Keepin' Up with the Halls

NYE 2011

2012-01-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

We celebrated NYE with the Pilkerton clan. A HS friend, Ronyette also came to hang out and ring in the new year. There was a lot of great food and awesome company! The next day we attended SDG Church and had dinner with Steve, Jane, Jen and Sean at Joss' in Annapolis. It was a great weekend!

Christmas Day 2011

2012-01-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

Kari and Noah let us sleep in until 7 AM and then it was time to get up and see what Santa left for the kiddos on the "nice list". The kiddos were very excited about their gifts from Santa - Razor scooters, an Easy Bake Oven for Kari and Sonic vs. Mario at the Olympic Games in London for Noah. I was sick on Christmas, so after breakfast I went back to bed. Rick and the kiddos got to talk to Nana and Papa and the Howells. Rick made an awesome ham dinner and after dinner he and the kiddos Skyped with Krista and the kiddos and played a little Just Dance 3 via the internet. I am so glad that the kiddos had a great day even though I was under the weather. We didn't get to make Jesus' birthday cake until NYE at the Pilkertons' house.

Rick got a few Vikings things for Christmas and I got PJs and a Keurig machine!

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-01-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve started off with our annual Christmas Eve Brunch. Kaysen and Ashley, the Pilkertons, Aunt Barb and my parents' friend Mona came to eat a lot of yummy food and enjoying hanging out for the holidays. After everyone headed home we went to our church's candlelight service. We came home and opened PJs. Then we got some hot chocolate and rode around and looked at lights. Once we were home again, Poppy read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to Kari and Noah. Then it was off to bed to wait for Santa to come!

This photo is actually from the night before....cake pops and hot chocolate from Starbucks in our PJs! Yum-O!

Noah's Class Christmas Party - December 22, 2011

2012-01-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

I was able to get off a few hours early and attend Noah's class Christmas party. They made gingerbread houses, ate yummy snacks and watched Pocahontas. One of the boys in the class gave everyone a Christmas music CD. I was glad I got to go.

Freddie - Our Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

We started a new tradition this year and have welcomed an Elf on the Shelf into our home. His name is Freddie. He is pretty mischievous and loves to eat. Here are some pictures of his latest adventures.....

Saying Thank You with Cookies

2011-12-17T09:58:00.001-08:00

To thank the fire and police departments we made cookies. Rick and the kiddos made sugar cookie cut outs and I made some chocolate chip cookies. It was really nice to be able to give back to community workers that give so much of themselves to their vocations.

Decorating the Outside of the House

2011-12-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

Winter Concert - December 6, 2011

2011-12-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

Kari has been working so hard all year on her violin and in chorus. Her winter concert was really good and she was chosen to perform at the Pascal Senior Center on December 22. We are so proud of her and her musical abilities.

Walk to Bethlehem - December 3, 2011

2011-12-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

A local church hosted a Walk to Bethlehem event. We started out at a census table and became part of the family of Zebulon. Then we went to different stations leading up to the birth of Jesus. After the tour we went inside to a marketplace a tried out foods and other fare from Jesus' time. It was the kiddos' favorite part. We can not wait to go again next year and make this part of our Christmas season traditions.

Dollar Days at The Harbor December 3, 2011

2011-12-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

We took Kari and Noah to Dollar Days at the Inner Harbor. We started out at CFA for breakfast, got Noah's haircut, rode the light rail, went to the Science Center and had a late lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. It was a beautiful day and we have a great time.

A piece of the WTC in NYC in front of the WTC in Baltimore

BSO Field Trip December 2, 2011

2011-12-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

I got to chaperone Noah's 2nd grade class trip to the BSO. We heard a few pieces from the Nutcracker and saw a puppet show of Cinderella. It was a really great show.

Noah the Lion

2011-12-17T09:32:00.001-08:00

Navy Women's Basketball Game November 28, 2011

2011-12-17T09:31:00.000-08:00

Kari won free tickets to a Navy Women's basketball game from school. We rode the bus to the stadium and enjoyed a win over Air Force. It was a neat family activity.

Trimming the Tree 2011

2011-12-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

We love being able to put up the tree on the weekend after Thanksgiving, so we can enjoy it for the whole month of December. This year, Kaysen was with us, but was very uninterested in hanging the ornaments. Rick and the kiddos did a great job!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving Day at the Pilkertons. It was great to see the Lamarres and watch the men fry a turkey. The food was awesome and the company was even better.

Breakfast tradition - cinnamon and orange rolls

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we had dinner at our house and Kaysen came over for a bit. He really loved the "green stuff", but didn't enjoy trimming the tree very much.

Weigh Smart - November 21, 2011

2011-12-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

Our family participated in a program with Kari called Weigh Smart. It combines exercises and education about nutrition and healthy eating to encourage changing activity levels and eating habits to have a healthy lifestyle. It is not a diet, but about making better choices for healthier living. Kari did great and we learned a lot as a family. Here are some pictures of a few friends and her workout instructors.

Boy Scouts Halloween Party

2011-11-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Noah's den/pack had a Halloween party last Friday. Noah had a lot of fun hitting the pinata and bobbing for apples - he got two! He also received his Bob Cat badge!

Trunk or Treat 2011

2011-11-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Our church hosted a Trunk of Treat event last Sunday. Kari and Noah each had a friend come and they had fun getting candy, riding ponies, roasting marshmallows and going through the maze.

Pumpkin Carving 2011

2011-11-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, it was cold and rainy and it even snowed a little bit. So, we made a trip to Aldi's and bought the kiddos pumpkins so we could carve them before Halloween. The kiddos picked patterns and Rick helped them get started.....

Down on the Farm

2011-11-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

The kiddos had off of school (and we had off of work) on October 21, so we picked up Kaysen and headed to Summers Farm in Frederick. We made a pit stop to have lunch with Devin. The kiddos had a great time and the only time Kaysen got upset was when I put him on top of a pumpkin to take his picture. I think it was because of the tractor that was running right near the pumpkins, but I could be wrong.

Ready to roll!

Contemplating what he'll do at the farm

Even picking his nose he is a cutie!

Cheese!

Noah and Kaysen

Our view on the way

Kari, Devin and Noah

This groundhog was in the field next to McDonald's. Noah took off after him

trying to catch him. For a chubby little thing he was pretty fast.

