Ice, Snow & a stomach bug

A couple weeks ago, the world outside the Nest was covered with something our Florida babies had never seen before....."milk" as Owen called it when he first looked out the window.

They spent much of the morning in excitement watching every bit of sleet & snow that fell from above. Rob worked from home that day & started a little later than usual which provided the opportunity to post our "Snow Day Rules"...

Some took them fairly seriously which made for a little more fun while (mostly) trapped inside. I overheard Charlotte mediating a scuffle over a chair between two little guys. She said very sternly, "If you continue to fight over the chair, you must move outside." Ha! Like I said, some took it seriously ; ) She is ALWAYS drawing something & halfway through the morning I found her by the front door sketching Daddy's truck covered in snow.

The boys didn't know what to think about how it felt outside but bundled without mittens was enough to wander around & even mow the yard. We were happy when we realized that our old squirrel hunting boots for the girls fit the boys perfectly. 

"Bella Boo" as the boys call her was like a new pup with more energy than we have seen in years! The first morning when Rob let her out to go potty, she made it about 8ft into the snow, stopped & looked back at him like "what on earth?" It didn't take her long to realize how much fun it was to race across the yard as fast as she could & made us all laugh until she nipped Eloise's frozen finger. Her fingers were frozen because she insisted on wearing socks on her hands.

On that first icy day, Baby V #5 was our little family secret. 

The "more sleet than snow" melted & turned our back yard very muddy rather quickly & we were sad to see it go. Thankfully just a week later, a true "Snow Day" came along with a good 5 inches over the course of a morning! This time as the snow fell from the sky, sweet Owen was yelling "BUBBLES!" We bundled up again with Eloise coming to the realization that socks as mittens were not sufficient. She decided to just let her fingers turn into popsicles instead. She looked happy to me! As I am trying to remember which day was which, I am all confused & they are blending together due to a HORRIBLE stomach virus that took over our home somewhere after the following picture was taken & the last pictures were taken...more on that later. All I know is that even if Charlotte is not grinning ear to ear....this might have been one of the happiest days for our bunch since the end of February ; )

This was just as it began looking out from our front porch.

Anson would not stop eating the ice in fact all four of them could not resist. I just gave up....maybe that's where we got that virus? Anson with some ice & Owen practicing his death defying leaps off the porch. I was surprised he never injured himself & didn't mind that his footed jammies got wet when he crashed!

 I'm not sure where Owen & Anson got the idea to eat any of that stuff....

They were most excited when Daddy got home early & went outside

It's coming back to me now...the 5 inch snowfall happened overnight while Owen was the only one sick. We woke up to our Texan "winter wonderland" & the girlies were chomping at the bit to get outside! Sadly I was quite busy cleaning up vomit so it wasn't until nap time that I got them set up to head outdoors. Daddy got home early & got the girls outside to build a mini snowman & make some snowballs. The snowballs were a little painful to be hit by but we all enjoyed Bella catching them in her mouth when we tossed them up in the air! I loved the burst of cold weather but I much prefer warmth so I was happy Rob played outside & even grilled our dinner that evening. He also loaded the girls up & took them down to the waterfall section of the creek where Eloise was so excited to see "ice cream stones" aka icicles.

It turned VERY slushy after that day & Charlotte spent time kicking it up in the air & all over poor Bella. Soon our back yard resembled a complete mud pit you could have driven monster trucks through & there was no more playing outside for at least a week. It didn't matter anyway because a horrible stomach bug had entered our home & was ready to attack as many people that it could. 

I won't share all the gruesome details but in summary:

• Owen started it & threw up for 11 days total with a 36 hr break in there. He lived in isolation with a large blue tarp under his crib extended out 4ft on each side. He ended up having an Upper GI X-Ray series completed to check for a structural issue after all the projectile shows he provided at the dinner table. He was all clear on that front but continued to vomit & is now doing well with Zantac twice a day. The goal is to let him recover for the month then take him off. He's now eating like a horse making up for all those calories lost. 
• I called my parents crying when Owen started up again after I thought he was better. My mom was in the car within a couple hours & came to the rescue. We were thankful to have an extra adult around to allow me to be an attentive nurse to my patients & keep things moving around the house. She was amazing. 
• Charlotte was next but didn't start until day 10 following the first mass exodus of dinner from Owen's mouth. She took it hard & couldn't keep anything down for 48 hrs. She was in quarantine next to my bed. She slowly improved after much rest & recovered more quickly than the rest of us once she began eating. Her favorite part was watching lots of TV. 
• I joined Charlotte the following day & felt pretty crummy. It made since for me to keep taking care of her in hopes that no one else would be infected but it was rough. The worst part was when I would hear her start up & I would dive across my bed on my stomach to give her the bowl. YUCK! I slept as much as I could, prayed that no one else would get sick & watched so much Doc McStuffins that the theme song has been on repeat in my mind. Since recovering, I could not be more thankful for just the general nausea & fatigue that comes with early pregnancy versus that plus a bug. I left the house once in two weeks to go somewhere other than the doctor! Ahhhh! 
• Eloise moved into the infirmary before anyone was discharged & followed the same course as Charlotte with nothing down for 48hrs & lots of TV. She was the most miserable of all & it made me cry to sit next to her while she was sick. Poor girl, she requires hours of snuggles to survive a day & I was the only snuggler available. She has taken the longest to return to normal & just when we thought she was okay, she took a swig of milk yesterday & promptly returned it to the kitchen floor. I'm glad she is energetic & chatty now. 
• We began NEVER making anyone eat anything. If they took a bite of dinner & said "I'm not hungry" we would say "alright, no problem" while thinking we would be happy to avoid cleaning that certain meal out of someone's hair or the carpet. Okay, that was kind of gruesome...I'm sorry : ) Our bedroom had our king size bed in the middle with a twin on each side. It looks amazingly huge now. 
• Robby, Anson & my mom have immune systems of steel.....that's all. 

