My Three and Me

JaNuArY

2011-01-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

When I think of January, I think of a New Year . . . a new beginning . . . a fresh start! I desire for 2011 to be a fresh start in so many ways in my life. January is more than half gone and I NEED to stay focused! Today, I have been reflecting on so many different things . . . things like:

1. My life isn't always going to be like this . . . my kids are growing so quickly and life isn't slowing down. Things will change, I just have to TRUST! Sometimes, I get so busy with just the daily routine and think that things aren't ever going to change. Things like Rick's work schedule, finances, etc. I want to savor each day!

2. I need to set more goals . . . short term and long term. I have several "small" daily goals, but I need to reach farther. "The desire accomlished is sweet to the soul."

3. I want help and encourage (by my actions & my words) . . . put others first - which I think I do, but REALLY have a heart for others.

4. I crave deep & enriching relationships. I pray for them!

5. I desire God's guidance in EVERY thing I say and do.

I hope and pray that 2011 will be a fulfilling year for everyone. One full of God's blessings and guidance.

The Twelve Days of Christmas?

2010-12-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

The other day, Caleb and I were discussing, "What really are the 12 days of Christmas?" Maybe we should do the 12 days of Christmas.?.?.?. What would we do? Maybe I am losing my creativity! I couldn't think of ANY thing. So, I was thinking - maybe - do 12 different things between now and Christmas. What??? I REALLY don't know.

SO . . . I decided to just list 12 things I love about Christmas!

1. Getting a fresh cut tree.

2. Decorating the tree and house.

3. Watching the Christmas lights twinkle and the bulbs sparkle.

4. Shatterproof bulbs!

5. Wrapping presents with pretty bows, ribbons, decorations, etc.

6. Christmas music.

7. Watching Christmas movies with the kids with just the tree lights on.

8. Holiday baking!

9. Remembering . . . that Jesus IS the Reason for the Season!

10. Our annual Rehfeldt Family Christmas Party.

11. Traditions like caroling, sitting on Santa's lap, Gramma reading the Christmas story, opening just one gift on Christmas Eve, taking goodies to shut-ins, etc.

12. Being together with family!

So, how about you? What 12 things do you LOVE about Christmas?

ThAnKsGiViNg!

2010-11-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

It has been almost three months since I have blogged and now it's almost . . . THANKSGIVING! That's just awful! So many things have happened and I never took the chance to blog about it. I am regretful!!!

This post is about giving ThAnKs! As I sit and ponder over all that I am thankful for JUST this year - - - I feel speechless. Thanks doesn't quite seem enough!

I thank God for dear friends. I am so thankful to HIM for protecting and watching over my dear friend Jan. She has been through so much down through the years with her arthritis and then this summer being diagnosed with cancer. She has been so very sick because of her chemo . . . but it's all been worth it because of her great SCAN results showing NO active tumors. I am thankful!

I thank God for my family. This year, our family lost my Gramma - the REHFELDT matriarch. She was the BEST Gramma in the world. She was patient, kind, faithful, loving, caring, giving . . . just a WONDERFUL example of the Proverbs 31 woman. I am thankful!

This year, I didn't just lose a family member . . . I added a few more. I was finally able to meet my biological dad, his wife and daughter. This was a surreal experience for which . . . I am thankful!

I thank God for my church. The caring and loving people of Berean Baptist Church in Beloit have encouraged my heart and cared for me. I am thankful!

I thank God for our pastor and his leadership, faithfulness and guidance. I am thankful!

I thank God for my children. They are healthy, talented, bright, kind (well, most of the time!) and tender-hearted. I am thankful!

I thank God for all the little things like: finding used tires at the junk yard for our van, cash in an envelope to help pay for a trip to Michigan, a lady from church calling just to check up on Megan, finding $10 at the bottom of my purse at just the "RIGHT" time, a hug, compliments to my kids from "outsiders" . . . and so MANY more. I am thankful!

I thank God for the unmentionable BIG things too! I AM THANKFUL!

I thank God for the ability to homeschool our kids. This would also include our family being able to attend Hallstrom Homeschool Co-op . . . guitar lessons, ART class, Spanish class, Science class, and Choir. This has been such a GREAT experience for our ENTIRE family. I am thankful!

I thank God for my husband. He's a wonderful provider, caring, talented, giving, forgiving, faithful and loving! I am VERY thankful!

I want to wish everyone a THANKFUL Thanksgiving!

Ps 118:1 "O, give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good."
Ps 105:1 "O, give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name."
Ps 104:1 "Bless the Lord, O my soul. O, Lord my God thou art very great."
Ps 103:2 "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not His benefits."
Ps 98:1 "O, sing unto the Lord a new song; for He hath done marvellous things."

It's still summer! Well . . . at least for a few more days!

2010-08-31T13:39:00.001-07:00

Around our house, we all look forward to summer . . . and now it's almost time to say good-bye. But because we don't start school as early as some - we get to enjoy summer for a little while longer! We have so enjoyed relaxed schedules, swimming, going bowling, staying up late, riding bikes, playing outside, watching movies, Andy Griffith & I Love Lucy seasons, going to the farm, spending time with cousins at the farm, being with friends, enjoying the summer's fresh produce, sleeping in, beautiful flowers, and so much more. So for now . . . we won't say good-bye!

At the farm!

One of my beautiful sunflowers!

Caleb going for a horse ride!

COUSINS!

More COUSINS!

Caleb's magic performance in MICHIGAN!

At the WINNEBAGO COUNTY FAIR!

With COUSINS in MICHIGAN

Pool FUN at the REECE'S!

More of my SUNFLOWERS!

Some more reasons why I love summer!!

2010-07-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

BIRTHDAYS

4th of JULY

CLIMBING TREES WITH COUSINS

FREE BOWLING

TRAMPOLINE FUN!

MORE POOL FUN!

BEAUTIFUL SUNFLOWERS

PLAYING IN THE CREEK

A few reasons why I love SuMmEr!

2010-06-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

SuMmEr - gotta love it!

2010-06-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

I love WiNtEr and FaLL and SpRiNg . . . but right now I am loving SuMmEr. Maybe it's the relaxed schedule, garage sale-ing, no pressure from school obligations, working and playing outside, riding bikes, taking walks, fresh fruit, beautiful flowers, the smell of freshly mowed grass, sun-kissed cheeks . . . I don't quite know. But I sure am loving it!

CeLeBr8!

2010-05-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

On May 18th - Jacob will be 8 years old.

Jake,

I love you so much and hope you have a gr8 birthday!!!

2010-05-10T10:25:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful that God made me a mom!

