tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65822446412830100662024-03-12T19:05:11.613-04:00The Chad Vest FamilyI am a mother of seven and a wife to a very busy, motivated man in the ministry. I love my family and enjoy little things--like new mascara, buying hair accessories for my daughters, watching a beautiful sunset, finding a good book for a good price, cuddling in front of a fireplace. I believe that people need people to help them along life's journey. If I could help just one person, I would be happy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-22009172592430781012010-11-02T20:49:00.001-04:002010-11-02T20:49:50.052-04:00Christmas Card 2010<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="width:425px; height:494px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif);"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="height:482px; padding: 0 6px 0 6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bg.gif); background-repeat:repeat-y;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewLogo" style="width: 105px; height: 34px; padding: 14px 0 0 14px;"><img src="http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/logo.gif"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewContainer" style="height:350px; text-align:center; padding: 0;"><a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery"><img src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/prs/v1/0BZMWzlo1bM-/0BZMWzlo1bM-cW/p/67b0de21b3127d902548/JPEG/1288745343000/0/"></a></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewMessageContainer" style="height:55px; background-color:#f4f4e9; text-align:center; padding: 15px 0 15px 0; line-height: 19px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewTitle" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 15px; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;"><span>Traditional Damask Red Christmas</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewSEOText" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>Shop Shutterfly for elegant <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/" style="color: #6666cc;">custom Christmas photo cards</a>.</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>View the entire <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">collection</a> of cards.</span></div><img width="1" height="1" border="0" src="https://os.shutterfly.com/b/ss/sflyshareprod/1/H.15/111?pageName=sharekey&c1=msc&c2=blogger" /></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif);"></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-88306478333847263092010-03-27T11:51:00.002-04:002010-03-27T11:58:15.197-04:00Family GatheringAll of the Vest Clan got together last week because Papa was here for Pastors' School as well as to see the family. With 20 grandchildren plus adults, there was never a dull moment! Many games were played, children went swimming, balls thrown, fun had. Here are a few collages that I put together so far....<br /><br /><div align="center">All 20 Grandchildren!!!</div><div align="center"> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUIhdPi9fKzmi51HDQkRzoEyw4Xm1m-Hvp4_SCJM-xiv6z96DM40Kyn-z7Mu6h4n_C6jmxOHNJIXFN2Y5kcvpdi357yobCZViMJ_RJipOIH4dVzKp2tbpvANq1BKP2y0_oEf6MFCd-78/s1600/Vest+Grandchildren+2010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453342899655858514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUIhdPi9fKzmi51HDQkRzoEyw4Xm1m-Hvp4_SCJM-xiv6z96DM40Kyn-z7Mu6h4n_C6jmxOHNJIXFN2Y5kcvpdi357yobCZViMJ_RJipOIH4dVzKp2tbpvANq1BKP2y0_oEf6MFCd-78/s400/Vest+Grandchildren+2010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1zlEWwbwla7YHNzc_X3WyAlpDjXYjw4xdtzizfWGWR7LKsucWZyrLEtgyekuYq_j7fTYgL8xKfrdcZ2qO90FHObf_eLR_geZOHoNCKIUDFv5RidhfXCoHPK2CYDUOmekjXG7Tz2wTok/s1600/Vest+Family+March+2010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453342707228157410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1zlEWwbwla7YHNzc_X3WyAlpDjXYjw4xdtzizfWGWR7LKsucWZyrLEtgyekuYq_j7fTYgL8xKfrdcZ2qO90FHObf_eLR_geZOHoNCKIUDFv5RidhfXCoHPK2CYDUOmekjXG7Tz2wTok/s400/Vest+Family+March+2010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4PqyJcTXyfMoDAMs-yWeiEPyaOSn8ETFZ3G_AJOSXM8qUMmu_4G5i_e27i6xP1v9jvcFpcrGWTLbncFNuDsb9Q0f1pZ6T8vIuh4VbnfboWPLQXL8ZFrGhORlkKmzuYFK7V0ZLuLKInU/s1600/Swimming+Pictures.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453342704483877378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4PqyJcTXyfMoDAMs-yWeiEPyaOSn8ETFZ3G_AJOSXM8qUMmu_4G5i_e27i6xP1v9jvcFpcrGWTLbncFNuDsb9Q0f1pZ6T8vIuh4VbnfboWPLQXL8ZFrGhORlkKmzuYFK7V0ZLuLKInU/s400/Swimming+Pictures.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5xvqKr3m0jLhvrU1FIsI2thVw9HtCxU5NBarkqlpDzCfpM96SaJaHuXhSeRxs5reoouCdx-37Bz86KDRxxTEgudcs0v2nAOT5MsPGr0h98F61euo7T1caFb0jzK0kPx7WRFLfpEEjZk/s1600/Papa+and+the+Big+Girls+Celebration.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453342699771633762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5xvqKr3m0jLhvrU1FIsI2thVw9HtCxU5NBarkqlpDzCfpM96SaJaHuXhSeRxs5reoouCdx-37Bz86KDRxxTEgudcs0v2nAOT5MsPGr0h98F61euo7T1caFb0jzK0kPx7WRFLfpEEjZk/s400/Papa+and+the+Big+Girls+Celebration.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvQaLbwKiJriiKMy6zexzfXNB8hs3WtKKlJuJm8DbYeAeyyIiGqO9Gvz9VVjL47e4zOtaQQpkUy7IOGkY7lPHLEW_Cz5xLAmh3uMuHoJKhUvHygzQ3BFPScHU5bOkQra-PPYcGoCQyQ0/s1600/Large+Vest+Pictures.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453342696033090722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvQaLbwKiJriiKMy6zexzfXNB8hs3WtKKlJuJm8DbYeAeyyIiGqO9Gvz9VVjL47e4zOtaQQpkUy7IOGkY7lPHLEW_Cz5xLAmh3uMuHoJKhUvHygzQ3BFPScHU5bOkQra-PPYcGoCQyQ0/s400/Large+Vest+Pictures.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwr2tLE10keJ0Mggzi4kpl4j_ftIVUALWsLfZJUtgr1hLMJGbm4M0KPOwZZrdNaZZeO0IGZikdrnNv_fsF8SjPkaTXAACa5v6zNfBGqHKiWAWIKvkVCGR0R_nMFQLyPkHx8-yanHXDtQ/s1600/Katherine+and+Others.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453342685390675234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwr2tLE10keJ0Mggzi4kpl4j_ftIVUALWsLfZJUtgr1hLMJGbm4M0KPOwZZrdNaZZeO0IGZikdrnNv_fsF8SjPkaTXAACa5v6zNfBGqHKiWAWIKvkVCGR0R_nMFQLyPkHx8-yanHXDtQ/s400/Katherine+and+Others.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />So there you have it! A great family trip, though I'm not sure how ready I am to do it again any time soon--especially with a newborn! ;)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-48331258997955043782010-03-08T08:28:00.002-05:002010-03-08T08:39:00.504-05:00Our Newest AdditionOn Monday, February 8th, at 12:45 a.m. our newest little addition made her appearance into the world! She weighed 8 pounds even and was 20 inches long. She is a joy to her mother (I don't think I have ever bonded with a baby quite like this one. She's a month old and still sleeping in my room--something I have NEVER done!) as well as the rest of the family. She'll be spoiled for sure!<br /><br />When I downloaded the pictures, I forgot that you have to do them backwards, so the last picture should be the first.<br /><br /><div align="center">Our Sweet Little Katherine Lea a.k.a. "Lady Kate"</div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_Dezk5RA14icBI6Dht4CkZKTTSsEgx2Gd-kEbJLoEhP-Ef_jp76YfK374QSTeynbKSfew9wEYSj-YYOth5xoNKL-h8i4F3pSDHN7utceoTIIDvsSC5-_UJ2kPeAQP3Aer5v_nojWLLg/s1600-h/IMG_1085.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446255404398417634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_Dezk5RA14icBI6Dht4CkZKTTSsEgx2Gd-kEbJLoEhP-Ef_jp76YfK374QSTeynbKSfew9wEYSj-YYOth5xoNKL-h8i4F3pSDHN7utceoTIIDvsSC5-_UJ2kPeAQP3Aer5v_nojWLLg/s400/IMG_1085.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><p align="center">Big Brother Tyler kissing Katherine :)<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4v5DIox7OxfLAEvkb8FJAM1yW_D-WybMswUJqzouiL680IaOewduYmBqabb3jYb4aj3t2aWLZvPj8QtvQSVeBXef8aLP-tQrfJ8eWHO1ktT9tcAz0FYgOT899BuC_crr8xnj8Y4AZCZg/s1600-h/IMG_1070.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446255401137262818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4v5DIox7OxfLAEvkb8FJAM1yW_D-WybMswUJqzouiL680IaOewduYmBqabb3jYb4aj3t2aWLZvPj8QtvQSVeBXef8aLP-tQrfJ8eWHO1ktT9tcAz0FYgOT899BuC_crr8xnj8Y4AZCZg/s400/IMG_1070.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6oSegZy1oa9bjVHfgpL_lJnAeH8EF0hgt9CdejigBI_Iva66nCw4EKJY84diJ39CyMjlwCQCaHTfeuwMij8W9fNDNnjn648wdLxGetp6b5G6MgwzbMgZGk_nH28SPpSpXLDpqd1QvtI/s1600-h/IMG_1064.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446255396240677090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6oSegZy1oa9bjVHfgpL_lJnAeH8EF0hgt9CdejigBI_Iva66nCw4EKJY84diJ39CyMjlwCQCaHTfeuwMij8W9fNDNnjn648wdLxGetp6b5G6MgwzbMgZGk_nH28SPpSpXLDpqd1QvtI/s400/IMG_1064.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><p align="left">Daddy was weighing Katherine with my midwife Cathy in the front left, my mom looking next to Chad, and Cathy's daughter Lisa looking on in the background. I couldn't ask for a better midwife than Cathy. She delivered 6 of my 8 children, and I love her to pieces!<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7IePZcvz78koar2ALf-TvGHioXJBJXs-LguffNAcvMiPpWR1qg4Bcgee5Vfs8dvoDilAEEcHznoNavWV1k0Io341x3w8qfNIIudWq9t-Ow5a5svjxA-ELIu8yjfNS9ew8ViEbdYaoZU/s1600-h/IMG_1062.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446255392429326418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7IePZcvz78koar2ALf-TvGHioXJBJXs-LguffNAcvMiPpWR1qg4Bcgee5Vfs8dvoDilAEEcHznoNavWV1k0Io341x3w8qfNIIudWq9t-Ow5a5svjxA-ELIu8yjfNS9ew8ViEbdYaoZU/s400/IMG_1062.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><p align="center">Katherine at less than 2 hours old<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenXbZX98miHIPQHhaD_xpemoLWVMZD3975-LsQrefbvpXmFZCHuSiSgaNK3pUdwDZsMNSNh3qYQUZPGHvuGXKIDzmZnbXUAB6K7WzNQGT7XRQdm9U6J0X-Gqt9Mf8wl2BXQz-yUJYId4/s1600-h/IMG_1054.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446255389566221378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenXbZX98miHIPQHhaD_xpemoLWVMZD3975-LsQrefbvpXmFZCHuSiSgaNK3pUdwDZsMNSNh3qYQUZPGHvuGXKIDzmZnbXUAB6K7WzNQGT7XRQdm9U6J0X-Gqt9Mf8wl2BXQz-yUJYId4/s400/IMG_1054.JPG" border="0" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-645736483385855552009-10-25T21:01:00.000-04:002009-10-25T21:13:47.110-04:00We had some family pictures taken at the church last Saturday, and were very pleased with the way they turned out! If you're a family member that would like a copy of your own, please comment or email us and let us know what size you would like! (Merry Christmas!!)<br /><br />We have had a busy last couple of months with school starting and all that entails. I was helping out quite a bit at the school but have just begun to back way down in an effort to be at home with the two boys more. Derek is quite a challenging three-year-old and really needs his Momma! Pray that I can figure out how to channel his energy!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Si6hr9w2YZadKed43YG5mHMYU9rxjnyNRQpCdr7cdYo3nCKPCvLEt9BYCdlfhkHTOx7U3I9CQgACwjdhh6DIQash_u2b4ypKef294js2VJ2B-aU-aXnqD3TaOLAngKGPxexgWcg_SQ4/s1600-h/Vest2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Si6hr9w2YZadKed43YG5mHMYU9rxjnyNRQpCdr7cdYo3nCKPCvLEt9BYCdlfhkHTOx7U3I9CQgACwjdhh6DIQash_u2b4ypKef294js2VJ2B-aU-aXnqD3TaOLAngKGPxexgWcg_SQ4/s400/Vest2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396707741148869938" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBJzuQar6uctgp_JB37V3ofQ3a-8lhgM4u_W9-oknQwvPiaXo4MCqeqxeuxfFFB4kP1kO8Dcfu9cAdvqGyv8RgA63zRi1sZFJ0Fkf5v2N1PxK6iMfAQMOHtvPPenT8c-uXAtfd_5TlIk/s1600-h/Vest1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBJzuQar6uctgp_JB37V3ofQ3a-8lhgM4u_W9-oknQwvPiaXo4MCqeqxeuxfFFB4kP1kO8Dcfu9cAdvqGyv8RgA63zRi1sZFJ0Fkf5v2N1PxK6iMfAQMOHtvPPenT8c-uXAtfd_5TlIk/s400/Vest1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396707733337469506" /></a><br /><br />Lauren woke up with a headache this morning, and when I questioned her as to where her head hurt, she pointed to both the front and back of her head. So, though she didn't have a fever at the time, I knew that she was legitimately ill. I'm so glad that I kept her home because she started running a fever shortly thereafter. I finally caved in around 7:00 and gave her some Motrin to help her be more comfortable because her head was hurting so badly.<br /><br />Derek also has pink eye, I think. At least his one eye is making us all wince every time we look at him! <br /><br />We have had four birthdays in the last month and a half and have celebrated at least half of them! <br /><br />The baby is doing fine as of my last check-up (actually my first check-up) and I am scheduled to have another appointment on Thursday, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to go because the car died on me on my way home from church after children's choir. I was supposed to get home in time for Chad to be able to get to church on time, but that didn't happen. The car died at a light, and I had absolutely no power for hazards or anything, so I nearly got hit by a car from behind. Thankfully, a church member and friend stopped with his dad and took me to get a chain and pulled the car home for us! They were definitely an answer to my prayers!<br /><br />I hope you all are doing well, and I will try to post a little more faithfully, but I can't make any promises at this point! