Thursday, December 4, 2008

Thanksgiving





This family has been such a means of grace to us since our move to San Diego. They have all been like sisters to me( well except for Mark and Caleb). I am very thankful to have friends like them to share our lives with.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Tagged


I was tagged by Billie to post the 5th picture in my 5th folder on my laptop. So this is my friend Jenna and I apple picking on my 30th birthday. Not a great picture because my face is blurry but what a fun day. Okay so now i have to tag 5 people. I tag sara a, ginger, bethany, michelle and sarah g.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Friday, November 7, 2008

End of Pro Life...

So sad about this...http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=312902

Friday, October 17, 2008

Pumpkin Patch







This day always sounds like such a fun experience doesn't it? Ohh the pumpkin patch, it a regular staple in the early years of raising children. Well this year Aslan being the 2 and half year old he is... I am sure I could have passed on this whole experience and maybe waited one more year but Mady's class was going and parents were required to go. So we showed up late, about 10 minutes late, the pumpkin presentation had already started. We quickly take our seats and listen to the farmer lady's talk I am thinking okay Aslan sitting still... good. As we moved from the Petting zoo to the hay ride I detected defience starting to brew up in my son. Once on board the tractor/hay ride all the little children were instructed to say hi to all the scarecrows around the pumpkin patch really loudly. As they did, Aslan starts yelling, "Stop Yelling!" After each time they say HI and wave their little arms off. Imagine with me, "HI" " Stop Yelling!" " HI!" " Stop Yelling!"etc. Thankfully as we rounded the last corner he gave up but my frail flesh was becoming annoyed with my precious little son. SO on to the Corn Maze...I thought yes I know instead of getting my son lost in the corn maze i'll go and get the stroller and contain him in there so at least I can walk around the corn maze with Mady. I come back with Aslan secured in the stroller only to find her class has already entered the maze so I am trying to huff it around the maze looking for her class. As I do the stroller keeps getting stuck in these large divets along the way so all these people keep trying to move around me while looking for their way out, comical to say the least. We made it out and I let Aslan out of the stroller so I could get the stroller out of another ditch size divet. He immediately takes off, Wheee I'm Free!! He runs around the actual pumkin patch, picking up pumpkins and then throwing them around like baseballs, he's a pretty strong boy. I am all the while looking around for Mady so I can at get a picture of her choosing her pumpkin. I finally locate Mady deep in the patch, studiously examining the hard the hard to reach pumpkins. As I am taking these photos of Mady with her pumpkin, Aslan disappears, I find him the the gift shop climbing up on the displays. Finally the wind down, snack time, and class picture shots. I was exhausted I seriously thought about putting Aslan in the car with the windows rolled down so I could enjoy some part of this day with Mady. I thought better though and just called it quits. I turned some worship music WAY up on the way home and decided that I was thankful they were strapped down and unable to get up. So enjoy these photos and know with what great pangs I went through to bring them to you. :)
Ahh the Pumpkin Patch...a little slice of reality in our blogging life.

Octoberfest







This one is for you Jackie. I saw this little boy all dressed up in his Edelweiss costume and I just could take my eyes off him. He was dancing all around to the German music and making all the adults laugh. I saw him on the street after the festival and asked if I could take his picture, he happily obliged. I promised his parents I wasn't going to do anything weird with it. Does this constitue as weird? Anyhow, my newphew Christian is around the same age and I just kept thinking that this is what he would look like someday over in Germany. His dad is German and both my sister's boys are fleuent in German. It made me miss them so much. This was a great family day. The kids loved the rides they had and we loved eating saurkraut and sausage. And it was actually a cool day which is rare for October in San Diego.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Mady's First Concert





Mady on the way to the concert she was so excited!


This wasn't the first time she has seen Switchfoot. But the first time she was allowed to stay up late and go to an actual venue to see them. We had great seats and had a great time. She was very excited to get to spend this special time with mommy and daddy. And of course getting to be with her bestie Lauren was a bonus! We all enjoyed every minute of it and it was so fun seeing all our old friends backstage after the show. Thanks to Drew once again for the hook up, first class all the way man.

Monday, September 22, 2008

First day of School






Mady's teacher this year is Mrs.J. She loves her class and her new classroom. She loves her school and all her friends. We have been settling into our routine of school, chores and work. Some mornings have been tougher than others for me for me to get going after working but God has given so much grace. Enjoy!

