messing around.....

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-23T13:02:00.001-08:00

There is so much that I am thankful for this year......

the new little one due soon
my hubby's dedication and provision for our family
my sweet kiddos and their desire to serve
a warm, safe place to live
a full pantry, freezer, and fridge
the ability to freely practice my faith
a supportive, loving extended family
and numerous other blessings that we have received throughout the year

May you all have a blessed and happy holiday this week!

Happy Birthday Jaden!!

2009-11-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

Blowing out the birthday candles.

Daddy and some of the boys checking out Jaden's cowboy stuff.

The kids loved the pinata...even though they were all sitting under it saying ow as the candy pelted them on the head. :)

Happy 4th Birthday little man. We love you!!

Halloween

2009-11-23T12:50:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I realize that this was like a month ago...blame the mommy brain. The kids had fun watching movies and handing out candy. It was a fun night to spend cozied up at home.

Happy Fall!

2009-10-22T18:56:00.001-07:00

And just so ya'll know, this is one of the few times the baby bump will be captured on film. :)

Apple Picking

2009-10-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Last week we made a trip to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day and we got tons of great fruit. The kids had a blast. And the best part was that Robert had the day off to come with us. Now to use up 37 lbs of apples and plums. Hmmm.....

Robert's 24th Birthday

2009-10-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!!

[the kids decorated the cake :)]

Last Days of Summer

2009-10-22T17:34:00.001-07:00

Zoo Trip

2009-10-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

This poor giraffe was trying so hard to reach the leaves. He kept coming up short.

Robert playing a tribal instrument.

The kids amazed by the Komodo dragon. That thing is creepy.

The Big Boy Bed

2009-10-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

Finally Jaden graduated to his big boy bed. He loves it!

Fall Soccer

2009-10-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

(She is the blond, yellow blur. I suck at action shots.)

Madison is playing soccer again this year. She has improved so much since last season. It is such a joy to watch her play. And she and Robert have really bonded while practicing and working on her skills.

New Baby Boy!!

2009-10-22T17:22:00.000-07:00

Little Timothy

Princess and the Pea

2009-10-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

She's the one up on her knees. So cute!
This summer Madison was in the play The Princess and the Pea through Missoula Children's Theatre. She was adorable as a dust bunny and their songs and dances were hilarious.

Jaden's Bike

2009-10-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Jaden got his first bike this year and picked up how to ride it really quick. Boys really do master physical things faster than girls. Wow!

A Visit With Grandma and Grandpa

2009-10-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

So, Gram and Grampa came to visit earlier this year and we hit the farmer's market, Madison's last night at awana, went to some gorge(i don't know it's name, but it was pretty), and climbed the highest sand dune. It was a really fun time spent with them.

In case you haven't heard......

2009-04-30T12:31:00.001-07:00

we're having a baby! After many, many months of heartache, false hopes, and doctors visits God has blessed our little family once again. We are so excited and can't wait until we get to meet our new little one. Now if only I could not be so darn tired. :)

Demolition Man

2009-04-03T12:38:00.001-07:00

Over the past two weeks Jaden has turned into a one-man demolition crew. After spending the first couple years of life being a sweet, gentle little guy he has turned down-right destructive and defiant.

In the past week he has dumped out an entire bottle of (brand new) shampoo and a half bottle of bath soap in the shower. There was an inch thick layer of soap all over the bathroom. Earlier that same day he decided to flood the kitchen. And when I say flood, think on the scale of Noah. Seriously. He has also dumped out several games leaving a trail to find him.

He has also fed Madison's school project to the dog....a project she worked on all week.

Yeah, if he keeps this up I am not sure he'll make it to four. :)

(And so everyone doesn't think that I am oblivious to the things going on in my house he waits until I am in the shower or he does it while Robert and I are sleeping in the am.)

Zoo Fun!

2009-04-03T12:27:00.001-07:00

A couple weekends ago we headed to the zoo in between storms. Despite the nasty weather the kids had a lot of fun. And they loved showing Daddy around the new exhibits that opened while he was gone. Maybe he'll be here when they get the hyenas. :)

The kids in a small hut used to keep food safe from animals in Africa.

The tigers....doing something other than sleeping.

The kids riding the komodo dragon. Those things are scary!

Time for an Update....

2009-03-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

In the past couple months Robert has come home (Yay! Only to now be on night shift for a couple weeks and throwing our whole routine out of whack. Oh well, that's military life.), basketball season has come and gone, we moved to a new (aka bigger, better, asbestos and mold free) home, started soccer and paintball, and about a zillion other things. It seems that as the weather gets warmer here our schedule gets busier and busier. Hopefully soon we can find some sort of balance rather than continue running around like chickens without their heads. Anyway, other than being crazy busy we are doing well. Enjoy the photos. :)

Awana Games

2009-03-10T12:57:00.001-07:00

A couple Saturdays ago Madison got to participate in the Awana games with her club. She had a great time and it was so much fun getting to watch her. Her team placed 4th and she received a ribbon for participating. (in the top picture she is the third kid in line)

Our New Home

2009-03-10T12:50:00.001-07:00

The old house....the one filled with mold, asbestos, and numerous other terrors like giant spiders.

