We had a nice and relaxing holiday weekend…
just what we needed.
We also spent time in the pool…
Time with our friends…
Nope, she’s not having any fun at all.
We even enjoyed a slice of Freedom Fruit Pizza!
Running away from Morgan and the hose…
A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our military, past and present. Your service is appreciated, honored, and remembered.
Happy Memorial Day!
The girls are ready!
Here comes Shawn!
Shawn and his band performing, “The Last Goodbye.”
Rock star.
The proud family.
Congrats, Shawn!
Fun with uncles!
Their first grandchild.
Brother & Sister. Gracie- the future graduate.
Other highlights include…
lots of backyard play time.
Fun with Coco…
… and joining Christina for lunch at her school.
We spent the last couple of days in Bakersfield with our family and enjoyed every minute of it! Our oldest nephew, Shawn graduated from high school this week. It’s crazy how fast time flies. What happened to that cute little ring bearer in our wedding? Fast forward 10 years and he’s now a handsome and talented young man with so much going for him.
Shawn has worked so hard during his high school years- not only academically, but also excelling socially, as well as actively pursuing his music career.
We are amazed at all of his accomplishments! More importantly, we are so proud of the young man he has become in Christ.
We know God has great plans for him and we look forward to many more celebrations in the future!
What’s it like to have your own cheerleading squad follow you around the house and cheer for you??
Uh, pretty awesome, I’d say.
My girls always bless me by say things like, “I’m so happy you’re my mom” and “You’re the best mom in the world.” Even though I know I’m not, I’m so thankful that God often uses my children to encourage me and make me feel special!
Just for the record, it was daddy who taught them this cheer. Ha!
How wonderful to wake up to my very own coronation!
My princesses made me these crowns this morning and insisted on taking my picture, too! 
At least I got to take a shower first!
From the author of Crazy Love, Francis Chan has written a children’s book.
Halfway Herbert never completes anything. Homework remains half done, his room stays only partly clean, and dinner is never finished. Halfway Herbert somehow gets by. But when he tells a half-truth, he learns the importance of honesty and of following God with all his heart.
We have a rule in our house: You take it out, you put it back. With the help of this book, the girls learned very quickly what it means to do something halfway.
They didn’t want to be known as a “Halfway Herbert, but instead, as a “Whole way Herbert!”
A great lesson for the young (and not so young, too)!
*On my new and improved blog, I’ll be featuring different books we’re enjoying in my homeschooling section.
It’s time for a blog makeover. The last time I re-designed my blog was back in September of ‘08.
Hey, that’s a long time ago!
I can hardly believe I’ve kept this blog going now for 5 years. Obviously, I enjoy blogging. In many ways, it satisfies my various passions. Through the years, my blog has become an extension of me. It reflects bits and pieces of our life and captures not only the big moments but also the simple, everyday moments that I want to treasure.
Although I don’t know how “extreme” it will be (I don’t think I do anything too extreme). I hope to have different sections where I can more easily categorize and elaborate on my posts.
A new look and feel is always FUN!
The girls had a blast making mud pies yesterday.
And I’m not talking about the decadent chocolate and ice cream dessert that you can actually eat!
Oh, to be a kid!
“Joy over mud… joy over mud… joy over mud… joy over mud…”
I choose JOY!
By the way, this is totally unrelated but obviously the world did not come to an end yesterday. The bible warns us about false prophets. Jesus himself said, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” -Mark 13:32.
It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be 50 or 100 years from now. The point is: It will happen and undoubtedly, we are one day closer to Jesus’ glorious return. Folks have been trying to predict the exact Day of Judgment for centuries now. However, no one but God the Father knows when that will be, not even His Son.
Don’t let anybody tell you different.
Live today. Love deeply. Cherish the moment.
Make mud pies.
A special package came all the way from Seoul, Korea last week. Grace and Faith’s foster family sent them beautiful new hanboks, as well as some other goodies.
Through the magic of technology, we’ve been able to keep in touch over the years. I know how much they’ve enjoyed watching the girls grow up through the pictures I post here, as well as the ones we send every year.
We are incredibly blessed and touched by their thoughtful generosity.
Such pretty detail…
THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. We love you!
Community Bible Study ends this week and our summer break begins. We started back in September of last year and I've managed to make it to all but 2 of the 30 weeks. More than any other church program, I feel the dedicated children’s teachers are truly there to help guide Faith and Grace’s heart toward Christ. Since this is what we strive to do at home, in many ways, CBS has been a valued compliment to our family. Perhaps the thing I enjoy most...
We actually study the books in the bible. In other words, it’s not a study that was written by Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer, or the like. There’s no doubt these are all gifted bible teachers and authors. They site scripture, share meaningful stories, and include valuable biblical insight. These women (and many more) have helped me immensensly in my walk of faith. However, there's something quite awesome and intimate about studying the books of the bible directly- discovering how God speaks to each one of us through the truth of his Perfect Word.
After all, Truth is light. Truth is power. Jesus is The Truth. And The Truth shall set us free. ~John 8:32
Every time I open my bible, complete a lesson, show up for class, participate by sharing, or simply listen to the heart of other women in my group, I'm allowing God to speak truth into me.
In today’s deceptive world, how else can we combat the father of lies? How else can we know the true nature of God and what He desires for us? How else can we be reminded about the majesty and power of God, His tender grace, and His unrelenting love?
By being in God's Word, we not only build strength and character, we experience an increase in joy, we become more grateful, more humble, and more confident in Him. And today, perhaps more than ever before, we need the truth in order to drown out the "noise" of everyday life.
Well, I do anyway.
Honestly, I wish I were better about opening up my bible on my own, but I'm not… not yet. I like having a structured time and place. I also enjoy the fellowship and accountability that CBS has provided.
By studying God’s Word regularly, it has helped me to become more purposeful, focused, and simplified. Oh, how I love that.
I need that.
Don't you?
I’ve played this for the girls in the car and also at home, when they’re painting or drawing, as background music.
It’s amazing to hear how fast they pick things up through music.
There are 26 verses/songs, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet. Every song is set to a different musical style and incorporates a wide range of musical instruments, mixed with children's and adult voices. The tunes are catchy and easy to memorize.
In fact, you’ll find yourself singing and humming the songs, even when your kids aren’t around. 
The CD is produced by the Harrow Family. Steve and Anna Harrow are homeschooling parents and musicians. They have 4 children (all of whom sing on their CDs). The Harrows’ vision is three-fold:
1. The bible is the focus of their work. Unlike other songs you might have heard that are based on scripture, every song on all 6 of the Harrows’ CDs comes straight from the Word of God.
2. They believe it is a responsibility and a privilege to teach God’s Word and to help children memorize scripture.
3. They believe that music is the best way to do this. According to the Harrow’s, “We enjoy and use sounds from a variety of cultures and musical eras: a Baroque string orchestra, a rhythmically intense Salsa band, an Irish jig, an Israeli hora. Children love to experience this wonderful spectrum of music which reflects the richness of God’s creation. As the Word tells us, He has called every tribe and every tongue to Praise Him!”
Good stuff!
