Fall Piano Recital-Annalina

We LOVE our piano teacher Mrs. W. She is an amazing Christian lady. She is very soft spoken but uniquely also very direct. She only says what she means. I count her and her husband as one of our blessings in Colorado. They have been blessings to our whole family. You can tell by watching her in the videos she has a grandmotherly way about her as she stands next to the kids during their performance. It is fun to watch the kids play the piano and see how God has blessed them in being able to play at all. We teach the kids that nothing you do that is good is anything but God. They have a lot to learn but both enjoy being able to play music which I am glad about. Sometimes practice time can interfere with playing but for the most part they both really enjoy it. We are thankful for the opportunities the kids have had to use their playing for God's glory in the church. Annalina has played in two churches now and Gabriel will be at that soon too!  I am thankful God uses even little children and their small talents for him and thankful for being located where they are even given the opportunity.

Annalina did a great job on her pieces also and what a thing to be said about you in an introduction that "she is always happy"! She is a sweetheart and loves the Lord and lets her light shine because the joy is from the Lord. Reminds me of Gabriel the other day telling me that if we move to Germany he had a plan for witnessing . . . first become friends with people then he was going to tell them the story of creation, etc. Impressive that his heart had already thought that far ahead! I pray that my children will love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, and mind. I don't know their future but my prayer is that it walking closely with Christ.

Fall Piano Recital--Gabriel

Gabers did a great job at his piano recital. He did great even on the song he was concerned about!! He looks so big as I watch this video! He is growing up so fast! I have had trouble with one of Annalina's piano recital videos so hopefully I can get hers posted soon too. Babe and I really enjoyed sitting back and listening to the kids play. They continue to learn so much.

Buried Alive For Christ--Kendrick

When I was growing up my dad used to tell the story "Buried Alive For Christ" to camp children and he did an amazing job of it. It is a gripping true story of great faith in Christ. I wish my kids could have seen him tell it. I decided to get the book to read to them.

The first quarter of the book tells this main story and others that go along with it. I'll be forth right . . . it was hard for me to get through. It is incredibly hard to read but yet so faith building. The rest of the book eases up and has stories dealing with answers to prayer on the mission field and faithfulness of Christ to the missionaries of Africa, and the souls won. All the stories are true from Baptist African missions. It is a great book just a bit gut renching. Hard to read without emotions swelling inside!! What Faith and Love for our Lord these martyrs had. They were truly sold out to Christ.

Jedidiah 7 Months Old Tomorrow!!

Jedidiah is still rapidly changing .  . . sitting up and playing, scooting around and getting into trouble, and up on his hands and knees rocking like he is ready to take off crawling. He is still full of smiles even if you go in the middle of the night to put his pacifier back in. He loves to bounce which is the first kiddo since Gabriel that has enjoyed bouncing so much. He also LOVES biter biscuits probably more than any of the other kiddos.

Annalina's 9th Birthday!!

 It really is hard to believe that Annalina is 9 years old!! She is such sweet and kind daughter. We celebrated her birthday between 2 days because of where we live and time. The first day we went to Olive Garden (her choice) and had a delicious meal and she opened her presents. The second day we had cake and ice cream and she got specially made steak.

My parents sent this cartoon with her birthday gifts. It is SOOOO ANNALINA AND CARSON! 

 I absolutely could not wait for Annalina's birthday this year so we could give her this American Girl doll. She never asked for one but would pour over the catalogs and she and I had looked online and she really like the indian girl "Kaya". I was so glad we were able to get Kaya for her. She was smiling so big she could not have smiled any bigger. Annalina's personality often does not show a lot of emotion concerning gifts but this time she was ecstatic which made it even more fun. She said thank you and that she had "thought about this all the time". It was obviously a dream of hers. I'm glad it came true for her. I am THRILLED! It reminds me of being a little girl and my parents getting a red headed Cabbage Patch Kid the year they were all the rage for Christmas. I also think it interesting that I picked the different red headed doll and Annalina picked the out of the norm indian doll. She and I are very different but we have a few similarities. It was neat also to see the boys so happy for her. Thankful for my kiddos.

 Annalina and her new doll Kaya.

 One Goofy Brother and another Goofy Brother.

 Annalina and Kaya got matching PJ's that are sooo cute!

 Annalina playing Kaya and with the horse Annalina has.

 Birthday cake time. Annalina decide to add red and green sprinkles to it!

