JOYFUL5

LONG TIME - NO BLOG!

2009-06-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I have been sucked into the Facebook vortex. I did not think it would happen but it did. So, I apologize to those who follow my blog and have not seen any posts of late. I am still out here and busy with kids, work and life in general. I will try to get back into blogging, as I think it is great way to document life. I am loving the "cooler" weather we have been having in AZ for this time of year. Only in the 90's and beautiful in the evenings as we spend 2 a week sitting outside at Lizzie's swim meets. Kathryn is suffering right now from a bacterial skin infection we think was originally a bug bite from our time spent in Kansas.:( Hopefully now that she is on antibiotics it will clear up. Jonathan is officially a senior and is taking an online English course this summer that he needed to make up. He will have a full load of classes next year and we will be having a BIG celebration when he graduates!! Lizzie is excited and nervous about starting HS in the Fall and is looking forward to being on the swim team. She will be going to Cactus HS - GO COBRAS!! I will try to catch up this again towards the end of the summer.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

I must confess that I have been sucked into the Facebook vortex and have been spending a lot of my computer time there lately.:) It is a great way to reconnect with old friends and keep in touch with long distance family and friends. I still want to blog, but it will be less. We had a nice Christmas with my family all here. Tim's little ones are so fun and Tori really enjoyed the snowmen and jinglebells. We had lots of family get togethers and enjoyed all the favorite foods of the season.(a little too much by the way my jeans are fitting) Our Pastor started out the year by preaching on Psalm 1 and it was a good reminder for a new year about what our purpose and focus should be. - JESUS! Blessings to everyone in 2009!

MEOWY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

We put the tree up and the cats seem to think we did this just for them. The white cat sits under it like she owns it. Lizzie took a picture of the cat and grandma. A rare happening to find them together.(grandma is not a huge fan of the cats) We laughed because the cat went and sat next to her on the couch.:)

Choir Concert

2008-12-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

Kathryn had a concert at school for choir. She has a wonderful choir teacher who is VERY serious about what she does and she gets the kids to accomplish great things.:) They were to dress up for this event(I have found out that it is rare for people to dress up in AZ-more laid back in the south I guess). Anyway, about a month before the concert the girls and I were at one of our favorite stores(Ross) and while we were standing in line we chatted with the lady behind us. We left the store and we were in our car when Lizzie saw that lady running out of the store waving at us. She told us that she was returning a dress but didn't have a receipt and they were only going to give her $1.47 because it was marked down now. She thought it might fit Kathryn and gave the dress to her. We thanked her and K couldn't wait to get home and try it on. It fit great but was a sundress so she just wore a black sweater over it. Here is pictures of her on the night of the concert.

THANKSGIVING

2008-12-10T17:40:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed spending Tday at the 4 T's. Everything was yummy! We enjoyed the little ones and even went for a walk before we had our pie.

OCTOBER 31st

2008-12-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

HSM3

2008-10-26T10:57:00.001-07:00

Any of you who have pre-teen girls know that the 3rd installment in "High School Musical " movies came out in the theaters Friday. Kathryn and I had planned for weeks for her to skip school that day(they had an early release day anyway) and head to the first showing of the day. So that's what we did!! I find myself enjoying these movies just as much as my kids. Of course I love musicals and have subjected my children to the classics, (ie.-The Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, My Fair Lady, etc...). After the movie we had lunch at Panda Express and talked about our favorite part/song in the movie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZZIE!

2008-10-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

October 19 we celebrated the birth of a super special and unique girl - our Lizzie. She has brought adventure, insight, challenge, drama, laughter, etc... to our lives. The Lord knew what He was doing when He gave her to us. She had 2 friends for a sleepover(minus the sleep), they had pizza, brownies,went in the hot tub, watched movies all night, had waffles with strawberries and RediWhip for breakfast and ended the fun with a trip to the mall. Our family had a bday meal together and then headed to the 4 T's with a chocolate cream pie. The day ended with me tucking Lizzie into bed and praying with her. We love you Lizzie and KNOW Jesus has wonderful plans for your life.

"MOM! GET THE CAMARA!"

2008-10-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

Lizzie had a friend over one night and I was wondering what they were up to in the front yard when Kathryn came in and yelled for me to get the camara. Much to their delight, they had managed to catch a quick moving lizard and had it displayed on Brenna's arm ready to be photographed. :)

PAPA? GAMMA?

