A Change of Plans

On Thursday we thought we would take a relaxing, short trip up the highway to check out some fall foliage. It is gorgeous this time of year and a trip to New England wouldn't be complete without some Leaf Peepin'! We planned on just driving north until we got tired of it, eat some lunch and then drive back. We didn't want another long road trip since we already had gotten in several of those. No use in taking a vacation if you're so busy you need a vacation after your vacation, right?

On our way up, Cathy spotted an old diner (complete with a candy shop next door) off to the left of the road and said that it looked like a great place to eat. We hadn't even driven that far, but the clock indicated that it was past lunchtime. We found a place to turn around and stopped in.

The Miss Wakefield Diner is just a hole-in-the-wall place with incredible food with lots of nostalgia too. We ordered comfort food and enjoyed a relaxing lunch. When they brought our check they also gave us a 10% coupon to the candy shop. This was great because Cathy had already decided to head on in there after lunch.

The shop looks deceptively small on the outside, but inside there are three rooms chock-o-block full of candy. I cannot imagine how many different kinds there are to choose from. You should have seen the eyes of Marshall and Shaylen! It was so hard for them to decide. Marshall finally chose gummy bears and Shaylen chose orange flavored gumdrops in the shape of an orange slice. Those are so good! (Side Note: My Grandma LeDoux used to have those at her house all the time in a special jar. Now Dad and Cathy have that same jar in their house and it always contains orange slices.)

After making our selections, we hopped into the van and started back up north to catch that foliage. We didn't make it that far until the van started making a queer noise. Now, several of you know that our van has lately been making lots of noises (struts & steering), but this was a new one. I told Cathy, "Taigen will be thrilled to know that the van is making yet another noise." When we stopped temporarily for a construction zone, the noise got louder and there was a funny smell accompanying it. We pulled off and Dad got out to check under the hood. It didn't look good: fan belt.

Our plan now was to not pass GO, not collect $200 OR take a peak at the fall foliage up north. We were to take it back down the highway to the nearest auto mechanic. I turned around and started driving for home when the temperature gauge started inching up. This made me very apprehensive about driving. Cathy suggested Dad drive. Gladly, I got out and let Dad take over the wheel and he coaxed the van back home by switching between "Drive" and "Neutral." We pulled into the first auto shop that we saw and the van was smoking. Thankfully they were open, honest and available. He was going to try and have it done by that night. (It ended up being done at around noon today...but we weren't complaining at all. Our former mechanic in Somersworth would have taken days!) I'm not sure what all was wrong with the van, but I remember him saying something about the fan belt falling apart and the water pump seizing (whatever that means...I just know that the guy said he couldn't move anything on that part and that we were very lucky to make it back down and into the shop).

Our day was longer than we anticipated, but having Dad and Cathy there made it so much more enjoyable (and in much more capable hands).

Back in the Old Days

While Dad was here, he had the twins walk on his back. This can feel quite good if you've got a few kinks to work out (Of course, the kids aren't yet 60 pounds...who knows where that line is between "feeling good" and "torture?"). I remember doing this as a kid with Dad when I was their age. Seeing my own kids participate brought back some wonderful memories.

Tour de Maine

One of the things that Cathy really wanted to do while in New England was take a ferry over to Peaks Island, ME. She had a truckload of ideas to fulfill! She wanted Taigen to be able to enjoy this day with us, so that meant Monday was the day. Fortunately for us, there was good weather forecasted.

With camera in hand, we drove up I-95. The fall foliage wasn't yet at its peak, but that didn't stop Dad and Cathy from snapping up photos left and right. It is a beautiful drive and I love that there are no billboards!

We arrived at the Old Port shortly after 9am in order to catch the 9:30 ferry. One of the many advertised stops at Peaks Island was a restaurant famous for their cinnamon rolls. Cathy said that we had to stop there first. We abstained from breakfast at home, eager to sample these delectable delights! However, when we got off the ferry, we soon realized that everything was closed up. This was not because of the time of day, but more because of the time of year! No one was willing to let us take a tour, no restaurants were open, so we had to settle for an itty-bitty deli with a minuscule menu. Poor Cathy!