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-58720312490811435512009-08-21T06:53:00.002-04:002009-08-21T06:59:11.579-04:00Please Join Me in PrayerPlease pray for three families on our church. A young married man, Dan Firman, and three teen boys were on their way home from work when they were involved in a serious accident. Three of them were killed instantly and the other one is still hanging in the balances, but it is not looking good at all. Dan's wife is expecting their first child in January; his brother was two cars behind them and saw the whole thing. I'm sure he's still in shock. Two of the boys were brothers, the oldest two of 6 children. Their mother said she lost the one who took care of her (the oldest who just graduated from high school this year) and the one who made her laugh (he was going to be a junior this year).<br /><br />We are having a prayer meeting at 11:00 this morning at our church. Would you join us in prayer for these families? Right now they are in the bubble of God's grace, which will hold them up and carry them through the next few days of decisions and family and funeral. The next weeks and months will be harder as day to day life tries to "settle in" unsuccessfully.<br /><br />Our teenagers at our church are really having a difficult time, and I covet prayers for them. They have had quite a difficult year and seem to really be questioning how God could allow this to happen. All of these young men had superb testimonies and loved God.<br /><br />Thank you for praying.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-18036793200835786802009-07-28T09:11:00.003-04:002009-07-28T09:30:26.824-04:00Thoughts on our Country Today<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMY6vs67o8zvrNI0JPIf_BMI_BqZyfhDGhJNX3GJaPQU8SW5EDF0Trq1w-dbg0vWMuDH3Y0WuCesf3TO-dSAiAASldIy0I6z6_MEZRbeL4V_DU9vfR465myI-tppTjuqeYdiepWOwlMjM/s1600-h/fighting+book+cover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363498156812834610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMY6vs67o8zvrNI0JPIf_BMI_BqZyfhDGhJNX3GJaPQU8SW5EDF0Trq1w-dbg0vWMuDH3Y0WuCesf3TO-dSAiAASldIy0I6z6_MEZRbeL4V_DU9vfR465myI-tppTjuqeYdiepWOwlMjM/s400/fighting+book+cover.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Well, you really can't click to look inside--at least not on my blog, but I thought this the easiest way to share the picture of the book I am nearly finished reading. I began it on Sunday night and have been reading it every chance I can get. Attorney David Gibbs, III recently preached at our church, and my husband purchased this book. Since I've been feeling so poorly, I really haven't been doing much reading, but this book has been calling to me ever since he let us in on a few of the details of her case during our church service.</div><div></div><div><br />I remember hearing about the case when it was in progress. I remember thinking that she should be allowed to live. I remember hastily offering up a token prayer or to that folks would change their minds. I remember now that I was too self-absorbed to really know or, dare I even say it, care what was truly happening in that poor woman's life.</div><div></div><div><br />Now I have read the entire story, and now I care. I care now, but now is a little too late. Or is it? The Terri Schaivo case was a terrible injustice, but more importantly than that, the day that Terri Schaivo died because the court ordered her feeding tube to be removed, thereby dehydrating and starving her to death, America sunk to a depth that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. We live in a scary country, right now. Our rights are being stripped away from us, one by one, while the politicians are trying to convince us that they only have our best interests in mind.</div><div></div><div><br />I am not now, nor will I ever be, on the political warpath. I am just a wife and a mother who has always loved her country and is now appalled at what she is becoming. What kind of America will my grandchildren live in twenty years from now if, in my lifetime, the killing of unborn children became legalized and a judge in one of the lowest courts in America ordered a perfectly healthy, disabled woman to be killed through means of dehydration/starvation because her husband, who had gone on with his life, no longer wished to care for her, even though her parents would have done anything to be able to care for her themselves?</div><div></div><div><br />What is our beloved country doing to itself? Where is our moral compass? Out the window with the mothers at work, I think. There is no one left at home to teach the children of America what is right and wrong, and those children are influencing our laws and policies. What can we do about it? I can stay home with my children and teach them the ways of God. And I can pray and teach my children to pray. Lining up on the streets of Washington, D.C. or outside an abortion clinic does little to change the hearts of those in power. But, we see in the book of Proverbs 21:1...</div><div></div><div><em><br />The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.</em></div><div></div><div><br />Any conservative Christian these days should be concerned about the state of our country. Concerned about our children's futures. Concerned, but not worried. God is still in control, and we mothers have the ability to do that thing that gets God's attention the most--PRAY! So, dear mothers and friends, PRAY! Pray like you have never prayed before. Pray for our country.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-21224581817561515762009-07-18T15:04:00.002-04:002009-07-18T15:13:44.407-04:00FOR TODAY July 18...<br /><br />Outside my window...<br /><em>is another fall-like day--overcast, windy and chilly. </em><br /><em></em><br />I am thinking...<br /><em>that I am ready to be done feeling sick but realize that I have ten more weeks before I'm feeling "normal" again. Maybe in 5 or 6 I'll begin to feel better...</em><br /><em></em><br />I am thankful for...<br /><em>my dear, sweet husband who is bringing me a Turkey Bacon Ranch sandwich from Arby's!</em><br /><em></em><br />From the kitchen...<br /><em>not much is going on in the kitchen on my end these days, but the three older children are making themselves bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches for lunch (after feeding the younger ones pb&J :) )</em><br />I am wearing...<br /><em>a jean skirt, a short-sleeved orange sweater, and a green cardigan while being wrapped up in a down-filled blanket!</em><br /><em></em><br />I am creating...<br /><em>a new little life.</em><br /><br />I am going...<br /><em>nowhere and doing nothing. I'm such a homebody these days.</em><br /><em></em><br />I am reading...<br /><em>nothing but my Bible lately. Reading has a tendency to make my head swim.</em><br /><em></em><br />I am hoping...<br /><em>that my hubby is able to spend some time with us today.</em><br /><em></em><br />I am hearing...<br /><em>children laughing and giggling and being silly while they do their chores and eat cherries that a friend from church just dropped off.</em><br /><em></em><br />Around the house...<br /><em>things are looking pretty good. Clothing is slowly being sorted through and organized. Chad is plodding along at getting things fixed up to sell.</em><br /><em></em><br />One of my favorite things...<br /><em>a Jamocha Shake from Arby's!</em><br /><em></em><br />A few plans for the rest of the week:<br /><em>Not too much, really. Too sick to do much, so we just spend time together as a family here at the old homestead!</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-39475633772000588512009-07-14T15:25:00.002-04:002009-07-14T15:32:54.902-04:00Potty Training Help!!!No picture this time, but I sure do need some advice! Derek turns 3 in September, just two short months away, and he has yet to use the toilet. Every once in awhile he "accidentally" goes, such as before a bath, but not consistently. So, yesterday, we decided it was time to begin (after weeks of discussing it with him). I bought several new pairs of training pants and plastic pants and came home armed with two cushy toilet seats for the big toilets and M&Ms and AirHeads for rewards. After toilet training 5 children, you'd think I'd have a little idea of how to do this, but NOTHING seems to be working. He has not successfully gone even one time on the toilet. We finally took the training pants off, put one of the boys' shirts on him so he's "covered" and have let him run around "in the buff" so to speak. Still nothing. I'm beginning to get very frustrated at this little guy. :)<br /><br />I read somewhere that children who begin talking late will also potty train late. Has anyone actually found that to be a true statement? Derek has only been talking for about 3 1/2 months or so. (if that)<br /><br />Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.<br /><br />Thanks,Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-73445565360230549082009-07-07T09:26:00.000-04:002009-07-07T09:27:28.602-04:00Tiny, little life<br />Growing deep within my womb<br />Making me so ill.<br /><br />Someday soon you’ll be<br />Snuggled by your family<br />Oh, how we’ll love you!<br /><br />9 weeks, 2 daysAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-37571861970910180012009-06-27T10:49:00.006-04:002009-06-27T16:13:31.753-04:00Two *FUN* Days at the Lake<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRkwyUy0RGCnyS1JI4c1mHe9fTM-UhFrcnnT_nkeGhwQGiGiOPn1Q4LPdgZsJiJ14GC0xs8eR59cIOjQu3wW8LDrPtQthElLUA6HPZM000hwbqjjO0gqqV4nbMNJFH4H7NZn8AL7HPoI/s1600-h/IMG_0301+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021623859882018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRkwyUy0RGCnyS1JI4c1mHe9fTM-UhFrcnnT_nkeGhwQGiGiOPn1Q4LPdgZsJiJ14GC0xs8eR59cIOjQu3wW8LDrPtQthElLUA6HPZM000hwbqjjO0gqqV4nbMNJFH4H7NZn8AL7HPoI/s400/IMG_0301+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Well, we had two truly fun days at a small little (pretty private) lake that we like to go to. The first day we (the children and mommy) went alone; the second day Daddy decided he wanted to tag along. What a special treat!</div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Tyler here playing in the water. He stayed in all day and ended up with a little bit of a burn on his little back despite the enormous amounts of sun block I slathered all over him! The next day he wore a shirt! :)</div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRGiOlAA-mpmmQTxxfid_IOEa4elzYkN9SkILXb8d94sUEbXb9b8v43ojS_jBLPFzgzGvmTPGsav2V5KRv-98v71uitWuMhRYpIzVbt3djwbM0UivOikA8ljRITvoX6ooCHhbC7gje3M/s1600-h/IMG_0323+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021625731969650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRGiOlAA-mpmmQTxxfid_IOEa4elzYkN9SkILXb8d94sUEbXb9b8v43ojS_jBLPFzgzGvmTPGsav2V5KRv-98v71uitWuMhRYpIzVbt3djwbM0UivOikA8ljRITvoX6ooCHhbC7gje3M/s400/IMG_0323+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Brian exploring along the lake's edge.<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4L2Oh1RpeOnxiScQocJzrmCxNgV8iXP3PrTNX3NbC-CgLPAil9IDRYpisUUL00lhkaTXNa3DzD9jvWyMjj5PGtix21p8nO0Jz2JMU1SQVKgLftvsV0yq9kaJdd50uKkNFIo69W4jvII/s1600-h/IMG_0339+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021617531038578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4L2Oh1RpeOnxiScQocJzrmCxNgV8iXP3PrTNX3NbC-CgLPAil9IDRYpisUUL00lhkaTXNa3DzD9jvWyMjj5PGtix21p8nO0Jz2JMU1SQVKgLftvsV0yq9kaJdd50uKkNFIo69W4jvII/s400/IMG_0339+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Budge holding up his great find. Elisabeth, Budge, Brian and Daddy headed across the lake to look for wildlife. They came back with three turtles and a frog. A few minutes later, Budge found another frog.<br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2izSCaAq-PfRierOkqLC6M_Ogwt9DrQwT7YZmrZLc8ufBnF4d4Qow38anbFeW63Chn7cWJgqvTjKjtJAHzgGCksxnWICB6kV8c-w7K32K5ZxlWoCM6QslwfDJH9dZCRQm7g74Grnadw8/s1600-h/IMG_0340+(600x800).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021614758798930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2izSCaAq-PfRierOkqLC6M_Ogwt9DrQwT7YZmrZLc8ufBnF4d4Qow38anbFeW63Chn7cWJgqvTjKjtJAHzgGCksxnWICB6kV8c-w7K32K5ZxlWoCM6QslwfDJH9dZCRQm7g74Grnadw8/s400/IMG_0340+(600x800).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">The total wildlife catch for the day! (Within minutes of being home, the two frogs escaped!)</div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27tL6RLVOR5BxGF_ybp1ZBbHkeo1GKBr44srdo4bxVomLA4nFRLdSGPW1evZEVObudmhTLTtKgbmikh52HHs2S6QmIVBtFFUcZoSuz04yNhRjokWB1foPj4_K2bWmXVner5Ni29Ca3qA/s1600-h/IMG_0344+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021615867655010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27tL6RLVOR5BxGF_ybp1ZBbHkeo1GKBr44srdo4bxVomLA4nFRLdSGPW1evZEVObudmhTLTtKgbmikh52HHs2S6QmIVBtFFUcZoSuz04yNhRjokWB1foPj4_K2bWmXVner5Ni29Ca3qA/s400/IMG_0344+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Budge looking for....???