Even from a young age it was my desire "just" to be a mom!

This is my first Mother's Day with Megan.

May 5, 1996

This was also one of my first times holding her.

I had to wait about one month to hold her.

She started out so tiny - we would have to hold her "kangaroo" style.
She weighed in at 2 pounds!

We tried for a long time to have Caleb and FINALLY

he came to us on July 4th, 1999.

He truly was our little firecracker!

He weighed in at 8 pounds and 9 ounces.

Jacob was a complete surprise for more than one reason!

The main reason being . . .

the doctor said that he was 98% sure we were having a girl.

So all along we planned on little Emily . . .

and were we surprised when a 10 pound baby Jacob was born!

Overwhelmed and Consumed!

2010-04-19T10:49:00.001-07:00

Wow! I still am trying "to get over" the overwhelming feelings of meeting my bio dad and family. I have missed out on so much that now I want all I can get. I know that probably seems crazy, but . . . that is just how I feel. Talking, laughing, noticing similarities in physical looks and character traits, learning, texting, calling, seeing old pictures, talk of future plans, and spending time together have all but consumed my thoughts and time. To see the interaction between my kids and their "new" family warms my heart. Some people have said, "Aren't you rushing into this?" and I think to myself . . . "No, there's no better time than the present . . . we have to make up for "lost" time". However, one may look at it doesn't really matter . . . because until you are the one going through this whole process - you'll never know how it feels. One thing I do KNOW for sure is that all things happen for a reason/purpose and I am thrilled that this has happened to me (us) at this time.

Have you ever wondered . ? . ? . ? .

2010-03-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered who you really are? Who you really look like? Why you act the way you act. Well, for a while now (42 years), I have been asking myself these questions. Yes, I knew that I was a ReHfElDt but I never knew my biological father. So for many years, this left me with unanswered questions. I have always been content with decisions that were made in my past, never really wanting to know anything about what really happened. I never had hurt feelings or held grudges - I had lived a happy life. But in recent months, I believe the Lord was preparing my heart. I have had so many more questions, desires to see who I look like, know family history, etc. Don't get me wrong, I am VERY thankful for the life I have lived, the ups and the downs, the people who influenced me - everything has happened for a purpose and I know that. BUT there's always been one little (well maybe not so little) piece missing to my puzzle. About 6 weeks ago, I received a phone call from my biological father - wow! What a surprise. Now I am finding out some of those answers to my questions. Since, we have been talking often and have been planning on meeting - pieces of my puzzle have been fitting in quite well. So this week, while we were in Chicago I got a long awaited call. Since my bio dad lives in Chicago he wanted to meet us at our hotel. I was so excited! I have waited for this for a LONG time. We did meet and had a great time catching up and getting to know one another. I look forward to what lies ahead!

ReSeMbLeNcEs

2010-03-08T17:53:00.000-08:00

Ever since Caleb was little - we thought he looked exactly like a REHFELDT and he does. Especially like Uncle Timmy and Justin. One day not so long ago, Darla Burris drove up next to us at the bank and yelled out -" he looks just like Timmy" - we have heard that numerous times in his 10 years of life. Recently we received this picture and couldn't believe the ReSeMbLeNcEs of the teen on the left and Caleb.

What do you think???

Mini Get-a-way

2010-03-06T20:24:00.001-08:00

Recently we found (on-line) a great deal that we didn't want to pass up - so on Rick's weekday off we took the kids on a mini get-a-way. . . . . to the Wilderness Resort.

The guys really enjoyed the waterrides. I hate tunnel tube rides (so I took pitures and read my magazines) and Megan wasn't feeling well - so she took a total of three tubes rides and floated down the lazy river.

Everyone got lots of exercise walking to all three parks and then the steps they all had to climb in order to ride those tube slides - PHEW! - they were all worn out.

Our suite was great! Too bad we didn't get to stay longer to enjoy it even more.

While the guys went swimmming on Thursday night -

Meg and I watched

Tammy and the Bachelor - I was named after these movies. :) View from our patio

JAKE

Caleb resting on the murphy bed

One of three indoor waterparks

Our suite at the Glacier Canyon

We stayed here Wed. night

Spa time!Heading off to the Dells

Leaving the Crowne Plaza

What's a girl to do before heading to the pool???

What a suite!

The boys room

The murphy bed

The Glacier Canyon

Have you heard of Where's Waldo?

The wave pool

The Hurricane

The Fantastic Voyage

WiNtEr'S LaSt HoOrAh!

2010-03-01T20:23:00.001-08:00

Everyone that knows me - knows I LOVE winter, cold, snow and everything else that goes along with it!!!

But about this time of the year, I can start to smell the fresh air of spring, dream of all the spring cleaning, planting gardens, warm, sunny walks & bike rides and so on. My attitude gradually changes and I AM READY for spring.

BUT winter is still here and so I'll post a few of the boys' last hoorah in the snow.

The boys worked on these forts 3 different times to get them built up - they were proud of their work.

Thanks to our 60 some year old neighbor and the warmer temps the forts are all but gone. Roger (our neighbor) had a snowball fight with Rick and the boys and after he defeated them he started demolishing the snow forts - kinda rubbing it in their face that he was the champion.

So watch out Roger - if we get one more snowfall - you are in for it.

You don't mess with my guys and their snow forts.

Finally!

2010-02-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

I really didn't realize that once I started a FB account - that I would hardly ever get to my blog. For one I really don't get alot of computer time - secondly, I just download pictures to FB and everyone can view them and I'm done. BUT recently, I found out that I have had an anonymous blog reader and am going to try my best to keep this blog updated especially for their sake. ; )

Shamefully we seem to be the least photographed in our family.

So here's our most recent picture!

My cousin,Beth and I at the Pampered Chef Spring Launch Conference in Chicago
I should have shut off my flash because my retarded camera does weird things when the flash is on. So pretend the pastel highlights are not there. :)

In Memory of Uncle David - Christmas 2007

2009-12-24T14:36:00.000-08:00

Santa is spending his 1st Christmas in Heaven!

With GRATEFUL Hearts!

2009-11-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

GIRLS time away in DOOR COUNTY - great fun!

PRIDE and COURAGE

COUSINS -Meg and Elizabeth!

Meg & Andrea - FRIENDS!

One of my favorite photos.

