Today is my middle son, Luke's 9th birthday! I can hardly believe it! I remember when my oldest turned 5 and I thought that was old! Happy birthday to my sweet boy. I am so thankful to God for another year with him.
Highlights of Luke's past year being 8:
Camping trips to Yosemite, Big Bear, Mojave, and more. Luke really improved his skateboard skills and rides it practically every day. Heelies! He took on to those real fast, and loves them. Awana verses come easy to him now. Math is a challenge for him, but he is pulling through. Had oral surgery performed to remove an extra adult tooth, while AWAKE! Didn't complain a bit. No dirt bike accidents. Yippee! Loves his brothers and his friends Jimmy, Hunter, and Cody. Learned about the Wonderful World of Water in Lighthouse Lessons. Luke continues to be very active and busy, but is very cautious and reserved at times. He has a very tender and teachable heart when corrected. Grew up 1 whole year.
Statistics on Luke:
Height: 53 in.
Weight: 73 lbs.
Hair: Brown and straight
Eyes: Hazel
Freckles: Yes, all over his nose and cheeks!
Favorite Movie this year: Spiderwick Chronicles
Favorite Activity: Skateboarding
Favorite Food: Orange Chicken
Today, Luke ate his requested homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We will celebrate dinner on our camping trip to Dove Springs this weekend. He asked for BBQ pork sandwiches, coleslaw, and baked apples. I also ordered him a skateboard cake (who would've thought?) from Sam's to enjoy on the trip as well. Happy Birthday Luke, I love you with all my heart and pray that your tender heart towards God will continue to grow in love for the Savior.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Week in Review
This has been a busy week! Phew! As many of you may know, Dave's Dad has been hospitalized several times recently due to his battle with emphysema, which just recently advanced to the next stage. He was experiencing difficulty breathing this morning, so he called and asked me to take him down to the emergency room at Olive View. I am waiting here at home to see if they will admit him, otherwise we will go pick him up later. Pray for him!
Tuesday, we took a tour of the Grace To You facilities, where the radio, tape, and DVD ministries for our pastor's radio broadcast program are run. We got to see the machines that make all the CD's and DVD's, the warehouse where all the books, Bibles, commentaries, and more are kept, the shipping facilities that handle all the phone and internet orders, and the studio where our dear pastor John MacArthur records. We even got to see him go into the studio and record. It was a great opportunity. John MacArthur is known worldwide because of his many books he has written, and his radio program broadcasts all over the world. But that day, there was one person who didn't know who he was at all. That was my dear son, Vance. John came in to speak to our homeschool group about how we was going into the studio and what he was going to record, etc. etc. Vance pipes up out of the blue, "Who are YOU????" As many of us were just in awe to see John up close and personal, and enjoying the blessing of being able to coverse with him, my boy just wanted to know what all the hype was about. After all, you can't really make out his face if you are sitting in the sanctuary of our church. It holds 3,000 people for goodness sake. He has probably never seen him up close. It was just so hilarious. That's my child....I didn't know whether to laugh, duck under a table , or like Peter in the Bible, say "I never knew him"!
Thursday we had a sweet couple from our Juniors ministry at church, the Callaways, over for dinner. We had a lot of fun! The boys kept them entertained with talent shows, magic tricks, etc. They will either want tons of kids.....or NONE! They are a very sweet couple, and we enjoyed talking with them.
Friday we went to Rich and Karen's house for Good Friday dinner (YUM!), and then we were off to the communion service at church. We spent an hour + in traffic on the way home (YUCK)!
Saturday we took a family bike ride down the wonderful bike paseos they have in this wonderful little town of ours. And can you believe it, no accidents! Vance wore his full face helmet, and I am convinced that is the reason he doesn't fall. When he wears it, he doesn't fall. When he wears his regular helmet, he does. Of course he won't ever fall with that thing on. Then he couldn't KNOCK HIS TEETH OUT. Precious boy. We had a lot of fun together, and the weather was gorgeous.
Sunday was Resurrection Sunday, which we celebrated at church. I threw a little party for my Sunday school class I teach, and we had fun eating and just hanging out. For dinner, Dave's Mom Lorrie and Step-dad Dan came up for dinner, and we enjoyed a lovely meal of pot roast, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, and green stuff. Yes, that's right. Green stuff. If you're curious what that is, just ask me. Otherwise I'll let your minds wander and see what you can come up with.
