Post overload!

Ok, I got WAY behind on the blog the last 3 months- here is my attempt at catching up. I tried to highlight the big stuff, the funny stories, and the good pics :) There are a lot of posts, so sorry about that! Ha! Hope everyone is doing good, would love to hear from you all!

Weekend in Seattle

Presidents Day weekend we got out of dodge and drove up to see another Hughes family that we love! We had a great time hanging out in Seattle with Adam, Bridget and Brady. Fun, relaxing, and even got to see some sights. The kids all had fun playing together!

Meeting Molly and Sam

Our new niece and nephew arrived a few weeks ago, and we finally got to go meet them! Amazing, beautiful and tiny little miracles! And it's ALWAYS fun to see my nephews, who seem HUGE now next to these babies- congrats Crystal, JD, Austin, Jack and Charlie on the two new additions to your sweet family!

Me and Samuel John

Ben with Molly Rose

Austin and Emma catching up over some Orange Floats

My mom with all EIGHT grandkids- so fun!!

Jack and Ben holding babies and talking basketball

Charlie and Katie- best buds

Emma with Molly- she is SO HAPPY to have another girl cousin!

Ben and Katie contemplating life

My kiddos!

What's been going on with Miss Emma?

Emma wants a cell phone pretty bad. And since THAT’S not going to happen for a LONG time, we let her download a free app on her Ipod that let’s her text those that WE say she can text J Dave and my mom helped her get it set up yesterday. It’s not a cell phone by any means, but she thinks it’s pretty darn cool.
When we got back last night, Emma asked, “Hey mom, can you sit with me at the kitchen table?” I thought maybe she wanted me to keep her company while she finished her homework, so I said “Sure!”
We sat down, she whipped out her Ipod, and said, “Awesome, now we can sit and text each other!”
“You mean instead of TALKING to each other?” I asked.
“We do that all the time”, she replied, “this is WAY more fun!”
I’m hoping the novelty will wear off- I got a text from her at 9:30 later that night that asked if I could bring her some ice water….starting to wonder what we’ve done…

She also just finished her first basketball season! She had a great time, and improved sooo much! She went from crying in the middle of the first practice, to actually dribbling and passing in games! Here are a few pics from the season:

AND, Emma got to go to her very first DANCE! And she had the best date of all- her dad! Dave took Emma to the father-daughter dance at her school, and they had a great time...good memories for them :)

Life is good for this spunky 3rd grader of ours!

Miss Kate

** Breaking News**
Katie is potty trained!!! I could NOT be more thrilled about this! NO MORE DIAPERS in our house! We actually tried to start potty training her last summer, but she was SO stubborn and freaked out by it, we just backed off- she wasn't ready. And then 3 weeks ago we tried again. After a couple days of accidents, she figured it out- and hasn't looked back. She's even been waking me up at night to go potty- awesome!!!
Here a a few stories about her:

Katie would not help pick up her toys yesterday, so I told her to go sit on time-out. She stood there staring at me so I said again, in a very stern voice- “Go sit on time out right now.”
The tears welled up in her eyes and she said, “Mommy, don’t talk frustrated at me, because I’m beautiful.”
Oh, boy….

Katie yelled from the other room, “Mom, I want some juice!”

I peeked around the corner and said, “Is that how we ask for juice?”

She paused and then said, “Oh. Sorry. I want some juice right now!”

I love 3 year olds. Most of the time.

At the library today Katie made a new friend. I watched from the other side of the room as a little boy walked up to her and said, “You want to be friends and read together?” She said “Sure!” and they sat down to look at a book about pumpkins. I love how it’s so easy to make friends when you’re little and don’t have any insecurities yet- wish it was that easy for us adults..

Anyway, about 5 minutes later she came running up to me and told me she had to go #2 really bad. “Ok, lets go.” I said.

She ran back over to the little boy and told him very seriously (and loudly), “I have to go poop right now but when I come back we can still be friends.”

He hardly glanced up from the book and said, “Ok.”

The next time I meet someone new, maybe I should skip the boring pleasantries and just tell them I have to poop but still want to be friends…it worked well for Kate…

She's pretty amazing, but I'm biased...

