Monday, July 30, 2012
Ethan band
Ethan has been excited all summer about the opportunity to begin band in 4th grade. The program is new to our charter school, and Ethan is all on board. Today he went to meet with Mr. Kelley to determine which instrument was best for him. He went in hoping to play the trombone, but left excited to play the baritone horn! This is the same instrument Paul played in band. We are on the search for a reasonably priced baritone horn, so if you know of someone selling one please let us know.
Isaac baptized!
Sunday we attended at church baptism after service. As Paul and I were wrangling our children outside we couldn't find Isaac. We look around and found him in the group of people waiting for a before picture for baptisms. We asked him what he was doing and he replied, "I am getting baptized today!" Isaac accepted Jesus a few years back, and asked to be baptized last summer, so we didn't say no this time. So, with 20 other people, Isaac gave public declaration to his personal relationship with Jesus Christ! It was a very exciting and unplanned celebration for our family.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
School supplies!!
I am amazed at how expensive it is getting to buy school supplies!! I love back to school time because I usually load up on crayons, colored pencils, and markers for our home. My kids love to draw and color. What I don't like is all the money I have to spend. I don't have a list yet for Elizabeth's preschool class, but I tried to assume what I would need for her. So, for 3 kids and what I have for home, I spent....between $300 and $325! I haven't bought Ethan's new lunch box yet either. Now, I did buy Ethan an L.L Bean backpack this year in hopes of it lasting through high school, and I purchased the more expensive supplies with heavy duty notebooks and folders so they will last all well. This year I was able to reuse all of Ethan's folders from last year, his scissors, and his ruler. I was still shocked by the cost of everything I purchased. That didn't include the stuff I already had at home that we needed to buy. This year each child needed to bring 2 20lb packs of copy paper to school. I understand that buy purchasing so much it keeps the costs down for the school, but man oh man! I am grateful for Wal-marts price match guarantee, and their lower prices. I could have saved more buy not buying the nicer supplies, I chose quality over price. I can't imagine what it will be like when we have 4 in regular school. I will have one year where all of our kids will be in one school. I will have kids in K,3,5,8 all at the same time!
So, on top of extra school supplies, we are now charged a fee for the school. $25 PTO fee, and a $75 materials fee for each child! So, we are to bring our checkbooks ready to pay $200 for the boys. Yikes!! Top that off with the $400 I paid for uniforms this year and I am in shock! Thankfully I was able to find some really cute clothes for Elizabeth at the thrift store, and I still plan to shop at their back-to-school event where all kids clothes are $1. School is getting more expensive each year, but I try to tell myself that I'm investing in my children's futures. Education is so important, and we have been abundantly blessed to have a private education at the public charter school. $100 per year is cheap for a top education. CCA is an amazing school, and we couldn't be happier to be accepted into the program. I did have a hard time thinking about dropping $400 the 1st year (or more if the price goes up) for fees when all 4 kids are at CCA.
Ethan and Isaac are both excited about starting activities this year. We are trying to convince them to stick to a recreation swim team rather than Aces so they have the time to focus on school AND activities. Aces is so time consuming, and costs a small fortune as well. Ethan is going to be in 4th grade, and has the opportunity to start band. He goes on Monday to check out the instruments and see which one is a good fit for his body type, but he is excited about possibly playing the trombone. Both boys want to start Chess Club this year, and Ethan wants to check out Geography club too. I think it is going to be a very busy year!
