Bridal Shower

Last night Abby and I attended a bridal shower for our friend, Ashley. I am good friends with her mom, and Ashley taught a girls Bible study last summer to some of the teen girls from church at her home once a week. Ashley and her mom also co-teach Abby's wednesday night Girl's Ministries class. She is marrying Bryce. Bryce is the brother of her very best friend. It has been a privilege to be able to know these two young people and watch their relationship blossom. They both coached teams for Teen Bible Quiz, having gone through the program themselves. What a blessing for my kids to see such a Christ centered relationship between two young adults. Abby was so excited to go to the bridal shower. She couldn't remember any others that she has been to. She was too little to remember any. We had fun shopping for a gift. Talking about boys, marriage(later on!), and setting up a household and what that all entails :) The shower itself was beautiful! One of the ladies from church who has known Ashley since she was a child shared a beautiful devotional. There were some fun games, yummy desserts, great fellowship. So fun to watch her open her gifts. At the end she shared her love story, the one she waited on God to write. So beautiful and enspiring to the young ladies that were there. Her mom in law to be prayed a beautiful prayer over her that left tears in my eyes. One of the things we did, was to write marriage advice to Ashley on slips of paper. She read some of them out loud. I was curious as to what Abby would write, considering she is 14 and not married! Ashley read hers. It said "The first key to a good marriage is to get Married." LOL What a silly girl. The women all got a kick out of it though! We are excited for Bryce and Ashley's wedding. They get married two days before we leave for CA! Be Blessed!

Where is the bride and fire engines!

Goodness! What a weekend! Paul was gone for drill all weekend, so it was me and the kids. We were quite busy with many things going on. Saturday afternoon we headed out to Wilder, Idaho for the wedding I previously talked about. It's about a 45 minute drive from here. Well, the wedding didn't happen! She didn't show up. I'm not sure what happened and I haven't been able to talk to her. There are rumors and such, but I don't know for sure so won't share those here. I did find out that they already married. I do pray that they work out whatever it is and get off to a better start with their marriage and I hope to be able to communicate with her soon. That is the first time I've ever attended a wedding that didn't happen. And it was quite interesting and hard to explain to the kids! If you do think about it, I know most everyone reading probably doesn't know them, but could you say some prayers for the couple? They are quite young but I know with God they could have a marvelous marriage! Since the wedding didn't happen, we were back in Boise earlier that expected. Abby's best friend was dancing in her ballet company's end of year recital that evening. Abby had really wanted to go. So we did. It was beautiful! We knew the two star dancers and many others from our homeschool co-op. Towards the end the fire alarm went off and we all had to leave the building for about 20 minutes. Turns out a little boy pulled the alarm. I was amazed at some of the stuff other people were saying. It was awful. I just remember being a mom of littles and it only takes one second of looking away for something like that to happen! They resumed the ballet and did a great job :) We stopped for dinner with some friends on the way home, had a great time visiting. Had some minor van trouble on the way home, but was able to make it home, figure out what it was and fix it.(It's great to have a son that knows so much about cars when hubby is gone!). Sunday, we got up for church. Sunday school was great. It was neat to see the husbands/dads resolve to lead their families with God. If you haven't ever seen it, go see the movie "Courageous". Church service was also good. We had a special speaker who had held an Intensive Bible study seminar this weekend. I heard the seminar was good. He shared a bit about that and about his travels as a missionary. Very good! After church we went to a friends home for a potluck and fellowship with our marriage sunday school class. While I missed having hubby with me, I did have a good time fellowshipping! I am going to really miss these people! We left the potluck, came home, fixed dinner so it was ready when Paul got home and then spent time getting ready for the new week. This will be our last week of homeschooling for the "school" year :) Abby and I will be attending a bridal shower tonight for another friend getting married next week. We are excited to help Ashley celebrate :) Next weekend we will be going to Twin to visit family and attend Paul's brother's wedding :) Tis the season for weddings! Be Blessed!

