Monday, January 31, 2011

Happy 38th Birthday to MOM (Sharon)!!!

The two best gifts I have - my kids!

My cookie cake

Vera Bradley apron and recipe box set from Rachel

Willow Tree Mother/Son figurine from Jason

So today is my birthday! I don't feel any older than I did the day before. The kids had given me my presents on Sunday, so today was just another day. The sun decided to shine for most of the day which was nice, because we knew that bad weather was on the way. After lunch, the kids wanted to go out back and shoot basketball, so I let them play out back for over 30 minutes. We didn't start History until almost 2:00. When we were finished, we played games on the computer and then around 4:15, Jason says, "Mom we forgot drum lessons." WHOOPS!! I couldn't believe we forgot to take him to lessons. I was even more confused because his teacher hadn't called us. I still haven't heard from her. Oh well, we will go next week, and hopefully we can carry over this payment to next month.
After we realized we forgot drums, I realized that I didn't have any meat for dinner, so we ran to Kroger and picked up some fried chicken, and a few other things in case the power goes out and I couldn't get to the store tomorrow.
Thankfully, Chris got home in time to take Jason to indoor soccer training, so I could have a few minutes to myself. Ended up talking to Mrs. Kakie for over 30 minutes, and then headed to Bible Study.
Shawn surprised me with a yellow cake with chocolate icing, and a sweet coffee cup that holds several cups of coffee. It says Good friends are like stars, you don't need to see them to know they are there. That made my day!! She is truly a dear friend.
When I returned from Bible study, the kids and Chris had picked up a bouquet of flowers and had it waiting on the bar for me!! Great ending to a great birthday!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Super Sunday

Today has been a great day! Today started by going to church. After church, Chris and the kids took me to Red Lobster for lunch for my birthday. Because of the busyness of the week, today was going to be the only day we could eat out. After lunch, I was able to get a short nap while Chris and Rachel ran to the mall to get a small cake for my bday. They brought back a cute cookie card cake with Happy Birthday in purple and white. The kids both gave me great presents. Jason gave me the Mother and Son Willow Tree, and Rachel picked out a recipe box and apron from Vera Bradley in a purple pattern. They gave me a wonderful card with such sweet encouraging words that I needed to hear! I so appreciated everything they did. After we ate some ice cream and cake, we left for AWANA.
On the way to AWANA, I started to cough and my chest was burning! I hope I am not getting sick. I am hoping I can go to sleep tonight and not cough too bad! Tomorrow I will be one year older, Lord willing! Can't believe it's been 38 years! Thank you God for every day of life!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Oh what a day!!!

Today started way too early, but it's always nice to be able to help out a friend. Melissa Bonifield called this morning at 7:00, and was coughing badly, and running a high fever, so she asked if we could get Thomas on the way to Upward. We were planning on taking 2 vehicles anyway, so I left around 7:40 and picked up Thomas. He had pictures at 8:05. Jason had pictures at 8:20. Their teams were playing each other today, so we weren't sure how that was going to go.
Jason's team played so good today - all the parents were so proud of them! They passed the ball and really played like a team. Not sure what the final score was, but if we lost, it wasn't by many.
Rachel cheered from 10-11, and then had her cheerleading pictures. Chris left before that and took Thomas home. He and Jason then went to the mall to go birthday shopping for me. Rachel and I went home and Chris picked up McDonald's for us to eat for lunch.
After lunch, I drove Rachel over to the Lawrence's house to play with their daughter, Kaylee. Rachel had a lot of fun. She and Kaylee both love animals a lot. She came home at 5:00 telling us how she and Kaylee had a fashion show with the dogs.
While Rachel was at Kaylee's, Chris and I took Jason to the Sportsplex to play indoor soccer with the Beavercreek Celtics (select) team at 2:20. He had SO much fun. He said that was the most fun he has ever had playing soccer. SO different from outdoor soccer, but he will catch on. The coach asked if Jason could join them for indoor training on Monday night, and then he will explain to us more about costs, commitment, etc. Jason is so excited!
After soccer, we came home and I finished lesson plans for next week. At 5:30, Ashley came over and Chris and I left for Sunday School social at the Flanders' house. We enjoyed our time there, but really hard to have fun as tired as we were.
We got home around 9:15 and now I am ready to go to bed. Thankfully, tomorrow will truly be a day of rest in between church and AWANA.

Friday, January 28, 2011

It's FRIDAY!!!