The kids with Rick on Father's Day

Caleb at Jeff's Open House

Grandpa (passed away Jan. '08) & Rick

Muggs (recovery from colon cancer) and Mom (who daily struggles with arthritis)

SANTA (who has stage 4 brain and lung cancer & is now hospitalized for pancreatitis)

& dear Gramma who is 92 years old

Special times with Cherish (dear friend and babysitter) studying Missions in Puerto Rico

Jake at one of our favorite places - Racine WI

Today, I had everyone sit down after breakfast and list 6 thing they were thankful for and why. This Thanksgiving, I am SO VERY thankful for so much!

Here's my list:

1. AMERICA - our freedom - soldiers

2. Our home - shelter, clothing, food in our cupboards, running vehicles, warmth, bikes, the smell of lit candles, and cozy blankets

3. My husband and his new job, his desire to serve others & talents in doing almost anything - Jacob and his love of riding bikes, playing with cars and ability to learn anything and everything - Caleb and his love for living a farmer's life, love to cook/bake, and his ability to do more & more things - Megan and her love to be with friends, her fight for independence and musical talents -parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins
4. Our church & church family
5. HEALTH!!!
6. Salvation, HEAVEN, my Bible, God's care, love & provisions!

O, give thanks unto the Lord for HE is good!

End of Summer!

2009-09-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

A few more last days of summer snapshots -

1. Draining the pool & getting it ready for winter storage!

2. One last trip to the Jelly Belly!

For me this is a bittersweet time - the freedom of summer, lots of time outside, trips to parks, bike rides, swimming, garage sales, cartoons, sleeping late (7:30AM), & staying up late. Now we look forward to schedules, schoolwork, lesson plans, trips to the apple orchards, raking leaves, harvesting our pumpkins, haybales & scarecrows decorating our porches, the smell of hot cider and crisp, cool breezes.

Thank you Lord for each and every new day and season.

Farewell Summer!

2009-09-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

I love summer because of the beauty it brings.

It's almost time to say farewell to summer

and hello to the beautiful season of fall.

Racine Beach

2009-09-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

We had an "End of Summer" trip to Racine. We love this beach and the kids have so much fun just relaxing and playing.

Door County

2009-08-27T17:07:00.001-07:00

Wow, we had a really great time away with the Rehfeldt ladies. On Sunday, Beth, Aunt Carol & I drove up to Sister Bay to meet my mom and aunts for a ladies retreat. We were able to rent the main floor of a house in Sister Bay. Mrs. Grant Rice (Charlene) has rented part of her home since 2000. She rents it those in christian ministry for a very minimal price. Beth and I were blessed to go with our moms and aunts - the moms & aunts paid for the rental of the home, brought snacks & food, treated Beth and I to gifts and meals - they spoiled us and I'm not sure why. ; ) But I am very thankful to have been with them. We shopped, laughed, played games, stamped & made cards, shopped some more, taste tested yummies from the Market, went to a play, watched a beautiful sunset, laughed some more, slept a little and had a simply wonderful time. I especially LOVED getting to spend LOTS of time with Beth. Thank you to all my aunts and my mom for GREAT time.

SUMMER '09

2009-07-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! I am posting a bunch a summer photo's. We have had an unusual but nice summer thus far. Megan has been down & out with a "mono-like" virus, Rick was gone for 5 weeks working in Alabama and I had a DC and a few complications afterwards. I am doing alot better and Megan is almost feeling herself again. PHEW!

A few weeks ago, we started using our free Dells coupon passes -

so last week , we had to use them up before they expired.

Rick had last week off - so we took several days to do a mini vacation and also enjoyed a few days at home. Besides going to the Dells - we were able to go to Madison - again thanks to priceline.com. This time, we stayed at Country Inn & Suites for $35 a night.

Riverview Waterworld - 70 degree weather - YIKES!

This was a cold day to go swimming, but we JUST HAD to use our free coupons.

Rick & Jacob rode the Adventure boats - another free coupon pass for these rides

This "Lodgey" McDonalds was really neat!

Free mini golf passes!

An old 1925 Model T pick-up in Baraboo

- the boys just LOVE these oldies!

We really like this family style restaurant

campfire chicken, bbq brisket, mashed potatoes,

veggies, homemade bread & torte cake - YUM!

We used our coupons at the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory the Gyrotron

Balancing on a tight rope

This was really kinda of cool

More swimming fun!

Craft Day

Father's DayWe got Rick a Ryobi ban saw and a electronic dart for his big day!

Jeffrey's graduation party

Caleb having a good time riding his cousin Coltin's mini-bike

YEAH! Rick & the boys got the pool set up!!!

Our $35 Priceline.com suite in Madison GrandStay Inn & Suites

We used our KNUCKLEHEAD coupons while in the Dells

A yummy hot dog stand in the Dells

A cool knight at the Dells

We used our free coupon books at the - Wisconsin Dells Duck Rides

Little Lamb's PaJAmA pArTy

2009-05-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last night, was the last night for Little Lamb's - so we celebrated SUMMER by having a Pajama Party. The kids could of cared less about watching videos - they would have been HAPPY just rolling around the floor with their glow sticks, blankets and pillows. We covered the windows, munched on popcorn and movie theater treats & drank sprite. The kids said they had fun - hopefully they did!

3 Day Weekend

2009-05-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

Rick was able to come home for Memorial Day weekend. Boy, were we busy! After we picked him up at the bus station, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings and then to Toys-R-Us. Then the honey-do list began - weed eat, mow, till the garden, plant the squash and pumpkins, get the Dells coupon books, carry bins to the basement, shot the hydrogen rocket off, played on the slip-N-slide (the 1st one was ripped-so we used it for a day and then returned for a different one), went to church, played at the park, went to the Dairy Fair, went for a walk, grilled out and just enjoyed having Dad home. Now Rick's gone for 3 weeks - it sure will be quiet around here.

Jacob's birthday slideshow

2009-05-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

I am sorry these slideshows are out of order - I had to delete something and because of time I don't want to figure out how to move them around.

2009-05-18T21:56:00.001-07:00

CYT - Christian Youth Theater

2009-05-18T21:34:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the last night for CYT until the fall session. I love to have the summer off - but I know that the kids will miss it. This was Caleb's first time taking a class - he took a puppetry class. He LOVED it! He thoroughly enjoyed his teacher Mrs. Natalie, too! Tonight they dis a puppet show - it was great! One highlight of his class was to watch the Kids Around the World do a presentation. This is a group that helps build playgrounds and they reach people for the Lord through their puppet shows. Megan took Advance Musical Theater - tonight they did a portion from Wiz and Phantom of the Opera. Since day one in CYT, Megan has become friends with Amanda (above) - Amanda's family is moving to Texas in a couple weeks : ( - their entire family will be missed. Nate was Mr. Darling in Peter Pan and two other brothers are in Caleb's class and have become friends. I am proud of them both!!! Thanks go to Grandpa & Grandma for paying for their classes this sessions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 7th Birthday, Jake!

