Saturday, September 29, 2007

New Feature - Subscribe Via Email

Hey everybody! I have added a new feature that makes it possible for you to subscribe to the blog via your email. All you have to do is enter your email address at the right, and hit the subscribe button. Then when I add a post to the blog, it will be sent directly to your email inbox. No more checking everyday to see if I added something new! Since this is a new feature, please let me know if it works, or doesn't work, or if there are any problems. also, check out the new slide shows! We are having a pretty relaxing Saturday. Jeremy's been working on the yard, and we spent this morning at a soccer game. Tonight we are heading to some friends' house for dinner. Love you all, and thank you to god Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Watch the Candy!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Reunion Trip






Well, we left last Friday morning early and trekked to Tennessee for my 10 year high school reunion. Mom and Dad had just moved into their new house the day before, so things were a bit crazy to say the least! The house was beautiful! I'm so happy for them, and can't wait to make it back for Christmas! It was a quick trip, but we enjoyed it. The reunion was nice, but it is always kind of awkward getting together with people you haven't seen in years. I had the privilege of spending most of the night with some really great people that I still got along really well with. It was nice to see how well some of them were doing. There are always those that never change though! We got to see my brother in the musical Guys and Dolls. He was fantastic! He played the character Harry the Horse, and when he first came onto stage I didn't even realize it was him. He shaved for the part (first time in 10 years I've seen him clean shaven!) and his accent was flawless. He was a perfect old-timey New York gangster. My camera battery went dead, so the pictures above were the only ones we got. :( Caitlyn went with us, and she really enjoyed it too. Caitlyn's favorite character was Adelaide. She loved all the singing and dancing. My grandparents came down from Clarksville to visit on Sunday, and that was such a blessing! We made it safely home, but I have to admit that I'm suffering from a case of homesickness. Christmas isn't too far away though! My sister made us all goody bags for the trip home, and that made the kids happier for sure! Well, I'm going to go enjoy some quiet time, before all the little natives wake up. We have soccer practice tonight, violin lessons tomorrow, and a soccer game Saturday morning. It never ends around here! :) I'll try to load some more videos soon. Love you all, and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Saturday Soccer Game




Saturday Soccer Game







Well, the game on Saturday was another success. Jeremy does a great job coaching the kids. Dawn is really enjoying it, although her complaining attitude gets the better of her from time to time. From top to bottom: Jeremy warming up with the kids before the game (Dawn is #2), Some serious coaching, Alicia makes a breakaway with the ball, Dawn bites the dust, Jeremy prepping Dawn for the next quarter, John David cheering from the sidelines, Corey sitting back and enjoying the game, Dawn taking a break from the action, Part of the six person team. All the kids get excited about games, especially John. At one point, I looked up to find him in the middle of the field in the middle of the game! He's fast too, so I had to chase him a little before I caught him. :) On another topic, I did want to let everyone know that Caitlyn's asthma has flared back up, but it's fall so that's not surprising. Her pulmonary function tests were not what they should be, so the allergist put her back on her steroid inhaler for now. She has another checkup in five weeks. Love you all and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Corey Says Bye-Bye to Diapers!!

I think the title says it all, but it looks like we may be through with diapers!! Corey has finally decided to make friends with the potty. We have tried before, but he always refuses. He has now been in underwear for a couple days, with very little accidents. He is definitely committed this time. We are still in diapers for bedtime, but hopefully we can wean off those soon. This is such a huge blessing!!:) Dawn has another soccer game tomorrow. Jeremy coached the team to a huge win last weekend, although they don't technically keep score! It was like 10 to 3! Jeremy has some pretty fast kids on their team, and of course he's an awesome coach. The kids really like him, and I think that this season is getting off to a great start. Kylie can't wait to play in the spring. All the kids look forward to practice every week. I'll post some pictures from the game tomorrow! Love you all, and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Start of School, Court, and the Ladies Conference

We started school last week, and it has been going pretty smoothly. Keeping the boys occupied has proven to be a task, but most days we make it through to nap time. Caitlyn has sailed through her school work so far, also she does admit it is a little more difficult than last year. I would hope so, it's third grade work!! Kylie is really picking up the letters and sounds, and is definitely much improved since last year. Dawn is struggling a bit, but this is her first real encounter with "school". I think she'll get the hang of it. While we're talking about Dawn, she started therapy yesterday. The therapist, Holly, comes to our house, and is the same lady who supervises their visits with their dad. Dawn took awhile to warm up to talking with her, but she did eventually talk for a little while. Her biggest issue is her anger about the situation she's in, and how she acts out her anger on the other kids. Poor Kylie takes the brunt of it. There have been some improvements, but she still has a ways to go. Court went pretty well. The judge really laid it all out there for their dad and scolded him quite good, but then she also gave him six more months. The past week he has done well, but this is after six months of not doing anything. I'm not sure what to feel about any of it. All I know is God is in control, and we're open to whatever our purpose is in this situation, even if that means they go home and we've had a part in mending their family. All of it really hangs on what their dad decides to do. We've spent six months thinking that they were probably going to stay, and now it could go either way. The Lord knows! I can honestly say that we're okay with whatever the outcome is, but that doesn't mean that we aren't experiencing some heartbreak. I had a great time at the Ladies Conference I went to. It's always nice to get away and clear your head, and I needed it. I didn't really hear anything in any of the sermons that changed my life, but I was so glad I went. One lady, a preacher's wife, said in her lesson that sometimes we want what we want and sometimes that's a fantasy and not what God has for us. I don't want to waste my time yearning for a fantasy. I just want to be content with what God has for me. that quiet time away from home let me work through some feelings, and allowed me to come back refreshed and ready to tackle whatever God has for me. We are heading to Tennessee next Friday for my class reunion and to see my parents new house! We are all so excited! Mom and Dad were supposed to move in this weekend, but it got pushed back to next week. It looks like we'll be helping unpack! The kids can't wait to see Grandma and Poppy's new house! Love you all and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Quick Update

These past few days have been hectic. I just wanted to type a quick note to let you all know that we are doing well. Court went well last week, and then I went out of town for a ladies conference with church, and we spent this morning at the dr's office for checkups. I have got to catch up on some housework before time for Tae Kwon Do! I will sit down tomorrow afternoon, and post more details of this past several days. Talk to you tomorrow! Love you all and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Three Things to Ponder

Three Things to Ponder:

1. Cows

2. The Constitution

3. The Ten Commandments

Cows

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to, their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.


The Constitution

They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.


The Ten Commandments

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this: Y ou cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery," and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians...It creates a hostile work environment .

Monday, September 3, 2007

Labor Day Camp Out!


Labor Day Camp Out!






Hope you all are enjoying your Labor Day holiday. We've been wanting to go camping all summer, but haven't gotten the chance, so we decided to have are own little camp out in the backyard last night. We had dinner and smores last night, and discovered that Kylie is completely and utterly un-American! She doesn't like smores! Must be from Jeremy's side of the family! :) Pictures from top to bottom: John David enjoying a little fishing, Corey awake and smiling, Around the campfire, The girls pretending to be asleep so I could take a picture (you can see Kylie peeking!), John David awake and grumpy, Jeremy making his morning coffee, and The camping natives. Don't forget to say a prayer for court on Thursday, and check out two new videos below! The first is a better video of the boys, and the second is Caitlyn and Kylie putting on a "show" for us on the swing set. I remember doing that with my brother! :) Love you all and thank you to God Almighty who has for now blessed us with these.