No Excel today, but we weren't doing a full day of school. On the Fridays when we don't have Excel, we do every subject but Social Studies. Jason was so excited because he was going to Will Tschirhart's tonight for a sleep over to celebrate Will's birthday!
We finished school, and decided to stop by the library on the way to Will's. We left around 1:30 and stopped by the library to return books that were due on Monday. After the library, we went on base to put a check in the bank and then got gas since it was 10 cents cheaper than off base.
Finally, it was time to go to Will's. We stopped by the lot on the way, but nothing seemed to have changed. John called later and said that the hole for the basement was set, and next week would be foundation week! I can't believe that the wall people are scheduled for next week - it seems things are moving too fast :)
Rachel and I stayed at the Tschirharts for almost 2 hours. I really enjoy being with them. Amy and I had a great conversation and really got to know each other better. I am so thankful for her friendship and I know that I have met another best friend.
On the way home, Rachel and I stopped at Kroger to pick up a few things for dinner. Rachel was going to fix Chris and me dinner. She wanted to make a pizza, so we got all of the ingredients. She really enjoyed getting everything. She really enjoys being in the kitchen.
We also rented Despicable Me to watch just the three of us. She was so excited to have us all to herself, but I could tell she was missing Jason, too.
After we ate the pizza (it was great), we put in the movie, ate popcorn and chocolate chip cookies, and enjoyed a quiet night at home. We were gearing up for our busy tomorrow.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Well, today was another day! We did school all day, and then the kids played for most of the afternoon. I finished up the laundry, and talked to Nelda a few times about the upcoming homeschool convention. We are excited to go and hear some great speakers, and attend workshops. The most exciting things are getting to hear Tim Hawkins and getting to meet the Duggar family. I am sure we can learn alot from Jim Bob and Michelle.
After supper, I was waiting for Chris to get home so I could go to a Tastefully Simple party at Becky's house. I was so looking forward to going to a party and getting some girl time. At 5:45, I called Chris and he was busy with Col Coombs, so I knew things weren't going well. Finally at 6:20, I called Becky and asked if I could bring the kids, and she said of course, so we loaded up and took off. At 6:30, Chris called and said he was finished, so I stopped off the interstate and left Jason with Chris and Rachel and I made it to Becky's house as they were getting started. I ordered some of my favorites and made it home by 9:00. I thank God for the new friends he has placed in my life. I look forward to growing friendships and hoping to be here for a while.
This Saturday is going to be so busy, I am not sure if I want to go to sleep and start Friday, because Saturday will be one day closer.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A Big Day

It has been so cold lately, so I wasn't sure if the ground breaking was going to happen or not, so Chris suggested we meet for lunch and then drive over to the lot to see what was going on. I called John and he said to stop by anytime. We met Chris at Burger King for lunch, and then went to the lot and the bulldozer was working, and the hole for the basement was already laid out! The kids were so excited to see how it starts out! We all felt sorry for the worker in the dozer, and the rest of the workers building a house down the road because it is SO COLD!! I don't know how they do it!
After seeing the lot, we ran to the UPS store and mailed a package to the Crosses for Hannah's birthday (she and I share a birthday). Unfortunately, it might not get there until Tuesday, but as long as it arrives safely, that all that matters!!
We went to prayer meeting tonight, and the kids went to GAs and RAs. It was the first time we had heard Pastor Chad speak. I could listen to him all night.
On the way to church, we spoke to a coach for Beavercreek soccer and Jason is actually going to play indoor soccer with them on Saturday to see how he would like the league!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A New Beginning

