Joyful Living

Catching Up

2010-01-29T15:54:00.004-05:00

Wow! Has time flown by! So many things have changed since the last time I posted. Rick and I have baby #3 on the way. My due date is March 29, 2010. We're supposed to have another baby girl. On one hand, I can hardly wait. On the other hand, I know the changes little babies bring to a family. Obviously, the good things outweigh the bad. I love kids.

Julia is half way through her kindergarten year at Warwick River Christian School. She is doing well. Behaves herself and gets along with her classmates and teachers. She is learning to read as well. It's so exciting to be able to watch her progress. She can read most three letter words and some four and five letter words. Now, to get her writing the sentences. That seems so hard to her.

We have enjoyed a whole year worshiping with the folks, at Grace Bible Church, in Richmond. We still visit them on occasion. We are starting(with the help of two or three other families) a new church here in Newport News. We are meeting in a hotel conference room for now. It's a new experience for all of us. We all believe that we are finally in God's timing for this. We are calling ourselves, Hampton Roads Bible Methodist Church(affiliated with Heartland Bible Methodist). If you read this, please pray for us, as the enemy is already fighting us. We are encouraged by the willingness of everyone to help us out and attend our service on Sunday.

My husband is still in school. He might get to graduate in May. We sure hope so! Then we have to decide where to go from there. There is so much change for us, as a family, in the year that lies ahead.

I joined a MOPS(Moms Of Preschoolers)group, at the prompting of one of my friends. I have enjoyed and been challenged by the things the speakers had to say. I think I have grown as a person and spiritually, as a result of going to MOPS. It was good for me to get out of my comfort zone and try something new.

This should catch me up for now. I've got Facebook now and find it hard to find time to write new posts. That needs to change, I guess.

Flight On a Tanker

2009-06-09T12:08:00.008-04:00

Last week, I got a text from Rick, asking if I'd like to take a flight on a fuel tanker. I thought that sounded like fun, so he put my name in for it. Then we had to wait for a few days. Rick sent me a text a couple days later and told me I made the list. I was excited. I knew better than to get too excited about it, because in the military, plans are apt to change with little notice.

Well, Tuesday morning, we all got up before the sun to get ready. I got dressed then packed a lunch bag and my little black bag with magazines and a book. We drove to the base and parked outside Flight Line Management Building. Then we sat and stood around for about an hour. Finally, it was time to walk out on the tarmac to the plane.

After we found our seats, one of the flight crew walked back to see that we were all buckled and finding everything alright. He stood beside this old-looking piece of equipment and said, just barely loud enough for us to hear, "I hope this thing doesn't blow up again." We all just laughed it off. Military scare-tactics. It was a funny joke just for all the maintainers on board.

That scary piece of equipment(just an APU).
Take off was a little different than I'm used to. We were sitting in net-seats along the sides of the plane. Our seat-belts had hooks instead of buckles. Because we were not facing forward, we had to hang on to something so we wouldn't slide off the seat. Our pre-flight safety talk was a little different as well. We had manual oxygen masks(we were informed that they can suffocate you if you don't get them on right), the life vest was the same, but the exits were not. Yes there was a door, but it had a sign above it that said, "emergency safety rope". We were told to make sure that the rope was secure before we jumped. We were all hoping we wouldn't have to jump.After we got in the air and leveled off, we were allowed to get up and look around. I took a look into the cockpit to see the pilots and the controls. Then we all started heading to the back of the plane. It was refueling time. I stood on the deck and watched as an F-15 flew up and got refueled. I finally got my turn in the hole. You have to take two steps down then lay down on a cushion to see out the windows. I got to take pictures of the jet refueling. It was so totaly cool!

After my turn was done, I wandered out to find something else to take pictures of. I stopped by one of the windows, and happened to see one of the refueled jets flying on our wing. That made for a great picture. I got a picture of that one, and of the one that flew by our other wing. Seeing jets get refueled was the whole point of the trip.
I am very greatful that I got to go on that flight. I had a totaly awesome experience that very few civilians ever get.

Easter, My Favorite Time of the Year

2009-04-16T12:42:00.007-04:00

As Christians, we feel that Easter is an important time of the year. It's the time we remember that Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose up from the grave so we could be saved.

On Good Friday, Rick decided to have communion, with the kids, around our coffee table. We set up candles, a large roll, and a glass of grape juice. Rick also had fold-out cubes that told the story of Easter and bookmarks for the kids. We all knelt around the table, and while Rick read the Last Supper, we ate the bread and drank of the grape juice. Then we prayed and thanked Jesus for dying for us. It was a very special time. I couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Just to think that Jesus cared enough about me...the whole world...to give His life so we could have eternal life.

Julia seemed to understand most of what we said. Rick says this will be a yearly tradition. Each year, the kids will comprehend a little more. Chris only understands that "Jesus die on the cwoss," but that's pretty good for someone his age. That much has stuck with him since he saw a picture of Jesus on the cross. I don't think He will ever forget that.

Rick sent me shopping on Saturday. Some people grow out of getting a new dress for Easter. I still like to do it. I went to Christopher and Banks, at the mall. They had some good sales that day. I got 30% off on my outfit. I was glad I shopped there! I had such a great time just getting out of the house. I can't do that too much right now. Rick is in school, and works two jobs. So, it's a real treat to leave the kids with him and just get out.

