I've got spirit, how 'bout you?

Last week was school spirit week for the junior and senior high students at Covenant School. Several days had a theme and the kids were allowed to dress according to that theme. We did this when Louie and I were in school, too. But Garrett and Hannah are required to wear a uniform every day. So when they get a chance to wear anything else, they jump at the chance. ((I have to add that Louie had entirely too much fun dressing them up!)

One day was "College Day" and of course, they wore their MU apparel.

There was also "Decade Day". They were allowed to dress according to their favorite decade. Hannah chose the 50's and Garrett chose the 20's.

Then it was "Character Day". They were allowed to dress like a character from a movie or book. Hannah was Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Garrett was Zorro.

The last day was "Super Hero Day" and they could be a 'real' or made up super hero. Hannah dressed up as Rouge from X-Men. She dresses in normal clothes and has a white streak in her hair. Unfortunately, the white streak quickly turned grey and I don't think Hannah was happy with it. Garrett was a made up hero named "Norseman", a Viking super hero.

The week culminated with the annual Spring Ball. The first half of the dance is pretty traditional and the kids actually were taught the waltz, the cha cha and swing dancing. They even have a dance card. Then the second half of the dance, it's more relaxed and they do a lot of group dances and are free to dance with whomever they please. Both kids said this year was the best dance yet.

Becca, on the other hand, was normal all week! One cool thing she did last week was that she auditioned for a role in the Huntington Outdoor Theater production of "Annie". They won't announce who made the show until 2nd week of May, so we're holding our breath. Here's a picture of her as we left for the tryout.

And she got to get fitted for her retainers this week because on May 13th, the BRACES ARE COMING OFF!

What I Did Over Spring Break

Did you ever have one of those assignments in school where you were supposed to write a paragraph about what you did on your break from school? I always thought it was tough to creatively say, "I slept in every day". Well, this year over our Spring Break, we had an amazing opportunity to vacation with Louie's parents, Ed and Marilyn. Long story short, they started making vacations plans with another family. When those plans changed, Louie and I and all three kids were invited along instead. (Yeah!) We rushed to get passports because we were headed to... Costa Rica! Yep, Central America. None of us had been there of course. Garrett and Becca had never been out of the country.


We were gone for 6 days and had a great time. It was about 99 degrees every day and the sun was powerful. We saw iguanas and howler monkeys everywhere we went. The people in Costa Rica were so friendly everywhere we went. Hannah knew a few words of Spanish because of our mission trip to the Dominican Republic last summer, but she was the only one. We got to spend some quality time with Louie's mom and dad which I think was great for the kids. We were actually there on Easter Sunday which was weird. We had our own little service in our condo and sang. We also celebrated Hannah's 16th birthday while we were there- what a way to celebrate!


I could go on forever about trying out a zip line 3 stories high, or spending the day snorkeling off a sailboat, or riding horses on the beach, or trying to stand in the rough waves, or eating some amazing food, or seeing some cool wildlife. But it would take all day to write. So, I'll post a slide show of pictures (my first attempt!) and maybe that will give you a better look at our trip.

I hope you had a good Spring Break, too. This is one we'll remember forever.

Hannah Grace Gaunch

Today, Hannah Grace Gaunch is sweet 16! This is the story of her very first day.

When Garrett, our first born was barely four months old, I woke up feeling sick. And again the next day. And the next. I didn't want to scare Louie, so I made sure first. Yep. Pregnant, again. I distinctly remember our reactions when I told him. I was leaning on the doorway of our bathroom. I cried. He laughed. Another baby? We had barely started to figure out how to take care of one, much less two! My body hadn't recovered yet from a C-Section just 4 months earlier and now I was going to be doing it again? I was afraid that I wasn't tough enough for this. Our doctor grinned and said it happens all the time.

During Hannah's pregnancy, I got more than a few funny looks. I was about 23 years old but looked about 19, carrying one baby in my arms who could barely sit up and showing a big pregnant belly. People must have wondered about me. I remember those maternity clothes I spent 2 years in. I couldn't give them away fast enough after Hannah was born! I felt badly that I really couldn't prepare Garrett for his new sibling because he was still a baby himself and couldn't understand. At 12 months, we put him in a real bed on the floor because his baby sister was going to need his bed. I remember the ultrasound when we found out we were having a girl. I didn't care either way, but the excitement over having a girl added an element of fun. She was due Easter weekend in 1994, so 2 weeks before, we celebrated Garrett's first birthday and Hannah's baby shower all in the same afternoon!

Her due date came and went and a C-Section was scheduled for Wednesday, April 6th, three days after her due date. This made our lives so much easier because we were very worried about Garrett. Grandmas and Grandpas watched Garrett while I calmly checked into the hospital and Louie put on the now familiar surgical scrubs. I have to say, Hannah's was by far the easiest delivery because I never had any labor. I just had some great medication and within an hour, I got to see Hannah for the first time.

Louie almost laughed when he saw her. We expected that because we were having a girl, she'd look exactly like me with dark hair and an olive complexion. Instead, she had beautiful white porcelain skin, big blue eyes and perfect tiny pink lips. God obviously was the one who knit her together, not us. I will never forget her cry! Garrett's cry had been loud and in protest, but quieted down quickly when we talked to him. Hannah, on the other hand, just bawled! Her cry was a loud wail that sounded full of drama. And she wouldn't be soothed but continued to cry that dramatic wail for a while.

Then Garrett came by to visit and see his baby sister. He poked his head around the door with a big grin on his face. He loved going new places and seeing new people. He bolted toward me first and wanted to climb into the big bed. He was loving the TV remote and wanted to cuddle with me. Then we pointed out the pink bundle swaddled in the bassinet. He climbed across my legs to get to her. He just grinned a lot and patted her- too hard sometimes.

Everyone who came to see her commented about how beautiful a baby she was. After a year of enjoying little boy things, it was a nice contrast to enjoy all things pink and lacy. Her personality was very different from Garrett's. She was far more 'strong willed' and challenging. They were two peas in a pod everywhere we went. Double stroller. Matching car seats. And Today, Hannah is 16 years old. Amazing!!!