Ferris Wheel of Life

Clean Up Time

2011-08-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

Almost every night (that I remember) before bed time, I ask the kids to help clean up. K is amazingly wonderful at doing it while I'm putting his sister to bed when I forget to ask them. Tonight, I told them it was time to clean and as I sat in L's bedroom helping her clean her room, K cleaned the living room. After the living room was spotless, K asked me to wet a washcloth and wring it out so he could wipe down the walls. I agreed. A few minutes later as I turned a corner I smelled something delightfully refreshing. K was directing his sister to spray dirt spots on the wall. She sprayed and he wiped. After they finished the walls, they did the doors, then the floors, and as I type they are doing the double glass doors. I don't have the heart to tell them it's not glass cleaner because they're working so hard. They just switched roles. L is now wiping down and K is spraying. T is just following them around not really sure what's going on. I guess teaching responsibilites can't start too young. It won't be too much longer before I'm out of a "job".

Lost Tooth

2011-08-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

K woke me up one day last week to tell me that his brother was awake and that he had a loose tooth. A few days later, it had become looser, but I decided it was time for it to come out. So, we attached a string of dental floss to the tooth and attached the other end to a door. When I closed the door, the string came off and the tooth was still in K's mouth. I tried again and before I could finish knotting it, T closed the door, but again the string came off and the tooth didn't. I decided to take more extreme measures so I double knotted the string to the tooth. As soon as the knot was tightened and before I could turn, T slammed the door and K started screaming. As I looked at K I saw a mouth full of blood. T had been successful in pulling his big brother's loose tooth.

That night he put it in his "Tooth Pillow" that he got this past Christmas and when he woke up the "tooth fairy" had forgotten to pick it up. He was a little disappointed, but when he went in his room hours later and found 4 quarters in his pillow in place of his tooth, he exclaimed, "Look, Mommy! God turned my tooth into 4 quarters! That was so nice of Him." I asked him why he thought God had done it and he said it couldn't have been the Tooth Fairy because he hadn't seen anyone go in or come out of his room.... it HAD to have been God! Love the mind and faith of a child.

Back to School

2011-08-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while, but honestly, with business taking off like it has and trying to get school started, it's been a crazy time. In July, I had planned on starting school and taking a week off for a business trip to Ohio, but ended up taking almost the entire summer off. After I got back from my trip, my grandfather passed away and we spent a couple of days in Waco, TX for the funeral. Things are finally starting to settle and get on a schedule. I'm not sure how long it'll last, but hopefully at least a few weeks.

Even though we didn't start school as I had planned, we're ahead of schedule. We just did our 10th day and K is on his 4th week of Astronomy and History, his 22nd week of Math (so we're taking a short break) and his 6th week of English. Mars (full of craters)

Volcano Replica from Venus

L has actually become interested and has started to ask to write. This week, we are focusing on her A's and she's doing great!

Back to School

2011-06-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

K started school this week. I know it seems early, but we're only doing 3 days a week until August. I find that the long breaks off don't do well with us. Not only does K really dread doing anything, but it's hard for me to get back into a routine.

K has almost completed his 1st grade math last month. We only have a few weeks left in it and although I know we don't have to finish every book that we start, I feel that finishing his math book will help him have a better understanding to go to the next level.

Here are a few things we did today that complemented the things we did earlier in the week. The nice thing about the projects are that his brother and sister can do them with us.

For History, we did a little excavating. We just so "happened" to find a toothbrush and a can.

For science, we made the planets. He wanted to hang them in his sister's room in case he wanted to look at them while his brother slept.

They really enjoyed this project. He also started an Astronomy notebook. I'm looking forward to seeing his work progress throughout the year. We are using Apologia for his science. I really like the way it's laid out. We read two days a week and do projects and notebooking one day. So, even when we start doing 5 days a week, we will continue to do science and history 3 days a week.

Baby Boy Outfit

2011-06-10T07:13:00.001-07:00

There are so many babies being born right now in my small circle of friends. It's such a wonderful time. I made a onesie dress for the little girl that was born yesterday. Last night, I made an outfit for a new brother that was born on the 5th. I absolutely adore this outfit and have decided to make T and maybe K one. I might even make L something that matches. I LOVE the stripes on it. This outfit was pretty simple and although it took me a couple of hours, now that I've made one pair of pants, I think I can do another pair pretty quickly. These pants are tapered at the leg ONLY because I messed up. Because they are so small, they were hard to hem the pant leg. Lesson learned!

Onesie Dress

2011-06-08T21:54:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine might be having her baby girl tomorrow so instead of doing the traditional meal that I tend to do, I decided to make her something instead. When I make another one, I will probably gather it more so it flares more. This one is a little too straight for me. I also like the idea of having ruffles on the backside of it in a contrasting color. I think that would be cute, but I haven't researched how to do that yet. :-)
My friend had her baby yesterday. She's gorgeous!!! I will still probably provide a meal, but first I need to buy little gifts for the two brothers.

Twirly Skirt

2011-05-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

I've been itching to make my daughter a "twirly" skirt AND using some extremely bold and bright fabric that I have. After doing some research, I finally found one that I liked. Although I didn't follow the instructions to the tee, this is what I have. It has an elastic waistband and I hemmed the skirt. I'm super excited that she already had the perfect shirt to go with it. Thanks Ms. Alex! It defnitely twirls!!!!

I REALLY like the way it turned out, but if I do another one, I'll probably use more fabrics. I only used 5 different fabrics, but would have preferred 7 or 8. Now, it's time to make the boys something... Stay Tuned!

Repurposed Shirt

2011-05-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've been in the mood to sew lately and I absolutely LOVED this button down shirt that I NEVER wore, so I decided to make something for my daughter out of it instead of just give it away.
If I make another one I will make the top bigger so there is an actual need for elastic. Originally, when my daughter wore it, she had the buttons on the front, but as the day progressed, the dress got lower, so I decided to turn it around and let the back be the front by adding a flower to it.

Peace Like a River

2011-05-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:18

Before I was born, my parents spent a lot of time in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. From the time I was 6 weeks old, maybe younger, my parents started taking me to their favorite destination with my siblings and some of my parent's friends. Most of what I remember from my youth are memories from those weekends and summers. We, as a group, would hike MILES to a waterfall or to the top of a mountain, collect blueberries, tube down the river and walk back singing songs and getting lost in the time. At night we always played cards or dominoes and since we always camped directly near the water, there was always a wonderful sound of serenity flowing not too far away.

When God talks about having peace like a river in Isaiah, I can relate. When I read those words recently all the memories from my youth came flooded my mind. Initially, thinking of a river is very relaxing as you think about the water cascading downstream. I can't recall how many times I fell asleep listening to the music God created. I don't know how often since my youth I have wanted to escape to the mountains just to hear the rushing of the rivers again. A river is very calming and serene, yet underneath the beauty and serenity of the white caps lies a bed of rocks. The bigger the white caps and the louder the music, the bigger the rocks usually are.

Following God's wisdom is VERY much like a river. When we just pay attention and listen to His command the outcome is very serene and appealing to not only us, but everyone around us. It's when we actually obey his commands and have that peace that people notice our peace because we not only fill it inwardly, but we express it outwardly as well. What most people usually only see are the calming effects and the beauty of God's work. What they don't see is the work it took to get that peace. The battle within that happened before we obeyed God. The struggle we went through while we waited to make sure it was really His command and not something we just did or didn't want to do. They don't see the rocks beneath the white caps. It's not until they step into the river that they feel the rocks, pain, and discomfort that are underneath the tranquil peaceful river.

Almost always, peace like a river comes with a little discomfort and sometimes pain of growth. While I might feel peace in one particular are right now, there was a time when God told me to do something and I hesitated because I didn't know if it was His plan or mine. When I finally obeyed and did as I was told, I was flooded with peace knowing His plan was being done. It was very uncomfortable for me to step out of doing something I completely enjoyed and loved. That discomfort and slight nervousness was replaced with deeper cravings for the Word, more time with Him and my family, a better understanding, deeper friendships, opened eyes to something I had not noticed before, a stronger trust, and an even bigger smile than before. Peace.

"IF ONLY" It's so simple. If only my son would have listened to me and not yelled at me he would have been able to stay up later. If only my daughter wouldn't have done something she shouldn't have she wouldn't have got in trouble. If only I could keep things as simple as God intends them to be then I wouldn't have the constant struggle for peace. As my relationship deepens and I get in His Word more, it becomes easier to recognize His calling and prompting and the "If onlys" start to disappear from my hourly, daily, weekly walk and peace like a river becomes more abundant.

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:18

Dress A Girl

2011-05-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

Our local MOPS group gathered today to host a sewing party to make pillowcase dresses for Dress A Girl. In the fall when the group goes to El Savador, they will give the dresses to the girls in need. I wasn't able to attend because I had a Cloth Diaper Showing at my house scheduled, but here's a picture of the dress I made.

