Big News and Little Visitors!

Well this week my Brody took another step into "big boyhood" with the ever exciting purchase of a high back booster seat for the car! He is SO thrilled, and it was a tough year to wait behind Connor on this one, but he made it. I wish you could of seen him walking or should I say strutting through Wal Mart with such a proud look to go pick it out. Then after he did; he carried it along with his big brother all through the store and to the car. Everyone commented on how darn adorable they were! He has been calling everyone this week with the big news and I finally remembered the picture today!

The boys are doing MUCH better being outside again. Someone gave Connor a little skateboard and Brody has loved getting back on his bike. They still like me out there with them for now, but they have ventured out without me too this week so I am very happy with the progress in this area. I told them they are earning a little video game time this weekend too!

Even Jake enjoyed an afternoon snooze in the shade!

During some of our outdoor excursions, we have been observing these amazing dragonflies that visit our backyard. We have been researching in a science book and have been learning what we can about these beautiful creatures that are so fun to watch. So far we read that there should be a body of water close by to have them, but I don't think I do? Of course, we are new here...but I am curious!

Tonight I found a very interesting little visitor in my bedroom...a tiny frog! I have seen a few of these on the front porch, but in the house is new. They were doing some work on the master bathroom today so the backdoor was open the entire day and I'm sure that is how he got in. Aren't they usually by water too? MMMMM...maybe there IS something I'm not aware of!

The house has made amazing progress since my last post, I will take some pictures and post more tomorrow!

In 3-D

The boys love to watch this video through our curriculum, Sonlight, called Mathtacular. It is very entertaining to them and they have learned quite a few math concepts along the way. One of the clips is on 3 dimensional objects and they have learned to distinguish, length, height, width and depth to determine if an object is 3D. Well, this spurred Mr. Paper and Tape Man Connor onto a whole slew of new "toys" that he has been making. He has been one busy beaver and you can see why I buy my scotch tape at Costco! (He says a glue stick just doesn't work!)

Who needs store bought toys? Oh yah, and I will probably talk in another post about the cardboard tool shelf he made that he is trying to get me to pay $20 for!

Here is an airplane from a Gatorade bottle full of water, a car, a van (complete with road for driving), and part of the fruit collection including a banana, strawberry, pineapple and orange!

Here is his very own computer!

Here is a tool box and tools to go with it; claw hammer, screwdriver, pliers, nails and screws!

Two guns; one is a rifle and I forgot the other one:)

These were actually the first ones he made, a sword and a mini rifle!

Happy Father's Day

Seriously, it can be frustrating to try and get "the" picture, but it is worth it to me! I constantly repeat this message to my darling husband and remind him that "he will thank me" one day for doing this! You can bet when that day comes, I will post on that too! I am glad that I have pictures likes this to capture special days and events and to have images to spark memories that I will cherish forever!

Connor and Brody made daddy hardware sorters for him at The Home Depot and were so proud and excited to give him these new treasures. I love to see them just as excited to give as they are to receive!

We started the day at church and enjoyed a great service. There was a group visiting called Freedom Fellowship Motorcycle Ministries. Pastor Ben started with a joke saying that we had visitors but he wasn't sure where they were. This was funny because they all sat together and were very distinctive in the way they looked, complete with pony tails, leather, tatoos and bandanas! They shared some great stuff and the service started with the testimony of a woman named Becca. She was incredibly brave and filled with hope as she shared about her lifestyle just a few months ago that was filled with alcohol, gambling and stripping to earn money. She met some people from this group in that very bar and started searching from there to fill that "God sized" hole in her life. What an awesome ministry following so much of what Jesus taught when He walked the earth in flesh. They go out and just try to shine light in dark places. They meet people where they are and share the hope they have found in their own lives. It was very inspiring and uplifting!

After church, errands, yummy lunch at Pizza Hut (Bryan's request), dessert at Dairy Queen, some rest, some work and some fun thrown in there too! All in all, a great day with many things to be thankful for!

Moving Right Along!

Today, was a big day in our remodel story...most of the windows in the addition are in! They look so good, better than I imagined and I am happy with the size! The room is real bright and the view is really opened up from inside the house now! The insulation is in and the drywall process starts tomorrow! The boys are insisting that I put furniture in the new part of the house that they can "tear up" and "jump on". They said they need a new place to build forts! I'm sure we can come up with something.

Am I still Grateful?

I'm sure everyone is on pins and needles wondering how I am doing on my grateful journey, huh? Just kidding...but in case you are....here it goes.

