sixbehrs

Hobo supper

2010-10-20T21:09:00.004-06:00

It was a gorgeous day for our church's annual Hobo Supper/Hayrack Ride. We all had a great time this year. These things get more and more fun as the kids get older.
Paul on the zipline

And, yep, that's miss Sonya. On the way there, Olivia was saying she wanted to do it...but when she saw what a zipline actually is, and how deep the canyon is, she changed her mind. However, Sonya decided it looked like fun. She smiled the whole way across, and was smiling when she got back. She would have gone again, I think, but we had gotten there a little late, so there was no more time.

Sonya, Ashton, and Collin doing some exploring. When they got back from climbing the little hill, I asked Sonya what they had talked about. She said, "dinosaurs."

Olivia hanging out with her buddy Garrett.

Garrett makes her laugh frequently.

Aaron caught this one of Miranda. We felt fortunate to get it!

The corn was a huge hit!

Aaron and Miranda have an interesting relationship....

....but she loves her daddy a lot.

talking about football, maybe?

Football!

2010-10-20T09:03:00.004-06:00

Paul enjoyed his first sports experience as a jr. higher. We were able to attend most of his games. These are the best two shots I got....I hope I will improve by the time he's in high school!

#11...looking more like a man every day...and sounding like one, too.

Right in the middle of the picture, in the red helmet. He made some nice runs for touchdowns several times. We were proud!

2010-09-14T20:36:00.004-06:00

We've had some wonderful weather lately...there's just something about late summer/early fall that I love. We've taken advantage of that by spending some time at the park.

The big kids only enjoy it if Aaron comes so they can play ball tag with him.

Olivia and her monkey had a good time playing in the gravel, swinging, and going down slides.

Look! I got pictures of Miranda...smiling, even! Of course, she didn't know I was taking them....

Oops...looks like Miranda is going to get out!

And in other news, Miss Sonya lost another tooth....number two, and she just turned 5!

1st day of preschool

2010-09-07T22:04:00.002-06:00

I guess Sonya has been the star of my blog lately.....better work on keeping it fair! I doubt, however, that Miranda minds! Sonya started preschool today, and seemed to have a good time. She was saying that she didn't really want to go, but she got on the bus without any problems, and had a smile on her face at the end of the day, so I think it was a success!

I know it looks like she had to carry a ton of bricks in there....but no, just a box of kleenex, a roll of paper towels, and a roll of Clorox wipes.

I love her smile!

Sonya's 5th

2010-08-30T20:36:00.005-06:00

We celebrated Sonya's 5th birthday yesterday. She woke up and announced that she was still the same size. It was a fun day.

My baby is growing up. As someone on facebook so aptly put it, "think of the alternative." It makes us sad to know that our children are growing up, but I know that I am very blessed that Sonya is a happy, healthy 5-yr. old. May you have many more wonderful birthdays, Sonya. We love you.
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Sonya's song

2010-08-29T17:48:00.003-06:00

A month or so ago, when I noticed that we had special music coming up in church, I asked the fam if anyone was interested in doing something....All of the kids have sung with us a few times, but no one was jumping up and down to do it this time...except Sonya. She was very willing. I tried to talk Olivia into singing with her, but she wouldn't, which is interesting because Olivia is far from shy. I have discovered, being a performer myself, that there are different types of shy...I can be fairly shy in some situations, but singing in front of people (even hundreds) doesn't phase me. Anyway, Sonya chose to sing "I've got the Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart." She's been singing it her own way for so long, and we always laughed at how she sang it, so it was tough to change her habits at the last minute :) I'm proud of her for following through on it, and singing with such great joy. I hope she will do it again.

Family pictures

2010-08-28T09:58:00.003-06:00

Renee took our family picture on Thursday. These were a little overdue...by several years, I think. And I think I know why--it's quite an ordeal getting 6 people picture-ready and focused enough to cooperate! These 6 people, anyway! Aaron and I did quite well, thank you very much, but the other 4....well, there were moments! Thank you, Renee, for your patience.

One of the only non-goofy ones of Sonya (or was it the only one?)....she was trying out various facial expressions and we finally got this "natural" one.

Olivia did pretty well....her main issue was that she wanted to play with the "necklace" on her shirt.

Of course, Paul and Miranda weren't too pumped about the whole deal.

Miss Miranda....when I see these 2 of Paul and Miranda, I'm reminded of how much they're growing up....almost teenagers...yikes! I hope we get at least one more family picture in with Renee before we have her take the sr. pics!!!

Aaron and I don't have a lot of pictures together, so this was a great opportunity. I love the tree in the background!

Olivia, 6; Paul, 12; Sonya, 5 tomorrow; and Miranda, 11

School begins--it's inevitable

2010-08-24T20:23:00.002-06:00

Paul had his first day of jr. high today, Miranda had her first day of her last year of elementary school, and Olivia started first grade. All 3 came home basically happy with how the day went. Of course, how hard is the first day?!? I had more work to do when they got home than they did, that's for sure--between filling out an info sheet for each one, signing various and sundry pages, and reading through info about each of Paul's classes, it took some time! Sonya will start preschool after Labor Day.

My tall Paul. He had his 7th grade physical a couple weeks ago and found out he's in the 97th percentile for height for boys his age.

Miranda didn't fuss about me taking this picture! Amazing!

Olivia said that her teacher talked all morning :) But she was pretty bubbly about the whole day, so I guess she got over the fact that in first grade there's no snack, no rest/video time, and no centers. She'll survive.

Ready to go! On another note, even though I didn't take a picture of him, Aaron started his 14th year of teaching, and I started my 15th (although I took a couple yrs. off when Paul and Miranda were little). Time flies!

County Fair '10

2010-08-24T08:39:00.002-06:00

Miranda is covering her face, not because she's scared, but because she noticed me with my camera.

Stinky cow!

All of the Behrends grandkids in front of the big haybale cake.

Camping

2010-08-24T08:06:00.006-06:00

Aaron's parents, sister, and her kids came last week for a few days. We spent some time at the lake, and even camped overnight. I kinda got back into taking pictures, so I have quite a few from this trip....hope I don't bore you to death, but I'm having trouble narrowing them down!

Most of you know how hard it is for me to get a decent picture of Miranda....

So, I finally gave up and took one of Paul...sleeping or something.

The only way to get one of Miranda, I guess, is to take it while she's driving a boat.

Showing Grandma the big catch of the day.

I'm a bad blogger

2010-08-24T07:58:00.004-06:00

Ok, I have LOTS of excuses as to why I haven't posted in about 6 weeks....really, I do!!! I have taken some pictures, but not very many, as my camera is being a pain. It usually takes several tries to turn it on, and by the time I get it on, whatever I was taking the picture of (usually the kids) has moved on to something else. Also, back on July 6th I got my tonsils out. It turned out to be much less of an ordeal than I would've imagined, but I still didn't take many pictures during the month of July. We spent most of that month at the pool, taking swimming lessons, and just hanging out during the hot afternoons.

These pictures are actually from June....when we got together with my family at Ft. Rob. I guess I posted them on facebook, and forgot to post them here for some reason. There are more on facebook...I just put a couple here. We had a super time with my brothers and their kids, and my parents. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for another memorable get-together!

The 4th

2010-07-05T14:01:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful 4th at the Wheeler's house. There was a big group this year--the more, the merrier! I did take one of Miranda when she was helping to light fireworks, but it turned out too dark. Paul is in Denver with a friend right now, so he missed out...but I'm sure he saw some great fireworks, too.

Olivia and her good buddy, Garrett.

Too much smoke!

Big day

2010-06-21T09:53:00.002-06:00

Olivia got to be the flower girl for a wedding on Saturday. Joe and Katie, two of our former students, finally tied the knot! They started dating when they were the two leads in "The Music Man," when she was a sophomore, and he was a senior...so Aaron and I like to claim that we had something to do with bringing them together :) We couldn't be happier for this wonderful couple! I played piano for the ceremony, also, and Aaron and I sang a duet. It was an incredible day!

Summer so far

2010-06-16T09:25:00.005-06:00

I haven't been taking many pictures this summer, but we have been fairly busy. Paul, Miranda, Emma and David spent a week in WY with my in-laws, and apparently had a great time. Grandma and Grandpa put them to work while they were there, so the kids got to earn some money, which was an added bonus. We had VBS last week, which P and M missed, but Olivia and Sonya had a lot of fun, and so did Aaron and I. Here are a few pictures from that:

Snack time!

I led the music. It was really fun--had an Egyptian theme, and the songs were catchy

Olivia in game time, carrying a wet sponge on her head

Aaron was Joseph. I'll brag for just a second and say that he is SO good at this type of thing. He used an accent and everything. I know that some of the little kids were convinced he was really Joseph!

Craft time!

We've had a few ball games, and will have a few more in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully I'll remember my camera!

"Real" haircuts

2010-05-26T10:48:00.002-06:00

I took the girls up to my hairdresser this morning for their first "real" haircuts....in other words, the first cuts that weren't done by yours truly! I think they look really cute. Olivia wanted to make sure their cuts were the same, "so we can be twins." Wonder how long she'll want that?!?!

