The slow down of sickness

So my youngest two seem to be fighting some sickness. They are both weepy and clingy.....Something that can drive a mom nuts when you are trying to get things done(like update my blog). I find I struggle with the selfishness of wanting to do what I want to do and serving my kids. Then I am reminded what Jesus said and how he reacted to the disciples when they thought Jesus was too busy to interact with them..."Let the little children come" So following that example I am trying to put aside the neurotic cleaning and hold my little ones. Slow down enough to comfort them and throw the schedule out the window for a few days!

I Do

What is it about weddings that makes people feel more love for those around them? I think it's because you are celebrating with two people who are in the beginning stages of love where their still giddy with excitement, they can hardly stand it. I was honored to be a bridesmaid in my sister's wedding last weekend. Jeff and the girls were also in the wedding party. We had so much fun getting dressed up and helping with the wedding. The girls were adorable and I was reminded again that I married a real hottie! While we stood at the alter beside Chrissy and Jim, Jeff and I couldn't help but stare at each other and I knew we were renewing our own vows just between us. It was such a great feeling to know that after all these years we still have that anticipation and love for each other that we had on our wedding day. Jeff and I pray that Christine and Jim will get to experience a similar love that deepens with time, is rooted in faith, and gets sweeter with time (and kids!) So cheers to you Christine and Jim, thank you for including us in your special day.

Check out the soccer diva!

Well we have finally succumbed to the pressures of this world and allowed Isabel to join an activity. She chose soccer! She has had a few practices and she has done really well. I wasn't sure what to expect. Would she stand there and not know what to do? Would she run like a girl or worse yet twirl her hair? Well I am proud to say that she did none of these things. She rocked! She was right there running and kicking the ball. As a former rugby player with high hopes that at least one of my four daughters might follow in those footsteps, I must say Isa has what it takes to do it. She has even one the "Mighty in Spirit" award for all her hard work running the ball up and down the field. Look how cute she is in her uniform!

The first...

Our family has had a lot of firsts this past month. Isabel had her first day of Kindergarten, Cecelia had her first day of preschool, and Isabel got her first pair of glasses. It's funny to me that I am so emotional about all these firsts. I thought I would have no problem letting go. I was and am excited for each of my girls to wrestle with life and win. I think the part that bothers me the most is that it signifies some big lasts to me as well. It's the last time Isabel and Cecelia will ever spend all their days with me. The last time Isabel will not need some kind of vision correction, be it glasses or contacts. Don't get me wrong I am thrilled for my girls. They are expeiencing life and all it has to offer. I couldn't be happier with their ability to adjust to their new situations and thrive there. I know that with these new firsts come freedom for me. I look forward to that too, but I am also not needed in the same way anymore. That is the part I look forward to and dread all at the same time. In all of this my husband has stood with me through these firsts and lasts. He has made a conserted effort to keep our relationship strong so that there's more to "us" then our kids. I will always be grateful to have such a wonderful man to journey through life with.

Alien baby

So I am just catching up now on some things that family and friends have been wanting to see so bear with me. Here is a shot of Sydney, a.k.a. "nuggets" before she was born. I had eaten some ice cream and that seemed to always make her really active. I felt a little like Sigourney Weaver in Alien 3.

Who says labor hurts?

Okay so people are always curious about what labor is like for a natural, hypnobirthing "freak". So here is a short clip of some of the time I spent with my husband and two closest friends while birthing my fourth child. The clip is taken while I was dialated to a 6/7. We had so much fun laughing and telling stories. I wish I could post the whole thing but I don't want the whole world peaking in on one of my most private moments. I am posting this portion because I am so passionate about pregnancy, birthing, and the tiny babies that God gives us at the end of all that hard labor. So enjoy and I hope it peaks some interest in another alternative for birthing.


This is a little later in the birth process. People assume that you stay "under" the whole time but once you have enough practice you can put yourself under just during contractions as this video shows.

My Girls

Peaceful Choas

I know it's an oxymoron but it's what I experienced last week when flying with my mother and four young children. I am not crazy enough to think I could do it alone YET so I asked my mom if she would help me fly home with the kids. After a 5 1/2 hour flight and a 2 hour lay over in Chicago we arrived safe and sound in NY at 10pm..... I was so proud of my little angels! They were world class flyer's. I have to take a moment and gush a little at just how well they behaved. As we walked to the security gate all three of my older children had their own little backpacks filled with activities they just talked to each other. Then they walked to the conveyor belts, took their shoes off, put their backpacks up, and walked through the metal detector with out even blinking an eye. They waited for the plane and had a snack. Then for most of the flight they colored, watched a movie, and played card games!
I never bring anything for myself to do on the plane because I am usually too busy trying to keep them entertained while I look at my watch every 10 minutes hoping that another hour has passed. This time I actually had to buy a magazine in Chicago so I would have something to do because I was bored! Who would have thought that in all the times I have flown with kids this would be the best flight and I would have more kids now then ever before! I even heard someone call us the Van Trap family!

