What an adventure

Sorry!!!

2011-12-17T06:49:00.002-06:00

Poor,neglected blog! I apologize. I am not "transitioning" well into the working mom role. Not as much free time really stinks. Not that I have ever had much free time with four kids! Anyway, weekends are precious so I have chosen other things rather than sitting at the keyboard. I look forward to our Christmas break. I hope to post some pictures and catch everyone up.

New Adventures

2011-08-06T18:43:00.002-05:00

I am going back to work! I will be teaching fifth grade this year. I am excited and nervous. I am so happy that all of my kids will be at the same school. So we will all have the same schedule which makes going back to work so much easier. Everyone wasn't excited at first but after a trip to school and to get school supplies, they are eager to go! The kids will be in 8th,4th,3rd, and Kindergarten so I won't be teaching any of my own. I will miss homeschooling because we had a great year and learned so much! I am sure this year will be a grand new adventure too! I can't wait to share all about our year. Pray for us as we begin a new schedule, routine and so on.

Our Summer Photos

2011-08-03T08:09:00.002-05:00

We were bored and needed some entertainment.

Love these braids flying in the wind.

We spent a ton of time in the pool(hot tub in this picture).

Big Paw's watermelons! Putting another in the fridge right now!

Brendan showing off his new knife. My kids are fascinated with weapons!

New Skills

2011-06-10T07:46:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Aaron!!!

2011-06-10T07:36:00.004-05:00

My baby boy is eight years old!!!!

He still loves legos!!!

Friends celebrating his special day with him!!!

Prayer Request

2011-05-22T08:33:00.002-05:00

Please pray for my niece, Anna Cathryn.

She has been in the hospital since Wednesday night. She was having stomach issues due to ecoli. She has since been transferred to Shreveport due to kidney problems. Please pray for her kidneys to function properly and strength for her family. She is in the pediatric intensive care unit and needs lots of prayers!

Vicksburg Flood Photos

2011-05-21T09:10:00.004-05:00

This picture was taken as we were driving back from Vicksburg. You can see the water all the way up to the levee. If you look closely at the bottom right, you will see the roof of a small building.

This is a business on the river. It was completely surrounded with water. The owner had to boat out to his office.

All of these buildings are riverfront-not acutally supposed to be IN the river.

A very swollen river

The Flood of 2011

2011-05-21T08:56:00.003-05:00

These were taken sometime last week before the river crested. This is the Mississippi River at Vicksburg.

This is part of Diamond Jack's Casino. If you look closely, you will see the water up to the middle of a window.

We were able to drive right along the river at this point. We tried to take pictures to show how high the water was but it was difficult to really capture it.
More pics to come.

Did you know that I sell Avon????

2011-05-02T16:40:00.004-05:00

I am no longer serving as director of the non-profit where I have been for three years. I decided that I need to be at home more with my kiddos since we are homeschooling. I took the position before we began homeschooling and will miss it. We do look forward to having more time to do our school work and definitely more time to go on fieldtrips.

I AM selling Avon. I have been selling it for about a year and a half. It doesn't take up much of my time. We enjoy trying all of the products from bubblebath to skin care to make-up. If you are interested in purchasing something from me, you can check out my website.

www.youravon.com/wcooper8533

If you order $30 worth of products, the shipping is free!!! Just choose the direct delivery option.
If you live close to me, I will be glad to deliver to you. Choose the personal delivery option.
If you are interested in selling avon, leave your email address and I will contact you and let you know how.

So that's the end of my little advertisement. There are alot of people who aren't aware that I sell it. There are also alot of people who would love to order online with free shipping so I am just getting the word out!!

Too early for snakes????

2011-05-02T16:26:00.004-05:00

I don't think so.

We enjoyed a beautiful day Saturday. We played outside most of the day. There were about eight kids at my house at all times. When everyone went home, my boys decided to play hide-and-seek in the dark with their flashlights. Aaron came running on the back porch and noticed the cat, Black Ninja, playing with something. He came running in the house to tell me that it was a snake. I made them come inside so I could investigate. When I opened the back door,I heard a sound that I hadn't heard before. I wondered if it was possible that it was the snake. It just got louder. I had no idea how big this thing was and didn't want to find out for myself. Don't get me wrong-I can kill a snake and have before but not when it may be a rattlesnake! I called for reinforcement. My brother in law happened to be at home and came quickly. The snake was coiled up under the grill.

This is the after picture. It was about two feet.

I am so thankful that it didn't get to my kiddos first. So scary that it was on our back porch!!!

My Girl

2011-05-02T16:17:00.005-05:00

Lauren had her first ballet recital last weekend. It was so fun because she loved every second of it. She loved the practice. She loved dress rehearsal. She loved being on stage at the recital. She wasn't a bit nervous or worried about who was watching her. She did her tap dance to "My Girl." It was so sweet!
Here she is waiting her turn to dance.

And He's Off........

2011-04-20T18:37:00.006-05:00

Officially on the road.......
never where he expects to be.......
always an obstacle to overcome!

Yep, that about sums it up. He got the call as we were eating lunch at Pizza Hut. We were talking about our plans to go to the Angola Rodeo and those plans quickly changed. We spent the next hour figuring out how to make a 26 hour drive, a two day flight, and study for a state exam in four days! We got it figured out. He passed his test with flying colors(Thank you, God) and is now flying in some frigid temperatures. These are the pictures he took along the way.

He began his trip looking at this:

Then the weather got alot nicer!

Beautiful!

Then this.....

not that pretty when you are in a crop-duster.

So thankful for a safe trip!

ps. We went to the rodeo without him. The kids loved it and can't wait til Daddy gets home so he can see it too!

The BEST.WEEKEND. EVER!!!!!

2011-04-20T16:27:00.003-05:00

We saw Sara Evans and Josh Turner on Friday night. (My two favorite country singers)
Then 33 Miles Saturday afternoon!!! It was great to have all of that talent within a 30 minute drive and all in the same weekend!!!! But that's not all.......

I would like to introduce my new neice to you

This is Zoe'Elizabeth. She just arrived home in the states last Friday. She is adjusting very well. She loves her new siblings and she has such a wonderful personality. So excited to have a new neice and watch her as she experiences things for the first time:)

HI!!!

2011-03-20T19:31:00.002-05:00

We are soo excited that it is springtime! We are loving the warmer weather! We have been outside as much as possible playing kickball, fishing, riding bikes, working in the yard and anything else we can come up with.

Thad is busy preparing for the upcoming spray season. We are trying to get his things ready to go as well as everything here at the house taken care of. We hope to spend most of the summer with him but that is a "wait-and-see." He is keeping busy at the airport flying with students most of the time.