Happy to be on the road again

Sporty

Cutest animals on the farm

On the jumping pillow

I could not stand up with everyone jumping around me and Kaysen

Kari getting some air

Noah getting some air

Going down the slide

Kaysen loved it!

Wheeeeeeee!

Such a good auntie!

Feeding the goats

Water pump duck races

What a big boy! Aunt Kari was waiting at the bottom and when I sent him

down by himself all the moms at the bottom said, Aww! How cute!

Kaysen loved going down with Uncle Noah

An adorable Amish family

Playing in the corn crib. There was a sign posted that said if you threw the corn

the Corn Monster would come and eat you! LOL

Children of the Corn

Noah on the pedal carts

Duck, duck, GOOSE!!

Kaysen was less than thrilled about being placed on a pumpkin to pose for a picture

So, I Lied......

2011-11-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post these pictures from a recent bike riding excursion with the kiddos. Kari is still struggling with riding her bike without training wheels, so here are a few pictures of Rick helping her overcome her fear.

My bike and Rick's bike

Walking her bike up the hill

Ready to let her go.....

And she's off!! You can't really see it , but Rick's arms

are raised in celebration of her doing it by herself!

Way to go, Kari!

Last Catch Up Post.....

2011-11-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

......I hope!

Josh and Kaysen came to our church picnic in September. The food was great, but we didn't get a lot of fellowshipping in since a storm was rolling in. The kiddos and Josh were able to play a bit of mini-golf, though.

There was a cupcake contest and the back row of cupcakes were drumsticks, peas and carrots, mash potatoes and pies and the front tray were hamburgers. Yummy!

Swinging

Smiling at Daddy

MoMo and Kaysen Jace

Daddy and Kace

Ready to golf

FORE!!!

Ready to take a shot

Shooting for a hole in one

There it goes........

YAY!!!!

These two have stolen my heart!

Forget this mini golf stuff. I am ready to play with this cool ball

Didn't Realize, I Was So......

2011-11-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

....far behind!

I should not have opened that file! Found more pictures I never posted or blogged about on here! Ugh!

We spent Labor Day at the Pilkerton's abode (their house is the official party house! Ha!). we had a great time even though the grill died and we waited several hours for Steve and Rob to bring back a new one.

Love that Alex's eyes are red while he is pretending to consume raw meat. LOL

We started eating the sides while waiting for the grill to arrive. Yum!

Tower 'O Raw Meat

Sophie and Kari

Josiah doing a cool jump that I totally missed, but got this shot. LOL

Another shot of someone jumping in that I totally missed. Awesomesauce.

Noah

Just hanging out on the deck

So close to falling out

The Grill Masters

Karis, cheesing for the camera

Hanging with the Pilkertons......

2011-11-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Forgot to post these pictures from a weekend in August that we spent at Steve and Janie's. Enjoy.....

I was shocked she let the chick on her shoulder, but Rick was shocked her hair had been straightened and that she had make up on. LOL

I can not even add up the hours that these two logged playing Little Big Planet.

Yummy Tater Tot Casserole Tori made for dinner one night.

Another picture of the hair and make up and Daddy was still not pleased.

Sophie spent a lot of time on the lap top.

I am sure she was doing some kind of important research.

Just As It's About to Get Colder.....

2011-11-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot to post these pictures from Splash day 2011 at The Church at Severn Run. The kiddos had a blast and I got a bit of sun. I am going to update the blog this weekend with farm, pumpkin carving, Trunk or Treat and Halloween pictures.

As Normal as Life Gets

2011-10-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

So, we have been back into the full swing of school, work and life mode for a few months now. It is nice to be on a schedule and have more things planned out, but I miss the unpredictability of summer and the sleeping in. I really miss the sleeping in.

Along with the regular everyday school stuff, Kari is taking violin lessons again and has joined the chorus at school. She is also in an afternoon art club once a week and attending Weigh Smart classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. She is doing so well with her grades and extracurricular activities, but opted out of chess club and Good News club for this semester. I love her motivation and drive and am so proud of her growth and maturity. She even shaved her legs for the first time last night. I almost cried.

Noah is doing well in school, although he would rather skip his reading homework. He is in a before school reading club, though which thrills me that even though he will not read at home very often he will go to school early to read with his friends. He also just lost another tooth. He doesn't like to have them pulled out so he waits until they are barely hanging on to let us even see or touch it. He will leave his tooth for the tooth fairy but always requests that she leave his tooth for him to keep. I asked him what he was planning to do with the four he has lost and kept and he said hang them in a frame on the wall. I hope I can persuade him otherwise. Noah also joined Cub Scouts and loves that Rick is his den leader.

Cody is doing well in school and just got a job at a Halloween store. He should start driver's ed in a few weeks and will be coming to MD to visit at Christmas time.

Rick is still assisting an eighth grade student with Asperger's. He enjoys helping with some of the other special needs students as well. And he is plugging along with his degree. He hopes to be done by the fall of 2013. He has also been assisting for a friend of his that is a DJ on the weekends. He is hoping to be able to start doing some solo gigs after the first of the year. Since he won a regional poker tournament last season he is looking forward to going to Vegas the first weekend of November for the Tournament of Champions. If he wins there, he could go on to the World Series of Poker!

I am so thankful to be working at the same school again this year. The student I work with has a lot of academic needs, especially in the area of reading. I am conducting a special course with him and love to see him read and retain the words we are learning. I am currently studying for my Praxis I test which will allow me to get my state certification once it is complete. I would love to be teaching full time soon. Although, I am a bit anxious about returning to teaching full time I miss it. So much as changed and I am nervous about being part of public school education, but know God is preparing the right class for me.

Here are just a few random pictures from life lately......

Love spending weekend with my grandson, Kaysen!

This two make my heart smile!

They love to help bake and cook!

She loves having her hair straightened (and yes, she has a baby chick on her shoulder.

One of my sister, Janie's pets!).

Love that she loves wearing skirts now!

He could be a model!

He's a tough guy, but loves his bubble baths!

Sophie and Kari on Labor Day weekend.

They love spending time with their cousins!

Karis is such a cutie!

Losing his tooth makes him a little crazy!

