Week Rundown! (09/21/14 - 09/27/14)

On Sunday morning, we got up and around making good time for church services. We met up with friends and also had a great lunch. Malachi got to open up and play with more birthday gifts. Lydia and I were able to get some naps, even though they were short. Mysia and Malachi played outside with the neighbors. We watched a movie and spent some family time together for most of the evening. Abigail and Ethan stopped by for a bit and had "book time" with the kids. It was part of some homework for Abigail's college class, but the kids enjoyed every minute of it!

We had cool weather Monday morning and the kids wore their hoodies to school. After work, I picked up the kids and we dropped Mysia off at her piano lessons. Malachi and I then visited Wal-mart so he could purchase a few Lego sets with his birthday money. We then got Mysia and came home. Malachi had his homework completed in record time! He worked on one of the sets while supper was being prepared. We ate while watching a TV show, and then Mysia went back to quickly finish her homework so she could do the Wii Fit. Lydia came home after her Zumba class and enjoyed her late dinner. Buttercup was active and was happy when I took her for a walk that evening.

Lydia and I worked few minutes later on Tuesday, so supper was a bit later than normal. The kids worked on their homework in pretty good time while waiting. The kids got to watch some TV before their showers and bedtime. I attended the last of the Men's Bible Study I had been going to for the past 6 weeks. It was great getting to know some guys and learning some new things.

Wednesday evening was good. Lydia and the kids worked on homework and house-chores before enjoying the time before bed. I went and got the oil changed in the van and spent some time hanging out with my friend Ben.

After work on Thursday, we came home and ate a quick supper before heading to our weekly Bible Study. We spent a wonderful time visiting and going over scripture. Once back home, the kids ate a little snack before we went to bed.

Friday was Grandparent's Day at school, so Granny visited Mysia and Malachi. She took pictures and got to visit their classrooms before taking them home with her for a bit. I got off work and visited for a while before we came home. Lydia had a doctor's appointment before coming home, but already had dinner made by the time we arrived.

We slept in for only a few minutes longer on Saturday, then it was up and around. After breakfast, we headed out to CPO to pick up some free books for the kids. While there, we looked at the study Bibles and picked up a VeggieTales DVD. We then spent a few hours at the library. The kids participated in the story time and ended up bringing home a bag full of books. We ate lunch and Lydia left for wedding anniversary party for some dear friends. I had promised Mysia and Malachi that I'd take them (plus Buttercup) to the park to play and ride bikes. We loaded the van and as we neared the park, noticed that there was a big church function going on, so I took them to the school playground instead. They spent time swinging and playing on the equipment and then biked for over an hour. The evening was nice as we finished up our weekend chores and things that needed to be done before Sunday.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (09/14/14 - 09/20/14)

We got up Sunday morning, ate breakfast, and attended church services. For lunch, we met my family at HuHot. We did a mini celebration for Malachi's birthday. He was happy to get Legos, clothes, and (of course) money! After a eating our fill, we went to the hospital to visit a friend and her newborn! When we finally arrived at home, Malachi was anxious. He opened up his Legos and started building away. Both kids enjoyed the afternoon playing with the new neighbor kids.

Monday was Malachi's birthday. I went to his school and had a special lunch with him in the cafeteria. After work, we took Mysia to piano lessons. Lydia attended her Zumba class that evening, and the kids got their homework done quickly so they could play outside for a while before supper. Malachi read a book before bed, showing off his advanced reading skills.

We had a good evening on Tuesday. Both kids got their homework done in good time. We enjoyed supper and they watched some TV. I attended the men's Bible study I have been going to for the past several weeks. I'm really enjoying learning some to life applications through this study. When I arrived home, the kids were already asleep in bed.

Wednesday evening was spent working on the kids homework. Both did well with the assignments. We watched a bit of TV and relaxed before bedtime.

On Thursday, both kids lost a tooth. Talk about making things exciting! Both got their homework done in great time and we ate a quick supper before heading out for small group Bible study. It was awesome fellowship as we studied and discussed 2 John 2. It was a bit late when we arrived back home, the kids were worn out and quickly fell asleep once in bed.

As usual, Friday was busy. The kids were active once home from school. With no homework, they were a bit wired! They played outside enjoying the weather, then we had game night with Mario Kart being the main choice for the evening. We also watched a TV episodes as well. Lydia worked on the menu for the next few weeks and then put together a grocery list.