Easter Sunday was a great day. We went to church and heard some lovely singing by Pastor Melvin and his wife, and Bro. Hinton. Then we heard a sermon, by Rev. James Keaton, about why we believe that Jesus rose from the grave.

After church, we were all invited out to Ronny and Sharon Gathercole's house. They live out in the country. Reminds me of home! We had our Easter dinner in their garage. It was a delicious meal. So much food you could hardly decide what to eat! After dinner, the men went outside to hide Easter eggs. There were so many eggs that it took the guys about 15 minutes to hide them all. They let the kids out in age groups: 0-4, 5-8, 9-12 and up. It was great to see the excitement on the kids faces. There were eggs everywhere! Some of the grownups went too(I won't say their names)! It was so much fun for everyone. Julia came in second for her age group. She got 58. Rick and I don't believe in the Easter bunny, but we do believe in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I'm going to try to put our Easter family picture at the bottom of my blog. If I can't do it myself, I'll have Rick help me. He's so much better that me at computer stuff. At any rate, it will get there.

Family Fun at the Park

2009-04-05T15:51:00.007-04:00

The weather is finally getting warmer! Spring is my favorite time of the year. I love to watch the trees and flowers come alive.

The weather was so nice on Saturday, that Rick decided that we all should go for a walk in the park.
We normally go to Sandy Bottom Nature Park, but Rick wanted to try something new. He picked the Mariner's Park. There is a 5 mile trail to walk. We only went a little over a mile, but it was sure fun! From the first bridge that we crossed, we could see ducks, geese, and turtles. The kids were so excited! Rick began taking pictures of everything(he just bought a new Necon DX and is still learning how to work it).

The kids really enjoyed themselves. They love to draw, so the sandy trails were like giant art boards to them. I just enjoyed watching them, and having some much needed family time. Rick is at work, then he comes home, changes and either goes to class or off to meet his clients. Seems that he's not home too much right now. Those family times are few, but precious. I'm sure that will change when Rick gets out of school. Not complaining here. Just stating the facts.

I want to share a few of those pictures with you. Here are a few(can't put all 200 of them on here).

Snow In March

2009-03-02T08:57:00.003-05:00

Last night a winter storm blew in. It was sleeting outside for a while. Then the wind started blowing really hard. My children were wishing for snow. They even prayed about it during family devotions. Well, the Lord answered their little prayers. We got about 2 inches, which is more than we normally get. We hardly ever see snow here. Julia got to stay home from preschool because they closed the schools in our area.

Nobody knows how to drive in snow around here. There are wrecks all over the place and roads being closed down. It's a madhouse! I'm glad to be at home in my snug little house. Now, if only I could get Rick to take the kids out to play in the snow. I don't like to go out in weather like this. Brrrr! I will probably have to for a little bit though. Winter coats and mittens, here we come!

Maybe I'll get a couple pictures. We'll see.

My Trip to Okinawa

2009-01-30T11:41:00.002-05:00

Rick and I left the kids with his parents on Sunday afternoon(Dec. 29). It was harder than I thought it would be. Rick and I both were trying not to cry. We drove up to Columbus, Ohio to spend the night with Rick's cousin, Aaron Holley.

The next morning, we got up early, ate breakfast and went to the airport. We waited and waited for our flight. We found out that our flight had been delayed for 2 hours. That meant that we would miss all of our connecting flights. Rick worked everything out. The Lord had plenty to with it too. We got on a jet that we were not booked on and got to Detroit, MI. When we got there, we got on a flight to Tokyo, Japan by the skin of our teeth. The only seats left were in business class. We were quite pleased about that. That flight was the longest one I'd ever been on in my life. It was 14 hours long!

When we got to Tokyo, we had to pick up our luggage and go through customs. Our luggage was the last off the plane. On top of that, someone on the other side of the carousel had taken my bag off the belt. We started to panic, but found out(by asking for help)that it was sitting right over on the other side. We ran to customs. The guy was real nice and we got through quickly. Then we ran to the flight desk. I was feeling a little sick by then. The ladies behind the desk worked really hard to get us on the last plane leaving for Okinawa that day. I don't know how, but they did it. We ran out to the shuttle and got out to the plane. What a relief!!!

On that last 3 hour flight, I wasn't feeling very well. I was coming down with a virus from home. I tried to get to the bathroom, but fainted as I tried to open the door. i don't think I was out very long before we hit some turbulence. I woke up bumping my head on the wall. The flight attendants didn't even see me until I said, "Ow! Ow!", then everyone was around me at once. I had an embarrassing moment. I tried to tell them I was sick, but they couldn't understand me. They finally understood...too late. I ended up sleeping in the galley for the rest of the trip. They kept asking me if I needed a hospital. I said no, but I would probably need a wheelchair when we got there. So, that's how I ended up getting a ride through the airport. I went out to meet the Millers, while Rick picked up our luggage. At least we made it. What a trip!

Thankfully, the Millers live close to the airport. I was able to get to bed as soon as we got there. The Millers made a special trip to the store for me. They brought chicken noodle soup and 7up, two comfort foods for the ill. I got better quickly, and I sang and played the piano that night. It was their New Year's Eve service.

