Maybe...

We are hoping to leave early tomorrow morning for Chris' parents in Colorado Springs, as long as nothing else comes up! There always seems to be something. We did get a surprise when Chris went to get our rental car. We reserved a mid-size car knowing that Chris' mom was sending us a coupon for free upgrade. When Chris got there this afternoon, they said that the car we were supposed to have was still at the shop getting the oil changed and would be another 45 minute wait. The guy was super nice and let Chris have a 08 Dodge Club cab truck instead of waiting!!! It's definitely not going to help on our gas mileage but it will be fun to drive! The boys spent several minutes out checking it all out and moving their booster seats in after Chris brought it home. I just pray that it doesn't decide to rain or snow! Haha!

...and just like that, it's over!

Well, the holiday may have come and gone already but my house still looks like Christmas day! I can't seem to get all the toys, wrapping paper and empty boxes all picked up, especially since the kids keep playing with the toys and we keep getting boxes in the mail with more presents in them, not that I am complaining about the great gifts from friends and family! We are leaving tomorrow afternoon after Chris performs a funeral for a church member's mother in the morning and I am hoping to get most of the house cleaned up before we leave because there is nothing worse than coming home to a dirty, cluttered house after a long trip in the car!

We had a great Christmas and this was our first time at home with just us. In a way it was nice but I think we all agreed that celebrating with family is much more fun! Our youth pastor, Kris, spent most of the day with us because his wife and baby boy had flown to Iowa that morning to be with her family while Kris goes to south Texas with our youth for Friends Student Conference this week and I must say it is strange not sending my husband off with them too. I am sure glad to have him at home with us though!

We also celebrated Ian's 5th birthday Christmas night. I asked Ian during the day if he felt like 5 and he said no, but yesterday when I asked him again, he said yes! Haha. Guess it took a few days to soak in! Our friend, Joyce, made an awesome train cake for Ian's birthday and it was a big hit, especially the next day when I found Emma sitting on the table eating green frosting and M&M's. I took video of it but can't get it to load on here so you will just have to believe me! :)

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas also. Our family is excited to see what God has in store for us this year and we pray that you all know his peace!

I forgot...again...

Well, I have always known that my memory was not the best but I am starting to think there is something wrong with me! Two weeks ago, I was talking with a friend at church and she asked me to plan the Christmas party for Pioneer Club. The party is going to be this next Wednesday night and guess what? I forgot all about it until she called me today!!!!! Yikes! Nothing like planning something last minute! I know we talked about what we wanted to do two weeks ago but I can't remember anything we talked about so tonight during Pioneer Club, we are going to talk about it all again. AND I AM WRITING IT DOWN!!! We are having a star theme to go along with our Stars for Kickapoo. At least I bought the boy's gifts for under the tree but it would have been nice if I had remembered the Christmas party, too. Guess, I'd better run and get busy! Christmas is only 14 days away!!!

Real or fake?

I just can't decide...we have talked about getting a real Christmas tree this year since we are getting a new fake PRELIT Christmas tree after the holiday, so this would be a good year to have a real one. But...I am just not sure I want to mess with watering a real one and we would have to buy a stand also. I would love to have the real smell but I worry about Emma pulling the whole thing down this year since she is bigger. She is also going to be real fun trying to keep her away from all the ornaments on the tree, she's a girl and attracted to pretty shiny things! Haha! We are supposed to go to Stillwater on Saturday with our friends who want a real tree too and I guess I will have to decide before then.

Family Time!

We are in Haviland now with my parents, my sister and her family, and my aunt & uncle from Minnesota (arriving tomorrow) to celebrate the holiday. It has been such a wonderful time to be with family again and seeing how much nephew Jace has grown. And of course, the holiday is focused around eating and hunting! Chris saw six bucks this morning but didn't get a shot. Isaac got to go out with Poppa tonight and saw an eight point but nobody got a shot at it either. Almost time for another meal so I'd better go! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Should be packing!

I really shouldn't be on this thing but just wanted to say that we are headed to Kansas for Thanksgiving! We leave tomorrow morning, with a stop in Derby for adjustments and then on to Mom and Dad's in Haviland. I am so excited to spend some time with the family and to see what Jeremie and Stacy have got done on their house! My aunt Sandy and her hubby, Rod, are also coming for the holiday and they are towing Chris' "new" boat down for us. Chris bought it online and it was only 15 minutes from Rod and Sandy so it has worked out great! Yes...it's a hunting boat...what else can I say? Well, lots to do! Talk again soon!

It's cleaning time!

We have two different guests coming today to visit and this house is in need of a good cleaning! We have been so busy the last week or so that I have been just getting the necessary stuff done and letting everything else go but now it is time to clean!!! First, one of our past youth members, Eric is coming through on his way to OKC to visit his brother. Eric is a pastor now at Ramona Friends Church and such a wonderful feeling for Chris and I to see one of our "kids" in ministry! Then later this afternoon, Brad and Chelsea, missionaries from Rwanda, are coming over to talk to Chris about their plan for Sunday morning. They are speaking at our church and since Chris is going to be gone both Friday and Saturday in Wichita for meetings, they are going to get it all straight today. I love company but I rather dread the house cleaning that has to come first! I sure love the clean house afterwards though! I think I am going to make a coffee cake also, it's always nice to have something tasty to offer friends! Well, I'd better get off this thing and get moving!

Cheesecake Factory!!!

Sorry it's been so long since I have posted something on here but I guess I just didn't feel like I had anything worth posting about that would interest anyone else. I then realized that I had started this blog for me and even if it didn't interest others, it was still worth posting for me! Not being selfish or anything!

Today was a great day! Amazingly, Chris said "yes" when I asked to have a day off to shop with my dear friends Shannon and Sena in OKC! We left about 8:30 and had a great time shopping at a great mall in the city, course we spent most of our time in Kirkland's but that's fine since I love the store! After a couple more stores, we headed across the parking lot to The Cheesecake Factory, I had never eaten there before and had a most yummy lunch! And of course, we had some amazing cheesecake!!! By the time we were done eating, it was time to head home because I had to be back home at 2:30 to go pick up the boys from school. Next time, I am making plans for someone else to pick up the boys so we can stay and shop longer! It was so much fun having out with the girls and I can't wait until I get the chance again!

Emma's ponytail

We tried yesterday to put Emma's hair in a ponytail. I had been wondering if it was long enough yet and it was...kinda! Haha! She doesn't like me pulling on her hair so I had to be quick. And it was in just long enough for me to take some pictures of it and then she started wrestling with her brothers and it came out. Don't think she is ready for ponytails all the time but it sure was cute! My baby is growing up!