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Day in Balboa Park






Balboa Park is an old historic park in downtown San Diego. It holds all the great museums, the zoo, and the spreckles organ pavilion( outdoor theather). It's a beautiful place to walk around and take pictures. Yesterday I took the kids down to a puppet show in the morning at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theather. Afterwards we had a picnic and then walked around and I took pictures of them exploring some of the art and scultptures in the park. What a lovely day to be outside, we also picniced right in a flight pattern for the San Diego Airport. Which was neat for Aslan to see these big airplanes over his head every five minutes or so. Here are some of the photos from yesterday. Anyone who comes to visit I promise to take you here, it's a great time.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Working Girl






After four years of staying home with my kids I am offically going back to work. Just at night, part-time waiting tables. We just needing some extra income to pay off some bills. I didn't mind looking for a job, I thought I could maintain that for awhile... like if God happens to put a job in my lap then I'll know it's from him and I'll take it. But that doesn't happen all the time, rarely infact, you actually have to interview, fax resumes, be an active participant. So the search began, I thought about going back to work full time during the day and could make great money, but for those of you who know me know, I couldn't leave my little ones in day care. So the only other alternative was waiting tables at night, the only thing you can do that makes enough money to be worth working. I already started a job and am working three nights next week. Friday, Saturday and Sunday night...goodbye social life....hello working world. It's been hard to swallow at times, looking in the mirror before work thinking, " SO you are back here again" But God has sustained me in giving grace that is needed to realize that sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do and that those things bring him glory. Trials, struggles, and hardship enable God to be strong and for me to see that it is upon Him that I depend. This past month I have been so down and have been fighting negative thoughts, wanting to escape, longing for heaven, feeling sometimes like what's the point, but this week God again came to my rescue with this verse, "

" Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not percieve it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" Is 43:18

This is what God is promising me right now, that he is doing a new thing, changing my heart and my mind to be like Christ, and it is a new thing. He will make a way in this wilderness and bring rivers in this desert heart of mine. Oh Lord may I declare praise to you even in my hardest moments. May it be a joy to lay down my life and my wants and preferences for your will. Be merciful Oh God, , my soul rests in you alone.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Goodbye For a Little While


This week I have to say goodbye to my dear friend Carissa. She is leaving to go out to Virginia and even though it's only for a few months more than likely she will return only to marry and then be moving permanently to Virginia. These past few weeks God has tested me and been so kind as to reveal my heart in her moving away. He has shown me how I cling and hold on to things to tightly that were never "mine" to begin with. Even great realtionships that are full of fruitful fellowship and love are only a gift from him to be cherished and sometimes only given to us for a season. I want so badly for things to remain the same and my world to be comfortable but how kind is He to remind me that this is not my home. I am not meant to be comfortable here on earth and I long for heaven even more knowing that those whom I cannot be with here on earth I will be with forever in heaven. I find myself day dreaming about heaven and imagining what a wondourous place it will be. And this morning I am thanking him for the joy that is to come when I shall see him face to face and my soul shall rest and be satisfied.
So thank you Carissa for your friendship to my sweet little ones. you have been their faithful companion as much as mine. We will miss you greatly! We love you.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Catching up- Swim Lessons

The summer is flying by, I can't believe it's mid- July! After our vacation with family in the Outer Banks( which was so great) we came home and started swim lessons for Mady. She went every day for two weeks and at the end was diving off the diving board and doing a spectacular doggie paddle to the side of the pool. Still working on perfecting her strokes but relieved to know if she fell into the pool she could make it to the side. These pictures were taken on the last day. Aslan also had fun making friends in the kiddie pool each day as well.




Friday, May 2, 2008

The Business of Being Born




This is a must see movie for all who are thinking of having another child! It a documentary about home birth. I liked this documentary partly because it did a great job in telling both sides of the story hospital birth versus home birth. They interview lots of OB/GYN doctors as well as midwives and follow the story of several ladies in their quest to delivery naturally at home. They also do a historical overview of how our country has gotten so far away from home birth since 95% of all births used to be at home. In all the other developed countries except ours this custom is still practiced today and they have much lower infant mortality rates than the United States. Our is the second highest! Yes the statistics will blow away but more importantly I think we as women are missing out on this incredible experience. We are pushed by our culture and our insurance companies to inform us of how we should give birth. I was also deeply moved by the corelation between the oxytocin that is released in the brain( the love chemical) that you experience to it's fullest when you give birth naturally and your baby experiences it too, thus it deepens the bond that you have with your child. I would love to know if any of you out there have see this movie your thoughts and if you haven't seen it I would highly recommend that you do.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

