Our Daly Grind

One Example

2012-01-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

I know there are many examples of how not to waste your life. This is just one that left me speechless.

This is a quote from her book...

"This is what my loving Father taught me every day of the last year, this beauty in the process. That while a healed and whole family is a marvelous thing to behold, the process that got us there is where He was most glorified and where He drew us to Himself. That a wound all healed and covered with smooth new skin is not nearly as wonderful as the relationship that was built while I bandaged that wound everyday for 8 months and cried tears and laughed stories of my Savior. That dreams die and plans change and seasons end, but He is not done yet. He sees the seeds that come with all the endings and He is faithful to turn them into harvest, into beauty."

I think she has wisdom beyond her years.

Be a blessing,
Jen

Inspired by Loss...

2012-01-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I lost a friend.

Not to death. Just lost the friendship. Have you ever lost a friend? This has never happened to me before.

I am the peacekeeper.

I don't like strife.

I am the cold water on a hot situation.

The mediator.

Switzerland.

So how does a peacekeeper lose a friend?

It gives me pause to think about what I need in a friend. We all want our friends to be a certain way but what do we need them to be?

Do they have to be a believer? Do they have to be walking and growing in their faith? If they are not either of these, will they draw me away from my faith and prevent my own personal growth and walk with the LORD?

I am forever grateful to one man who inspired me to memorize the whole of Romans 12. I can still recite most of it though not in complete order. But one verse really struck me and still resonates with me today...

Romans 12:18 "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."

Paul doesn't leave much wiggle room. He leaves the ball in your court. It's your job (my job in this case) to be at peace with all men.

So how can you be at peace with all men when you have been shut out of all form of communication?

My answer relies on what Paul says..."if possible". There it is. The answer to my struggle.

At this point, I must give it over to God.

Last night I was lying in bed awake knowing I needed to meditate on the word of God before heading off into what could have been a sleepless night.....if I didn't let go.

I landed on James 3:17-18 "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

Wow! What a humbling passage to land on because in this situation I really wanted to lash back and say "this is not my fault!" But the word of God says differently. Very differently.

I once did a study entitled Conversation Peace by Mary Kassian. It was phenomenal. It was basically about how to communicate in a loving, Christ-like, God-glorifying manner in order avoid situations such as the loss of a friendship...relationship...marriage.

It was life impacting.

It was convicting.

I highly recommend it!

Have you ever thought that what you don't like in some people tend to be the very things you struggle with?

When I see someone behaving a certain way or speaking a certain way, I often ask myself if I have ever done the exact same thing. And very often the answer is a resounding "YES"! And even more often I am generally a frequent violator of said action.

Whew!

The reality of seeing yourself in the mirror of someone else and not liking what you see can spring yourself to serious action.

On New Year's Day, our Pastor gave an extremely heartfelt sermon. You could see the grief on his face as he was sharing his soul. He wanted us to know the importance of reading the bible daily. It was the perfect sermon to give on the most perfect day of the year. A day when most people either resolve to do something different in the new year or set a goal in order to do something different....something to improve your life in some way. You would be blessed to listen to his sermon.

It was life impacting.

It was convicting.

I highly recommend it!

Have you ever thought through what your real purpose on this earth might be? Is it just to live righteously and therefore prosper? Is it just to pray daily so that you can get what you want in life? Or is it to struggle to live your faith so boldly that the world around you will be impacted?

Our last small group study was on John Piper's book called "Don't Waste Your Life". You can download a copy for free onto your computer, ipad or iphone. If you know me, I am generally skeptical of Christian books other than the bible; especially ones with big words that make me feel not so smart. However, after pushing through the first few chapters of this book, I came upon the greatest journey of learning. What an eye opening book. I have lived the first 37 years of my life by wasting it on so many occasions. This book gets the double wow-factor to inspiring growth.

It was life impacting.

It was convicting.

I highly recommend it!

So back to the original theme of the post.

Losing a friendship.

After such life-impacting material perhaps I have changed? For the better?

Maybe.

I hope so.

But not perfect by any means.

Now to unleash previously mentioned pause of what I need in a friend....If I can determine what I need in a friend perhaps I can open the doors to what kind of friend I need to be.

• I need a friend who is kind. Plain and simple.
• I need a friend who will be honest in a loving way and Matthew 18 me when I walk astray.
• I need a friend who will give me the benefit of the doubt.
• I need a friend who will intentionally pray for me.
• I need a friend who will love me just as I am.
• I need a friend who genuinely cares.
• I need a friend who seeks peace daily.
• I need a friend who can have great Conversation Peace with me.
• I need a friend who will vow with me to not waste our lives.
• I need a friend who loves God first above all else.
• I need a friend who can grant grace when I mess up.

I need to be this kind of friend to everyone. And this is a pretty big list to maintain over the lifetime of a friendship...that's why I have the last one where it is. I will need grace granted to me often. I am a sinner saved by grace. That's who I am.

In closing, this past December my husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. He is such a good friend to me. He is exactly the friend that I need. I am so blessed to be married to a man like him.

That's the end of bearing my soul about friendships.

Praying you have a friend in your life like this!

Be a blessing,

Jen

These are a Few of My Favorite Things, Part I

2012-01-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

A little shout out to my all time favorite musical..... The Sound of Music .....in case you weren't immediately jolted up right and shouting "when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad. I simply remember by favorite things and then I don't feeeeel soooooooo baaaaad!"

Yes, I was singing as I was writing. It's a gift really.

Anyway, I have had this on-going list of "my favorite things" on my desk that I have been meaning to post for several weeks now; Truthfully probably more than a month. But the upside to procrastination is that I have been able to add to the list as more things pop in my head.

I always find that I am way behind on a lot of the coolest and hippest and hottest "things" and always wonder why people don't share their cool finds. I am up for sharing so here it goes....

Well not actually. I should get out in the open that these are a few of my favorite "things" not "people". So I'll go ahead and quickly post some of my favorite "people" and then get on with the "things".

A few of my favorite people....

Now on with the "things". (Sorry for all the quotation marks but they are kind of fun.).....

Life is Art Creations is one of my new favorite finds. The best way to describe them is to show you an example of what they do.

We ordered one for each of our boys with their own special verse as well as a 10th Anniversary Canvas for our company. Some of which are featured on their website. You can read more about their story here. They were wonderful to work with and very affordable. They often run specials which you can know more about my liking them on their Facebook page.

We started using the Jesse Tree Advent Book this past December. It was a great way to keep the focus of Christmas on Jesus and not "things" under a Christmas tree. I believe you have to subscribe to Ann Voskamp's blog in order to gain access to the book but her blog is completely worth it!

The Cradle to the Cross wreath was a center piece on our table this past December and remains their still. It was a constant visual reminder of the coming birth of Jesus and can also be used for the time leading up to His death on the cross as well as His ascension. Ann Voskamp's children make these wreaths and when I purchased mine, 100% of the profits went to Compassion which is another one of my favorite things. I am not sure if this is still the case.

A friend forwarded me her friends blog, Table tops truths, where they make special placemats that are designed to be used as a springboard to biblical knowledge, spiritual growth and great family conversations.

Moment of truth, I have not gotten around to ordering any yet so I cannot attest to their durability but I love the concept and will be ordering some.

One day I ran across Made On Skin Care Products as I was looking for a way to help my #2 son with his eczema that flares up during the winter months. I purchased her ebook and went to work on making my own hard lotion bars. These dry winters are so harsh and these bars are so great. Genius really! It has helped my son so much this winter. We use them for hands and feet as well.

Just three great ingredients; Beeswax, shea butter and coconut oil. There is also a whipped lotion that you can make from her ebook that we also love and is made from shea butter and coconut oil. It is a real blessing that she publishes these ebooks with her recipes so that we can make them at home. Some of you may have been fortunate enough to receive one for Christmas from me....smile!

Although, you can order all of her products directly from her website if you do not have the time or desire to make them. This "find" gets a special award for having the simple factor!! I love being able to read and pronounce all ingredients!

And while this is not the last of "My Favorite Things" (hence the Part I), I will leave you today with a favorite quote from Ann Voskamp from her blog...

Contentment isn’t a state of organization, a weight on the scale, a state of better: better kids, better marriage, better health, better house. Contentment is never a matter of circumstances; contentment is always a state of communion — a daily embracing of God. A thankfulness for all the gifts – and moments and life, just as He gives it. Trying harder may only bring harder trials and contentment, it won’t be be found in the resolutions, but in the revolutions – in the turning round to God.

While I am preparing my Part II (and maybe Part III if I'm being honest), What are some of your favorite things? Please share! Don't hold back!

The Winning Christmas Card Design

2012-01-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with Picnik or Piknic or however you spell it! Of course, when you have this picture to work with it makes the designing so much more fun. I love this picture of my boys. They are all smiling and not one of them is picking their nose, making rabbit ears above another brothers head or just in general being silly. This is how I see them in my mind. This picture captures them individually and as brothers. I am bragging just a bit but I am blessed that these are my children.

A little late on the Merry Christmas and the Happy New Year sentiments. Praying you had the joy of Christ's love in your hearts all Christmas and the desire to be braver and bolder in 2012!

God Bless,

Jen

Picnik is indeed a picnic!

2011-11-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

I have had the best time today exploring the greatness that is Picnik! First, I love it because it is free to use. Second, I love it because it allows me to use my creative juices! So fun. I was playing around with the idea of making our own Christmas card....yikes! We'll see. I am definitely an amateur but I have had the best time....Did I say that already?

