Friday Fun

We had a little visitor with us on Friday and boy were we excited to spend time with him! Isn't he so cute? This is a little boy from our church. His mama was taking a friend (who just had a baby) out for a pedicure and lunch. She emailed earlier this week and asked if we wanted to watch her son. Of course! He's such a good baby and we loved having him here. He took a two hour nap while the kids did their school. When he woke up, he joined us in the classroom and played quietly with the toys while the kids finished up Bible. He loved pulling himself up with Marshall's desk and watching what Marshall was doing. I think Marshall and Shaylen enjoyed playing with all of their old baby toys. Who would've thunk it?

I stepped outside to help Ashley out to the car this afternoon and realized that the air was so warm. It was perfect weather for playing outside. I promised the kids that after quiet time we could go outside and play. Of course, they were excited!

They played on their scooters (until Shaylen fell and scraped her knee) and then raked leaves. When we were in the backyard I decided to take the kids exploring in the "woods" behind our house. There actually isn't a house behind us so we can walk quite a ways back. I dont' know how far it actually goes until you run into something. I certainly can't see anything! However, we didn't go too far because Marshall got nervous if he couldn't see the house. I think he thought he would get lost like Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh.

We found mole holes, moss, good sticks for them to hold and point with, red mushrooms, birch bark, acorns, lots of pine cones and baby evergreen trees poking out from under leaves. Shaylen and I thought that it would make a great "Secret Garden." Shaylen even pretended to find an opening to let us all out! How cute is that? Can you tell what they've been listening to during quiet time? (We've also been reading the book in the afternoons together...the unabridged version!)

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon spent with the kids.

Back to Reality

We've started back up in school and finished another whole week. This past week they have been studying Nursery Rhymes in their reading class. One of the days this week focused on Kings and Queens (Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, Pussy Cat Pussy Cat, and Sing a Song of Sixpence). Marshall and Shaylen enjoyed wearing a crown throughout the entire morning. I couldn't convince them to wear their "robes" though.

One of the things that I enjoy about the DVD's is that the staff at BJU Press has a slew of resources to pull from. I don't know if you can see it well enough from your computer, but Mrs. Lawson had on a beautiful and regal outfit. The kids also saw one of their favorite characters, Mr. Nice Guy. Mrs. Lawson gave him a beautiful purple robe, a red ring, a gold crown and a shiny sword! We also got to see pictures of Queen Elizabeth! It was such a fun day.

The kids are doing very well. We finished up our first quarter and I calculated their "grades". Even though NH doesn't require Kindergarten, I'm still keeping track. I am happy to say that they both received all A's in each of their subjects (Beginnings/Reading, Math, and Bible). They are reading so well and are excited to spot some of the words they know as we drive along.

Vacation: The Final Goodbye

We had worked it out that we wouldn't have to leave really early to get home. It was so nice to get up and d-r-a-w out the inevitable. Cathy had put out two doggie bones for Cadillac so the kids could feed him one last time before we left. They'll miss that dog terribly!

It had snowed in the mountains overnight and I was able to go out and get one last look and photo of Longs Peak. It was a clear day so other than the telephone lines, I had an unobstructed view! It looked beautiful.

We got in the truck and sipped Stewart's Orange Cream Soda on the way to DIA. (That's Taigen's favorite pop, but you can't get it out here!) Dad sat in the back of his truck playing Car Bingo with the kids. It was so neat to hear the interaction. Saying good-bye was hard. I'll admit it, I cried! It's the hardest thing to take their grandkids so far away from them and taking our kids away from their grandparents. Our consolation is in knowing that God has placed us in New Hampshire for a reason. That doesn't make the lump in my throat easier to swallow though.

Our flights home were uneventful and we got in to the house at about midnight. I didn't plan on doing school Thursday morning. With the time difference and the late night, I figured the kids wouldn't be up for it. I had to pry them out of bed at 10 as it was!