With those thoughts, I am asked a lot why 4 kids. I know these days families chose 1-2 kids max due to cost of raising a child. While the cost of raising a child is increasing, and extremely difficult for a one-income family, it can be done. Our family doesn't have cable tv, we don't eat out for dinner, and we don't take big vacations. Our vacation time/money is spent visiting family that we live so far away from. Our family has never packed up and went on a family vacation where our time wasn't spent with family. For example, when we've gone back to visit Paul's parents in San Diego, we don't sight see at the zoo, Sea World, or Disneyland....we spend our time with Jim and Janet soaking up as much family time as we can. I can guarantee you, those precious moments with family will stick in the kids' minds a lot longer than a trip to see Shamu. This year I took the kids back to see my mom in Missouri. While it would have been great to go here and there with the kids, we spent our week at the park, their house, and fishing. Once again, I can guarantee the kids will always remember the excitement of catching their first Catfish! This time next week, we will be off (with Paul this time) to Iowa for the Otto family reunion. This time I have planned a few stops along the way for some fun sight-seeing. My hope is to take the kids to the Omaha Zoo and Aquarium, and then to The Living Farm museum in Iowa. Then the rest of the weekend is going to be filled with fun activities with the Otto family. So, while we could drop several grand, and go into debt, to take the kids for some amazing place, we would rather spend our time and money investing in our family relationships with people that won't be here forever. I have another hope to travel out to Arizona this year and spend more quality time with Paul's Grandma. She is an amazing and kind Grandma and Great-Grandma to the kids, and Arizona isn't too far of a drive.
So, is having four children difficult...at times yes! Do I wish I would have stopped at 1 or 2 children....nope! We love having a big family, and while it can be a strain on the finances at times, God is faithful to provide exactly what we NEED, not always what we WANT. Children are a Blessing and gift from God, and Paul and I both wouldn't change our family dynamic for the world.
So, on top of extra school supplies, we are now charged a fee for the school. $25 PTO fee, and a $75 materials fee for each child! So, we are to bring our checkbooks ready to pay $200 for the boys. Yikes!! Top that off with the $400 I paid for uniforms this year and I am in shock! Thankfully I was able to find some really cute clothes for Elizabeth at the thrift store, and I still plan to shop at their back-to-school event where all kids clothes are $1. School is getting more expensive each year, but I try to tell myself that I'm investing in my children's futures. Education is so important, and we have been abundantly blessed to have a private education at the public charter school. $100 per year is cheap for a top education. CCA is an amazing school, and we couldn't be happier to be accepted into the program. I did have a hard time thinking about dropping $400 the 1st year (or more if the price goes up) for fees when all 4 kids are at CCA.
Ethan and Isaac are both excited about starting activities this year. We are trying to convince them to stick to a recreation swim team rather than Aces so they have the time to focus on school AND activities. Aces is so time consuming, and costs a small fortune as well. Ethan is going to be in 4th grade, and has the opportunity to start band. He goes on Monday to check out the instruments and see which one is a good fit for his body type, but he is excited about possibly playing the trombone. Both boys want to start Chess Club this year, and Ethan wants to check out Geography club too. I think it is going to be a very busy year!
With those thoughts, I am asked a lot why 4 kids. I know these days families chose 1-2 kids max due to cost of raising a child. While the cost of raising a child is increasing, and extremely difficult for a one-income family, it can be done. Our family doesn't have cable tv, we don't eat out for dinner, and we don't take big vacations. Our vacation time/money is spent visiting family that we live so far away from. Our family has never packed up and went on a family vacation where our time wasn't spent with family. For example, when we've gone back to visit Paul's parents in San Diego, we don't sight see at the zoo, Sea World, or Disneyland....we spend our time with Jim and Janet soaking up as much family time as we can. I can guarantee you, those precious moments with family will stick in the kids' minds a lot longer than a trip to see Shamu. This year I took the kids back to see my mom in Missouri. While it would have been great to go here and there with the kids, we spent our week at the park, their house, and fishing. Once again, I can guarantee the kids will always remember the excitement of catching their first Catfish! This time next week, we will be off (with Paul this time) to Iowa for the Otto family reunion. This time I have planned a few stops along the way for some fun sight-seeing. My hope is to take the kids to the Omaha Zoo and Aquarium, and then to The Living Farm museum in Iowa. Then the rest of the weekend is going to be filled with fun activities with the Otto family. So, while we could drop several grand, and go into debt, to take the kids for some amazing place, we would rather spend our time and money investing in our family relationships with people that won't be here forever. I have another hope to travel out to Arizona this year and spend more quality time with Paul's Grandma. She is an amazing and kind Grandma and Great-Grandma to the kids, and Arizona isn't too far of a drive.