Sixth picture

My friend, Tammy, had posted something about a picture challenge so here is mine. The sixth picture in my sixth picture file is of Isaac and Ian in 2007 when we were in Colorado. Ian looks so itty bitty in this picture!!! We went up into the mountains one day so that the boys could go fishing and I took them on a little nature walk when they got bored. I also wanted to share the seventh picture, it's our discovery on our walk!

From God's word.

I normally don't get into all the election stuff very much and don't forward all the political emails that I get either. This last Sunday we were talking about the two different presidential candidates, and our teacher had found a great verse in the bible that really reassured me that everything is going to be okay, no matter who wins tomorrow! Romans 13:1-2, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." What a great feeling to know that our next president is exactly who God wants it to be!!! Don't get me wrong, I am not going to sit back and not voice my opinion at the polls tomorrow but I don't have to worry if Mr Obama becomes our president. GOD HAS IT ALL IN CONTROL!!! It's a whole lot easier trusting God, who is in control, than worrying myself into a frenzy about something that I can't control! Hope this helps!

Here are the pics of the kiddos from last night! It was 80 degrees outside so I felt bad for Emma and Ian with their cold weather costumes! The third pic is Emma throwing a fit because she didn't get to go with Isaac and Ian trick or treating. It's a long story and frankly she got the short end of the stick but I wasn't the one taking them out so that's just the way it is! She was better after some cuddle time with Mommy! Enjoy!

Fall fun

Wow, it's been a while so here is an update on what we have been doing lately! Fall is finally here and I am so excited for the cool weather, warm sweaters and the beautiful fall colors right outside my windows! I must say that Oklahoma does fall a little better than Kansas. We are still very much enjoying being Okies and I think we are fitting into life here pretty well.

Last Saturday, we got to spend some time at a friend's farm helping them harvest (my nice word for it) their chickens. Chris and the boys went first in the morning and then Chris called me and said that I needed to bring Emma out to see our little farmer, Isaac, catching chickens and even chopping their heads off!!! Oops, sorry. I wasn't going to tell you about that! Just be glad that I don't have a picture of it to show you! Haha! Here are some pics of Emma getting to meet her first kitty and she obviously doesn't share her father's dislike of cats...

Last night we had fall festival at our church and we did a Bible Walk. I was in charge of it and there's nothing like diving in feet first! After much worrying on my part, it went great and I think all the kids had a great time! I asked my wonderful hubby to take pictures for me and he managed to get lots of pictures of my little butterfly Emma, but practically none of our other equally adorable kiddos, Isaac and Ian!!! :( They will be dressed up again tomorrow night for trick or tricking in downtown. I'LL get pics of them then!) Thanks to our friend, Jonathan, Emma now thinks the best thing to do with glow sticks is to stick them down the front of her onesies! At least, I can find her in the dark! I just wish I had got a picture of her last night in the dark. She has been playing with them today too but it's just not the same in daylight! Emma's little friend, Caiden, was dressed as a monkey and their were soooooo cute together! Emma was getting a little tired in the picture with me! It was a great evening and we are hoping to do it all again next year but with more bible stories and inviting the community to come too!

OKC Zoo!!!

We had a wonderful time this last weekend with our best friends, Geron and Lorrie! We got to stay Friday night in their beautiful new home and stuffed ourselves at Eischen's (no idea if I spelled that right), a very popular and very good fried chicken place west of the OKC. It is an interesting place, number one, it is a bar (non smoking, thankfully) and number two, they don't seat anybody! You just wander around until you find a table that is about done and you stand there until they leave! Slightly uncomfortable for me but that's just how it is! Very, very busy but that's because it is that good!

Saturday morning we went with Geron and Lorrie to the OKC zoo. We hadn't had a chance since we moved here to Chandler to check it out and the boys were very excited about it. We were there about three hours and didn't even see the African animals but the Oklahoma Trail was the best exhibit by far. I wanted to take a picture of all the boardwalks and water fall but Isaac had the camera. Before we all fell over dead, we headed back to Geron and Lorrie's, ordered pizza (no one wanted to cook after all that) and watched the KU/OU game. It was a great weekend and we always have a lot of fun with Geron and Lorrie!!! It is nice to live closer to them now!

Update on sick.

Well, Chris went to the doctor this morning and he found out that he has a severe sinus infection and bronchitis. The doctor has given him strict instructions to stay in bed the next two days because he is concerned that it could turn into pneumonia and we definitely don't want that! This is going to be a hard time for my hubby because he doesn't want to be confined to the bed when there is so much to be done! And it also means that I will have to skip Friends Women this evening to go to Isaac's parent teacher conference instead of Chris. We could sure use your prayers for Chris and that he will actually rest the next two days and recover from this quickly. Thank you in advance!

As promised.

Last night was our church's annual Hayride and Wiener Roast at the Hick's home. Chris wasn't able to go and it could have been quite the time getting all three kids ready and out the door but I was rescued. Jonny and Amanda came over and picked up the boys at 4pm and took them with to his parents house (the Hick's) to help get everything ready. It was great being able to just get Emma and I ready but we were still a little late. Oh well. The evening was perfect for being out by the campfire and I hardly ever saw the boys all evening. They were either on hayrides, playing football, playing hide and seek or playing capture the flag with glow sticks. Emma loved the glow sticks, which was nice since she didn't want to be held. She wanted to wander everywhere and this way I could keep track of her with her glow sticks! She didn't like the hayride at first but by the time we made it back to the campfire, she was bouncing up and down in excitement. I know that the boys would have liked to be out there all night long and I know I could have sat and talked with friends long into the night too! When it was all done, I had a terrible time getting everyone collected and loaded into the expedition. It was such a great evening and I wish we could do it more often! As tired as we all were from the evening, both boys woke up during the night, at seperate times, with leg cramps! Since Chris was sick it was my job to get up everytime and get them some motrin. Can't wait till he is feeling better! Here are some pics from the evening!

Sick...

Well, this has definitely been a season of sick in our house. Emma got a cold last weekend while we were in Haviland and still kinda has a runny nose lingering. Then Monday morning, Chris got sick and had a terrible week! He was not able to go to the Hayride and Wiener Roast church party last night, pictures to come in the next post, and this morning is at church but said he isn't feeling the greatest. And yes, I am at home when I should be at church, with another sick child. Isaac started throwing up this morning, so Emma and I are at home taking care of him while Ian is at church with Daddy. I had felt this morning when Isaac threw up the first time that he had just been coughing and got his gag reflex going. So we finished getting ready for church and headed out the door. After getting Emma delivered to the nursery, I noticed that Isaac wouldn't leave my side and the next thing I knew he was in the bathroom puking again! So...here we are again, hanging out at home, the place that I feel like I have been way too much this week. Good thing that I took a little time to myself yesterday at the coffee shop! And it was good timing too, right after I ordered, Jonny, Amanda, Kris and Amber walked in! So great to have good friends to talk to! I just keep praying that I don't get sick, oh Lord, please no!