</div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuaR6dq9JSUoSPvoMHuLaPceKclE2Z8LuI8-nYFyKmd2dMwsq_9gKJubGzbVYj7qQwhkpd2j9HK9KRAz7SHe-Kj504E1AN7q3O5VkAWABv6_yITkSeJWLDQVfSY-XcE5giTgiN3-mo7E/s1600-h/IMG_0347+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021134539999378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuaR6dq9JSUoSPvoMHuLaPceKclE2Z8LuI8-nYFyKmd2dMwsq_9gKJubGzbVYj7qQwhkpd2j9HK9KRAz7SHe-Kj504E1AN7q3O5VkAWABv6_yITkSeJWLDQVfSY-XcE5giTgiN3-mo7E/s400/IMG_0347+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Tyler "scootched" about ten feet away from me and the blanket to make his way down a slope to the water's edge. On the way back up, he lost his balance and toppled backwards. :)</div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotTXgKZXgN3gOHVXc2Lo1DSfcC5fJYyHRKwRZRKqrN5CjskpTjBcf35deU2gXwdSjZ2bduzYdJrUAcPXSikbAjrSouULSzQgpl9ji1u5iz85y-R6YctNduswwuwmELoougiVlZjAZO0k/s1600-h/IMG_0353+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021135880031634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotTXgKZXgN3gOHVXc2Lo1DSfcC5fJYyHRKwRZRKqrN5CjskpTjBcf35deU2gXwdSjZ2bduzYdJrUAcPXSikbAjrSouULSzQgpl9ji1u5iz85y-R6YctNduswwuwmELoougiVlZjAZO0k/s400/IMG_0353+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Drinking from a "big boy" cup!</div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfVIr-YPQo3xfZCTC89ux7vqrlfDTf-SXt2yQOHq7KKd3AqbBL0AT0lSOwNyjQoa3I-YvZXEgK2i55x-cO3QR72BsYQKA2b9EfldjUd9SOk-fP9QOM0sUaVQzaFXh_bBWzvIVn2hEVdA/s1600-h/IMG_0356+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021131120677202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfVIr-YPQo3xfZCTC89ux7vqrlfDTf-SXt2yQOHq7KKd3AqbBL0AT0lSOwNyjQoa3I-YvZXEgK2i55x-cO3QR72BsYQKA2b9EfldjUd9SOk-fP9QOM0sUaVQzaFXh_bBWzvIVn2hEVdA/s400/IMG_0356+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Meagan's and Lauren's Sand Castle </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">*Notice the seashell flag!</div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKouw1duY64uKTw8cY0SvGBAa68RWouDX4IyjQGKrs_WXQNre2HtP4zGUQ4u-J6wBFdh3SvM1dpQ5qcM76DiMzsXquI5vL-O7ynnA1TM5yWBfUKn1OXKut9bpswyP-xOWGKnZ0dRMFpUk/s1600-h/IMG_0358+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021125900383538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKouw1duY64uKTw8cY0SvGBAa68RWouDX4IyjQGKrs_WXQNre2HtP4zGUQ4u-J6wBFdh3SvM1dpQ5qcM76DiMzsXquI5vL-O7ynnA1TM5yWBfUKn1OXKut9bpswyP-xOWGKnZ0dRMFpUk/s400/IMG_0358+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">Derek holding the "big turtle."</div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjNn8lp1eTcpDs6IL-WhwEOOrxsooPDvJftSEkkCdQd2EOImsWUUPdvzIH23PNkqlswJmqYo9aFiiyzdsq9AWNl1Ag37l9H5gANf93TkWvQ5OmUmOucn8SJ9bXDQddiR-zOu_GujOQ7A/s1600-h/IMG_0359+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352021125664698578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjNn8lp1eTcpDs6IL-WhwEOOrxsooPDvJftSEkkCdQd2EOImsWUUPdvzIH23PNkqlswJmqYo9aFiiyzdsq9AWNl1Ag37l9H5gANf93TkWvQ5OmUmOucn8SJ9bXDQddiR-zOu_GujOQ7A/s400/IMG_0359+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /> </p><div align="center">An up close view<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHvv_pF6T2IDQtP0Q09SMptrB7dhn7XhnMv7E3g1ZHBy-cF5OltWums3cDhvQeZTW2kMPjcJEkzA6eTARWsg8M98SGOiSVW9aqfANr0P8EPskEo9igu9KmFehl-aYo5fqtNmBIErttmQ/s1600-h/IMG_0360+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352020657430099250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHvv_pF6T2IDQtP0Q09SMptrB7dhn7XhnMv7E3g1ZHBy-cF5OltWums3cDhvQeZTW2kMPjcJEkzA6eTARWsg8M98SGOiSVW9aqfANr0P8EPskEo9igu9KmFehl-aYo5fqtNmBIErttmQ/s400/IMG_0360+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> Brian, Big Turtle, Little Turtle<br /><div align="center">(Please disregard the legs in the background!!! lol)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zJM2dyhUIYiv7uWDRGZPFS4P934uxnyMmx0oXQ_hLRmWPS6DKRD9Pi9aCPpHuak6iZnZzecVzWhZyKSP0scr2N8vM3hhqOaVWOhRDRrwccS8tODQurfadAQ8HqBbY5w88yqKWdGHadc/s1600-h/IMG_0371+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352020653563591074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1zJM2dyhUIYiv7uWDRGZPFS4P934uxnyMmx0oXQ_hLRmWPS6DKRD9Pi9aCPpHuak6iZnZzecVzWhZyKSP0scr2N8vM3hhqOaVWOhRDRrwccS8tODQurfadAQ8HqBbY5w88yqKWdGHadc/s400/IMG_0371+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> Tyler wants to get in on the action!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QMMAF3JumL3KgoEgnws4r2jrUplBcS9puGp-9bwGxTJsUe394fkrW0MQe4hqjagHcK5ll5EWGasRVoZgCaERt3JodgpGA5rcRsuDLQCxIaoQX6OBzNj00BQulehcN0U-Gr-IwI0ho_4/s1600-h/IMG_0391+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352020649291756066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QMMAF3JumL3KgoEgnws4r2jrUplBcS9puGp-9bwGxTJsUe394fkrW0MQe4hqjagHcK5ll5EWGasRVoZgCaERt3JodgpGA5rcRsuDLQCxIaoQX6OBzNj00BQulehcN0U-Gr-IwI0ho_4/s400/IMG_0391+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> Yes, that's a frog on his head.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinnalc_CAQIsW2pZKvQNblrWAdvrRoEPUk4dNT2aMMphEkH4k5KNhHyWUV2vO1Jz6Aq7LvhxpVDfdNhpVrZSkImcWPWlTKnsyg4og15HGx4zxnSLX60VWgKPxm4pa4DI_Kp1vlMZ7cMg/s1600-h/IMG_0402+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352020650174338450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinnalc_CAQIsW2pZKvQNblrWAdvrRoEPUk4dNT2aMMphEkH4k5KNhHyWUV2vO1Jz6Aq7LvhxpVDfdNhpVrZSkImcWPWlTKnsyg4og15HGx4zxnSLX60VWgKPxm4pa4DI_Kp1vlMZ7cMg/s400/IMG_0402+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a>We took about 100 snapshots to get just this one of the frog actually jumping!!!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKB2E8JbGHL-d0SXVZDYhqrulBC6ReWBaLmsODC_V0wg0j7nEcDTWShUYZ462TBJ6lcynGleWRwLTIpoNdtAwZkU6J96Vov7bobBQgU_d30_BLeEMKbcQgnhXkg-hfe6bnhjz-0oi4ho/s1600-h/IMG_0422+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352020645054083170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKB2E8JbGHL-d0SXVZDYhqrulBC6ReWBaLmsODC_V0wg0j7nEcDTWShUYZ462TBJ6lcynGleWRwLTIpoNdtAwZkU6J96Vov7bobBQgU_d30_BLeEMKbcQgnhXkg-hfe6bnhjz-0oi4ho/s400/IMG_0422+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a> Derek squishing (oops! I mean holding) the frog. </div><div></div><div></div><div>And my favorite picture of the entire two days....</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352024703867137970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcAj-V5Z9rqlZpcZvuObvmTW4ANBGlC3mu9FWqsg_f8bdzcq_t_2AGeBh6MqajUFFQdNZJBajmo45Meh_i2sqhSSO_b8G5VGNsPAlmm0U4nhZp7p7DSR5U8hfonauHO3PjHAHMT3q7pY/s400/Brian+and+Tyler+at+the+Lake+(800x600).jpg" border="0" />Brian and Tyler</div><div>Tyler had gotten a little sand in his shorts, and Brian took him in to rinse him off.</div></div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-89118035517492294162009-06-20T16:49:00.003-04:002009-06-20T16:57:54.387-04:00"Don't you dare bring that thing into the house!!"That's what I heard coming out of Elisabeth's mouth from my perch on the couch after she had come running in and slammed the screen door behind her (of course waking up the baby!). "What's going on?" I demanded. Her reply? "Budge has a chipmunk in his hands!" That was the last thing I expected her to say, but that is what she said, and he <em>was</em> on his way into the house with it. At least he had <em>one</em> glove on his hand, though the thing still could have bit him. Of course, five minutes after he put the chipmunk into the box, he escaped, and we haven't seen him again. (I am so very sad about that!)<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewLVVoMk1all6duAb_j034xOsf3MUKu2Rjkcd_QiieujR1gQJP0gX1ZR2VBvHZblmXVzfvA2GvQ-BOSnpwyL2FQZx28_UHtOjlui5I2etl2Kverc3ekhqbsh6Oxc1miyVAEJybIOtHzs/s1600-h/IMG_0282.JPG"></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349515689775041410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4jpj3iAiNd4Z8R1S3gSw-lyAe-1dv9HkarAXvKAGsp3unjCqPS7B6nWK5GBO1k8nDabN5gxHBFbNBe2HibPuwa8x8g6RmcugfrGuSBalZfG5IsUxLs3xq_OHXp7O5ickUyKsHHtCbPc/s400/IMG_0283.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFbMoEF66llNSeTh1KZN7Ffy6hSWyvz2KF_HEokKb9IAIeLruiZFeO7TFDKvz2MHwQ0iOLFZIa6EK0-rJag3BcR4gK7wv0gKC25QkYhVW_SzQHvauMKQDMAjurE8QDbomu_8-poXPfQA/s1600-h/IMG_0282.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349515285929268690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFbMoEF66llNSeTh1KZN7Ffy6hSWyvz2KF_HEokKb9IAIeLruiZFeO7TFDKvz2MHwQ0iOLFZIa6EK0-rJag3BcR4gK7wv0gKC25QkYhVW_SzQHvauMKQDMAjurE8QDbomu_8-poXPfQA/s400/IMG_0282.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Hope you're enjoying your summer. I'll try to post more regularly.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-32863046397711250562009-06-04T23:35:00.004-04:002009-06-04T23:55:40.882-04:00The Moment I Saw You....<div align="center"><em>I wanted to hold you</em></div><div align="center"><em>And keep you warm on a cold, grey morn'.</em></div><div align="center"><em>The moment I held you I wanted to kiss you,</em></div><div align="center"><em>And welcome you here on the day you were born.</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="left">Today our oldest turned 12. I can remember the day she was born as if it were yesterday, it seems. I remember finding out about her and going through all of the "firsts." There are so many things I remember when thinking of Elisabeth Joy...</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">~ I remember that she was screaming before she had completely entered the world.</div><div align="left">~ She cried for the first 12 weeks of her life! </div><div align="left">~ One day all of the crying ceased, and she was the happiest baby I have ever had!!</div><div align="left">~ She has always been very content.</div><div align="left">~ She talked very early, and one of our favorite words was "flowsh" for "flowers."</div><div align="left">~ She has always been a caring person, looking for ways to give to others.</div><div align="left">~ Elisabeth is happy alone or in a crowd. She's very flexible.</div><div align="left">~ Elisabeth loves to sing.</div><div align="left">~ Elisabeth loves babies, and she's very good with them.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The list could go on and on. The fact is, our home would never be what it is today without her. She is always giving and doing for others. If she's not taking care of one of the babies, then she is probably cleaning somewhere or playing house with her little sisters, and enjoying it. She is kind to others. She has one of the prettiest smiles I have ever seen!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Elisabeth enters 7th grade this year, and, yes, her parents are a little bit (okay, a lot) frightened. Daddy is rearranging much of his schedule to be wherever she is. I love that. I love that my man has a strong desire to protect the innocence of our daughters and sons. I love that she loves him and wants him to protect her and willingly and cheerfully goes along with everything Daddy says. She loves him with all her heart.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Her birthday was today. I can't believe she is getting so big. We went back and forth for several years about whether or not to allow the girls to get their ears pierced. Daddy said it was okay once they turned twelve, so that was one of her birthday presents--along with about 20 new (used) books!! </div><br />Practicing the Piano this Morning<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfmB3ChLOyyJuzmXbah01gXzEcW9C8IYhvcreVaQIUp4X9S_bvDoMMBL_qHV-FcXyzGVUutj7RqBgTf5rqhFXiUB2wvxxSja8Xv9McK5yhiHScgARRuM8H8lJqDexXl0lfSwlY4huoQc/s1600-h/IMG_0145+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343683144760409778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfmB3ChLOyyJuzmXbah01gXzEcW9C8IYhvcreVaQIUp4X9S_bvDoMMBL_qHV-FcXyzGVUutj7RqBgTf5rqhFXiUB2wvxxSja8Xv9McK5yhiHScgARRuM8H8lJqDexXl0lfSwlY4huoQc/s400/IMG_0145+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Getting ready to leave on a "date" with Daddy. Daddy took her to a nice restaurant tonight to show her how special she is. Then they went for a drive. When they came home, we had ice cream cake and opened presents.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkACgdyZ2vW7Tm-reXro44iTZ3DJqgYC3K1QheNlA602ZsAqWL3PF9AzzO9SLDJJvVRDjLWEDBoW2wM7sQbTejtfXXSussoJSw4zYvlddTpwW_IwXfDkvAdFEdvW6wsfEvKc2kKv4eyg/s1600-h/IMG_0146+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343682515565528690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkACgdyZ2vW7Tm-reXro44iTZ3DJqgYC3K1QheNlA602ZsAqWL3PF9AzzO9SLDJJvVRDjLWEDBoW2wM7sQbTejtfXXSussoJSw4zYvlddTpwW_IwXfDkvAdFEdvW6wsfEvKc2kKv4eyg/s400/IMG_0146+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />A sailor dress we bought at Easter time, but she thankfully had forgotten about it!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX66l5buYaFZBssDyZI85b6D-CqCju5leWuzSe_WJLbTmLIcusuQoilnPOT7Y7c8VKtZsqFNMJp-0DwV9jginLS8q5xWKyIPHo8gtbjYBlW_LTFi0_5Xwu37KPWpKuJhrje56ooBrpC_M/s1600-h/IMG_0158+(768x1024).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343682508203426370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX66l5buYaFZBssDyZI85b6D-CqCju5leWuzSe_WJLbTmLIcusuQoilnPOT7Y7c8VKtZsqFNMJp-0DwV9jginLS8q5xWKyIPHo8gtbjYBlW_LTFi0_5Xwu37KPWpKuJhrje56ooBrpC_M/s400/IMG_0158+(768x1024).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Nothing birthday related, but these are some of my bleeding hearts in my garden today. I love them. They might be my favorite flower, but then again, I have so many favorite flowers! :)<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPPS2zH9HMaH-0V3aTaQGXvf_NQP9DA4FWZ8_Y4g5Devt8lCMAreFBOguzyMH_ilaaSM5N13Jsq_fUJWyBgznX8CJgSsziZtCkKM6v_uYSWvJl-02Hlem47u2gQ-fXmBZYFFtjX_1EPI/s1600-h/IMG_0149.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343682500029383266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPPS2zH9HMaH-0V3aTaQGXvf_NQP9DA4FWZ8_Y4g5Devt8lCMAreFBOguzyMH_ilaaSM5N13Jsq_fUJWyBgznX8CJgSsziZtCkKM6v_uYSWvJl-02Hlem47u2gQ-fXmBZYFFtjX_1EPI/s400/IMG_0149.