No place like home...

This is a picture or our new home. We finally got grass after a long winter of mud! Fortunately?!!? It was so cold this winter that it never was too big of an issue.
There truly is no place like home. Although I could get used to views like this one that we had last week in Florida....I love my new home. We had a good time in Florida with the Roode clan. The kids had a great time on the beach and we all enjoyed relaxing around the pool.
Here is a picture of the kids at Marineland. Marineland is a dolphin conservation organization near St. Augustine, Florida. We arranged for Allie to have a dolphin experience. I'll post more pics of that eventually. :-)

Easter

I love Easter. It is my favorite Holy day. It can be very overwhelming to think about the magnitude of love Jesus felt for each of us when he died on cross for us. Our church service was perfect this Sunday. We don't normally have a choir but all the worship teams got together and sang some amazing songs. They were done just right. Not too showy, soothing, but expressive at the same time. I enjoyed it so much! I only wish I had worn waterproof mascara.



I've included some more pictures of our activities lately.
Jake's Birthday! 12 years old!!
Rainforest Cafe at the Mall of America
Lowell nad I on Easter Sunday

My goofball kids who would not cooperate for a picture of the three of them. So I cornered them on the stairs before they went up to change after church.

Finally!

Kyle is 14!!!
Allie and a friend at the Rockettes' Christmas Show
Camels crossing the street after the show. I wonder what the people in those cars were thinking?!!
Something we've done a lot of with all that snow we've gotten this year. I think we got about 45 inches, which is a lot for Iowa.
Christmas!!

Hello! Well, I am sure both of you (hee hee) were wondering where I went! I have been very busy with finishing up my classes, trying to get my house in order, and also keeping up with the kids' schedules. Since I last posted Kyle has turned 14 and Jake has turned 12!

We are all settled into our new home. It is so nice to have space to spread out. I have been cooking more in my very well organized, larger kitchen and Lowell and I are both enjoying having an office space. We just need our lawn put in and we'll really start feeling the benefits of our move. We just had a meeting with the landscaper on Wednesday and he has lots of ideas for us.....lots of expensive ideas for us!! With a 3/4 of an acre lot, we will probably just go with the basics for this year and then get creative next summer.

I only have this one last term to go for school. I will still have to take two more general education claasses this summer but otherwise, I am ready to start student teaching in the fall. At Upper Iowa, student teaching is split into two seven week terms. It is set up so that one is to be in a lower elementary classroom and the other is in an upper elementary classroom. I will be be in second grade and fifth grade classrooms if I get the placement in our school district that I am waiting for. It's hard to believe that the time is almost here!

We are on Spring Break right now. We made a quick trip to the Mall of America for a couple of days. That was fun and we'll definitely go back sometime. I dont' think I'll count on getting any shopping done though! There is so much to do at the mall that the kids were much more interested in doing stuff than shopping for clothes. Who can blame them, right? We did thoroughly enjoy the IKEA store. Wow! I had never been to an IKEA but I had admired their things on their website. I am totally hooked now. I am trying to figure out how I can get back up there in the near future.

Jake just finished up basketball and his team had a great season. I am not sure on the exact stats but they played well and were very good sports. I think they only lost a couple games. The boys' coach quit half way through the season so Lowell and another dad pitched in and the kids seemed to do even better. Ever since the weather has gotten nice, Jake has been out playing either football or basketball with his friends. He has made some really great friends this year. I am so happy for him. They are all into their cell phones and getting phone calls from girls. Jake tells me it is dumb because they don't even talk to them face to face, just on the phone. LOL I remember those days!! Praise God my middle school years are well behind me.

Kyle has started track and so far, really enjoys it. We have been so pleased with the athletic program through the schools. They do such a good job with the kids and although this town has some fiercly competive people, Kyle doesn't seem to pick up on the vibe. So far it's all just fun for him.

Allie is enjoying decorating her new bedroom with a beach/ocean theme. We keep picking up things here and there. She definitely has her own ideas about how she wants it to look. We are having a lot of fun with it. I'll try to take some better pictures of the house and post them soon.

Well, I think that is it for now. I'll try to pick some pictures from the last few months for your viewing pleasure. :-) I don't know why it always does the pictures first but there you go!

