Now that we have decided to homeschool, i am loving all of the homeschool blogs out there. This giveaway would be perfect for helping us build our stash of educational toys. Check this blog out and enter the giveaway:
http://lovemylifex4.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 5, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I'm entering a giveaway!
Check out this really cool homeschool blog and enter to win this giveaway!
http://lovemylifex4.blogspot.com/2010/03/giveaway-magnetic-pom-poms.html
http://lovemylifex4.blogspot.com/2010/03/giveaway-magnetic-pom-poms.html
Friday, August 14, 2009
Summer '09 Highlights
Highlights from our summer include:
Spending some time in the mountains away from the rest of the world. This was a cool mini-retreat with a few of the women's ministry leaders from Calvary.
James' cousin Sarah coming to visit us from England. Here is a picture of them downtown, in front of Coors stadium where the Rockies play.
Movie night with Sarah!
We went to visit the Means family in Utah again this summer. One of my favorite highlights was getting to see the High School where High School Musical was filmed. I know, i'm a dork, but I love those movies.
Andrew celebrated his 7th birthday in June. I made those basketball cupcakes for his class.
One of the happiest events this summer was re-connecting with my sisters, Kris and Kim. My Dad has two beautiful daughters from his previous marriage and we lost touch with them almost 25 years ago. I have always thought about them; wanting to know where they were, if they were married and had kids, if they ever thought about my brother and I. I was sad that my Dad was missing out on whatever they were going through. I was sad that they didn't know what an awesome Papa he was to my kids. I was really sad that my Dad has been so sick and they didn't know it. I used to google their names and wishfully think that they'd just appear in my searches; however I didn't have any information about them, nor did I know what they looked like so many years later. I kept them in my prayers. Hoping we'd find them someday and praying that they'd be just as excited to see us as we were to see them.
Spending some time in the mountains away from the rest of the world. This was a cool mini-retreat with a few of the women's ministry leaders from Calvary.
James' cousin Sarah coming to visit us from England. Here is a picture of them downtown, in front of Coors stadium where the Rockies play.
Movie night with Sarah!
We went to visit the Means family in Utah again this summer. One of my favorite highlights was getting to see the High School where High School Musical was filmed. I know, i'm a dork, but I love those movies.
Andrew celebrated his 7th birthday in June. I made those basketball cupcakes for his class.
One of the happiest events this summer was re-connecting with my sisters, Kris and Kim. My Dad has two beautiful daughters from his previous marriage and we lost touch with them almost 25 years ago. I have always thought about them; wanting to know where they were, if they were married and had kids, if they ever thought about my brother and I. I was sad that my Dad was missing out on whatever they were going through. I was sad that they didn't know what an awesome Papa he was to my kids. I was really sad that my Dad has been so sick and they didn't know it. I used to google their names and wishfully think that they'd just appear in my searches; however I didn't have any information about them, nor did I know what they looked like so many years later. I kept them in my prayers. Hoping we'd find them someday and praying that they'd be just as excited to see us as we were to see them.
Last week, when I went to the mountains I received an email from my mom. She had told me that Kris and Kim had used Facebook to contact my brother and they were so thrilled. I remember writing back, "Praise the Lord"!! I was so shocked that that was my only response. I quickly logged into my facebook account to see that they had contacted me as well. One of the things we did that morning at the cabin was to share God's faithfulness in ours lives, past or present. I was thrilled to share God's faithfulness in reconnecting my family. I have enjoyed so much learning about them and their families. Looking through their photos and chatting with them. I lose it every so often, just thinking about how this has been 25 years in the making, and how they still want to call me their sister. My kids are beyond excited to have 3 uncles AND 3 aunties now. Not to mention the cousins they just inherited. They went from 0 to 6, just like that. I now have nieces and nephews, I know nothing about, but can't wait to learn about everyone. This is the kind of stuff you only read about, and I'm living it!!! How blessed am I??
Check back for more pictures soon. I hope to get some old ones and news ones up of my sisters and their families.
Friday, June 19, 2009
More pics
This was the best shot I could get of Mia. The girl doesn't know how to sit still.
My big Jack-a-boo!! He's getting so handsome, just like his daddy and big brother.
All the kids together.
My big Jack-a-boo!! He's getting so handsome, just like his daddy and big brother.