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlPpfLBhVbAwVuPYToxSU0HNRKpwNvYFjQyCysYeiVSdGSBGvnTFi1guZDBBpJgF5iX0j78rJ_Lt7Q7CyXkDy-cfcHU9JnhOTTPS6c1IYJUTzv7ljYLYqcjruZo-wC-4MCA81uczvkfA/s1600-h/IMG_0150.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343682492636690210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlPpfLBhVbAwVuPYToxSU0HNRKpwNvYFjQyCysYeiVSdGSBGvnTFi1guZDBBpJgF5iX0j78rJ_Lt7Q7CyXkDy-cfcHU9JnhOTTPS6c1IYJUTzv7ljYLYqcjruZo-wC-4MCA81uczvkfA/s400/IMG_0150.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Tyler sharing his snack with Budge.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-dqyL4LW0go1_STVcXcauUbltNoDQSXW6X8V8DlmKGfbWtWDgZuuhjLZSM3hp-uGKEaaMNOKIwJPe2tCpIn33P-Eirl15kXiXPeOnsl3cRoj_nQiWSkI7BVISUtAV4fU5g4EtCqEX_g/s1600-h/IMG_0151+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343682485189854818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-dqyL4LW0go1_STVcXcauUbltNoDQSXW6X8V8DlmKGfbWtWDgZuuhjLZSM3hp-uGKEaaMNOKIwJPe2tCpIn33P-Eirl15kXiXPeOnsl3cRoj_nQiWSkI7BVISUtAV4fU5g4EtCqEX_g/s400/IMG_0151+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div>I am so thankful that God allowed Elisabeth to be a part of our lives. She is truly a "Joy" to have around. She is one of the hardest-working, most willing servants I have ever known. God has truly blessed our home with her presence. <div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-31288351981249863442009-06-04T02:05:00.002-04:002009-06-04T02:07:22.538-04:00Very quickly, as it is very late....<br /><br />The new header of the tulips was taken in Petoskey, Michigan at a little park where the elementary school children ate lunch on the Bike-a-thon a couple of weeks ago. I am so behind on blogging. Chad asked me to make it my new header, and I really like it now that I've done it. Doesn't Meagan look so sweet? Too bad tulips don't smell as pretty as they look! :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-12351652842076999032009-05-31T22:42:00.002-04:002009-05-31T23:13:03.110-04:00New Wheels!Chad's van has been dying a slow death these last couple of weeks, so he has been hunting for a new vehicle. He waffled back and forth about what to buy--another van, another Yukon, a truck of some kind. We needed a way for him to transport the children to school as well as having a way to transport tools for work. He finally settled on this Chevy Avalanche. He's never really had a nice car since we've been married--just "junky" work vans.<br /><br />Now that we have this new truck, I am trying to tell Chad that the most logical thing for him to do once school starts is to leave the truck at home with me and the two little boys and take the Yukon with the five other school-aged children. :) Seriously, there's only three of us and 6 of them!!<br /><br />Chad getting ready to leave to buy the new truck. He came to me right before he was ready and said, "I was just thinking about my mom. She would have taken a picture of me leaving to get my new truck." So, I thought he probably wanted me to do just that!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzqpXJDXquUlyfhkCGsAMkKdlE6d3s0tAlsBxW7Q5srpkei9EToOn8WcpmQoWHHwSAXj7NrGaetwXAcVKqkgLRfgpq-Z-juzyD2p-SIc0ooDidmxbdl87dUn5pymnm0vWo7XdLnr1nRA/s1600-h/Chad's+New+Truck_20090531_001+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185128085078850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzqpXJDXquUlyfhkCGsAMkKdlE6d3s0tAlsBxW7Q5srpkei9EToOn8WcpmQoWHHwSAXj7NrGaetwXAcVKqkgLRfgpq-Z-juzyD2p-SIc0ooDidmxbdl87dUn5pymnm0vWo7XdLnr1nRA/s400/Chad's+New+Truck_20090531_001+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The old beast!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCIWMqG5LUnGFp-1HA1jItGNAjxG_ubEuE2kbaqa2atIP-v71rs-jlgcURJ8Hm7a7WYhyAFuRu6r1CnPo9L3XjYutjhiJUiHdIm9fYImP6tOHVHXMxV41HjQi_Z2YO8gssEd5UfjRPgM/s1600-h/20090531_0138.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185122746868258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCIWMqG5LUnGFp-1HA1jItGNAjxG_ubEuE2kbaqa2atIP-v71rs-jlgcURJ8Hm7a7WYhyAFuRu6r1CnPo9L3XjYutjhiJUiHdIm9fYImP6tOHVHXMxV41HjQi_Z2YO8gssEd5UfjRPgM/s400/20090531_0138.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />All the stuff that was in Chad's van, haphazardly piled in the garage awaiting a new home!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGR7_TeRhFPigSaq4TprBHdmFbjmAm-7-dnj1uIQS7_RXiPeW_7XnGRkNMUcMuCkjSTuTYJ4GOrMo34AzaaKZdHtf4_dK_Mc-RFgm1CaCTvbTuJyM4amkVl6z1jY_7o4XiGSjCPTgw9MQ/s1600-h/20090531_0137+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185117962312626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGR7_TeRhFPigSaq4TprBHdmFbjmAm-7-dnj1uIQS7_RXiPeW_7XnGRkNMUcMuCkjSTuTYJ4GOrMo34AzaaKZdHtf4_dK_Mc-RFgm1CaCTvbTuJyM4amkVl6z1jY_7o4XiGSjCPTgw9MQ/s400/20090531_0137+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Checking out the new wheels!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV_tO_BOLBVtqc-5nICkOQSfLae4BWwZNTb5hl8N6E9p0dq85_ZFKYrJXIFM9gqJhmngo1dkJR2bziUxMnDbz8cM7gMot5H4ymDuKNQ8mCPx-n5cK0u0ZiR3hy2qSigIhI2fyk4I-iq4/s1600-h/20090531_0139+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185113569913570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV_tO_BOLBVtqc-5nICkOQSfLae4BWwZNTb5hl8N6E9p0dq85_ZFKYrJXIFM9gqJhmngo1dkJR2bziUxMnDbz8cM7gMot5H4ymDuKNQ8mCPx-n5cK0u0ZiR3hy2qSigIhI2fyk4I-iq4/s400/20090531_0139+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Chad with his new Chevy Avalanche!!! (oops, I mean <em>my</em> new Avalanche!) :)<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJPuy_ztTRnartTWJdPQeaOi0dRI_aRh8c2SHM51SBenuXLGYdaZXqPiaEH_p50Ellb8m0Fc3hZRx-dyJ0Lx_UGv4fV2CGF0LmQRKX56V7QC8QEfiHe2sUKWPeZcBdmUHbQG1tIv4Jgc/s1600-h/20090531_0142+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185109161292066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJPuy_ztTRnartTWJdPQeaOi0dRI_aRh8c2SHM51SBenuXLGYdaZXqPiaEH_p50Ellb8m0Fc3hZRx-dyJ0Lx_UGv4fV2CGF0LmQRKX56V7QC8QEfiHe2sUKWPeZcBdmUHbQG1tIv4Jgc/s400/20090531_0142+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-33875171904108705612009-05-21T00:08:00.000-04:002009-05-21T00:18:41.959-04:00Midnight Ramblings...Oh, my, am I tired! I have lots of pictures to share, but that will have to come another day. I have many thoughts floating around in my head, but I haven't had the time to bring them to complete fruition, so I cannot share them today. I am falling asleep as I type this, but I miss sharing, so here I am. :)<br /><br />We went straight from our week of Camp Meeting, which starts early in the morning and lasts until late at night, right into the final week of school, which is full of activities and extra duties. We have had picnics, long bike-a-thons, friends staying over while parents are away, trips to Cedar Point, and many other things going on. I can't wait until summer is here...just a couple of days and we will be able to breathe so much easier!!<br /><br />We heard some fantastic sermons during camp meeting, but my favorite was the first one that I heard on Monday evening by Pastor Larry Brown from Iowa. He preached about submission in a way that I had never heard before, and it brought me under such deep conviction. Wow! I will never forget it. Someday I'll share it, but for now I just keep mulling it over and over in my mind trying to put it into practice and most often failing miserably.<br /><br />Please pray for the family of a little four-year-old boy by the name of Josiah Herring who passed away this morning after a brief battle with an incurable brain tumor. Such a sad little story. I know those parents and family members must be hurting so deeply right now. I cannot imagine losing a child. The pain and emptiness and aching... But God's grace is always there when we need to help us deal with the hurt and loss. If you have children, take some extra time today to hug them and love on them. We never know what tomorrow may hold, so we need to seize the opportunities today! Opportunities to love.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-51150319223695411162009-05-14T00:22:00.000-04:002009-05-14T00:24:50.564-04:00So sorry, folks. This is Camp Meeting week here at Grace Baptist, and we are so very, very busy! We've had 6 extra people in the houses, gift baskets to shop for, make, and deliver, morning and evening services to attend, activities to run, desserts to make, meals to eat, friends to fellowship with, etc. It's been fun, but exhausting. I'll fill you in on the entire experience in a few days. I hope you are all having a super week.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-71600408685217676412009-05-07T23:05:00.002-04:002009-05-07T23:35:50.778-04:00Some thoughts on being a wife...I've been doing a lot of contemplating lately about marriage and being a wife. When I as a little girl (and even a big girl for that matter!), I used to dream about being married. I would dream about long walks through crunchy leaves sharing our most intimate thoughts. I would dream about beautifully clean, well-behaved, genius children who slept through the night from the day they were born and never disobeyed. I would dream about serving the Lord together with the most wonderful people in the world. I would imagine that my husband would want to spend every waking minute with me. That's what I always imagined marriage to be: two people who spent all of their time together and never tired of one another for even a second. <br /><br />The truth is that we do desire to spend a great deal of time together. We occasionally are able to take long, leisurely walks together through crunchy leaves. We love one another dearly. Life, however, takes a lot of work. Much of that works take place separately from one another, which makes the times together so much sweeter. Of course, these times together occur on a daily basis, some for longer periods of time than others, but daily we have sweet fellowship. <br /><br />So often, wives tend to be weak and needy. I am married to a man who serves in the ministry, meaning that he is very busy. In addition to the ministry, he spends a lot of time painting to provide for his family. There are times when he works many hours in a day, and then there are times when he can be home for several hours in the evening. I have responsibilities at home, at school, and at church. We often work together. I love my life. More importantly, I love <em>his</em> life and the fact that God is using him. I don't ever want that to change. And I certainly don't want to limit Chad's ministry because I am not strong enough to allow him to be gone and to be used. He takes care of me. God takes care of me. I am a happy, happy woman!<br /><br />One of the perks of being married to the principal is getting to spend a week with him on the Senior Trip! We ate at a Japanese Steak House one evening, and Tyler was fussing quite a bit. The chef kept saying, "I have egg fo' you! See yo' egg?" So here's Tyler eating his very first egg ever--in a Japanese restaurant!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyBYc8iDyNySgz2K3c_HKtcGkcyPhraxIAklcdluTR3VZqMfyMyNc6_sVQngKFDhXDT-IpZJ1R0iv3X0ExW1qf9cTvLrJvhWm_FFhLoKSKl3S0JBVoI2cKplcRVVcd7Hxofs9cEQ2HOU/s1600-h/IMG_4024+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333284334681100162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyBYc8iDyNySgz2K3c_HKtcGkcyPhraxIAklcdluTR3VZqMfyMyNc6_sVQngKFDhXDT-IpZJ1R0iv3X0ExW1qf9cTvLrJvhWm_FFhLoKSKl3S0JBVoI2cKplcRVVcd7Hxofs9cEQ2HOU/s400/IMG_4024+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Getting to spend some quality time with my man and my baby at Laurel Falls in Gatlinburg, TN!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvREwOfHGBag5sowLMn6pYI7rheu-qqUkRiRH4WuGHOrYSWbzQQpYWXpbJ0I43NrNd-HBK411kfrKJnurB41aGqTK38OXypJ4ayaqGUN_qD_CLBq_ebu7bDmxoWlI_tCwSBIb3-ycLcg/s1600-h/IMG_4068+(663x1024).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333284333518068034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 259px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvREwOfHGBag5sowLMn6pYI7rheu-qqUkRiRH4WuGHOrYSWbzQQpYWXpbJ0I43NrNd-HBK411kfrKJnurB41aGqTK38OXypJ4ayaqGUN_qD_CLBq_ebu7bDmxoWlI_tCwSBIb3-ycLcg/s400/IMG_4068+(663x1024).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The Great Smoky Mountains<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZbEGR3RZ6Q5TI6OBVAtVkm8SDJ3P5k7z74KXctC_OQ15xQRKJOp649sPQ6wDQH2JWrAqjSXxGYoakS5uE-J4igv2M9uVqYK29VZFiSNd0idVcuXe7tds9pXxzlka5wTDxLXXktjKJRA/s1600-h/IMG_4073+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333284331437601202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZbEGR3RZ6Q5TI6OBVAtVkm8SDJ3P5k7z74KXctC_OQ15xQRKJOp649sPQ6wDQH2JWrAqjSXxGYoakS5uE-J4igv2M9uVqYK29VZFiSNd0idVcuXe7tds9pXxzlka5wTDxLXXktjKJRA/s400/IMG_4073+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Tyler on the World's Biggest Chair at Ripley's Can You Believe It or Not!<br />(make sure you click on both pictures to make them larger and look at the expressions on his face!