Well....Lowell is 40! I am waaaaay late. :-) His Birthday was November 16th.

This is why I did not do a photo card this year! Grrrrr....Jake was not in a smiling mood. He really is a happy child...just a pain in the...sometimes.

My brother's kids with mine on Thanksgiving day. :-)

Sorry, this is short and sweet. We are moving this week!

Toooooo busy!

Just a funny picture of our dog!
Kyle #57
Kids at the Pumpkin patch
Allie in her Halloween costume
Hey! It's been a while. I am not sure who reads my blog these days. I only have a handful of people on my read list. Sometimes I think about opening it back up to the public so I can get more comments. LOL But when ya google yourself and you blog comes up on the first page, it's a little weird! Did you know that there is another Janine Roode? She runs in marathons and is about my age. I wonder if any people ever google me and think I am a runner. That's hilarious! Well, I am way off topic. My topic is how busy we have been. We have been REALLY busy. I have been taking four classes instead of the usual two because of how they were offered. Now that I am a senior I have to take classes as they are available. I am also doing a 60 hour practicum in a second grade class at Allie's school. It is very fun! I am learning so much about how the brain works and what strategies work best to teach children. It is amazing all that I know now. :-) I don't think anyone that has not been through a teacher education program can fully understand how much goes into educating children. It is really neat to use the same techniques with my own children and see how they respond. Allie loves that I know all the same reading and math lingo that she is learning at school. I have also been using my children as guinea pigs. I have to do reading inventories for one of my classes. Allie is reading at a 6th grade level. I am so proud. I am in the middle of testing Kyle and he is doing very well. He was able to pass through the twelfth grade site words. Amazing! While learning all this fabulous stuff is awesome and I can't wait to be a classroom teacher, I am getting very tired! I think the fact that we are also building a house and that the holidays are coming up, may have something to do with that. Our house is coming along very nicely and we expect to move in Dec. 17th or perhaps sooner. Our builder is freaking out a little bit because we told him that we actually expect to be in on time. It's important because of my classes. If we can keep on schedule then I will not have to worry about classes for a few weeks and we can just get our house in order over Christmas break. I am adjusting to the fact that we may not have any company over Christmas. I think we will volunteer our time at a homeless shelter or the Ronald McDonald house. They need people to serve meals and pass out gifts. I think it would be a good reality check for the kids and a great way to give back. We are so blessed! I will post some pics of what we have been up to lately. :-)

Another school year begins...

Well, we've been back to school for a couple of weeks now. We started on August 16th. My new job is GREAT! I could scarsely believe my ears when my lead teacher asked me why I didn't have my coffee yet. Working in the media center is very different from the level three special education arena. Being a special ed. 1-1 associate last year, I never could take a moment to sip some coffee. I have also been very proud of myself with handling computer issues that have come up. Nothing major, but I have never done much besides fiddle with my own computer and do the basic office functions. I even set up two computers from scratch and connected one to the internet! woo hoo! I'm also getting a sneak peak into the curriculum for elementary, and the resources that teachers use in addition to the text books. Part of my job is to collect media materials for teachers that go with the units they are doing in the classroom. I even enjoy cafeteria duty in the morning. This job is really just what I needed so that I could remain in an education setting but not have all the bone tiring work of special ed. My hat goes off to the people that do that for years. I know that as a teacher I will always have a special spot in my heart for the special ed. students and the staff.

Kyle has enjoyed 8th grade at his new middle school. Our town has two middle schools; one is a 8-9 and the other is a 6-7. Kyle went out for football and there is a no cut policy. There are always so many boys interested that they have to create two teams, one is lite weights and the other is heavy weights. Thank goodness the cut off for lite weights was 125lbs. so Kyle fell into the lite weight catagory at 120 lbs. Some of those kids are bigger than Lowell! We are talking kids over 6'3" and 230 lbs in the 8th grade!! It's amazing, but they do tend to grow them nice and big in Iowa. :-)

Jake is also having a great time at his new school. He is now at the 6-7 middle school and ended up on a team (small learning community - buzz word for how they separate the kids) with quite a few of his classmates from last year. He also went to a leadership training a week before school started. Those kids that attended the leadership camp all got a leg up on how to unlock lockers, etc. This was great confidence booster for him and he has just done amazingly well. I really admire how the school handles the transition, and was able to observe first hand how wonderful the staff is last year when I worked there. I wasn't really worried, but I knew he was. I don't have Momma's Boys but they do have a Boys' Momma! :-)

