Going Private

After much thought and encouragement from my husband, I am going to make this blog private. I've always tried to be vague on what I put on here, not knowing who reads it. However, there are times I wish I could be "not so vague." I know this will mean one more step for my readers; you will have to enter an email address before reading. And I am sorry for the inconvenience. However, I believe my family's safety is something I need to put first, and I want to honor my husband's wishes.
Be patient with me as I figure this out, too. If you need to send me an email address for me to give you access, I would love to add you! Email or FB message me.
This is my family scrapbook, and I will continue the memories in a little safer method. THANKS!

Beth Moore and More

The Day after the funeral, I attended a Beth Moore Simulcast at our church. I was excited to go and be encouraged and challenged in my faith. More on that in a bit.

While I was there most of the day, Brandon was with the girls. I thought they were going to go to the lake, but like most times, plans change. (Am I the only one who struggles with last minute change?) Anyway, he made the most of his day anyway. He called Sarena and Dave and hung out with them.

 

First stop - indoor mini golf

 Nephew Daniel

 From there they went to the park and went up the tower.

Brandon was grateful for the time he had with them, and the girls always love it, too!

 

While they were off having fun, I was with about 300 (locally) and 150K (internationally) other women worshiping with Travis Cottrell and diving in the Word with Beth.

I am so thankful for a husband that knows I need these spiritual "boosts" and encourages me to go.

What I love about the simulcasts with Beth (for being a planner like I am) is that she doesn't tell you ahead of time what she is going to speak on. That's because she doesn't know until a week or so before; she waits for the Holy Spirit to lead her in  her topics. So I know I am getting what the Holy Spirit inspired for us to learn.

 

Here are the highlights from that day and what I learned.

She started with the statement that we have come today for a revival in our faith.

Psalm 68:11 (NET) The Lord speaks; many, many women spread the good news.

 

The passage we focused on was from 2 Kings 4:1-37 where we looked at two women in this passage, and though they were in completely different circumstances, they both needed a miracle.

 

The main points from that passage: (and I know they won't mean as much to you as they do me since I was there.)

1. Personal desperation can jar us out of second hand stories.

2. God didn't call us to fine; He called us to faith.

3. Fear is the crippler of a walking, talking faith.

4. Faith trusts that every call to forsake is a call to also take.

5. Faith faces the fact that there is no formula.

6. Faith rests its case on the resurrection of the dead.

 

At bedtime that night, I was home with the girls putting them to bed. (Brandon was at a movie I chose not to see: 2012.) I got Analise's Day by Day Bible and read this same passage to my girls. I was able to share with them some of the things that I had learned earlier in the day. What a true blessing that was for me.

A Hard Week

We had a crazy and hard week awhile back. My SIL, Sarena, from out of state came home with my new nephew. (This isn't what made the week hard.) On Monday, Sarena, Sarah and I went out for lunch. It was a great time, and we enjoyed the food and the company. However, we weren't back very long picking up the kids when my MIL got a hard phone call. Her mother was taken into the ER and wasn't doing well at all. She quickly packed her bags and headed out of town.

I invited Sarena over for dinner. It was special having her here, and the girls loved it.

Grandma continued to decline. By Tuesday I was telling/encouraging my husband to get over there to see her one last time, and he should take Sarena with him. They went back and forth in the decision making and finally decided to go. In addition to that, the girls and I picked up out of town family at the airport and brought them to our house for awhile. Brandon and Sarena then loaded up with them to head out of town.

Wedsnesday morning we got the news that Grandma had passed into eternity.

She had lived almost 30 years with Parkinsans, and though we were sad to see her go, we were excited for her to be reunited with Grandpa and to have a healthy body.

 

The Funeral was Friday. The other GG came to the funeral, so we made sure to get a picture of her with the girls.

 After a very sweet, and God honoring ceremony, we made went to the cemetary with family for a brief graveside service. The weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed being with Brandon's extended family.

 The siblings:

 Each of the girls picked out a flower from the bouquet.

 A panoramic shot.

 

The girls knew and loved GG, and they will miss her - and her peppermints. Maisie is convinved that when she sees GG in heaven, she will give her a mint.

A couple of funnies from the funeral. It was in a Lutheran Church - something my girls and nephews aren't familar with.

When my nephew K saw the Pastor come out in his white robe, he asked, "Is he going to do karate?" Grandma corrected him, and Analise piped up, "Oh. I thought he was in old time clothes."

