Happy May Day!

Wow...the first day of May brings such happiness to this mommy of three. We are in the home stretch! The boys and I are ready for this school year to be over. We are longing for the days of no appointments, no lessons, no assignment sheets, and no more teacher's dirty looks! :)

As a classroom teacher, this part of the year was always bittersweet. I longed for a more laid back schedule, but I couldn't handle the thought of letting go of my sweet students! Now, as a homeschooling teacher, the bitter part of the end of the school year is not there! I know that I will still see my students each and every day! I will still get hugs from them and not be forgotten when they meet their new teacher the following year. Nope...my poor kids are stuck with the same teacher year in and year out! :) Thank heavens they love it so much!

So...as we gaze ahead at our last month of the school year, we rejoice in all that we have learned, we take notes about what to do differently next year, and we strive to give our all when swimming, bike riding, and playing at the creek is ALL that we can think about! Hooray for the last month of school!

So Many Changes...

It is just about time that I add a new update to our very neglected blog. So much has changed since I last wrote. Hmmm...where to begin!

My wonderful and amazing husband is now a dispatcher for B-Line. He is really enjoying his new tasks. His schedule is much different and we are still adjusting to it! Thankfully, he now has weekends off...we have been waiting for over a year for that to happen! The biggest change is that he does not get home until after the kids have gone to bed...we are trying to have dinner for lunch and spending as much time together before he goes to work. Thank heavens for homeschooling! :)

Z just celebrated his 11th birthday! One of his favorite treats of the day was a waffle cone at Baskin Robbins. He was a happy camper! He has chosen to have a "nerd party" this weekend. We found perfect nerd glasses at the dollar store yesterday. I can't wait to watch him celebrate in "style". :)

My sweet A is really enjoying his guitar lessons this school year. This guy can play! I am constantly amazed at the gift that God has given him! I can't wait for A and Z to play together as they get better and better. Can't you imagine a brother worship band? Z on the piano, A on the guitar? I am so proud of my guy. He is growing and growing...and I don't mean just his height!

Our Little B is preparing herself for Kindergarten in the fall. I can't believe that it is just around the corner. She is full of imaginative play. I love to walk by her room hearing her having a conversation with her animals. As you can see in the picture...she loves to have fun in her cape and all!

Another change for our family is that I have begun my own Pampered Chef business. I am a few weeks into it and have been loving every minute! It has been a great way to supplement our income as well as a way for me to get out of the house and enjoy time shopping with wonderful ladies! ~insert shameless plug here~ So...if you are interested in Pampered Chef products and/or would like to host a show, let me know! I would love to make you dinner! www.pamperedchef.biz/kristiharper

Thanks for letting us share an update. Life is good when God is in control! My new favorite quote is:

"You may not be sure where God is taking you, but be rest assured that He does."

Our Christmas Letter 2009

Twas the Night Before Christmas 2009

Twas the night before Christmas and I sit down to write

All of the ideas in my head are having a real fight!

It is often overwhelming to look back through the year

God's faithfulness and provision are ever so near

Michael has been working very hard for the family he loves

While our every need was met from heaven above!

He has been working for B-Line driving the bus

And selling, delivering, and moving safes to provide for us.

The end of the year brought the end of our store

But God continues to bless our (now) home business galore!

Kristi is busy schooling her kids, answering phones, and being the social planner

She can't imagine her life in any other manner.

Zane is growing before our very eyes, not only in height, but maturity too

He has kept busy with piano lessons, classes, and being a reporter for our church's news.

Andrew has kept busy with activities of his own, like guitar, legos, and reading

He uses his gift of humor to bring laugther when we are needing.

Brianne is already four, but wishes that she was older by far.

She began gymnastics, loves to sing, likes school work, and going to the park.

Our days are very full with the busyness of being a family of five

Through His grace and mercy is the only way these parents survive.

We are so grateful for the events of this past year

And look forward to His will as we look ahead from here.

We wish you a Merry Christmas filled with blessings and more

As we remember the birth of His son, for that is what Christmas is for!

Bishop's Pumpkin Patch

One of our favorite field trips all year long is visiting Bishop's Pumpkin Patch in Wheatland. It would not be fall without a trip there! Enjoy the highlights of our trip!

Special Time with Daddy

There is nothing more special than a little girl's time with her daddy.

Anniversary Celebration

My husband of four years and I went away for the day to celebrate our anniversary which happens to still be a few days away. Our thought was to go to Redding and relive some of our favorite first dates. That was the plan anyway. Our day did not begin quite as we planned, but the rest was amazing. Sometimes our "plans" just aren't supposed to happen. We had such a wonderful time, just the two of us.

We started out by riding our bikes downtown to watch a bike race held on the streets of downtown Chico. We were so glad that we did not miss this! It was amazing! Our picture is not super great, but the racers are right behind my helmet!

We then went to Redding and walked across the Sundial Bridge (something we did on our very first meeting. Awwww....

My bicycle husband found this bike rack (?) near the river. The seat was not very comfortable, but he had to get on to take a few pictures. I love this guy!

We ended our evening by having dinner at one of our favorite Redding restaurants, Red Robin. Our waitress was wonderful and we had a very enjoyable time. Thank heavens for husbands that were created perfectly for us. I am a very blessed wife.

Dress Up Fun

Thrift Store + Halloween Costumes = Dress Up Fun for the Family! At our home, we do not celebrate Halloween. I actually quite despise the holiday. I love decorating the house with harvest decorations like autumn leaves, pumpkins, and gourds, do not get me wrong. But Halloween just does not have a spot in our home. Instead, we like to dress up whenever we have the chance! Ok, by we I mean our children. :) A local thrift store was having a 50% off sale today and they just happened to have dress up clothes (Halloween costumes) there. We scored! As you can see by the following pictures, we had a little too much fun. Too bad they didn't have anything my size! ;)

The boys wanted to do a picture movie. You just might have to use your imagine to figure out the plot of the above two pictures and Z's pictures below. :) Your guesses are as good as mine. :)