New Year's day we went over to the Budist Temple. Just to walk up to it and see what it looked like. There was a long walkway leading up to it that included several flights of steps. we walked up to the next to the last level. In order to go inside the temple you had to pay $ .05 for a blessing to be prayed over you. We didn't want that. It was sad to look around and see all the darkness. People who buy prayer papers and prayer boards. They write their prayer on the back, then tie it on these strings with special string. On a certain day every year, the monks burn the prayers and they think the smoke rises to the gods and the prayers will be answered.
I thought all the street vendors were neat though. All the new smells. Most of them were alright. The goats and pigs didnt smell so great though.

The next day, we took the Millers onto Camp Foster to do some "American" shopping. We bought them all kinds of things that they can't get at the markets. Then after we ate lunch in the Food Court, Rick and I went "Christmas "shopping. It was so much fun.

When we got home, we had just enough time to wrap the gifts before we had to walk over to the Ota's house. They served us a traditional New Years dinner, salad(with sesame dressing), rice(of course), a stew of some kind(it had hard boiled eggs, raddish, little smokies, seaweed and pork in it), and pig intestine soup. They wanted us to eat some and guess what it was. I guessed after the third bite. It was good, but the thought of it made me sick.

We sat around talking after the meal(I could understand very little of it). Then we held kimonos up to ourselves to see which ones would look good on the other. That was only the ladies, by the way. They asked me if I'd like to wear a kimono to church on Sunday night. I said Ok. It was something to look forward to. Finally, my head started to nod. I was sooo tired! Sister Ota told the millers to take me home quickly so I could go to bed.

The next day we went out to eat for lunch. It was alot like hibachi, but over there it's called tempanyaki. They cook everything in front of you and the cheff does a little show for you. We had two cheffs at our grill. They had a contest to see which one had better tricks. It was neat.
After that, we crossed the street to the market. It's a street that has a roof over it and is much like our flea markets. People standing by their things and calling out to you as you pass by. We did buy some things of interest. A coinpurse made intirely of a frog(yes it really is a frog skin), some nightlights and a wooden hat. We also bought some of the money cards because they are so pretty. On the way back to the van, Rick insisted that I stop at one of the vending machines and buy a soda. I bought a can of Mt. Dew and it was 20 oz! We brought the can home with us.

When we got home, we had just enough time for the Millers to open their gifts. That was so much fun! The looks of pure joy and excitement made every penny worth it. Then we had to get ready for the Kyans to come over. I had a hard time if Kyoko wasn't in the room with me. Sister Kyan doesn't know much English at all. Language barriers are so tuff!

The next day was Sunday. The Millers waited until Saturday evening to ask if we could teach Sunday School. I tried and tried to figure something out but went to bed with no ideas at all. Around 3 a.m., I woke up with all kinds of ideas floating around in my head. I got up and began to write them down. Everything came together quickly. I revised one of Rick's object lessons about the spots of sin and how to get rid of your sins. We then had to run it by Kyoko to see if anything would be lost in translation, and to get her to write the sins in Japanese so we could put them all over Rick's shirt. It went okay, for my first time speaking through an interpreter. It turned out to only be about 10 to 15 minutes long. I got ahead of myself a little bit. The Lord helped us anyway.

Sunday evening, we went up to the Ota's house to have our kimonos put on. Let me tell you, they are soooo uncomfortable! They are like wearing a corset. By the time everything is tied on, you can't breathe, and you can just barely move to walk. You can't relax either. You can't sit back in your seat because the huge bow gets in the way! I got through it though. I somehow found the breath to sing. After church, Brother Kyan took pictures of everyone in kimonos. There were 10 of us in all. It was a rich cultural experience.

The last few days were full of ministry to the surrounding islands, sightseeing, and shopping for souveniers. We had a children's service in a public park, and went calling door to door on the next island. We ate at a little restaraunt and had taco rice. Then we went across the street to the ocean and played volleyball(without a net)in the sand. We had two of the young people from church with us that day. We even explored a ruined castle on the way home.

Tuesday, we went looking for a place that Kyoko wanted to show us. We found a place that was like it. Then we went down to the ocean again. We stopped at a little place an got some seafood. Oh, is fresh deep fried squid ever good! We ate at a picnic table along the road. Then they took us down to walk on the coral. It's really sharp. You don't want to trip and fall on that.
The Millers had their English students over for class that night. I stayed up as long as I could. It had been a very long day. The students enjoyed talking with us. Rick exchanged e-mail adresses with one of them.

Wednesday was our last day. We went to several dollar stores. We just had fun hanging out with the Millers for one more day. Then came our last service at the church. Rick gave his testimony, and then came the long, sad goodbyes. We don't know if we will ever see those people again. We made many friends and we miss them.

We rode the monorail to the airport the next day. One of the ladies from church met us there to say goodbye one last time and to give another gift. We said quick goodbyes to the Millers and headed through security and customs. Of course, our trip home was uneventful and safe.

My first international experience was a great one. The Miller family and the church family at Okinawa made it unforgettable.

It was great to see our kids again. A little time away changes one's perspective just a little bit. We are glad to be home.

I did miss one little thing, but I can't remember the name of the place. I'll have to ask Rick about it and add it later.