2009-05-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today, my "baby" turned 7! Jacob wanted me to make a lemon tiered cake and use our china dishes. So that's what we did!!! For months now, all that he has asked for is $$$ - so money is what he got. Although, I wanted to buy gifts so he'd have something to open. The other day, the kids & I went to get a bite to eat and a lady we met(her husband looked like Roy Clark-you know from Hee Haw(?)-so Caleb wanted me to see if it was really Roy Clark - it wasn't) ANYWAY - she mentioned a money tree and a light went off. Since Rick is in Alabama, Caleb helped me cut down a branch from our lilac bush, cut the leaves off, rolled up money, wrapped them in ribbon and hung them from the tree. It turned out quite nice and Jake loved it! We were going to go to Pizza Ranch for a late lunch/early supper, but they closed at 2:00 and we weren't able to go so Jake chose Aunt Mary's. The boys LOVE their brick oven pizzas. After, Meg & Caleb's showcase/program tonight, we came home for cake with Grandpa & Grandma, & Grandma Muggs. Happy birthday, Jaker!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T13:08:00.001-07:00

MOTHER'S DAY 2009!

Last year, Rick and the kids planted this flowering pear tree - I told them that I would take their picture by the tree each Mother's Day so I could track the growth of the tree and the kids.

Planting day 'O8

One year later - I think they all have grown!!!

I got roses from Jake - aren't they beautiful!

Jake worked hard on this card - all by himself. Very creative!

Caleb had Rick drill holes (so it could drain) in this tea cup - so he could plant flowers for me to keep inside. This was a cup & saucer from my very special Aunt Virginia who passed away a few years ago. This was all his idea! Very sweet!

Lilacs - I love 'em! We have two bushes on the back side of our house - so Jake helped me pick some for us and for my mom. We were able to have my mom & Bruce over for lunch - they brought steaks and Rick grilled them. I made seasoned baked potatoes, green beans, Italian bread and heavenly lemon angel cake (a pampered chef recipe-that we just love).

Our neighbor, Barbara asked Meg what she did for me for Mother's Day - and Meg said "nothing" so Barbara sent her home with "homework" to do something for me - so Meg heeded her command (although Rick had already told her the same thing) and she created a really neat e-card me.

Rick helped me plant & transplant some flowers on Mother's Day - that was the only thing I asked for - was to get some flowers and strawberries planted. I still have more to do but the majority is done!

Rick left this morning for Alabama - he'll be gone for almost 2 weeks. He had been a little pre-occupied about this trip - trying to get several different things done before he had to leave (@4:30 this morning). He'll be working at a NASA building - helping them prepare to install a machine from Ingersol. Pray for him and for us! : ) He'll be gone for Jacob's birthday and Megan and Caleb's CYT last class showcase/performance.

Easter at the Farm!

2009-04-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

We spent the afternoon at my folks farm. My mom fixed a wonderful meal. My aunt Jan & uncle Darryl, aunt Juliet & uncle Gary, my step-brother Pat, his uncle Ed, my folks & us were there. It really was a beautiful day. The boys got to have an egg hunt. My camera battery wasn't charged up so - I wasn't able to get all the pictures I wanted, but Megan took some on her camera & hopefully she'll soon get them downloaded so I can include them. : )

The boys and I colored Easter eggs on Saturday - they always turn out so pretty!

2009-04-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

Where has the time gone?

2009-03-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that Megan is turning 13. It really does seem like yesterday, that I went into pre-term labor at 23 weeks. Thanks to several medications & complete bedrest in the hospital - my labor was pro-longed one week. Megan was born at 24 weeks on March 22, 1996 at 10:13 PM. She weighed in at 2lbs. & 1/2 oz. & was 13 3/4 inches long.

In one of the pictures in my slideshow- you can see my wedding ring around her arm. She went down to 1 lb & 8 oz - it took one month for her to get back to her birthweight. Thankfully, she steadily started gaining weight and after 11 1/2 weeks, she weighed in at 4lbs & 14oz and was finally able to come home June 11th.

Doug Swanson nicknamed her "MB" for Miracle Baby. We know that she was a miracle from God and trusted Him for her growth, strength & health. Still today, we trust Him to keep her pure, strong, & faithful to Him. We look forward to see what God has in store for her!

Meg, We love you and hope you have a very 13th Happy Birthday!

Turning 13!

2009-03-17T21:04:00.001-07:00

2009-03-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

The kids were all dressed in green and Aunt Juliet said that we should get St. Patrick's Day pictures - so that's what we did. I am "LUCKY" (thankful - you know what I mean) to have these guys!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T14:48:00.001-08:00

2009-02-12T14:40:00.001-08:00

Valentine Traditions 2

2009-02-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

Well normally, we make gingerbread houses at Christmas time BUT this year we didn't have enough time. So I surprised the boys with Valentine candies & clearance priced houses ($1.00 - my mom found them in Monroe at Swiss Colony). Usually, we use graham crackers & cream of tartar frosting - so this time it was fun using the REAL thing!

Later in the day, my mom called and asked if Meg made a house and Caleb replied, "Grandma, Megan doesn't get into stuff like that". And it's true! : ( When she was younger - she would but now she has NO interest at all. Sometimes, I "threaten" her that her kids better get the opportunity to do this fun stuff- and she says "Oh, mom, they will"!

So that is why there aren't any pictures of Megan! Although I do make her "help" or participate sometimes. Today, she practiced the piano while we created masterpieces.

Happy 200th Birthday, President Lincoln!

2009-02-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

We have been studying the Presidents this semester. So today, we skipped down the line to Abe Lincoln. What a great President he was. My boys have always had an interest in Lincoln. So in '07, when we went to Springfield, IL - we visited his REALLY NEAT museum. It was a very moving experience and a great history lesson for us all. I would encourage everyone to visit there sometime. Well anyway ~ the boys wanted to dress up for our lesson today, but then Caleb chickened out - which is unusual. He loves to dress old fahioned. We also signed up to watch a webcast about Lincoln through the History Channel and at the last minute it wouldn't allow us to view it. : (

2009-02-09T19:24:00.001-08:00

Valentine Traditions

2009-02-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is one of my most favorite holidays! Every year, we make Gramma Rehfeldt's sugar cookies (although Gramma calls them butter cookies). Gramma always made a triple recipe - so that's what I always make. Gramma likes her baked "well done" and no frosting and we like ours soft with frosting. This is just one our Valentine traditions.