What should I do?

I have been thinking for the past couple of weeks of selling Creative Memories products again but I just can't make up my mind. If I am going to do it, I want to be in whole heartedly but I think I am a little unsure if it's what I want to do with my free time. I love scrapbooking but I am not sure I am good at "being creative" for people. I know that's not really that important, I just need to be encouraging and supportive. Hmmmm, I am so bad at making decisions. I may just give it some time and see how things go in the next few months. Any suggestions or comments???

This could be a long one.

I guess I was taking a little break. That and this last week has been just a little bit busy...total understatement! Chris was going crazy trying to get everything that a senior pastor needs to get done during a normal week, although he only had three days to do it! Thursday morning we headed out with the Smithermans to Haviland, Kansas for the annual Barclay Auxiliary Auction. What used to be a 2 hour drive from Rose Hill is now a 4 and a half hour drive from Chandler but it was fun to travel with friends! We safely delivered Kris and Amber to Kris' parents house about dinner time and it felt good to step into Mom and Dad's log home again after such a long drive. It wasn't fun, however, to find out that Emma had totally soaked diaper, her clothes and car seat! Yuck! It was great fun to get to see Jeremie, Stacy and Jace that night for dinner and then it was everybody to bed since we had a big day ahead of us!

Friday dawned bright and early, at least I think it did...I didn't get up to check it out. Hahaha! Chris and Dad were deer hunting that morning and Mom was off to work so it was just me trying to get all three little ones ready to head out the door for the Haviland Play Day Parade at 9am. Needless to say...we missed the parade. Sorry kiddos. BUT we did make it to play day at the school and there were so many fun things to do that it didn't take long to get their minds off the missing candy. Isaac got to run in four races, the 3rd grade foot race, Dad/son race (with Uncle Jeremie since Chris was at Barclay board meetings), Mom/son race (with Amber S. since she was really wanting to run in a race and I wasn't! Heehee!) and the grandparent/grandchild race (with Jeremie's mom since Poppa was farming again)!!! Isaac won blue ribbons in both the Dad and Mom race (thanks Jeremie and Amber!!!) and a green ribbon in the G/G race (thanks Carolyn!!!). Ian didn't want to run in any of the races and entertained himself the entire time at the play houses set up for the little ones. Emma just wanted to walk everywhere and was very mad when I made her come back so that I could watch Isaac race.

After play day was done, we headed to Barclay for lunch with just about everybody! Hahaha! It was so much fun and even Daddy was there to eat lunch with us. After lunch, Stacy stayed at Mom and Dad's so I could put Emma down for a nap and then take the boys up to ride in the tractor with Poppa. I thought the boys would just ride with my Dad in the grain tractor but after we picked them up we learned that they each got to ride in a combine and Isaac even got to drive the one he was in! They both saw a ton of pheasants and Ian even got to radio Poppa and tell him that he scared out a doe!

Chris and I picked up the boys after a couple hours and headed back into town for the Barclay soccer game and ended up eating dinner there at the game also. There were so many great friends to talk to and even several that we had not seen in a long time! The soccer game ended after double overtime with a tied score and then it was time for the Alumni game. That was just as entertaining! And of course, we had to check out the items that were starting to collect already for the auction inside the gym! Yea for the quilts!

It turned out to be a little chilly Saturday morning and I was the bad Mom who didn't have coats for my boys as they played outside at the Kid's Carnival. Fortunately, it warmed up pretty quick! The auction was a blast and I don't think that I sat down very much at all but it was great to see so many more friends and family! It is always wonderful to get to see Aunt Ruth and Uncle Gene! Chris and I weren't able to buy anything at the auction but we didn't go away empty handed thanks to Aunt Ruth and Uncle Gene! They bought the boys a tractor, John Deere of course!!! and a Cinderella doll for Emma!

Emma was quite the character all morning long. We made four or five rounds of the gym carrying a little friend's dolly. She didn't want anyone to pick her up as we went along and seemed to be on a mission. She did take time to wave once to a cute little old couple on one of our rounds, it was so sweet! Emma fell asleep while Stef was taking her for a walk in her stroller after lunch and slept almost the whole time I was helping deliver the quilts from the selling stage to be folded up and delivered to the buyer, even with the auctioners jabbering the whole time! Too soon it was time for us to head back to Mom and Dad's and pack up for home. It was a great trip but I am afraid that it took a toll on our immune systems. Emma developed a cold on Saturday and this morning Chris woke up with a headache and congestion. Both the boys today have made comments that they felt like they were going to throw up but the never did. Who knows... I have been fighting a sore throat and feel completely exhausted but would do the whole week over again in a heartbeat! Thank you Jesus for such a wonderful time with family and friends!

Let's go stud!

Have you ever heard something come out of your child's mouth and wonder, now where in the world did that come from??? Chris and I had one of those moments this morning as Chris and Ian were getting ready to head out the door for school. Chris came back in the living room to tell me something and Ian, my four year old, piped up, "Let's go STUD!!!" Oh my! Hahahahaha! Not sure what to say after that...

What an awesome God!

Thanks to a wonderful website called Caring Bridge, I have been able to get frequent updates on a little friend of ours from Rose Hill that had been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of tumorous cancer. Charlie is only four years old and his older sister, Annie, was a classmate of Isaac's in both preschool and second grade. We have prayed and supported Charlie from the very beginning and it was quite the blow to all of us that someone so little had to go through something so devastating. Even with our move to Chandler, we have continued to receive updates and about the time we were moving, Charlie was going through the last of his chemo. Back in the beginning, the doctors tried surgery to remove the tumors but they were too hard and none of them were able to be removed and so Charlie started chemo.

Today, after more than a year since he was diagnosed, Charlie went through surgery again and they were able to remove EVERY LAST TUMOR!!! Praise the Lord! I can't even imagine what joy Charlie's parents are feeling right now!

Look for the stripes!

We had a little excitement around town on Monday and Tuesday! I went to pick up the boys from school as usual and as Ian and I neared Isaac's school, I had to stop for a police barricade. They were checking all the cars heading towards the school and I started wondering what it was all about as we inched closer. Soon it was my turn to be checked out and I politely asked the officer what we were all being stopped for because he hadn't said anything to me other than, "You're good." He very nonchalantly said that there was an escaped convict...like it was no big deal! Well, I have since found out that this happens every now and then because the officers that transport the inmates from jail to their court appearances or lawyer meetings are all elderly and portly. Hmmm. It led to some very interesting conversation with Ian as we drove the rest of the way to pick up Isaac.

