Family Vacation

We have had such a fantastic summer. One of our fun trips was a family vacation...when i say "family", I mean aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, etc. as well as our little family. We had so much fun! The entire trip was just exceptional; the highlights for me were: watching our children play with their cousins, the entire family playing Charades (this is a family favorite), floating along the lazy river, and on the last night, all of us singing praises to our Lord under the pavilion while my nephew played his guitar. It was amazing!

TMBC's 50th Anniversary

We were able to see many of our friends at the celebration. Everyone marveled at how much our kids have grown in just 10 months. We miss our TMBC family very much. May God continue to richly bless each one of you!

Our girls with some very sweet TMBC friends. We had a great time catching up with everyone, both members and former members.

All work and no play...

Grandma and my sister and her family came to see us. Here is Grandma with 4 of her grandkids.







We were able to meet up with our sweet friends at the mall. Although this trip was work for Daddy, we were able to play and have lots of fun.

Awana

The girls completed their 4th year of Awana. This is one of their Awana buddies with them at the end-of-the-year Awards Ceremony. They'll tell you that this Awana program isn't nearly as good as the one we had at TMBC, but it is pretty good.

Piano Recital

Our baby girl did very well at her first piano recital---she played "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven. We are very proud of her. Our prayer is that all of our children will use their gifts and talents to glorify God.

Swimming Party

The girls had a combined birthday party (again) at the pool. They turned 7 and 10 this year. Their guests included: aunts and uncles, old friends from back home, and new friends here. They had a really fun time at their party.

Easter

Easter 2007 was a very cold one. The kids couldn't wear their Easter outfits because it was just too cold. We also had to move the Easter egg hunt indoors. They didn't mind---we hid eggs under the couch, behind the TV, in the magazine rack, and even in Uncle's pocket!

Just Chillin'

Spring is in the air! When the weather is nice, we enjoy playing out in the front yard---they ride bikes, rollerblade or jump rope. This day, the kids were particularly joyful and the day was gorgeous; it made me think of the words from one of our favorite choruses: "This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!"

Upward Basketball

The girls played organized basketball for the first time--Upward Basketball. They both had a great time. They are already looking forward to playing again next winter. The girls were blessed to have great coaches that taught them not only great basketball skills, but also taught them to practice sportsmanship and to demonstrate Christian character at all times. These two things, along with Scripture, are at the heart of Upward Sports---it is so awesome!

Snow!

The kids were so excited to wake up and find snow on the ground! The girls pelted Daddy with snowballs, made snow angels, and played with some neighbor girls. He didn't have that much fun, he was just cold. This was our attempt at a snowman, actually "snowgirl".

Family

We went home in January for my precious Aunt Petra's funeral. It was a sad occasion, of course, because we will miss her, but it was also joyous because my Mom had led her to the Lord during her last few weeks on earth. We know that we will see her again. One of the beautiful things about funerals is that you end up having a family reunion of sorts. We were able to see extended family members that we hadn't seen in years. In this photo, from left to right: Grandma (my Mom), Me, my sisters, and my babies.

Christmas

We've had many "firsts" this year, including our first Christmas here. We spent a very restful day at home and spent Christmas evening with W & J. As with all "firsts", there was a sadness, yet a certain excitement, surrounding our 1st Christmas away from our home of 12 years. God has blessed us way beyond our comprehension!

2nd Birthday

It is so hard to believe that our little boy is now 2! He had a great time at his birthday party---it was Cars theme, of course. Sisters & Mama made his birthday cake. Children truly are a blessing from the Lord!

Locks of Love

She was so excited when her hair grew long enough to get it cut and donate it to Locks of Love. After the 11-inch ponytail was cut, her hair was pretty short. This made Mama a little sad, but she loves it! Locks of Love will use her hair to make a wig for a girl who, because of an illness, doesn't have hair.

October Fun

The girls enjoyed carving pumpkins with our neighbors. It was a big mess, of course, but what fun memories we made with our new friends! We went to a local church for their Trunk-o-Treating event---there were hundreds of people there. Our kids went through the line to get treats but they had more fun when they got to pass out candy to the other kids coming through the line. The kids dressed as a biker, a China doll and a cowgirl.

Upward Soccer

The girls played Upward Soccer this fall. This was their first try at soccer and they really enjoyed it. Their teams were "Lightning" and the "Longhorns". Little Brother cheered from the sidelines and enjoyed socializing. The girls hope to play again next year.

We moved!

We moved on August 31 (I can't believe I didn't take pictures of that!), so we weren't able to start school until September 11. We weren't exactly totally unpacked, but we did manage to find our schoolbooks. This is our second year to homeschool. You can tell from their hair that we were experiencing lovely, summer weather--hot and humid! Although we all like our new home, we all miss our old home!