Gramma's Recipe ~
2/3 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
4 tsp. milk
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Mix & chill for 1 hour ~ Bake @ 350 on an ungreased cookie sheet

My 41st!

2009-01-27T12:44:00.001-08:00

2009-01-24T08:38:00.001-08:00

Field Trip To Chicago

2009-01-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

After a hard week of "hitting the books" & "frying our brains" ~ we took a field trip to the Museum of Science & Industry. Thankfully the month of January is free admission & we even found free parking on a nearby street. What a big museum! Megan brought her friend Andrea and they were able to go on their most of the time - so they really had a good time without us hanging around. : ) We ended the day early enough to miss rush hour traffic - once through the Windy City, we stopped at an Oasis and the let the kids eat.

I am not sure why alot of the pictures are blury - maybe the camera, the museum lighting, or the photographer???

Special Dinner

2009-01-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Caleb really wanted to make a dinner for us. So with a little assistance from mom - he made "goulash", corn & I toasted buns with butter & garlic. He used Italian sausage, tomato sauce, Chili powder, brown sugar, basil, Italian dreesing seasoning pouch & a few other ingredients - Yum it was good!

Caleb & Jacob really love to help in the kitchen. Maybe one of them will be a chef someday.

When Jake caught wind of Caleb making diner - he so badly wanted to use Aunt Virginia's special china. Thankfully, we had recently unpacked them from a long stay in the basement. Jacob used a piece of fabric for the table runner -good idea, huh?!?!

I planned all of this while Megan was at a youth activity - goulash, helping in the kitchen & china are not her "cup of tea" - so I knew she wouldn't miss out on anything.

2009-01-12T07:32:00.001-08:00

Belated Christmas memories & pictures

2009-01-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

I know that I am REALLY late in getting these Christmas photos on the blog ~ but I couldn't just skip over them either. So please bear with me. We really had a nice Christmas and wanted to share some pictures with you all. We were able to bake and take goodies to a few shut-ins, watch Megan in a play called "Eyewitness News From Bethlehem", our Christmas Program at church, attend the church Christmas parties & activities, spend an evening with George & Jan, spend Christmas Eve with the Rehfeldt's, go to Grandpa & Grandma's for Christmas Day, game night at Aunt Juliet's, and enjoy extra time with Rick ~ he had of 12/24 - 1/5. Oh, we also had two bouts of the flu as well! Eeeks ~ what a way to spend some of the holidays. : )

I hope & pray that you all have a very happy & blessed New Year!

Winter is "SNOW" much fun!

2009-01-10T23:06:00.000-08:00

Finally! It has been so long since I have been able to post. Today, we took a break from busy-ness in the house and went outside to build "snow forts". Rick and Caleb worked on a fort for the boys to play in and Jake and I dug tunels for the rabbit to run in. Megan hesitated in coming outside, but finally did enjoy some wrestling in the snow. We love winter!

WINTER FUN!

2009-01-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

BUNNY TUNNELS MADE BY JAKE & MOM

DAISY ENJOYING HER TUNNELS

CALEB IN HIS TUNNEL

DAD HELPING MEGAN OUT OF SNOW BANK

JAKE HELPING "CHIP AWAY" AT THE TUNNEL

2009-01-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day Weekend

2008-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry, it has taken me so long to get this to post ~ I had a problem getting my photo's to download. Forgive the extra turkey picture - I'm not sure how delete the extra photo.

The boys and I started our vacation days by making our traditional turkeys. Since we were going to spend Thanksgiving at my folks - I didn't have much prep to do at our house. : ) This year, we brought Rick's step-mom along so she wouldn't be alone for the day. She ended up getting sick and went to the ER for the entire day. YUK!

Friday, we took the kids shopping and then to get our tree. Megan begged to stay home. PARTY POOPER!!! Although, we still made her go. We go to a small tree farm across from the Children's Farm. Cheap prices, friendly people, and a short drive. We found our tree rather quickly and we were on our way. Rick & the boys worked on outside lights and we all worked on the inside (well, except Meg).

It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas . ? . ? . ? .

2008-11-21T07:29:00.000-08:00

For quite some time now, my boys have been wanting to get out our Christmas decorations. I keep telling them, "No, we always do it after Thanksgiving. So let's wait." In recent days, I have been wanting & needing to go through my Christmas things and purge and re-organize. So yesterday, I told the boys that if they were good and did all of their schoolwork - we COULD get out our Christmas bins. In my mind, I thought this would be a perfect time to purge, sort & re-organize it all. So as I would go through each bin, they would haul them upstairs for me. After a while, I noticed they were taking a while to come back for the next bin - "Humph!", I thought they probably got sidetracked - watching a cartoon or something. No sooner did I think that - and I hear running feet on the floor above. "Mom, come see what we did!" they shouted. I went upstairs to see bin lids strewn everywhere, our Americana decor in a heap on the floor AND the shelves were decorated with Christmas and the stockings were hung with care. And yes, it was just Nov. 20th! I would like to wish you all special memories as you plan and prepare for the upcoming holidays!

Sunday Afternoon with the College Students

2008-10-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday (10/19) was our day to host the MBBC college students. We had nine students this time. We love having them over - especially the kids. Normally we play a game or two and then they nap or study. This time Aaron dedicated all of his time to jump on the trampoline, teach the boys to jump onto the swing and took all of them for a bike ride. Melissa (Aaron's girlfriend) - also spent alot of time with Meg. This is the 1st time I didn't get a picture of everyone around the table - Sorry! : (

Cottonwood Airport

2008-10-28T13:21:00.001-07:00

Game Time

2008-10-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Edward's Apple Orchard

2008-10-28T13:08:00.001-07:00

Time to catch up

2008-10-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

I am so far behind in blogging - so please bear with me. I had a difficult time getting my pictures downloaded to the blog - which is unusual. I have been SO over-whelmingly tired and haven't had energy or time to do anything extra. I will post several pictures/slideshows and explain them all to you at one time. So here goes!

COTTONWOOD AIRPORT
Rick & Caleb enjoyed some time at Cottonwood Ariport earlier this month. They have a young eagles program. Caleb got to help fly a small plane and ride in another. They flew over our house - that was really neat for Caleb. This is his new passion.

GAME TIME
My boys have wanted to play the real Monopoly - so here's a few pictures of them playing.