The Captain

Here are a few recent stories about Mr. Ben (AKA Captain- as he sometimes dubs himself):

This morning we were calling it close to get to school before the first bell. As I pulled up to the front doors for the drop-off I told Ben (who had never been late before) that if the bell rang before he passed the office, he would need to check in there. “I know what to do mom“, he said confidently as he waved goodbye and followed Emma into school.
Now fast forward until tonight. As I am tucking him into bed I asked “So, did you have to check in at the office this morning?”
He took a big deep breath. “Yes, and it was SO embarrassing. Why have you never practiced my last name with me?” He stared at me. I was at a loss for words.
“So, what did you say when they asked you?”
“I just said what came to my head- I’m Ben David Nicole. They looked at me kinda funny,” he said.
“Sorry buddy, that’s rough,” I told him.
“That’s why we HAVE to practice my last name from now on!” He said with conviction.
“Ok, but I thought we’ve been practicing that for the last 6 years,” I said, “But apparently we need a little more practice”.
“Yep, we do.”

We went to the store to get a few needed groceries, and Ben decided to take what was left of his birthday money with him. He had exactly $4.oo hot in his pocket. As I was scanning the magazine racks, I heard an excited squeal of delight.

“Mom, I found The Green Lantern! They have it here!” He came running over clutching the movie. (He had been searching for this for a few days.)

“Oh, very cool. But how much is it? “ I said giving him THE look.

“Well, it’s $10...But if you buy it for me I PROMISE to pay you back and talk more respectful all the time!”(We’re having a little trouble with this right now). He said all this with 100% sincerity in his voice.

I stood leafing through my magazine, avoiding eye contact while contemplating this major decision. “I’m not sure, I gotta talk to the big guy about this one.,” I finally said while giving a head nod in the direction of Dave.

A few quiet seconds passed and then I looked down at Ben. He was looking up at me wide-eyed. “You mean God?” he asked. “I sure hope He says yes.” Then  he walked away I’m assuming to give me a chance to pray right then and there.

That’s not who I was talking about, but I’m sure glad Ben knows we can talk to God about anything…

As the kids sat down to dinner tonight they were fighting like crazy-about EVERYTHING. I said, “Stop talking to each other! Don’t look at each other, don’t touch each other. Stop making each other mad!”

They sat sulking while Dave and I put the food on the table. Things were going smoothly until it was time to pray. Emma and Ben both asked to pray. Emma went first and said the standard “Thank you God for this food” prayer. I started to feel good, like this might be a good family meal. 

Then Ben bowed his head and said very loudly, “God, I pray that Emma will start being nice to me. Amen.” (insert chaos again).

I’m pretty sure he had that planned the minute I told them to be quiet, but maybe I’m being over dramatic…

A look back at Disneyland-and what I learned

“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise."
C.S. Lewis

It’s been 38 days since we got back from Disneyland. And this is the first time I have convinced myself to re-live the trip and write about it- not because I intentionally like to torture myself, but because I needed to see every bit of good amidst all the bad.
As most of you know, I couldn’t even post the pictures from our trip (the few we had anyway) let alone talk about it much. I think I cried for a week once our plane touched down in Portland. But God has been working on my heart through all of this- even when I’ve been fighting Him every step of the way. I learned things about myself that needed to change, I’ve learned a lot about trusting in God’s perfect plan, and I certainly learned where every single bathroom is at the happiest place on earth.
But before I lay out what’s on my heart, I’ll give you a quick re-cap of our much anticipated trip to Anaheim, California. (especially for those reading this that have no idea what I’m talking about so far-ha!)
Travel Day-
  Spirits are SKY-HIGH! The trip we’ve been dreaming about for years is finally here! We pick up the kids from school and head to the airport.
**Highlights**
-no one cried going through security (believe me, it’s happened before)
- The kids cheering when the Flight Attendant came on and said, “And for our passengers going to Disneyland, have a great time!” So far, the trip was perfect.