Journaling

2011-04-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

It's a concept I heard about. Something someone suggested once. It's even something I suggested to someone else once, yet it's not something I have done since the 5th grade. You know, when you write about your secret crush or how you want to get involved with a certain activity but you're afraid you'll fail. Yeah... a diary. Well, for adults, it's called journaling. *ahem
I started journaling this week and I'm really looking forward to staying on track with this. Sometimes it's easier to get to than the computer.
Although I blog very openly about what God is doing in my life, there are some things I prefer to wait and share until they've come to pass.
God had done great things and continues to do great visible things in my life right now and this year and I'm REALLY excited to see plans that were put into motion 3 years ago starting to be fullfilled. His plans, not mine.
I'm looking forward to being able to look back on the things I may have forgotten and see exactly what God did and the journey He took me on. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you as an entity and not just bits and pieces that might not make sense at the moment. I'm looking forward to sharing some of my testimonies.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Let's Dance

2011-04-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

My children have learned what buttons to push on their brother and/or sister. Although we do not encourage it, sometimes it's cute to watch them "harass" one another or try to get the other one in trouble. One of them will do something to make the other one upset not realizing that we saw everything and then we wait to see if they will tell us the truth. K has often asked me, "How do you know that?" Don't they know we see (almost) everything. :-)
Well, today they wouldn't stop bothering one another so M told them to hold hands. When I walked into the living room, this is what I saw...

they were dancing.

I couldn't help but smile, but since they were in trouble M made them sit on the couch b/c they were having too much fun. Apparently they learned how to dance at their Granny Nee's while we were on vacation. K did a great job of twirling his sister around and she enjoyed being twirled.

Egypt

2011-04-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

Today, for our History lesson, we studied a little about the Egyptians. After visiting the Natural History of Museum on our recent vacation to NYC, I was able to really see the beauty of Egyptian art and the richness of the colors they used, which made me appreciate K's art even more.

Here's what we did today....

First, we mummified K and his favorite toy pet, a bird from McDonald's.

Then, K mummified a few of his other pets...

For art, we created a beautiful blue hippo and a pyramid.

All in all, it was a good day. We learned a lot about the Eyptians and had a little fun too. There's nothing like hands on learning.

I Like Sleep!

2011-03-12T11:47:00.001-08:00

I really enjoy my sleep. I enjoy it so much that my 5 year old and 2 year old don't usually wake me up until they get really hungry. I keep the bottom of the refrigerator stocked with fruit so when they wake up, they can get something to hold themselves over until they REALLY need me. By doing that, I've been able to sleep in an extra hour on most days. When my husband's alarm clock goes off at 4:30 in the morning or when he gets home at 6:30 after working a night shift, I either don't wake up at all or I wake up just enough to kiss him goodbye or good morning and then go right back to sleep.

Much to my surprise this morning, I woke up before my husband's alarm went off. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. I tried. I REALLY tried. Instead, I tossed and turned. Shortly after he left, I crawled out of bed. My alarm wasn't supposed to go off for another hour. *sigh* I could no longer resist the nudge God was giving me to do my study before my day started.

I got ready. The kids were asleep. The house was still dark. It was a perfect time for me to do my Bible Study. A perfect quiet time with the Lord.

I opened my Bible and my lesson was from Isaiah 50:1-11.

Isaiah 50:4b "He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught." If I wouldn't have finally listened to the nudging, I would have missed a very important message.

Thank you for allowing me to be Your servant and waking me up this morning.

I have a feeling I will be waking up early more often.

One Question

2011-03-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

About 4 years ago, an acquaintance from my church invited me to attend BSF. I agreed and went. BSF in an international Bible Study Fellowship that doesn't focus on religion or denomination but on His Word. We are asked not to look at any commentaries or mention the church we attend so that we can be completely open minded to hearing what is being read and studied.
I was really surprised at how many people I knew that had been attending for years and yet I didn't even know about it. It almost felt like a special club. An exclusive club that you had to be "invited" to be a part of. Although you do have to be invited to be a part of it because that's how it's only advertised through word of mouth, what makes it so "special" is the collective group of individuals. You don't have to be in the Country Club. You don't have to have so much money in your account(s). You don't have to be related to someone in particular. You just have to WANT to know His Word better. That's exactly why my friend invited me. We were in the same Sunday School class. She told me I seemed as though I was truly hungry for His Word. I was. I still am.

I started at the end of a year and was able to sign up for the following year. I had NO idea how much my life or anyone else's in my group would be impacted that year or the years to follow. I had a wonderful BSF discussion group leader that I still adore, admire, and pray for to this day. I made small connections with some of the ladies in that group that have extended to MOPS or to life in general. Although some of the ladies in the group had a definite outside connection, I continued to seek a connection with Him. (Galations 1:10)

The study that year was on Matthew. I really enjoyed getting to know the ladies and now watching our kids age together. My group leader would call every week and ask me if I had anything I would like to put on the prayer list. I felt a wonderful connection with her, as most do, and shared a lot with her. One time I asked her if there was anything I could pray for her about. It was a question that made sense. It was a question that deepened our relationship and allowed us to talk about things we may not have discussed before.

Today, almost 4 years later, as my former discussion group spoke to our group as a substitute, she spoke truths from her life. One thing she mentioned was a young girl in one of her groups a few years ago that once asked her if she could pray for her. It meant enough to her that she mentioned it in her lecture.

On my way home from lecture, I got a text informing me that I had been the only person in 10 discussion groups (10 years) that had ever asked her if I could pray for her. The text made me cry. It took me a while to figure out why. I know she is VERY loved, so I know people didn't ask because they didn't care. I know they not only care, but love they her very much. I cried because of God's love. I get a little overwhelmed sometimes in seeing Him work through me because I don't always feel worthy.

As Christ followers, we are called to encourage and lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ. By asking her one question that she had asked others hundreds of times, I was able to encourage a leader that means SO much to me. I had NO idea how much that one question would mean to someone that has had such a profound impact on my life. I can't help but wonder how many times God has used me in ways I never even knew. You see, any encouragement that I give may come from my lips, but is guided by Him.

"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus..." Romans 15:5

How has God used you for His purpose? How is He using you? How has He used someone else in your life to show you His love?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."" Jeremiah 29:11

"90 Minutes in Heaven"

2011-03-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

Before I left for Disney last week, I bought the book "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper. I had been wanting to read it for a couple of years but I finally realized my friend wasn't going to remember to loan me her copy so I bought my own. I read half of it on the way to Disney. Although I enjoy making new friends, I'm glad I had quiet people next to me because I really didn't want to put the book down. It was intriguing and gave me goose bumps.

On the way home, I was exhausted and had a great seat-mate (on the 2nd part of the trip) so I didn't get to finish the book like I had anticipated. Instead I spent the next 1.5 talking about God and family. It was great!

After 2 more short sittings at home, I finally finished it. "90 Minutes in Heaven", is a true story of death and life. It's a personal story about someone spending 90 minutes in heaven while his earthly body laid lifeless from a car accident while the cops waited for the ambulance to arrive to take him to the morgue. God had other plans.

As I finished the book, a wave of memories came back from when I was about 8 years old. Although I don't have a story like Don's, I can honestly say I'm not afraid of death because I know how calm and peaceful it is.

One summer, as I swam toward my older neighbor in a public water park's wave pool, I got tired. I remember reaching out to her and her saying, "I can't". I looked in her eyes and took one last breath. The next thing I knew, I was laying on my back with a lifeguard staring down at me. I know he was blond and lightly tan. I don't remember anything else. I don't remember what happened next or who all was there. I do remember the brightness of everything in between the time I took my last breath to when I took my next breath. I don't know that I ever really shared the in between or talked about it much after. I do remember telling friends that drowning isn't such a bad way to die because there isn't much struggle and there is no pain. I stopped telling people when they looked at me like I was crazy. I was blessed that the lifeguard was paying attention that day and rescued me. After reading Don's book, the memories from those particular moments in my life have been renewed and refreshed as though they just happened yesterday. I know God has a purpose for me and I pray everyday that I fulfill it and follow the path He lays in front of me.

I finished!!!

2011-02-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

I did it! That's what the front of the shirt says and it's true. The Disney Princess Half Marathon can officially be crossed off my bucket list (although it never actually got on it because I don't know what happened to it).

Seven friends took this journey together this past weekend. We all survived and crossed the finish line. It was SO worth it! I had a blast getting to know the ladies and run on the heels of several Snow Whites, Pocahantes, Jasmines (even the guy dressed as Jasmine), Sleeping Beauty (there was a male one of these too), the frog from Princess and the Frog, and a couple of Captain Amercias.

Upon our arrival (which was 2 hours late) Friday evening after dropping our luggage off at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort, we headed to Epcot. We had fun riding a couple of rides and famliarizing ourselves with the transportation system. This is where I should say that I am SO glad I figured it out without the kids because it was a little confusing.

Saturday, we spent the day in Universal Studios and the finished the short evening at Downtown Disney in hopes of getting to bed early for our 3 a.m. departure the next morning for our race. We were all tired and restless. So much, that when I heard the crying baby outside our room a few minutes after I had falled asleep, I jumped out of bed, waking the girl I shared the bed with, only to quickly realize it was NOT my little man. He had stayed home with my mom and grandmother. LOL!