Kansas City Band Trip

2010-05-24T10:29:00.004-06:00

On May 20th-22nd we went with the band to Kansas City. The kids marched at Worlds of Fun, and then rode rides for the rest of the day. It was a great experience, and even Aaron and I had a blast!

As an added bonus, I got to see my childhood friends, Anne and Charlotte. Charlotte lives in KC, and Anne, who lives in Seattle, happened to be visiting that week! It worked out perfectly! It was so fun to just hang out for a few hours. It was definitely a highlight of the trip for me!

Recital

2010-05-24T10:26:00.006-06:00

Paul and Miranda both did very well in the piano recital this year. I was proud of them!

The Four Little Fish

2010-05-24T10:20:00.004-06:00

Olivia's class did a little play on the last Monday of school. It was so cute. It was a take-off of the Three Little Pigs--except it was the Four Little Fish.

When it was over, I caught this picture of Sonya and Olivia, peeking out of the "house" that Olivia built (she was the fourth little fish)

Olivia and some of her classmates.

Olivia and her friend Alexa.

Spring Concert 2010

2010-05-13T21:04:00.003-06:00

Receiving certificates for Sing Around Nebraska

Performing the song "Ja-Da" with the other kids who went to SAN.

I had the kindergarteners sing "Tooty ta," and I surprised the 6th graders by inviting them up to sing along....because when they were in Kindergarten many of them had done it at a concert. You can see that they're a little red in the face, but it was good for them, I think, and they're still speaking to me, so it's all good!

Kindergarten singing "5 Funky Little Monkeys"

Shakin' her maracas!

Sonya and some of her classmates. The boy next to Sonya--Michael--says he's going to marry her someday! Yikes!

2010-05-07T08:12:00.002-06:00

Sonya was looking through a drawer a couple days ago and brought me this picture. She said, "look at this cute picture of me and Paul when we were little." I laughed and laughed, and said, "that's not you. Who do you think it is?" It took her a while, and she guessed Olivia first, but she finally guessed Miranda. When I see pictures from this era, I'm reminded how much they look alike. Of course, Miranda HATES to be told that!!!

Field Day 2010

2010-05-07T08:03:00.004-06:00

Sonya competing in the sack race, with a smile on her face, of course!

And in the potato race.

Paul and Sonya got to race together, just for fun.

Waiting in the lunch line.

Paul's team won the tug-o-war. In the finals it came down to his team and Miranda's team, so mom had to stay neutral!

Paul in the 3-legged race.

Olivia sack-racing and concentrating very hard!

Olivia is a jump roper! She did 49 jumps in a minute, and her jump rope was a little long for her.

I was even able to capture Miranda's picture a couple of times! Here she is in the potato race.

And showing her form in the long jump. All 4 kids had a lot of fun, and the weather turned out to be much nicer than expected.

A journey

2010-04-11T20:19:00.004-06:00

I really debated about posting this...but then I figured that it's mostly family and close friends who view my blog, anyway, so why not! I've been on a weight-loss journey since Nov. It's been kind of slow going, but then again, I didn't put weight on overnight, either, now did I??? I still have 15-20 pounds to go until I'll really feel like I've met my goal, but it feels good to have made some progress, and to have peole tell me that they've noticed.

late Nov. (BMI: 28) early April (BMI: 24.6)

Of course, the 2nd picture is better, too, because of the cute girl standing beside me!

Miranda's 11th

2010-04-11T20:14:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Miranda's 11th birthday yesterday. She chose a lunch of Campbell's vegetable beef soup, garlic bread, and kiwis. Later in the day, we went to McCook, and took her friend Taylor with us, where we watched the movie, "How to Train Your Dragon." It was a really fun day for all of us.

Miranda, you are a special girl. You make life interesting and fun!

She very generously allowed me the privilege of taking her picture...and she even sort of smiled! I will write this day down in history. Even better, I have a picture to prove that she let me do it!

Easter '10

2010-04-05T20:19:00.003-06:00

Easter weekend was fun and relaxing. Here are just a few pictures that I took. I feel bad that I never took one of all 4 kids together, but as you'll see below, all 4 kids weren't around! Maybe I'll do better next year.

At the nursing home's egg hunt.

Dying eggs. Don't ya love Sonya's expression?

The best one I could get of Miranda. I felt pretty good to get this one!

Paul spent a couple of days with his friend/big brother, Grant.

We had an egg hunt at church.

Cutie Pies in Glasses

2010-04-03T14:08:00.003-06:00

Olivia discovered a pair of glasses frames from Miranda's old pair...they're actually identical to what she has right now. Both little girls have been having fun wearing them around the house. Olivia wanted to wear them to school the other day but I said no, since they don't even have lenses! Miranda absolutely HATES it when I say how cute they look in them, or when I said that they look like her when they're wearing them.

...in fact, this was supposed to be a picture of all 3 girls, but Miranda was glaring at me, so I had to crop her out!!! I figured she'd rather I crop her out than put a picture on my blog of her glaring :)

A visitor

2010-04-03T13:59:00.003-06:00

We have a tree on the north side of our house that is frequently visited by a cardinal. I've never been able to actually get a picture of him before he flies off, but the other day I was quick enough. We also saw a female cardinal in the same tree, so we're wondering if they have a nest close by. Of course, the female isn't nearly as beautiful or bright.

Q and U

2010-04-03T12:57:00.003-06:00

Our school's kindergarten teacher always does a little "wedding" for Q and U. I remember Paul and Miranda coming home and telling me all about it. Olivia had hers the other day, and then came home and put on her "wedding veil." She also taught Sonya how to dance for the wedding dance, and they practiced saying vows. It was really cute!

Don't most grooms go shirtless?

Sing with joy!!!

2010-03-18T19:51:00.009-06:00

It probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone that we like to sing in this house! It is such a joy to see our children enjoying music, and I pray that they will use their talents for God's glory. I'll try to catch Paul and Miranda on video soon....these two were very willing to show their stuff!

"piece of plastic understanding".....down in my heart Tuesday.

Sing Around Nebraska

2010-03-03T07:41:00.003-07:00

Last Saturday was Sing Around Nebraska, a biennial event that I take 5th and 6th graders to (sometimes 4th, depending on the class). We had a really fun day in Hershey.

Miranda was trying to hide from my camera, but she wasn't successful this time!

You can see Paul right there in the center, towards the top. You may notice he isn't wearing glasses. He finally talked us into contacts, and is doing great with them. He's amazed at how well he can see!

The whole group that I took. What super kids!

Spelling Bee

2010-02-11T08:40:00.003-07:00

Paul and Miranda participated in the Hitchcock/Hayes County Spelling Bee yesterday. Paul was the repeat winner for his grade, and Miranda took third place for her grade. I was so proud of both of them!

Paul and the other first-place winners from different grades. I think the fourth grade winner was missing...but it goes from 8th grade down to first grade.....the first grade winner is my babysitter's daughter, Zoey.

Third place winners. The third from the left is Ellie, Paul's classmate, and then of course next to her is Miranda.

Paul and Ellie. Good job, you two!

update sans pictures

2010-02-05T08:05:00.005-07:00

Yeah, I'm a loser when it comes to taking my camera places lately. There have been some camera-worthy moments for sure, but I keep forgetting. I have taken students to 2 really great events this past week. One was "Singing Youth of Nebraska," which was a state-wide honor choir for grades 7-9. It was a neat experience for me and for the student who went. Then, on Sunday I headed up to Chadron with 3 students. They were selected to participate in the High Plains Honor Festival. That was a lots of fun for me (hopefully them, too), as I got to see some college classmates and some music teachers that I know up the panhandle. Plus, I got to see my mom and dad, which was an added bonus.

Last night Sonya, Olivia and Miranda participated in Jump Rope for Heart at our home basketball game. Of course, I knew that Miranda could jump rope, but I was impressed with how much Olivia had improved. Sonya and the other preschoolers mainly ran around and jumped up and down like wild banshees in the center of the gym floor.

And in other news, Olivia has lost 2 more teeth recently, bringing her grand total to 6, which is also her age. :) I'm taking donations for her orthodontic work, so if you'd like to donate to the cause, please send $ to PO Box 161, Wauneta, NE 69045. On the bottom, where there should be 4 new teeth, there's only room for 3, and on the top, where she's lost 2, there's only room for one......yikes.

That's about it....we're just plugging away, going to school, heading into contest season, etc....I'll dust off my camera and put it to use this week...maybe.

2010-01-22T21:45:00.003-07:00

My little brother posted the following on Facebook...It really impacted me. Today is the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade.

This past week was marked both by the mourning of lives lost in Haiti and the anniversary of the 1973 landmark case of Roe vs. Wade. With regard to the former, Haitian government estimates currently sit at 110,000 dead and counting. With regard to the latter, in the U.S. alone, 3,000 lives are taken each day from abortion, and 130,000 are taken globally each day (http://abort73.com/). As I type this, an enormously star-studded fundraising event is taking place in order to raise funds to help in the humanitarian crisis caused by the Haitian earthquake. It's a moving sight, and something that is desperately needed for a nation that was already one of the poorest on the planet.

