Dan, Liz and Family

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

I can't believe all of the children stayed up until the New Year began. Hilarie was a bit confused when I wished her Happy Birthday. Now that she has slept, she has accepted her birthday wishes with a smile. She would have none of that at 12:10 this morning.

So, today we celebrate the 5th birthday of our youngest child. I still have a hard time getting used to having my youngest getting older. I know, I know, everyone does.

We have had a nice break from school and I am very ready to get back into our routine. Our oldest daughter and her hubby will be home for a visit from Pennsylvania later this month. That should prove to be good motivation for everyone to work hard on their studies this month so that we can take a break while they are here.

Ready for Christmas

2010-12-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to announce that I have finished my Christmas shopping. That even includes the stockings. Whew, now I can enjoy the rest of the month doing fun things with the children. We are doing a light school schedule this month and this is helping to reduce my stress level and allowing me to actually enjoy the season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2010-05-25T00:43:00.000-07:00

Haylee made this video for me for Mother's Day 2010.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

Wow!! 2009 seemed to just fly by. Like any other year, it had its joys and its trials.

*We welcomed another son-in-law to our family.

*We watched our oldest daugher and her hubby ride off into the sunset, all the way to the other side of the US.
*A few days after that, at 15 weeks along, we miscarried.

*We added another driver to our family...that is a joy and a trial.

*I was able to get away for a couple weekends with my mom and enjoyed time to chat and scrapbook and watch movies and fix her computer problems.

*I celebrated 25 years of marriage to my wonderful, hard working husband. We had planned a weekend get-away but a couple months earlier my washer broke, beyond repair so,

*I got my first front loader washer...I love it. Just need the dryer to match.

*I failed at blogging again this year, I think I just have to settle for blogging when I can and not worry about when I can't.

*I was stretched to grow in new ways this year. My word for last year was GRACE. I still have a ways to go, but I can see where I have grown.

*My word for 2010 is GRATITUDE. *We celebrated our first Thanksgiving and Christmas without one of our children home. That was terribly hard but was made easier because of Skype.

*Of course birthdays, Heather turned 24, Hollie turned 21, Heide turned 17, Joseph turned 15, Haylee turned 14, Jonathan turned 13, Joshua turned 10, Jacob turned 8, James turned 5 and Hilarie turned 3 in 2009 and today she turned 4.

*Can you say H1N1? Fortunately for our family everyone faired well. All the boys (including Dad) got it at the same time. The house was quiet for 5 days!!!

*At the beginning of the year we had three in braces and at the end of the year we are down to 2 in braces. Braces are expensive especially when you multiply it by 3. We praise God for His provision and I am very grateful to my hard working husband.

I am looking forward to 2010 with all the joys and trials that it holds for us. I know that God holds each of us in His hands and He knows all that will happen this next year. I will rest daily in His grace and rely on the strength that He provides. I know that God works all things together for good and even when I don't understand, I can trust and rest in Him.

Happy New Year!!!