I stumbled upon this quote and it spoke volumes to me, so I wanted to share it on our blog:
"All of us are called to a place we have not been. Our lives were always intended to be journeys into the unknown. The invitation is both personal and mystical. No one else may fully understand what you are being called to. You may not even fully understand. The path you must walk may appear to others as strange or unreasonable, but you know there's more going on than meets the eye." -Erwin Mcmanus
Monday, July 30, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Fun Summer So Far
Our Michigan trip was a blast this year. The kids had such an amazing time playing with their cousins, swimming and taking very few baths over the course of 10 days. I think the kids will look back on that trip with some terrific memories.
The day we traveled to Michigan was a little rough. This was our first time flying with 3 children. Our 3 hour layover in Atlanta turned into 5 hours when our flight was delayed. That was a little challenging, but the kids did better than I would have expected. They were so excited to be going to Granny and Pop's house that they stayed on their best behavior. Thankfully, the trip home was much easier and faster.
Once we got there, it was non-stop activity. Family get-togethers, photo shoots, and friends to see were all on the agenda. I had 6 photo shoots lined up during our time there, which kept me hopping. Busy, busy, busy. We had a huge family reunion on the 4th of July and family Olympics, which was a great time of "friendly competition" with fun games that involved things like beach towels, pool noodles and water balloon launchers. Our team took 3rd out of about a dozen teams. We were pretty pleased about that.
We also had a surprise 40th anniversary "Deck Building Party" for Caleb's parents while we were there. Jaime and Molly were in charge of keeping the parents distracted. We got up bright and early (that should have been their first clue that we were up to something) and took Caleb's parents along with our children to the zoo for a few hours. From there we sent the grandparents off to watch a movie with the kids. In the meantime, Caleb and his brothers, along with about 5 other guys (one who is a friend of the family and a professional builder) worked diligently to build a deck on the back of their parents' house. I was a little skeptical that it could be done in 6 hours, but I'm happy to say I was wrong. The deck looked awesome by the time Caleb's parents got home. Shortly after, lots of family, friends and neighbors arrived and we had a big party with lots of food and fun on the new deck.
We're having a great summer. It's been much more fun-filled than I anticipated. I've been steadily busy with photography work averaging about 1 photo shoot a week. This week we've been remodeling our sun room into a more workable office space. I will post some pictures soon of our new home office space when it's completed. I'm also doing an aerobics class called Body and Soul and I love it! My biggest challenge this summer is trying to keep the kids busy during the day since it's so hot outside. Today I took them to Chick Fil'A to the play place to get them out of the house. (Feel free to leave a comment on any ideas to keep them happy during these brutal summer months.)
Next we will venture to Arizona to see my family for about 10 days. We can't wait! We'll get to see a ton of my extended family on that trip too because we're getting together for my grandma's 75th Birthday celebration.
We'll come home and then it will be time for Bryant to start 2nd grade. Can you believe that? It seems like the pages are just flying off the calendar. We'll just keep soaking up the sun and enjoying the fun of summer because it will be over before we know it.
The day we traveled to Michigan was a little rough. This was our first time flying with 3 children. Our 3 hour layover in Atlanta turned into 5 hours when our flight was delayed. That was a little challenging, but the kids did better than I would have expected. They were so excited to be going to Granny and Pop's house that they stayed on their best behavior. Thankfully, the trip home was much easier and faster.
Once we got there, it was non-stop activity. Family get-togethers, photo shoots, and friends to see were all on the agenda. I had 6 photo shoots lined up during our time there, which kept me hopping. Busy, busy, busy. We had a huge family reunion on the 4th of July and family Olympics, which was a great time of "friendly competition" with fun games that involved things like beach towels, pool noodles and water balloon launchers. Our team took 3rd out of about a dozen teams. We were pretty pleased about that.