EDWARD'S APPLE ORCHARD
The boys and I really wanted to go to Edward's Apple Orchard, but Megan really didn't want to - so after talking Megan into going -we went. They all fed the goats, the boys tried out all of the tractors more than once, Megan & I worried about the Llama spitting at us, and we all enjoyed an apple critter (the smaller crispy pieces of dough they can't sell as donuts - YUM! They're the best), cider or slush. Meg really enjoyed relaxing in the sun reading the Maranantha Messenger - I guess that's what teens like to do when at the Orchard. : ) I'm glad she finally decided to come with us.

PAGE PARK
Everyone who has grown up around Page Park knows how beautiful the leaves are EVERY fall. It's almost tradition to get pictures in trees and leaves there at Page Park. Here are a few - the ones of the kids in the tree turned out really well - I think!

Fall Pictures at Page Park

2008-10-28T12:42:00.001-07:00

Rick's Birthday

2008-10-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Rick turned 41 on Sept. 27th. My folks kept our kids overnight on Fri. the 26th - so we could go see Fireproof. This was such a good movie with a great message. (by the way, it is a 5 buck movie starting tomorrow) I encourage everyone to go if you can. Rick had to work on his birthday - so when he & the kids got home he opened presents and then we went out to Jessica's to celebrate my Gramma's 91st birthday. We all enjoyed a slice of his cake when we got home that night.

Our First Week of School

2008-09-20T06:20:00.000-07:00

Phew! We did it! We completed our first week! I am teaching all 3 this year - unlike last year Megan (7th grade) did all of her schooling from a BJU hard drive. Although, for math this year she is using a Saxon Math CD - a teacher introduces/teaches each days lesson, Meg does the work & I check it all and am here if she needs help. She loves English. Caleb (3rd grade) hasn't complained once this week - : ). He really loves learning cursive writing- we tried cursive last year & he just couldn't get the "feel of it". As you can see, Megan complimented him - so he must have done well. He's also learning multiplication! Jacob (1st grade) is really good with numbers. Last year, he made it through 1/2 of the 1st grade Arithmetic book. So he's looking forward to finishing that up & getting into the 2nd grade book. He'll be polishing his reading skills, too. And me - you know where I'll be. : )

Jake made it through!

2008-09-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

Yeah, for Jacob! He did it! He started the day out with 3 missing teeth and now he has 7! He was really brave - unlike me. The whole process took less than 45 minutes. Now, Jake's trying to figure out how much money he will after tonight. : ) Thanks to all who prayed for him.

Labor Day '08

2008-09-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Never mind the date on the pictures - it was 9/1/08 when we went to Racine Wi. We love this place. There are so many fun things to do there, but #1 on our list is the beach. It was the hottest day of the summer - 90 degrees! It was a great way to "end" our summer. We also made a stop at our favorite bakery. They make the most delicious Kringles. Yum!

Racine

2008-09-06T19:29:00.001-07:00

Prayer . . . and the Lord's leading

2008-09-04T18:27:00.001-07:00

I truly am thankful for the Lord's leading in our lives. This past month, has been a month of many decisions. I am grateful for prayer and guidance in planning for a new school year (which curriculum to buy,etc.), direction in finding a new dentist for Jacob, wisdom in a job offer that I was given, and in so many other small areas of life.

Pray for Jacob! I have posted before that Jake has really bad teeth. A year and half ago - Jake had about $3000 worth of work done - 3 silver caps, a few root canals, fillings, etc. YIKES! Poor baby! We didn't have a good experience with the dentist at all. So we never returned. Well, recently Jacob has felt a cavity - so I knew I had to get him in somewhere else. Almost two weeks ago, we were finally able to get him into Dr. Johnson - a really good children's dentist. In my mind, I thought Jake will get his tooth fillled and that'll be all. NOT! He has to have 4 teeth extracted by a oral surgeon, have a root canal, another silver cap, spacers made for the teeth that will be extracted and 2 fillings on the front of 2 teeth. Eeeks! Poor Guy!!! After the extraction, he will have 7 holes in his mouth - because he has lost 3 teeth as well. Thankfully, this time we have insurance that covers a good amount of the cost. Oh, yeah - one of the teeth that will be pulled is one of his silver caps - that's money down the drain. Last year, I even asked if there was anyway we could pull a few of these teeth and the other dentist said, Oh, No they need to be there so the permanent teeth will have room. Someone needs to tell him about spacers.

***Remember, to pray Jake on Tuesday (9/9) at 9:00 AM - and that he will recover quickly.

JURY DUTY

2008-09-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well, my time has come! I reported to Jury Duty on Tuesday, Sept. 2nd. And of course, I was immediately selected for a civil trial that was expected to last the entire week. : ) My first thought was that I homeschool and where are the kids gonna be all week. My poor mom has not been feeling well (dear old arthritis) but I didn't know what else to do. I really appreciate my folks for keeping our kids. We had delayed our starting school 'til I knew if I was selected or not. The kids were glad to have me serve - they could be at Grandpa & Grandma's and postpone school until next week. : ) Yippeee for them!!! Thankfully, we finished a day early - so I'll have a "long" weekend before school starts. I met a lot of neat people and truly enjoyed my service as a juror.

Dawson's Baptism

2008-08-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Dawson Bruce Berg was baptized today at St. Mary's Church
in Oregon, IL. Dawson is David & Cari's 1st child.

Our new bunny

2008-08-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we got a new bunny. She is a 9 week old 1/2 New Zealand & 1/2 mini lop. We haven't decided on a name yet. Megan calls her Bunny & Jake & I call her Miss Daisy. We may need some recommendations for her new name.

Winnebago County Fair

2008-08-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon, we went to the Fair. We all rode some rides and got some delicious snacks. Jacob got cotton candy, Megan got a large corn dog and we all shared a funnel cake. It was a beautiful, sunny day - in the mid 80's. Jacob kept asking to go on all of the big rides. You can see him and Rick on the ball of fire in the 2nd set of seats. He's always been a "dare devil". A fun time was had by all.

Jake's new camera

2008-08-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Each week, the kids and I go garage sale-ing. Last Friday, Jacob found a polaroid digital camera, with a memory card, manual & new batteries for $10. He happened to have $5 with him and $ at home - so I said yes to his big purchase. This is a nice camera - we still need to learn how to use all of the settings. All weekend he took 100's of pictures - thankfully we don't have to get them all "developed". : ) Here are some pictures from a 6 year old.

Donuts!

2008-07-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

When we have visitors at our house - I try to make donuts for breakfast. The boys especially like to show people that we know how to make donuts. Wow! You just open a can of biscuits and use a circle cutter for the center. Viola - you have delicious donuts! Shhh! don't tell anyone our "secret" recipe. Because of Bible school last night - the kids' cousin Arista spent the night and we got to make donuts. YUM!

