2008 PIG RACE

This is one of my favorite events to attend at Ella's school -- the pig race! It is so weird and funny -- a perfect event to appeal to our family :) Above you see a picture of Ella and Anna patiently waiting for the festivities to begin!

This is how it works: Each class (Pre-6th) has a wind-up pig. They can dress the pig, name the pig, practice with the pig. There are two "heats". The winner of each heat gets to go to the semi-finals. There is a grand prize and separate prizes for things like "Best Dressed", "Most Likely to Become Bacon", "Most Likely to Be the Next Presidential Candidate", etc.

There was some controversy this year, as the 2nd grade pig was attached to a remote control car. Of course they flew across the finish line before the other pigs did their first wiggle. The crowd was wildly shouting "Cheaters! Cheaters!" but the 2nd grade protested that there were no rules (there weren't!) I'm still not sure if they were disqualified . . . And of course Mr. Stuart's pig always wins his heat . . . hmmmm.

At the end, everyone gets icecream (right before lunch).

It's great fun for all and I love attending every year. Our little friend, Luke, had the perfect t-shirt:

PUMPKIN FARM

One of our favorite family traditions is our annual visit to one of the area's many choices for fun pumpkin farms. Okay, they're not really called "pumpkin farms" but that is what we always call them :) Since the girls and I visited one of the big farms towards the end of summer, we decided to go more low-key this year and visit a smaller (i.e. FREE!) farm that has just a few activities and, of course, pumpkins! This also worked well for Eric, as he is still on limited activity with his back recovery.

This is the second time we have visited this farm, and we were excited to go into the giant tee pees that we remember from our visit several years ago. The tee pees are very dark inside, lit only by the dozens of jack-o-lanterns (in the tallest tee pee) and funny skeletons & ghosts (in the smaller tee pee). Avery found a kid-size tunnel through the tee pees and she and Ella had a blast running through the tunnel while I "scared" them at openings throughout the tunnel.

We also really enjoyed the delicious donuts (pumpkin, chocolate, cinnamon & glazed) and fresh apple cider -- yum!

They had, what we assumed, to be the usual animals for petting, but then we ran across fluffy bright yellow and neon green hens and the girls fed fawns and deer. Very fun.

Just before we left, Avery & Ella roamed through the pumpkin patch to select their pumpkins for carving this year. Avery chose a non-traditional white pumpkin and Ella chose a large orange. I'm sure you'll see pictures of our jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin seeds on a later post.

FALL HELPERS

I never look forward to Fall . . . the girls go back to school, it starts getting dark way too early, and the leaves fall, and fall, and fall, and fall . . . maybe that's why they call it "fall". I much prefer Spring which closes out the cold Winter months and promises Summer days ahead. Anyway, I've already raked at least three times and I am thankful that we got our big maple tree trimmed A LOT this year so that we will have far fewer leaves to rake. To ward off my tendency to complain at this time of year, I try to think of things for which I am thankful. So today I am giving thanks for my two Fall helpers. Since they were little they have helped me bag leaves. Now they help rake too! As long as they can jump in the leaves before we bag them, they are [mostly] joyful about helping. Another thing that I am thankful for is the wonderful fall photos that we capture each year. It really is a beautiful time to celebrate God's creation.

MOPS@

Ella was 9 months old when I first became involved in MOPS. Now she is 6 1/2 and I am no longer a MOPS mom, but a MOPS mentor. I love it! In the last 5 years, our MOPS group has evolved from one large "classic" group of 45 + women meeting at the church, to several smaller MOPS@ groups that meet in homes around town. Our group this year has 12 women and I look forward to our time together every other week. Today was a sad day, as we were saying "goodbye" to Salli. Salli, Lindsi and I have been planning this group since last winter and it has been amazing to watch friendships grow so quickly as a result of our first 3 meetings. Here is a picture of most of our group, minus a few friends who were missing today. I am thankful for MOPS and the many blessings that God has brought to me, and other women, through this ministry.

SPARKS HIKE

This is Ella's second year to participate in the Awana Sparks Hike. Ella was very independent -- hiking ahead with Mrs. P and the kids.

She loved gathering treasures from the woods (moss, acorns, fall leaves, a shiny metal piece of something -- of course her favorite thing that is not even a natural part of the woods!)

Ella loved being with all of her friends and being outside -- what a great combination.

Plus it was a perfect fall day. Thank you, God, for beautiful woods, water and sunshine!