Allie got the teacher that she wanted, but the majority of her friends are not in her class. But, that's O.K. she gets along with most anyone. She's fiesty though, she doesn't take anyone's guff. Girls really start getting catty at this age and Allie has handled it all pretty well. If someone is mean she forgives them, but she sure doesn't go back for more. We switched Allie to a different dance studio this year because we wanted to try a studio with smaller class sizes. She has only had one class and it was fabulous. She is the youngest in her class and all the girls were gushing over her and helping her out if she needed help.

Well, that is it for us tonight. I hope everyone is well!

My favorite time of year

August 1, 1992

Yikes! 34 years old

Well, this is my favorite time of year. My birthday was July 24th. Didn't do a whole lot, and come to think of of it....birthdays aren't quite as fun anymore! LOL I had class that night so for the very first time in my entire life, I was able to bring cupcakes to school. That was fun at least! We went out the next day to my favorite place...Red Lobster. Yummy!

The next big event is the anniversary of Lowell and I meeting at McDonald's on July 27, 1990. The magical night! :-) I realized I've now known Lowell for as many years as I didn't know him. If that makes any sense!

August 1, 1992 we were married! It has been fifteen years. The years have just flown by! I am a very lucky girl to have a husband that treats me like a princess.

The Fourth of July Week 2007

Swimming at Pampa and Grandma's!
Cousins!!
Me, Allie and Jordan

Hello! We had a great time during our visit to Michigan and Indiana this past fourth of July week. Most of you know the drama I have with my brother's wife, Shondell. She has made it very difficult the past three years or so to see my brother and their kids. She has always come up with some excuse or just made it very unpleasant to be around them/her. Well....we had a great visit on the fourth at Lowell and Donna's house and then later we took them with us to our friends Bill and Jodi Slager's house for fireworks. We spent about 8 hours with them. The kids got along great and we all had a relaxing time. The difference, of course, is that David and Shondell are now separated and will be getting a divorce. The kids have been spending nearly half their time with David and the rest with Shondell. They are hurting kids but they felt free to just be themselves. Apparently Shondell would rant and rave for days before a visit with us...about what? I have no clue! I didn't even ask. I didn't want to ruin our perfect day. Although divorce is not something that I condone generally, in this case it is quite necessary. I won't get too specific but, she was emotionally and verbally abusive to an extreme the entire time David was with her. It will take time for everyone to heal. On many levels, the kids are just getting to know their dad. They have to formulate their own opinion of him since their mother has degraded him for so long. Please be in prayer for this family. Pray that things go smoothly as possible during the divorce proceedings. Pray that Shondell gets some real help, and in the mean time pray she does not further damage their children's little hearts and minds.

