Grounded

The kids are grounded from TV this week so...Friday afternoon this is what became of our living room and the kitchen table. They made a huge fort. This is normally not allowed. I was too tired to not let it happen and I figured it was pretty harmless. I had to go in and check it out. It was quite warm in the fort that is why they all got out of their clothes. Mark was not really impressed but they cleaned it up quick and we captured a few pics before the take down. I still was too tired to make dinner so we ordered in Chinese food. Just a few bites in my front veneer came off..can you say hill-billie. I was so bummed. It is amazing what wonky teeth can do to your appearance. Thankfully, on Saturday afternoon I found a dentist that would put it back on. Not to self...be more careful what I bite into or try and rip open with my front teeth.

Feeling in need of some sunshine and outdoor time. The kids start swimming lessons tomorrow afternoon with our homeschool group. Spring break is over for most kids and we are well into the swing of our third term. Need to do some home organizing and purging. It will happen when time allows in the mean time we will enjoy life and all the blessings God has given us.

Mark and I watched the video Fireproof this weekend. We thought it was great. Some say the acting was abit cheesy, true but the message was great. I would totally recommend it. Thankful we watched it in our home together because we both shed tears. Praise the Lord we will celebrate our 15 year anniversary this October. I have to honestly say married life just gets better. We know each other so well and what makes each other tick. We are also getting older and a little more mature...I think. I think we have grown up lots since becoming parents to 4 children. Life is full for us but I can't imagine anything less!

Lord, Give me Your Eyes

This is a video I watched awhile back and it has weighed so heavy on my heart. Be prepared to cry. This seems so unimaginable. You will have to turn my music off at the bottom of this page. How can this be? How can I make a difference? How can I help those in need? How is it that God chose me to be born here in Canada with such an abundance? with all the extras, God help me not to lose focus. Tonite I read and watched an updated video and these kids are being sponsored and doing much better.

I also just found out that this woman whom I just finshed reading about passed away. Her name was Haregewoin Teferra. She has cared for orphan children in Ethiopia for a long while. She felt sick and died in her bed. She was still caring for children. The book is called There's No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene. She had such a love and such a heart for these children. She was also responsible for many successful adoptions of some of her children. I would highly recommend this book. It was very eye opening. Again, we are so blessed.

Happenings

I have felt very busy lately both for real and in my head. My cousins from Edmonton were here this weekend. Their hubby's had the kids and they came to see Grama Penner. It is so crazy that I live in the same town and don't see her as much as I would like. Also, the truth be known I find it hard to visit her now. She has so aged and it is really hard to watch. The Menno Pavilion is a good place for her, it's just that she now has a schedule and I don't want to interrupt that. The parking there is lousy, so sometimes when I would like to swing in for a 10min visit I cannot find a place to park. Her place is perfect for her but so small to visit with the kids for very long let alone they start to get a little bingy. Short visits are great. Wow, this just sounds like a lame bunch of excuses. I need to make more time because I know I will regret it if I don't.

My Grampa went back home to Moose Jaw this weekend. He ended up being here for 3 months but boy, did he go home so much healthier. I really enjoyed having him here and we saw him much more this last month. We did lots of fun things and made lots of memories. He even jumped on Mark's new quad and joined me at the kids piano recital. It was so special for the kids to also spend time with him. Kinda happy my parents were away for a week cause it really gave us time to be with him. Wish he lived closer. Hopefully he will be back out soon. I know he has to go home and more grieving still has to come and I find it hard to know he is there alone. Gramps, if you ever read this know you are loved and prayed for!!

It is also portfolio time. Time for me to put together samples of the kids work over this past term. After 5 years of homeschooling, you think I would have this down pat. I always make it a bigger deal than it needs to because I know the kids are doing great. I guess it is just proving that but should I really have to prove it? We are also involved again in Learning Center. A huge co-op of homeschoolers and the kids take different courses taught by other moms and I also have to teach a class. This year it is called Crafts for a Cause. We are making usable crafts to sell at the end in hopes to raise $ to buy seeds for 3 families. I am on a budget plus working with 6-8year olds and they should really be a usable craft so people will actually buy them. I have stressed way too much over this. My kids just love learning center so it would be very disappointing to not do it. Next year, I just have to think of a easier class. So the last little bit I have done some unnecessary stressing. My portfolios are now done and the teacher comes for a visit on Tuesday evening. I think I have my next bunch of craft classes planned so I am feeling much more relaxed and I really like that. We are not really taking a spring break cause we just did our trip to Disney and there was another week not alot of school got done becasue we were so busy. Looking forward to a great week and some visits with friends!!

