There is a whole in the living room where the tree once was. An empty spot on the mantle where Joseph, Mary and the purifying Emanuel was. We woke up and it was the first thing Lils noticed. Then she said somehting in her nasally sweet/sad voice that made me think: "Iguess it is just back to normal life-Christmas is over." But will it be? I flashed back to yesterday's conversation with Carol about the undone advent calander and "nerfblaster" "nintnedo dsi" filled week. Such a shame. Such a waste. They fight over their presents and hord them. Many times they sit left alone unplayed with for the fear of having to share. It makes me think-what have I done? I have encouraged the love of things that moth and rust and thieves destroy. For fear that it will not be my own and someone will "mis-use" or "break" it-I have also hid gifts left alone unused. This was the first Christmas that Dan and I missed the kids with the video camera. LONG story-but the camera was not ready when the kids woke up and we missed capturing it on camera. We missed their excitement of the mental Christmas list disappearing as they got each present. I was sad about it but I am not sad now. Things are good alone but they are not good when they are all we want. Oh how I wish we all could get it. So, hopefully it is not back to normal life. Like Pastor Alfred Young said on Christmas Eve-Have you unwrapped the gift? Mercy, Grace, Love and Everlasting Peace was given that day. I long to have that on my everyday list so that I can glorify Him and Love His people. I want to be satisfied. Why not have a advent calander year round? I want my list to contain the wants of the fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, kindess, long-suffering, paitence, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. This rainbow we saw coming into Christmas Eve service-It was a full rainbow that was so close Dan could not fit it into the frame of the camera. Amazing.

Apparently the vocal Voelkel's have less to say and more to DO!

AHHHHH.... I remembered that I have a blog and how much I like to blog-but time has not been my friend. I could list many excuses but i choose to press on and not look back! Let's see alot has happened since August 27th-Hayes is 3, Lily is 5 and Camille is 6 months - Greg is a giant highschooler and I am a room mom. Yes me. Never Again. Room moms are organized, thoughtful, and have clean cars. People who know me would not describe me as any of those things. And the funny thing is I am okay with it! I am happily enjoying our new book club with some fabulosly real ladies, lovin' my chubby baby Camille, secretly thinking I am getting paid back in full all of things my parents dealt with via Hayes and am excited that Lily is turning into such a lady. Greg is still in Baton Rouge and I miss him terribly. He graces us with his presence occasionally, fericiuosly eating everything in his path. Handsome young man. I sent out my Christmas cards today, yes it is the 16th of December. Dan kindly pointed out that Greg is shirtless. It is strange. I was in a rush. Hopefully next year's card will make up for it! If we would have taken a true family picture Hayes would have been in his superman tshirt, athletic shorts, crocs and baseball cap - instead he is wearing a coordinated outifit and he is staring daggers through the camera lense. Camille is loooking down, lily ahs a fake smile and I need to shed my winter layer of stored fat. Pressing forward..... that will be my 2010 motto!

WHAT a week!

I know, know it has been a while-1 week to be exact and I should be listing my ebay items and not blogging - but anything to not list ebay items-which include: playing soccer outside with my kids (so avoiding the ebaying) and reading many books over again and enduring vaca bible school CD performance complete with "moves" by Lils. The good news is that I am feeling EXTRA grateful and thankful that hayesy boy is better and that no one else seems to be blue at 1533 Marigny. Last week started off full of anticipation as we were planning on going to Destin to stay at Angele's condo and hopefully get to spend some time at the beach as i missed the June family trip due to Camille's arrival. Well plans quickly started to fade as hurricane bill's waves were growing stronger and within a 9 hour drive to the east coast of Florida-Dan decided to head that way and for-go Destin-i could have still taken the kids-but you do the math: me+3 kids at the beach alone? nahhhh-I'll wait. not to mention how Camille "loves" the car-NOT! Any who-back to the no-blogging excuse-Hayes started feeling sick on wend and by saturday we were at the hospital with bronchilitis... Thank the good Lord above for MeMe Dale! I surely would have crumbled to the ground without her help! Dan relieved my mom Sunday evening and Hayes was home Monday afternoon! Tomorrow is Hayes birthday and we will be celebrating extra hard thankful that he is well! MORE PICS TO COME!

Miss Penny Murray and her talents....

www.pennymurrayphotography.blogspot.com

Check the Voelkel Kids out!

Big boy bed & NO more bottles!