A FUN WEBSITE

Usually I hate mass emails, but I got one today that was really fun. If you go to this website and enter the month, day and year of your birth you will get the #1 song from the day you were born. I don't know why I thought this was so fun -- maybe I just like music a lot. And of course Eric knows every one! Here are the songs that were #1 on the days we were born:

Maria -- "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone
Eric -- "Love Child" by Diana Ross & the Supremes
Avery -- "Maria Maria" by Santana featuring The Product G&B
Ella -- "Ain't It Funny" by Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule

I particularly like Avery's song :)

PLUMBING PROBLEMS & GOOD FRIENDS

On Thursday (2 days after Eric's back surgery) I heard a loud "Oh No!" from downstairs. I went running down, thinking that he had moved in some way that hurt his back. But the source of his cry was the ceiling in the guest bath -- it was caving in! We had noticed water spots through the summer, but put it on the back burner since Eric was in no condition to be doing household repairs. Well, there was definitely a plumbing problem, stemming from the upstairs bathroom, and we knew we needed help.

Within the day, 3 of our friends from community group came over to assess and begin working on the problem. This is a picture of Gary & Willie. They spent the whole afternoon here on Saturday -- we are so grateful! I asked Willie if he learned anything about plumbing and he said, "Yes. I learned that next time I'm gonna' call a plumber." :) Thank you, Gary & Willie for your many hours of service and care for our family!

BACK IN SHAPE

After 12 weeks of living with severe back pain, Eric is back in shape (or at least on the way)! Yesterday he had surgery to remove parts of a disc that were "sitting on" his sciatic nerve. After one night in the hospital, he is recovering well at home. Note the stack of books and DVDs (as well as the girls' stuffed animals) and remote control. The couch will be his regular spot for at least the next few days.

He expects to be out of work for 2-4 weeks. I am looking forward to taking a picture of him sitting up -- a position that he has avoided for the last three months. We are thankful that God provided a quick surgery date and that Eric is on the way back to an active life!

BLOCK PARTY

Yesterday we attended the annual block party in the neighborhood where Eric grew up. Eric's mom, Susan, and step-dad, Gary, host this party every year and we have enjoyed getting to know the neighbors and kids/grandkids of neighbors from Eric's childhood home. It is also a fun family time. We had a ball with Grandma & Grandpa, cousins J.R. and Bailey, as well as Judd and Jeanine. Here is a photo of J, J & J -- of course Bailey is way too busy to involve himself in a family photo!

Some highlights from our afternoon included a long session of playing Barbies with Aunt Jeanine and J.R. and lots of play time with toys from Grandma's basement.

And the food was delicious, as always!

My personal favorite memory from the day was watching Avery "interview" the people at the party. The interview went like this: "Hi I am gathering some information about the block party. Would you mind answering a few questions?" Then she asked them their name, birth month, street they lived on, # of kids and # of grandkids. She ended each interview by saying, "Thank you for your time." She recorded everything in a little notebook. Today, after school, we are going to make an Excel spreadsheet with statistics about the party. She is so excited :)

Ella and J.R. were usually right with her for the interviews, and J.R. was in charge of the follow-up questions :) Above is Avery interviewing Grandma, and below she is interviewing Grandpa.

I thought for sure that she would stop with family members, but she interviewed 23 people at the party! Maybe she will be a reporter in the future.

We are already looking forward to the next annual block party in 2009!

TWO LITTLE BOYS

In our house full of girls (and Eric) it was fun to babysit two little boys for an overnight this weekend. We loved having our nephews, Aidan (2 years) and Chase (6 mos.) stay with us while their mom and dad went out of town for the weekend. Aidan is so polite! In response to everything I did, Aidan would say, "Thank you, Aunt Maria". Aidan was especially happy when we had "The Wiggles" on TV :)

Chase is a precious, happy baby. He loved sitting (with a little help from his big cousins) and playing on the floor. Avery and Ella enjoyed being big cousins, especially when it was meal-time.

Taking care of two little ones reminded me how tiring it is to be a mother of babies -- diapers, bottles, night-time feedings . . . I appreciate the ages of my two girls! In fact, they were able to be real helpers to their mom this weekend. We look forward to having Aidan and Chase stay with us again, anytime!

A WEEK OF FIRSTS

Our family experienced many "firsts" this past week . . .

• Avery's first full week of public school. She loves it! God has been so good to answer our prayers for her to make some friends and adjust easily.


• Ella's first week of full-day school. And Maria's first week without both girls all day! Wow -- can they really be growing up this fast?


• Eric's first Sunday as a small group leader in HighPoint. He is leading a group of 6th grade boys. Very cool.


• Avery & Ella's first night of Awana. We are thankful for the amazing children's programs at our church and the influence of other Christ-followers on our girls.


• Eric and Maria's first night with our new community group. We are co-leading this year with our good friends, Kim & Gary, and we are looking forward to developing some new friendships and growing together


• Maria's first morning as a MOPS mentor. It was amazing -- I am so excited for the year ahead!

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Not only was it the first day back to school, it was Avery's first day of public school! It was also the first time that I have put my two precious girls on two separate buses heading to two separate schools. Wow -- what a day! I am positive that it was more emotional, more bittersweet and more nerve wracking for me than it was for either of them!