Noah is so excited to be a Wolf Scout!

When the guys are at Scouts, Kari and I watch movies and get pedicures.

Love this boy to pieces!

Keeping track of our steps and trying to get 5,000 a day!

Rick has been making jam, too - raspberry and strawberry!

Like father, like son!

New 'do

Puppy dog

One of our new breakfast favorites - oatmeal!

This bowl as maple syrup, brown sugar and apple slices.

Apple and Raspberry Picking -September 24, 2011

2011-09-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

We took the kiddos to Larriland Farm in Woodbine, MD on Saturday. Many apple trees were ripe and ready for picking. Kari and Noah chose Golden Delicious, Empire and Marigold apples.

After we picked the apples we started picking red raspberries. It took us several hours to pick enough for jam and raspberry applesauce. It was a fun, sticky activity!

We also saw some really cool butterflies while we were at the farm.

And some other odd animals, too. Including some fake Canadian geese and this fellow.....

We had a great time! Rick has prepared all of the raspberries we'll need for the jam and he made some delicious raspberry apple crisp last night for dessert. We can not wait to go back later next month to pick some Granny Smith apples for apple pies!

Surviving

2011-09-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well, we all survived the hurricane last weekend. In fact, we fared really well, with minimal damage to our fence (a weak part blew over) and some down branches in the back yard. We never lost power and thanks to Rick's porch sweeping at 15 minute intervals from 1 AM - 4 AM we didn't have any flooding in the basement apartment.

We ended up with two days off earlier in the week due to the school system being shut down and some flooding and power outages in the southern part of the county. It was a nice break even though school had just started. We went bike riding and enjoyed the cooler weather.

Now, we are at the beginning of a 3 day weekend and it is raining. Kari and Noah just got out of a much needed time out and are playing LPS in the living room. They certainly have more than enough room in their bedrooms to play in there, but I kind of like them playing in the middle of the living room. Gives me a bit more time before I have to vacuum.

Rick is at a wedding today, as an assistant DJ. He really enjoys DJing and can not wait to get his own gigs. But, assisting is just as nice for him. I love seeing him all decked out in his tuxedo. He is so handsome. I am so blessed.

I love that the TV is off and all I can hear is praise and worship music and the kiddos playing.

I am blessed.

Sweetness

2011-08-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was feeling a little down, so I decided to chase the blues away with some baking. Kari and Noah are the best, eager helpers I know, so I had them help me mix, fill cupcake papers and icing the cupcakes. They did a great job and the cupcakes were delicious! They were so proud of themselves that they each took one to their teachers today.

First Day of School - August 2011

2011-08-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Today, Kari and Noah started back to school. Kari is in 4th grade and Noah is in 2nd. They were both very excited about school and were up and ready much earlier than they needed to be. The excitement continued after school since we experienced an earthquake today! It was definitely a day to remember!

School Shopping Fashion Show August 2011

2011-08-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

Every year Nana and Papa gift the kiddos with gift cards to be able to go school shopping. Today we went to JC Penney's during the torrential rain storm we were having. It was a lot of fun to see the kiddos pick out some awesome things and when we got home we always have them try on their clothes so we can take pictures and send them to Nana and Papa. So, here they are.....

You should know that Noah choreographed all his own moves. LOL He is definitely his father's son =)

Vacation's All I Ever Wanted - VA 2011

2011-08-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday we left MD and headed to VA to see Holly and the Lamarres. We had a pretty uneventful trip and as always made a stop at Sonic for lunch.

We went to the Lamarre's house for fried ice cream the first night we were in VA. It was really yummy and we learned a neat way to make a delicious new dessert.

Rick was letting everyone on Facebook know that we arrived safely

Parker's face was priceless

Fried ice cream. forgot to get a picture of the finished product.

It was topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup!

On Wednesday, we headed to Sandbridge Beach for the day. It is a great, family-friendly beach with gentler waves and a neat playground. I even enjoyed being in the water, instead of standing at the water's edge. It was so calm and a lot warmer than when we were at Virginia Beach last June. Noah enjoyed using his boogie board and Kari loved body surfing. Holly read on the beach while we played in the waves.

After the beach, we stopped by a roadside stand and got some peaches, strawberry jam, root beer and sarsaparilla (which is really just very sweet root beer). Then we stopped at Handel's for some ice cream.

After we rested a bit at home, we met Kayti for dinner at a local Chinese buffet. The food was alright, but the company was awesome!

On Thursday, we headed to Virginia Beach to walk on the "boardwalk". We went to Candy Kitchen (the kiddos had $10 to spend and each bought stuffed animals (not candy), Bella's Pizza and Kohr's Bros. Ice Cream. The chocolate peanut butter swirl soft serve ice cream was the best!

Kayti and her friend, Jackie came over for dinner. Rick made chocolate chip pancakes. After dinner, we played Apples to Apples and Wii Sports Resort.

On Friday, we went to The Portsmouth City Park playground and let the kiddos get nice and sweaty and then headed to the Lamarres' house for some swimming.

After the park, we stopped at DQ for a sweet treat. Noah was sure we had never been to a DQ before and was so excited about getting a Blizzard. He also wanted to know if we could buy a bottle of their bubbles since they have kittens in them. Gotta love marketing/commercials!

The kiddos enjoyed being able to swim at the Lamarres' house and we enjoyed that they were worn out enough that evening to watch the movie, Soul Surfer and have an earlier bedtime than they had had all week.

On Saturday, we headed to downtown Norfolk. We had lunch at Schlotzsky's, tried to go to the Caribbean Festival, but it was raining and explored a free art exhibit.

That night, we stayed in, made some homemade pizza and played a lot of Wii Sports Resort.

On Sunday after church we headed to the Lamarres' house for a cookout. The kiddos got to swim again and we got to meet Kayti's boyfriend, Kevin. Noah also got to see Jackie again, which made him very happy.

We headed home today and had a pretty uneventful trip home. We did get stopped on the HW Nice Bridge, which wasn't nice at all, but we got to see Janie, the kiddos and the new chicks and bunny, so it was worth it.

I am very glad we are home, as school starts in two weeks and we still have some more summer to enjoy before that happens. But, I will definitely miss being able to spend so much time with Holly and the Lamarres. We are so blessed to have such great friends and family!