What's happening tonight is to be applauded and celebrated. Sadly, though, tomorrow a tragedy roughly equal to the earthquake in terms of lives lost will occur and will be repeated in subsequent days...and at least in this country, it will all happen by choice.

Thanks, Perry, for that post.

The concert....finally!

2010-01-13T11:45:00.004-07:00

Our school concert was originally scheduled for Dec. 8th....and then we had a blizzard. So, we rescheduled it for the 22nd.....and then we had another blizzard, although it didn't actually start on the 22nd, so hindsight being what it is, the concert could have proceeded. But, understandably so, our administrator felt it was best to postpone, as the forecast was looking nasty for that night. Anyway, it was rescheduled, once again, for Jan. 12th, and, fortunately the weather was beautiful. It almost felt like spring! A big "thank you" to Renee for taking these pictures for me!

5th/6th singing their vocal selections...there's Miranda in the front, and Paul in the back.

Paul sang a descant part on one song.

Olivia and friends playing kazoos in one song.

and doing actions in another

"the baby in the house goes "wa-wa-wa"....took me a while to figure out what they were doing in this picture. I was their accompanist, so I couldn't watch with my full attention.

Sonya holding her ornament up high and proud!

I like how open her mouth is....any music teacher likes to see that! She sang out very well.

I was very proud of my four children, as well as all of our students. In spite of having to wait over a month to perform, I feel it went well. Someone said to me, "Now you can start working on the spring concert!!!" I think that might have to wait a few weeks!

Christmas up north, and Paul's b-day

2010-01-01T15:37:00.003-07:00

We made a trek to the north country this week, otherwise known as Chadron. It looked like a whole other world up there....over 2 ft. of snow, I believe....I wish I would've taken pictures of the snow!

Olivia and Grandpa looking at her new Bible

Sonya is pretty excited about hers!

Grandma even got to open a present or two!

Look! It's Lulu my Cuddlin' Kitten!

And another one....so now we have two slightly creepy cats that purr, meow and roll over....at least they come with on/off switches!

Jaedon and Tyler came up for a day. It was great to see them. Jaedon and Olivia ran around the circle in my mom's house for much of the day. Next year I think I should get my mom some earplugs for Christmas!

All four kiddos....celebrating Paul's 12th.

Happy Birthday, Paul. He's now as tall as I am and wears size 9 shoes. One more year until we hit teenage-ville. Yikes!

Scrooge in Bethlehem

2009-12-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well, one program down....one still left to do in January! We had the church program on Sunday night. It was called A Christmas Carol: Scrooge in Bethlehem. The story put Scrooge as the innkeeper in Bethlehem.

Miranda was Mrs. Cratchit

Sonya was a slightly unruly lamb....I think she's trying to determine what flavor this mic is.

Here are 3 of the sheep (Sonya on the left), as well as a couple of their shepherds (Olivia in brown). The shepherds could probably use some training.

Paul was Scrooge....and before you accuse me of nepotism, I've just gotta say that he's the only one who expressed interest in the part. Just had to clear that up :) Anyway, all of the kids did super....I was really proud of all of the kids in our church that night!

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

It has been a wonderful, relaxing Christmas. The weather is nasty....blowing snow, etc....which makes me all the more thankful that we didn't go anywhere today. It was nice to stay home and enjoy each other's company. Olivia and Sonya literally played all day...with very little fighting. Paul and Miranda watched some movieswith Aaron, played some video games, etc....I took a nap :) What a great day to just slow down and remember the birth of our Savior. This is a Christmas I will always remember, simply because it was....simple.

Paul seems happy with his pickles.

This is about as much of Miranda as I could capture on camera.

That's a lot of bubble bath for such a little girl...not sure why she's wearing her coat here, but oh well.

Olivia could hardly stand the anticipation!

Livvy turned 6!

2009-12-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind.....Olivia had her 6th birthday on the 18th...we celebrated by having 5 friends over for a little party.

Tiffany made this cool cake.....I'm thankful for the talents of others!

doing some craft projects

Can you get all 6, Olivia?

Present time!

Gingerbread houses

2009-12-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

Every year the Kindergarten class decorates gingerbread houses. I really enjoyed helping with this project when Paul and Miranda did it. Unfortunately, this year it was scheduled for the time when I have to be down in Palisade....and thinking that our concert was just a few days away (this was a make-up date from when it was originally supposed to be), we decided that it might work better with Aaron's schedule for him to help instead. When I saw these pictures, though, it made me sad that I'd missed it. And, as it turned out, our concert was moved AGAIN!!!

some very random pictures

2009-12-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

I have been horrible about taking pictures lately, and even more horrible about putting them on my blog!

Smokey wanted to try on Paul's wig.

Olivia went to a little cheerleading camp a couple Saturdays ago. She had a great time, and they got to perform at half-time of the game that night.

Decorating

Miranda likes to jazz up her practice time.

Book recommendation

2009-12-02T07:51:00.002-07:00

Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE to read. If I had a day all to myself, you'd probably find me curled up with a good book...probably fiction of some sort. I have to confess that my mom gave me this book ("Have a New Kid by Friday") quite a while ago...probably almost a year ago...maybe longer. I get bored with most parenting-type books, and most non-fiction in general. The other day I was looking for a new book to read, and ran across this one in one of my nightstand drawers. I decided I'd give it a try, mainly because my mom had given it to me and I felt guilty that I hadn't read it.

AWESOME BOOK!!! It is so down-to-earth, practical, and FUNNY. Dr. Leman's writing style is so entertaining that you almost forget you're reading a parenting book. I love it, and am learning many, many practical tips. So, without going into further detail, let me just recommend this book to all of you parents out there. I have read many books in 2009 (more than what shows up on the little sidebar of this blog...because I often forget to change it), and this one goes to the top of my list!

Thanksgiving '09

2009-11-30T13:45:00.002-07:00

We spent the long weekend in CO with Aaron's sister and her family. We always celebrate Christmas with them at this time, too. We had a great time, as usual.

The 4 older kids always put on a Christmas play for us. Each year it gets better and more creative. This year they typed up a script, and did it like a game show. Emma was the hostess (Carah Black....instead of Vanna White...get it?), David was the host who read the questions, Miranda was Mary, and Paul was Santa. It was very good and quite entertaining.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip:

school pics 09-10

2009-11-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

Antiquities '09

2009-11-10T19:10:00.003-07:00

These look much better in person....All I did was take a picture of each one with my camera....but you get the idea. Also, they used a softening filter on some of the pictures, which makes them look really nice in person, but they look pretty fuzzy here. I was really happy with how they turned out, and even happier that I got a free package! These are some of my favorites, although there were some other good ones.

Miss Sonya, age 4

Miss Olivia, age 5 3/4

Mr. Paul, age 11 3/4....love the bare feet with a tux??!!

And Miss Miranda, age 10 1/2

Halloween

2009-10-31T20:01:00.001-06:00

Minnie Mouse and Barbie Princess

Miranda was a vampire of some sort

I like her eyes in this picture.

Paul and his friend Tom stayed home and passed out candy (and played a computer game).

Smokey has had enough of this holiday!

Bloggin' Blues

2009-10-24T14:44:00.002-06:00

I'm having a hard time motivating myself to blog lately....I haven't actually taken very many pictures, either, so that's probably the main problem. But I guess we have done a few things this past week.

We celebrated Aaron's birthday last Sunday....he wanted a fruit pizza, so Miranda and I worked together on this creation.

Here he is....36 and proud...which means I'll be following in 2 months...yikes.

We had some extra days off this week, as so many kids in our school were out due to illness. We took an overnight trip, a definite rarity since we've had kids. It was fun, although I didn't take many pictures. Here's the rest of the fam sitting in the hotel's hot tub.

Aaron made us these 'Napolean Cannoli Stacks' for dessert last night. I was impressed!

The kids did a little pumpkin-carving with Aaron today.

Homecoming

2009-10-17T08:30:00.002-06:00

Olivia got to be a crown-bearer at homecoming last night. I think she enjoyed herself quite a bit. She had been a little confused the last week or so, thinking this was the night when she'd wear her Minnie Mouse ears and dress. I finally convinced her that, no, that's Halloween!

With her classmate Joshua

Out on the field, waiting to do the very important job

I think she was saying, "I'm cold!" She kept doing a little dance, which made me wonder if she needed to go potty, but I think it was the cold.

This was her favorite part...riding in the convertable with Tori and Joshua. Peter would have been in this picture, too, but he was sick.

Snow, Sonya and Pigs

2009-10-13T08:16:00.002-06:00

The remains of some snow that we got over the weekend...today it's just drizzly and chilly.

The many faces of Sonya.....happy....

silly....

occasionally grumpy.....

The cat does a great job of "guarding" the pigs. We're really thankful that we had him de-clawed.

Sonya wanted me to take a picture of her with each pig.

Squeaky

and the rebel pig who had escaped. Now he seems to be the more timid of the two babies.

Surprise!!!

2009-10-01T17:14:00.002-06:00

Read my previous post if you haven't already....