The kiddos are still working hard at school. We are preparing for the standardized tests that are coming up in May. Brendan has started track. Lauren is getting ready for dance recital. Most of all, they have enjoyed playing with our new neighbors on a daily basis:-)

and for me:

I am still working at the Thrift store two days a week. The kids are with me and have made some great friends there.

I am reading an awesome book that I hope to blog about soon.

I learned to grout tile this weekend;) I am hoping to apply my new knowledge to MY bathroom floor.

I learned to make homemade cinnamon rolls and.............a chocolate stout cupcake that is to die for! More baking experiments coming soon!

That's all for now. Just checking in to let you know that I haven't quit blogging yet!

Happy Birthday Lauren!

2011-02-16T07:46:00.008-06:00

Where does the time go? It seems like this was yesterday!! This is her very first birthday.

Her best friend-Solomon

My five year old

Puppies

2011-01-14T22:39:00.006-06:00

So what do you think about puppies?

Ok, How about eleven of 'em???

Just in case you're wondering......it's too cold for them outside. They have been staying in Thad's room. Guess who is having to clean that up?? So glad its not me :-)

Kite Flying

2011-01-14T22:14:00.002-06:00

2011-01-07T21:45:00.006-06:00

Yeah, I know-where have I been...blah...blah...blah.... I just haven't felt up to it-haven't had my heart in it. Enjoyed a little pity party but....I'm back. Up and going. Ready to share, inspire, entertain...whatever you are seeking, I am up for the challenge.
I thought I would share some of my favorite blogs with you. I could use a blog roll but I'm not one for doing things the normal way. I will try to categorize these beauties that I check daily. They inspire me, teach me, help me organize, help me decide what I am going to cook for supper, save me $$$, and most importantly help me keep up with long distance friends:) Here goes:

Missionary Heroes
www.michawn.blogspot.com
www.nevinurey.com
kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com
vankampens.blogspot.com
psalm45one.blogspot.com

Inspiring Blogs
aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com
lysaterkeurst.com

Food Blogs
thepioneerwoman.com/cooking
foodformyfamily.com
www.picky-palate.com
www.blog.superhealthykids.com

Coupons & Deals
www.dealseekingmom.com
bargainbrianna.com
www.couponcravings.com

Hope that you enjoy these as much as I do!!

Goings On

2010-11-05T23:37:00.002-05:00

What's going on around here?????

prefixes and suffixes
cursive writing
ham and sweet potatoes
a weekend garage sale
care and share
friends for supper
a dsi in the washing machine
a car in the body shop

So that doesn't leave much time to blog! Promise I will try again soon!

Homeschooling, Birthdays, New Baby & More

2010-10-09T19:31:00.006-05:00

We have been pretty busy around here. Homeschooling is still going good. We get more done on some days than others. I guess regular school is like that too (just without the Mama guilt). The boys are doing well in their studies. Lauren is so eager to learn and she gets tired of waiting her turn!
Ethan and I have both celebrated another birthday. He is nine and me...well...I won't tell. We did have special birthdays though complete with special family celebrations.

I have a brand new neice!!!! Sara Beth was born a couple of weeks ago. She was 8lbs and 9oz! I am so proud!!! We hate that she lives a couple of hours away and we can't kiss on her as much as we want to!

We had a wonderful few days of autumn weather but now it is 90F again this weekend:( Still we are enjoying this season of football, pumpkins, and getting ready for hunting season (at least the boys are). We had our first weiner roast of the season last week (before the burn ban) and the kids loved it. I love it too. Nothing is easier for supper than that and everyone is happy! Thad and I had our first date since he has been home. We ate at our favorite place and then went to Target. You know you're old when your date nite looks like that. We had a relaxing evening and enjoyed it.

More to Come!!!

Disney Family Pics

2010-09-27T15:56:00.003-05:00

Lauren's favorite Prince and Princess: Aladdin & Jasmine

Time out for some lovin'

Me & Lauren in the Nemo Ride

One of the kid's favorite things- digging for fossils at Animal Kingdom!!

Aaron enjoying his root beer float!

2010-09-26T16:01:00.002-05:00

Got an idea???

How about now??

This princess has been asking to go here since she was two!!
(Can you believe I couldn't turn these around?)

MY GANG!

(Just tilt your head a little to the left....more....now- see what a good pic!)

Brotherly Love! (I love this picture)

2010-09-14T20:34:00.002-05:00

Nothing is better than getting away when you need to just GET AWAY!!! We have some sweet friends that let all six of us crash at their house. They live just five or ten minutes away from this:

The kids love the beach. Everyone is happy doing their own thing! Aaron was having a blast building this and not too bothered by the hurricane that was making the waves almost five feet tall.

Teamwork!

Daddy burying Lauren's feet while she holds on to his hat.

We had such a nice time relaxing and visiting. They also live close to somewhere else. More pictures on that next.....

Can You Guess Who Had a Birthday???

2010-08-25T19:51:00.003-05:00

I will give you a hint: Lauren picked out the cake!

Lauren and Brendan putting in the candles.

The Birthday Boy blowing out all 37 Candles!!!!

Summer Photos

2010-08-15T19:17:00.002-05:00

Brendan is in the very top of this tree. Click on the pic to see if I uploaded the right picture.

Lauren decided that my Papaw needed a makeover with two different pair of sunshades and a little purple eyeshadow.

I guess the tiger was about to attack the lincoln log/card cabin.

This was just one of the forts they made. They dove over it onto a mattress on the other side.

Lots of miles put on the razor.

We are Homeschooling!

2010-08-03T08:11:00.002-05:00

That's our big news for now! I will be homeschooling a 3rd grader, a 2nd grader, and my preschooler! This is something that I have always wanted to do. This year it just became a necessity or what we decided was way better for our kiddos! We are all excited to see what this year brings. I pray that it will:

-bring us closer together
-give us a freedom from most of that "school stuff" that took up a lot of time/$
-give my chilren a chance to get stronger in their weak areas
-give us more time to study God's Word together
-allow the boys to spend more time with Dad doing things they love

We are planning on joining our nearest homeschool group so there will be plenty of time for play with friends(as if having 3 other siblings isn't enough). We will also be at the mission to work two days a week. These will be days for the boys to do some "on their own" type of work. I do know that this won't always be the easiest thing but I think it is the best for this year.

Our oldest will continue to go to school for now. Seventh grade is too much for me at this point. I would love to have a year under my belt with just the younger kids.
So, I will try my best to keep you updated on all of this. Please pray for us as we embark upon this new adventure this year!

Everybody's Fine!