During the ceremony when we stood to read from the hymnals, my nephew A put his hand over his heart like he was saying the pledge.

And then when Sarena was singing "Amazing Grace, " Maisie leaned in to ask me, "Is this the song from Lion King?"

I am thankful that despite the sadness, we were able to enjoy the day with family and even find things to laugh about.

 

We will miss you GG! So thankful it wasn't a final goodbye!

 

Family Saturday

We enjoyed a family day a few Saturdays ago. First, Analise had her first volleyball game, and we enjoyed cheering for her. After her game we decided to head to a park for a hot dog roast. The weather was nice, and it sounded like a good way to spend our afternoon.

While Brandon roasted the hot dogs, these two played in the rocks. Analise had taken her volleyball, so she and I worked on passing and serving. (It was apparent after her first game that she needed to work on some things. :))

 

 Hot dogs always taste the best at a picnic.

 We then went for a walk on the hike bike path. We let Caramel loose since no one else was around.

 At the bridge going over the river.

 Later that night we cozied up to watch some football. This is how we ended up watching - sooo comfortable. :)

Special Tomato

 

Analise was looking at a tomato I picked and noticed this star up at the top. We thought it was picture worthy. :)

Sadie Update

 

 First Day of Preschool

Sadie has been in preschool for about five weeks already. And she loves it! The first couple of days she was just a bit clingy when I dropped her off. However, I am still amazed at her independence that has developed already. I can now take her to Sunday School and Awana and not have the sad, teary, clingy girl. Instead she walks right in. I can leave the house without her worrying. I see her playing with friends while we wait to pick up Maisie, and she doesn't care where I am.  This is so good!

Three mornings is a nice schedule. I have Bible study on Tuesdays, but it didn't take me long to enjoy two mornings on my own. I can meet with friends, shop, clean, blog, talk on the phone without interruptions. However, I am also ready to pick her up and have her home again. She is so much fun to hang with. She helps me with things, she's a good shopper, and there isn't much whining when there is just one girl. Sometimes the 3:00-3:30 time slot is a little challenging as she adjusts to having her sisters home. But once snack is finished, she and Maisie play well together.

Sadie continues to grow - taller, that is. She weighs a whopping 33 pounds and needs a 5T pant for the length. Like Analise, her clothing size is about six months ahead. For the first time when I change clothes for the seasons, I don't have to pack up Maisie's things. They simply go to Sadie. I'll admit it makes it a little easier.

Sadie is also enjoying some time with her dad. She enjoys having him to herself when he comes home for lunch. She hangs around while he eats, and then if the weather is nice, the three of us take Caramel for a walk. It's a special time, and I know I should treasure these days.

I will finish with a cute dialogue Sadie and I had a couple of weeks ago:

 

We were talking about her great grandmothers that had passed away.  She asked about them being in heaven and how she will be there one day, too.

Sadie, "Jesus will know my name!"

Me, "Yes!"

Sadie, "Where will I live?"

Me, "Jesus tells us that you will live in a mansion with many rooms."

Sadie, "Will there be boats in heaven?"

Me, "Would you like there to be boats?"

Sadie, "Hmmm...maybe the ark?"

Me, "That would be fun."

Sadie, "And Caramel will be there? We'll have to remember to take her leash."

 

At that point I just couldn't stop chuckling. She was so serious about remembering her leash.

I am so thankful for this time I have with her.



Maisie Update

My Kinderkid

 