So these two pictures are of the backyard. The batteries died on the camera and I have yet to charge them. But it is so nice to be in a house that has carpet in the bedrooms and an real laundry room. (Trust me, the laundry room is a big deal) We have all been enjoying the new house and it is so nice to in a home that doesn't require constant repair or contains a multitude of health hazards. God is so good!

They grow up way too fast....

2009-03-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

I wish they could stay small and cuddly forever....sigh.

Kutless!

2009-03-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

In mid-February Robert and I had the chance to go to a Kutless concert (there were also three other bands...Disciple, Stellar Kart, and Esterlyn.) We had VIP passes and were able to meet the bands. It was so much fun....especially for Robert since he got to meet his favorite band of all time. :)

Me and the hubby...enjoying some time without the munchkins. :)

Meeting the bands
The first five guys are the members of Kutless (starting at the left) and the next three are from Disciple. And if you want to know there names along with other random trivia ask Robert.

Robert's Home!!

2009-03-10T12:34:00.001-07:00

It is so nice to have Robert be home again. We got to spend three weeks just enjoying him at home before he headed back to work. Now we eagerly anticipate the end of his squadron's exercise season so that he can hopefully take some time off and we can spend time as a family.

Birthday Fun!

2009-01-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

We had Madison's birthday this past weekend. She had a wonderful tea party and had loads of fun playing with her friends.

Little Helpers

2009-01-16T12:56:00.000-08:00

The kids decided to shovel the small amount of remaining snow the other day. Notice that they are taking snow from the grass and putting it on the driveway? :) Also, ignore Madison's capri pants with the pulled up socks. She insisted that was what she was wearing that day.

A Boy and His Dog

2009-01-16T12:55:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday!!

2009-01-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

Our precious girl turns 6 today. She brings us constant amusement with her wonderful imagination. We get such joy watching her grow into a beautiful young lady who loves God.

(One of the many doll dresses she received.)

Happy Birthday dear girl. We love you!

(Reading the Princess and the Kiss)

Snow Day!

2009-01-06T10:03:00.001-08:00

The kids and I went outside to enjoy our winter wonderland today. Madison had a blast. Jaden wasn't so thrilled. Probably because the snow comes up to past his little boots. :)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

2009

2009 has been designated as:
International Year of Astronomy.
International Year of Natural Fibres.

International Year of Reconciliation.
The Year of the Ox (by the Chinese calendar)

Random photos

2008-12-28T18:11:00.000-08:00

Snow!

2008-12-28T18:06:00.003-08:00

I left Idaho hoping to avoid the worst of the snow and instead get dumped on here. By the time it was all done snowing we had over a foot here. Joy.

Christmas

2008-12-28T18:02:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos from our Christmas. I am probably going to get in trouble for some of these. :)

Success!!

2008-12-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

No more pull-ups!

Santa Comes to the Credit Union

2008-12-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

Every year at my mom's work they hold a Christmas party for the kids of employees. They get to enjoy dinner, crafts, a movie, and then Santa comes and gives each child a present. They also provide the ident-a-kid kits for all of them. It's a nice way to spend an evening and the kids had a blast.

Christmas Tree Hunting

2008-12-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

This was the first year that we all agreed on a tree within the first 10 minutes. It is usually an ordeal. Then we got to go enjoy some yummy cider in the little cider shack.

Making Christmas Candy

2008-12-28T17:50:00.001-08:00

A fun, messy project. The kids had fun giving these to our neighbors....and eating them too. :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

Jaden's Birthday Party

2008-11-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos of Jaden's birthday party this afternoon. Between all thefriends, food, cake, presents, and ball pit (yes, a ball pit like at Chuckie Cheese) he had so much fun. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Jaden's Thomas the Tank Engine cake.

Blowing out the candles. (Before we put the candle on the cake he broke it in half so as he blew on it it fell off the cake and started to fall off the table.....still on fire!)

Opening presents. It wasn't really time to, but he just started all on his own. It was cute.

Happy Birthday!!

2008-11-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Jaden with his birthday present. Yes, we actually bought him a drum set. :)

Our little man is 3 today. He was so little when he was born and now he is turning into a miniature of his Daddy. He brings so much entertainment and laughter into our lives. We thank God for blessing us with Jaden every day. We love you little man!

Halloween

2008-10-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

We don't do much for Halloween since it's not exactly something we want the kids to celebrate. But, we do let them dress up and hand out candy to all the kids that come by. (They are too scared to trick or treat anyway.) They have lots of fun though and they are really cute this year.

Madison dressed as a Laura Ingalls Wilder. She loves the Little House books.

Jaden as Daddy. He has always wanted to be like Robert, but since he left Jaden's admiration for all things Daddy has grown.

Soccer!

2008-10-31T15:57:00.000-07:00

Madison after she got her medal for soccer.

Off in her own world while on defense.

Going for it! (She finally worked up the courage to go after the ball)

My Little Soldier

2008-10-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

We bought Jaden his Halloween costume the other day. He so looks up to his daddy that he wanted to be just like him for the day. Thankfully our bx sells little abu's in the clothing and alterations part. What a little man!

Happy Birthday!!