2010-07-29T07:10:00.002-05:00

We are doing fine here....well.....as good as you can do in 102F heat! Man, was I really dreaming of summertime? I can assure you that if I was-this is not what I had in mind! So we have been doing all we can to beat the heat. Staying indoors has been the most popular thing to do :) So we have been keeping ourselves cool by playing video games, watching movies, and working at cns. Lots of work to do up there and we have been doing that all week. We are opening as a thrift next week. It is mind boggling all of the things that have been done so far. I am so thankful that there has been plenty of volunteers up there all week to get the job done. My kids are sick of being there. Poor things!
WE are so proud of daddy! He is working hard flying that airplane. We do miss him and I think he misses us too. He is spraying corn at the moment. What state are you in now?? Its hard to keep up. And send us some pictures too so I can post them.

Thanks for checking in. I'll post some kid pictures and airplane pictures as soon as I can.

Horses Must Eat Too!

2010-07-15T20:40:00.003-05:00

Can you guess who was responsible for this feeding?

Rolling on the River

2010-06-21T17:18:00.002-05:00

We went to spend some time with Thad this weekend. We took the kids down the river on a raft. They has so much fun. Lauren was unsure about this at first.

Breaking for lunch and watching some of the other people go by.

Brendan was testing out the freezing cold water before we all got in.

Aaron figured out a way to stay cool but not get in yet. One leg in- one leg out. Notice our trusty boat driver doing all the work in the back.

We managed to not turn the raft over. The kid's favorite part was when the water was shallow enough to walk beside the boat as we drifted downstream. It was so hot we all jumped in. They had a great time and loved doing something new.

More Pictures

2010-06-11T06:45:00.003-05:00

Wanted to post more of the birthday boy. He had a good time but not sure that he is used to it being all about him.

Happy Birthday Aaron!

2010-06-08T20:21:00.004-05:00

I can't believe my baby boy is seven!!! He asked to go out and eat at a place where they would sing to him. This is what he did when that happened.

The whole family at Olive Garden

He had a pool party and had so much fun. That's him in the royal blue shirt.

Lots of fun in the pool.This was a very easy party.

He chose a Super Mario ice cream cake. It was a hit and also very pretty.

Pictures for the Airplane People

2010-06-05T19:01:00.003-05:00

We went to see Thad last week. This is him headed straight for us.

Ethan watching Daddy spray.

Landing on a nice runway...

Summer is Here

2010-05-26T07:34:00.002-05:00

Oh my!!! It has been so hot here. Summer came in two days. It no longer possible to sit beside the pool to watch the kids. We are talking July weather here!!! Soooo not ready for that considering that we have had such mild weather so far.

We finished school yesterday with awards day and end of the year swimming parties. The kids basically stayed in the pool all day yesterday. Then we had a birthday supper for my Grandpa last nite! Wheew! Lots going on here.

We will be headed north to visit Daddy while he works. Maybe I will have some cool pictures to post when we get back.

There are some cool things happening at CNS! Lots of changes and that is going...well...like changes usually do..not without friction. So pray for all of us there. Pray that we will seek God's will for this mission and not anything of ourselves. God is moving around here. It is so visible lately and that is exciting!!

Signing out for now....

Surprises.....

2010-05-09T21:41:00.004-05:00

We got a surprise this weekend. Thad was able to be home for Mother's Day. He came to the food pantry where Lauren and I were and surprised us! We were so excited to see him. Thad put down his belongings and gave us hugs. While he still had Lauren in his arms, I picked up his backpack and flight bag and put them in my car. We visited a few minutes then he helped fix a problem with our huge dumpster. Such a good thing because the trash couldn't be picked up and he fixed the problem quickly. Yay! A Blessing for sure. We grabbed a bite for lunch and it was on the way home that Thad realized he did not have his iph*ne. We retraced all of our steps and could not find it anywhere. He remembered that he last had it when he came in the food pantry. He had left it on the table but it was not there. I remembered the family that was in when he arrived and I gave them a call. They had picked it up and was honest enough to admit that they stll had it. We went on our way to retrieve it. As we drove up, I realized that I had never seen a house look like this. Things were falling down all around. Lots of chickens between the two structures where more than two families lived. About eight children gathered around us to see what these strangers where doing at their house. I forgot that I was still in the US. It reminded me of things seen on mission trips and I was only fifteen minutes from my house. God showed me lots of things that day. I can't believe that a family has enough food because their clothes are nice. I can't believe that they are not really hungry because their car is nicer than mine. We did get the phone back with only one or two calls to NYC :-) on it. It was turned off and in great condition. We exchanged grateful hugs to the lady that gave it back and were on our way. I am still learning from all of this...mostly how surprised I was that it was given back when it could have been sold to buy food or other necessities. I should not have been surprised how loving on someone changes everything.

What about Wendy??

2010-04-21T07:53:00.003-05:00

Wendy:

- has made some new friends...so excited about that!
- learns something new everyday....or keeps realizing that I don't know it all!
- should brush up her organizational skills...
- is ready for summertime with no schedules..
- can't wait to find out what baby Ezell is...boy or girl
- keeps laughing at all the crazy antics of her kids...and he chaos..well, after the chaos.
- just finished Crazy Love and is picking up a new book today!

Now some of the happenings around here:

Aaron won third place overall in the first grade at field day yesterday.

So proud of that medal!

Aubrey (my niece) showing Lauren the ropes at school.

Ethan at field day yesterday. He placed third in the race that I did not watch.

Brendan running the 800m at his last track meet.

Normalcy

2010-03-21T21:13:00.003-05:00

I absolutely hate it. Yes, hate is a strong word but it is the perfect one for this. I have often felt quite guilty for hating normalcy but not lately. I think that this is part of the way that God designed me. It's for His glory that I am here on this earth. He has a special plan for my life and for me and it just doesn't include normalcy.
( This is not a hidden agenda for others that cling to normalcy and love it. I don't believe its a bad thing. Since this blog is what about wendy, I get to tell you about me :))
I am most unhappy with normal. I feel like I am not doing what God has asked me to do when all is normal. God intends for each day of my life to be different and unique. I don't always live up to it the way I would like. It is easier some days to be normal than to be the one that is left out, talked about, looked at weirdly. In fact, its so easy to get caught up in the what others think about me. Then I realize that my focus is me, me, me. When I have the courage to go against normal, I find that my focus is just where it should be....on HIM!

Random

2010-03-21T17:51:00.002-05:00

Just an update of the happenings here.....

It is snowing today. Crazy. The second official day of spring and snow. This is the place where it rarely snows and it has snowed maybe 3 times this year. WE are all ready for warmer weather.