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFAf-IVeOiPRP2gSlq2QYu7eqtU9zLu1B6sh4YSHQ0wvNnOSUqZk62TML0J0gGByvICKMApLlruR7mtdkET8rEC681TTPvlH55ItNJTEAcVcn03mZL2kXcUteeKX4Map-GabxdG4tnLQ/s1600-h/IMG_4078+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333284326940697282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFAf-IVeOiPRP2gSlq2QYu7eqtU9zLu1B6sh4YSHQ0wvNnOSUqZk62TML0J0gGByvICKMApLlruR7mtdkET8rEC681TTPvlH55ItNJTEAcVcn03mZL2kXcUteeKX4Map-GabxdG4tnLQ/s400/IMG_4078+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbe3Wck0vDyaqWiG-vk34q05yRSmBkGIF5dX4W1u9dwk_mnjfevHUYe4Wy6uTRUNZSarWQmMQkRIvDDjbTxXrZOgVjc98nofBMjOPBlyM4whmrTSecUpg1Kqmjl5unslruh4lpYwwq84g/s1600-h/IMG_4079+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333284321770218050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbe3Wck0vDyaqWiG-vk34q05yRSmBkGIF5dX4W1u9dwk_mnjfevHUYe4Wy6uTRUNZSarWQmMQkRIvDDjbTxXrZOgVjc98nofBMjOPBlyM4whmrTSecUpg1Kqmjl5unslruh4lpYwwq84g/s400/IMG_4079+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I hope that everything I said made some kind of sense. I'm just trying to say that as women we need to be strong, strong enough to enable our men to do what God intended them to do. After all, we were put on this earth to complete our men. That's our sole purpose in life. We are the last piece of their puzzle. My prayer for the next few weeks is to be whatever my man needs, to be his strength.</div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-77398176018148441192009-05-06T07:23:00.004-04:002009-05-06T08:06:44.175-04:00Well, I *try* not to steal too many ideas from others, but I just couldn't resist this one. <a href="http://www.dailypleasures.blogspot.com/">Amy</a> just had a little chat with us last night, and I loved it! Sometimes I just want to sit and chat over a hot cup of tea, or, like yesterday, a tall glass of sweet tea! Sometimes I'll sit down at the computer to "just check a few things," and half an hour later I'm still there because I get so caught up in checking to see how all of my "friends" are doing. <a href="http://www.dailypleasures.blogspot.com/">Amy</a> has such beautiful pictures of their spring all abloom. We here in Up North Michigan are still waiting, though we do have a few daffodils and tulips blooming. Don't you just love to see the apple trees and the weeping cherries in bloom? They are so beautiful! <div><div><div><br /><div></div><div>The two boys and I have spent the last two evenings raking and working in the backyard. You see, somehow, we never get around to raking in the fall when you're supposed to rake and generally clean up the yard. Winter tends to take us off guard every year and before we know it, the snow has blanketed the yard in white and we can no longer see the mess that we left, so we just leave it for the spring! Terrible, isn't it? Slowly but surely the yard work is getting done, and my arms and shoulders are sooo sore, but it feels fantastic!</div><br /><br /><div></div><div>A couple of weeks ago we went on the Senior Trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I didn't really take very many pictures because we were so busy with the baby and the "children" :), but I did take a select few. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332672991999959778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeK__sjzkvveBBw3fJmIYnB6OQMbLrcZVmwjZ-vYn3nxF6Y3Ed2T2Hq-O3YmxW5ftfP6lyPU_9GsWiTBsp2Veq0JG11zk6JOCGGGEwPoUdxOwGDgNHCqwrEX_ljLNtsapysfflf7Q36s/s400/IMG_4011+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>I often allow myself to dream of simpler times--I know there was a lot more work involved in day-to-day living as far as laundry and cooking, etc. but I just mean the fact that there so few things that pulled at folks from the outside. Not such a push to do more outside of the home. We were in Cade's Cove, and there was a little house with a view.....</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332672993929113106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcZ-dMNrQPFzlMEh69l8bxCUnIbecpujWTLvJaJKAXdoFH_NP7YIoD8x5jPHwJsM9olzi1XvWLm4S1P3hYyN53436umaCeZMQSu5wzipXm-XvKHbv3HZCScAqhDWAguQyxCzyizBHnt0/s400/IMG_4020+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></div><div>I can just picture my children running through that yard with the cows lowing in the background and the creek babbling (yes, there is a creek running through the left-hand side) and the mill grinding corn, which it was doing the day we visited. And my garden growing in the corner. We don't have a very big yard here, and it has been increasingly harder to be able to grow anything. I'm trying to think of who I can beg, borrow, or steal a plot of ground from, but so far I've come up empty. Maybe at church tonight I'll look around and see who might like to share their earth. ;) I have a friend that I know would do it, but she lives about an hour away, so...I think that's a little too far to keep up with weeding and so forth.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Do you drool over your flower and seed catalogs like I do? They start pouring in around January, and I safely hoard them in a drawer and pull them out and dream about what I would order if I could order anything and everything I wanted. And then I take the $25 gift certificate that they give me and order exactly $25 for free, which has really added up over the years. Last year a woman knocked on my door simply to tell me that she loves walking by my front garden every day because it's so beautiful! What deep contentment I feel when I'm pulling weeds in my flowers. This year, though, we are starting from scratch on a certain tree. We had some kind of ornamental crab that a dear friend pruned to death because she hated it, so we decided to just pull it out altogether and replace it. I'm just not sure that the replacement survived our very long, very cold winter, so I may have to replace it again. We'll see. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332672984417306530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dypJ2wzOwHBM6GQjC-whTUo2zj1mxoZQfkrVVVUAJD0IyV5LU6_MSRVPRn-ebDxQSGmRVf2djQlXJa7n5Zegq8MeSyeY91tiuPKRxy9Ew8XRlkjKLjuXt-vpCzSwY0TY-eF5TroPLgE/s400/IMG_4012+(768x1024).jpg" border="0" /></div><div> </div><div>Tyler is 12 1/2 months old now, and I am thoroughly enjoying his babyhood. He still does not crawl, but he is getting around quite well by scootching around on his bottom. It's the funniest thing--I wish you all could see it.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332675613276377346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQsu97o_-t-HCrQeMj9uW_ay25TNR_3jghFHEVdlQWoMkPPGsNwkyz7qB4HPzQG9k27lPzhDsRtBRvVgzyQ8_teYEjVx0KeuasOCIMwPSP9dPRzNL9F1Cjj-gWF2T_bVvWds15PRvGlA/s400/IMG_3927+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div><br /><p>Life is just so very good. God has truly blessed all of us, hasn't He? Whatever our situation in life at this very moment, we can see the evidence of His hand in all of it. Even when things don't seem to be going our way, there is a purpose. Press on. Don't give up. Persevere. Joy does come in the morning. And so do new flowers. And dew. And sunlight. And fresh starts.</p><p>I am in the planning stages of summer vacation already. I love the planning and preparation of things. Chad and I are planning a few days of vacation--just the two of us--and we have been planning. Yesterday we purchased the airfare and reserved a rental car. I'm so excited; I'm as giddy as a school girl! Then I am planning how to keep my children from forgetting everything they have learned this school year. Last year I purchased summer workbooks from Sam's Club that really seemed to help. Elisabeth told me this morning that she enjoyed doing her book and that she felt like she was several steps ahead of the other students when she went back to school in the fall.</p><p>Speaking of Elisabeth, she is turning 12 next month and officially entering the youth group, something that I'm not sure I'm terribly excited about. Chad and I have already decided that one of us will be chaperoning any activity that she attends!</p><p>Well, I guess this one-sided chat has lasted long enough. I would love to hear from you--find out what you are doing and thinking. I can tell that many people regularly check my blog, but I don't know who most of you are because you don't comment. Maybe you don't know how, or maybe you're just too busy--you just check the blog and go. Whatever your case may be, I would relish and cherish a comment from you. You are all important to me and keep me blogging!</p><p>Enjoy your day today--it's the only day you have!</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-47848907229107591792009-05-02T16:26:00.007-04:002009-05-02T21:42:43.484-04:00Two Birthdays and a VisitSunday, April 19th, was Meagan's birthday and Wednesday, April 22nd, was Tyler's birthday. Because we were leaving for the Senior Trip on Sunday morning immediately after church, we decided to celebrate both birthdays on Saturday evening when my mom and her husband David were going to be visiting. We had an intense week prior to Saturday because we needed to have everyone packed for a week away from home before the company arrived, in addition to birthday preparations, paper route, Sunday morning prep, and all that good stuff. When they arrived in town, the boys and I were still doing the paper route.<br /><br />After visiting for a few minutes, we walked over to the middle school behind our house to play four square. A couple of months ago I substituted at the school and taught the kids how to play. Now they love it and sometimes you'll even catch some high school students playing in the parking lot!<br /><br /><em>Here's Derek playing tether ball with David.</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro_VTHZB4pAaDZT4MjAtS-V00qfGomxGC4TvX6oflo0YuB9yyI2rrsj5lLNTsgSBuNMmmvPhzZTygSVrTpNFAqCIjadaA3WvjsuxxiFGdv14zURcAVAI7wr_wVt_rDutPX-E7Htb7sDc/s1600-h/IMG_3852+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331361124464186898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjro_VTHZB4pAaDZT4MjAtS-V00qfGomxGC4TvX6oflo0YuB9yyI2rrsj5lLNTsgSBuNMmmvPhzZTygSVrTpNFAqCIjadaA3WvjsuxxiFGdv14zURcAVAI7wr_wVt_rDutPX-E7Htb7sDc/s400/IMG_3852+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Grandma Smith, Lauren, and Tyler at the park</em><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OKOTxzSpDMF737O7G2bl6qATa89IUrThWxeL3_HTi0iwU4L4p9l-MP6_Tk5PxbHZP4dSCRDD-IeBghwzu0xnbcrDmB9Hk2PSKmCp4w0JEpiC-2GzJum3IsuuntyDgYuJsrcmjhF5axo/s1600-h/IMG_3858+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360933417113666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OKOTxzSpDMF737O7G2bl6qATa89IUrThWxeL3_HTi0iwU4L4p9l-MP6_Tk5PxbHZP4dSCRDD-IeBghwzu0xnbcrDmB9Hk2PSKmCp4w0JEpiC-2GzJum3IsuuntyDgYuJsrcmjhF5axo/s400/IMG_3858+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="center"><em>Grandma and Ty</em><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEyTna4jBW9QbdoSAPJbCZMparzjTqNeetRcCJDGJuZnBlLS6l_5R7EtBm3VuHpnUZ7LKf9lZVGYDgemrBEhr_JXM0FrxNj8CvlfW5w8x3nbOGbF2dlULZigystvtRXQ0kDONE-hLEuk/s1600-h/IMG_3861+(1024x895).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360926517008162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 350px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEyTna4jBW9QbdoSAPJbCZMparzjTqNeetRcCJDGJuZnBlLS6l_5R7EtBm3VuHpnUZ7LKf9lZVGYDgemrBEhr_JXM0FrxNj8CvlfW5w8x3nbOGbF2dlULZigystvtRXQ0kDONE-hLEuk/s400/IMG_3861+(1024x895).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>The Birthday Girl, Meagan</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7JaTwKk-MfAMEjQbR3SVfIJPSiU7uH7oF1I0N6wBmoC4TnY_pStqbhwxJdeIH0fLALut4MNu1Ex7ZVYkj1zmQScnxtCdLFT3uj52z47WC5b2SSigCyOzjkrWJseGOlRpCPxLs3tmvZM/s1600-h/IMG_3863+(921x1024).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360927513759042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 360px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN7JaTwKk-MfAMEjQbR3SVfIJPSiU7uH7oF1I0N6wBmoC4TnY_pStqbhwxJdeIH0fLALut4MNu1Ex7ZVYkj1zmQScnxtCdLFT3uj52z47WC5b2SSigCyOzjkrWJseGOlRpCPxLs3tmvZM/s400/IMG_3863+(921x1024).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>The Birthday Celebration</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnApK7lL2YbL342lljSZYZVcnJ6TY1nVjZQF_KBa21juCSBEUPacD7JKuYcfgds4CmU6EDhvgZjYKlOhm-urBKO1PF4Swh42fG9VPc9q2Nf9oi3cQokojpIPwj4_ngoPSVXPqG-GSraj4/s1600-h/IMG_3867+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360921485799746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnApK7lL2YbL342lljSZYZVcnJ6TY1nVjZQF_KBa21juCSBEUPacD7JKuYcfgds4CmU6EDhvgZjYKlOhm-urBKO1PF4Swh42fG9VPc9q2Nf9oi3cQokojpIPwj4_ngoPSVXPqG-GSraj4/s400/IMG_3867+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>A new princess umbrella</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7nPPpV2_3qjK50V8K1Gk1kkb0wqjLSuvk4LKElTUjT_FLVYxmrFLWAZHSOx2TVGxgSQxnSfBVQJYpG8g5AdvWejMIaPibsd9Mxhj7Egybse1Xvs5KNgGCg_TlfC4I0P7qSWu1nViSuU/s1600-h/IMG_3878+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360915749240386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7nPPpV2_3qjK50V8K1Gk1kkb0wqjLSuvk4LKElTUjT_FLVYxmrFLWAZHSOx2TVGxgSQxnSfBVQJYpG8g5AdvWejMIaPibsd9Mxhj7Egybse1Xvs5KNgGCg_TlfC4I0P7qSWu1nViSuU/s400/IMG_3878+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Ty</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1d7sJHOGI7rFDprqeFaktvkT560dMXSV711S14nJ5Va2gKuRrRs-y4mkL6sNkh3BFAbPPpRYiszoPCE_PCS5MggASTUjU33rRrKf4vsC_GmonRg-lo6SU9SQ8FD46EvFZWDSvR-vzKAw/s1600-h/IMG_3890+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360188958788482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1d7sJHOGI7rFDprqeFaktvkT560dMXSV711S14nJ5Va2gKuRrRs-y4mkL6sNkh3BFAbPPpRYiszoPCE_PCS5MggASTUjU33rRrKf4vsC_GmonRg-lo6SU9SQ8FD46EvFZWDSvR-vzKAw/s400/IMG_3890+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>The end of his first cake eating experience!