Vacation House Fun-Monterey, CA

This vacation house really was a God send as we were moving. A move that we thought was going to be straight forward and fairly easy turned out to be complex, botched and stressful. We were glad to have a place to unwind. The kids LOVED scootering on the driveway and watching a friendly little squirrel carry and bury nuts. The squirrel seemed to especially like Carson. Inside the kids played ALOT and I mean ALOT of board and card games. One morning the kids played about 3 hours STRAIGHT of UNO. They also played a lot of the game "Sorry" too. Despite the stress I was so encouraged to see things that only God could work out and it all came together. I love seeing those "God moments" when I know "That's you God, Thank you."

My dad called toward the end of our time there and we found out he was flying out to Babe's graduation! We were all excited but the kids were ecstatic that Grandpa was coming!! We had such a blast with dad. We had to take him to get Mrs. Delish's Cupcakes and we celebrated Babe's graduation at a Japanese Steak House (another entry). The kids had fun playing and running around with him. What was so fun was our last night there we went on a 8 person bike down by Monterey Bay. That was so much fun and is so full of memories for us all. I can't wait to get the pictures from the bike ride from my dad. I didn't have the memory card in my camera!

My dad flew out with Ross, Carson, and I on the plane which was so nice and helpful. Babe took Gabriel, Annalina, and our dog Sonja by car. We found it hard to be away from each other even for this short time. Carson wanted to know why Annalina wasn't on the plane with us and one night in the middle of the night he asked me where daddy was. Annalina said when we were all in Colorado "It is good to be all together again". Ross one night said "I wish Gabriel and Annalina were here . . . especially daddy." The day before Babe and the kids arrived Ross and Carson we shall we say challenging to say the least.

When we got to Colorado it was so fun to see my brother Quentin and his family. It is what we having been looking forward to is time spent with them!

Listing Memories before they get lost!

I am having to majorly back track since I haven't blogged in so long! I want to get these little stories down before they are forgotten or lost! I should be doing a gazillion other things but oh well!

*In the vacation house probably our last night there or close to it Grandpa was in the room with Rosser Boy and I was with Carson and Carson kept saying "Daddy, Mommy, Baby" over and over and over again and then sometimes he would grab his middle finger for Daddy, ring finger for Mommy and pinkie for Baby. It was so sweet to listen to. He likes us all to be together.

*The day of Babe's Graduation there was a lady passing out free tattoos. Babe was with Ross when he was offered one and Ross said "I do not wear permanent tattoos!" and turned it down. The lady thought that was just great and said you are the second kid today to turn it down! We found out Grandpa had been with Gabriel and it was Gabriel that was the first kid to turn it down. We thought that was so funny. Of course, Annalina accepted it! :-)

*This move although an exciting one was our most stressful move yet. In CA we were trying to get things done and were running around here is how different kids handle it . . .

"I know your stressed right now but when you can . . . " Annalina as we are packing. I told Gabriel about her maturity and he says to me "When you have your head back on can you . . ." Too funny. Ahhh, leave it to a boy to say it the way it is!

*Back when we were still in CA Carson said "little bubby" and patted himself! He is little brother! and a cute one at that!

Here are some things since we have come to Colorado . . .
*Ross and I were sitting at the table one morning eating breakfast, just the 2 of us, everyone else was sleeping. I said "I have lots of work to do Rossers." To which he replied "I have lots of fun to do. Just the opposite! That is a typical Ross.

*We were in a store and Babe had repremended Annalina and Ross for the way they acted in the store but decided that Annalina wasn't really at fault so when we got to the car he apologized to Annalina for repremending her. Ross was listening to all this (who was at fault!:-) and said "You need to say I'm sorry to me too Daddy!" Babe was putting Carson in his car seat and said to Ross "You are fishing." and he shut the door to walk around to his door. As he was outside walking around Ross said "I had good bait!" I couldn't help it I had to laugh! That is not typical 4 year old thinking!

*I pulled Gabriel aside the other day to give him instructions on how he should act in a certain situation and when I was done and we started walking away he said "Thank you Mommy for giving me instruction." That took me off guard. Our Proverbs People book and other reading in Proverbs is showing! He has worked so hard lately on being mature and it shows. He has not always taken instruction quite so well.