So, is having four children difficult...at times yes! Do I wish I would have stopped at 1 or 2 children....nope! We love having a big family, and while it can be a strain on the finances at times, God is faithful to provide exactly what we NEED, not always what we WANT. Children are a Blessing and gift from God, and Paul and I both wouldn't change our family dynamic for the world.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Trip to Missouri
This past week was pretty exhausting. I thought, last minute, to take the kids and drive to Missouri to visit my mom. My mom and I have had our issues, but I felt God's tugging to get them out there to visit with her. She is having surgery the beginning of August, and it had been 3 years since we had seen her. So, we packed up, and drove 12 hours to High Point, Missouri. My prayer was for a peaceful trip with lots of memories.
God blessed our trip abundantly!!! The kids got to meet my mom's new husband, Danny. They quickly warmed up and began calling him Grandpa. I think that would make my Dad really happy. It has been easier to accept Danny into the family because I know him. He lived in the town I grew up in, and I knew him as Bandit growing up. He was so good to the kids, and spent so much time playing with them. This gave my mom and I a lot of time to talk.
Danny took the kids fishing ALOT, and the boys had a blast. Ethan caught a blue gill, and a few catfish, and Isaac caught a catfish too! It was the boys' first time to go fishing and catch fish on their own. They are finally old enough to enjoy the sport. :) Grandma spent time with Elizabeth giving her a make-over, and lots of jewerly/make-up to take home. Elizabeth loves her new bag of goodies. David was a mama's boy, but he did warm up to Grandma and give her hugs and kisses. It was very hot during our visit, so we didn't get to do as much as we wanted, but I went and bought a small pool for the kids to play in. David really loved playing with my mom's German Shepard, Bud. Those too had a blast together. All-in-all it was a fantastic trip and the kids never wanted to leave. They had such a great time, and have memories that will last forever.
Next time we hope to get a trip in to the Ozarks...my mom lives less than 30 minutes to the Ozarks, and another trip out to Ruby's to ride the horses. In just over a week, we'll be heading back out on the road. This time Paul will be with, and we'll be headed to the Otto Family Reunion in Iowa to visit with family Paul hasn't seen since he was a child. We can't wait!!
God blessed our trip abundantly!!! The kids got to meet my mom's new husband, Danny. They quickly warmed up and began calling him Grandpa. I think that would make my Dad really happy. It has been easier to accept Danny into the family because I know him. He lived in the town I grew up in, and I knew him as Bandit growing up. He was so good to the kids, and spent so much time playing with them. This gave my mom and I a lot of time to talk.
Danny took the kids fishing ALOT, and the boys had a blast. Ethan caught a blue gill, and a few catfish, and Isaac caught a catfish too! It was the boys' first time to go fishing and catch fish on their own. They are finally old enough to enjoy the sport. :) Grandma spent time with Elizabeth giving her a make-over, and lots of jewerly/make-up to take home. Elizabeth loves her new bag of goodies. David was a mama's boy, but he did warm up to Grandma and give her hugs and kisses. It was very hot during our visit, so we didn't get to do as much as we wanted, but I went and bought a small pool for the kids to play in. David really loved playing with my mom's German Shepard, Bud. Those too had a blast together. All-in-all it was a fantastic trip and the kids never wanted to leave. They had such a great time, and have memories that will last forever.
Next time we hope to get a trip in to the Ozarks...my mom lives less than 30 minutes to the Ozarks, and another trip out to Ruby's to ride the horses. In just over a week, we'll be heading back out on the road. This time Paul will be with, and we'll be headed to the Otto Family Reunion in Iowa to visit with family Paul hasn't seen since he was a child. We can't wait!!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
So exhausted!!
