The Boyds

May musings

2009-05-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

I'm amazed at how fast time is going. Matt leaves for deployment in just over a month... not looking forward to that but I know that God will take care of us while we are apart.

School is out for the season... way before I was ready! Emily was way past ready. She did very well overall in first grade and is reading so well now. She won awards for reading and writing in the last awards ceremony. We just signed up for the summer reading program and I'm hoping to see a love for reading grow. The week before school ended, Emily performed in "Billy the Kid: The Ballet." Gotta love New Mexico! This was a very unusual ballet, but I was amazed at how well Emily is dancing now. Just in one semester, she has gone from watching others and losing her focus, to knowing each step and getting bothered that her cowboy hat fell off. Still, she has not decided if she wants to continue with ballet or try gymnastics. We will see come this fall.

Christian is growing like a weed. I constantly get surprised comments when people find out he has not yet turned 3. His birthday is just a week away and we have a Cars party planned. He is all boy and loves cars, monster trucks, squashing bugs... you name it. He is also very animated and I'm wondering if volume control will ever happen!

Grandma also came to visit this month. We had a great, relaxing week watching the kids play in the pool, cooking out and celebrating my birthday with three cakes. Pat (Grandma) had a cake made of flowers delivered to my door. Emily and Grandma made a cake at 6:30 in the morning but left out a key ingredient (still made a great trifle, though). Matt decided to try his hand and created a very tasty cake that did not want to stay together. I definitely will not forget this birthday!

Springtime Happenings

2009-04-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we went sledding.... on sand dunes instead of snow hills at White Sands, NM. The kids really enjoyed playing in the sand, which Christian kept calling snow. He much prefers sliding down the sand dunes as there is no snow to the face on the way down. Christian even went down the dunes without a sled (see picture) and had at least a full cup of sand in his pants when I took them off at home! How weird to be basking in the sun with our feet in beautiful white sand without any water in sight. Still, it was very beautiful even without the ocean.

We have wonderful news to share... Emily was baptized this Easter Sunday. She has been asking about baptism since she accepted Jesus into her heart two years ago. She announced into the microphone that she was getting baptized because "I love God" and then her daddy dunked her under. Matt said she fought going down (made me think of how we resist God's work in our lives when it's a little scary). When she came back up out of the water, Christian starting laughing loudly from excitement. Emily called out, "It's not funny, Christian." Everyone had to stifle giggles at that one. After church, we had friends over for Easter dinner. I'm glad to report I did not burn anything (except for a few of the rolls). It was a wonderful Easter celebration... most definitely the best so far for me. Praise God!

In March, we headed to Florida for Spring Break. We met up with my sister and her family for a 5 day Disney World adventure. We were all exhausted by the end of the week, but had a wonderful time. Our big advice is to hit all the rides at night when everyone else is lined up for the parade and fireworks. We were able to ride attractions 2-3 times in a row with no lines. Very nice! Emily and Christian loved having their cousin Levi with them on vacation and we all agree that a family trip to the beach will be a must in a year or two.

While in Florida we also spent some quality time with Grandma and some friends in West Palm. Christian loved "playing" with Grandma's cat and was undeterred even after multiple scratches and warnings. Graycat was very patient, but could only take so much of a two year old pulling his tail.

The summer is already filling up for us. Matt will be leaving at the end of the month for a 3 week deployment training. Emily has a dance recital the same weekend in May that I will be attending a women's retreat (a little late of course... can't miss Billy the Kid... the ballet... really no joke). Christian will be turning 3 in June and is already requesting a Mario Brothers birthday party. He is playing Mario Kart on Wii while I am writing this and just won first place in one of the races. He definitely takes after his daddy with his love for video games.

Facebook, Fostering & Deployment

2009-02-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

I must tell you why I'm not keeping up the blog as much... the Boyds have discovered Facebook. If you don't have a Facebook page, you should sign up today. Many family and friends pestered me for months to sign up... I resisted. When I finally caved in, I discovered why everyone has been talking about it. I have reconnected with friends from my elementary school days in Mississippi, high school pals and friends across the globe that we have met during our years of ministry in the Church of God and military. I've even prayed through the live chat.... how awesome! I'm thinking we need a new acronym or word for this.... maybe IP (instant prayer) or pratting (hee hee). How encouraging to catch up with friends, here about their lives and share prayers and scriptures over the miles instantly.

The Boyd household has been busy over the past month. This week, Matt is working nights for a training exercise and we will be heading to El Paso Friday for an overnight Praise team retreat. We will return Saturday evening in time for Matt to get his sermon ready for Sunday.

We have also received official news that Matt will be deploying in July for six months to Afghanistan. He is excited about the opportunity to minister and encourage the troops. Matt will be traveling to different posts/bases to minister to multiple branches of the military. The kids and I are trying to prepare for six months without him. I can see that it will not be easy. It seems that it will be hardest on Emily. She cried Monday night when Matt was not here to tuck her in. Bedtime has always been special daddy/daughter time for them. Very sweet.

Even though it will be hard, I know we will make it through the time. We plan to visit Tennessee for a few weeks before school starts and then again for Christmas. I'm also expecting family to visit us during the time and know that school and other activities will keep us busy.

We have big news for which we would love all of you to pray. We have started the application process for foster parenting. I have always wanted to foster/adopt so I am super excited about the opportunity. I've learned a lot about the process from some dear friends here and I'm surprised at so many myths that I believed. We will be able to read each case (and pray heavily) before making any decisions. We can also choose to do short term care for children who just need a place to stay for a few days or weeks. However, my heart's desire is to give a permanent home to a child in need if it is God's will. Whatever happens, I feel blessed to be able to minister in this new way and will trust God no matter the outcome.

Now the kid news... Christian is really testing his boundaries lately. He has decided nap time is not necessary and we are constantly taking toys and books away from him and putting him back in the bed. He has also started waking up at night (sometimes up to 4 times). Thankfully, I just have to tuck him back in but I would love for this action to stop :).

I have noticed that Emily seems to get school-itis after Christmas break. During kindergarten and now this year in January and February, she doesn't "love" it as much. I'm thinking it is because the school work is getting more challenging and she really is a homebody. Fortunately she seems to be getting "better" now that the sun is shining and we are seeing 80 degree weather.

Can you believe it? It's only February and it's 80 degrees here. If we were still in Alaska, I'd be shoveling snow (speaking of snow: the the sledding pics were taken in January in the NM mountains). I do enjoy getting to break out my sandals already, but I am not looking for what is expected to be an even hotter/dryer desert summer. Speaking of sandals... I am now wearing two shoes. The cast and walking boot are gone. For the first week, my foot felt was pretty weak and not flexible. Now I am almost walking without a limp and have even dared to wear a favorite pair of wedges (but only to church for a couple of hours).

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2009-01-07T19:50:00.001-08:00

Well, I've waited way to long to post... again. Happy New Year, everyone. We've had an eventful holiday season with many Air Force parties, a ballet recital, music program, and a trip to Tennessee.

This was the first time in a long time that we were home alone on Christmas morning. It was so nice to have the kids wake us up and gather around the tree together. Matt had his favorite movie, "A Christmas Story" playing in the background as we watched the kids tear into their presents. We then ate a very traditional lunch of Christmas pizza (hee hee). Later we joined our friends the Westfalls for a Christmas dinner and chatted over tea and chocolate cake while the kids played.

The next morning, I took on the airport alone with two kids and a broken foot. With much prayer and many helpful strangers, it went a lot easier than I was expecting. The kids did better traveling this trip than ever before. We had a great visit with the family in Tennessee. Memo & Papa loved the time with the grandkids, and the kids loved the attention. It was so nice to see all of our extended family and catch up. It's still hard to believe how much some of my younger cousins and second cousins have grown...

My sister, Cheryl, took Emily to the English Tea Room on our last day there. They had a lovely time with tea and scones. Next trip, all the girls plan on going together while the boys stay home to fish or something. The trip back went well, but we were all exhausted. I kept nodding off on the drive home while Matt was talking to me. Sorry, honey! I'm still not caught up on sleep and have been taking naps during the day when I can.

To her dismay, Emily returned to school today. We've been working on her science fair project together... learning about the colors and patterns of butterflies. She picked a very interesting topic all on her own. The projects are due next Tuesday, the same day I get my cast off. Praise God!

Broken Foot

2008-11-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I tried to jump up to catch the phone, tripped over a Barbie doll and broke my foot. Thankfully it is not a severe break, but due to where it is located I can not put pressure on the foot and must use crutches for 2-3 months. I've been so busy lately that I've not had time to update the blog. Now I will not have that problem :). I will be learning to slow down the hard way.

Matt is takng two days off to stay with me. He cooked yummy lemon pepper chicken for me tonight. We'll be picking up his mom tomorrow from the airport who will be staying with us for Thanksgiving. What a blessing to have two people to take care of me. The kids have also been pitching in, getting me drinks, bringing me my crutches, hopping on my bad leg... Well that is not really helping but Christian was trying to love on me.

In other Boyd news, Emily was chosen as Terrific kid of the month in her class. We were all very shocked and proud. She's come a long way from throwing a chair last year. She's doing great in school work and behavior.

I've started potty training Christian. I'm not sure if I'll be able to continue in light of my injury, but he has been showing a little progress in the area. He has been having some problems at his toddler school program. Just like his big sister, Christian does not like to nap at school and we've been having to pick him up early. Even though he's misbehaving at naptime, his teachers still think he is adorable. Christian is quite a charmer.

Balloons & A Busted Mouth

2008-10-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

Matt had a minister's meeting to attend in Albuquerque this past weekend and we decided to join him to see the International Balloon Festival. While Matt was in his meeting on Friday, I spent the afternoon with the kids at the zoo along with our friends the Fishers. Our second visit to the Albuquerque Zoo (the first visit included the peacock incident-check old posts) went much smoother. We had no attacks from peacocks or any other animals. The polar bears and seals put on quite a show. It was a lot of fun.