Okinawa 2009

2009-01-28T20:36:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays

2008-12-22T10:37:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry I've gotten so behind. I've been so busy. We put up our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. The children just loved it! Chris got to "help" this year. He couldn't get the hooks to stay on the branches. It was so cute though. We got pictures of the kids and the tree. We were going to have to change the ornaments around after a few days( most of them were down at the bottom), but the base of the tree broke. We had to take it down. We will be putting the tree back up this week. It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without a tree. The important thing about putting up the tree is that it's time we spend together as a family.

Christopher and I went to Julia's school to watch her Christmas program last week. It was so cute! Julia was Mary. Mary and Joseph had a "donkey" crawling down the aisle behind them. The shepherds were leading "sheep" down the aisle(one of them was crying for her mother). Everything was just perfect for such little children. After the manger scene, each class sang a Christmas song. We really enjoyed it. I don't have any pictures of it yet.

I got together with two of the class moms and did Julia's class Christmas party. It was so much fun! The kids made little manger scenes out of toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls. All they had to do was put material around the rolls to make robes and a little bit of material over the head. You just had to slide rubber bands over each piece to hold it in place. They actually turned out cute. Then the kids got to decorate sugar cookies. We also had a birthday party for Julia's teacher, Mrs. Cole.

Rick and I are starting to get ready for our trip to Okinawa, Japan. We are going to see the Aaron Miller family. Our tickets have been paid for for a couple months. Now comes the fun part. You know, the packing. We have to pack for the kids(10 days @ Rick's parents' house) and for us. This is my first trip out of the U.S.A. so I'm excited and a little nervous. At least I'm not going alone. Rick has been over there before. I think the worst parts of the trip are going to be the endless traveling and the time difference. Jet lag.

We will be leaving for West Virgina the day after Christmas. We will get to see our families for a couple days. Then on Monday we will start our journey. We won't be back 'til the 7th of January. So, I won't be blogging for a couple weeks.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Julia's Fall Festival

2008-11-17T17:00:00.004-05:00

Julia is really enjoying going to preschool. We had parent teacher conference a few weeks ago and her teacher said that Julia is a little angel at school. She listens well and learns everything that is being taught. She loves learning.

October 31 was the day of Julia's school Fall Festival. Fall Festival is a day that all the kids dress up in costumes, and show off for their parents. They have a little parade and then sing several songs. I dressed Julia up like a little princess(she wanted to be Princess Daria from the Pink Kingdom). I fixed her hair up in a sock bun and let her have a tiara and a wand.

I dropped her off at school, then waited for Rick to get there. We stood outside for a while just waiting for the kids to come out. They marched past us twice(the sidewalk goes in a square). Then we all went up to watch them sing. They did a great job. We could hear little Julia's voice above most of the kids. At least she's not afraid to sing out. We were so proud of her. Here are a couple pictures of my little princess.

Now, we're all caught up to the present. Finally!

Christopher's Birthday

2008-11-17T12:20:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Our family has been through one illness after another. I've been told that it's normal when your child starts preschool.

Christopher had his second birthday on October 20th. We did a Curious George party. He enjoyed all the attention and all the toys.

Chris played with his cake topper. It's safely put away now.

He was very excited to get another "digger truck".

We also got a play tent for Christopher. He shared that with Julia, of course. They had so much fun with that tent. I hated to put it away. I'm sure it will come out again during these long months of fall and winter.

More Birthdays

2008-10-28T13:10:00.002-04:00

I had my 30th birthday on October 11th. Rick took me out for dinner the night before. We went to Outback. I got to try Crab legs. Mmmmm! Were they ever good! We walked around in the Mall for a little bit after eating.

Rick gave me my big birthday gift, while we were waiting for our table at Outback. It was in a gift box. I opened it and it was a gift certificate to a day spa. I got up early just to spend about 4 hours at Salon Vivace. I got a facial, a full body massage, a manicure, a pedicure and a hair-washing and drying. It was very relaxing.

When I got home, I ate lunch and went to the Mall to spend my gift card. I got a cardigan at Christopher & Banks.

When I got home, we had a birthday party(mostly for the kids sake)with cake(Rick insisted on 30 candles)and presents. I got a fuzzy throw and a memory foam pillow. Nice for those long winter naps. Anyway, I had a great birthday.

I can't find where Rick put the pictures right now. I will post some soon. I know you'd like to see that cake with 30 candles on it.

Birthday Pictures

2008-09-23T21:58:00.005-04:00

Here is my birthday girl!

Here is her cake.

The kids enjoying their treats.

Birthday Party!

2008-09-23T10:18:00.005-04:00

On September 20th, we had a birthday party for Julia. She turned 4 on the 22nd. We thought a Saturday party would be best because of Rick's busy schedule. I even tried to invite our neighbors over for it. I ended up having to cancel having them over. All of us came down with some kind of bug. I took party favors and treats over to their house and told them I had to cancel.

We still had our little family party. My sister-in-law Jessica decorated, while I sat out in the garage wrapping gifts. Julia wanted a Dora party this year. I didn't know how popular that stuff is. It was hard to find a cake topper. I finally bought a little jar of play dough that had a Dora stamper on the top. It was just perfect.

The party was a success. Julia loved all of her gifts. She loves cake and ice cream. Chris was so funny! He didn't know what to think of the icing on his cake. Rick tried to feed some to him and he just held it on his tongue and started to cry. He got some on his fingers and couldn't stand it.

