Changes, Changes, Changes...

Our poor little B has suffered from tonsillitis (again). She is being referred to an ENT to check things out further. She has been on many antibiotics over the past six months. In the above video you might be able to "hear" just how swollen her little tonsils were. She is doing much better now...so is mommy. We had a few nights of sleeping upright in a chair to allow the poor little one to breathe! When B wasn't laying around feeling yucky, she was singing her little heart out. I finally got it on video and am thrilled to share it with you!

A is still enjoying playing baseball. He is having a great time and is learning the game quickly! Our class is going on a skating field trip this week and we also have our annual speech meet in our classroom. He is VERY much looking forward to each day of school!

Z just got a new pair of glasses. He was so proud as he went to school for the first time with them. Unfortunately, no one noticed, but he was sure to tell as many people as possible. :) Z is looking forward to what we have in store this summer...VBS, flag football camp, and a trip to Six Flags with my family! Woo Hoo!

M just biked the Flat Flower...a bike ride put on in Chico every year. He rode 60 miles on Sunday morning and had a ball! I am SO proud of my husband! We are now calling him King of the 60 miles etc... Z would sarcastically ask, "Now, how many miles did you ride?" because M told us many times how far he had actually gone. That IS pretty amazing though!

Ok...ok...now for the changes that I have been talking about! Through many circumstances, we have decided to home school next year! We are all very excited about this new chapter. God has opened EVERY door possible. I just have to stand back in awe of all that He has done to bring us to this place. It also brings with it a little bit of anxiety. We would love your prayers as M makes decisions about his store. He feels that God is telling him to wait for now...we just don't know how long that will be. Please pray for wisdom for my amazing husband. He SO desires to lead his family where God wants us to go! I know that God has opened the door for me to be at home with all three of our wonderful children, so He will provide for our financial needs as well. We are just not sure what that is going to look like!

Spring is in the air...

Spring is such a wondeful season! You should see the trees here in our hometown...they are blooming brightly with very colorful flowers. What a sight! In our family, spring also means bike riding, baseball playing, and lots more outdoor fun!

Our Big Z is now 9. I can hardly believe where the time has gone. He is growing in every area of his life. We are so proud of him. He has officially grown out of his "little kid" bike. Daddy was thrilled to have a mission of finding him a nice "new" bicycle. Daddy was successful and Z was SO excited to find his new treasure in the back of his daddy's truck. M had asked him if he wanted to go for a bike ride...Z excitedly ran out to the garage to discover that his "little kid" bike was nowhere to be found. He began to panic, but followed M's suggestion to go searching for it. Upon opening the back of the big truck, Z was surprised to find a very exciting replacement. What a fun birthday surprise!

A is playing baseball this spring. He is having a BALL! He is doing "coach-pitch", which is a perfect starting point for him. We are so proud of his great sportsmanship and the huge smile that he carries throughout the entire game. Z and B are his biggest fans. They make up quite a cheering section!

Our little B is quite the singing sensation. She always seems to have a song in her heart. Whether it is the ABC's or Jesus Loves Me. Boy does she melt our hearts when she sings away. You can often find her coloring (with her left hand) while she sings and sings and sings. On some days her ABC's end like this...Q, R, S, Y, and Z..now I know my ABCD next time won't you sing with me. On a good day she actually sings the whole thing through! I can't believe the things she knows!

We are looking at a lot of changes in our future. Through all of the prospects, we know that God is in control and that He has a MIGHTY plan for our little family. Sometimes it amazes me to sit back and think that God can hear my prayers (my problems) at the same time that He is listening to others' as well! We serve an amazing God. We are so thankful that He listens to us and wants what is best for our family. Please pray that we will see what He has for us!