Today I woke with a different outlook on life. I told Sheila last night that I wanted to pray to God before I even put my feet on the floor to get out of bed. We learned on Sunday in Sunday School to take up our cross daily, but I have never really put that to heart.
After reading the Bible passage for today, I got up and went downstairs, and before I said anything to the kids, I stepped back and thought about what I was going to say and how. The whole feel of the morning was different. After breakfast, we started school, and Jason's Bible study for today was 1 Thess 5:11-23. The curriculum had each verse broken down, and I was blown away that God had brought this verse back to my mind, and this was a great lead in to talk to Jason and Rachel both about how I feel our family is not living out what we believe in God's Word. I don't know how long we discussed the verses, probably like 30 minutes, but it was the best 30 minutes I have had with them since we started homeschooling. That discussion set the mood for the rest of the day. I was so happy to be teaching them, they were happy to be taught, and I noticed that the whole tone to today was different. I wasn't raising my voice, and the kids weren't at each other's throats. We all agreed that when we go to church, or when we are hanging out with our Christian friends, we are one way, but then we are different when we are at home. God doesn't really like that.
As the day went on, I caught all of us in general just being kind. I blame myself for the mood of the household, but praise God, He can forgive me and set me back on the right track.
After lunch, I decided to take the kids on base and bowl a few games. I bowled rather poorly, but I had fun just being with Jason and Rachel and trying to encourage them to have fun, and not worry about the score. I felt like we had been working so hard this month, and really haven't taken a break for anything, so we had just forgotten how to have fun. The weather has been so cold, so we haven't even been able to go outside to play.
After bowling, we returned home, and I explained to the kids that I needed to rest, b/c I talked to Jennie last night until 12:30, so I hadn't gotten much sleep. Rachel watched a Care Bears movie, and Jason finished reading his book, and I think I was able to sleep for about 20 minutes. That's all I needed. I so appreciated that they could let me have some rest.
I then got supper ready and we left for Upward practice. I took the Zumba class again, and it is such a stress reliever, I leave there feeling like I have 30 lbs off my chest. Chris called and said his plane was on time, and he landed in Dayton around 9:00 and was home by 9:45. I thank God he made it back home safely tonight and didn't have to wait until tomorrow.

Monday, January 24, 2011

MONDAY

So after a long Sunday, it was hard to get up and get going. We managed to start school after 8:30, and the day went fine for the most part.
Chris came home at 12:15, and had to leave at 1:3o to take a short trip to VA. Thankfully, Shawn's husband, Ben, said he would keep the kids while we went to Bible Study. I am so thankful to be in another women's Bible Study. Even though I have taken this study before, God has shown me new things already in the 2nd week. Last night, Beth's video was on Mean Girls, and the whole time I was thinking I was one of them. When she said that mean people tend to pick on children because they are innocent and that person can have power over them, it really struck me that maybe that's why I am so hateful to Jason and Rachel! After the video was over, I ended up talking to Sheila Wuebben, and I think that God led me to talk to her. I was very open about how I don't like the way I am, and I don't know how to change. She thanked me for being real, and she prayed over me. I really felt different when she was finished, and I will pray for her daily, too.
During our discussion in our groups, Barbara Singerman mentioned 1 Thess 5:23 as a favorite verse of hers (this place a part on Tuesday morning).

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Busy Sunday

What a blessing to be in the house of the Lord! We knew that today was going to be a hard day, but never could have imagined how tired we would be after not being home but an hour and a half the whole day!
We went to church, taught Sunday School, and then after church stayed for the Reduce the Risk training. We are supposed to have had this training before we teach Sunday School, but they hadn't offered it in a while.
On the way home, we stopped at the subdivision behind us to sign more paperwork for Amber, so we didn't get home until 3:30. We had to leave again at 5:15, so we had a LONG day!
AWANA was fun as always, but I was ready for bed by 9:00!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Upward Week 2

Thankfully this morning Rachel's game wasn't until 10:00 and Jason's at 11:00, so we didn't need to be at the gym quite so early. Rachel did a great job cheering during her game! I really think she has a knack for this! Jason's game started and at half time we were only down by 9 (they started keeping score today), but the second half we fell apart. The one child on the other team scored around 50 of their 60 points, and several of the parents, me included, were livid that the other coach would allow them to run the score up so high, plus played the one player the whole game. I didn't really care about the score, the fact is the other coach wasn't following any of the rules set forth in Upward! Oh well, maybe one of these days, Jason will end up on a team of kids who love the game as much as he does. We are still waiting to hear if he is going to get a chance to play on the Beavercreek Celtics team or not.
This afternoon, Rachel and I went to Kelly Gatts's house for a 31 Gifts party. Rachel and the girls went to McDonalds with Cody and I enjoyed just being with some adults.
Chris and Jason had fun playing Legos (we finally got a table up in the basement for his Lego Police set), and had dinner waiting for us when we got home. After dinner, the kids and I finished putting back together Jason's Lego Police Command Center and then Rachel got a shower, and we watched a little TV.
The kids have decided to try to sleep in the basement tonight. Rachel is in Jason's Buzz Lightyear tent and Jason is on the sofa. I hope they can sleep well once the cats go down there. I don't want the cats getting in their face and meowing all night. We will see how things go.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Snow Day

We woke up today thinking the kids were going to Excel Day, and then the message came from Dayton Christian School that the schools were closed today, so no Excel! BUMMER! Good thing was that Chris was on time to get home around 2:00, however, that bubble got burst, too, when he tells me that after his plane lands, he is going into work. Oh well, so much for a break. We spent the morning taking spelling and math tests and cleaning the living room. Finally around 3:00, I had had enough cabin fever, so we left and went to Office Depot to get my Esther Bible Study book spiral bound. After Office Depot, we decided to go over to Target to look for a few birthday gifts. We found Will's birthday gift, but didn't find what we wanted for Hannah, so Rachel and I will look at the Target over near Mrs. P's house during Jason's drum lessons.
Finally around 5:45, Chris came home and we enjoyed a bowl of chili for dinner. After dinner Chris and the kids played in the basement and then we finished the night by playing a game of Disney Scene It!!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Snow, Snow, go AWAY!!