Okay here was my very first attempt...

And this was my second attempt with a different photo...

Okay, I get that they are not the best ever but to have a creative outlet with just a few minutes of clicking is pretty satisfying.

Anyway, I hope your Advent fills your home with the love of Jesus Christ!

~Jen

Boredom Breeds Creativity

2011-11-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging! As always it's a bit crazy around here. I thought I could quickly post a stop motion film the boys have been working on this morning.

I give you LEGO WARS!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Jen

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2011-09-30T17:51:00.000-06:00

I truly do not believe in "fortune". I believe all things are God made and everything that happens is according to His will. So you can see the title is just a fun play on the Lemony Snicket series of books.

We have, however, had a trifecta (is that a word?) of not so pleasant events in our house these last few weeks.

First, there was the black eye....

You must believe this truly was an accident as O did mean for his adult size medium head to land on G's face while rough housing on Mom and Dad's bed.....truly....it was an accident....wink wink!

Then there was the emergency appendectomy.....

Ben woke at 5:30 in the morning 2 Saturdays ago very sick. We assumed he had caught the bug that his brother and sister in law had the day prior. But it was not something to be blamed on them but rather an offending organ which was causing much pain for Ben.

It was amazing how quickly he was in surgery once he was diagnosed with appendicitis. This is him 3 hours after surgery ready to go home....can you believe??

This is the previously referred to "offending organ" which caused all the fuss. Such a tiny little thing for all the pain it caused. What does an appendix do anyway? The doctor wasn't even certain due to conflicting information in the medical field.

Then there was Maggie......and the rebar.....

This was truly sad. Ben had thrown the ball to Maggie and when she returned very slowly and cautiously without the ball we knew something was up. She had essentially scalped herself on a piece of rebar that holds a sprinkler head in our yard. If you don't know, before Ben's parents left for England they had to mourn the loss of (Ben's brother's dog Henna who stayed with his parents). I was so stressed we would lose their dog before they returned. They return in 4 days...so I am nearly off watch and would love to deliver a healthy happy dog before they return.

As for the mischievous little guy

whose name starts with an L and ends with an i

and looks a little something like this.....

Well he certainly isn't unfortunate as we love him dearly but he is always up to something.....

And as for O he is having fun with soccer as is G....

And this is G being super modest about scoring a goal....

And this is O practicing for a juggling competition....no not that kind of juggling....this kind....

As for me, I have been inspired by my friend Beth's 2011 booklist to try to read more and read less of books written by the usual suspects. So I am trying out a Susan Wittig book which is proving to be quite delightful.

Hope things are healthy in your world!

Be a blessing,

Jen

First few weeks...

2011-09-09T14:39:00.000-06:00

I can say we have had an excellent start to our homeschooling year! The boys have done great and it's even better to get back into a schedule.

Here is a taste of our first few weeks....

The Morning Board...They love this!

Gavin working on his math.

Rosetta Stone

Enjoying some 'gogurt' in his kitchen.

Homemade playdough...looks a bit like guacamole...orange next time!

The cousins.

Counting Bears...his favorite!

Sweet Maggie wishing she was at her quiet home:)

Gav holding Rosie the Tarantula at The Butterfly Pavilion.

Horseshoe crab?

Not sure what they are supposed to be? Cocoons?

Owl Butterfly

First field trip fun

First trip to the dentist and he did soooo great!

My favorite picture so far!

What's new in your world?

Jen

Sailing Adventure

2011-08-24T12:36:00.000-06:00

We had an amazing vacation in San Diego. We are now current on all of the sailing lingo. It really is like learning a foreign language when you learn to sail.

We stayed in the Kona Kai Marina on Shelter Island on a 30' yacht.

The outside of the Catalina

Nav table on the left and a sleeping berth. The ladder leads up and out

The tiny kitchen....did I mention tiny?

Dining room. Toilet behind the picture. Sleeping berth in the back!

We spent most of Monday and Tuesday just learning and feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything. By Wednesday, we were sailing solo. I questioned the judgement of our instructor at this point. But we did great and even made it back to the marina safe and sound.

Captain Ben

First Mate Jen lowering the sails

Marina

Downtown San Diego from the Bay

We have ski school for kids...they have sailing school for kids!

Sammy the Seal...he is so lazy!

By Thursday and Friday we really had it down...unbelievably. The weather was also in our favor in that it wasn't too windy. It made for some slow days but it allowed us more time to make decisions. On Friday just as we were heading from the Bay back towards the Marina the wind really picked up and made for some exciting sailing. Well heeling isn't exactly fun in the moment but overall a very exciting finish to the week.

So thankful for Facetime on the iPhone. Got to see my kids and their smiling faces everyday . They had a great week too thanks to Ben's parents and some local friends.

This week I am busy getting reading for home school to start next week. More to come soon on that subject!

Be a blessing to someone this week!

Jen

Finding the time....

2011-08-03T14:20:00.000-06:00

Today I found the time...

~to watch 3 extra boys
~to do a little homeschool work
~to do a little laundry
~to run some errands

and...

~to finally sit down at the computer and post something!

and all this before 1 p.m.

This is the kind of summer we have had. Super busy...not too stressful....just super busy.

In June:

I flew to Texas to go to my sister's high school graduation...wish I could say I was that young but she is a good 19 years younger than I am...It get's better...my brother is 29 years younger than I am and a year younger than my oldest son. Not following? It's okay. It's probably better that you don't...smile.

Then I went to the Denver homeschool conference which was so great. I listened to a lot of great speakers and enjoyed visiting nearly every vendor. I did find a really cool vendor if you have boys....JMCremps. Go see!

Then I had the privilege of planning VBS for our church. But not without a lot of help from a pretty great church! What a great week and loads of fun...would have only been slightly better had my allergies not been annoying me but overall a very successful week with over 100 kids and nearly 50 volunteers in all!

That "Certified Hunk" is my nephew...adorable, right?

Beth Queen of Crafts and Mel Queen of the Preschoolers.....lots of preschoolers!

In July:

We started with a trip to Denver to see my parents and swim in their pool. It was 4th of July weekend as well.

Then we had a garage sale..actually a cul-de-sac garage sale that I think was a very successful way to continue to purge, purge and purge again. This is a simplicity issue I plan to get to the bottom of...stuff!

Then we drove down to Gunnison to visit my college roommate and her family. A quick trip for sure but fun to see them and what a gorgeous area Blue Mesa Reservoir is...a "be sure to return" mental note!

Then we celebrated Ben's birthday then a day later another birthday...

I'll give you a hint..

His name starts with an L

and ends with an i

and he looks like this....

You've missed him haven't you?

Then we had fair and rodeo week where Owen competed in Junior Showmanship in poultry as well as a project for his shooting sports club. Needless to say he had a great week winning Junior Grand Champion in both competitions. More than we could have anticipated and an overall great week. We plan to do more chickens next year....

Then we celebrated my Father in law's birthday then my in-laws 40th wedding anniversary! Quite a few months of madness but filled with loads of joy!

Now we are in sort of a calm...

sort of!

Packing for vacation next week while trying to get the upcoming homeschool year organized.

I find myself actually looking forward to another homeschool year. So in spite of a very busy summer it was all the "something different" that I needed to get excited about another year.

Excited? Really?

I think at some point I told God "never" so he must be getting a good chuckle with the fact that I am "enjoying" it. I plan to post my new curriculum soon. I find it a good mix for my boys and for myself as well!

I hope to be better about blogging as life becomes more routine again.

I hope you are having a great summer!

All the best,

Jen

Tests....What Do They Really Mean?

2011-05-31T13:33:00.000-06:00

I received O's test results today from his CAT/5 test. Overall he did very well. There were the few areas which he clearly struggled in, but there were not any real surprises.

I must admit, I first found myself very excited that he had done so well.

Almost, PRIDEful.

I said, almost!

And then I thought, what if he hadn't done so well?

Would I still see this test as a real test of his abilities?

It's hard to say for sure, but I hope that we as a family will only ever view a standardized test as a guide more than an exact representation of his skills. A guide which says, "hey you need to be working on spelling and vocabulary next year." A guide which says, "hey, we are doing pretty good in Math so let's keep the pace."

But a test like these never test where a child's heart lies.

Is it with the LORD?

Or is it with the world?

It doesn't test a persons dedication, passion or perseverance.

It doesn't test how hard he worked this year nor does it test how much his dysgraphia affects his abilities overall. (So thankful to my friend who read the test aloud to O over 3 days...such a blessed friend!)

It's just a guide. And, without question, a very helpful one for a home schooling Mom!

What is your stance on standardized testing?

Jen

The One Where They Shaved Their Heads

2011-05-16T10:30:00.000-06:00

I forgot to take the before of O...so this is his bible bowl picture

G before

G getting shaved

O getting shaved

Their locks left abandoned in the bathtub!

Twins...almost

I must admit that I loved my boys long hair. They chose to do this at the beginning of summer for something different. Needless to say we have had some head burns from the great sunshine we've had these last fews days. I honestly have not seen them this bald since birth....hence the sunburn!

I will admit that their faces are much more expressive when you can see their eyes!

Enjoy this wonderful day!

Jen

The Rooster Dance

2011-05-09T14:11:00.000-06:00

Thursday of last week was supposed to be a busy day of getting the chicks (or roosters) over to our friends house....their final destination before Rodeo Week. And it was a day to get things ready for our long trip to the final Bible Bowl competition. So you must know it was a very busy day and every thing needed to go exactly as planned in order to get everything done!