We woke up Saturday morning and quickly got our weekend house chores completed. Lydia did the grocery run while the kids and I fished a few things around the house. Showers were taken and we got dressed and ready for Moses' wedding. We headed out to the church, and actually made it with 20 minutes to spare before the ceremony began! After the wedding, we attended the reception, visiting family and friends. Several pictures were taken with family as well. While outside and watching photos being taken, Malachi stepped on a lid for one of the sewage covers. It flipped and he fell through! Thankfully, he had spread his arms out, and caught himself from going all the way under. The sewage only reached up to above his waist, when it was over 6 foot deep! He started hollering and I was able to rush over and lift him up out. Whew….! We were able to wash him up and he wore extra clothes before we got home. It was a scare. After a quick change, we met up with Lydia's family for supper before several had to head out of town. It was a good visit, and the cousins got to say good-bye. Once back home for the evening, we washed clothes, rested a bit, and played with Buttercup. Thankful to still have Malachi with us... What a day!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (09/07/14 - 09/13/14)

It was a cool and beautiful Sunday morning. We got up and ready for morning services. The afternoon was pretty cool, so we spent most of it outside. Mysia rode her bike up and down the street while Malachi seemed to enjoy his time in the shade on the swing. Come to find out, he was sick and had a fever once we came back inside. Lydia did the grocery shopping. Poor Malachi was sick for the rest of the evening, and didn't feel good at all. We watched a few movies and TV. Lydia and I worked on a few projects and chores around the house.

Malachi was still sick on Monday. Lydia stayed home with him while Mysia attended school and I went in to work. Lydia was able to get some rest as well, but Malachi was just feeling horrible. He didn't hold food for long, and wasn't interested in taking medicine for his ongoing fever. After work, I took Mysia to piano lessons before we returned home for the evening. Malachi was glad to see us, but didn't do too well until he vomited before supper. Then he slept the entire evening! Mysia finished her homework, ate supper, and enjoyed a bath before bed.

Tuesday was my turn to stay home with Malachi. Lydia went to work and dropped Mysia off at school. Malachi was feeling so much better and spent most of the morning playing with legos. He watched some TV shows after a late lunch while I did some things around the house. Lydia and Mysia came home and we ate supper. Mysia worked on her homework that evening.

Wednesday was fairly normal. Malachi went back to school and both kids had homework that evening. We watched a few tv shows.

It was a change to cool weather on Thursday. We had the windows open and enjoyed the breeze through the house. We had planned to attend small group Bible study, but it was canceled due to illness. The evening was spent at home doing homework, then the kids took turns playing games on the computer and did a few "workouts" on the Wii Fit.

Friday was finally here. Lydia and I got of work a little early and spent time together before picking up the kids later. We watched TV and enjoyed another very cool evening. Malachi and I walked Buttercup before bedtime.

On Saturday, we got up and got busy with our weekend chores. The kids listened to a few radio dramas while breakfast was prepared. Lydia attended a women's brunch while the kids and I got some chores done. After lunch, I mowed the lawn and the kids played with the new neighbor kids next door. I left after supper for an evening Southern Gospel concert featuring the Calvarymen, the Kellys, and Gold City. Lydia and the kids went to a pool birthday party for one of Mysia's friends. They had fun playing in the water and getting pizza along with birthday cake. Back at home they watched some TV before bed. I enjoyed the concert and I was able to visit with the artists, making it an awesome event for me. It was late by the time I arrived home, and the kids were already asleep.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (08/31/14 - 09/06/14)

We got up on Sunday and got ready for morning services. We ate lunch at home and then headed out to visit with our friends Noah, Courtney, Zeb, and Amanda. We visited, sang, played games, and had a wonderful time hanging out. Mysia and Malachi played and watched a movie. We got home a little late, but enjoyed every minute of it.

Early Monday morning, a storm rolled in with high winds knocking down power lines. We lost electricity until 8am, causing the kids to not be able to watch the time and wake up early on our Labor day! So, we were able to sleep in a bit. Once up, we ate a late breakfast and the kids watched some cartoons. We worked on a few house chores and enjoyed the afternoon. I took Mysia out to shop around for a new cell phone, but didn't find anything yet to suit what we're looking for. I grilled chicken for supper, and we watched some shows on Netflix before heading over to Granny's for a visit. Buttercup came along with us, and we met up with Sam & Madisen (plus their dog Galloway).

On Tuesday, Lydia and I also celebrated 11 years of marriage! Wow, how time flies. Lydia went to work and I dropped the kids off at school. I had taken the day off from work, so I spent it working on some extra projects and watching some spiderman cartoons on Netflix! I met Lydia for lunch and we had a date at the park. I then ran a few errands before coming home. I attended a men's Bible study after supper and while Lydia and the kids enjoyed the time at home. After the kids went to bed, Lydia and I spent the quiet evening together.