So when I pulled up to Isaac's school, it was pretty tight security and all the students stayed inside and were only called out when the parent was waiting at the front door for them and they were ushered directly into the car by a teacher. There was also a police officer standing at the front door. I was surprised after going through all this that there hadn't been any sign at Ian's school pickup that anything was up! I did remember seeing one police car sitting at the corner of the playground but I just figured that he was there to keep cars from driving past the school buses that were loading and unloading kiddos.

That evening we went to Jonny and Amanda's house for dinner and found out more about what was going on. The 28 year old was just getting done meeting with his lawyer about noon and just as he was being escorted through the doors back into the jail area, his lawyer walked out the door to the outside just a few steps away! HELLO! So anyway, he ran out the door and was on the loose for almost 24 hours here in our little town before he was caught when he walked into a gas station in the south part of town the next day about mid morning, reportedly with his jump suit pants still on!!! Now we do see several inmates that are allowed to do yard work at the court house and they have the traditional black and white striped jump suits on and it has always started interesting conversations with my four year old but I am not sure if the escaped convict was wearing those striped pants or maybe the bright orange ones but either way he was a dead give away! Our friend Jonny works at the lumber yard right next door to the gas station where the man was caught but he was mad because he almost missed the whole thing while he was in the bathroom! Haha! I am just glad that I don't have to keep every door locked even when we are home anymore. Plus, with the planes and helicopters flying right over town all day and the K-9 units scouring Chandler, the neighborhood dogs had been barking nonstop and I have realized that there are a lot of dogs in this neighborhood! Thankfully, Gunner wasn't one of them that barked all day but I did catch him howling every now and then. Haha.

Surprise!!!

Well, I thought I was getting a BLACK dishwasher but when Rip and Betty showed up with it around noon, Rip said that he was only able to get one in red...haha Rip. I know you better than that already! Betty and I sat in the living room and visited while the boys tried to fit the little bit larger than needed dishwasher into the space where the other one had been. It was fun listening to the "boys" as they tried to figure out how to make it fit. They kept bringing in more tools! Then Chris was in talking to us and mentioned something about it being stainless steel...WHAT!!! Rip got me after all!!! I have said it before and I will continue to say it...God knows the little desires of our heart and he delights in seeing us happy. Even if it means a stainless steel dishwasher!

New Stuff

There has been and will be a lot of noise around my house today. We are having a new sink and counter top put in back in the mudroom this morning, not that we needed one but someone in the church got a stainless steel one somewhere and so they are putting it in here! I haven't looked at it but I am sure it is nice.

Saturday, I was just a little dismayed to find out that after I had loaded the entire dishwasher, it won't start! A couple days prior it had done that same thing but Chris was able to get it started eventually. I guess it has died for good this time. Our head of Stewards Committee is coming sometime today to measure the space and then is going to get a new black one from Lowe's. I had asked for a stainless steel one to match the stove before I was informed how expensive they are!!! Don said they were $900!!! Yikes, black will do just fine. Haha!

Also, Isaac has been taking piano lessons for the last two weeks and his wonderful teacher, Ms. Helen, has graciously found an apartment piano for us to have! It will be great for Isaac to have something to practice on here at the house instead of trying to find time for him to at church. Now I just have to unpack and cleanup the last pile of boxes so that we can have a spot for it in the living room. Such fun!

Hmm, Hmm, fried chicken!

I have never been a big fan of fried chicken, probably given to the fact that I never really had it growing up but tonight...I found that I LOVE Grandma Bertha's fried chicken!!! Sorry, it's not a restaurant, she's a wonderful lady in our church and it was GOOD! It was great because she didn't put a ton of breading on it. I am one of those people that likes to see what she is eating and I sure liked what I saw!!! It also helped that we were with great friends. I was about to help myself to more chicken when Amanda pulled out the dessert that she made, Death By Chocolate! I thought for sure that I was going to have to be rolled out the door when it was time to go home, YIKES! Good thing we sat around talking for quite awhile because I wasn't wanting to be walking anywhere for awhile. LOVE IT!!! Thanks Grandma Bertha!

Our first night of Pioneer Club

Chris and I have never been a part of a church that had Pioneer Club so this is a new experience to say the least! Last night was our kickoff night and we had planned to have a picnic outside with a bounce house but as it turned out, it poured rain all day. Good thing we have a gym and could set up everything inside! The bounce house was of course the big attraction and Ian had a hard time letting the other kiddos have a turn. We also had kick ball, hula hoops (still can't hula hoop!), watermelon and drinks. It seemed like everyone had a great time and the HS/JH group even got some time inside the bounce house. After everyone was done, Emma and I climbed in to bounce but she wasn't too excited about it. I can't blame her, it was terribly hot inside there, so we bounced for just a little bit and then we ungracefully climbed out! Haha!

Kris and Amber had a great group of HS/JH also and they seemed to have a lot of fun! So much fun that one of the kids put a large hole in the sheet rock during Musical Chairs! Haha! I think Kris was really worried about it but my Chris assured him if that was the only thing they broke while they were here, then they would be doing really good! I am sure that Kris is glad that Chris was a youth pastor for ten years and therefore knows what to expect from a youth group!

Couldn't resist...

I know I already blogged today but we have such a fun night that I didn't want to forget any of it! It started with our neighbor friends Doug and Kasi walking past our house and we all ended up outside talking with the kiddos riding their bikes and scooters all around. We have enjoyed so much getting to know them and they have two boys, Isaac, who is Ian's age and Jack who is a couple months younger than Emma. Ian and their Isaac have so much fun together and we have a hard time separating them when it's time to go home. Thank you Jesus for letting us live in town where we can step outside and talk to people!

Shannon showed up for our girls night out and I loaded Emma up and we headed out for Shawnee with a few side trips to see some of the housing developments in south Chandler. (I am always shopping for a new house for us). We had an absolutely yummy dinner at Red Lobster and the highlight most definitely had to be when I fed Emma some of our Coconut Shrimp. She made some of the greatest faces and gaging motions until I was able to swipe it out of her mouth!!! Shannon and I had a good laugh about it too. The mall was just across the parking lot and headed into Ross. Now I have shopped in a Ross before but I must have totally forgot about all the awesome deals that can be found there! I was in bad need of some new church clothes and for $32 I was able to come out with a black skirt, a burgundy dress shirt and a brown tank top! SCORE! Emma was getting tired so we decided to head for home.