Championships were a blast and exhausting all at the same time! We woke up late as Paul's phone had an issue and didn't go off as planned at 5am. We woke up to the boys' alarm at 6am, and we needed to be at our pool by 6:30 to caravan to the meet. It was a mad dash of a morning, but we made it to our pool by 6:28 in time to leave with the team.
Paul worked the first 2 hours helping with DQ scribing, and I lugged David around while getting the boys ready for their first event. I was so happy when Paul was done so he could help. It was so crazy busy and full that David had to be carried everywhere. We were able to see our boys swim each of their events, and they did very well. This was our Division (C) Championships with the other 5 teams in the division.
Results:
Ethan 25 free 6th place
25 back 3rd place
50 free 5th place
This was all while Ethan was less than 24 hours without a cast. He was able to get his cast removed on Friday, but still has to wear a split for 3 weeks while participating in any activities. So, he swam with a splint, and stiff/sore arm. He was bummed he hadn't done better in his events, but we were still very proud of him. We learned that Ethan was the talk of the division, as everyone knew the 8-year old swimming with a blue cast and STILL winning events!
Isaac 25 free 3rd place
25 back 2nd place
25 breast 2nd place
This was Isaac's first year swimming on a swim team. He worked so hard, and was always excited to go to practice. Sometimes Isaac would practice in the morning and evening to work on his strokes. He really gained a lot of endurance over the summer, and can't wait to try out for a year-round team. We are so proud of both of our boys.
After Championships were over, we had a few hours to go home before meeting back at the pool for the year-end party and awards. Everyone was so tired, but we really enjoyed watching all of the kids get their awards and hearing the fun stories. Ethan earned the "no more playground" award as his coach told him next summer he is only allowed to eat, swim, and sleep...no more injuries. Isaac earned the "3 amigos" award because he and 2 other boys were always found together. His coach said if you were looking for one, you always found the other 2 as well. After the very long awards ceremony, they opened the pool and the kids got to swim for an hour or so. It was cold, so our kids swam for a little bit, and wanted to get out to warm back up. They ate some more, watched a picture slideshow of the year, and were ready to head home.
All-in-all it was a fantastic summer with the swim team, and we can't wait for next year to begin and start Elizabeth on the team with the friends she made this year. There were 5 other 4-year olds that she played with throughout the summer that might join the team next year. The boys are already talking about ACES year-round team and getting started on that. Thankfully for us, we have until the end of August before that begins. Next weekend, Ethan has his AllStars meet where he will compete with kids from all 24 teams in the Mountain High Swim League in the 25 fly, 25 back, and 50 free events.
Paul worked the first 2 hours helping with DQ scribing, and I lugged David around while getting the boys ready for their first event. I was so happy when Paul was done so he could help. It was so crazy busy and full that David had to be carried everywhere. We were able to see our boys swim each of their events, and they did very well. This was our Division (C) Championships with the other 5 teams in the division.
Results:
Ethan 25 free 6th place
25 back 3rd place
50 free 5th place
This was all while Ethan was less than 24 hours without a cast. He was able to get his cast removed on Friday, but still has to wear a split for 3 weeks while participating in any activities. So, he swam with a splint, and stiff/sore arm. He was bummed he hadn't done better in his events, but we were still very proud of him. We learned that Ethan was the talk of the division, as everyone knew the 8-year old swimming with a blue cast and STILL winning events!
Isaac 25 free 3rd place
25 back 2nd place
25 breast 2nd place
This was Isaac's first year swimming on a swim team. He worked so hard, and was always excited to go to practice. Sometimes Isaac would practice in the morning and evening to work on his strokes. He really gained a lot of endurance over the summer, and can't wait to try out for a year-round team. We are so proud of both of our boys.