One Month From Yesterday

One month form yesterday we leave for California. I was in the kitchen yesterday afternoon and Abby came in and said "Mom,it's the 18th". I didn't get it at first...then it dawned on me, 18th of May, we leave 18th of June. I didn't realize she was keeping close track. Both kids haven't talked much lately about moving. They've talked a little bit about California and they are really interested when Paul and I have been looking at houses online. They've also been VERY busy with activities and life, so I wasn't so sure it's even been on their minds. Apparantly, it has been. They have matured alot, while they are sad to leave, they both do seem genuinely excited to move. Abby calls it the adventure! Jacob is ready for it to happen so we can get settled. Then he gets driver's training and may be allowed to get a part time job. He is very much looking forward to those two things. I mentioned we've been busy. Co-op is done. We had our last parent meeting for the year on Thursday evening. The whole family was invited to view displays of what the classes have been doing. Also, the drama class presented the play they have been working on. Abby was a part of the drama. She played Odysseus. It was a comical/satire of the Trojan War. Pretty funny and all the kids did a wonderful job! Yesterday, I got up and went to another homeschool mom's home with about 10 other families. Had a multi family curriculum/yard sale. I priced to sell and did quite well, selling most everything! Last night Abby had a pizza and game night with her Friends(Girls Ministries) class for winning "Penny Wars". So Jacob and I dropped her off and went and had dinner together. Paul is away this weekend for Drill. Today, we have a wedding to attend. We know Jenny from church. I think she had attended way before we moved here. She had moved away in high school and moved back this year. She helped out with the Teen Bible Quiz and that is how we got to know her. She is marrying her fiance, Josh today. He is a new Marine. It's been fun to talk with her and watch as she has planned her wedding and getting ready to be a military wife. Brought back lots of memories for me as I became a military wife when I married Paul(almost 19 years ago!). Tomorrow will be church. It's our last Sunday School day. Sunday school takes a break from Memorial day through Labor day. In our marriage class we've been talking about the "Resolution" from the movie "Courageous". It's been really good! Tomorrow morning in Sunday School quite a few families will be signing their own "Resolution". Quite awesome if you ask me! We don't get to participate and I'm quite sad about that. Paul has to work, they are out in the training areas all weekend and he can't even make it in for just an hour or two. :( But we already have committed long ago to may of the points of the Resolution and have lived by it for many, many years. The ceremony and signing would have just been a physical memory of it. Well, I should go start getting the kids moving for the day! Be Blessed!

Hurting for my son

We just got back from spending 3 days with Paul's dad and family. It was alot of fun. I'll try and post on it tomorrow. But right now my mommy heart is hurting for my son. He had his feelings deeply hurt by a friend. A friend who I'm not sure even realizes that it hurt. It's difficult and it will be a few days before we can even attempt to address it with the friend. Probably a good thing for me, so I can calm down and pray about how/if to proceed. I do have to say, that although upset, Jake handled it pretty well. My boy is growing up! But it still deeply hurts to see him hurt :( Be Blessed!

Xrays?

The last two days have been quite eventful. Yesterday, our homeschool co-op met in the morning. I got there early as I put up room signs and then I teach first hour, so I like to get in and get my room set up. Abby was next door(divided portable room) helping to move tables for her drama class(no teacher was there yet). I ran around to check the thermostat because my room was HOT(they share a thermorstat), just as I walked in the room I saw Abby lift a 6 foot long HEAVY table to tip it thinking her friend had the other side. Nope! And it fell right on her left foot. The angle I was at I wasn't sure it had actually hit her foot at first. I yelled if she was alright and all she could do was look at me and I saw the tears welling up in her eyes. Ran over and lifted the table. Got her to a chair and checked out her foot. Big toe was already swelling, but she could move it though it was painful. I asked her if she wanted me to call daddy and see if he could take her to the doctor. She decided it wasn't hurting too bad and wanted to stay in class. She had stopped crying, so I let her stay and went next door to teach. I don't have a class 2nd hour, so I went to check on her. She wanted to stay, it only hurt alot if she stood on it. So I called the doctor while she was in class. They called back and said since it was her big toe, that it would probably be a good idea to take her in and have xrays. They were concerned it may have hit another part of her foot and affected the growth plates. Class was almost over, so I waited the few minutes then grabbed her and Jacob and headed to Urgent Care. By the time we got there, she was limping pretty bad. They offered her a wheel chair, but she didn't want it. We saw the doctor, the only thing that hurt was her toe, but they went ahead and sent her to xray. They did the whole foot. No broken toe, and we did find out that her growth plate in her foot is fused and done growing :) Her toe is black and blue under the toenail. Really hoping she doesn't lose the nail. She followed doctors orders and was off of it for 24 hours. We went to lunch today, but then she was off of it the rest of the day. She has convention this weekend for Girl's Ministries, she went tonight, but I told her to try to stay off of it as much as possible. She has to hand down her title at pageant tomorrow night, though she may be wearing her converse with her dress instead of her pretty sandals with the heel!

