A few days ago we all celebrated the pretend marriage of Hannah Ross and Peter the Pan (again). Here you see Luke walking Hannah down the aisle. Hannah made her own flowers and other decorations. We even had a little reception with pretend food. Kids are so much fun!
A visit from Nana, GeGe and cousin Addison sure did brighten a short cold January day. As you can see, Luke has taken quite a liking to Addi. In fact he loves all of his cousins and talks about them regularly as he looks at their pictures. He is very apt to pick one of them as his invisible playmate and tells new people he meets that he has cousins.
We have also had a lot of snow and very cold temperatures this January. The kids have had only a few chances to play outside because of the extreme cold but really enjoy it. They both had their first taste of snow and thought that it tasted wonderful.
In other happenings, Hannah is continuing with Kindergarten and is almost done. She has really become a whiz at math and her reading is coming a long much better. Luke likes to join us with school and has learned his alphabet and can count to 12. It is hard to believe how much they are growing.
We did have a wonderful Christmas season enjoying special time with all of our families. Here the kids are spending time with Papa watching the train. The kids got so many fun presents and they are still having a lot of fun playing with them. John and the children enjoyed a beautiful and inspiring Christmas eve service. I had to work but was glad to get out early. We are thankful for all of the presents and most of all God's gift of his Son.
It's the most wonderful time of the year. We had fun last week decorating the house into a wintry wonderland. The weather outside has been frightful with much more snow than we usually get this time of year. We've enjoyed some silent nights listening to Christmas music and looking at the tree. Of course with only a few more than 12 days before Christmas we are bustling to get all the shopping done. We have hung the stockings by the chimney with care and have visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads. The kids have been asking for a hippopotamus for Christmas but I think that they will have to be content with their two front teeth. Away in our manager is Jesus on whom we really try to concentrate this time of year. It was in the little town of Bethlehem where a lowly and holy infant was born that changed our world forever. This Christmas take time to come and adore Him. He has given us great joy. It is the birthday of our king who gave his life to redeem us and bring us to heaven, to teach us about grace and love. One small child, isn't it amazing?
So, we wish you a Merry Christmas, A White Christmas, that you'll be home for Christmas and that Three Kings will visit you with gifts.
Okay, now many of you, having not seen the old bathroom, can not truly relate to the euphoria at having the bathroom finally finished. We have been in the process of remodeling it since February but it was worth the wait. We are very proud of it and are very thankful to friends and fathers who helped get it done. It is now nice and not falling apart and relects our style a little more.
A little out of date presently however, the kids did have a lot of fun decorating pumpkins this year. It was the first time they have done it and because I'm a little shy about pre-schoolers and knives, we decided painting was the way to go. Overall we had fun, even mommy decorated one. We had a beautiful fall here, very warm until late October.
Luke just recently learned how to swing! He climbed on the other day and asked Hannah to push him. By this age, Hannah was still afraid to try it for a long time. But Luke the fearless climbed up and wanted to swing like a "big kid." I can't believe how much he has grown. He is all boy! He loves to climb, run, swing, play rough, and especially loves to play tackle with daddy.
Hannah is really starting to do better now with school. She still whines about doing some things, like reading and math, but when it comes right down to it, she is really starting to catch on. We are over half way in her kindergarten year of homeschooling. We go about 4 days a week now.
In the next few pictures, Hannah was doing a science experiment with different sizes of straws and making a flute. Her and Luke both had fun playing around with it.
Perhaps one of the better surprises yesterday was how well she was reading her "Dick and Jane" book. Mommy and I bought this book several years ago as a novelty because we both learned to read with it. Now, after many frustrating hours of "reading" with Hannah, she is getting it. Here she is reading to mommy and Luke. She was laughing at "Baby," one of the characters in the book. Isn't life grand with your family? These are the moments we all cherish with each other.
It is so hard to believe that in a few days Luke will be three! He has already been through so much and has come so far along with his cleft lip and palette. His speach continues to amaze us all the time.
Here is a picture of his favorite character, Thomas the very useful train. Luke loves watching Thomas and anything that has to do with cars, trucks, machines, or your typical "boy" stuff. He is certainly all boy!
We asked Luke what he wanted to do for his birthday. He said he wanted to go see the animals. So we went to the Cleveland Zoo. Despite some of the construction going on up there, it was a fairly pleasant day and very few people around. We didn't have any problems seeing the animals at all. In fact, most of them were out in plain sight. Usually we go when it is a hot day and the animals are trying to stay in the shade or in their hiding sp
ots, but not this time.
Both kids really had a lot of fun. They were so excited the night before that they hardly slept, we almost decided not to go. But in the end we did and had a lot of fun. The best part of the trip was the drive back home. Both kids fell asleep shortly after we left, and well, daddy fell asleep the quickest. Poor mommy had to drive us all home and still stay awake herself. God was with us.
In the second picture Luke is being all "cool" like riding on daddy's shoulders. This is one of his favorite positions once he is up there. He perches and looks around.