After Championships were over, we had a few hours to go home before meeting back at the pool for the year-end party and awards. Everyone was so tired, but we really enjoyed watching all of the kids get their awards and hearing the fun stories. Ethan earned the "no more playground" award as his coach told him next summer he is only allowed to eat, swim, and sleep...no more injuries. Isaac earned the "3 amigos" award because he and 2 other boys were always found together. His coach said if you were looking for one, you always found the other 2 as well. After the very long awards ceremony, they opened the pool and the kids got to swim for an hour or so. It was cold, so our kids swam for a little bit, and wanted to get out to warm back up. They ate some more, watched a picture slideshow of the year, and were ready to head home.
All-in-all it was a fantastic summer with the swim team, and we can't wait for next year to begin and start Elizabeth on the team with the friends she made this year. There were 5 other 4-year olds that she played with throughout the summer that might join the team next year. The boys are already talking about ACES year-round team and getting started on that. Thankfully for us, we have until the end of August before that begins. Next weekend, Ethan has his AllStars meet where he will compete with kids from all 24 teams in the Mountain High Swim League in the 25 fly, 25 back, and 50 free events.
Monday, July 09, 2012
The Big Rainy Day
Today was it...prelims were here! It was a great day with the kiddos, although very wet. It started out nice and cool and cloudy. The boys finished up their 25 freestyle events, and then the rain came and we all got soaked. We were waiting in heating for backstroke to begin, and thunder and lightning went on for what seemed like forever. We eventually packed up our stuff and headed to the van so I could warm the boys up. I think we were in the van for about an hour before the meet resumed. All in all it was a great meet. The boys both placed within the top 8 for all three of their events so Saturday they will race again with the other 7 boys to see who gets what medal. Paul also called the orthopedic dr today to make sure taking the cast off would really be a good idea. Dr Eric assured Paul that Ethan's break was minor and he should be able to resume swimming right away on Friday afternoon without any problems. Ethan is extremely excited to show up on Saturday cast-free and blow the competition away.
David also had a well-child visit today and it went fantastic. No shots!!!! He is 25 % for weight and 90 % for height. Imagine that...a tall kid :) David is right on track and progressing a lot in his speech therapy sessions with Abby.
David also had a well-child visit today and it went fantastic. No shots!!!! He is 25 % for weight and 90 % for height. Imagine that...a tall kid :) David is right on track and progressing a lot in his speech therapy sessions with Abby.
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Prelims are tomorrow!!
I am so nervous and excited for the boys tomorrow. Prelims for our division championships are tomorrow morning for the 8 and unders. :) I made the boys are nice pasta dinner, and had Ethan take a nap yesterday and today in hopes of his body fully healing before tomorrow. He has been battling a sore throat and fever since last week and it showed in his meet on Saturday. He had his worst swim meet ever Saturday, and was bummed and crying afterwards. He didn't remember that he hadn't swam but once on Monday all week long, and I tried to remind him that other kids were probably not sick and swimming every day to prepare for championships. He hasn't had a fever all day, so hopefully tomorrow will go well. We have tried to focus more on his perseverance than winning all summer, but he has really enjoyed all of his first place finishes. He will have a tough race tomorrow against all of the kids in our division, but hopefully he has a good attitude no matter what happens. Our main focus has been for him to stay confident with swimming even though he has a cast on.
Isaac has done really well this summer too. He has the chance to place in the top 8 tomorrow for all of his events if he stays focused. He has really gotten competitive, even with his friends, but it is all friendly competition. We have been so happy with all of the friends he has made this year, and can't wait to watch them get back together next summer. It is sad that the season is almost over, and I'm already excited for next summer when Elizabeth swims with the team, and the boys see their friends again.
So, the kids are in bed and I'm praying they get some good sleep before tomorrow morning. For me, I want them to get in the top 8, but more than that, I want them to give it their best and be proud no matter where they place. It really is a team effort, and as long as the team does well, I could care less if they win. I want to be the mom that is proud of her child's accomplishments, and encourages them to swim hard, but be there when they don't come out on top to tell them I love them anyway. It isn't about win or lose, it is how you play the game. :)
Isaac has done really well this summer too. He has the chance to place in the top 8 tomorrow for all of his events if he stays focused. He has really gotten competitive, even with his friends, but it is all friendly competition. We have been so happy with all of the friends he has made this year, and can't wait to watch them get back together next summer. It is sad that the season is almost over, and I'm already excited for next summer when Elizabeth swims with the team, and the boys see their friends again.
