Hello all!

Hi! I am finally getting on here to post after Ben's fun one.

I had intended to do it the same night, but didn't get around to it. Laundry and the rest of the house chores called to me. :-)

Well, lets see, since my last post, everyone here went down with a taste of the flu. Compared to what everyone around here is coming down with, I think we had it but a really mild case of it. It didn't knock us out for 7-10 days like most. That was the Thursday after Nathaniel's lovely dentist escapade. WE were out of it Thursday through the following Tuesday. That Thursday after we were all sick was valentines, so our gift to each other was a trip to the McDonalds playland, so we could just get out and do something fun. Saturday the 16th was the "Daddy ball" that Chris had decided to do since he forgot to get tickets to the Daddy/daughter dance here in Norman. Kind of worked out because if he had bought tickets, they would have had to miss it because of the flu. Anyways, he burned her a CD and they got all dressed up. It was really sweet!!

Nathaniel and I went bowling and just hung out. It was some much needed time I needed to spend with him. WE talked about a lot of things and it was just nice to listen to him voice his heart

.

We have been attending church in Newcastle with some friends of ours and are starting to really feel at home. The kids beg every week to go to church and Wednesday nights. WE have yet to make it to a Wednesday due to either sickies or weather. Hopefully this week we will have a go at it. It is looking more and more like we will soon be living closer to that area. last thursday Chris received word that John Collard, the district or regional manager was asking for him by name for the Mustang store. They are looking to place those managers by the first part of March. He is excited about that because it is quite an honor, however, he is really have a fun time with the guys he works with at nights! He says if it is up to him, he will take most of them with him to Mustang. They play jokes on each other and just have a good time.

This last weekend we went to Waskom to see Grandma and Papa Crosswhite. That was a really fun time. WE drove down friday and ate pizza with them. Then Saturday we just played in the yard and helped them with some of the things they needed done in the yard. Then we cleaned up and went to the airport to fly with Papa. it was really cool! I have never flown in a small airplane and I had a blast. I felt like a little kid again. The adrenaline of takeoff was cool and getting to wear the headphones was neat. Noel even let me control the rudders with my feel and take a 30 degree turn with the steering. it was so awesome! I told Chris, after having him take me up just once, I would gladly take a trip with him anywhere in that. It was the smoothest, safest flight I think I have every been on. Maybe it is just because I trust the pilot, but really, it was way less scary than flying on a huge jet!! The kids got to take a ride on their own too. They are looking forward to the next time we go down so they can ride with Papa in his plane again. Me too!! "-)

Sunday we headed to church with them and then ate Mexican before heading home to start another week of work and school!!!

WE are looking ahead to spring break. so many things we would like to do and so many unanswered questions. If Chris is still at nights, he might be able to do something with us. If he is in Mustang then, he will be so busy, it won't matter what we do. As long as we are back in time for Easter. Chris has joined the choir out in Newcastle and they are doing a really neat easter service. If he is still working nights, he can be a part of that.

As for me at work, we have gotten two new kids and they are great!! Really low key, so that is nice. Isaac and Angie. Isaac is non-verbal but Angie is a talker. I have been working with Cody, the other non-verbal one and last week was a hard one. He was gone today, so we all think maybe he was sick last week. This week I am with Bryce, who talks, but superspeed. He had a great day with me today. And of course, we have T.J., who is the highlight of our day. He makes the funniest comments about things. He really has a tendancy to lighten even the hardest of days. He is forever saying, "Ladies and gentlemen.... sank you, sank you very much!:"

The ladies I work with continue to be a blessing to me. Laci is the one who started with me and is such an amazing person. She is such a ray of sunshine always. Her smile is contagious and she is so loving. Suzanne is really outgoing and always has something funny to say. If we need someone to break a serious mood, she is the one to do it, but also is such a concerned person too. If something is going wrong, she is the first to get to the bottom of it and know every detail. Shaista is from Pakistan and has already brought in 2 meals for us to try. She is very humble and quiet. She is such an example of what a silent graceful woman should be. I think a lot of her quietness is because she lacks some confidence in her vocabulary, but I love to hear her talk. Her accent is so neat!! Michelle is the Lead tutor for all of us. She is like a walking dictionary. She knows so much it is amazing. He son has been in the program, so not only does she have lots of information but she has practical knowledge as well. She is a life rope for all the rest of us.