The bottom two pictures are of Hannah and Luke climbing on some artificial termite mounds from the Australia area of the zoo.
The only dissappointing thing about the trip was that Hannah never got to see any elephants. It appears that they are completely redoing the pacaderm building by tearing it down, which they were in the process of doing while we were there. By the time it is done in 2011, it will be 4 times the old size and able to have more elephants as well.
On a personal note, I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much lately, but hopefully now that things are finally getting settled down, I will be able to do more. Blessings to all of you. Papa Eagle. (John)
Okay, for those of you with children, you know there is a huge difference in the way boys and girls act and behave. Our dear children are no different. This past week, our son, Luke, truly caught on to the act of sitting properly on the swing in our backyard. He now sits like a "big boy." When our daughter started swinging, she wasn't too sure about it at first and hated going very high, especially after a few falls on the hard ground below.
Our son? Not a chance! He is already saying "Higher daddy, higher!" The boy has no fear. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing at this point. The only thing he fears is a spanking, or so it seems. (We don't typically spank him very often at all, unless he has just pulled his sister's hair or bitten her arm.) So when we threaten him with a spanking, that is usually all it takes to straighten him out. Or at least while I, daddy, am around.
Mommy on the other hand has a harder time with him. He just doesn't seem to want to listen. Now far be it from me to admit this, but I think it is a "guy" thing showing up already at an early age. After all, do we as men really and truly listen to our wives like we should? Do little boys listen to their mommies? I think this is one of the hardest lessons we could ever learn in marriage and parenting. It isn't until something goes wrong that little boys come running to their mommy's arms for the love and support that we all need. Forget daddy, mommy is a much better hugger and snuggler when little boys are sick or hurt. But when it comes to doing crazy stunts, the boys always seem to "show" off for their daddies and long for their attention.
So what does that say about our Heavenly Father? Are we willing to really listen to His voice prompting us to follow Him in our hearts? or are we often times like husbands and little boys pretending to listen, but not really hearing the common sense God gave to our wives and mothers in sharing with us. That is why we need to really listen, to really hear what God whispers in our hearts and minds as we journey through life. We need to yield to God everyday, not just when we get hurt, but before we get hurt so we don't have to suffer the pain and consequences of disobedience. Life is too busy and so full of ways to distract us from our true purpose here on Earth. Are we really listening? Are we really hearing God's voice calling us to obedience? Or do we blow it all off until we get hurt by some of life's unfortunate and often cruel dealings.
So how do we really hear and listen to God's voice? We study His word, the Holy Bible. It isn't a series of many books that have no relevance for today's life. It isn't old fashioned or obsolete? Not at all. It is life and hope in a dark and weary world. It is the difference of facing the world full of energy like a little child versus being fearful of all the bad news we are constantly being bombarded with. The more I read and study the Bible, the more I am amazed at God's perfect love for all of us.
Not long ago at the Christian school I work for, all of the middle schoolers were pulled into a large room and shown a video byLouie Giglio. "How Great is our God." (You can see a portion of it on youtube.com or godtube.com) This video showed the Greatness of God and how we were created, not evolved, by a loving God. How do I know this? Maybe instead of telling you, you should check out the above video for yourselves and look up "Laminin." Perhaps one of the most phenomenal videos I have ever seen. Laminin is the protein adhesion molecule that literally holds our bodies together. It is found in everything we were created to for. God holds us together, from the beginning of time with this tiny protein that would make many evolutionist cringe in their seats, because there is no denying that our bodies, our earth, our universe was fearfully and wonderfully made to "listen and hear" about God's great love for all of us "sinners."
Well, school has started at the Ross household and summer things are winding down. John is enjoying his new position at the Christian school as computer teacher along with the 5 on-line courses he teaches. Needless to say, he is very busy (not to mention he is Jr-high youth leader and Adult Bible Fellowship leader).
Hannah is getting back in the school groove better than I thought. We did some school off and on over the summer so it wasn't a complete shock. She loves to learn certain things but still doesn't like to have to work to hard at anything one thing. She also started back at gymnastics and is on the big equipment now learning "big girl" moves (as she calls them).
Luke is potty trained, I could shout it from the mountain tops. I am very proud of him and it was very painless. He is a smart and growing boy. Lately his favorite thing to say to me is, "Mama, you're my best friend." It doesn't get any better than that.
My washing machine broke today in the middle of the first of 5 loads of laundry, this with company coming. I got a little bent out of shape and then God reminded me of something. I need to learn the difference between an inconvenience and a tragedy. I am ashamed to say I acted as if it was a tragedy. I am thankful though to be forgiven and to learn.
We recently enjoyed a wonderful camping trip to the Hocking Hills in southern Ohio. 
We had great weather and the different sights we saw were breath taking. We did a lot of hiking and playing, as well as bonding as a family.
In other news, we are gearing up for the school year again. Not only in continuing kindergarten with Hannah but John will also be teaching at a local Christian school this fall. He is excited and we are getting his class room and such ready. Hard to believe that it is almost back to school time.
