pitter-patter

Lifesong/Both Hands Project - so cool!

2011-06-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is a video of a Lifesong/Both Hands project here in Gridley! So cool! Love to see teenagers using their time in such a God - honoring way! Way to go Gridley Young Group!

Happy 60th Birthday Mom!!

2011-06-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

My Mom turned 60 at the beginning of May so to celebrate, we had in some of her friends over for a luncheon. As usual, I am about 3 weeks behind on posting but it was a fun afternoon!

The table all set for the luncheon.

Mom, Donna, Brenda, Pat & Judy.

Rita, Val, Mom, Bonnie & Patsy.

The whole crew together.

My Aunt Teresa helped out and made the BEST sandwiches! Chicken salad and a BLT with fresh mozzarella cheese, panera bread and pesto sauce - yum-o!

Hope was the only grandchild invited too since the rest were in school.

I asked Mom's friends to write what they appreciated about her. Here are some themes about her...very friendly and makes me feel welcome, easy to talk too, always there for me, and bold for Christ.

I could not agree more with these! Mom, I so appreciate your compassionate heart. I remember many nights when I would get home for an activity, you would be waiting up in the living room to talk over the night. I also remember hearing you and Dad pray faithfully every morning and night ( and I know it is a sacrifice for you to get up early with Dad and stay awake for the prayer :-) ). You have wisdom that I appreciate. God has been so good to me through parents like you and Dad. I love you very much! Happy Birthday!

Love, Jill

Happy Birthday Haley!!!

2011-05-26T14:33:00.001-07:00

Happy 10th Birthday to our sweet girl! Wow, ten years TODAY at 2:07 p.m. you were born in Fort Wayne, IN! We did not know if you were going to be a girl or boy and I was SO EXCITED when the doctor said "it's a GIRL!!" What a blessing you are Haley Rae!

Dad and I were house parents at Gateway Woods at the time. Aunt Natalie and Kendra had arrived from Bloomington the night I went into labor to watch Travor. God is good!

Another memorable part of your birthday is a few hours after you were born a tornado touched down in Ft. Wayne. Dad had gone back to Leo to get some things from home and the hospital staff moved all of us into the hall until the Tornado passed :-)

We love your spunk and fun-loving personality! We pray that you will continue to have a soft heart for the Lord and be soundly saved and passionately serving Him! Love, Dad & Mom

Haley, Hope and I had a fun time making Haley's birthday cake today. Haley saw this book about cupcake birthday cakes at the library and asked if we could make this dog one for her birthday. It was fun and turned out cute!

It was fun spending time with you today Haley! Happy Birthday!! Mom

Where is Hope?

2011-05-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

I was making dinner and all the kids were outside playing besides Hope. It had been quiet for a long time. This is not a good thing when you have a three year old in the house. I went searching for her and almost tripped over her asleep in the middle of the living room!

As I thought about it, she did not have a nap today :-) Poor child. I guess she just laid herself down. I guarantee that this would not have happened with number 1 or 2 for that matter! I see how birth order does affect our personalities!

She woke up happy for dinner :-)

Caleb's Center Time

2011-04-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Caleb's Kindergarten teacher sent out an email to us this morning with these pictures that Caleb had drawn. Precious encouragement!

Andy and Jill,

I just wanted to share this neat story with you... Caleb was "writing the room" at centers the other day and looked up at me and said "I am going to write a Bible verse." I told him I couldn't wait to see which one he chose. I am attaching the pictures of what he wrote!

2011-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Andy's co-worker, Leah, sent this to him from one of Lifesong's family. It is too precious, I just had to pass it on. Praise God for a "visible Gospel" through adoption!

Scott & Susan have adopted 5 children…many with a special needs. Scott is in Ethiopia right now bringing home 14 year old, Letemeskel who is a sibling of two of their adopted sons (one is Levi—see below). Quite the story.

I copied her post below…absolutely precious.

Believing in God...by Levi Nichols
We were driving back home today from the store. It was warm, quiet and both Ethan and Levi were quietly looking out the car window.

Levi said," I like myself like this."
Me " What do mean? "
Levi " I really do believe now that I can talk to God."
Me." Huh."
Levi " I didn't believe it in Ethiopia. I was like 4 or something. Now I believe it."
Me " what do you mean Levi? Tell me more."
Levi, " Every night I say prayer, quietly, in Tigrinya. I say for my sister to come to America. I pray like you say. "
" Now she come to America and I believe God hear me when I talk Tigrinya or English. ."
" My life is good now,..... I believe God hear me."....." I hear him too. "

Levi...." mom why you cry?"
Me " I am proud, happy."
Levi " I do not understand girls cry when day happy."

Great Breakfast Recipes

2011-01-14T18:17:00.000-08:00

Most mornings I feel like I offer the same breakfast options for our family - cereal, pancakes, eggs (when I have the time) or oatmeal. While we will be thankful since that is more choices than many others in the world, I have been looking for some new quick and nutritious breakfast recipes. I tried two new ones this week and really liked them both!

Glazed Cinnamon Scones (from Money Saving Mom blog)

Loved this one! It was fast to make and with the wheat flour and some milk, it is nutritious in my book! Next time I want to try doubling it and freezing the little pizza sliced individually for an even easier breakfast.

Glazed Cinnamon Scones

Recipe adapted from The Coupon Project

Scone Ingredients:

2 cups flour (I used half unbleached and half whole-wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, separated
3 Tablespoons honey
1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/3 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice)

Crumb Topping (can be adjusted to your liking):

1-2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients (can be adjusted to your liking):

1 cup powdered sugar
1-3 teaspoons milk (enough to make a glaze)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

Separate the egg white and yolk. Set the egg white aside.

