I think I have it...Springitus or Spring Fever...I am counting down the days till we are done with school! It has been a really good (and hard) year of homeschool and I am finding myself looking for other "options" for next year. I know (because of our location) that public school is not an option, so that leaves private school or homeschool. Our budget does not really leave room for private school these days, so.... I'm trying not to move faster than the Lord on this, but I am really wanting to take some classes at the Seminary too. I think that might be the main cause of the "restlessness" that I'm feeling at home...or maybe it's the 900 square feet of living space??? Well, we'll see how God leads and I'll be patient and wait for His timing.
Speaking of Spring, we took the boys to their first Mariner's (or Rangers) baseball game. It was a good time, though Josiah watched everything but the game. Some friends joined us and Ethan talked his ear off (thanks again Rob!) And, we had to have the discussion with Ethan on why we will not be going to Hooters! (He played a Hooters Wingo game (Bingo) and that was all fine until on the way home he said (as if it were a perfectly normal thing) "Look, there's a Hooters right there.") And of course he wanted to know why, exactly, we wouldn't be going there! "How do you know, have you been there?" Without going into a whole lot of details we just had to end it with, "can you please trust that we want what is best for you?"
Last week I made it to the gym 6 out of 7 days...impressive, yes! I took Sunday off and even made it back again to start this week off. Is it just me or is that elliptical machine a little addictive? So, to date it has been about 12 weeks with NO sugar!!! Yay! The only "artificial" sugar that I've not been able to eliminate is that in my occasional diet coke...or my weekly starbucks skinny vanilla latte.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Happy Resurrection Day!
We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Casey did not have classes on Friday so we decided to take a trip to Dallas and visit First Baptist Dallas for their Good Friday noon service. It's a church we wanted to visit. It is right in the heart of down town Dallas...which is kind of crazy to get to if you are not familiar with the area...and it is a huge church. It was good though. On the way home we made a few stops and did a little shopping at Costco.
On Saturday I took the boys up to our church for the Easter Eggstravanganza that is held there. There was a petting zoo, face painting, balloon animals, about 10 bounce things and lots and lots of eggs...and kids! I think I heard that there was around 1600 kids. Josiah did his eggs in the 10:30 slot and Ethan during the 11:00 slot. We had lots of fun. The weather was terrific and after we got back home the boys went straight out to play with friends and didn't come back in until I made them at bedtime.
Sunday was kind of normal for us as far as getting up early and getting to church. I took the boys to Denny's for breakfast while Casey was doing his rehearsals. We had lots and lots of visitors at church and both services were pretty full. After church we went to a friends house with some others and had a yummy smoked brisket for lunch. It was nice to relax and visit with friends.
Because He lives!
On Saturday I took the boys up to our church for the Easter Eggstravanganza that is held there. There was a petting zoo, face painting, balloon animals, about 10 bounce things and lots and lots of eggs...and kids! I think I heard that there was around 1600 kids. Josiah did his eggs in the 10:30 slot and Ethan during the 11:00 slot. We had lots of fun. The weather was terrific and after we got back home the boys went straight out to play with friends and didn't come back in until I made them at bedtime.
Sunday was kind of normal for us as far as getting up early and getting to church. I took the boys to Denny's for breakfast while Casey was doing his rehearsals. We had lots and lots of visitors at church and both services were pretty full. After church we went to a friends house with some others and had a yummy smoked brisket for lunch. It was nice to relax and visit with friends.
Because He lives!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Happy Spring!
Well, I think Spring has officially arrived in Texas! We've enjoyed beautiful weather in the 70's-80's all week. It supposed to be a little stormy on Friday and then clear and warm for the rest of the weekend.
So, here is the recap of the last week, since it's been a while since I've posted anything. Last Friday was Casey's birthday. To celebrate he took us to see Disney on Ice in Dallas. Okay, it was my idea, we were going to go on another night with some friends, just me and the boys, but couldn't get tickets for that night. So, since it was his birthday night I asked him if he'd like to do it and he was very agreeable. We parked down town and then rode the train which has a stop right at the venue where the event was, so that was fun. We enjoyed the show too...most of it anyway!