Toothless!

2008-07-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Jacob lost his 3rd tooth while we were on vacation. While everyone was riding the go-carts - Jake just sat & wiggled & wiggled & wiggled until it finally fell out. As soon as we got home another one came out. And another is wiggly! We have been looking forward to him losing his teeth. Yippeee!

2008-07-19T08:12:00.000-07:00

Caleb's 9th Birthday!

2008-07-16T14:20:00.001-07:00

Caleb turned 9!

2008-07-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

Caleb was a 4th of July baby. So that makes the 4th even more special. We have often said that he is our "little firecracker". And that really is true. Since this year we were on vacation during Caleb's birthday - we let him decide whether to be gone one more night or celebrate at home. He chose to stay gone. So we finished our trip close to home in Galena. The hotel has a nice waterslide, an arcade and so many other things to do there - if you have the time. Everyone really wanted to swim and enjoy that cool slide - so that's what we did. We made it to the fireworks, too! Although, we were tempted to stay and swim. Before our trip, Rick took Caleb to buy his first sword. He also recieved some old cars & a truck, a bouncy ball pogo stick type toy, Roy Roger CD & DVD, a wooden box that locks, an old record player, and some cash. Caleb is a simple kind of kid (BUT. . . picky) has tons of cute freckles, strawberry blonde hair, can be loving, funny, sensitive, has a tenderheart and a strong will. He would love to be 72 and hang out with Grandpa all of the time. We are thankful for him and can't wait to see how God uses his life.

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

1500 miles of fun!

2008-07-16T09:41:00.001-07:00

Vacation Journal

2008-07-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - went to the Dells and used free passes to Knuckleheads & Noah's Ark - slept in Tomah, WI
Day 2 - drove through Minn. and arrived in Sioux Falls, SD (we'll stay here for 4 nights) - visited Falls Park
Day 3 - drove to Sioux City, IA - visited Jan at her parents farm - went to Lewis & Clark Museum - went to sioux Falls Aquatic Center in the PM
Day 4 - rode the trolley - toured the town of Sioux Falls - ate an early dinner - went to Wild Waterpark West for all the slides & rides you can handle ('til 10:00 PM)
Day 5 - drove by heard of buffalo - went to "old general store" for souvenirs & buffalo jerky - went to Mitchell to tour the famous Corn Palace ( a really cool place - I went here as a kid w/ my grandparents - - it has gotten even better)
Day 6 - left Sioux Falls - went to Mason City, IA to visit Rick's Grandma - spent the night there - after dinner the boys swam & Megan & I went to do a little shopping
Day 7 - JULY 4th! - Caleb's birthday! - headed towards home - no definite plans - made it to Galena - stayed at Country Inn - swam for hours - loved the waterslide - played in the arcade - ordered pizza - watched fireworks from the highest street in Galena
Day 8 - came home - unpacked - went to G'pa & G'ma's to get Holly and had a cook out in honor of Caleb's birthday

PHEW! It sure is nice to be home again!

Lego's, Lego's and more Lego's

2008-07-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

On Thursday afternoon, the boys and I "drug" out our bin of Lego's. We haven't had them out for a good while. The boys worked on them for a few hours and had a good time. On Friday, we went to garage saleswith my mom, Aunt Juliet & Aunt Linda. Near the end of garage sales, we saw three bins of Lego's with a lot of accesories we don't have. After trying to negotiate a lower price with the lady - we bought a bin and Aunt Juliet bought a bin with tons of car parts for Caleb's birthday. So guess what the boys did all Friday afternoon - played Lego's. Thanks Aunt Juliet!!!

Lego Mania

2008-07-15T14:31:00.001-07:00

2008-06-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Our 13th Anniversary!

2008-06-27T19:23:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, my folks kept the kids so we could go on a date to Red Lobster (thanks to my secret sister's gift card) to celebrate our 13th Anniversary. Rick brought home 13 roses for me. They are the most beautiful roses I have seen. The have opened up so very big & beautiful. I'm thankful for 13 years of being together with the ONE God had planned for me!

If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen to Jake . . .

2008-06-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

As you can see by these photos - Jacob has many scars to show for in his short 6 years. I wish I had all of the pictures downloaded/scanned so you could see them all. But my scaner isn't hooked up. It all began at age 2, Jake was walking to the door at the library and fell and hit his head on the door jam and needed 9 stitches in his forehead. Just a few months later, he knocked his chin on the edge of the tub and should've had stitches. Next, to follow was Jake getting burned on the chest by dad's hot coffee - he was blistered up and sore for days. The picture of Jake by the tree, shows a scab from his falling from the top bunk in his sleep. That was a rude awakening! In '06, Jake flipped over his handle bars and got a HUGE knot where his 1st scar was. This April, him & Caleb were playing teeter-totter with G'pa's 2x6 board and Caleb got off and the board slapped Jake in the face and most recently (Tuesday), the kids were riding bikes across the street in the golf course parking lot when Jake hit a curb and flew off in to a bush. The picture shows how exhausted he was after this accident. He has about a 1/2 inch gouge next to his mouth, "road rash" on his arm & scrapes by his eyes. PHEW! What a time he has had! I truly am thankful for God's ultimate protection on his life. This last picture shows Jacob's 1st missing tooth, which has nothing to do with his scars - I just couldn't figure out how to delete it. : ) Although, the poor guy has been traumatized by all of the dental work he has had. Three silver caps, several filling, 2 "root canals" - his little teeth have no enamel and could use several thousands $$ of more work - but we're praying he begins to lose his teeth fast!

So whenever, Rick or anybody else takes Jacob somewhere I say,

" Remember, if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen to Jake" so please be careful!

Michigan Fun

2008-05-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally made it to Michigan. We like to go 1-2 times a year, but because of whatever reason - it has been 2 years. George & Jan had told us several months back that they would have Brad & Mari's kids during Memorial Day weekend - so we made plans to be with them that weekend. Our kids and their kids enjoy being together - so we couldn't turn down this opportunity. The kids could be together 24-7! Well, we arrived in Wixom around supper time on Friday and left before lunch on Monday. After supper, we toured their new school facilities. The Stille's church & school is right outside their back gate and across the small field -that saves a lot of gas $$$. They have a really nice home that accommodates Brad & Mari's family and Geo & Jan as well. On Saturday morning, we headed out to the Greenfield Village. It is part of the Henry Ford Museum. The Village is 90 acres. There were Model T's to ride, restored antique carousel to ride, civil war re-enactment, Thomas Edison factory to tour, Booker T Washington's house to tour, old plantation homes-one with a gal speaking on life as a slave girl, horse drawn rides, an old bus ride, steam train rides - SO many things to do. We didn't even get to do everything and we left about 6:30PM. We headed home for supper and baths and more playtime for the kids. Sunday we had S.S., morning service, ate lunch, the men & the kids played (mostly water balloons &swimming) outside all afternoon while Jan & I went to Archiver's. After church Sunday PM, we enjoy nachos and the fixin's and let the kids play past dark and then got to stay up late and watch Little House DVD's and the adults stayed up 'til at least 1:30 playing dominoes & reminiscing. Friendship were strengthened. We thank them for a great time, wonderful food & lots of laughs. Enjoy the pictures from our trip.