O.k. Well, enough about that mess! I'll tell you more about our trip. We arrived late on Tuesday the 3rd and then in the morning on the fourth I went and picked up David and the kids. The kids swam while the adults talked and then we ate lunch. Lowell and David went to look at a van that the Slager family had for sale. (For the past 3-4 months David has not had a car. ) Thankfully after a few days of negotiation and figuring out how to arrange payment David got the van! Even though he says he doesn't mind riding his bike I know he and the kids will enjoy the freedom of having a vehicle. On the fifth we went to see my friend Karrie in GR. She just had her third baby, a little girl named Jordan. She is soooo cute! We had a nice visit there too. As soon as we got back to Lowell and Donna's from there my friend Stephanie and her girls came to see us for a short visit. That night we went to dinner at Wes and Kim's house. Yummy steaks and smores and lots of fun visiting. July 6th we headed down to Indiana after I had lunch with David. We had pizza at Lowell's cousin Wade's house while the kids played. This place is boy heaven! Each of Lowell's cousin's from that Aunt have only boys. The two oldest boys that are 14 are all about girls and their cell phones. Kyle is not quite "there" yet but he had fun teasing them about it. The boys played outside, did fireworks, took turns swinging on a rope swing over a steep hill (yikes!) and they wanted to shoot guns but I had to put my foot down somewhere! The next day we visited with Lowell's Aunt Jackie, who is wheelchair bound and lost her husband about two years ago. We had a nice breakfast and actually got to see one of her kitties! They usually hide from us, so the kids were thrilled to finally see one. Later that day we went to the mall. They have this animal rescue set up in there on the weekends. We almost got an adorable white lab mix with little black spots on his ears. Just adorable! But then I remembered that we are trying to sell a house! Puppy and carpet while selling a house just does not go together. I told the kids that if we ever see a white lab mix puppy with little black spots on his years that we will get him. I think I am pretty safe! That night we went back over to Wades for more boy fun and food! Allie was a little out of the loop but she liked playing with the youngest cousin, an 18 month old named Porter. That night we went back to our (cheap) hotel and got every one settled in when the rest of the place decided to get hopping....or should I say running and screaming past our rooms. ?! Argh! Then one of my worst fears became a reality. Jake slept-walked right out of the room! Luckily with all the other noise I was not really asleep so I heard the door creak and the light from the outside lights. I got him back to bed quickly and thanked the Lord for people who have no consideration for anyone but themselves at hotels. Of course I couldn't sleep after that until about 5:30 am...an hour and half before the alarm was set to go off. So that was our very fun....but very tiring trip! I think next year I will have to try to figure out a longer trip so we can see more people but not feel so busy.

Myrtle Beach

The dynamic duo!

On the pier!
The four cousins on Zach's last day.
Looking at the sharks! Yikes! We were swimming not far from here.
Grown ups can be silly too!

We just got back from Myrtle Beach yesterday. Lowell, Donna, Darrick, Julie and Zachary all came too! We had a great time playing, visiting, swimming, sunning, relaxing, eating...not necessarily in that order. Zachary is such a sweetie-pie. Actually I am glad he can't read yet because he told me that he really doesn't like people to call him "sweetie-pie". :-) He prefers Z-man or just Zachary. LOL He was so hyper the first day we were there, I was a little worried. I wondered if it had just been too long since I had been around a five- year- old boy. Once he settled in, he and Allie paired up and were inseparable. It was too cute! Allie was thrilled to have someone there to play with her. Jake and Kyle will play with her occasionally but Zach was all about Allie. Whatever Allie ate for dinner, he at for dinner, etc. They had to ride in the same cars, sit next to each other at dinner, and they did a great job sharing their Pampa too! Zach had to leave a couple days before we did. We all got some good hugs and had to say good bye until next time, which might not be until next summer. :-(

Besides seeing family we had some great times. We went to the beach, the Ripley's Aquarium, Broadway at the Beach, water park, and some souvenir shopping. It was a very nice time away from the busyness of everyday life. I am still taking classes all summer and had to miss a week. Of course we planned this long before I knew what my classes would be like and these were two classes that were hard to miss. I did write three papers while we were gone. Lowell and I decided to take the plunge and build a house. It's not a dream house but pretty close! :-) It should be a house we can live in for at least the next 10 years. Making the decision to stay in Iowa was bittersweet. We'd love to be back closer to family and friends that are so dear to us, but Iowa is a great place to raise a family. We enjoy so much about living here that it makes it much easier to accept. Now I am just going through all the fun, fun, stuff of trying to sell a house and pick things for the new house. Good problem to have though, huh?

Allie's Dance Recital

Phew! The recital was a great success and Allie had a wonderful time. This was her second year of dance at Nicole's School of Dance. It is the most popular dance studio in our town. Nicole and her crew have about 500 girls in classes throughout the week. She split the groups up into three recitals but Allie's recital was still over three hours long! Only about 10 minutes of that was our little Allie girl! She was in tap, ballet, and jazz. Pampa and Grandma came from Michigan to see her recital along with the rest of us. This was especially important to me since my brothers and my dad never came to any of my recitals. The boys did a fabulous job being the supportive brothers and each gave Allie a carnation. Unfortunately Jake's allergies were acting up and he didn't feel the greatest but he still sat through the whole thing. He especially liked the boys that danced. He thought it was pretty cool, although he said he'd never do it....and that's O.k.! There was a lot of talent there last night. Allie continues to amaze me that she is never nervous to be on stage! She had missed six weeks of class due to her collar bone injury so I was nervous that she might feel a little bit lost compared to the other girls.