For some reason, blogger won't allow me to upload pictures today. I'll have to try again tomorrow.

My Little Preschooler

2008-09-13T00:12:00.005-04:00

Julia was supposed to start preschool on Monday, September 8. She came down with a fever, and had to stay home on her first day. She was so disappointed. Anyway, her first day was Wednesday. She's so excited about making new friends and learning new things.

I had parent helper day on Julia's first day. So we were both learning our way around at the same time. First, I helped get the kids out of the cars when they got to school. Then, I sat at the end of the hall at the helper table and cut stuff out of construction paper, labeled library books and just waited for a teacher to call me to help out in their class. I only had to help once. Mrs. Cole needed me to help her kids(one of which is Julia)wash red ink off of their hands. That wasn't too hard. I also had to go to the lunch room and unlock the cabinet for the teachers and then clean up after the kids were done eating. At the end of the day, I helped the kids get back into their parents' cars. I really enjoyed my day.

After everything was done for the day, I remembered that I hadn't taken a picture of Julia with her teacher. I got my camera and asked Mrs. Cole if she would mind having her picture taken with Julia. Mrs. Cole picked out a monkey from the class collection and I took their picture. I guess I did forget to mention that Mrs. Cole's class is the "monkey" class. Everything is decorated with monkeys! Julia fits in perfectly.

Anyway, our busy life has begun. Julia goes to Chestnut Memorial Preschool three days a week. She's in the afternoon program, so she's only gone for a couple hours. I always feel a little mournful when my kids reach another mile stone. Not because I don't want them to grow up, but because I know life will never be the same again. They grow up so fast!

Julia with Mrs. Cole.

Fun With Friends

2008-08-28T16:25:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, Rick got all the title work for the van. We went over to the Boardman's house to pick it up. We are now officially a two-car family. It still feels a little strange, but I'm sure I'll get used to it fast.

Lisa and I arranged a meeting over at the Virginia Living Museum with our kids. We took the kids to see the crabs and the fish. We walked over to the education center to see some animals(a hissing cockroach, a millipede, a black rat snake, a turtle and an alligator). Then we went to see the dinosaur exhibit. That was the biggest reason why we went there this week. It was the last week for the dinosaur exhibit. Christopher loved the dino robot. The roar was his favorite. Julia's favorite thing was the box of bones. There were bones buried under "dirt" and you used a brush to clean off the bones. It was really neat.

We went out on the animal walk next. We saw wolves, coyotes, a bobcat, deer, turkeys, eagles, a fox, a skunk and all kinds of birds. There may have been more animals, but I can't remember them all. We had a really great time. Thanks for suggesting that trip to me Lisa.

Well, I need to stop for this time. I have to finish packing for our trip to West Virginia. It's going to be a fast trip. It's always crazy, but totally worth it. Hopefully, we will get to see everyone while we are there.

Normal Life

2008-08-26T15:21:00.006-04:00

Well, our new schedule has begun! Rick is in school, and working. The kids and I are home most of the time. That will be changing soon. We are buying a mini van from the Boardmans this week. Then we won't be trapped at home all the time.

Julia will be starting preschool in another week. Children grow up so fast, don't they? She is excited about going.

About a month ago, some new neighbors moved in across the street. There are 3 children. They like to come over and play in our yard. We have a big driveway to ride bikes on and a tree-house and a dirt pile to dig in. Julia just loves the little girl Zoe. All the kids' names start with Z. Zachery, Zoe, and Zander.

Not much has been happening around here. After Julia goes to school, I'm sure things will be just hopping. So, I think I'll just enjoy what remains of this quiet life.

Here are a few new pictures of the kids.

Happy Birthday Rick

2008-08-14T18:02:00.004-04:00

We celebrated Rick's birthday on Wednesday, August 13. I spent most of the day decorating and writing in cards and getting dinner ready. I helped Julia get a picture drawn on the back of her color picture. Then I helped her sign her name in the card from the kids. She also drew a picture inside the card. It's called personalizing a card.

I decided to make "Alice Chicken" for supper. I love to order it when we go out to Outback steakhouse. I came across the recipe on-line and decided to try it out. I really enjoyed cooking it. But silly me, I had forgotten one of the ingredients. I had to run to the store across the street before I could finish it. I am not too good at broiling meats, but for once, the food didn't get burnt.

I fixed up the table fancy. We had a lace tablecloth, a centerpiece and cloth napkins. We all had fun.

After we were done, we had cheesecake for dessert. Rick isn't much of a cake-eater, and he didn't want me to make the whole recipe of Buster Bar because we eat at it for several days. So, I did the next best thing. We even put candles on it for Julia's benefit. She said that it isn't a birthday without candles.

Here are a couple pictures of Rick's party.

Missionary Friends

2008-08-09T07:16:00.000-04:00

When Rick was deployed to Japan last year, he came in contact with a very special missionary family. They encouraged him so much, that when he got home, we started sending them boxes of encouragement. They are so sweet. After we sent them a Christmas box, they found out we were having a hard time. They sent us a box. Imagine that! I'd never heard of any missionary giving back like that. I've never met them, but I love them.

Please remember the Aaron Miller family when you pray.

Our Favorite Dog

2008-08-08T06:46:00.005-04:00

Not much has been going on around here. That's why I haven't posted for a little while. Rick has been out of school for two weeks now. We have one more week of "normal" life left before the whole thing goes crazy again. What I mean by "normal" is that Rick goes to work around 6 a.m. and comes home between 4 and 6 p.m.