2008-10-15T20:33:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday honey!! I love you and hope you have a wonderful day.

Btw, I really need some recent pics of you. This is from July. :) Oh, and his bday is really the 16, but since it was already the 16 where he is I wanted him to have something to read over there on his special day.

Zoo!

2008-10-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

The Boise Zoo just opened their new Africa exhibit this past weekend. My friend and I took the kids on opening day. It was so fun. They got to see the giraffe, lions (that tracked the kids that ran outside their pen. Made me really glad they were on the other side of the glass), monkeys, and numerous other animals. Oh, and let's not forget the squirrel. That's right, we drive for an hour and the animal they get most excited about is a squirrel that is running around during lunch.

Madison, Jaden, and Jaxson with a giraffe.

These were the lions that were tracking the kids. They were huge.

The red panda that had babies just a couple months ago. Since the pandas are nocturnal we have never had a chance to see them. It was pretty cool.

Madison and Jaden modeling the bat-eared fox ears.

Yard Construction

2008-10-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

We had a couple of holes in our yard from Darby digging. So, the other day I filled them in with dirt. Except that the only shovel we have is a little one for gardening. What's a mom to do? Get the kids to help with their trucks.

And now my yard is hole free. Yay!

Update on the Messings

2008-09-26T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, I realize that it has been a while since I posted. We've been busy. Really busy. Between soccer, dance, awana, church, weejoy, Bible study, and life in general we have been keeping very occupied. We have also been exhausting ourselves. Hopefully our schedule will be calming down soon. Otherwise I might go crazy trying to coordinate our schedule.

Madison is enjoying first grade and is constantly wanting to do more. She is getting to be a big help around the house. Jaden is a handful. Normally he is pretty mellow, but lately he is becoming more and more boy. They keep me entertained though. And they're pretty cute. :)

We all really miss Robert (and if you scroll down a ways there is post from him from the desert). The kids are starting to adjust to him being gone and time is going by pretty quick. I just can't wait until he steps off the plane in a few months.

Well, I think that's all for now. Hope everyone is doing well.

How in the world.....

2008-09-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

.....did she manage to get this many splinters?!

That's right, every single red spot is a splinter. The red patches are large groupings of splinters. Both arms (from wrist to armpit) and one hand. I am constantly amazed by my kids.

sorry the last photo is incredibly blurry. I was having camera issues.

Madison's Lost Tooth

2008-09-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Madison lost her one of her top teeth the other night. She looks pretty goofy. And the one next to the hole is loose. And one on the bottom front. It's already a challenge for her to bite anything so once she is missing all three meals should be entertaining.

Air Show

2008-09-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

We went to the air show a couple weeks ago. The kids loved it!

Madison standing outside one of the pieces of equipment that Robert works on. She thought it was cool to see what Daddy did. I have no idea what it's called. Robert, comment and tell me. :)

This is the kids in front of the F22 Raptor. This plane was awesome. We didn't get a chance to see it fly though. And the kids have their ears covered because it was incredibly loud.

This is the kids inside a really big plane. I think the guy said that it was a KC something or other. It was huge. We stayed very far away from the doors that overlooked the flightline.

Greetings and Salutations

2008-09-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone hows it going? All is going alright with me. It's been a little while since i posted so i thought i'd update everyone on just some of the events that have been doing on.

Well I took off for my deployment about 2-3 weeks ago. So far its been alright. We've been extremely busy though. It is very safe where i am at. Warm meals, warm beds and warm water and your pretty much set. Somedays the opstempo is very slow, so you have a lot of time to think about stuff. Other days its going by so fast and your doing so much the day just slips by. You really learn to cope with all the stress though. I cant really go too much into what i do everyday, or where i am at, but just know i am somewhere:) and its hot... I did get to meet up with 2 of my brothers for my oldest brother Tom's reenlistment. Thats Tom and I saluting Trenton after Toms Reenlistment. Pretty cool stuff man.

Current events have been interesting as always. McCain decided to stop his campaign to head back to DC to help with the economy. Somehow i think Mr McCain's prescence won't do anything for the economy and is just a trick to make the American people think he cares about the economy. In reality he will never be affected by it. In fact, isnt it interesting how everyone we could possibly vote for, whether they win or lose will still probably be a millionaire? So in essence they have nothing to lose. Obama scares me more then McCain to be honest. And i think he should scare a good majority of you Christians out there. You all know why.

Not to be random but could anyone else really go for a good peanut buster parfait right now? Random craving i know....just saying it sounds good.

When your in a "warzone" you really start to think about the costs of war and the casualties of it. Through enlightening discussion between me and someone i respect very much, not only for his intellect but for his biblical knowledge and humility, i've really started changing my views on this whole war thing. Do i think we are doing great things here? Yes. Do i think the iraqi people are happy we are here? For sure yes. I just dont really know if God approves of us being here. Now i will do my duty as an American in the military. I havent converted to full hippie, and i wont. But all im saying is i have a lot of thinking, prayer and bible studying to do before i come to a final answer.

Well everyone I do need to go. Keep praying for us over here we definitely need it. God bless you all and take care.

N X,

Robert

What did you say?

2008-08-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mommy: Madison, how do you say my name is in Spanish?

Madison: Me llamo Madison.