Summer is almost here!!

I am so excited! This was the last full week of school. I have never been so excited for school to be out. Usually I am dreading loosing my alone time. This year alone time has been non-existant, so time off of work will be wonderful. It will be nice to not be running around every day, although I do have lots of fun things planned for the kids. The boys are both doing day football camp and band camp. Allie will have gymnastics camp and other fun half day camps. We also have some vacations planned. I got the job I applied for as a Media Center associate at the elementary school. I will have much better hours next year! I am so happy about that. I will have some time to get things done during the day and be able to do my practicum work without interfering with my job. I have one year of school left and then I student teach. I can't believe the end is almost here. I have been pursuing this for a looooong time. Here is a picture of the kids and me on Mother's Day. No, it is not a figment of your imagination that Kyle is taller than me by a few inches. He is now 5'6". Kids really do grow up VERY fast. Which is both good and bad depending on the day! :-)

This and That

Hello! I know it has been a loooong time since I have posted anything except adorable pictures of my kids. So I thought I'd try to type something up that would be of interest.....

This has been a very interesting year for me. I have learned tons of stuff working at the middle school and going to school at night for my elementary education degree. My job is going well but I am so ready for summer break. The student I work with has Aspberger's syndrome. He is quite capable of grade level work (6Th grade) but he daydreams most of the days. He actually has movies playing in his head. It is very real to him sometimes. He'll be taking a math test and just start cracking up laughing. I have to fight the urge to just crack up with him! I had my review today and it was glowing! I actually started to sweat. I do not care for sweating...if you know me well....you are laughing right now. I don't know what I was worried about. I always try to do my very best and treat my student as I would want one of my own children to be treated. I definitely have learned so much about special needs children and I will feel more confident in my general education classroom dealing with the inclusion children. Many of the teachers at the school have allowed me to teach in their classrooms so that has really helped me professionally.

Although I like my job and could see myself doing it for another year I have decided to apply for Associate Teacher positions that are less hours. I currently work 5.75 hours a day, that includes a half hour lunch. I am actually gone from the house from 7:45-2:45 with drive time and getting the kids to school before work. I have applied for one job as a Media Center associate at a small elementary in town, and on Monday I will apply for one at the school Allie and Jake go to. They are both about three hours a day and would free up a lot of my time for fun stuff like homework and cleaning house. Jake is bummed that I won't be at his school next year. He moves up to middle school next year and was looking forward to having me there to help him with his locker.

Kyle is rounding out his last year at the 6-7 middle school. He will attend the 8-9 middle school next year. He is doing better at being responsible at home so hopefully that will start carrying over to school. All his teachers say he is "A" student material but he is constantly turning things in late. Mostly because he puts something in the wrong folder or leaves it on his desk at home. Pray for this child! He is such a good kid, I really think he can go far....if he can just remember how to get there. :-)

Allie is just growing up before our very eyes. It is true that girls mature faster than boys. Allie notices things that a boy would never notice. I have been teaching her this year about friendships and what is acceptable and what is not. Apparently the other moms in her circle of friends are not doing the same. Allie feels it is her job to explain the world according to Allie and her mommy to all. This sometimes causes problems but I hope I am raising a confident child that will stand up for injustice but be kind at the same time. Sometimes we mommies have lofty goals, huh?

Lowell and I are doing good. We've had so much turbulence around us. We have my brother and some good friends our ours going through divorces. Darrick and Paulette's break up was our first foray into the divorce drama but now we feel like old hands at it. It is really sad and we know that this is not what God wants. So that make it even harder to watch. Particularly for our friends who really have no grounds for divorce other than being entirely sick of each other. Please take the time, energy, effort, and money it takes to get your marriage on track if you feel there are issues. Satan loves to break up families.

O.k. On a lighter issue to close out here. I hired a maid. I just had to share. It was the best decision ever! I had been struggling all year to keep my house clean with working almost 30 hours a week and going to school 2-3 nights a week. Our Saturday chore list was ridiculous! So I hired service to come in. After a couple rough weeks I think they have it down and they now come in every other week to clean. I'm hoping if I "forget" to cancel I might get away with it over the summer. Do ya think?