Needless to say, 3 a.m. came REALLY early and very quickly! Despite only have about 5 hours of sleep, we were all in our designated corral at 5 a.m. with the other 13,000+ runners.

The first corral was released at 5:45 and then the remaining were released in 15 min increments. Just like the first corral was released to fireworks, our was too at 6:30ish. Along the route, there were pirates, princes, princesses, pirate ships, and wonderfully lit mile markers. The best mile marker was the 1/2 way mark through the Magic Kingdom 's Castle. It was my first time through it and it was beautiful!

A friend of mine and I ran together almost the entire way. After sprinting the last 3/4 mile, I finished in 2,445th place with a time of 2:16.

Sewing Table

2011-02-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

I finally got a sewing table. It was a Valentine gift delivered on Valentine's day. M did a good job picking it out. I assembled it yesterday and organized it today. I'm looking forward to using it soon. I still need to finish the outfit I started at my mom's when we were there for our Snow Day.

Now I just need a spool rack above it and a cabinet for keeping extra fabric next to it.

Snow Day

2011-02-17T05:47:00.000-08:00

Last week, my mom informed me that they were supposed to get snow. My kids LOVE their Granny Nee and I haven't seen snow in a couple of years, so we took a road trip. It was supposed to snow on Wednesday, so we left on Tuesday. 6 hours later, the kids and I arrived at my moms. When she got home we all took a little trip to Wal-Mart so I could buy some fabric and a dress pattern so I would have something to "do" while we were snowed it. The snow started about 7 am and lasted until about noon. It snowed pretty heavily, but it wasn't wet enough to make a snowman. The 15 minutes that the kids played in the snow with their Granny Nee was worth it.

K didn't want to wait for Granny Nee to get her gloves on.... ...so she got him good when she finally did!When he couldn't get her fast enough, he tried to throw a cup of snow on her but he quickly realized it took too long to fill it up.

snow on her gloves

Warming Up

2011-02-15T20:33:00.001-08:00

Today was a great outside day! Last night before going to bed, my oldest son got in trouble. For him that meant no gaming or computer today. He really doesn't do much of either, but just the fact that he can't play it is enough for him to behave better so he doesn't get punished from it again. You would think it wouldn't matter since he doesn't do either much, but I think it's a control thing. That and the fact that I got a new game for Valentine's day and he's REALLY good at it. He likes being good at things; who doesn't.

Fortunately for us, the weather was really nice so we spent most of the day outside. After we finished school, K played on the water slide while I played in the dirt. I finally got to work in my flower bed and pulled ALL the weeds and transplanted some tulips and other grasses. Now, I just need to buy more flowers for it so I can actually call it what it is... a flowerbed.

It was an eventful and productive day. At one point, I thought my daughter broke her foot. As I was digging weeds, I looked over to find her hold ... let me rephrase that... dropping a rather large concreted rock stepping stone on the top of her foot. She cried. I got to hold her. It bruised. She was playing 15 minutes later.
After she calmed down a bit and I was able to wipe her tears, K decided to play on the trampoline with water. He quickly realized the water wasn't going to warm up so he changed into dry clothes. That didn't last long.

At some point during my weed pulling, I discovered, and then killed, the first snake of the year. Although it wasn't as big as some of the ones I've seen around here, it wasn't a newborn either. I'm just glad it didn't grab onto my finger when I pulled it's bed out of the ground.

When L's speech therapist arrived at the house, I was working on our vegetable garden. All I did was till the ground, but it's one step closer to being ready for vegetables. When she left, I tilled some more while the 3 kids played on the trampoline. T LOVES being lightly bounced by his big brother. Who am I kidding! The boy LOVES his big brother. I'm amazed at how much he already follows K around and gets REALLY upset when he leaves the room. It's kind of cute.

Oh yeah! I even started painting a garden stake that was at the house when we moved here 3 years ago. I was going to paint the foyer, but my husband informed me that HE wanted to do that. One less thing on my list of to-dos.
I'm hoping tomorrow is less eventful and just as or even more productive.

School Day

2011-02-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

What K is learning/doing for "school".

After he read the story above, we played sight word Bingo. He beat me a couple of times. He likes to win.
After reading, we did a little bit of math. I was beginning to think he didn't know how to draw a straight line, but he finally did on the last problem. LOL

After reading and math, we ran errands and I purchased some tangrams. When we got home, they immediately openend them and starting making things. It was really fun to watch. I'm looking forward to using them a lot in the future.

New Year's Resolution

2011-02-03T18:46:00.001-08:00

I tried really hard and was doing good for a while, but have seemed to fallen back into my old habits. I can't seem to update my blog as often as I had originally hope. I noticed that it's been 10 days since my last post. Sorry!

I have several things to blog about, but tonight I'm going to tell you one of my New Year's Resolution.

As you can see on the right side of my blog, I am a member of Facebook. Although I try not to spend too much time on it, I find myself doing most of my Thirty-One business through FB, so I catch myself on it more than I would like. So, I decided to make it a part of my NYR.
When the new year started, I had a little over 650 "friends", all of which I personally know or have met (except for one blog follower). In realizing that I don't get to see or talk to every person on my "friend's list" very much, I decided that I would pay each and every person one sincere true to them heartfelt compliment. At the time I started I decided to give one compliment a day to two different people. So far, it's going well. Although I've missed a day or two, I've always gone back and caught up.
It's been great reading some of their responses. I don't know how or why I choose the people I compliment, but I do look through my list every single time before making the choice. What I've realized is that more times than not, God knew who needed it and He directed my choice. There have been several times that those that I have complimented said they needed it that day or it turned their day around. God knew.
Aside from those reading this now, there are only a couple of people that know about it because they asked. I didn't feel it was necessary to share it with everyone and I know there aren't many that read this, so I feel safe knowing it won't really get around. :-)
My "friend's list" has grown to almost 700 people and things are starting to get interesting and a little challenging because I will ONLY give honest compliments and I haven't seen some of these "friends" in over 15 years. Oh, the joy of the memory. *cough*cough*
Since doing this for 34 days, I can honestly say, it's one of the things I look forward to doing every night after the kids go to bed. The Bible says we should encourage one another. I decided to take advantage of something we have and do what I am commanded.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Not Another Bath

2011-01-21T18:23:00.001-08:00

My daughter has been potty-trained for over a year now. She still has occasional accidents when she finds herself caught in the moment of play and doesn't want to stop what's she doing for a potty break. When that does happen, she gets in trouble and is no longer allowed to continue what she was doing for a while. Well... the other day, everyone took early baths in hopes that bedtime would happen a little quicker and not be so rushed. L took her bath first, got dressed and played around a little bit. When she realized K was about to take his bath, as soon as she heard the water running, she started stripping down in preparation for another bath. Needless to say, she was a little disappointed when I told her that she wasn't taking a bath because she had already had one. I guess she didn't like that because after she started walking away, she turned to me and said, "I pee pee in my panties". Yep! She pee peed in her panties so she could get a bath because she thought I wouldn't know what she had down. Call me a bad mom if you will, I don't care. She went to bed smelling like urine that night.
She'll be 3 in April.

Yes, She Did!

2011-01-20T21:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true! My daughter sported a purple long sleeve shirt, a matching hair bow, purple crocs, socks and a pull-up around church Wednesday night. She's been potty trained for over a year and she decided to have an accident the one night I didn't have her bag of clothes with us. It was great! I made her wear her jacket around her waist. She could have cared less.

Grandfather's 93rd B-Day

2011-01-20T18:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was SO exhausting. We drove to Waco for my grandfather's 93rd birthday. Overall, it was fun. I met some more cousins and became reacquainted with ones I hadn't seen since I was a kid. Afterward, we drove 2 hours to Austin, where we stayed the night with my brother. The kids adore my brother's family and had a blast. K especially liked his cousin's boyfriend because he let him beat him up.

My grandfather and some of his grandkids and great-grandkids.

My grandfather and some of his children. I think two of them were grandkids.
My parents. My brother and his family with my mom, dad, and my grandmother

(my mom's mom).

notice my daughter is gone... (see picture below) L eating with her cousin. She couldn't understand anything he said because he's from Scotland, but she liked him.
We were able to finally put her food down and take a picture.

Brother and his kids, my dad, my mom, grandma, and me with my kids

Finally! A picture with my parents and my kids

My niece and her boyfriend... they're so cute!Pillow Fight!!!(Pretend) Sword Fighting Until next time!!!

Pappy and his baby girl

M's godson

2011-01-13T19:06:00.000-08:00

I wish I had something funny to post today, but unfortunately not. We got a text last night about 11 p.m. letting us know that M's 16 year old godson had died in a car wreck that evening. Apparently he was speeding in his mom's car when he lost control, went into a ditch, flipped a couple of times, and then hit a tree. He died immediately. The 15 year old passenger was taken to the hospital and was put on life support. The doctors are optimistic about his recovery.
My heart goes out to their families. Michael was a handsome young man that loved life. He had a wonderful spirit and a great sense of humor. He seemed to get a long great with everyone. We didn't get to spend much time with him, but that didn't lessen our love for them. They were one of the first families I got to meet when my husband and I started dating. The boy's dad and M are childhood friends, so the connection is really strong. We will continue to pray for them as they learn to endure a new way of life based on memories. I pray they hold them close as they learn a new way of life.