In a separate bowl, mix egg yolk, honey and buttermilk (or milk/lemon juice mixture). Add to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Form dough into a ball on a floured surface. Roll or pat out to half an inch in thickness and eight inches in diameter. Cut into eight equally-sized pieces.

Transfer to a greased baking sheet. Whisk the egg white until froth forms and brush over the tops of scones. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over egg-white-topped scones.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Mix together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until glaze forms. Drizzle over scones after they bake.

A.M. RUSH ESPRESSO SMOOTHIE

* The coffee version is for Andy and I but I think you could leave out the espresso and give it to the kids.

1 c. cold fat-free milk

2 TBSP. vanilla flavoring syrup (I used Torani brand flavoring syrup and actually found it at Walmart in the coffee aisle, I had tried looking for it a Meijer the week before but could not find it)

2 c. ice cubes

1 med.banana, cut up

2 - 4 tsp.instant espresso powder (I could not find this at Walmart although it was probably there, so I used instant vanilla flavored coffee)

2 tsp.ground flaxseed

2 tsp. baking cocoa

In a blender, combine all ingredients; cover and process for 1 - 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses and serve immediately. Makes two servings.

I have made the following recipe many times because it is a favorite.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE-CHIP MUFFINS:

*My cousin, Jessica, gave us this delicious recipe. She health-i-fied it up too. She is an amazing baker among her many other talents! I love this recipe because it is so yummy and it makes at least 24 muffins which I freeze for snacks or quick breakfasts.

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 (16 oz) can of pureed pumpkin

1 1/2 c. applesauce

3 c. whole-wheat flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 package chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and applesauce until smooth. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 16-20 minutes at 400 degrees. Makes 24 - 30 muffins

It Has Been Forever...

2010-10-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

... since I have posted anything on this blog! Here are a few highlights...

Summer fun -playing in mud and water. It just doesn't get any better!

Haley's friends from her Sunday School class had a cookout and overnight. Such a fun and sweet group!

Off to Colorado for a vacation. We spent some time with G&G L.

Horse back riding in Colorado. This horse's name was Hope!

Rafting with some great friends - the Monroes! Always fun to be with them!

Rafting the Arkansas River - a highlight for sure!

We had to leave the Colorado camp a little early and missed the famous and much loved "pancake toss." This is where they actually toss the pancake and you have to catch it on your plate Then there is a table of calorie-laden toppings to put on your "catch!" Andy was so nice to make it up to the kids by doing one at home!

Getting ready to catch their pancake....

The kids doctored them up just the way they liked them.

They looked a little disgusting to me :-)

Off to school for Caleb in late August. His first year of "official" school - kindergarten! Hope misses her bro!

Haley going into 4th grade.

Travor going into 5th grade. Could not get him to smile. He really does like school!

An unsuccessful attempt at this (sigh!)

Happy 11th Birthday Travor!

Harrison and Trav had a b-day party together. They do not remember also celebrating their baby showers together eleven years ago :-) but Kara and I do! Time flies!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-07-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we had a surprise birthday party for my dad's 60th birthday! It was so fun!

Haley on "look out" for Grandpa and Grandma's van.

Surprise!!!!!!

Tables full of friends and family.

The kiddos got the hot seats on the front porch :-) They did not seem to mind.

Miso from Korea and Evelyn from Germany were visiting my aunt again. It was fun to have them there. Our kids love them!

My two aunts in the kitchen, making everything run smoothly.

Precious friends. Kevin and Dix and Denny and Bonnie.

Andy and the two Daves :-)

Bill and Patsy.

Cute picture of Dave and Brenda that Caleb actually took.

It was fun to be with my parents friends. What precious friendships through many years! I know several of dad and mom's friends prayed for me at different times in my life and my parents prayed for their kids too. I feel like the bond goes on now into Andy and my friendship's with many of their children and then with our kids ( their grand kids). What a rich blessing!

Thank you Jesus. You are the bond of these relationships!

A skit by the Thomas clan ~ always a good time.

Dean the "nursing home director."

Ray and Marcia played by Adam and Lexi as they admit "Ray" to the nursing home!

Happy Birthday dad! I am thankful for 60 years of your life and 33 years in my life with you. I love you and mom and am very blessed to have you as my parents!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

To one of the best dad's ever!! THANK YOU for your love and dedication to God and our family. We love you!!

Happy Father's Day!

He is so good!

2010-05-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

My Bible Study group had a few weeks before we break for summer to fill after our last study ended so we went through the book of Hosea. I must say, I really enjoyed it. I feel kind of morbid admitting it because it is shocking and sad what happens to Hosea's wife, Gomer.

But the redemption...it is beautiful! For Gomer, for the Israelites and for me. I am so thankful that God redeemed me from my idolatrous and adulterous ways!

I have been reading on into Joel. Again, a similar message. God laying out what is going to happen if Israel does not repent. I guess what I find so hopeful is that God LONGS to show them compassion but He cannot until they recognize their need for Him, until the agree with Him about their sin.

I can "get" that a little as a parent. There are times that I SO want my child to make the right choice. I do not want to give them the painful consequence, I long to be compassionate, to have fellowship with them.

It has been good to read these books and search my heart for sin. It is interesting that Israel, in both Hosea and Joel, forgot the Lord and turned to idols during times of prosperity.