 
Day 1-
Up bright and early ready for Disneyland! The kids were in complete awe and amazement as we walked down Main Street.
My first clue that something ominous was about to happen? I fell off the Dumbo ride.
YES, go ahead and read that sentence again- because it’s TRUE. Not while it was spinning, of course, but totally fell on my face climbing out of it while everyone waiting in line watched me. Maybe we should have called it quits right then and there…
**Highlights**
-Ben lost his tooth coming out of Star Tours
-Emma rode the Matterhorn 4 times
-Katie yelling, “I love this ride so much!” and the top of her lungs on Pirates of the Carribean.

Day 2-
Ben woke up and puked. I walked a mile to Target to get medicine. I walked a mile back. I started puking. No Disneyland today. I don’t remember much else.
**Highlights**
-Dave took Emma and Kate to Downtown Disney to sit in the sun. Apparently that was really fun, assuming the alternative was listening to heaving back at the hotel.
-It was AWESOME to try and use what little Spanish I know to explain to the poor housekeeping lady that our bed sheets and towels were covered in vomit. I wanted to hug her and say how so very sorry I was. While she cleaned our room I held Ben out in the hallway and tried to not dry-heave. (Later he told me it was fun spending time with me all by himself- kids are so positive).

Day 3-
We tried to go to California Adventure in the afternoon. We bought $50 worth of corn dogs and milkshakes that no one ate, and stared at the Mickey Wheel that no one wanted to go on. We visited EVERY bathroom in the park on this day.
**Highlights**
-The kids rode Helmets Chew-Chew train 5 times because it was slow and didn’t spin.
-We watched the Pixar parade and got to meet Lightening McQueen.
-We learned that it is entirely possible to walk miles and miles carrying kids while feeling naseuos and breaking out in cold sweats.

Day 4-
Emma woke up at 3am throwing up. Katie also threw up but mainly because our room was so disgusting. Dave took Katie to Disneyland in the morning and I took Ben in the afternoon. Emma does not remember this day.
**Highlights**
-Katie dancing with Mary Poppins
-watching Jedi Knight training with Ben
-watching the fireworks from our hotel room while sipping ginger ale and eating saltines. The occasional barfing noise in the background just added to the ambiance of the evening.

Day 5-
Tried California Adventure again. We had to rent another stroller because Emma was too exhausted to walk. Ben couldn’t even eat Cotton Candy. Dave almost passed out in the middle of Buena Vista Street. We mostly sat in the sun and didn’t talk much.
**Highlights**
-Watching Aladdin
-no one threw up while we watched Aladdin
-seeing Katie’s face as she watched the Disneyland Parade

        Day 6-
Dave wakes up sick. He can’t even sit up. I didn’t know what to do. There was  no way we could all be holed up in a tiny hotel room all day. I make the long walk over to the parks with Katie. Then I walk back and get Emma and Ben a few hours later. We all just want to go home.
**Highlights**
-Buying Ben an $8 hotdog and then realizing ½ an hour later that we left it on the condiment table. So I bought him another $8 hotdog that he promptly dropped on the ground after a few bites. I asked him if those 3 bites were worth $16- he said “Yes”.
- Riding CARS with Emma and Ben
-watching Katie meet Tinkerbell and Aurora

Travel Day home-
Katie wakes up sick. I almost kiss our taxi driver because I’m so grateful to be going home. We make it through 2 plane rides only by the grace of God. Dave is so sick he only has enough energy to look straight ahead and carry kids and suitcases when he has to.
**Highlight**
-As our plane began its descent, we left the warm sun and slowly entered into a thick layer of clouds. Ben looked out the window at the thick fog and rain and said, “Now it feels like home!”