Easter

Hello! I just thought I'd pop in and post some pictures. I don't know who is reading these days but I thought it was about time! :-) I'll have more soon.

Musings of the day.

You know I was thinking about how certain things are so ironic or at least seem that way to me. For example....I have my great grandmother's china tea service. I've never used it. It is very special to me but yet it stays locked away in a cupboard. Allie and her friend wanted to have a tea party so I got out the tea service. They had a ball! I was a little nervous that it might get broken but everything was fine! We'll have to do that more often. Another thing that I found amusing is that a girl can't prank call a boy and have it be a secret these days. Dang that caller I.D. LOL A girl called here Thursday night and asked for Jake. She and her friends were being very silly. Jake hands the phone back and says "The caller I.D. says it's Theresa. But she says it's Butch." He hands the phone to me and I get to listen to the rest of the giggling. Oh, don't those poor girls know that fifth grade boys are lightyears behind fifth grade girls? :-) And just because I can't leave Kyle out....I found out last week at conferences that Kyle talks A LOT at school...especially in Language Arts to a certain girl. (yes, I will find my way up there this week to see who he sits by) Hmmmm....oh, the joys of having a 13 year old and 11 year old boys in the house. And the final amusing/ironic thing that happened this week is that we took Allie to the orthopedic doctor and he saw us for about 10 minutes....but the really funny part is that it cost me $30.00 to find out that she is going to be fine. Hilarious! No, seriously it was good to hear that he is almost 100% positive that she is going to heal just fine. Thanks for your prayers! We go back in three weeks to be sure, so keep praying.

Winter Wonderland

This is the view from our front porch. We finally had a real winter storm. We'll still have school tomorrow though! Our crabapple tree.

Our poor lil' white ash.

I took the boys sledding while Lowell hung out with Allie at home. The poor thing! She can't sled or do anything physical. Please keep praying for her collar bone. I think I see a little bump forming at the site of the break, which is a great sign of new bone growth.

Big prayers for a Tiny bone

Hello! I have a prayer request for my little girl. She broke her collar bone a few weeks ago and it appears that it is not healing the way it should. Please pray that when we get to the orthopedic doctor next week that it will show major signs of improvment. Thank you!

Just a quick note!

Hello! I know there were others that wanted access to my blog. Jeannie, your friend Rachel and Kim's SIL, Sue. I need their e-mail address to send them an invite. They can e-mail me at neene73@aol.com and then I can send it to them. Can you pass on the message? Thanks!

Prayers Needed

Hello everyone! I have an urgent prayer request. Our friends, Jason and Holly, have a brother-in-law that has been in a serious accident. Many of you that read this probably already know about it, but I wanted to share with those that do not know Josh and/or I have not already e-mailed you about it.

Josh Buck was swimming/diving in the ocean on vacation when he apparently hit his neck on some rocks. After nearly drowning he was taken to the hospital in Mexico and then transferred to Miami. He is doing very well for what he has been through, but he needs prayers for healing and for his family. He and his wife, Shelly, have three children (one of which is in heaven) and one on the way. There are considerable expenses for the family that are adding up. If you would like additional information and/or if you feel that God wants to use you to help this family please see their site.

http://www.greenhouseministries.org/

Thank you!

P.S. I have decided to change my blog to invitation only starting in February. If you want to access this blog you will have to e-mail me so that I can send you an invitation. If you do not have my e-mail leave a message in the comment section. Thanks :-)

A few of my favorite things.

I was thinking about how Oprah always does those shows highlighting her favorite things. They are almost all things that no normal person would purchase. Something like $200.00 brownies or $50.00 socks. This year she decided not to do it because she wanted to give people money and then have them back on the show and see how they spent it to help others. I have no idea if that show has already passed because I hardly ever watch Oprah, but that not my point. LOL I thought I would list some of my favorite things. I may not have the same clout as Oprah but some of these things may actually be of interest to people I know. Unfortunately you do not have any of these things hidden under your chair. :-)

Scripture Sleuth books, by Mat Halverson - these are great books. The writing is pretty good, but the real treat is that each chapter is like a short story with a mystery to be solved by a Bible toting 10 year old. The cool thing is that the readers look up the verse in their own Bible to solve the mystery. If you have kids ages 5-12 you really need to check it out. http://www.scripturesleuth.com

Gap Curvy cut jeans – awesome! If you have curves you need these jeans. They are smaller in the waist but have extra room in the booty.