I was thankful for these verses today as they reminded me of the salvation I have been given in Christ:

Rend your heart....Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and he relents from sending calamity.

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten....and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you...then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God and there is no other.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved... there will be deliverance. (Joel 2:13, 25, 32)

The Art of Raising Boys

2010-05-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have been revisiting my books are raising boys. Girls have their complexities but, for the most part, I get them. Boys are sometimes a mystery to me. I came across this article on Family Life's Mom Blog and it was really good for me. Here is the link if you are interested...

http://www.momlifetoday.com/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=npISKUOtFmG&b=5769961&ct=8117289

Pictures...

2010-04-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

No particular reason for this pic, just thought it was cute.

Caleb's "Gotcha Day"was in March so Andy & I, the kids and my parents celebrated by going to a Korean restaurant in Champaign. It was really good! Caleb LOVED it. I am not sure he really liked all the food but it seemed really important for him to try it. Here he is holding up kimchee which is pickled cabbage. He ate it and said he liked it but the look on his face said something different :-)

These two are always up to something!

Travor's feelings about Korean food. Not a fan. He is your pizza, taco, basic kind of guy.

Hope liked the food.

Since Travor had built the Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower) for his Valentine's project, we thought it would be fitting to go up to Chicago and visit it over Spring Break since the kids have never been there.

Riding the Metra in from the burbs.

Hope looking over Chicago from the Willis Tower.

Standing 108 stories over the city of Chicago in the "ledge" which is a glass enclosed overhang on the side of the Willis Tower. Kind of a weird feeling when walking on it.

A Perspective of Women from Grade School Boys...

2010-03-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

Travor had some of his friends over from school this afternoon. I listened in to their conversation at lunch and thought it was too cute!

One of the boys: "(name of a girl at school) likes me."

Another boy: "That is the problem with girls, why do they have to like us!? Why didn't God just make boys?"

A more compassionate boy: "Well, God did make them from part of the man"

Boy: "Too bad they came from us! I wonder why God did not just go 'poof' and make them instead of from us."

Another boy: "Have you ever noticed that all the names of girls come from a man's name? Like

'woman,' man is on the end and 'female,' male is on the end?"

That is when I interjected and said, "Do you know what man said when he saw the woman after God had created her?"

Boys: all ears

Jill: "WOO! MAN! WOO! MAN! WOO! MAN! Get it? Woman. That is how women got their name. He thought she was beautiful!"

Boys: {bitterly disappointed at the thought} said"oh brother." and "awkward!

I will *gladly* remind these boys of this conversation when they are 16! I would guess the perspective will be a bit different ;-)

A few happenings....

2010-02-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

Travor and Haley's school has a Valentine's party every year where the kids build their V-day mailboxes. Travor's planning started early. He wanted to make the Sears Tower. He sketched his idea back in December and built a really good small-scale model and then, with dad's help, they build the real deal. It was taller than 8 feet! He won the "most effort" award.

Haley decided to build our town's water tower since we got a new one this year and, in a small town, that is a big deal! She received the "most creative award." She did not want her picture taken :-{

Miss Hope received a tutu from Grandma Lehman (thanks mom!) and she loved it! She is striking her ballerina pose!

Two Great Recipes

2010-01-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

My mom gave me a new cookbook for Christmas and I am loving having some new ideas. Thanks mom! Quite a few of my friends have recipes in the cookbook so it is extra fun to try them. We had two delicious dinners tonight and last night. We are calling it "Rumbold girl week" since both recipes are from two of my friends who also happen to be sisters :-) Jamie S., you are next! Here they are:

Mexican Chicken Penne (Mindy Anliker) *my kids really liked this one & they are a tough crowd*

1 pkg penne pasta
2c. chicken, cooked and cubed
1 1/2 c. salsa con queso dip
1/2 c. milk
1/4 t. salt
1 (15oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 lg. tomato, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese (best if you use a brick of cheese and shred it yourself)

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Heat milk and salsa con queso separately in micro so each are hot. Then, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, salsa con queso dip, milk and salt. Drain pasta and add chicken mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately. Top with black beans, tomatoes, onions and cheese.

Crock-Pot Taco Soup ( Lisa Schwarz) *I love crock pot recipes for days when I am running errands*

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (15oz) can black beans with liquid
1 (15oz) can pinto beans with liquid
1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn with liquid
1 (15oz) can creamed corn
1 (28oz) can peeled & diced tomatoes
2 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 c. water
8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese (opt)
Fritos or tortilla chips (opt)
4 oz. sour cream (opt)

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Combine all ingredients, except optional ones, in crock-pot. Cook on low 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve with cheese, sour cream and chips.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2009-12-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

We are so glad you came!

For unto us a child is born, a son is given:...and His name shall be called WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, the MIGHTY GOD, the EVERLASTING FATHER, the PRINCE OF PEACE. Isaiah 9:6

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Mt.1:21

Praising God for the greatest gift of all ~ JESUS! Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

kids caring for kids/ Prairie Christian School

2009-12-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

Check out this Lifesong for Orphans blog post. Our kids have been attending Prairie Christian School for 4 years now. The school, families and, especially, the teachers have been such a blessing to us. It was really fun to see the kids "get" Christmas this year.

Praise God for working in the PCS students' hearts for the children in Zambia and for reminding me that He is pleased with childlike faith!

Merry Christmas!

http://lifesong.squarespace.com/home/2009/12/18/kids-caring-for-kids-prairie-christian-school.html

Happy 2nd Birthday Hope!