We are thankful to God for the new job and the wonderful vacation. To think that H made all of those beautiful mountains and caves just for us to enjoy.
A lot has happened since last blogging. Part of the hold up is the fact that we have lost our camera and therefore had no pictures to inspire a blog. I should write anyway I know, but it seems more boring.
The kids have been up to wonderful good things and are as cute as ever. As you can see from these pictures they did a little fishing lately. 
For father's day we spent time at the Shira's. They have a stocked pond and Uncle Aaron taught the kids to fish. They both caught at least one and here they are with their prizes. I'm not sure exactly what Luke is crying about but I remember overall he had a good time.
In other news, Hannah completed a week of Safety Town and VBS this summer. She also finished her gymnastic program with a big show. She did well and her costume was very cute. If we ever find our camera we will post some pictures.
We took a small vacation to New York to spend time with my Grandmother and pick up our new camper. We are very excited about that and can't wait to go camping soon. The kids had a good time playing with their Great-grandmother whom they didn't know very well. I think they made fast friends with her though.
Luke has grown a lot this summer. Not only in stature but in language and skills. He remains very silly with a great sense of humor. The other days he was yelling out "I'm Stuck!" When we finally found out where he was we knelt down to see him under our bed. As I lifted up the blankets and looked under I hear a happy little voice say, "Hi, it's me". It doesn't get cuter than that.
We have had a lot of fun planting a vegetable garden and watching our tomatoes grow. They are doing well as are our new flowers. We continue to work on the bathroom and are confident that it will be finished before New Year. The summer is flying by as always with wonderful memories. Thanks for taking time to share in them with us. We always welcome emails and comments about your lives.
We had the opportunity to visit an open house at the local fire station. Of course the children had a good time and learned what fire and ambulance trucks look like. 
They played some games, got snacks and balloons, and met many firemen.
As you can see from Luke's hat, we have high hopes for him. Not that I want to put unrealistic expectations on him but he's a smart kid, and so far Hannah still wants to be a tight-rope walker. Not much of a retirement for us with that income.
Notice how all of the toilet paper is in the bowl and none of it is on the roll? 
We are potty training a little boy, no further explanation necessary.
Time for an update: We are back home and have been since last Thursday night. Below is a picture of the offending microwave and the hotel room. Our house still doesn't smell quite right. It is a mix of chemicals, a little sour smell once and a while and the ionizer smell. I'm trying to get used to it.
We are still trying to get everything put back away. The cleaners brought back all of our textiles and shoes and such Monday; 10 huge boxes full. Makes me think we have to much stuf. It is a good time to sort it out but it was not in my time schedule. We are also still dealing with the insurence company. They are being a little lazy about all this and doubtful at the things they need to replace. 
We are still very grateful that this whole affair wasn't more serious.
This is Hannah's new hair cut. She had decided a while
ago that she wanted it shorter. After getting used to it, we love it. Here is what HJ herself has to say, "I love my haircut and it's so best. It is so great. My mom and dad love it. I love all of you very much."
We are currently a displaced family. Due to a microwave malfunction, we have a lot of smoke damage to our house. Currently it is unlivable. We are here taking out what doesn't stink to move into a friends basement for a while. We are very thankful that no one was hurt but are facing a long cleaning and restoration process. Please pray for us as we adjust to a new living situation, financial stress and decision making.
Mommy had off from work this week.
I don't do this often but I tried something new and took a week off from work and stayed home. No stressful trips to pack for and long hours in the car. Just a nice week at home with my family. It was lovely. The stress of work melted away quickly (at times replaced by the stress of children) and I was filled with excitement over being able to spend the whole week home.
On Tuesday we did take the kids to the zoo (picture at left). The weather was wonderful and all the animals were out sunning themselves. The kids had a great time as did my sister-in-law and her daughter. Hannah's Eli, (stuffed elephant) also had a good time visiting her relatives.
In other news, we are moving ahead in the remodeling of the bathroom. It has been torn apart since mid-January and I am about to go nuts with it. We have finished painting and all that is left in to put up bead board, a new floor and counter top. Not much at all really. My dad is coming this week to help out a little with everything. When we get it done we will put up before and after pictures so everyone can be amazed.
My husband and the church youth group took part in a wonderful activity last night. The youth group was divided up and warned that they would be followed and perhaps captured in the course of the night. They went out to dinner and then to certain secret places for worship services. During the service the government (actual marines from our church) captured certain youth and interrogated them on what they were doing and about their faith. Of course this was only a mild representation of what underground churches all over the world go through daily. It reminded the youth that they are blessed to live in a country that has freedom of religion (although at times that freedom is being threatened) and made them aware that everyday Christ-followers are being imprisoned and killed for their beliefs. To hear the youth speak of it afterwards, it made a huge impact on them. They were left with the question of whether or not they would stand up for Christ under threat of death. We all need to ask ourselves this question. Are we ashamed of our faith or willing to loose everything for the glory of God?
Jesus gave everything so we could know the glory of eternal life with God.