2008-10-12T20:22:00.000-07:00

My parents left 2 weeks ago for a road trip to the north. One day when I was playing with Tori she picked up her play phone and said "PaPa?" "Gamma?" She misses them both and will be ready to welcome them home with lots of new words and hugs.

SWEET BABY!

2008-10-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I updated this. I have been busy with work, homework projects with the girls and helping with the new baby.:) It is finally cooling off here and was only about 65 degrees today. Good hot tub weather. Here are a few pictures of that sweet baby. I love my time spent with her and her big sister.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

2008-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

This week my parents will celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary. WOW! These days that is a major accomplishment. Those of us who are married know that it is NOT easy. Thanks mom and dad for your commitment to eachother and your family. We love you!!

"I Might Even Be a Rock Star"

2008-09-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, he's no Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers, but he's my "rock star".:)

He grabbed this toy guitar when we were in the toy store and struck a pose. He hasn't lost his sense of humor after all these years. Thanks honey for adding joy to our lives.

WELCOME SWEET BABY T

2008-09-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

Taylor Rose was born on September 12 and 6:30am. She weighed 8# 14 oz. and is 21" long. So far she is a very content baby and is already 9#4oz. She definately looks like her daddy. Tori is learning how to be a helpful big sister and likes to put toys in the crib for baby. What a blessing babies are and we look forward to watching her grow!

THE LITTLEST LESTER

2008-09-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

11 years ago today our precious Kathryn Allena Joy was born. She has definately lived up to the "Joy" in her name. She is my girl with a ready smile and sweet disposition. She announced today that she is now a "pre-teen" which is exciting for her and a little bittersweet for me. My baby is growing up. The traditon in our house is that you get to do your favorite things on your bday(within reason). We started the day with breakfast burritos from McD's before school. After school we headed for the mall to Build a Bear to buy a new bear with a gift card received for her bday from the 3 T's. The food court was next for her fav- Panda Express. Then the candy store, Claires, the toy store and the Pretzel shop where a friend of mine works and gives us yummy treats. The day ended with me tucking her in with her new bear Bubbles and saying a prayer of thanks for her life and for being a special part of our family. I love you baby(or should I say "pre-teen")

BABY WATCH

2008-09-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday I took pictures of The 3 T's before they become 4. Baby T's ETA is September 13th(or anytime now). We are excited to welcome a new little one to our family. Our prayers are for a safe delivery and healthy baby.

BIRTHDAY BASH!!

2008-09-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday we celebrated 3 birthdays in our family. My mom's is the 7th, Kathryn's is the 10th and Daniel's is the 11th. We had the family over for kabobs(that for some reason,maybe a new marinade I tried, got VERY well done). Kathryn requested "Angel" cake with strawberries and Redi Whip for dessert. I usually make cheesecake for Daniel, but decided to make a chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting from scratch(one of his favorites). A great time was had by all and here are some pictures of the day. Thanks mom for all your help! :)

BLOOMING BUSH

2008-08-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

We have a Texas Sage in our front yard and after all the rain we had it was in full bloom. It only stays in bloom for a few days so I wanted to capture it before the blooms disappeared. It will bloom just about every time it gets enough water.

YUMMY!!

2008-07-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

I had a white cake mix on hand and a new recipe for frosting so I decided to make cupcakes in addition to Jon's Recees Peanut Butter Pie for the birthday celebration. Needless to say they were a big hit and the frosting is very yummy. It passed the yumm yumm test by little T.:) Here is the frosting recipe if anyone wants to try it.

Vanilla Sour Cream Icing:

1 cup butter @ room temp

2/3 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

6 cups powdered sugar

beat butter and sour cr. until smooth, add vanilla

add powdered sugar 1/2 c @ a time

beat med./high for 1 minute

cover and chill for 30 minutes

ENJOY!!

Happy Birthday Firstborn

2008-07-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

July 27,1991 a lifechanging event took place - Jonathan Daniel entered the world, making me a mom. We celebrated his 17th bday yesterday. As I went into his room to wake him I thought about the contrast between looking into a crib at a 7#14oz baby who woke me at the crack of dawn and 17 years later looking at a 6'4" young man who is content to sleep until noon. The smooth baby skin that is now sprouting whiskers. One thing that remains the same is the GREAT love I have for this boy that I carried within me, held in my arms and who now has to bend over to give me a hug(which he does often). I love you Jonny Boy and I am soooo blessed you are my son!