Today was a LLLLLOOOONNNNGGG day! It started snowing around 7:00 am and at 9:00 pm it is still coming down lightly. We were supposed to have a playdate, but because of the snow, the playdate was canceled. Thankfully, a Garfield movie came in the mail from Netflix, so we watched it this afternoon to help pass the time. After the movie, I blowed off about 4 1/2 inches of snow, and there is another 2 inches or so on the driveway again. After dinner, we played Disney Scene It and U Build Sorry trying to help the night pass without just sitting and watching TV.
Chris called from Texas around 8:00 - they had just finished their meetings and were finally getting to eat dinner. He is scheduled to be home tomorrow around 12:30. Thankfully he wasn't scheduled for tonight, because his flight would have been canceled or delayed.
We will wait to hear about Excel Day in the morning!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Field Trip

Today was a great day! The kids did a little schoolwork this morning and then we left at 10:00 to head to dowtown Dayton to the Victoria Theatre. Today was the showing of The Suessical musical. Only 2 showings all year, and we had tickets with Dayton Christian to attend the 11:30 showing. We had a great time! The musical was so fun! I think kids of all ages would enjoy it! I started taking a few pictures, and then one of the ushers came and told me pictures weren't allowed. I asked the mom in front of me if she heard them say that, and she said that she only heard no video. Oh well, I got a few shots, but then had to stop. After the musical we headed home and stopped at Wendy's for lunch. We came home and finished up a few things with school.
Chris came home at 3:30 to pack and get ready for his trip to Texas. He headed to the aiport around 4:45, and made it safely to Dallas around 9:00 EST. Rachel was so upset that he had to leave. Thankfully it's only until Friday afternoon, but we never like to see him go. I don't normally get a good night's sleep no matter how often he leaves. It took me over a month to sleep more than 3-4 hours when he was deployed, but because he goes on these short trips, I never have time to adjust. I pray for a good night's sleep tonight! I am just happy he made it safely.
We are forecasted to get 4-6 inches of snow tomorrow, so we will see what happens!!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Zumba

I have been waiting for today for 2 weeks. The first time we took the kids to Upward practice, I saw a Zumba class going on in the church's fellowship hall, and it looked so fun. Last week the class was canceled due to weather, so tonight was the next class, and I was excited to try it out. I had so much fun. It's like exercising, dancing, and aerobics all in one! I already feel like I am going to be sore.
Rachel woke up this morning with a wicked cough. I called and got her an appt on base for 2:00. The doctor said she has nothing but a bad cold. Her throat looked fine, and she had some nasal drip. She prescribed liquids, and Sudafed at night to sleep better, and sent us home.
Upon returning from practice (she stayed home with Chris), I took her temp and it was 100.9! What? Did the doctor miss something. If she wakes up with a fever, we won't get to go on our field trip tomorrow to see the Suessical musical. The kids really want to go, so I am hoping this was just a fluke thing, and we will see how her night goes. I really don't want to have to return to the doctor again for the fever.
Now to watch my favorite show - The Biggest Loser!!

Monday, January 17, 2011

MLK Day

Chris has the day off today - the kids were so excited! We had an electrician at the house at 8:15 because the light fixtures in the hall way work sometimes, and don't work sometimes. He said everything looked good other than the light fixtures are going bad. We are waiting to hear from Cecil, our property manager, when they might get the fixtures changed.
I left to buy groceries and didn't get back until almost 11:00. While I was gone, Chris and the kids went to get the truck washed and to play with the puppies at Fetch. Fetch is Rachel's favorite place to go. She wants a dog so bad. It's pretty much all she talks about.
We ate lunch and watched the last show of Hannah Montana Forever. After the show was over, we left to go look at the model home in Winding Creek which is the exact model that we are about to build. We needed to figure out where we wanted the phone jacks and cable jacks.
After we left the model, we dropped Jason at Mrs. P's house for drum lessons. Chris and Rachel stayed to listen to him and I ran to Walmart.
Then home to fix dinner and then to Bible Study. I am so thankful to be back in Bible Study with a group of women I can learn from and grow with.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Great basketball game