Cough!

Well, it didn't.

Upon, placing the chickens in a box on the side deck, the lid was mysteriously lifted off and the black chicken (well it's probably a rooster) flies out onto our driveway. This is when my super sonic rapid fire instincts jump into action.

I pounce with clever stealth like lioness movements.

But I was too late.

He jumped through our lattice and happily found his place under the deck.

Super sonic?

I think not!

Rapid fire?

Definitely not!

Instinct?

Over rated!

Stealth like?

Hardly!

"Who could do such a thing as let a chicken loose?" you ask. Well it just is not right to tell on someone.

But I'll give you a hint.

His name starts with an "L"

and ends with an "i"

and he looks like this....

aka. the master of disaster

The Dance.
So over the next 3 1/2 hours there was plotting....and planning....and deliberations.....some lunch.....some tears....some more plotting, planning and scheming in order to find a way to catch a rooster who was perfectly happy in his new home under the deck.

There was deck removal. Strategic water placing. (roosters get thirsty too says one 6 year old) Stone removal. Plans of attack. When it became obvious that a full on attack was necessary. You know, the kind where you must gear up for battle. It was war. The rooster was laughing. Karate lessons were 30 minutes away. This was do or die!

The war dance was on!

Led by one 8 year old with his army of 2 - 6 year olds.

The finale.

It is now determined that the lattice must go. Gear must be worn. And someone had to go in.

Ahhhh, the brave 8 year old.

"You're mine!" he says.

The roosters mocks!

Send in the troops.

Sargent Gavin makes his way under the deck. All geared up, of course.

The plan is to corner him so Mom can reach down through the opening in the deck and grab him. The surprise attack.

Actually I wish I could say it was a plan. It was all moment by moment adrenaline with an intense desire to get this little guy out!

Well it worked. The humans won! Said rooster dance is over. He is back in his box.

Mom is tired!

Cock a doodle doo Everyone!

Jen

Yesterday Morning

2011-05-04T07:59:00.000-06:00

Yesterday morning, as is usual most mornings, Ben was heating up some milk for Little L....when all of the sudden we heard a huge bang and a puff of smoke coming from the microwave.

Hmmmm....

So we investigate.

Upon further investigation, Ben finds the remains of a Kung Zhu pet.

Even though he is a toy, it is clear by the smoke billowing from his body that he is dead.

His name was Drayko.

He is no longer with us.

At this point, the kitchen smells like a huge electrical fire.

We have to convince the boys that it's really my eggs making that awful smell.

As if!

So who was the miniature culprit behind this fatally smelly disaster. Well I wouldn't want to emotionally scar one of my children by posting his name here.

But,

I'll give you a hint.

His name starts with an "L"

and ends with and "i"

and he looks like this...

And sometimes (because of instances like this one) he is also referred to as "The Master of Disaster".

We're getting him a cape!

All is well. Milk warming was successful this morning. No smoke. No smell. Whew!

What's next?

Have a blessed day!

Jen

Yummy Brownies

2011-05-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

There must be a thousand yummy brownie recipes out there, but how many to you know of that have zero refined sugars?

This one is a keeper. I tried them today and enjoyed a bite (or two) immensely! My camera was acting up so I was not able to take a pictorial play by play while making them. However, I did change the lense and got a nice final shot of their delectableness....that is a word. I am sure of it!

Here's what you need:

Butter
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup of while whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp of aluminum free baking powder
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt
1/3 cup 40% or higher cacao chips (optional)
1/2 cup of unsweetend applesauce
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 large egg at room temperature
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Butter an 8 inch square pan (you can use olive oil spray but I find it sticks...and I am no longer afraid of butter, but I am afraid of the silicone in PAM)
Heat the honey in the microwave for about a minute (until bubbling) then add the cocoa. Stir with a fork until well combined. Let cool to room temperature.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cacao chips.
In a large bowl, combine applesauce, oil, egg and vanilla. Mix until blended. Add cooled honey and cocoa mixture and whisk until smoothed. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir well. Then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until it looks done...okay seriously....about 23 minutes at altitude worked for me or until toothpick comes out pretty clean.
Let cool then slice and enjoy the goodness!

Four little boys enjoyed these today and had chocolate smeared all over their faces to prove it. I wish I had a picture of their faces!! They are not as dense as sugar filled brownies but these are a very nice alternative and as a bonus my kids are not high on sugar!! Yay!

Jen

The Monday Catch Me Up

2011-05-02T10:51:00.000-06:00

I feel a teensy bit guilty for not even blogging one day last week....but it was a busy week! So I am attempting to catch every one up on all things Daly!

Here we go....

1. Did you know there was a Royal Wedding this past Friday? Of course you did...unless you've been living under a rock! Well this falls under the Daly umbrella because my husband is from the great land that produces such wonderful Pomp and Circumstance. Who does that better...seriously? Anyway, it was fun to watch a "commoner" (as they kept calling the now Duchess of Cambridge) become a princess. Wow! However, I am not jealous because I have my own English Prince!

2. My Prince did leave his castle this weekend for a trip to Moab with the Men's Ministry. They had a great time. He even took the camera to document this great time. But alas there are no pictures on the camera to document this great time!

3. Saturday marked the first games of the soccer season...and it snowed five inches the night before. So O's game was cancelled and G's gamed changed to an indoor facility. I am linking to my friend Beth's blog because her husband was smart enough to actually bring the camera. It must be said....G has some serious soccer skills. Who knew? I was far beyond impressed actually! It could have something to do with always trying to beat your older brother....hmmmm....yes that is completely plausible!

4. Yesterday was May 1st. It snowed. SNOW is my new 4 letter word!

5. Today is May 2nd and the sun is shining. I will have to get outside and get a refill on Vitamin D before the sun becomes scarce again!

6. Today is Monday. It's laundry day.

7. This week O has testing. This is a state requirement that he be tested every odd year starting in 3rd grade. Well, last weeks practice tests did not go so well. Even though we have conquered so much this year with his reading and writing, he will always likely have some troubles in the testing department. We did discover that he can take his test in a "non-standard" way which means that he doesn't have to have time limits and he can have questions read to him that are confusing. This is GREAT! So pray on Tu/W/Th as he takes these exams!

8. My step-dad has officially retired as of Friday. I am so excited for them. My mom is next! Woo hoo! Love the Hawaiian shirts David!

Evan says to O & Conner..."We're in A bracket now?"

9. O has his final Bible Bowl competition this Saturday. We will have to drive 8 hours to get there. Yikes! He has had to memorize 27 bible verses along with studying most of the book of Genesis. His memory skills are top notch! He has moved up to the top bracket for this competition.....mom's a little nervous!

10. Did I mention that the sun is shining today?

11. Yesterday we had an excellent sermon by a guest speaker. Actually he was on video...but it was a great sermon! He was Scottish. What was his name? Alistair something. Alistair Begg! Will you accept Jesus' "Terms and Conditions"? Or will you just keeping leading the same life you lead before? Great sermon!

12. The chicks are getting bigger. However, I am bummed to say that I think that 2 of the 3 are roosters. I could be wrong....I've been that before! But but but but but....I just think they are roosers...sad! That big black one staring down the camera lens frightens me. Therefore....he is definitely a rooster!

13. Did you know that all of my boys look a lot alike? I love this game. Who's who?

sorry it's so small!

14. Did you hear that Osama Bin Ladin was killed yesterday? Of course you did. And his body was buried at sea. I just think that sounds suspicious...don't you? Well I am a conspiracy theorist. So I am supposed to be suspicious! This has nothing to do with all things Daly. Just found it interesting.

15. It's curriculum time in our Daly homeschool world. So much to choose from for next year. The Homeschool Classroom has great advice on how to choose curriculum. Confessions of a Homeschooler also shares some sage advice.

You are now up to date! Must go and enjoy this fabulously sunny day!

Jen

Spring Break

2011-04-24T21:27:00.000-06:00

Afternoon with the cousins...

Selah..."Hey cuz, where'd you get those cool shades?"

Levi..."Ya know...they were just there one day and I thought these should be mine."

Asher..."Whatever Man!"

Selah "Hey, someone push me already!"

Levi..."LOL...LOL....LOL....LOL"

Levi..."I'll race ya!"

Asher..."Whatever Man."

Levi..."Seriously Cuz, we should hang more often"

Asher..."Totally!"

Selah...."No thanks, I ride bare back"

Levi..."Really? Cool!"

Day at the Zoo

We found out on the way that The Cyphers were going too...Yay!

The Giraffes are really cool when they run.

"I'm parched"

These 2 seals had a real knock down drag out fight!

Hanging on the Hippo.

Hanging on Dad.

I don't think evolution really has a case at all!

He may act like a monkey sometimes...but I seriously draw the line that he descended from one!

The boys watching the penguin show....

They were pretty cute and very well trained!

THE END!

Spring Breaks Over!

Back to Our Daly Grind!

Jen

Family Fun and Some Shooting Too

2011-04-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

Family Fun

On Friday I had the pleasure of watching my niece and nephew for a little bit. It was fun to see Levi interact with other kids his same age. First Levi welcomed Asher by wearing his shoes....

Then we made a little breakfast; Cereal for Levi, Orange Juice for Asher and apparantly Selah was diggin' her shoes:)

Then we did a little reading...

Played a little piano....

Then a little kitchen clean up....

And then we played in the schoohouse tent. Sorry about the terrible picture but it completed the story I was telling!

Thanks for coming over Selah and Asher!