All in all, it was a restful vacation. We got to do so much, spend time with Dad and Cathy, relax, and also see our friends at FBC. Taigen got to watch some sports on a HUGE TV (Patriots vs Broncos...Dad wasn't a happy camper for that game!) and I even got to squeeze in a little bit of HGTV!

We're looking forward to the next time we'll be able to go, not knowing when that will be, but hoping it will be soon.

Thanks Dad and Cathy for a wonderful vacation! We love you. Sending Hugs and Kisses your way.

Vacation: First Goodbyes

Tuesday nights my Dad goes bowling. It is something he has done for as long as I can remember. So, we had a quiet evening at home with Cathy! Now, Cathy had to work on Wednesday and would be gone by the time the kids got up so we had to say our goodbyes on Tuesday evening. The kids were in a "snuggle and read to me" mood, so Cathy went and got a bunch of books to read. They contentedly sat and listened and I eagerly snapped lots of pictures. We had such a great time and it was good for the kids to spend time one-on-one with Grandma Cathy. They were old enough this trip to participate and remember what they did and I'm glad they had a great time, but it made goodbyes even more difficult for all involved.

Vacation: Monday

Monday was a relaxing day. We had nothing pressing to do. Originally, Taigen was going to go golfing with one of Dad's cousins. So our schedule was planned to accommodate that. Unfortunately, that didn't work out. What was nice though was that Taigen was able to go out to breakfast with Pastor Cross. It was a quick breakfast because Rick had other obligations, but at least they got to get together. Pastor Cross has been a huge encouragement to Taigen.

Later, Taigen ended up going out for part of the day just to have some "hang-down" time. Other than a round of golf, he doesn't get much "quiet time." The kids enjoyed playing outside, swinging and also playing with just about every toy in the toy room!

Vacation: Just for the Record

Let's just clarify something: I snore when I have a cold, but Taigen snores all the time! I got booted from the guest room the second night, but Taigen finally got found out on the third night and spent the remainder of his nights on the couch downstairs while I got the comfy guest bed upstairs. Now, before you think that we have marital issues, I need to let you know that Taigen chose to stay downstairs to be nearer to the kids. So, for the first time since our kids were born, I had a week's worth of sleep without a monitor buzzing in my ear. It was really nice and I slept so well!

Vacation: Sunday's Guests

On Sunday Cathy invited some of my relatives to come and enjoy lunch at the house. In the morning we went to my home church: Faith Baptist Church. It is always so good to see friends. (Notice I didn't say old friends. That's because I don't want to imply that those people that I saw at FBC are old. They might all be older than I am, but they are certainly not "old".) As always, Pastor Cross gave a practical, Biblical message that was convicting and challenging! For those of you who don't know, Pastor Cross was my youth pastor in Jr. High and high school and probably the person that had the biggest impact on my spiritual walk with the Lord. I am so thankful for him and his lovely wife, Donna. They helped lay a great spiritual foundation for future growth at BJU and they were always there for me (and still are!) when I needed good advice.

When we got home, my Uncle Ray and Auntie Mary Lou were at the house already. They live in beautiful Colorado Springs. Auntie Mary Lou is Dad's sister. A bit later, my dad's cousin, Nanette or "Nani" arrived. Do you remember her from our last CO trip? (I think I mislabeled her as "Lilly" in the slideshow. She is pictured above left.) She is a fraternal twin! I have yet to meet her twin brother. She has a special place in her heart for Marshall and Shaylen. The other family members that were missing were my cousin Vincent, his wife Robin and their kids. We saw them the last trip too. Unfortunately, I'm thinking that Vinny wasn't feeling well. Pray for him, he has MS and some days are harder than others.

It was so good to spend time with everyone! Cathy had a feast laid out for us. Southwest Cheesecake for chip dip, a veggie platter, crackers and cheese, salad, fruit salad and pop. Wow. We had a nice relaxing afternoon for us and a time in the backyard for the kids (notice Dad's lovely pink hat and the kids' faces), everyone left. We changed and took off for the evening service at Faith. It was such a nice day.

