Kids Christmas Party & Beach Pictures

This past Saturday was the Kids Christmas Party for Shannon's squadron. Unfortunately, Sydney couldn't be there. She was at a Red Cross babysitting class all day. Sydney is now a certified babysitter and when she turns 12 in February, she'll be able to start working and earning her own money!

The party was a lot of fun. The boys made ornaments and decorated cookies. Santa even made an appearance! Liam was in awe, Ben was questioning if it really was Santa, and Sam was terrified! While sitting on Santa's lap he tried to reach for Ben's arm to save him!

Sunday afternoon we went to Wall Beach on base to take a family photo. The pictures turned out really nice - but the best part was after the "posing". The kids ran all over the place and played in the sand and in the water. The waves were pretty fierce so I didn't want anyone near the water. Of course, Ben and Sydney still managed to get soaked up to their knees in freezing salt water. Sam loved the wet sand and Liam drew pictures in the sand with sticks. It was a little cool, but a beautiful day! Later Sunday night it started pouring down rain and our power went out. We went to dinner at Mi Amore Pizza and Pasta and saw several friends from the base. We were happy we got to play on the beach before the rain began.

Our Weekend

Friday night was the 392nd Christmas Party. Up until the last minute, Shannon was voted to wear the sugarplum fairy costume. Luckily, he got out of it and the squadron DO, Lt.Col. Sauls ended up sitting pretty Friday night. Shannon was very pleased! We had a good dinner, good company, and a yummy dessert table. A date with my husband is always a great time!

Sydney and Ben had their Christmas piano recital Saturday morning at a local nursing home. The residents filled the room in their wheelchairs and beds. They were all so delighted to hear the lovely Christmas music, played by the most amazing kids! The staff and the residents sang along and swayed to the music. The joy in their faces was overwhelming. At the end of the recital, the children wished Merry Christmas to everyone while handing out Christmas cards around the room.

Saturday afternoon we drove to Buellton to visit an archery shop. Ben had been wanting his very own bow since April when he went to archery camp. The instructor said Ben was a natural and was very impressed with his accuracy. This, after he questioned Ben would even be abe to pull the bow back!

Ben saved all of his birthday money and some allowance and had finally saved enough. He was able to buy the bow and a dozen arrows with all the accessories. Thank you grandmas and grandpas! He had to try a couple out in the shop by shooting in the indoor range. He was ecstatic and can't wait to go shoot with dad soon!

Trip to meet Baby Grace

We spent Thanksgiving week in Dublin, California. We met my newest niece, Grace Melody Digman, only 1 1/2 days old, on Saturday. She was born Friday, November 21 at 3:05am and was 8 pounds and 20 inches. Grace is healthy and beautiful!! Big sister Gwen is so proud!

{San Francisco on Friday}{Fisherman's Wharf with cousin Gwen}

We were able to spend a lot of time with the Buxton's, who made the trip from Ohio to meet their newest granddaughter. The kids had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa! We went to the movies, shopped, and even celebrated Christmas before we had to leave for home. We miss them already.

Quick Update

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated our blog. We've been without wireless internet until now, so I've been a little lazy. I'm posting a few pics from the last couple months. I'll be better at updating from now on... promise!! Thanks for checking in!

October 31st

Halloween Party at Shannon's office! We also trick-or-treated around the neighborhood and trunk-or-treated at our church party. Ben was a ninja...again, Liam was "The Flash", Sam was a pumpkin, and Sydney was a gypsy. Of course, the costumes changed as we went to different events. Ben changed the most as a knight for school, scarecrow for trick-or-treat, football player for church, and obviously a ninja at the office party. It was a fun, busy week of parties and candy.

November 4th

Sam is walking now!! He took his first steps on November 4th... at 13 months. He started out a little wobbly, but he's perfected it and is all over the place!

November 8th

Happy Birthday Ben! Ben celebrated his 8th birthday at Chuck E. Cheese's. We had a great time playing, eating pizza and opening presents. Ben's big gift will be his bow that he's been saving for. He has saved up enough money and is buying it this weekend.

November 14th

This is my table for Soup for the Soul, a ladies night for our church. The men of the church served the ladies and led worship. My friend Kim and I hosted a table and decorated with a beach theme. All hostesses provided a soup, dessert, and a themed table. It was a lot of fun. We had an awesome speaker. The best part of the night was seeing all the different tables and fellowship with friends -- old and new!

Go Jessie! Watch her at the Quarter Horse Congress 2008, Freestyle Ride

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR4q-6QikUY

Happy Birthday Sam!

Today was my baby's first birthday. I can't believe an entire year has gone by. It seems like just yesterday I was holding his tiny hand for the first time, completely amazed at my heart's capacity to love every one of my children so much - regardless of how many I have. I was honestly worried when I was pregnant with him. I wondered, "I already have the 3 most amazing kids. How will I be able to love this one as much?" Well all it took was our first meeting. Woozy with anesthesia from the c-section, Shannon held him close to my face and I looked into those puffy blue eyes and fell in love - for the 5th time!! And hours later when I was able to hold little Sam for the first time, the bond was secured. Wow - and here we are a year later.