All the kids together.
Last Day of School...
My kids have moved up another grade. This year just flew by. If you remember, last year I had pulled the kids out of school because I really felt the Lord leading me to homeschool them. For whatever reason, lead by God or by my own fear, I decided to put them back into school as soon as we got back from summer vacation. I am sooooo glad I did. They had THE best teachers this year. Sweet, caring Christian women who did an amazing job growing them in different ways. Kaylin Loves to read and write and grew so much socially and physically. This year, Kaylin had to deal with "girl drama" and learned some very valuable lessons. I think all the girls ended on a good note. She ended the school year at a reading DRA level 28. Which is right where she should be for the end of second grade.
Andrew always surprises me. He has tons of friends, even though he seems to have the strongest moral sense and was always telling on the other kids for doing something wrong. He seemed to be very loved by his teacher and developed most in the area of reading. I already knew he was a math whiz, but he ended the year on a reading DRA level 24, which is only one level away from the 2nd grade end of year expectation and 1 level away from his sister, which he was quick to point out. I love that my kids love reading. I think reading is so important and to have a true love for it will take them so far.
I am so proud of my kids for all of their hard work this year.
First day of school:
Kaylin on the last day. Very teary from saying goodbye to her teacher.
Andrew always surprises me. He has tons of friends, even though he seems to have the strongest moral sense and was always telling on the other kids for doing something wrong. He seemed to be very loved by his teacher and developed most in the area of reading. I already knew he was a math whiz, but he ended the year on a reading DRA level 24, which is only one level away from the 2nd grade end of year expectation and 1 level away from his sister, which he was quick to point out. I love that my kids love reading. I think reading is so important and to have a true love for it will take them so far.
I am so proud of my kids for all of their hard work this year.
First day of school:
Kaylin on the last day. Very teary from saying goodbye to her teacher.
Andrew on the last day. He was also in tears when he got home. They LOVED their teachers. Lucky for Andrew, he gets to have Kaylin's teacher next year and I think he's pretty excited about that. BY the way, Andrew still has ALL of his baby teeth. He didn't lose anything this year and is pretty discouraged by that. James promised him that if he didn't lose any teeth by the time he was 10, he'd give him $100...lol. I guess we're hoping he loses some this next year.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Home Sweet Home
The kids and I are finally back home in Colorado. It feels so great to be in my own house (and bed) again. We feel so blessed to have families that would fly us out to visit them and take us to so many different places. I hope the kids remember these little trips and have great memories of all the stuff they get to do.
What a trip! We started off on May 19th leaving for San Diego. I was dealing with anxiety about flying all day. James dropped us off at the curbside check in and we made our way through the Denver airport. By the time we got through security (security with 4 kids is horrendous), made our way to the terminal and made a bathroom stop, it was time to board! Yipee!! .......Yea Right! We ended up waiting for passengers from a connecting flight for over a half an hour (on the plane). Then we sat on the runway for another hour waiting for our turn for departure (we were 12th in line for taxi). Mia screamed the whole time and it was very stressful. As passengers were moving their seats (away from me and the screaming baby), another lady was moving toward me. She wanted to sit with me and help me with the kids. And although she smelled terribly of alcohol and had clearly been drinking, I welcomed the help. I was desperate. She was a God-send. We made it to San Diego safely and met our families there.
The rest of the trip was just a whirlwind of activity. The big kids went to Legoland a handful of times. Kaylin and Andrew went ice skating and saw the play "The Secret Garden". We went to the Museum of Nature and Science, saw an IMAX film, went to the birch aquarium, and saw Night at the Museum II. The big kids saw UP and went swimming a few times. The little kids and I went to Bates Nut Farm. We had a nice family birthday party for Andrew on Sunday and he got lots of Legos. We also got to visit my Great Aunt at her nursing home in Carlsbad twice. She'll be 100 this year.