When we got back to my house, Shannon's boys were still there watching the very late Broncos game and we had another couple hours of great fellowship with them before everyone headed home. Even Emma was up until about 11:30 entertaining everyone! Now it is 12:30am and I really need to go to bed so that I can get up sometime decent tomorrow morning (hopefully not too early!). What a awesome evening with good friends and I don't think I have ever learned so many great sayings in such a short amount of time before! Haha!

Boy secrets

After Sunday morning church we headed out to Grandma Bertha's, Jonny's grandma, for lunch and as always, the boys wanted four wheeler rides as soon as anyone was done eating. First Isaac and Amanda headed out and then it was Ian and Jonny's turn. After them, Isaac wanted to take Chris out and show him the Teal that were on one the pond's. Later that afternoon, Ian told me that Jonny and him had some secrets that only boys could know, like Isaac and Daddy. Haha! They had checked out the old cabin where Jonny used to play as a boy and I can only imagine the stories that Jonny has told my young impressionable son! He said that Jonny also showed him the pond and the boat where his Grandpa died when he fell out of the boat and drowned...it sounds like Ian got quite the education yesterday. I can't wait until Jonny and Amanda have some kiddos of their own! Heehee!

First day of goose hunting

Today was the first day that Chris and the guys got out to hunt resident geese during this special season to get rid of the the ones that stay around all year and destroy farmer's crops and golf courses. The whole family went out last night and made sure that Chris would know exactly what the geese were doing for the morning. We had a great time checking out both the old lake (Chandler Lake) and the new lake (Bell Cow Lake) and the boys reminded Chris and I that they wanted to go camping sometime soon! There are a bunch of great campgrounds around both lakes and it seems silly not to take advantage of the fact that they are only about five minutes from our house! Guess we will need to break out the tent and sleeping bags.

Well, the hunt this morning didn't go that well as the geese decided they wanted to be in another field just south of where the boys were set up. It sure didn't help that a group of guys who also had permission to hunt the field showed up just after Chris, Jonny and Paul got decoys set up. The farmer had told Jonny that the other guys weren't planning on hunting until Sunday and since Chris was already there, the second group decided to set up just a little ways away from our guys...in the same field...ummm, that's not cool. There really wasn't enough cover for seven blinds and Chris told them that but it really didn't seem to matter to the other guys. They were determined to hunt there too. And the geese were smarter than all of them since only two even came into gun range all morning and they circled and left before anyone even got a shot off. Haha! Sorry, I think that's funny...don't tell Chris!

Stillwater

We had a fun trip to Stillwater today with Kris and Amber! The purpose of the trip was for all four of us to get our new Oklahoma driver's licenses but once we got there, we realized that Chris was the only one that had all the information that he needed to get his. Arrgghhh! So we decided to make the most of the morning in town without our kids...we went shopping! Well, it was just Lowe's and Linen's and Things but it was great! We also stopped at Chick-Fil-A for my Chris because he absolutely loves it (yes, it was only 9am but he is a die hard)!!! It really was a great time even though Kris, Amber and I will have to go again so that we can get ours too! Now I am enjoying a relaxing time on the computer, watching TLC, while the boys are at school, Emma is sleeping and Chris is at the office! Nice!

New Cellphones

Yeah! I have a new phone and it is awesome!!! I have recently been introduced to the wide world of texting and I must admit, I really like it. I know, I know...it's not as personal but you could say that about everything electronic. Why don't we go back to the day of walking over to your neighbors house to ask them over for dinner the next night instead of calling them on the phone? My rationalizing for all this technology is simple...I probably wouldn't walk over and invite my neighbor to dinner at all since I am lazy! At least this way, I still talk to my friends even though it isn't in person. And you all wouldn't be reading this either if it wasn't for all this wonderful technology, well, I am not sure that anyone is reading this anyway but just in case.

Isaac LOVED his piano lesson today and I think he is picking it up very well!!! As soon as he got home, he got out his piano books and did his "homework". I think we may have to look into getting a piano for this house so that he can practice here at home and not at the church, which is the plan for now.

Piano lessons

This afternoon, Isaac has his first piano lessons with Ms Helen and I think he is really excited. It may be the fact that she has five pianos in her living room...a baby grand, an upright and three electric pianos. Isaac's favorite is the electrics because he can play with all different types of instruments and he thinks that he will know how to play all of them if he just learns to play the piano! Haha! This should be fun! I am thinking about learning myself so I think a piano here in our house may be something that happens soon in the future. Course Chris wants a boat and a four wheeler so we will see what happens first. Gotta run, Emma needs to go down for a nap and I need a shower! God Bless!

Something different

I was just enjoying watching the wind blowing outside and thinking how this is the first day that it has actually been windy here in OK. Most people wouldn't even think about it but when you come from Kansas and the wind blows everyday, it seems a little strange to realize that it doesn't blow everyday here in Oklahoma! It makes me want to get outside and go for a walk! Maybe when Emma wakes up. I think I am actually missing the wind in Kansas...just maybe.

Another great weekend!

Well, Labor Day weekend is winding down and I must say it was a GREAT weekend! Stacy, Jace and Mom got here Friday evening just in time for Isaac's eighth birthday party with friends, Jonny, Amanda, Kris, Amber and Aiden. Isaac wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and it was a big hit! Isaac also did very well on presents. He got a Razor scooter with helmet and elbow & knee pads from Chris and I, a tennis racket and tennis balls from Grandma and Poppa, a table top basketball game from Stacy, Jeremie and Jace, and a wallet and flip flops from Jonny and Amanda. He said later that night that he got everything that he wanted!!! Good job everybody! Chris and I are still going to get him a bible with his name on it this week since he has been asking for one but we couldn't get one before his birthday, on account of our poor planning.

Saturday was spent trying to figure out where to put all the pictures that I have and I had been waiting until Mom and Stacy got here so that I could have their help before putting a bunch of holes in the wall. We also rearranged Emma's room so that it would work better and I love it! We hung the quilt that Mom made her on the wall and I was able to finally get her name decal up on the wall above her bed. I need to take some pictures and post them on here of her room! We also hung my Great Grandma Bullis' quilt on the big wall in the living room and I really like it too! Thanks to Stacy's great mind! It was sure interesting trying to get things done with the two little ones crawling around and getting into things but we got most of it done while they were taking their naps.

After church on Sunday, we invited Kris, Amber, Aiden and Kris' brother, Kyle, over for some very yummy ham cooked in Dr Pepper! It was great! We rested for a few hours and then headed to Sunday night church where Ian couldn't keep from yawning loudly while Daddy was preaching no matter how many times I scolded him. Afterwards we headed over to Jonny and Amanda's for hamburgers with a bunch of friends. There were so many people in their house but it was a good time of visiting with everybody. I think Mom and Stacy even had a good time.