On Saturday, we awoke to see over 100 balloons in the sky outside our hotel. The pictures did not turn out the greatest, but you can see the balloons behind us as little dots :). I did not realize how cool this festival really is before seeing it in person. Each balloon is operated by FAA licensed pilots and it is said to be the most photographed sporting event. Interesting.

Unfortunately, it rained for the rest of the weekend while we were there. We did not get to see the fireworks or the night show when the balloons are all light up. To make Saturday even more yucky, Christian tripped over my foot while running towards one of the hotel luggage carts. He hit the cart edge hard with his mouth. We thought we would have to take him to the ER, but the bleeding stopped after about 10 minutes and I could not find any gashes needing stitched. The swelling is just now getting better after 4 days. We did visit the dentist today to find out his two front teeth got jammed up in his gums. If it starts to abscess, he may have to have some teeth pulled. Please pray that his mouth heals and this will not have to happen. I would hate for him to be without some of his teeth until the adult ones grow in years to come. He's quite a trooper and has been handling the injury quite well. He even enjoyed the dentist visit, praise God! You can see his lip swollen in the picture. His gums are what had us the most concerned, as they seem to swallow up his teeth in the beginning. Thankfully, the swelling is almost all gone now.

On the note of prayer, we would also like you to keep our Uncle Foster (Pete) Teachout and family in your prayers. Hospice has been called in to care for him. Please pray for our Aunt Betty and Uncle Pete and their wonderful children. They are an amazing, loving family that has blessed us dearly.

Transformers

2008-09-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

The Transformers 2 movie has been filming on our base this past week. Many of the extras in the Transformers film are from the base and community. The movie crew also allowed the base to view Bumblebee (one of the transformers) and many of the cars from the movie on Monday. Emily was not that impressed with the whole thing (as you can tell from her expression), but Christian was in awe. The transformer itself is even larger in person than in the picture. It was really cool.

As far as transformations, we are very proud of Emily's progress at school. She is learning to control her temper and loves first grade. While she still gets warnings occasionally for interrupting or not listening to instructions, her behavior overall is much improved. Academically, she is doing great. She is getting excited about reading and writing. I know I have many more challenges to face in the area of behavior (I am doing my best not to think about the teen years right now), but I am great encouraged. I know God has heard and answered my prayer of over five years.

On the subject of prayer, we were saddened to learn of a death in our family this past week. Please pray for our nephew's family as they grieve the loss of a precious child.

Drinking the Bubbly

2008-09-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I got your attention with the title, didn't I? Christian is taking after me in his love for bubbles. When Emily was a toddler, I was so excited to introduce her to this fascination. She did enjoy them, but only for a few minutes... leaving me to blow bubbles by myself while she played with other toys in our big backyard in Louisiana. I would continue to see how big I could make a bubble, how many bubbles I could get out of one try and just enjoy watching the bubbles float off into the sky.

Today, I purchased a little no spill bubble wand set for Christian. We sat outside blowing bubbles until he was literally blowing them without the wand. He has not mastered the technique, swallowing more bubble liquid than he manages to blows out. It is quite a site to see him laugh up bubbles.

I had a wonderful time with my sister and mom in Orlando... shopping and eating way too much. Our funniest moments were driving in downtown Orlando and the highways in the little "luxury" rental car as Mom described it to me on the phone. They drove up in a neon blue Dodge Caliber with NO power locks or windows, but a CD player that we did not use at all. I can't remember the last time I had to manually roll up a window or unlock each door with the key.

The family was very happy to have me back. I was greeted by all three at the door with hugs. Christian kept screaming "Mommy, you come back" and telling me he loved me. Emily required extra snuggle time Sunday night. It is good to be missed. While I was gone, Matt and the kids enjoyed swimming, playing video games, garage sale shopping and playing in a $3 sandbox found at a garage sale. Speaking of video games, Matt was finally able to purchase the new Star Wars Wii game with his Christmas gift card (Thank you, Mom & Dad). It was almost a year past the release date. Last night, he let Christian have a chance at the game. Somehow, Christian managed to win. Very funny stuff. Every time Christian's blue girl knocked down Matt's Annakin Skywalker, Christian would exclaim "I winned" or "I beat you, Daddy!"

Emily is 7!

2008-09-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

Early Friday morning, I woke up Emily with breakfast in bed (per her request). She really enjoys the thought of room service and always asks for it when we stay in hotels. I don't mind fulfilling this wish on her birthday. It was very cute. Christian sang Happy Birthday to her and has continued to do so over the past two days.

We had a family celebration yesterday opening presents and cards from mom and dad, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, aunts and uncles... she feels very loved. Christian really enjoyed helping her open presents. The blanket in the picture is one that Memo lovingly made for her. I was worried she might not understand the work that went into it, but she really appreciated it as you can see. The quilt is on her bed, along with curtains hanging in her room as well. The rest of the evening she played with her new Barbies, video games and such.

We ended the celebration today with a pool party for her and friends. I have to say this was the most stress-free party I have every planned. Pizza, a pool and a Wal-mart cake. The kids all had a blast and the parents got to chat while watching them swim. After everyone left, Christian took a nap, Matt prepared his sermon, Emily played with her new toys and I had the pool to myself. Very nice day!

On Wednesday, I'll be heading to Orlando to spend four days with my mom and sister. Woohoo! It will be nice to be together without the men and the littles. We are all looking forward to it and have been counting the days down. Please pray for Matt and the kids in my absence :).

August Update

2008-08-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Our trip to San Antonio for the Church of God General Assembly on August 1-10 was a refreshing time. We spent time with many of our friends from Matt's seminary days, along with other chaplains from around the globe. I also was able to spend time with my good friend Joyce who was stationed in Alaska with us.

God spoke to both Matt and myself at different times during the week. He spoke to me personally through a testimony of a fellow chaplain's wife who is now in Greece and also through a children's sermon. Emily begged to go to the children's church every night. She loved the silly characters and teared up during the soft praise songs. It is such a blessing to see her growing closer to God.

We stayed in a nice hotel right on the Riverwalk and within walking distance to the Alamo. I took the kids to check it out. We also went to Sea World and Schlitterbahn, a huge water park. Emily and Christian both loved sliding down the multiple water slides for kids. They had three separate sections, each with lots of fun stuff for the kids. We tried to talk Emily into going down a big slide with one of us, but she would have nothing to do with it. Maybe next time.

Another highlight of the trip was dinner at Rainforest Cafe. This was our fifth or sixth trip to a Rainforest Cafe. Every time, Emily begs to go and says she will not be scared, only to cover her eyes and ask to leave once we are seated. This time, she was not as scared of the "animals" and the loud noises. Christian was not scared at all and actually tried to feed the "tiger" his chicken nuggets.

Emily started school the day after we returned. She has a great teacher and is really enjoying first grade. Christian was excited to go back to his Tots program this week. Other two year olds cling to their moms trying to leave... Christian waves as he runs through the door. I have been working a lot this week and also working on a women's ministry event coming up on Tuesday. Matt had a memorial service in Las Cruces yesterday and will be going back that way on Monday for a couple of appointments. We've also added another Bible Study at our home starting this Sunday evening. Whew! I am very happy that I have no errands or work to take me away from the house today and will finally get caught up on laundry and other chores.

Tennessee Trip

2008-07-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

We were very happy to visit Tennessee this past week. On Friday evening, we had a Thurman family reunion. It was so nice to see my aunts, uncles and cousins again. It's been almost a year since we were together for Papa's funeral and it was so nice to come together and catch up on each other's lives. During the day on Friday, we went to Lake Winnie with Memo, Papa, Aunt Cheryl and Levi. The kids had a blast. Check out Emily fixing her hair on the car ride!

We celebrated Levi's birthday on Sunday. Levi got a Monster truck from Memo and Papa and took his cousins for a ride. He seemed really determined to run over the cat. The kids had a lot of fun swimming in my sister's pool. I succeeded in an amazing water trick, I have to say. They have a giant beach ball and I was determined to roll over it into the water. It took three or four tries, but I finally managed to do so. I did however hit my head on the bottom of the pool in the process. Maybe it was not such a good idea after all to try this stunt in a shallow pool.

Emily and Christian really enjoyed the time with Memo and Papa, feeding the chickens, checking out the cows and the goats. The day we got there, I went right away and picked blackberries with Dad for a yummy blackberry cobbler by Mom. We are so blessed with our family.

This Friday, we'll be heading to San Antonio for the Church of God General Assembly. We're looking forward to seeing many of our friends. We're praying for God's guidance for the ministers as they vote on many important issues in our denomination. We'll also be enjoying a few fun spots like SeaWorld. We'll be there an entire week and make it home just before Emily starts back to school. Woohoo!

Tombstone Tot

2008-07-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

"Look at you, you have a baby... in a bar." This quote from the movie Sweet Home Alabama came to mind as we sat in Big Nose Kate's Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona a couple of weeks ago. One of the few places to eat at in the little Old West town. We weren't the only family there, so that eased my mind a little. At the end of a pretty good meal (with amazingly quite kids) I asked the waitress if she would hold Christian for a picture. Couldn't resist. Our friend JM who was visiting with us said we should take the kids to bars more often. It was the best behaved they had been in a restaurant in a long time. I guess if they are not the ones making the loud noise, they just sit and listen :). Matt, JM and I really got a laugh out of the situation. It was definitely the highlight of the day.

We really enjoyed Tombstone. I roped a "steer" (really a little metal cut out of one) in the O.K. Corral, the kids and I took a stage coach ride, and we just walked up and down the streets of "the town that never dies." While I have to say it was very expensive and a definite tourist trap, we really enjoyed checking out Wild West history. The kids really enjoyed all the horses and old fashioned buildings and wagons.