2009-12-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

Time goes so fast. Our baby is turning 2! If I could freeze our family right now, I would. I love the mix of elementary age kids and the cute cuddly pre-k/toddlers.

Hope getting a smooch from daddy while in Ethiopia.

Home from Ethiopia.

We often comment on what a different girl she is now. She was so quiet and non-expressive for a long time but now she is SO expressive and loves to "talk." She said 3 new words today.

Is this picture a prophecy of future phone bills to come?!?! :-}

Happy Birthday Hope Tizita. You are a special gift from God! We love you.

Hope gets her groove on...

2009-12-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

When we were at Horn Creek this past summer, Hope got way into the singing. She seriously danced like this for about a half an hour.

Sorry I can't get the video to turn but if you turn YOUR head a lot to the left, it works! (hee, hee !)

Ouch!!

2009-12-03T12:22:00.001-08:00

Travor was playing with Hope and I guess they thought she needed some bandaging!

Thankfully, she did not do anything to require three band aids to her forehead, but I thought the pics were cute!

I see how babies of the families get their fun personalities!

California

2009-11-24T21:28:00.000-08:00

Andy and I were blessed to go to beautiful CA for a Lifesong event. Beautiful Monteray. I could not get a picture to do it justice. To get the idea, green grass then a steep cliff dropping to the ocean. Amazing Creator God!

After the Lifesong event, Andy and I went to San Francisco for the remainder of our trip. I am fascinated with the steep streets. Good exercise too!

Love these homes! I am a sucker for window boxes.

Enjoying sushi!

Boat ride to Alcatraz. Such interesting history.

I was tempted to buy this tray for the kids when they complain about the food at home.

A windy ride across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Taking a pic after walking down the most crocked street in the world.

Funny Thanksgiving Video!

2009-11-23T18:52:00.000-08:00

Family Fun Games

2009-11-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

We occasionally enjoy playing games as a family. Two of our current favorites are

Uno Attack

Hullabaloo

We like fast paced and fun/goofy games - not a lot of methodical thinking for this crew :-)

With the holidays and winter coming up, I would like to get a few more games to have around. Do you have any favorites? Board games or made up ones? I would love to hear about them.

Hope's First Haircut!!

2009-11-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Ari for doing a fabulous job! With her ring pop in hand, Hope did a good job too...Success!

Decorating Help, please...

2009-10-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

I have had a bathroom re-do idea brewing in my head for a few months. Here is the current bathroom for Haley and Hope. Not bad, but not grand.

I don't feel like this bathroom looks fresh and fun, especially the cabinets. It looks dated and drab.

This picture, from a blog, is what got me to start thinking about making some up-dates in the bath. We are not handy people so this board and batten idea appealed to me. This blogger used just boards on the wall (not actual bead board) and painted it all white. I think it looks really nice. You can check out the process and more pictures for yourself here...

http://itsthelittlethingsthatmakeahouseahome.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-board-and-batten.html
But here is my question: I am thinking of doing the board and batten 2/3 or 3/4 up the wall in the bathroom and paint the trim white to match. I would also like to frame out the mirror to make it look more custom. I like the idea of how it will lighten it all up. But what color should I go with for the cabinets and walls. Tell me your vote ~ I really want to know.

Idea #1 ~ white cabinetry with tan, neutral walls.

Idea #2 ~ white cabinetry with bright walls such as this green.

Idea #3 ~ distressed cabinetry with blue and white. It looks like the cabinets have little color to them in this photo. This might be more practical for our own "distressing" in a house with 4 kids? I don't know.

What do you think? I would love to know your thoughts BUT one warning ~ I have no idea when I will actually get around to doing this. I love the idea stage but the work and $ tend to slow me down ~ ahhh, reality! Eventually, I will summon the courage (and about half way through painting wonder WHY I AM DOING THIS?!)

If you have other ideas, I am open. If you live close and LOVE to paint, definitely give me a call!
Thanks for the help!

Sweet Story

2009-10-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Visit Lifesong's blog and check out this really sweet story...

http://lifesong.squarespace.com/

Happy 10th Birthday Travor!!

2009-09-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

YOU, our first born son, are so very special to us! We love you so much! We pray often that you will be soundly saved and passionate in your service for Christ!

Love, mom and dad

Birthday and a vacation

2009-08-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

We have been having lots of fun lately!

Caleb turned 5 so we celebrated his b-day.

His John Deere cake compliments of Grandma Bauer. She did a great job, he loved it!

Getting ready to open gifts.

The big reveal -what is in that trunk....???

A NEW BIKE!!!

Caleb had some special visitors to his b-day party. My Aunt's foreign exchange students came back to visit for a few weeks this summer. MiSo is from Korea and Evelyn is from Germany. It was so good to see them again.

MiSo and Evelyn brought gifts for the kids - t-shirts and chopsticks from Korea and German chocolate - yum!

On to our vacation to Colorado...after driving straight through the night to Colorado Springs, this is how we looked for awhile :-)

We met up with Andy's parents in the Springs which was so fun! This is the crew at Garden of the Gods.

Brothers and buds (most of the time anyway!).

The girls posing in an old fashioned sleigh. Dad and mom and our family went to a ranch for a cowboy supper and western singing.

Dad and mom enjoying the show at the Flying W Ranch.

Eating at Focus on the Family.

Drinking the famous "wodfamchocsa" any Odessey fan knows what that drink is.