Mary Kay 3 in 1 Time Wise Cleanser – Works great and the price is reasonable. If you need a Mary Kay salesperson I can hook you up with my friend, Karrie.

Campbell’s Supper Bakes – these are great for a quick and easy meal. You actually layer the ingredients in the pan and then just pop the pan in the oven. Our favorite is the Herbed Chicken with Rice.

Clorox Wipes – When these first came out I thought how lazy are people now? They can’t be bothered to spray and then wipe? But these are great for the kids to be able to clean up after themselves safely. We have them in each bathroom and the kitchen.

Night at the Museum – This is a great movie. This will be a family classic. Every member of our family enjoyed it! (Ages 39-7…not an easy feat!) If you have not already gone to see it, go! It is worth it to see it on the big screen, and it is a VERY clean movie.

Walgreen’s online photo center – I like this because I can download my pictures off my camera, go to their site, order prints, and have them in an hour.

Dove Dark Chocolate – Good for you and tastes great!

“Focus on Your Child” by Focus on the Family – this program was offered for free but now they are requesting a once a year donation of $24.99. It is a very encouraging parenting resource. I receive newsletters and CD’s with radio programs about parenting and marriage. Each one is on a different topic and you receive the ones that apply to your children’s ages.

Dried Tomato and Garlic Pesto Mix from Tastefully Simple – if you like pesto sauce you’ll love this. It is a quick and easy lunch that is not kiddie-fied.

I am sure I have more favorite things but these are the ones that I can think of off the top of my head. Do you have a neat thing you have discovered that others may not know about? Go ahead and post it in the comment section.

Happy New Year everyone!

Attitude of Gratitude for 2007

Christmas so was so fun this year! We went to Michigan and got to meet some new family members-to-be. Lowell's brother, Darrick, and his fiance Julie were there with her children and Zachary. We had not met Julie and her children before. It was nice to see them and be able to place a face with the names. Zachary is such a cutie-pie. He and Allie had a great time playing, and playing some more even though they both had colds. (You would have never known it though.) Jake also enjoyed having a little squirt following him around and asking him questions. Kyle stuck mostly to the older kids. (Keith and Chelsea are 14-years-old) It will be nice for him to have some older kids to be around when we can coordinate schedules again. We also had a nice time with Lowell and Donna. We were able to go to church at Lighthouse Community Church on Christmas Eve morning and for the candlelight service. The church is just gorgeous! It was very nice to see the church thriving and everyone doing so well. On Christmas day we were able to spend a short time with my brother, David, and his family. Those kiddos just keep growing and growing! :-)

The kids got tons of great gifts. We opened gifts at our own house before going to Michigan so we wouldn't have to drag it all with us. It took about 20 minutes to undo the many nights Lowell and I spent wrapping. Our kids are so blessed and I think they realize that for more than just the gifts they receive. That will be our family goal for 2007. To make sure that every day we give God praise for all the blessings He so richly gives us.

Recently at work there have been people commenting on how I am always happy and smiling. It's true. I am a very happy person. :-) I was able to talk about my faith and how I believe that God gives us the strength to overcome all that is handed to us. Most of my stress comes from outside sources that I have no control over. I have learned that being happy is a choice. Our family is so blessed. I can fret over the small stuff or I can have an attitude of gratitude for the many blessings God has given me. There are many hurting people in this world and they have reason to be sad and even depressed. But there does come a time when one must decide that your attitude toward adversity is going to change. God tells us to rejoice in all things. He will turn our sadness to joy. Trust in that. Make the most of the life that God has given you. Tap into the power of prayer by living as obediently as you can to God's plan for your life, and ask Him to bless you. Even if those around you seem intent on making life harder than it needs to be, you can make the choice to be happy. It's amazing how much of a difference our own attitude determines how we feel and much happier it makes those around us. I read somewhere that 10% of of life is what happens to us and 90% is how we react to it. The power of a positive outlook, obedience to God, and a grateful heart is priceless. I pray that everyone who reads this will have a wonderful 2007.