Crazy Train

Crazy Train from Christina Roth on Vimeo.

The Girl I Used To Be

"She came tonight as I sat alone, the girl I used to be...
And she gazed at me with her earnest eye and questioned reproachfully;
Have you forgotten the many plans and hopes that I had for you?
The career, the splendid fame, and all the wonderful things to do?
Where is the mansion of stately height with all of its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you and the jewels in your hair?

And as I spoke, I was very sad for I wanted her pleased with me...
This slender girl from the shadowy past the girl that I used to be
So gently rising, I took her hand, and guided her up the stair
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay innocent, sweet and fair.

And I told her that these are my only gems, and precious they are to me;
That silken robe is my motherhood of costly simplicity.
And my mansion of stately height is love, and the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls for the dear ones who come and go.

As I spoke to my shadowy guest, she smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw that the woman that I am now, pleased the girl I used to be."

Author Unknown
Poem taken from "Womanly Dominion" by Mark Chanski

Musical Chairs 2010

I am so grateful that Bill's job provides so many fun opportunities for our kids. On Friday Hip-Hop did his anual musical chairs skit on court at the game. Matthew was out first as Hip-Hop picked him up and ran him out of the game. Boos began. Then Madison got pushed out of the way. Boos got louder. Finally, little A once again fought Hip-Hop for the final chair and was victorious! Everyone cheered. Here is a cute picture of my sweet Adrienne...the winner once again!!

Hip-Hop SAVED!?

I have often said that I doubt that Hip-Hop is a Christian with his proud, mischievous ways...always trying to be the center of attention, pushing little girls out of the way to win a game, and stealing shoes from unlucky young boys. Well, I think this photo from today shows he finally may have seen the light! Even large grey rabbits are not out of reach from God's hands!!! :)

Fun Sledding

Christmas week we took a little trip to a local sledding hill.
It was a blast! My favorite quotes from the day come from Madison:
"OWW, my poor little butt" and "oh, that's gotta hurt".
If I sound a bit strange in the video it's because my mouth was frozen into a smile.
That's what happens when you sled in sub-zero wind chill.
It was FRRREEEEEZIN!
Enjoy the video of our crazy family!

The Pets We Love

My mom & dad just had to put their favorite cat Chloe to sleep on New Years Eve. She was a sweet cat & the softest I've ever know. It was really hard for my mom and it made me think about Oreo. Some may remember our Oreo so I thought I would do a post about him. We got Oreo in 94-95 when Bill & I were living together in Philly. Bill's brother John was working at a home for boys with no families and wasn't able to keep him since it was not a good place for a pet. So John drove him to our appartment and it was not an easy beginning. He was cute and fluffy and quite loveable...until we realized he was not trained and began pooping & peeing all over the house. Eventually he improved and we moved into another apartment where we introduced Oreo to our new kitten Pina. Oreo loved her, helped her up the stairs, let her play with his tail & bite his ears. He was so patient towards her, they soon became best buddies. Bill and I moved a couple more times, got married, and found our current house.

Soon babies arrived and Oreo was not a priority for us. He still remained loyal and loving to the kids. He would check on them in their crib if they cried and sit right by my side when I nursed. He really loved Bill and was a great pet. It was not easy though. At times I yelled at him for barking at the mailman everyday & waking up the kids at naptime. Oreo's life was not without trouble. During one trip home from Atlanta Georgia where Bill worked for a year, Oreo got out of his crate and ran across the tarmat at the Philadelphia airport and was hiding in the long grass where Bill had to retrieve him. He was also sent to Pittsburg by accident during another trip....poor guy. He certainly had an exciting life.

In the spring of 2007 we knew it was time for Oreo. He started "denning" or hiding behind our shed. He stopped eating and drinking and began losing bladder function. Tests showed his kidneys were failing. We took some pictures, hugged and kissed him alot, talked to the kids, and handed him off to Bill. Bill had him sit on his lap, Oreo's favorite place to sit while in the car, Bill rolled the window down and Oreo stuck his head out one last time. Bill said it was like he was enjoying this last gush of wind in his face. Bill held him and whispered in his ear what a "good boy" he was and what a good dog he was. He kissed him goodbye & cried. He came home & told me what happened, and the days that followed surprised us both so much. We cried and cried and cried! This was so hard! We never thought we would feel these emotions of deep saddness. We thought the burden of having a pet would be gone, it would be a relief. In some sense it was but the saddness we felt is still felt...even now as I type I am crying. Now I completely understand how it feels and can relate to those who are sad from losing a pet. They become a part of your family. Here's a tribute to Oreo...miss you buddy!

Congrats to My Dad!

Happy Retirement Dad!!!!
My dad recently retired from working at HUD for all these years.
We are all proud of your hard work so that you could provide for your family so well.
We lacked for nothing!
Nice clothes, gymnastics lessons, college educations and all of it!
You are a great example for us all.
Thanks Dad.
Now go get your knee done, grab your camera, hop on your bike and enjoy this new season in your life!!
Love you...

What We Did For Christmas 2009

Christmas for us began the weekend before when we celebrated with Bill's family. We had a delicious meal and after we opened all the gifts. It was a great time.

The following days were a whirlwind of food shopping, wrapping, cookie giving and trips to my favorite store HomeGoods for a few last minute things. We did our DD trip in our jammies which was a blast. Christmas Eve was the best one ever. We let the kids open their big gift the Wii. They were so excited so Bill set it up and we played all day...what a blast! We even got to see & talk to my brother Jonathan in Iraq on Skype! This was truly a blessing for me. We had an early dinner of filet, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, asparagus & salad & then off to church for a wonderful Christmas Eve service.Christmas Day was nice. We ate cinamon buns after we opened the gifts.

The kids played while we packed up the car & headed out around 11:30 to travel to NY...6 hours in the car...it was not bad at all since the weather held up.

We had a wonderful time with my family. My kids just couldn't get enough of Jordyn & Jenna.

Since we've been home, Adrienne & Matthew have been sick so we had a very restful New Year, playing Wii (having the girls beat Bill & I in tennis:) laying around and getting the house & homeschool ready for Monday. So Happy New Year to you all. May 2010 bring blessings and great joy!!!