We went to church today and are so blessed by the church family we have. The kids enjoy the children's pastor and their teachers, and we love our Sunday School class, and the new pastor even though we haven't actually heard him preach.
After church, we had a VBS meeting for directors. How exciting to be a part of a church that puts so much effort into VBS. I volunteered to do games, so I am so excited about that. The church fed us lunch, and then we discussed VBS in general. I think it's going to be a fun week!
After getting home, I put together a grocery list since I wouldn't be home until later that night.
Chris and Rachel left for AWANA and Jason and I left for the Wright State vs. Butler game! We were so excited to get to go to such an important game against the team that almost defeated Duke for the NCAA championship last year.
The game was the best college basketball game we have ever been to! It was close the whole game and Wright State pulled off the victory by 5 points in the end! We have never seen mass chaos as all of the students ran onto the court to celebrate.
Jason told me he had fun, so I was glad to hear that he enjoyed it as much as I did.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Upward Saturday




The day has finally come - their first Upward cheerleading and basketball games! The morning was so long - we were there from 8:45 to 12:30, but it was so worth it. We have never done Upward before, so the first thing that happened was a nice surprise. The church brings out a little tunnel with balloons and smoke, etc, and each of the teams, including cheerleaders, are introduced one at a time. The kids ran through the tunnel and then stand and cheer for the next team - it was so exciting! Rachel's cheer game was first, so enjoyed watching her cheer - she just lit up she was having so much fun. I think she has found her element! Jason's friend, Thomas, played at 10:00, so we watched his game in between our games. We enjoyed getting to visit with the Bonifields for a couple of hours. Jason's game was at 11:00, and we really enjoyed getting to watch him play again. He starting off with a great shot, then went cold, and then starting lighting them up again toward the end. They didn't keep score, and honestly, I am glad. The other team scored alot at first, and then our team got it together and started scoring, so I think it was pretty even.
After we could finally leave, we decided to stop at Maggie Moo's for ice cream. We hadn't been there in a while. They were out of my non pareils, but I settled for mint chocolate chip. After getting home, we watched the NFL playoffs, and enjoyed a nice dinner at home.


Friday, January 14, 2011

Pre Construction Meeting

The day is finally here! Our pre-construction meeting with Ryan Homes; it seems like it's been a year since we met with Amber to begin the paperwork on the new house. We met with Amber and John and Andy (the project managers). After going through all the drawings to make sure that the specifications were correct, we found out that they are planning on breaking ground on January 26th - only 12 days away! We are all so excited.
Thankfully while we were at the meeting, Amy said the kids could play with Will and Wes. Before I picked the kids up, I was able to grab some lunch, and do a little shopping. I went to Trader Joe's for the first time and bought some of their veggie chips and tortilla chips with flaxseed in them. WOW, are they yummy! I should have bought a case of the veggie chips! After Trader Joe's I found Books & Co. There I bought Jason the new Rick Riordan book called The Lost Hero - he has really gotten into the Percy Jackson books lately. I was also able to find Rachel a set of mosaics to make of unicorns and ponies. She loved the butterflies she made a few months ago, but we haven't been able to find her a different set. Of course I finished my shopping spree with a cinnamon pumpkin cookie from Cheryl & Co. It was good.
I picked Jason and Rachel up from Amy's around 3:00, and we came home to just chill out for a while. We had leftovers for dinner, and then were off to Upward practice since their practice Tuesday night was canceled.
Chris didn't get home until after 8:00. He met several of the men to help move a widow in our church. I so love how the people of FBK are constantly looking out for each other and really ministering to each other.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Dinner with Friends

We had no new snow today, and the sun tried to shine, but the day stayed mostly cloudy. We were excited to have dinner with the Hartlage's tonight. Around 1:30, Shawn called and said that Brenna had gotten sick at the library, so we decided to see how she did the rest of the day before making final dinner plans. Fortunately, she didn't get sick again, so we went to their house for dinner at 6:00. It has been way too long since we have spent time with them. We enjoyed a great meal and great fellowship. The kids played Just Dance for Kids on the Wii and we talked and talked. I love that family and we are so blessed that God crossed our paths.
Tomorrow is our pre-construction meeting for building the house. Exciting times ahead!!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Painting the snow