I kept hoping that I would be able to sleep in one of these mornings but with Stacy and Mom here, I was wanting to spend as much time with them as possible so when I heard Jace awake this morning I was up. Course, it helped a little that Chris and I had been sleeping in the boys beds this weekend to give Mom and Stacy our bed! And Isaac kept banging his head against my bed all night long for some reason. It never seemed to wake him up but the ant walking across his forehead this morning sure did! Haha! We were invited over to the Rozell's for lunch and Mom and Stacy decided that would be a good time to head for home. They enjoyed more of the Dr Pepper ham for a quick lunch before they left though!

Everyone is just hanging out this evening and trying to enjoy the last little bit of the holiday weekend before the normal routine starts again tomorrow. It sure is nice to know that it is a short week though! Emma has been prefecting her walking skills and is quite good at walking now. She can even turn around and manuever around objects in her path. We even got video of Jace walking this weekend for the first time and it was so neat to watch trying it out for the first time. He was so proud of himself and would even clap when he did something that he thought was tricky! I take Emma in tomorrow morning to recheck the double ear infection and for a complete checkup so I could use the prayers as she doesn't like anyone checking her out and she sure won't like the shots she is going to get either! Hmmm, I think it might be about time for some ice cream...

Another busy weekend on it's way!

Here we go again! Or maybe I should say, it is still going! We have never been so busy in our entire lives and I must say...we are LOVING it! Being a stay at home mom is great but in the past, I would get a little stir crazy staying in the house all the time. I remember Chris coming home from church and I would ask if we needed to get some gas in the car, just so I could get out and know that their were other people in the world besides me and my kids!

I am supposed to be cleaning house right now since Mom, Stacy and Jace will be here this evening and staying till Monday but as you can read, I am on this silly computer writing about how much I have to do! Haha! Today is Isaac's eighth birthday and we are having some friends over tonight for cake and ice cream. I am sure Isaac is hoping for a few presents too! I have purposefully left tomorrow's options open for whatever Mom and Stacy want to do and then Sunday takes on a life all it's own! Haha! Sunday night after church we are headed to Jonathan and Amanda's for a cookout if I am not totally worn out by then! We have been invited to another church family's house on Monday for another cookout and then Mom and Stacy will be headed back to Kansas.

I am also keeping my eye on the hurricane that is headed for New Orleans, as we have some friends down there that are evacuating today to another town north of there. They are not sure right now if they will need to come all the way up here but I have let them know that they are more than welcome to come visit, if they need to! Lisa said that if they needed to come farther up, it would probably be Saturday or Sunday. Bring it on! Let's see how many people we can fit into this house! Haha!

The church had a swimming party this last Wednesday night and here are a few pics from the evening. I managed to get Emma into the big pool and she loved it! Even Chris and I got in and that is another miracle in itself! Isaac was doing great swimming with his face in the water and Ian was brave enough to go down the water slide with arm floaties on!

Yay for friends!!!

This weekend has been very full and very wonderful!!! Saturday, Isaac, Ian and I traveled to Wichita with our friends, Todd and Debbie, to attend the wedding of a missionary friend, Brad and his beautiful bride, Chelsea. Chris and I have supported him since he first went to Rwanda, Africa several years ago. What a blessing it was to witness their union with all their friends and family gathered around. During the ceremony, they exchanged their vows while washing each other's feet and it was so amazing. My sister, Marcy and her family were there also from Oregon and it was so great to get to see them even though it was just for an afternoon. There were also so many friends there to talk to that we had a hard time heading back home to Oklahoma but the talk of an ice cream stop on the way home got us all moving.

Today, Chris and I were treated to a visit from my former boss and forever friends, Dr J and Mashella and their girls!!! They were able to be here at church to hear Chris preach and then came back to the house for pizza and adjustments from Dr J! It was so good to see them again and to hear that things were going so well for them and their clinic, I wish it could have lasted longer! We hardly even saw Ian and Hannah as they play so well together and it was great to watch them together again. As the Lord knows, we always need those special people in our lives that can encourage us along this adventure that we are on and Mashella is definitely one of those people for me!

Today was also Kris and Amber's first Sunday here at Chandler and I know they are going to be such a blessing to this church and it's youth group! I can't wait to see what God has in store for this community and how He will use us in the process!

New Youth Pastor's

One of the first things Chris wanted to accomplish when we got here to Chandler, was to hire a new youth pastor. An area that is of course close to his heart! :D Chris had a list of three possible couples that he was interested in contacting about the job and he started that process as soon as we came home from our interview at Chandler, yes, even before we knew they wanted to hire US for sure! Haha!

One of the couples, Kris and Amber, were living out in Santa Maria, California, where Kris was a youth pastor. When my Chris left a message on good ole facebook for Kris about the position, we had no idea what a ride we were in for! Kris wrote my Chris back and told him that they were happy where they were and that things were going good for them but was flattered that we were interested in them. We were hitting dead ends with the two other couples as well, so Chris and I really started praying for God's will and timing. Unknown to us, God had a plan and was working out all the details for us! The very night after Kris told us that they weren't interested, they were informed that the church was having some financial issues and that Kris would be the first staff member to go. The problem was, Kris and Amber's apartment lease was up in just three weeks and they knew they would have a hard time finding an apartment that would let them lease month by month. Hmmmm, I wonder what they are going to do??? Hahaha!

Long story short, Kris and Amber moved back to Haviland and then came to interview here at Chandler the very next weekend! The church had a emergency meeting that Sunday evening and it was an overwhelming YES to extend the call to Kris and Amber to come as our youth pastor's!!! Chris was so excited to call them right after the meeting and told Kris that they could have some time to think about it but Kris said they didn't need any time, they knew they wanted to say yes as soon as they got here to interview! GOD IS SO GOOD! Since, Kris and Amber didn't have any jobs at the time they were able to come to Chandler the following Monday, just four short weeks after we moved here!

Kris and Amber also have a dear little one, Aiden, that is just a little younger than Emma and they have become great buds, as long as Aiden isn't pulling Emma's hair or Emma isn't taking Aiden's toys away! We sure have increased the number of babes in the nursery! Haha!

Tonight is Kris and Amber's food pounding and it is going to be so much fun! From 7 - 9pm, any and all church members stop by at their house and bring them gifts of food or household goods to welcome them to the church family. They did it to us also when we moved here and it was so much fun to get to see everybody and it really helped Chris and I get a lot of unpacking done beforehand so that everyone wasn't walking around a ton of boxes! Jonathan and Amanda came over and played Apples to Apples with us after everyone had gone and it was the perfect ending to a very fun day. Maybe, I will take Apples to Apples over with us when we go!

