was sledding! Since there wasn't much snow at the park next to us, and it is more fun to sled with people, we went to Nana and Papa's for some sledding fun. I remember thinking that the hill that we lived on was the best for sledding when I was little, and Emma thought so too.

We had some family and friends who live in the area over to sled, and then have white chicken chili (Emma's birthday meal by request), followed up with birthday pie (also by request). Many of the guests were wondering where the cake was, but I said if the birthday girl would rather have pie, then pie it is! Two pies actually. Cherry, and chocolate pudding pie. Yum!

It was the perfect day for some outdoor winter fun, and I would do it again. So fun!

Lucas getting ready to push Addie down the hill. She liked to lay down. Ha!

Ashlyn and Emma going down on a tube. Emma didn't stay on for long!

Papa said he should put in a tow rope for us next year. :)

Hailey and Emma going down backwards.

Happy Birthday our sweet Emma! Six of the greatest years I've known!

Our Week Long Christmas Extravaganza!!!

I haven't blogged in a while. I think I am recovering from our trip! Just kidding!

We had a wonderful week of celebrating with family and friends. On Christmas eve, we went to our church for a service. Afterwards Josh took us to the Jackson Fair Grounds to see the Christmas light display. We all loved it. When we got home, we realized the roads were too icy to go down to Ohio that night, as we had originally planned, so we decided to do our family Christmas that night. We all opened presents and the girls went to bed, while we finished loading up for our trip to Van Wert.

We arrived Christmas morning at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We saved the girls Christmas stockings for down there on Christmas morning. After a few days with Josh's side of the family, we drove to Indy to be with my side of the family at my sister and brother-in-laws new house! It was a great time.

After a couple days there we left and went back to Van Wert, OH to see the rest of Josh's family, and finally made it back New Year's Eve just in time to ring in the New year with the Troyers and the Lokers. We had a great time!

I didn't take that many pictures. What a surprise, as usually that's all I do! Here are a few though:

The girls waiting patiently for their presents on Christmas eve.

Uncle Ken helping Addie with her stocking. :)

Some of the crew at my sister's house. L to R: Addie, Ivy, Solomon, Josie, Emma and Alex.

Two peas in a pod!

Two peas in a pod as well! :)

Our niece Cora is going to be a good Mommy some day. She loved taking care of the littler ones. :)