The Rest of July

2011-07-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

After we got back from house sitting for the Pilkertons, we had to deal with Josh's jaw surgery. Thankfully, he did not have to have his jaw wired shut. They were able to put a plate and screws in to secure his jaw so it could heal properly. His recovery time was also considerably less - 2-3 weeks versus 6-8 weeks. He came through the surgery well and has minimal soreness. He is still eating soft foods, but should be back to complete health by next week.

We finally got all of Cody's boxes shipped and have the kiddos' rooms almost completely set up and functional. I still have to work on switching the closets around, but they finally have bedding and decor on the walls. I am so thankful that we had mostly everything we needed for Kari's room. We are still waiting on curtains for both rooms and some more decor for Noah's room. They love having their own space and seem to be sleeping better.

Our bedroom still needs some work and the biggest problem right now is getting the bathroom operable. Once we get the toilet fixed, we can paint and set everything up in there. It will be nice to have another bathroom (or toilet, at least) since we all seem to need to be in the bathroom at the exact same time, especially in the morning. Plus, I will appreciate not having to run all the way downstairs to pee in the middle of the night.

The kiddos finished up a week of marathon VBS last week. They attended our church's VBS in the morning and another church's VBS at night. They thoroughly enjoyed both and it gave Rick and me a chance to have some alone time together. We especially enjoyed being able to have dinner on Thursday night to celebrate our 11th anniversary. The kiddos were in the musical production on Friday night, but Kari requested that we not videotape her performance. I think Rick did get a few pictures, though.

This week we are having a few swim play dates now that the weather has cooled off a bit. It was in the 100s every day last week and we didn't have any AC in the van and Rick's car was in the shop. His car is still not fixed, but the van's AC got fixed today. Thank you, Jesus!

We are planning to be in VA for a bit next week and are looking forward to spending time at Holly's, the beach and with the Lamarres. We were hoping to make it to SC to see the Hersheys this summer as well, but are probably going to have to postpone that trip.

I can not believe that school starts in less than a month! This summer has really flown by!

A Few Days Away

2011-07-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

We've been at the Pilkerton abode for the last few days housesitting and duck/chickensitting. We came up on Tuesday night and will be heading home some time today. It has been nice to be away from the normal every day routine of being home, that lately has consisted of cleaning, purging, dump and Goodwill runs. The kiddos have been able to swim, I have been able to nap and Rick was able to get some schoolwork finished. We also celebrated Noah's 7th birthday and had dinner at Cracker Barrel. But, not on his birthday. No, on his birthday Noah wanted Costco's pizza for dinner =)

I have also done something while we've been here that I never expected to do - I picked up a chicken, more than once even. Yeah, it has been good to get away and do somethings a little different.

4th of July 2011

2011-07-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Rick had a DJing gig on the 4th that allowed us to go to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and watch the fireworks on a tour boat. It was a really neat experience for all of us. It was so nice to be able to spend time with the kiddos, making memories and celebrating the country's birthday!

When we got to the Harbor, Rick loaded the DJ equipment on the boat and then we went and had dinner. We made it back to the back for one of their 45 minute tours of the Harbor. It was really neat to see the old buildings and hear about the history of the port. After we were done with the tour it was time for the fireworks tour to start. It was a bit long for the kiddos, as we had already been on the boat for an hour, but they did really well. There was an air conditioned lower deck where we hung out until the fireworks display began. It was nice to just be able to hang out with the kiddos. And Rick did a great job DJing. People were singing and dancing. It was a really great evening even though we had a few snafus at the end of the night when we were trying to leave.

*The picture of the motorcycle and the guy with the motorcycle shows the ticket he was given for parking his bike on the pier and him coming back to find the ticket.

Field Day 2011

2011-07-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

Rick and I had off on the day the kiddos had Field Day (it was Rick's birthday, too). Noah's class went first. It was so neat to watch him doing all the relay races. I think the water relay was his favorite.

Kari's class started their games after lunch and it was really hot! She was doing really well with the games, but said she didn't wanted to stay. After a few more games, she changed her mind, but wanted us to go home. We decided to go to Costco until it was time to pick them up from school. We didn't even make it into Costco and the school nurse called saying Kari had a fever and needed to be picked up right away from school. So, we headed back to school, picked up Kari and Noah and ended the day with a few Slurpees.

The Last Few Months

2011-07-03T21:45:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on the blog. I tried to upload some pictures for an Easter post, but none of the pictures downloaded correctly, I got frustrated and deleted the post. Sigh.

We had a delightful Easter, though. We went to the Pilkertons and had dinner and an egg hunt. We were able to take Kaysen with us and he was so good. He flirted with Karis, took a nap and made faces at the chickens. It was so nice to spend time with family and friends.

Kaysen turned 1 on Mother's Day this year. We had a SpongeBob party for him, complete with jellyfish balloons and a homemade cake. He was so intrigued with the cake and did really well eating it. It was so neat to see him having fun with the kiddos and family that came.

Rick turned 40 in May and Devin turned 20. We didn't celebrate until Devin came to visit in June to have lunch and swim with the kiddos.

Kari turned 9 in June and went to Dave and Buster's with a few friends to have lunch and play games. We were gifted a free hour of bowling, too. The girls had a lot of fun picking out their prizes and Noah didn't mind being the only boy. Rick made an incredible owl cake per Kari's request. It was delicious!

School ended on June 14 and we started to make final plans for Cody to move to TX to live with his mom. He will be completing his junior and senior years of high school at Marcus High School in Flower Mound. We are praying that this is a easy transition for him and that he does well.

After Cody left for TX we have been spending a lot of time purging, cleaning and switching around the bedrooms, giving Kari and Noah their own rooms with Rick and me taking over the attic bedroom. Once everything is completed it is going to be so nice for all of us to have more space.

Tomorrow we will be celebrating the 4th of July on a boat at the Inner Harbor. Rick is DJing on a cruise ship and we get to tag along with him. Kari and Noah are really excited. They enjoyed being able to swim and watch fireworks today, so shouldn't mind hanging out downtown tomorrow.

I just realized that we took a lot of pictures on Field Day, which took place on Rick's birthday, but I will have to post those later.