Shooting with Dad

The boys got to have some real shooting fun yesterday with Dad! Here is a glimpse of their day...

First, you need a target! Yes, please.

Then you need to pose for a ultra-cool photo opportunity.

Then you have to learn how to cover one eye to focus on the target. Not easy with a 6 year old!

Then, point, aim and shoot while little brother watches you in wild admiration...well that and the binoculars are really cool too!

Then big brother helps little brother....it looks awkward right?

Then you come home and tell Mom about your really cool day with Dad! It warms a Mom's heart. Sorry, no picture for that one!

Happy Monday to you all!

Jen

This is Why I Homeschool...

2011-04-14T15:36:00.004-06:00

When I get a chance to update the "Homeschooling" page, you will better understand what a great day yesterday was and why.

My sweet, hard working son, Owen, has officially amazed me!

And made me cry!

And made me laugh!

Yes, I am little emotional!

This picture will be forever stamped in my mind...

I want to thank...

I mean really thank a wonderful woman named Diane Craft. By the grace of God, I went to her homeschooling seminars.

All of them.

I stalked her.

Sorry Ms. Craft!

Anyway, we did everything she said we should do and here my son is reading above his grade level. Not only is he reading fluently, but he is comprehending what he reads. He read a 100 page book in 3 days!

Thank you Sonlight for such a great selection of books for him to read!

I'm crying. I'm happy. Oh no, here goes this emotional rollercoaster again!

He climbed a big mountain this year. It's was like the Everest of dyslexia and dysgraphia.

And he conquered!

Praise God!

I hope you have reason to sing praises today as well!

Blessings,
Jen

While We're on the Subject....

2011-04-13T11:01:00.000-06:00

Let's talk about toxins in beauty products. I confess I regularly have to color my hair due to the massive amounts of gray hair I have been......ahem....."blessed" with. So I try really hard to avoid other chemicals in makeup, shampoos, conditioners, soaps and lotions. And truly I have discovered that not all things at the health food store are "natural". So they leave it up to us to do the research which really none of us has the time to do.

So today, I recieved a post that I thought might be helpful. It was from Simple Organic It is titled "Identifying and Avoiding Toxins in Beauty and Personal Care Products".

You can also check out the Skin Deep Cosmetic Database for more information.

Lastly, as we are gearing up for Summer...yes, please bring on the sun! You can review the Environmental Working Group's website to view their 2010 sunscreen guide. We use California Baby on all of our boys. We have tried other less than desirable brands which have made our boys burn. With California Baby, they have never burned.

As always, I think the less is more approach is the best approach. Remember the sun is not the enemy if you are wise. We all need a natural source of Vitamin D and the sun is the best way to get that source. So remember to allow yourselves and your kids a few sunscreen free moments in the sun....and just think...those moments will also be chemical free!!

Happy Sunny Day to you all!
Jen

Organic or not Organic? That is the Question.

2011-04-12T13:20:00.003-06:00

I kept an email a while back sent to me by my Father-in-Law. It was titled "A Shoppers Guide to Pesticides". I don't know about you but I really have no idea which non-organic fruits and veggies are exposed to the most pesticides.

Well perhaps this will help us all....

http://www.foodnews.org/

Why Should You Care About Pesticides?

The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.

What’s the Difference?

EWG research has found that people who eat five fruits and vegetables a day from the Dirty DozenTM list consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat from the 15 least contaminated conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily. The Guide helps consumers make informed choices to lower their dietary pesticide load.

Will Washing and Peeling Help?

The data used to create these lists is based on produce tested as it is typically eaten (meaning washed, rinsed or peeled, depending on the type of produce). Rinsing reduces but does not eliminate pesticides. Peeling helps, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the skin. The best approach: eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic when possible.

How Was This Guide Developed?

EWG analysts have developed the Guide based on data from nearly 89,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between 2000 and 2008 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You can find a detailed description of the criteria EWG used to develop these rankings and the complete list of fruits and vegetables tested at their dedicated website, www.foodnews.org.

Original article...

Click here to download the printer friendly Shoppers Guide to Pesticides or free iPhone app from www.foodnews.org

Ready for the plug?

Juice Plus+ (in capsules and delicious soft chewables) is manufactured to pharmaceutical quality standards and is tested to be free of all known toxins. So, if you can't, don't, or just won't eat the recommended 9-13 servings of fruits and veggies every day (in a rainbow of color), then why not let Juice Plus+ bridge the gap? We do and we love it!

Just imagine what happens when you get all of these into your body, day after day, week after week, year after year: apples, cranberries, cherries, dates, oranges, papaya, peaches, pineapples, beets, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, kale, tomatoes, parsley, spinach, blueberries, grapes, blackberries, bilberries, raspberries, elderberries, red currants, and black currants.

Click here to learn more about Juice Plus+!

Yours in Good Health,
Jen

Meet the Chicks...

2011-04-11T15:29:00.001-06:00

Yes, these do indeed belong to the Daly Family! Owen has joined 4-H this year and will be competing in the poultry competition...specifically Junior Showmanship. We have 3 chicks; One for each of our boys.

Well....

It's more like a few extra in case one dies....smile! But since they are all doing great then we will stick with the one for each of the boys!

Gavin had told his teacher about the baby chicks and so she did a unit study on them last week with the bonus prize of getting to meet actual baby chicks on Friday.

The kids LOVED it!

We took those sweet little peepers to school and let the kids hold them. Here are some remarks:

"Oh they are so cute!" giggle giggle squiggle squirm

"Can I hold it all by myself?" more giggles and squiggles

"Will it bite me?" slight hesitation

After the chicks were completely exhausted and void of all humor about their current situation, we gave them some down time while Owen told the class about his (and Gavin's and Levi's) chicks.

These baby chicks are called Bantams. They will be smaller than most chickens and will probably only weigh between 2 and 4 pounds. The brown ones are called Ameracanas and the black one is an "I don't know yet". He is either and Black Dutch or a Black Rosecomb. They are supposedly more friendly than the average sized chicken counterpart. They are currently 2 weeks old and live in our mudroom under a heatlamp. However, when they become 6 weeks they will move downtown to our friends coop.

Gavin's least favorite job, "Cleaning their water!" ewwww yuck (that's from me, because it is genuinely gross)!

Hope to post more about the chicks as they grow and in general upset the daily workings of Our Daly Grind!

Best, Jen

Excitement!

2011-04-08T16:34:00.003-06:00

Okay, I seriously cannot contain my excitement on being able to create my own personalized header. I have tried this in the past with little success but decided persevere.

I am so glad I did!

In truth, I was looking at my friend Beth's new header and was competely in awe of her skills. I still am! She is a very talented photographer and hosts a very wonderful blog!

So I persevere....

I came across this and I am still in the mode of "they make it look so easy when in fact it probably isn't". A little cynical I know but let's be truthful here...I have failed miserably at this several times in the past.

Well, in case you haven't noticed.....IT WORKED!

I am thrilled, thrilled and even more thrilled!

Did you catch that?

I am THRILLED!

Well, lets be honest. It's isn't amazing, but for my very first personalized blog header done by me, myself and I. I think I did okay...smile.

Anyway, thank you for celebrating with me....but now kitchen duty calls.

Best to you this weekend!

Jen

Inspired!

2011-04-07T10:54:00.005-06:00

This morning I went for a run and after my stellar performance I decided to come home and apply to run in the 2011 New York City Marathon.

Well it certainly wasn't stellar but it did genuinely remind me of how inspired I was when one of my friends ran the marathon in 2009.

I must be crazy...right? Well perhaps. However, inspiration can go a long way!
You can see some of Joanna's pictures here of her journey in New York.

Now I don't really expect to get in this year. But they do have a rule that if you have been denied 3 times then you are an automatic on your 4th entry. So that would mean I would be running in the year of my 40th birthday. Now that would be exciting!

I will keep you posted as to what happens!

Jen

Intentional Boredom

2011-04-05T13:13:00.003-06:00

Wow to blog 2 days in a row is crazy. My house is currently quiet which is even crazier! The lack of sound (...oops spoke too soon) gives me a moment to consider. Just consider things that I have been avoiding for some time now. Or to consider things that should be considered.

Have I lost you yet?

Don't worry; you'll catch up!

So the first "thing" to consider is summer camps. Should I sign up the boys for some time away from Mom and some promised fun by the local rec district or should I keep them home and show them that Mom can be fun too?

First, there's the financial aspect to summer camps.

Some camps are well priced and come with great value but they may not be "perfect". They tend to have some glitches if you will.
There are some camps that are a little pricey but tend to offer a great value for the money. I've noticed a new trick in the week long camp section. You pay $150 for the week but did you read that it is only M-Th? I think not. Tricky!
Then there is the all awesome amazing and wonderful camp that provides an outdoor experience beyond your child's wildest imagination....cough cough at the very confident price of $299 a week. Yikes! Seriously? That's $120 a day per kid. I don't think so. Seriously, Mom's can be fun!
Then there is the FREE VBS held at most churches. You have to love the word Free. I happen to be helping with our churches VBS this year and it is going to be so much fun for the kids and the adults. One week, M-F, 9-12. What a deal!! Don't forget to sign up for these events. They are fun and they teach the love of Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice for us! Can I have an AMEN?

I do have one caveat to the price section of my thought process. If you have 2 parents that both work 2 fulltime jobs, then I don't really see the problem with such wonderful camps as these. But for a single income family such as mine....I just have to pray...."LORD, make me fun!"

