The excitement is mounting....

We are leaving for Yosemite, my absolute favorite place to go, in 1 day!!!! This will be our third year in a row, and I can honestly say it is my favorite vacation destination. Hiking, biking, eating our meals outside amongst majestic trees, awe-inspiring mountains, and the sounds of rushing streams. The smell of a fire, the spray on my face from beautiful waterfalls, the mosquitos...Well, OK, I don't care for them too much. Seriously, though, just enjoying this place with my family and friends always brings me home in awe of our Creator who would bestow these gracious gifts of beauty to me. In the meantime, shopping has been done, food has been cooked, games and bikes have been packed, and the RV and car are shiny clean. All I need to do is laundry and pack up the clothes, and we are ready! More to come.......

Happy Birthday Lorrie!!!

Today is Lorrie, my Mother-in-law's birthday! She is so dear to me, and I am so thankful to have her in my life. I would not trade her for anything, as her worth is far more than rubies or gold to me. Here she is with my darling little niece, Sophia, who just turned one recently. She is walking everywhere!

We celebrated Lorrie's birthday by having Dave's family up here for dinner tonight. We also celebrated Tim's birthday (one of Dave's brothers), as he turns 29 tomorrow. His other brothers couldn't make it up, unfortunately, but Lorrie's brother Gary was able to join us, which was nice. Austin entertained him with magic tricks (he loves a new victim.....eh-hem, I mean audience).

The boys had fun playing with their cousin, and playing the Wii with Uncle Timmy and Papa Dan.

It was a very nice evening. Happy Birthday Lorrie! I hope you had a great day today! We all love you with all our hearts.

Our Anniversary...

13 years of marriage today!

Today I have been married to the love of my life for 13 years! I honestly can't believe it has been that long already. Technically, we have been together for almost 16 years if you count the time we were dating. It has been such an adventure, and we have both changed so much in so many ways. Had it not been for God's saving grace in our lives, we probably would be in a much different place than we are now. A lot has happened- 3 children, a house, 3 cats, 2 rats, and a frog...lots of camping trips and dirt bike riding, house projects, homeschooling, serving at Grace Church, learning God's word more and more and growing in our relationship with Christ, good, bad, easy, hard, tears, laughter, and all that life brings. I am so thankful to be blessed with a husband to share my life with.

I look forward to many more years with Dave, and can't even imagine that I might be able to love him any more than I do today. My heart is so full already.

P.S. Click here to see some nostalgic pics of our wedding day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!

Today is my Dad's birthday. If you're reading, Dad.....Happy Birthday!

This is the cutest pic of my Dad and Vance! Tonight we are celebrating at our house with a full-blown Mediterranean meal. Gyros cooked on the rotisserie, yogurt sauce, pitas, Basmati rice, veggies, hummus, etc. etc. Yum-O! And for dessert, a very special banana creation, because my Dad loves banana anything!

Fresh Perspective

I frequent several blogs, and one of my favorites is a blog written by beloved pastor C.J. Mahaney's wife and three daughters, called Girl Talk. The words of Nicole Whitacre, one of their daughters, in today's post, echo my sentiments exactly, as she ponders the recent disasters going on in the world currently. I quote her:

"God tipped buckets of rain on the northeast United States this past weekend. My kids were both sick on Mother’s Day and on my birthday (yesterday) they gave me their colds as a present. Did I mention it was still raining? (Cue mournful violins, please.)
In the afternoon my sweet husband took the kids out while I read a book and watched the news. Cyclone in Myanmar. Earthquake in China. Tornados in the mid-west. I saw an interview with a man whose home was destroyed by a twister. Miraculously his entire family escaped, but he lost everything that he owned.
Nothing like the severe trials of others to put my own (lack of) trials in perspective. “Compared with what I deserve to be, how happy my condition!” a wise man once said.
I deserve to be sick with a cold and to have it rain on my birthday. I deserve to have a tornado rip through my house. I deserve to have my family die in an earthquake. In fact, I deserve far worse! I deserve the wrath of God poured out on my sins forever and ever.
Oh, but my receivings are so infinitely better than my deservings (Valley of Vision, “The Mover”). For God sent his Son, Jesus Christ to bear His wrath in my place. Instead of what I deserve, I am the daily recipient of His love and mercy and grace. He works all things for my good. And I have a home with Him—free from suffering—to look forward to forever.
What a glorious gift God has given to me!"

Pumpkin in the Spring....

I know it's not fall, but I was craving a pumpkin baked good of some sort. I found a recipe for pumpkin cake, altered it a bit to make it more healthy, and made it for breakfast this morning. All I can say it YUMMMMMMMMM!!!! And the boys loved it. Sprinkled with a touch of powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream, what could beat that?

Incidentally, I have found that you can substitute applesauce, cup for cup, for any fat (whether it be butter or oil), with no consequence to the flavor or texture. It's just not as greasy. This cake was extremely moist and flavorful, so who needs all the extra calories and fat? Certainly not me. And hey, you get a bit of fiber from the applesauce, too! Next time I will try adding some walnuts and oats.

Here's my take on the recipe:

PUMPKIN CAKE

4 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey (you can use regular sugar instead)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg

Mix the wet ingredients, then add in the dry. Spread into greased 9 X 13 and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake, it is good a little underdone!

The Awana Grand Prix 2008

Last Saturday was one of the highlight events of our year-The Awana Grand Prix. This was our third year participating in this event, but Luke's first time, since you have to be in 3rd-6th grades. Essentially what the kids do is take a block of wood and four wheels and turn it into their own personally designed creations.

Luke chose to make his a skateboard, so Dave cut the block into a flat skateboard shape. Luke sanded it smooth.
Austin's design was three sticks of dynamite, since his Awana club is called T & T. Get it, TNT? Here are his cut pieces ready to be glued together.

Luke's finished skateboard complete with "grip tape" and paint job. Boy that sucker was fast!

It's the fastest if it weights precisely 5 oz. Here's Austin's car getting weighed on race day.
Luke's car needed a little more weight taped to the bottom.
Austin's dynamite car all painted, complete with fuse and everything!
Luke proudly displaying his smokin' fast car (he took 5th place)!

Another pic of Austin's car.

Austin excited to receive 2nd place in the design competition. He also made it into the top 12!
A group shot of all the racers!
The boys' cars on the track ready to race!
Some of the other cars entered to race that day.