She did pretty well so we repeated it a few times to get the pronunciation right and then...

Jaden: Me llamo Jaden!!

Excuse me!? Did my two year old just speak Spanish? Granted, the pronunciation wasn't that great but yeah, he said it. And kept repeating it. Kids amaze me.

*Madison was having her first spanish lesson of the school year. We don't randomly speak spanish in our house. :) She was so excited to be in first grade. I hope her love of school continues.

Another random boring post from Robert

2008-08-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hey hows it going everyone? All is cruising along here. Just getting ready to go on vacation again here soon. The wife and kids are doing really well. We just got done having Daniel and Mom down here. We had an awesome time with both and it was so cool spending time with both.

The US is doing really well in the Olympics, which is awesome. How about that Micheal Phelps. Russia is supposidely leaving GA, which is awesome as well.

Church is going well. We have a new worship pastor type guy who is pretty good at singing and playing the guitar. and we have so many singers you might confuse us with earth wind and fire. But we sound pretty good. Well what would a post be without a little rant? just a little one. And its not that controversial:).

I can't wait until there is no more denominations to what we believe. For instance, at our church there is a gospel service, and a traditional service. As you can probably imagine the gospel service is pretty upbeat and cheery and loud. However the traditional service, even though they have drums which I play, aren't always upbeat. The preaching is the same essentially but there is still that disunity between the two. And I think that both services have saved people in them. I dont think when we get to heaven we will worship just with hymns or whatnot. I think we will worship with everything together. Whether it be hip hop to rock to hymns on a piano. There is no one correct way to worship God. King David danced in the streets scantily clad. I dont think we should do this exactly. But you get the point. Our enemy uses this disunity to his advantage. And for those of you who don't know. Thats bad. Just sayin....

Isn't worshipping cool? For those of you who dont know, Kutless is one of my favorite bands like ever known to man. They came out with a new cd recently. I believe the name of the cd is " To know that your alive". Anyways one of the songs is titled "promise you". This song really kind of sets the theme to life right now. Sadly, for some crazy reason, the moment i became a christian life has just gotten a little bit harder. And by a little bit, I mean a lot. Sometimes the reality hits you that you have no idea what the purpose is of what God has you going through and thats all you can rely on. What a comfort that is. Anyways, here is the verse.

I'm waiting for the sun to rise
And make the darkness go away
The time has come to say goodbye
And God will help me find a way

Anyways I guess this thing will stop as random as it started. Erin just put on Xmen 3 and after 10 hours at work and 2 hours at worship practice it looks a lot more fun then typing on the computer. Have a good day everyone. God bless. I will post a little more in a few days. Take care!

Splatfest!

2008-08-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my hubby and some members of his paintball team. They won a tournament that they played here on base.

*Jaden wasn't happy....he wanted mommy.

Swimming Lessons

2008-08-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Bowling

2008-08-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Ways to Make a Trip to the Mall Extra Fun

2008-08-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

First, run into traffic.....in Idaho, where apparently stand-still traffic is not something they are used to. (Coming from the Seattle area you always planned a little extra time into your drive to account for traffic and brought something to entertain you, snack on, etc.)

Second, watch all the Idahoans turn off cars and get out and walk around with no clue as to what to do.

Third, sit in said traffic for a long time while having to pee. Badly.

Fourth, leave kids playing on side of freeway with Grandma while you and your husband begin walking to the weigh station 1 1/2 miles ahead only to have to run back when you are in sight of it because the accident has been cleared and cars are starting to move.

Fifth, chat with a stranger who has brought his pet python to the mall. And then let your daughter hold the snake.

To finish up the fun trip to the mall eat dinner at Red Robin and be served by the best waitress I have ever had. Then head home to put the worn out kiddos to bed.

And that my friends is how you make an ordinary outing extraordinary. :)

*Really, I do take my kids safety very seriously. I promise. This trip was out of the norm.

Fun at the Hangar

2008-08-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our friend Kevin we had an unexpected treat last weekend. We were able to go out near the flight line and see some jets from the USAF and from the Indian Air Force. (that would be the country of India...not Native Americans for all those wondering. :)) The kids....and the adults, ok, maybe only me.....had so much fun looking at the jets and talking with the pilots.

On a side note, the Indian pilots were fascinated with our kids and our friends. They kept taking photo after photo. Pretty sure they had never seen hair as blond as Madison's. And they really enjoyed it when Robert talked to them in their language. Their smiles were enormous after they realized he had actually spoken to them in something other than English. (By the way, Rob learned some of their language while overseas last year from a tcn that he befriended.)

Robert and the kids posing under the Indian jet.

I was really amazed by the jets. And the look of disgust is due to the fact that the cockpit is TINY and to someone who is extremely claustrophobic I couldn't believe people willfully get into the seat.

Our friend Kevin, his oldest son, and our family. (You can see part of his wife's head by mine. She was pushing the stroller with the twins.)

All of the planes that were on display and a bunch of the Indian pilots.

A Busy, Busy Bee

2008-08-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Madison was in the play Rumpelstiltskin. She was a cute little bee that sang at Clara's honey farm. She was so cute. And she loved being onstage. And she wasn't the least bit nervous. Although, with her personality I don't think that was ever really something to worry about. :)

The busy little bee fully enjoying her time to shine.