Ok, so after school a high school kid, Peter, stopped by to see our new baby Guinea Pig....he was downstairs with Aaron and they could hear squeaking coming from the cage that Squeaky and the new baby were in....but Peter thought he was also hearing squeaking coming from somewhere else. Aaron thought it was an echo at first. He looked around a little and finally found another baby Guinea Pig....on the floor under one of our recliners....You may wonder how it got there, and we sort of do, too, although the best guess is that it got out of the cage that Squeaky had previously been in, which is one that Aaron built....it has metal sides that have sort of a mesh-type construction....so it's entirely possible that he/she escaped somehow, although there's a plastic ridge that covers the bottom and goes about 4 in. up each side, so he/she obviously had to climb on the cedar chips a little bit to accomplish this feat. Once the babies are a little bigger, they won't be able to fit through, but until then, we'll use a glass aquarium (with a very solid lid to keep the cat out). What an adventure!!! Speaking of the cat, Smokey is very agitated by all of this, and it's a minor miracle that he hadn't killed baby #2!!!

baby #1 and baby #2....we are going to offer one of them to the kids' cousins in CO (if one is a boy, that will be the one we'll offer!)

Two-for-one deal

2009-10-01T11:20:00.004-06:00

You may remember that back in July we were given a Guinea Pig. A family from church had a litter of them, and gave us Squeaky (who they had named Fred). They were SURE it was a boy. Ok, fast forward 2 months, and this morning Aaron went downstairs to give Squeaky "his" food for the day, and found this critter in the cage, along with Squeaky.

Well, you can imagine our surprise. When he showed it to me, I wasn't even sure what I was looking at. It freaked me out just a bit. Aaron was sure (and I agreed) that it looked to be about 2 weeks old, so all we could imagine was that someone had come into our house and given us a pig that they didn't want. It sounds silly to me now as I type it, but we couldn't imagine another possibility, given the fact that it looked so old, and Squeaky was a boy!

Well, someone on Facebook asked me if I was 100% sure that it was a boy.....I mean, who among us knows how to tell the sex of a Guinea Pig?! Plus, I was thinking, "well, we've had it for 2 months.....what would the gestation period be?" Also, we'd gotten Squeaky when she was a baby herself, so I didn't see how it was possible. So, thanks to the good old internet, I looked up that very question, and it turns about that about 60 days is average, and that a female can get pregnant at as early as 4 wks. old. Hmmm....And then I saw a picture on the internet of a newborn Guinea Pig. They are born with lots of fur, and they're actually fairly big....they look just like a full-grown one, only smaller. I was envisioning that a baby would be pretty hairless and ugly, and would look like a little mouse or something. So, I have come to the conclusion that this is, indeed, Squeaky's progeny. Now I need to research how long I should leave them in the same cage, because, yes, we could end up w/more pigs if we're not careful. I know, I know, that's a whole other issue, but it's a distinct possibility if this new one is a boy....which I'll let Aaron try to figure out!

Oh, and I guess I'll have to admit that I'm glad Squeaky only had one baby!!!

Pet Fashion Show

2009-09-19T22:28:00.000-06:00

Miranda and Taylor demonstrated a really creative use of some fabric scraps and my hot glue gun.....by making clothes for Smokey and Squeaky. The pets were thrilled, as you can see.

I guess the "M" is for Miranda.

Sonya's 1st day of preschool

2009-09-09T21:07:00.000-06:00

Sonya started preschool yesterday....she'd been waiting pretty patiently since August when the other kids started, and her big day finally came! When we got to the bus she said, "Mom, you can go now." And she was happy when I picked her up, too, so I guess the day was a success!

This is a picture taken at MOPS last week of my little "Moppet" and me.

FuN dAy!!!

2009-09-05T20:47:00.006-06:00

We wanted to take the kids swimming at the YMCA today, just for something fun to do this Labor Day weekend, but I called and they aren't open on Saturdays until after Labor Day. Well, Aaron came up with a great 'Plan B'--going to the Children's Museum in NP. It turned out to be a really fun day, and I was actually surprised at how much the older 2 enjoyed it. They had been there for pre-school field trips, but that's been a while!

giant-sized "Operation"

It's eating me, Mom!

Pwincess Sonya

first driving lesson for Dad's little princess

As I said, I was sort of surprised (pleasantly) at how much fun P and M had....I figured they'd think it was dumb.....but I think they had the most fun, partially because they have all of these memories of going with Mrs. MacGregor on her field trips! They ran from room to room, talking about things that were still there from before. This wheelchair was one of the things they remembered fondly.

Paul spent quite a while setting up these wooden dominos

Lego letter boards....it's hard to see in this picture, but Sonya was hammering hers in

Miranda's creation

Sonya turns 4

2009-08-30T21:12:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Sonya's 4th birthday yesterday, the 29th. We were fortunate to have my brother Tyler and his son Jaedon visit us for the weekend, which made it even more fun.

The first thing Sonya said yesterday morning after I wished her "happy birthday" was, "I'm still the same size, see." And then she held out her arms so I could see. So then Olivia said, "Stand up, Sonya and we'll check." They stood right next to each other, and Olivia seemed to think Sonya had grown a little. Then Olivia gave Sonya a big hug and a kiss. One of those moments I hope I can remember forever...especially when they're trying to kill each other on another day!

Oh, and lest anyone think I spent hours making the cake, well, I DID!!! NOT!!! I was going to make one, but when my brother offered to bring one, I could hardly be rude and say no, could I? As crushed as I was to not be able to make the cake for her, I relented and let him bring one from his local Wal-mart. I think they did ok on the cake, don't you?? She had been requesting Spongebob for ages.

Sonya and Olivia

2009-08-21T10:15:00.000-06:00

Sonya and I are enjoying our mornings at home. Most of you know that I've previously taught in the mornings. This year I've been moved to the afternoons, and when Sonya starts pre-school in a couple of weeks, that's when she'll go, too.

Playing dress-up a few days ago

Olivia has an interesting look going on here...Snow Crockett or Davy White...not sure which. She actually wore this hat to school today, too....I doubt the teacher let her wear it for very long, though. :)

firsts and lasts

2009-08-18T08:03:00.004-06:00

Today is a day of firsts and lasts at our house. Olivia started Kindergarten.....I left her at school with a big smile on her face, which makes it a little easier for mommy. She's ready. Paul started his first day of his last year of elementary school. I think that has almost hit me harder than Olivia starting Kindergarten, in some ways. And Miranda started 5th grade. Her first is that she will start band this year, and she's chosen the oboe, basically one of the 2 or 3 most expensive and complicated instruments....we'll see how that goes. Thankfully, we were able to borrow for this year, and we'll make a decision of what to do after that after we see how she likes it. But that's for another post....

Sonya will start pre-school after Labor Day. She's already missing "Leevia."

First of all, check out last year's "first day" pictures here

I asked Paul and Miranda, because in the back of my mind I was feeling a sense of deja vu, "Aren't you wearing what you wore last year?" Miranda was like, "Mom, these are our nice clothes." (like they don't each have a whole dresser full of clothes, some of them much more new than these) She said it in a teasing way. I'm still getting a laugh over it. I don't even think they planned it together.

As a little side-note, the shirt Miranda is wearing....came from the Goodwill in NP :)

fair, fun, and family

2009-08-14T18:47:00.007-06:00

We've had a fun, busy week. Aaron's sister, Heather, and her 3 kids came for a visit. It was the first time they'd been here, so we showed them the SW NE sights....all 3 of them!! Her husband wasn't able to take time off of work to come...hopefully next time!

The 4 "big kids"--Paul-11 1/2, Miranda-10, Emma-11, and David-9 1/2

The 3 "little ones"--Timothy-turns 4 this month, Olivia-5 1/2, and Sonya-turns 4 this month

chillin' after a long day at the lake

filling water balloons for a water-balloon fight

time at the lake....Olivia was her Daddy's girl all day and helped him fish.

Sonya is pretty stylin' in her goggles.

Timmy taking a snack break.

Miranda and Emma had tons of fun with mud.

checking out the animals at the fair

and ridin' the rides

Aaron and Heather...I figured it had been a while since they had a picture taken together.

Sonya and I coming down the slide.

Pump Boys and Dinettes....off-off Broadway

2009-08-14T18:26:00.004-06:00

Here are several pictures from the musical I was in, "Pump Boys and Dinettes." It's hard for me to sum up in words how fun it was being in this! If you love to perform, as I do, then you already understand. One thing I liked about it was that I was able to just perform, simply for the sake of fun.....Coming out of college, where the emphasis was on performance, into a church setting, which is where I now do most of my "performing," I've had to learn that the focus (when I'm doing something in chuch) isn't on me--it's on God, and on worshiping him. And I can truly say that doing the music at church is very fulfilling, and extremely meaningful to me. However, I think I'd almost forgotten that sometimes it can just be fun to be in a silly musical, sing crazy songs, and sort of "let loose." In Pump Boys I got to do that, and it was a blast! It was also great to sing with some very talented people from Imperial. Our director even had us pray together before each show, which I thought was really cool.

The whole cast and the band, along with the winner of Tues. night's raffle (she won an air-freshener!)

Singing my solo, "The Best Man," with Jilanne in the background.