Anyways, I need to get back to the laundry. I don't think I will ever get it caught up. Tomorrow is student-led parent teacher conferences. The kids are excited about that. Otherwise, we are looking to enjoy the week as the weather should stay the same for once. No more 10 degree wind chill in the morning and 65 the same afternoon~!

Hope all of you are well. Sending all our love!!

Post by Ben

i learned that i am tall enough to reach the computer, so i thought i would post a blog of my own. it sure has been cold here. my family has put me outside when it isn't too bad because i am getting so big. i had worms a couple of weeks ago, so i had to go to the vet. i got a shot and some medicine, but they gave me lots of snacks. they even gave me a bag of really yummy puppy food. i went back this last week for a check up and still had some worms, so i had to get more medicine. some in a needle and some hidden in those snacks. i am feeling better..

my boy nathaniel loves to play ball with me and we run a lot together. his sister hannah is always sweet to me. i like this picture of them because it shows how much fun they are. they are so good to me.

this is a picture of hannah with her new friend dacia, whose parents are friends with my mommy and daddy. i had to go outside when they were here to visit because i get really excited with people come to visit and i jump. my mommy says i am stronger than i look and she didn't want me to hurt their friends. that was ok. i like being outside so I can dig in the dirt and play in the leaves. my stuffed friend dover helps me feel not so alone.

oh, get a load of these hot dogs. i didn't get one, but i sure wanted one. i even sat really nice. no luck!!

well, i have to go. my mommy wants a turn. here are a few more pictures of me.

Super Bowl hotdogs, and pasta & the dentist

I know my title sounds a little odd, but this last weekend is what that consisited of. I will post picts of the "Super" bowl hotdogs when my camera batteries are charged. We got footlong hotdogs to eat while we watched part of the game because the length of them looked funny. Seeing the kids eat them looked funny too!!
As for the pasta and the dentist, after eating the hotdog, Hannah wanted some macaroni and cheese to go with it, so as I was making it, Nathaniel did what he always does when we make pasta. Eat some raw and crunchy. Except when he bit the piece, he cracked his 2nd molar in half. He was crying and since we haven't established a dentist yet, I saw this advertisement for one that had 24 emergency service. They also take state insurance. So I called them.
Well, for emergency care, it is $175 cash only. So we ambasolled (sp?) it and gave him some motrin and figured we could hold off till morning. So, needless to say, I called right away and the only office they could get him in today was in Edmond. If you don't know OKC much, Norman is major south suburb and Edmond is major north suburb. So, if I can get him there before 10 am, they will take him. So we rush up there and the dentists were GREAT!!!!
They take several xrays and find out that his 6 year molar had broken the molar first from the root-side. When he bit the pasta, he just completed the break. So, they took it out. Also, they found in the xray that his crowns had no teeth in them anymore. They were just hunks of metal taking up space in his mouth. So they took them out too.
He had a hard time with them removing the crowns because the only thing really holding them there was the skin, but since he has had them for about 3 years, the teeth had adjusted around them, so the dentist had to "pop" them out. He cried and freaked out. The worst tooth didnt' even phase him at the end because the crowns had been so disturbing.
He did great. They gave him a "Bravery" award that certifies him a free trip to Incredible pizza, which I thought was cool. That is normally a $6-10 purchase, so .....
Super great dentist!!! Dr. Baird!!
Anyways, other than that, Chris is still recieving about 2 trucks a night. I got to work on my own with a boy last week and that was awesome!! This week I get to work with one of the kids who is non-verbal. I really love my job!! The ladies there are truly a God-send and according to them, I am a God-send too. It makes for a GREAT working environment!!
That job makes me want to live in Norman for good.
Thats about it. We broke a record high today and we are supposed to get snow tomorrow. yahoo!!! I would rather it be like today!! it was so great!!
Well, I have about 7 loads of laundry to fold and to get to bed fairly early as I am still fighting off junk. Hope all of you are well.
As one guy here put it, "All we need to do everyday to do the will of God is to believe in the Lord Jesus and take Him at His word." Till next time!!