</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydoa6xmDULRb9ghERguMsP_xlmXWCzYAM0-GheAw4oZHqjHDSpvATBrYifcfaDV3lBPOtjwTmCys-Q0LOxcam0fzN77GD2TKBK5QnANHBPpZEnj0ureHBL-eAq3nQPy4MfV_yd1_OOpE/s1600-h/IMG_3902+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360185362645250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhydoa6xmDULRb9ghERguMsP_xlmXWCzYAM0-GheAw4oZHqjHDSpvATBrYifcfaDV3lBPOtjwTmCys-Q0LOxcam0fzN77GD2TKBK5QnANHBPpZEnj0ureHBL-eAq3nQPy4MfV_yd1_OOpE/s400/IMG_3902+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Me and my mom</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuQf4_gt9vgmbEboKyhveebsQMmL5Wtz6pxFzoRenN3FoI1GuPG-QYSXsSi3MafeSYPIsnKKUibZ827BQUS1ZcM7vSCq7kWnw4SWdH05L0B7uwxoODGy7OZaLwK8CgTYBGugdpibqxMk/s1600-h/IMG_3908+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360185916631730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuQf4_gt9vgmbEboKyhveebsQMmL5Wtz6pxFzoRenN3FoI1GuPG-QYSXsSi3MafeSYPIsnKKUibZ827BQUS1ZcM7vSCq7kWnw4SWdH05L0B7uwxoODGy7OZaLwK8CgTYBGugdpibqxMk/s400/IMG_3908+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>The gang all ready for church on Sunday morning</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzn8lqjhjFyquNN7zVdFTADSXONGx25Jhr3KiCo_lrg5eL0GphqDWUNLkKbyyCYQ6MgZVO7N4uLVhdtoJQf46DX2a_wVYcQ_HVJv28D4_y40BZMv4A2RxwXX3PtGq1YREhnsSdCDtBHE/s1600-h/IMG_3915+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360183811958370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzn8lqjhjFyquNN7zVdFTADSXONGx25Jhr3KiCo_lrg5eL0GphqDWUNLkKbyyCYQ6MgZVO7N4uLVhdtoJQf46DX2a_wVYcQ_HVJv28D4_y40BZMv4A2RxwXX3PtGq1YREhnsSdCDtBHE/s400/IMG_3915+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Chad, Amanda, Mom, David</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoo4t0B1grcr8U2GData8J9knjCRYYgqu4u5p1Nsh6Y8I9MZCkCy8dAyokkvSsS3BJVPhZS2aGHSCp-x0dklq0qFhvc-4MFm6LljFYfEriCG5QgMVpMR6bueFQ7uon2L3h8uxg63kfYQ/s1600-h/IMG_3922+(1024x532).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331360182526352802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 208px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihoo4t0B1grcr8U2GData8J9knjCRYYgqu4u5p1Nsh6Y8I9MZCkCy8dAyokkvSsS3BJVPhZS2aGHSCp-x0dklq0qFhvc-4MFm6LljFYfEriCG5QgMVpMR6bueFQ7uon2L3h8uxg63kfYQ/s400/IMG_3922+(1024x532).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><em>Tyler eating his 1st birthday cake</em><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyTCozRPeiWEujsUfGU6oiVqI2gdodkgOozhEwCnUoZSfiEIf3HuuQalOso3GizJLAXoMfJ38AE6-R4tnya2w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div> </div><div align="left">I am so thankful for my family. I am also so incredibly thankful that God charted the course of my life. My mom and dad had me very young, and I have spent several years not even having any contact at all with my mom. At times I wished that I had a mother, but I would never trade the way that my life turned out. God had His hand on my life, and all things did indeed work out for good. I am also thankful that God has allowed me to have a relationship with my mom again, though.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-34974797631317951002009-05-02T00:04:00.002-04:002009-05-02T00:19:58.606-04:00Enjoying SpringMy goodness, life has been so busy lately; and I don't think that it is going to slow down at all until sometime mid-June. It's crazy the last couple of months of school with end of year programs, senior trip, our church's annual camp meeting, graduations, field trips, etc. <br /><br />The week before we left for the senior trip was so busy. We had school programs the two Fridays before the Senior Trip, my mom and her husband were coming for a visit the Saturday before we left, and I had to have all 9 of us packed and ready to go Sunday morning when we left for church. Needless to say, it was a crazy week. However, on the Thursday before we left, the weather was so beautiful that the three children who were home with me decided that we would just leave everything until later and go enjoy the afternoon at the park.<br /><br /><br /><em>Everyone at home, even the dog, went to the park. Derek started out riding his new little scooter.</em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdc5-tOORUAvwR1MKijZn0nhD61M-NJZZKBHgLb09b8iKcvJdT6mEDfY3rLbnhsyR88eSCN8foX7J5GFq1WifK1qxEYMng0wdaUUrPiVE3QNhyphenhyphenvqVCnKOERqGWKBMT2QU250NjBkcc4pw/s1600-h/IMG_3818+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073820074038594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdc5-tOORUAvwR1MKijZn0nhD61M-NJZZKBHgLb09b8iKcvJdT6mEDfY3rLbnhsyR88eSCN8foX7J5GFq1WifK1qxEYMng0wdaUUrPiVE3QNhyphenhyphenvqVCnKOERqGWKBMT2QU250NjBkcc4pw/s400/IMG_3818+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>The sky was just so beautiful that I had to capture it forever in my memory.</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSBwEu7vIf85xuekTgIISdKiDfGhjtMat9HQC_-8PP31IJ_2H35oslBc6ptmBABMlAD_OzH8F7Z67Op-cJKLRxKSxhCvdqwgPwds31wdSq6mShNLDxYNZ1pglWmeAhjlmcNkRPCGSCPw/s1600-h/IMG_3820+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073815989501186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSBwEu7vIf85xuekTgIISdKiDfGhjtMat9HQC_-8PP31IJ_2H35oslBc6ptmBABMlAD_OzH8F7Z67Op-cJKLRxKSxhCvdqwgPwds31wdSq6mShNLDxYNZ1pglWmeAhjlmcNkRPCGSCPw/s400/IMG_3820+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Notice Derek's scooter all folded up in the bottom of the stroller--his legs gave out after about 5 minutes! :) He insisted on pushing the stroller all by himself.</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdgeTjFEEUXuZQqDfdiksDQzPohRj_-n4AZImtsAFa-oHgDmTvhFJ03NcbZpOoNSccAvkNg76eb77Wxm0wH1QTU8OSRia2KwR6F5TQ-IqRRS-28TqOeZKpR4RCZBQgosQGr2IwVBvyBE/s1600-h/IMG_3821+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073812431693698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdgeTjFEEUXuZQqDfdiksDQzPohRj_-n4AZImtsAFa-oHgDmTvhFJ03NcbZpOoNSccAvkNg76eb77Wxm0wH1QTU8OSRia2KwR6F5TQ-IqRRS-28TqOeZKpR4RCZBQgosQGr2IwVBvyBE/s400/IMG_3821+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Tyler's first ride in a swing. Last summer he was just tiny.</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurB-YGE3MuizrwAE0fFg9IA9nOxFmTCmWzgp6Pu7eHyQF62TCJsFqZal49mGF99fPzF8crZ2GKV7-dhTK10u2Ekyjl-w3qL9TtTLXP4YfgNIB1HksgtC0ztkbuQdE__SvCopdnP65K2o/s1600-h/IMG_3831+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073811785170818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurB-YGE3MuizrwAE0fFg9IA9nOxFmTCmWzgp6Pu7eHyQF62TCJsFqZal49mGF99fPzF8crZ2GKV7-dhTK10u2Ekyjl-w3qL9TtTLXP4YfgNIB1HksgtC0ztkbuQdE__SvCopdnP65K2o/s400/IMG_3831+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsBMdx36Ea4_Jx99SdhHIJaRAiJ868e24SjvblXmQtHzE_OkQ4e5pEaKINcml_PO9a2sh5lYFfB6rye58j6aDDIUJ_HNspUn5NauR7xQnWg6eGd86ctb_obNFSUorsiX6JDQbT3Zours/s1600-h/IMG_3833+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073809349167858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsBMdx36Ea4_Jx99SdhHIJaRAiJ868e24SjvblXmQtHzE_OkQ4e5pEaKINcml_PO9a2sh5lYFfB6rye58j6aDDIUJ_HNspUn5NauR7xQnWg6eGd86ctb_obNFSUorsiX6JDQbT3Zours/s400/IMG_3833+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEq4PP5FzLgZzXhiMKBd2qxLcpxrxhHiPC60leIqKc-A8ZwCDn-ojkLEHu4anf3TwxkVeuDJZr0uOs6HgacUtaPF4YAI-2wpQ3ftm1DwpoHPZjyc0zXH7NIZbKb3wTQ6Jq5e2e_zAm4cU/s1600-h/IMG_3835+(768x1024).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073354471454418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEq4PP5FzLgZzXhiMKBd2qxLcpxrxhHiPC60leIqKc-A8ZwCDn-ojkLEHu4anf3TwxkVeuDJZr0uOs6HgacUtaPF4YAI-2wpQ3ftm1DwpoHPZjyc0zXH7NIZbKb3wTQ6Jq5e2e_zAm4cU/s400/IMG_3835+(768x1024).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><em>Lauren enjoyed swinging so much.</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_YrrOO4ziWtnmKR96HQH52JCv7EE9TPQh6AVeZkxGAM2nePkqjolKf9QSUdg1Cgcd8PMG2fCaIQ1BeCTFt3ccZEYf9YgJI0jTTX3H9SDvYIYPhJlgZQUePVbC3GDKF8YKKfaYlNyo6g/s1600-h/IMG_3837+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073353752001426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_YrrOO4ziWtnmKR96HQH52JCv7EE9TPQh6AVeZkxGAM2nePkqjolKf9QSUdg1Cgcd8PMG2fCaIQ1BeCTFt3ccZEYf9YgJI0jTTX3H9SDvYIYPhJlgZQUePVbC3GDKF8YKKfaYlNyo6g/s400/IMG_3837+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay7CL4mgB8e2YH51zKMLJ26wNONAMl9MjM9TZd39z6xSbMp-3A7AZID8BXw7kvk62_RdY0Re6fSyy6VNgCsUOn3Xsc873f7KYFHh3fcw1CW4zcltjxCMU5UQPhkv-rYh1VslUsX8bTbQ/s1600-h/IMG_3845+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073348309431346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay7CL4mgB8e2YH51zKMLJ26wNONAMl9MjM9TZd39z6xSbMp-3A7AZID8BXw7kvk62_RdY0Re6fSyy6VNgCsUOn3Xsc873f7KYFHh3fcw1CW4zcltjxCMU5UQPhkv-rYh1VslUsX8bTbQ/s400/IMG_3845+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>After Daddy and the children arived home from school, we all went for a bike ride and ate at Dairy Queen. Here's Tyler and Derek in the little trailer.</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwLUb7bE4S6zpwg3f1Gx7lSy6NOSoKEvknD9Pkl9Kn7t42s7pA695pJfvUcST8WzzbUMbItD1XwgrmKQTSnCdSd7B_GXyy4lhrGnB40Oomx716zJJvVlkX41OG7uGyKTRc7imOv3eOe8/s1600-h/IMG_3848+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073348835407746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwLUb7bE4S6zpwg3f1Gx7lSy6NOSoKEvknD9Pkl9Kn7t42s7pA695pJfvUcST8WzzbUMbItD1XwgrmKQTSnCdSd7B_GXyy4lhrGnB40Oomx716zJJvVlkX41OG7uGyKTRc7imOv3eOe8/s400/IMG_3848+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em>Isn't he sooooo handsome?!</em><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Jr_RKgucmQO969OJTW1RY2pKX1pcuwZSTyXX_lpbjIKd3-_uCdFWhOBadI8UCxk9K0qFuIfWyp32_XlAZo3bLBzgipirVaSRXj3fm6sZbdfGnqBkfDV9GNqn29bZbJ-fkiSYRWgdCCQ/s1600-h/IMG_3849+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331073345833958386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Jr_RKgucmQO969OJTW1RY2pKX1pcuwZSTyXX_lpbjIKd3-_uCdFWhOBadI8UCxk9K0qFuIfWyp32_XlAZo3bLBzgipirVaSRXj3fm6sZbdfGnqBkfDV9GNqn29bZbJ-fkiSYRWgdCCQ/s400/IMG_3849+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I have so many pictures to share and stories to tell. We have been living life to the fullest these last few weeks. Please be patient as I try to get back on track!!!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-6053403644079674392009-04-16T12:53:00.002-04:002009-04-16T13:35:58.435-04:00<div align="center"><em>And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. </em></div><div align="center">Matthew 25:40 </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><em>Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.</em></div><div align="center">Matthew 25:45</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="justify">My first thought this morning, before I had even opened my eyes, was "If ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me." This thought came as a part of a dream, when I was beginning to wake up, about changing a dirty diaper. So often we only think about helping the weak, the poor, the needy, etc. What we mothers do every day -- changing diapers, kissing boo boo's, listening to the same questions 20 times in a row, reading little books, folding laundry, scrubbing floors, washing dishing, cooking meals -- we are doing it all for the <em>least of these</em>, and so we are doing it for Christ. I don't know about you, but that simple thought has made my entire day feel so worthwhile!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-71172568584425504002009-04-14T08:39:00.007-04:002009-04-14T09:49:06.925-04:00What's Been Happening At Our House?We have been so busy lately, and I have had no internet connection; but everything is all fixed now. :) So, here is a very long awaited (I'm sure you have all been holding your breath in anticipation!) Vest family update!<br /><br />Two weeks ago we had a family night and watched some old videos of Chad and I when we were teenagers. We watched our wedding video and a short video of Chad's mom with Mrs. Teller. It was so fun! The children really enjoyed seeing us, and we have never showed them that video of Grandma before. This picture is Budge and Tyler playing together during that movie night. Budge can get him to be happy and playful when no one else works!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP_vtsdeTwJcdswSW1J0Zji9Of3KviV8glWy5p-UD-3awroGSjnngNiMPKramhfhK89enGPiEx5MyL7njIoYoN7wvvYSa9pMdzROEqLDRIFgEm4SI8vFeF-T94yys3c8HKhQDZNO7w3M/s1600-h/Budg+and+Ty+Fun+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324537070151697058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP_vtsdeTwJcdswSW1J0Zji9Of3KviV8glWy5p-UD-3awroGSjnngNiMPKramhfhK89enGPiEx5MyL7njIoYoN7wvvYSa9pMdzROEqLDRIFgEm4SI8vFeF-T94yys3c8HKhQDZNO7w3M/s400/Budg+and+Ty+Fun+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />That same night, Meagan lost her two front teeth. Actually, lost is too strong of a word. They were lose forever, it seems, but she wouldn't let Daddy try to pull them out. I'm afraid she gets that fear from me. I used to hang on to mine until they fell out of their own accord! Anyway, she was wrestling on the floor with Daddy, and they started to bleed because they were so loose. So, she sent us all downstairs and let Daddy finally pull those teeth after he promised her double money for both. So, the little stinker got $4 instead of just $2!