So, there ya have it. Even as I write all this I can’t believe it happened this way. But I am slowly- slowly- seeing some humor in it all. Dave and I have been through a lot together, and this week was another doozy. But we survived, we pulled together, and maybe one day we’ll realize that this trip wasn’t about breaking us- it was actually about strengthening us.
It wasn’t the trip we had planned. NOTHING about it went how I had pictured in my head. But I’m not the one in control. Even though I want to be. And that’s one of the things God is teaching me. I did everything in my power to make this trip a success except give it over to God. I’m not saying that He was punishing me, I’m simply saying I needed to learn from this. I’m not in control and sometimes hard things need to happen in order for us to grow. I love the saying “It’s not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” SO TRUE.
God has also been speaking to my heart about something else. I put a lot of stock in this trip. A LOT. For years I had only dreamed of being able to take the kids to Disneyland. Then as it became a possibility, I began to think this trip was going to be the answer to everything. The last year had been pretty rough. Katie was sick a lot, and had to have surgery. Emma had been dealing with insomnia. We had lots of family things we were worried about and  Dave had been working really hard. We were TIRED. Emotionally and physically.
We needed a break, and for the months leading up to the trip, I thought it would solve all our problems. It was all I was thinking about, and all I was putting my hope in. Have you ever wanted something that bad? I desperately wanted to reclaim some sort of peace for our family, and I thought this trip was it. It was going to renew us.
But my hope was in the things of the world. And that’s what God has been telling me since we got back. My intentions were good but my focus was not in the right place- My hope should be in God. All along God was there, waiting for me to put my hope in Him, to know and understand that HE was what I needed- what my family needed. 1 John 2: 15-17 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”
Now, I’m not saying that a trip to Disneyland is bad. Or that buying a new car or clothes is bad. Those things are fun and special. But it’s our attitude about these things that matters. I hadn’t intentionally left God out of the equation, but I desperately knew I had things to learn from this trip. God is our refuge and our strength. He alone can renew us in the way we need. He is our hope. Not a theme park. Not a new house. Not those awesome shoes in the mall window. These things will make us feel good for awhile, but they will not solve our problems. God will always be there for us.
Always. Put you hope in Him.

Cry out to Him

Psalm 142:3 says, “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way.”