Walking Where He Leads

One thing that I have learned is that God's ways are SO much better than mine. I am reminded of this every time I look at my amazing family. God has incredibly blessed me with a loving husband and three beautiful children. It was in His perfect timing and His perfect way!
So, I must catch you up on the happenings of our family!
My sweet A is showing his pearly whites in this picture. He is celebrating the 100th day of school along with his 4th grade big buddy. A thinks that his buddy is the bestest of all!
This is me with my teaching partner! We are having a ball together. We asked one of her students to take our picture...we really are wearing 100th Day of School hats, but they were cut off. Oh well! :) God has placed this friend in my life for very special reasons.
Speaking of placing in my life...I am so blessed that God has placed my children in my life. I also love that God has such an amazing sense of humor! I feel that He sometimes shares it with us through our children. :) The other day, I made Little B a piece of toast. I spread a thin layer of butter on it and set it in front of her. I then went into my bedroom to finish getting ready. I heard her stool scooting across the floor, but didn't think too much about it. When I walked out a minute later, she was sitting on her stool with a butter knife and the butter. She had pulled the butter knife out of the silverware drawer and the butter off of the counter. She was very successfully spreading the butter across her toast and her hand! She was SO proud of herself! I had to get a picture!
We were able to celebrate Easter a little early with my parents. They hid 61 eggs around their home...as it was SNOWING outside! :) Z, A, and B had a blast searching for the eggs. As you can see, Z became a little possessive of his treasures. The smile on his face shows just how serious he was about keeping his eggs from his little sister.

Have a VERY Happy Easter!

Time Just Slips Away

I can't believe that it has taken me so long to update all of you! Where does the time go? I'm sure that you are all in the same boat!

Z is getting ready to go to an all day chess tournament at Butte College. He is very excited about it! He really enjoys the ins and outs of this game. And he's getting pretty good. His teacher went into the hospital this morning to give birth to her first baby girl. Z is so excited for his teacher, but misses her very much as she is away on maternity leave.

A just turned 7! He had a very fun birthday party here at our house with wonderful kids from his class. He had a "school birthday party". Our school's mascot is the Lions, so he wanted to have a Lion birthday party. :) It evolved into being a Safari birthday party with the central theme being the lion. :) They made lion faces, went on a safari looking for safari animals (and birthday presents), and had a lion pinata! It was so fun to watch them run all over the house searching for the clues! I will remember that for a long time...I hope A does too!

B really enjoyed the lion mascot that made a surprise appearance. She wasn't too sure what to think at first, but by the end was letting the lion carry her around for pictures. B is the proud owner of a "big girl bed". She feels so grown up! We had to make the switch when we were awoken by her cute little footsteps by our bed one Saturday morning a few weeks back. She had crawled out of her crib showing us that the time had come! Amazingly, she has made the trasition VERY easily. Thanks to a very smart daddy!

M and I are so proud of our little ones. We have a pretty amazing job...being the parents of such wonderful children. We thank God for them every day!

Ring Around the Rosie...

Little B's favorite new game is to play "Ring Around the Rosie". Z and A are having a ball playing right along with her. This is a video of one of their many "swinging" episodes. This usually turns into a dogpile of giggling cuties! She is blessed with AMAZING brothers!

Happy New Year!

I'm back!!! The Christmas Season pulled me away from my regular blogging (but boy did we have fun!). :) I will have to catch you up today! :)

Life is full of exciting firsts, family time, baseball sign-ups, birthdays, lesson planning. But most of all, just sitting back and watching my children grow right before my very eyes!

Z is maturing more and more every day. He has made the neatest friends at church and school...playdates running out of his ears! A is just a bundle of joy. I am SO thrilled that we chose to have him in my class this year. I have treasured every moment of it. He also has made many friends and is reading like crazy!!! Today we signed him up for his first season of T-ball. I can't wait to go and cheer him on! Little B always has a song to sing (whether she learned it at school or from Elmo on her new DVD). She is talking and talking and copying and copying. She says the funniest things!

My wonderful husband blessed me with an amazing birthday. You know that your husband loves you (and is thinking of you) when he calls all throughout the day and leaves adorable messages. I am a blessed wife! That night we went out for dinner and then I took the boys to watch "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" - the new Veggie Tales movie. What fun! On the outside of my birthday card envelope, Michael wrote 26, 27, 28, 29, 29, 29... You do the math! :)

I am including a few random pictures from the past month. I hope that you enjoy seeing how much our children are growing! In one of the pictures, B has put a head band on her forehead. I then called her Pocahontas (which she repeated right back to me...every syllable as clear as can be!)

Under the Weather

Our poor baby girl has not been feeling so well...actually she has been a bit grumpy. We could not figure out what was wrong! One moment she was completely happy and dancing around the house, and the next moment she was crying (or screaming) at the littlest things. Today I took her to the doctor...she has Strep Throat. Can you believe it? The doctor said that she should have a temperature of 103 and be lying around lethargic...instead she was dancing around the room at the doctor's office. Silly goose.