We packed up to leave yesterday. The two weeks went fast!! I was nervous about flying again. I just knew that there was NO WAY there would be another willing passenger (or drunk lady, for that matter) to help me keep the kids occupied on the flight home. Said our goodbyes in San Diego, got through security (again, horrendous and even had people laughing at the ordeal this time) and checked our flight.......DELAYED!!! WHAT!! I had already said goodbye and our families were gone and I had to sit in the terminal with four crazy, excited kids for another hour and a half. Apparantly the weather was bad in Denver and we couldn't fly in. My kids quickly found some other Colorodian kids and they played while we waited. Finally time to board and as my kids are running around and i am carrying a screaming angry baby, a nice woman walks over to me to offer to carry my stroller to the gate. YES, thank you! Get down the hall, onto the plane and she quietly asks me, "would you like me to sit next to you and help you on the flight?".....are you kidding me??? THANK YOU LORD FOR SENDING ME THIS WOMAN. I almost cried....really wanted to, but didn't want to scare the nice lady away. So the nice lady sat across the aisle from me and although the kids were perfect and I didn't need her at all, it was nice to have her there. Thank you Mom, for praying for my flight and asking God to send me a helper.
Made it home....Embraced my hubby.....and drove home. Home sweet home.
Andrew playing basketball at grandma Kathy's house.
Andrew's birthday party on sunday the 31st.
Kaylin in a tornado at the museum
Mia with papa (my dad) at bates nut farm.
Jack feeding the goats at bates.
What a trip! We started off on May 19th leaving for San Diego. I was dealing with anxiety about flying all day. James dropped us off at the curbside check in and we made our way through the Denver airport. By the time we got through security (security with 4 kids is horrendous), made our way to the terminal and made a bathroom stop, it was time to board! Yipee!! .......Yea Right! We ended up waiting for passengers from a connecting flight for over a half an hour (on the plane). Then we sat on the runway for another hour waiting for our turn for departure (we were 12th in line for taxi). Mia screamed the whole time and it was very stressful. As passengers were moving their seats (away from me and the screaming baby), another lady was moving toward me. She wanted to sit with me and help me with the kids. And although she smelled terribly of alcohol and had clearly been drinking, I welcomed the help. I was desperate. She was a God-send. We made it to San Diego safely and met our families there.
The rest of the trip was just a whirlwind of activity. The big kids went to Legoland a handful of times. Kaylin and Andrew went ice skating and saw the play "The Secret Garden". We went to the Museum of Nature and Science, saw an IMAX film, went to the birch aquarium, and saw Night at the Museum II. The big kids saw UP and went swimming a few times. The little kids and I went to Bates Nut Farm. We had a nice family birthday party for Andrew on Sunday and he got lots of Legos. We also got to visit my Great Aunt at her nursing home in Carlsbad twice. She'll be 100 this year.
We packed up to leave yesterday. The two weeks went fast!! I was nervous about flying again. I just knew that there was NO WAY there would be another willing passenger (or drunk lady, for that matter) to help me keep the kids occupied on the flight home. Said our goodbyes in San Diego, got through security (again, horrendous and even had people laughing at the ordeal this time) and checked our flight.......DELAYED!!! WHAT!! I had already said goodbye and our families were gone and I had to sit in the terminal with four crazy, excited kids for another hour and a half. Apparantly the weather was bad in Denver and we couldn't fly in. My kids quickly found some other Colorodian kids and they played while we waited. Finally time to board and as my kids are running around and i am carrying a screaming angry baby, a nice woman walks over to me to offer to carry my stroller to the gate. YES, thank you! Get down the hall, onto the plane and she quietly asks me, "would you like me to sit next to you and help you on the flight?".....are you kidding me??? THANK YOU LORD FOR SENDING ME THIS WOMAN. I almost cried....really wanted to, but didn't want to scare the nice lady away. So the nice lady sat across the aisle from me and although the kids were perfect and I didn't need her at all, it was nice to have her there. Thank you Mom, for praying for my flight and asking God to send me a helper.
Made it home....Embraced my hubby.....and drove home. Home sweet home.
Andrew playing basketball at grandma Kathy's house.
Andrew's birthday party on sunday the 31st.
Kaylin in a tornado at the museum
Mia with papa (my dad) at bates nut farm.
Jack feeding the goats at bates.Friday, May 29, 2009
Bullet point updates
HI All! Not sure if anyone reads anymore, but I figured it was time for an update. I am not sure why I have lost my love for blogging about my family, but i'm hoping it comes back eventually. Not too much going on these days, so i'll bullet point the highlights.
