Big News

Well the big news is that we have decided not to join the military. It was a very long decision for us, and Dh was doing really well at OTS, but ultimately we felt that the military was just not where we were called to be.

A big Thank-You to Meme and Mom for sending all the goodies home with Dh! I think about six dozen cookies made it home to uneaten. Luckily I bagged them up and put some in the freezer, because it turned out that there were worms in the bottom of the box. Thanks Meme! The kids loved them, and your picture is on the way. :D

Fire Trucks!

We had such an exciting day last Friday!
We had set out for the library, and when we pulled in I noticed two fire trucks in an empty lot down the road. It did not look like an emergency response so I asked the kids if they wanted to drive over and watch. When we got there the signs said it was a training exercise. I parked across the street and opened the door so the kids could watch.

After a few minutes a fireman headed our way and I figured he was going to ask us to leave, but as you can see from the pictures they invited us over! They were so kind and let the kids ride in the fire truck, look at all the gear, and ask questions. The nice fireman, John, was telling us that the exercises was county wide, and that they were training for the forest fires. He said that they had gotten started early that morning and were just finishing up and getting ready to go.

When we had no more questions and the kids had seen all they could, we thanked them all, and I told the kids that we could sit and watch the (4!!) fire trucks while they put away their gear.

But, we were in for one more surprise. While we were watching, fire trucks from all over the county started to show up. I put the kids to work using their counting skills, but soon it was higher than Mr. could count; 21 in all!! The kids were so excited!

I couldn't fit them all in one picture.

Even the Forestry service was there, and firemen, firemen everywhere! What a treat! After a What-to-do-if-you-have-a-hose-leak demonstration we headed for home. It was a really warm day, and the kids were happy and tired. We had been there for about 1 1/2 hours, and never made it to the library, but I think we had more fun!

The evening brought even more excitement for the kids, since Grandpa (from Colorado) came by for a visit. Sunshine talked his ear off, while Mr. did his best to beat him up, and BabyGirl just showed off her fancy walking. They where so happy, and when he took us out for ice cream they were pretty sure the day couldn't have gotten any better!
It was a really fun day, but it did get better, at least for me, because as soon as I put them in bed they went to sleep without a word ;).

My beautiful corner

Here is a picture of my beautiful corner of the world. I think it is my favorite place in our home. It's not much bigger than the picture shows, but that is good because I would have a hard time keeping up with anything bigger.

I sometimes wonder why I try so hard to keep it clean and tidy; it is outside after all . I have given the kids rules about throwing dirt all over, striping the leaves off the plants, and smashing snails everywhere. These rules are broken quite often, as these are the things kids like to do, and I feel like we are always cleaning it back up. Wouldn't it be easier to just let the kids have free rein?

And yes it would be, but the truth is I need this beautiful little space just as much as they do, so for now we will all have to share. They will just have to save their dirt digging for the park.

They are allowed to play with the rocks though. Mr says he can hear the ocean in this one.

That was the plan...

We went to a Theology of the Body talk at our church tonight. I called ahead to see if there would be childcare, there wasn't, but our pastor was very nice and told me to come anyway. I figured I would give it a try and if the kids got to busy I would leave. That was the plan, but as soon as I got the kids unloaded at the church I realized I had locked the keys in the van. Yeah. - I'm sure this is not true, but I could just imagine a big grin on our Lords face and him saying "You really need to be at this talk, now you have no excuse to leave early!"- So, of course, we stayed for the whole talk, and it was wonderful. The kids were pretty good too, and afterward a nice couple drove me back to the house to pick up our spare key. (Dh is out of town, in case you didn't know.) I was really nervous though, partly because I had to leave all the kids at the church (I just didn't know what they would do to the poor babysitters while I was gone), and partly because I didn't know how I was going to get in the house once I got there! Luckily I had left the upstairs window open. I was able to climb up the fence, across the porch roof, and in the window; in my church dress! I must have been quite a sight! :D It took about 30 seconds to get from the porch, through the house, and back out the front door with the key. No joke. It was a little alarming to know it was that easy to break in to my house, and I didn't even have a plan first. Anyway, everything turned out just fine. The moral of the story? I don't know, but this song was playing on the way home :D. Even when things don't go quite how I plan them the Lord seems to take care of us anyway.

Judge rules family can't refuse chemo for boy

Judge rules family can't refuse chemo for son.

This is a sad story. Perhaps there is another side to it, but as far as I can tell this is all about parents rights and freedom to raise our children as we see best. Every parent has different views about what is "right", and no one should be able to take those away. The parents are not killing their son, their son has a natural disease. It is very sad but true, and the decision of how/if to treat his disease should be left up to the family. It reminds me of a quote I read a long time ago:

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;

And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;

And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;

And then... they came for me... And by that time there was no one left to speak up."

-Pastor Martin Niemöller

I may not agree with the choices of this family, but I do believe that they should have a right to make them.

Class #2

(The kids are playing with the parachute.)

