Another Recital

Last weekend, Sarah had the privilege of participating in the Kitsap Young Musician's Festival. She was less nervous this time since she had already played these songs at her last recital. She didn't make one mistake! We are thankful for this talent that the Lord has given her and pray that she never tires of it.

What's Wrong With This Picture? - Part 3

Well, I hadn't intended to have a series on this, but it certainly has turned out that way! I have no idea why Benjamin is so fascinated with baby things. Rachel thinks it's pretty funny when he gets in them, too. He is one silly boy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you. May you enjoy the time with friends and family today as we all reflect on what we are thankful for. Here's my top ten list...not in any order, but just ten things that came to mind right now.

1. My salvation and hope for eternity in Christ alone
2. My husband and children
3. My Godly heritage
4. Friends that encourage, uplift, and laugh with me
5. Cups of coffee...with those friends!
6. A pastor who preaches the Word unashamedly
7. The opportunity that my husband has to work from home
8. A good book
9. A larger home for entertaining and fellowshipping with others
10. The opportunity to homeschool our children

Miss Moneybags

I had just gotten home from the bank last week and was starting dinner. I heard squeals of delight from near the diaper bag and looked over and this is what I saw...

Rachel had gotten the money out of my wallet and was quite pleased with herself!

A New Niece

Lauren Nicole Abbott was born yesterday afternoon. Congratulations, Jon & Sarah! You can see more pictures over on their blog.

Household Chores

Every week I make it a priority to clean my house (sweeping the floors, vacuuming, cleaning each bathroom, dusting, etc). Having people into our home helps me reach my goal. There are not many people I'd want to come over with my house not in order! To me the worst kind of chores are the ones that just have to be done over and over again. Housecleaning looks great when it's done...for about 5 minutes. Then the dust settles back down, the kids get the toys out again, the baby drops Cheerios on the floor, and people must use the bathroom. Now don't get me wrong...I am happy to be able to do these chores. I am thankful that God has given me the ability to clean my home and make it a haven for my family. However, I'd like to hear what your favorite or least favorite household chore is. My least favorite is definitely dusting. My most favorite (if that's possible) is laundry...I don't really mind it.

Share away! I'd love to hear what your favorite and/or least favorite household chores are. Then get cleaning! = )

What's Wrong With This Picture? - Part 2

A Girl's Day Out

Recently we gave Claire's some business as Jaden, Sarah, and I got our ears pierced. Sarah was very excited at the whole idea until she got up in the chair and realized what she had committed to.



Rachel was curious as to what all of the commotion was about and why she had to stay buckled in her stroller.





Sarah was so brave and didn't cry one bit. The Claire's associates did both of her ears at once (by her choice) so that it would only hurt one time. Sarah chose which earrings she wanted to start with (gold balls). You can see my new earrings as well in this picture.



She loved the final result!

Our 1st Grader

Sarah is over 1/3 of the way finished with 1st grade! We just finished up Science this week (it's a one-semester program) and will begin Social Studies after the holidays. We are using the BJU Press DVDs (rather than me teaching her from the teacher's manual) this year for a couple of reasons:

1) She has the advantage of more visuals and activities than I could do.
2) It saves me some prep time.

I still teach her from the teacher's manuals for specific lessons and do extra activities from time to time, but it's great to have the ability to keep up with school this way as well.



We homeschooled her last year in K5 with BJU Press materials (not using the DVDs) and she scored in the 90th percentile. We are extremely grateful that the Lord has allowed us the opportunity to homeschool. It is so exciting to be able to be the one who teaches your child to read, to do story problems, to read a thermometer, and to spell those tough words! Sarah has a love for learning, which spurs her on to want to learn as much as she can. She looks forward to doing the lessons each day which I pray never changes.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

You just never know what you will see around our house!

Christmas Shopping

Mom, Elizabeth, Jaden, Sarah, and I went shopping on Saturday to finish up our Christmas shopping before the malls get crazy with traffic closer to Christmas. We hit a great sale at Kohl's (and additional 25% and then an additional 15% off all of their clearance items) and also got some things at Toys R Us and Ross. We had bags in every nook and cranny of the car!

'Tis the Season for Burning Candles!