A couple days ago I got in the shower- and I cried. A LOT. The shower always seems to me like a good place to cry, for a few reasons:  I don’t have 3 little faces looking at me with worry, I can sort through my thoughts in the quiet, and there’s something about the water washing away my tears that is very comforting.
There wasn’t one thing in particular that was wrong. It was more like a lot of little things. The last few weeks had just seemed like they were sapped of joy. You know what I mean? The kind of days that run together and nothing seems to go right. The I-just-want-to-make-it-to-bedtime-so-I-can-sleep-again kind of days. The kind of days that the devil LOVES.
I’m not sure when the sadness started creeping in. Maybe it started last month with the horrific news of what happened in Newtown. Innocence lost. Mistrust in mankind. Maybe it was a much anticipated trip that didn’t go at all like we had planned. 15 days of sickness. A paycheck that came with less money. Concern for our family. Maybe it was ALL of these things combined.
But that morning, while I cried it all out, I suddenly remembered something I had read in my Beth Moore Bible study- it was like I was SLAPPED in the face with it. We are studying the life of David and Beth says this- “No better time arises to count our blessings than when we’re tempted to believe we have none.” 
I kept crying but also started praying. The water was getting cold but I didn’t care. I had a lot of self-pity to confess, and a whole lot of blessings to thank God for. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times, O People; pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.” Believe me when I say this: I wasn’t holding anything back. I let it all out- the good, the bad, and the ugly. He wants to hear it all- He wants us to be REAL with Him.
When I got out of the shower my situation hadn’t changed- but my heart had. Hope was making it’s way back in. I realized that I may never know why things happen, but God does.
I was feeling a little like David, I guess. I was scared. But God is teaching me a lot through studying the life of this man. Beth Moore writes, “David knew God had given him the power to subdue all three enemies (a lion, a bear and Goliath), so why did he feel overwhelmed? It may have been because he had never battled a secret enemy. This time he had members of Saul’s entourage pursuing him with secret schemes.”
We may not be getting up and physically going to war, but believe me, we are battling an unseen force. All day. Every Day. I want to tell you something: I fully believe it is NOT a coincidence that every time I sit down to read my Bible a fight breaks out between my kids. It is NOT a coincidence that every Sunday morning and Wednesday night we have utter chaos in our house. Satan wants nothing more than for us to walk through those church doors with frustration, impatience and regret. He would LOVE it if we were distracted. Mad. Bitter. TIRED. Sapped of Joy.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Just like David humbly admitted, “rescue me…for they are too strong for me.”, we also need to fall at the feet of God and tell him we need Him. Desperately.
7 ½ years ago my mom, sister and I were getting ready to leave for a young womens retreat. Along with a very good friend, we were going to be leading the music on this much prayed-for weekend. We had been practicing for months, and were so excited to see what God had in store. Just that morning I had called to finalize some things with my mom. Before we hung up I heard my dad yell “I love you, Nik” from somewhere in the background.
5 hours later I was putting away the groceries I had bought for Dave and Emma to have that weekend. The phone rang and this is what I heard - “Nikki, we lost your dad.” My mom’s voice was trembling on the other end of the line. “What?” I said, not quite understanding- I had just talked to him a few hours ago. Everything was fine. Silence. Then I heard the cries, the deep sadness, the confusion. And I knew- my dad was gone. In an instant. Just like that.
I don’t think any of us remember much about those next few months, except for holding on to each other tight and trying to hang on as we braved life without him. God was our strength through it all, even though we didn’t understand.
I often wonder why we spent all those months practicing beautiful ‘God songs’ (as my kids call them) and then never got to go on the weekend. The retreat went on anyway, and God worked wonders on a lot of girls hearts. But the question I always find myself asking is Why then? Why were we totally sapped of all our joy just before a mountain top experience? I don’t know. But God does. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
David didn’t know exactly how things were going to play out. But even as he ran from Saul, he fully trusted God’s plan. Sometimes we have to go through unimaginable hard times. I loved this quote from Beth Moore- “The tricky thing about God’s preparation is how He prepares us- even through trials. We find ourselves saying, ‘I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I never expected this’. Painless or painful, enjoyable or distasteful, God always works to prepare us to serve Him, but He rarely prepares us in ways we expect. As soon as we’ve learned one lesson, He brings another. He will continue to work in us until we see His face, because that, beloved, is the ultimate moment for which we’re being prepared. Make no mistake. Jesus will be worth it. Remember, He thought we were worth it too.”
My hope is that we can just lay it all out- talk to God about anything and everything. He wants us to communicate with him. We may not understand why things are happening, but we can rest assured that God is in control. There is an unseen spiritual battle and Satan is working SO hard to discourage us. Don’t let him! Get in the shower and cry it out if you have to, be frustrated, be confused- but talk to God about it. When you start to feel like God has done nothing for you, stop and think about what He did on the cross. And the many blessings He HAS given us!

Elf on the Shelf

     We have an Elf on the Shelf this year. His name is Sprinkles. Dave’s pretty sure I’m certifiably INSANE by taking this on, and maybe he’s right. I didn’t really NEED one more thing to remember to do. I didn’t really need more stuff to clean up.  I didn’t need to be up late at night planning our next move. I didn’t really need more responsibility.
    But I DID need to laugh. I needed to watch my kids eyes widen in excitement. I needed to hear squeals of laughter. I needed to smile and enjoy some Christmas magic. I needed to have fun. And that’s exactly what happened when Sprinkles came into our house. I don’t think the kids have stopped smiling.
    It does require a lot of brain power, though, and I’m still trying to figure out this gig. The kids have all responded in different ways. Emma is skeptical, of course, but thinks the Elf is HYSTERICAL. Katie mostly just likes to fling it around the room and try to feed it sugar cookies. But Ben- he has whole-heartedly fallen for this little Elf. He leaves food out for him, puts out books for him to read, and even writes him notes.
    The kids couldn’t find Sprinkles one morning. So Emma said, “We have to think like an Elf”. After about 5 minutes of ransacking the house Ben said, “Maybe he was hungry!” All 3 ran into the kitchen going through drawers and cupboards. When they opened the refrigerator there he was- propped up against some Egg Nog, jelly jar opened, holding a big spoon. I seriously don’t think I’ve heard my kids laugh that hard in my life. Music to my ears.