By the way...if the photos are blurry that's because she wouldn't stop flitting about. And there were about 50 others trying to get photos too.

Pool Fun!

2008-07-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Laura and the kids came down to have dinner with us. After the kids decided that it was hot and they wanted to spend some time in the pool. Robert made sure that everyone enjoyed themselves. :)

Vacation in Cascade

2008-07-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago we were able to go to Cascade, Id for a family retreat. We had so much fun and it was so beautiful there.

Robert and I getting a short time with each other. See the little hand reaching over to interrupt?

Madison and Hannah waiting to board the train.

The Ashley Inn in Cascade.

One of the many beautiful hotel rooms. Ours was incredibly green and flowery.

Jaden and Alex enjoying the train (which Jaden kept calling Thomas) and their orange slices.

Please Pray....

2008-07-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

(And this pic is old. Justin is 2 now. I really need newer pics.)

My little nephew, Justin, had emergency surgery yesterday to take care of an abcess that formed due to MRSA (the nasty staph). He is at home now and doing pretty well considering the events of the last few days. Please keep him and his parents (my sis) in your prayers. Thanks!

Congratulations!!

2008-07-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

On Sunday little Adam Terrance entered the world. Congratulations Todd and Carrie!

What a beautiful little guy! (It had been "confirmed" that Adam was really Angela up until he was born. Big Surprise!)

My Little Man

2008-07-08T14:24:00.001-07:00

Last week Jaden had his first big boy haircut. He looks so much older than two. I miss my little baby!

Our New Babies!

2008-06-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Robert and I both have a soft spot for animals and on Saturday we added to our brood.

This is Sam. She is an 8 week old ball of fuzz. And boy is she full of energy.

This is Darby. She is an 11 week old black lab/boxer mix. She is such sweetie and really well behaved for being a puppy.

We should be set for pets now that we have a dog, two cats, and a gerbil. :) It's never dull that's for sure.

Happy Anniversary!!

2008-06-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

I love you Robert!!

Pool Day with Logan

2008-05-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

With the nicer weather finally here we have been spending tons of time outdoors. Mainly in the water since it's the only way to cool off here in Idaho. The other day the kids got to spend some time with our little neighbor Logan. They all really enjoyed the pool...even Logan. It was his first time in a pool and he did great considering that my kiddos were his poolmates. :) Pretty sure the only times they weren't splashing was when these pics were taken.

My Kiddos

2008-05-20T12:24:00.001-07:00

Best Friends....for now. :)

Harry the Hedgehog

2008-05-20T12:16:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday was my final cake class. It was so fun learning all the techniques.....and getting some mommy time. For our final project we made hedgehogs. And yes, I did name him....he was just too cute not to.

Every part of him was cake covered in fondant except his big, black nose, eyes, and paws.

He was tasty too!

Thought for the day....

2008-05-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Romans 1:16

Isn't it interesting that it is illegal to be a Christian in 51 different countries. However it is legal to be a muslim, buddhist or any other major practicing religion in all 245* countries. Yet Christians are the ones who are labled judgemental. Just a thought:)

*this number depends on your view of what a country is. check out this link for more info. Its interesting because all 51 countries that persecute Christians are all defined as "real" countries.

Rejoice!

2008-05-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

Every day the Lord gives us brings with it a reason to rejoice.

-Thelma Wells

Congratulations!!

2008-05-13T17:37:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to my hubby who won Volunteer of the Quarter for the wing. (That's the whole base) I am so proud of him and I love watching him coach all the kids. He is such a great coach and really enjoys getting a chance to make an impact on their lives. Way to go baby!

Cake and More Cake

2008-05-13T17:26:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Amy makes cakes as a home business and she has been teaching a class the last few weeks. I have been privileged to be able to go and I am having a blast. It has been so fun learning all the techniques and getting creative.

My first fondant rose....ever.

All of my different attempts at different frosting methods. Yeah, this was the cake from the first class. Not as pretty as I would like, but that's what practice is for.

This is my second cake. We learned how to cover the cake with fondant and do some "painting" with frosting. And we got to make more roses....my favorite part.

For our final project we are making cakes that will look like hedgehogs. I can't wait!

Dance, Baby, Dance

2008-05-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Madison had her dance recital a couple weekends ago. All the little dancers were so cute. And the cake afterwards was delicious too.

At home, before the recital.

Her first routine to "Baby, Take a Bow." She is the one on the end.

Her second routine was a tap routine (and I can't remember what the song was). That's her on the end again.

The cake that my friend Amy made for the recital....it was amazing!

Creative Little Man

2008-05-13T15:56:00.001-07:00

Jaden has been getting pretty creative in finding ways to get what he wants.

The other night we had soup and pineapple for dinner. Jaden loves pineapple and wanted to have more. We told him to finish his soup first. So, the creative little fellow took all the soup out of his bowl and put it on his plate. He then showed us his empty bowl and told us he was done expecting to get more pineapple. Yeah, cute trick, but the little guy didn't get his wishes.

Fun in the Sun!