I thought that I would post a picture of my parent's dog. His name is Jack. When we go to West Virginia to visit, Julia loves to pet him. She has known Jack all of her little life. Jack used to come up and sniff the baby carrier when I was taking her into the house.

Jack can be a little rambunctious at times. He jumps over the gate and onto my grandma's back deck. There are cats up there. I guess he likes a little excitement. LOL. Jack also loves to take long walks with the family. He runs excitedly, and hopefully, up the hill, when anyone comes outside. He's ready to go!

Here's our favorite dog.

The Cool Sleeper

2008-07-24T11:29:00.004-04:00

Last night, Christopher was wearing his sunglasses. When I was getting him ready for bed, he still had those glasses on. I thought he would take them off before he went to sleep. He usually throws anything that doesn't belong out of his crib before going to sleep. So, when I checked on him a few hours later, I was so surprised to find that he still had them on. I had to walk out of the room. I was laughing so hard, I couldn't even tell Rick what was so funny. When I finally told him, he just had to take a picture. It was just too cute! No, we didn't turn the light on. Rick just used the flash.

Our Seventh Anniversary

2008-07-24T10:32:00.005-04:00

Rick and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on Sunday, July 20. Of course, we couldn't go out to eat on Sunday. So our friend Lisa Boardman kept our two children on Friday afternoon, while we went out.

When Rick suggested that we go to the Chrysler Art Museum in Norfolk, I thought "just lots of paintings and statues." It was so much more than that! I actually enjoyed looking at the paintings. But there were also exhibits from all over the world. We got to see a Pharaoh's coffin, armor from Japan, masks from Africa and Glassware from all over the place. We saw the work of many great artists. There was also a piano, which was carved very beautifully, that Rick asked the guard for permission to play. That was our favorite part. The acoustics in that room were just wonderful. I still don't care for modern art so much, but I did develop a better appreciation for art.

After we had gone through the museum, we went out to eat. Rick took me out to Aldo's Italian Resteraunt last year. It was his turn to pick the kind of food we would eat. we went to the Emperial Palace for Chinese food. We had chicken on a stick and shrimp for our appetizers. Rick had duck and I had sweet and sour chicken with pineapple, green peppers and onion. It was so good. I even tried some of Rick's duck. It tasted alot like turkey. This wasn't just any old Chinese buffet. It was fine dining. Candles on the tables, curtains on the booths and cloth napkins. They even had a hired piano player for dinner music. It was a great experience.

We couldn't take pictures in the museum, and I didn't think of taking one of the building itself. But I did get Rick to take a picture of the kids on Sunday. They both looked so nice in their Church clothes.

Independence Day Cake

2008-07-07T14:37:00.004-04:00

I used the holiday as an excuse to make a cake. I just love to make cakes and decorate them! Rick doesn't like cake that much, so I usually only bake one for special occasions. I made half of the batter into cupcakes and the other half, I made into an 8"x"8 cake.

To me, a cake is like an empty slate. You can create any design you want in any color that you want. I knew I wanted a flag on my cake, but didn't have time to mix up all of those colors. Then, I remembered my red sugar sprinkles. Could I make them into stripes without making too big of a mess? I did it! I used little candy hearts for the stars. I had so much fun!

My cakes are not perfect. I just started decorating a couple years ago. I'm learning new things all the time. Here is a picture of my latest creation.

Our Fourth of July

2008-07-06T16:35:00.009-04:00

I guess it's time to post again. It's been a little while now. Anyway, I have some new pictures to share.
We spent our Independence Day on the beach. We were on the beach for about 2 hours. The kids played in the sand and in the water. Rick flew his kite(or rather, he tried). I sat on our straw mat for a while just watching sand crabs. My favorite thing to do at the beach is just listen to the waves. I watched the kids play and just enjoyed the quiet.
After the beach, we went to KFC and then to Sandy Bottom Nature Park to eat our supper. Then we went to Ft. Monroe to watch fireworks. We got a little bit wet near the end of the show. A bad storm was rolling in. They finished the fireworks just in time for a downpour.
When we got home, we had a piece of my Independence Day cake, then got ready for bed. It was a good day. It was full of fun and family memories.

Chris got all tuckered out.

The kids enjoying their food. Yummy!

Time To Cool Off

2008-06-17T10:35:00.009-04:00

We've had a heat-wave over the last couple weeks. It was in the upper 90s and even got up to 103 on a couple days. I thought it was time to get the pool out for the kids. In the end, I decided to let Rick do it. It was too dirty for me. But I did get out the sprinkler. The kids just loved it. Chris didn't know what to think of it at first. He never ran near the middle, but he enjoyed running through the edges.

Rick cleaned the kids pool out, patched the little hole, and filled it up on Saturday. The kids got to play in it for about an hour. The first thing Chris did when he got out was to go sit in the dirt. Just like a little boy! Rick had to spray him off before I could change his clothes. Oh well. The most important thing is that he had lots of fun.

I took pictures of the kids in the sprinklers, and Rick took pictures of the kids in the pool. I'll try to get a few of those pictures on here.