Summer Fun & Working Woman

2008-06-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, we had a surprise visit from my sister, Cheryl and her son Levi. I got a call two days before they arrived. Both of us started getting ready... she had to pack and reschedule work appointments, I had to clean! What a wonderful long weekend we had. The kids enjoyed playing together and swimming in the pool. While they were here, we took some pictures of an amazing rainbow in front of our house. The kids (and adults) danced around in the little sprinkle that came with it. I love rainbows. They are a wonderful reminder of God's mercy and grace.

Trying to keep to our tradition of visiting a fair every time my sister visits, we checked out the Annual High Rolls Cherry Festival . This festival did not meet our expectations. The advertisement mentioned kids activities including a jumping balloon and pony rides... they were not there. We did all enjoy fresh cherry pie and picked up a few other items from local vendors. Cheryl bought some really yummy dip mix that we ate WAY too much of over the weekend. I had the horrible task of finishing it off after she left.

Matt left right before Cheryl and Levi for the state camp meeting for our denomination. The group here has welcomed us nicely and Matt is looking forward to working with them on a few projects. He had a good week in Albuquerque listening to sermons... a treat for pastors who are normally the ones sharing the message.

When we took Cheryl and Levi to the airport, Emily started crying a little. I consoled her with the fact we will be visiting Tennessee in three and a half weeks. We also are having Matt's best friend, JM, for a visit before we leave for Tennessee. We'll probably check out Tombstone while he's here. Can't wait to take a few pictures of that. The rest of the summer is turning out to be very busy.

Speaking of busy.... I have a job! I've been looking since we moved here for a small part time job that would work well with our family schedule. I am now a merchandiser for a company named Mosaic. I just finished my training yesterday and start this week. My job consists of making sure the video games at Walmart are displayed properly including all new release signage and price tags. I visit the store here twice a week and travel to Ruidoso once a week. I've been meaning to post the news, as I was hired three weeks ago... but kept forgetting to add it on. I'm also on the list for two other merchandising companies and may do one time audit visits for various products from time to time. Merchandising is a very flexible field, perfect for a stay-at-home mom. I feel blessed to finally have a nice little job on the side. It should be fun.

Tribal Adventures

2008-06-11T17:33:00.001-07:00

The Boyd tribe, including Grandma, spent the weekend in Santa Fe. And in typical Boyd fashion, we tried to do as much as possible in a very abbreviated time. We rolled into Santa Fe on Saturday and headed directly to the Children's Museum. The kids had a blast. I watched Christian chase back and forth after a rolling ball for at least 15 minutes, while Emily decorated herself with face paint.

We walked the plaza at Santa Fe and got a lot of smiling faces with our little warrior. It took a lot of baby wipes and two good scrubs with soap to get all the tribal paint off.

We took in the miraculous staircase at the Loretto Chapel and looked at all the beautiful old buildings downtown that night. As legend goes, the staircase was built by a man who just showed up then disappeared upon completion. There is no known center support and it did not have rails for a number of years.

The next day, we visited a local church and enjoyed watching a baptism service. It is so nice sometimes to be a visitor. The little church was very welcoming and we had a great worship experience. After celebrating Christian's birthday at Olive Garden, we headed back to the Glorietta Retreat Center for a nap and fishing (Christian & I napped... the rest of the crew fished). We then went back downtown to check out the old Santa Fe Railroad station. Christian enjoyed seeing the trains, but we had to coax him onto one for a family picture. Grandma loves to take pictures... but manages to stay out of them somehow...

On Monday, we headed back home with a stop at the Albuquerque Zoo.... a very memorable experience. While there, a peacock snuck up on Matt and the kids. Pat and I were still around the corner when I heard a series of loud squawks and my daughter's scream. I thought she was being attacked. I rounded the corner to see her running around in circles screaming and Christian hanging onto Matt for dear life. It was sooo funny. Christian recovered, but Emily was spooked for the rest of the visit. We managed to get lost in the Africa and kept going in circles. Upon visiting the same area for a third time, the peacock surprised Emily again with another round of screams. I just wish I had got the event on camera or at least taken a picture of the offending peacock.

We had a wonderful week with Grandma and hated to see her go home today. The kids loved all the hugs and kisses. We've been very blessed to have our families visit us and look forward to future visits here and there.

Birthday Boy

2008-06-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Christian's 2nd birthday was a seemingly never-ending event. My parents started the event by giving him his present two weeks early while they were visiting. He also got a birthday cookie from my parents while they were here.

Then, this past Friday we celebrated with cake and presents while Grandma was visiting. I tried to be supermom and make the cake... NOT my talent by a long shot. I think in the future I will leave this job to professionals. Christian loved the sad little cake and used the little jungle animals as his spoon and fork. He also loved singing Happy Birthday and I took a little video of him singing.

I was surprised that he actually got into opening presents. He really enjoyed unwrapping all the toys and really liked everything. He even enjoyed the cards. Very cute. Thank you to everyone who sent cards and presents. They were very much appreciated by all.

We went to Santa Fe for the weekend with Grandma where we celebrated his actual birth date with a cake at Olive Garden. He blew out the candle himself and exclaimed "I did it!" His birthday celebration finally came to a close on Tuesday with the delivery of a balloon bouquet from Memo & Papa. A lasting reminder of the never ending celebration.

Dancing Graduate

2008-05-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

This past week was very busy for Emily, including her dance recital and kindergarten graduation. All week long, Emily and I attended 2-3 hour practices for the dance program. The spring program this year was Beauty and the Beast. The teenager and adult dancers had the main parts, with the younger dancers as flowers, forest animals and the like. Emily was a rose and had two dances in the program. She did a great job, especially after such a long week of rehearsals. We were not allowed to take photos during the show, so I snapped a couple afterwards. She was pretty tuckered out though, so I could not coax a big smile. Oh, well. I played the part of a backstage mom for the event, helping line up littles as young as three and try to keep them all quiet under the stage for two hours (not an easy task).

I have never understood kindergarten graduation, really. I guess I'm realizing now that it is more a celebration of the beginning of their education. Maybe the name should be changed. But I have to say, I enjoyed the event. The kindergarten teachers read a sweet poem that made me cry (they were crying, too). We are very blessed with Emily's school. The staff and program is wonderful.

My parents flew in to see the recital and graduation. We had a great visit with Memo & Papa. The kids loved all the attention. Christian went with me to pick them up at the airport and he ran to Memo's arms. She loved this, of course. After we dropped them off at the airport Sunday, he started singing his own little song entitled "Papa... Papa... Papa..." Very cute.

I also celebrated my 31st birthday this Saturday. We ate at my favorite local Mexican restaurant, then celebrated with ice cream cake later that day. Matt and the kids got me Mario Kart for Wii. I'm loving it. The first video game since the Dance Dance Revolution that I really like. I even got my dad to play it with me. He left me in the dust. My parents and I went shopping while Matt and the kids took a dip in the pool. Very nice birthday.

After dropping Mom & Dad off at the airport, we stayed in El Paso for a little overnight getaway. The hotel we picked had a huge water slide and a mushroom splash pool for the kids. They had a good time playing in the ice cold water. I'll stick to our heated pool :). Emily actually went down the slide twice. I was not expecting her to brave it. She is swimming a little on her own now and actually getting her head underwater. We ended up coming home early on Memorial Day because I had a bad allergy attack. I'm feeling better now, though.

Next week is our chapel's Vacation Bible School. I'm looking forward to working with the kids. I love interacting with them and teaching them about Jesus in such a fun way. Grandma will also be coming in for Christian's birthday and staying a week with us. We'll probably celebrate with our normal Sunday afternoon pool party with the addition of cake and ice cream. I'll be sure to snap some cake-covered pictures.

Umm... Plums

2008-05-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

We've had a good month since I last updated. Matt returned from his trip and the kids were delighted to see him back. We've opened the pool and are enjoying the nice warm weather. Although we would love to see some rain. We can not remember the last time it rained. Just seeing dark clouds today made us hopeful, but the humidity is just 6 percent. Oh well.

Matt and Emily have been doing some planting. They've planted a plum tree (shown) and a butterfly bush together. Emily has also planted some sunflowers that are already sprouting. My tomato plant has some little green tomatoes on it, too... but the strawberry plant does not look like it will live. Poor thing. I've also messed up my rose bushes. My friend gave me some much needed advice and I'm hoping they will start blooming again. I have been trimming them the wrong way. Poor little bushes.

Christian has started saying "Umm" when he is thinking or making decisions. Very cute. I took a quick video. Both children had a music program on the same night. So we had to split up. Emily did a great job and kept waving to me from the stage. Christian just mouthed the words and looked around confused. Very funny to us since he is constantly making noise. He was singing his version of Twinkle Little Star while we were eating dinner tonight.

I've been looking for a job lately. I'd like to help supplement our income a little, but still be here for my family. I've finally made some progress in the merchandising field, getting my name on an employee list for future jobs. I've been looking online at merchandising jobs for over a year. They are very flexible and pay well, which is why the field is so competitive.

Emily has been doing great in school lately. She's had six days of perfect behavior in the past two weeks (she usually gets at least 2 minutes of recess taken away due to talking out of turn, etc). She's very excited about graduation and summer vacation.

We are looking forward to the summer. My parents will be visiting for Emily's kindergarten graduation and dance recital in a couple of weeks. Matt's mom will be joining us for Christian's birthday. I'm thinking we will have a pool party that Sunday after church when we usually have friends over. Both of the kids love the pool. Christian tries to jump out of our arms and swim on his own. He's able to get around with arm floats, although we still stay right next to him when he's "swimming." We think both kids will be swimming on their own by the end of the summer.