It's bedtime for me or I might fall asleep on the boat tomorrow!

Sausage* and Cheese Brunch Squares

2011-07-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese blend, divided
1 package (22.5 ounces) frozen toaster hash brown patties, thawed (10 patties)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 eggs
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 lb. breakfast ground sausage
4-5 green onions with tops, divided (1 cup sliced)
3 plum tomatoes
Additional coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly brush a large bar pan with oil. Crumble hash browns over bar pan; press gently into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over hash browns.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until crust starts to brown and cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese until smooth using stainless whisk. Gradually add eggs and
black pepper; whisk until smooth.

Slice green onions, reserving ¼ cup of the tops for garnish.

Place sausage and remaining green onions into sauté pan; cook and stir over medium heat. Stir sausage mixture into egg mixture.

Remove bar pan from oven to cooling rack. Pour egg mixture over crust. Return bar pan to oven; bake
6-8 minutes or until center is set.

Meanwhile, slice tomatoes in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds and dice.

Remove bar pan from oven; top with remaining cheese, tomatoes and reserved green onions. Sprinkle with
additional black pepper, if desired.

Cut into squares and serve.

You can also add jalapenos to the sausage mixture. It adds some kick to it.

*This is a recipe from Pampered Chef that we changed a bit. Their original recipe has ham in it.

Kari's Awards' Ceremony

2011-05-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well...Kari won first place in the essay contest! It was such a blessing to see her rewarded for her essay and a neat surprise that she won first place. I think she really wanted to win first place, but was not wanting to get her hopes up (1st place included a $100 award). I was cautiously optimistic. I started to cry when they announced her name.

She got to read her essay and it was so neat to hear her. She did this little hair flip thing while she read that was just so cute!

It was nice to have Grammie and Poppy at the luncheon and ceremony, too.

Here are a few pictures.....

The first picture is of Kari's certificate. The second one is Kari with her certificate. And the last one is of the program from the ceremony. None of the states were drawn in, so Noah drew in Texas. LOL

What An Honor

2011-04-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Cody and Kari both made honor roll this quarter! So very proud of them! Noah does not receive letter grades yet, but he did very well on his report card, too.

We are so blessed with some great kiddos!

Oh....and Kari won an essay contest! We get to go to an awards ceremony and luncheon on April 30 to celebrate her accomplishment. She will receive a plaque and a monetary award. She is so excited and again we are so proud of her. She is also learning to ride her bike without training wheels and is doing so well. And today she overcame her fear of riding the escalator at the mall.

Sigh.

We really are blessed!

Just Keep Swimming.....

2011-04-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

Life doesn't stop for anything. Not new birth, not death, not heartache. Nothing. It just keeps going and sometimes it is hard to keep up with and sometimes it is hard to keep going. But, even in the times when everything else is loudly spiraling out of control, God is not silent as it may seem He is. He is in the whisper and if we quiet down enough our own hearts and minds we can hear Him.

I am definitely trying to listen, but it is hard. I enjoy talking and find it hard to quiet my heart and mind in the midst of life and its constant motion. Especially when I think I know what God needs to hear about a certain situation or my solution to the problems in our family. But, I am trying. I really am trying.

And even in the midst of uncertainty, God is still blessing us every day. We are all healthy, the children are doing well in school, we have food and a home, hot water and air conditioning, cars that run and people that love and care for us. And most importantly a Savior that gave so sacrificially of Himself that He died for us, when we didn't deserve it. And there are so many days that I still don't deserve it, but I have His love, mercy and grace.

So, I keep swimming. Knowing that I need to for myself, my family and my God.

Not Out of the Woods Yet

2011-03-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Parenting is hard. Marriage is hard. Life is hard.

We still have so many things going on right now that just make my head and heart hurt. But, God can heal broken hearts and lives and I know He has plans to restore our family. The waiting is hard, but will be so worth it. Right? It will be so worth it, right?

We still need wisdom and prayers.

But, life has been good, too. We are attending a church that we really like. The children are getting fed weekly with memory verses and Bible stories. We have even gone to my sister's church in La Plata a few times this month and really enjoyed it. I wish we weren't so far away from them or we'd visit more often. The kiddos love being at their house and cannot wait until we get to go again. Maybe for Easter.

We enjoyed some warmer weather last week and got to have a playdate at the park with some friends that just moved back from New Hampshire. Rick even did a bit of fishing. Now they are talking about us possibly getting some snow this weekend or early next week. That would be crazy.

The kiddos are all doing well in school. It seems to be a daily struggle with Cody, but Kari and Noah seem to enjoy doing school work and going above and beyond when it comes to their studies. Kari has entered a few writing contests and attends a math enrichment class. Noah loves to read and consistently tells us about the author of the month. He also attends an enrichment class for reading.

Kari has recently started hanging out with a girl from her class who also lives around the corner from us. It is neat to see her walking home from school with her friends and have Mckenna over for dinner or playtime. Noah struggles with her being gone, but also enjoys the time he gets to have Momma and Daddy all to himself.

Like I said, life is hard, but still good.

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

2011-02-24T19:51:00.000-08:00

Rick's surgery went well and he is recovering nicely. I am so thankful that everything went well, because other things happened today that have broken my heart and made me shake my head.

Because I love my husband and my children I am not going to discuss what happened today. But, I am going to ask you to pray for wisdom, discernment and clarity for our family. We really need the hand of God to reach down and move in so many ways for our family.

Thank you for reading, following us, loving us and praying for us.

God is good.

Day Break

2011-02-23T18:20:00.000-08:00

I got the day off unexpectedly when J didn't show up for school. While on my way home, debating whether to go get my hair cut or go to the store, I noticed that Rick left his notebooks for work in the van. So, I headed to his school to drop them off for him. When I was walking across the parking lot he pulled up in his car. He was experiencing a lot of cramping and discomfort at school and was heading home to call the dentist. He has been dealing with a toothache that recently became infected. He was nervous that was going on had to do with the infection.

I followed him home and he called the dentist's office. They were able to change his appointment from next week to tomorrow. I am worried about him. He seems to be doing better.....I think having a day off helped, but I am still concerned. I know it is not easy having oral surgery. I am praying for a painless surgery and speedy recovery.