Today started off with school, and the kids worked really hard to get finished before we would need to leave for my hair appointment. At lunch time I decided to treat us to Steak n Shake for lunch, so we packed up and headed to lunch. We finished earlier than expected, so we went on over to A Hair Place, and Michelle was actually able to get me started early. When we finished, we decided to stop at Dollar Tree to get some spray bottles and little packs of koolaid so we could come home and play

in the snow. The kids were so excited to try painting the snow. We couldn't get the snow to cooperate in building a snowman, so the kids had fun spraying their name in the snow, spraying the snow in the bushes, and whatever else they wanted to spray. We then went around the front for some sledding and snowball fights. I think we had at least 8 inches in the drifts and about 6 inches in the yards. We had a great day just getting out and breathing some

fresh air. I even decided to give the sled a try. Jason enjoyed taking pictures of me trying to get down our little hill. After we played in the snow, I cooked dinner, and we went to Bible Study. One more week of our Crown class. The kids enjoy going to RAs and GAs. Rachel was the only GA there tonight, so she enjoyed the individual time with Miss Donna.



Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Snow Cream

We started getting snow as Chris was leaving for work, and the forecast was calling for up to 5 inches, so I knew the snow would be falling for most of the day. Nelda had mentioned several times that when it snows in Mississippi, they make snow cream. After living in Utah for 4 years, and never trying it, I knew that today needed to be the day we gave it a try. Rachel put a bowl out back, and we collected snow all morning. Things starting shutting down, because of the snow, so the base had an early release. Chris was able to be home by 3:30, so we waited on him to be home to try our creation with us. We added some fresh snow to the bowl, evaporated milk, sugar, and some vanilla, and mixed it up until it was smooth. Wow, was it good. We even added chocolate chips (in my eyes, chocolate chips make everything better). What fun we had making this yummy treat from something falling from the sky. We enjoyed the rest of the night at home because Upward practices were canceled due to "bad weather." We are learning quickly that winters here are very different than in Utah.

Eating the finished product

Giving it a try


Rachel mixing

Jason mixing
Adding the evaporated milk





Monday, January 10, 2011

Another Monday

Another school day: we actually finished up earlier than usual before lunch because Jason had an English test instead of a full lesson. Today was a weird day - the kids were just being so hateful today. I need to watch if this is a pattern every Monday to make sure they don't need to go to bed earlier on Sundays than any other night. We also have crazy weather on the way, and sometime that throws everyone off. It just might be cabin fever, because we haven't gotten to go outside for recess in a long time. It's just so cold - biting, freezing cold. The temperatures don't seem to get out of the 20s.
Anyhow, the afternoon was much better after they watched some TV for awhile at lunch. After we finished their lessons, we went to the library so I could pick up the December copy of Conspiracy 365. I am so ready to know what happens in this series. Jason picked up the last 3 books in the Percy Jackson series. I love when he finds a series of books, and I have to ask him to stop reading. After the library, we took Jason to drum lessons. He continues to get better each week. Rachel and I went to Walmart and picked up a few things while he was practicing. I could stay and listen, but I think he does better when we leave.
Came home after drum lessons and I got supper ready. After supper I left to pick up Shawn for women's Bible study that started tonight at Christina's house. I am so thankful to be in a study again. We are doing Beth Moore's Esther: It's tough being a woman. I have completed the study before, but I know that God will speak a new word to me if I listen. I am so glad that Shawn is doing the study with us; it's nice we can carpool so we can catch up each week uninterrupted!!
Chris and I are going to finish watching the BCS National Title game; it's 11:20 and in the 4th quarter. We hope that Auburn pulls off the win against Oregon - we always cheer for the SEC. Being in the Eastern Time Zone means staying up late to see any sporting events. Praying for a better Tuesday.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Sunday routine

So today was the first Sunday back on our routine after having a couple of Sundays off from AWANA because of the holidays. Our Sundays almost always start off with bacon, eggs, and biscuits. After reading the paper and getting ready we head to church. We all love First Baptist Kettering and are so blessed that God led us to this church. We enjoy our Sunday school class, and the kids just absolutely love the children's minstry and children's pastor. Pastor Tony is great with the kids.
After church we went to Burger King with the Tschirharts and Flanders. The kids enjoyed playing while we got to know another couple. So excited to find out that Rosanne sells Tastefully Simple - yeah, I can have my beer bread back!!
After Burger King we came home, the kids played computer and Wii, study AWANA verses, then we are back off again to AWANA. So fun to see all of the kids again. Doing games can be so tiring, but I just love being with the kids.
Kids are now in bed, and I am going to get my lesson plans and make sure we are ready for school tomorrow!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Saturday at home