Spring Break

2008-04-14T07:40:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful week in Tennessee visiting family. The flight there was most likely the best ever traveling with both children. Christian was very easily entertained. Both kids spent most of time coloring with Color Wonder markers. One of the best inventions for traveling in my opinion. We did not even watch a whole movie on the portable DVD player, just part of one until they decided to go back to drawing.

My sister graciously drove to Nashville to pick us up and drop us off (poor girl had to go shopping both times). We almost literally bumped into Taylor Swift (a new country artist) when Cheryl dropped us off. I did not even see her as I was making a beeline for the bathroom. Emily was standing right next to her while they were waiting on me to finish. Cheryl only realized who it was because someone standing beside her said she was trying to get an autograph. How funny.

I have mentioned before that when my sister visits me there seems to always be a fair in town. When I visit home, it seems one of the children always ends up at the doctor or emergency room. Christian and his cousin Levi both were sick at the start of the visit. Christian did get better, but Levi did not. His eyes were swollen from allergies and he ended up with an ear infection. Poor little guy. With medicine, he is on the mend.

Even with the sickness, the kids had a great time together. We visited the Creative Discovery Museum and Chuck E Cheese. We also fed the chickens and mooed at the cows and the grandparents drove the kids around in their golf cart and fed them Dad's homemade ice cream (very yummy stuff). I got to do a little shopping without the kids (thank you Mom & Dad) which was very nice. My sister and I also took Emily alone to the Aquarium while Mom & Dad played with the boys. We had a nice little girls time checking out the penguins and jellyfish.

The flight home was very challenging. Emily did great as usual, but Christian was a handful. He had a fit before we even got on the plane because I would not buy a toy in the airport (it was double the price I could find at Walmart). He was just very tired and did take a nap on the entire second flight. When we made it home at 10:30 and I put him in his bed, he had the biggest smile on his face as if to say "Aaah, I'm home."

I think we all felt that way, except for Matt. After driving to pick us up and return us home, he had to wake up at 6:30 to head back to the airport to leave for his trip. We at least got to see each other for the hour's ride home and hug him goodbye Sunday morning. He's attending a training class in Atlanta and then spending time with his mother, brother and friends in Florida for a few days. A nice little break for him.

Blooming

2008-04-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, I had a very green thumb. I remember planting seeds from various fruits in my mother's potted plants (something she did not appreciate) and watching them sprout. I have no idea where my green thumb went. I have killed numerous plants in my adulthood.

What I noticed first about our new house were the withered rose bushes. "Oh good," I thought, "I don't have to kill them, they are already dead." God had other plans. He "planted" a friend in my life known as the pruning lady. She actually keeps gloves and pruning shears in her van at all times. With her guidance, my rose bushes are alive again. The first rose bloomed this week (see picture one) and we have many more buds opening. I'm so happy that something is alive. I still don't think my green thumb is back... this past week I killed two plants that I put in our little flower box (see picture 2). I'll have to investigate what will work best in this crazy heat besides cactus (the kids kept reaching for the prickly things that I took out).

Matt got home on Monday to find out he would be working nights until the kids and I leave. It's been a stressful week. He is taking off Friday and we'll be spending the night in El Paso before flying to Tennessee. Emily is very excited about getting out of school early and getting a whole week off from school. She can't wait to see everyone. I did not tell her teacher until yesterday that she'd be leaving early. I was informed that she had notified them on Monday and every day since. There are no secrets or surprises with her. She told me in a hushed whisper about a plant they are growing for Mother's Day at school the same day they planted the seed. I'm hoping that her little gift will grow.

Easter

2008-03-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

I pray that each of you had a blessed Easter. We had a wonderful day celebrating Christ's Resurrection. Matt started the day at 3 AM. He was up dark and early preparing for the sunrise service at White Sands National Park. The children and I did not get up for this. I really would have loved it, but I knew I would have paid dearly for waking up Christian that early. Next year I think we will attempt it. I was told it was beautiful, but very cold. The desert feels like Alaska before the sun comes up. A funny note... due to Daylight Saving Time being moved up and an early Easter, the sun did not actually come up during the service. Oops!

We had a large crowd as expected for our regular Easter service. Even with only 3 hours sleep, Matt preached one of his best sermons. The Lord really spoke to me about speaking life and love into those around me. I made a decision to really focus on what comes out of my mouth no matter what the situation. Even when correcting the littles, to do so in love and not to exasperate (not the easiest sometimes). Of course, I was put to the test on Monday. In some of the tests I succeeded... but I did fail miserably in a few. Even today, I woke up grumpy due to being up half the night with Christian again. Thus, I feel like I am making a difference... and when I mess up, I'll admit it and keep trying.

Our Easter celebration started on Palm Sunday with a really neat children's program called Walk with Jesus. This is a joint program with the Catholic parish on base that walks children through the events leading to Jesus' resurrection. Emily and I really enjoyed participating. I was asked to act out the part of Pontius Pilate (I guess we did not have enough male actors). It was a stretch to say the least, but I was happy to help. Fortunately for me, no pictures were taken of my interestingly outfitted self. Emily really learned a lot and kept asking questions. The interaction of the program really brought the Bible to life for the kids.

The Saturday before Easter, I took Emily and Christian to the base Easter Egg Hunt... or more like MAD DASH. It was over in 30 minutes. Christian was a little scared when everyone first starting running, but Emily was up for the run. I wish Easter Egg Hunts were more like when I was a kid... small church gatherings where volunteers happily hide eggs not just throw them on the ground, with a cake and a little sermon from the pastor to teach the little ones about the real meaning of Easter. I have fond memories of these outreaches as a child.

After the hunt (since it took only 30 minutes) I decided to take the kids to the little local zoo. We enjoyed this so much better. Maybe we will make this the new tradition and include a picnic lunch. The crowd was very small and the kids enjoyed seeing the ducks, monkeys, peacocks and kangaroos. There were even some interesting little animals I'd never seen before that are more common to the desert here and in Mexico.

This week has been a little tough. We received the sad news that one of Matt's closest friend's father passed away. We were hoping Matt could travel to Florida to be with the family, but found out he is going to Utah for training this weekend. Please keep this family in your prayers.

I will be holding down the fort here at home for the weekend, then the children and I will travel to Tennessee for Spring Break next weekend. The day after I get back, Matt leaves again for a week for more training in Atlanta. April is going to be a little bit crazy for us.

Sleep Deprived

2008-03-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

Today, I put Christian's whole milk in my daughter's water bottle. Thankfully, I realized the mistake before sending her to school with a milk bottle. I am sleep deprived.

This week is a busy one for me and so far we have had two sleepless nights. Christian has been waking up at all hours. I have not figured out what is bothering him or if he just wants to be with mommy. I think he has started having dreams or "night terrors". Last night, the first of three wake up cries was a ear piercing scream that continued even after I picked him up. Poor guy. I'm praying that he has a peaceful night's sleep tonight (I'm also praying that for myself). I am thankful that God has blessed me with a husband who let me sleep in on his day off. Very nice.

Last night, we had a great women's ministry program. A local pastor's wife (who is not a military spouse) gave a message on change. Being in the military, we endure lots of changes. It was just what I needed to hear. One of the points she made was that we need to invest in the future. She quoted a verse that will be my new theme verse: And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace." -Jeremiah 29-7
For all my military friends, doesn't that hit home? Check out the whole passage, it is really applicable to everyone.

I wish I had taken a picture of Christian's latest conquest. I left him for a couple of minutes watching TV to put on a little make-up. While applying blush, I got that little feeling that he was up to something. I found him sitting on top of the dining room table pouring out the salt shaker. He will definitely be keeping us on our toes. I did snap a picture of him wearing a Dr. Seuss hat that Emily made at school. He claimed it as his own after she brought it home.

Catching Up

2008-03-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened since my last post... only because it has been almost a month since updating everyone. We had a wonderful visit with my sister Cheryl and nephew Levi. The kids had so much fun together.

On Saturday, Cheryl and I decided to make the most out of the day while Matt was working on his sermon. We first headed to Las Cruces (an hour drive) for lunch at Chuck E Cheese. We brought the kids back to the house for a nap and then woke them up and headed to the bookstore to see Elmo. Christian was very excited to see Elmo and was pointing and yelling his name. His reaction changed quickly when Elmo actually got close. At this point, Christian let out the loudest scream I have ever heard from him (which is very loud since the boy loves to yell). Cheryl and I busted out laughing and stepped away from Elmo so that Christian could calm down. How I wish we had caught the moment on video. I could have easily won a funny video contest with that one.

After that wonderful experience, we headed to a small carnival that was in town for the weekend (side note-for 5 years now there has been a fair or carnival in town every time Cheryl visits us with only one exception). The kids all loved the rides. Levi loved them so much that he would not get off. Every time it was time to get off a ride, he had to be picked up and carried off crying. Cheryl and I were very amused.

We finally brought them home for a McDonald's picnic on the den floor. All three children ate record number chicken nuggets. Cheryl and I realized our mistake of the day... we forgot to feed them a snack after nap time.

Since my last post, Matt attended the Engage 21 conference in Cleveland. It was hard to stay here while he visited with our family and met up with old friends. Matt came back with some great new connections and enjoyed the break from AF work. Christian really missed his dad and said one of his first sentences while Matt was gone.. "Where's Daddy?" He said this clearly and without any prompting. It was so neat.

Currently, Emily and I are both sick. I'm waiting for lab results to see if Emily has strep throat. I'm thinking it is just a cold virus and she should be able to go back to school tomorrow. I'm having to tell her to stop jumping around already.

A Lovely Weekend

2008-02-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

Today is a glorious day in the desert. The sun is shining and it is already warm outside at 8 AM. We should be reaching the high 60's most of the week and I would not be surprised if we break into the 70's. We saw snow flurries on Friday and the mountains were covered in snow, but you can see no sign of cold weather now.