He Dances

2011-01-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

K has really like his Spanish CD. I can't wait to show this to him when he's older. He didn't know I was videoing or he wouldn't have done this. The boy is so silly when he's in a good mood. Love him SO much!

Stalker

2011-01-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that I have a stalker? Yep! They read my blogs and FB page to see what's going on, but they NEVER post comments on my blog, yet text me to ask me why I didn't put something particular on the blog. So, the next few blogs are for the family stalker. I hope you enjoy them too! :-)

Details

2011-01-11T19:44:00.001-08:00

Today was quite a day. The kids let me sleep in until 7, which was really nice. When I went into the living room, K was playing on his Spanish game. I love the fact that he really has NO idea that he's learning. hehehe... it can be our secret for a little while longer. After he ate breakfast, I decided to try something a little different. While he did his math work, I played Mozart in the background. I think the kids enjoyed it some because at one point they acted as though they were the conductors of an orchestra. It was so cute!

L started and finished the day as a princess that she is. Now that she picks out her own clothes, she's really wearing out her princess dresses. While K did math and reading, L did some alphabet work. After that, they both drew pictures for me. They both did a really good job. I was impressed with both of them. Didn't she do a great job drawing me?

We had a first today. K actually told his sister to "Go to H*ll". Uh? What? He knew it was something he shouldn't have said. When I asked him where he heard it, he didn't want to tell me. He finally fessed up that it was from a fellow homeschool kid from church. Church of all places. Really? Well, we had a little talk and know he knows exactly what Hell is and what it's purpose is for. That's NOT something we say in our household to anyone EVER! He understood.

After all that excitement calmed down, I took a business call and then ran a business errand. Shortly after we got home, a friend came over to get some balloons that I thought I had. Fortunately, I realized we didn't have them before she got there and was able to go to the store to get some. I had offered to blow up some balloons for her while she cooked a special meal for her husband's birthday. She wasn't going to have time to do it and we both agreed that balloons help make a birthday and her kids would love it.

Needless to say, she left and decided to come back a couple of hours later. I was able to blow up enough balloons to fill one trash bag before my kids starting fighting over the bag of balloons. They got in trouble. The phone rang and then the doorbell rang. Our friends were here and the lady on the phone was wanting to book a party. Oh boy! As the kids nagged to come out of their room, I got off the phone as my friend patiently waited for everything to calm down so we could chat and hang out. The kids came out of their room and played for a bit while I was able to have a much needed adult conversation with my friend. As soon as she left, M drove up. We had sandwiches for dinner. Yum Yum! They all played for a bit, took a bath, and got ready for bed. Here it is now 10 p.m. and I'm trying to catch up on computer work and still need to finish my Bible Study. Now that I've typed out my day the question is... Did you really need to know all of those details?

thirty-one

2011-01-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

For those of you that may not know, I have officially started my own business (again). I'm really excited about it and look forward to sharing it with anyone and everyone. The name of the company is thirty-one. It's based on Proverbs 31 and the virtuous woman. They do a really good job of celebrating, encouraging, and rewarding women for their hard work. I got started at the end of September and became Sr. Consultant in December and am looking to promote to Director in Feb or March. It's a great company that offers great products to help organize your life and home. One of the best things about it is that it only cost $99 to get started and you get over $200 worth of product which really does sell itself. Almost anything can be embroidered for a low price of $6.

Day in the Park

2011-01-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

After Spa Day at MOPS this morning, I took the kids to the park. They had a great time and T made a new friend.

She kept giving him kisses... so sweet!

By the time we got home M had finished the floors in the laundry room He did such a great job! Now, I'm really getting excited about the sewing area and extra cabinets and shelving he's going to be build. YEAH!!!

After M went to work, the kids and I went to a friend's house for dinner and fellowship. The kids had fun as usual and it was nice getting some adult interaction. As soon as we got home (they live 1.8 miles from us) L changed clothes and immediately went to bed. Poor thing was so tired she didn't even wait for me to read her a book.

My Sleeping Beauty

2011-01-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

L had a really tough day today. Poor baby was tired. At one point she was one the couch watching a movie. When I turned around because she had been so quiet for so long, this is what I found... my Sleeping Beauty.K got a couple of bags of clothes today from a friend at church. In it, was this Black Spiderman Costume. It was one of the first things he put on after he finally took the snow boots (that he said he's always wanted) off. Here's a pic of my Spiderman and Princess watching a movie. I think this was probably one of the longest amount of times she has ever sat still for anything. It didn't last the entire movie, but it was quiet for a little while.

Growing Too Fast!

2011-01-05T19:05:00.000-08:00

Today was yet another good day. Once we stop having so many great days to talk about, I will update with Christmas pictures I promise.

School went really well today but mostly because I told K he couldn't shoot his bow until all his work was complete. He finished in record time. K is breezing through his "1st grade" math and has already done two weeks of work in a couple of days. I think Math and Science are going to be his strong areas.

As you know from yesterdays post, T started crawling yesterday. I have to say the boy wastes no time. When I walked in his room this morning, he was standing in his crib. I really thought I had at least a couple of weeks before he would start doing that. They grow so fast. I forgot to mention that his first tooth is coming in too. It hasn't broke through the gums yet, but I can see the whiteness of it every time he takes a bite of his baby food.

I am fully aware that my baby is wearing Christmas pajamas. It's O.K. Really

I finally was able to run again. Unfortunately, it wasn't very far. I was only able to run about 2 miles before I started having side pains and had to stop. I was a little disappointed considering I was able to run 7 miles a couple of weeks ago. I only have 7 weeks until the Disney 1/2 Marathon. I really need to figure out a way I can run more often.

After my run, M started laying floors down in our laundry room. He's decided to go ahead and tackle it so he can build a sewing station for me in there. I'm really excited about that. I really don't like taking my sewing machine out of a box and then putting it back in every time I want to use it.

Before

During

As you can see from the bottom left of the picture, M still has a little more to do. We have to move our freezer before he can finish. Hopefully tomorrow. (*fingers crossed*)

A Great Day!

2011-01-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

I posted something this morning in hopes of not needing to post anything again this evening, but it was such a great day that I just had to share the highlights with you.

For Christmas, K got a hunter's bow from his Granny Nee and great-great Uncles. We took it back because it was a right handed bow and he's left handed. After returning it, we realized K is right eye dominate, which is a bigger factor than him being left handed when shooting a bow. We went back to the store the day we took it back, but much to our dismay they wouldn't sell it back to us. M got online that day and ordered him another one. K has literally been counting down the days and when the UPS truck stopped at our house today, we had one excited little man. As soon as they opened the box K was outside practicing. He was actually pretty good and picked it up really quickly.

After we watched K shoot his new bow for a while, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and work in our garden a little bit so I planted a grape plant and a raspberry bush. They're guaranteed to grow so I'm interested to see if I can be the one person that can't grow something that's guaranteed.

A little later while L was taking her bath, T decided to start crawling. At almost 9.5 months, he's finally getting around. He still gets mad if I leave the room because he can't keep up and so he doesn't even try, but when he's occupied in play, he crawls really well. Oh, and his first tooth is finally shining through. Although I can't feel it, I can see it. He doesn't do teething very well.

Later in the evening as I sat at my computer checking my e-mail I heard this scratching noise on my plastic dining room table. I thought my daughter was eating (her third dinner). I should have known better.

I'm really glad that we haven't found a nice dining room table yet. We might just wait until T is past this stage before we buy a nice one. Luckily it was washable markers so she was able to clean it up pretty easily.

Sleeping Baby

2011-01-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

The old saying "Never Wake a Sleeping Baby" is upheld in this house. I don't like going anywhere if I have to wake any of my kids. Fortunately, last night when I took this picture, I wasn't planning on going anywhere. I had to take it because this is how his big brother slept when he was this age.

Here's a picture of K when he was a baby.

There's something about having a blanket on or over their faces that help them sleep better I guess.

First Grade

2011-01-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

Today wasn't too bad. It could've been worse that's for sure. You see, K has this idea that he has to know everything and always be right. When he doesn't know something, he gets really impatient and tunes everything out. We're helping him learn that it's O.K. to ask for help when you don't know something as opposed to just when you need something from someone. His math is still a little simple, but he got a little frustrated because he didn't understand what I was asking him to do. While he calmed down, I colored with L. As soon as he was ready, he asked for help and he accomplished the task pretty easily.
I read today that a friend of mine's kindergartner was learning fractions. K just finished his "K" math and there were no fractions. There aren't even fractions in his 1st grade math, but he'll get there. It gets a little hard sometime knowing what the public school system is teaching and knowing that my son isn't learning that right now, but then I realize, we've already talked about that and there are a lot of things the public school won't teach the kids that K will know and he will eventually learn fractions from a workbook as opposed to when we're eating pizza or cooking, which is very practical.
L colored a LOT today. She's getting a lot better at coloring inside the lines. She picked it up pretty quickly once her daddy sat down with her and colored a little. For some reason, I'm O.K. with my daughter coloring outside the lines right now. I'd like for her to start learning her colors. For now, everything is pink. I can hardly get her to count to four with me, but today, I heard her count to 6 when she was looking to see how much formula T had in his bottle. She knows more than she lets us know.