Maisie has had growth already this year. The first couple of weeks of school were rough. She would mope getting ready for school telling me that she just wanted to stay home. Her teacher kindly told me that Maisie cried a couple of days at school. I never thought I would  be the mom of a kindergartner crier! However, when talking to a dear KDG teacher, she informed me that this was normal; the kids are realizing this is their new normal and it's every single day. (Thanks Reba!)
It clicked then; Maisie has always been my daughter of schedule. This was a new schedule she was just going to have to adapt to. And I can say now that she has. She gets up happy most mornings, and she now hops out of the van at drop off with a smile on her face and says, "Goodbye mom. GOODBYE CARAMEL!" Yeah - I don't take that personal. :) But she also loves her weekends and days off from school.
Maisie likes to take her lunch box most days, and every now and then she will get hot lunch. She is enjoying friends at school, and after school now she will be my girl that will say bye to all her friends and give hugs to the girls.
Her PT conference was interesting. I could hardly wait to go and hear how she is doing. And I will be honest; I came home feeling a bit discouraged. I'm not sure why, because I don't think I should have felt that way. Again, Grandmom helped me see the other side of things. First, I knew it would be different than Analise's conferences. I was okay with that. Here are the brief highlights;
She actually tested above for phonemic awareness. She recognized all but two of her letters; she knew her five sight words. She is a good, quiet listener.
Her teacher just mentioned that she doesn't feel like she knows the real Maisie yet. Maisie is so quiet and almost nervous like in school sometimes. She isn't willing to raise her hands to answer questions and gets really shy when her teacher calls on her. I think this was the root of my disappointment. It caught me by surprise. At home Maisie is NOT quiet; she has a song and dance in her heart. She is super happy yet can turn super grumpy rather quickly.
We have since talked with Maisie about it be okay to make mistakes at school; we want her to feel confident and talk more in front of the class.
What I have seen since she started school makes my heart happy -  she comes home exited to read me her new books. She's practicing her letters on the white boards or adding things to my grocery list. She asks, "How do you spell (blank)?" Or better yet, "I can spell (blank)."  She is singing the songs they sing at school. Her artwork is such an amazing improvement. So I know she is learning, and it seems like she is enjoying the learning, too. Even though when I ask her about the best part of the day, her answer is usually recess or centers.
Our prayer for Maisie is that she will keep on trying (and not get discouraged quickly with her "perfectionist" tendency), that she will choose to do what is right even when others aren't, and that she will have a bounce in her step at school so her teacher can see the real Maisie. We also pray that Maisie will be able to grasp longer instructions so she can follow something that is multi-stepped.
When Maisie goes to school happy and comes home happy, I am happy. May the year continue to be a great year of growth for her.

Analise Update

My 3rd grader

 

Analise is growing up. Fact of life, I know, but sometimes it's hard to believe she is 8 1/2 and in third grade. Not too long into the school year she told me her Nike's were too small. Didn't I  just buy her new ones a few months ago? We went shopping and ended up getting her some new shoes - a size 5 1/2 in women's! She officially weighs as much and now wears the shoe size I did as a 6th grader. She finds that information cool; I find it hard to believe.

She is having a great school year. We had her PT conferences about two weeks ago, and we just love going to hers. It was nice that Brandon was with me so he could finally meet her teacher and see her classroom. Analise is doing awesome, and the best part - she loves it! She loves to learn and is easily motivated. I won't go into nitty gritty details about her conference; only Grandmom and Pops get that info. :) I will say that one of the reasons we switched schools (besides being with Christian friends) was so Analise could be challenged a little more. One way her school does that is with Accelerated Reader. Her sweet teacher, knowing this was Analise's first time, gave her a challenging goal but wanted Analise to succeed, so she didn't make it too hard. Her goal for the quarter was 17 points. I think she had that met in a couple of weeks. Eight weeks  into the quarter, she has 56 points. The beauty in this is that I don't have to tell her to read; she enjoys it and does it all on her own. A daughter after my own heart. :)

 

We were out talking with neighbors a few nights ago, and the mom told me she wanted to know my thoughts on the girls' school. Before I could even reply, Analise pipes up, "It's awesome!" That was good for my soul to know that despite the change for Analise, she enjoys it. We were obedient to the Lord's leading, and we are so thankful.

 

At PT conferences, Analise had a note to her parents. This is what it said:

 

Dear Mom and Dad,

Please come home saying that Mrs. B said I was good! Thank you for giving me an i-pod and a camera. I love them! Thanks for letting me do sports. Thanks for the clothes you buy me. I LOVE YOU! (Can you guess one of her love languages?)

 

Back at Curriculum Night for her class, Analise had an "All About Me" paper on her desk. I was to guess her answers and then flip the paper over to see how I did. I have to say - I did pretty well. Here is Analise at the beginning of 3rd grade:

Favorite food: Mac and cheese

Favorite ice cream: none

Fave TV show: Wild Kratz

Fave subject in school: science

If I could go on vacation, I would like to go to: Antarctica (I missed this one)

Fave color: gold

Fave musician: Toby Mac

Fave Book: Goldie (Puppy Place)

I want to learn: to drive a race car (missed this one, too)

Fave holiday: Christmas

Fave sport: hockey (??? I put volleyball)

I think the neatest thing that I have ever done with my family is: bowl.