My rose bushes are already starting to grow, thanks to Audra, my wonderful friend, who "put them to sleep" for me. I'm learning a lot about gardening and racketball from her. We meet twice a week to work out at the gym. Audra is also planning on teaching me to swim before she moves to Colorado in May. I'm so glad that our time here overlapped, but I know I'll miss her when she goes.

Our whole family had a wonderful weekend. Friday night, the kids were delighted to have their favorite babysitter while Matt and I enjoyed a lovely time at a Church of God Sweetheart's Banquet. We literally did not know anyone there and saw the dinner as an opportunity to get to meet other COG minister families. We were welcomed with open arms. What a blessing to have a great support network for ministers.

The Jolliffs, our friends from El Paso (who served with us in Alaska) came to visit Saturday and Sunday. I showed Gale around our large 22 store mall, introduced her to the best ice cream stand in the world and we talked politics over pedicures. Rev Jolliff gave a well-received message on Sunday at the Chapel and then we came back to the house for lunch. Before heading out, Gale whooped me at tennis on the Wii. The guys got a laugh watching us. God continues to bless us with friends.

The highlight for the kids this holiday weekend was a trip to El Paso on Monday. Matt bought Christian a car that plays "Can't Touch This" and rolls around. He loves the annoying little thing. Thankfully, there is a mute button just for parents. Emily picked out a Disney Fairies learn to draw kit and she's already spent hours doodling. The kids and I are heading to El Paso again today to pick up my sister and nephew. We are looking forward to time with them and I'll be sure to snap some pics of the kids to share.

Christian has finally accomplished the skill of moving on his little Mickey Mouse car. Most of the time, he scoots backwards but I was able to catch him going forward for a quick video.

Cut!

2008-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Christian's hair is finally growing, and so I decided to be a thrifty mom and cut it myself. How hard can it be to cut a one year old's hair while he is bopping his head and flailing his arms? This challenge proved too much as you can see in the picture. I made few to many snips on top and not enough on the sides. I finally stopped due to the fact I was scared to see what would happen if I continued. Matt stated that I should never do that again. I sure wish it was cold enough here to keep him in his cute Snoopy hat that he loves. I will enlist the help of a friend to show me how to use a razor on it and if that does not work, we will be visiting the barber shop from now on

We had our second parent-teacher conference at Emily's school. Since Christmas break, she has been having some behavior problems. The teacher and principal at her school are working well with us to help Emily learn to handle her hot temper, so I have hope that she will overcome this obstacle. She won the Math award again at the second awards assembly at school. I find it so interesting that she does so well in math and loves it. Matt and I are not big fans of the subject. I think she will also love history as she gets older. She loves learning about different countries, cultures and the past in general. She has a fixation on China right now that has been going on for about 6 months.

Work for Matt has picked up pace. He has a big project coming up this week, the National Prayer Breakfast. The chapel is short-staffed right now, so things are hectic. He seems to be handling the stress very well, though. On January 1st he started a new diet and exercise plan and has lost over 7 lbs already. I'm very proud of him and hope his determination rubs off of me.

We had friends and airmen over for the Superbowl last night and enjoyed a fun evening. Not being much of a football fan, I really enjoyed what I did get to see including some very funny commercials. I love it when the underdog wins, don't you?

Happy New Year!

2008-01-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

God bless all of our friends and family!

I have been lagging way behind in my original commitment to blog once a week and it seems very hard to get back in the swing of things. My cousin Stephanie reminded me that I needed to keep up with my my entries and so I will try to do better. (Hi, Stephanie!)

A lot has happened in the past three weeks. We had a wonderful visit with family back in Tennessee for Christmas. We went there with a full suitcase of presents and came back with the same. I somehow managed to come back with only a few pictures (I kept borrowing mom's camera instead of hunting out my own). I did get a great shot of Christian crying over his cousin Levi's new race track (with Uncle Marty, Levi's dad). Who knew jealousy started this young? We also got a great picture of Emily asleep on the drive home from the airport. She was completely exhausted, poor thing! The kids loved being with their cousins and grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. It was a very nice trip.

Emily just started back to school today. She did not want to go back this morning, but felt much better about it after a nice first day of the new year. She also started ballet classes this week. Her reading skills have improved greatly as we used the extra long vacation to work on reading. Emily is finally getting excited about it.

We've decided Christian is going to be a Major League pitcher. He has great aim and loves throwing things at us from across the room with tremendous accuracy. He got Matt last week with a small jingle ball right in the forehead from about 10 feet away. We are still trying to figure out how to discourage him. He seems to enjoy his "game" so much. As I write this, he's throwing something at his sister! Thankfully, it is paper.

This past Sunday, we had a good dinner with friends from the Chapel and we even had two airmen join us. We spent the evening watching Matt and Emily play video games with the two guys. I am looking forward to a houseful of young airmen watching football and playing video games with Matt, while I attempt some good home cooked food for them. It is such a blessing to provide a home away from home and I have missed it.

Christmas Hula?

2007-12-16T08:57:00.001-08:00

Emily's school Christmas program was so cute. She really enjoys singing and dancing. In one of the songs, the children were hula dancing to the music. I did not realize that was a traditional Christmas dance :). You will have to forgive the low quality video. It is with my digital camera and I was not as close as I would have liked.

We have a big praise report. We finally know what is wrong with Christian's little digestive system. Nothing too serious, thankfully. He has been put on medicine and should be good as new within a month.

Thus, Emily is sick again with a pneumonia. I am amazed at how much God blesses us in times of sickness. We tried to wait until Monday morning to take her to her pediatrician, but her fever was so bad that Matt took her to the ER last night. This action allowed the doctors to catch the pneumonia before it was very severe. They were not able to detect it by listening to her breathing, only by x-ray (which I do not believe would have happened at our base clinic). I am in awe of how God works for our good. When you open your eyes, you really can see Him in everything. I'm praying that God will continue to open my eyes so that I can really make the most of everyday opportunities to share His love.

Due to the sickness, Emily, Christian and I had to miss quite a site on Sunday at church. Matt had a humorous part in the Christmas play and literally pranced on the stage in an angel costume. How I wish I could had a video to share.

We are all looking forward to traveling to Tennessee for Christmas on Saturday. We will get to spend Christmas with family and visit our home church for Christmas. We will also be having dinner in El Paso with friends who were stationed with us in Alaska. They live only an hour away now and we're blessed to have good friends so close. God is good. All the time.

Christmas Thoughts and Stomach Flu

2007-12-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

Matt and I have been talking a lot lately about selfishness. We have both been praying for the Lord to help us put others before ourselves and teach our children to do the same. Every year it amazes me how much Christmas in America changes. It seems to only be about presents... making sure you have the biggest and best. I've been praying how we can reflect more on God's precious gift to us this year and how we can share that gift with others.

We were watching "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" the other day (not my favorite by a long shot) and I was very surprised at the references to Jesus. Matt reminded me that it was made many years ago.... before Merry Christmas was replaced with Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings. I was even more shocked when I heard a news story about a Hanukkah event and the representative described Hanukkah in terms completely devoid of the original story of the miracle at the temple.

So... I know this post started out a little different. God has just really been pressing my heart and I wanted to share my thoughts. He is really amazing. He has been speaking to me very clearly and I am just so blessed. On Sunday night, I went to bed after the house was quiet and I just felt this pressing need to pray for my family. So I prayed and was up for well past an hour. I had just drifted off to sleep when Emily woke me up and ran to the bathroom sick. Matt came down with a different sickness around the same time and he's still recovering. But still, I know God is answering my prayer and I praise Him for calling me to prayer before the little storm. The most amazing thing that happened was that in the middle of being sick, Emily started praying for God to heal her. It was one of the most heartfelt and faithful prayers I've heard and she does not even remember it. What an answer to prayer as I've been wondering how I have been doing in guiding her towards Him. She had one more bout of sickness and was bouncing around the house by mid-morning on Monday.

Christian had a short bout of the stomach bug on Friday night which I did not even recognize as so until Emily came down with it. Stomach issues are the norm with Christian. He's now had chronic diarrea for over two months and many tests we've been told there's no medical reason. Even with the issue, Christian is thriving and doing well. God is good.

On other family news, we are getting busy with Christmas parties and functions and looking forward to our trip to Tennessee on the 22nd. Emily will be singing in a Christmas program tomorrow night at school. We are really looking forward to it and I'll be sure to snap some good pictures to share. This picture is the one that will be on our photo cards being sent out (I hope before Christmas). If you would like one, please email me. Love to all!

Snow & Sewage

2007-11-27T07:17:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that we had snow on Thanksgiving in southern New Mexico? It was too warm to stay on the ground here, but the mountains had a few inches stick. We are now in our "fall/winter" season. I have been told that fall does not last long (very similar to Alaska in that respect) and we move almost straight into winter from summer. The temperatures will not be as cold as Alaska of course, but after being in 80 degree weather for 3 months, 30 degrees does feel very chilly. Especially when you do not have heat in the bedrooms. One of our gas furnaces is dead, so we have been using space heaters and lots of blankets. We are hoping to get a new system put in next week and thankfully, the temperatures are going back up now.

Matt's mother, Pat, came to visit us for Thanksgiving. The kids love spending the week with Grandma, as did we. Our week was great with the exception of another house issue :). Our kitchen sink and bathtub backed up on Thanksgiving night (also connected to our washer & dryer). So... Matt put on his plumber hat and got to work. On Friday night, the smell was so bad that Pat, the kids and I had to escape to a bookstore while Matt hauled nasty water out of the house for over an hour. After two days of hard work(on Matt's part), the drain was still backed up and we finally got a plumber out on the holiday weekend. I was never so happy to wash dishes and do laundry, not to mention bathe the children. The experience served as a good reminder of how blessed we really are in America.