The Gift of Independence

So I am made fun of frequently by friends because as my children get old enough to pull on their own clothes, I do the unthinkable.....I LET THEM! Can you believe it! My current 2 year old (I say this because I have had a two year old for the last 3 years!) has been in the habit of pulling everything on inside out and backwards! But she is determined, "I do it!" and so my job becomes easier because she does it herself. We leave the house much faster because I now only have to dress myself and my 7 month old. So what if she looks a little funny right now. She's proud of herself and I know this stage won't last forever. This isn't something that I thought of myself, I learned from the best, my mom. She let me dress myself and put make up on, empowering me to become the woman I am today. I hope that my girls will learn to trust their judgement and feel proud of themselves and their choices. And now, most days when I dress I at least match now!

Introducing the Schinella 6

It is nearly impossible to get every person in a family of 6 to all look at the camera at the same time. Out of 214 photos, this was the closest we came.

Blue Goggles

So I am supposed to write in my blogg more often then I do according to my husband but who has the time really?! Anyhoo....I was watching my daughter at swim lessons on Sunday and I was bribing her to try opening her eyes under water with her goggles on. She refused. I tried explaining that it wouldn't hurt, that it would be really cool, that she would be so excited once she did it. Nothing I said could entice her to try it until I offered her a fresh baked cookie once we got home. So she got up her nerve and tried it. Now the kid is a fish and she loves to open her eyes with her goggles on. She has blue goggles so her water world is blue. Like I told her, she has a whole new world to explore because she can see underwater and experience things she never could have before. Later as I reflected on this, I thought of how God has this same experience waiting for us. He tries to coax us and tell us how wonderful the plans he has for us are but, we are reluctant and uneasy because it's usually out of our comfort zone. Once we give in and try it we see just how wonderful it is and can't imagine living without the view from our blue goggles.

Losing your child, finding humanity

Okay, Okay so I get mother of the year award! I took ALL the kids to the park today and we had a great time. I love to watch them playing with new friends they meet at the park. BUT I started to talking to friends and lost track of where they were a few times and then got that sick, panicky feeling when I couldn't just look up and spot them all.. Did I mention it's a big park with lots of people there. Not to mention that the name that gets spoken most often in the house is my two year old's. Not just her first name but the whole thing (you know the drill)...OLIVIA RUTH!!! Always in a low tone or yelling across the place we are to get her attention. But probably since I use it so often she doesn't seemed phased by hearing her name anymore. So needless to say I lost her 2 times but some nice people brought her back to where we were. Which brings me to my ultimate point that: It's good to know that not everyone out there is out to get us and that you can still leave your picnic stuff on a table and not worry too much that someone is going to come and steal it. So I thank those nice people and encourage everyone to do something nice for a stranger.

Scars, time, and 4 kids.....

So I was at my bible study on Tuesday and I am learning about the Fruit of the Spirit and how to live daily with all that God has for us. Way beyond our natural abilities! It's a Beth Moore study and she was talking about scars and how you receive scars your whole life and if they are bound properly they heal and don't hurt anymore but they are always there to help us help others and remind us of where we have been. BUT if they still hurt then they are bloody wounds that we haven't let God heal yet. Even months or years later. What a picture! So now I am left with the idea of finding some time to sit and listen for what God needs to heal in my life while I take care of four kids and a husband (all of who can't live without me!). Now I have to scrape some time together so that I can see if all my wounds have been healed so that I too can show gentleness to those around me! The big question that she posed that I think many people need to ponder, myself included was, what wounds do you need healed?

It's my first time

So I have been getting all these blogs from people to read about who they are and what they have been doing and I thought maybe I should do that. Now most people who know me know I am a computer idiot and everytime I touch the thing it breaks. Then I have to call my hotty computer nerd husband to fix all my mistakes. So we are going to give it a whirl and see if I can keep up with 4 kids, running to preschool, bible study, making meal for various people, cleaning, cooking, and now blogging.....Who though of that name anyway?!!