Homeschool

2011-01-02T21:25:00.000-08:00

K finished his "K" curriculum before Christmas and so tomorrow begins a new day with a new "curriculum" with LOTS of new things to learn. He's pretty excited about doing "1st grade" work. Although he did advance to the next level in Math and we're using a different curriculum for reading, the only thing extra we are adding is Language Arts and History/Science. I've decided we are going to do History 2 days a week and Science 3 days a week. K seems to like the hands-on Science experiments a lot better than the fact side of things. I'm really glad the history that we are going to be working with has a lot of hands on activities. I just hope he doesn't get bored with the details before we get to the activity. I'll post details in the next day or two on how it went.

Happy New Year!!!!

2011-01-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of 2011. One of my (three) resolutions is to get better at keeping up with my blog so that the one reader I have can get the juicy details that I don't put on Facebook. hehehe

Today was a really great day to the start of the upcoming year. After M woke up (from working nights), we went to his parent's house for our annual New Year's meal. I never really liked cabbage until I had my father-in-law's. He really knows how to cook and I'm blessed that my husband can cook good too. Truth is, I don't think my father-in-law has ever cooked anything I didn't like.

We had cabbage, pork, black eyed peas, rice and gravy, rolls instead of cornbread, and mashed potatoes. It was yummy. After we ate, K shot the gun a little and then him and his Nana caught lizards. :-) I have a wonderful video of L trying to get away from the lizard, but I don't think she would really appreciate me posting it.

I think she thought she was going to get a turn, but he didn't return the favor.

As soon as we got home, M went to work, the kids got ready for bed, we all hung out, and they went to bed quite easily. While they were sleeping, I had the chance to blog hop a little and decided to make something that was much needed.

Before:

After:

My little man is drooling so much that we go through 3-4 bibs a day. We can't have enough, so I decided to make some. I bought the dog print fabric a while back to try to make a cloth diaper. Needless to say, I haven't got to that yet.

Advent Calendar 2010

2010-12-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

This past Christmas we did the Jesse Tree along with an Advent Calendar (with pockets) that I made. Christmas is one of my most favorite times of year because K always reminds me and asks me to read him the verses of the day. I need to figure out a Biblical countdown calendar for every month.with all the ornaments

next to the tree we hang the ornaments on

9 Months

2010-12-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

My baby turned 9 months today! The time is going so quickly, but I'm sure that has something to do with taking care of two other little ones. I'm fortunate that he's not trying to "grow" up too quickly as he's not even crawling yet. He can get around by turning his backside and he's even pulled himself up once, but not really mobile YET. I'm completely O.K. with that though. I know he's capable and will take off when he's ready. He still doesn't really like table food, but will eat the baby crackers and stage 2 baby food. I think I might have seen him actually eat a Cheerio the other day though. L absolutely adores him and doesn't like to hear him cry and she always makes sure that I know when he is crying.
I took a picture of him today, but unfortunately am not able to upload it, so I will take another one tomorrow to post.

Family Ring

2010-12-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

Now that T is almost 9 months old, I finally added his birthstone to my mother's ring. Although the stone is a little smaller than the others, I like the way it turned out. It's hard to tell in the picture, but there are two diamonds next to one another. As you can see, I decided to do something a little different. Instead of a typical "mother's" ring, I have a family ring. The first two stones represent my husband and myself.

Yes, the ring is on a McDonald's napkin. I thought it was fitting.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

This year, I made the kid's Christmas outfits. I had originally planned to just make L's and then I got the idea to make the boy's shirts from a friend. L's dress needs to be altered, but I don't think it's too bad for my first dress. I think the boy's shirts turned out pretty cute.

It's hard to believe they're getting so big. K liked his shirt so much that he asked to wear it all day. He makes me so proud. I love being a mommy to these 3 kids!

Oh, and can you tell the kids helped me decorate the tree and I didn't move a single ornament.

Advent Calendar

2010-12-15T20:26:00.000-08:00

This was the first thing I made on my own with my sewing machine. I made a reusable Advent Calendar to hold the ornaments we put on our Jesse Tree every morning starting Dec. 1 to countdown to Christ's birth. With all the ornaments on the outside of the pockets.

Here you can only see the first 5 ornaments that we had already done. The rest are in their pocket until their day comes. I love Advent. I love how K gets so excited about putting the ornament on the tree and actually asks for the corresponding story. If only ALL of school were that easy.

M & T

2010-12-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

Just because....

Poor baby had been bitten by a couple of mosquitos.

T @ 8 months

2010-12-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

T turned 8 months and although he's been rolling over for months, I haven't seen him do it yet. I think he's a little sneakier than his sister was.

Birthday Gifts

2010-12-15T20:17:00.000-08:00

We had a couple of birthday parties last month. Since I never know what to buy young girls, I made them something instead.

A box to keep her special things in.

An apron for when she helps in the kitchen. (It's reversible, double sided)

K's Baptism

2010-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

The most important thing that has happened since our last visit in October is K's baptism. This was a decision he made over a month ago, but I postponed it because I wanted to make sure he was ready and really knew what he was wanting and asking to do. One night, while we were reading My Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews, I pointed out to K that the characters in the book believed in God. He asked me how I knew and I showed him a plaque they had hanging on their kitchen wall that said, "Bless This House Oh Lord We Pray". That set off a conversation about what it means to believe in God and what being a Christian is about. Immediately, without prompting, he said the believers prayer and told me he was ready to get baptized. It happened so quickly that I honestly didn't know what to do or how to react at first. Of course, I was very excited, but at the same time, he is only 5. Luckily, not too many of his friends had been baptized yet, so I know there wasn't any pressure. After a month of two of talking to him about what being baptized means and talking to our Children's Pastor, K was baptized and he did GREAT!!!! His sweet little voice echoed throughout the sanctuary and although I couldn't see everyone, I could hear their little giggles of adoration.

After church, we went to lunch at K's restaurant of choice... McDonald's, with some friends.

I didn't take enough pics of his day. I'm sad to say I don't have any of us together as a family or him with his Nana.

Oops! (Again)

2010-12-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

WOW!!! I guess, like those of you reading this, I have been a little busy and have fallen behind on my blog updates. These next few blogs hopefully will be able to catch you up.
Since Oct. 1, L rode her first horse, and LOVED it. I am in business for myself again. I became a Thirty-One Consultant and am loving it. M went hunting in NM and killed his first elk. We now (or did) have over 300 pounds of meat. I bought a sewing machine and have made several things so far (I'll post pics later). K learned to ride his bike. I'm still training for a 1/2 marathon, but have been advised by my Dr. not to train anymore (more details later). The kids sitter of 4 years graduates Saturday and is moving to New Orleans soon. We only have 10 days left until Christmas and 2011 is right around the corner. I'm sure I'm missing something, but I won't really know until I start looking at pictures. See ya in the next blog!

A Day of Firsts

2010-10-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

K and L both had a day of firsts and I am so glad I was able to witness both of them. The church had a big event for Upward's last day of games. They had a petting zoo, big jumps, horse rides, free food, and games of course. As soon as we walked up to the playing fields, L started pointing at the horses. She kept saying, "I wanna see horses". Since K had a game, I told her we would go pet them after the game. By the time we got around to it, they were giving rides. L decided she wanted to ride one, so we waited in line. I just knew we would wait in line, get up to the horse, and then she wouldn't even touch it, because that's what happened a month ago when we went to my mom's. I was wrong. Not only did she drag me to the horses, but she picked out the one she wanted to ride on, and had a blast! She was so excited to tell everyone that she "rode a horsie".

Later that evening, when M got home, K rode his bike for the very first time. M had taken the petals off a couple of days ago so K could learn how to balance it without interference. Once he got to where he could turn without falling and got confidence, he asked his daddy to put the petals back on. He was able to ride it his very first time. Within 3 tries, we was able to actually start the bike by himself too. He was so excited that we wanted to go around the block. I know what we'll be doing after church tomorrow.

Last Day of Soccer

2010-10-30T18:15:00.001-07:00

Today was K's last soccer game of the season. Although he started the season out, uh.. not so good, he finished pretty good. He likes to be goalie, so every time the other team started kicking the ball toward their goal, he would run and stand in the goal. They don't have goalies, but this is something he learned this summer at soccer camp and it was his favorite position, so he didn't understand they weren't playing without a goalie. It was cute!
Although I don't know that we will be playing soccer as an organized sport again anytime soon, I had fun watching the kids play and K enjoyed being on a winning team and watching his teammates score.
Next week, K is going to start going back to gymnastics and maybe even start swimming lessons soon.

K's Hair Cut

2010-10-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

The other day K kept asking me if he could cut his hair. After a while, when I finally had few moments of calmness and quiet, I told him he could but I was going to finish cutting it when he was done. At first he was surprised, but then he disappeared and I kept cooking. After about 15 minutes, the quietness of the house became too much and I began wondering where he was. I found him in the bathroom. I had completely forgotten that I had allowed him to cut his own hair. Had I realized that soccer pictures were that same week, I might have reconsidered. Needless to say, he got LOTS of compliments on his hair cut that week and it made me smile every time I saw it.