Tuesday, we took a tour of the Grace To You facilities, where the radio, tape, and DVD ministries for our pastor's radio broadcast program are run. We got to see the machines that make all the CD's and DVD's, the warehouse where all the books, Bibles, commentaries, and more are kept, the shipping facilities that handle all the phone and internet orders, and the studio where our dear pastor John MacArthur records. We even got to see him go into the studio and record. It was a great opportunity. John MacArthur is known worldwide because of his many books he has written, and his radio program broadcasts all over the world. But that day, there was one person who didn't know who he was at all. That was my dear son, Vance. John came in to speak to our homeschool group about how we was going into the studio and what he was going to record, etc. etc. Vance pipes up out of the blue, "Who are YOU????" As many of us were just in awe to see John up close and personal, and enjoying the blessing of being able to coverse with him, my boy just wanted to know what all the hype was about. After all, you can't really make out his face if you are sitting in the sanctuary of our church. It holds 3,000 people for goodness sake. He has probably never seen him up close. It was just so hilarious. That's my child....I didn't know whether to laugh, duck under a table , or like Peter in the Bible, say "I never knew him"!
Thursday we had a sweet couple from our Juniors ministry at church, the Callaways, over for dinner. We had a lot of fun! The boys kept them entertained with talent shows, magic tricks, etc. They will either want tons of kids.....or NONE! They are a very sweet couple, and we enjoyed talking with them.
Friday we went to Rich and Karen's house for Good Friday dinner (YUM!), and then we were off to the communion service at church. We spent an hour + in traffic on the way home (YUCK)!
Saturday we took a family bike ride down the wonderful bike paseos they have in this wonderful little town of ours. And can you believe it, no accidents! Vance wore his full face helmet, and I am convinced that is the reason he doesn't fall. When he wears it, he doesn't fall. When he wears his regular helmet, he does. Of course he won't ever fall with that thing on. Then he couldn't KNOCK HIS TEETH OUT. Precious boy. We had a lot of fun together, and the weather was gorgeous.
Sunday was Resurrection Sunday, which we celebrated at church. I threw a little party for my Sunday school class I teach, and we had fun eating and just hanging out. For dinner, Dave's Mom Lorrie and Step-dad Dan came up for dinner, and we enjoyed a lovely meal of pot roast, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, and green stuff. Yes, that's right. Green stuff. If you're curious what that is, just ask me. Otherwise I'll let your minds wander and see what you can come up with.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Ice cream sandwiches
Last night I made the boys a nifty treat that they all LOVED! I wish my camera was working so I could have a picture, but I had to send it in for warrantied repair ):
I had made chocolate chip cookies the other night (thanks to my niece, Emma's delicious recipe). We also had some ice cream in the freezer, so what fun to make some yummy ice cream sandwiches. It was easy: Just scoop some ice cream onto the bottom cookie, smash it down with another cookie, and add some sprinkles around the ice cream edges and press them in a bit. VOILA! I only wish I could have eaten one, but I think I was happy to forego the 500+ calorie treat. You can even make them ahead and freeze them individually wrapped in plastic for a fun dessert all ready to serve your guests. With summer coming, I will definitely keep some of these on hand for a refreshing treat. Not exactly a healthy one, but hey, you gotta live a little sometimes!
I had made chocolate chip cookies the other night (thanks to my niece, Emma's delicious recipe). We also had some ice cream in the freezer, so what fun to make some yummy ice cream sandwiches. It was easy: Just scoop some ice cream onto the bottom cookie, smash it down with another cookie, and add some sprinkles around the ice cream edges and press them in a bit. VOILA! I only wish I could have eaten one, but I think I was happy to forego the 500+ calorie treat. You can even make them ahead and freeze them individually wrapped in plastic for a fun dessert all ready to serve your guests. With summer coming, I will definitely keep some of these on hand for a refreshing treat. Not exactly a healthy one, but hey, you gotta live a little sometimes!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Birthday Fun and No Surprises...
Last night, the boys went to Grandma and Papa's house for dinner and some fun, and I took Dave for a surprise evening. I had it all planned out. We would go to dinner, and then I had it all set to take him indoor Go-Kart racing. Let me preface by saying I cannot surprise my dear hubby with anything. He somehow has that "special" ability to be able to x-ray the contents of a present with his eyes, predict where we may be going, or know exactly what he is getting, regardless of whether he has seen the package or not or been given any clues whatsoever. This is not "special" to me in any way. It is a CURSE!!!! I have yet to pull off any sort of suprise for him to date, and I have tried in numerous ways to do it. It is so frustrating!!!!
Yesterday afternoon, I still thought I had him stumped. I was so proud of myself for finally doing it. After all, there was NO way he could know. I had already asked him if he knew where we were going, and right before we left I asked him again. He said to me, "Well we must be going Go-Karting." Just like that. HUH??? What in the world??? I tried to figure out what clues could have possibly led him to that conclusion.