The night we were going to have birthday cake Annalina was on the phone with Daddy as he was stopping at Safeway on the way home. She heard him say "One New York Strip please". He told me later he thought he said it quietly enough that she wouldn't hear but she did and she was again ECSTATIC on the phone and told me what she heard daddy say.  He came home and we all waited for cake until the steak had been perfectly prepared by Daddy for Annalina!! Annalina said "Daddy knows just how to make it" and that "New York Strip is my favorite" of course he knew that and she knew he knew it. When we go to Costco the two of them go off together to look at red meat. Of course, Annalina being sweet Annalina, she offered a taste to everyone. Ross sweetly refused it and said he wanted her to have it but she insisted and he got a taste. It was so fun to see Annalina 2 times during her birthday celebrations to be SOOO EXCITED she could hardly stand it.

Arise, My Soul, Arise-Wesley

Annalina was invited to sing in a trio with two other little girls at a hymn sing next Sunday.  Paul and Marjorie Ferrin do these hymn sings nation wide I've been told. I looked up the song they are going to be singing. I love it but am not super familiar with it. I hope I can get her ready for it in time. What a beautiful, beautiful song.
Google    Hymnsing.org or Paul Ferrin and see pictures and read all about the Ferrins
and their bios.

Stories From My Day

This morning Ross and Carson got in a little spat about praying before they ate. Carson said to me that Ross said that "you [Carson] prayed to yourself". Carson annoyed said "I did NOT pray to myself I prayed to God!" Ross meant Carson had prayed on his own not actually to himself. It was pretty cute to see Carson's reaction.


This evening I was in the office looking up some baby gate info. for our very soon to crawl little one! I could hear Gabriel and Annalina talking as they were doing their jobs and they didn't know I was listening. I have some candles that are VERY old and are in the shape of carolers at Christmas. I have one from my childhood and I found another one in amazingly excellent condition at Salvation Army. The sight and smell takes me to my childhood. I was telling the kids about them and talked about the smell reminding me of my childhood. Anyway, they were discussing making me a Christmas card and how they could get the smell of the candle in the card since they knew that was important to me. They discussed rubbing it on the card but weren't sure. Annalina told Gabriel she didn't think it smelled nice. It was so sweet hearing them talk and try to figure out how to make something special for their Mommy.  Hearing all this meant A LOT to me. A LOT. What sweet kiddos I have.

 This afternoon Ross didn't want me to come in a room because he was making something for me. He came later to me and asked "What day is today?" I told him it was Thursday. He told me that he decided that every Thursday he was going to make me a craft. To sweet. He has started writing me the I Love Mommy notes which I just love. The other day we were doing school together and he told me that "the reason I can read so well at school [homeschooling group on Wednesday] is because you teach me here. That meant so much to me. Ross and reading have been a process. He and I have come a long way in the journey and that is so fun to see the progress in reading and the growth in our relationship. Again what sweet kiddos I have.

Carson is still coming to me and saying "My Mommy" and hugging me. He has done that for quite awhile. It will be sad when he moves out of that phase. It all started about a year ago when he and I were out shopping just the two of us and I said "You are my Carson" and after that I was HIS Mommy. I love that and love hearing that. Today Carson was crying at nap time that he wanted me to stay with him. That is NOT common. He does a great job going to sleep. I sang him some songs and he settled and went to sleep. Not sure what was concerning him about being alone but thankful that Mommy can make it better.

Jedidiah is SOOO close to crawling. Today Gabriel was working with him and encouraging him to give it a try. It could be any day now that he takes off. As always he brightens everyones day with his easy smile. He LOVES LOVES LOVES paper. He found a stack of Gabriel's math paperwork and got a hold of one of those to crinkle and chew and had to get it away from him. Annalina was talking to Jedidiah today and said the sweetest thing and I thought I have to blog that and of course now I can't remember! I hope it comes to me because it was absolutely TOOO sweet!

 I was thinking the other day how different Jedidiah's life is from the other kids. He has 5 people in the house that carry him around and care for him!! Way different than the older kids. Five people is a lot of attention and care!!! Carson can't carry him around (he did the other day and I put a stop to that) but he does pay attention and give care to Jedidiah. He sings and talks to him. Carson is our big time singer. He sings and sings Christian songs and I LOVE that. Annalina sings a lot too. She came to me tonight before bed and told me she didn't think she could make it if someone told her she couldn't never sing again.