Let Me Vacuum!

2010-10-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

The other day, K asked if he could help vacuum the vehicles. As usual, I let him. After a few minutes, I noticed he wasn't vacuuming. As I walked around the vehicle, I noticed the shop vac was attached to his eye. I'm not sure if he just thought it felt cool or if he was really trying to suck his eye out, but whatever his reason... it gave me a reason to take a picture.

6 months

2010-10-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

I know my little man is almost 7 months now, but here's a picture of him at 6 months. As you can see, he can sit on his own, but hasn't learned how to sit up by himself yet. I'm really OK with that though. He doesn't really like to be on his belly much, but he LOVES to jump in the jumper. While I was at BSF the other day, they informed me that he jumped for the entire 2 hours (aside from diaper change and feeding times.)

Gotta love the drool!

Don't Fall!

2010-09-09T06:10:00.001-07:00

The girl likes adventure... much like her mom!

Line Up!

2010-09-09T05:57:00.000-07:00

L was playing in her room the other day when she suddenly got quiet. Here's a picture of what I found when I walked into her room.

She had lined up her shoes on her bed all nice and neat. Although she normally tosses her shoes wherever when she takes them off, I've noticed that she randomly like to organize things. She's done it with their rocking chairs, shoes, and her dolls. I hope it's something that develops as she gets older. It sure would help maintain some organization in the house.

Playing in the ....

2010-09-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

I had gone for a run and when I came home they kids and M were playing in the water on the trampoline. By the time I got the camera, they had already gotten off, but I still wanted to capture the moment. I'm not sure who had more fun... M or the kids. That's parenting in it's finest. Everyone had a blast!

Say Cheese!

2010-09-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

K is the only one smiling in this picture. I'm not sure how I managed that. He's usually the one NOT smiling.

At the Beach

2010-08-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today, after M left to go to his dad's house to help pack for their hunting trip that's coming up, K asked if we could go to the beach. The weather was nice. I didn't have a reason to say no, so we did. I got the 3 kids ready, got their food and snacks ready, packed a few toys, loaded the little potty (just in case), and we headed to the beach. As soon as we got there, K took off. Before I could lay the towel down on the sand, K was already out thigh deep. He was ready to jump in and swim. Lucky for me, he didn't. They played in the water and built sand castles. We stayed for a little over an hour, but had a good time. K is already asking when we're going to go back.

T just hanging out... T did pretty good, but as soon as I put him in the van, he fell asleep.

In His Heart

2010-08-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Last night while reading Very Last First Time with K, I pointed out that the main characters believe in God. He asked me how I knew. I showed him the plaque on their kitchen wall that says "Bless this house oh Lord we pray". He said he believes in God and we talked about what it meant to have Jesus in your heart and how He gets there. Immediately, K prayed for Jesus to come into his heart. He did it without being prompted or suggested. It was the sweetest thing.

4 (5) Month Check-Up

2010-08-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

T had his "4 month" check-up today. Yes, I know he's 5 months, but since we don't vaccinate, it's O.K. Really. He weighs 14 lb 6 oz (88%). He's 26 in. long (73%) and his head is 17.5 in. around (95%) ~ surprise, surprise to that hehehe. I just thought he was the smallest baby. All in all, he's healthy and doing well.

PB & J

2010-08-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

K made his own pb & j sandwich the other day and he did pretty good. He's getting so big!

Math

2010-08-24T06:12:00.000-07:00

I've decided to allow K to write his math work on the white board instead of the worksheets and it seems to be going better. He enjoys it more and he's actually doing pretty good at math, but then again, he has been adding since he was 3.

Nap Time

2010-08-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

The other day, I put L in her room to take a nap. After she played in her room for an hour, I allowed her to come out since she apparently was NOT going to take a nap. When I told her she could come out, I realized what she had been doing.... playing dress up.

About an hour or two later, she finally fell asleep right next to her bug friends. She had taken her shirt off because she had spilled water on it.

5 Months

2010-08-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

T is officially 5 months old... He can hold his bottle (when he wants), he can sit up for short periods of time and he started sleeping through the night (finally).

Colors & Art

2010-08-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

In teaching L her colors, I found this cute little catepillar at www.dltk.com , colored it, and cut it out. It's really great for sorting and seperating colors. We are also working on animals and yes, that is a blue horse. ;-)Some of K's artwork from the day... from top (left to right) smiley face, river, box, don't remember what the next two are... another box, a pencil, a Christmas tree, a fish and weeds, nothing, shooting stars, a baseball bat, and a flying bat.

Cloth Diapers

2010-08-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

When my daughter was a baby, I had considered cloth diapering, but never took the jump. Recently, I started thinking about it again and I finally made an order. Well, today, when we got home, there was a package at the door.

When I started this mothering journey, I never imagined I would be a stay-at-home mom, but I am. I never thought I would homeschool my kids, but I am. Never in my wildest thoughts would I be using cloth diapers, but not only am I going to use them, but I'm really looking forward to it and am excited about it. I have a friend coming over on Monday to show me more.

1st Field Trip 2010

2010-08-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

K had been asking to go to Chuck E Cheese's for about a week. We were going to go a few days ago, but he got in trouble and we weren't able. This morning, (the public school's first day), I decided to take the kids, knowing it probably wouldn't be too busy. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, L started clapping profusely. It was cute. We don't go that often, so I didn't realize she would know where we were, but not only did she know where we were, but she was excited to be there. Although there were a few moms, it was nice to worry about my kids while they played because there were only a couple of other moms there. Alex ended up meeting us, ate lunch with us, played with the kiddos, and beat K in a game of air hockey. They had a good time.

Baby Sling

2010-08-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

As of lately, T has been very clingy and doesn't really want to be put down. Since, like most moms, I have things I need to do, I pulled out the Hotsling and wrapped him on my hip. Although it didn't last long, it didn't take long for L to pick up the sling and try it on once I put it down. She realized very quickly how it worked, what it was for, and that it was too big. Luckily, I had some spare fabric around and I was able to make her one for her doll. She loves it and hasn't taken it off or let her doll go since. At one point, she tried to get something to drink, but as soon as she thought she was going to drop her doll, she turned to me and asked me to refill her cup.

Why the Fight?

2010-08-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today was the public school's first day of school, so I decided to take the kids to Chuck E Cheese's. K had been asking to go for a while now and we either didn't have the time or he got in trouble and we were unable to go. I was really excited about taking them today. I always look forward to seeing their faces when they get to do something they've really been wanting to do for a while.
I woke up this morning expecting today to be a wonderful day. We were finished with school by 8 a.m. and I was going to surprise the kids by treating them to pizza and playtime.
When we got to Chuck E Cheese's, the 2 oldest were so excited. K immediately took the tokens he had from the last time we were went and started playing games and L ran around touching and "playing" every game that someone wasn't on. Then, Ms. Alex showed up and L and her started "playing games" together. Shortly thereafter, the pizza arrived at the table and K obediently came and ate. L on the other hand took a little longer and then once she got to the table, she didn't want to sit. It took her a little longer to eat. After they finished their meal, they got down and spent the rest of their tokens and ended up winning 144 tickets, which was able to get K a rocket and L a sucker. All was right with the world.
UNTIL.... we got home! I don't think we were home 15 minutes when they started arguing, fighting, and screaming at one another. After unsuccessfully trying to calm them down, I told them it was nap time and the dreaded, "I HATE YOU!" came from my firstborn's mouth. At first I was a little taken back and didn't know what to do. I mean really! I just took him somewhere he had been asking to go because HE wanted to go. The ONLY reason I wanted to go was because he wanted to go. I really enjoy watching them have fun. I love having fun with them, so I honestly don't understand why he feels the need to be so disrespectful. Not only did the words he said hurt, but it made me angry. It made me so angry that he got disciplined like I haven't disciplined him in a while. I had stopped doing that because it didn't seem to make anything better, but actually made things worse sometimes. Now, I don't know. I feel bad for what I did, but luckily I was able to maintain some self-control and didn't do what actually went through my head at that moment.
I want my kids to be happy, but not at the expense of mistreating others and being disrespectful. I also want to be an example of what a loving mother is. A mother with mercy and grace, but still has boundaries and still gets respect. I know my kids are young and it's "just a phase", but at what age do people stop allowing that to be an excuse and start teaching responsibility. I know I'm not perfect, but sometimes I don't know if my best is good enough. Then I realize, God knows I'm good enough and it's Him I should be living for, not my kids or anyone else.
I know how much it hurts when my son tells me, " I hate you" or "I don't love you" or "You're not my mother." It's hard not to break down in tears and wonder what I'm doing wrong.
I can't begin to imagine the pain God suffers when His children not only ignore Him, but choose to believe He doesn't care. I'm grateful I have a merciful God that allows me to be imperfect, doesn't expect me to get it right every time and loves me anyway. I don't expect any of my children to be perfect. I know they can't always control their emotions or behaviors, but what kind of mom would I be if I didn't help them try? All 3 kids are taking a nap right now as I type this, but I can't seem to enjoy the "quiet" time.