Brendan is running track on the JV/Varsity track team. He is running the 1600M (1 Mile). His time last week was 7 minutes and 54 seconds. Not bad for very little training. He enjoys it and will run again this week. We hope to see it get easier every time and improve on his time.

We planted our garden a week ago. Onions, peppers, strawberries, spinach, carrots, and cilantro. The peppers were already not liking our cooler weather we were having so I have a feeling that they will need replacing after this snow and probably a chilly night :-(

Everyone made honor roll (A's and B's) on their report cards last week! Hooray!

We have a few new pets around our house.I will post some pictures soon.

Thad is still flying with a few students here until time to head north to spray.

Thats all for now!

Break my Heart For What Breaks Yours

2010-03-14T20:21:00.000-05:00

This really spoke to me today so I thought I would share.....

A Place Called Simplicity: We Didn't Get the Memo

Our Saturday

2010-02-20T19:14:00.002-06:00

It was a beautiful Saturday here!! The weather was terrific and makes us ready for spring. We spent some time today with some new friends. The first was this dog, Jake. He was friendly but a little bit of a nuisance in our situation....Ethan was entertaining him.

Brendan having a blast on our new friend.

Aaron's turn next....

She looks like a pro doesn't she??

She had the best time loving on this horse. She was completely fascinated by the whole thing. She rode him by herself. She brushed him and even got to ride him again with her brother. We just have to work on not leaning too far to the right. Brendan and Lauren both slid off of the horse and onto the ground. It scared everyone including the horse but no one was hurt and they both got back on and rode him again. Ethan enjoyed riding too but for some reason I did not get a picture of him up there. Thanks so much to Ms Deanna for sharing her horses with us ;)

Happy Birthday Lulu!

2010-02-13T16:42:00.005-06:00

Guess who has been playing with my camera??

Fun on Lauren's 4th Birthday

Lauren's Cookie Cake

You know you have brothers when you have to hit your Tiara Pinata with a Batman sword!

Snow Day!!!

2010-02-13T16:13:00.004-06:00

This is how it started on Thursday afternoon. See how excited he was???

This is how much snow we got on Thursday night and Friday morning!
Pretty proud of that snowman.

Next, the boys needed an igloo. Not sure whos idea this was.

but it turned out great!

WE haven't seen this much snow since Michigan!

Lauren liked it the least. It was fun for about an hour until her toes got cold!

The boys played outside from 7am until about 3:30pm with a 20 minute pancake break.

We even had tears when it started to melt. Such a fun day and so many memories made. We made snow ice cream, another snow fort and lots of snowball fights!

Casey's Wedding

2010-01-09T09:23:00.004-06:00

Family Pics

Lauren and Grandma- all dressed up!

It was beautiful under the tent!

Nolan was having fun!!

Jen and Thad

Beautiful Ceremony

Beautiful Bride!!

Dancing Queen

2010-01-04T18:21:00.001-06:00

She was the first one on the floor!

A Peek at Christmas

2009-12-28T20:07:00.005-06:00

We had an interesting Christmas. Aaron got sick then Lauren. Ethan had enough of Aaron's cough to keep us on our toes. We stayed home and had Christmas all by ourselves this year for fear of giving our "junk" to anyone else. We were unable to do our traditional meals and things with extended family but we were very rested and the kids are getting better.

The tree that we almost couldn't get into the house :-)

Fairy Costume-she was so happy!

Serious cookie decorating....

and a gingerbread house.

Brendan was the only one that was 100% well.

A Shiner for Christmas!

2009-12-03T20:12:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Busy Week!

2009-12-01T22:00:00.002-06:00

Wow!! What a week this is turning out to be!! The kiddos are back in school and we are back in that school routine. We really enjoyed a low key week during the Thanksgiving holidays. We stayed at home alot, tagged our tree, hunted, put up lights, and just spent alot of time together. They especially enjoyed Aunt Jen spending the nite because they still ask if she is coming over today;)
This week Aaron has a fieldtrip, Ethan has a fieldtrip, two days at the mission,bridal shower on Saturday and the kids are out of school on Friday because of a teacher meeting....WHEW! It will be a fun week but a little too much for ONE week. Next week will be difficult because we WILL NOT have anything to do:) We are carefully planning to NOT plan too much this holiday season so we can enjoy each other without so much hustle and bustle(this week being the ONLY busy one)
I will try to post some pictures from all the week's activities.

What to write today.....

2009-11-16T20:55:00.002-06:00

I am thankful for:
healthy children
a week long break for Thanksgiving(-woohoo, no homework!)
enough food to eat
a warm bed
electricity
new relationships
seeing God at work in people
knowing He is with me all of the time,(esp when I lost my keys)
my husband, who puts up with me and rescued us when I locked us out of the house
the opportunity to bless others in the smallest way
hunting season
not having to fry chicken for the 1st grade feast
my Jesus who knows all about me and loves me anyway
that little secret that HE has for me and reminds me of often

What's on your list of blessings???

Random Pictures

2009-11-03T20:14:00.003-06:00

Lauren's first horse ride with her new friend, Taylor.

Does my face look like this?

Stylin' and Profilin'

Ethan and Lily taste-testing the candy before the parade.

Jen and Aubrey

God's Mission

2009-10-11T14:48:00.006-05:00

I haven't ever posted about this because somehow I believed that it was screaming "me, me, me!" I think that is a lie I believed that kept me from sharing about HIM,HIM,HIM!!!So here goes:
Our church began a new vision. Our mission statement is " To give ourselves away for the transformation of our community, the city of Las Vegas, the country of Wales, and a "un-nameable for security reasons" people group.I love mission minded churches so this was right up my alley but how could I transform my community? I live 30 minutes away from our church and have 4 small children! One day, Lauren and I dropped some clothes off at our local mission and they mentioned to me that they could use help hanging up all of the donated clothes. God was showing me how I could begin helping in MY community. From that day, I began working there 2 days every week. I love busy work so I felt that God matched me to the perfect job. As we hung up clothes, I silently observed and realized that that there was a need for interaction with the clients. It was like God spoke to me and said, "Be different, just follow my lead." As I began talking with clients and helping them find what they needed, I saw a change. I saw a change in how many garbage bags they tried to haul off. I was able to listen as a woman described how her husband left her with nothing and then pray for her afterwards. This wasn't a Wendy thing. Wendy is not comfortable making small talk and asking people if they need prayer. This was and is a God thing. Following His lead, I am able to help others and show the love of Christ. There are so many times, when I fail to do as He asks me. Sometimes, I just don't feel like it and I have found out that I truly am the one missing out on the blessings that He is waiting to share. Even worse, I am missing a chance to show someone to Christ. God has truly changed my heart. He has given me a new compassion for people here in my community. He has opened my eyes to needs that I was totally unaware of before.
I realized right from the start of this job that God had placed me here for a reason. Back in May, I was asked to be director of the mission. I know that God has a really big plan for my time here. It is so excited to watch! We are working on healthier food to give and regulating the clothing that is taken out more. We are beginning a trial adult reading program. We attempted to begin a Bible study but have not had a huge turn out so we are redirecting to building relationships with our clients first. We have helped people who have lost their homes to fires, people that have gotten out of prison, new single mothers, abused women and many needy seniors,children and families. I pray that this mission continues to go in the direction of helping people help themselves. I would love to see a job readiness program along with job placement. Before any of this comes about, it is our first priority to help people begin a relationship with Jesus! There are many days when the physical needs take precidence over the spiritual needs. The enemy wants to fool us into thinking that just taking care of one need is enough so we press on. Please pray for all of our volunteers, that it would press upon our hearts to share Jesus with every person that walks through our doors. Pray for those clients that come in that their hearts would be hungry for Jesus and their ears open to hear the truth.