Listening to Jeremy croon about "The night Dolly Parton was almost mine."

Pool Post

2009-08-09T22:16:00.001-06:00

Sonya's new thing is that she'll now swim underwater....she didn't take lessons, but she's doing really well, so I'm guessing she'll be able to skip the first level next summer.

Olivia has always been a little fish!

Her favorite new thing to do at the pool this summer is to go off the slide...she's also done the high-dive a few times, and she does the the low-dive frequently.

I think Miranda was trying to get away from her brother or her dad in this one. They tend to pick on her for some reason.

Paul is starting to look really big up on that slide! We measured him tonight, and he's now 5'2"--only 2 in. shorter than his mom!

August, already?

2009-08-06T22:52:00.004-06:00

Well, summer is winding down, and I feel as though I haven't taken any pictures in ages.....maybe because I haven't! We've been really busy, though. Paul and Miranda spent a few days at my folks' in Chadron, and then a week with their cousins in CO. Other than that, we've just been enjoying the last days of summer freedom--going to the pool, sleeping in, cleaning bedrooms and closets, etc....

Many of my evenings this summer have been spent practicing for a musical that I'm in, called "Pump Boys and Dinettes." It has been a lot of fun, but also a lot of work! We perform it starting this weekend--Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday--as part of the Chase Co. Fair.

New furry friend

2009-07-26T17:19:00.003-06:00

A family at church was giving away baby Guinea Pigs....It's been quite a while since our last one died, so when they called us to ask if we'd like one, we decided to jump at the chance (especially because when we've seen them at pet stores lately, they've been $30 or more). Anyway, this is our newest family member. Smokey isn't too sure what to think...he took a swipe at him when we introduced them.

He doesn't have a name yet, as we thought Paul and Miranda should give us some input first.

***Update: after much debate, we had it down to Squeaky, Benny (my personal favorite because that's what Sonya called him--the "Benny Pig" and Spongebob (which was Sonya's suggestion). Well, we couldn't agree, so we put those 3 names in a bowl.....and drew out Spongebob....but at that point, Sonya had lost interest and gone outside......so we re-drew because none of us really wanted Spongebob....when we re-drew, it was Squeaky....So, Squeaky it is!!!

Special day

2009-07-26T17:04:00.003-06:00

Paul and Miranda are staying with their cousins in Colorado this week, so we thought we'd do something fun with Olivia and Sonya. And it really was fun!

We went to a free park that has sprinklers coming out of various places, as well as lots of the usual park stuff...we had taken the big kids there several years ago, back when Olivia was just a baby.

Here they are drying off by some statues.

We also went to a children's museum. Here's Chef Sonya...

And Olivia the farmer...

Princess Olivia

Sonya was pretty smiley all day long.

Olivia makes a strong impression...

Sonya headed straight for the little car when we got there.

The hills were alive, with the sound of music (Hills Alive 2009)

2009-07-20T18:23:00.006-06:00

Well, I say it every year, but Hills Alive was great again....if you're ever looking for a FREE music festival the 3rd weekend of July, head up to Rapid City, SD.

One highlight was that I got to spend the weekend with Mary Jo, one of my closest friends. We camped next to her and her family, as well as some other families from their church in the sandhills.

Here are Paul and Miranda looking pretty darn pumped about seeing Mt. Rushmore....again.....we took a high school girl with us, and she'd never seen it, so we made the trip. I guess I'm more easily amazed than they are, but every time I go there I'm again reminded of what a feat it was to carve something like 4 faces in the side of a mountain.

Ok, even if downhere was the only group that was performing, we would have gone! They are our favorites!!! And they did not disappoint....they sound at least as good in concert, which is incredible. I could go on and on, but I've talked about them in a couple of other posts. I'll just say this...if you haven't discovered them, you should check out their site, download a few songs, and just get to know this incredible band!
Jason Germain--co-lead vocalist

Glenn Lavender--bass/trumpet (wow on the trumpet!!)

Marc Martel--co-lead vocalist (think Freddy Mercury...check him out on youtube)

And, oh wow!!!! This was a dream-come-true!!! We got to meet them backstage, thanks to a friend of mine in Chadron. We actually got to talk with them for a bit and everything! It was sooo cool.

Here we are with the whole band (the guy next to Aaron is their drummer, Jeremy Thiessen...didn't get a good shot of him during the concert). I LOVE this picture!

Skillet

Another favorite group of ours...Newworldson. These guys are truly talented...kind of a blend of jazz/blues/rock. I love their sound.

Newworldson at the autograph table.

Avalon....great harmonies, and it was fun to hear them because I know most of their songs.

I didn't get any pictures of Big Daddy Weave or Kutless....but the headliner was Casting Crowns, and of course they were great. This is one of their female singers, singing a song we do in worship team, "Praise you with the dance." I kind of think we look alike, but maybe that's just me. I wish my camera did a little better, especially when it's dark.

Mark Hall of Casting Crowns. He was so down-to-earth, and related very well to the audience. You can tell this group is very sincere in its efforts to reach people, especially youth.

The 4th

2009-07-05T21:45:00.002-06:00

We had a pretty fun 4th this year! On Friday, we went over to Imperial to watch their fireworks show, which is always really good. Then, last night we had supper with some other families at Marty and Renee's house. The weather, food, and fellowship were all wonderful!

I decided to get semi-creative with my dessert...it's basically a fruit pizza...and it came from a cookbook, so I guess I'm not sure how creative it was! (and, yes, I do know that there are supposed to be 13 stripes...they wouldn't fit)

Sonya LOVED the sparklers! She would run around with them, squealing and laughing and having a grand old time.

Paul and Miranda helped with some of the lighting this year, as they were the "big kids" of the group. I like Maycee's expression in the backgroud, which is why I didn't want to crop her out :)

Olivia and Sonya, with their friends Kendra and Maycee. This was probably the only time that all 4 of them sat still for more than 10 seconds!

A few more from the weekend...

2009-07-03T18:16:00.002-06:00

My mom took these...the first with her tripod, obviously.

My brothers and I

Olivia was really brave!

Smiles from the 2 big kids...at the same time!

Tyler and Jaedon, Sonya and I

Weekend at Chadron State Park

2009-07-02T16:27:00.006-06:00

We got together with my parents and my brothers and their kids at Chadron State Park this past weekend. Here are a few of the pictures I took.....to be honest, I wasn't really in a picture-taking mood. I guess there are times when I'd rather just enjoy the moment, rather than constantly running to find my camera...only to find that the kids have moved on to something different in the meantime. Besides what you see in these pictures, we went swimming a couple of times, took some hikes, and went on paddle boats. It was a great, memorable weekend.

Tyler (my older brother) relaxing.

My dad....probably watching his seven grandkids with amusement...and thinking, "whew, I'm glad their parents get to deal with them!"

Grandma gave Paul and Miranda a marshmallow shooter...could be dangerous.

Jaedon waiting for his turn in Twister (if you ever need a good laugh, find 5 preschoolers to play Twister....it was interesting, to say the least)

Miranda takes her turn w/the marshmallow shooter.

Olivia found ways to entertain Gabe.

Miranda is pretty much unbeatable at this game...especially when the other players are still struggling to keep their right and left straight!

Is it my turn yet???

Gabe

The kids did some tree climbing...with a little help from Uncle Tyler and Uncle Perry.

The 3 little girls got fun purses from Grandma.

Pretty girls!

Elizabeth

Sonya enjoyed blowing bubbles. What kid doesn't?

SCORE camp pictures

2009-06-23T18:47:00.005-06:00

These pics were posted on a local web-site...they are from SCORE camp. Unfortunately, there weren't any of Paul. Either he dodged the camera, or he just didn't happen to be in the right spot at the right time.

She decided to dig up one of Aaron's hats on the last day.

I absolutely adore this one!

They got to use sharpies to personalize mini-backpacks on the first day....The funny part is that Miranda put all of our names on it....Aaron, Sara, Paul, Miranda, Olivia, Sonya, and Smokey. Can you guess whose name was written the biggest (by a long shot)? It's the furriest member of our family!

camps and ball games

2009-06-22T07:57:00.004-06:00

I haven't taken too many pictures this week....the big kids went to SCORE camp (science camp) this week, but I didn't stay and volunteer this time, so I didn't get pictures. They each had at least one ball game this week...I was too slow at getting my camera out at Paul's game, so I have nothing of him.

We took Olivia and Sonya to the lake one afternoon this week. They had a blast in the water and digging on the shore.

Paul and Miranda are at church camp as I type this. I'm praying they do well, and don't get as homesick as I used to! Paul has a very good friend who went, also, so that will be a help to him. Miranda looked pretty blue when we dropped them off last night. I will pray extra for her--that she will make at least one friend who can help the week to be a fun one. Fortunately, 2 high school girls from our church are working at the camp, so that should help.

Wyoming adventures

2009-06-13T13:01:00.008-06:00

We just spent 5 days with Aaron's folks in WY. Aaron's sister and her kids were also able to come, so the kids had a blast with their cousins. Here is just a sampling of the adventures that the kids had.