HORSE CAMP

2008-07-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Lizzie was able to attend 4 days of a horse camp that was offered by the riding school she takes lessons at. It was from 6:00am -11:00am(thanks PaPa for doing the early morning drop-off). On the last day they had a "graduation" and performed some of what they learned for the parents. Lizzie did barrel racing. She loved it - even though she had a horse that made it clear it was just WAY too hot to be racing around anything! At one point the horse did a half buck/sidestep move in an attempt to scare or dismount his rider. Lizzie hung tough and when asked later by one of the girls if she was scared she quickly replied "No, I was just frustrated that the horse wouldn't do what I wanted!"

Summer Fun!

2008-07-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

Today we met with my brother & family at the local pool. Of course, normally you can plan anything anytime outdoors and not have to worry about weather conditions. However, today while we waited for the 3 T's to get to the pool we watched big dark clouds get closer and closer. By the time they arrived the wind had picked up, but we decided to stick it out until it started to rain or lightning. We enjoyed about 20 minutes of watching little T have fun in the pool before we saw lightning and the call came from the lifeguards to get out of the pool. We all headed to our house for Pizza and dessert(thanks mom) and the fun continued.

"It's Raining, It's Pouring..."

2008-07-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are unfamiliar with life in the desert, it is VERY exciting when it rains. My children love it when it rains here and insist on going out and playing in it. All week the skies have looked threatening, with big dark clouds but no rain. However, tonight at 8pm with a flash of lightning and a boom of thunder the rain came!! We all ran out to the patio with shouts of excitement. What can I say, we are easily amused.:)

explanation of roadtrip pictures

2008-07-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Due to my lack of blogging skills the pictures from our trip start at the end of our trip and go to the beginning.:(

ROADTRIP!

2008-07-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

WE DID IT!

We traveled 5800 miles in a van with 2 adults, 2 teenagers and 1 pre-teen and lived to tell about it! Everything went really well and we were sooo blessed by family and friends who were willing to host our family along our journey. A HUGE thank you to all of you who did this and those who had us over for meals, etc... I made the comment to a few people that if there is such a thing as overdosing on family time we've done it. We left our house on May 29th and returned home(after a 14 1/2 hour day) on June 22. Our stops along the way were as follows: Topeka, KS to see our dear friends the Brown's and Pruett's. Manitoba, Canada - relatives on my side. Bismark, ND- Daniel's family, including 102 yr old grandma LuLu. Jamestown, ND - lunch with my cousin Renee. Duluth, MN - Daniel's sister, niece and husband and our great-niece. Hudson,WI - my friend Annie and family.While there had a gathering with "the girls" and families, about 30 people in all. Moundsview, MN - my friend Sandy and family. 2 nights at the Boddy's lake place in WI where much fun was had by all. Rapid City, SD - Mt. Rushmore. Broomfield, CO - My Aunt Marty and Uncle Lanny. In between we visited and reconnected with many friends and family, went to Como Zoo, Mall of America and Gooseberry Falls. The memories we made and fun we had will be cherished for years to come.

HAPPY SPRING!

2008-04-10T08:42:00.001-07:00

I hope in your corner of the world that April is bringing sunshine and warmer weather. We have had a beautiful spring thanks to all the rain we had this winter. Everything is in bloom! Well...Drivers Beware!! Jonathan took his learners permit and passed(with minimal studying). He is thrilled to have joined the world of driving and begs to drive wherever we go. After allowing him to drive with me I decided that driving instruction was definately dads department.:) The 2nd picture proves that you are never too old to wear bunny ears. We had a great Easter at my mom's. We were given a hot tub (in need of repair) from a guy Daniel works with. Between my dad's electrical talents and Daniel's carpentry/painting we now have a wonderful luxury. Lizzie had a sleepover/hot tub party already with 2 friends. Lastly, I had surgery on 4/3 to remove my gallbladder after finding a stone and having much discomfort. I thought I would be feeling better than I am by now but my husband is quick to say that my age probably has something to do with that.:( It is a test of my patience to be put in a situation where I am forced to rest. God seems to know what lessons we still need to learn. I want to be a good student!

COWGIRL

2008-03-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

Lizzie has always loved horses and horsebackriding. She took a few lessons in MN when she was 7 and contined to beg for more lessons. We actually live in an area surrounded with homes on acreage and many have horses, cows, sheep(who are now having lambs), goats and many roosters/chickens. We enjoy walking a few blocks and enjoying the "country". Anyway, for Christmas we gave Lizzie the gift of horsebackriding lessons and she was thrilled. She gets private Western lessons at a riding school about 9mi. from our house 2 times a month. It really is like therapy for her and she loves it. Of course she hopes to have her own horse someday.