I forgot to take my medicine and vitamins last night, so having the day off ended up being a blessing for me, too. I always experience such a blah feeling when I forgot to take them and today was no exception. I am very thankful that Rick got the kiddos to bed. Now I can head to bed and get some much needed sleep before tomorrow. J is heading back to school after missing three days. It is always an adjustment for her after a weekend, so tomorrow should be interesting. I am going to need to be ready for her.

Snow Day

2011-02-22T10:26:00.000-08:00

Even after having off for Presidents' Day yesterday we ended up with an unexpected snow day today. It was especially unexpected due to the 70 degree weather we had at the end of last week. And before noon the sun and warm temps were melting the snow pretty fast making me wonder if a two hour delay would have been better. But, Rick, who was up earlier than me, said that the morning roads were a mess, so I guess it was in the best interest of safety that the school district closed today.

I just wish I felt better. Laundry needs to be done along with some other things and I am just not feeling very well.

But, I did find the paperwork I need and am having beef and broccoli for lunch. It is not all bad.

Time Does Not Stop

2011-02-21T14:35:00.000-08:00

I wish I had the gumption to write in this blog every day as I know there are things that happen on normal days that I should be recording, remembering, but it seems like I only take time to write when we do something out of the ordinary. But, shouldn't every day be extraordinary? I mean, if we have been given another day to live and breathe, shouldn't it be blog worthy? Maybe I am just thinking too much.

We took the kiddos to another museum a few weeks ago and it did not fare as well as the AVM. We went to the Walter's Art Gallery in Baltimore and even though we started the tour off with an art activity for the kiddos they weren't really impressed with the museum. Noah thought all of the self portraits were creepy and the longer we walked through the exhibits the faster Kari seemed to walk. Although, she did like the ancient jewelry. And both the kiddos enjoyed playing chess and checkers in the medieval knight's hall. Of course, both of them were sure the visit would improve greatly if we let them buy something from the snack or gift shop, but instead we headed to Costco and had lunch there for a fraction of the price.

This weekend we ventured into Baltimore to hang out at the Harbor. Our original plans were camping for a day or two, but it was so windy and cold on Saturday that we nixed those plans and decided on heading to DC to see some museums. But then Rick and I had trouble communicating (i.e had a fight), so we opted to stay close to home and head to the Harbor. We decided to take the lightrail, but ended up driving into the city instead because after already waiting for the lightrail for 30 minutes they announced over the loud speakers that they were experiencing a 30 minute delay. We were able to find cheap parking, so it ended up being okay, even though the kiddos were a bit bummed about not being able to ride the "train".

We spent some time in Barnes and Noble and then headed to Hooters for dinner. Kari was so excited when she thought the restaurant was for owl lovers. She was not impressed once we got into the restaurant and took our seats. Rick had been having some tooth pain all day and it intensified once we placed our order. So, we asked for to go boxes and stopped by Cheesecake Factory for dessert on the way to the car.

It ended up being a pretty good day even though it started out a bit rough. Yesterday, we went to the park and then picked up Kaysen for the evening. It was neat to have him spend the night since we were off of school/work today.

And because we were off we headed to a matinee of Never Say Never (the Justin Beiber movie). I did not have any real expectations for the movie, but ended up enjoying it. Plus, I love seeing my kiddos enjoy something and Kari and Noah had a great time. Although, Noah did have to take three bathroom breaks. And we didn't even have any soda at the theater.

Now, there's a lasagna in the oven and I am hoping to get some laundry done before the school/work week starts. They are calling for snow tonight/tomorrow AM, so a two hour delay would be nice. If that happens, I might even get the vacuuming done this week.

American Visionary Museum - January 17, 2011

2011-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

We have wanted to take the kiddos to an art museum ever since they spent the afternoon creating Picasso inspired pictures and Kari and Noah originals of The Scream and the Mona Lisa. So we took advantage of the day off and free admission at AVM in honor of MLK, Jr's birthday.

It is a neat museum full of eclectic pieces using a variety of mediums. There were exhibits made from wood, electronic scraps, broken glass and paints and pizza boxes. The kiddos really enjoyed it and Rick and I loved being able to open up a whole new creative avenue for them.

Fortune Teller made completely of wood

Noah sitting on the Whoopie Cushion bench

Honest Abe

Eugene Von Bruenchenhein exhibit Out of the World

Broken glass mural as viewed from the top of the marble staircase

The angel's wings are also made of broken glass

Kari and Noah by the bus at the entrance covered completely by broken glass and mirrors

Tree outside the museum made of broken glass and mirrors

A few interesting items in the SideShow gift shop - Bacon soap and gum

Noah really liked the wooden sculptures and Kari enjoyed the giant gingerbread house. I was intrigued by a young girl's artwork on a paper plate. She was a patient at an insane asylum who pulled out all but three of the bristles of a paint brush and dotted an entire portrait on a paper plate which she got from the trash since no one would give her paint supplies. Rick really enjoyed Eugene Von Bruenchenhein's exhibit.

It was definitely a great day. We cannot to go to the Smithsonian Institute museums in the next few weeks. Natural History Museum, here we come!

Kaysen - December 2010

2011-01-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

Kaysen is growing and changing so much! I was uploading some pictures to print out and can not believe that he will be 8 months old in just a few days. Here are some of my favorite pictures from December.....

Gingerbread House Making December 2010

2010-12-31T15:45:00.000-08:00

Last year, the Schindlers gave the kiddos a gingerbread house making kit for Christmas. We took it out this year and the kiddos had a great time and did an awesome job.

Christmas Eve Open House 2010

2010-12-31T15:38:00.000-08:00

We had the annual Open House at our house this year. It was a brunch buffet style spread complete with Italain sausages, french toast casserole and snowball cookies. It was so good to see everyone. Here are some pictures that Janie took. She is an awesome photographer.....

Fall Fotos 2010

2010-12-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures Janie and Sophie took of us after Thanksgiving. They both really have a great eye for photography. Hopefully, we will get our Christmas cards done this weekend. I would love to use some of these shots.

November and Such

2010-12-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I feel bad that I have not updated in awhile, but realized that if I had updated I would not have any pictures to add. Mom and Dad Hall visited in the beginning of November and I did not take one picture while they were here. I know Mom Hall took some, but I haven't gotten them from her yet.