After we were in Colorado Springs for a few days, we took off for the mountains. I love the drive- such beauty! We spent the rest of the week at a christian camp called Horn Creek.

Horn Creek had fun water slides that the kids (and Andy & I - sorry no pics of us in suits!!) enjoyed.

At Horn Creek you are free to do what you like during the day then their are special activities in the evening for everyone to participate in. This is a famous Horn Creek activity - the hanging log - where you try to knock off your opponent with pillows while balancing on a hanging log.

We were at Horn Creek with the Monroe family. Here is Caleb and Carter on the log.

Fierce competition on the log but buds afterwards!

A random picture of Hope. She has been posing lately by folding her hands together and giving a cheesy smile ~ love it!

A true highlight of our trip was a family rafting adventure down the Arkansas River. Thankfully Caleb had just turned 5 since that is the minimum age. The kids loved it.

Getting suited up. Here is our kids with the Monroe's kids, they all played so well during the week. We miss them!

Hiking the 'Rainbow Trail'

Hope's strenuous hike :-)

Here is Michael and Amy Monroe the parents of those gorgeous children. We had so much fun staying up and talking or playing Mexican Train Dominos after the kids went to bed.

The kids all went horse back riding too.

That is all the pictures! It was such a blessing to go to Horn Creek and Colorado Springs. The rest of our trip was driving, driving and driving home!

Soda Can Theology?

2009-08-01T07:46:00.001-07:00

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks on his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "put your finger here: see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, " my Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. John 20: 24-31

I have been touched by this passage from John . I guess I can identify with Thomas. I can have doubts too.

I love how Jesus indulges this request of Thomas. "Thomas, "put your finger here, see my hands. Reach your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe. " I am thankful for Jesus' compassion with Thomas.

I am also struck by the final words in John 20, "Because you "have seen me, you believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

Oh, there is much evidence for God in His creation, the authenticity of the Bible and we need to know these evidences to relevantly share our faith, but, it is that word - faith - that it comes down to. Faith in God or faith in self? Either one takes faith.

I love this thought by Francis Chan in his book Crazy Love: "Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending. What a stunted, insignificant god that would be! If my mind is the size of a soda can and God is the size of all the oceans, it would be stupid for me to say He is only the small amount of water I can scoop into my little can. God is so much bigger, so far beyond our time-encased, air/food/sleep-dependant lives."

Can I worship a God who isn't obligated to explain His actions to me? Could it be my arrogance that makes me think God owes me an explanation?

Oh, God, I believe, but help my unbelief!!

Travor's travel date

2009-07-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

About once a year, Andy tries to take one of our kids on a travel date somewhere. This time it was Travor's turn and Andy took him to Chicago for 2 days.

First they went to Medieval Times Dinner Theater where they ate a meal while watching knights joust. Travor LOVED it! Very fun.
The next day, Andy and Travor spent time in downtown Chicago . Here Trav is at the Hershey's Chocolate Factory.

Getting some yummy popcorn.

Excited to spend dad's money :-)

They topped off their day downtown with an evening Cubs game. I am not sure who was more excited to be at Wrigley - Andy or Trav?

WGN - Cubs official radio station and a cool looking building.

Go cubs go!!

What an exciting game it was! The Cubs went into overtime and Alfonzo Sorianio had a walk off grand slam in the 13th inning to put the Cubs ahead 5-1 over the Astros.

Andy and Trav had some good talks and a whole lot of fun! What a blessing. Andy told me that Travor said "thanks dad for doing this" several times.

Thanks honey for taking some time to spend with our kids! What memories!

As SOON as Andy and Travor got home, Caleb reminded Andy that his travel date was next. Andy said, "your right C-man, you are next."

To which Caleb said excitedly, "Are we going TODAY!?!?"

I have a feeling we have not heard the last of the 'travel date reminder' from Caleb :-)

2009-06-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hello! It has been a long time since I've posted anything because we have been enjoying SUMMER VACATION!!!! YAY!! It is so great to have the kids off school, stay up late and get up late! So, here are a few happenings in pictures.

My cousin (she feels more like a niece to me!) Lexi graduated from 8th grade! My, time flies! She looked so cute and older on her grad night! Between her and her older bro, Adam, teenagers do not look so scary. They are nice kids! Welcome to High School Lex!

Andy had a Lifesong event in Milwaukee, WI and we all went with him since school was out. The folks hosting the event said that we could stay at their 'lake cottage.' I was expecting a little, quaint place, but we stayed in the BEAUTIMOUS house for a night! What a treat!

Haley and Caleb swimming in the lake.

Excited!!!

Hope loves the water! She has no fear - thus the life jacket on at all times!

After Milwaukee, we traveled on to Minneapolis, MN for a short vacation and to meet up with our travel group from Ethiopia. One year ago in May, we were with these great folks in ET. It was so fun to see them again and how the kids have grown in a year.

We all ate at an Ethiopian restaurant in MN. Here some of the restaurant owners/waitresses.

Ethiopian food - a vegetable platter with the famous injera. Injera is the bread on the plate. You tear it off and scoop up your food with it.

Dora wat (chicken dish)

Hope chowed on the Ethiopian food, the other kids had pop and then McD's hamburgers :-)

Cute JT or Tesseme as we called him in Ethiopia.

Hope's roommate, Grace. They were a few cribs apart in the orphanage. She is a doll!

Left to right - Amy, Wendy and Erin. Amy is a social worker with our adoption agency and she traveled with us to Ethiopia. She is adopted herself from Guatemala. Wendy & Erin are JT's mom and sister.