Thanksgiving day itself (before the drain stopped up) was wonderful. The new worship leader and his family visited with us as well as one of the chaplain assistants. It was a very relaxing, fun day. We ate (of course) at noon and played games well into the evening.

I'm including some wonderful pictures of the house and kids courtesy of Grandma. Pat petitioned me not to include a picture of her on the blog, although I think it was a great picture.

Fall Fun

2007-11-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

The past week has been stressful for me... just the everyday trials of motherhood mixed with fixing up a house. Today the Lord reminded me to be thankful. I have a mother who calls me just when I need it. I have two very wonderful children who love life and nature. Today we piled leaves so that they could throw them all over each other and then I watched as Emily tenderly brushed them out of Christian's hair. And when my crazy day of getting estimates on furnaces and fences while chasing my little screaming monkey is done, I get to rest my head on my husband's shoulder. God is so faithful.

Entertaining Guests, Puppies & Fairies

2007-11-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

Today marked the first Sunday fellowship meal at our house. It was so nice to have some friends over from the Chapel to eat with us. This also provided inspiration to get a little more organized and a few more of the stray boxes unpacked. The house is starting to really take shape.

Christian and Emily dressed up for Halloween as a puppy and Elena, a fairy from the Barbie Magic of the Rainbow movie. We got a kick out of Emily's blond wig. Every time she got a compliment on her blond hair, she would make sure to tell them it was not real. What a funny girl. Christian learned how to "woof" like a dog, although it sounds more like a "hoo."

We were pleased to have another visit from my sister Cheryl this past weekend. We went to the annual air show and watched planes and skydivers. Very cool. We introduced Cheryl to the Nintendo Wii video game system. Cheryl and I competed against each other in boxing and I actually won... well, I guess I did as we actually had to stop before the match ended from laughter and aching muscles. (Cheryl, you don't have to thank me for including this picture... hee, hee)

This week, I decided to get serious about getting healthier.... dieting and exercise. However, Friday I received news that it might be a little later than needed. My blood pressure is up and I might have to go on medication. Please keep me in prayer as I'm hoping I can bring it down some over the next two weeks so that will not be the case. I'm going in for blood tests tomorrow to see if there might be something else causing the sudden change.

We are all looking forward to a Thanksgiving visit from Grandma (Pat, Matt's mother). Emily has the entire week off so I'm sure we will be doing some sightseeing and just enjoying time together. It's hard to believe it is already November... time is flying by.

Latest News

2007-10-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you for the prayers and emails for my family. I do apologize for not updating the blog sooner. Since coming back home, we've been spending all our extra time unpacking boxes... with many more still I'm afraid. We do have it down to just books and other odds & ends. Praise God for that!

Christian is doing very well with his walking and can even drink while moving (see picture). He also loves to climb on the couch and other furniture and put things in baskets, toilets, trash cans that really do not go there. I did not have this problem with Emily. Life will be very exciting for the next couple of years. Really, when will it not be exciting?

Matt has been having a great week. It looks like he will be partnering in ministry with someone who has worked with two of his college buddies, one who is also an AF Chaplain and one who works at a church here in Alamogordo. It's amazing how we have already run into people that we are connected to by other bases/places... Matt has also ran into a few people that were stationed at Barksdale in Louisiana when we were there.

Emily won three awards at the first awards assembly at school, including Overall Academic Achievement. We took her to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate. We are very proud of her. She still asks to go back to Alaska sometimes, though. We are all still transitioning. Speaking of transitions, Emily's mouth is full of holes at the moment. She's lost four teeth in the past month, the two front teeth and two bottom eye teeth. Very cute smile.

Sad News

2007-10-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

We received word on Saturday that my grandfather had passed away. This is the husband of my grandmother that recently passed. Emily, Christian and I flew in to Tennessee on Monday evening and will be staying through the week. Thank you for praying for our family.

Homeowners!

2007-09-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

We are now officially homeowners. After closing on the house yesterday, we jumped in the pool to celebrate... only to find out it was super cold. We have much to learn about pool maintenance. Matt is already on the ball and has the pool warmed and ready for us this afternoon. We officially move in on Sunday and will be cleaning and buying supplies today and tomorrow. I imagine we will be living out of boxes for awhile.

It has been over a week since I updated everyone and lots has happened. Emily and I both had our hair cut. Emily look so cute and grown up with her new do. The idea was to get it cut short with bangs so there would be less tangles. She still has some every morning, but not nearly as many. She also has lost two teeth over the past couple of weeks, her eye teeth on the bottom row.

I met with Emily's teacher yesterday to discuss her progress. She is doing even better than I expected and is doing math work on a 1st grade level. She is right on track in most areas and should be reading very soon. We are very blessed that God directed us to the right school and teachers.

Christian is officially a toddler now. He is still very wobbly, but can walk across the room without falling. In the past week, he has decided to walk on his own without us making him and is very proud of himself. He has also realized that he can climb furniture... oh dear. Last night, he climbed onto the sofa and gleefully made a dive off the side. Thankfully I caught him by his pants before he landed on his head. Christian has also decided to start getting back at Emily, who enjoys annoying him. Over the past couple of days he has walked over and smacked her in the head or clobbered her to the ground while laughing hysterically.

I'm hoping to post again soon and add a few more pictures of the house and Christian walking. God bless!

Family Playdays

2007-09-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

This past week has been wonderful. My sister Cheryl and nephew Levi came for a visit. We had a lot of fun together, although at times the three little ones made Cheryl and I ready to pull our hair out. Levi is such a cute little three year old with a great personality.

We spent our last day having a water gun fight at the local playground. I think Cheryl and I had more fun with the water guns than the kids. Christian loved zooming through the tunnels and pouring the dirt/wood chips all over his head. He was covered in dirt and it took two shampoos to get it out of his hair. Levi and Emily did not want to leave, but finally warmed up to the idea of Pizza Hut... where I taught all three kids the art of head banging to music. Levi cracked us up as he blinked every time he moved his head down. Levi and Emily did a lot of dancing during their visit together. We took them to a Fiesta in Mesilla (a town dating back 200 years) and they loved dancing on the street to the live music. Quite cute.

We close on our house next Thursday and move in on September 30th. We are all looking forward to having more space. Our tiny one bedroom suite is closing in on us. I will miss the ability to do four loads of laundry at once... but I am more than willing to give that up.

The House Hunt Ends

2007-09-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

Praise God! We have a house. We will hopefully close at the end of the month and be in at the beginning of October. Emily is very happy to have the house with her pink & purple room. I will add a picture of the house soon, along with some pictures of my cute little nephew Levi playing with the kids.

Happy Birthday, Emily!

2007-09-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, September 5th, we celebrated Emily's 6th birthday. It's hard to believe that she is already six years old. Memo & Papa (Haskle & Sharon-my parents) flew down for the celebration and we had a wonderful visit this past week. Emily said her birthday was "a dream come true" and "a miracle", which made us all chuckle. She was very excited about the presents and cake.

Christian loved having the attention of his grandparents and was saying "ba ba" for Papa after just two days. Emily and Memo played Polly Pockets and paper dolls. The grandparents enjoyed cuddling with Christian in the wee hours of the morning and I enjoyed the extra sleep. We were able to get them the room that connect to ours which made the visit even better. It was not easy to come back to the room and see the connecting door locked. Christian crawled over and started beating on it. It was also not easy to go back to half the space when they left... we had spread a lot of our stuff over to their living room.

During their visit, we spent the week looking at houses (no contract yet) and eating Caliche's frozen custard (the yummiest ice cream). Papa was a big help on inspecting the houses for us and although I keep saying this in every post, I think we will be making a decision. The search has been very frustrating, but we do want to make the right decision so we are praying and waiting.

Emily is doing great at school, although she asks to stay home with Mommy almost every morning. Yesterday she came home with a "Quiet Award" for being so well behaved in music class while listening to the rules. Matt and I were very surprised and proud of her.

First Steps

2007-08-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

BIG NEWS! Christian finally took his first steps on Thursday. He has taken one or two steps every day since without holding onto something or someone. We are very happy that he is making the transition to toddler-hood, but also fully realizing the tornado effect this will have on our surroundings :). He is a busy boy. We are still trying to stop his high pitched screams... any suggestions out there?

We have also taken steps to settling in here in New Mexico. Matt purchased a car this week. It's a nice little 2003 Pontiac Grand Am... also a big step as it is an American car... our first in over 5 years. We've both gotten used to large vehicles and it is very strange to be sitting so low to the ground in such a little car. It's still a four door (family friendly) but does not have the giant family car feel. Very sweet.

As far as the house is concerned... we are still on step one. We've made three offers on three different houses. The first two owners did not want to negotiate, but the third looks promising. It is our third choice but still has a nice pool for Matt and Emily and lots of room for all of us. It is also just across the street from Emily's school and has a pink & purple butterfly room for her. We are still negotiating with this owner, but should know for sure by Tuesday or Wednesday. Matt is already checking out palm trees and decking for the yard. I've got my eye on some great home decor at a local antique store. Emily wanted this house above all the others. It looks like she might get her wish.

We made it!

2007-08-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

We are finally here in our new home, Holloman AFB in Alamogordo, New Mexico. We drove in on Saturday evening and have been going non-stop since. We were able to go Sunday to meet our new Chapel family and then started the home search. We are currently waiting to hear back on an offer we made on a lovely home with a pool and beautiful grass in the backyard.

To my surprise there is much more greenery than expected. It is still desert terrain, but there are a lot of desert grasses and shrubs around and quite a few areas with grass. Emily is very happy that we have still not seen any scorpions (so am I). We have seen lots of cute little bunnies hopping around. I can't wait for my little nephew Levi to come see them. My parents are coming for a visit in two weeks and my sister is flying with Levi the following week. It will be nice to see everyone again.