We also had a surprise 40th anniversary "Deck Building Party" for Caleb's parents while we were there. Jaime and Molly were in charge of keeping the parents distracted. We got up bright and early (that should have been their first clue that we were up to something) and took Caleb's parents along with our children to the zoo for a few hours. From there we sent the grandparents off to watch a movie with the kids. In the meantime, Caleb and his brothers, along with about 5 other guys (one who is a friend of the family and a professional builder) worked diligently to build a deck on the back of their parents' house. I was a little skeptical that it could be done in 6 hours, but I'm happy to say I was wrong. The deck looked awesome by the time Caleb's parents got home. Shortly after, lots of family, friends and neighbors arrived and we had a big party with lots of food and fun on the new deck.
We're having a great summer. It's been much more fun-filled than I anticipated. I've been steadily busy with photography work averaging about 1 photo shoot a week. This week we've been remodeling our sun room into a more workable office space. I will post some pictures soon of our new home office space when it's completed. I'm also doing an aerobics class called Body and Soul and I love it! My biggest challenge this summer is trying to keep the kids busy during the day since it's so hot outside. Today I took them to Chick Fil'A to the play place to get them out of the house. (Feel free to leave a comment on any ideas to keep them happy during these brutal summer months.)
Next we will venture to Arizona to see my family for about 10 days. We can't wait! We'll get to see a ton of my extended family on that trip too because we're getting together for my grandma's 75th Birthday celebration.
We'll come home and then it will be time for Bryant to start 2nd grade. Can you believe that? It seems like the pages are just flying off the calendar. We'll just keep soaking up the sun and enjoying the fun of summer because it will be over before we know it.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Time to buy a guest book!
Since we arrived in the Charleston area we have had a considerable amount of company. It has been wonderful. We weren't even in our house a month when the company began to come. We feel so loved and we appreciate everyone who has traveled and made such an effort to visit us:
January:
Caleb's mom
Jaime's mom
March:
Hunter Bailey
Caleb's parents
April:
Jaime's parents
Kenda, Brandon, Dylan & Kenzie
May:
Angie Snyder & Lana Shaw
Angela Boyers
June:
Angie Snyder
We are very excited about 2 big trips we get to take in the upcoming months. We will get to be the guest this time around! Later this week we will head to Michigan for about 10 days and see all of Caleb's family for the 4th of July. It will be a great opportunity to see the entire Michigan clan as well as Josh & his family from Minnesota! We can't wait!
Then a couple weeks after that, we are heading to Arizona for about 10 days too! We couldn't be happier about the chance to get back there and attend Grandma Lois' 75th birthday party! Again, we will get to see the entire Arizona clan and the California group as well. I love that we will get to see so many members of our extended families in July and August! We are so thankful to get to take both of these trips.
So far, it has been a great summer! Caleb and I just celebrated our 8th anniversary this week! We had a date night last night (thanks to our good friend Angie Snyder who came down from Rock Hill to babysit). We had a nice dinner followed by a very long, romantic walk through historical Charleston. It was absolutely perfect! (When you come visit, plan on plenty of time to walk downtown. There is so much to see and do, we LOVE it!)
One thing that was pretty comical this week was Delainey's dentist appointment. Have you ever seen a 3 year old on sedative? It's hilarious for about 5 minutes, then you just want your little girl back to her normal self. She couldn't hold her head up, but was determined that she could walk just fine. When she tried to eat or drink, she couldn't even get the food or drink to her mouth. We were glad the next morning when she returned to her normal little self.
My photography class ended last week and was a great success. I learned a lot and became reinspired. I'm buying a digital SLR this week- so excited! I'm looking forward to learning more and pursuing that avenue with more confidence and excitement!
I started a workout class at our church 2 days a week called, "Body and Soul". I love it! Hoping to loose that stubborn 10 pounds of pregnancy weight. Living near so many beaches has quickly motivated me to feel better in a swim suit!
This week will be full of laundry, packing and preparing to be away for a week and a half. Can't wait to see all of our peeps back home!!