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6AW9UwFAIdk-bv0atccHW9PT4xpTo027AQhhNDjSDqeC5EE2A-r4MaQyFtwd5bC901oFQ86eeAPVDrQmpzAw-Vls7HtwFxHcvXV3eYx-Zt_cV1drNFBhyphenhyphenf8ALPm2XvcBw2phD-A4AtM/s1600-h/No+Front+Teeth+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324537070197916386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6AW9UwFAIdk-bv0atccHW9PT4xpTo027AQhhNDjSDqeC5EE2A-r4MaQyFtwd5bC901oFQ86eeAPVDrQmpzAw-Vls7HtwFxHcvXV3eYx-Zt_cV1drNFBhyphenhyphenf8ALPm2XvcBw2phD-A4AtM/s400/No+Front+Teeth+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />On Friday, April 3rd, the school had its Evening of Excellence. The third through sixth graders did a choric speaking piece. For as young as they are, they did a fantastic job! Everyone remembered their lines, and most remembered to say them with expression. A job well done! Elisabeth, Brian and Budge are all in this pic.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8KHw5vXUcwxhq1u3eV57CPgYt7bxpYvpTneeKV_FOonbJ0WA-J6e9VN3dnzBLUZiGDJoz4rAp6wKpthS0gHesxc4ou3eqqz1cuZ_-u9svWADUrOkvZJA-flc_NBAoWxyfLPAWoBnrk8/s1600-h/3-6+Eve+of+Excellence+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324537067447655442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8KHw5vXUcwxhq1u3eV57CPgYt7bxpYvpTneeKV_FOonbJ0WA-J6e9VN3dnzBLUZiGDJoz4rAp6wKpthS0gHesxc4ou3eqqz1cuZ_-u9svWADUrOkvZJA-flc_NBAoWxyfLPAWoBnrk8/s400/3-6+Eve+of+Excellence+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_nW5wug90_Et2v5Vam0AjCSCHcfsrDsSBVdYXO-9fxuaqJP36MaPjv3DgBExPcAHox_ebGMMpUxCUn2C7MhAUbAvH7etoCY5H7SHWohUolOaA7DxsnDKOiFdKzK40a_qOa6vsYJ4FBU/s1600-h/Brian+Eve+of+Excellence+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324537067058060658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_nW5wug90_Et2v5Vam0AjCSCHcfsrDsSBVdYXO-9fxuaqJP36MaPjv3DgBExPcAHox_ebGMMpUxCUn2C7MhAUbAvH7etoCY5H7SHWohUolOaA7DxsnDKOiFdKzK40a_qOa6vsYJ4FBU/s400/Brian+Eve+of+Excellence+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Elisabeth with one of her little friends from school. She was wearing a new little dress, and we curled her hair and put a little blush on. She felt like the bell of the ball.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhio9IW4uibFdw6Iya5nbmIGT0nqC03Otq89jXs0noBEq0ousrlNFoI09mUtJw5LD9QjKGCcV3OJRSzBOrM923iLDWggWXBcFsJim77J_vi-ke_eSyCdD3Bn7moIg9jLt6YpDmg-6VcZqo/s1600-h/E+and+Bethany+09+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324537061008756514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhio9IW4uibFdw6Iya5nbmIGT0nqC03Otq89jXs0noBEq0ousrlNFoI09mUtJw5LD9QjKGCcV3OJRSzBOrM923iLDWggWXBcFsJim77J_vi-ke_eSyCdD3Bn7moIg9jLt6YpDmg-6VcZqo/s400/E+and+Bethany+09+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here's adorable little Meagan. She was so hilarious when she gave her part alone. I am trying to figure out how to cut out a portion of a DVD and upload it here. I could never convey just how hilarious she was without showing the DVD.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14NrwqVNockwZIsfIQq3zVYWZRhp__90m3seUDetU9ZkI8Q_b7j6LorgJ3BI7xeu3_t4mBGxobCkR4rTpkdLfd0FgVj7yo6oh9lMblqOv2WG-ML-XnepU_InVsS5qSqisIvgcrxmEIUQ/s1600-h/Meagan+Eve+of+Excellence+(355x1024).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324534573799224930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 139px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14NrwqVNockwZIsfIQq3zVYWZRhp__90m3seUDetU9ZkI8Q_b7j6LorgJ3BI7xeu3_t4mBGxobCkR4rTpkdLfd0FgVj7yo6oh9lMblqOv2WG-ML-XnepU_InVsS5qSqisIvgcrxmEIUQ/s400/Meagan+Eve+of+Excellence+(355x1024).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />One morning I went in to check on Tyler, and this is what I found. Chad sleeps just like that quite often!;)<br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZRdaNB30Wnj7cQzWkPeCs9y89u305WWPDBm9zDwfb0DQtxbFDeBhCuv60ICARt9bgrCsllrIuBWjx2sSDXeKL_JlIemyRBbU6DWR1ivn7csJGgR1wl9jcvBlZ2JhvNUzURstSQDLk0k/s1600-h/Ty+Sleeping+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324534567343435074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZRdaNB30Wnj7cQzWkPeCs9y89u305WWPDBm9zDwfb0DQtxbFDeBhCuv60ICARt9bgrCsllrIuBWjx2sSDXeKL_JlIemyRBbU6DWR1ivn7csJGgR1wl9jcvBlZ2JhvNUzURstSQDLk0k/s400/Ty+Sleeping+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Our Easter Centerpiece<br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiq5ZGEzWRGP1Z_qu1ODPc_xqtFBfLs-RMBHxtK8ao_Ux1GvqRQYYcE1dWvSlE-6ko0ZfOXCPoIt5FrumK4EHQyb7WfaYj9M063eX6EpW7XoSL5h2KxDlpQaqCmmOM8tWcLtF-3G1yi-o/s1600-h/Easter+Flowers+(768x1024).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324534568673667298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiq5ZGEzWRGP1Z_qu1ODPc_xqtFBfLs-RMBHxtK8ao_Ux1GvqRQYYcE1dWvSlE-6ko0ZfOXCPoIt5FrumK4EHQyb7WfaYj9M063eX6EpW7XoSL5h2KxDlpQaqCmmOM8tWcLtF-3G1yi-o/s400/Easter+Flowers+(768x1024).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Our community has an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids through ten years old each year. We have never gone, but this year I promised the children we would, so we waited out in the cold for 30 minutes for the hunt to begin. It's not much of a hunt, as you can see all the eggs merely lying on the ground, but they get candy and some coupons for local businesses. There are three ages groups, and there is one Free Bike Coupon per age group.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxbO1azukvThcEsRZGxUN4m5r03xdB2P0YBtIv4A-lS9Im9xwxX-yMmz96R-5z1vUMmaaMMuPP4syL5sTeu5ZE1QZGqHW1MMRDBL0owcQhk4S4eXNxWEK0iTKLWS6hIafSWeLZC9SPuY/s1600-h/Easter+Egg+Hunt+2+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324534564192084226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxbO1azukvThcEsRZGxUN4m5r03xdB2P0YBtIv4A-lS9Im9xwxX-yMmz96R-5z1vUMmaaMMuPP4syL5sTeu5ZE1QZGqHW1MMRDBL0owcQhk4S4eXNxWEK0iTKLWS6hIafSWeLZC9SPuY/s400/Easter+Egg+Hunt+2+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUF88drXHq6qOat0epVP7_T5515k2-5NPv7nusRxGbdFOSYDOyqjbr-51o1nDFU0wzyXsSwiEFQgUUPMEktmZtUJGuW_rfjMo3ot6OOuyPy20mekk_TP0lvZjHXvJpBtkzaYDZfJbzPr0/s1600-h/Easter+Egg+Hunt+3+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324532642607638338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUF88drXHq6qOat0epVP7_T5515k2-5NPv7nusRxGbdFOSYDOyqjbr-51o1nDFU0wzyXsSwiEFQgUUPMEktmZtUJGuW_rfjMo3ot6OOuyPy20mekk_TP0lvZjHXvJpBtkzaYDZfJbzPr0/s400/Easter+Egg+Hunt+3+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Can you guess who won a bike?</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">?</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">?</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">?</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">?</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">?<br /><br /><br /><br />Brian!!!<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaJU4lFVpHbnBo_Bzz_SdIwmPDp-q7k7dU-wfNWnVnoK70egviGLEW6hv20F837AAWsY3_SWg6UIyDF0heafyLl4rtkB5fQD_TJm73WAZ4iHywHvnJ27lgy_qXrkKRqab_zwspherg1U/s1600-h/Easter+Egg+Hunt+5+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324532643923500018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaJU4lFVpHbnBo_Bzz_SdIwmPDp-q7k7dU-wfNWnVnoK70egviGLEW6hv20F837AAWsY3_SWg6UIyDF0heafyLl4rtkB5fQD_TJm73WAZ4iHywHvnJ27lgy_qXrkKRqab_zwspherg1U/s400/Easter+Egg+Hunt+5+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="center">Budge won so many coupons for free things; I think his total was 7 or 8!</div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlFkkeRvjh76h7SLaNmkf-57c8_aDIe_a3inY55wjXXWypX3RCatDIfQ5NDMSz6BP87xwuGJgQZvm9ovXD39gFUud8UnRZD_KuK8_IIiOFXDNEmtUGLwMFS6BhJ29pvkD9VX7aoJvSS4/s1600-h/Easter+Egg+hunt+6+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324532639900747634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlFkkeRvjh76h7SLaNmkf-57c8_aDIe_a3inY55wjXXWypX3RCatDIfQ5NDMSz6BP87xwuGJgQZvm9ovXD39gFUud8UnRZD_KuK8_IIiOFXDNEmtUGLwMFS6BhJ29pvkD9VX7aoJvSS4/s400/Easter+Egg+hunt+6+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Our chiropractor's wife with Brian and his new bike. She and her husband provided the bikes.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2GT9q940ifGQieekxhlPKSpeh5ZLRa7JzWMFLRv2101N3BTRASO98ceZjaZCeYsHHnyjJ0hiEZD8fC6fGtHeP0ofmpQrU0hzcd1kd7DlITtDZklVPZfGoInz0hOMb2S8l0McUUZ96a8/s1600-h/Easter+Egg+Hunt+8+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324532637921323890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2GT9q940ifGQieekxhlPKSpeh5ZLRa7JzWMFLRv2101N3BTRASO98ceZjaZCeYsHHnyjJ0hiEZD8fC6fGtHeP0ofmpQrU0hzcd1kd7DlITtDZklVPZfGoInz0hOMb2S8l0McUUZ96a8/s400/Easter+Egg+Hunt+8+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Budge holding Derek is the only way we could get Derek even remotely close to the Bunny.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DwegwYsYk2rigDGn592aofI_7yCA9yQBYF7186xyOVx22gifz07YV7RHb88AZDWqejJclpRvA_XHGRX27-SPJzFtWD2R7N6nlBJLeSzLcNrvYmsuuEmzAIloIm-89Kydft1xD63o3Zo/s1600-h/Easter+Egg+Hunt+10+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324532633914518194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DwegwYsYk2rigDGn592aofI_7yCA9yQBYF7186xyOVx22gifz07YV7RHb88AZDWqejJclpRvA_XHGRX27-SPJzFtWD2R7N6nlBJLeSzLcNrvYmsuuEmzAIloIm-89Kydft1xD63o3Zo/s400/Easter+Egg+Hunt+10+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_iTdyTGhb8vYv7jNY1glWY-bePpqvcPrtNdhGWQznmg9b3a75v3zS8uTnMA2VoDkOsVeJfq29ayQ3MN5lBpz1jHr8k18-z3zT0v2hCuD79tAtr3qCtxDvrpO2qvbIW2mZ-c8YO1wkb0/s1600-h/Easter+Egg+Hunt+11+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324531798509966306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_iTdyTGhb8vYv7jNY1glWY-bePpqvcPrtNdhGWQznmg9b3a75v3zS8uTnMA2VoDkOsVeJfq29ayQ3MN5lBpz1jHr8k18-z3zT0v2hCuD79tAtr3qCtxDvrpO2qvbIW2mZ-c8YO1wkb0/s400/Easter+Egg+Hunt+11+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7AKPjlrJhPFWQyqa7uJ5JiHfmjooPeuJxfVSRZXS0DYjwJsxzPkhZ3505VESi1eeQz_qY9jjgIeQ4b0N8a0G1oI8Vp-py1khoZU8og40IdvMAjvM6yfyFdmKrn-18ye3pAR2nFYmyfU/s1600-h/Easter+Egg+Hunt+Scooby+(768x1024).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324531792652702354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7AKPjlrJhPFWQyqa7uJ5JiHfmjooPeuJxfVSRZXS0DYjwJsxzPkhZ3505VESi1eeQz_qY9jjgIeQ4b0N8a0G1oI8Vp-py1khoZU8og40IdvMAjvM6yfyFdmKrn-18ye3pAR2nFYmyfU/s400/Easter+Egg+Hunt+Scooby+(768x1024).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div>Coloring Easter Eggs<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHktNfRTRoy0Cek0E-mgSJIWDojksf5NddalHTSMk_3x9o5Zbn7_n8DjB9cgbiZlnNtacRw3-rw5BYhxOat-k3QfUjOUDEs4HDP_fWdlRsagKN3AovkXeIuiNoX5qz92Zdv2cqMdJH7M/s1600-h/Coloring+Eggs+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324531792895432242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHktNfRTRoy0Cek0E-mgSJIWDojksf5NddalHTSMk_3x9o5Zbn7_n8DjB9cgbiZlnNtacRw3-rw5BYhxOat-k3QfUjOUDEs4HDP_fWdlRsagKN3AovkXeIuiNoX5qz92Zdv2cqMdJH7M/s400/Coloring+Eggs+1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ddYSS30yaj-prwH2gQaiTgBqnsTB3oPgNn0vZcMFHvrVur_DaRY9FTluL84u_JD3u5TL32Kr6zsa4UsuhXCRKwX6GSOmOBQgIKv8VAVHv2nKCIHsagVC9ga0LTc-Id5irsPPbIHWgDc/s1600-h/Coloring+Eggs+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324531779529430770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ddYSS30yaj-prwH2gQaiTgBqnsTB3oPgNn0vZcMFHvrVur_DaRY9FTluL84u_JD3u5TL32Kr6zsa4UsuhXCRKwX6GSOmOBQgIKv8VAVHv2nKCIHsagVC9ga0LTc-Id5irsPPbIHWgDc/s400/Coloring+Eggs+3.JPG" border="0" /></a> Is she hiding an egg in her jumper?<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GJje-ROYFPBuygSgw4YOXXS97N_A0-XzKAd7YjQaXp8YMy8B_ZNAQ3-oSBsV_3Vv-wxDEUY0QdWZdMz8Np_tfSeziS4-XOor4npnS6hJz5wVjS6Z616jwIcVv9EBjk0JzAzZz1QE-68/s1600-h/Coloring+Eggs+4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324529392803458354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GJje-ROYFPBuygSgw4YOXXS97N_A0-XzKAd7YjQaXp8YMy8B_ZNAQ3-oSBsV_3Vv-wxDEUY0QdWZdMz8Np_tfSeziS4-XOor4npnS6hJz5wVjS6Z616jwIcVv9EBjk0JzAzZz1QE-68/s400/Coloring+Eggs+4.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh570xMcHmVFNqVre6GZQy4qOqg-dOKh2_I8uJxV9RyWCkfbuu6s1Xr43Pp6wWqQiUfbUZ5TMRqtIx3Fim2dperlYddKlEANj9F3MBG_WAqTz0Vd4v8tCQ7vnLkKSwvcmjsSd8-qDBJt6U/s1600-h/Coloring+Eggs+5.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324529386432622930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh570xMcHmVFNqVre6GZQy4qOqg-dOKh2_I8uJxV9RyWCkfbuu6s1Xr43Pp6wWqQiUfbUZ5TMRqtIx3Fim2dperlYddKlEANj9F3MBG_WAqTz0Vd4v8tCQ7vnLkKSwvcmjsSd8-qDBJt6U/s400/Coloring+Eggs+5.JPG" border="0" /></a> Derek kept stirring his eggs and then checking on them. :)<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbgmZuJycpA4ra8bCaeoOlZyoyRe52QfMKR29m1GEDHOXwfNa-QfXLU8SF0F5ZyAx3j9IgHMSFThiFbylcsQk5NMFrOW1VdzAEymNHL4VfeR8AIaErYv6nA7dp4ljcd-grk1u9UJOCIQ/s1600-h/Coloring+Eggs+6.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324529385084604498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbgmZuJycpA4ra8bCaeoOlZyoyRe52QfMKR29m1GEDHOXwfNa-QfXLU8SF0F5ZyAx3j9IgHMSFThiFbylcsQk5NMFrOW1VdzAEymNHL4VfeR8AIaErYv6nA7dp4ljcd-grk1u9UJOCIQ/s400/Coloring+Eggs+6.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdsp-gCn7yo34N4tDTTJrNY06AVYlmnrzCQVYcp_zjhZLWQEalhg1rlfUrlE7Me_72GhPqMlI5Muo3NbyCyi6Ddyp5FPeyt1ENmMxO8jOWBnYxnm1NaHjachF3cNct7idFDp_RQg1JhE/s1600-h/Coloring+Eggs+7.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324529370291720226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdsp-gCn7yo34N4tDTTJrNY06AVYlmnrzCQVYcp_zjhZLWQEalhg1rlfUrlE7Me_72GhPqMlI5Muo3NbyCyi6Ddyp5FPeyt1ENmMxO8jOWBnYxnm1NaHjachF3cNct7idFDp_RQg1JhE/s400/Coloring+Eggs+7.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We had a very busy day on Saturday, and Elisabeth fell asleep rocking Tyler to sleep.