Today was a great day - we had NO PLANS! The day started with Chris needing to shovel the driveway since we received more snow overnight. Then he and Rachel went to Tim Horton's to get us some breakfast. By the time they returned, the snow had let up a little bit. After breakfast, I worked out on the Wii while Chris ran on the treadmill, and then the kids did the Wii fit - nice start to our day. We are trying to learn how to take care of our bodies since our bodies are supposed to be temples.
Most of the day was spent doing piddly things : Rachel painted, Jason practiced drums, a load of laundry, lesson plans, etc. Chris took Jason to the base gym to shoot hoops for an hour, so Rachel and I stayed home and played Mall Madness. She also helped me get lasagna ready to put in the oven. I had never made a lasgna from scratch. I am excited because Rachel loves to be in the kitchen with me. After the boys returned home, we ate dinner while watching the Saints play a wild card playoff game. They were supposed to win big, but ended up losing by 4 points. Oh well, they will be back in the playoffs next year. Now we will cheer for the Colts. After that wild game, we ended the night with a round of Wii bowling and tennis!! Now to finish getting ready for Sunday School and planning lessons for next week!!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Playdate with Will

Rachel loves her Zhu Zhu pet city

Playing air hockey

Today was Excel Day - we all love those days! The kids enjoying going to "school" with the other homeschool kids, and I enjoy having a few hours to just do whatever needs to be done. I dropped them off at the church, and then headed to Meier to pick up a few shirts that were still on sale. I was low on long sleeved shirts. I then came home and cleaned house since the Tschirharts were coming for dinner that night. We decided to order pizza and just fellowship.
After Excel, we brought Will home with us. The kids enjoyed playing air hockey, with Zhu Zhu pets, Wii, and hide and seek. Amy and Bill arrived around 6:30 with Wes, and enjoyed our time together. We are so blessed to have found such wonderful Christian friends so soon after moving. I am looking forward to how God will grow our friendship during our time in Ohio.
After they left, we watched some of the Cotton Bowl as LSU was on the way to victory, we decided to go to bed! They ended up winning! GO TIGERS!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Wrestling with Dad

It started snowing again today. We came out of Sam's and the snow was coming down pretty hard. We might have ice in the morning. This afternoon we cleaned the upstairs. I am so blessed to have children who like to help me clean. Rachel dusts our bedroom and Jason will help with the bathrooms. Today, he needed to dust the shelves on his dresser. He enjoyed taking his trophies down and then he rearranged them by year. Chris came home late tonight, but the kids talked him into wrestling after dinner. The kids enjoy trying to gang up on Daddy. Great times! Most of the time, though, it ends up with Rachel getting hurt or quitting. All in all, they have so much fun! Decided to get pictures tonight, so they can remember this forever.

My little helpers


Trying to gang up on Daddy



Tickling isn't allowed Daddy - that's the rules!! (Jason is screaming this)


Is this a new yoga pose?




Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Still Waiting

Chris met with the UDM this morning and they haven't found someone to take his place. UDM told Chris only way he could have a chance to get out of it is if Col Coombs didn't accept the deployment. Chris met with Col Coombs and he said Chris doesn't need to go, so he sent an email saying they need to find someone else. SO, now we are still waiting to see if AFPC does indeed find someone else, or if Chris still has a chance of being sent. We continue to pray that God's will be done, but the waiting is hard.
We went to Crown Study tonight. Kids went to RAs. Rachel had to go with the boys b/c her teacher was called to a disaster response.
We met with Mrs. Pawlowski this morning. We won't meet in February, so we have meetings in March, April, and May, and then we are finished for the year - yikes - are we that close to the end of the school year?
Continued my Wii workout today. I did about 50 lunges and 40 bicep curls. My body should be sore in the morning, but I need to find something to do to get back into shape. Tomorrow is a new day!!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Upward

Had a another great day! Still haven't heard about the deployment; Chris has a meeting with the unit deployment monitor in the morning at 8:00. We are really praying to get a definite answer in the morning. The uncertainty of th is whole thing is what is killing me more than anything. I pray that tomorrow we can go through with making plans for a deployment, or being thankful he gets to stay home.
The kids started Upward Basketball and Cheerleading practice tonight. Both had a great time! They got their uniforms, and first practice cards with a Bible verse to learn for next week. Parents weren't allowed in with the girls to practice, so I couldn't get any pictures of practices, so pictures will have to come during the first games on the 15th!
Watching the Sugar Bowl even though it's late. Hoping Arkansas can come back in the 4th quarter and beat Ohio State!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Back to School