Poor Emma

Well, my little one has a double ear infection and I am hoping that the ear medicine will solve her diarrhea issues as well. She has not had a fever or any other symptoms so I had no idea that she had an infection at all! I took her in because she had diarrhea for a week and a half and the doc said that it could be related to the ear infection, here's hoping! Ian was not thrilled about having to spend the morning with Dad at the church office but there was no way that I wanted to try to keep track of both of them in a new place! And we had to spend 20 minutes, bummer, browsing in Walmart waiting for Emma's prescription. Something that I never get to do with a hubby and three kiddos along. Emma didn't complain much until she thought it would be cool to stand up in the cart seat and then she didn't want to sit down anymore! Haha! She was even interested in the purses, that's my girl!!!

My family at Derby Chiropractic.

Chris and I had a really hard time waiting until the following Sunday to hear whether Chandler was going to extend us the call to come be their pastor or not but we felt so great about it that we started packing our things right away! Good thing that we did too or we would never have been ready for moving day. Chris and I had lived in the Rose Hill parsonage our entire married life and brought home all three of our babies to that house so there were a lot of memories and just plain junk in the house that needed to be sorted through and packed. Just a few tears along the way but God was so good to us during that time. Speaking of tears, the weekend that we decided to put in our resume at Haviland and Chandler, Chris brought up the fact that I would have to quit my job at Derby Chiropractic and the water works began. Chris felt that I shouldn't say anything to Mashella or Dr J until we knew that we were really going but I just knew that I couldn't work across the desk from one of my best friends and not share what was on my heart. You see, I didn't really work for Dr J and Mashella...it was more like...well, they were my family, I worked with them to provide patients with a safe alternative to reach their optimum health and I loved it!!! All weekend long I couldn't even think of talking to Mashella without crying and I did a lot of praying before I drove to work Monday morning that if God wanted me to talk to her about it, that he would provide the opportunity to do so. Well, you know how God works...I barely sat down in my chair before Mashella asked me what was wrong! Haha! Dr J and Mashella had gone through a rough road with their staff before I came and God had led me to ask for a job right when they needed me the most. Mashella and I had become such dear friends in the short 10 months that I had worked there, so yes, she knew there was something going on just by looking at my face. It was quite the teary talk that we had and God was gracious in giving me the words to say that truly explained how I felt about them. God had also been working on Mashella's heart through the weekend and he had prepared her for what I was going to say even before I said it. She just sat there and smiled at me, knowing without a doubt how hard it was for me to say that I was leaving. GOD IS SO GOOD! I have no doubt that I was there at that job at just the right time and for just the right purpose. To fulfill God's purpose. I wish with all my heart that I could have stayed there forever, or as Chris put it when we went out to dinner with Dr J and Mashella before I became part of their family, "until Jesus comes" but I am right where I am supposed to be now. And it just happens to be in Chandler, Oklahoma!

Ok, it's been a while...

Hahaha! I told you that I wasn't very good at this! I haven't been on here since May and boy, have things changed! Chris and I had been feeling for some time that God had bigger and better things in store for us and Chris was really being led to be a Senior Pastor. We spent so much time praying and there were times that I felt like we were on a roller coaster ride, which I must say that I strongly dislike, real or emotional! I remember one day, Chris came home and had changed his mind about what we should do again...and I told him that I couldn't ride this ride with him anymore! He just needed to figure out what we were going to do and then let me know whether to pack or not! Aaaaahhhhh.

Well, we packed and we packed...and we packed. I have now decided that we need to move every couple of years just so that we don't acquire so much junk!!! Ten years and three babies later...we had no idea how stuff we had to pack but we do now! Haha. Here is the story of our journey to Chandler Friends Church in Chandler, Oklahoma. That's right, I said OKLAHOMA! We are Okies now!

Back in April, I think it was, we were in Friendswood, Texas for the Junior High Bible Quiz Finals and Chris was talking to Todd, a member of Chandler Friends Church. They were chatting about how Chris was feeling like it was time to move on from his role at Rose Hill Friends as youth pastor. Chris explained that he wasn't sure whether God was calling him to be a senior pastor or if he was calling us to be youth pastors somewhere else. Chris and I both felt that if we were to go to another youth pastor position, that we would probably look for one that was needing a new program built or one that had experienced a bad situation and was needing some repairs, if you will. Chandler had been without a YP for about a year and a half at the time and none of the YP's had been there very long so Chris and I had been KINDA considering it but not really. Haha. Todd then went back to Chandler and mentioned his and Chris' conversation with the Senior Pastor Homer. I am not sure but I assume that Homer then talked to Sam, the clerk of the church, about us and Sam then sent Chris an email just asking if that email address was a good one. Haha! Chris assumed that they were contacting us about coming to interview for the youth pastor position so we kinda dismissed all of it, at the time we weren't all that interested in the job. God had other plans. The very next day, the MAYM-EFC superintendent, contacted Chris to let him know that Homer had resigned from Chandler Friends Church and to let us know that he was sending our resume to several churches that were looking for a senior pastor, including Chandler. Sam continued to try to call us about coming down to Chandler to interview and Chris has since admitted to avoiding his calls, we just weren't feeling it, I guess. And we had been talking seriously about Haviland, since the Senior Pastor position was open there too. Imagine being so wonderfully close to my parents, Stacy, Jeremie & Jace, Chris' grandma Lucy and Chris' aunt and uncle, not to mention all the wonderful friends that we have there also! It was very enticing for sure!

It was not very long after our resume was sent to Chandler that Chris just didn't feel it was right, so he called Sam back and withdrew our names from the consideration list. Much to the dismay of many people at Chandler, so much so that one individual called Chris and wanted to know why!!! Haha! I think that Chris had just kinda freaked out about it all personally but don't ever tell him that! :D After the conversation with the individual from Chandler and several other wise people, we decided to at least go interview...we had no idea we would leave our hearts in Oklahoma.

We got to Chandler on Saturday, June 14th and Sam and his son, David, met us at the church. We unloaded some of our stuff at the Youth Pastor parsonage, where we would be staying that weekend and were pleasantly surprised by a wonderful basketful of goodies from the same family that had called Chris after he withdrew our names! I had been just telling Chris on the trip down from Kansas that I could really use some chocolate and guess what was included in the basket??? CHOCOLATE! God knows the little desires of our hearts! Sam and David then took us to the Senior Pastor parsonage so that we could have a look around. Homer and Lois were in the process of packing but were gracious enough to let us look around. As we were leaving Homer and Lois pulled us back and then explained that they knew the church was in need of and ready for change and that he also knew that he wasn't the pastor to bring about that change. He told us that he knew the minute Todd came back and told him of his conversation with Chris that his time here at Chandler Friends was done and that Chris and I were the ones. Homer had then turned in his resignation and started praying for us in this process. Amazing how God works!!!