We had another soccer filled Saturday, followed by a picnic. This evening was just the family, though. We had a nice dinner and then it was time for cake. I made cupcakes and Sydney and Ben helped with the icing and decorations. When we turned the lights out to sing "Happy Birthday", Sam started to cry. So we finished with the lights on. He stared at his cupcake for a minute, and then went to town! He even licked his fingers! The kids got a kick out of watching their baby brother pig out. After a quick bath we went on a walk and delivered some cupcakes to the neighbors. Sam was exhausted and fell asleep in his crib without any problem. Happy Birthday, my sweet baby boy!!

I taught Sam this response to, "How old are you Sam?"

Such a smart little guy!

Soccer, Soccer and MORE Soccer Saturday

Saturday morning began with opening day ceremonies at 10am. Shannon and I had stayed up until 1am creating a break-through banner for Ben's team, the Orange Dragons. It looked great! Shannon's dragon drawing was perfect. It looked too nice to run through, but what fun would it be if we just looked at it?? I brought orange hair spray for Ben's team and green for Syd's. The kids looked great and were very excited. All the teams were announced and took turns doing a team cheer. Sydney's team, the Flying Tigers, waved their arms, "flying" around the field.

This was Ben's first game, a very intense beginning to the season! The blue team was quite a challenge, but we came out ahead 4-1. Ben didn't score this time, but he had an awesome assist. This year Ben is in an older age group - 7 and 8 year olds... what a change from 5 and 6 year olds! The competition was fierce, all the kids were involved. Ben did great, no fear of the ball! He was all over the place, but kept to his position. He played defense, midfield and forward.

Go Orange Dragons!

Sydney had a great game too. She played defense and offense. Sydney came so close to scoring! She had the ball lined up, but decided to pass instead of taking the shot. She'll get it in next time!

What is a MILITARY Wife?

What is a MILITARY Wife?

A Military wife can be tough to describe.

She is a southern belle, anortheastern mets fan, a California 3rd generation re-cycler, aPacific Islander.

She is short or tall, a tomboy a fashion diva, a physician's assistant,

a Republican a Democrat.

A Military Wife is a home-schooler, a scrap-booker.

What IS a Military Wife?WHAT is a Military Wife?What is a MILITARY Wife?

They may look different and each is wonderfully unique.

But this they have in common. They have THIS IN COMMON...

lots of moving---moving---moving---moving far from home.

Moving two cars, three kids and one dog----all riding with HER of course.

Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house.

Moving curtains that won't fit.

Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.

Moving away from friends moving toward new friends.

Moving her most important luggage; her trunkful of memories.

Often waiting-waiting, waiting

waiting for housing; waiting for orders; waiting for deployment; waiting for reunion; waiting for phones calls; waiting for the new curtains to arrive; waiting for him to come home for dinner----AGAIN!

They call her 'military dependent', but she knows better.

She can balance a checkbook

handle the yard work, fix a noisy toilet.

She is intimately familiar with drywall, anchors, and toggle bolts.

She can file the taxes, sell a house, buy a car, or set up a move, ----all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.

Reinvents her career with every PCS; locates a house in the desert, the arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all 'home'.

She MAKES them all home. She is fiercely IN-dependent.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty.

They leap into decorating, leadership, volunteering, career alternatives, churches and friendships.

They don't have 15 years to get to know people. Their roots are short but flexible.

They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other.

They connect over coffee, rely on the spouse-network and accept offers of friendship and favors and record addresses in pencil.

Military Wives have a common bond.

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands.

His commitment is unique. He doesn't have a job, he has a 'mission'.

He can't just decide to quit.

He's on-call for his country 24/7 but for you, he's the most Unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign--TDY--PCS--OPR--ACC--BDU.

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.

She is the long-distance link to keep them informed, the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments----

She wants to wring his neck, dye his uniform pink, and refuse to move to Siberia.

But she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days, a travel brochure, a long hot bath, a pledge to the flag, and a wedding picture.

And she goes.She packs.She moves.She follows.

Why?What for?How come? You may think it is because she has lost her mind.

But actually it is because she has lost her heart.

It was stolen from her by a man who puts duty first,

who longs to deploy, who salutes the flag and whose boots in the doorway remind her

that as long as he is her Military husband,

She will remain his Military wife.

Sydney's First Soccer Game

Soccer Star!