My new phone(Paul and I upgraded to smart phones and handed down our old phones to the kids a couple weeks ago) hasn't been working right, and yesterday I kept missing calls because it wouldn't let me answer. It was also turning itself off mulitple times a day. So went to the TMobile store. They right away said it was defective and would replace it. Then tried to charge me shipping and restocking fees!Um....NO. I was within their 14 day policy and still had to fight to the point of pointing out that we purchased it on 31 of March and it was only 12 of April. He kept trying to say I was a month past the 14 days! I left with a new phone and not owing anything. I do have to go back when the manager is there, because I don't think I should have to purchase a new screen protector when the phone was defective, not damaged because of me.....Argh!

Today, Paul's dad and stepmom and sister were in town for an appt. We were able to all meet them for lunch at TGIFridays. Yum! Haven't been there in a long time. Even Paul was able to take an early lunch and meet us up there :)

Kids finished school when we got home. Got Abby ready and ran her up to the church. Came home and had chicken tacos for dinner. I had put the chicken in the crockpot this morning. LOVE crockpot meals!

Be Blessed!

Egg Salad Anyone?

I love the week after Easter. It seems to start the season of egg salad. LOL! Enjoyed a yummy egg salad sandwich. I'm really loving the new sandwich thins they are selling in place of buns in the stores. So light and yummy :)

Just another regular day around here. Kids finished their schoolwork before lunch. This is getting easier for them to do, as we are starting to finish up some school subjects. Abby has finished Literature and Bible. Jacob has finished his Vocabulary/Spelling/Grammar. They still have things to do after lunch, review for Bible quiz(we have district and regional competitions just around the corner) and music practice.

Wednesdays are guitar lesson days. Abby's best friend takes lessons from the same teacher as well as her brother and sister. So Abby recently switched her lesson time and goes with. So my friend, Sarah, spends two hours at guitar lessons every wed afternoon. Her idea! But such a blessing to me! It also allows the girls to sometimes join their lesson together(they have been playing at various things together quite often) and spend some time together while waiting on her siblings to get done.

Jacob usually tries to fit in some video game time while she's gone. Though more recently he has forgone video game time for some chat time with a friend(who is a girl!). These kids are growing up too quickly for this mama!

Tonight we have church. Paul goes to Pastor Ed's Bible study. Jacob goes to youth group. Once a month he runs the sound system during youth. Tonight is his night to do so. Abby has her Friend's club meeting(Girl's Ministries, used to be Missionettes). I started the year helping in Friend's Club, but my friend, Debbie, is teaching the kindergarten girls in Daisies and the class grew fairly quickly at the beginning of the year. So I now help/co-teach with her. It is so much fun and such a delight to be with those little girls. But it is VERY tiring as well :)

Tomorrow is our co-op day. We are participating in a homeschool co-op that meets at our church twice a month. This semester I've been teaching a literature class to 4th-6th graders. We are doing a unit study with the Narnia books. So I've spent some time today gathering up my supplies. Jacob is taking a high school astronomy class and and economics class. Abby is taking yearbook and drama. We are going to miss our little co-op!

Well, they've been watching for thunderstorms all day and it sounds like they are here. So I will shut down for now.

Be Blessed!

April 10, 2012

In an effort to blog more regularly, I need to put up a post. Nothing exciting going on though. Just our regular days :) Sunday, Easter was great! They served breakfast at church from 8:30-10. Paul and Abby had to be there early for choir practice. Jacob and I got there about 9. They were having special music from 9-10 while "breakfasters" finished eating and came over to wait for service to start. Abby and her friend, Maranda played guitar together for that. They did a great job :) We had a wonderful service, the choir did amazing. I think they should have the choir more often! After church we had lunch and then headed out to the greenbelt along the Boise river. We walked for quite awhile. It was sunny and 75 degrees, just beautiful. The river is running really fast and high right now, it was amazing to watch it. We wanted to take our bikes down, but we have to get a hitch and a bike rack for the van. We sold the truck last month! Paul decided he needed a more efficient car because it looks like he will have a bit of a commute in CA and the gas prices just keep getting higher.

Yesterday, was just a school day, laundry day. Thought we might get outside, but never did. Paul stopped and got new rear tires put on my van.

Today, the kids are working on school. We are anticipating some time outside with friends after lunch. Not sure if we are going to the park or the Nature center.

I'll keep trying to post :) But that's it for now.

Be Blessed!