2008-05-13T15:48:00.001-07:00

With the nicer weather we have started to water our lawn and the kids have been taking full advantage of the sprinkler. They love to run through it to cool down. I do not enjoy the extra laundry created :), but it's wonderful to see how much fun they have together.

Just when you thought....

2008-05-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought you've seen/heard of all the different types of worship, you see something like this. IT reminds me that there are so many types of ways to worship God. Incredible. http://youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA

It isnt always easy...

2008-04-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, just thought I'd put a little post up here. Everything has been alright with me. We are in the middle of exercise season here in my squadron so naturally I dont spend much time with the family. (which really isn't much fun for me at all, or my family) It isnt odd for me to go from working 12 hour day shifts, staying up for over 24 hours, then go to night shift (Thats what i am doing right now at 1:00AM) Church isn't possible either with said exercises. So needless to say, it gets rough sometimes.

To be honest sometimes going to church isn't much more helpful. Everyone is just perfect at church. Im sure some of you know these people. You know the ones whose hair is perfect, car is shiny, always smiling, never hurting. Im not perfect. I know I'm not a very good blogger. Im not the best worker at work. I fall short of being the Husband and Father I need to be a lot of the time. I sin more times in a week then I can count. Chances are I didnt have a great week. Chances are my week really wasnt good at all. I guess the biggest thing that gives me light is the fact I know that without Christ I would be nothing. I dont know where I would be without him. What a terrifying thought...

My favorite christian song of all time is "at the foot of the cross" by Tre Sheppard . ITs not the one from Tammy Trent. Anyways, one of the lyrics is "At the foot of the cross there is healing for this nation There is rest for those who wait And the love that we find is the hope of all creation We are stunned by what You gave" I just really cant wait to be away from this sinful world and being able to worship God for eternity.

Has anyone else realized that the more you learn about the Bible and God, you realize how little you knew in the first place? Sometimes I look back and think "What was I THINKING!?!?!?!?!?

This song below is called "Humble King" . I listen to it when its just been one of those days. It really is a great worship song. I hope it helps you as it helps me.

Oh kneel me down again Here at Your feet
Show me how much You love Humility
Oh spirit be the star
That leads me to
The humble heart of love
I see in You Cuz

You are the God of the broken
The friend of the weak
You wash the feet of the weary
Embrace the ones in need
And I want to be like you Jesus
To have this heart in me
You are the God of the humble You are the humble King

Oh kneel me down again
Here at Your feet
Show me how much You love Humility
Oh spirt be the star
That leads me to
The humble heart of love I see in You

You are the God of the broken
The friend of the weak
You wash the feet of the weary
Embrace the ones in need
And I want to be like You Jesus
To have this heart in me
You are the God of the humble
You are the humble King
You are the humble King

Open Arms

2008-04-24T13:07:00.001-07:00

Our Father stands with open arms and asks us to trust in His faithfulness....Truly He is steady, and He firmly grasps us as we reach out to Him.

-Cynthia Heald

What a comfort to know that no matter the circumstances God is there to be our support, our steadying hand. In times of stress and uncertainty we can continually trust in God and His faithfulness to us. He is there to care for us.

Girls Night Out

2008-04-17T21:30:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday I was able to go out to dinner with the ladies from my Bible study. We went out to say goodbye to our dear friend Katy, who was pcsing, and to finish up our study. We had a blast and it was so fun getting to be with these women who have become great friends over the past few months.

The ladies in our study...except for Olivia, the one taking the photo and Kathi, who was taking care of her little one, Maddi.

Me and Katy.

Paintball Mecca

2008-04-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

Part of our reason for going to Utah for the weekend was for Robert to compete in a paintball tournament with his team. But, before we could do that we had to head to the mecca of all things paintball....well, woodsball. (And please don't make me explain the difference in types of paintball.) So, off we headed to Special Ops.

The door of the store. I took the picture while we were driving away....I didn't remember to document our trip until we were leaving.

The Special Ops trailer.

Robert was in heaven. He has been dying to go there for years. And after his mom was able to visit it before he was he became even more determined to head down there. :) I will admit that it was a pretty cool store....even though I don't get all that into his little hobby.

Utah!

2008-04-17T21:10:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we headed down to Utah to visit family and play paintball. (Well, only Robert played paintball, but that's a different post.) It was so nice getting to visit with Tom and Laura. And the kids had so much fun playing with their cousins. Hopefully we will be able to see each other more often.

Aunt Laura with the kiddos--minus Tommy--at the Air Musuem at Hill AFB.

The kids loved the planes. But the dirt was way more fascinating. And the rocks. And grass.

The boys checking out the repairmen fixing the planes.

Madison and Jaden spending a little time together.

Night Hoops

2008-04-17T21:03:00.001-07:00

During the month of March Robert coached for a program called Night Hoops. The point of the program is to give teens an alternative to being out partying on weekend nights. Robert really enjoys coaching and it's a fun way for the family to spend an evening.

Daddy coaching his team. (If he doesn't look happy, it's because it was not a fun game.)

The team in action. (They are the ones in black.)

Madison enjoying the game. :) She spent the majority of the game drawing and hanging on Brad (the youth programs guy on base).