He Likes it Cold

2010-08-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

M and I realized that T sleeps the best when he's sleeping in our bed under the fan on high. I don't know if it's because of the noise or the coldness, but we really don't want to get in the habit of him sleeping in our bed, so we improvised and tried to recreate the atmosphere in his bed. Notice the fan at the head of his bed and above his head. As you can see, he does like to cover his face, but he does sleep better with the fans. Last night, I put pants on him and he did a lot better. Hopefully I will get a full night sleep soon.

BINGO

2010-08-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

To help reinforce numbers, K and I played a little BINGO. We didn't make it to "BINGO", but we took turns calling out the letters and filling the squares. It was pretty effective in helping him recognize numbers past 20.

1st day of School

2010-08-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Today, we started "school" and everything went pretty smoothly. We started the morning with breakfast and devotional. I bought this book at the MOPS Convention and I like it. The devotions are enough to have a conversation with your child, but not too long that you loose their attention. It also has a Bible verse as well as a prayer for the day.

After breakfast and devotions, we did a little math, then we did a few things from Five in a Row with the book Papa Piccolo. We did a little experiment with food coloring in learning about primary and secondary colors. Now, K is excited about taking baths again because we're going to add food coloring to help him reinforce the learning. I found this "snake" on www.dltk.com and it did a great job in aiding him to learn how to count by 2's. We cut it out and glued it together and drug it around the house for a couple of hours while reciting the numbers. I don't think he realized he was learning to count a faster way because he was having so much fun with his new pet snake. After we finished school, K and L played in the sink. They started off with the cups and then, once again, added food coloring for different effects. Their personalities are SO different. My little drama queen is pretending that she's in trouble. As soon as I took the picture, she started laughing. LOL! I love them!

Learning Games

2010-08-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday, after church K, L, and I played games. At one time, I was playing Candyland and Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed at the same time. I think L played about 10 games in about 2 hours. It was a lot of fun and a great start to "school".
K is getting pretty good at spelling and reading 3 letter words. I like this Boggle game, but unfortunately the letters on the blocks don't make it easy to spell "sun" since the only "s" and "u" are on the same block. We improvised and made it happen though. I'm looking forward to a great year of kindergarten.

Controlling???

2010-07-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am very aware that my son has a strong personality and has a stubborn streak, muck like his momma, but I got a new realization today when I picked him up from soccer camp.
I arrived about 30 minutes early so I could watch him in "action". Shortly after we arrived, his team settled down for a break and play time at the playground. As I watched him climb the rock wall with no help, I quickly realized he's growing up and becoming more independent. That's one of those bittersweet moments. I'm glad that he's becoming independent, as I don't want him to depend on us when he's 30, but at the same time, he is only 5. It doesn't seem as though he should be old enough to do things like that by himself. When he got to the top of the rock wall, he walked to the end of the bridge and "trolled" the bridge. He put his arms out as though he wasn't going to let anyone pass. After watching for a little while, I saw him let the other kids go by but there were often short conversations before they would pass.
When I picked him up from camp, he said he had a good time and did a lot more today than he did yesterday. After he told me about playing soccer, I asked him about the playground incident. He smiled and said, "Oh, yeah. They had to tell me please before I would let them by." No one ever got rude or upset with the other person, but my son controlled the funnest part of the playground by making the other kids say please to get by.

School

2010-07-27T07:15:00.001-07:00

Although the summer has been extremely busy, I've had time to reflect on K's school and what we should be doing this upcoming year for kindergarten. Despite what I "think" we should do, God keeps leading me back to what I "know" we should do and the two are completely different. Last year, K started My Father's World K-curriculum. He did 14 weeks of work (in about 30 minutes a day) in a month. I don't think he was challenged enough and got bored. The previous years, we had done Before Five in a Row and started Five in a Row, and he really enjoyed it. I don't think he realized he was learning and although we didn't do much writing those years (he was only 3-4), he learned a tremendous amount and still enjoys reading the books and talking about what he learned.

He can read pretty good, but he's not interested in reading, but he enjoys being read to ~ when he's not playing outside. He's also not interested in writing AT ALL, so his handwriting has a lot to be desired, of course he did just turn 5. The great thing about homeschooling is that you don't have to do what everyone is, but can tailor your child's education based on their personal level and enjoyment. I'm looking forward to this year and "finishing" kindergarten with K and doing pre-K3 with L.

4 months

2010-07-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that my baby is already four months old. Although I think he's too young, he was trying to get on his hands and knees the other day. I don't know what I would do if he started crawling in the next month or two. I'm not ready for that yet!

this is his "deer in headlight"

Soccer Camp

2010-07-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Today, K started Soccer Camp. I am SO glad we got there early. Even though we had pre-registered, we still had to wait in line in the HOT sun. Picking him up was a little easier since M was home and was able to keep the younger two. Tomorrow, now that's a different story! When I picked K up, he said he had fun. When I asked if he liked soccer or basketball better, he said, "swimming". I guess I need to get him back to the pool soon.

Painting

2010-07-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

After church today, M and I went on a date, while Ms. Alex hung out with the kids. As always, they ALL had a blast. After we got home and M went to work, L decided she wanted to paint.

Proudly showing off her artwork. She even painted her hand herself for the hand print.

This was taken AFTER I washed the white paint off from her hand print. :-)

The art space.

I'm going to miss having a makeshift table. It's really easy to clean and I'm not too worried about how messy it gets or if it will clean up because eventually this table will end up in the garage as a "party" table.

Just Talking...

2010-07-18T18:51:00.001-07:00

Someone at church today told me that T was going to be crawling soon. If he follows the path of my other two, I don't have anything to worry about, BUT I do have to say he likes to be involved a lot more than the other two did. Although he'll play by himself pretty good, he LOVES to be talked to. He gets upset when his brother and sister leave the room to play somewhere else. You can tell he wants to follow them, but can't. The only time he really wants me to hold him is if I'm following his siblings around. I'm really excited to see his personality develop and am hoping his nature follows his name. Maybe he'll balance my "warrior" and "defender of mankind" out and bring a little peace to the house. Here's to hoping and praying!

Ant Bites

2010-07-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

As I was picking figs waiting for L's speech therapist to arrive, I heard L cry. I turned to see her getting off the trampoline "scratching" her legs. As I got closer I noticed she was covered in ants. Poor thing got bite so many times that her foot was swollen and she had a hard time putting on shoes. It lasted the entire day and even got a little worse and the day went on.

All Made-Up

2010-07-13T07:03:00.001-07:00

As I was cleaning the red crayon from the wall, my daughter who was responsible walked around the corner. I couldn't help but laugh! She knows she wasn't supposed to be in my stuff, but that doesn't mean it wasn't funny to see her all "made-up". Of course, I had to get the camera and as I did, I saw her trying to clean her own mess.

Your Not My Mommy!

2010-07-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

This evening as I was doing some gardening outside, K and L went to a neighbor's to play for a little while. As it got close to bed time, I let them know they were going to need to come home soon. I decided to let them stay up a little longer and when their bed time approached, I went to pick them up. They were having a good time swinging and sliding. I didn't want them to stop having fun, but it was time to come home. I told K he could slide one more time and he did. Then he slid again. Then he slid again. Needless to say, I was NOT happy because I know he heard me and was intentionally being disobedient. In a calm voice, I made sure he knew that I knew what he was doing and that he would get in trouble when we got home. If you can imagine, he got upset and said that I was not going to give him a spanking. I never said I was.
He then told me, "You're not my mommy". Oh joy! I queitly walked home with a screaming two year old in my arms and an upset 5 year old slowly walking behind. Luckily, T was still asleep when we got back to the house.
This wasn't the first time K had told me that so I knew the other methods of discipline had not worked so I tried to do something different. Instead of "talking" to him or "punishing" him like we had done before, I decided to retire my "mommy" duties for the evening. After I told him what was going to happen, he quickly said, "but you are my mom." Yes, I am, but I needed him to see what it would be like if I weren't. When it came time to bathe, he bathed himself. When it was time to dry off, eventually he dried himself. When it came time to get his clothes and dress himself, he reluctantly did it. When he got hungry and asked for something to eat, I told him he could get something. He chose not to. He then told me he was going to sleep on the couch since I wouldn't fix him something to eat. I told him "goodnight". After standing there for a moment, not really knowing what to do, he turned and quietly went and laid on the couch. A few minutes later, he put himself to bed ~ without a book. Maybe I should have stopped doing some of my "mommy" duties a lot sooner. I'll find out in the morning if he wants me to start doing "mommy" duties again. If not, looks like daddy is going to take him to swim lessons.

Projects

2010-07-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

I was supposed to babysit a friend's 1 year old this morning but he ended up sleeping in so the kids and I went to the gym instead. After I worked out, I took the 3 kiddos swimming. Yep, all by myself and no one ever went under (on accident). T enjoyed the water, but appeared to be getting cold, so we sat out while the other two played in the pool. K swam all around with a noodle and L "scooched" from the stairs to the ladder a lot! She even got a little brave and started bouncing up and down and leaning her head back in the water. Her nor K wore floaties. They did great!