Been Busy Round Here!!!

2009-10-04T16:36:00.002-05:00

Wow! Things just don't seem to slow down much and when they do it throws all of us into shock! Today is one of those perfect days for a Sunday afternoon nap so that's waht we did!! Ahh! So nice to rest and relax. I even got out of my grocery trip today. Thad went to pick up the necessities for tomorrow.
School is going, going, going. We get report cards in two weeks. Also in two weeks, Ethan will be on the Homecoming court as crown bearer. We are so excited but it has taken up alot of time to get things ready and we have the smallest part in the whole deal!!!!
There has been alot going on a the mission. New changes, new ideas, new procedures equals tons of work. It will be so worth it all when these things take place so I'm not griping for sure!
Hopefully, there will be a big and more detailed update soon with pictures and everything! Love you all and let us know how you are!!!!

Just in Case You're Wondering.....

2009-09-18T22:26:00.002-05:00

what that lil square is about on my blog--its Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a way to earn points as you search and use the internet. The points can be redeemed for gift cards or used in the Swagbucks store. Points can be earned when you search through Swagbucks. I recommend downloading the Swagbuck toolbar and using that to do your regular internet searching. Periodically, a screen will show that says you've earned a swagbuck. When you invite friends, you earn a buck everytime they earn a buck. Hey people! We are going to search on the internet so we might as well get paid while we do it! Christmas is coming soon so I can't think of a better time to join. Please leave a comment if you are interested and I'll send you and invitation!

One of "Those" Weeks

2009-09-07T08:41:00.004-05:00

Yep, this has been it! First, getting stuck in the woods then...not an hour later...Lauren fell off of the boat into the pond!! We were so thankful that she was wearing her pink tutu. That's how Thad could see her when he jumped in to "save" her! I am so thankful that I don't have that picture in my head of the whole event.
Since then we have had a ripstick wreck, shower fall, and yesterday Lauren was stung on the head by one of those big, red wasp!!! Can you please pray for our family??? We need it!!!!

Survivor Woman.....

2009-09-07T08:26:00.002-05:00

I AM NOT! You know how you watch those Survivorman/Man vs Wild shows and think. OK, what's the big deal or he's nuts. Well, I too watch those shows and I know that when you see him in the rain or filthy dirty or wet and col- we just don't get it. We are in the comfort of our home- not feeling the way he is about those things. With such an eventful week last week, Lauren and I got our survivorwomen experience. We headed out to the back where there are new dirt roads and trails to explore. We do this several times a week but we happened to find a new trail that we hadn't been down before. We were having a great time until we ran over a blue runner. I HATE SNAKES!!
This particular blue runner was about a foot away from me when we ran him out of the grass. I decided to make a hard right and ended up high centering our atv on some very old trenches. So here we are stuck in the woods-no cell phone and Lauren had no shoes. I tried to move our atv but was unsucessful so I began digging the dirt out from underneath while Lauren watched for the snake;) After about 30 minutes we gave up. It really stunk sitting there not knowing what to do which made me think of survivorman. I could walk out but I was thinking more of the snakes that I would surely step on if I went back the way we came. We sat for a while then decided that we should walk anyway. We were walking in the opposite direction when we saw "our boys" coming to "save" us. They had been looking for us for awhile but couldn't find us. Of course, they were able to push the atv out. Thank goodness for our boys!!!

School Update

2009-08-31T21:10:00.002-05:00

I thought this may be necessary since there was some concern over the look on Aaron's face ;)
Aaron is loving school so far. He came home with a sticker today because he was so good. He had a hard time last week because like he said, "I just like to talk!" Yes, I know where he gets that from. He is doing super on those math facts so far. He is at the point where he just can't learn enough in one day. He always wants more. I love that about him!
Ethan is doing well but has developed a complex over the dreaded math facts. He really hates it when Aaron shouts out the answer before him. He is doing super reading and came home with a 105 on his science test. The five bonus points came from him memorizing and writing-I will praise thee;for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Love that too!
Brendan is hanging in there with jr high. He did come home concerned about a vocabulary test but he wasn't upset. I managed to help him with his algebra tonite since DAD isn't home. Luckily, there were plenty of examples and he only needed a "little" help.
Lauren was feeling left out tonite with mom doing homework with all of the boys so we pulled out the alphabet cards. She loved every minute of it. She did recognize her L and was very satisfied that she had some homework time with mom too.
So that's the update today. I figured that I still owed ya for not updating much.

Wow, its been awhile!!!

2009-08-29T18:12:00.003-05:00

We have been really busy lately but I didn't realize that it had been so long since I blogged. Well, school has begun. We officially have a jr. high student! All is well in jr high so far. Second grade is going smoothly considering that E is adjusting to new glasses for reading. First grade is much better than Kindergarten was! Lauren and I have adjusted to life without the boys at home. We are super busy at the mission! It seems we are doing that way more than two days a week. She has been a real trooper allowing mom to spend so much of her time working. She usually watches a movie, colors or plays with the people there for the few hours that I work. I am so thankful that she can be happy without all of Mom's attention;) Here are a few pics of the going ons around here:

Pictures for Nevin

2009-08-10T18:57:00.004-05:00

Family Pic minus me and Aaron

Took this as we were leaving...sorry about the glare!

That's Brendan in front of the new Airbus! That thing was huge!

Our future pilot!

Aaron learned to rivet!

Cutest pilot award

Not sure what they were doing but it was fun!

It's Been a While.....