January:
Caleb's mom
Jaime's mom
March:
Hunter Bailey
Caleb's parents
April:
Jaime's parents
Kenda, Brandon, Dylan & Kenzie
May:
Angie Snyder & Lana Shaw
Angela Boyers
June:
Angie Snyder
We are very excited about 2 big trips we get to take in the upcoming months. We will get to be the guest this time around! Later this week we will head to Michigan for about 10 days and see all of Caleb's family for the 4th of July. It will be a great opportunity to see the entire Michigan clan as well as Josh & his family from Minnesota! We can't wait!
Then a couple weeks after that, we are heading to Arizona for about 10 days too! We couldn't be happier about the chance to get back there and attend Grandma Lois' 75th birthday party! Again, we will get to see the entire Arizona clan and the California group as well. I love that we will get to see so many members of our extended families in July and August! We are so thankful to get to take both of these trips.
So far, it has been a great summer! Caleb and I just celebrated our 8th anniversary this week! We had a date night last night (thanks to our good friend Angie Snyder who came down from Rock Hill to babysit). We had a nice dinner followed by a very long, romantic walk through historical Charleston. It was absolutely perfect! (When you come visit, plan on plenty of time to walk downtown. There is so much to see and do, we LOVE it!)
One thing that was pretty comical this week was Delainey's dentist appointment. Have you ever seen a 3 year old on sedative? It's hilarious for about 5 minutes, then you just want your little girl back to her normal self. She couldn't hold her head up, but was determined that she could walk just fine. When she tried to eat or drink, she couldn't even get the food or drink to her mouth. We were glad the next morning when she returned to her normal little self.
My photography class ended last week and was a great success. I learned a lot and became reinspired. I'm buying a digital SLR this week- so excited! I'm looking forward to learning more and pursuing that avenue with more confidence and excitement!
I started a workout class at our church 2 days a week called, "Body and Soul". I love it! Hoping to loose that stubborn 10 pounds of pregnancy weight. Living near so many beaches has quickly motivated me to feel better in a swim suit!
This week will be full of laundry, packing and preparing to be away for a week and a half. Can't wait to see all of our peeps back home!!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
"The Best Dream Ever"
Even though it's summer break, this week we are up early and on a schedule. Bryant has VBS for 3 hours each morning and then 1 hour of swim lessons each day. So this morning Elle and I went into Bry's dimly lit room to get him up for the day. Elle and I did this each morning when school was still in. It is a win/win situation: Elle squeals with ecstatic with joy to see Bryant's face emerge from his blankets. Bryant wakes up in a much better mood when Elle is the one waking him. He actually seems happy to wake up for his sweet baby sister. And I'm happier because he's not a grump to me!! It works out beautifully.
Well, this morning, Elle and I tiptoed into Bry's room and gently laid on his bed next to him for a little cuddle time. Elle quickly went into "attack mode", as usual, and began squirming with delight to "get" Bryant. She LOVES to crawl on him, and rough him up a little, which to him feels like a gentle back rub but she really thinks she's being tough. It's so fun to watch.
As Bry began waking up, he said in complete disappointment, "Aw Mom! You woke me up from the best dream ever!" As I asked what he was dreaming about, he went on to describe his "best dream ever", it was so sweet. He said he was dreaming of being at a hotel with Momo, Papa, Brandon, Dylan & Kenzie. They were swimming at the pool and got to have a really nice breakfast... then Elle and I came in and ended it!
I love the things that are so special to kids. I think the thing that made this dream Bryant's "best ever" wasn't the swimming, the breakfast or the hotel. I think it's that he got to "spend a little time" with some of his favorite people on earth. Just this once, I wish I would have let him sleep in a little bit more, a few more minutes with some of his favorite people. If I would have known, Elle and I would have delayed a little while longer.
My children continue to teach me what really things really are the "best" things in life. Time with the ones we love, is there anything more valuable? May we keep dreaming about time together, until we get to make those dreams a reality.