Madison's First Ride

2008-04-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

Madison has been begging for a bike for a while now. A couple of weeks ago we gave in and bought her one. She does pretty well on a flat surface, but still manages to tip it over....even with training wheels. :)

Preparing to ride.

Look at her go!!

Little Man with the Goats

2008-04-10T12:52:00.001-07:00

Over spring break we had the pleasure of seeing family that we had not seen in a while. They recently got two baby goats who are adorable. And little man had tons of fun feeding them.

*Unfortunately Madison couldn't be there, but she would have loved the little goats.

Rising Gas Prices

2008-04-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

Just so you all know, Gas prices may be outrageous, but coffee prices are a bit worse. Lets do a little math shall we? Calculators ready!

The average American coffee costs $2.45. The average size of said coffee is 9 ounces. Now divide 128 ( a gallon) by 9. You should roughly get 14.2 . Then times 14.2 by 2.45 and find out how much we pay per gallon for our Espresso. You should get $34.79. Pretty incredible.

Family update....

2008-02-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

Madison's first sleepover. Seven little girls, one little boy, and one parent. It was a long night.

Robert very nicely went out with his friends that night. :)

The only injury of the entire sleepover was when Madison got hit in the face with a chair. We're still not sure how that happened.

Jaden loves to play with Daddy's paintball gun.

The newest addition to our family.....Tinkerbell the gerbil.

This is what we woke up to Saturday morning. Silly putty....all over her hair. Thankfully the stylist was able to get it out without having to cut her hair. Never a dull day in our house. :)

OUCH!!

2008-02-14T12:46:00.000-08:00

Yet another reason why I should cook from scratch.....

I was making dinner for our potluck Bible study yesterday afternoon and cut my finger (on a can) bad enough to require a trip to the er. But, I did finish the dinner. :)

Lost!

2008-02-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Madison lost her first tooth last week.

Please ignore the messy hair. :) We really do brush it. She had been napping and when she woke up she decided it was time for the tooth to come out.

Lord show me humility

2008-02-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. It is great to be back. 5 months in Iraq was definitely interesting to say the least. The nights were long and the days were longer. At times I would kill to be home with my family, but other times I would be filled with an immense sense of pride for what I was doing there. While I was over there God really worked on me. He has really been teaching me about being transparant and He is slowly teaching me to be humble. When your living for yourself, and you finally realize exactly what you've become, and how sometimes your really not much different then how you were before you became a christian. Well when you finally realize that, it hurts. Bad.

I've reached a point in my walk where I just want to live a quiet simple life (with loud Christian Rock music of course:) ) and love people like Jesus would. I dont want to start fights or debates or anything anymore. Will I stop sticking up for the truth? No. But with all the debating ive done most of the time the goal of it was for me to win. It was/is a huge pride issue. I've learned in the past couple months that I really desire to be a lot less selfish. To think about others before me. I have such an incredible wife and amazing kids who deserve to have a father who is there for them and leads them. A father who loves them and husband who has time for his Wife. That is what they deserve and sadly enough Im not always that guy for them. Like I said it hurts. But God is changing me. He really is working on my heart, one small part at a time.

You know it really all seems so simple, to not be selfish, or prideful. But our human nature tells us we need to live this way and like I said, sometimes we dont realize how selfish we truly are being. Maybe I'm alone here. Could be.

One of the songs that helped me out a lot is a song called Promise of a Lifetime. I encourage you to look it up on youtube. Its by kutless by the way. It is incredible that when you are going through parts of your life God does those little (sometimes big) things to let you know he's there, and loves you and is there for you. Here are the lyrics to the song.

I have fallen to my knees
As I sing a lullaby of pain
I’m feeling broken in my melody
As I sing to help the tears go away
Then I remember the pledge you made to me

I know you’re always there
To hear my every prayer inside
I’m clinging to The promise of a lifetime
I hear the words you say
To never walk away from me and leave behind The promise of a lifetime

Will you help me fall apart
Pick me up, take me in your arms
Find my way back from the storm
And you show me how to grow through the change
I still remember the pledge you made to me

I know you’re always there
To hear my every prayer inside
I’m clinging to The promise of a lifetime
I hear the words you say
To never walk away from me and leave behind The promise of a lifetime

I am holding on to the hope I have inside
With you I will stay through every day
Putting my understanding aside I am comforted

------

Take it easy everyone and have a goodnight and i apologize for just throwing out all my issues like that... just was on my heart to post that for some reason...

In Christ,

-Robert

He's Home!!!

2008-01-23T14:14:00.000-08:00

The kids were really excited to see Daddy. Once Jaden actually realized he was real though he got a little shy. But now he won't leave him alone. Neither will Madison. We are so glad that Daddy is back. Yay!!

Roe v. Wade

2008-01-22T17:47:00.000-08:00

With today being the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade I thought we could all take some time to reflect on what this decision meant to our country and women everywhere. Check out these posts from Biblical Womanhood. Also check out a post from Engstrom Family Cerebrations.

Choosing life

Making a difference begins with me

My heart is breaking

Thirty Five Years of Slaughter

*picture courtesy paternityangel.com

My Big Accomplishment.....

2008-01-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

So I made my first loaf of bread this weekend and I was so excited with how it turned out I had to share.