2009-08-08T21:49:00.003-05:00

Man, where has the summer gone? We have been so busy enjoying all of the summer activities that I have not taken time to blog. The kids have been fishing, swimming, doing chores, playing video games, riding bikes and watching lots of cartoons. The older two went to a daycamp at church every day last week. They didn't like the idea but ended up having a great time. They have had a blast this summer and do not want it to end. This will be our last official week of summer vacation. Next week is full of appointments for haircuts, immunizations and check ups. I put it off until the last minute so we could just soak up summer as long as possible. I'll try to put some pictures of all the summer fun on here next blog. Let us know how you've been!

She Doesn't Get This From ME!!

2009-07-10T22:06:00.004-05:00

This whole girly girl thing is really crackin' me up!! She needs to wear dresses EVERY day. She is constantly putting on her play makeup--blue eyeshadow is the current trend ;) Hair accessories are a pretty big deal too. Today's request was two braids with a flower on top. And last but not least..EVERYTHING revolves around being a princess!!

Yesterday's scenario:

(Mom & Dad hugging in the kitchen)

Lauren:

STOP!!!!! That's my handsome prince!!!!!

My "Baby" is Eleven!!!

2009-07-03T07:38:00.005-05:00

Can you believe that???!!! Brendan is 11 years old!!! He will be going to the 6th grade this year. THAT IS JUNIOR HIGH PEOPLE!!!!! Can you tell that I'm not so sure about this??!! Its so hard to see that lil man that has always been my baby ....well....as a little man!?! OK, enough on all that. Here are some pictures of his birthday. He had quite the day and was treated a bit "royally"...I think;)

The day started off with our traditional Happy Birthday cinnamon rolls for breakfast-Plus a little aggrivation from Dad!

Everyone loved that it was Brendan's Birthday! What a fun day!

Blowing out the candles.....

on his birthday cookie cake!!!

Looks like daddy is suffering through this day. Don't ya think?

Can you ever really win enough tickets????

A big surprise for everyone at the end of the day!!!!

Don't worry! To ward off all the damage mom and dad did on this special day, the boys are learning to replace toilet seats today!! See they aren't totally ruined!!!

Southern Summers

2009-06-20T08:41:00.003-05:00

There is something quite unique about southern summmers. Only a true Southerner knows what it is like to have to get up very early to get things outside done or waiting until dark to get back outside. All of this to avoid the heat. All those expressions, "dog days of summer"and "lazy southern summers", they have new meaning to me. The heat here is so oppressive! We have to plan our whole day around when it it just so hot that we MUST stay inside under the a/c. There's nothing lazy about those summers-just to0 dang hot to function! After saying all this, I couldn't resist the tradition of putting up corn this year. I haven't made time to do that in several years. We got up very early one morning and drove to my grandparents corn field, picked about 100 ears of corn and was back home by 8am. The boys enjoyed the work day. I cut the ends off of each ear, Brendan and Ethan did the shucking, Aaron did the silking. After we finished, we ended up helping Aaron with the silks. The boys got to go play some video games while I cut the corn off of the cob, blanched it and put it up. We got about 7 large bags of cut-off corn and a couple of bags still on the cob. Lots of work for so little result but it will be worth it this winter when we have fresh corn! I'm so glad that the boys got to do something that I did while growing up. I hope we made a memory. The funniest part was watching there reaction when they were surprised by a bug/worm in the corn. They even kept a few in the bug dome to watch for awhile- I NEVER DID THAT GROWING UP!

A Lil Update

2009-06-19T07:02:00.005-05:00

Ok, so we made it through screen-free week. Well, six days at least;) It was tough! We watch more tv than I thought! The thing that I found the hardest was finding time to get my stuff done with no tv on. I hope that this will be a reminder not to fall into the same bad habits. This week has been so hot! We have been swimming quite a bit and yesterday went bowling. I believe we will have to stick to indoor activities for most of the day and save the swimming til last when it is not so hot!!!! I really would love to be up north in the cool,not humid weather! Thad is spraying here close to home for now. It is really too hot to do that! On the agenda for today: get rid of six kittens, get Lauren ready for her swim lesson (Thank you,Casey), get the boys packed to go help at the mission. Yea, that should keep us busy and cool for awhile;)

Hope your day is blessed!!!

Our Judeo-Christian Nation

2009-06-16T17:49:00.001-05:00

Screen Free Week!

2009-06-08T12:26:00.002-05:00

Yes, that the happening at our house this week. We have been screen free since Saturday afternoon. This means no t.v, video games or computers for a whole week. This rule only applies to the kids;) (hehehe) It started out as a punishment for all of the fighting going on around here. I also wanted them to be creative and do something fun using their imagination. So far it has gone rather smoothly. I was actually surprised by that. They have spent most of the time fishing and swimming. We have had friends over to play and I have noticed lots of board games and puzzles going on into the night. I can't wait to get a good game of UNO started. So I will be looking for ideas of more thing we can do togther this week. We have a library trip planned, a sleepover with cousins, and a little mission work. I will be grateful for any other ideas. It hasn't gotten to the point of pulling out the crafts yet.....But towards the end of the week, we will be looking for something--- I'm sure of it!!!

Wendy's Favorite Things About the Beach

2009-06-03T21:19:00.011-05:00

Hanging Out

Watching Handsome Dudes!

The Scenery

Happy Children

Sand Creatures

Sand Castles

Happy Birthday Aaron!!

2009-06-03T08:08:00.002-05:00

Everyone is still asleep in our house this am. It is incredibly nice to have a day when we don't have to be up early and ready to leave the house. Everyone is exhausted from our busy day yesterday. We woke up to wish Aaron a Happy 6th Birthday-complete with gigantic cinnamon rolls,candles and the bday song! Then we were off to do a lil work until lunch. We came back and celebrated with an ice cream cake. Oreos, vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake--impossible to go wrong with that!!! Finally, we spent the rest of the day at the pool with all his new pool toys that he got for his birthday. They swam for 3 hours so that explains why they are still in bed this am. Here's a little picture of the birthday boy with his cake!

Mother of the Year!

2009-05-26T21:51:00.002-05:00

Yes, that's exactly how I feel this week. We were so excited to get to the last week of school. I kept telling myself over and over, "Get through the week!" The last day of school was our awards day. I sat with my family taking pictures of the two oldest boys. They both got awards for having honor roll all year long. (so proud!)I noticed that Ethan's hair was a little different. He never has forehead showing with his cute little haircut. (Brendan is the lucky child that inherited my cowlick;)) After awards were over I noticed that a huge chunk of his hair was missing! I fixed his hair for school and never noticed it. Does this give you an idea of how alert I am in the morning??!! My child cut his hair the night before!!! We found scissors and hair in his bed. Why?? Why would my seven year old do this??? All the scissors have been confiscated and I am aware that I have to wake up earlier in the am and have coffee before I fix hair!

