Summer... Buh-Bye

Well, I thought summer was supposed to refresh you. I find that the refreshing part for me & the kids is when school comes and we are all forced to have somewhat of a routine. I hate routine. It's boring. Why would you get up and eat the same thing, walk the same route, do your hair the same way and drive the same way to work. And every day? My husband would, that's who. And probably Laish will too.

Last week we had church at my mom and dad's house. Emma is pictured here enjoying the pond. So innocent looking and full of life. (Nice picture, Aaron!) It was fun. Alot of work for some people but I think it blessed my Dad's pants off to be preaching from his porch, looking out on the crowd of lawn chairs filled with people praising God.

Emma started 1st grade. She missed her first day bc we were on vacation in VA. But Monday she fell into routine with her new teacher Mrs. Reiff (pronounced like "life"). She seems to be a little less bored with 1st grade. It's not just coloring and whatnot. She asked me not to kiss her and hug her at the bus stop. Well actually, she didn't care if her neighbor kids saw me do that to her, just not the kids on the bus bc she didn't know them very well. Also, if I could not wear my pj's too? I don't really have real "pj's". Tank tops, shorts, etc. But this particular day I WAS wearing very old & thin pj pants that have been stretched so that the pant legs drag along as I walk. Ok, it wasn't my best day but it wasn't Ugly Wife Day by no means. I took it like a trooper and said ok. So as we walk to the bus stop each morning, I hold her hand and say a prayer for her day - that she would be a shining star to those she meets. She swings my hand and pretends she doesn't hear me pray and sometimes mutters things bc she does that when she's nervous - just like her ma. But I know she's listening. And of course, I hug & kiss her - before the bus comes!


Laish worked hard to receive his BB gun this week. His dad said if he slept in his bed for 5 nights, he'd get it. After vacation, he did it. He has managed already to get a BB shot in his neck. Yes, we were supervising him. The BB just bounced off the cement and got him good. He screamed and then it was done. He turns 5 in one month and thinks he's getting a rifle for his birthday. I have no idea where he got that from. We are not gun people and quite frankly I'm not sure how I feel about the BB gun. But I know there is a boy, adventure, capture stuff, fighting-kind of thing that I don't get. So I learn to just trust Aaron in that area. Aaron grew up with hunting. He's familiar with guns enough to be safe. The rifle thing? Probably will just blame his cousin Liam and Uncle Sean on that one.
Lots of people have suggested pre-school for Laish. Just to get him used to going to "school" and being with other kids and away from his home & mommy. It sounds like work to me and I usually try to avoid that if possible. Yesterday I sent out an APB to my friends via text to see who could watch him on Thursdays. I realized how blessed we are to have good caretakers so near us and willing to care for my children as their own.
I will post about vacation as soon as my camera is returned. I stupidly left it at the cabin in VA, outside, on the picnic table and it rained. I'm told it's okay. We had a blast with the Detwiler Family! Miss you all!

Triathalon 2010

Yes, I know, she takes after me. NOT! I hate running or anything remotely close to that. But this young lady was totally thrilled when I suggested she do her first Triathalon. The Goshen Parks Dept. puts this on each year for kids and teens. It was a great turn out. This year her cousin Kara & Liam participated, her other friend Liam, and a handful of my friends' kids. Unfortunately you have to be 5 to participate so Laish will have to wait. He cried the entire event bc he wanted to.

So Aaron and I were a bit stressed with all the heat and crying and trying to transition Emma. We tried to stay calm though for how competitive we both are. There were some Dads that were pretty intense and it was kind of frustrating to watch. Oh well. Here is Liam (friend), Kara and Emma ready for the swim which they did first. One length of the pool. Aaron said she did awesome!

Then they biked. Emma thought this was the easiest part. Her and Kara are here in this picture just getting on bikes and going. They had to bike a little over 1 mile.