Second, in spite of my quest to be "fun", I do think that there is something special that can come from complete and utter boredom. It is a sure cure for the creatively challenged. I don't feel as though I need the constant schedule of activities to keep my kids busy so that they won't be bored. The truth is that some of the most amazing creations or activities that my children come up with stems from boredom. I cite the 2010 Daly Summer Olympics as proof...

Yet another caveat, this sudden burst of creativity tends to get messy. Don't ask me why, but it does.

Lastly, you have to consider what is the right balance. How much is too much or too little. I do think there is something special, almost a rite of passage, in growing older so that you can attend "camp". Seriously, there is so much fun to be had at some camps. I have attended camps as a child and I have also worked at a camp as an adult. I have fond memories of both.

So find your families balance. Ours is probably the less is more approach. I will be looking forward to some playdates, some sleepovers, a soccer camp, some golf lessons (the youth foundation...the best deal in town), and some intentional boredom!

I have some other thoughts to ponder and consider about our homeschool curriculum for next year. But alas, it must be postponed for an undisclosed date because I don't know what tomorrow will be like. Will it be nice a quiet like today or crazy hectic? And because this post is way to long and there are not enough picures!

Have a lovely day and thanks for stopping by!!

Blessings, Jen

Craving Some Sunshine!

2011-04-04T13:03:00.004-06:00

I think it's almost a cruel joke really that one day we are blessed with 70 degree weather and the next with 6+ inches of snow. I think it is one of the many proofs that God has a sense of humor.

Saturday was beautiful...flip flops...shorts...warmth of the suns rays. Pasty white skin seeing the sun after several longs months of being hidden with cold weather necessities.

Springtime in the mountains is amazing....even though I complain...smile. But I find myself in a fog ready for summer to say hello again. I wonder if I am tiring of the mountain life? Or just mountain snow? Perhaps I can start flying south for the winter.....Let's say Belize...

I so wish we could head back there again this year. Perhaps next year? In the meantime we are looking for other warm weather options to give us a break from the ever changing weather of the mountains. It has given me pause to dream.....dream of something different...is this like a mid-life crisis or something? I'm only 37. Of course, even as I write that horrid number I think "Gosh that's old". But reality check....it's not. Mid-life? I guess if I'm only planning to live to 74 then yes....hee hee! But let's have higher aspirations...smile.

My thoughts for the day...

Love the Lord.
Live fully.
Live simply.
Choose joy.
Dream BIG!

All for now. I hope my next post will be a little more cheerful. I see it's time to sign up for summer camps...hmmmm... but is it necessary? That will be my next thought!

Blessings, Jen

Debunking the Myth!

2011-02-22T08:58:00.002-07:00

So it's official.

We have debunked a myth in our household.

Have I mentioned how much my boys (okay, all of us) enjoy Mythbusters?

However, I will say that our myth busting experience did not involve any actual science nor did we perform any sort of experiments.

So how is it possible that we debunked a myth?

What is the myth?

The myth is....

Homeschooled kids do not get enough socialization and therefore will be at a loss in society so much so that they will never be able to leave home nor survive in this world.....or something like that:)

I must confess I was that person. I have said those words. Wondered and even judged others as though I had personal experience on the subject. I was the mom that said I would never homeschool my kids and one of the reasons was because of this myth.

BUSTED!

I have never witnessed my oldest son be more social and more confident in his experiences outside of our home since he left public school.

It's true. No lies here. He loves to talk with adults and looks them straight in the eyes. He loves being homeschooled. He is not shy. His confidence has skyrocketed.

I am pleased.

I am changed.

I am blessed.

I am a mythbuster! Ha!

Two very sweet and very happily homeschooled kids! And quite social too:)

Ready for a break

2011-02-21T09:13:00.001-07:00

Homeschooling is pretty great, however, when a break some I think I look forward to it as much as the kids.What a great time of just

living....(no lesson plans today)

laughing.....(no worries today)

loving.....(just watching my kids be kids)

Don't get me wrong; we do live, laugh and love during homeschool as well. But there are times after several weeks of hitting it hard that we need to break from the routine to just BE! I think it gives us all time to refocus and rejuvenate our desires of the heart.

I recently read a blog that speaks of this very thing. Taking the time to reboot your home, yourself and your school.

So while my week of reprieve from being my kids teacher will probably not look like this....

It will involve some rejuvenating workouts, some refreshing reading time and some special family time. And that to me at this stage in life is as good as that picture above!

Be blessed this week!

Jen

Spring Cleaning?

2011-02-18T13:44:00.004-07:00

Well I know it isn't Springtime yet, but it doesn't hurt to start with a plan so that when it does arrive you are ready to conquer the clutter!

I have found my new favorite book for simplifying things at home.

Organized Simplicity....What's in a name?

I REALLY LIKE this book a lot! I actually already did my spring cleaning about 2 months ago. It was very necessary to be rid of all the clutter in our home. I simply don't do well with clutter. And with 3 boys....who LOVE clutter....this book has made a ton of difference with my right-brained children!

Not to mention that it is quite lovely to look at too!

You can also go to Tsh's website Simple Mom to join forces with her "Project Simplify" that is coming up.

I have found that when you are juggling being a homeschooling parent, wife, mother, chef, office manager and other things like being the laundress (is that a word?)....you need an organization tool all in one spot to keep it together. Her home management notebook is amazing. I now have a gorgeous pink (because there is NO pink in my house) notebook that contains it all. All things Jen are in this notebook. So I am loving the "Home Management Notebook". I was using my iPhone at one time but in an effort to SIMPLIFY, I have stepped back from technology a bit. Having email come to your phone is pretty great but when it starts to consume you....enough is enough.

So if you find yourself in need of a clutter-free lifestyle, I would highly recommend this book. And if you know me...feel free to drop by and borrow my copy!

Coming soon....One Thousand Gifts!

Grammar Goes Retro

2011-02-17T14:58:00.001-07:00

I think for anyone who grew up in the 70's and 80's will remember Schoolhouse Rock pretty well!

Am I right?

"I'm just a Bill"..."Three is a magic number"...."Conjunction junction, what's your function".

Well you get it. Anyway, as I continue to homeschool Owen through third grade. I am left with the task of coming up with creative ideas or curriculum to feed his right brained learning style. Enter Schoolhouse rock!

I am so excited for him to learn in this very fun way. A way that I learned as a child. I am right brained as well and I remember a ton of the songs.

I might be dating myself?? Oh well.

Another source of fun that I remember in my youth are MadLibs. Loved them. It made writing tolerable and quite funny.

So these are just two....very simple...and inexpensive ways....to teach my son grammar.
Keep in mind that he is 1/2 British and 1/2 Texan! And the 1/2 Texan is in control of his grammar skills.

Oh I am scared indeed.

Please share your favorite learning experiences from childhood. What sticks with you the most?

The Simplicity of Water

2011-01-26T10:09:00.001-07:00

It's so simple.

Ridiculous really.

So why to I forget to drink it?

So many health benefits. Clean. Clear. No additives or colorings or preservatives.

It nourishes the body. (That's one of O's vocabulary words for the week...needed to plug it)

Don't get me wrong. I don't drink soda or really anything else....I just forget to simply drink.

Look at it...

So good.

Okay, so very very very simple. But why do we forget?

Let's go deeper.

Without water life could not be sustained just as without the Word of God life cannot be sustained.

I not only forget to drink water, but I forget to be in the word every day.

Water in the word....

The Egyptians do not survive the parting of the Red Sea. The Isrealites are free.
Nineveh destroyed by a flood just at the prophets had warned.
Jesus was baptitized in the Jordan River.
Jesus performed a miracle and turned water into wine.
And a real biggie...Jesus walked on water. Yikes! All powerful! All wonderful! Almighty God!

May our thirst be quenched this week in more ways than the obvious!

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 14:4

More simple thoughts to come.

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Not involved or complicated...

2011-01-19T14:48:00.001-07:00

This is the definition of simple - "not involved or complicated". This is our "word" for 2011.

Why?

Because the last 3 years have been less than simple.

Building a house
Having another child
Homeschooling
Owning our own business

The list really does go on..and on.....and on.......and on!

So our 2011 question of the year is "will it simplify my (our) life?"

Don't get me wrong we have been blessed beyond measure. At a time when the construction industry has plummeted we have had work; wonderful work. Thank you Lord!

So when I say "Our journey to the simple life", I don't mean Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie simple life.

I sort of mean more like clothes hanging from a clothesline simple life.

Yep,

weird?

Possibly! But I'm okay with that.

And I want to point out that living a simple life does not mean it will be easier just more simple.

Like less cell phones and more simple joys with my family.

Like less stuff and more space.

Like less obligations and more random.

So join me if you want on our journey, or don't. I'll still be here rambling about what I think is simple at the moment. And please chime in at any time with your thoughts, simple thoughts only please:) Don't want to tax the brain!!

I'll try to post more often and hopefully something fun if not inspiring. Let's see what I can find. Having a place for thoughts is really fun!

I'll leave today with this quote:

"Three rules of work: Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein

Getting Things Done

2010-11-12T13:40:00.006-07:00

I am finding that these days I have very little time to get done everything that is on my list. I must admit I am a little bit panicked about the holidays being just around the corner. I dread last minute shopping so I now vow to get things done early!

Starting with Christmas cards....what will that perfect Christmas card picture look like and what kind of card will I choose?? I do enjoy going to our mail box and getting updated pictures of all our friends and family in the mail. We have family all over including England and picture cards seem to be the best way to update everyone on our year in review!

Hmmmm?