The obligitory "cousins in the bathtub" photo. Heather (Aaron's sis) and I decided that this will probably be the last one....the 4 older cousins took baths together years ago, and now these 3, but this time Olivia was a little too interested in Timmy's "spout," as she called it. She said, "I like his spout. It's cool."

Ok, movin' right along....we went to a lake and the kids got to find cool rocks. It was a little too chilly to wade, but they had fun anyway.

Sonya seems to think she's cute. They did some face-painting earlier that day, in case you're wondering about Sonya and Olivia's cheeks.

I like this one of Paul and Miranda. As I've said before, I am so glad they're good friends.

Miranda, Paul, and Emma. These pics are from a little excursion we took to see the land that Grandpa purchased. Where else but in the middle of WY can you buy 41 acres for next to nothing? Some of the property needs a lot of work and clean-up, but one of his immediate plans is to start an orchard.

The 3 little ones kept themselves entertained by playing in the outhouse. Isn't that great!!??? Although I'll never be one to say that I love the great outdoors, Aaron's family has at least helped me relax a little about being out in it.

Sonya and Timmy found a fun place to jump.

Here's another "great outdoors" moment that this mommy just loved....Miranda found a deer skull. Can you say, "Ewwwww?" She must have something of her dad in her, though, because she thought it was cool!

David is contemplating something.

The girls, just hanging out.

And this is my lovely daughter, Paula.....I will save this as a blackmail picture.

And so it begins

2009-06-05T21:16:00.003-06:00

Well, the first official week of vacation has almost come and gone (I don't count last week, since it was VBS)...Paul spent Mon.-Fri. with Grant and his family. Sounds like they had a great time and managed to behave themselves like gentlemen most of the time, according to Grant's mom, Diane. I spent most of the week sick with tonsillitis, but am now feeling normal again (relatively speaking). Miranda is spending 2 days with Taylor and her family, and the two little girls are just being themselves--lively and energetic as always. Oh, and we celebrated our 14th anniversary with dinner and a movie! So, I guess it's been a pretty eventful week!

Diane took a few pictures of Grant and Paul that I thought were fun:

I think this picture was just to prove that they did do more than play Nintendo or whatever it is they do.

Big Paul, Little Grant.

Big Grant, Little Paul.

VBS

2009-05-30T21:54:00.008-06:00

This week was VBS. Aaron led games, and I was in the kitchen, which was a big change for me since I've done music since 1998! But it was kind of a nice change, and fun to hang out with adults instead of kids. Plus, being around food is a bonus! Here are just a few pictures from the week that other people took, since I could never seem to remember my camera!

Craft time

Listening to the Bible story

Olivia and Allen...probably up to something, by the look on Olivia's face!

Aaron leading games

Sonya likes to have her picture taken lately, and she always tries to pose first.

Look what I made!!

Sonya and Ashton....singing (or something) in the closing program. (This shirt may have to be passed down to Baby Hannah :)

Closing program

Various and Sundry Happenings

2009-05-18T20:59:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we had the piano recital. My 12 students performed, as well as Paul and Miranda and 2 guitar students who take from another teacher.

Miranda played Sonatina in C Major, by Clementi.

Paul played The Cuckoo by Daquin. They also played a duet.

We had AWANA awards night a couple weeks ago. As usual, I forgot my camera, but these are the awards that Paul and Miranda received for finishing their books. Olivia also finished her Cubbie book, and will go into Sparks next fall. We are so fortunate to have AWANA at our church. The kids love it, and I love the fact that they are learning verses each week.

Other than that, we are just finishing up the school year! Whew! No one could be more happy about that than I! Bring on the summer!

Spring Concert

2009-05-13T11:02:00.005-06:00

We had our spring concert last night. It was kind of a marathon (in other words, loooong), but the kids did very well. I was pleased. I can honestly say that it probably stressed me out more than almost any concert I've ever done...not sure why, although it probably had to do with the fact that I had each group do a mini-musical, and those can definitely take a lot out of a person! Note to self: come back and read this post next spring when you're starting to decide what do do for the program!

Olivia's preschool class sang 3 songs (I don't direct them, and for that I am thankful!). This was, "I'm a Little Teapot."

Miranda playing her recorder.

Paul as the Emperor of China, in their musical, "The Nightingale."

Miranda in her musical, which was entitled, "Get in the Game."

Paul playing his 'bone.

W/P Field Day

2009-05-05T20:37:00.003-06:00

We had field day today. It was fun watching Paul and Miranda compete.

Jump rope

Long jump

I just have one thing to say about Olivia and Sonya....Cinder track+wet grass+preschoolers=a huge mess....but they were happy.

3-legged race

80 yd. shuttle run

Another 3-legged race photo. C'mon, Paul, keep up!

Miranda was on a team where she was the only girl. She didn't complain, but I thought it was funny.

Paul running his leg of the relay

Weekend in Denver

2009-05-04T12:44:00.004-06:00

We had the privilege of being chaperones for a great event that our youth group went to this past weekend. We, along with 2 other couples, took over 20 kids to Denver for Acquire the Fire. It was well worth it. You can see more about it on Renee's blog. I'm very thankful to the 3 families who kept our 4 kids!

Thanks, Renee, for thinking of taking this....Aaron and I are so bad about getting pictures taken together. I'm afraid that 20 years from now, we'll look back and only have about 5 pictures of us together--and that includes wedding pictures. That's how bad we are about it!

The kids who went. They were a lot of fun!

I got home and Olivia had a surprise for me--her first lost tooth! She was pretty proud!

Oklahoma!

2009-04-26T19:41:00.000-06:00

Saturday

2009-04-18T19:03:00.002-06:00

The girls wanted to "play" Battleship today. I was a little skeptical since, obviously, they're a little young for it! I envisioned the little pegs scattered to the far corners of my house. Little did I know, however, that it would provide over an hour of entertainment! It must be fun putting little pegs into holes, and moving your ships around. They also ate Care Bear fruit snacks while they were playing, and I'm pretty sure that a few Care Bears got involved in some boating adventures!

A close-up of miss Sonya that I liked.

Olivia always has to pose somehow!

This is how the big kids spent most of the morning entertaining themselves...with their Gameboys. I am so thankful that they get along as well as they do. Since Taylor moved, especially, it has been wonderful for Miranda to have Paul to hang out with. I'm sure neither would admit this, but they're the best of friends. What a blessing, and I pray that continues.

Hunting eggs

2009-04-12T17:12:00.005-06:00

The little ones hunted eggs at the nursing home yesterday. It has been a drizzly, chilly Easter weekend, but, in spite of the weather, we've had lots of fun. We probably hunted for eggs about a dozen times this weekend--nursing home, church, home, you name it!

Meeting the freaky-looking Heritage Easter Bunny...If the children of Wauneta end up with nightmares, this could be one of the reasons...

Olivia was pretty proud of her collection.

"Hmmm....should I choose this one or not??" She was shaking each egg before she'd put it in her bucket. Apparently, there were some that didn't have the "right" sound, so she would put them down. I think those were the ones that had a quarter and a free Bug Juice coupon...which made the value of those eggs about $1. But hey, they're not as tasty as the ones with Skittles or jellybeans.

Sonya showed several emotions throughout the hunt...excitement at the beginning, frustration when she came back with 5 and had to wait to find more (they kids were told to just get 5 to start off), and then sheer joy when I told her to just go ahead and get as many as she wanted. I think this was the sheer joy.

The 0-3 yr. olds had their hunt inside this year, due to the weather.

Happy 10th, Miranda!

2009-04-11T10:19:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was Miranda's 10th birthday. It is amazing to me that I have 2 children who are almost teenagers (don't tell him I told you, but Paul is getting zits--yikes). Miranda wanted cheesecake for her birthday, so we did one strawberry, one cherry. I also took her, Taylor, and Paul to the movie last night.

Happy Birthday, Miranda! I grow more proud of you each year. You make each day sunnier!

An Egg-citing afternoon

2009-04-11T10:04:00.004-06:00

We broke out the egg dye today, and the girls dyed about 3 doz. eggs. Paul has apparently lost interest in this tradition, as he turned me down flat when I offered him the chance to help. To me, that's kind of sad....but then I also have to remember that Paul is my child who likes messiness the least....he never played in mud puddles, or enjoyed other experiences like that...it's my girls who have loved that type of thing. Wish this trait would carry over into his room, however.

Taylor came for the weekend, as you'll see in some of these pictures. It's been fun for Miranda to have her around again.

Livvy is pretty proud of her egg.

Sonya likes to get right in there to get the job done.

Olivia talks about her technique.

Sonya was very efficient.... most of these were hers....her method was, dunk 'em for 5 seconds, then you're done.

Miranda decided she'd try pouring the dye over the eggs....works, but it's kind of messy!

Sonya's enjoying this....notice the many dribbles on the table....I never even thought to put newspaper down...oops...but it came off, thankfully.

Taylor and Miranda were a bit more patient with their eggs than Sonya.