And last but not least, the running. They ran a 1/2 mile. Parents could run with them for the first part. I was kind enough to let Aaron do that so I could tend to Laish (harhar). At the end of the run, parents had to veer off and let their kids finish alone. Emma decided to sprint and beat the girl in front of her. Ah, so nice to see the Shetler/Detwiler spirit in her. Of course, I didn't see any of that bc Laish was screaming about his feet getting in the mud and I was sweating bullets trying to carry him in the Indiana heat across some crappy mud at the time. This is Kara finishing out her time.

And each of them got a medal for finishing. At the end of the race they had trophies for the top 3 in each age and category. My nephew Liam got a trophy for being 2nd! I think Emma's time got her 5th place but as always, we are so proud of her! Here's Emma with her friend Liam showing off their medals!

The Perfect Storm

So incase you haven't been keeping up with the weather in the Midwest, we have been getting storms and tornadoes and more storms and tornadoes. Last Friday was the first of them. Aaron was still gone with his buddies on vacation. I was determined to have a fun last night with the kids. This, of course, entailed ice cream at the Chief. I didn't KNOW it was supposed to storm like crazy with 80 mph winds. So we took off in our Swagger Wagon just as it began to rain. I had my white load out on the line but I thought it would be ok. Nothing a little rain would hurt. So, we get to The Chief just as all hell breaks loose. There's like 3 people there and we are all wondering what we are doing out in this. It was raining and blowing so bad. Did I mention the scary lightning? We ran to the van drenched with rain with sloppy cones. The kids were fussing and sticky. I decided against sitting there and waiting out the storm. I can do this.

As we began to drive, I realized I couldn't see. At all. The rain was coming down so hard. One guy I barely saw drive by with a tree under his vehicle. Just driving around like he had nothing hanging on him. Then things started falling on our van. Not sure what they were but could just hear and feel them. Stop lights were out. Trees were on the roads and people were stopped and driving around them. Emma could sense my spirit at this point and started to cry, "We're not going to make it." Laish is behind me saying, "Just take 2 deep breaths." He's just as calm as his Daddy would be. Thanks, Laish.

Well, we made it into our garage. One of our columns that holds our porch up had completely fallen down. Plants from the porch were strewn all over. And yes, my laundry, practically ripped to shreds. All over my neighbors yards. I never did find my little bucket I keep the clothespins in. Even though most my family lost power, we actually didn't.

Now, fast forward to Wednesday night. My sister had just gotten her power back on and WHAM, in comes another storm. Laish and Emma were gone to their PA grandparents so we didn't have to deal with them being scared. Aaron and I sat outside for awhile just watching the storm come closer and closer. Until all of a sudden it grew very dark and windy and rainy. They claim there 5 tornadoes in all - one was just 1-2 miles down the road from us but we only lost power for a day and that was it. I'm posting some pictures of the destruction that happened downtown on 8th street bc we know people there. But if you get a chance to look at other pictures. It's amazing the power of a storm!

Who's Your Daddy?

Aaron is getting ready to go on a trip. It's been a long time since I can remember him escaping life and heading to the mountains. He leaves with his buddies on Saturday to venture out into this world, to Ohio, to Hershey, PA and to his beloved mountains in Virginia. The week ahead looks wild. Work, babysit, Bible study, babysit, be with my kids, work and work & play. He's checked his list which included asking people to mow so I wouldn't have to and probably asking other things that I unaware of. He made sure to fix the van's a/c before he left with the BMW so me and the kids were taken care of. Who's the man?

It's close to Father's Day and my heart is so in love with this man. He works. Hard. He loves his children. A lot. He's not your typical guy - he does the laundry and the dishes. He mows our lawn because I hate our mower. I love that he doesn't get a new mower just because it's not self-propelled. He's simple. It's fine. He unloads the dishwasher because I don't like to. (You might be wondering what the heck I do all day????) I know that I have more free time as a Mother to spend with my children and that is such a precious gift. Thank you, babe! Thanks for making sure you kiss me at the beginning and end of each day. I love your tattoo. Well, both of them but I love the bird floating on your back. Your back full of muscles. I trace it when he sleeps, unware of my touch!

