A Day of Summer Vacation

I must say, today was eventful, in that we were never bored, but relaxing in that we hardly left the house. :p

After a big breakfast of fried potatoes with green peppers & onions and hard boiled eggs.  The girls went  bike riding while I cleaned the kitchen.


Then it was on to reading and drawing for the early afternoon. 
Followed by me baking sugar cookies for our tea & talk time tonight, while our girls cleaned.  Alex vacuumed the whole house and dusted the living room while Sam cleaned the fish tanks and bathroom.  

They decided to have some action/adventure and played Lara Croft Legend for a while.

We eventually sat down to salad, steak & broccoli for dinner.  Yum.  It really hit the spot. :)

On my way to close the window tonight (it began raining) I noticed that the flowers out front were finally opening.  I thought Mom Conn might love to see them. :D

I must say, I hope all the days of summer vacation are this pleasant. :)

Being Parents

After reading and hearing comments on the blog, having friends and family comment at church and school and my own parents commenting over the phone, I have to say, we aren't as nervous as we should be about teenagers.  Is that God or what!?!

I had a friend recently share that the older she gets the more she realizes that God is in those "peaceful moments."  And I must totally agree.  (Julie Cardinal is wise beyond her years.:))

For all those in our group of friends and family who have children younger than ours, "Train up your children in the way they should go and when they are old they won't depart from it."  It's true.  So true.  

We've put everything we have into these beautiful little girls and welcomed advice from our wiser generations.  (AKA Parents on both sides, Aunts, Uncles...Cousins) Without their example we wouldn't have known where to begin the journey.  We've prayed over them, talked, shared, lived and dedicated them to the Lord.

When all that is said and done, you sit back and marvel that these honor roll smart kids...beautiful inside and out, that can make you laugh out of the blue...can really be yours.  Then you realize that they are almost grown up and you have to let them spread their wings and trust that your words and actions did not fall on deaf ears or blinded eyes.  That because what you taught them is actually how you live...that they have learned.

And now, as they become teenagers and young adults we head into the next years in expectant jubilee!  They are flying...Adam...look at our little birds testing their wings outside our nest!  Even if just a little bit and then returning winded. :D  They are going to SOAR!  Thank you God for this experience of parenthood and life.  We wouldn't trade if for anything!

Much love, ya'll! (((HUGS)))

Our First to Graduate from Elementary!!!

Sam had her 6th grade graduation tonight!  Grandma, Grandpa, Alex & I were all there to watch. :D  She was beautiful and we are so proud of her.  Here are a few pics from our night.

Sam's Final 6th Grade Band Concert

Last night, Sammie had her final band concert and said good-bye to her band teacher.  She just loved Mr. Beckstead.  :)  She (and the band) did and amazing job and I wish I was better at uploading video so you all could hear how great they sounded.  Here are some pics that I took.

Women of Faith Conference 2008

Here are my pics of our first night in Rochester at the 2008 Conference!  What fun.  

Tears & Why

Some things cause me to tear

Some things are happy

Then there are sad

Some things make good sense

And others make bad

Happily ever after 

Is just not what I have seen,

But when all is said and done

May this be what tears mean?

To be quiet in my sadness, they will drip down my face

As my shoulders, arms and head hang low, my will I've lost in this race

Crying comes so naturally when I am overjoyed

The tears they well and spill in puddles, sometimes I annoy

The truth is that tears come for many reasons

Love and its loss

Life and its joy

Birth and of death

Of song and of breath

But of all the tears I cry this is known

I reflect the love of the one who created me in my weakness to show himself strong

And so the why becomes less important 

The tears come on

I am lost in emotion

To know that to such a one....I belong.

Praise God for his love that is never ending and his mercy that abounds.  For the ability to express these emotions from a laugh with joy to a frown.   By Shel