We arrived home late and tired and noticed that Ethan was not feeling well. Sure enough, he had a fever when we got him to bed. He spent the next day (Saturday) laying around and resting with a low-grade fever and sore throat. Josiah and I went over to the seminary on Saturday morning where they were hosting an Easter Egg hunt for the seminary families. There were four "special" eggs hidden among the hundreds/thousands of eggs...and Josiah found one of them! He got a special Easter basket with some candy and a big red truck in it. He also enjoyed some bounce houses and a little train ride and playing with some friends.
Last Sunday we stayed home from church - (bummer!) - because Ethan was still a little on the not feeling well side of things. They laid around all day and I spent the entire afternoon planning out the last (hopefully) eight weeks of school work! I did get to go to the last evening of the Bible study that I had been in...it was good.
Monday found Ethan doing a bit better. He stayed in bed most of the morning and I was able to get a ton of housework done. I'm amazed at how much I got done having one kid in bed who was also not hungry. He perked up in the afternoon enough to do a little school work. He knew that we were grilling out with our neighbors for her birthday, and he didn't want to miss anything, so I got him to do a little school work if he wanted to be able to go outside.
Nothing to eventful the rest of this week. Casey is super busy with classes and work, but is doing well. We have a fun weekend ahead so I will post on that later.
So, here is the recap of the last week, since it's been a while since I've posted anything. Last Friday was Casey's birthday. To celebrate he took us to see Disney on Ice in Dallas. Okay, it was my idea, we were going to go on another night with some friends, just me and the boys, but couldn't get tickets for that night. So, since it was his birthday night I asked him if he'd like to do it and he was very agreeable. We parked down town and then rode the train which has a stop right at the venue where the event was, so that was fun. We enjoyed the show too...most of it anyway!
We arrived home late and tired and noticed that Ethan was not feeling well. Sure enough, he had a fever when we got him to bed. He spent the next day (Saturday) laying around and resting with a low-grade fever and sore throat. Josiah and I went over to the seminary on Saturday morning where they were hosting an Easter Egg hunt for the seminary families. There were four "special" eggs hidden among the hundreds/thousands of eggs...and Josiah found one of them! He got a special Easter basket with some candy and a big red truck in it. He also enjoyed some bounce houses and a little train ride and playing with some friends.
Last Sunday we stayed home from church - (bummer!) - because Ethan was still a little on the not feeling well side of things. They laid around all day and I spent the entire afternoon planning out the last (hopefully) eight weeks of school work! I did get to go to the last evening of the Bible study that I had been in...it was good.
Monday found Ethan doing a bit better. He stayed in bed most of the morning and I was able to get a ton of housework done. I'm amazed at how much I got done having one kid in bed who was also not hungry. He perked up in the afternoon enough to do a little school work. He knew that we were grilling out with our neighbors for her birthday, and he didn't want to miss anything, so I got him to do a little school work if he wanted to be able to go outside.
Nothing to eventful the rest of this week. Casey is super busy with classes and work, but is doing well. We have a fun weekend ahead so I will post on that later.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Funny moments
Twice today Ethan has said the funniest things that made Casey and I stop and laugh out loud. At breakfast this morning Josiah was humming a tune that I couldn't quite make out. Ethan said he new what it was and said, "you know, that one song." Well there is a song that we have sung in church and part of it goes Savior, he can move a mountain... Ethan thought a moment and said, "you know, that one song, Savior, peeking through the mountains." We got a good laugh and I've thought of Jesus peeking through the mountains all day today.
Yesterday for lunch I picked up some slow cooked barbecue pork from the grocery. I made it into a salad with pineapple and a barbecue/ranch dressing that the boys said was the best salad EVER. So anyway, tonight I called them in for dinner and Ethan asked what we were having. I told him we were having some chicken. He said, "Oh, is it that pork?" I said that no, it was chicken. And he said it again, "I know, but is it pork?" Couldn't help but laugh again. He is such a crack up sometimes!
