This winter has been unusual in that we don't normally get the amount of snowfall that we have had. It ISN'T unusual for us to get a snowfall towards the end of February however, and this morning we awoke to a white world (as seen in the above picture taken out our front door this morning). We have two inches and the snow is still falling thick and fast. This pre-spring snow usually lasts a day at most, but with the weather the way it has been this year, it could last awhile longer. We'll see.

Mark has been SIQ (Sick In Quarters) for almost a week now. He ended up in the ER last Sunday morning and was diagnosed with Bronchitis and a viral infection. He has been fighting it with an array of drugs but he is still not getting better. He is at work today as he has duty, but they have given him an early, easy watch and he will get to sleep all night. The worry is that if he doesn't start to break up the junk in his chest in the next few days, it will turn into pnuemonia. His upper lungs are full and the day before yesterday his lower lungs were ok. That all changed yesterday when Doc listened to his lower lungs and determined that they are now getting yucky too. Lets all hope he can get rid of this bug before it gets much worse.

Paige and Ben are cuddled up on the couch watching movies and drinking hot chocolate. A perfect way to spend a snowy Saturday if I do say so myself!

Hope you are all staying warm and dry...
Hugs
Jaye

Happy Valentines Day!!

A few weeks ago, the kids agonized in the aisles at Target as to which set of cards they wanted to pass out to all their friends today. Paige wants them to be cute, but not mushy (heaven forbid!) while Ben just wants the ones with Candy attached to them! Both Paige and Ben are having parties in class today, which I know will result in them each bringing a bag full of 'character' cards home all proclaiming some level of love or friendship. I can guarantee that they will sit and compare each and every one while eating some sort of candy in a heart shape.

Sam is WAY beyond the age of passing out Valentines to all his friends, but still not too old to get a valentine from his dear old Mom (cologne and a dark chocolate chocolate bar!). He also has a long distance girl friend, so I am sure our phone line will be busy tonight!

Mark and I don't like to go 'out' on Valentines day. The restaurants are all too busy and crowded, so we usually plan a special meal at home and tonight is no exception. We have found a couple of appetizer type dishes that we are going to make (Grilled Asian Chicken Wings-to die for! and Sweet Chicken Bacon wraps - haven't tried these yet but they sound yummy!) and have rented some great movies and will spend the evening with the kids. We have a date night scheduled for this Saturday so that will be OUR 'valentine' date.

Every year, Mark has bought me a huge heart shaped box of chocolates. This year however, Mark and I have made major lifestyle changes and as a result have both lost weight (Mark has lost over 20 pounds and I have lost 11!) so I asked for the chocolates to NOT be around! Instead, Mark bought me a GORGEOUS arrangement of flowers and a wonderful new perfume by Ralph Lauren! I am thinking that this might have to be the start of a new Valentines gift tradition! Less fattening and lasts alot longer too! Of course, there is only one thing Mark wants for Valentines day (and Christmas and New years and Easter and....) but I am going to keep this blog G rated and won't get into it! Suffice it to say that he always gets what he wants! :)

We hope you all have a wonderful day celebrating it in your own way.....remember, Valentines day shouldn't be about the chocolate and the cards and the 'commercialness' of the Day, but about the many different kinds of love you have in your life!

Hugs to you all,

Mark, Jaye and Gang

It has been brought to my attention (Thanks Dad!) that I haven't blogged in awhile (he actually counted the days!). I figured that there hadn't been any major events lately, so there was nothing to really blog about. I stand corrected! :)

The kids are all doing well in school. Sam totally aced all his mid-terms and brought up EVERY ONE of his grades! He put in alot of hard work and did an outstanding job. We are VERY proud of him!

Paige has had her AR (accelerated reader) level raised. The kids are tested then given a level to start at in their reading program and they advance as they read books to their level and above. Paige started out at a mid-third grade level (she is in grade two). She was advanced yesterday and is now at a 4.0 to 5.6 level. Which translated means she is allowed to take books in the fourth grade to mid fifth grade level to read in the AR program. Her current 'at home for fun' book that she is reading is the first book in the Harry Potter series (yes, she is beyond the fifth grade level!).

Ben has been in 'extended kindergarden' now for the past month and is loving it! This is a program for kids who need extra help, or in Bens case, are biologically younger than the rest of the kids in his grade (he just turned five, while all his classmates are turning six!). He has blasted through all the work they have given him and is officially now a READER! Way to go Ben!

We've had some big health scares/accidents in the family. Dad ended up in the hospital because he was passing out. Turns out he has a vein that when too much pressure is put on it (in his case a bad case of coughing with a cold!) he passes out. I told him he better not fart! :)

Grandma Hazel lifted her laundry basket and fractured her back. She had surgery this past week and has recovered very well and Mom says she is like a new woman. I have decided that the risks associated with doing laundry are just not worth it. My kids need clean clothes. You know where we live!

Lisa decided it would be cute to go through a windshield. She had several CAT scans and MRI's....but turns out it was just a bad concussion. She spent a few days with Mom and Dad getting some extra TLC while everyone was working and at school and she is all better now!

Mark is still really busy with work and counting down the days till his new duty station! We are both busy with college (I currently have an A average after three semesters...I know..I know...all this and brains TOO! ) and I am also getting certified to be a state licensed child care provider. I will be doing an after school care program (no babies or preschoolers for me!) and I am really excited about this!