"Did the kids tell you?", I asked.
"No."
"Did you see the bookmarked link on the computer?"
"No, I never look in the bookmark file."
"Well, how in the world did you figure it out? I have never mentioned it before, we have never had a discussion about trying out this place, I just thought you would enjoy doing it, that's why I picked it. I researched places on the computer and found this one."
"I don't know, I just guessed."
I don't know, I just guessed. You see what I'm talking about???? Needless to say, we had a great time! We went to Dino''s Pizza in Burbank for dinner, and then over to Sylmar to MB2 Raceway to have some fun. It's an indoor kart racing place (this isn't Mountasia-we're talking up to 50mph)! They have an arcade, pool table, air hockey table, and a snack/drink bar. The facility is brand new, huge, and a has a really nice crowd of people. The employees are all young people for the most part, and were very nice and helpful. They offer adult karts, and junior karts for kids 48" and over. You race around the track 14 laps, and they clock your times and put them up on the screen with your racer name. They provide helmets, neck braces, and even shoes, but you can bring your own helmets if you desire. Dave convinced me to race with him, and I'm glad he did. It was such a blast. This Mommy of 3 didn't crash once! And I saw several people smash into the guard rails and spin out. Those little karts are pretty fast, and it was so fun to slide them around the turns at full speed. I have to say, I would highly recommend this place to anyone. It was a fun thing to do for Dave's b-day, and right up his alley. We may even take each of the boys on their birthday. So despite the fact that he knew where we were going, it didn't matter. He loved it. That's all I can ask for!
Yesterday afternoon, I still thought I had him stumped. I was so proud of myself for finally doing it. After all, there was NO way he could know. I had already asked him if he knew where we were going, and right before we left I asked him again. He said to me, "Well we must be going Go-Karting." Just like that. HUH??? What in the world??? I tried to figure out what clues could have possibly led him to that conclusion.
"Did the kids tell you?", I asked.
"No."
"Did you see the bookmarked link on the computer?"
"No, I never look in the bookmark file."
"Well, how in the world did you figure it out? I have never mentioned it before, we have never had a discussion about trying out this place, I just thought you would enjoy doing it, that's why I picked it. I researched places on the computer and found this one."
"I don't know, I just guessed."
I don't know, I just guessed. You see what I'm talking about???? Needless to say, we had a great time! We went to Dino''s Pizza in Burbank for dinner, and then over to Sylmar to MB2 Raceway to have some fun. It's an indoor kart racing place (this isn't Mountasia-we're talking up to 50mph)! They have an arcade, pool table, air hockey table, and a snack/drink bar. The facility is brand new, huge, and a has a really nice crowd of people. The employees are all young people for the most part, and were very nice and helpful. They offer adult karts, and junior karts for kids 48" and over. You race around the track 14 laps, and they clock your times and put them up on the screen with your racer name. They provide helmets, neck braces, and even shoes, but you can bring your own helmets if you desire. Dave convinced me to race with him, and I'm glad he did. It was such a blast. This Mommy of 3 didn't crash once! And I saw several people smash into the guard rails and spin out. Those little karts are pretty fast, and it was so fun to slide them around the turns at full speed. I have to say, I would highly recommend this place to anyone. It was a fun thing to do for Dave's b-day, and right up his alley. We may even take each of the boys on their birthday. So despite the fact that he knew where we were going, it didn't matter. He loved it. That's all I can ask for!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Happy Birthday to My Hubby!!
Today is the day my husband catches up to my age, once again. I am exactly 2 months and 11 days his elder (well, one more day this year), and during this 2 month and 11 day period he makes that fact known to me! But today he is now as old as I am and the teasing stops!
Dear Dave:
Happy Birthday to the husband of my youth. I still like to think I am still in that "youth" category, but that's another story. It has been a blessing to celebrate 16 birthdays thus far with you, and I pray that God will grant us many more to come! You are my love, my life, and my best friend. It is such a privilege to be your wife, to serve you and take care of your home and our children. I love you with all of my heart and hope you have a wonderful birthday!
Tonight we are going out on a "date" for dinner and some fun...It's a surprise, so I can't say what it is yet in case Dave might, for some odd reason, be reading this from work.
Dear Dave:
Happy Birthday to the husband of my youth. I still like to think I am still in that "youth" category, but that's another story. It has been a blessing to celebrate 16 birthdays thus far with you, and I pray that God will grant us many more to come! You are my love, my life, and my best friend. It is such a privilege to be your wife, to serve you and take care of your home and our children. I love you with all of my heart and hope you have a wonderful birthday!