Playing Outside

2008-05-19T09:54:00.008-04:00

We've been having some really nice days here. I took the kids outside a couple times last week. I got a few pictures of them.

Chris loves to sit on our back steps.

Rick found that hard hat in Huntington Park. Someone lost it off of a ship. It has the name of the ship scraped into it. Rick thought it was cool, so we brought it home. The kids love to play with it.

I put Chris in the little bear harness(it's like a backpack with a leash), and we took a walk. Chris stopped every few seconds to exclaim over birds and the sky and everything else he could see. It was so cute.

Rick had duty this weekend, so we didn't get to go to church. When Rick got home, we went over to Boardman's house. We had church and a snack afterwards. We really appreciate the fellowship we have. I don't know what we'd do without them.

Summer is right around the corner. I plan to enjoy it with my family. There will be plenty of pictures. I'll try to post more often.

Cakes

2008-05-05T11:16:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday, I made a marble cake and decorated it. This is only the second one I've really decorated. It was a "Happy Spring" cake. I just bought a decorators bag and tips and wanted to try them out. I used shortening icing to decorate with. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Here's what it looked like.

Wedding Pictures

2008-04-28T10:53:00.005-04:00

This is all my aunts and uncles with the bride and groom.

You may now kiss your bride!

Wedding Pictures

2008-04-28T10:20:00.005-04:00

This is all the brothers and sisters together with
Grandpa and Grandma Walter.

Uncle John walking Grandma down the aisle.

My Travels

2008-04-28T08:40:00.002-04:00

I guess it's been almost a month since I last posted. Pretty bad huh? Lots of things have happened in these past few weeks. I'll just give you the highlights.

My Grandma Rowley fell in love and was planning her wedding. Rick was trying to figure out a way to get me down to Tennessee for it. We finally decided that I should fly to West Virginia and ride down with my parents. Then came all of the preparations for that trip.

Rick decided that I needed a break from the kids. I offered to take Chris with me, but he said no. He wanted to care for the kids for 4 days, while I went away. He said it was only fair, after he'd left us all behind several times, while he was in the military. I didn't know what to think about that. Four days with no kids?!? How would I stand that?

Finally, the day arrived. We loaded my things in the trunk of the car and drove about 30 minutes to the Norfolk International Airport. I felt reluctant to leave my kids, so we walked around for a little while, looking in shops. It felt so strange, saying goodbye to my family.

I love to fly, but I hadn't flown in years. I always get nervous. I"m just afraid that I'll get lost and miss my plane. I've never done that, but I'm always afraid I will someday. I flew from Norfolk to Detroit, MI. As you know, that airport is HUGE. So, when I landed, I read where I was supposed to go and trucked my way along on the walkways(I love those things!). I had to walk through a tunnel that was all lit up with flashing lights. They were in the walls and ceiling. It was so cool! Anyway, I got to my gate, and found that they had moved my departure gate. I finally got to the right place. Whew! What a relief! When I finally got to Charleston, my mother, sister and brother were waiting for me. Always nice to see familiar faces.

The next day, we all crawled into Dad's Caprice, and set off for Friendsville, Tennessee. When we got there, we went over to the rehearsal dinner. I saw lots of familiar faces from the past. Not only family, but also people from Pennsylvania, who I knew from Penn View.

The wedding was beautiful. Lavender, white, and purple. My mother and my Aunt Ruth were the bridesmaids. I took a few pictures. Dad's turned out better though. I'll be posting a few with this entry.

All of Mom's brothers and sisters made it for the wedding. All 10 of them in one place. It was one of those rare occasions. Uncle Terry traveled the farthest. California! Dan and Debbie NM, Dave and Anita OK, Nathan and Ruth Mississippi, Dad and Mom WV, Steve and Amy PA, Steve OH, Daniel and Rhonda, Chris and Kathy, and John and Sherri TN. It was great to see everyone again.

I finally got back home on Monday, April 21. I was glad to be home with my little family again. I missed them very much. Coming home is the best part of going away.

More Pictures of The Kids

2008-04-03T12:16:00.007-04:00

I figured out how to flip the pictures around. I did it all on my own! I'm not a computer whiz, so it's nice when I can figure something out on my own.

My little Princess!

Here's Daddy's favorite picture.

Poor Chris got tired of pictures.

Christopher's best smile ever!

Enjoying Nice Weather

2008-03-30T15:40:00.007-04:00

Last weekend, we had some really nice weather. It was in the 70s. So we took the kids outside to play. We even took a little walk. Here are a couple pictures of the kids.

Julia loves the flowers on my azealea bushes.

Chris loves to swing!

Julia and I love to pick little spring flowers
to make into crowns.

My Kids in Their Easter Clothes

2008-03-30T15:23:00.005-04:00

I didn't get a chance to take the kids' pictures last Sunday. We just got our family picture. So today, I got the kids up and got them all dressed up for pictures. I'm not much of a photographer, but I gave it my best shot. I want to put their single pictures on here, but can't figure out how to turn them around. So, they will get put on here at another time. Rick will have to help me. Here are a couple that are already right side up.

Here are my kids in our easy chair.

My "Little Man" dressed up in his Sunday best.

