Piano Recital 2010

We were so proud of our three oldest, as this was their first piano recital. They had fun and did a great job!

(**note: in order to turn of the music scroll all the way down and pause)

Spring into baseball

Emily was excited to climb the tree, it's spring! Karli joined in on the cheering during baseball practice.

Kiley couldn't climb because of her cast, so she laid on the ground and played with Cinnamon.

Coach Jason talking with some of his team, Braves!

The fun of being a kid!

It's off!

Here is Kiley in her cast before the appointment. It had been 2 1/2 weeks since she got it on. She had broken her pinkie by getting it slammed in the bathroom door. Right place. Wrong time. While waiting for the doctor to come and examine Kiley, Emily decided to show us how a REAL doctor ought to act!

John decided to show us how it would look if he broke his arm. Nice acting!

To make the time go by Karli and I decided to make the others laugh by making funny faces. Emily took this picture of us! Great job, Em!

Finally, the cast came off! She was so brave! There was no way I would want a saw coming at my arm! Kiley says, "It tickled and it touched my hand that's why I'm not laughing in this picture. It felt scary, but it didn't cut my hand."



Now it is tickles!

The training has begun!

Last year I ran the 1/2 Marathon for the first time. I trained, worked hard and (with only God's strength)

finished in 2:41:06, running the whole time.

I was quite excited!

So what did I do...signed up to do it again. But, after I signed up and finished the 1/2 marathon last August I had no idea that I was going to have

2 ankle injuries.

The stories can be saved for a NEVER time. Yeah, stupid stuff. Anyway, I am finally at a place to run again. Last week I started and had to talk myself through 15 minutes. It was sad. I got VERY overwhelmed. I am starting from the beginning AGAIN. That is ok, we (I am meaning God and myself) can do it again. So, this morning I got on the elliptical and ran about a mile and a half in 20 minutes. Not my best, but will do. Much better than last week. So here begins my training...look for more to come! Want to join me???

My Log:

04/13/10: 2.1 miles/30 minutes/elliptical

Some things learned this year, through homeschooling...

Over the past few weeks I have been contemplating the changes that have come this year through homeschooling. Not changes in the kids, although there are many, changs in me. Homeschooling is not for everyone, I acknowledge that. It was not for me. This has been a LONG journey for me. For years I wasn't even going to do it. Jason really wanted me to, but I desired and LONGED just to do ministry with him. That is what I LONG to do. The last thing I WANTED to do was teach. I find it funny now. I kept telling Jason NO WAY! I am not cut out for that. He thought I could do it. I didn't give it an option. But, God asks us to seek Him. He doesn't always give us the desires of our hearts...right away. He asks us to seek Him. I prayed. I prayed. And I prayed some more. Seeking what He wanted, not me. After two years of praying, and through MANY, MANY confirmations I knew that is what He wanted me to do. So, in faith I stepped.

It has been almost a full two years of teaching them. I am learning. (I hope) They are learning. But, I think my learning has been more than I could ever imagine. I have learned a lot from the text books. School was never easy for me, so I am learning a TON in regard to history and phonics. I never was taught phonics, so this English language makes more since than just memorizing words to me. But more importantly, I have learned more about myself and that has made me a better person and mom and teacher. I am not the best teacher. It doesn't come naturally for me. I have found that is ok. I try. And through trying I show my kids that even if you aren't the best at something God can use anything...I mean ANYTHING. I have found how much I truly love them. I mean really, truly love them. They do get under my skin some days, but my love for them has a new meaning. I have learned from them. They have taught me so much from their growing minds that I would never have learned it I wasn't with them every day.

{I stop as I write this. This is not where I was headed at all. My aim was to point out some logistically things that I have learned this year through homeschooling. I guess that will have to be for another post.}

I have learned how to have patience and flexiblity. I have also learned that God does work in everything for our best if we trust and rely on Him. If we had not been homeschooling we would not have had the opportunities we have to travel and spend time with Jason very sick dad. I have learned to have a perspective of trying to figure out how to learn something from each experience we encounter. I would have never done that before homeschooling.

As I sit contemplating what I have learned I am glad that I opened my eyes to see what He wanted me to do with my life. There is still time to get that degree in sign language interpretation and also to spend as much time serving my husband along in ministry, the way I want to do it. But, for right now, in this moment and this time, He has me here. I am keep getting excited about what He is going to teach me through all of this. And I guess if you really look at it. I am serving along side my husband in ministry. It might not be what I thought it looked like, but it is the ministry of my children. So I guess I am where I wanted to be after all...it is just not how I pictured it to be. I wonder how many other parts of my life are REALLY where I want them to be AND where He wants them to be, I just haven't opened my eyes to seeing how they go together...it gets me to thinking...

What about you, are your eyes closed to what is really in front of you?

Little Big Boss Man

My kids go here once a week for enrichment classes. They love it. Well, the elective hour they have three different options: boys' club, girls' club or Student Council. Last session my son decided on Boys' Club, but changed his mind this session and went with Student Council. Coming home today I asked him what he did. They had elections for the Little Big Boss. Last week they did, but I guess the group decided that it was going to be a two person job instead of one so they had a re-vote today. John and his friend Magnus won the election! How fun. I asked him what their job was going to be he replied, "Our job is to make sure that the girls stop stealing the scooters during lunch."

Apparently, the girls (wait he clarified ONLY the 3rd-4th grade girls) have been stealing the scooters to sit on during lunch, and they are not suppose to. I asked if he was suppose to stand up to them and inform them that they are breaking the rules. "Yes, mom that is my job!" I wish I could be there to see Little Big Boss in action, but will wait in anticipation to hear about it after school. But, I have been given the order, I am NOT allowed to ever, ever, ever, ever call him Little Big Boss. EVER...because "Mom, everyone will think you are sooooo weird!" "Don't they already?" was my reply. Even if I can't call him it out in public, he will definitely be Little Big Boss(man) to me. 8-)

An Amazing Story...

Some friends of ours were blessed with a miracle today. Click here to read their story!

He is not here...

YOU still amaze me...

Your grace still amazes me! Thank you Lord for your forgiveness. You CHOSE to die for me. For that I am FOREVER GRATEFUL! Thank you for your grace, and that I didn't have to do ANYTHING accept say YES!

THANKS....

...for letting us have fun yesterday!

Now I know the meaning of .1%!