BOWL? BOWL? What about all those trips we have taken her on? And she chose bowling. Geesh. :)

 

Our hope and prayer for Analise is that she will continue to love learning, use the gifts that God has given her, and that she will know we love her for who she is - not how well she does in school. May she continue to have the joy of the Lord in her. And we pray that she can celebrate her sister's successes, too.  We are excited about the friends she is spending time with, and for the friends she has made in her class. And she just LOVES seeing her cousins throughout the day.

Third grade was a hard year for me, and so that makes me so thankful that for her it's been a great year so far!

 



Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend - what did we do? Let's see what I can recall...

Saturday we did some things around the house, and then we decided to head down to the lake and spend the night. The first time we had all summer. It was different going down later in the day and spending the evening on the boat. The sunset was stunning.

 

 Sadie loves to "drive."

 Brandon, Analise and Maisie slept out in the camper. Sadie and I slept in the cabin. After breakfast, we headed back out on the boat for fishing. It seemed that every other boat in the water was bringing in fish left and right but us. I had a very discouraged husband.

 They got in for a quick swim

 Monday we went to the fishing club for the last time this season. It was crazy but lots of fun! If something could have gone wrong, it did. I kind of felt like the Three Stooges out there. We laughed, rolled our eyes, and shook our heads at the things that happened. We did catch a couple of fish, so that was fun. And really despite all the crazy things, it was fun.

 Sadie didn't mind holding the worms.

And the photo of the day...Analise casting her lure into Maisie's hair.

Sleeping Sadie

This is how I found Sadie one night before I went to bed. Doesn't look too comfortable to  me!

Preschool Openhouse

Sadie had her preschool open house the week Brandon was gone again. I couldn't believe this was the final time I would be attending this open house. Sentimental for me, super exciting for Sadie.

And the other two did well; they had firmly kindly been reminded that this was Sadie's night. They could have fun, but they wouldn't be the center of attention.

 

 They all got either popcorn or cotton candy.

 Can you tell what Maisie had?

 They also got to take a "train" ride. We waited until the end so each girl would ride.

 I think someone may be outgrowing this....

We are SO thankful for our preschool and can't wait to see how Sadie grows this year.

A Big Heart

Back when Brandon was out of town, he was supposed to get home for dinner on Saturday. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. We needed something to pass our time, so I called my SIL and asked if any of  her boys would like to join us for something different. Our hospital was having an openhouse for a new building, and they had a large, inflatable heart to walk through and some jumparoos as well.

It turned out to be a good way to pass some time, and the kids had fun.

 

 

After playing around for awhile, we went to eat some free popcicles and have some free lemonade. Since it was sooo windy, it made for some messy eating and spills. We ended up going through the new building just to find bathrooms so we could wash up at the sinks!

Maisie is Six

We had a special birthday in August; Maisie turned six! I think she had been looking forward to it and counting down for six months. Needless to say, she was super excited!

Grandma and Grandpa took her for lunch, and then she and Grandma ran some errands.

 

 

It was finally time for her real day, and it was one day she hopped out of bed happy and ready to go!

She came into the kitchen and saw six balloons, the birthday bear and cinnamon rolls on the special plate. She even opened one gift - a new outfit from Aunt Peg and Uncle Danny.

Since I wasn't making a cake until later in the week, I had gotten a cookie for her.

 After school, her two special friends stopped by with gifts - the exact same cookies from where I had gotten mine the day before. How fun!

 For supper I made fried fish, corn on the cob and finger jello.

Excited to open gifts...just like I was excited that I actually had ideas of things to get her this year.

A microphone for my girls who loves to sing. She's my girl who can lost in a song and dance.

More Squinkies

We were blessed to have a friend give us the dress up clothes they had outgrown. My little princess was so excited!

Friday night we had a quick family celebration. I made her favorites - chicken and rice casserole, fruit and french bread to dip. I also added green beans because that is one veggie she will eat.

Some more great gifts

 Maisie had a hard time making a decision on what kind of cake she wanted this year. She is my daughter that has a hard time making a decision. Anyway, I suggested several summery ideas. She decided on penguins. So summery. But she did love penguins this year.

Hey dad-  like Brandon's hair? :)

Maisie- we love you so much and love the spark you add to our lives!