*Ignore the dirty stove...we don't have a wire rack to cool baked goods on. The stove works well though.

Madison is 5!!

2008-01-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday!! You are such a beautiful little girl. And a wonderful blessing for Daddy and Mommy. We love you Madison!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2008-01-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

May 2008 be a year of God's blessing for you all.

New Car.....

2007-12-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

.....Finally!!

Our new car is a 2008 Ford Focus. Only it's silver, not blue.

*I would have pictures of our actual car, but the weather has not been cooperating. :)

2007-12-17T23:12:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, Robert again here. Just thought id say hi! Everything is going well here. We are all anxious to come home as you can probably imagine. I've been thinking, and just thought id spread a little love here.

What are you living your life for? think about it. Honestly. Have an answer? Ok. Now I want you to take a little trip down imaginary lane and ponder some things with me, if you will.

Lets say you wake up tommorow, and everything is gone. Your family, your car, your house is still there, but everything is empty. You run to the phone, phones not there. Everything you hold dear is gone. What would you do? Would your life fall apart? When the lights are off what do you still have? When noone is looking what do you have? What are you truely living you life for? Money? Power? Good job? Good family? HOT husband? Attractive wife? Well behaved kids? Playstation 3? Now all those things are gone what do u have?

The point im trying to get at is this. If you are living your life for anything else but for Jesus Christ, you are on the road to a lifetime of struggle and heartache. You dont believe me? Look at the world around you. Look at the illustrious "american dream". It doesn't matter what car you drive, how big your house is, or anything like that. what matters is your relationship with Jesus Christ, the one who did die for our sins. He is the only one who can bring you true freedom. So many people have holes inside of them they try to fill with things of this world. And all they get is instant gratification which eventually goes away and the hole resumes. It is like an addiction.

We as humans have such a need to fill that gap with anything. And as Americans, it is easy for us. we are the richest nation in the world. How dangerous this is for us. Jesus said this ," It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to get into heaven." Those are the saviours words right there. He was a lot better with words then i will ever be. I guess thats what happends when you are God's son.

On a note completely unrelated to this, Just thought id give a shout out to my wife. I love you very very much and am praying for you. You are an incredible woman and you mean everything to me. I cant wait to get home and be with you again.

To the rest of you all I love you all incredibly! Keep your heads up and have an AWESOMELY COOL FANTASMIC CHRISTMAS!! I will be thinking about you all.

In Christ-

Robert

ps sorry for the preachyness...nothing but love ...promise

And a week later....

2007-12-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

A week after our accident we had to evacuate my parents house due to flooding and trees falling about four feet from the house. To get out we had to walk down the train tracks that run behind my parents property. My mom met us at the next road over. It was not a fun day.

These pictures were taken right off the back steps of my parents house.

The aftermath....

2007-12-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Here are the photos of the car after the accident. Thank God we all walked away!

Even after all the rolling the doors still opened and the only window that broke was the very back one. The ones on the side popped off whole. God was definitely protecting us.

Greetings and Salutations!

2007-11-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

HELLO FAMILY FRIENDS AND ALL OF THE ABOVE! this is the one and only Robert coming to you from a special duty location! Everything is going well here! It seems like yesterday i was hanging out in budapest, now i am more then halfway done! WOOT WOOT!

I just thought i'd put a special post out there for my wife. She is doing an incredible job right now. What a blessing I have having her support me from back home as much as she does. She's doing an incredible job with the kids. Sometimes you never really realize how great someone is, and you take them forgranted when they are there, but when your seperated, you really realize how much you need each other. Marriage has taught me that so far. In the 2.5 years i've been married, i've learned so much about my wife that it brings a smile to my face everyday to realize how much we've grown together. And although times have been rough before, just like everyone else, knowing how special our relationship has become it makes it ALL worth it. Erin, I love you from the bottom of my heart, forever. You are my soul mate and definitely the coolest person i know :)

Everyone who is reading this, I want you to do something if you dont mind. It will only take a second. I want you to calm your heart and listen. Think about if you knew that you might not see your spouse again. think about what that would entail. Think about if they were 7'000 miles away, how much you'd long to see them after a while. You might be tough and make it the first 3 weeks, but then it hits you. You are all alone, and your soul mate is nowhere near you. Now, come back into perspective. You might be upset with your significant other, you might be mad, sad or bitter. Think about wha tyou would do for them if you felt that feeling of them being gone. Now go in the next room and tell them that you love them, and are glad they are there. T here are thousands about thousands of husbands and wives over here that would literally give there left arm to be with there spouses again. And some of them will never see them again. How could we take forgranted our relationships over petty things, when these soldiers could never see there spouse or kids again?

So what would my posts be like if it wasnt for rants?haha

Anyways Erin, I love you VERY much. And i miss you incredibly. thank you for being who you are. You are an amazing women and I am so blessed to call you mine.

With ALL my love,

Robert

To everyone else! make sure your not taking life forgranted, tons of people over here would love to be in your position, not getting shot at everyday. but there not. Love those around you. Love you all and God bless you

Happy Birthday!!

2007-11-09T11:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to our little man.

You have been such a blessing to our family and have brought us so much joy.

We love you!