Not to be discouraged, we thought about our next plan of action. Fortunately, the deli had wi-fi so I was able to research a few things on my iTouch while waiting for the 11:15 ferry.

After getting back off the ferry, we spotted a trolley tour of Portland. This turned out to be a wonderful choice! We saw a lot more of Portland than we ever could have just driving around (without getting lost). We saw Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's home, Victoria Mansion, and many other unique areas downtown. After seeing all of the important sights of Portland (including the ever famous Portland Head Light), we went to dinner there in the Old Port and ate Brazilian style! We walked out well-fed, but with just a little bit of room to eat at Martel's Ice Cream in Saco, ME. It was a wonderful day, full of spoiling from Dad and Cathy.

Surprise! Surprise!

The kids knew we were planning a HUGE surprise for the end of the month. Little did they know that when they woke up on Oct. 1st there would be a new set of guests in our guest room. These were not missionaries, guest speakers, New England friends, or long-lost friends from college. It was family: Dad and Cathy!

Cathy had decided to surprise Dad for his birthday with tickets to come and see us. He found out that he would be coming here on Sept. 29th. When she told him that they would be coming out for a visit he asked, "When are we going?" She replied, "Tomorrow!" Guess he packed quickly, huh? The last time Dad and Cathy had been to New England was when the twins were born so we were super excited that they were coming.

It was originally going to be a surprise for me too, but I put two and two together and figured things out (I know, surprising). Plus, Cathy was figuring that if I was like her, I would want to know ahead of time so that I could plan and clean. Boy was she right!

The kids woke up on Friday morning wanting to know what the surprise was and when they would find out. I told them, "This morning." We got up and got ready and then I told the kids that the surprise was up in the classroom. They ran upstairs and were literally speechless when they saw Dad and Cathy standing there. It didn't take long for them to be bouncing off the walls!

Cathy had emailed a few ideas of things that she thought she and Dad would want to go and see, so we took Friday to plan and look at the weather too. We decided to do Plimoth Plantation Saturday since it would be a day with warmer, drier weather. The kids were so excited to show Grandma and Grandpa all of the things that they had learned from just a few weeks ago. I love this picture of Dad above with a Native American football! Who knew?!? It was a long day, but we were already enjoying making lots of memories.

Special Guests

This past week (Sun.-Wed.) we've had special meetings at our church. The team was very large (a family of 7, another married couple and six single team members). We were able to open up the Joos Bed and Blessing for the married couple and they enjoyed tucking themselves up in their own private room for a few days. It is such a blessing to be able to make our guests comfortable. Marshall and Shaylen enjoyed getting to know the Rolands. It was also a special treat to do school at the kitchen table for a week (since our classroom was occupied).

Good Ol' Northern/Southern Mentoring

Welcome back to the blog. It's been gathering dust lately, I know. Just wait until I let go with all of the blog posts that I have waiting! I'll keep you busy reading. It's been a flurry of activity in the Joos household to be sure.

Two weeks ago I got an email from Jan Reimers (pictured in brown and gold). She is the wife of Gary Reimers, the founding pastor of our church. They were going to be in New England for a week and she was wanting to know if she could get together with some of us younger pastors' wives. After a whirlwind of emails, we were able to coordinate schedules and work something out.

She came on Wednesday morning. We had munchies, coffee and juice, but I'm not sure anyone really paid attention to what they were eating (even though it was delicious). Talking with her and listening to her was a balm to my heart. I could've sat and talked to her all day. She is a pastor's wife who has served in New England and understands New England. What an encouragement she was to all of us and we had such a wonderful time.

Plimoth Plantation & the Mayflower II

One of the things I love about New England is the history that surrounds us. Our homeschool group was able to go and visit Plimoth Plantation and the Mayflower II last Friday. The weather was looking mighty chancy, but we decided to brave it and possibly dodge raindrops. We did have rain all the way down, but once we got there, all was clear. It looked like it was going to be a good day. There was fog coming in from off the ocean (which you could see from the fort), and it was quite humid, but soon the fog lifted and there was a nice cool breeze (complete with threatening clouds).