Well first stop is Shutterfly. They always have the best selection and are super easy to use. I have never been disappointed!

I really like their Give Joy...very simple and understated. I also like Ho Ho Ho Christmas and Retro Flakes...both fun and funky!

Next on my list will be to get Levi's 1 year photo album done. I have started it....but haven't finished yet. I did Owen and Gavin's albums by hand but this time around it's going to be drag and drop from Shutterfly. They really do make their photo albums super easy.

Last on my list will be their calendars. I know my grandmother would love a monthly dose of her great-grandchildren.

Well at least my ideas are rolling in the right direction! I have started my shopping. I would like to be done by December 1....yikes....that's not far away!

Have you started your holiday shopping? What will you do this year that you didn't do last year? Or better yet, what did you do last year that you want to avoid this year?

One family tradition we are adding is a Christmas morning scavenger hunt. If any of you have experience in this please advise!

That's all for now! I'll post some updated pictures of the boys soon. Perhaps our Christmas tree outing will make the blog!

This post is in response to Shutterfly's 2010 Holiday Card promotion. Interested? Click here.

Slacker!

2010-04-10T10:51:00.004-06:00

Well I must apologize for the lack of updates on our blog! Life has been very crazy to say the least but we are having a blast in the midst of all the chaos. New on the Daly front...

~Levi is now 8 1/2 months old. He crawls everywhere, pulls up on everything and subsequently gets into everything. This, however, makes him look a little battered and bruised when he has a big fall. Fortunately, he is one tough kiddo! He is so sweet and has softened all of our hearts.
~Gavin is 5 1/2 and loves playing with friends and going to preschool. We took him to kindergarten round up this week and he is very excited for this new journey! He will be on his very own soccer team in a few weeks. We'll have to see if he has any Beckham type moves! And, of course, he still gives the best hugs ever!
~Owen is going to be 8 very soon! Yikes, this kid is growing fast:) He has been homeschooled the last half of second grade and I am happy to report that after 10 weeks of homeschooling it is going really well. Much better than expected and we will likely continue for 3rd grade. He too will be starting up soccer again in a few weeks. And as always, his laughter warms our hearts!
~And as for Mom and Dad....we are doing very well. Still trying to figure out the perfect formula for raising 3 kids. We have not figured it out yet, but it's an adventure everyday! We are both looking forward to our 2 weeks in Belize starting on Tuesday!

I hope to return soon to our blog with more pictures and updates!

Love to all!
Jen and Ben and the Boys

2009 Christmas Greetings

2009-12-13T22:22:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

3 Months Old

2009-10-25T21:35:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it...Levi is already 3 months old! Wow, what a joy he has been and as you can see he is quite a happy chappy!!

Mommy and her boys

The silliest big brothers ever!

Sloppy Kisser..

2009-10-25T21:07:00.001-06:00

This sloppy kisser found his thumb:)

First Days of School

2009-09-13T11:53:00.002-06:00

First Day of Prekindergarten. The smile says it all!

Ready to roll!

Back with his friends

Ready for Second Grade...Yikes! Is mom ready?

Ready to roll....

Owen and Dad are off to school!

Finally Presenting Levi Joseph Daly

2009-09-13T11:13:00.006-06:00

Well 7 weeks have come and gone and our newest little man is growing ever so fast! Both Owen and Gavin have already started back to school. Leaves are already changing colors here in the mountains and soccer season starts tomorrow. Things have been great with little Levi. He is a GREAT baby and has been such a wonderful addition to our family! However, gone are the days of simplicity. We are in the mode of controlled chaos!! But such wonderful chaos that we cannot complain! Here are some pictures....finally of the newest Daly boy....

Father Day 2009 Camping Trip

2009-06-23T10:56:00.011-06:00

Okay, so I must admit that camping at 8 months pregnant seems a bit crazy, but as I drank my courageous juice Thursday morning everything went just fine! You could say that we cheated by renting a cabin instead of tent camping, but it still felt the same. We still had a camp fire every night. We still roasted marshmallows. We still had to walk to the vault toilets. We still had to cook outside.

The perks were obviously the bunkbeds...and trust me those were HUGE hits with the little guys!

Gavin with "Beary"....yes Beary did fit in the truck and Mr. Funny Face Owen atop their temporary luxury sleeping quarters.

Oh, hooks! I love hooks when we are camping....I can actually find what I am looking for!

View to Sylvan Lake. It was very cloudy Thursday night and stormed quite a bit that evening. Yes, I would say that cabin camping had it's definite perks during the thunderstorm!

Dinner time with Thing 1 and Thing 2 is always an adventure:)

All geared up for some fishin'....let's hope to catch some fishy's....

So little man Gav was the only one in the crew to catch a fish all day long. It was really quite funny as he was reeling in the fly...He says "Mom, this is so hard". Which we of course giggle at because they always say that hoping to find something at the end of their line. So he says it again but with a real strain in his voice. So I jump up as fast as an 8 month preggo Mommy could to see his rod really bending. I help him reel it in closer only to find a decent size Rainbow Trout on the end of his line. He was really excited as this was his first real catch. From that point on, everything was a real struggle to reel in:)

Cuddle time with dad....The BESTEST Dad EVER!!

Proof that I went:)

On the way home, we ran into a little cattle herding. Okay probably about 300 big moos and little moos taking a journey down Brush Creek Road. We did manage to get through, but not without a few good laughs and some poo on the side of Ben's truck....Lovely!!

And finally to our BESTEST Dad EVER! We love you very much!!

Celebrating 7 Years of Owen!

2009-05-18T09:08:00.005-06:00

It took 31 hours for this little man to emerge into our sights!

Our great little laugher turned one and barely ate his cake. That is not the case today!

Turning 2 and once again full of joy!

Turning 3, such a big boy. We may never see him dressed so nicely again! Mom's days of picking out his clothes are over!!

Four and so much more! This is a great age!

Five was big change! No longer little O, but big O!

6 and in Kindergarten! Where did time go?

Sporting his 7th year by hosting a classic game of soccer with friend Caleb who also turned 7 (left of Owen). With all their buddies at school! We might see a few of these little guys in the World Cup one day! They are really fun to watch!

Happy 7th Birthday Owen! You bring great joy to our lives!!

Sideways...

2009-05-07T20:07:00.003-06:00

I have to share something completely precious and innocent that Gavin told me this evening after his prayer. He said...with a very serious look on his face..."I think I know why some people don't understand God" then he said "I think their hearts aren't right!". Then I said "I think you are right their hearts aren't right". Then again, very seriously, he said "yeah, I think their hearts are sideways". Not only did he say sideways, but he demonstrated it with his hands with a very serious look on his face. It was all I could do not to laugh hysterically. I said to him "you are absolutely right about that!"

So what is wrong with Felicity?

2009-05-05T07:50:00.003-06:00

As you can see, Felicity did not do well in either poll. So what exactly is wrong with a name that means happiness? Okay, only kidding. Thanks for taking time to share your input. The results of both polls we did are below. Anna and Ian were the top scorers in the family and friends poll. Olivia and Braden were the top scorers in the "world" poll. Interesting don't you think?

Here is a copy of the results from the name poll that we did for family and friends.

Which girl name do you prefer?

	39%	Anna
	5%	Felicity
	24%	Olivia
	32%	Teagan

(Total votes: 38)

Which boy name do you prefer?

	16%	Braden
	39%	Ian
	26%	Levi
	18%	Tanner

Here are the results from the name poll we submitted for the world to choose from.

Which girl name do you prefer?

	34%	Olivia

	26%	Anna
	11%	Felicity
	29%	Teagan

(Total votes: 95)

Which boy name do you prefer?

	39%	Braden
	11%	Levi
	32%	Tanner
	18%	Ian

(Total votes: 97)

Something Fun.......

2009-04-25T09:05:00.010-06:00

As we approach July we find ourselves with the heavy task of naming another child. It isn't easy, especially after naming 2 others. I have great respect for my Aunt and Uncle who were able to name 9 children along with the Pritchards who named 8. We have tossed up several names over the last 6 months but still have not decided. We have come up with a list of 4 boy names and 4 girl names. We wish to share them with you all and are giving you the opportunity to cast a vote. Please cast only 1 vote per gender.

Click here to vote!

There are no guarantees that we will choose a name from this list, but it is very likely given how difficult it is for us to mutually agree on names:) We have not included middle name options as we are not decided and therefore not ready to share those.

If it is helpful, here is the name list along with name origins and meanings. To compare, Owen and Gavin are both Welsh names meaning "young warrior" and "white hawk" respectively. Jennifer is also Welsh and Ben is Hebrew.

Anna - Hebrew-Gracious and Merciful
Felicity - Latin-Happiness
Olivia - Greek-Olive Tree
Teagan - Welsh-Beautiful and Creative

Braden - English-From the Wide Valley
Ian - Scottish-God is Gracious
Levi - Hebrew-Joined in Harmony
Tanner - English-Leather Worker

Click here to vote!

Gavin and Beary Reunite!

2009-04-25T08:56:00.003-06:00

All we heard about on the way home from Belize was about how excited Gavin was to see Beary! And on a long trip home you can imagine how MANY times we heard about their pending reunion:) This is a picture of Gavin truly asleep on his dear friend Beary!

The Tooth Fairy Visits Belize!

2009-04-25T08:41:00.004-06:00

Yes, we were all excited that Owen lost his first tooth on our last day in Belize! He even pulled it out himself! Fortunately the Tooth Fairy does come to Belize:) He received a Belizean $2 bill (which is about the same as an American $1). He was very excited on both accounts!