Well, this morning, Elle and I tiptoed into Bry's room and gently laid on his bed next to him for a little cuddle time. Elle quickly went into "attack mode", as usual, and began squirming with delight to "get" Bryant. She LOVES to crawl on him, and rough him up a little, which to him feels like a gentle back rub but she really thinks she's being tough. It's so fun to watch.
As Bry began waking up, he said in complete disappointment, "Aw Mom! You woke me up from the best dream ever!" As I asked what he was dreaming about, he went on to describe his "best dream ever", it was so sweet. He said he was dreaming of being at a hotel with Momo, Papa, Brandon, Dylan & Kenzie. They were swimming at the pool and got to have a really nice breakfast... then Elle and I came in and ended it!
I love the things that are so special to kids. I think the thing that made this dream Bryant's "best ever" wasn't the swimming, the breakfast or the hotel. I think it's that he got to "spend a little time" with some of his favorite people on earth. Just this once, I wish I would have let him sleep in a little bit more, a few more minutes with some of his favorite people. If I would have known, Elle and I would have delayed a little while longer.
My children continue to teach me what really things really are the "best" things in life. Time with the ones we love, is there anything more valuable? May we keep dreaming about time together, until we get to make those dreams a reality.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Summer in the South!
Some might say moving from dry Arizona to humid South Carolina is courageous. Others would say it's CRAZY. Considering I thought it felt a little humid when we arrived in December, I'm going with the later. We're currently in a "drought", which would still be considered a moist season in the desert. So we haven't experienced the humidity at it's worst. I'm in no hurry to experience it first-hand, but I'm sure it's in our near future.
Bryant has been out of school for one week now. He is enjoying lazy days and came up with a little checklist of things to accomplish each day. He starts swim lessons next week and VBS the following week. He is most excited about our trip to Michigan so he can see his cousins Lily & Maisy that he misses so much! He is also thrilled about his older cousins, Brandon & Dylan visiting us here again. We can't wait. He is still the Lego king and his creativity amazes me. Always building a new Star Wars ship and was just describing to me the importance of aerodynamics to make the things travel faster.
Last week Caleb took Bry to buy a set of his very own golf clubs! This was very exciting for them both. After they bought the set, they went to the driving range and hit balls. Bryant was hooked instantly. He can sometimes be seen getting his clubs out of the garage and heading to the backyard to "practice putting". Where does the time go? It doesn't seem like very long ago we were watching him hit with his little plastic set in our horribly rocky yard in Ajo.
Delainey turns 3 in just a few days. Unbelievable! I can't believe that dark haired, one dimpled little baby that no longer looks anything like her baby pictures, is already 3. She is a joy! If she's awake, her raspy voice can be heard throughout the house, saying things like, "The cottage cheese is taking a bath in the applesauce." She wants to talk about anything and everything from lipgloss to the scratch on her knee. She loves anything girlie, but handles getting dirty in the yard just fine. She is all about having FUN! What a vivacious little thing she is. And she is a TALKER! Where could she have gotten that from? What a wild ride this parenting thing is!
Little Elle is 17 pounds of pure sweetness. She is getting more curious and starting to venture into different rooms now. It's fun to see her discover her independence. She seems much more timid than Bry and DJ were, even at this early age. She gets shy when people talk to her, by turning away with a grin and hiding her face. If I had to choose one word to describe her, it would be, "lovely". She is simply, "lovely". I remember right when she was born, Caleb scooped her up and began to sing the old song, "Isn't she lovely?". He had no idea just how right he was!
She got her first two teeth about a week and a half ago. The two bottom, middles. They arrived a day apart. She babbles, "Dada" all the time. I think she tries to say Mama, but it comes out, "Papa". What's up with that? That's Caleb's claim to fame, how all the kids said his name first.
Caleb & I are doing very well. We really miss friends and family, as we knew we would. Chasing 3 little ones keeps us extremely busy, which helps. Caleb still runs quite a bit (25-30 miles a week) and plays golf everytime the budget will allow. As for me, I'm currently taking a photography class which I am ecstatic about! I'm learning a lot and growing in knowledge and skill. I hope this is the first of many classes, making me better and sharper as I go.