If you're like me, the fall and winter seasons are the best for burning candles! It's amazing how many more candles I go through during these months than in the spring and summer time. Head on over to Perfectly SCENTsable for a candle giveaway and enter for your chance to win some free candles. Good luck!

A Surprise Visit from Elizabeth and Jaden

Lest anyone ELSE think we are expecting (which we're NOT!), let me clarify that the surprise was a visit from my sister, Elizabeth, and her baby girl Jaden. I knew they were coming and Jenny & I picked them up from the airport on Monday night.

On Tuesday we drove up to Sequim and I called my mom and asked her if she'd like to come meet us for lunch at Applebees. We (Elizabeth, Jaden, Sarah, Rachel, and I) arrived before Mom and were seated at a booth near the door. When Mom walked in, she saw Sarah and me right away and walked over to our booth. She looked at Elizabeth as if to greet a friend that I had brought with me to lunch, and then did a double take when she realized it was Elizabeth!

After lunch we drove back to the Inn to surprise Dad and Benjamin (who had been staying with my parents for a few days). Dad walked out the back door of the Inn with Benjamin in his arms. He saw Elizabeth from behind and had the same thoughts as Mom had..."Who had I brought with me?" Then Elizabeth turned around and Dad did a double take once he realized it was her!

It was so fun to surprise my parents! Elizabeth and Jaden get to stay for about a month and we're looking forward to doing many fun things together. This is the first time we've seen Jaden, so there's lots of cuddling going on too! It's fun to watch my children with baby Jaden. They are all interested in entertaining her and making her giggle. Rachel even gets in on the action. It's so cute to watch them stare at each other from the highchairs!

Surprise!

I've Been Tagged!

1. What is your occupation right now? stay at home mom, wife, and teacher

2. What color are your socks right now? I'm wearing pantyhose.

3. What are you listening to right now? football

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Doritos

5. Can you drive a stick shift? yes

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Jenny

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes!

8. How old are you today? 29 and 2 days!

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? figure skating

10. What is your favorite drink? coffee

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? just highlighted it once

12. Favorite food? chocolate chip cookies

13. What is the last movie you watched? Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning

14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas Day

15. How do you vent anger? get really quiet

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Pogo Ball

17. What is your favorite season? spring

18. Cherries or Blueberries? cherries

19. Living arrangements? 4 bedroom/3 bath house

20. When was the last time you cried? during Pastor's sermon on submission

21. What is on the floor of your closet? shoes

22. What did you do last night? watched a movie and went to bed early

23. What are you most afraid of? losing my husband or a child prematurely

24. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? cheese

25. Favorite dog breed? Boxer

26. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

27. How many states/Provinces have you lived in? 6

28. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds

29. What is your favorite flower? tulips

Post-Election Analysis: True or False?

The following "True-False Test" was sent out on Election Day by a pastor in Georgia. It is timely and very helpful in giving us perspective on the presidential election.

1. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, Jesus will still be King.

2. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.

3. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.

4. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my primary citizenship will still be in this order: (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.

5. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the tomb will still be empty.

6. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.

7. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.

8. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment.

9. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see abortion ultimately overturned will still be winning men and women to a high view of life through the gospel of Christ.

10. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see gay marriage ultimately defeated will still be winning men and women to a biblical view of marriage through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

11. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.

12. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, "Jesus Is Lord" will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.

13. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, we will still know that God is in control.

Java For Your Vote

Starbucks is offering a free cup of coffee to those of us who vote today (or voted by absentee ballot, as the case may be). Simply walk into a participating location and tell them you voted. You can find more details on this special promotion here.

My Laundry Helper

Benjamin loves to help with work around the house. However, sometimes he gets a bit silly! (Can you imagine?!) His smile and laugh are very contagious! I'm thankful for my "little man" (as I've assured him he will always be called, even if he's 6 feet tall one day).

Welcome to our new blog location!

Welcome! After much "peer pressure" from friends and the promise of "ease of use" from Blogger, we decided to give it a try. We're hoping to be able to include more information about us at a glance and also be able to upload larger images/video. Our old blog will still be up for a while as we work on transitioning, but all new posts will be posted here. It will be a work in progress for the next few weeks as we get things where we want, but please let us know what you think!