At the Mall of America!

We did not get Hope a sucker (trying to save some $) and we thought she would not notice. We were wrong! The other kids all shared with her - what a mess!

Trav enjoyed racing speedboats.

Haley and Hope browsing the American Girl Doll store. Hope loves dolls. She is kissing hers.

We went to a MN Twins game.

A fun vacation made for some tired kids!

We TRIED to get a picture of Hope, JT and Grace all together - not easy!

At the end of the trip, we met up with the group we adopted with from Korea! It was a treat to see their kids 4 years later. Here are the boys: (l-r) Miles, Ben and Caleb. A sweet little girl named Joanna was also adopted with this group, but she was a little camera shy so I did not get a good picture of her. The last time we saw this crew was in Korea and these kiddos were less than a year old.

A cute pic to end this post!

Happy Birthday Haley!!!

2009-05-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Our girl is 8 years old!! How time flies!

We love you Haley. You are such a blessing to our family, so spunky and fun-loving. I can find very few pics of you by yourself because you love to be with people - we love that about you!

An oldie but goodie - Haley (4) with Grandpa L.

Trav-6, Haley - 5, Caleb - 1

Haley - 7, Hope - 11 mo.

Haley and daddy!

Gotcha Hope!!

2009-05-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today, May 13, is Hope's Gotcha Day - the day we were allowed to keep her with us forever! We were actually in Ethiopia this whole week and today was our Embassy Appointment where all the papers were made final to bring her home to the U.S and our family.

What a blessing she is!! As with so many other adopted children, we have just seen her blossom. She was a very quiet baby without a lot of interaction at first but, my oh my, has that changed! She is no longer so quiet (people in church can attest to this!) and she is so full of LIFE! She gives the whole family kisses every morning when she gets up. My dad summed it up by saying: "she barley needs to say words because she communicates so well with her big, brown eyes." She is very personable!

The orphanage she was in was great considering the poverty of Ethiopia and I do believe the staff really cared for the children, but God's word says that the "He places the lonely into families" (Psalms 68: 5&6) because it is the family where we are loved individually, just as we are! An earthy picture of God's adoption of us, His children.

Praising God today for Hope's adoption and for my adoption, your adoption, and 'anyone who will come' adoption into God's eternal family through Jesus Christ!

Andy did a great job of posting some pics of Hope on Lifesong's blog if you would want to check them out:

http://lifesong.squarespace.com/

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

2009-05-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

I was reflecting a bit about Mother's Day and my mom. I am truly blessed to have had a godly mother in my life.

My mom is very friendly and talkative, but she is also a good listener. There were many nights when I would come home and she would be waiting up in the chair in the living room to talk about how my evening went. I loved those times! I hope I can be as relational with our kids too (I already KNOW I will be waiting in the chair until my kiddos are safely home while Andy is sleeping away!).

She is also a lot of fun! We would get "inspired" to do some decorating at about 11:00p.m.. We are both night owls. (My dad, on the other hand, would be snugly tucked in bed by 9:30 :-) )We would run out to whatever store was open to get what we needed. There were a few times when we were sure that someone was following us, so we would take an alternate route home so we could lose them before we got home!

One very distinct memory I have of my mom and dad is them praying for me and other issues everyday. They would pray in the morning before my dad went to work which is a sacrifice for my mom since we are not morning people. God has been so faithful to those prayers!

Mom, I am so thankful for you and your love throughout my life. It is a privilege to call you my mother and now my friend too! Thank you for ALL that you and dad still do for us and our kids!

I love you!

~ Jill

Mom,

You've been incredible to all of us kids! I love your sponteneity in life - the fun & random ideas and places to go! I love your easy smile and ready laugh. I respect your ability to set your sights on a goal, and be unswayed from achieving that same goal - no matter how difficult. You are a classy lady.

Thank you for sacrificing a lot of time, energy, and "more fun" things to be doing than the sometimes mundane & monotonous things of raising kids! I really value and appreciate how you were able to stay home and not work when we were growing up! It spelled L-O-V-E to us!

I'm privileged to be your son. And our kids treasure you as a grandma to them!

I love you,

Andy

Girl Time...

2009-04-25T21:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Haley and I attended a "Secret Keeper Girl" event. This ministry puts on a fun show with a message to girls ages 8-12 about their identity being in Christ, modesty and true beauty. We had a great time! The "Secret Keeper Girl" staff does a great job of being fun and entertaining while keeping the message clear and Biblical.

We went with some great friends which is always fun!

Sharing a hot cocoa with Haley. I think the most meaningful part of the event for me was when the speaker asked us, moms, to tell our daughters what we loved about them and then we prayed over our girls and they received a one-of-a-kind handmade braided bracelet to remind them that they are God's unique creation.

I think Haley just loved the attention and special girl time. It was a reminder that kids spell love as t-i-m-e.

Great Read...

2009-04-23T19:06:00.001-07:00

I have been reading this book and really enjoying it!

If you are blessed with boys, I would HIGHLY recommend it.

I am so thankful for my boys!

How about YOU, any book that you have read lately and would recommend?

Go Cubs Go!!

2009-04-17T09:22:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to go up to Chicago to a Cubs game. Our whole family went and my dad. It was so fun! We just cherished the time with our kids.

Walking the streets of Chicago to Wrigley Field. There is something so fun about visiting Chicago.

That famous sign...

Caleb was pumped!

The girls. It was a little cold at first, but then it warmed up by the 5th inning.