So, the kids are in bed and I'm praying they get some good sleep before tomorrow morning. For me, I want them to get in the top 8, but more than that, I want them to give it their best and be proud no matter where they place. It really is a team effort, and as long as the team does well, I could care less if they win. I want to be the mom that is proud of her child's accomplishments, and encourages them to swim hard, but be there when they don't come out on top to tell them I love them anyway. It isn't about win or lose, it is how you play the game. :)
Sunday, July 01, 2012
Another weekend of swimming
This was an exhausting weekend for our family. David has been fighting off an illness that included fevers between 102 and 104 since Thursday. I, Sarah, have been dealing with some major stomach pain that has led me to believe I may be IBS. So, David and I spent our weekend snuggling while Paul was busy with the kids. I have so enjoyed those moments with David. For those that know us well, David is a daddy's boy big time. So much so that he cries when I pick him up, or take him out of Paul's arms. The only time he loved on mommy is when Paul is not home.
Saturday was spent with Paul taking the boys to swim. It was HOT, but they still had a great time. Ethan took home 1st place for all of his events! Isaac knocked off 3 seconds for his freestyle taking home 1st, and took 3rd for his breast stroke. Both boys swam their IM events so they could complete the IM Strong challenge. For those that don't know, an IM is a series of stroke all at once. The boys swam butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle one after the other. At the end, Paul competed in a coaches/parents relay race. He said it was a great time for all.
Next weekend is the last dual swim meet before we gear up for championships and All Stars. Ethan is really looking forward to All Stars because he will Get to see his Aces coach as well as most of the kids he swims with for Aces. We should hear about getting his cast off right before the finals for Championships.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Update
Sorry we haven't been doing a great job of keeping up with our blog. Lots of things have happened since school got out. The kids have been reading a lot, but I haven't done a great job of working on Math or writing with them.
Paul is finishing up his Masters class tonight! We will then get 2 weeks off before the next class begins :) 5 more to go and Paul will have his Master's Degree!
I am healing from my surgery well. I still deal with fatigue and pain when I exercise. Other than that, I have been pain free since the surgery!!
Ethan broke his arm last Thursday falling from the monkey bars!!! Thankfully, it is a simple buckle break. He has a waterproof cast, and even swam in a swim meet this weekend. So many parents encouraged him because he didn't let his cast get him down.
Isaac's toe is healing well. He has been really enjoying the swim meets as well. Swimming pretty much runs out life now, but we don't mind. The boys are getting great exercise and making great friends along the way.
Elizabeth is having a fun summer too, but she really misses preschool and her teacher Miss Kathy. She loves dressing up, and has recently begun brushing her own hair in the mornings. Today she had me pain her nails pink and purple.
David is growing up so fast. He and I had some great time together this past week when Paul was in Arizona. I loved the snuggle and play time. It ended as soon as Paul got back home though. David now cries if Paul leaves the room. He really is a daddy's boy.
As a family, we have made Calvary Fellowship Cherry Creek our new chuch home. :) we all feel that God has led us there to stay!! The kids love Sunday School, we love the solid Bible based (verse by verse) teaching, and have made so many friends! It really is a family and everyone cares about each other more than just a "hello" type of care. Today Ethan chose to stay out for regular service with me, and he loved learning from Pastor Matt. So, he has decided to sit in regular service from now on. :) That is a somewhat short update on our family :)
I am healing from my surgery well. I still deal with fatigue and pain when I exercise. Other than that, I have been pain free since the surgery!!
Ethan broke his arm last Thursday falling from the monkey bars!!! Thankfully, it is a simple buckle break. He has a waterproof cast, and even swam in a swim meet this weekend. So many parents encouraged him because he didn't let his cast get him down.