Enjoy your trip, babe, your Phish shows and your buds. Me and the kids will miss you....

La Escuela es Terminado

Yesterday was Emma Jae's last day of school. Me, Aaron and her Grandpa Shetler all attended the big event. They 4 Kindergarten classes all sang 2 songs: This Little Light of Mine and Big, Big Dreams. Then we went to her classroom to watch her teacher hand out diplomas. Then we made sure to get all the phone numbers we needed for the summer so she can have play dates with her closest friends. Someone asked me if I cried. I didn't. Should I have? Her teacher pulled us aside and said, "Emma.....well, she's perfect." Aaron wanted her to record that on video tape. =) I am blessed to have such a "good" child! She excels in school - goes above and beyond. She is learning Spanish on the Rosetta Stone DVD's our buddy Zac gave us years ago since he works there as a graphic designer. In her spare time, she likes to write and color. She found a real mailbox in our basement that Aaron and I never used, brought it upstairs to her desk where it sits waiting for mail from me. It's a fun game she began. If the flag is up then either her or I have mail. She loves to get mail!! And read read read. She told me last night she's bored at school. Sigh. Hopefully 1st grade will bring some new challenges because I certainly am NOT homeschooling. Here's some pictures of Emma and friends..

Emma and Mrs. Pfenning

Emma and her best friend Brooklynn (and her twin sister Chloe not pictured)Litzy, Emma and Camila

(Emma has been to Camila's house for her birthday party and to Litzy's for her birthday party and again for a play date. They played hide and seek with Litzy's brother Marvin who is 3 years old while Litzy's older sister Mitzy babysat for them)

Emma and Joseph (isn't he so cute?)

Emma and her friend & neighbor Fernanda

Emma can never take a serious picture. Remind you of anyone??? (Aaron......)What a punk

Was 'sup?

Okay so I'm realizing how hard it is to actually keep a blog with only internet at work. Sometimes I get so jealous of the fancy blogs and fun things people can spend time online doing. Then I realize I don't really need another addiction. The blog was to keep far away family up-to-date with things, NOT see how I rank in the blog world. (Which is why Aaron and I are spending our date night at my office on the internet). So....with that in mind, here's the latest happenings in Detwiler-ville, Goshen style.

Winter is over. (I think. Today I turned the heat on.) Ice is gone. Kids enjoyed the ice-sculpting this winter downtown. You will see here a beautiful sculpting of the maple leaf that so wonderfully represents our city. And some other stuff.

Neighbors. What would our kids do without neighbors? We are surrounded. Childless, we hated it. Now, we love it.

Laish accidentally got whacked in the top of his head with an aluminum bat by a neighbor kid. (Not his fault). But that scared the crap out of me. There are still blood drips on our patio to remind me of that moment of chaos and horror as I grabbed the first thing I could find - a kitchen towel. Put that on Laish's screaming head and helpless watched Emma and the other kids watch me panicking. Emma always cries and freaks out like me and I felt so helpless that I couldn't comfort her. Laish is a rock. He probably just cried because everyone was freaking out that blood was coming out of his head and rolling down his face. He probably didn't even feel any pain, to be honest. Don't ask him to look at his head. Just like you don't sing Happy Birthday to him or ask him to wear pants. He's got some issues. Jakin, the boy who hit him, went home crying because he felt so bad. I told that to Laish and Laish later told me to "go tell Jaking that I'm okay and that I forgive him." The newest thing is to climb the roof of the play house that Pop Pop built. I hate it but geez, what are you gonna do? Especially when Aaron does it with them?

I'm getting my baby fix watching Carly every Tuesday. Some friends we met through Aaron's work. She is the sweetest thing in the world and besides some mishaps where Laish likes to think he can pick her up, all is well.