-Me and the kids are in Escondido right now visiting our friends and family. We leave to fly home June 2nd and while our visit has been fun, we miss James and can't wait to be home together.
-Andrew is turning 7!!! His birthday is the 5th of June, but we are having a party for him here on Sunday. His love for sports has grown while on vacation. He's always been a football fan, but now that the Denver Nuggets are in the playoffs, he's a huge basketball fan. The kid can't get enough, it's hilarious. He'll be ending first grade in two weeks and will be an official 2nd grader on July 6th.
-Kaylin is so mature these days. Very responsible and helpful, and although she has her moments (so emotional), she's very enjoyable. She growing spiritually and I'm excited to see her mature in this area of life. She's wearing dangly earrings and takes forever to get ready in the morning. She has fashion meltdowns and is begging for braces. She actually needs them and we've been told, by a friend who went to dental school, that she's ready for the first phase of dental work to begin. My baby will be nine in October and starting 3rd grade in July.
-Jack is a total crack up. 3 and a half years old and so sweet and silly. He loves to play with Andrew and does not like it when the big kids call him "little".
-Mia is so fun these days. Her vocabulary has grown since we've been on vacation. She's very stubborn and strong-willed, but ever so sweet and kind.
-We are planning a family road trip for the 4th of July, to visit our friends Chris and Laura, in Utah. We had such a great time with them last summer and look forward to another visit.
-I will start to look for work when we get back home. Times are tough and continue to get tougher, so it's time to start praying for where the Lord wants me.
-I'm thinking about starting another blog (silly, i know, when i can't even keep this one up). So many great blogs out there for dinners, menus, and food and i'm going to hop on the wagon and start blogging something similar. I'll keep you updated!
-We're still praying for Noah!! He had a surgery for a g-tube today. He's so strong and growing wonderfully. Continue to pray for Andie and Kyle and the everyday stresses his condition bring.
AND LASTLY,
-I'm going to be an auntie!!! FINALLY!!! James' sister, Victoria, is due in early November and while this wasn't expected, we are very excited for her and pray God's hand will be upon her and this precious baby.
Enjoy your weekend!
Love,
Beckie
-Me and the kids are in Escondido right now visiting our friends and family. We leave to fly home June 2nd and while our visit has been fun, we miss James and can't wait to be home together.
-Andrew is turning 7!!! His birthday is the 5th of June, but we are having a party for him here on Sunday. His love for sports has grown while on vacation. He's always been a football fan, but now that the Denver Nuggets are in the playoffs, he's a huge basketball fan. The kid can't get enough, it's hilarious. He'll be ending first grade in two weeks and will be an official 2nd grader on July 6th.
-Kaylin is so mature these days. Very responsible and helpful, and although she has her moments (so emotional), she's very enjoyable. She growing spiritually and I'm excited to see her mature in this area of life. She's wearing dangly earrings and takes forever to get ready in the morning. She has fashion meltdowns and is begging for braces. She actually needs them and we've been told, by a friend who went to dental school, that she's ready for the first phase of dental work to begin. My baby will be nine in October and starting 3rd grade in July.
-Jack is a total crack up. 3 and a half years old and so sweet and silly. He loves to play with Andrew and does not like it when the big kids call him "little".
-Mia is so fun these days. Her vocabulary has grown since we've been on vacation. She's very stubborn and strong-willed, but ever so sweet and kind.
-We are planning a family road trip for the 4th of July, to visit our friends Chris and Laura, in Utah. We had such a great time with them last summer and look forward to another visit.
-I will start to look for work when we get back home. Times are tough and continue to get tougher, so it's time to start praying for where the Lord wants me.
-I'm thinking about starting another blog (silly, i know, when i can't even keep this one up). So many great blogs out there for dinners, menus, and food and i'm going to hop on the wagon and start blogging something similar. I'll keep you updated!
-We're still praying for Noah!! He had a surgery for a g-tube today. He's so strong and growing wonderfully. Continue to pray for Andie and Kyle and the everyday stresses his condition bring.
AND LASTLY,
-I'm going to be an auntie!!! FINALLY!!! James' sister, Victoria, is due in early November and while this wasn't expected, we are very excited for her and pray God's hand will be upon her and this precious baby.
Enjoy your weekend!
Love,
Beckie
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