Can you believe this month Caleb and I are approaching our 8th anniversary? So much life in 8 short years! I cannot believe all the adventures we've had and such amazing friends we've made along the way. We truly are blessed!
Why on earth did God choose to bless me with this family? I just don't get it. Some days I feel like I'm doing great as a mom and other days I feel clueless and completely undeserving. Thankfully, God doesn't require perfection, just willingness.
Lord, make me more willing to be the mother you want me to be. Give me wisdom and patience because I really need them.
Bryant has been out of school for one week now. He is enjoying lazy days and came up with a little checklist of things to accomplish each day. He starts swim lessons next week and VBS the following week. He is most excited about our trip to Michigan so he can see his cousins Lily & Maisy that he misses so much! He is also thrilled about his older cousins, Brandon & Dylan visiting us here again. We can't wait. He is still the Lego king and his creativity amazes me. Always building a new Star Wars ship and was just describing to me the importance of aerodynamics to make the things travel faster.
Last week Caleb took Bry to buy a set of his very own golf clubs! This was very exciting for them both. After they bought the set, they went to the driving range and hit balls. Bryant was hooked instantly. He can sometimes be seen getting his clubs out of the garage and heading to the backyard to "practice putting". Where does the time go? It doesn't seem like very long ago we were watching him hit with his little plastic set in our horribly rocky yard in Ajo.
Delainey turns 3 in just a few days. Unbelievable! I can't believe that dark haired, one dimpled little baby that no longer looks anything like her baby pictures, is already 3. She is a joy! If she's awake, her raspy voice can be heard throughout the house, saying things like, "The cottage cheese is taking a bath in the applesauce." She wants to talk about anything and everything from lipgloss to the scratch on her knee. She loves anything girlie, but handles getting dirty in the yard just fine. She is all about having FUN! What a vivacious little thing she is. And she is a TALKER! Where could she have gotten that from? What a wild ride this parenting thing is!
Little Elle is 17 pounds of pure sweetness. She is getting more curious and starting to venture into different rooms now. It's fun to see her discover her independence. She seems much more timid than Bry and DJ were, even at this early age. She gets shy when people talk to her, by turning away with a grin and hiding her face. If I had to choose one word to describe her, it would be, "lovely". She is simply, "lovely". I remember right when she was born, Caleb scooped her up and began to sing the old song, "Isn't she lovely?". He had no idea just how right he was!
She got her first two teeth about a week and a half ago. The two bottom, middles. They arrived a day apart. She babbles, "Dada" all the time. I think she tries to say Mama, but it comes out, "Papa". What's up with that? That's Caleb's claim to fame, how all the kids said his name first.
Caleb & I are doing very well. We really miss friends and family, as we knew we would. Chasing 3 little ones keeps us extremely busy, which helps. Caleb still runs quite a bit (25-30 miles a week) and plays golf everytime the budget will allow. As for me, I'm currently taking a photography class which I am ecstatic about! I'm learning a lot and growing in knowledge and skill. I hope this is the first of many classes, making me better and sharper as I go.
Can you believe this month Caleb and I are approaching our 8th anniversary? So much life in 8 short years! I cannot believe all the adventures we've had and such amazing friends we've made along the way. We truly are blessed!
Why on earth did God choose to bless me with this family? I just don't get it. Some days I feel like I'm doing great as a mom and other days I feel clueless and completely undeserving. Thankfully, God doesn't require perfection, just willingness.
Lord, make me more willing to be the mother you want me to be. Give me wisdom and patience because I really need them.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Catching up and catching our breath
I decided to do this blog so friends and family could have an opportunity to keep up on our ever-changing lives. We've been in SC for just about 6 months now. It's amazing how much can take place in such a short amount of time!! We are settling in and really enjoying it here. We hope that this is a long-term move for us. We have been so busy, not just in the last 6 months, but in the last few years! I was thinking the other day about how much we have done since things really started getting crazy in 2004.