Contest season

2009-03-31T08:26:00.004-06:00

Time to brag some more :), so if you don't like that kind of thing, skip this post! Last week was a busy one, as we had 2 music contests to attend. On Thurs. we took some high school students to Maywood for a contest. Three of my high school piano students (Brittnae, Breann, and Larissa) who particpated with solos received "1" ratings. I was thrilled for them. Brittnae also got a "1" on her flute solo. My voice student, Jenna, received a "1" and also received the 2nd place medal for girls' vocal! That is a pretty big accomplishment, as there were over 20 girls who did solos (and she's just a sophomore). I taught her a German song that I sang for my sophomore qualifying in college! I am soooo proud of all of these girls!

On Saturday, Aaron and I took about 16 kids to a middle school contest (grades 5-8). Wow, was I proud of these kids, too!!!! It was a great day! I know that many of you who read this don't know these kids, so this won't mean much, but I'm going to just list the kids who got Superior, ("1") ratings. A few even got "1+" ratings.
Paul--vocal solo+
Paul--trombone solo
Paul and Caleb--vocal duet+
Caleb--drum solo
Caleb--vocal solo
6th grade girls' ensemble
Clarinet duet (Ellie/Leiauna)
Leiauna--vocal solo
Leiauna--clarinet solo+
Christi--Piano solo
Christi--vocal solo
Tayler--flute solo+
Tayler--vocal solo+
Morgen--vocal solo
Donald--vocal solo
Chase--trumpet solo
Chase--vocal solo
Stephanie--sax solo

What a fun day! We finished it up by going to Valentino's. They were so hyper on the way home...I guess that's a sign that they had fun!

A brief visit

2009-03-31T08:17:00.000-06:00

Aaron's parents stopped here for the night on Sunday. They're on their way to the east coast, where they'll visit historical sites, etc. for the next month. I'm glad they could spend a few hours here, and I actually made a concerted effort to get a few pictures, since I failed so miserably when my mom and dad were here the last time.

New outfits from Grandma

The big kids w/G&G....the little ones had gone to bed already.

3 generations of manliness :)....but notice that Miranda had to sneak her little self into the side of the picture. I could have cropped her out, but I think it's kind of cute.

Ah, spring

2009-03-26T18:58:00.001-06:00

We are literally having a blizzard as I type this! As a Facebook friend so eloquently put it, "flip flops one day, snowboots the next." That's Nebraska for ya! And, yes, I know that Sonya isn't wearing a coat in this picture....please don't call Child Protective Services.

Smokey could care less about the weather. After all, we never let him out, anyway. He's resigned himself to the life of a house cat. He has taken to dressing up to entertain himself...maybe we SHOULD be letting him out once in a while.

friends and family

2009-03-14T19:12:00.002-06:00

We've had lots of visitors this weekend! It's been both fun and busy, and I know it will be a memorable weekend for the kids.

Taylor was back for a visit.

The not-so-serious pose...

Grant also came for a few days....here, he, Paul and Miranda were playing with Grant's computer and his webcam with a face-morphing program...they had a lot of good laughs.

They've played LOTS of games of Heroes, Starcraft, etc...The only reason I'm even able to be on my computer right now is because they're down playing Legos.

Had to sneak this one in of Smokey.....he loves to sit in boxes and containers of any kind.

My parents also came for a visit from Wed. through Fri. Here, my dad and Aaron were checking out state tournament scores....I'm so bad...this is the only picture I got while they were here. I need to do much better next time or I will no longer be the favorite daughter!

Another game with Grant....pile all of the cushions, pilllows, bean bags, blankets, etc. at the bottom of the stairs, and then slide down them....the funny thing is that they always used to do this in our old house, too, when Grant still lived here. Now, 2 or so years later, it's still quite a bit of fun.

I just had to show all of you how HUGE Grant's feet are....Now, my feet aren't small by any means--I wear a women's size 9. His are--get this--size 14 in men's....and he's 14 years old. If I were his mom, I'd be praying that his feet don't keep up with his age after this year!

All of this excitement tuckered Sonya out!!! Me, too!!!

Life as we know it

2009-03-06T21:47:00.002-07:00

I honestly don't think I've taken a single picture for over a week, but here are a few of the events happening at our humble abode...
***We began work on "Oklahoma" (the musical) in choir. Aaron's directing, I'm the accompanist. I was in this musical in high school, so it's kind of fun to relive that memory, albeit from a different perspective. When we were performing it, I remember thinking "wow, that accompaniment sounds really tough." Now I get to play it, and it's still pretty tough!!! But it's definitely more manageable for me than it would have been 17 yrs. ago!!!
***Basketball, basketball, and more basketball. We've had lots of district BB games, and our girls even made it to state. Miranda and I rode along with the band yesterday, down to Lincoln, where, unfortunately, our girls lost. But they have played really well and had a great season. It was fun to go, even though we were the lone females on a bus of jr. high and high school boys. Made for an interesting trip, to say the least. :)
***Sonya's newest phrase: "good luck with that." I'm not sure where she heard that, but we've been hearing it more and more frequently. It's quite funny coming from a 3-yr.-old, but I'm sure we could grow weary of it very soon.

That about sums it up. Hope I can take some pictures this week!

Hot action on the BB court

2009-02-24T10:52:00.001-07:00

Paul had his first basketball game last Saturday. It was actually a tournament, so they got to play 3 other teams. They didn't win any, but did improve a lot with each game, and they all seemed to be having fun.

I don't think the local newspaper is going to be hiring me anytime soon to take sports pictures! I discovered just how slow my camera really is...the pictures I ended up getting were, for the most part, not anything like what I thought I'd snapped! Sometimes I was left with a totally empty gym floor. I guess that's the nice thing about digital cameras, though--you can erase! As you can see, I eventually resigned myself to taking shots when Paul was totally standing still.

He looks pretty pumped, huh?!?

In the huddle....Aaron was the assistant coach. It was kind of funny because when we played Wallace, their music teacher was one of their coaches, too :)

Finally, an action shot....of course, it's of his back, but that's better than nothing, I suppose.

Brag, brag, brag

2009-02-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry, folks. I know I've been doing a lot of bragging lately, but I gotta do it one more time. Of course, I'm not about to start putting the bad stuff my kids do on here. :) What fun would that be? Paul and Miranda went to a spelling contest today, and Paul won first place out of the 5th graders! I was really proud of him. Both kids had fun, and I was happy that they had the opportunity to go.

Brotherly Love

2009-02-17T08:47:00.001-07:00

Paul made these cards for his sisters for Valentine's Day. He made them at school, totally of his own free-will, mind you. I must say that this is a pretty cool moment in this mommy's life. I realize that tomorrow he may be torturing them (although he doesn't really do that), but these cards are definite keepers!

I love the insides....the top one is Miranda's, then Sonya's, then Olivia's.

Love is in the air

2009-02-14T16:27:00.001-07:00

I feel very loved today! Aaron gave me the vase of roses, and Miranda gave me the single rose. I was impressed--she did that all on her own and actually kept it as a surprise!!! I helped with Olivia's Valentine's Day party on Thursday, which was a great reminder to me that I would NEVER want to teach preschool!!! I was supposed to help with Miranda's yesterday, but we had a snowstorm, so there was no school. Today I took Paul, Miranda, Taylor to "Marley and Me." The icing on the cake will be that tomorrow evening our chuch is showing the movie, "Fireproof," and serving a catered dinner. This will not involve the short people, which is one of the best parts (sorry, kids). It doesn't get much better than this! I feel blessed.

Change

2009-02-10T07:34:00.002-07:00

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines. --Author unknown

I thought I'd start this post off with a little humor, as I desperately need it today. Hence, the above quote. But I have a heavy heart. Miranda's closest friend, almost like a sister, is moving this week. Taylor has been a part of all of our lives for a couple of years, basically since she moved here in first grade. I have watched her and Miranda's friendship evolve throughout this time, until it has reached the point of great compatibility, love, and understanding. Sure, they have their moments--what 9-yr.-old girls don't?--but I think theirs is truly the type of friendship that will stand the test of time. I had the pleasure of praying with her before she was baptized last summer. She has gone to AWANA and Sunday school with us quite often during the past couple of years, and has just generally felt like my 5th kid. I'm taking this hard. In fact, I'm crying as I type. I can't quite figure out if it's because I have a headache and am just generally wiped out today (we hosted our conference choir clinic yesterday; I was the accompanist). More likely, though, I am reliving a piece of my childhood through this experience.

It started in third grade, I think. I may have some of the details wrong, but this is how I remember it, some 27 years later. My two friends, Anne and Charlotte, sisters from across the street, moved to Lincoln. We spent much of our early childhood years together....Anne was one grade ahead of me, Charlotte one grade behind. We had such fun. Lemonade stands, torturing my little brother, kickball games in my front yard....I could go on. When they moved I knew they'd come back sometimes, as they had ties to the Chadron area. In fact they often did come back in the summers, and we were always able to pick up where we'd left off. To this day, I keep in touch with each of them, and would LOVE to have a reunion (hint hint). A few years ago, before they had their babies, and before I had my last two, we did get together and went to the Black Hills--just the 3 of us.