Travor ready to catch a fly ball.

Haley all bundled up.

The Cubs were playing the Colorado Rockies and the Rockies won 5 - 2. Caleb called Grandpa Lehman on the way home to tell him the outcome of the game. He said the "Rockies smoked the Cubs!" :-)

Clapping for her team!

The 'new' latest happenings...

2009-04-09T18:54:00.001-07:00

I guess I like to do big, all-encompassing posts...here we go...

We went to Leo with Steve and Danae to see Gerb and Natalie for a weekend.

I love this pic of Caleb and his cousin-bud, Eli.

Hope at Barnes & Noble.

Hamming it up!

Hope hanging with her cuz, Violet.

Caleb singing in the rain.

I feel like Hope has transitioned from baby to toddler. She thinks she is big stuff now that she is walking.

All ready for the church Easter program on Palm Sunday. I give up on a "normal" picture. Normal is boring, right?

Today, we caught a toad in our window well. After much screaming from me (I kept apologizing for being such a wimp!) we got it into a bucket.

Haley got out her animal book to look up what kind of toad we caught. We think it is a 'Common Toad" -very exotic sound - I am sure my screaming was justified? Our neighbor, Tyler is in the pic too.

From the Heart...

2009-04-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Our church has been study the book of James together. I was doing my devotion in James today which I have to confess, a bit half-hearted, more because I know I need to get it done rather than a deep desire. I have been feeling tired and just plain unmotivated lately.

God is so faithful. I just felt so ministered by Him during my devo (thank you God!). I wrote this e-mail to Andy and thought I would share it here too. Maybe it will be an encouragement to you...

Also, I was convicted of my tiredness... I read these verses:

Ps. 34:1 " I will extol the Lord at ALL times; His praise will ALWAYS be on my lips."

Heb. 13:15 " Through Jesus, therefore, let us CONTINUALLY offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess HIS NAME."

Eph. 5:20 "ALWAYS giving thanks to God in EVERYTHING, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

I was convicted to have more "praise on my lips at all times." I think it is easy for me to feel down with all the sour news of the economy and all my fears with raising a family, doing a good job etc... This attitude of mine does not honor God and certainly zaps energy! He is honored by faith and trust. It feels good to be convicted of this and I am going to focus on praising Him today!

What can mortal man or a bad economy do? My HOPE and salvation is in God - THE creator of Heaven and Earth. He speaks and it is done. He is so powerful and yet, He allows me to know Him personally, to live in my heart which is dirty and filthy but made clean by Him?? Awesome! I have EVERYTHING to be thankful for!

Latest Happenings...

2009-03-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

A little bit of Hope cuteness...

Hugging her daddy's leg. She gets so EXCITED when he walks through the door. Hope is just starting to walk too!
Cheese! I love pictures of babies. They are just their cute selves without even trying.

Andy and I had a quick get-away to Florida for a few days. Very relaxing and refreshing. Thanks to some generous friends for the use of their beautiful condo and a big THANK YOU to my parents and A. Elaine for helping with babysitting! This is the ONLY picture I have of the trip - pathetic! I only took a few more but I accidentally deleted them (brother!). How do you like the complete stranger in the background??

When we got home, the kids had decorated our garage door for my birthday the next day. Very sweet!

My mom helped the kids make a birthday cake too. Notice - Caleb did not want to take a picture - real family life at it's best :-)

Upwards basketball

2009-03-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

Travor played Upwards basketball this year. It was great! We were so impressed with the Upwards basketball program. The program is held at a local church. Their goal is to have the kids learn basketball but more importantly, to learn to glorify God and to play with character.

At each practice, the boys would learn a verse for the week and a devotion was given. At the games, the players, fans and coaches are instructed to be encouraging and edifying to all the players and a half-time devotion is presented to all who came to watch the game.

One neat story from the season: Trav's team had won a game and his team was meeting together to get their character & achievement stars when one of the boys said to his team mate, "did you see how many points we beat the other team by?"

The coach quickly and kindly responded, "boys, there will be no boasting."

Thanks to the encouragement of some great friends (you know who you are :-) ), we are really thankful to have been a part of this wonderful program!

Faithful fans! Thanks dad for coming many Saturdays to watch Trav play!! Andy was there many times too. The week I actually remembered to take pics, he was on business and my mom works on Saturdays or she would have been there too.

Sorry these pics are not great quality, I did not have my camera, only my phone. Here is Trav and his team getting some instructions from their coaches.

Setting up for a free-throw.

GREAT JOB TRAVOR!! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!

Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This...

2009-03-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

A friend sent me this a long time ago. She has 5 kids. This is not her child or mine for that matter, nor has she or I ever done such a deed and if you look real close, you can tell this picture is staged - so no worries, no one actually did this to their child

...But some days, well...you could feel like it for a split second ;-)

Just in case you are having one of those days...

The No Whine Watch

2009-02-24T21:19:00.000-08:00

We have a whiner at our house.

We will protect the guilty and not name names.

We have been working on the behavior

I had heard a broadcast on Family Life a while back about a "No Whine Watch" and we feel that we are at the point of needing some extra help, so off to Family Life's website I went to order this new gadget...

I had to laugh when I saw it...bright yellow with the "No Whine" logo engraved on it. I wondered for a moment if making the child wear this would be more scarring than being known as a whiner?? I think we will limit the wearing of this watch to home.

But order it, I did.

...along with the parenting manual about helping whiny children (surely, it is not our parenting??).