We started off the day at the 1627 English village. It was neat seeing folks in costume going about their day as if everything was stuck in time. They even managed to pull off really great accents so that you would think they had just gotten off the boat! The kids enjoyed seeing the dirt floors, the gardens, the houses, beds and clothing. It made me very thankful for the modern conveniences that we now have.

After we had wound our way around to all the houses, the weather was starting to look threatening. Drops of rain were plopping onto our faces. We hurried inside and ate lunch as a group. It was relaxing to sit for a while in air conditioning as my back was sweaty from carrying a backpack all morning.

When it was time to continue on, the rain had stopped thankfully, so we walked on to the Wampanoag Homesite (Native American Village). Unlike the English village, the people here were not "in character," meaning, they weren't pretending to live like this, they were just there for information.

We stepped inside the wetu (traditional home) and came into the middle of a conversation. People were sitting around (coughing from smoke inhalation because the fire inside wasn't cooperating) and asking questions. I noticed that this Native American, though scantily clothed (I was hoping he wouldn't move), had a robe that was lined in skunk skins. "That's an interesting choice of fur," I thought. So I asked, what I thought was a very good question:

What's the significance of the skunk skins?"

I was thinking, "Maybe they thought it would ward off evil spirits." OR "Maybe it signified that they were chief or something."

This guy said simply that the costume department was out of deer skins so he got some skunk skins and sewed them on the edge because his rear end (he used a different term) was cold. So much for good questions. That'll teach me to open my mouth when it comes to clothing choices in Plimoth.

After the Wampanoag Homesite, we drove over to the Mayflower II. This has been a carefully crafted recreation of the original ship. The one thing that struck me was how small the ship was for all of the 102 pilgrims and the 25-30 crew members. This small vessel (technically a cargo ship) was home for all of these people for 66 days. That must have been grueling!

From the Mayflower II, we walked over to its landing place, Plymouth Rock. There is quite a story regarding this poor boulder. Do you think you know what that story is? Click on the link to see if you are right.

I know there is going to be some question about the differences in spelling: Plimoth and Plymouth. Click here to see why. It's not because I forgot to use spellcheck.

It was a long ride home as we hit Boston's Friday-going-home traffic, but I had great company in the car and the kids had entertaining friends too. Definitely worth the long trip and long day should you ever be in the area.

Science in the Front Yard

The first chapter in Science this year started off by discussing plants. One of the special projects that was optional for me as a mom was to make a terrarium with the kids. Well, wouldn't you know it? I didn't have a ginormous jar to put anything in, so we bypassed it. The kids were disappointed because they had thought it would be a great idea to get a salamander or frog and put it in too, if only we had that jar! You all know my view on pets, so you knew that wasn't going to fly...or walk...or crawl...or creep at all.

Last week as the kids were playing outside, they came across a toad hopping in our yard. Shaylen got a bucket and I helped them trap it so they could get a closer look. Well, that turned into an additional hour-long science lesson with dirt, rocks, plants, water and, of course, the toad. We built our own little temporary terrarium with a cracked Rubbermaid bin I found in the basement. Since I knew that toad was NOT coming inside I decided we could make one with no lid. The kids enjoyed watching and caring for the toad all afternoon.

When it was time to call it a day, they enjoyed setting him free...to where he belonged. Outside.

The Butterfly Project

Several friends of ours go out every year looking in vacant fields for little caterpillars munching on milkweed. They carefully gather them up and place them in their containers to watch them transform into gorgeous butterflies. It's such a fascinating process.

On Monday of this week I needed to head over to one of their houses to work on the nursery and music schedules with the mom. When we were done working, she asked if we could stay to watch them release a butterfly that was ready to zoom away. Marshall and Shaylen each got to hold it and even I had my turn. It didn't seem too eager to leave, which made it a wonderful and learning experience.

More Munchkins to Love

What a delight to have children in the church. I work with them on a weekly basis (Sunday morning song time, Wednesday night children's choir, and sporadic nursery time) and I can honestly say that they are such good kids and so easy to work with.

You can understand then when I say that I am so excited that we have had an increase in our nursery numbers. One of our faithful families just had their second baby boy. Taigen and I didn't make him too happy when we went to visit him in the hospital. We both wanted to hold him, but that meant disturbing him from his baby-burrito nap. We determined that his lungs have choir-potential, but that didn't affect how much we love him already. He is such a cute baby and we know Josh and Ashley will do a great job of raising him. We will be delighted when we can finally have him in our nursery.