FIELDTRIP

2008-03-03T16:39:00.000-08:00

Kathryn's 4th grade class went on an overnite "outdoor education" fieldtrip last week and I went as a chaperone. It was at Camp Sky - Y 2 hours north of Phoenix in a national forest. It was beautiful!! There were huge pine trees, oak trees and even snow!:) The instructors at the camp led the activities and there was little down time between making a catapult, archery, panning for gold, mining, learning how early Arizonans lived, and team building games. At night we had a campfire complete with silly songs and smores. Then off to bed in our cabin with 2 moms and 9 girls. We were up with the sun, had breakfast, one more activity and back to school. We made it back in one piece and had more fun then I had anticipated. For those who know me I am not the "outdoorsie" type and K is like me(aversion to outhouses and all). Alot really has to do with attitude and we both chose to have a great time and we truly did.:)

BIRTHDAY GIRL - #1

2008-03-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

Little T turned a year old on the 22nd of Feb. We had a family celebration at our house right on that day. She received a play Tea Set from grandma for all the tea parties they will have in the future. T loves music so we got her a drum and CD's with Bible songs. We have had soooo much fun watching our little T grow and change in the past year and look forward to more fun in the coming year. The 23rd we helped at the BIG bday party at the Z's house. About 50 people. My kids did face painting, bubbles, games and monitored the blow-up bouncer. A good time was had by all.

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God for GOD IS LOVE."1John 4:7-8

We had our 2nd annual Valentines dinner at our house for the whole family to enjoy. Tori loved the heart "bawoons" and the chicken. We made stuffed cornish hens(with my mom's help cleaning and stuffing all 8), cheesy potatoes, corn and salad. For dessert we went the easy route and bought 2 pies from Marie Calendars. Lizzie found this heart shaped potatoe when we were having baked potatoes one night and we HAD to take a picture of it.:)

FRIENDS FROM AFAR

2008-03-01T09:28:00.001-08:00

We have had a very busy February, or had, as it is now the 1st of March! Where does the time go. My friend(roomies at CFNI) Marjolaine and her husband Kevin from Australia stopped in Las Vegas on their big holiday and we were not able to get up there for the days we had planned. However, we decided to meet in Kingman,AZ for lunch and a quick visit. Daniel,the girls, my mom and me drove the 3 hours to Kingman. It was fun to reconnect with them and now the pressure is on for us to take a trip "down under". "No worries mate!"
Friends of ours from MN came the next week to visit their parents who winter here. Their daughter E and our K are friends. They had not seen eachother for 2 years, but they picked up where they had left off and enjoyed an afternoon painting their own pottery. We all enjoyed a poolside picnic at the complex where their parents stay.

Three P's

2008-01-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

POPCORN- One of our favorite treats during the holidays is my homemade caramel corn. Daniel brought some to share with co-workers and now they are willing to pay me for this crunchy sweet treat.:)

PLAYDOUGH- Lizzie spent some of her Cmas $ on playdough. I guess you are never too old for playdough. Especially if you are a tactile/sensory motivated learner. PLAYTIME- Kathryn loves playing with Tori and has fun with all her toys. Kathryn informed us recently that she is Tori's favorite. I think she has some strong competition from grandma.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-12T14:32:00.001-08:00

Lizzie found this picture on the web and I thought these kitties looked so peaceful and go along with my goal/verse for this year. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, And the PEACE of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phillippians 4:6-7

Everlasting God by Lincoln Brewster

2007-12-31T17:15:00.001-08:00

This is my favorite song for 2007. It continually reminds me that I need to draw my strength from my "Everlasting God". It may continue to be my favorite in 2008. I hope it encourages you too.

BLESSED ARE WE

2007-12-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

We are sooo blessed all year and at Christmas it is fun to give gifts to eachother to show our love. Papa got a Chili's gift certificate from Jon. He knows Papa likes the BBQ ribs there. Jon bought gifts for all of us with the money he is earning at his job.:) I gave the girls new comfy robes and they kept them on all day. Lizzie had asked for luggage - for the traveling she is planning on doing I guess. Kathryn has been giving us all foot rubs with the Peppermint lotion she received.