   
But Ben has required me to lay down some ground rules for Elf on the Shelf. He came and woke me up around 4:30 in the morning excited to see what the Elf had been up to. I said sleepily, “Bud, it’s dark out, you need to go back to bed. We’ll check in the morning.” He nodded and walked out. I should have known better. About 2 minutes later I heard a muffled scream and footsteps pounding down the hallway. I sat up and there he was again, breathing really hard.
    “Sprinkles is standing on the table staring at me!” He said in a loud shaky whisper. I tried to shake the sleepiness off. “What? Ok, I’m coming out.” I got up and followed him as he tiptoed to the kitchen. We peeked around the corner and sure enough- through the darkness it looked like a scene from Goonies or something.
    But when I turned on the kitchen lights there was Sprinkles, tied up to a 2 liter bottle surrounded by Army guys. Ben doubled over laughing, no longer scared out of his mind.

Anyway- new rule. They can’t go out to see what the Elf has done until morning.
They also can’t leave notes out telling the Elf to clean their rooms- this has to be done by THEM.
And the Elf doesn’t do homework either, much to Emma’s dismay…..
Stay tuned for more Elf stories…

Thanksgiving in Central Oregon!

We had a great time spending Thanksgiving with Dave's brothers and families! Thanks Mark and Thuy for hosting all of us! The cousins all had an awesome time playing together, lots of food, and the weather was great... I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving too!

Driving over Mt. hood was like a winter wonderland...kiddos were SO excited to see snow!

                                             We had to stop and throw a couple snowballs

The Bros- Mark, Dave, Brian, Adam

                        Kids table! As you can see, 2 of my kids did not want their pics taken..

              Brady and Ben- the stick collectors. These two could have been outside the whole time. if it hadn't                                                            been so cold we would have pitched them a tent!

                                             The guys hanging out at the Old Mill in Bend

        The girls doing some shopping- obviously Katie wasn't too happy about the picture taking thing again.

                               Hughes cousins (Brady was taking a nap)! Happy Thanksgiving!

                     And I sorta like this one A LOT :) She is very happy when she's with her daddy!

A good day

You know those moments you just wish would last forever? It's hard sometimes as a mom with 3 busy energetic kids to slow down and enjoy these moments. But I really try. Because I know that they pass quickly. I know I won't ever get them back. I only have this one chance to experience life with my kids. And on a beautiful fall day, there's nothing more I'd rather do than take a walk with my baby girl. We looked at every beautiful leaf, fuzzy caterpillar, and stray rock. We watched geese fly over our heads. She laughed at the way they "honked" across the sky. She twirled down the sidewalk like a ballerina, and talked about how much she liked chocolate milk. We had so much fun. It was a good day.

Wish list

   Usually I avoid the toy aisles at all cost. It’s just not worth the drama that inevitably comes from strolling through them with 3 kids. But today, I thought it might be fun to do a walk-through and get an idea of what the kids might want for Christmas.
   And surprisingly, they totally got into it without any temper tantrums. All 3 thought it was a blast to point out what they wanted on their Christmas list. (Quick DISCLAIMER: Don’t go out and do this just because I said it worked. Believe me, it could have been the biggest mistake of my life.)
   We had gone through the boy aisles, and were now smack dab in the middle of  Barbie and Littlest Pet Shoppe Heaven. Every few seconds I would hear a loud GASP, a muffled scream, a high pitched squeak with stomping of the feet. Emma was seriously dancing in the aisle as she pointed to everything she wanted to put on her list.
   “Oh my gosh mom this is THE Barbie jetboat I saw on commercial!”, “Oh man look at this SUPER cool Barbie that takes pictures! “Oh my word, seriously! I’ve wanted this my whole life!.” You get the picture. This went on and on.
   I stood there as she pointed to one thing after the other.
   “I know I’m not gonna get all this stuff, but I want to have lots of options,” she said seriously. I agreed that was probably a good idea. Then she let out another squeal, “A Barbie pool! I LOVE IT!” Then she turned to me and said, “Mom, I’m thinking that I’ll just put aisle E9 at Target on my list. That would be so much easier!”
   Now THAT’S thinking outside the box people….