Isaac's toe is healing well. He has been really enjoying the swim meets as well. Swimming pretty much runs out life now, but we don't mind. The boys are getting great exercise and making great friends along the way.
Elizabeth is having a fun summer too, but she really misses preschool and her teacher Miss Kathy. She loves dressing up, and has recently begun brushing her own hair in the mornings. Today she had me pain her nails pink and purple.
David is growing up so fast. He and I had some great time together this past week when Paul was in Arizona. I loved the snuggle and play time. It ended as soon as Paul got back home though. David now cries if Paul leaves the room. He really is a daddy's boy.
As a family, we have made Calvary Fellowship Cherry Creek our new chuch home. :) we all feel that God has led us there to stay!! The kids love Sunday School, we love the solid Bible based (verse by verse) teaching, and have made so many friends! It really is a family and everyone cares about each other more than just a "hello" type of care. Today Ethan chose to stay out for regular service with me, and he loved learning from Pastor Matt. So, he has decided to sit in regular service from now on. :) That is a somewhat short update on our family :)
David's progress in communication
David has been seeing a behavioralist for a few weeks now, thanks to Cherry Creek School District and the State of Colorado. He's made progress in leaps and bounds!
Words Sarah has heard from him this week:
We'll add more if there are any others Sarah can think of. We'll try to make quick blurbs going forward to keep track of his progress.
- Paul
Over the course of the month, David has begun to do more than just point and grunt - he is starting to communicate, which is exciting! Abby (his behavioralist) has been working on simple signs, such as "more" - he has done that one to me a few times this weekend.
Words Sarah has heard from him this week:
- yes
- please
- outside
We'll add more if there are any others Sarah can think of. We'll try to make quick blurbs going forward to keep track of his progress.
- Paul
Saturday, June 02, 2012
Ethan finally wins ribbons
I completely forgot about posting a blog about our Mother's Day weekend wins!! The weekend of Mother's Day, Ethan swam in his first long course meet with the Aces. He brought home his first ribbons of the year. I am so grateful for this past year because it taught Ethan humility, dedication, and perseverance. Ethan started learning to swim April 2011, and throughout the year-round season, he was swimming against 8-year olds that have been swimming for years. He went to each and every meet, and never won. The Aces mighty mini meet was the worst for him, because he saw all the other kids with multiple medals, but he didn't win at all. My heart broke for him, but at the same time, I thought it was a valuable lesson to learn. So, when Ethan won two 2nd place ribbons and one 3rd place ribbon. He did a fantastic job!
Almost summer!
Wow! The last part of the school year has flown by, but not without several more trials to face. Lets see, Sarah went to the hospital for food poisoning after a family dinner at Chilis. It was so bad, I don't see us eating out for a very long time!!
Sarah turned 30 over Memorial Day weekend! We had a very relaxed and special family weekend. Our neighbors threw a party, band and all, so we enjoyed spending time getting to know the neighborhood. We went to our neighborhood pool, and played some board games.
Isaac hurt his big toe :( Poor kid opened a door onto his foot and ripped his big toe nail right out of the nail bed. Sarah thanked God that Paul had been home so she took Isaac straight to the dr. The dr sent them to Children's Hospital where they spent several hours waiting for x-rays, and finally having Isaac numbed so his toe nail could be pushed back into the nail bed. It was an exhausting day, but God provided a stress-free environment that allowed Sarah to care for Isaac alone. Isaac also got to see for his own that God is with us always.
Paul headed up to the mountains this weekend for his first Men of Calvary retreat. Hopefully he is learning a lot about his walk with the Lord, and strengthening some friendships. We started going to Calvary Fellowship Cherry Creek last week. It is a much small church when compared to Calvary Aurora. We are very happy, and hope to make it our new church home. So, Paul is with 16 other men from that church group.
Sarah took all 4 kids to the dry run swim meet today. It was an experience, but God was with her the entire time. Ethan did fantastic! He already beat the times to get into the All Stars swim meet, and the season hasn't officially started yet! He is excited about pushing himself to beat the team records throughout the summer.