If its not working.....try something else!

2009-05-25T08:56:00.001-05:00

This is one of the important ideas that I want to teach my kids. Keep trying!!! I have to admit that most of the time they get so frustrated when something doesnt' work. I hear.."I just can't do it" more often than I would like. Yesterday, the oldest two boys were given the task of letting a fish out of the live well in Daddy's boat, putting it in the pond, and draining the live well. We were a little concerned as to why it was taking them so long to do the task. Brendan came in and said that they simply could not catch the fish. It kept swimming away from them. Thad was about to go and do the job when they informed him that the fish was already in the pond. We were quite confused until they told us that they had figured out another way to catch him. (I would have loved to been out there to see whose idea this was!) They baited a hook and caught him with their pole. Then took him to the pond and let him go.

I have to admit, that was one of my proud moments!!!

Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes

2009-05-19T14:18:00.001-05:00

Wanna Spend the Night in a Teepee???

2009-05-11T18:59:00.003-05:00

Let me assure you that if you are over say 15, you don't! We decided to go on a little "fieldtrip" to the diamond mine in Arkansas. We had a great time digging for diamonds in the huge crater. We didn't find any diamonds, but we found quartz and some really pretty rocks. The teepee is where we spent the night. It is not at the state park but just down the road. You can check out the accomodations at www.diamondjohns.com The video is so relaxing to watch and a perfect place for kids to roam. Well, it actually was very misleading. The whole area was covered in duck and goose poop. The giant sand pile for the kids to play in was no exception. The yard was grown up and the tents were musty with mildew on the plastic--stinky. There was an air conditioner that kept it cool so there was less musty smell. The sheets (where I found someone else's hair) were not clean! So inspite of my state of disgust, I kept it to myself and the kids had a great time. I don't think they even noticed that I was ready to go at first light to wait at the park until it opened;)

Aaron took pictures while I was texting Thad about the accomodations.

Aaron playing with the flashlight and loving how it looked at the top of the teepee.

Lauren headed out the door of the teepee.

The Making of a Southern Belle

2009-04-25T09:56:00.002-05:00

Vespa Tour

2009-04-13T14:42:00.004-05:00

Some beautiful scenes in Florence!

Our cool rides!

The guys and our tour guide

The vineyards were beautiful even when they were bare!

Olive trees

This was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. I was a little nervous about driving through the city but it worked out just fine. I stayed close to our guide and let him watch for all of the traffic. Our tour was 8 hours!! We were so tired at the end of the day but saw some unforgettable scenery. We took some very curvy roads up the hills and back again. I had to drive slower than the guys would have liked. They claim that 70mph seems to be a good speed but 62mph was the fastest I dared to go;) It seemed to work fine for me especially since I didn't lay my bike down on a curve!

Desserts are my favorite!!!!

2009-04-09T20:25:00.006-05:00

So many flavors to choose from...of course, I chose chocolate!!!

Do you see anything that doesn't look delicious???

Check out this hot chocolate! It was more like melted chocolate in a cup.

Sagrada Familia

2009-04-09T16:06:00.002-05:00

These are some pictures of a church that is being built in Barcelona. It has been in the works since the mid to late 1800's. It was absolutely beautiful. Here are a few pictures of it. Be sure to click on the pictures to take notice of the details.

A Few of My Favorites

2009-04-08T20:15:00.002-05:00

This is not Michaelangelo's Sistene Chapel because you cannot take pictures in there ;)
Didn't that sound redneck??!!

In the Vatican Museum

At the Collesium in Rome

Just loved this cross! Blue skies in the background-Perfect!

The door of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

We are home!

2009-04-07T16:46:00.004-05:00

Thad and I were so blessed to have the opportunity to go to Europe. We went to meet up with our friend Johnny and visit places we had always dreamt of. It was so much fun! I posted a few pictures while we were away so family at home could see some of what we were seeing on our trip. My plan is to share our trip and pictures on the blog. So if this is interesting to you...stay tuned. If this does NOT interest you, then you may want to stay away for a couple of weeks. Boy, do I have tons of pictures to share. If I find that I can't get them all on here,then I will just post them on facebook.
I am so thankful that the kids did great while we were away. Even more thankful for the babysitters that took such good care of them;)

Beautiful Barcelona!!!

2009-04-02T12:34:00.002-05:00

This picture is a glimpse of a beautiful church being built in Barcelona. I'll post more pics of the church when we get home.

Thad and me in front of the palace. Great art museum inside.

The Olympic stadium in Barcelona. See that line?? An AC/DC concert!!!!!

Pueblo Espanola- so beautiful!

The small street where we stayed!! Barcelona was beautiful. So much to see and do! Loved it there and would definitely go back!!!

To Be Continued----

2009-04-01T14:10:00.002-05:00

Don't despair....there will be more pictures when I can get a better internet connection and more time to put them on...

Ciao!

A Wee Bit of Ireland

2009-03-29T15:07:00.002-05:00

Carrickareade

Carrickareade Rope Bridge

Carrickfergus

Scrabo Tower

Spring is Here!!

2009-03-19T19:42:00.005-05:00

Spring is here!!! It is so nice to have warmer weather, even if it is for only a few days. The flowers are blooming all around the house and it is so sweet to see Lauren take notice of them for the first time. I just can't convince her to just look at them and stop picking them!

The boys have been busy at the pond. They are catching fish and having a great time. I was so proud to watch Aaron get his pole ready, put on the bait, and catch a fish all by himself!! I told Thad that I will never have to take a fish off the hook again!!!

The boys have also been riding their bikes much of the time lately. I love to see all three of them taking off down the road together. A fun new chapter in their lives. No one left out but Lauren and she would rather hang with me anyway.

Baseball has begun and I can already tell that it is going to be VERY busy. Ethan is playing on the pitching machine league for the first time. I am very impressed that he is holding his own out there on the field with teammates that have played for years already. He hasn't batted from the pitching machine yet-we will do that this weekend. Aaron will be playing T-Ball and he is so excited that he is on the LSU team. That's what he wants to call it because the colors of his uniform are purple and gold. Life is good.

Brendan is going camping with a friend next weekend. Its hard to believe that he is that old already!!! I still want to be the one to do all of those fun things with him!!