We also had a dear family join our church this summer (they have a 2 1/2 year old, 1 year old boy/girl twins and another little girl due by the end of this month). I've known John and Laura for several years and it was neat to see how God brought the two of them together. We were overjoyed when we heard that John transferred his job over to Dover and they wanted to join our ministry. They have already rolled up their sleeves and are so faithful. We appreciate that so much. This past Thursday our church ladies threw Laura a baby shower here at home. We had a wonderful turnout and hopefully Laura truly felt loved and welcomed. We can't wait for this new little munchkin to love. By the end of this month we will have two more munchkins in our nursery to spoil! Sign me up!

Bagel Bites

Shaylen has had two loose teeth for the past couple of weeks. We've been watching them closely and wiggling them faithfully.

After breakfast this morning, I sent the kids upstairs to make their beds and brush their teeth. Shaylen came down a little bit later concerned about her toothbrush. She was concerned about some discoloration on the brush. After looking at it, I was thinking it was dried blood from last night. Ew! I washed it off and then asked if I could take a peek at her mouth to see how wiggly her teeth were this morning. When I looked, the bottom one was gone! What a way to start our day! We have no clue where the tooth went but are assuming that it came out in Shaylen's bagel this morning.

Do you notice that gap on the top? That has appeared in the past two weeks as Shaylen's right front tooth has moved down and over as it gets more and more wiggly.

The Twins Start Piano

Marshall and Shaylen have been asking for about a year now when they could start piano lessons. I had actually discussed this with Judy Endean (pastor's wife up in ME) the summer before the kids started Kindergarten. She suggested and I agreed that we would wait and start them in 2nd grade. As the time drew nearer, I asked Judy again if she was willing and would have time to teach the twins. Thankfully, she was! I was so excited. Not only is her degree in this field and she has taught for years, but the product I see coming from her students is always excellent. The kids will learn a lot, but they will also be encouraged to use their talents for the Lord.

Marshall and Shaylen love Judy and couldn't wait to start. I wish you could've seen the kids this past Tuesday. Their eyes were sparkling and they ate up everything she said and did. I know it is a long drive and adds to an already busy schedule, but it is SO worth it.

Here are a few pictures of them practicing this past week.
Lincoln Logs? Yes. Judy used them to teach the kids how to clap out beats and include rests. They had so much fun playing with these in a different way this week.

The Pirate Pastor's Wife

This summer we were notified that a local Christian school was closing and liquidating everything within their school building. While it's always sad to see a Christian school close, those of us who homeschool were very excited to possibly purchase supplies for very little money. I felt like a pirate raiding classrooms, opening up cupboards and drawers and rifling through someone's things. Everything was in disarray. People were everywhere and stuff was flying off the shelves. You had to get a bag, grab what you wanted and quickly move on to the next room.

This sale met so many of my needs. As I sit here and type I am reminded that God knows my needs even before I do. I hadn't even prayed about these things. And actually, they weren't even needs, more conveniences. Doesn't God bless way above what we could even ask or think? Here are a few examples: I found a whole box of American and Christian flags and sorted through them in order to find a matching set so that we can pledge to them at the beginning of each school day (I had felt so terrible about neglecting this during all of last year.).

One of the things that bothered me last year was the amount of time it took to pull out math manipulatives and actually work with them. They were nicely done and very helpful in Math, but were made of paper. They would stick together because of static in the air, or they would stick to your fingers if they were the least bit sweaty! Out of exasperation I had actually gone so far as to look for plastic ones online last year, but they were so expensive. So imagine my joy when I came across the exact plastic sets at this sale! I found enough for Marshall and Shaylen to use and we have already been enjoying them. They are so much easier to manage than the paper ones, tens and hundreds! I'm looking forward to the money unit because I was also able to find a bunch of plastic & realistic looking coins as well (those paper coins had to be the most infuriating manipulatives during K-5 and 1st grade). Those will be such a blessing! There were science videos, stickers, paper, foam fractions, a craft table cover (for easy clean-up), clips and books. It felt like Christmas in July!