And the Flying Tigers win 4-1!!! Sydney hasn't played soccer in two years - she just didn't want to so Shannon and I didn't push it, as long as she still played a sport. Well this summer she asked if she could go to soccer camp with Ben - very unexpected! We were so excited that she wanted to play! Sydney was a little shy and nervous at camp, but improved so much in the short week.
She really enjoyed herself, so we signed her up for this soccer season. Her first game was yesterday, Wednesday at 6:30. She was a little nervous but Shannon and I kept trying to pump her up and tell her to "Be AGGRESSIVE!" Shannon threatened to start singing loud during the game if she didn't.The game was awesome! We have a great team and an amazing, dedicated coach. Everyone played so well --- especially my little girl. I was shocked at her focus and enthusiasm. She couldn't stop smiling, even when she was trying to take the ball away from the other team. Sydney played midfielder in the first half and then defense in the second. Her good friend, (blue team) Chaney, tried repeatedly to score on her but Sydney wouldn't budge.... although, still smiling. It was so exciting to watch. But most importantly, Sydney loved it and had a blast! Stay posted for opening day ceremony stuff and Ben's first game Saturday :)........

Eliana, Sydney, Chaney and Kayla

Watch This!!!

I saw this on a friend's blog and had to put it on mine. It was a skit done by her youth group. This video was so powerful to watch! I just wanted to share. So please watch and be reminded of how very special you are --- even when you don't feel so special. And how very much you are loved by our amazing God!
Love,
Jenn

painting the mural...

After our church service this morning we had a quick lunch and went back to the building to paint a mural.

Over the summer, Pastor Rob asked Shannon to paint a mural for VBS and realized Shannon's talent!

So Shannon was asked to paint a mural in one of the church hallways as a backdrop for a train that runs along a high shelf. They took the train down today so Shannon and I painted from about 1:00 - 9:30. I must say, it looks really good! Much better than it did before. We had a lot of fun doing it. Sydney looked after the boys, who behaved so well given the circumstances - one building for 8 hours! The kids watched movies and played in the "kids church" rooms. The church provided us with dinner which was delicious. We are all exhausted and our feet hurt.... but Pastor Rob made us feel like it was completely worth it when he said it was a vision fulfilled. We hope everyone enjoys watching the train once it's up again, passing by the painted California landscape.

Louie

While sitting in the living room today, we heard what sounded like a baseball hit our window. Sydney looked and saw that it was a little bird. We discovered that the little guy couldn't fly. I called the local vet and got the number for local wildlife rescue. The instruction was to put the bird, named "Louie" by the kids, in a box with a blanket in a quiet, warm room for an hour so he could rest after the trauma. Sydney was disappointed when I told her we couldn't keep him. After the hour was up, if he still couldn't fly, we'd have to take him to get medical attention. We prayed that he would get well and fly away. So we put little Louie in a shoe box with a towel in Sydney's room for an hour. When the hour was up, we all went outside with our fingers crossed. Off he went! He bumped into Shannon on his way, and took off to the nearest tree in front of the house. It was so great to see him take off and the excitement on the kids' faces.

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This is Louie, healed and happy in our tree!

what we've been up to...

A very special Sunday! This is us, still wet, from our baptism at Church For Life this past Sunday. Shannon and I believe that baptism is symbolic of burial and being born again, beginning a new life in Christ. Well, Sydney and Ben have wanted to be baptized for a while, and we decided as a family that August 31 would be the day. There is nothing more wonderful than knowing your children have made a decision to follow the Lord. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." --Proverbs 22:6

Liam, 4 years old

First day of preschool! Liam started preschool yesterday. He's in the MWF class from 8:45-11:15. He was so cute - very excited to see his friends, play with the animals, and of course - snack time! Liam has never been one to cry when we leave him anywhere. He's a social butterfly to all people, small or big. "Hey, what's your name?" --- "Oh, that's a cool name." That's about his standard way of meeting new friends. Liam waved good-bye and smiled, but no tears. His teachers Ms. Tammie and Ms. Alex said he had a great day! I missed him so much :(

Sam, 11 months old

When will you walk, little Sam?! Our precious 11 month old son just won't walk! He's been crawling since he was only 6 months old. We thought he'd be running marathons with dad by now. He cruises everywhere and gets just where he needs to go, cruising or crawling - very quickly. He can stand for a good 10-15 seconds without holding onto anything. His favorite toys are the phones, remote controls and my magazines! Sam is a very busy young man with a hearty laugh and endearing smile.

Sydney, 11 years old

Sydney the Cook! Sydney was in the play Hansel and Gretel last week. She was one of the witch's cooks. She had a few of her own lines and had to learn some songs and new dance moves! The base theater was quite full and we were in the third row, video camera etc. in tow! Syd was very nervous, but did an awesome job, occasionally meeting our eyes with a shy "hello... I told you to sit in the back!" Not a chance, Syd!

Ben, 7 years old
Ben just finished his first Harry Potter book this week - the Sorcerer's Stone. It has 309 pages and is at a 5th grade reading level! {Ben just started 2nd grade} He's been reading it over the summer. I thought it would be too hard for him, but he insisted on borrowing it from the library. He frequently commented on how much better the book was than the movie. It was so cute to see him get excited and not be able to put the book down during dinner or on a drive. Ben has started on the next book, Chamber of Secrets. He's already finished the first 3 chapters. He said, "I'll just read a chapter a day - unless I need to read more." Go Ben!