New job, no sleep,long couple of weeks

If the title of this doesn't give away that the last 2 weeks have been really hard.... :-)
The puppy is of course a puppy, so he is keeping us sleep free as well as adding a pleasant animal aroma to our duplex, which is still falling apart. Along with that, Chris working nights adds to the chaos. He is sleeping from 7am-4pm and getting up and hanging out with us from 4-6, which pretty much means watching the news and eating supper before he has to go to work. They have been recieving 2 trucks at night, in preparation for spring reset. He has 3 other guys to help his recieve and process the 2 trucks at night for the entire store. Because they have been getting 2 trucks, they have been getting there at 6:30 at night recieve the 7 o'clock truck and have it gone before they get the huge 9 oclock truck. Needless to say, he isn't much help around here because he is so tired all the time, which has caused some issues in our marriage.
Along with that, since the cost of living here is so high, I needed to get a job. I was going to sub at the school, but when I got on their website, I saw they were hiring special tutors to work from 10am to 1pm for $10 an hour helping autistic kindergartners. It is a really rewarding job so far as yesterday i worked with a boy who is really severe. At their play time, he was lookiing in a mirror and then ran over to me and gave me a huge hug and said, " I really love you!!" and got up and ran back to the mirror. For being with the kids less than a week, that really made my day. the ladies I work with are really neat. Michelle is in charge and is really knowledgeable about autism and is great with getting them to meet their goals for the week. Shaiesta is from pakistan and as worked with the kids the longest. There is Susanne, who has been there a couple of months and then Lacy and i are the newest. I like it, but being gone from home 3 hours makes enough time for the puppy to get into trouble. that or he sleeps all day and then at night when i would like to sleep, he wants to play.
We are getting ready to file out taxes and looking at cost of living here is amazing. An example of how much more it cost in Oklahoma. We lived in Missouri in 2007 for 10 months and state taxes were around $300. We lived in Oklahoma in 2007 for 2 months and state taxes were more than twice that. Nothing changed except that we live in a different state. That blew my mind. I thought, no wonder we are drowning here.
one last thing. Chris' job has several possiblities now. He can either do sales manager and stay in Norman, or go to Mustang with is new friend chad, or he can stay permanent at nights or he can go with Chad to mustang as a zone 1 manager, or he can go to days here and be in lumber.
He is struggling with which option to take as they need to know his intentions in about 2-3 weeks. You can just be praying for that as well as everything else.
Tired and falling apart is how it feels here. We are back to feeling like all was happier and more normal when we were in st. joe.
thats about it. sums up the last few weeks for us.
hope all of you are doing well. Will post again soon.

Meet Ben

Meet Ben, the newest member of the Crosswhite family.

Ben was Chris' idea. He saw that a lady had 9 puppies she needed to find homes for and knew how much Nathan has always wanted one, so there you go. I am guessing he is maybe part cocker spaniel park lab or something bigger. He Loves Nathan, as you can see. He is really sweet. In the day we have had him, he shows good signs of being a good potty dog as well as a good retriever. He is really sweet and gentle and loves to run, jump in leaves and play with socks.

So, that is one change in our home. Another is that Chris got switched to nights. He is going in at 8pm and working until 6am. This is a temporary change until nights get caught up on some major cleaning, restocking and shelving issues. Joe thought Chris would be the best to get the job done, however, Chad, the administration manager is upset because as he says, "Chris is customer focused so he is being wasted at nights". WE will see.

And for my last set of picts, Hannah and I went on a girl date out for coffee. WE got dressed up and wore "make up" and got coffee. We went to starbucks and Hannah got a child's hot chocolate and I got a carmel machiano. WE wrote a horse story and played tic-tac-toe. Afterwards, we went to Penny's and tried on clothes. It was fun! WE had a great time.

This is Hannah's favorite. Her "mermaid" dress. She had me try on a pink shirt that the boys said looked like a ninja shirt. Who knows?

While we were on our "date" , the boys went to Bass Pro. They had a great time too.