Tonight we are going out on a "date" for dinner and some fun...It's a surprise, so I can't say what it is yet in case Dave might, for some odd reason, be reading this from work.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Frogs and Trees
Dave is outside working on trimming our tree (STILL)!!!! It's a big, no-HUGE job that has to be done in phases. A couple weeks ago, our good friend Gene came and helped Dave for a few hours. And it really only made a small dent in the job. Dave's back out there today with a friend from work, Gary. His two little girls, ages 5 and 3 are here with him. They are adorable.
I am sitting here at my desk with a tree frog right next to me. The little adorable creature now has new digs. His plastic enclosure just wasn't the right environment for him. He needed a bigger habitat made of glass so he could have a heat lamp, lots of foliage, and a more temperature controlled environment. The $7.99 frog now has a $50 lavish apartment to convince him he really truly is still in the rainforest somewhere. Austin spent his own money buying all the stuff for him-
10 gallon glass enclosure- $13.99
water bowl/bathtub- $5.99
thermometer- $6.99
heat/basking lamp- $10.99
substrate for cage- $6.99
supply of crickets- $0.68
Cost for a frog enclosure for a frog for a totally devoted froggy-lover: Priceless
I am sitting here at my desk with a tree frog right next to me. The little adorable creature now has new digs. His plastic enclosure just wasn't the right environment for him. He needed a bigger habitat made of glass so he could have a heat lamp, lots of foliage, and a more temperature controlled environment. The $7.99 frog now has a $50 lavish apartment to convince him he really truly is still in the rainforest somewhere. Austin spent his own money buying all the stuff for him-
10 gallon glass enclosure- $13.99
water bowl/bathtub- $5.99
thermometer- $6.99
heat/basking lamp- $10.99
substrate for cage- $6.99
supply of crickets- $0.68
Cost for a frog enclosure for a frog for a totally devoted froggy-lover: Priceless
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Another.......accident.......with....Vance's................
MOUTH!!! I can't believe it, but my youngest offspring has done it again. This time he was riding his scooter. We had just arrived at the park for our twice a week time outside for me to walk around the park and the boys to scooter/skateboard. I don't know what happened because he was ahead of me, all I heard was screaming and crying. I ran over to him to find blood, once again, coming out of his mouth and chin. He was in his usual state of hysterics, so I couldn't really find out what was going on. I managed to convince him to walk back home after a while, and then go over to Kaiser to take a look. The wait to be seen was about 2 hours, so after talking with Dave, I opted to go home since he had calmed down and the severity of the injuries seemed far less than I originally thought. Once all the bleeding had stopped, it really wasn't that bad. He really did take it in the chin, and it is all cut, bruised, and just generally yucky looking. His lip was cut a little, and I think that's where the blood was coming from. And to top it all off, his beautiful new set of permanent front teeth are now complete with a jagged edge....UGHH!!! Nothing seems to surprise me or phase me anymore when it comes to this kid and his mouth accidents. If he makes it down the wedding aisle with his original two permanent teeth, I will be completely astonished. Until then, the boy really needs a lesson in how to fall. We keep telling him to put his arms out to brace his fall. But when I instructed him on this, he just replied, "But Mom, then I will hurt my arms"!!! "Precisely," I said. Better his arms than that adorable little face of his!
We will keep an eye on him and see if he needs any further medical attention. I was concerned about his jaw, because he mentioned it hurt when he moved his mouth around. Well, he did rack his chin really good. For now, he feels better. He looks better. No more bleeding. No more crying. Nothing a new Bionicle can't fix!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Austin's Tadpole
For those of you not reading Austin's blog, my Dad bought Austin a frog habitat for Christmas that came with a free tadpole by mail. He waited for a painstaking 8 weeks for the tadpole to arrive, checking the mail daily and counting down the days until he was supposed to arrive. So the day finally came, and Austin was ecstatic! We followed the instructions for his care to the "T", but unfortunately, the tadpole died after just two short days in the tank! What's up with that???? That's the way to break a poor 10 year old's heart. My heart sank when I tried to get the tadpole to move and it just bobbed around the tank lifeless. I was afraid to tell poor Austin that it had died. After all the excitement surrounding his arrival, I feared he wouldn't take it well. When I told him, he wasn't nearly as disappointed as I was!!!! I felt such lament over the whole issue that I whisked Austin out the door to Petco to buy him a $7.99 tree frog. He happily obliged, and picked himself out the cutest little shrimp of the group to bring home along with 8 lovely live little crickets....YUCKY! We promptly put him in his habitat, where he made himself right at home. Welcome, "Hopper"!!! You are a lucky little frog with an owner who loves frogs like no other......
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