 

Ella's bus comes one hour earlier than Avery's, so we saw her off first. Avery got on Ella's bus to give a hug to Miss Gloria, their sweet bus driver for the past few years. She also got to say hello to one of her previous classmates. I thought for sure that the tears would come then, but none came (at least for Avery :)

By 8:00 (a full 45 minutes before her bus arrived) Avery headed outside to play with the other neighborhood kids who were waiting for the bus. One of the highlights in changing schools for Avery has been joining her good friend (and neighbor), Meghan, on the bus and at her school. Meghan is a year younger than Avery,so not in the same class, but they had a great time on the bus on the way to school!

The report at the end of the day was two-thumbs-up from both of them. They both made new friends, love their teachers and are so excited to go back again tomorrow. Thank you, Jesus, that you are with them every moment of every day. I rejoice knowing that He loves them even more than I can imagine!

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid ... for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ON

We have LOVED our season passes to the family-run amusement park that we've visited all summer (thanks Grandparents for the great birthday gifts!)! We've gone many times and spent a 7-8 hour day riding rides and enjoying the wave pool and water slides. But the one thing that we have not done is stay until closing, when it is dark. I'm sure the girls could have made it, but Mom (that's me!) was always wiped out by that time. So yesterday, after just two hours at the park, Avery & Ella suggested (in a persistent way) that this was the day to come back "when the lights are on". So we went home for an afternoon break and dinner and returned to ride the rides until the park closed.

The first 1.5 hours were still daylight, so we enjoyed some of our favorite rides and anticipated what was coming (when the lights come on!).

By 8:00 it was getting dark and we decided to ride Ella's most favorite ride, the YoYo (this is her favorite because she was finally tall enough to ride it, halfway through the summer :)

Next, Avery decided to wait (and wait, and wait, and wait) in line for her favorite ride, the "Screamin' Eagle"

During Avery's wait in line, Ella and I went to the "kiddie rides" -- maybe this will be her last summer to enjoy them! The boat she rode in had a very fitting title as we close our our summer . . .

Sea U Later summer -- it's back to school tomorrow!

AWAY FROM HOME

Last week my grandma, who is 96 years old, moved into a new home. She has lived in the same small town her entire life and this move to assisted living, about an hour away from her hometown, is a practical, necessary move at this stage in her life. She is now close to my mom and dad and my sister, Coleen, and they will be able to visit her often. The girls and I traveled to see Grandma earlier this week and it was hard to see her so disoriented and unhappy. She just wants to go home.

As I was driving to and from my visit with Grandma, I thought a lot about "home". I am a home-body. I like to be home. It is safe and comfortable and I can be myself there. I can understand why this move is hard for Grandma. But I've been thinking about what the Bible says about home . . . that this world is not my real home. That I am like an alien and stranger on earth (1 Peter 2:11). That we are longing for a better country in heaven and that God has prepared a city for us there (Hebrews 11:15-16).

Grandma was so sad that she refused to let me take her picture with the girls. So I am including a picture, taken last September when we celebrated Grandma's 95th birthday.


When I got home on Tuesday night, I read this poem in my devotional book (this is the final stanza):
And now "my Home is God", and sheltered there,
God meets the trials of my earthly life,
God compasses me round from storm and strife,
God takes the burden of my daily care.
O wondrous Place! O Home divinely fair!
And I, God's little one, safe hidden there.
Lord, as I dwell in You and You in me,
So make me dead to everything but Thee;
That as I rest within my Home most fair,
My soul may evermore and only see
My God in everything and everywhere;
My Home is God -- author unknown

Grandma with 9 of her 13 great-grandkids.


"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms . . . I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
--Jesus (John 14:1-3)

FRIENDS

Avery calls her closest friends her "besty-best" friends. I am thankful that God has blessed me with MANY besty-best friends -- going back as far as high school! Recently I was a part of a special day -- Kim & Jason's wedding. Besides the honor and fun of helping them with the details, I loved spending time with some of my besty-best friends (I will call them BB's) who came from near and far to celebrate the occasion. One of my BB's, Kim, was my co-coordinator. We had a great time working together to get the bridal party down the aisle and finding a safe place for the gifts!

No one will ever know if we planned the polka dots . . . was it a coincidence or not?

Liz did an AMAZING job with the reception. She is so talented and has a huge servant's heart!

One of the highlights for me was spending time (not enough!) with Penny and Susanna who traveled from far away to celebrate with Jason & Kim.
A verse that reminds me of my BB's is 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" I am so thankful for my friends -- they are a precious gift from God!

KIND-OF COUSINS

The best way to describe my girls' relationship with Calvin, Abigail and Easton is "kind-of cousins". They have the kind of friendship that doesn't get unfamiliar, even after months of separation. Yesterday they enjoyed a reunion, as Susanna and the kids were in town for a few days. They fell into their regular routine of "house" with Avery and/or Abigail in charge and acting as the mom (of course!).

Since it was a hot and sunny day, we enjoyed a lot of outside time, including a picnic and water play. Oh how we miss Susanna, Dan and our "kind-of cousins"!