Yesterday for lunch I picked up some slow cooked barbecue pork from the grocery. I made it into a salad with pineapple and a barbecue/ranch dressing that the boys said was the best salad EVER. So anyway, tonight I called them in for dinner and Ethan asked what we were having. I told him we were having some chicken. He said, "Oh, is it that pork?" I said that no, it was chicken. And he said it again, "I know, but is it pork?" Couldn't help but laugh again. He is such a crack up sometimes!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Cedar Hills
Monday was the first day of Casey's spring break from school (and the only day he has off from his jobs) so we took advantage of the day off and headed out to Cedar Hills State Park. It is about 20 miles from us, just south of Dallas. We had a nice time at the park. It has 300+ overnight camping places and many day use sites as well. I think we will try to camp there sometime when we have a couple of nights open...and the weather looks cooperative. The park surrounds one side of a lake. We spent some time on the beach, but it was a little cool to play in the water. The boys put their feet in...and Josiah slipped off a "slimy" step and fell down, but that was all the water play we had. Casey and Ethan tried to skip rocks and Josiah splashed his feet around in the water.
Another section of the park has an old farm homestead dating back to the 1850's. We enjoyed walking around and seeing the old buildings and farm equipment. Ethan said that he would like to live on a farm or ranch...except for all the chores he'd have to do. The park has lots of trails, but they were all closed because of wet conditions. So, that means we will have to go back. There is one trail in particular that is for mountain biking, so Casey is excited to try that when we go back. After the park we headed into the town of Cedar Hills and did some shopping.
Another section of the park has an old farm homestead dating back to the 1850's. We enjoyed walking around and seeing the old buildings and farm equipment. Ethan said that he would like to live on a farm or ranch...except for all the chores he'd have to do. The park has lots of trails, but they were all closed because of wet conditions. So, that means we will have to go back. There is one trail in particular that is for mountain biking, so Casey is excited to try that when we go back. After the park we headed into the town of Cedar Hills and did some shopping.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Little boys growing up
I think I stayed up too late last night. It is 10:30 am and I just now finally came downstairs to get my breakfast. Days like today make me so glad my boys are just a little bit bigger. They can pour their own cereal and milk and enjoy breakfast on their own.
Last night we went to Azle, TX for a get together hosted by someone in one of Casey's choirs. It was a nice night for cooking out and fellowship. They have a zip line set up at their home. It was probably 10 ft in the air and maybe 20 yards in length. (I am spatially challenged so I could be way off on the length, but I think the height is close). Here is what I still can't believe...Ethan was the first volunteer to go on the zip line...in the dark! He's never been the bravest kid, always very cautious (I wonder where he gets it from?). I kept waiting for him to back down, but he never did. He climbed up the platform, got buckled up and jumped off. He loved it! So, of course Casey had a turn too and then Josiah said he wanted to try it too. Josiah got all set up and was at the edge of the platform and said, "I changed my mind, I don't want to go." Well, by that time he went anyway! He wasn't totally freaking out, so he was picked up and off he went. I caught him at the end and he was all smiles.
After the zip lines the kids roasted marshmallows in the fire and then went inside to play games. The "grown ups" got to have some nice fellowship around the fire. It was late when we headed home and both boys were fast asleep by the time we arrived at home.
I think they are both a little tired this morning, though they would never admit it. Ethan and Josiah went outside for awhile and a little later Ethan came in all sad. I asked him what was wrong and he said the other kids were picking on him. I asked him how and he said that he would ride by on his bike and they would just say, "hi." I said, "What are they supposed to say to you?" He said, "Well, usually they invite me to play with them and they didn't, they just said Hi." Oh, poor thing, I think someone might be a little tired today!