Thoughts About "The Singer"

2008-03-25T13:55:00.003-04:00

The last couple years, I have tried to make it a habit to read "The Singer", by Calvin Miller, around Easter time. It's a great read! Not only is it easy to read, but it also brings a freshness to your mind about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. I cry every time I read it. If you get a chance to read it, I encourage you to do it.
The first time I heard of it, was when Mr. Anthony, one of my teachers from Penn View, read it for devotions in our Music History class. I never forgot it, and after I got married, I had Rick get it for me on E-bay. Here are a couple things I love about that book.
This is about his baptism in the river, when his ministry began.

Then the River Singer waded out
into the water and beckoned with his hand
with his hand. Slowly the tradesman followed.

They stopped waist-deep in water.
Their eyes swam and
They waited for the music to begin.
It did.
(here's the last part of it.)
...................
Then over that thin silver
stream the thunder pealed, and
a voice called from the sky above...

"Tradesman! You are
the Troubadour! Go
now and sing!"

Here's another piece of the story. This is the conversation between the high priest and the people.

"Look at him,"said the masquerading
World hater, pointing to the
Singer. "Does he appear to be a Holy
Singer? Where are his prayer book
and candle? If he had come to
worship, would he not have brought
along a scroll of ancient truths?
If his song is from Father-
Spirit, why did it not come to us
through the Grand musician?
He wears no robe, he has no beard
like other holy men. Where is his
pointed hat? He was but a tradesman
in the northern hills. He
never studied music like the Grand
Musician. Is it reasonable to
suppose that God would give a tradesman
a song that he withheld from those
who keep his very Shrine?"

The Grand Musician rose and sang.
Infirmly at first, but gaining
confidence, he sang the Anthem of
the great Shrine.

It's just so sad that Israel had the Son of God right there with them, but they could not or just would not see Him. Let us not make that same mistake. Let's serve Him and love Him all of our days.

The way Calvin Miller writes is so intriguing! You can read through this book in just an hour or two.

Turning To Christ For Strength

2008-03-24T23:11:00.004-04:00

Talking to Jesus always helps me get through another day. I start my day by asking for "strength just for today." With two toddlers running around, I have to take things one day at a time. When I come up against things I feel I just can't handle, I stop and pray. I find myself remembering this little song my mother and I learned several years ago. Here it is.

I Talk to the Lord
(author not known)
Sometimes, my way grows weary,
With trials hard to bear.
I talk to the Lord about it.
He hears my every prayer.
Chorus
I talk to the Lord about it.
Oh, yes, He is a friend indeed.
I talk to the Lord about it.
He knows just what I need.

When days are dark and dreary,
And burdened down with care,
I talk to the Lord about it.
He hears my earnest prayer.

Relaxing With a Book

2008-03-15T23:48:00.004-04:00

This picture is of my kids, during one of their peaceful moments. Those are few and far between, it seems. They both love to look at books, so they called a truce.

The Presence of Jesus

2008-02-25T13:59:00.002-05:00

I was playing "In the Garden" on the piano today, and God's presence came down. I've been pretty discouraged for the last few months. But everything looks bright ahead again. Isn't it wonderful, the difference God makes in just a few moments? God knows just what we need and when we need it. I'm so happy that He does!

And He walks with me, and He talks with me; And He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share, as we tarry there: none other can ever know.

Rick's New Blog

2008-02-12T21:20:00.000-05:00

Check it out! The link is on the side!

- Jenn

Check out my New List of Great Websites!

2008-02-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!

Check out my new list of some of our favorite Web Sites. There are lots of links great for kids. Enjoy!

- Jenn

He is Our Peace

2008-02-11T01:32:00.000-05:00

Hey!
Just wanted to share a new poem with everyone. I've had this thought buzzing around in my head for quite a while now. Right now, it's just a poem. With a few paraphrases and adjustments, it will be a song someday too. Rick is encouraging me to write more. So here it is.
He Is Our Peace
When trials seem to steal my song,
And everything goes wrong,
I keep running in this race,
Seems I cannot keep the pace.
I read my Bible and I pray,
I ask the Lord to guide my way,
While I'm there upon my knees,
I'm overwhelmed with thoughts of peace.

He's our peace, in the midst of troubled times.
He's our peace, and everyone who seeks Him finds.
He's our peace, and if we set our minds on Christ;
We'll have joy though all our life, for He's our peace.

We try and try only to fail.
Rely on friends, to no avail.
Can our faith hold on 'til dawn,
when all our hope seems to be gone?
Then God's love shines through the gloom.
My feeble faith begins to bloom.
Christ overcoming all my fear,
There comes a peace that is so dear.

Hope it helps someone along the way.

Books I'm reading.

2008-02-01T15:58:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a couple books this week. One is called "Song Catchers" by Mickey Hart. It's about how people have collected music from all over the world. It's interesting. The other book is "Alaska Twilight" by Colleen Coble. I'm reading it just for fun. It's a mystery story.
I'm not the only one in our family who enjoys books. My daughter, Julia loves books too. I've been bringing about ten books home from the library every week. Sometimes, I read some to her. Most the time, her daddy reads to her before she goes to bed. She loves books!
That's all for now.

The ones I love most!

2008-01-25T15:07:00.001-05:00

Julia...My Little Princess.

Julia trying to be like Daddy.

Christopher...our little man.

My husband while he was still Active Duty Air Force.

First Post Ever!

2008-01-25T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody! I have never done this before so you'll have to please be patient with me while I learn how all this works! Visit often!