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I thought this was really cute but I cannot get my blog to show the whole thing, which was actually the whole family. ..such a rookie

Happy 8th Birthday

Wow, time has flown. Our big guy is 8. Since we just got home from Disneyland, we decided to not to do a big party. We had one special friend over for dinner, played and watched Space Buddies. It was so relaxing. In the morning, the big kids were off at a homeschool class on Tuesday. My dad had been working very hard on a new bed for Nash. We got it up and installed while they were gone. Nash came in from class and there was his new bed and Papa was hiding in the closest and Grama and my Granpa were taking pictures. He was thrilled. The little kids are not allowed up on the bed, so far they have not wanted to.

Today my Mom and Dad left for Cuba. The kids and I took my Granpa on a field trip with us to the VSO. It was great. Then Granpa took us out for lunch to the Olive Garden. I really wish he lived here...maybe one day he will. He will be going home soon. It will be hard to know he is on his own but we know he has to.

Joy in the Everyday

I have a few things to blog before the main event of today is shared. It is Nash's 8th birthday. What a special gift from God he is to our family. There will be more to come on the events of the day at a later post. They are all chillin' with Dad right now.

Just a day or two before we left for holidays Nate got into the baby powder. I walked into his room and he was in his closet with powder all over him and the floor. I screeched, "NATE!" Then I told him not to move and I grabbed the camera. I really scared him cause he knew he was busted. He was not impressed with me snapping pictures but it was pretty funny and thanfully it was only powder. We had a talk and he did say he would not do that again.

Saturday Jess had a soccer game. She scored right at the beginning off the game. She was thrilled and feeling fairly positive about the outcome. Well, needless to say there was one girl on the other team who pretty much dominated the whole game and before ya knew it, the score was 14-2 at the end. Half way through the game Jess was so bummed but by the end she had turned that frown upside down and had a great time. Thanks for the great attitude Jess..you rock!!

On another thankful note...this morning for Nash's bithday breakfast we decided to got to Tim Horton's before the kids class. I was not even out of the subdivision and the police had me pulled over. I had not come to a complete stop at the stop sign, not sure if I ever do there. She took awhile writing the ticket and then came to the window to deliver and had crossed through it 'warning'. I was so thankful. It would of been a 167 fine..ouch. So there was one of those teachable moments with all 4 kids in the truck. Mommy was wrong and I need to obey the law and that was such a kind police lady to just warn me. After that I was showing the kids what a complete stop feels like. arrrggg She lives at the corner where this happened and probably sees tons of people in the subdivision do that. Anyhow thank you to our nice police lady neighbor for the warning. So we no longer had time to go in and have breakfast we just ran in and got our treats and ate in the truck on the way to class.

Our Disneyland Trip

I have been stalling to do this cause it seems like a big project or something cause I am so out of blogging lately. Here goes anyhow. We had a wonderful time. We went 10 hour days and it didn't feel like it. We had a four day park hopper between Disney and California Adventure. Our hotel was about a 2block walk on the same side of the street. We swam at the pool in the evenings. The kids were great!! We did all the rides and lots even 2X because there were no line ups. One ride Faith did 3x it was one of her favorites, The Jumping JellyFish. We saw all the shows we could, Aladdin, HSM 3, Fantasmic, Disney Playhouse and Jess even got to talk with Crush and do Jedi Academy. Nash and I did the roller coaster first!! It was so fun. I think I said "YEE HAW about dozen times on it. I have no idea why it just kept coming out. We met all the characters except Donald Duck, who we saw but said we would come back to him. Later we heard that his apprearances are rare. Oh well, it gives us something to look forward to for our next trip. We ate alot of junk food and fast food, slushies,hot dogs, pizza, corn dogs, cotton candy, ice cream and chirros, but boy, was it good. Nate kinda lost it when he had his chance to meet Belle. He loved her dress, of course cause it was yellow (his favorite) but he got too shy or something and then when it was too late he wanted to go back. In a few years he will be braver..he was so cute and then really was not so interested in meeting Cinderella but she told him, "Nate, use your big boy words" Never expected him to be so taken back by it all, especially the princesses. Everyone made great purchases, sweatshirts, a bag, keepsakes, stuffies, baseball hats and Tinkerbell Pollys. Yes, we have already talked about going again. The week flew by like we knew it would.

Came home to a painted house. We had hired a friend to paint the stairwells while we were out of the house but my parents and my Granpa did the rest. They even cleaned and mom washed towels and cleaned bathrooms. It was such a treat to come home to!!!

So life is back to some what normal. They kids had a field trip this week. Jess is getting ready to write some test for the government. We have enjoyed being outdoors this week. Mark is on his late weekend, so the kids and I watched Madagascar 2 for our Valentines evening but we did have a special breakfast as a family.
This month seems very busy for us on top on holidays, there is alot planned and going on.

"He is a shield to those who put their trust in
the Lord" Proverbs 30:5b