Last night we went to Azle, TX for a get together hosted by someone in one of Casey's choirs. It was a nice night for cooking out and fellowship. They have a zip line set up at their home. It was probably 10 ft in the air and maybe 20 yards in length. (I am spatially challenged so I could be way off on the length, but I think the height is close). Here is what I still can't believe...Ethan was the first volunteer to go on the zip line...in the dark! He's never been the bravest kid, always very cautious (I wonder where he gets it from?). I kept waiting for him to back down, but he never did. He climbed up the platform, got buckled up and jumped off. He loved it! So, of course Casey had a turn too and then Josiah said he wanted to try it too. Josiah got all set up and was at the edge of the platform and said, "I changed my mind, I don't want to go." Well, by that time he went anyway! He wasn't totally freaking out, so he was picked up and off he went. I caught him at the end and he was all smiles.
After the zip lines the kids roasted marshmallows in the fire and then went inside to play games. The "grown ups" got to have some nice fellowship around the fire. It was late when we headed home and both boys were fast asleep by the time we arrived at home.
I think they are both a little tired this morning, though they would never admit it. Ethan and Josiah went outside for awhile and a little later Ethan came in all sad. I asked him what was wrong and he said the other kids were picking on him. I asked him how and he said that he would ride by on his bike and they would just say, "hi." I said, "What are they supposed to say to you?" He said, "Well, usually they invite me to play with them and they didn't, they just said Hi." Oh, poor thing, I think someone might be a little tired today!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Ethan's Birthday
Saturday we celebrated Ethan's 8th birthday. I can hardly believe that he is that old already! We had a fun day celebrating. After breakfast we got ready and headed out to a place called the Main Event. They have bowling, arcade, laser tag, etc. We had hoped to do laser tag, but Josiah was not quite at the height requirement. We did bowl a game and then spent some time at the arcade. We let Ethan choose lunch and he chose McDonalds.... Really? What a surprise!
After lunch we headed home to get ready for the barbecue. We didn't tell Ethan until that afternoon, but we invited some friends and neighbors to join us for a cook out. We grilled some chicken, sausage and hot dogs and had a great time. Funny, that all of the kids were girls, other than our two boys. What happened to all the little boys around here? Well, the boys that Ethan and Josiah played with the most have all moved away off campus! Sad.... The boys didn't seem to mind all the girls, they all get along well.
This year I asked Ethan if it would be okay if we just bought a cake and he was agreeable. However, when I checked the prices (the day before) I thought, no way! The cake he picked out was over $20! So, being the frugal person I am I decided it would be better to make the time and bake him a cake myself. He was set on a transformer cake, so we had a compromise. He could pick out his cake and frosting AND a small transformer to put on his cake as the decoration. (All for less than $20)! After looking at all the toys, he decided on a new lego power miner set instead. So, I did my best to make him a "lego" type cake. Note, I am NO cake decorator! He loved it though, so that is all that matters! In case you can't tell, there are two lego bricks (1 with sprinkles and the other with the candles) and a "grassy hill" for the guys to hide behind.
After lunch we headed home to get ready for the barbecue. We didn't tell Ethan until that afternoon, but we invited some friends and neighbors to join us for a cook out. We grilled some chicken, sausage and hot dogs and had a great time. Funny, that all of the kids were girls, other than our two boys. What happened to all the little boys around here? Well, the boys that Ethan and Josiah played with the most have all moved away off campus! Sad.... The boys didn't seem to mind all the girls, they all get along well.
This year I asked Ethan if it would be okay if we just bought a cake and he was agreeable. However, when I checked the prices (the day before) I thought, no way! The cake he picked out was over $20! So, being the frugal person I am I decided it would be better to make the time and bake him a cake myself. He was set on a transformer cake, so we had a compromise. He could pick out his cake and frosting AND a small transformer to put on his cake as the decoration. (All for less than $20)! After looking at all the toys, he decided on a new lego power miner set instead. So, I did my best to make him a "lego" type cake. Note, I am NO cake decorator! He loved it though, so that is all that matters! In case you can't tell, there are two lego bricks (1 with sprinkles and the other with the candles) and a "grassy hill" for the guys to hide behind.
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