The weeks following their visit were kind of quiet. Not really much going on around here. Cody's football team finished undefeated for the season. Kari kept plugging along with her dance and violin lessons. Noah continued to plunk away on the computer.

Having off for the week of Thanksgiving was nice. Rick went on an interview and landed a TSA position at a local middle school. He is an advocate for an 8th grader. We spent Thanksgiving Day at the church for a bit for the outreach dinner and then at the Pilkertons with family. We even spent the night at a local inn and were able to hang out the day after Thanksgiving. Janie and Sophie took some awesome pictures of us for our Christmas card. I am also planning on printing some of them out to make collages for the livingroom wall. I can not wait to paint after the holidays and change some of the decor in the main living areas of the house. I'd also like to get some new countertops for the kitchen. I guess we'll have to see.

It has been interesting with Rick and I both working outside the home right now. I was sick the first two days after the break with bronchitis so I missed work and was able to make sure the house was cleaned and laundry caught up before heading back to work. I haven't done much this weekend with our annual ornament excursion on Friday night (followed up by a little bit of Christmas shopping) and the LHC Leadership Banquet last night. I also watched Kaysen for a bit yesterday.

But, the tree is up, mantle is decorated and Santa Countdown is under way. We have Breakfast with Santa this coming weekend and I am having a Pampered Chef show. I would love to bake some cookies with some of the kiddos' friends and find somewhere to go caroling. And a cookie exchange would be fun. I am sure I could fit that into our schedule.

Homecoming October 2010

2010-11-12T14:18:00.000-08:00

Cody and some of his friends went to Homecoming. He apparently became the date of one of his friend's girlfriends. He looked handsome and said he had a good time. Glad we have a few more years before prom.

Hershey Park October 2010

2010-11-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

We went to Hershey Park in October with the Hoffmasters. It was a perfect day. The weather was great and the kiddos got along the whole time. We really enjoyed ourselves and are so thankful that Q invited us and got us the passes. Here are some pictures of the day.....

Can you see how excited Kari is about riding the Super Dooper Looper?

We stayed overnight at a local hotel and even got a free dinner, upgraded room and free breakfast the next day because of them booking us in smoking rooms instead of nonsmoking rooms. It was a really great trip!

Day at the Park September 2010

2010-10-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

We took the kiddos to the park one afternoon while they were off of school. They dressed themselves and did a few vogue poses.....

Clearly Kari gets her sense of style from her momma and Noah from his daddy. LOL

Angelina Balleria September 2010

2010-10-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Kari started taking ballet and tap lessons this year. She is in a beginners' class and enjoys it, but can not wait to be in a class with girls her age. She is learning a lot and is excited that we will get to see her do a special dance for Christmas. Rick may talk to her teacher and see if she can move up to the other class soon.

Spaghetti Tacos

2010-10-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

I am going to admit something shocking....me and the kiddos watch iCarly. Okay, okay. Rick also watches it with us. If you watch it, you know that Spencer, Carly's brother makes spaghetti tacos a lot. So, one evening while I was out with the LHC ladies Rick decided to try it. The kiddos loved them! I even tried them the next day and was pretty impressed.

First Day of School! First Day of School! 2010

2010-10-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

Kari and Cody started school on August 24. Of course, even though I was up with Cody when he headed off to school I did not get any pictures of him. But, I got a few of Kari. Noah did not start until a few days later because he had a mystery fever that ended up being due to strep throat! Here are some pictures.....

My Anniversary/Birthday Present

2010-10-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved here and realized we'd be staying for more than a year, I have wanted to redo the bathroom. I actually would redo a lot of things if I was given permission and some money, but I definitely wanted to redo the bathroom and am hoping to paint the livingroom and diningroom very soon.

So, for my anniversary/birthday present Rick indulged me in a DIY project. I love the results!

These pictures are from our anniversary trip. Rick had them printed in black and white and then he put them in frames from Wal-Mart. Very inexpensive, but so meaningful and they look awesome in the space!

We would still like to replace the lighting fixture as it is a bit out dated, but it will have to work for now.

I do not have any 'before' pictures, but just imagine country cabinets with maroon accents (complete with ruffles). It was definitely my mother's bathroom.

This one is all mine!

And this was my birthday breakfast: green pepper and cheese omelet with strawberries on the side! Delicious and only 4 WW points!

Summertime Treats

2010-10-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

A few of our summertime treats this year were getting icecream at ColdStone Creamery and using our free bowling coupons. Here are some pictures.....

Kari has a new love for hats

Just realized that the only "bowling" shot I have is of Rick bowling. But, I promise, Kari and Noah bowled, too. Kari even beat her Daddy in the last game =P

Pizzeria Uno - July 2010

2010-10-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

Kayti came to visit us after the 4th of July. We went into DC to pick her up and walked around Union Station and then decided to have lunch. The kiddos made their own pizzas at Pizzeria Uno.

New Haircuts June 2010

2010-10-18T19:09:00.001-07:00

After our VA trip we realized how much in need of some haircuts the kiddos were. Here are some pics.....

The Charger

2010-10-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

Cody has a new car. Now all he needs is a license and some money to fix up the body. He is taking a auto body and collison repair class this year at CAT-North, so he should be all ready to start doing some work this coming summer......

Devin's Birthday May 2010

2010-10-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Devin's birthday on May 28. She and Brandon came over for her favorite dinner....chicken enchilada casserole. We also had cinnamon cake. Since the cake comes right out of the oven and is served warm we put her candles in and while singing Happy Birthday they started to melt......

Devin said being an adult kind of stinks since for birthdays now you get mostly money. She said next year she wouldn't mind getting some cool socks =)

Rick's Birthday May 25, 2010

2010-10-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Brings a Momma Bird - May 2010

2010-10-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day weekend brought me a new grandson and some beautiful flowering plants for the front porch.....

But it also brought us a Momma bird who wanted to make a nest for her eggs.....

The Momma bird was a bit defensive, dive bombing us if we got close to her nest or the flowers and I debated taking the next out of the plant. We actually moved the plant from the right side of the porch to the left side and she actually started a new nest in the other plant. So, we left the plant and the nest alone.