For those of you who were unaware of Hayes' bottle addiction-not to worry it has finally come to an end! Hayes is a big brother now and with that has come: a big boy bed and bottle abandonment! Hayes and Lily will also be starting school in September! We all cannot wait! What a cute little guy!

Sponge Bob and Hot Boy

okay.... I am only posting this before pic as motivation and because I can't move right now.... I am so sore and so weak! Notice- Dan is smaller than I am - I am so brave! Yes this is with out my spanx! We started P90X sunday and by wend we were paralized.... I mean we are WEAK! Me more so than Dan -by the way-what I would give to look like that doing nothing! Anyways, I hope to get back on track tonight and I am very excited about bible study!!!

Saturday Snowballs

I am not particularly fond of Saturdays-they usually involve trying to keep the kids out of Dan's project - which right now consist of the shed. It is a nice shed -when it is finished it will be even nicer! I can't wait! The heat-I mean it is down right hot-hot enough for a delicious ball of snow!

Notice everyone has banana- yellow is Hayes' favorite color, Lily can't ever commit to a flavor so she tries a new one each time and Dan just loves banana. I, on the other hand love some cream action-nectar creme to be specific. Did I mention we all love light syrup and are still baffled at how much syrup is in light syrup? Here are some more pics Dan took-he is so much better than I am with the camera!

I am NOT sleepy!

By the way-it is not me who is screaming I am not sleepy; it is these children who claim they are not tired even though everything in their being is saying they are! What is it? Why do they feel the need to buck a manditory rest time? Introduce me to an adult that would pass one of those up!!! Anyways, today marks the friday before Greg (the man child) enters highschool. I have a newborn and a highschooler. Who would ever had imagined that?!? We went to eat at Liz's where ya at diner-awesome! We had a great brunch and talked about the anticipation of entering highschool and how I feel like he needs a dream.... You know - a hope for the future. A plan to keep him on track - how I wish my parents would have instilled that in me! How I remember wandering around aimlessly as a teenager. I hope my children will always know what they were meant to become, the great plan the Creator has for them... Gives me chills, tears me up-Oh the depths of where I once was and into the light I am running towards now! We don't know the plans He has - but we know they are for our prospering and not for harming-for our good...Ahhhh! I feel like telling the kids that as I am trying to convince them they need to rest! Instead it often involves yelling, bribes, an impaitence. Anyways - this is what I am not sleepy looks like now....

Great Friends

I love to have a reason to go out and spend some time with friends! There is just something special, exciting and rejuventating about it-kinda like a really good sermon-where you leave and it is so real and soul nurshing. We (I) am a creature who loves to be in fellowship with others who are walking the same path with similarites and I feel so blessed to have great friends who are so understanding to commune with. Tonight we have the chance to do such communing with The Lane Johnson's-a childhood friend of Dan's (whom I feel like I have been knowing forever as well)-Fun times! They are in town and planning to move here soon-it will be so nice to have them close! Yummy grilled shrimp kabobs and grilled chicken tacos add a couple of great friends, cheesecake with chocolate peanut butter sauce plus a few screaming children and you have an instant thursday night to remember. By the way did I mention my newest love..Camille? She is getting so fun with all of her smiles and coos-and easier with her naps! Lily and Hayes are growing anxiuos for school to start along with their many other activities! Lily will try 3 new things this fall- dancing (citing!) soccer (doubly citing!) and choir (I know she will love this one!) Poor Hayes.... I am not sure we will have much time for an activity for him...
Iam glad he will just be turning three. Hayes-what a sweet fun little buddy... When I think of him all I do is smile! That is exactly how I feel about all of our friends too...

August 5th 2009 'cause we got alot to say!

I feel we are the heat of the summer and although this is my most favoritest time of year I can't really live it to the fullest because of our newest bundle Camille.... I am throughly enjoying her sweet coos and smiles but still am longing to layout in the heat and get some color! And the good Lord above knows I need it-the little sleep magnifies the black circles that this shining golden sun used to hide soooo well... Lily and Hayes are feeling the over airconditioned days as well... We are a strange crew-who like to layout and sweat and then dive into the lukewarm pool! We are so blessed to have acess to a beautiful pool at Mimi and PoPo's out in Goodbee.... It is like a southern Paradise! Anywho-I must go-Camille's hungry cry from the crib and Lily and Hayes fighting over a cleaning spray bottle are beconning me and Yes-it is all about earning a dollar around here - we truly believe in child labor! I really enjoyed my first post!