Sarah turned 30 over Memorial Day weekend! We had a very relaxed and special family weekend. Our neighbors threw a party, band and all, so we enjoyed spending time getting to know the neighborhood. We went to our neighborhood pool, and played some board games.
Isaac hurt his big toe :( Poor kid opened a door onto his foot and ripped his big toe nail right out of the nail bed. Sarah thanked God that Paul had been home so she took Isaac straight to the dr. The dr sent them to Children's Hospital where they spent several hours waiting for x-rays, and finally having Isaac numbed so his toe nail could be pushed back into the nail bed. It was an exhausting day, but God provided a stress-free environment that allowed Sarah to care for Isaac alone. Isaac also got to see for his own that God is with us always.
Paul headed up to the mountains this weekend for his first Men of Calvary retreat. Hopefully he is learning a lot about his walk with the Lord, and strengthening some friendships. We started going to Calvary Fellowship Cherry Creek last week. It is a much small church when compared to Calvary Aurora. We are very happy, and hope to make it our new church home. So, Paul is with 16 other men from that church group.
Sarah took all 4 kids to the dry run swim meet today. It was an experience, but God was with her the entire time. Ethan did fantastic! He already beat the times to get into the All Stars swim meet, and the season hasn't officially started yet! He is excited about pushing himself to beat the team records throughout the summer.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
David plays basketball
Isaac's first swim team practice
Here are pictures of Isaac's first competitive swim team practice.....the Smoky Hill Sharks! Paul has been taking him each Monday and Friday evening (with David tagging along). Isaac loves practices, but does not like the cold water. Big brother Ethan gave Isaac some pointers about how to stay warm in the colder water. Isaac can't wait for his first real swim meet.
Elizabeth's new haircut
Family lunch at Red Robin
Here we are having lunch at Red Robin after helping clean up the long-course pool with the Aces team. Isaac enjoyed his corndog and salad, Ethan a hamburger and fries, Elizabeth mac-n-cheese and fries, and David a corndog and mandarin oranges.
Boys love to build
These are a few interesting things that Ethan and Isaac chose to build during quiet time in their room. We love when they dig out the trio blocks, because their imaginations start flowing.
David helps himself
We have learned that David helps himself all of the time. We don't know if it is typical of a 4th child, but David doesn't wait or ask for things he wants, he finds a way to get them himself. As you see in the pictures, David has decided that he wanted some Oreos. He dug through the snack area under our cabinet and found these.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Thursday, April 26, 2012
David - Our Little Helper
A couple days ago, our little man toddled over to the couch, got Sarah's dinner bowl and fork, walked them over to the sink, reached way up and pushed them into the sink! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture or video, since I had no idea what he was about to do - I thought he was just stealing her bowl. :)
Anytime he sees one of us loading the dryer, he scurries over to help. The other day, he actually came over and helped me load the washer - he stood in the laundry basket and handed me clothes one at a time. Took a while, but was much more fun! I have a video of David helping load the dryer:
Today, right about 5pm, David decided he was going to feed the dogs. It was uncanny - as 5pm is their usual dinner time, yet none of us had yet mentioned it. I could be wrong, but I don't think our 15 month old knows how to tell time! :) -- He came into the living room where I was working, and grabbed both dog bowls. Then he walked over to the laundry room to get some dog food - Sarah had one of the other kids help fill the bowls. Then, David came back to the living room with two bowls full of food and made the dogs sit (at least I think so - he had his pacifier in his mouth!). As a reward, he helped himself to some of Peanut's food.
This evening, I spent a while roto-tilling another area in our yard to plant grass. David came up a couple of times and held onto the handle, as if to help me. He looked up and smiled, with a very proud look on his face.
Sarah and I talked about it today - we cannot believe what a big boy our David is already! He certainly has a personality unlike any of the other kids. The way he nods his head or even his whole body when he
"approves" of something we do for him is a crack-up! I will try to get it on video one day soon.
- Paul
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