update on the family

wow! it has been a long time! my friend shelley keeps up with her blog and she has five kids, under five! not sure what my deal is?

the latest.

we left for IL on the 20th of December to be with Peter's dad as he asked us to come. We enjoyed being at his side to hold his hand and love on him. He had a very difficult day on the 23rd and we decided to split for Christmas.

Peter stayed in IL to be with his family and I took the kiddos to be in WI with my family. It was a difficult thing to do, but God blessed us in our time apart. Peter had an entire week to serve his dad and mom. He loved every moment of it! He spent lots of time at his daddy's side, reading to him, holding his hand, watching sports together, and just loving every moment of it. He had the opportunity to give his mom, brother and sister a much needed break as well. He even got a few opportunities to watch his niece and nephews. He had a great week, but missed us lots.

Christmas eve, Peter and I and the kids attended church together and then I headed for WI, hoping to make it in time for the Christmas Eve service with my step-mom, sister, and brother-in-law. We made it. The service was at the church where my dad's funeral was. This was very difficult at first, but I was so grateful to be there and so thankful to be with my family. Christmas day we had Christmas three times! the kids loved it! We ended the day at my aunt's home for a family Christmas with my dad's family. This was the only time we have seen snow this year (other than a brief falling in Cincinnati). Caleb was exstatic. We didn't bring our snow stuff to my aunt's so Auntie Amy and my aunt Sandy started the hunt for winter gear for Caleb. In their search they found a Packers hat to keep Caleb's head warm. He refused to wear it! Daddy was proud when he heard that story.

Blessings
After we opened gifts Christmas morning my step mom gave us a gift, something that was my dad's she wanted each of us to have. I got my great grandpa Arbruster's rosary, he had given it to my dad, Peter got a fun Mickey tie I had given my dad as a child, Caleb and Elijah got compasses my dad used when he was hunting and Micaiah got a Santa Claus mug my grandmother had given each of her children, her mother had done the same.

My aunt Renee found a beautiful way to honor my dad this Christmas. She gave all her siblings and parents a Christmas ornament with a beautiful poem on it and my father's name on the back. She also gave one to my sister and I, our's had DAD written on the back.

It was difficult not have my dad around but we enjoyed celebrating his life. One day in WI we spent the entire day doing "dad" stuff. Unintentionally, it just happened. We went to the barn where my dad raised bunnies. Caleb fed the bunnies while the rest of us cried. Then we visited with the wonderful family who my dad became very close with while using their barn to house his bunnies. It was a wonderful morning. Then off the the restaurant. This was my dad's second home. He went there almost every day, for coffee, a meal, but mostly to hang out with the crowd and smoke a cigarette. We showed off his newest grandbaby (no one is WI had met Micaiah except Gramma Tina) and had a meal together. Later that evening we ended up at a Supper Club, to celebrate my step-brother's wedding. It was one of my dad's favorite places to go, we enjoyed a great meal and then played the juke box and danced until...

my cousin called to say the boys were both throwing up. You got it. Caleb and Elijah had the stomach flu, Micaiah woke up with it the next morning. YUCK!!!! Caleb was done by morning. Elijah had it for 5 days, and Micaiah for 7 days! YUCK!! glad that's over. 8 days of sick kids, including New Year's Eve, oh well! My sister took Caleb to the store to buy party hats and noisemakers and we made the best of it!

On the first we headed back to IL and spent the week with Peter's family, Art had his bad days and his really bad days. On Saturday it was time to head back home. We said our good byes to Art. That took a couple hours, I think?

Home again, it has taken us all quite a few days to adjust to being home again. Especially Micaiah, Elijah, and mommy! But we are glad to be home, wishing we were in IL still.

Peter is now off to Colorado snowboarding with the youth group. He left this morning and Caleb had a fever this afternoon! I sure hope this isn't a repeat! I don't know if I could do 3 sicks kids alone! I don't know how single parents, including my mom, ever did it!

So, Art is still having bad days and really bad days. We are just playing the waiting game. He says he is ready to go to heaven. I am really really excited for him! I imagine that sounds a bit strange, but I see where he is now, and I know where he is going. I feel very sad to loose him, but I told him to give my dad a hug and a kiss from me and I know they will enjoy a few rounds of golf (if you can play golf in heaven?) Heaven is better than anything we can ever imagine. I am even more in awe of God when I realize that Art will have a new body, he will be healed and he will be whole. That alone is just soooo amazing.