I want to bring this back around to the season of winter. You may remember a post called Autumn at the Nest where I shared lyrics from a favorite song called Every Season by Nichole Nordeman. Outside the Nest last November we watched the trees forfeit their leaves & as we experienced colder winds we reflected on what we were thankful for, past & present. The next part of the song is this....

And everything in time and under heaven 

Finally falls asleep 
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation 
Shivers underneath 
And still I notice you 
When branches crack 
And in my breath on frosted glass 
Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter 
You are winter

After a beautiful interlude between autumn & winter much like we physically experience, the music fades to simple piano for the first few lines. It reminds me of how I felt when I stepped outside the morning after it snowed. I looked from my porch to the creek. The air felt crisp, it was so very quiet & the scene before my eyes was stunning. There was no need for a loud chorus to proclaim the beauty before me. Just as she describes in the song "everything... finally falls asleep, wrapped in blankets white, all creation shivers underneath." It did look like a beautiful blanket covering the ground & I was shivering so I am sure what was below was shivering as well ; )

The tempo picks up & instruments are added as she sings of noticing God in simple things like branches cracking or breath on frosted glass but leading into the climax of the song, she sings of death providing "doors for life to enter" as winter changes to spring. Immediately I think of the pictures of friends who live up north that experience month after month of winter where much of what is covered actually dies before spring comes, unlike Dallas.  I also think of people around us or that we read of who are suffering as they approach death or experience the pain accompanied with losing loved ones yet recognize the entering of new life. This could be through the promise of an eternity in the presence of God or through the changing of circumstance when a chapter closes, another begins & the Lord remains faithful to provide what is best for us however that may look.

The final thought it brings to mind is what I believe this entire song revolves around....a life in Christ where He is revealing His glory & holiness every second of everyday to make us more like himself.

Death to Life, Christ on the cross to a Risen King, separation to regeneration, hopelessness to sanctification & glorification, dying to self to being ALIVE in Christ. What a gift to receive from our creator who reaches out to us when we can offer nothing in return.

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."

Romans 6:4-8

What we can see with our eyes as the seasons change from winter to spring is such a tangible way to understand something much greater. Our old self is put to death, we are no longer enslaved to sin without a way out but instead have been rescued & brought to a life that looks vastly different where we can know the God that made us. I pray that you, whether surrounded by snow or absorbing more Vitamin D in one day than we do in a winter month (you who reside in the Sunshine State) would be made new in Christ. This could be for the first time ever, returning after running from a God you can't actually ever get away from or dealing with a certain sin that is keeping you from a closeness with the Lord. It doesn't matter what season it is, He loves you, He brings you out of death & into life.

Autumn at the Nest

This morning started with the usual Special K breakfast or "Feh-shel" K as the girls once called it, milk was spilled (also a frequent occurrence). There was a moderate amount of screaming from O&A since Mommy can't move fast enough.  Once they were eating their oatmeal I finally got through on a call I had been trying to make. While I was away for about a minute & a half they poured the rest of their oatmeal out on the floor & I walked back in to Bella licking it up. Sidenote, whenever Bella is gone, I will want a puppy just for floor cleaning purposes but any of you who are reading this should convince me it would be easier to just clean the floor myself ; ) I cleaned up the boys & threw all the dirty dishes on the counter. Char asked if she could play with Bella in the backyard, Eloise followed. We bid farewell to Robby as he left for work....I could hear my inner voice yelling "Please don't leave! Stay with us!" but he was in the big red truck driving away as Owen & Anson watched from the window. When I peeked out at the girls, I noticed they had raked a massive pile of leaves onto the back patio. I was actually impressed! I looked at the dishes, the icky floor & a couple towers of dirty laundry & without much thought, I stepped out into the backyard. It is so nice to breathe some fresh air & take in the lovely season that is now upon us.  