Monday the kids had their second gymnastics class. It went really well; they were a little timid at the beginning but quickly joined in. I was able to go and sit upstairs in the viewing area, which was a huge accomplishment. As I sat up there I was really thrilled to see Sunshine listening to her teacher and working with her class. I was watching Mr. too, and he seemed eager to be in the class as well, until his teacher would turn around. Then he would wonder, or run, off. The poor teacher had to keep bringing him back. Most of the time he thought it was funny; except, of course, for the time he spit at her (disciplinary action followed there and at home). As I watched her bring him back over and over I realized that I am raising Spaceman Spiff (of Calvin and Hobbes). I'm sure that many mothers of little boys feel this way, but I truly wonder sometimes if he actually sees the teacher as a giant alien. Anyway, the class went well and much was learned. Not just how to tumble and swing from a bar, but how to be respectful of other adults, interact in a new setting, and many other important everyday skills. The moments are small, and I do not always feel like the message is getting through, but I can see the little victories. As each lesson builds on the last they grow a little stronger and a little smarter, and I feel very blessed to be the one guiding them through this adventure of growing up.

The Flower of love

I love roses, and this week I have been delightfully lucky to be surrounded by them! Let me take you on a tour:

The rose bush I mentioned in an earlier post has just exploded with blooms, and even with a little more help from the junior gardeners it is just beautiful!

Another treat is the star jasmine (another favorite of mine) next to it has bloomed as well, and the smell is amazing!

Here is the lovely bouquet that my in laws sent me for mother's day! (Thank you! They are gorgeous!) The kids were kind enough to pose with them for my picture.

These are the roses that Dh sent me, they haven't all bloomed out yet so they only get more beautiful each day! I love the yellow, orange, and pink ones! My other bouquet is on the white shelf and the little purple flowers are from Sunshine.

And last, but certainly not least! Here are my little beauties on Mother's day. After mass we went to a pancake breakfast put on by the Knights of Columbus, and afterward the kids were each given a rose. Pink, of course, for Sunshine and yellow for little Mr.
I just love that you can see the Pismo Beach sign in the back ground :D.

Here is a picture that Dh sent me from OTS.
He just looks hot in a uniform, there is nothing else to say about it. ;)
Love you Babe!

Happy Mother's Day Grandma!

We love you!

Happy Mother's Day Noni!

We love you!

Vision Forum Giveaway

Vision Forum Giveaway! Vote for your prize

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More Baby doll Pictures

These picture are so cute I just couldn't resist posting some more!

Here she is patting her baby on the back.

She is getting really good at carrying things and walking at the same time.

Here she is trying to put the baby in the stroller.

I'm not sure where she learned this technique.

Well, it was a good try. :D

Baby Dolls

BabyGirl found Mr's apron the other day and kept trying to put it on, so I helped her out, and tied it on her. She was so cute and wore it for the longest time!

She has also discovered baby dolls (we have a lot of babydolls!) and has been carrying them around the house, patting them on the back, and putting them in the little stroller. I just love it! I thought she was a little young to pick that up, but I guess the time has just really gone by fast.

Babygirl is holding PinkBaby, Sunshine's favorite doll.

Sunshine is practicing her "gymnastics" on the back of the high chair. She has been really sweet, and has been very willing to share her dolls now that BabyGirl is showing an interest in big-girl toys. Although, she still keeps PinkBaby to herself most of the time ;)

Class Time!

Here is a little update on the Class Time? post from a few weeks ago:

Thank you to all the wonderful friends and family who offered their advice; we did decide to try again, and we found a class perfect for the kids!!
This morning I took the kids to try-out a gymnastics class recommended by my friend. They did so good!

(Mr. is in the red shirt)
I did a lot of prepping ahead with the kids, about listening to the teacher and working with the class, before we got there. But I was still nervous , and as soon as I sent them in to class I stated to see a repeat of the same behavior as before. I thought maybe this wasn't going to work out, but after talking to each of their teachers and working with the kids a little, things got much better. I had put them in separate classes to see if they would do better. (Separate but at the same time.) It was a little challenging running back and forth to help them both, but once they started to get the hang of it and listen to the teachers I was able to step back and let them go.

(Sorry the pics are blurry, I was holding BabyGirl :)
It was great to see them working independently from me and each other. They are together all the time, so I was glad that they had a chance to be on their own for a bit. BabyGirl was glad to get my attention back too, since she had to sit in the stroller for most of the class :)

(Sunshine is in the yellow shirt.)
Sunshine did run off at the end of class, but luckily it was only to the door. She was mad and did not want to leave; not perfect but better. We'll keep working on that.
And the discount card I was looking for at the Outlets the other day(the one no longer being made), they had one there for me. $30 off!!

Always something

I thought I wouldn't have anything to blog about today, but I did find something after all.

I was upstairs getting the baby ready for bed, and I figured I would fold some clothes since the kids were playing together so nicely. I could hear them happily chattering away downstairs while I finished folding. It was just one load, so I was upstairs maybe 10-15 minutes. then I came down the stairs and found this:

You can see that the yellow shelf is empty.

And the white shelf is empty.

The movie shelf was empty too. It was quite a pile.

They said that they were filling up an invisible wagon. I did laugh, but only out of shock and disbelief. BabyGirl thought it was pretty great too, until she realized she couldn't get her stroller out.

The only up-side was that the rest of the downstairs looked very clean.