<br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LX21GKG9rBKq6JAoR55lPuHgPgUbYYsMnGaj8F1GMAwl4jlZjBZhAd1dJINvzFHT6BLwKh-dMJf2_lcSJ4QZiC9LFx9mOToA_-DDE8A9HvU3dUrW4hv45pwY0zWmkV_j0Qz1lvGEaaU/s1600-h/Elisabeth+and+Ty.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324529365205042514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3LX21GKG9rBKq6JAoR55lPuHgPgUbYYsMnGaj8F1GMAwl4jlZjBZhAd1dJINvzFHT6BLwKh-dMJf2_lcSJ4QZiC9LFx9mOToA_-DDE8A9HvU3dUrW4hv45pwY0zWmkV_j0Qz1lvGEaaU/s400/Elisabeth+and+Ty.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="left">We are getting ready to go on the Senior Trip next week. Only Tyler is going with us, so the rest of the children are going to three different homes. It's hard to find anyone willing to care for 6 extra children!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">I hope you are enjoying your spring. It's been pretty chilly here, but is supposed to be in the mid-fifties for much of the week. We have been playing a lot of four-square as a family. I introduced the children to it at school a few weeks ago, and they've been going strong at it. We even downloaded the official rules so that we would know how to play correctly!</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Enjoy your day today!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-27887877727830711122009-04-02T00:43:00.004-04:002009-04-02T01:21:51.491-04:00Spring BreakWe were able to go to Houghton Lake over our Spring Break to a little waterpark there. We were the only ones there, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves--except Lauren. She went under the water at the bottom of the water slide and was pretty traumatized after that. She pretty much stayed in the hot tub the whole time, but the hot tub was very large. We had such a nice time.<br /><br />Derek was hiding in the shower curtain!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9G7JZVhjWzb1_KqHL2Ub7cLOC9ZAPNfLg317jsIe4F3i6u2V7KJ9gNR24Jv1P89ei0eodxQBQvyBu0nWdmIi7K-k91YGHGta-pvp1zkXrJ3nc8FnZgSshyX02Iibng5YaOQVngP9Ulo/s1600-h/IMG_3773+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319950573583450786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT9G7JZVhjWzb1_KqHL2Ub7cLOC9ZAPNfLg317jsIe4F3i6u2V7KJ9gNR24Jv1P89ei0eodxQBQvyBu0nWdmIi7K-k91YGHGta-pvp1zkXrJ3nc8FnZgSshyX02Iibng5YaOQVngP9Ulo/s400/IMG_3773+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mwTFO1Z6mGMSsK866oRB4c1myrtNCIqAAv0BNPdvJwQDaqV5PEduXPfgcNe9uTN_Kp1tDkYoyv-_3mbrwDS5nBtlrksJNPSljbGm0rAzL9W7MxQRi9V0HUrCCzG0u0emrYgQ6lZuLqo/s1600-h/IMG_3774+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319950567221684738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mwTFO1Z6mGMSsK866oRB4c1myrtNCIqAAv0BNPdvJwQDaqV5PEduXPfgcNe9uTN_Kp1tDkYoyv-_3mbrwDS5nBtlrksJNPSljbGm0rAzL9W7MxQRi9V0HUrCCzG0u0emrYgQ6lZuLqo/s400/IMG_3774+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div> This was the morning view from our hotel room.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYr94ve7KXCrzaYsyQsLoyw7A4FZTfFOHzcLPJuFwAP8x35O-j0nmHhAC-7RhNQIaQx86aaJ_Wdx3mFI-SCJ5Wh7dzPoOg8Wr4nZT9kwSnyvZ2MaCvb_Y6qbEZbnV0uNLxNsVzwBQWqQ/s1600-h/IMG_3775+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319950565852793826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYr94ve7KXCrzaYsyQsLoyw7A4FZTfFOHzcLPJuFwAP8x35O-j0nmHhAC-7RhNQIaQx86aaJ_Wdx3mFI-SCJ5Wh7dzPoOg8Wr4nZT9kwSnyvZ2MaCvb_Y6qbEZbnV0uNLxNsVzwBQWqQ/s400/IMG_3775+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-68100728514970156082009-03-31T00:59:00.002-04:002009-03-31T01:18:13.566-04:00Birthday CelebrationLast year our school started going to State Line's Fine Arts Competition, which, incidentally, has been on my birthday two years in a row. Last year the children and I stayed home but this year we went along to spend some time with Grandpa and Mikayla. I think Chad and I communicated less this year than we did last year, though we were technically together--at least in the same general location. Anyway, due to that event, we did not celebrate my birthday on my birthday. Saturday the 14th (my birthday is the 13th), the kids made me a special little lunch and decorated. Meagan colored me a little book; Elisabeth made a crown; Brian warmed up pork chops, and Budge made me a chocolate malt. Lauren, Derek and Tyler just hugged me extra :D. It was very special because they thought of it all on their own.<br /><br />Friday, the 20th, Chad and the kids had a little party for me. Chad bought me three dresses from Dress Barn. He and Elisabeth made my favorite meal, Beef Stroganoff (and I have to say they did a better job than I normally do!). They decorated and even got me a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. I <em>felt</em> like a queen, too. So sweet...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10hIvgyrVkJrajqB1GC59dglQcEtna6YRR_lLvfTgS1a-ZtzRLGv2YcaPbNcpkhrABWJOway8po8iyIdROUsmVESm5I1GLQyzPlqYdUtOKCGUuCE-fLt0Laj7pTg6WDctfVVAbOa59jU/s1600-h/IMG_3758+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319214768225473666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10hIvgyrVkJrajqB1GC59dglQcEtna6YRR_lLvfTgS1a-ZtzRLGv2YcaPbNcpkhrABWJOway8po8iyIdROUsmVESm5I1GLQyzPlqYdUtOKCGUuCE-fLt0Laj7pTg6WDctfVVAbOa59jU/s400/IMG_3758+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The children were fighting over who was going to hold my hand while walking downstairs (They made me hide in my room while they cooked and decorated); Budge and Meagan finally won out while the others pouted. In fact, Lauren didn't even come downstairs for about 10 minutes because she felt so badly about the whole thing.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgm_-xj2vGBoowWUfXfZ5hwFC0P9brMdNXVqHIBECo4EwRQ_s-GLzOoenvERRBK5KousZArgWsBXEFIU0v5Z-M09HcX3-96If92oSkZValbRV8Yg8xFokrS0teQ7tSU2fNggLKfLsPEI/s1600-h/IMG_3763.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319213309090021362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgm_-xj2vGBoowWUfXfZ5hwFC0P9brMdNXVqHIBECo4EwRQ_s-GLzOoenvERRBK5KousZArgWsBXEFIU0v5Z-M09HcX3-96If92oSkZValbRV8Yg8xFokrS0teQ7tSU2fNggLKfLsPEI/s400/IMG_3763.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The chocolate deliciousness!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPWHe-OcCp8J44k5Aoi8VEA-SQwXSgdrYHACvem7pzu7JjABIQTz8vpMAushtsMSUNiOaFghJ6W0hSAkJt3R7GRSb8L6Y9H4b6QpUn2mY3maxgp3BH0iEQPO1lpgwv1embYCBtynfrl0/s1600-h/IMG_3765+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319213304673181570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPWHe-OcCp8J44k5Aoi8VEA-SQwXSgdrYHACvem7pzu7JjABIQTz8vpMAushtsMSUNiOaFghJ6W0hSAkJt3R7GRSb8L6Y9H4b6QpUn2mY3maxgp3BH0iEQPO1lpgwv1embYCBtynfrl0/s400/IMG_3765+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Tyler enjoying the party<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlxMlKj8fUS0nCoZZIJls-qfF5COSEJVocFNrZLLY7q2bDkgnr5PjJ-UTCrDCyFhfhXnqZnUI2dP6Vbx_xv3AYB4-gf0vKrMu-tW7zUTi4_4D_eZPX51klk1EfFb7ERXdhdnGIUcsGSg/s1600-h/IMG_3769+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319213304300663122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlxMlKj8fUS0nCoZZIJls-qfF5COSEJVocFNrZLLY7q2bDkgnr5PjJ-UTCrDCyFhfhXnqZnUI2dP6Vbx_xv3AYB4-gf0vKrMu-tW7zUTi4_4D_eZPX51klk1EfFb7ERXdhdnGIUcsGSg/s400/IMG_3769+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Lauren helped me blow out the multitude of candles (actually they were very kind and did not put all of them on the cake) :)<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9-kFEgSwiL_L6fKm8uPVg76MsHWriEXK79hQDvY273yHG4-5nobHUGwlk9WzbH7ggmOZ8IleuMGliAFmaDQdsoLbk2sx-DGrwlwijzkCAtOS-Cj1J6MDwNqRF6MNl3qSHUtCA1D58D8/s1600-h/IMG_3770+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319213300966885794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9-kFEgSwiL_L6fKm8uPVg76MsHWriEXK79hQDvY273yHG4-5nobHUGwlk9WzbH7ggmOZ8IleuMGliAFmaDQdsoLbk2sx-DGrwlwijzkCAtOS-Cj1J6MDwNqRF6MNl3qSHUtCA1D58D8/s400/IMG_3770+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is what happens when a baby boy has three older sisters<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5maqy-aGTVnsPEquHsfm7ylu11IrRgNuKqA8rANzzxnqcseI6et2aIqHgy1noCArq-E_8TJ4YI1Gl7b1Zuuj2syop7J7n2JXZYEW55DLc_v3Bng_q1F6SURsAwGxd5iHpCDxmD4nF6EA/s1600-h/IMG_3772+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319213302451973538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5maqy-aGTVnsPEquHsfm7ylu11IrRgNuKqA8rANzzxnqcseI6et2aIqHgy1noCArq-E_8TJ4YI1Gl7b1Zuuj2syop7J7n2JXZYEW55DLc_v3Bng_q1F6SURsAwGxd5iHpCDxmD4nF6EA/s400/IMG_3772+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a> </div></div></div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582244641283010066.post-3740505165737675192009-03-29T16:29:00.003-04:002009-03-29T16:41:09.540-04:00Quick little tidbits ;DOkay, I am committing to doing better at keeping up with my blog. I really do love it; we have just been so busy lately. But, things are never going to slow down, and I definitely want to make this a priority--for the grandparents' sake, especially! Besides the fact that I just love to talk no matter who may or may not be listening! :D<br /><br />I am on my way to children's choir in just a few minutes.<br /><br />Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls are in the oven.<br /><br />Brian and Budge have their friends the Griffins over for the last time before they head back to the Philippines tomorrow. They won't see them for several years. Budge and Matt will be teenagers the next time they meet. No more little boys. It makes me sad to think that far ahead. So, the boys got out of chores for the afternoon. Elisabeth griped a little bit, but I told her that the next time she has a friend over that she won't see for several years she won't have to do chores either!<br /><br />We are just returning from spring break. We were actually home most of the time--spring cleaning. But we sure do feel good about the majority of the house now. Just a few more things to get done.<br /><br />Please pray for my first midwife, Lynda Hitchcock. She brought my first two babies into this world and recently found out she has cancer in her breasts and bones. She is in the hospital with only 15% kidney function. We are unsure of her salvation. Please, please, please pray for her to be saved.<br /><br />Now a few recent pics of interest. Tyler is so cute right now that most of my pictures tend to be of him. I'll do better here in the future with trying to get all of the children in.<br /><br /><div align="center">Budge and Tyler</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fZ6rB1fY_us1FcXfxQEn6zD66ofH_8V8G2gtO_5rQx_ewGjNDXEdwfrT9tWeEQ-qQV1BN4M3IftpdoQIg3AXBdvlZ3nqUSjxEn1NVWH32Lf6PR_tgcY0OnVy4HCAcvMdsTQzxaDqQNg/s1600-h/IMG_3748+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318710325039192130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fZ6rB1fY_us1FcXfxQEn6zD66ofH_8V8G2gtO_5rQx_ewGjNDXEdwfrT9tWeEQ-qQV1BN4M3IftpdoQIg3AXBdvlZ3nqUSjxEn1NVWH32Lf6PR_tgcY0OnVy4HCAcvMdsTQzxaDqQNg/s400/IMG_3748+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">I always wanted a baby who played with their feet!!!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0IT_JuPuCvQ5a1qZiU7o1GvC3MA0OEFiKu8qObsyhf9MmLuLwD08XbIxPCuxqyXzzaPudYes-fTZJwvdTejlcs46HL2o7kf6j4WEiwUpwFX54tRbRNGIs9Qsxk8x7Fd_HoQ_FASDvyQ/s1600-h/IMG_3743+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318710316648808402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0IT_JuPuCvQ5a1qZiU7o1GvC3MA0OEFiKu8qObsyhf9MmLuLwD08XbIxPCuxqyXzzaPudYes-fTZJwvdTejlcs46HL2o7kf6j4WEiwUpwFX54tRbRNGIs9Qsxk8x7Fd_HoQ_FASDvyQ/s400/IMG_3743+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center">Derek helped me make Peanut Butter Blossoms. (Yes, I have taken the pacifier away completely now!)</div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318710308179897698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_LX9c2NWgNGauD0q6EcLQoC9Awho6Pj_VJ4yGN3qw5XiJMJlg0CuKcQvB1q_OearJObi0TP_EZ-gWaX9KvxR0Oar7-y0nwCrRlWuVEpyd7iIujwEmRa0k0e6AXWMBdiAeOnx9rBzuTlQ/s400/IMG_3738+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center">The focus isn't good, but isn't his pudgy little hand so cute rolling the dough in the sugar?!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318710309947575122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-1wdCVkt3m86NkfTrhWGTCt8clZ3G0nZUh0IwkwvoYd3brNAkW2bLS87gKRvce0b6eaAAK9epkOfbBoyE8qAN1ubSzVlgunPr0d2yMqLMzBcwXSd9HvSY-dEK-rkUhiJqOfa4RkZiyY/s400/IMG_3740+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /><br />This is how he arranged them on the cookie sheet. (After he left the kitchen, I rearranged them. I just couldn't help myself.)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWHsWOvX83BxEtllKFmOKIpev1lj6DhSWGuG9Bh7gp3CMVTQus9X6w9_ZBqqB8oKHQc0ih4SW47qv4wkftvzGpIrvnoB2jDOG039m0FAzdtfZ79zmhhoqmVohRYCNqyXNgp431RK0GAg/s1600-h/IMG_3742+(1024x768).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318710313085971298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWHsWOvX83BxEtllKFmOKIpev1lj6DhSWGuG9Bh7gp3CMVTQus9X6w9_ZBqqB8oKHQc0ih4SW47qv4wkftvzGpIrvnoB2jDOG039m0FAzdtfZ79zmhhoqmVohRYCNqyXNgp431RK0GAg/s400/IMG_3742+(1024x768).jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div><br />I have so many things to share, so many thoughts swirling around in my head. I'll be back tomorrow!!! <div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452349433999258830noreply@blogger.com1