Otherwise, all is back to some sort of normal. I thought I had some luck in a job with Home Instead senior care, which offers companion assistance to elderly people, however, after my first orientation and training, I found out that I need to be willing to work some overnights as well as be able to clear my DMV driving Oklahoma history, which is still unresolved with the Nebraska ticket thing. I had prayed for an open door or a closed one, and right now it looks like this is a shut door. So, I am praying that God opens an availablity for me and if He wants me to stay right at home, that He will make that available as well.

So, that is is from Norman. I am studying God's promises to start this new year and hope that all of you know how much He really loves you. I am beginning to discover that:-)

In His arms at all times!!

Merry belated Christmas and a happy new year!

Merry late Christmas!

It has been way too long since my last post and I was having a melt down.

The weekend away with my siblings helped. So much fun!!!

It went way too fast, though. Let me see, before that, I took Nathan to our new doctor/ physicians assistant. Pretty much, they didn't have anything else to say to us but to keep doing what we were doing, so that was helpful.

We headed up to Kansas early Friday because we knew that snow was on the way and wanted to be in Wichita before it got there. We got to Wichita about 3, due to horrible fog. We hung out at Target and then went over to the hotel. We got to be in a room and we were there only about 30 minutes before Dad arrived. WE hung out and brought in all the holiday goodies before deciding to head to Karen's baccalaurate. Because of the snow out west, we got a call from her that she wasn't going to make it. We stayed for half of it and then met her at the hotel to eat supper and head to bed.

The next morning we got up and Karen got ready for the graduation while the kids, my dad and I went downstairs to get some breakfast. While we were down there, Mary and Jon arrived. We all headed out shortly after that. The graduation was really nice. Mom and Dad had reserved a room at Ryans for a reception. Due to the weather, it was us as well as my brother,Tim and his wife, Heidi from Oregon, my sister Mary and her husband Jon, Karen, and my parents as well as some friends from Dodge who had been to Wichita the day before for a doctors appointment. It was small but really nice.

Everyone went back to the hotel for a nap after that, since Tim and Heidi didn't get in until really early that morning. Mom and Dad went to the hot tub and Jon and Mary went shopping for a refrigerator. After a failed attempt at a nap, our giggle fest with Karen went downstairs to the pool. WE hung out there for a while and then made it upstairs to eat holiday goodies and read the Bible and talk about what Christmas means to all of us. It was a really awesome time.
We also found out at that moment in time that Tim and Heidi are expecting their first baby in August. WE were all really excited. They actually posed it to everyone this way as we were getting ready to pray for supper. Tim says, "Heidi and I have an announcement to make. We saved a lot of money by switching to Geico." We all laugh and then he says, " No really, we have decided to open up our own bakery." Now, they are notorious for changing their lives about once every 3 months, so I think some of us thought they were doing a career switch until Tim patted Heidi's stomach and said, "We already have a bun in the oven.

Everyone is really excited about it. Heidi was feeling pretty sick, so we all understood the "flight sickness" carrying into the next day.

Of course, during all this, my kids get really tired from all the activity and take a nap at like 7pm. We woke them up when we were done with our Bible study at like 8:30. WE opened gifts and had a lot of fun. Nathan's hip was bothering him so he opened gifts in bed with ice on his leg. Hannah was our dramatic gift opener, with the highlight being a stuffed book from Jon and Mary and the cowgirl set from Karen. Picts below. Nathan got an HO scaled train set from my dad as well as a nascar movie.

After opening gifts, we played the game Apples to apples. It was a blast. By this time, as much as everyone wants to continue the fun, it is moving on midnight. We all head to bed, knowing the fun will end in the morning with everyone parting ways.

WE wake up, and load up cars, along with snowball fights and a prayer meeting in the lobby. It was really encouraging to be with everyone. The only sad part was that Chris wasn't there. I really wanted him to be a part of all of it. My family is such a blessing to me and they continued to surround us in prayer as we were there, adding comments and reminders I could take home with me. It helped so much!! I am so blessed.

We headed to the mall and hung out there a little before Karen had to head to Dodge for a bell concert. Tim, Heidi, and my dad were headed that direction so we all said our goodbyes. Mary and Jon were off in search of their refrigerator and Mom was headed home alone to go back to school. WE headed south as well.