Vacation: Date Day

Those of you who have the luxury of living near your family enjoy the benefits of free babysitting! They are usually available and enjoy the opportunity to spoil the grandkids. Since we were in town, Taigen decided to ask Dad and Cathy if they would watch Marshall and Shaylen so we could go out and have some time alone. Did they argue? I don't think so! They jumped at the chance.

Taigen and I went up to Loveland to the outlets and the outdoor mall and walked around. This might not seem romantic to you, but to us it is usually what we do on a date. We love window shopping. We'll go in, look around and then ask each other on the way out, "Did you see anything you can't live without?" Then we laugh.

For lunch Taigen took me to Red Robin. We don't have these in New England (much to our dismay). It is a special treat to have their hamburgers and fries. Taigen grills with their special seasoning all summer. Yum!

After lunch we got a strawberry frappuccino from Starbucks and walked around some more. I hit a sale at one store and walked out with a 40% discounted item plus an additional 20% off my entire purchase! I love my new sweater set.

The kids had a great time with the grands and I don't think they missed us at all. It was so nice to get out with my boyfriend and have some quality time together.

Vacation- Friday: Rocky Mtn. National Park

Friday's agenda was to go to Rocky Mountain National Park. I hadn't been up there since we were in CO on Ministry teams in 2000. Colton (Cathy's son and daughter in law's youngest son) was dropped off so that he could go with us. He was dressed in Bronco attire so that all three kids would be coordinated. They were so cute!

It was good to see the Big Thompson Canyon and the cute cabins that lie nestled along the Big Thompson River. Dad shared some of it's history as we drove. I remember my parents telling my sister and me the story of the Big Thomspon Flood of 1976. The story made a lasting impression on me as a kid. I remember being somber every time we drove up the canyon.

Once we got up into Estes Park, we stopped by Cathy's dad's grave so that they could leave some flowers there. It is a beautiful spot. We took a moment for reflection and then walked around and read some epitaphs.

We went up into Rocky Mountain National Park and I was able to get some beautiful shots of the scenery up there. It was windy and cold so we didn't linger.

For lunch we ate at a little place in Estes Park and then headed back down to the valley for a wonderful dinner of homemade burritos. There's nothing like good Mexican food with hot green chilies! Cathy's son and daughter in law, Andrew and Jamie and their other son Dillon joined us. It was a wonderful evening.

A Song In Their Hearts

Shaylen and Marshall were so good while we were trying to find everything on Thursday. It was a long day for them, but they were content just sitting and singing. Here is the video I captured of Shaylen singing "The Farmer in the Dell" (and Marshall providing background music). It was on their minds since we had just finished up a section in their curriculum on Songbooks.

Vacation-- Thursday: Field Trip to Northern Colorado

Thursday Dad took the four of us on a "field trip" that Cathy had planned for us. (Cathy couldn't go because she was going to take care of some things with Betty.) She had found a couple of places online and printed off directions for Dad.

We started off at the Swetsville Zoo. It isn't a zoo actually, but a yard full of iron sculptures created from metal "junk." I admire the guy that creates these only because he sees a creature out of spark plugs, nuts, screws and old metal scraps. He even created a mini Taj Mahal for his wife! The kids had fun looking at them all, but I think my favorite part was the "Dinosaur Nursery", which was nothing more than barrels holding hundreds of scraps waiting to be welded into something.

After the zoo, we went to go find some lunch. The kids shouted "Old McDonald's" from their seats and of course, Grandpa wanted to please them even though he loathes McD's! What a guy. From there, we started off in search of a farm where the kids could pet animals and even ride a horse if they wanted. We looked and looked for this farm, but couldn't find it! (Come to find out...it is only through August, so we missed it.) We did however, find a Starbucks which made all the U-turns and searching well worth it in my opinion. I got this great shot of the two navigators trying to figure out Ft. Collins! It made me laugh to watch them.The other option on Cathy's list was the Discovery Center. This was a hit for kids and adults alike! There were bugs to examine, weights to lift, pulley chairs, cameras to use, air to explode, music to play, pitches to match, displays on the inside of the body and also the effects of smoking, mirrors, electricity, creepy crawlies, dinosaurs and so much more! For $5 it was well worth it. We could have stayed so much longer.

When we came home, Cathy had a wonderful dinner for us: "Mustgoes." Never heard of it? It's stuff in the fridge that "must go"! We loved it! She had also gone shopping and found the kids some Bronco outfits so that they might be in style while in Colorado. Guess Dad and Cathy want to convince the kids of the proper team to root for while we're in town.

Rocky Mountain Range

Whenever I see my beloved Rocky Mountains, I always think of the song "America the Beautiful." Colorado captures the lines of the first verse perfectly. It certainly has spacious skies. It also holds many, many fields of grain. It has a beautiful patchwork quilt of fields that you can see from the sky. But oh! the beautiful purple mountain majesties! Nothing compares to the Rocky Mountain range. You can see it for miles and miles. It was so good to look at it again.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Vacation- Day Two

Of course, after a rough first night we weren't ready to tackle the world, so we just hung around the house on Wednesday morning. The kids were so excited to get out and play on the swing set. This was one of the things the kids remembered from time to time about the last time we had been out in Colorado. I hadn't reminded them of it until I found out that Dad had transferred it to the new backyard. When I told them that it was at the new house, that's all they talked about for weeks!

Dad and Cathy also have a dog named Cadillac. Whenever the kids went outside, he followed. It's like he knew he had to keep watch over the kiddos in the backyard. The kids loved Cadillac! Shaylen got a little skittish with him after he got a little excited and started jumping on her, but she soon learned to not turn and run. Let's just say that Cadillac loves to chase! So, they would grab his toys and throw them around and also became very good at spotting doggy doo in the yard and then calling for Grandpa! Ewww.

Cathy's step-mom, Betty, lives in a beautiful assisted living home in Longmont. Many years ago, she and Cathy's dad used to live in Midland, MI. Taigen and I had a service there with one of our Musical Ministry teams from BJU and that's where we first met Betty. She's a gem. A few months ago, Dad called and asked if we would be willing to do a service for the residents there while we were out for vacation. We jumped at the opportunity. This was a ministry that we used to have while still at BJU. Wednesday evening we went over to the Bridge and all four of us did a nice service for those gathered to listen. We had a great group of people there. We sang some of their favorite hymns, I played a couple of numbers on the piano, the kids sang two hymns, Taigen and I each did a solo and then Taigen preached a short sermon.

After the service, Dad & Cathy took Betty and the rest of us out for a late dinner. I enjoyed watching Betty. She has a gleam in her eye and you have to watch out for her because she is quick-witted! She seems so quiet, but every once in a while, she would come out with some funny comment. We had a great time together. On the way back from dinner, I enjoyed watching the sun set over the Rocky Mountains. They are so beautiful! I got this great shot of Longs Peak.

Dreaming of Dragons

I told you that Dad and Cathy have a beautiful and very comfortable home. The basement is completely finished and it holds not only a large family room/pool table area, but also a full bath (with a huge walk-in shower), kitchen, and a huge bedroom that can hold two queen-sized beds. This was perfect for all four of us. Or so we thought.

I had acquired some congestion on Monday and by Tuesday night, I had a stuffy nose. I wasn't complaining during the day, but at night, it apparently caused me to snore. Normally this wouldn't be an issue since Taigen falls asleep the moment he closes his eyes and is an avid snorer (let's just say he's a Joos). But, since we were sharing a room with the kids, it became a problem.

Before I proceed with my story, you need to know that my son has an active imagination. It's about as active as Shaylen's, but he is much more fearful. In fact, this plays a huge role on the kind of dreams he has. He has inherited my grandmother's infamous and very realistic dreams. He was dreaming Tuesday night of dragons. Dragons that were growling. Uh huh. You see where this is going. Well, he woke up (in a strange room and in a strange bed) and still heard the dragon's growl and screamed bloody murder. We all woke up, calmed him down and he fell back asleep. I was just dozing off again when he screamed again. This happened until about 3:00 a.m. when Marshall finally realized that it was Mommy snoring and I promptly banished myself to the couch in the family room. Only then did we ALL get a good rest.

A Trip to Remember- Part One

I know the vacation is over, but I thought I would chronicle our vacation for those of you who are dying to see the pics.

Taigen and I got up at 3:00 a.m. to get ready to go. At 3:25 we pulled the kids out of bed and put them in the car. Fortunately for them, we had allowed them to go to sleep in the clothes that they would wear for the journey. They did not go back to sleep once we were on the road. They were full of questions and excitement!

Our plane was on time and we took off for Atlanta at 6:00. The stewardess must have known that the kids were excited about the plane ride because she told us to ask to meet the pilot after the flight was over. This got Marshall excited so he drew the pilot one of his famous airplanes! The pilot loved it and gave both kids a sticker in return. The stewardess remarked at how detailed the drawing was for a 4 1/2 year old.

The flights were uneventful. Taigen's iPod (Thank you Kyle!) was perfect for the journey. We were able to download two videos for the kids to watch as a special treat (see Shaylen right).

We arrived in Denver around lunchtime and Shaylen proceeded in getting Grandpa wrapped around her little finger mere moments after getting her hug (see the picture below).

It was a relaxing rest of the day. Of course, it felt like evening the entire time since we were up so early and still on EST. Cathy had a wonderful lunch/dinner prepared for us. It looked like a Thanksgiving meal! We got the grand tour of their new home (which is fabulous and cozy) and then settled in for a relaxing evening at home.

Go West Young Men! Go West!

We're officially off! (That is, I hope we are!) By the time you read this post, we'll be on our flight to Colorado. We are so excited for this vacation. It is our first since last July.

Last July we went to Washington. On our way back, if you remember, our flights got messed up! It was a long day, but the good news is, we got vouchers for all of us to use on our next flight.

We needed to purchase the tickets for that flight before July 14th of this year or they would expire. Taigen did some research online and found a great rate to CO for October. Hmmm...We were due for a trip out there. The kids hadn't seen Dad and Cathy since they were 2 1/2! We were able to use our points from our credit card to purchase one of our tickets, plus knock off a large chunk with the vouchers. All in all, we only had to pay for 1 1/2 tickets! Praise the Lord!

We have been looking forward to this for a long time. I know that Marshall and Shaylen are looking forward to the flight and Dad and Cathy's swing set, but I can't wait to see the beautiful Front Range and especially Longs Peak (pictured right). Don't you just love that "purple mountain majesty?" As you know, we're not just going to see scenery. It will definitely be good to see Dad and Cathy and also some friends in the church where I grew up.

This Wednesday, we're going to be doing a service in the assisted living home where Cathy's step-mom lives. Taigen will be preaching and all of us will sing. We're excited to do this for Betty. I don't know what else Cathy has up her sleeve, but you can bet that spoiling the grandkids (and us as well) is on the top of the list.

I'll do my best to update from out West. Yeee Haw!

A Change of Plans

I just got a call from the orthopedic office. They have canceled my surgery. Apparently a trauma came in that the surgeon needs to attend to and the other surgeons are already booked. So, the surgery is going to have to wait until another time. Obviously, I'm disappointed, but I know that God is in control. I'm thankful this is not a trauma and have the option to wait. Just pray now that things can be orchestrated in the near future to get this taken care of.

Just Waiting

In the next few moments I'm going to consume my last meal until after my surgery. And guess when that surgery was scheduled? 4:00 tomorrow afternoon! I need to report to the hospital at 2:30. With iPod in hand, I'll be dropped off by my hubby and check in to have my tendon nodule removed. We have a family bringing us dinner tomorrow night as mentioned in a previous post. She said we're going to get honey mustard chicken. It is going to taste soooo good.

Thankfully, I was notified that I can have clear liquids to drink up until 11:30 tomorrow morning. She specifically said that I cannot have cream or milk in my coffee. What's the point then? Oh well, the nice thing is, Starbucks is on the way home and I still have moolah left on my gift card from my birthday. I think a venti will be great medicine! We might have to make a detour.

We're pretty much packed for our vacation. There's one last load of laundry to do and I'm going to take care of that after I'm done here so that I can put a few last minute items in the suitcases in the morning.

Thanks again for your prayers.

A Pre-Op Hand Update

I went in for my pre-op appointment on Tuesday and met the surgeon. He was very nice and reassured me that in his 20 years of practice he has never had a complication with this kind of surgery. Whew!

So, here is the scoop: I am scheduled to have surgery Monday afternoon. I don't have a specific time yet. They'll be calling me either tomorrow afternoon or Saturday to give it to me. They want to leave time for anything major that might come in. I'm not allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight. Do you know what that means? NO STARBUCKS in the morning. It'll be a rough day. (Hee hee. Just kidding.)

I am not going to be put out. I was surprised at this news. They will numb my hand in an area around where the tendon nodule is, but I will also have to have an IV in my left hand so that if I get fed up with listening to the procedure, I can nod to the anesthesiologist and have him give me some happy juice! I'm going to ask if I can have my iPod in there. I'm thinking that would be relaxing and distracting. If I can, I'm going to be listening to King of Love by Soundforth. My paperwork says that it should take about two hours from start to finish so that means I would get to listen to it at least twice!

Being the obedient daughter-in-law and wife that I am (ahem!), I did mention to the doctor that I was going to be flying to CO the next day. I asked if that was still okay. He looked at me for a moment and then said, "If it were a major surgery I would say no, but since this is relatively minor, I'll trust you to find a doctor in Denver if something goes wrong." He thanked me for telling him and said that if I hadn't he would have been angry at me if I had just suddenly disappeared after the surgery. He said that he would put in a special stitch so that I wouldn't have to worry about being out of town when the stitches are supposed to come out. So, all that to say, I'm good to still leave for CO on Tuesday. Hooray!

A friend from church has volunteered to watch the kids in the afternoon and also provide us with dinner so that I won't have to cook. Wasn't that sweet? We all know that Taigen is capable of cooking, but she thought that cooking should be the last thing on his mind.

It will be good to get this taken care of. It's not so painful that it is always on my mind, but I can feel it after practicing piano, using the gear-shift in the Honda and when grabbing something hard without thinking. Thank you all so much for your prayers concerning this. I appreciate it more than words can say.

More Fall

Janelle was typing me the other day and asked if I post more pictures of fall. I'll do that not only for her benefit, but also for those of you who don't get to see all the vivid colors of the leaves in your neck of the woods. It is just gorgeous here. I was talking with another mommy at gym today about how we love those trees that sport all five colors: red, orange, yellow, green and brown. We always encourage our kids to look especially for the "pretty ones"!Today as the kids were eating lunch I went out on the deck to catch this video of the leaves "raining" down on us. It was a pretty cool sight, but you should see the nice carpet it has left for us to rake up!

On a different note, please be praying for Janelle and the missionary family she is helping, the Beamans. Yesterday they had a group of men come to their house and start dragging all that they owned out to the streets. Apparently, their landlord hadn't paid his taxes and the property the Beamans were renting was used as collateral! I'll let you read their accounts here and here. It sounds terrifying! Please pray that they find housing soon.