Shelby will be here over spring break and she is bringing her friend Ellie with her! We are soooo looking forward to meeting her and having fun with our big family! We are taking a little trip over spring break as well, and so I can assure you there will be plenty of fun pictures!

Life goes on at a hectic pace. Between kids and work and school, Mark and I don't get much of a chance to just 'be'. We are planning a few little day/overnight trips that don't include the kids so that we can continue to stay connected. It's hard to believe that this summer we will celebrate our ninth anniversary and still being silly in love! I am currently in the planning process of our tenth anniversary trip! The kids are NOT thrilled that they are N-O-T coming, but after ten years of no trips without them longer than overnight, I think Mark and I deserve it! :) Can you all pronounce U.S Virgin Islands? :)

Hugs to you all...

Mark, Jaye and Gang

Paige celebrated her eighth birthday by having her first 'sleep over' party. We had six girls (and Ben) arrive about 4pm on Saturday afternoon. After a few crafts and games, we had pizza and soda (sleepover must haves). after cake (shown below which Paige picked out of a magazine and I adapted to fit her penguin theme) and presents, the girls settled in to watch movies and do 'makeovers'.....all of this involved much giggling and laughter of course. By 1 am I was exhausted and lay on the couch in the living room with them hoping my presence would induce them to settle down and finally go to sleep, and my plan worked. They fell asleep within minutes!

We were surprised to see them all up and wide eyed by 8am the next morning. All the moms came to pick them up in time for us to head to church. I think everyone had a wonderful time and Paige received some LOVELY presents from all her friends who know that CRAFTS are her favorite thing of all. Thanks everyone...

Our next 'family birthday' is Shelby. Her birthday is a special Birthday this year- she officially becomes a Teenager. Yikes. While her actual birthdate is the Second of March, we will celebrate together as a family when she is out with us for spring break (end of March).

With each birthday that we have, we marvel at how quickly our children are growing. Katie will be 20 this summer. She is doing awesome living in Hawaii and going to school to be a vet. She is already doing surgeries and I am so proud of this girl I can't even put it into words. Sam will be driving soon, Shelby is teetering on teendom.....Paige and Ben are both in school (even though they were just born yesterday)....It won't be long and Mark and I will have a houseful of adults and young adults instead of 'kids'. As we watch these kids grow, we see the best and worst of ourselves in them.....and we hope and pray that they find their way in the world and that they find the true meaning of inner happiness. At the end of the day, that is all that any parent wants for their children.

Hugs,
Mark,Jaye and Gang

I was just reading on CNN this morning, that 2006 is the warmest winter on record. Well.....not if you live here in WA state! We got hit with more snow this morning...only a mere half inch. It WAS enough to cancel kindergarden for Ben, cancel school for Sam and have Paige start 2 hours late. The people in this state really are NOT used to snow...Mark and I have some good chuckles over it! :)

While the amount of snow was not that great, it is the temperature that is really amazing for here...it's quite cold out and it's noonish. The prediction is for it to drop into the single digits several times this week! Unheard of for here!

Meanwhile, back in WI, which is supposed to be cold and snowy and nasty, it is a balmy 60 degrees or so!WOW!

We took Paige out for dinner to the Olive Garden for her Birthday on the 5th (she turned 8). She is having her first sleepover birthday party next weekend, should be interesting! Her 'theme' this year is Happy Feet (the Penguin movie)....I will take pictures of her cake as I am making it myself this year with a new awesome recipe that I found!

Mark is counting down the days until he leaves the boat. He is looking forward to a new and interesting job! For those of you who don't already know what his new duty station will be, feel free to email us at pinger29@web-o.net to find out! :)

Hope all of you are warm and happy......I am off to Paige's school for an hour or so..and to enjoy the S-N-O-W!

Hugs
Jaye

Happy New Year to all our Friends and Family!!! I can't believe it's 2007 already....but I am happy...cause it means one really great thing (amongst others!)...only three years till Mark retires and we move to WI!!

So I couldn't blog about the New Year without talking about resolutions! I have several...some trivial...some big. I want to get healthy. This means lose a little weight, but mostly get back into shape. With kids and school and life in general, I have allowed ME to get put on the back burner. I turned 40 this year and so I need to get healthy again. A healthy ME will be a better Wife, Mom, friend! :)

I will finish my degree this year! Which means I will be using this year to get my feet wet in the legal world! Getting my degree with be THE biggest thing I've ever done (OTHER than have my children of course!) that will give me a pride beyond belief....I can't wait!

I resolve to learn to handle the 'difficult' people in my life with more Grace. To give them the benefit of the doubt. To undersand that their intentions may really be good. And if they really AREN'T good, I will still show them Grace. It will make me a better person in the long run, and I will get rid of so much 'drama' that comes with these people.

And I resolve to just enjoy life. I had a serious health scare last year. But I have been free of the illness for a year, and so I have been given a clean bill of health. But it showed me that life is too short and you never know when your time is up. I have been given the gift of more life. I don't intend to waste a second of it!

So Happy New Year to all my friends and Family. You are all important and special to me. I couldn't imagine starting the New Year without any of you!

Hugs...
Mark, Jaye and Gang