Truth be told, some days I should have this loud, yellow watch on my wrist as a reminder to stop my whining...

I suppose I will learn a thing or two as I teach this child about whining. Parenting is so good for me!

Good Times!

2009-02-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

My Ladies Bible Study Group has had a lot of fun lately!

We had our annual overnight with just the girls. We have some good men to let us get out for a girl's night without kids!

Rebekah had this unique game called "What's a Dame To Do?" It was very fun.

Rebekah & Megan

Jess & Marie

On Valentines night Matt & Rebekah hosted a dinner, this time with our hubbies! Rebekah set a beautiful table and she had an amazing meal!! She is quite talented!

We have not had a picture taken of all of us for about 6 years. Everyone was there except Marla :-(

Rebekah had set the table with old pictures of each couple before kids.

Andy & I got voted "most improved." My hair was Texas bufont style and the guys thought Andy looked like he belonged in a "boy band." I hope we have acutally improved :-) I think we have been married the longest (11 years) so that is my excuse for the lack of style!

Clint & Jami getting cozy!

Life is more sweet when shared with friends!

Hip-Hop-Hope

2009-02-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

Lately Hope has been dancing to any music. It is so cute. Even in church to acapella hymns, she tries to find the beat to move a bit...Here is a short clip, sorry for my pathetic singing.

Petri Dish Perfectionism

2009-01-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

Do you have some quirks that are just part of who you are?

I do.

I can be a bit of a perfectionist with life - especially things running in order, my house looking nice, my kids behavior...

So, Andy and I have had a running joke for the past few days....

This past week I was complaining about a messy house, a stinky van and other stains that come with four "ankle biters."

My patient hubby had heard enough and responded, "well, that is LIFE honey. What do you want to do, live in a petri dish?"

It made me laugh.

He is right. LIFE, in all it's wonder and joy, is a bit messy. I want to let go of the frustration I can feel in my "petri dish perfectionism" and enjoy the journey a little more...

...even if it mean living outside of the sterile petri dish :-)

Happy Birthday Hope!

2009-01-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

Hope turned 1 in December. It was fun to have my parents over with Andy's family to celebrate her first year of life!

Happy birthday sweetie!

Hope and her daddy. They both have a soft spot for eachother :-)

Opening presents.

Celebrating with the Thomas family on a different night. These are all the birthdays for December and January - Teresa, Hope, Andy and Drew. Fun times!

Caleb-isms

2009-01-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

I have a journal for each of our kids and try to write down funny, cute or special things they say, well Mr.Caleb has had a slew of them lately, may I share a few:

One night at dinner Caleb asked to use chopsticks to eat. Andy said okay, but do you know how to use them?

To which Caleb replied, "YEAH dad, I was born in Korea!!"

(Excuse us, we did not realize they use them with baby food :-) )

At Christmas, after we had opened our gifts with my mom and dad, my dad asked Caleb what he wanted to be when he grew up. We thought he would say a farmer since he just gotten a barn or the typical fireman.

Nope.

He said a "paleontologist."

We all said "what" like three times, "what, a politician?"

"No, a paleontologist!"

What's a paleontologist, we asked.

Caleb replied, "they dig for dinosaur bones."

Okay, last one...at Christmas while Andy's family was at our house, Caleb was playing with his little cousin Violet. She was laughing at him and then squealing at him to do more. Finally, he said with authority:

"Violet, I am NOT a toy!"

Sabbath Rest

2009-01-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

I just heard a great program on Mid-day Connection about Sabbath Rest . I've heard the concept before, but have always felt a little strangled by it - like you need to have a 4 hour devotion with your family or just sit and be alone (both hard to come by with four kids). There are times when possibly both of these scenarios are appropriate, but consistently just drains my energy.

Mid-day interviewed author Keri Wyatt Kent about her book entitled "Rest." Some take-aways that I appreciated were:

For the author's family, Sabbath Rest begins by sundown on Saturday until sundown on Sunday. During that time, it is all about relationships with their kids, as spouses, with extended family or friends. She turns off their computer and is just available to play, talk and have fun. Many times they have friends or family over for a low-fuss dinner and to enjoy fellowship with one another. In the summer, they enjoy sailing as a family or hiking. Of course, worshipping together with their church family is a big part of Sabbath Rest too.

I feel like I can do that, I would ENJOY doing that! I think it will take intentionality to focus on relationships rather than tasks (I am a bit more oriented toward tasks) but I am excited to give it a try.

2009-01-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hello bloggers! I have been reading blogs for awhile and have thought of starting one for our family and actually did, but it was so pathetic I never made it live. Well, here is another attempt...

I thought that I would share some Christmas pictures. Like many of you, it is one of my favorite times of the year! This year we celebrated with my family and Andy's parents came out from Colorado for a week and a half so we had a grand time celebrating with his family too!

Our little family Christmas...

Caleb really liked his gift from Haley...

A tradition of sleeping around the Christmas tree...

Christmas with G&G Bauer (unfortunately I did not get any pics with them, but they were there and they hosted a fun Christmas overnight.)

Hope got her first baby doll, she loved to kiss her.

The Army men...

Christmas at A. Elaine's...

Elaine had a foreign exchange student, MiSo from Korea all last year and she came back this year to spend some time with us at Christmas. She taugh me how to make a Korean dish called KimBob. It is so good!

Caleb and Grandma Lehman making a gingerbread house.

Steve & Danae getting cozy...I did not get a good pic with their kids, but they were there and we had a blast with them too!

Violet's first Christmas...