Thad has been flying some and fishing some. I think he is enjoying his "down" time before the busy summer flying season begins. We are packing and working out last minute details for our trip to the urban jungle. In fact, my life IS working out details for four kids at home and I have neglected to take care of some of the trip details. Easter egg hunts, baseball games and practices, feeding, bathing, playing, homework. Yes, someone is gonna be busy and as much as I need to go on a trip, I'll be sad that I'm not the one doing all of those things for my kiddos ;)
I know, Moms, we aren't satisfied unless we can be tired and have a million things to do. I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything!!!!!!

Goofy Saturday Morning!

2009-03-09T20:47:00.004-05:00

Ethan buckled himself in!

And ran from the camera!!

My favorite way to spend Saturday morning!

Is that camera close enough to your face Aaron???

Fun At School???

2009-03-03T19:44:00.004-06:00

I think NOT!!! Aaron is not liking Kindergarten so much. He loves that he is learning to read but some of the tasks he is asked to do is just not that interesting and not that fun...

This is his handwriting paper from today. Notice all of the red marks;)

If you look closely at the note, he drew circles on his letters.

It took a minute for me to realize why he circled on his letters. He was correcting his mistakes, just like his teacher does. Look to see how great he is at recognizing his mistakes. If only those little 5 yr old hands could stay on the lines ;)

Check Him Out!

2009-02-28T15:40:00.000-06:00

Our newest blog-worthy news is that AARON LEARNED TO RIDE HIS BIKE!!!!! He is so excited and so proud! Wouldn't you know that today it is rainy and cold and he can't practice!

Fourteen Years Ago.....

2009-02-25T13:59:00.000-06:00

today, we were married. How time flies!!

What's Up??

2009-02-20T20:05:00.001-06:00

I know it seems that I post alot of Lauren but she is the only one who loves to have her picture taken. The boys literally run from the camera when they see me coming. She's not the favorite...just more photogenic;)

Brendan is doing great in the 5th grade. Reading so much and enjoying different books. He has fun with his friends at school and is enjoying several different video games right now.

Ethan made all 100's on his math facts this week which earned him a day at home! This was the reward they asked for if they could accomplish the thing they had the most trouble with at school.

Aaron's challenge was of course, keeping all his behavior points for the week. He passed with flying colors the first week and was so happy to get a day at home with Mom. Aaron wants to play T-ball this spring and is doing a great job reading!!

Lauren and I stay busy with a ministry here in town. We go 2 days a week for a few hours and have been blessed by being part of this ministry.

Thad is doing flight instruction at the airport.---More on that in the next post:)

Just a little update to see how the family is getting along.

Because....

2009-02-20T20:01:00.000-06:00

four swimsuits are better than one!!!!

Happy Birthday Lauren!!!

2009-02-13T19:48:00.001-06:00

I can't believe she's three!!!

Instead of a party, we had a day at the salon!!

She wore her sleeping beauty gown of course!

Makeup, nails, and hair----she loved every minute of it.

The 2nd Mile Series

2009-02-12T15:28:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to encourage you to download the 2nd Mile series from www.firstwest.cc
Its free if you download it to Itunes. Awesome series. God has been preparing me for this one for awhile. See how He speaks to you too!!

Our Little Diva!

2009-02-03T19:06:00.000-06:00

Lauren's latest "trend" is to dress up in anything she can find. Sometimes it is cute!

Notice that the head band is actually a swimsuit top.

Sometimes, I get tired of her unloading her dresser drawers everytime I look in her room!

I had to hide that dress when she took it off so it wouldn't end up with stains all over;)

Winter Weather--Blah!!

2009-01-17T14:52:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know that I can't complain that much since we are not as cold as some places in the US but seriously.....! I love winter weather that includes snow, fireplaces, hot cocoa and the like but it is much different here in the south. Warmish one day with the south wind blowing then biting cold the next day with a 10-15mph north wind. I am officially tired of the kind of winter weather we get here! Tired of staying in our pj's all day, watching movies, playing the wii. I want to be outside in the warm sun-mowing the grass or something!!!! or just maybe a beach in Mexico:)

Fun Weekend for Everyone

2009-01-13T13:05:00.000-06:00

The two older boys went on a hunting trip with their Daddy this weekend.

Yep,that's my 10yr old with the shotgun.

Ethan looks pretty comfortable sitting there.

They loved going on a "big hunt" with Dad. Aaron didn't feel left out at all. He and I went out to eat, snuggled, rode the four wheeler and washed the car. And....Lauren had a girl nite with grandma.

Crazy Weather Here!

2009-01-06T15:54:00.000-06:00

Our weather has been a little crazy. We have had super warm days with lots of sunshine. We have had cold, rainy days that last for days. We have had warm, rainy days and it has just been messy here for a few weeks. On Saturday, it was a beautiful warm day. When I looked outside the sun was shining and it was raining so this is what we found in our backyard.

Christmas slide show 0002

2008-12-24T10:04:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T09:04:00.000-06:00

No Christmas Card!

2008-12-20T16:48:00.000-06:00

Don't be too upset yet ;) I will be posting a Christmas slide show on Wed. or Thurs. with some great pictures of the kids. I already have a few that will definitely make the cut! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Still Working on a Christmas Card Picture!

2008-12-10T19:41:00.001-06:00

Thad's Skydive.wmv

2008-12-05T17:07:00.001-06:00

Ok, so the video was not super, great like we were expecting so this is what we have for you. Comments, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

Advent Conspiracy Promo Video

2008-12-03T18:59:00.001-06:00

I saw this on another blogger's page and just wanted to share it with all of you.

Where's the Video?????

2008-12-03T18:49:00.000-06:00

Ok, so the super great video is LATE arriving to our home. As soon as I can, it will be posted.

Our Thanksgiving Week

2008-11-30T20:52:00.000-06:00

WE have enjoyed a great Thanksgiving week. We were able to fly north to spend Thanksgiving with Thad's parents in MO. We have had a great time. The kids love being somewhere different and seeing all of the new sites. We have seen plenty of Christmas lights, shoppers,and food. Brendan rode his first roller coaster this week. He was brave and I was glad it was night time so he wouldn't change his mind.

Today, it has been snowing all day.(I can't believe that I forgot the camera) In fact, we won't be able to make it home for school tomorrow because of the weather. The kids are so sad ;) Hopefully, it will clear up tomorrow so we can head home.

We have a busy week. Aaron's class is attending the Christmas ballet and the kids are ready to go pick out our Christmas tree. I am so glad that we are finished with all of the shopping so we can enjoy all of the other fun activities. We plan to bake, decorate, read Christmas stories, and watch all of our favorite movies. I love this time of year!!!

STAY TUNED FOR SOME FUN VIDEO THIS COMING WEEK!!!!!!!

Our New LSU fan!!

2008-11-15T11:45:00.000-06:00