After picking the kids up and getting home on Wednesday, we ate supper. Malachi actually had some homework from school, and it included reading a book to Lydia. Both kids finished their homework in good time and was able to play before bed.

Thursday was pretty normal. We were planning on going to the mid-week, small group Bible study, but it was cancelled due to illness. We ended up spending the evening at home. Malachi's homework included reading a book to me, and he did very well. Mysia is an expert with her homework and had it completed quickly.

Mysia got to go on a fieldtrip to the lake with her class on Friday. She was very excited about it. After work, I picked up the kids and dropped them off with Granny and Grandad for the evening. Lydia and I went on a late anniversary date. We went out to eat and enjoyed some of the Downtown Art Walk. There were activities at central square, with flame throwers and other street performers.

We slept in a bit on Saturday, but spent most of the day working around the house with our weekend chores and such. Lydia and I did a bit of rearranging of our bedroom. The kids watched some TV and played as well. We met up with our friends Ben & Heather for some family bowling. It was a great visit, and we even got a tour of "behind the scenes" of the bowling alley by the owner! It was neat to watch the machines at work. After supper, I took Buttercup for a walk and the kids got their showers completed. Lydia worked on the menu for the week while the kids watched a movie before bed.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (08/24/14 - 08/30/14)

Sunday was our end of our "end of summer" family vacation. We got up, watched some tv, took showers and packed things up into the van. Breakfast was delicious, spent the entire afternoon splashing and playing in the water and pools. Once we felt it was getting late, we ate supper and headed toward home. Mysia and Malachi tried staying awake, but both fell asleep in the van before we made it back to Springfield. Buttercup was happy to see us. The evening was spent unpacking and getting things ready for school tomorrow.

It was hot on Monday. The kids had a good day at school, and were back at Boys & Girls Club when I picked them up after work. We then went to Mysia's piano lessons. Malachi and I sweated a bit in the van while we waited, but it wasn't too bad. We met Lydia at home and ate a great supper. Mysia had homework and so far, Malachi didn't. He played. They watched some tv while Lydia worked on the grocery list and I mowed the lawn. I came in drenched in sweat. The kids took their showers and got ready for bed. I took Buttercup for a walk and then did the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge" before my shower. Lydia did part of the grocery shopping for the week.

Tuesday was still hot. We had the windows open for most of the day to clear out the house. It was 90º when we arrived home that evening. Lydia attended a PTA meeting after work, and we had a great supper. We had a few downpours of rain, but things didn't cool off much. Mysia did her homework and then watched tv with Malachi before they went with Lydia for a grocery run. I attended a men's Bible study for a few hours.  

I came home Wednesday after work with the kids and made my popular cheeseburger pie before Lydia arrived. Malachi played for a bit in his room while Mysia worked on finishing her homework. We watched TV and read books for the evening.

Thursday evening was new for us. After arriving at home after work, we played with Buttercup and let then left for a small group Bible study. It was neat getting to meet some other couples and really getting into a Bible discussion on John 17. Back at home, we had some snacks and got ready for bed.

Since the kids didn't have school on Friday, I took the day off. We woke up at normal time, ate breakfast, and gave Lydia goodbyes as she went in to work. The kids and I took Buttercup to the Vet for an exam. The good news is that there were no fleas found on buttercup. Bad news, she has secondary skin infection that we're treating with antibiotics. Afterwards, we visited Grandma T. and the kids were treated with a snack. We came home with a watermelon and a bunch of garden tomatoes. The kids watched a movie while I worked on some computer projects. Aunt Abigail came over for a visit to read some children stories as a homework assignment for one of her college classes. When Lydia came home from work, we ate supper and played video games as a family for the entire evening.

On Saturday I got up and walked Buttercup. It was a lazy morning at first, watching some cartoons and getting a few things done around the house. We ended up working on re-arranging Malachi's room and sorting through all of his toys. It was a major room overhaul. I removed the bottom bunk giving him more space to play. We did some minor rearranging in Mysia's room as well. Both projects took most of the day to complete, but it was needed! I gave Buttercup a bath before we got dressed and ready for a wedding. It was raining hard when we left the house. The wedding was for Lydia's cousin's daughter. It was outside and simply beautiful. We visited with family and enjoyed the reception before coming home and going to bed.

~Matt