As for the heat, well, it is HOT. We are expecting 100's all this week. Having lower humidity does help, but the sun really does bear down on you midday. The skies are beautiful at night. The stars seem so close, and rightly so since we are way above sea level here. I just read an interesting story in the Sunday paper about astronomers coming to view the skies here since there is so little light interference. Very neat. I think we might have to invest in a telescope.

Emily starts school tomorrow morning and is very excited. Her school seems very nice. We did have some hiccups trying to decide on the school since we do not have a permanent address. Our prayer is that we will get one of the three houses we have our eye on so that she can stay at the school we have chosen... apparently most of the elementary schools are full and they will not accept out of zone children (including the base school).

Please keep us in prayer... that God will guide us to the right house and help us all adjust to our new home. As stated in the last post, we did succeed in getting one decent family photo at Disney (except for Emily looking away :) and I did promise to share.

Hot Disney

2007-08-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, we're in a heat wave throughout the country. There are some cities in my home state of Tennessee reaching 111 degrees. Crazy! Of course, we would be visiting Disneyland in sunny CA during the hottest time of the year. It has been hot, but we are doing our best to stay cool, taking full advantage of the water features throughout the park.

Yesterday we spent the whole day at Disney and had a blast. Both Emily and Christian loved the Small World ride and Playhouse Disney. Christian loved seeing Bear in the Big Blue House (he calls everything a bear and this time he got it right). Emily has gone on a few of the more adult rides to my surprise, but decided she does not want to go on them again :). We ended yesterday at a little jazz kitchen restaurant in Downtown Disney and were seated right next to the piano. We have never seen Christian dance so much, he cracked us all up. He was flapping his arms, clapping his hands and even doing his own version of the twist.

Today, we could not last in the heat. We came back after lunch to cool off in the pool and let Christian get a good nap in. We will head back in late afternoon and hope it will be a little cooler and a little less crowded (or at least we will be refreshed enough to handle it). I'm also hoping to get a family photo and will share it if I succeed.

Since it's been a few days since the last post, I wanted to also include a picture from Monday. We took Christian to the beach for the first time. We fully expected him to love the ocean since he loves splashing around in the tub. He proved us wrong. Matt put him down and let the wave hit his legs and he flipped out. He did enjoy playing with the sand, though.

Amusing Days

2007-08-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

The past few days of our trip have been wonderful. We stayed in a very nice hotel in Hollywood for Matt's 36th birthday and ate at a great Italian restaurant (his favorite food). We then headed for the Navy Lodge in San Diego. I had just been remarking how I was glad we would be staying in a not-so-fancy hotel before we arrived. I then remembered why the fancier hotels are so nice.... very comfy beds and good pillows among other things.

We spent Sunday at Sea World and ended the evening checking out the Old Town San Diego. Matt and I both decided this is a great place for a family vacation and would love to come back and stay in the Old Town area. Emily loved Sea World, especially the dolphins and the giant play area.

Later that evening we were all amused when Christian found his favorite thing of the day.... a hamper. He giggled hysterically while climbing in and out of the hamper. He's such a hoot. Today, he got to see the ocean up close for the first time. Christian was not amused. Matt put him in the sand and let the waves hit his legs. Not his favorite thing. He does like the pool, though. We are now in Anaheim, CA, staying in a really nice Doubletree suite next to Disneyland. Tomorrow we are off to visit the mouse. I'm sure there will be lots of pictures.

Little Blessings

2007-08-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to praise God for such a nice end to an otherwise rough day. Today's drive was long and we were all on edge. Lunch included our pizza being delivered to our table wrong with no apologies and Emily overflowing the toilet (which was not her fault). The manager made a very sarcastic remark when I made her aware of the situation... not very nice.

We arrived at our hotel after 6 PM and decided to eat dinner at the restaurant here. The Hyatt in Santa Clara (just outside San Francisco) is gorgeous and we have been treated like royalty since arriving, something we were not expecting from a four star hotel when traveling with two small children. The restaurant service was wonderful, especially a lovely Christian hostess who helped turn all of our moods around. When we arrived back in our room, we received a complimentary dessert platter from the manager including Italian water, a large fruit platter and cookies with milk for Emily. God is faithful. He even fixed our computer tonight after we all prayed over it so that I could write this little message.

Pink Lips... Eureka!

2007-08-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

We have made it to Eureka, California which is in the northwest corner of California surrounded by redwoods. The redwoods are just gorgeous and amazingly tall. Matt and I were both confused at first thinking that the redwoods were suppose to have large trunks when all we saw at first were the super tall, but rather skinny trees. We stopped in at one of the Redwood Forest posts to find out more info (Matt actually asked... I was too chicken). FYI, there are three types of redwoods including the coastal redwood (super tall ones) and the giant sequoia trees. Emily was very happy when we found this little tourist stop on the side of the road and were able to pay a very small fee of $4 to drive through a live, healthy redwood.

Just before we drove through the tree, we discovered that Emily had amused herself with painting her lips with a BRIGHT NEON PINK marker that came with a little craft set. I was mortified, but very happy to discover that the marker was washable.

Matt and Emily have been enjoying the swimming pools at the hotels. Emily is almost ready to give up the little arm floats and swim on her own. Christian has just been happy to get out of her car seat every evening... he's such a busy boy and does not like to be pinned down.

I have been very elated to enter a Target store again... and have done so twice in the two days we have been off the ferry. I have missed all the great clearance finds and will need to be careful as we have already packed our van to the limit.

On the Ferry

2007-08-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

We are on the ferry making our way to the lower 48. It is actually very nice. It's not a cruise ship but we're not going stir crazy. There's a play room for Emily, a cafeteria and a little movie theater, along with three or four observation decks/rooms to watch for wildlife.

Emily has been making lots of friends and Christian is feeling much better. We all had a good night's sleep on the little bunks in our little stateroom. It is small, but big enough that we were able to put up Christian's portable crib.

The scenery is very nice and we are enjoying the break from the van... the last two days were very long. Today, we were able to get off in Ketchikan to eat lunch and walk around. We decided to snap a family photo in front of the ferry and walked up to a guy standing close to the deck. Lo and behold, the guy was Daniel Delgado, one of the members of our Airmen Ministry. What a blessing from God to run into him as we were leaving and a good two days away from Elmendorf.

Never Ending Day

2007-08-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

Our first two days of our great road trip were very eventful. We have seen gorgeous Alaskan and Canadian scenery... beautiful mountains, glaciers, lakes and more. Thus, we ran into a few potholes, literally. The road from Tok to Haines was very rough. It took us 10 hours almost non-stop due to horrible road conditions and construction. We were not able to get above 45 mph for over two hours. It just so happened that during those two hours we did not see any towns and only one port-a-potty that both Emily and I refused to use.

At one point, Matt and I were both so tired of driving that we thought we'd let our youngest family member have a turn. Christian is doped up on ibuprofen but he looks like he's having fun. Poor little guy has been running a fever over the past few days, but it seems to be getting better.

August 3rd, our never ending drive from Tok to Haines, was also the day Matt and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. Matt summed up the day by this quote "Look at it this way Summer, we spent every waking moment together on this anniversary. When have we ever done that before?"

The Adventure Begins

2007-08-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

This past week has been very eventful. One little incident sums up what our lives are like right now and will be like until we settle into a new home. While doing business with our bank via phone, the representative said "I'm showing we don't have a current physical address for you." I laughed and replied, "We don't have a current physical address."

We handed over our house keys on Monday. That was a little hard. We've really enjoyed our house here on base. Matt and I have both made the turn towards our house this past week instead of heading towards TLF. However, I am looking forward to a house with no stairs. Having the washer and dryer two floors away from our bedroom hampers was not very fun.

Christian is sleeping much better after that first night, but Matt and I are waking up with very stiff backs due to a very hard bed. We will probably be wishing for this bed once we make stops at small town hotels in Alaska and bunk in the Ferry stateroom.

We have been busy saying goodbyes. Our last Sunday at the Chapel was very nice. We were showered with gifts, prayers and words of encouragement and gratitude. Of course, I cried more than once. Yesterday, Matt enjoyed one last day fishing with his buddy Lonnie in Soldotna. They stopped in at a local woodcarver shop and snapped a few pictures. Don't they look cute :). We will all miss spending time with Lonnie. On our last trip down as a family, Emily had to sit next to him every time we were together. It was very sweet.

The traveling adventure starts bright and early tomorrow. I will most likely not be able to post again until we get off the ferry in the lower 48 as Alaskans call it. Now I must work on checking off all the things on our day's to do list.

Moving Out

2007-07-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Today will be the last day I can use my computer and Internet service, thus it will be challenging to update the blog regularly. I will do my best. We moved into TLF (temporary living facilities) here on base last night. Our first night was not easy. Christian did not like sleeping in his portable crib. Hopefully tonight will be better. Emily loves the new digs because she has a TV in her own bedroom (sadly, no cable or DVD player so I don't think we can even use it :).

The fact that we are leaving so many good friends here is really hitting home. Emily and I are really going to miss our next door neighbors, The Roehrigs. We see them and talk to Kris and the boys everyday. They are like family. She is convinced that she is married to three year old Caleb. This will be really hard on her.

We are excited about the road trip. Matt and I are looking forward to the warm summer days in California, Emily is ecstatic about Disneyland. We will leave Anchorage on August 2nd, be on a ferry boat from August 4-7th and then on the road through August 18th when we arrive in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Matt has done a wonderful job mapping out everything down to the exact miles, nightly hotel bookings, etc. I'm hoping everything goes as planned with very few hiccups.