Work is calling to me. I know I need to answer!

Vacation House Fun--Red Light Green Light!

The kiddos have really enjoyed being in the vacation house. Babe and I are so thankful for it to as we move out of our other house we have a place to relax and the kids can still run and play and get their energy out! This was Carson's second day to play the game Red Light Green Light and they all had a great time playing it!

Thrilling Western Stories Devotional

My parents gave us this devotional book by Dr. Bill Rice. He tells a story and then makes an application at the end. I was skeptical when I first started reading it. He was an evangelist and writing was obviously not his gift (as it is not mine! :) . . . anyway as we got into it the kids really enjoyed it especially Gabriel and Annalina. Ross did find them long towards the end. One day we even read 2. There were a number of things that I appreciated about this book . . . One, he had some very challenging applications (a fair amount were on salvation but there where other challenges too for those already children of God). Second, it showed the kids a time in history and a way of life they are not familiar with. Childhood was MUCH different then as was his way of life. When he was a YOUNG boy they would go off camping out in the wild with his friend on their own. He talks about saving up for his first gun and going out shooting with just his brother. He does have pretty neat stories. I did skip one devotional as it seemed pretty heavy for the kids but really over all we enjoyed the book. I may have the boys read this one their own sometime later down the road. He does an excellent job of encouraging to be a Christian set apart for God and not getting entangled in the snares of the world. I was really thankful to have read this.

From Snake to Slippers

A couple of blogs entries ago I had a picture of Annalina holding a snake and now here she is dancing in her ballet slippers!

Last night was her ballet recital at the Sunset Center in Carmel. That venue is used by famous entertainers throughout the year! She was so excited that her recital had finally come! They danced to a song from Swan Lake and she did and wonderful job and looked so beautiful!

We had to get costume pictures! She was really happy with her costume this year! She was excited about the tights because she had wanted the type that you can stick your foot through the end and not have the tights on her feet if she doesn't want too!

Flowers from Daddy and Mommy in honor of her recital work!

Terrible picture but I like it that it shows Annalina doing an excellent job of having correct form. She is the second one in from the left.

Annalina got to pick where she wanted to go for a special treat, also in celebration of her recital, and she picked a small ice cream shop we've never been to before in Pacific Grove. This picture of the 4 kiddos was taken outside that shop. Carson is cuddling with his sister.

This horse was inside the ice cream shop. Boy were we surprised when we got there . . . it was a hippy dive ice cream store! Weird, huh? . . . and the music was absolutely obnoxious. Annalina didn't want to stay in there and eat and actually none of us did. After we walked out Ross said "Only people that are not Christians would like that music." Aside from the promotion of silly liberal ideas and terrible music the ice cream was super good!!!! Not a place that we would go back to and support their promotion of liberal nonsense though.

I LOVE this picture!
The super hero, fireman, little brother is copying big sis!
TOOOOO CUTE!
The shirt Carson is wearing his Auntie Theo created with his initial on the front and a super hero cape with a lighting bolt velcro'd to the back! I thought that was a SUPER idea and a perfect gift!

"They make your soul dirty"

Yesterday Annalina was talking to me about plays, which is interesting because she has really only seen one play in her life but I think she was linking acting in general to plays. She was telling me that she thought people should be careful what parts they accept which of course is correct! Anyway, I was saying that some plays could be raunchy and I was explaining that meant really bad and dirty. Then she stated it so much better than me . . . she said "They make your soul dirty". Wow!! I was impressed and touched by her understanding of the effect of that which is ungodly . . . a dirty soul

Home Sweet Home. Our First Place of Our Own.

Many years ago when Babe was a boy about Gabriel's age he would sit on the floor of his home in Wisconsin with maps stretched out in front of him trying to figure out where the best place to live was and it was always someplace out west and he wanted to live in the mountains. Now that dream is coming true . . . a home in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Not only is it the excitement of a first home but the excitement of living a childhood dream. I am as thrilled as he is. For 3 years of my childhood we lived in Colorado and I LOVED it. Now I am back with my children and they can enjoy the majestic beauty of God's creation and breathe the mountain air. I remember what it would feel like in the mountains in the morning. The air was cool and invigorating and the scenery beautiful and peaceful.