Today was our first day back to school since the Wednesday before Christmas. We settled in to our routine fairly nicely, except Rachel had a melt down when we needed to double up on her Phonics lessons. There are so many lessons, and we took so many breaks in the fall, that she has gotten behind. After that, the day went smoothly. At the end of the day, we took Jason over to drum lessons. Mrs. P was happy to see us, and I was happy to hear all of the nice things she had to say about him after his lesson. She said she was proud of him, and that he needed to remember that he is using the talents that God gave him. Jason just smiled hearing that.
Our friend, James Brads, now takes drum lessons before Jason. After his lesson, Elizabeth realized she locked her keys in the van, so Rachel and I drove them to their house to get their extra set of keys and back. I enjoyed visiting with Elizabeth even for a short while.
After looking around at Target, we came home and the kids helped me make tacos. Chris still hasn't heard anything about Iraq - Your will, Lord, not ours. We are still waiting!!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

New Beginnings

Oh, what a joy to be in the house of the Lord this morning! First Baptist Kettering welcomed our new senior pastor, Pastor Chad Keck, and his family to our congregation this morning. Chris and I were teaching preschool Sunday School, so we missed his message, but we only heard great things about it. We plan on listening to it on the website. After church, we had a church wide potluck (what Baptists do best) to say good-bye to Dr. Floro and his wife, and to welcome Pastor Keck, Candace, and their two children. The congregation welcomed them with cards and gift cards to help them in their move. They are from Florida, and we are so excited to have them on staff. We are excited to see what new things will happen in 2011 with his leadership.
After the potluck, we came home and watched the Saints lose to the Buccaneers (boohoo), and the kids played Wii and computer. Chris played basketball with Jason and watched Rachel ride her bike out front. Both didn't last long, because the temperatures have dropped again after being in the 40s and 50s the end of last week. Later, we took Chris out to dinner for his birthday since he was sick on Wednesday. He wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse to get a steak. Of course Rachel wanted him to sit on the saddle and allow the waitresses to sing Happy Birthday to him, but Chris doesn't like the attention, so he wouldn't do it. We enjoyed our meal and fellowship and then returned home to watch some more football and Extreme Home Makeover. While they watched TV, I got a chance to chat with Amy which I enjoyed. I am so thankful for the new friends God has brought into our lives.
Well, back to the grind tomorrow - school, work, drum lessons, etc. Glad to be back on our routines!! Hopefully we will find out tomorrow if Chris has to go to Iraq or not.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year

So, another year has come and gone. What exciting things we have in store for 2011! One of which is building a house. We are set to break ground in about 3 weeks with completion around 11 April. We are so excited to be moving to Kettering to be closer to our church and new friends.
One of my goals for this year is to try to journal something every day, or at least most days. Jason and Rachel are growing up so fast, and I would like to be able to hold on to as many memories as I can. Not just with pictures, but with words.
So last night we had a great time with friends welcoming in the new year. We were all so excited to have fellowship, laughter, and great food. Rachel stayed awake until 11:56 and then fell asleep on Chris's shoulder, so she missed the ball dropping by 4 minutes. Jason had so much fun hanging out with the other boys and getting to play video games for 6 hours! He was storing up for when school starts back on Monday and he goes back to 30 minutes a day!
Today Jason and I attended a Wright State University men's basketball game. We got free tickets from attending the Harlem Globetrotters yesterday. We were both so excited to be back to going to games together. That was our bonding time before we left Utah. The greatest part was the Raiders came back and won the game with a buzzer beater 3 pointer! One would have thought they won the championship as loud as we were all cheering! Good times!
While we were at the game, Rachel and Chris went to the mall and got some Dippin Dots and went to the Fetch store to play with the puppies. I think they both fell in love with the springer spaniel. It won't be long before we have a new addition to our family - a four-legged one that is!
After our excursions various places, we all settled back at home for a great dinner of pork roast, sauerkraut, black eyed peas, rice, and rolls. I was so proud to have accomplished my first slow cooker roast! Great way to start 2011.
As I close this post, I want to be reminded that in 2 days we will find out whether Chris has to go back to Iraq or not in a few weeks. We received a phone call on Thursday that they are looking for someone to finish out a deployment for someone who needs to return home for some reason, and they tasked Chris. The Unit Deployment Monitor said he thinks he can get Chris out of this, but there are no guarantees. We are both okay with his leaving again, but it won't be easy. We are just praying that God's Will be done. I pray I can keep my goal of journaling everyday. Happy New Year 2011!!!