I had looked through a Family Fun magazine I subscribe to & came across a photo of a hideout made from a box & covered with leaves. Their leaves (of course) were beautiful orange, red & yellow...they were probably fake. Our leaves are brown as brown can be. The girls thought it looked like just about the coolest thing ever. They have asked relentlessly if we can make one in our backyard but it wasn't until this weekend that we experienced the Pecan Trees surrendering most of their leaves to float down into our yard. I immediately thought "Today is the day!" I climbed up in the attic to retrieve one of our million moving boxes & cut out the peep hole. I realized that being only 24 inches tall, the girls would have to lay on their bellies to look out so, I headed back to attic to get another box. I made the necessary cuts & added some duct tape for reinforcement.  We decided that it would be most sturdy against the side of our house. We also put the kid sized adirondack chairs up against the other side for support. Then, me & my chickadees got to work moving the leaf pile to the hideout. In no time at all we had this....

With the added height of the other box, Eloise could stand up straight & Charlotte only had to hunch over a bit.  They said they were ready to squirrel hunt! Honestly, we could have a feast of squirrels from our own "land" and the best part...they'd never even see us coming ; )

The bubsters joined in. They look a lot alike in the first pic so I will go ahead & label...Anson on left, Owen on right. Once Owee took off, Anson found his thumb & took a break from the activity. 

 Then he decided that running through the leaves offered much more excitement!

Wagon rides are a must for playing outside...even if it just around the yard. Almost two year olds are so easy to entertain!

well only if you keep the wagon moving at all times...so pitiful.

The girls being quite domestic decided they needed some markers to make their hideout feel a bit more "homey." Eloise colored some leaves to put inside while Charlotte added a kitty cat & some flowers.

Owen got bored with the hideout pretty quick & took a stroll (ie speedy run away from mommy) down the side of the house. Here is the grin he gave me when he realized I was only steps behind.

He could hear cars going by in front of the house & was pretty darn excited to find a peep hole! 

I chased him back to the rest of the crew who were begging for me to rake all the leaves in a pile to jump in. Hilarious how it always sounds so good but is a bit painful when the pile isn't at least 2 feet deep! I certainly did make a large pile & certainly did not take into account the dog poop hiding underneath the blanket of leaves. So as not to talk too much about it I will just say that I did get to clean off some shoes & wipe down a camera that Charlotte set down without my permission....SICK! Anyway, the pile of leaves...poopie smell & all proved to be extremely fun!

I love the leaf stuck on Owen's head in the background. He was struggling to have a good time at this point in the morning.

He helped bury Charlotte then joined me on the sidelines to watch the leaf fight that ended with me having to break it up.

I faked being a really good sport when all four threw leaves on my head....it was hard to do as I pictured what I wiped off my camera moments earlier ; ) 

My buddy Owen who sat quietly on a rock next his mommy repeating "Leaf! Leaf!" over & over as we watched them fly brought a stillness to a moment that was anything but still.

With a deep sense of joy, I watched my little brood experience something new, something that they will remember as they grow & look forward to as the seasons change & something that God orchestrated in order for our playtime to happen. It reminded me of a song that when I think of, I am brought back to my first year at Texas Tech. My roommate Cheryl & I would turn this up quite loud & do some lyrical dancing (not a shining talent for either of us haha) when we hit our breaking point while studying for our pre- nursing course, Anatomy & Physiology. There were a lot of breaking points that year of studying which means a lot of this song & a lot of lyrical dancing ;) Oh how I loved being roommates with her! Never a dull moment.

This beautiful song is called Every Season by Nichole Nordeman.  I have chosen to share only the Autumn portion in this post but plan to cover each season over the coming year. 

And even when the trees have just surrendered 
To the harvest time 
Forfeiting their leaves in late September 
And sending us inside 
Still I notice You when change begins 
And I am braced for colder winds 
I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come 
You are autumn

It is lovely to be in a place to experience a bit of Fall, something we missed while having only palm trees in the Sunshine State. As I looked up at our trees this morning noticing how the "trees had just surrendered" I was thinking about change. I was thinking about all that has happened since last fall when we had no idea we would be abruptly moving, starting new jobs, dealing with multiple health issues & life change. In some ways it feels like we are experiencing the "colder winds" that we "braced for." We are missing friends & our CCC family which in turn causes us to "offer thanks for what has been."  There is much to be thankful for as we reflect on all that God graciously provided for us during our time in Orlando. Just to name a few: a church family that encouraged us in the Gospel on a daily basis, four children, a home where we were able to host others often, neighbors we connected with, the stripping away of pride within each of us as we learned to lead others & a deep appreciation of friends who feel like family when far away from what we called home. We can "give thanks for what's to come" knowing that God will continue to make us more like him, He will deepen relationships with friends & family here & He will provide all that we need. 

My prayer is that I will continue to notice Him when change begins, that I would reflect on his faithfulness & look forward to what is ahead. Turns out that neglecting the inside of the nest this morning might have been the best decision of the week!  Such a good reminder to just "take it easy" sometimes....easy on yourself, easy on the dirty house & easy on the kids...let them roll around in poopie leaves & add to the pile of laundry ; ) Praying that your week would offer reflection on all there is to be thankful for whether you are in a time of great joy or deep sadness or possibly both at the same time. Happy Autumn!