Snorkeling Day!

2009-04-16T14:02:00.012-06:00

Belize is warm and beautiful. A little windy the first few days, but the weather has been perfect the last 2 days. Yesterday we were able to venture out and explore under the water as well as Caye Caulker Island. Today has been more pool and play time with the boys. Ben has been trying diligently to get out to scuba dive. Unfortunately high winds and just Belizean culture has made him wait a while to get out there. He should be diving even as I am typing. If he shows up at our door in the next 30 minutes, it will not be a good sign. So I am praying for calm seas and great time for him! Hopefully he will be back with some pics of his underwater adventure this evening. In the meantime, here are some pics of snorkeling yesterday and a few others.
Captain Gavin!
Mom and her boys, with Baby Daly in tow!
Mom and Gavin...gosh I wish that snorkeling pictures were more flattering:)
Owen and Daddy snorkeling. Owen did a great job snorkeling with Dad and getting to see tons of fish including the sting ray.
Sting Ray
Nurse Shark
Owen playing with Tucker and his brother Tanner in the Sueno pool. It's been great to have boys around who are the same age to play with.
Gavin napping on the Catamaran. This kid can nap almost anywhere!
Owen off to sleep early after a long day at the pool.

Can you Belize it?

2009-04-13T08:09:00.010-06:00

Well we finally arrived in Belize. Two big airplanes, 1 small airplane, an old truck and a boat took us to our week long stay in paradise. It is truly beautiful here, though we haven't had much time to explore the Island. Our first day was actually restful considering all that we did. The boys practiced snorkeling in the pool, flew kites, went kayaking and had a few sword fights with Tucker and Tanner (2 little boys who live here 6 months of the year). All in a island days work:) Here are a few pics of some fun we have had so far....

After the Easter service, walking back on the dock.

Snorkeling in the pool

Our Villa, well the far right corner is our villa for a few nights before we move to another for the rest of the week.

View from our villa.

Kite flying on the beach. It's very windy here so the $1.99 kites from Target are awesome....except when they get stuck in a palm tree or two:)

Gavin Kayaking with Dad.

Owen kayaking with Grandad.

Ultrasound Pictures

2009-03-05T13:17:00.007-07:00

Here are some pictures of our visit yesterday at the perinatal clinic in Denver. The first three are 3-D pictures of Daly #3. It was a great visit showing what appears to be a very healthy baby. Remember that you are looking at a baby without much fat on him or her. So he/she may look a little bony:) The last two were the best of the regular ultrasound pictures. We love the one showing the hand! Any guesses on gender? You should be able to click on the picture if you want to see it enlarged.

How the 3 Billy Goat Gruffs became friends with the Trolls

2009-03-03T10:35:00.004-07:00

Here's the story. Every year a theater teacher comes into all the grades at Owen's school and they work on a play. This year Owen's first grade class did a take on the 3 Billy Goats Gruff story. The billy goats were all hungry and so were all of the trolls. So they decided to be friends and go eat at the pizza parlor. Owen played Baby Billy Goat Gruff. I took a still shot and once again decided to play with the video option since my video camera was not charged. The first video is the pizza lady taking orders from all of the Billy Goats and Trolls. Owen is first in line so I am not sure if you'll be able to hear his answer. You will likely have to pause the music below and turn up your volume a little bit. Enjoy! We did:)

Sledding with friends

2009-03-03T09:50:00.003-07:00

We have owned our cute little digital camera for about 6 years now. Yes, that's old I know but it works and takes great pictures. I finally decided to toy around with the video option. And guess what...it worked. I couldn't believe how easy it was! Here is a video of the boys sledding and snowboarding with the neighbors.

Long Hiatus

2009-02-20T08:33:00.003-07:00

Well here I am finally getting to post something new after a long break. Not intentional really, just haven't taken many pictures since I haven't replaced the batteries in the camera:) I need to stay a bit more on task!

We spent a great Valentine's weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The boys had a blast feeding Ollie the Clydesdale, sledding and riding around on the ATV. Loads of fun and, of course, the boys didn't want to leave.

Hard to believe it's almost March! Where has the time gone?

Had a great appointment with the doctor this past week. We heard the heartbeat which is always reassuring! We will have our next ultrasound in 3 more weeks where they will hopefully tell us that everything looks great. We are both still planning to wait to find out if it is a boy or a girl until July.

The great debate....Owen says girl and Gavin says boy. We all hope for healthy!

You might just be blown away....

2009-01-13T16:10:00.009-07:00

when you see this...

Yes, it may come as a bit of a shock but we are indeed expecting baby number 3! To catch you up on the last 8 months or so...We have been talking about adding to our family, but were never really sure. We must thank our friends the Pritchard's for giving us confidence to add to our family. Not that we are perfect but that we are capable of raising 3! So we'll blame them:) In light of this news we feel there are probably a few questions out there and hopefully we can provide a few answers in this blog!!

1) No, it wasn't an accident!
2) Our due date is July 31, 2009 but will likely be at least a week before due to repeat c-section.
3) No, we will not find out whether it is a boy or girl....at least not as of today:)
4) Yes, we would be delighted to have another boy.
5) Yes, we would be delighted to have a girl, however we both feel a little nervous about that prospect:)
6) We did sell a few things but not everything. So, this will likely be a hippy child!
7) I suppose a 4th is possible as we would never say never. However, 3 seems like enough at the moment!
8) No it's not twins...thankfully! Although we are sure it would have been a delight if it was.
9) We will be 12 weeks this Friday the 16th.
10) And yes, we are totally nervous but equally excited about what is to come. Just as we were with both Owen and Gavin:)

You are now up to speed with all that is going on in the world of this Daly Clan! You can go rub your temples now and digest all that you have just heard. Please join us in our celebration of this new little one and share in our prayers for another healthy child!!

And thank you to my friend Mandy who allowed us share our news on the same exact day she shared hers! Congratulations Mandy and Jeremy!

As a side note. Here is a pic of the boys looking at the ultrasound photos and realizing what the surprise was. Owen later said he thought it was going to be a toy. Sorry to disappoint:) Owen also said "we'll be like that family with 8 kids." Yes, Pritchards that was you he was talking about. We were quick to point out that we were not trying for 8 kids:)

Owen shared that he had wished for another brother. Let's hope we can deliver (no pun intended). Gavin seemed to look like he understood. He was the first one to suggest that the ultrasound photos that we showed them were pictures of "mommy's belly". Very insightful little guy.

We asked them about names and here are a few of the choices they offered....Monkey Dexter, Chucky, Nack, and Bergen. Let's hope their choices improve over the next 6 months otherwise we may have to pull rank!!

Visit from the Elk

2008-12-24T14:35:00.003-07:00

This morning we woke up to some visitors on the golf course. Such a beautiful sight. All of them just hanging out and sunbathing. This is definitely our favorite time of year. Now for your folks in Texas, you cannot shoot the elk while they are in town. And being on the golf course definitely puts them in town:)

The Christmas Story

2008-12-24T14:33:00.004-07:00

This past Sunday at church the kids put on a play for all of us. It was really cute and Owen and Gavin were the sheep. Seems like the Daly's may always be sheep as this was year #3 for Owen. No worries though, they had a great time and the message was recieved!

Christmas Parties...

2008-12-24T14:28:00.004-07:00

Last Friday was a busy day with parties galore! First we had Gavin's party where they sang Christmas songs for the parents and even had a visit from Santa himself! Oh that was a big hit!! Then off to Owen's party for a little gingerman decorating. All in all it was a very fun and very exhausting day:)

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

2008-12-17T16:44:00.003-07:00

Here is a recipe a friend gave me at a mug exchange party. Enjoy!

1 coffee mug
4 tablespoons of flour (plain, not self rising)
4 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons of milk
3 tablespoons of oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! This can serve 2 if you want to share!

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

A Christmas Song Quiz

2008-12-17T09:14:00.002-07:00

Click here to take the quiz. I only got 19 out of 25. Let's hope you have a better recollection of Christmas songs than I do:)

Makeover Giveaway!

2008-12-16T17:10:00.008-07:00

My friend Tyne is starting a new blog design business. And to spread her holiday cheer she is giving away a free blog makeover. You can view the rules of the giveaway at this link... Tyne's Site

Winter Wonderland!

2008-12-16T16:45:00.009-07:00

This weekend we received so much snow. Sunday morning we woke up to about 10 inches of snow and the mountain had already received 2 feet. I love this time of year! It's cold and icy, but it's just beautiful. Maybe it's all those years of snow deprivation living in Texas:)
Boys building a snow fort.
More snow fort goodness.
Ben out with the snowblower.

10th Annual Cookie Exchange

2008-12-16T16:42:00.002-07:00

Every year I get together with an amazing group of friends for our annual cookie exchange. Sure the goodies are super yummy, but the fellowship with these women is priceless. Thanks Krista for putting on such a wonderful event every year!

Elf Yourself!

2008-12-10T16:55:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Tree Hunting

2008-12-10T16:20:00.004-07:00

We decided to actually cut down a Christmas tree this year instead of going to the local nursery. If you know Ben, then you know he is a major tree snob and just cannot stand the Charlie Brown type tree. Amazingly we found the most wonderful tree and he left all smiles. He we are in front of the tree we picked! And below are some fun pics of the fun we all had while on the hunt. It was great snowball fighting snow!!