Here's a quick summary:
June 2004 We were blessed with our precious Delainey entering into our world.
July 2004 Decided to sell our house in Ajo & moved across town.
December 2004 We put everything we owned into storage & moved 2 kids 2,000 miles away to Georgia for FLETC . We lived in a furnished home and only had clothes and bare necessities that we could fit into our small car. We made the best of this time by spending many days on the beach, visiting Savanah and Jacksonville, FL. We found St.Simon's Community Church there and loved it. We still have some friends there that we keep in touch with.
May 2005 Took our family and the small amount of things we could fit into our car over 2,000 miles again to South Dakota while Caleb did field training at Mt. Rushmore. Here we enjoyed gorgeous views, fishing, hiking, and many wild life loop trips to see hundreds of buffalo and other amazing things. We found a wonderful couple to rent a small stuido apartment from for those 3 months. Fun times, hilarious memories! Who knew a family of 4 could comfortably live in such small quarters!
August 2005 We returned to AZ and moved to the Grand Canyon (finally got our things from storage). What an amazing time that was. We made some neat friends and loved the opportunity to live and work with NPS people. We loved having huge elk and deer walk through our yard regularly. We made friendships with NPS that will last a lifetime.
September 2006 Our sweet Elliotte was born! What a doll. Both Grandmas were there for her birth. Bryant and Delainey both were captivated by this sweet new addition to our family.
November 2006 Moved everything we owned and our 3 young children over 2,000 miles again (are we seeing a pattern here?) to the Charleston-area of South Carolina. And here we are.
Whew! Take a deep breath. I know we are. I told Caleb we can't have any more babies because every time we have a baby we move at least 2,000 miles away. How many times can a family move from one side of the country to the other??? We hope our HUGE moving days are over. We are settling in nicely here. We love the opportunities available to all of us. We miss our family so much, but thankfully we live in a day and age that keeping in touch and visiting each other is easy.
We love you all very much and can't wait until the next time we get to give you a hug and share some laughs.
Here's a quick summary:
June 2004 We were blessed with our precious Delainey entering into our world.
July 2004 Decided to sell our house in Ajo & moved across town.
December 2004 We put everything we owned into storage & moved 2 kids 2,000 miles away to Georgia for FLETC . We lived in a furnished home and only had clothes and bare necessities that we could fit into our small car. We made the best of this time by spending many days on the beach, visiting Savanah and Jacksonville, FL. We found St.Simon's Community Church there and loved it. We still have some friends there that we keep in touch with.
May 2005 Took our family and the small amount of things we could fit into our car over 2,000 miles again to South Dakota while Caleb did field training at Mt. Rushmore. Here we enjoyed gorgeous views, fishing, hiking, and many wild life loop trips to see hundreds of buffalo and other amazing things. We found a wonderful couple to rent a small stuido apartment from for those 3 months. Fun times, hilarious memories! Who knew a family of 4 could comfortably live in such small quarters!
August 2005 We returned to AZ and moved to the Grand Canyon (finally got our things from storage). What an amazing time that was. We made some neat friends and loved the opportunity to live and work with NPS people. We loved having huge elk and deer walk through our yard regularly. We made friendships with NPS that will last a lifetime.
September 2006 Our sweet Elliotte was born! What a doll. Both Grandmas were there for her birth. Bryant and Delainey both were captivated by this sweet new addition to our family.
November 2006 Moved everything we owned and our 3 young children over 2,000 miles again (are we seeing a pattern here?) to the Charleston-area of South Carolina. And here we are.
Whew! Take a deep breath. I know we are. I told Caleb we can't have any more babies because every time we have a baby we move at least 2,000 miles away. How many times can a family move from one side of the country to the other??? We hope our HUGE moving days are over. We are settling in nicely here. We love the opportunities available to all of us. We miss our family so much, but thankfully we live in a day and age that keeping in touch and visiting each other is easy.
We love you all very much and can't wait until the next time we get to give you a hug and share some laughs.
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