After we swam, we came home and everyone took a nap. T is going through a growth spurt right now and since he was up every 2-3 hours last night, I needed a nap.

After we all got up from our naps, the kids and I went outside and I started on a project that M had on his to-do list.

Tearing down the side of the fence.Some of the nails I removed from the board. I was able to finish removing all the nails.M's most recent completed project . We now have a DVD player in our van for long trips.

My next project ~ landscaping

M has already started burning down the pompous grass.

Just Another Day!

2010-07-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

You never know what's going to happen in our house. Today, the kids woke up in a good mood. A friend from church came over and picked over 3 gallons of figs. After she left, we made a rocket out of a large cardboard box. we even cut out the wings. When K got tired of sitting in the rocket, it turned into a punching bag. While K played with his new punching "box", L had a good time running the hall and jumping into the pile of bubble wrap and blankets in her room. She can't help but smile when there is a camera around.

Picking Figs on a Rainy Day

2010-07-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

The other day, a friend of mine that has 5 kids came over to pick figs. Well, it started raining, so the kids decided to play instead. They had a blast and Donna was able to take home a gallon of figs.

That's our fig tree on the right.

Why not play on a slip n slide in the rain?

Upward Basketball Camp

2010-07-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

You can't tell, but K was trying to get the ball... from his own teammate.

He was upset his teammate wouldn't give him the ball. :-)

Team Huddle

LOVE the expression on his face! His cheeks are blown out and his tongue is sticking out just enough to see it. So Cute!

Upward Cheer Camp

2010-07-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

This was my 4th year to help out with Upward Cheer Camp. I love watching the girls grow. Every
year, I do something different, but I really enjoy watching some of them come out of their shells and really start to open up.

Stretching and warming up before camp

My girls ~ Sonshine

practicing their chants

Sonic Boom ~ 4th, 5th, & 6th graders about to do a cheer

Overall, it was wonderful group of girls. They were all very respectful and very queit, especially compared to the previous years.

3 Months

2010-07-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

I probably should have changed his outfit before I took the picture, but at least I remembered to take one. He's a good mix of my other two kids. I can't say he looks just like either of them. He has the long face like his sister did, but not nearly as chunky.

Patterns

2010-07-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

L got quiet the other day and when I found her, this is what she was doing. She was making patterns. Although the colors weren't patterned, she worked hard to get the shapes organized and got really upset when her brother tried to help her.

Getting Big

2010-07-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

He's so ready to go! He loves watching his brother and sister play.

This is how he likes to sleep

More Summer Fun

2010-07-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

The MOPS Coordinator needed to pack for her move so I watched her youngest son for her. K loves playing with T and they had a blast. After they played outside for a while, we went to the library where they had a "circus" set up. The kids were able to walk a tight rope, bounce on a pogo stick, and balance spinning plates as well as try to juggle. They had a lot of fun, but I didn't have my camera with me so I didn't get any pictures.

VBS - 1

2010-07-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of VBS ~ There's NO telling why K looks upset in this picture.Day 2 of VBS Day 3 of VBS ~ K actually wanted me to take their picture Parent Night ~ The kids showed us what they learned. K is directly in the center with the red bandana and black shirt with stripes. He did pretty good. He actually participated this year. Last year he just stood there.

Summer Fun

2010-07-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

They love the slip n slide!

A Typical Day

2010-07-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been too good about updating my blog, but like you, I've been crazy busy. Our MOPS (Mother of Preschoolers) Coordinator moved and I am now co-coordinating it this year (my last since K is going to officially start K). I'm working with the President of our homeschool group preparing for our conference in two weeks. While the kids did VBS at our church, I volunteered and did 5th grade Activities. That was fun! The following week, K did VBS at a church closer to us and I was able to get back in the gym. That was nice! Then, while I helped with our church's Upward Cheer Camp, K participated in Upward Basketball Camp. He really enjoyed it! This week, K started swim lessons and although we missed one day because of the weather, he's already swimming under water and jumping off diving boards. He's not proficient enough to jump in without someone being close to him, but considering he was barely putting his head underwater before he started, I think he's come a long way. All he wants to do now is swim. He has one more week of lessons and then he'll have "parent" day on Friday so show us what he's learned. I have a feeling we're going to be at the pool a lot more now. I think we're going to get a week "off" and then K is going to go to Soccer Camp. The Friday of Soccer Camp is our homeschool conference, so that's going to be a fun filled day! I'm hoping we can start school after that, but I'm going to Orlando, FL at the beginning of August for MOPS and then going to San Antonio/Austin the following weekend for my cousin's wedding. It's going to be nice seeing everyone and introducing them to Teagan.

Alaskan Cruise - Day 9

2010-07-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Our last day ~ Victoria, B.C., Canada

This last day of cruising was very busy. We had some swells that had to be at least 10-20 feet. The boat was rocking!Upon our arrival, we were greeted by volunteers dressed in Victoria costumes. This was probably our shortest excursion, as it was only about 4 hours. To maximize our time, we took a tour on double decker bus.

Entering China Town

An absolutely GORGEOUS hotel... this picture really doesn't do it justice.

Victoria had some beautiful architecture. We really liked this mostly glass hotel.

Good-bye Victoria, B.C., Canada

Alaskan Cruise - Day 8

2010-07-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Juneau, The State Capital

There wasn't a lot to Juneau. It misted almost the entire time we were there, but it wasn't too bad. They had a neat little shopping area on some water and we got to see the Governor's Mansion.

Japanese Maple... worth more than $1,000.Shopping on the water
I'm not really sure why we took this picture or why I posted it on the blog for that matter.

Polar Bears ~ There was even a 12 year old girl in there ~ CRAZY!!!

Our dance instructor and his assistant that taught us how to Salsa and Swing. Too bad I don't remember.

Although my birthday wasn't for two more days, because we were going to be in the airport ALL day, my wonderful husband arranged for someone to make sure that I got a birthday cake. Even though my name was spelled wrong, it was SO pretty.. too bad I don't like chocolate cake. There was enough to share and I haven't had a birthday cake in a very long time so it was really nice.

Rendition of Sonny and Cher. LOL!

Alaskan Cruise - Day 7

2010-07-09T17:47:00.001-07:00

Ketchikan

This was such a wonderful day! We saw almost every "wild" animal this day. As soon as we got off the ship, we were greeted with a Bald Eagle flying above a mountain goat. The eagle didn't mind having it's picture taken, but the goat wasn't as cooperative. This was also the day we went ziplining with some friends from the cruise. On the way back to the town, we stopped to watch a brown bear eating a daffodil on the side of the road. Although it was a baby bear, I still wouldn't have tried to pet it. I was amazed at just how close it was to the road and it didn't seem bothered to have admirers watching it eat. The only stone building in the town, City Hall.

Yukon Pass

Every red building used to be a brothel. At one time there were 72 brothels in Ketchikan.

This is the entire town... Can you imagine? 72 brothels??? Of course, the town was a little busier during the Gold Rush, but still!

Alaskan Cruise - Day 6

2010-06-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today we visited Junea. It was wonderful weather and a great day for walking on a glacier. As soon as I found out we could go on a glacier trek, I got really excited, although I didn't really want to pay for it, it's something I really wanted to do. Since my birthday was going to be in a couple of days, M "surprised" me with tickets for a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier. I was stoked! As soon as we got off the ship and found our excursion guide, we found out we weren't going to be able to go, because the glacier we were going to go on had formed it's own clouds, as glaciers do, and they were too thick for helicopters to land on. They gave us the option of waiting for another one or cancelling. We cancelled. Fortunately, we were able to find a local excursion booth that sold the same experiences, on a different glacier for much cheaper. Not only were we able to walk on a glacier, but we also "saved" some money. I really wish I could upload all the pictures from this day, because the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. If we hadn't taken so many I would, but it'll take too long and I'm doing good to get some posted.I had to take a picture of this guy because he looked and sounded like the actor, Seth Rogen. It wasn't the first time he had heard that either.

If you've ever wondered how tall a mile is... there ya go... This glacier is over 5,200 feet thick. Makes the trees look SO small!

Alaskan Cruise - Day 4

2010-06-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Our first port was Scagway. It was pretty. I never knew Alaska was SO green! I guess that's why it's the Evergreen State.
The more popular attraction was the Yukon Pass, which I heard was amazing, but we opted to go zip lining and shopping instead. Here are a couple of pictures of the wildlife we saw while we waited for our driver to pick us up.

ready for the zip line... and to become "vikings"they asked who wanted to go first... I didn't hesitate!

The Yukon Pass from our view!On our way back to "town", we saw more wildlife.

The only stone building in Scagway. It used to be the city hall, now it's a museum.

Scagway

We finished the night off with a little karaoke.

Alaskan Cruise - Day 3

2010-06-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of pictures from this day, so it was really hard to choose. This is the day we were supposed to enter the Tracy Arm Fjord, but due to a high volume of glaciers in the area, we weren't able to enter it, but was able to go into another one that had amazing scenery.iceberg Glacier