Well, I went 55 days without logging a thing! Pretty pathetic, huh? I got in a funk for a couple of reasons. I really wanted to come up with a unique item for each line, I wanted to duplicate nothing! I thought it couldn't be that hard to come up with 5 new things each day to be grateful for! However when it got a little tougher, I started to quit. Then I have the great excuse of single parenting, packing, preparing a new house to move into, preparing a old house to leave, finishing up our homeschooling year and oh yah, let's throw in an addition and remodel on that new house too! Obviously, I feel justified in letting my project go or I wouldn't of just shared those excuses; BUT I am happy to say that I have put all that behind me and decided not to quit! So, on Friday, I decided to back up to June 1 and start again and it feels great! I have now completed day 4 of my new and improved journey!

I have to say one of the biggest things on my lists....the ugly wetbar in my family room that was seconds away from demolition just a few months ago. I am SO glad we saved it because I would hate to see how bad we would be eating without it! It has a counter to work on, a sink to wash dishes in, a few cabinets to store food and dishes in and even two drawers...one for silverware and of course a junk drawer too! What a blessing!

Really though, what purpose did this serve in the family room and who would want this thing by their front door? (unless you are remodeling of course) Literally the real kitchen is just about 5 steps to the left? Crazy, but I am not complaining!

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. Johannes A. Gaertner

Old Story - New eyes

This week the boys and I were reading the story of Daniel in the lions den through a devotional book that we use through our school program. So many people know this story, it truly is one of the more "famous" ones. Even if you don't go to church or read the bible to much, you probably know this one. Well, this week a VERY important part jumped out at me. It is funny how many times I have read this story, how I can repeat this story, yet how I have at the same time failed to connect what I think is a very important part.

However, what I do know about God assures me that my "ahahah" came just when I need it whether I can see that or not:)

Anyway, the focus in this reading was on the angel! Even though I knew there was an angel in the story, for some reason I always assumed God controlled the lions similar to how he brought them to the ark..by being God and powerful and almighty and able to do anything. The story clearly states though (good news version)...Daniel telling King Darius; "God sent his angel to shut the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me." It had us picture the lions clearly wanting to get to Daniel, it showed them being what they are..hunters...but physically unable to act. It was different than most of the kids versions you usually see with Daniel cuddled up and friendly with the lions and it truly made me see this story in a new way.

It reminds me that God is powerful, almighty and able to do anything, and that He will also use others (people and angels) to accomplish what He wants done. It shows me a new strength in Daniel when I imagine him sitting through the night with the lions maybe not all nice and friendly, but pacing and frustrated with their mouths sealed shut wanting to eat him. It reminds me that even though we are saved from many bad things happening it doesn't mean those things aren't still there..wanting to.

It was a new way for me to think about it.....

My awesome little Brod!

Well, today Brody absolutely amazed me. I wanted the kids to have some quiet time so I sent them to their room to read or look at books for a while. We were just given this little book called "Sam the Firehouse Cat" and Brody just fell in love with it, well actually the cover. It has a cute tabby cat on it!



After a little while, he came out and just announced to me like it was no big deal that he just read the book. I asked him to tell me what happened and he did. (The book had never been read to him) So I asked him to read it to me and he did fantastic. There was about 7 words that he needed help on but I couldn't believe the words he was reading! So, before my very eyes, he just leaped from the short 3 letter word books he finished up for school and has moved on to Little Golden Books! Hmmmmm...I think 1st grade Language Arts will be a breeze!

Big Brother was so proud of him too!

What is up and out with us?

What's up???

The walls.

The roof .

The stacks of boxes in my garage.

My blood pressure.

My credit card bills.

Not the temperature...is this June?

Only two lonely pictures on the walls.

Gas prices again.....bummer for my summer travel trip!

The satellite dish...Bryan will be so happy.

What is out?

Finally Connor's first top front tooth! It took weeks!




My mother of the year award considering the tooth fairy forgot that night! I told Connor he put it out to early in the day and that she needed to know before bed to know where she had to go. He shrugged it off as no big deal....whew! I didn't think he really believed the whole tooth fairy thing anyway...but I think a small part of him wants to!

Not the boys to much, still pretty scared of bugs...but a little progress.

My patience level with the boys not going outside without me as an escort.

The old wall in the kitchen....now it looks pretty cool and I see the vision!

The pony wall is the old outside wall and this faces into the great room from the kitchen.

This is the view from the great room back to the kitchen...kitchen...what is that?

Not the sun to much, little bit here and there.

Pollen and grass seed which is killing my allergies! I heard that Salem is the grass seed capital of the world....how nice!

Carpenter ants...annoying little boogers.