Friends . . Fellowship . . . Fun

2008-05-31T07:55:00.001-07:00

Our Little Get-a-Way

2008-05-27T19:27:00.001-07:00

4 Days Off

2008-05-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

For some time now, we have been planning a trip to Michigan for Memorial Day weekend. Our dear friends, George & Jan live there and they were going to have their grandkids for the weekend - so this would make a perfect visit for us and our kids. We left on Thursday afternoon and drove 2 1/2 hours to Portage IN. Megan had found a nice Country Inn & Suites online with a good price - so we booked it. We had told Jacob we could go to hotel for his birthday or have a party and he choose a hotel. So this would work out just in time for our trip to MI. When we arrived at the hotel, they had a lot of vacancies so they upgraded our room to a suite with 2 twin beds (tempur pedic) It was nice! Everyone got to swim, we enjoyed carry out, watched a little late night TV, played air hockey and then on our way out of town we visitied the Indiana Sand Dunes - that was a lot fun too. It's always nice to get-a-way!

Some New Arrivals

2008-05-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

A while back, on our way to Grandpa & Grandma's farm - I told Megan to see if she could get some good snapshots of the newest farm animals. If they turn out nice, I will put them on my blog. So here they are . . .

Down on Grandpa's farm

2008-05-27T18:59:00.001-07:00

Jacob's 6th Birthday!

2008-05-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can hardly believe that my baby is SIX! Jake's birthday was on a Sunday this year. So after church, we took him to the Pizza Ranch in Roscoe and then home for cake and presents. Grandma Berg and Grandma Muggs joined us. Because of the time of year - Jacob always seems to get presents that are for outside enjoyment - a hot wheels skateboard, a helmet, water balloons, a bouncy ball that you sit on, and a few other gifts besides. We truly enjoy Jacob and his sweetness, his laughter, his tender heart, his love to learn, his smile, his ability to do almost anything Caleb can and more. We love you, Jake!

Jake turns 6!

2008-05-27T14:30:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-27T09:36:00.001-07:00

All I want for Mother's Day is . . .

2008-05-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

. . . a " little " landscaping to be done in our front yard. SO, Rick began "pulling" out some very old bushes, laying bricks, planting some "up-to-date" bushes and perennials & spreading mulch. I planted a small flower bed around the mailbox and at the corner of our yard, Rick put up 2 picket fence panels & I planted flowers there as well. The kids helped him plant a small flowering pear tree and on Mother's Day the boys served me breakfast in bed. YUM! After church, we went out to eat with my folks, Pat, David, Cari & little Dawson. In the evening, we stoppped by Rick's sister Erica's to visit with Rick's mom, brother Derek & sister-in-law Diana and their boys. We ended the evening with Pizza Hut pasta and Extreme Home Makeover. It was a busy day! Thanks Honey and kids, I will enjoy my newly landscaped yard for many Mother's Days to come.

P.S. Wow, I am so behind in my blogging - please bear with me as I try to update you all on our BUSY month of May.

What is CYT?

2008-05-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Christian Youth Theater is an organization that offers drama/acting and singing classes to children from 6-18 years old. Megan has taken classes through CYT for 3 sessions now and loves it. They put on "top-notch" plays every Fall, Winter & Spring. Megan tried out for the Winter play "Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" and made it - it was a lot of fun and a great experience. This Fall, she will try out for "Annie". At the end of each session of classes each class puts on a showcase of what they have learned. Megan took a vocal class. Last Monday (5/19), Grandma Berg, our 2 neighbor girls and our family went to see the entire showcase of all the classes. Wow, what talent these kids and the teachers have. Good job, Megan!!!

It's the little things that count

2008-04-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

It truly is the "little things" in life that count the most! Many times, I seem to get busy with the day to day things that I sometimes forget to remember the "little things". I wanted to share just a few of the "little things" in my life that make me happy (see the slideshow). I do want to give much credit to my husband for his hard work in adding on the dining room - so we can host the college students & others, for totally renovating our attic into 3 bedrooms for the kids (they have shared 1 bedroom for 3 1/2 years and now for "helping" the boys build a tree fort. I thank him for providing many of the "little things" in our lives.

Little Things

2008-04-21T08:53:00.001-07:00

Madison WI

2008-04-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

Easter Weekend

2008-04-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

It seems like I am going backwards (in time) in this blog, but I'll get this figured out soon. : ) We took the kids to Madison for 3 nights during Easter weekend. We all needed a little break away. We got a really good deal on priceline for the Radisson. While in Madison, we took the kids to the Shoe Box in Black Earth (to get Heeley's for Meg's birthday), went to the UltraZone - a laser game place, shopped at the Family Christian Sotres (to get Caleb a new Bible for Easter ), used our gift certificate to Red Lobster, ate Quaker State (a really neat place - esp. for boys), Rick & Caleb went to a gun show, took Meg to Michael's Custard for her birthday treat, and of course, we couldn't forget swimming - the kids love to swim.

Megan turns 12!

2008-04-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

Megan turns 12! Megan celebrated her 12th birthday on March 22. It still seems like yesterday that she was born prematurely - weighing in at 2lbs. A little peanut - a miracle baby - that's what many called her during her first days, weeks & months. The Lord sure had taken care of her. Now she is tall, beautiful, blue-eyed, blonde, healthy, smart and sweet girl (I mean TWEEN). She loves going to youth group, taking drama & singing classes through CYT, spending lots of time on the computer and being with friends. Have fun being 12! We love ya, Meg!

Well here we go . . .

2008-04-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

For quite some time now, people have asked me, "do you blog" or "why don't you blog?" I don't know, I guess I really don't have much time and alot of times I don't have much to say. Although, I do enjoy reading other people's blogs and "catching up" on friends and family members. So with much urging (especially from Megan), I will give this a try.

Megan turns 12!

2008-04-02T10:25:00.001-07:00