Next, my friend Andrea moved to Indiana. I think this happened around the same time. I remember this being especially difficult, as I knew, even in my 8-yr.-old brain, that Indiana is a whole lot farther than Lincoln. We wrote a lot of letters. I cried a lot. She actually did move back a year or so later, but then moved again, this time to North Dakota. Interestingly enough, I just found her again on Facebook. Although I haven't kept up a friendship with her, it's so cool just to be able to see what she's doing, see what she looks like, and see her family. Facebook has made my world a little smaller.

In sixth grade, it was my friend Alyssa. We'd been friends since preschool. Great friends. We'd challenge each other to little "piano competitions," make up gymnastics routines, do 4-H projects together, sing, dance...you name it. We had a lot in common. I remember that when I found out she was moving to Rapid City (only 2 hrs. away), I couldn't even look at her in band class, or I'd start to cry. We have stayed in touch over the years. We've even gotten together a few times in Rapid City, where she still lives. I'm sure we'll always stay in touch, even if it's just through Christmas cards and the occasional e-mail.

After my freshman year, my friend Jennifer moved to Chicago. Her dad had been saying for several years that a move was coming, so I did have time to prepare myself, but it was still hard. We sort of drifted apart during my freshman year, possibly because she had a boyfriend who was a couple years older, and I was just a tag-along. But after my senior year, I did fly to Chicago and spend almost a week with her. We had changed, both of us, but it was still a fun time, and I consider her a friend to this day. Once again, we've found each other on Facebook, and I feel as though I could sit down with her and reminisce, and there would still be that little spark of friendship that we had had since our early elementary days.

Paul's best friend, Grant, moved a couple years ago. The neat thing is that his mom and I have made an effort to get them together several times a year, and through these reunions, Aaron and I have grown even closer to Rod and Diane. We still miss Grant, however, and still think of him as a big brother for Paul. A couple of weeks ago, when Miranda was telling Paul and I that Taylor was going to move, Paul said to her, "It will be really hard for a while. You'll be really lonely." His advice and wisdom was so touching to me, especially when I consider that he's a mere 15 months older than she is.

Yet, I see that even with these changes, God is at work. Paul has been given a new close friend. It has been neat to see that develop. Miranda will be ok. In fact, I think she's dealing with this better than I am. If she cries, it isn't in front of me. And I can see that every time a close friend moved away when I was a child, God reached in and "filled the gap," so to speak.

Perhaps another reason I'm emotional about all of this, is that I know that this will just be one of many goodbyes for Miranda. I had to say it again a few years ago to my friend Delores, who had become a second-mother, a mentor, and a dear friend. It doesn't get much easier even when you're an adult. I still miss our weekly Bible studies, almost-daily phone chats, piano duets at church, and so much more. And there's Mary Jo, who also moved several years ago. This is someone with whom I'd spent literally hours on the phone, talking about anything and everything. With both of these friends, I know I will still keep in touch, will still see them occasionally, and we will always call ourselves 'friends," but the miles are there, and that alone is a factor which causes things to change. Here again, though, even in adulthood, God is working to "fill the gap," and I have many wonderful friends who each have a different role in my life.

I don't like change, but as the quote above states, it's inevitable. God is the one who doesn't change, and I pray that my children will know that, and believe it wholeheartedly.

All's fair in love and underwear

2009-02-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, so last night's devotional (Thanks, Josh MacDowell) was on fairness/justice. When it was all over, and we had finished doing the discussion questions, etc., Miranda said, "Mom, it's only fair that you put a picture of yourself on your blog with underwear on your head." I should back up and say that she'd been bugging me all evening about taking off the picture of her. Well, I guess this was the compromise....she said, "Mom, either take mine off, or put one of you on." Ok. I'm a good sport. Here it is. Hope you're happy, Miranda. Just remember--I have some pictures that are WAY worse :).

Embarrassing moment

2009-02-05T12:59:00.002-07:00

My eldest daughter came home from school a couple of days ago with a sad tale. She told me that they'd had to write about their most embarrassing moment in their writing journals. She said, "Guess what I wrote about?" I had no idea, as I honestly couldn't think of anything too terrible that's happened to her. She replied, "I wrote a story about a girl whose mom has a blog. The mom put pictures on the blog of her with underwear on her head."

Oops. I said, "I didn't even know that you ever checked my blog." She said, "I just have a feeling that you put some on." I guess I'd better be more careful. Although, if she thinks that's the worst picture I have of her, then I've got news for her. But those won't show up on my blog!

Wiggly

2009-02-05T12:52:00.004-07:00

Ah, you gotta love preschoolers. This morning as I was getting dressed, Sonya asked, "Mom, why is your tummy so wiggly?" I thought about saying, "It's all because of you and the other 3 munchkins who I carried around in it for a total of 3 yrs. of my life." But I just laughed instead. Gotta have a sense of humor in this mothering gig.

*disclaimer--this is not my actual tummy. It is only a (surprisingly accurate) representation. The blog owner is not responsible for any nightmares that this picture may cause.

A good song to live by

2009-02-05T12:40:00.003-07:00

One of the favorite songs from church among the elementary/preschool set is "Read your Bible, pray every day." Sonya has really picked up on it, as you'll see in this video. In case you can't understand her, the second part goes, "leave your Bible, forget to pray, and you'll shrink, shrink, shrink."

Visiting Memory Lane

2009-01-27T19:55:00.011-07:00

Olivia and Sonya wore these around the house this afternoon, after a mid-afternoon bath....

...which reminded me of past pictures (please don't tell P and M that you saw these...shhh!)
***update....Miranda held me at gunpoint and made me take her picture off***(I was tired of hearing about it, in other words)

In looking through pictures, I found some old favorites, and since I didn't have a blog when Paul and Miranda were younger, most of you haven't seen these:
One of my favorites of Miranda. So sweet!

I remember her this way, too (not so sweet!). I now get this look from Sonya, just with darker hair.

Future fashion model?

Sometimes I can't believe the similarities between Sonya and Miranda...or is it just me who sees it?

Mr. Paul...my blue-eyed boy.

Tired or serious, not sure which.

He had some serious cheeks.

And some crazy hair!

Ah, the days of footie pajamas....matching ones, even.

With my parents, back when Paul and Miranda were the only grandkids.

Olivia saw this picture and asked if I could get her a shirt like the one Miranda is wearing...shucks...if only I'd kept it!

And, last but not least, in looking through the oldies, I ran across this one. It was taken in 1997, just a couple months before I got pregnant with Paul. What I love about it is how skinny I was! Sheesh! Did I even have hips?!? Those were the days. Oh well. I got some big mama hips as a "reward" for these 4 awesome kiddos!!

Makeover time in Ponyville

2009-01-27T08:03:00.002-07:00

Olivia decided that these two ponies needed a fresh, new look. You know, long hair can really drag a girl, er, pony down. Before she could do makeovers on all the rest of her ponies (I think we have roughly 96 of them; I'm pretty sure they procreate), I did remind her that their hair won't grow back like ours does.

A Project and a cheesy grin

2009-01-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Miranda and Taylor have been working on a project for school on the Cheyenne Indian tribe. Part of it involves making an earth lodge and a teepee. They made their earth lodge out of salt dough, and the teepee out of a metal sheet.

The earth lodge in the process of being painted.

Sonya is taking after her sisters....she's wanting to pose for me whenever she sees the camera. I'm sure I'd better enjoy these days. Judging from what I've seen on my friend Charlie's blog, when they get to be 12 or so, they sometimes run and hide!

Talking politics with Livvy Lou

2009-01-19T13:30:00.002-07:00

Olivia brought home a Weekly Reader today that had Barack Obama on its cover. She opened it up and showed me the pictures inside. She said, "Rock Bama is moving into that pretty white house." A little later, she asked me if he's the only president with brown skin. Then, quite a bit later, after we'd talked about various other topics, she said, "Can he come over and see our cat?" I said, "Who?" "Rock Bama," she answered. Obviously, "Rock Bama" was a hot topic at preschool today!

Tea party

2009-01-17T21:03:00.002-07:00

Olivia went to a Princess tea party today, which was for her friend Kendra's 6th birthday. It was fun watching the girls as they sipped their "tea," ate their little heart-shaped sandwiches, and played games. Olivia didn't want to leave when it was over!

germs

2009-01-16T11:12:00.002-07:00

This morning's conversation:
Olivia had found a sucker (probably from last Valentine's Day, I'm guessing, as it was a red and white heart).
Sonya: can I lick it?
Olivia: you have germs, so you can't lick it.
Sonya: I don't have germs.
Olivia: everybody has germs, even Grandma.

It made me smile!

MOPS craft

2009-01-15T13:37:00.002-07:00

I was in charge of the MOPS activity for this month. Unfortunately, I wasn't even able to go this morning, as I was pretty sure Sonya had pinkeye (now I don't know for sure...long story), Paul was sick, and also the motor on our furnace went kaput! Great day! Thankfully, though, the craft went on just fine without me, as I knew it would.

Most of you know that I am avidly pro-life. Therefore, when I found this idea--to decorate onesies/burp cloths for donating to a crisis pregnancy center--I knew this was the craft I would choose. We are donating these to a center in Kearney. Hopefully, the ladies had fun decorating these. It looks like they did!

(be sure to click for a close-up)