We found this a few weeks later.....

After the birdies flew away and the Momma left the nest, we left the nest alone and went on vacation. we forgot to get someone to water the plants and the other two died. This one has remained green and full all summer and into the fall.

New 'Do

2010-10-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

For the past few years, Cody has been letting his hair grow out from September until June. This year his hair cut was documented on film. Enjoy.....

Handsome and so grown up!

Gone Fishin'

2010-10-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

The kiddos and Rick spent a lot of time fishing this spring and summer (Rick fished more than the kiddos, though). Here are some pictures.....

(You can see the fish blending in with Noah's shorts)

We had lots of fresh catfish for dinner

Rick was able to go on a charter boat fishing trip in August. He caught a spanish marlin, a blue fish and lots of perch. I actuall enjoy the catfish he catches the most. He can fry a catfish, that's for sure!

Kaysen Jace

2010-10-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that Kaysen is 5 months old already! I finally downloaded the pictures off of Rick's iPhone, so I wanted to post them here. Beware of the extreme cuteness you are about to be bombarded with in the next few minutes.....

I love these pictures of Kaysen. He had on a shirt that says "Daddy's Little Monster" and was NOT happy that I was doing a mini photo shoot of him. He was babbling and letting me know just how unhappy he was by moving around and making lots of noise. He was definitely being a little monster....LOL!

Love this boy and love being a Mo-Mo!

Science Center Trip Spring 2010

2010-10-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

Kari's 2nd grade class went to the Science Center. Rick was able to chaperone. They had a really good time. Kari's favorite part was the big bubble (not pictured).

Kari and some of her friends at the Science Center next to the blue crab

Kari lying on a bed of nails

All I can say about this picture and the next one is that her father was her chaperone

View of the Harbor

Another view of the Harbor (You can see the Aquarium, too)

Digging in the craters of the moon

Digging for fossils

10th Anniversary Trip July 2010

2010-09-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

Rick and I were blessed to take a trip for our 10th anniversary. We were able to get away for three days and two nights at the StoneBow Inn in Grantsville, Maryland (20 minutes from Deep Creek Lake). We stayed there for our honeymoon, but it was under different ownership and a different name - The Elliot House.

Not a lot had changed in the past ten years, but under new ownership the inn had improved. One of the biggest improvements was the breakfast. Julyen made incredible food and even had a cookbook of some of his recipes.

We were able to go into the small town by Deep Creek Lake for the day, peruse an antique shop and sample some local BBQ which was phenomenal. Rick even got a hair cut.

We also traveled to another near by town for an anniversary dinner by the Youghiogheny River.

It was just so nice to be able to stroll through each day without rushing back to take care of the kiddos or worry about anything for a few days. Thanks to Janie and Steve, Kari and Noah were very well taken care of while we were on our trip.

Our cottage

Cassellman Bridge

Cassellman River

Amish Village

Fresh raspberries on the way to breakfast

Freshly brewed coffee each morning

Homemade jams

Apple cinnamon streusel muffins

Poaches eggs in black forest ham

Strawberries and cream cheese stuffed french toast

One Last Moment

2010-09-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today ends the 30 Day Challenge and I must say I enjoyed it. Time to get back to posting the rest of the summer photos and getting this house in order!

One last moment.....

I always knew when I found the right man to marry that I would not be nervous. In the past, I had trouble with my nerves and always found myself in the bathroom before ballet recitals and first days of school (even as the teacher!) getting sick from being so anxious.

Not on my wedding day.

When I walked down the aisle, I was not even the least bit nervous. I was giddy with excitement, but not nervous.

God is so good and has blessed me with an incredible husband, one who loves me unconditionally and takes care of me. Right now, as I have ventured back to work he has taken on taking care of the house and is doing an awesome job as Mr. Mom (and fulltime college student, dad, husband, football coach, among other things).

In that moment I knew I was going to marry my soulmate, best friend, love of my life.

Best moment ever!

Just Breath

2010-09-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

as·pi·ra·tion - [as-puh-rey-shuhn] –noun

1. strong desire, longing, or aim; ambition:
2. a goal or objective desired

3. act of aspirating; breath.

As a young girl, I remember having a strong desire to want to be a dancer. We had a jukebox in our bedroom growing up and I remember wearing my dance outfit and just wanting to dance, dance, dance.

As I grew into a young woman, I remember longing to be a nurse, wanting to help people, see them healed. But, then I saw my grandfather suffer at the hands of nurses and others in the medical profession and decided I could never be a nurse. Plus, hospitals make me nervous.

In high school, my ambitions changed to wanting to be a teacher. I felt complete in the classroom helping the elementary teachers with their students, seeing them learn to read and write or complete a math equation. I longed to have my own classroom to decorate and lesson plans to write out and students to love on and inspire to learn and succeed.

As I began my college career I became pregnant with my firstborn and realized that I also wanted to be a mother. The desire to nurture another human being was overwhelming at times as the baby grew, as I gave birth and as I watched my son change into from a boy to a man.

I have been blessed to be able to teach and be a momma. The six years I taught second graders are some of the most fulfilling years of my life. And being a momma to five amazing children has been challenging, but so rewarding.

I now have a desire to see my children saved, living for the Lord, following and fulfilling their dreams and raising families to continue the legacy of dreaming big and accomplishing great things.

I just need to remember to pray and breath. God can handle the rest.

Missing

2010-09-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

This was suppose to be Thursday's post, but I got a few days behind in posting.

Something I miss.....

I miss having my own house. I still have a home because I believe those things are different, but I miss having my own house where we are not connected to living with another family. And on that note, I miss being able to visit my parents and enjoy their company and have them look forward to spending time with my kiddos.

It is hard living together.

I also miss my Mom-Mom. Every day.

My Favorite Place

2010-09-22T13:54:00.001-07:00

My favorite place to be is in Rick's arm.

(Commence with the awws =)

My Fears

2010-09-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

I am afraid of closed in spaces.

And spiders.

And crickets.

And fire.

And that my children will not be happy, responsible, God-fearing adults.

And that I will not lose all of the weight I need to lose.

And that I will never have a house of my own, although I know I will always have a home.

And that I am too afraid of doing what I know God has planned for me to do.

And of failing at life.