Christmas Celebration!

2007-12-29T16:24:00.000-08:00

I am finally finding a minute to sit and update my blog. Actually, as I write this I am in my house alone. A VERY rare occurance! Daniel and Lizzie are on a "daddy/daughter date", Jon is at work, and Kathryn at her friend across the street. We had Cmas at my parents on the 16th b/4 T & T left for MN. Little T loved the wrapping paper. On the 20th we went to T & T's for cookies and a Chistmas Carol sing a long. Christmas Eve was at our house with my parents. We ate lots, went to church and opened gifts. Daniel had to work on Cmas day so we just hung out at home. Papa took J & E to the "Bee Movie". At we had a yummy meal when D got home from work. A good time was had by all.:)

OH JOY!

2007-12-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

And the Angel said to them,"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great JOY which shall be for all the people..." Luke 2:10

I love the word Joy and all it means. At Christmas and all year it is great to remember the "great joy" of the birth of Jesus and what that meant for all mankind. A radio announcer on the Christian station I listen to said "Christmas is all about Easter." How true! Joy is something that comes from our hearts unlike happiness that requires outward things to "happen". I thought I'd include a few pictures that bring me joy. Seeing Lizzie with her friend Tatum(leading role in Christmas program) My sweet neice. My dad and son and the wonderful relationship they have. My mom with the youngest grandchild and all the love she freely gives to all of us. And of course a good cup of coffee with family or friends. I hope you can find things in your life that bring you joy and remember the source of our Joy is found in Jesus!

"Finding the Christmas Star"

2007-12-15T09:10:00.001-08:00

Friday night was the long awaited/hours of practice performance of "Finding the Christmas Star" kids program at church. In the first picture Kathryn is in the upper right. In the next one Lizzie is in the back row,middle under the 0. Lizzie was part of a dance number with a seventy's theme sung to the tune of "Staying Alive":) Kathryn did sign language to the chorus "I love to tell the Story" with 6 other kids. G & G Zieska came and UncleT and Aunt T and little T. Little T loved dancing to the music and looking at people. The last picture is our attempt to get a family pic. in front of the tree at church. I thought it was hard to get toddlers to cooperate, but teenagers are proving to be JUST as difficult.

The Mom Song Sung to William Tell Overture with Lyrics

2007-12-12T23:22:00.005-08:00

Whew!! That is tiring just listening to it but sooo true. It can be very wearisome being a mom. This week I am studying Matthew chapter 11 in BSF and I love the 28th verse. "Come to Me, ALL who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest." What a comfort to know that I can find rest and peace in my heavenly Father. I pray you can find a bit of rest during this busy time of year. Mine comes at the end of the day when I put my youngest to bed and we give eachother backrubs.:)

ON THE "NICE" LIST

2007-12-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

This little darling is DEFINITELY on the "nice" list! We met at the mall on Sunday and thankfully grandma Z. got in line early because it was about an hour and a half wait to see Santa.

She loved looking at all the people and lights. We enjoyed a lunch together at a Mexican restaurant after the event. Christmas is sooo fun with little ones.

HAPPY DECEMBER

2007-12-01T20:27:00.001-08:00

Welcome to my heart Spirit of Christmas
I've been waiting for you...all year! -Kimber Anne Engstrom

It is good to be children sometimes,
and never better than at Christmas,
when its mighty founder was a child Himself. -Charles Dickens

I absolutely love this time of year. Although I must admit that since moving to AZ it is a bit harder to get in the "swing" of things when we are still wearing shorts and flip-flops. I did manage to decorate last weekend after Thanksgiving. Daniel put all the outside lights up and the tree lights and Kathryn decorated the tree. It has cooled off a bit here and has actually been raining off and on for two days. We have a fire going in our fireplace as I write this. It is fun during this time to keep traditions going and even start new ones. A tradition we have in our family is giving a small gift to the kids on Dec. 1st. My mom gives the grandkids personalized ornaments every year. A new tradition this year is going to the mall(tomorrow) with T & T so little T can see Santa. I'll take pictures.:) Another tradition our family has is singing "Happy Birthday to Jesus" on Christmas morning with a bday cake of caramel rolls. My parents raised us to focus on the meaning of Christmas during this time and not on gifts. I have tried to carry this on in our home and it takes some work. Our church offers many ways to do outreach for others at Christmas, so we have now made it a tradition to serve in this way. I am looking forward to starting my baking next week and will be going to a cookie exchange too. I hope in the weeks leading up to Christmas that you will take time to reflect on the true meaning of our celebrating and start some new traditions.