Sam and David then took us on a tour of Chandler and we were pleased to find that it was about the size of Rose Hill and even more surprised to find out that there was a Walmart Supercenter in town! Chris and I both felt very much at home from the very beginning and it was easy to see ourselves living in Chandler. I know that Chris was still a little nervous about the interview that afternoon but it went just as smoothly and they were able to answer all our questions. After the interview, we went to the all church BBQ out at the church pavilion and got to meet even more people from the church. So many names and faces to remember, it was quite overwhelming but fun all at the same time. Chris is a die hard Jayhawk fan and it was quite funny when we were told we could sit in a pair of chairs...they just happened to be OU chairs and Chris was quick to tell them that he would most definitely NOT be sitting in those chairs. Haha! One of the things we were concerned about was how the boys would feel about moving to a new state, new church and new schools but we were so happy to realize that we never saw them the whole night! Isaac was on the sand volleyball court the entire time and Ian was playing with some other kids and neither one even came to eat, that I saw anyway. And if you know my Ian, he is always hungry!

Chris did an awesome job preaching Sunday morning and we were told later how great it was to watch people actually listening to the sermon, not sleeping or texting back and forth. After church, we were invited out to Todd and Debbie's house for lunch with their family and Debbie's parents, David and Mae (a whole other story to be told, for sure!) After lunch, our plan was to go back to the YP house, pack our things and then head home. I guess God had other plans...we only made it 2 miles north of town when I was pushing on the gas pedal and nothing was happening. I pulled over and Chris said there was coolant pouring out from underneath the engine. We decided to turn around and park on the other side of the road in the shade so that Chris could try to find out what was going on. As we pulled over on the other side, Chris phone rang and Todd asked us if we were having car trouble. Ummm, yeah. Todd said he would be there in just a minute to bring me and the kids back to his house while the boys worked on the car. After getting off the phone, Chris came around to my window and asked me if I had called Todd? Nope. How did he know that we were broke down? Then there was the question...did he know where we were at? As it turned out, Debbie had passed us on the side of the road just after we pulled over and had called Todd, letting him know that we were on the side of the road. As we sat there waiting for him, I told Chris that maybe God didn't want us leaving just yet. Isaac piped up from the back seat, "Maybe God wants us to move here!" Out of the mouths of babes. I told Isaac that I hoped God didn't mind if I went home and got my stuff first! It turned out to be a coolant hose that came off and so it was a simple fix. It wasn't hard to decide to just stay another night and go home in the morning. We got to enjoy hearing the kids camp reports that night at church and then went to eat pizza for dinner with Sam and his family. We found out that night that Emma really took to Paul, Sam's other son! Haha! Monday morning, it was just as hard to leave. OK, break time. And I think Emma is awake from her nap. More to come!

Travel Time

This weekend little miss Emma and I will be flying out to visit my sister Marcy and her family in Oregon. I am both excited and terrified at the same time! It has been 10 years since I have flown and on top of that I am bringing along my one year old! Crazy, I know but it will be fun to spend time with my little girl all by ourselves! She is so easy to take care of so I am not worried about that but she has reached the stage when she wants to be on the floor all the time exploring. Not such a great idea when you are on an airplane. And I won't have anyone to pass her of to if she gets to be too wriggly. If I had been thinking a little better I should have used the money for the whole family to drive out together, now that would have been fun!

We have also acquired a little female beagle a few days ago and already we are looking for a new home for her. It's not that she is a bad dog at all! In fact, we have really enjoyed her! Emma loves for her to lick her fingers and giggles to no end when she comes around but we are having an allergy problem! Both Chris and I never thought about her causing allergy problems but they have, especially for Ian! Yesterday, his eyes were puffy and he has been very stuffy, even with his allergy medicine! The boys and I have started researching on the Internet to find a better suited family dog that we can have in the house. We had so much fun looking at all the different breeds (AKC recognized and not!) and checking out all the "looks". Boy there are some interesting canines out there!!! I will let you know what we end up with soon!

What am I doing???

I don't have a clue why I am starting one if these other than everyone else seems to be doing it and I must admit...I love being on my computer. That's right, I am addicted! There, got that off my chest. I don't think that I am a great writer so the reason for doing this is to write about what my family is up to. So, here goes, hopefully, something entertaining.

I will start with who we are.

The wonderful man for the rest of my life, Chris, has been the Associate Pastor of RHFC for ten years this month and we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary in July. I will be very original and say, I can't believe how the time has gone! It seems like a lifetime and a brief moment all at the same time.

My oldest, Isaac, is in 2nd grade, although sometimes he acts like he is so much older. He loves Ian and Emma very much and I am amazed how gentle and caring he can be with them, especially Emma. Isaac will lay in front of Emma and let her play with his face and always wants to help feed her and carry her around. He makes life easier for me by buckling her into her carseat so I don't have to crawl all the way into the van. Isaac is playing baseball this spring and he is very thrilled to be getting golf lessons this summer! I think Dad is excited also because he already bought him a golf bag and clubs!

Next, comes Ian. Well...actually, he's already gone way ahead. Ian likes to try and beat Isaac everywhere and is not afraid of much, except some loud noises. He is a little more rough with Emma than I would like and I have to remind him all the time to slow down and be gentle with her but he loves her just as much as Isaac does! Ian also can say the funniest things as just the right time to send Mom and Dad rolling on the floor. Just yesterday he told me that he didn't want to get rid of Grandma and Poppa F because he loved them. (Very sweet!) And then he proceeded to say that he didn't want to send them to jail either. Hmmmm, where did that come from???

Then there is the little princess of the family, Emma! She has been a dream baby and we feel very blessed to have her in our family! She has been such an easy baby from the very start and it is fun to see her personality starting to take shape. She already responds differently with her two brothers, she smiles like nothing else when Isaac comes into view and she growls at Ian when he gets too rough and rowdy! So funny to watch! She has just discovered that she can be mobile and the knees are showing the wear. Just this morning, she pulled herself up at the bathtub and got all excited about taking a bath, bouncing up and down on her knees, until she bonked her chin on the side and then she needed some cuddle time with Mommy. It is hard to believe that she will be one year old this month!

Well, that's a good start on who we are...oops, I forgot myself. I am the cleaning lady, bottle maker, juice waitress, van driver and late night comforter. I am totally addicted to keeping in touch with my friends on the computer but am terrible about calling them on the phone! I have the ultimate cush job, working part time with my best friend. Speaking of job, I need to get LS some cereal and get in the shower! Hope this wasn't a total bore and I hope I remember to write again!