Gavin's 4th Birthday

2008-12-10T16:12:00.006-07:00

Okay, it has been over a month since I even logged onto Blogger and here my youngest son has also been 4 years old for nearly a month as well. Here are some fun pics of his birthday party. It was a dress up party and he insisted on being "Tigger the Pooh"!
He "wished" for a race track for his birthday. This brought back memories for Ben as they had Darda cars in England. Lot's of fun!

The kids decided to play tug-of-war with Ben:)

Would the real Tigger please stand up!

Tigger and his friend Pooh!

I love the smiles when they open something that makes tons of noise:)

Sweet Gavin, almost 4 years old

2008-11-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Spidey and Anakin

2008-11-02T09:06:00.004-07:00

Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-02T09:03:00.002-07:00

The boys had a little fun with this!

We are in!

2008-11-02T08:49:00.007-07:00

Well after much heavy lifting from some very gracious friends and a few days of adjusting we are in. It has been a crazy few weeks. It has not been the smoothest transition ever, but we are thankful that we are here and that Marion and her family have moved into the other house. After a few days in the house and a small flood in the "un"finished basement (thankfully) we realized we had a sewage back up problem. Well a long story very short, the pipe that we tied into (meaning it was already existing) was crushed. We had a get a back hoe out here and dig into our newly landscaped yard (it was minimal really) about 12 feet down to replace the crushed pipe. New landscaping, excavating and plumber lots of money.....no more sewage backing up in our basement, priceless!

Cousins!

2008-10-17T06:36:00.002-06:00

Wonderful Advice

2008-10-11T21:32:00.001-06:00

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mrs.. Jones, you haven't seen the room ... just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it "It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away ... just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account ... you withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

Wonderful Advice....for all of us.

How to get a soccer partner

2008-10-11T21:27:00.004-06:00

You may want to pause the music below. Thanks to Mel for this:)

Disney Pics!

2008-10-05T17:40:00.001-06:00

Reason #52 why you should never leave boys unattended

2008-10-05T17:09:00.002-06:00

I walked out of the office to find Gavin in the laundry basket ready to launch himself down the stairs. I was too late, but it all worked out for Gav who is definitely a brave soul:) He was also the one who loved splash mountain and big thunder mountain. Owen on the other hand opted out of those 2 rides:)

Thank you Liverpool...

2008-10-05T13:59:00.003-06:00

For making my husband crazy happy today! You are even tied for first. Is this your year? I need to know now whether or not to save up some money for the airfare for my husband. Or maybe one of Gillett's pilot's will pull through? Chris?? Adam?? Come on guys! This is a true Liverpool fan we are talking about here. Get it together will ya? :)

The Mouse's House

2008-10-01T10:40:00.006-06:00

We have made it to sunny Florida. It's actually been quite cloudy, but honestly that is perfect weather for cruising around Mickey's house. We haven't been tortured by the heat at all. We have been tortured however by a few rides. O and G may never trust us again. Well, we may never trust Disney again. Ben suggested we just keep it safe and ride Dumbo the rest of the time we are here:) I hope not! We are swimming today which is a sunny day! Yeah!

For Brittany, who plans to vote for Obama:)

2008-09-24T20:39:00.001-06:00

The 2008 Presidential election was too close to call. Neither the Republican candidate nor the Democratic candidate had enough votes to win. There was much talk about ballot recounting, court challenges, etc., but a week-long ice fishing competition seemed the sportsmanlike way to settle things. The candidate that caught the most fish at the end of the week would win the election.

Therefore, it was decided that there should be an ice fishing contest between the two candidates to determine the winner.

After much of back and forth discussion, it was decided that the contest take place on a remote frozen lake in northern Minnesota.

There were to be no observers present, and both men were to be sent out separately on this isolated lake and return at 5 P.M. with their catch for counting and verification by a team of neutral parties. At the end of the first day, John Mc. returned to the starting line and he had ten fish. Soon, Obama returned and had no fish. Well, everyone assumed he was just having another 'bad hair' day or something and hopefully, he would catch up the next day.

At the end of the 2nd day John Mc. came in with 20 fish and Obama came in again with none. That evening, Harry Reid got together secretly with Obama and said, 'Obama, I think John Mc. is a low-life, cheatin' son-of-a- gun. I want you to go out tomorrow and don't even bother with fishing. Just spy on him and see just how he is cheating.'

The next night (after John Mc. returns with 50 fish), he said to Obama, 'Well, tell me, how is John Mc. cheating?' Obama replied, 'Harry, you're not going to believe this, but he's cutting holes in the ice.'

Experience Counts

God's pace

2008-09-21T20:35:00.003-06:00

I have to share with you all something I was rather convicted about this morning at church. We were honored with a guest pastor this morning from Denton bible. And as he was reading through 2 Peter 1:3-13 we came upon the word perseverance. And the pastor described this particular word with this quote "having joy in God when you are at an unplanned place at an unplanned pace". Now keep with me. As many of you know we have had the joy of building a new home this last year. We have yet to sell our current home and we really weren't sure if we wanted to rent it or not. But we both decided to follow the doors which God opened. Well early last week I received a phone call from a lady interested in renting our home. She began to tell me her story about the death of her husband and that she has 3 young children and that she really wanted to move back to the valley. As she is telling me this, I am thinking, I know this woman. If you recall, I organized VBS for our church this summer and during that week, a lady who I will call "M" came to drop off her two children while she was off to a job interview. After she left, I had learned from a few friends that she had lost her husband just weeks before and in addition to her 2 older children she has an infant daughter, barely weeks old. So I tell "M" on the phone, "I know you"! And explained how. And from that moment on we had a bond in the grace of God. She had been patiently praying whether to move back to Vail and we had been praying for some kind of answer to our pending double mortgage. This was all definitely unplanned and all at God's pace. I pray perseverance for all of you no matter your situation. And now our pace is "crunch time". We need to finish this house!

Interior House Pics

2008-09-18T16:03:00.004-06:00

I was working with Ben at the land today. I guess really it isn't just "the land" any longer. Here are some interior pictures. Keep in mind we are not finished, but getting really close. My fingers are raw from scraping stickers off the windows:)

The promised picture

2008-09-18T08:04:00.005-06:00

So as promised the picture of Owen on his "new to him" gear bike as he is off to school. I still don't know what happened to the original "first day of school" pic?!?! There are days when I think I could be going totally crazy:o

He's pretending that he is in motion. He is reallllly silly and extremely funny. I love to get him laughing because it is so contagious!

Gavin insisted that I take a picture of him on his skateboard. They really love to skateboard and are actually pretty good for their age. I had no idea that a "truck" was also part of a skateboard. And that a tic tac was a move on a skateboard, or it's some kind of breath mint anyway:) Oh the things I am learning in my education as a mom of 2 boys. And the fact that the word "dude" is a frequent word in my home is a little weird. Even weirder is the fact that I can hold my own on a longboard:)

The Invisible Woman

2008-09-16T21:03:00.001-06:00

You'll need to pause the music at the bottom in order to hear this. It's worth it for you amazing women out there!

New House Pics

2008-09-10T16:09:00.000-06:00

The new house is coming along well. Not too much has changed on the outside except some minor detail to the exterior and the landscaping (which is not quite finished, but almost). I will take some interior pics soon. It is getting really close to being finished inside. We hope to be moved in sometime in October. The downside is that our current house still has not sold. It's a bummer, but God's timing is perfect and we are waiting on Him. In the meantime, we are diligently getting the new house finished!

The "Gear Bike"...A Lesson in Patience

2008-09-10T14:43:00.000-06:00

Many of us suffer at one time or another from coveting. Well it was becoming clear that Owen's 16" bike was getting a little too small for him and the other kids in the 'hood were all getting new gear bikes with the brakes on the handle bars. You could see in Owen's eyes that he wanted a new bike with all the goods on it. Well, Ben and I didn't want to just run out an buy him a new one. One, because they are so stinkin' expensive (and he's 6) and two, we knew we were setting the tone for other issues such as this one. So we told him we would check the thrift store every week to see if there was a gear bike his size that was available. We checked the thrift store for most of the summer until finally, yes finally the perfect bike showed up. It just needed a little tuning which dad helped with, and Gav too:) But this lesson in the value of a dollar as well as a lesson in patience paid off. That night, Owen told Ben..."I was patient and I finally have a gear bike". I would also mention that it not being a new bike has never been an issue. His smile was just as big:)

Owen's First Day of School

2008-09-10T14:21:00.000-06:00

Owen's first day of school was great minus one small detail..... His teacher was a "no show". The school had hired a new teacher this summer and ultimately the teacher decided to head back to California the day before school started without telling anyone. A very long story short, they have hired a new teacher that will start this Friday. In the meantime, he has had some great substitute teachers and is really enjoying his new class. He is also enjoying his semi-new (new to him) "gear" bike that I will blog about later. He has been riding it to school everyday. I did take a picture of him on the first day, but it seems to have gone missing along with my brain:) I'll post a pic with the bike soon!

Gavin's First Day of Preschool

2008-09-10T14:17:00.001-06:00

Gavin's first day of school went great! It was a raining day hence the rain coat. He was so excited and we are really pleased with his school. There are only 8 kids in his class and though he doesn't seem to know their names yet, he still refers to them as his friends. It's hard to believe this little guy is off to school. Mom couldn't do the drop off the first day as she was a total mess:)

Coach Ben

2008-09-03T16:18:00.000-06:00

A very busy week indeed. Ben started his first day as coach for Owen's soccer team. I think the kids decided on the name....The Green Vipers. All the kids, big ones included, are excited for a fun season.