New Hair



Thats right it's gone and it feels sooo good to be short! It may not seem like a big deal but i haven't had my hair short since i was pregnant with Mady five years ago. Now I have to remember to put sunscreen on the back of my neck. It's weird I've gotten sunburn there the last two days.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

New Playhouse

Yes for those of you who read this blog you know my love of garage sale finds. Well this weekend was one of those that usually happends once a year, like last year when I got the swing set for $20. Well this year my score of the year( well it's only April) so far was this playhouse. It happened to be on a friend of mine's street and she called me at like 6:45 a.m. to tell me to go and look at this house that was getting rid of a bunch of kids toys. I show up around 7:45 and took this baby home in her husband's pick up truck. And my bargain price for this was....FREE!! Yes that's right just needed someone to haul it away. Aslan is loving it as you can see by the picture:) Jim is like don't we have enough stuff back here. I said well it's only for a season and I want it to be a fun one:) There will be time for a beautiful yard and big people stuff for the rest of our lives but for now my backyard is built for the kids.


Thursday, April 10, 2008

Blue Hands




This year we had sort of a pre easter at our house. Saturday Mady's friend Lauren came over and we colored Easter eggs. They both submerged their hands in the blue dye and thought it was hysterical to have blue hands. I was a little worried after the fact, i thought they might have blue hands for Easter but turns out baking soda and water did the trick. Then we hid the eggs in the backyard and had a little easter egg hunt. I am glad we did because the next morning, Easter Morning, I was getting Mady into her Easter dress and she just said, " Mom I'm gonna throw up," which she did thankfully in the bathroom toliet and not all over her new dress. But just Aslan and I went to church because Jim was sick too. So here are the pre Easter pictures. Mom I'll put her in the new dress you got her and take some pictures another time.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Aslan is Two




Yes my little boy is growing up so fast here he is on his birthday this past March. Just a couple because he was rather cranky when the day actually came around. In the morning Jim and I went into his room to wake him up so Jim could see him before work. He just said, " Go!, Go Go!" And that's how his day started and ended much the same way. This was one of the few shots I got of him smiling. He did enjoy all the cars he got as presents and exclaimed Ohhhh! as he got each one. Wish everyone could have been there.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Our Weekend

Our weekend was good we took the kids down to the tide pools in La Jolla. It was Aslan's first time being able to explore, which he did to the fullest measure. He didn't quite understand that you weren't supposed swim in the little puddle of water. He was soaked head to toe, we had put rain boots on Mady so she was perfectly fine, Jim and I joked that we had put the boots on the wrong kid. Not that they would have stayed on with all of the falling. hehe. Sunday we went to the beach again after church, was a little windy, but still a good day. This weekend we are getting new carpets put in all of our bedrooms so we are going to stay with a friend a little north of here for the weekend. It's been a mixed blessing because it's kind of like moving in that everything has to come out of the rooms, but good in that it's forcing me to take stock of what I have and organize those closets and get rid of lots of stuff we don't need. Oh and I booked my tickets back to Virginia for the summer, I will be there June 11th- June 24th. We have a beach cottage in the Outer Banks for part of that time but i am excited that I get to see my dear friend Ginger's new baby! That's all for now, have a great weekend everyone.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Candles and Coldplay

Last night Jim and Drew made a special Valentines dinner for Jenna and I. We dropped the kiddos at Drew's mom's house and then headed out for some shopping while the men fixed us dinner at our house. We arrived home to find candles lining the walkway as we walked in, complete with a candlelight dinner, the table was beautifully arrayed with flowers and carnation heart candies. No detail was left unturned, shrimp cocktail appetizer, ceazer salad and filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled roasted vegtables for dinner. Oh and delicious flourless chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream for dessert. They were so sweet in praying for us and telling us how much they appreciated us. It was a very memorable night. I couldn't believe all the effort they went through for us. And even still as I am thinking about it I am just smiling and thinking.... WOW! God has truly blessed me with an amazing, thoughtful, compassionate and loving husband. This is what we came home to....