By far though, the steal-of-a-deal find that I got was a used Lego table top. I had seen it three times while walking through one of the classrooms, but didn't know if I should put out the $5 for it. Would that be too much of a spur-of-the moment purchase? We don't usually shop that way and I knew we wouldn't necessarily use Legos in the classroom even though Legos are extremely beneficial. After I had gone to one of the workers and purchased my three bags of loot (and this after dickering a bit). I realized that I actually hadn't spent a whole lot ($15 for everything). That was a steal for what all was in my bag. I went back to that room and considered the worn Lego table. In the end, of course, you know I bought it and it has been one of the best toy purchases ever for Marshall and Shaylen. That five dollars has provided hours upon hours upon hours of entertainment for the twins. We are definitely putting more Legos on the Christmas list. We've seen a lot of construction taking place on this tabletop. There have been obstacle courses, trees, bridges, prisons, houses, docks, trampolines and elaborate gardens. The possibilities are endless.

As if you didn't already know, I am so thankful for my brief but successful career as a pastor's wife pirate. Don't you just love a good deal?

Annual HBC Labor Day Weekend Picnic

The weather was perfect this past Saturday for our annual HBC Labor Day weekend picnic. About 55 of our church folks made it out. It was such a beautiful, relaxing day. It started off warm and humid, but as the day progressed, a nice breeze made it's way through our neighborhood and allowed for things to be comfortable.

There was lots of laughter and conversation and I'm sure quite a bit of smack-talking going on over by the horseshoe pits! We were especially thankful to have Sonny home for a two-week furlough from Afghanistan. Many of you have been praying for him since he left in January. It was great to see him!

We are so thankful for our church family and the sweet time with them this past weekend.

Special Gift For My Junior Pilot

On Sunday, Marshall got a very special gift from one of the veterans at our church. I don't know where Vic got the poster, but Marshall was ecstatic to receive it. We allowed him to pin it up on his wall in his room right where he can look at it constantly.

Pet Ownership

When Taigen and I travelled for BJU for a year, we journeyed across the states with the best team members, stayed in so many different homes, ate diverse meals, met so many wonderful people, and enjoyed the many different services in dozens upon dozens of churches. The one and only thing that ever gave us any "grief" was a pet or two or, well...quite a few. After discovering various and sundry "treasures" in, on, or around our beds, in our food or on our clothes, you will understand when I say that we determined then and there to not adopt any pets when we had a home of our own. Now ten years later, that desire has not wavered. Some said that when we had kids that would change, but so far it has not. Don't get me wrong. We love pets...pets that belong to others. Ha!

Apparently two cats in our neighborhood didn't get that memo and decided to build their home under the lowest level of our deck. Must've seemed like the perfect, cozy little spot for them to start their family! One day while washing dishes, I looked out the kitchen window to see two kittens wrestling out in the grass. When I went out for a closer look, they darted underneath. We have spotted them several times since and it is more than obvious that they are here to stay. Now, I have to admit, they are really, really cute. There were originally five kittens. One, sadly, was hit by a car out in front of our house, but the other four seem to be thriving. There was one obvious runt of the litter: a tiny black and white one. He seems to stick close to mama and is the one I see the most. Maybe the other three have taken off to go find decks of their own. Let's hope so. We're not feeding them and they're doing well, so maybe they are finding their daily sustenance by munching on our mouse population. Hey! It's a win/win situation, right? They get free room and board, we don't have to clean up after them, pay vet bills, vacuum up cat hair, worry about our friends being allergic, AND it saves us (uh, Taigen) the trouble of setting and emptying the mouse traps in the bulkhead. So for now, the cats have us, but we do not have them. Now this is what I call pet ownership!

Last Summer Swim

One of our dear friends has been letting me know for quite a while that she had a pool that we were more than welcome to use. As summer is drawing to a close, I figured I had better take her up on that offer. This past week was a scorcher and we were more than glad to go. I was a terrible mom and actually forgot the camera, but thankfully there was another mom there who snapped up a few and graciously emailed them to me. The kids had a wonderful time and my toes sure enjoyed the cool-down too!