Monday I met Chris' aunt Lisa and his grandma in Yukon to help shop for Christmas gifts. In their family it is a great honor to be asked to help with this notorious project. We went to many places and ended up doing a bunch at Walmart. I headed home later that evening, thankful that Chris had the day off and could pick up the kids from school. I got home around 6pm.

The next day was Chris' birthday. I let him sleep in, which was good so I could bake his birthday cake. I took him out to lunch at Teds and then we went shopping with his birthday money. He got Lost 3 with a Borders discount which was his best part. WE picked up the kids and then headed home so he could open his gifts and eat a piece of cake. Then it was off to Incredible Pizza on the north side of the city to play and eat. We got there and played a bunch of games and mini golf and then ate. WE headed home around 9pm. It was a great day.

When we got everyone to bed, we returned a message from my brother, who was wondering if he and Heidi could come down.

So, Wednesday, they came to Oklahoma, Heidi's first trip. They gave me time to clean up the house and when they arrived, Chris got home too. We all played legos, and Chris grilled hamburgers. Then we vegged and watched Frosty the snowman on CBS and Chris' new Brian Regan DVD. WE headed to bed and the following morning I took Tim and Heidi to see the kids school and Chris' lowes before they headed to OKC to see the bombing memorial. They were on their way back to Mom and Dad's after that as I was on my way to help with Hannah's class party.

It was a lot of fun having them here. Nathan said it about right, when we were on the way to school. He said, "Mom, I really like having them around. Wouldn't it be neat if they were our neighbors." I sure enjoyed the short time we had with them. I really do miss them often!

Friday it didn't slow down any. I had gotten a call that Grandma needed me to help her with a little more shopping before Tuesday. Could the kids and I help her out? We went up and the kids did great. They pushed the shopping cart while I wheeled Grandma in the wheelchair. They did awesome. In return, they got lunch and a book and a coloring book. They had a great time. While I helped her unload and put away, they played with her dog, Tagger. They actually didn't want to leave, but it was a rush to see who would get home first. Chris got off work, but with a flat tire and Noel and Lorna (Chris' parents) were due to arrive. We were last, as traffic was pretty crazy. Norman on a friday night at 5.

We did Christmas with them Saturday morning as the snow fell hard. It was nice to have them here too. We played games, put together puzzles, made a wooden Nascar and all kids of stuff. Then we braved the elements to meet with Brent and Sarah in Yukon to exchange gifts. Noel and Lorna went on up to stay with Grandma and Grandpa till Wednesday, when they would head to Tennessee to see her folks.

Sunday we went to Journey church here in Norman. it was a really neat service. Live nativity and some awesome music as well as a candlelight communion. We then decided we would see a movie so all 4 of us went to see Enchanted. Really good movie!!! Promotes marriage and thinking about who you marry before you do and believing in things you can't see. Great!!

We also made snowmen on top of Chris' truck. WE had yet to really play in the snow. Good thing, because by the time we got home from our trip to walmart, it was all gone.

We decided to open our gifts on Christmas eve since Chris had it off so that we all could enjoy mroe time together playing and such. It was really nice. The kids gave us the best gift of all. WE slept in until 9am before opening gifts. After opening gifts, we had pizza and played with all our goodies. The kids let us sleep in again Christmas day, this time until close to 10. They were so content playing on their own. Chris and I remarked that we have the most awesome kids in the whole world. WE really are becoming more and more grateful for that fact that God has gifted us special as a family. We really enjoyed our time together while Chris was off.

Thats about it. The rest of this week looks like just hanging out and getting ready to go back to school. I am looking to get a job this spring to help Chris out, so that will be on our list of things to do. Other than that, we are looking ahead to this next year, hoping that we can see more of God. I was reminded the other day when talking to Hannah that "it isn't about me. it is all about God. I will choose my attitude to be like Jesus" and a verse I read the other day is my motto for this new year. Exodus 9:13 says, "I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

We are hoping that maybe spring break we can make a trip to Missouri and see our friends there and keep our heads to the sky. God will guide us as long as we are looking his way.

We thank you all for the prayers. WE are still taking it one day at a time, but like I said before, we recognized that last few weeks that God equipted our family special and that is something to hang onto. Hoping you all had a great holiday season and wishing you a wonderful new year!!