Emma, our love, is so awesome. I can't say enough about her. She goes to her bed when we say. Sleeps all night in there. Wakes up great for school. LOVES school. Reads like a champ. She's kind of bored reading chapter books already. Obeys us for the most part. I'm learning to enjoy her personality so much more. She loves to tease and joke with us. Always smiling (or bossing Laish). She wrote me a Mother's Day card at school about how she loves my "brownyes and monster cookies". She loves her cousins and her "boyfriend"/neighbor Damon. (sigh). Lord, help us.......

Why are you Good, Friday?

I left my family at home this Good Friday. Some sleeping. Some awake. It's holiday so no school and most people don't work. We have no internet at home so I am sitting here at work before the one therapist comes in today, and I have a few moments to prcoess my thoughts. Friday's I get to drive the BMW to work since Aaron doesn't go in until noon and so I always feel extra special Friday mornings speeding around, feeling like I'm on the top of my game. I drove to the local Martin's Supermarket which I never do. Grabbed muffins for breakfast and a Latte at the Starbucks inside. The lady was so sweet and chipper and even said I could ring up my muffins at the Starbucks counter. Man, was today starting off good indeed.

Yet I sit here in my chair with a heavy heart this morning. Why? It's Good Friday, the day Jesus was carried to the cross and hammered to it as if he wasn't a human being. How is this a good day remembering that? I asked my kids all this week about Easter. What does Easter mean to them? After the initial "it's like Christmas" or "Is the Easter Bunny real" - I tried not to get pissed off that I hadn't taught them better. Walmart's Easter is candy, eggs, bunnies, gifts, more candy. Why should I expect them to think any different?. I do. I laid in bed with them one night explaining the true Easter story. Their little minds were actually listening so intently - except for the random being whacked by Laish's lizard he was holding on to. By the time I was done, and let me tell you, I did a freakin' fab job telling that story - Emma was clinging to me with her head buried and crying. What a tender heart she has. I found her asleep in her bed last night with her new Bible that her Grammy and Pop Pop just sent her from PA. I had this rawness in my chest that made me just lay there kissing her, annoying her slumber with my tears dripping down her cheeks. My only prayer is they know and love You, Jesus. May Your will be done.

I was listening to a speaker one time up in Detroit, Michigan at a Soaking Prayer Conference with my mom, and she said, "I find such comfort in the gruesomeness of the cross." Her words stuck with me for these many years. Why is that comforting? That He suffered so greatly? I am a 34 year old who has suffered most my life with daily chronic pain. Just that word "pain" brings tears to my eyes. We sing a song in church that says "there will be a day with no more pain..". Every time we sing that, I hold back tears and savor the moment of wondering what life might be like without daily pain. For this reason, His pain on this day is so hard to comprehend. It means so much to me that He felt physical pain for me. Pain I will never begin to know. The loneliness it brings - that no one else can know what you must be feeling. The thoughts of just wanting to die so you don't have to feel anymore. Then my mind comes back to my children and Aaron. I would suffer this pain every day until I die just to have my children live a life God fully intended. Is this possibly a bit of what He must've felt? Did His love for us, for me, just overwhelm His pain? I may never know what He went through so many years ago but I thank Him. I thank, you Jesus, for the cross. Thank You for the cross. I want to just lay at it now, all bloodstained and gruesome, and just cling to it, begging You to give me some hope for this shattered world.

Sometimes I try to think of Easter as Spring and happiness because He rose again and we should celebrate this and yadda yadda yadda. This year, I'm ok with sitting in His presence at the tomb. Pouring ointment on His body and lovingly washing Him with my hair (or something else since I have little hair at this point). I want to touch His wounds and see the blood on my hands. I want to weep and just weep and weep in His bloodstained clothes. I want to be tired and hopeless next to Him, curled up so tight against His lifeless body that no one could tear me away.

"For it is by grace you have been saved. It is a gift." Ephesians 2:8&9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxFSIFRKtOs