The Durham Family

Half-Birthday Party

2011-10-18T14:45:00.007-05:00

The kids were busy dystroying a mulch pile at Leann's house. What else is there to do when you have a sword in your hand?

I love this picture of my Dad and Mom!!

My parents came down this weekend to celebrate the half-birthdays so that we can celebrate together. Which means that: Richard, Mom, Dad, Jacob, Isabelle, Gideon, Sydney, and I all had our names on the cake. In the Spring will be everyone else's turn.

Aaron's Baptisum

2011-09-08T06:24:00.005-05:00

Aaron was baptized last night at the church building!! We are so very proud and excited. He is the first one of our kids to do it. A man from church, Tim O'Neil baptized him. He has been Aaron's teacher for a while. Tim told us later that he wasn't surprised when Aaron asked to be baptized. Leann and Ryan and the fam got to be there. Leann and I balled of course, but really how wonderful is it to see your son become a Christian? The sound booth people at church even got it on cd for us, so I am sure that Aaron and I will watch it again today. Technology can be so amazing! I am thankful that we can save the most important day of his life. Ryan also took video of the event. Richard and Jacob went back with Aaron when he was going to do it. He had a little trouble with the robe, it was so big he was swimming in it! =) Such a wonderful night!

Isabelle's 7th Birthday

2011-08-10T12:46:00.005-05:00

Last night we went to Isabelle's birthday party. The theme was Repunzel so Leann and Ryan had up a big tent with a tower that the kids could run around in. They played games like throw Repunzel's hair into a frying pan. It was fun.

Sydney kept demanding that Alyssa go to the top of the "tower" with her and hold the frying pan. It was pretty funny. Good times! Rebekah was there too, but I didn't really get any pics of just her so we will all just have to imagine her there! =)

Zoo with Elizabeth

2011-07-12T15:56:00.002-05:00

We went to the zoo today and it was so fun!! Of course it was getting up over 100 degrees so we were gone by 11. We saw a baby chimpanzee and it was the cutest thing. It kept kissing the adult. The tigers were right up where we could see them. The kids all had fun, but the heat totally wiped us out. We went out to eat at Five Brothers after that (burger joint) and it was really good. Elizabeth and Rebekah are now taking a nap in the room. I am sure that it has nothing to do with besides the heat that they have been up til 2 every morning. =) We will miss Elizabeth, but are so thankful that she got to come.

Movie Time!!

2011-07-12T15:31:00.005-05:00

Well we went to the movies yesterday. It was fun. We saw Thor. It was good. It is very difficult to get good pics in the movie theater when it is dark. Mostly it looks like we are part cat because our eyes light up

Elizabeth Visits Part 1

2011-07-10T14:44:00.006-05:00

Elizabeth is visiting this week. We haven't seen her since she was 5 so it has been a lot of catching up in a short amount of time. We have been having a good time. Tomorrow we are going to go to the zoo and will take more pictures. Richard and Elizabeth together

All the siblings together, plus our couch that we got for free!! Yah!!

We got to get a picture of the whole family at church. I was glad. I tried to get everyone to behave normally so only Jacob was the one making a face, which actually is normal for his pictures. =) Elizabeth leaves on Wednesday. It will be sad.

Week at the Grandparents

2011-06-18T11:41:00.018-05:00

As you can see from these pictures. The kids are having a wonderful time at my parents house. They left Wednesday and will be back this Wednesday. I am sure that there will be lots of interesting stories. Thank you Mom and Dad for having the kids up!!!

Soccer Camp

2011-06-01T15:19:00.004-05:00

Imagine for a moment if you could really zoom in on these pictures. What you would see is Jacob at soccer camp. Really it is only for an hour a day for three days. So I use the term "camp" loosely. He LOVES going. Tomorrow is our last day. The kids do different drills at 6 different stations. Tomorrow they are just doing water activites. So much fun.

Talent Show

2011-05-23T13:40:00.006-05:00

Aaron had a talent show today. He sang "I Stand in Awe of You" in front of his school. I was so very proud. He was the only one that actually sang a Christian song. He was so scared and kept telling me that he was too nervous, but he didn't even mess up!

Field Day

2011-05-18T15:49:00.007-05:00

Today was field day for Alyssa. I decided to help out since this is the last time she will have field day. However, when I got there they did not need me at any of the stations so I just hung out with her the whole time. It was fun. Alyssa and her friend Tabitha were sack racing. There was lots of falling involved. Alyssa ended up just having one foot out and walking/crawling the rest of the way back.

This was hillarious! This was called gladiator. I am proud to say that Alyssa did win.

Croquet golf was another game Alyssa cheated at. =) She decided to just scoot the ball along and not hit it at all. If you play that way it really doesn't take that long.

It was very fun to watch my daughter, though it was rediculously cold. They cancelled all the water games (thank goodness). Alyssa's teeth were chattering before I could go home and get her jacket. We did survive and now have lived to tell the tale, on the blog.

Lionmania

2011-05-04T06:36:00.007-05:00

Last night was Lionmania at the High School. It is a talent show. Rebekah did a great job. Alyssa and I went, it was great fun. I downloaded a little slice of video on Facebook to those who want look. This is Persis standing next to Rebekah. Rebekah has known Persis for a while now. Very sweet girl.

Here is one of Rebekah's costume changes. She is a princess and Missy (her friend) is a prince.

Rebekah was a little embarrassed that I wanted to get a picture of her, but I know that secretly she really loved it.

Alyssa's 12th Birthday

2011-05-02T11:00:00.006-05:00

Alyssa is now 12. We had three of her friends over for a birthday party on Saturday. Here is Alyssa and the girls making smores. It was Alyssa's idea to do this and it turned out totally great. It was like camping, but without all the camping. =-) We also had the girls demolish a Pinata. We are all about multiculturalism in this family. =) Of course the best part was when it was fully in tact and had fallen to the ground so the girls pounced on the pinata tearing it apart with their hands.

Alyssa got roller skates for her birthday. She adores them and has been trying to master the art of stopping. It has been a difficult path. =)

She had a birthday cookie this year. We couldn't pass this up. It was just so perfect for her. She took the green butterfly off and put it on a chain today and wore it to school. She makes the most of every aspect of the birthday.

Easter

2011-04-25T10:08:00.002-05:00

This year for Easter we decided to just get the kids one special thing. We just wrapped the chocolate like a present and then hid it. It was so funny watching them try to find it. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Jesus rose!!!

Aaron's 10th Birthday

2011-03-09T10:44:00.010-06:00

Aaron turned 10 on Sunday. He decided that he would dress up for church on his birthday. So handsome!! We had a good time. We celebrated he birthday for 3 days doing different things. One of the things we did was go see the movie Tangled. It was sooooo good.

The only kind of cake Rebekah will eat....icecream cake.

Of course Jacob would not stand for a normal picture. But that is how he is. He is a goofball.

Alyssa and Aaron were having a good time messing around too. I guess it is a miracle if we can actually get a picture with all of us standing still. =)

Aaron chose a banana split icecream cake for his birthday. I couldn't find any candles, so this is what he blew out. He didn't care. The point was eating the cake right?

Homecoming

2011-03-09T10:41:00.004-06:00

Rebekah went to Homecoming with her friends from school. She had a great time. Of course she could not go without wearing something that was Hello Kitty (notice her necklace).

Children and Cousins

2011-02-09T13:17:00.005-06:00

I figured while I am updating the blog I might as well show some pics of the cousins and the kids. Aaron is in a separate pic cause he actually wasn't here at the same time the cousins were. Anyway, enjoy!

Snow and Updates

2011-02-09T12:56:00.004-06:00

For those of you who still actually read this blog... I am finally updating it...Yeah! I know it is a miracle. We have had many changes in our household since I have last updated. Richard and I (and of course the kids) moved to Goddard, KS over Christmas break. It is 10 minutes from Wichita. We apparently love to move when it is Winter. Actually I would prefer warmer weather, but when God pushes you to go, you go. We were kind of looking around for a lower rent place and have always wanted to live in Goddard. It is only a town of 4,000 people but still close enough to everything. Anyway, we saw this duplex and just called the lady and she came right over and Richard and her started talking. They both know the same people and she just gave us the house without checking on us or anything. We moved in two weeks. It has been great cause now we are close to all the kids friends and live in a quiet neighborhood. I do have to run outside to grab our newspaper before the neighbor dog takes off with it and takes it to her house, but that is the only downside.

I quit my job in December to be home with the kids. Richard and I prayed about it and felt this was something that God really wanted us to do. I feel so much relief since doing that. Though we have to watch our budget more closely, I am so much more happy. I do finish my masters in Psychology in May. It is soooo close and I am so ready to be done. These pictures are of our foot of snow we got yesterday. They have closed school a few times this month for wind chill (-15 to -20) and now we got a foot of snow. They had to use the tractor to clear the road before the snow plow could come in. Insanity. I don't know if we are going to have school tomorrow. I am just glad the family made it home fine. Okay I will try to update more often now that I am home. Have a wonderful day everyone!

Happy Birthday Father o' Mine

2010-09-30T15:43:00.003-05:00

Some of you might know that mom had planned an awsome surprise birthday party for my dad. However, dad decided that he would become sick and wasn't able to come. Did that stop us from having the party? No, it did not. Leann and I decided to do the thing right and dress up as dad so that he could feel that his spirit was still part of the party.

Here is the awsomeness of us. Needless to say (But I will say it) our husbands were both very disturbed about us dressing up as men. It was fun and the cake was good. Next time I think that dad might want to check out his party. =) Have a wonderful birthday dad! Love you!

Happy Birthday Jacob

2010-09-25T16:06:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday Jacob! We celebrated Jacob's birthday this year by going to All-Star Sports. It was great because he got pizza and soda, lots of tokens, and got to do outdoor activites. We had the cousins come and Jacob's friend from school. The kids had an awesome time playing outside. Then we bought a cake on his real birthday so that he could officially turn 8!

First Day of School

2010-09-06T10:00:00.009-05:00

Well it is true. I am finally able to download pictures on the internet again. So now you will see the pics from the first day of school. I am a little late getting these on here since we have been in school for 3 weeks now. Oh well.

Rebekah has started High School. She really loves it. I can't believe that she is in it. I see her every once in a while. Apparently she does not want to acknowledge me, so of course I have to make a big deal about it in the hallway in front of her friends. =) So I think that she is learning it is better to say "hi" the first time. =)

Alyssa is now in the 6th grade. She has been doing really well in it. She is in intermediate school, which is only for 5th and 6th grade. Then she will go to middle school that is only 7th and 8th. I like the way that it is divided up. I think that it better prepares the kids. She decided that she doesn't want to play band this year. Choir here we come! =) I am a little partial to choir myself.

Aaron is in the 4th grade. This is his last year for elementary school. *sniff*. He is also doing well. This is the first year he has had a male teacher. It has been a great experience for him. Of course, he still would prefer to stay home instead of go to school =)

Here is Jacob. The brand new 2nd grader. His favorite class is PE. He is very athletic, a natural ability. I don't think that he got it from me! =) His birthday is this month so he has been praying about it every night. Apparently he really wants to go to Chuck E. Cheese. *groan*.

This is obviously just the bare minimum of what the kids are doing. Richard is now teaching 3rd grade. He really is liking it. It is much different than 5th grade. Richard is getting out of the National Guard so that he can be home with us now. He just finished his masters in education last month. I am so jealous. I still have until May before I am done with my masters in psychology. I am still a vocational para at the high school. It is my 3rd year there. We have been having computer issues lately so hopefully we are on the right track and I can stay online for a while. Everyone have a wonderful day!

Summertime

2010-07-28T09:26:00.002-05:00

The kids went to Mom and Dad's house for 5 days. They had a lot of fun. They did a lot of cooking, feeding cows, and messing with the chickens. I got to feed the cows. Richard wasn't there to pick up the kids so he didn't get to experience the messiness!The cows are so cute! Thanks Mom and Dad for taking the kids. We love you!

After the 4th

2010-07-06T06:50:00.008-05:00

This year it rained pretty much the whole fourth of July weekend. So instead of doing fireworks we had the kid throw pop-its from the garage and played a lot of family games. It was good fun. So yesterday I took the kids to the Y. What else can you do when it is rainy outside? Apparently alot of other people had that idea too because I think half of Wichita was there. However, the kids were all very good and loved swimming and climbing on the rock.

This is Naaman. He is Rebekah's boyfriend. He was able to come and hang out with us for a little while at the Y. They mostly played ping-pong and took pictures of each other on their cell phone. =) Hope you all had a great fourth of July.

Eclipse is Tomorrow!

2010-06-28T07:20:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know, the movie Eclipse is coming out tomorrow. It is the third book/movie in the twilight series. Leann, Rebekah, and I are going at midnight tomorrow night, which I suppose is really Wednesday morning if you want to get technical about it. We are all super excited. It is a fun girls night. We did this last time the second movie came out. Of course I had work the next day and was sooooo tired. Good thing there is vivran that helped me through! =) So I will probably not be conscious til about church time on Wednesday. It will be awesome!

Zoo in the Summer

2010-06-18T20:33:00.003-05:00

Today was the first time that we could all really go to the zoo. Of course it was only 90 degrees when we went today. =) We stayed only 2 hours. That is the nice thing about a zoo pass, you can just hit the highlights and then if you get too hot you can go home. Before we went home we did have to stop and get some ice cream. How else can you recover from heat exhaustion? =)

Day With the Cousins

2010-06-14T10:43:00.006-05:00

The cousins came over Saturday. It has been a while since we have all seen each other, so there was lots of screaming for joy! =) The hit of the party was Truffles, our kitten. Since Leann and Ryan cannot have animals at their home the kids love on our animals. Our animals are all over that. They love it, for the most part. =)

Richard and I enjoy that our kids are finally old enough to take pictures. We can both be in a picture together! Yahoo!

All the cousins together. It was pretty painless getting them all to smile, which I gotta say is very impressive since there are 7 of them. Who knew that my parents would end up with 7 grandchildren just from Leann and I! =)

The boys were busy playing star wars almost the whole time. They ran around like maniacs. Such a difference between boys and girls. It cracks me up.

The girls were playing very calmly with each other. Much of the time they were playing with the animals. Good times were had by all!

Grandma Visits

2010-06-14T10:31:00.002-05:00

My Grandma came with Mom and Dad from Oregon and just left this past Saturday. She was in Nebraska for about 2 weeks. Ryan and Leann went up to visit her and then we went up to visit her. We got a whole bunch of free strawberries that we had to go through and freeze. So it was a really long process, but totally worth it. The kids had a great time. Richard, Dad, and the boys all went fishing. They found a new camping spot so we are all super excited to try it out. We had a super great time.

Family Camp Spells FUN

2010-06-01T07:45:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, we have been gone all weekend at family camp with our church. It was so great. Jasmine did not appreciate being left outside all weekend. Apparently she thinks that she is an inside dog. Right when we got home and she greeted us she went to her pillow and refused to move from there. Today she has gotten up to go outside, so I think we are on the path to forgiveness. =)

So we stayed at a place in Junction City, KS. It is about two hours from here, not bad. It reminded me so much of Camp Yamhill and Oregon, it makes me a little homesick. Anyway, our cabin was air conditioned (thank you God). It was totally worth it. It was really warm on Saturday. I am sure it was easily 90 out there plus the humidity. However, that did not stop us from venturing out. There was a turkey out in the woods that kept gobbling at us and ran in front of us. It was so bizarre. You would not see that in Oregon. I am always amazed at how many wild turkeys there are in KS.

The first night I was walking and it was dark with Alyssa and there was a man in front of me from our cabin. All of the sudden we heard a kind of large animal in the woods. I don't know what it was, but it was scary. The man in front of me (I forgot his name) said maybe it was a dog, but he had a racket with him just in case. =) So we all walked together after that. =)

Saturday we went to Archery. Richard helped Jacob and I helped Aaron and Alyssa. Aaron is a natural at it. Rebekah took pictures of us. It was a lot of fun. Then we went horseback riding. Alyssa promptly got sunscreen in her eye and started crying. She decided that she would never be able to see again. =) So she did not go riding. Aaron was on the horse, but said that it "kept looking at him" so he got down. So I got pictures of Rebekah and Jacob riding a horse. It is always an adventure for us! Then we went canoeing. I was with Aaron, Richard with Jacob, and Rebekah with Alyssa. Do you know how hard it is to canoe when only one of you is doing the paddling? let me tell you, very difficult. It was so much fun though. The girls finally got the hang of it, after all their arguing.

We had absolutely awesome lessons. It was so great to get to spend time with the family and we got to meet new people. The kids had separate classes so they got to hear about God on their own level. Rebekah got to hang out with some friends a little bit and she loved it.

Sunday we actually made it through horseback riding. Richard, Alyssa, and I went. Aaron, Rebekah, and Jacob stayed back to watch us. Alyssa's horse, Sandy, took off away from the trail and they had to go chase her down. It was so funny. My horse kept trying to pass the horse in front of me. Of course, that might be because the other horse was being lazy not wanting to walk up the hill. =) We tried to go canoeing again, but there was a storm coming and there was lightning, so we went swimming instead. =) How's that for safety?

I saw many animals there like snakes, a turkey, possibly a dog in the forest =), a doe, turtle, fish, ticks (do we count these as animals?)and of course spiders. We really want to go again next year. I cannot express how great it was for our family. The storm did come and we didn't get to have smores, well we did finish getting smores before we went to the cabin, but we didn't get to stick around. We were blessed that there wasn't any hail. So I didn't take that many pictures. But you will get the idea. On Thursday we leave to go to Mom and Dad's house. My grandma is up there, so expect that there will be even more pictures. Have a great summer everyone!

Finally!! The Last Day of School

2010-05-26T08:52:00.003-05:00

Yes, it is true! For those of us that live in Wichita, it is our last day of school today! You can tell by our faces that we were all ready to see the end of the school year. Richard does have to still go until Friday, but today is his last day with his kids. My last day was yesterday. So today I am going to have lunch with Jacob at school. He has been begging me to do this all school year. On Friday we leave to go to family camp with the church. I know it is going to be a great time. If I don't forget the camera I will take pictures. Have a great week everyone!

Concert and More

2010-05-17T16:40:00.002-05:00

Alyssa dressed up as Amelia Earhart for her school wax museum. They each wear a sticker and stay very still. Then the parents go and push the sticker and the "wax art" starts to speak about who they are. It was very cool. Savannah was Shirley Temple. It was so cute. Aaron made a peep hole box for his book that he read. He worked very hard on it. He made the characters out of clay. Rebekah was in her choir shirt that she made. It was her last pop concert this year. It was very good. She didn't want me to take any pictures while she was doing the concert. She is such a teenager. So I forced her to have a picture before hand. Ha! I just took a picture of Jacob because I didn't have one of him on here. It has been a very busy month. We only have 10 more days and then we are out of school! Yahoooooo! Summer is almost here!

Alyssa 11th Birthday

2010-05-17T16:27:00.002-05:00

Well, Alyssa's 11th birthday was on the 29th of April. I am a little behind on the times obviously. We went roller skating with Alyssa's friend Savannah. It was fun, but I forgot how difficult it was to skate when I haven't done it in a while. Richard and Jacob kept their skates on for about 5 minutes and then decided it was not for them. I was brave and kept it on almost the whole time, but almost fell several times and once almost fell into the garbage can. Aaron really got into skating, until he went out on the smooth floor and fell. Then he decided to put the skates away. However, Alyssa and Savannah had an awesome time. Alyssa made a pinata that she got to smash for her birthday, she loved that. Also, we had cheese cake instead of a real cake. It was super yummy. It went very well and my daughter is one year older! Have a great day everyone!

Easter Time

2010-04-06T13:37:00.002-05:00

We were going to go to the YMCA for an Easter egg hunt, but it started to rain. So we went inside and played games. It was so much fun. I have discovered that I am a horrible Foosball player and my husband has no pity on me! =) It was hilarious! There was lots of yelling at the table, I think that we embarrassed Rebekah by our behavior. She is such a teenager! =) Then mom and dad came down for Easter weekend. We had the cousins over here decorating eggs. That was fun. On Sunday instead of Easter baskets we gave the kids a chocolate bunny with some money. They are really eager to spend it, but I haven't taken them to walmart yet. Mom and Dad also brought them chocolate bunnies and we had them hunt for them. Hilarious! It was a short weekend, but full of fun.

Spring Break

2010-04-06T13:20:00.002-05:00

We did make it to Dad and Mom's house without me falling asleep driving or getting a flat tire. So that shows the ease of the trip. Richard did end up staying here because he had so much school work. Dad got 17 snow geese while we were there. I had to chase after one that was apparently just wounded and not dead since it was trying to get away. Ha! The boys of course loved that they got to help grandpa the whole time we were there. Alyssa decided that she needed to go sledding on the most pitiful amount of snow, but she was happy. That pizza pan is a great sled! Oh the memories! Rebekah had her friend Cristal come down while we were there. They haven't seen each other in over a year so they had a great time together. Mom and I cooked snow goose fajitas!! Yummy!! It was very relaxing.

Aaron's 9th Birthday

2010-03-10T10:03:00.005-06:00

Aaron is now 9. We had a great birthday. He did not get a birthday cake because we did other cool stuff. He did get to take cupcakes to school, but I totally didn't take a picture of it. So you will all just have to imagine the cupcakes. I bought them from Sam's so they even looked pretty.

Here is a picture with his birthday money. He was very excited. He decided that he didn't want presents this year. It works out well because then he can pick whatever he wants too, which of course ended up to be some DS games.

This is him opening his birthday money. It is like you are looking into the past.....or it might be that I didn't put the pictures in order when I posted these.

Now the most important thing, WWE tickets!! It is true, we took our son to WWE. It was totally awesome! Richard was supposed to take him, but got really sick, so I got to! We had a lot of fun yelling and screaming. Aaron started to get sick at the end so we left before the very last match, but we had fun. I am sure he will want to do this again next year.

How to catch a snow goose

2010-03-09T15:10:00.003-06:00

#1. Know where the snow geese are, if they are in your neighbor's property it is all the better, you can just walk over there.
#2. Make sure you have your gun and it is loaded. There is no point to trying to kill a goose if you don't have the equipment to do it.
#3. Have the correct camouflage. A cut out of a cow will do nicely. Those crazy birds don't even know the difference anyway! Happy Hunting!!

More and More Concerts

2010-02-25T16:56:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone! The kids and I are off school this week since there are parent teacher conferences. So, Alyssa had her band concert, Jacob had his Valentine's concert, Rebekah had her choir concert, and Aaron had to do a book report dressed up as Jeff Gordon. I have also got a picture of Rebekah and her boyfriend, Jacob. he is very nice. We are going to be going to Mom and Dad's house for spring break if it doesn't snow again. Richard will be re certifying for his medic stuff. So he will be gone. Enjoy the pictures.

Botanica

2010-02-07T16:28:00.002-06:00

Leann and I took the kids yesterday to Botanica. It is a huge garden and they had crafts for the kids to do. It was totally free so of course I was all over that. We had a great time, even if the whole city of Wichita showed up! =) I think that the kids favorite part (besides spending time with the cousins) was eating the popcorn.

The New 14 Year Old

2010-01-04T14:48:00.002-06:00

Yes it is true. Rebekah turned 14 on the 2nd. She decided that she wanted to go to the mall and just hang out with a couple of her friends. Megan and Christina were able to come so we had a good time. I stayed with them to make sure they were not kidnapped. I am very paranoid about that sort of thing you know. Christina tried this reverse bungee jumping game in which you are strapped to the cords starting on a trampoline and then are flung in the air. She was the only one who would go on it, but she had a lot of fun. The girls were there for 3 hours and only bought one thing. Rebekah told me later that none of them wanted to spend their money there because it costs so much more at the mall! =) I am so proud! Meagan even said that she should have brought her coupons to the mall! =) We did not have a cake since Rebekah hates cake. We all just ate at the mall, but we did open presents at home first so Richard and the kids could be with her. So here are a few pictures of my ever older daughter.

God's Sense of Humor

2009-12-30T12:31:00.002-06:00

In my last post I mentioned that Mom and Dad had to trek through the snow in order for them to get to their house. This is not an exaggeration. This whole year scientists were saying that the winter was going to be light. God thought it would be funny to show them how little they knew. My parents ended up with 10 foot drifts. Major interstates were closed. God has some awesome power, sometimes we just forget that. So here are the pictures of the "light" winter that my parents are experiencing. =)

Christmas

2009-12-30T10:37:00.002-06:00

Mom and Dad did make it down for Christmas, though they did have a tough time making it home. It snowed so much at their house. I will show pictures of it later. Anyway, Ryan, Leann, and the kiddos came over and we opened presents. We also played Band Hero which is where you play interments with a video game. We also sang with the video game. It was a lot of fun. So here are several pictures of our festivities. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Early Stockings

2009-12-23T21:07:00.002-06:00

As many of you know, our household likes to celebrate Christmas all week long. Sometimes it is two weeks long. This is because we love to open presents, so why just do it on the day that is designated? In true family traditions, we opened our stockings Monday. These are pictures from that and then tomorrow we are opening the presents from our family. Mom and Dad should be coming down this weekend (if the weather gets better) and then Leann and Ryan will come over here with the kids and we will have a good ol fashioned Christmas. Oh and I took a picture of our pathetic Christmas tree. The cat and dog have redecorated it for me so that it has ended up looking like this. Merry Christmas! =)

Santa Claus

2009-12-21T07:38:00.007-06:00

Santa Claus came to church last night. Of course, Santa did not make an appearance until after the potluck, very convenient timing =). I once again had forgotten my camera so we had to take pictures with the phone. They are a little blurry. Alyssa didn't go up there. She wanted to talk to him, but apparently Santa is scary! =) Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

American English

2009-12-19T08:02:00.002-06:00

Last night Richard and I went to go see American English. They are impersonators of the Beatles. They were soooooo amazing! They even had the same mannerisms and everything. It was for Richards birthday and since he loves the Beatles it was perfect. The website is www.americanenglishbeatles.com and it is worth it to see them. I really would like to see them again and it was amazing at the age variety of people that were there. It was super fun! Thanks Leann for watching the kids, it was a late night.

Thank You for Thanksgiving

2009-12-09T16:44:00.003-06:00

Ok, well I realize that it is almost Christmas, but better late than never (you know who ever coined that phrase was probably a procrastinator). =) Anyway, we had Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's house. Andrae (a friend from church) came over and we all had a great time. We played Uno and Chicken Trail. Now my kids are old enough to play chicken trail. It was so awesome, the torch has been passed! =) Aaron was with Dad almost constantly helping him. Mom and I baked for 2 days (Actually she started even before I got up there). I think that we could have fed a small army. It was a lot of work and I am still tired, but I loved it. The christmas tree was a crazy problem. Mom and I tried 3 times to get these stupid lights to work, which was really hilarious, but we could not do it. We finally had to break down and go get some more at walmart. But before we left I had to take a picture of the tree in all of its "glory" so that we could have fond memories. =)So fun! It was really relaxing to go up there. Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us go up there.This is a shmorgas board of our festivities. There are 45 pictures of the awsomeness! Have a wonderful week!

Halloween Fun

2009-11-08T07:56:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures that mom took of our Halloween.Doesn't Rebekah look so much older? It makes me sad. But those are her friends Emily and Megan from Westlink Church of Christ that are holding the balloons. It was a lot of fun. If you cannot tell from the pictures Rebekah was a sailor, Alyssa was Cleopatra, Aaron was a ghostbuster, and Jacob was spiderman. Hope you all had a great Halloween.

Wicked

2009-11-02T19:19:00.005-06:00

Richard took me to go see Wicked on Halloween. My parents were gracious enough to babysit the kids while we were gone. They also got the kids ready for Halloween so that when we came back we could just leave. The play was absolutely incredible. If you haven't seen it, it would definitely recommend it. Thank you Leann for letting me borrow your dress. It was just a great time!!

Adventures in Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-30T09:12:00.002-05:00

Carving four pumpkins can get very time consuming and a tad dangerous. I broke down and bought one of those pumpkin carving kits in order to be safer while carving. However, Richard broke one of the knives in the first pumpkin he started. So he tried to make it work and ended up cutting himself. So that was the end of that knife. I really didn't want to use a big butcher knife, but that is exactly what ended up happening. I got cut with a knife, but did not bleed. So we all ended up keeping all of our fingers. I thought that worked out well! =) Jacob has a bat on his pumpkin, Aaron has a vampire, Alyssa's says "boo" and is supposed to look like a mummy, and Rebekah made a kind of Animae character. Oh, Aaron also has a white pumpkin that is "captain underpants". It is from school for his book report. I thought that they all turned out really well. I will be taking more pictures of the kids in their costumes. Enjoy your day everyone!

My 33rd Birthday

2009-10-17T12:00:00.003-05:00

Today is my birthday!! Richard got me the best birthday present. He got me and him tickets to "Wicked" on Halloween! For those of you who don't know, this is a musical that is about the witches from Oz before Dorothy. It is going to be so much fun. So now I think that I need to get a new outfit too! =) We will go in the afternoon and then be back so that we can take the kids trick or treating. Also today for my birthday we are going to go out to eat. I am not sure where we are going yet. I also had to throw a picture in of my diploma from graduating college. I just got it in the mail yesterday. Have a wonderful day!

Chestnut

2009-10-17T11:54:00.005-05:00

Yep, we got a new baby. His name is Chestnut and he is 7 weeks old. He is so fun. He is not to impressed with Jasmine, but he tolerates her. Chestnut loves people and is always wanting to be by us. Of course it is not so fun when it is the middle of the night and he wakes us up by playing with our hair! =) However, he is potty trained so we don't have to worry about that issue. He is so precious.

Fall Festival

2009-10-04T19:47:00.002-05:00

Saturday was Fall Festival in Goddard. Which means that there is a parade and little booths that you can go and buy stuff at. Leslie came with me and her son Jerod and daughter Megan. Then we also had another of Rebekah's friend go, Emily. Leann and Ryan also came with the kids. I think that we had a perfect spot this year because we got a ton of candy and there were not too many people who were around us. The kids had a great time. Then afterward the kids played a few games. Alyssa and Aaron got some awesome baloon things made for them. Of course Jacob was pouting becaue he wouldn't stay in line so I made him go in the back of Aaron. That just made it worse so he pouted some more and wouldn't stay in line. So then he was upset we were leaving and he didn't get a balloon. However, everything before then was going very well. I bought some strawberry jalepeno jelly!! MMMMMMMM! It is so good and spicy!! The boys rode on this little train that went around a few blocks of Goddard. I saw quite a few people there that I knew. Richard was not able to go because he had too much homework. Devin was gone at a NASCAR thing. So Ryan was the only husband that went. Poor Ryan! Hope your weekend was as fun.

Jacob's 7th Birthday

2009-09-27T19:51:00.003-05:00

Jacob's 7th birthday was this past Wednesday. So instead of trying to do something for him on his birthday, we had a birthday party for him on Saturday. He had so much fun. It was the first time that he ever had a birthday party. We had cake, ice cream, presents, and.....a pinata!! It was fun. He had friends over from church. Quentin and his brother Gabe, Jerod (Leslie, Devin, and Megan came too), and the cousins Isabelle, Gideon, and Sydney (Leann stayed for the party too, who can pass up cake and ice cream? YUM!).Mostly there was a lot of running around and screaming for joy. Here are a few pictures so you can enjoy it too!

Quick Visit

2009-09-17T19:56:00.005-05:00

Mom and Dad came down last weekend just because they wanted to. It had been a while since we had seen them. Mom and Dad pretty much just went with us to all of our appointments. Mom came with me to Alyssa's first trombone lesson at Senseny Music. Alyssa complained that she was bored, but when they learned "Hot Cross Buns" she was on cloud 9. Isabelle ended up getting sick so Mom and Dad were over here most of the time. Poor Isa! Anyway, here is a montage of our weekend.

Trombone

2009-09-16T15:48:00.004-05:00

Alyssa has started playing in the band this year. She wanted to play the trombone. She is the only one in the 5th grade that plays the trombone. She loves it and is really quite good at it. It was funny because when we first opened the case we couldn't figure out how to put it together. I didn't even know where the mouth piece was until Richard found a compartment for it. Despite my incompetence, my daughter is succeeding. Here are a few pictures of her practicing. Enjoy!

School Pictures

2009-08-22T07:33:00.012-05:00

Here are our first day of school pictures. Actually, we took the pictures the night before so that I wouldn't have to worry about it in the morning. It was all I could do to keep Jacob from not jumping all around like a maniac while the picture was being taken! =)

All the kids got to pick one new outfit for school. They were very excited about it. Of course the shirts that the boys picked came with toys, so I don't know if they really liked the shirts or the toys better. However, the toys have already broken. Oh the woes of life.

This outfit of Alyssa's was so perfect for her. She always wants to accessorize her clothing. So this was great that the shirt already came with a cute scarf.

Rebekah has been loving to draw animae characters and now I think that her hair is starting to reflect this. I think it is really cute. She was horrified that she didn't know she bought a Miley Sirus shirt until we had already had it home. I hope that she wears it again now that she knows.

School has went pretty smoothly. Much better than last year. The kids all made it onto their buses and even got home! =) The boys go to latchkey every morning at their school and they love it. I have been having a good year and have some very interesting kids that I work with (Mom you know who I am taking about =)). Richard has been super busy with doing his masters and work. However, he is getting it all done. Tonight we go to have a movie night at church. Maybe I will take pictures. Have a wonderful week everyone!

New Haircut

2009-08-12T08:56:00.003-05:00

Rebekah decided that she wanted to cut and dye her hair. So now she looks so much older and it makes me sad. We went to supercuts and I just love how inexpensive and fast they are. They have always been really nice to us. So here is the picture of her. School starts monday so I am sure that there will be many new stories to share on the blog and of course the first day of school photos. Have a wonderful day!

Isa's 5th Birthday and Trauma

2009-08-10T16:14:00.010-05:00

We celebrated Isabelle's 5th birthday at our house yesterday. Leann and Ryan had already celebrated with Ryan's family so we did our own little thing. Unfortunately right before Isabelle was going to open her presents the glass fell out of our screen door and cut Alyssa's leg. However, she refused to go to the hospital until Isabelle had opened up all of her presents. Then I had to take Alyssa to the hospital where after 3 hours and 4 stitches later we were able to come home. Here is my brave girl putting on her best smile in the midst of her traumatic experience.

Sydney was busy talking on the phone the whole time that Isabelle was opening presents.

This is so precious. Aaron had Isabelle sit on his lap while she was opening presents so that he could help her. What a kind boy!

Random Pics

2009-08-10T16:06:00.005-05:00

Just thought that I would show you all a couple of random pictures. This is from yesterday before church. It was the 50th anniversary at Westlink Church of Christ so we had a lot of visitors and the singing was amazing!

When Mom and Dad were here we forced them to play "Lips" which is a singing game. I think this is just a great picture of mom.

It was hilarious when Dad tried to sing some high pitch girl songs. I thought that I would die laughing. It was great!

Graduation Party!!!

2009-08-02T16:50:00.003-05:00

Yesterday there was a surprise graduation party for me! It was super fun and I think everyone had a really great time. Mom, Dad, Ryan, and Leann set it up and then Richard was to make sure that I got there on time. I broke my shoe right before going so we were like 15 minutes late. The tiki head at my graduation party spit bubbles out and the kids thought it was great. Apparently many people knew about the party for a while. Of course the kids didn't know until it was starting. The kids started dragging each other around while we were there. Apparently this was the only game that they could all play together, but they loved it. So thanks again to everyone for coming. It was so fun and a great ending for all the years of being in college. Love you all!

Singing

2009-07-30T12:47:00.007-05:00

Hello again! I just thought that you should see what we are spending our time doing this summer. Rebekah loves to draw so I decided that this would be a great picture of her in action.
Richard got a singing game and so of course I love it!! We all love to play it.

Jacob likes me to help him sing because he cannot read all the words.

Richard and Jacob getting down singing "Kryptonite".

Aaron and Alyssa decided that they must sing "Young Folks" which has a boy and girl part. I love it when we can all play a game that is so interactive.

Lunch Time

2009-07-29T10:19:00.003-05:00

We have been having a very good time this summer and it is hard to believe that it is almost over. Leann and I went to Branson this past weekend to see our friend Laura. It was very nice to see her again. Leann brought her kids and I was there as back-up! =) Leann did try to throw some kind of beetle on me in our hotel room. She said that it jumped, but I have my doubts about that! Ha! Richard had our kids while I was gone. So yesterday we had the Woodard kids come over while Leann and Ryan had to do some shopping for their new house. I thought that it was so cute that all the kids were sitting on the porch eating that I had to take a picture of it. That is a lot of kids for just my parents only having two girls! As of Monday I have officially graduated with my Bachelor's of Arts in psychology! I am so excited about it. I will be starting my Masters probably in October or something like that. Richard has started his masters in education now. Our first day of school starts August 17 so I am sure that Richard will be starting to go to his room next week. Have a fabulous last few weeks of summer everyone!

Fourth of July Party

2009-07-05T18:13:00.002-05:00

As you can see we hung out with Ryan and Leann for the fourth of July. It was a lot of fun. Leann tried so hard to get a picture of Richard and I with fireworks in the background. However, my camera has a huge delay on it so by the time she took it, it was gone. Finally we got one picture. So mission accomplished! We went to Goddard for the fireworks. It is the town right by Wichita. I work in Goddard and the kids are going to school there this year. Anyway, they had free food, moon bounce, and then the fireworks display. Before they even started that there were so many fireworks all around us. It was very cool. We didn't get home til 11:00pm. The kids were soooo tired this morning, as was I. So we are making them go to bed early tonight. They loved it though. Hope you all had a safe and fun fourth.

NKOTB Baby!!

2009-07-02T11:45:00.005-05:00

Yes, it is true! Leann and I are going to see New Kids On The Block (aka NKOTB)tomorrow night!! It is super exciting. For those of you who have no idea who they are, I feel sorry for you. Richard is just excited that I am not going with him. Apparently he is not too fond of them. I am going to relive my childhood by hearing them once again. Laura and Carrie, wish you were coming...It won't be the same. You know we watched their video a million times! LOL! I am sure that Leann and I will have updates on both of our blogs! Then of course Saturday is the fourth of July so lots of fun stuff is happening. Don't worry, I will keep you updated "step by step" (that is a song by NKOTB). I will now stop before I decide to use any more puns. Have a fun weekend everyone! (I don't know why the blog keeps cutting off Danny in the picture, but you can only see part of his arm)

Our outing to the Zoo and Park

2009-06-30T11:32:00.002-05:00

If you all haven't figured it out yet, we have a zoo pass and this is why we have so many pictures there. However, we just have so much fun that it doesn't matter how many times that we go. We went early this morning even though it is supposed to be cooler today (94 degrees). We didn't go to see all of it because by 10:30 it was getting to hot to walk around. They have a new tiger exhibit which was awesome. Of course the zoo had all the water spraying all over so people wouldn't die of heat. The kids were soaked by the time they got to the car. So then on our way home Richard decided all the sudden to turn into a park area. We drove all they way in the back and there was a HUGE playground there. It was totally amazing. I didn't know it was there. So we let the kids play there for a little bit.

Father's Day

2009-06-30T11:25:00.004-05:00

Our kids came back from Mom and Dad's house just a couple days before father's day. So when they saw us, Richard was attacked with cards and candy, which of course he loved. Then when we got home he opened Aaron's present to him. Aaron had made Richard a game. Dad had found the picture of it on the internet and then they made it all out of wood. It is a very nice game and a lot of fun to play. Richard really likes it and of course Aaron is so proud. Thank you dad for helping him make it! Here are some pictures of the game in action!

They are Back

2009-06-19T20:29:00.002-05:00

Well, Richard and I are done being lonely because the kids are back. They spent 10 days at Dad and Mom's house. They had a great time. They were so excited to go fishing and just play outside in the dirt. So here are several pictures of their time at the ol homestead. Thank you mom and dad for keeping the kids. Also, Richard's surgery went very well. I had a friend stay with me all day while I was at the hospital. Tuesday we will get the update on how his arm is doing. We appreciate all the prayers everyone has given us for him. Thank you!

It is so Quiet

2009-06-13T09:58:00.002-05:00

It has been almost a week now since our kids have been gone. They are up at Mom and Dad's house. I has been so quiet over here. We miss them a lot. However, the reason they are up there (besides just to visit Grandma and Grandpa) is because Richard is going to have surgery Monday. He is having rotator cuff surgery. So we didn't want to have to worry about the kids being at the hospital. So we have had a week of staying up late and sleeping in late (or as late as the dogs will let me). We would appreciate the prayers for Richard that everything goes well. We will pick up the kids Friday. Then Saturday the girls and I have a garden party that we are going to. It will be a lot of fun. Richard and I are going to a movie and to dinner with a couple from church today. When I was making dinner last night I actually had to cut the recipe in HALF! That is so crazy and we still had leftovers! Hope you all are having a good summer. Love, Mary

Great Grandma Visits

2009-05-28T09:02:00.002-05:00

This weekend we went and visited my Grandma. She is up at Mom and Dad's house for three weeks. We left Friday evening after school. It was a nice drive and we were just 20 miles (give or take) from their house when our tire blew. I mean that thing was torn up. It was crazy. Richard and I didn't realize that the tire blew for a few seconds because the van never swerved or anything. However, God blessed us where we pulled off because we were on a driveway next to a field so we had plenty of room to change a tire. So Richard and I, the kids, and the dogs all piled out. It was still light outside so that was also a blessing. Anyway we eventually got the tire changed and made it to my parent's house. Then we had a lovely time visiting. It was nice to relax up there. Mia did pretty well running around without a leash on. I think that she was learning those good habits from Jasmine and Wilson. The boys were constantly outside helping Grandpa do some work. =) All the kids had fun looking for frogs. Have a great week everyone!

Rebekah's Choir Concert

2009-05-17T14:34:00.007-05:00

Rebekah had her first choir concert at Eisenhower Middle School. She switched middle schools at the semester and has been doing amazing here. Let me just say that their choir was AWESOME! Leann, it reminded me of when Mrs. Gilbertson was teaching us. This woman did a great job. The person that Rebekah had at Wilbur Middle School did not have the kids focused at all. It was horrible. Anyway, back to this choir concert. Rebekah refused to look at us the whole time she was up there. She said that she would have laughed. Now I ask you, would I do anything to try and make my daughter laugh? =) (this is a rhetorical question, please do not feel that you must enlighten me on my personality) =) It was a great night and I am so proud of Rebekah!!

Alyssa's 10th Birthday

2009-05-17T14:19:00.002-05:00

Hello again everyone! These are pictures of Alyssa's 10th birthday. Her birthday was actually on Wednesday so she just opened presents with just us. Then that Friday she had two girlfriends over. They are sisters named Alyanna and Felicia. We all went to the zoo and watched movies. The girls just had a great time. Then yesterday (as part of her birthday present) we took Alyssa to Claire's to get her ears pierced. She was totally excited about it and absolutely loves them. Then of course while we were there we had to get some earrings. =) She was very brave and I was so proud that she didn't cry when she got them done. She keeps looking at herself in the mirror! =) Ha Ha! Oh she wanted a big birthday cookie instead of cake which went over very well. I also chopped her hair off because she hates it long. Have a great day everyone!

Easter

2009-05-17T14:02:00.002-05:00

Alrighty, we will be going back in time as I have been totally slacking on putting anything on the blog. So we will start with Easter. It was a lot of fun. We went to Mom and Dad's house. Mom and Dad found a couple eggs after we left, at least they were plastic. That is the very abbreviated version of our time there so I hope that pictures do speak louder than words.

Spring Snow

2009-03-28T14:09:00.002-05:00

If any of you have been watching the weather here in the Midwest, we have been dumped on with snow. Yesterday about noon started the freezing rain. The first picture of the "snow" that I put on here is actually all freezing rain. It was crazy. Jasmine absolutely refused to go outside, but Mia went out there if the kids were out there. School got out early for everyone, but Wichita. However, Richard and the kids made it home safely so that is good. When we got up this morning it was snowing more. It has now stopped and everything is melting. It has just been weird. One side of our garage door is frozen shut. The other side opens though. Leann and Ryan came over to visit. They brought me some presents from Italy!! Yahooo!! We also got to try some candy. It was very good. It seems like a long time since we have seen them. I got a picture of Isabelle. I am not sure how since I don't remember taking it while they were here. But I am putting it on the blog anyway. Hope you all are enjoying the day!

Mom W Visits

2009-03-22T15:20:00.002-05:00

This last week was our spring break. It was very busy for us. Richard's mom came to visit us from Washington. We haven't seen that side of the family for almost 8 years. So we took her to the zoo here. I think that we got some great pictures of all of us. By the end of the zoo we were all exhausted. It was nice to see her again. The kids were a little shy around her at first since Aaron was only 3 months old when he saw her and Jacob has never met her. Then yesterday was the craft fair at church. Rebekah and I went and helped set up Thursday and Friday. Then yesterday we went to the church at 7:00am. We didn't leave until 6:00pm. That was a really long day, but totally worth it. We raised a lot of money for the Cap Haitien Orphanage. I was the announcer for the door prizes. I had to use a microphone and everything. It was a little scary at first, but it was fun. I will definitely do it again next year. We have only a few more weeks of school left. I can't believe it is almost done. Anyway, hope you all have been having a wonderful day. Love you all!

Aaron's 8th Birthday

2009-03-18T23:10:00.003-05:00

Aaron had a great birthday. He got 3 video games and a goosebumps book. He loved it. We also went out to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant. It was a lot of fun. It was weird not having any of the cousins over, but they were all in Nebraska (or Washington). So it was just us. Richard's mom is here this week so we have been busy. I will be putting up pictures on the blog after she leaves on Saturday. This is our spring break. It has been nice not having to worry about getting up early in the morning. This weekend is our craft fair at church which I am helping with. I am in charge of the door prizes. This means I have to announce the winners in a microphone! AAAAHHHGGGG!! Rebekah and Alyssa are going to be giving out the tickets. It is going to be fun. Have a wonderful week everyone! Today was Richard and my 14th anniversary. I can't believe that it has been that long. Bye!

Moving Day!

2009-01-25T18:40:00.008-06:00

Alyssa is enjoying one of Grandma's HUGE cookies! Yummy!

Here are the boys on moving day. They were very good at helping and did not complain at all. It was pretty cold outside, but all that walking around made it better.
This is Rebekah's new cell phone. She loves it so much. Her other phone was dying so I promised her that we would get her a new one for her birthday, but it would be a late birthday present.
Mia has discovered a new trick. She can now reach Jasmine's food. Of course, I don't think that Jasmine thinks this is a very good trick! =)

Here is a couple pictures of our new house. Of course this was when we were just moving in. Mom and Dad came down to help us along with Ryan and Russell (a friend from church). Richard was at drill when we were moving stuff. We just finished this weekend cleaning the other house. It has been so much work. I am glad that I finally get to start organizing this house though.
I will have to post some more updated pictures later. Of course that would require me to find my camera, which I have no clue where it is at the moment. Everyone have a super day!

All About Mary

2009-01-21T22:12:00.002-06:00

Here is a fun thing that I got from Dwayne and Mindy's blog. You copy and paste all these different activities into your blog. The ones that you have done are in bold type. So here you go, everything in bold is all about me.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch-hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

So, what have YOU done?

New Teenager

2009-01-03T08:37:00.003-06:00

Well everyone, it has happened. I have my first teenager. Rebekah turned 13 yesterday. We had two of her girlfriend's over from church. Cat (Catherine) is on the right of Rebekah and Sam (Samantha) is next to Cat. They are very sweet. Unfortunately Sam was only here for a couple hours and then had to go home because she was starting to feel very sick. Poor Sam!! So Rebekah and Cat were staying up last night watching movies and eating popcorn and candy. Can life get much better? =) Dad and Mom got Rebekah a bible which she really loves. She had to sit there and organize it! =) I gave her a ring that used to be mine. She loved that too. Ryan and Leann had given her these bracelets that you can decorate so her and the girls did that last night. At least Sam got a bracelet before she went home. Leann is planning on taking Rebekah to see "High School Musical 3" today. Rebekah doesn't know so she will be really excited. Today is my Grandma's 80th birthday! Happy Birthday Grandma! Richard and I should be able to start moving to our new house after Monday. It is going to be weird to have so much time to pack! =) Hope you all had a great new years! We just stayed home and had snacks and watched TV. Hope everyone is well! We are going to enjoy the sunshine before it becomes cold again tomorrow! =)

Moving!!

2008-12-26T09:27:00.002-06:00

Well, once again I have to start packing. I am still in denial at this point. We are moving a little closer to Richard's school. We decided we wanted somewhere else because the rooms for the kids here are just too small for them. I think this other house is about the same size, but is set up better. It also has a basement!! That is very important in the midwest, at least if you live in tornado alley. So, by January 24th we will be out of here. I really hate to pack. We just found the house by driving around. At least we will be able to do a lot of packing during this week and next since Richard and I don't have school. It is going to start getting really hard once school starts again. I will post pictures once we are able to start moving in. Love, Mary

Christmas Pageant

2008-12-18T16:26:00.003-06:00

The kids were in a Christmas pageant at church last night. Alyssa was also supposed to be in it. She was one of the angels, but she was sick. She was very disappointed. However, the boys did awesome! Aaron was one of the wise men and then Jacob was the only boy angel. He loved having wings!! =) Then of course we got to see Santa after the pageant was over. There are two pictures of Aaron doing an experiment. He got that for Christmas and he loves it. he made an underwater volcano and every time he would add baking soda, it would change colors. It was very cool. Have a great day everyone!

Early Christmas

2008-12-17T14:06:00.002-06:00

My parents came down for an early Christmas for all of us. Leann and Ryan are working over Christmas so it was much easier to have it early. We had a lot of fun. I also threw in pictures of the dogs (mostly Mia) so that you could see the WHOLE family. The boys all got fishing poles so Grandpa helped the boys learn to cast. They loved it. So we are going to have another Christmas on Christmas Eve then the next day is Richard's birthday! So much to do! Jacob has "accidentally" looked in his stocking already! =) Tonight we have a Christmas pageant at church. It is going to be so much fun. So I will be taking pictures of the kiddos. Hopefully we are all well. The flu has been going around this household. Have a Merry Christmas everyone!By the way, I realize there is a ton of pictures that I have posted. Believe me when I say I even trimmed down from what I have. But how can you decide on pictures with a great family?

Aaron's Christmas Program

2008-12-17T13:47:00.005-06:00

Mom and Dad were down here this last weekend. They got to come and see Aaron in his Christmas program. He did so well. He had a speaking part and spoke right into the microphone. Yeah!! He was in a good mood until some kids fell and he almost got pushed off the riser! Talk about me having a heart attack! He literally had to grab onto the boy in front of him (Elijah) so that he wouldn't fall. He wanted to cry, but didn't. He kept going on and by the end of it I think that he had recovered. Brave boy! The boy right beside him is Jimmy. We do a lot of things with that family. We know them from girl scouts. Then the boy in front of him is Elijah. The woman is Aaron's teacher Mrs. Bateman. She has been great and really cares for the kids. Love you all, Mary

Mia and I

2008-12-09T15:56:00.002-06:00

Mia

2008-12-08T20:48:00.003-06:00

We have a new baby, her name is Mia. She is a Bichon Frise. She is the cutest little thing. She will only get to be about 10-12 pounds. It is the first time we have ever had a small dog and I just totally love her. Leann and Ryan paid for part of it for my Christmas present. The kids have been great about helping to potty train her. Of course we have only had her for 2 days now. I am sure this is not going to last much longer. She is very entertaining. She is starting to chase Jasmine around. Of course, Jasmine isn't sure what to do with this little puff ball running around her feet. =) We also went to the military Christmas party this weekend. It was pretty fun. It was nice to get away without the kids. Thanks Ryan and Leann! We are celebrating an early Christmas with Mom, Dad, Leann, and Ryan. It is going to be this weekend. The kids are excited about that because now we are going to have 2 Christmas's. Actually, knowing us we will celebrate it all week long, cause that is how we roll! =) Have a wonderful day everyone!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-06T13:59:00.002-06:00

Here are some pictures of us at mom and dad's house. We had a fabulous time. Dad worked very hard getting his garage built. Mom and I decorated the house for Christmas! We have priorities! =) Hope you all had a great thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween (Yesterday)

2008-11-01T08:38:00.003-05:00

We had a great time at our Trunk or Treat yesterday. We decided to decorate the trunk from Dr. Seuss. I was one of the Whoville people. I had the longest rainbow eyelashes. I seriously couldn't see very well at all, but it was totally worth it because they were awesome! Richard (as you can see) was the Cat in the Hat. He looked amazing!! The kids just loved his costume. I am sure that we will do it again next year. Rebekah went around with Ryan and Leann to help take care of Sydney for a while. Then she came back and helped give out candy. We ran out of candy 4 times. There were a lot of kids there. She was a cat this year. Alyssa was a mouse and I got a couple pictures of her bobbing for apples. She is so funny. Her nose squeaked and of course she was doing that all night. Aaron was Indiana Jones. He was very responsible with his whip. I am very proud of him. The boys really liked his outfit. He got to pick out any pumpkin in the pumpkin patch when he went with his class at school. He obviously went for a green pumpkin. It is pretty cool looking. Richard and him carved the pumpkin together. Jacob was Woody (from toy story). He promptly broke his gun and then slowly started taking off his costume all through the night. By the end of the time he had nothing left actually on that resembled woody. =) I got some good pictures from him bobbing for apples too. We even made it through the night without the battery on our car dying (like last year). So it was great fun. I hope all of you had a nice Halloween!

Weekend Visit

2008-10-18T19:43:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we went to visit mom and dad. It was a very short trip, but a lot of fun. You can see that Rebekah has now learned how to drive the lawn mower. She had so much fun doing it. She got to pull the kids around in the trailer. You can see a picture of mom taking a picture with her new camera. It is really nice. I will put pictures from her camera on the blog too. Then you can see the drastic difference. Love you all!

Choir Concert

2008-10-13T19:23:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! We have had a very busy week. On Thursday Rebekah had her choir concert. She did very well. Richard wasn't able to go because it was parent teacher conferences. We sat by a couple who we know through girl scouts. The kids are all friends with them. Rebekah is with Sarah, who is also in choir. Alyssa is standing with Robin. Aaron is standing with Jimmy. I didn't get a picture of Jacob with Daniel because he ended up falling asleep. Then this weekend we went to mom and dad's house. I will be posting those pictures later this week. My mom got a new camera and it takes amazing photos. I will put some of hers on here too. Have a great week everyone!

Goddard Parade

2008-10-05T08:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we went to the Goddard parade. The Woodard clan also came with us. Goddard is where I work and it is not a very big town. That parade was really quite long and the kids loved it. They loved it of course because they got a TON of candy. Who needs Halloween? Just go to a parade. You will notice that Sydney is chewing on a cup. We got it from the parade. They were giving out URINE CUPS! Isn't that disgusting? So she totally loved it! =) The kids got their faces painted. Aaron found a can of silly string, so I felt that it was necessary to squirt my kids with it. This week Rebekah has her choir concert so hopefully I can get some pictures of her singing. She is even going to have a little speaking part in it. Then Alyssa has also joined a choir group through school. I am so proud!! =) Have a great week everyone!

Jacob's 6th Birthday

2008-09-21T08:51:00.002-05:00

I have promised to show pictures of the birthday and TA-DA, I have delivered! We had a great time. I love the facial expressions that Jacob makes opening his present. One picture Jasmine walked right in front of the camera when I was snapping the shot. It is pretty funny. We got this huge cake from Ryan and Leann that was a wedding cake. You can see the pink on it! =) To boy it up Richard threw a car on there! Jacob really didn't care, he is very laid back about that sort of thing. It was very yummy. I have frozen the rest of it because it is HUGE! We are getting ready to go to church right now. I hope that you all are doing well! Love you!

Visiting Parents

2008-09-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! This pictures are from a couple weekends ago when my parents came down to visit. Leann was very busy that day. She did my hair and nails and she also did Rebekah's hair. Rebekah has highlighting in her hair. It looks so cute. She seems so old now. It makes me a little sad. We had a great time. My favorite picture is of Leann and I and our big sunglasses! Dad thinks that we might be a little to excessive in the size of our sunglasses! =) Work is going really well. I love working with the kids. For those of you who don't know what a Para is, it is like a teacher's aide, except that I am also outside of the classroom teaching job skills. Richard has been doing great at his job too. He loves teaching. We are going to be celebrating Jacob's birthday today since his birthday is really on Tuesday. We just aren't going to have time. Maybe I will get the blog updated some more this weekend. Hope you all have a great weekend. It is supposed to be 80 degrees all week! Beautiful! Oh, for those of you who care. I am reading "The Shack" by William Young. It is a wonderful book that is about God's love. I would so recommend it for everyone.

School Pictures

2008-09-05T18:53:00.002-05:00

Obviously I have not updated the blog for a while. Sorry about that. These are the pictures of the first day of school. They have been doing really well. Rebekah loves math because her teacher makes it fun. She is doing much better than last year. Alyssa made a speech in front of the class for student council. She didn't get it, but I am so proud that she tried. She is also in the Benton Choir. Aaron is excelling in reading. He likes PE because of all the games that they get to play. Jacob is loving everything. It is so nice that I can now work during the day while they are at school. It has been wonderful. I love my job and I look forward to going to work everyday. It is only 15 min from the house. Anyway, Richard is at drill this weekend. He is just staying overnight in a motel so he wont be back until Sunday. Alyssa's eye therapy is going well. She is going to be done in November. On the 23rd is Jacob's birthday. He will be 6 can you believe it? I am still going to school online, but it is fun. Richard is going to start his master's degree in the spring. Last weekend Dad and Mom came down. It was a very nice time. However, while we were at Leann's house there was a huge lightning storm over here and so we had a big power surge. Pretty much anything that was connected to cable was ruined. Thank goodness my computer wasn't. We didn't lose anything major. We got another TV for only $40 so that was great. I will hopefully update more on the blog soon. Love you all!

Henri Frederic Amiel

2008-09-03T21:13:00.003-05:00

One does not improve through argument, but through examples... Be what you wish to make others become. Make yourself, not your words, a sermon.
Written by: Henri Frederic Amiel

Happy Birthday Isabelle

2008-08-16T11:20:00.002-05:00

Last weekend my parents and Ryan's mom came down to celebrate Isabelle's birthday. It was a lot of fun. Leann had planned little activities for the kids. You can see the pictures of the girls putting makeup on. It was really sweet. Isabelle had a wonderful time. We were over there all day pretty much. This week I started my new job as a para at Goddard High School. I LOVE my job. This week of course has been totally crazy. Ryan and Leann were gracious enough to watch our kids all week long. It was such a huge burden lifted off Richard and my shoulders. The kids started school on Thursday. Jacob will be starting Monday. He is really excited about it. All the kids love their teachers. Rebekah is now taking Choir. That's my girl!! =) This week is only going to be in the 80s so already we have been out riding bikes. I am going to wait till Monday to put the pictures of the kids on here from the first day of school. I hope you all have a great week!

Hangin' Out

2008-07-28T20:11:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to show some pictures of the kids. It is just us hanging out at home. Alyssa took a picture of her hamsters and so they are on here too. I went to the school to registar Alyssa, Aaron, and Jacob. Tomorrow it is Rebekah's turn. Let me just say that four kids is ALOT of paperwork. The kids start school August 14th. Have a great week!

The Lighted Path

2008-07-26T12:34:00.004-05:00

I have found a new website called "The Lighted Path". It is a website designed by Church of Christ women. It helps with day to day life. I would encourage every one to visit it. I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as I do.

http://www.lighted-path.net

Good Friends

2008-07-21T20:37:00.010-05:00

Hello everyone! We have had a very busy weekend. Troy and Laura Kronewitter were here. It was so great to see them. They have two cute little girls Violet and Hazel. Before we get to pictures of them, I wanted to show you a picture of Alyssa. This is her eye patch that she has to wear for two hours every day (one hour on each eye). She is getting eye therapy because her eyes do not work the way that they are supposed to. So I took a picture of her today. Doesn't she look cute? She told me I could call her "Patchy the Pirate"!! Ha!! She made a crown and was in a princess dress when I took the picture. It is pretty funny. She looks like she is a princess from the "wrong side of the tracks". Hee hee! Rebekah was playing the piano at Leann's house today. She was actually doing a very nice job making up a song. She is really excited for the day that she can babysit her cousins. She is always taking care of them. I am so proud of her.

Alyssa is eating corn on the cob here. She was sitting by herself. Not because she was in trouble, but because there were soooooo many kids that she couldn't find a chair at the table! =)

Aaron and Rebekah eating. Aaron was being a total boy and not opening his eyes. He is a goof ball.

Isabelle and Gideon did not want me to take a picture of them. I don't know why that was. This was the best that I could do. When we arrived at Leann's, Gideon came running outside while Richard and I were walking up. He was saying "Uncle Richard, Uncle Richard!". I had to cajole him to say hi to me and then he only called me "Mary". I can't even get an "Aunt". I am so loved. =)

Violet is in the foreground here. She was loving having her picture taken. Hazel is busy eating, but they were both wanting their picture to be taken. Jacob and Gideon were in the background. I think everyone just wanted to concentrate on eating and not smiling for the picture. Food is very important in my family! =)

Violet, Hazel, and Jacob again.

Troy and Laura. It was so great to see them again. Ryan, Richard, and Troy all went to see Batman yesterday and then they played Bocce today. I think that they had a good time. We girls were content to talk. It is what we do best!!

Laura and Leann. It was like old times again (and new times since there were kids). There are some very good memories. I am so thankful that we grew up around that family. Troy and Laura, Have a safe trip home, we love you!

The Fourth

2008-07-05T09:29:00.010-05:00

We had a great time on the fourth of July. The kids all picked out the fireworks that they wanted to light. It was the first year that we have allowed them to light fireworks. They loved it of course. The first time Aaron did it, he got so scared that it actually lit, he ran away dropping the punk behind him!! =) Richard and I stayed up after the kids went to bed and watched more fire works. How romantic!! =)This is Richard getting ready to help the kids with the fireworks.
Alyssa chose sparkling, loud fireworks. I think that she chose those becuase there was 4 in a package. That meant she got to light all 4!
Jasmine was running around like crazy. Apparently she loved the noise. However, after a few minutes of running around she just gave up and laid down.

Rebekah set one of her smoke bombs off a little to close to her foot and the sparks flew on her. Nothing like learning the hard way! She is fine and defiantly was more careful on which way the wind is blowing! =)Aaron had to use a lot of concentration trying to light this. He didn't seem to want to actually touch the fuse and the punk together. Needless to say, it took a while to get one lit.
Richard had to help Jacob with lighting. Then Jacob would run away to get away from it. It was funny. Today we are probably going to take our bikes over to the lake and ride around it. It should be lots of fun. Hope you all had a great fourth!!

Bikes Baby!!

2008-07-03T19:05:00.002-05:00

Yes, it is true! I finally have got pictures of us with our bikes on here. Alyssa also got her new glasses today. Apparently there was a mix up and the glasses have been there for a while. At least we have them now. She is fascinated with how much she is able to see now!! We are having a great time riding bikes. Jacob is now becoming pretty good at it. It was a perfect night to go bike riding. It was only 80 degrees!! All of you enjoy your summer!

Church Fireworks

2008-07-02T21:34:00.002-05:00

Tonight was the night of fireworks at the church. You can see that we had a great time. There were lots of people there. It was a lot of fun. We saved some fireworks for Friday. There was a roped area where people were to light the fireworks. Jacob burnt his finger on a sparkler. I really do not like sparklers, but someone gave it to him. All in all, we didn't have anything traumatic happen, so that is always a good thing in our family! =) Delaney and Emily are the girls standing with our girls. Then there is a picture of Pam and I. We go out to the comedy club together. It is a lot of fun. I will take more pictures on Friday when we do the last of our fireworks. The kids are each going to light one. Hope you all have a wonderful fourth of July!!

New Job

2008-07-02T16:52:00.007-05:00

This has nothing to do with my post, but it is a picture of Mt. Hood. Ahhh the good times of camping in Oregon. Memories.......

I just wanted to update everyone on my job interview. Yesterday I had my interview with the school district. Today I was offered a position in Goddard. It will be at Goddard High School and I will be a job coach/para. It is going to be great! It is the same kind of thing that I was doing at Mosaic. I will be driving the school van to take the kids to and from work. The high school is only 15 minutes from me so I am super excited. Thank you all for your prayers. Tonight we will have fireworks so I will post pictures of that tomorrow.

Garden Party

2008-06-29T22:29:00.006-05:00

On Saturday the girls and I went to a Garden Party. Leann and her girls went too. Gideon got to stay here with Uncle Richard and the boys. So these are just a couple pictures of the girls and me before we partied down!! Okay, really we went, ate, and made stepping stones. It was a super great time. Many women from the church were there. It is great to be able to get together with everyone and just talk. This first picture is one that Aaron took of us. I think that he did pretty well, I mean our heads aren't cut off or anything!I would like to point out that I am wearing a hat. One of the ladies at church told us that we were required to wear a hat. However, after her little laughing fit, I realized that she was lying to me! She is so funny! You will notice that I have not named her, for the sake of keeping her identity safe! =) But Leann and I wore one any way. I mean, hats are just so much fun to wear. I think we were the only ones who wore one. We are trend setters!!
Hope that you all have been having a wonderful week. I have my interview at the school district on Tuesday so please keep that in your prayers. I love you all!

Crazy Tounge

2008-06-26T08:40:00.005-05:00

I promised Leann that I would take a picture of my kids after church last night. We are having all summer bible camp on Wednesdays. So in the true fashion of VBS there must be snacks. As you can see last night was popcicles!! Yummy! Also, these are Rebekah and Aaron's glasses. They love them. Alyssa hasn't got hers in yet. Enjoy your day everyone!!