CUTE COUSINS

2007-11-28T20:39:00.001-08:00

Jonathan just loves his baby cousin and he was down at her level playing with her. It seems like yesterday that he was the baby - where did the time go. Lizzie had scooted behind Tori and she was turning to look at Lizzie's face. I think she was reaching for a curl.:) Lizzie is the official "babysitter in training". These are moments to treasure. As seasoned moms we know how fast this time goes. I used to laugh at my mom when I was a teenager and she would say that she wished she could go back and have one day with us as babies. Now, I know what she means. When you are in the "throws" of motherhood(frustrated, tired,pottytraining) you feel that no end is in sight. I have now become the crazy lady in the grocery store that stops young moms and tells them to "enjoy every minute because it goes sooo fast". I'm sure they look at me through tired eyes and think "sure lady", but they'll blink and it will be them giving the same advice. Enjoy the gift of today -that's why it is called the present.

MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS

2007-11-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

"Nobody knows of the work it makes
To keep the home together,
Nobody knows of the steps it takes,
Nobody knows - but mother" -Anon

"These are my daughters, I suppose.
But where in the world did the children vanish?" -Phyllis McGinley

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on motherhood. I have always known that I have an INCREDIBLE mom and it has just become more and more evident through the years. She has been such a wonderful and Godly example to me of what a mom is. I Pray that I can be such a mom to my children. Mom, I love you so much and want you to know I thank Jesus everyday for choosing you to be my mom and the grandma to my children. As, an adult now I am priviledged to also call you my best friend, prayer partner, coffee companion and "kindred spirit".:) Motherhood is NOT an easy road to travel. There are many bumps along the way but I am confident that with the model I have and grace from the Lord I will make it.

FAMILY FUN

2007-11-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

Here are a few snaps of what we have been up to the last week. Nicole came for a visit from MN(my great Aunt Ruby's grandaughter). The girls all got pedicures one day - what a treat! We went to the local swap meet and shared a HUGE bag of our favorite - Kettle Corn. Tori and Kathryn enjoying some quality cousin time. We all went to Tim and Tracy's for Thanksgiving and Tim was very proud of the outcome of the turkey. It was a wonderful day of food, family and fun. Thanks T & T for being such wonderful hosts. Kathryn's list of things she is thankful for is as follows: family, friends, pets, Jesus, laughing,food,school,Mrs. Sayre(her teacher)
"O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good..."Psalm 136:1
We have soooo much to be thankful for.

THE THREE T's

2007-11-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

Isn't this a good looking family? We are so blessed to live close to my brother and his family. We just love spending time with little T and watching her grow. She has 4 teeth and learned how to wave "bye-bye" on auntie's birthday.

SMILE!

2007-11-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

It has been an exciting week at our house. After 2 years of metal in her mouth, Lizzie is finally free of braces and loving it. Jonathan got hired on at Freddy's - a frozen custard and hamburger place. He is already planning what he is going to spend his money on.:) He gets to eat there, so I will probably notice a decrease in my grocery bill. Daniel finally got a shift that gives him the weekends off. Yeah!!! The weather here is what we have been waiting for -80's during the day and 60's at night.

NO WORRIES

2007-11-11T22:40:00.000-08:00

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" Matthew 6:33
I am studying the book of Matthew this year in BSF(Bible Study Fellowship) and we just finished chapter 6. I feel like the last part of the chapter is so pertinent to my daily life. I tend to take on "tomorrow's" worries. When I do that I am not trusting that the God who made me will take care of my every need. He sees the big picture and it is my job to rely on Him daily for my cares. As I enter a new week I hope that all who read this will be encouraged to rest in the knowledge that the Lord knows you, He created you and He will take care of you.

2007-11-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

THE BIG 40!

2007-11-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

Yes it is true, I turned 40 on November 3rd. Lizzie asked me how it feels to be OLD! I'm sure that 40 seems ancient to her.:) My parents surprised me with a dinner party at their house with family and a few friends. I received a digital camera from my parents for my bday and I'm hoping to get pictures on here soon. Daniel and the kids gave me a beautiful family ring with all of our birthstones. A friend of mine and I are going to be in a craft show tomorrow. I made scarves (lightweight) considering it is 90 degrees here I don't know how many I'll sell. SO....guess who may be getting scarves for Christmas.