I will do my best to update at least once more before we head out on August 2nd. I must now go clean out my refrigerator and freezer. Ugh!

Boxes Everywhere

2007-07-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

There are boxes everywhere. Christian finds this new world of boxes very entertaining. Personally, I don't think you can realize how much stuff you own until you see it in boxes (and there is still more stuff to be put in even more boxes). Matt and I have been packing non-stop. We've accomplished quite a bit in just a couple of days. We have until Tuesday morning to finish up... I think we will make it.

Emily's little play date was a lot of fun. It was nice for her to play with all her friends. Christian enjoyed crawling around the play area, too. Here's a pic of the two of them climbing around. I did not want to post pictures of Emily with her friends without parent permission (a good idea from fellow blogger De'Etta).

I just came home from a wonderful chapel service. I can't believe that next Sunday will be our last. I will definitely miss everyone here in Alaska. The fact that I'm leaving so many good friends has started to sink in finally. However, I'm also excited to see what is waiting for us in New Mexico. Right now, I must get back to packing and cleaning :).

No House Yet :)

2007-07-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

As I write this, Matt is on his way home (that is, our home for two more weeks). I think he looked at every house for sale in Alamogordo. Even though the town is small, it seems almost half of the houses are on the market. We made a couple of offers, but did not close a deal. So, we will wait for price reduction or until we arrive in New Mexico and can look for a home together.

I have been busy this week packing and clearing out extra stuff. It amazes me how much one family can accumulate. This is one more reason I enjoy moving every few years... it allows me to clear out all the stuff we do not need. I also find lost treasures like my entire shorts wardrobe (I thought I had thrown them all away!) and a letter I wrote to Matt during our first year of marriage. Great stuff.

Christian is very close to taking his first steps. He now cruises along furniture and is holding just one of my hands while toddling along. He is still very wobbly but getting closer to the big day. He also is exercising his vocal chords to the maximum. The little man loves to squeal at glass shattering pitch, especially when we are in the car or a store. Not only do I jump when he lets one out unexpectedly, but I've seen old men and other moms jump at the sound. We call him a pterodactyl.

Emily is excited about starting school but she's also realizing we will be leaving all her friends behind. We are having a Last Big Play Date this Friday at McDonald's. I'll take some pictures to post later this week.

Emily & Chocolate

2007-07-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently, my love (and misuse) of chocolate has been passed down to Emily. Stress has been a recurrent theme in our house lately... I like to treat it with chocolate. This afternoon, Emily asked me "Mom, I'm having a rough day, can I have some chocolate?" To this I said no and she replied "But when you have rough days, you eat chocolate... I think chocolate will make me feel better." Well, doesn't that make me feel guilty.

Nanny

2007-07-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

My grandmother passed away yesterday. I will miss her but I'm encouraged by the knowledge she is with the Lord and no longer in pain. It is hard not to be able to go home to be with my father at this time. I know seeing his grandchildren would help to cheer him. For all my friends and family that keep up with the blog, please be in prayer for my family... that God will use this time to bring them closer to Him and to each other.

Busy, Busy

2007-07-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

The rush to move has begun. Matt leaves on Wednesday to house hunt in New Mexico. I will be busy packing more of our stuff and organizing garage sale items for Saturday. We have already packed almost all of our book collection. This is a major accomplishment as we have 4 bookcases overstuffed with books not to mention numerous books that just hide in corners around the house due to lack of shelf space.

Emily is attending a local church's VBS program with her "boyfriends" as she calls them. She is very excited about the week. I know we will definitely miss our neighbors, the Roehrigs, when we leave. I can't believe it is just a few weeks away!

Please be in prayer for my family as my grandmother is very ill and not expected to live much longer. It breaks my heart not to be able to go home right now. This past week has been very stressful and we know that the stress will continue to escalate... must make myself recharge daily with prayer and small breaks between tasks (and maybe some ice cream :).

Christian's Weigh In

2007-07-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

Christian had is 1 year check up today and weighed in at a nice 24 lbs 2 oz. He's only slightly above average for his weight and in the 75th percentile for height (31 inches). Both of our kiddos are tall and I hope it stays that way.

While I'm not a fan of group baby check ups (our clinic schedules 15 or so babies in a row), it was really neat to see all the other little ones his age toddling and crawling around. Passersby stopped outside the waiting room windows to watch all the chaos as parents chased after active toddlers.

Christian is still not walking. Starting today I plan on actively encouraging him in that direction. If he is still not walking by 15 months, the doc suggested a check up to be on the safe side. I'm thinking he'll be fine... he's just very laid back in that area. Poor guy was poked and prodded so much that he was completely tuckered out. I just snapped this photo mid-nap and he did not even budge. Speaking of napping, here's another I snapped this week of Matt who also did not stir... like father, like son?

Ministers, Salmon & Bears Oh My!

2007-07-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

Matt had a great time on his male-bonding fishing trip. He started out last week on a deep sea fishing boat with Reverend Harvey, Dayton Nelson, Chaplain Richardson and his two brothers-in-law. The week continued with Kenai River fishing with our good friend Lonnie for salmon. Everyone brought in some nice halibut but the salmon were as elusive as always. A few were caught, but not by Matt. Thus, he will continue to fit in fishing over the next few weeks when he can. He is actually going out tonight with Emily again... they really enjoy fishing together.

He did almost catch a bear (or should I say the bear almost caught him). As you can see in the pictures, the guys were only feet away from a big grizzly. They waited until the bear started crossing the water to start moving out. Crazy humans!

Summer Solstice

2007-06-24T17:45:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a picture that I took at 11 PM on Thursday evening... our longest day of the year. This is the eastern sky as the sun is beginning to set behind my house. You can see the sun still touching the tops of the mountains. The days are so long that it is still daylight when I go to bed around 11 PM and is already shining bright at 7 AM or earlier when Christian decides to wake me.

Reflections from this week

2007-06-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

Well, our fishing trip did not go as planned... but we did make the best of it. Christian did not sleep well at all away from home and even fell off the bed Monday night. Poor guy had a little shiner for a couple of days, but is just fine. Matt and I are a little concerned about what this means for our upcoming road trip... but we're coming up with a game plan.

We did not get to dip net due to bad weather on Monday. Matt did get to go fishing early on Tuesday.... but did not catch anything. Hopefully, he will have better luck this week as he will be gone tonight through Thursday on another fishing extravaganza. Matt has some friends going along so I know he'll have a great time either way.

Before heading back from Soldotna on Tuesday we ate at my all time favorite Alaska restaurant, Frozo's.... so yummy. We then enjoyed the beautiful scenic drive home and stopped in at a little ice cream shop next to what I think is Reflection Lake. You can see the reflection of the mountain in the picture. It was beautiful. I don't see how anyone can visit Alaska and not believe there is a God in heaven. His majesty is so evident in nature.

The rest of the week was busy as usual. I met with the moving company and realized this week that I have only one month until we plan to actually move out of the house. Yikes! Matt was planning for the Unity Service that was held today along with the farewell dinner for our dear friends the Erwins afterwards. We will miss them and do hope to get to see them many times again.

Emily had a hair appointment and decided to go much shorter than normal. She absolutely loves her new style, as do I. She also loved the fact that she had an actual "hair appointment" and has been telling everyone about it.

Gone Fishing

2007-06-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

After church today, we will embark on a family fishing trip. For almost three years, Matt has been talking about going fishing as a family, specifically dip-netting. He is getting his wish today. Dip-netting is using a big net and wading in the water to bring in a bunch of fish. We will be spending all day tomorrow on the "beach" with the nets. Matt and Emily are very excited. They even went out fishing last night until 10:30 due to the excitement. They were covered in mud when they came home. Emily even had it on her chin.

I know we will have lots of pictures and stories to share when we get back on Wednesday.

10 babies

2007-06-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Last night Emily exclaimed to Matt, "Daddy, I want to have 10 babies. I'm going to ask God right now to give me 10 babies when I grow up." She then proceeded to draw a picture (check it out!) and was upset that she could not fit 10 babies in her belly. She was able to get 8 babies in there and one crawling at her feet. When I was Emily's age, I prayed to be just like Dolly Parton and did receive an ample blessing in that area much to my family's amusement. I'm wondering how God will answer Emily's prayer.

Christian's Birthday

2007-06-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Christian!

On June 8, 2007, Christian turned one year old. He had a very busy day starting with a Military Appreciation Picnic on base, then a family birthday celebration in the evening. Big Sister Emily helped him blow out the candles, unwrap the presents (of which she also helped wrap) and play with his new toys. He is really enjoying all his new loot (thank you grandparents :), but as you can see in the pictures he also enjoyed trying to eat the wrapping paper.

The cake was a big hit... Christian's first. He ate every morsel, licked his fingers and smeared it all over his face. We all got a kick out of watching him gobble it up. Surprisingly, he fell asleep very easily... I was expecting him to be bouncing off the walls after all the sugar.

Beginnings

2007-06-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

I love viewing my friends' blogs and have been planning for a long time to do one myself.... so now is the time. I am beginning this blog right before another beginning. We will be moving from Elmendorf AFB to Holloman AFB in Alamogordo, New Mexico in two months. It is amazing to me that the move is so close now. Time passes so quickly. Christian is turning 1 year old this week (Friday, June 8th) and Emily will be attending kindergarten this year. I just turned 30.. yes 30. I think this is the point that I can no longer call myself a young adult. Does that mean that I am middle-aged? I refuse to think so.

Well... back to the numbers... Matt and I will be married 11 years this August and we will celebrate Matt's birthday and our annivesary while on the road (and ferry) to New Mexico. Yes, we are driving (and cruising) from Alaska to New Mexico with two small children. It will be crazy... but fun. We will need your prayers :). Thanks for viewing my first post. I will do my best to update every Sunday at the least. God bless you all.