The papers are signed and the movers come tomorrow to pack up our stuff. The kids are so excited and have been counting down the night nights. Annalina wanted to sleep on top of the boxes tomorrow night!

I am so glad to have a husband like Babe to share this with. What is a home without love? I find the experience of purchasing this home to be romantic as Babe and I live out our dreams together. There is something soul warming inside me. I can't wait to be in OUR home with MY LOVE. Call me a sap . . . but I feel what I feel.

I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for the blessings He seasons our lives with. Those things that warm the heart and draw your gaze upward to say "I know I don't deserve any of this . . . the loving husband, the beautiful children, our own home . . . , your love for me makes no human sense but thank you for seasoning my life with your love. Help me to be salt and light in this world for you. Amen."

Yah, Gabers!

Yesterday the kids finished up their last swimming lessons here in Monterey. Gabriel was THRILLED that he won the blue ribbon for most improved free-style swimmer! He took 10 seconds off his time during this class! Yah, Gabers! He works so hard!

Memorial Day at Naval Postgraduate School

Ross, Carson, and I cuddled up and
listening to the fun music. Ross was giving Carson a smooch!

We had such a super fun and relaxing Memorial Day at NPS. Our friends Flo and Grace came down for the day from San Francisco. On base they had such fun things for the kids to see and do. The kids got to hold and see different animals. One place they got to make musical instruments out of household items that were instruments I had never seen done before. Carson really enjoyed the instrument station too. After the fun things to see we grabbed a cookout lunch and had a picnic on the lawn and listened to patriotic band music, barbershop choral, and the Monterey Symphony Orchestra! So relaxing and fun!

Gabriel LOVES, LOVES birds so it was so fun to him to get
to hold this bird. Gabriel especially loves Toucans.

I like Ross's look on his face! He thinks this is pretty neat!

Carson was so quiet and LOVED holding the bird. I was surprised the man let Carson hold a bird and I know Carson appreciated it. Carson is so gentle with animals, not always his siblings though! :-)

I really like this picture of Carson.
He is not sure about it all but he enjoys the opportunity!

I wish I had gotten it on video but every once in awhile this bird would flap its wings and the kids got a kick out of it and would flap their arms trying to get the bird to flap its wings again.

Annalina is so funny. She loves creepy crawlies EXCEPT spiders which she is absolutely terrified of (so is Carson he doesn't like anything resembling a spider, like daddy!). Anyway, the snake guy was so impressed with Annalina's calm handling of the constrictor that he wanted to put us on a list to take in snakes needing homes because they needed people like that. NOT ON YOUR LIFE BUDDY! That is crazy to bring constrictors into homes with children actually its crazy to bring them into any home! He was a nice guy though and the kids thought it so fun. Gabriel passed on this activity! Don't blame him one bit!

Ross made me nervous,
he was not afraid of that snake unfortunately.

We had such a relaxed time with our picnic and then lounging in the grass listening to music.
Is was so, so, so relaxing! Wonderful!

Carson cuddling with Auntie Flo!

Gabriel got to control a robot used on the battlefield to pick up wounded soldiers that medics can't get to because it may still be to dangerous to get to them. Usually it would have a sled in back for the soldier to roll over on to be evacuated.

Carson LOVES fire engines and he was so thrilled
he really did not want out of the driver's seat!

These firemen were so kind and the kids enjoyed the
time they spent letting the kids explore the fire engine.

Gabriel's 9th Birthday!

My oldest baby is now 9 years old! Gabriel is a bright spot in our day. He is full of ideas and thoughts and loves to talk about them. Tonight he was showing me the drawing he had made for a robot since we had watched a show about robots the other night.

On his birthday we went to the resteraunt of his choice which was R.G. Burgers. It was fun to go there and we all really enjoy the food! Then we got to come home and eat cake and open presents. Annalina had purchased a wooden carved elephant for Gabriel at an antique store since he collects them. He really enjoyed his birthday and we all enjoyed celebrating it!