One Year??

How has it been one year to the day of my last post?? I guess that shows the crazy kind of life we have had:) This past year has brought happy, sad, and all in between. My boys have grown soooo much this year it is indescribable! We are still rockin and rollin with lots to do! The big change is having two in football this fall! That takes many hours out of our days! The boys are happy, and growing, the business is growing and Eric and I are just trying to carve out a little time together here and there. Will post pics next week as it is late and I should be asleep!

Fall is Among us:)

I can't believe how time flies!  It is already September!  We had quite a busy summer, thus no posting:)  I worked at the office..... a lot..... The business is growing and we are blessed by that:)  Lots of changes, new faces at the office, another business to add into the mix.  We are excited to see what God is going to do!  The boys swam for the Gold this year.  They did well, all perfecting some stokes.  Our whole family went to cub scout camp, I was the camp nurse, Eric ran the BB range, Marshall was a junior staff and the little boys went to camp!  It was a fun week for us all! We went to Schlitterbahn a few times and had a blast!  The boys are older now and it is easier to do some fun stuff with them!  We went to Oklahoma to visit and had a great time.  And mostly we hung out at home!  I really started cooking a lot again and I am loving it!  The older boys had their birthdays:)  We paintballed!  It was fun and different!  And now here we are to fall, School has started,  work is going, and we are getting our schedule back in line!  Football, guitar, swim team, scouts that is how our fall lines out.... what about yours??

Another month goes by...

Can you believe that another month has rushed past?  Sometimes I am thankful to let things go, but then again... as the months slip by, I worry that I have missed something or perhaps did not relish the moment of something special!  Today, I am snuggling with Mikey, he doesn't feel well, I think we have a touch of the nasty virus that has been going around. Hopefully this WILL pass quickly and we will be back to the schedule soon.  We have been moving rooms around in the house, all the boys have their own rooms again, they are quite excited.  They also have their playroom downstairs again, close to us which is nice.  The Pinewood derby was on Friday night, we had a great time, it was crazy busy for me and our group has grown to 68 cars racing!  Mason got a design award, he and Eric had cut and shaped a ZZ Top type of car and painted it black with flames:)  It was neat, and they were proud!  Mikey shaped his pinewood into a skateboard, always up for excitement, that is his style!  This month, we have a banquet, soccer starts for the two little boys, and we need to start our guitar lessons!  The boys are excited!  Daddy will be taking some as well, so we should have some musical  men soon!  Marshall is evergrowing, getting taller and bigger feet by the day it seems, he is doing well in school, touches of that teenage attitude peek through.  He is the most thoughtful and helpful child however.  Sometimes because of his willingness to help he gets the brunt of the worked placed upon him.  We are working on getting the little boys to pitch in!!  I am getting ready to do my 2008 frames.  I have these scrapbooked frames on the wall, one for each boy and one for our family.  I pick my absolute favorite pics from the last year and scrap them..These are not portrait type pics, but just random photos that capture who they really are!  This is my second year doing this, as the years pass by I have a book to put the past pages in, hopefully I will end up with a really cool scrapbook in the end of it all!  I love taking pics of my family, not the posed say cheese ones, but the ones that truly capture their "look" or their attitude as they grow!  My most favorite pics are when they are not looking at the camera.  If you notice on my profile pic, it most describes my children.  Marshall, the oldest looking after the other two, Mason the middle debating to stay with the big boy or chase the little one with all abandon, and Mikey who truly does not care about thinking things through, he just goes for it!  and let me tell you, that Pacific water was COLD in November!!!  It was worth it for him:)  I know that their God given qualities and personalities will serve them and HIM when the time comes.  I love that they are so different, yet all belong together.  Much like Eric and myself, his strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa.  God found our perfect match and brought us together and I am thankful for this every day.  So until next time, hope this finds you all well!

The Shack and other things....

January is just flying by!  We have been moving the office, which takes quite a bit of time!  It is going smoothly and nice to have a little more space.  I am so proud of Eric, we have been open a year, God has blessed our business immensely!  And Eric is faithful to the Lord!  We try to help those when we can through business.  That is the whole point of this life, right??  Take what you do well and give it to others.  Just think what a world this would be if everyone did this!!!  So I just finished The Shack.  Can you tell??  I really enjoyed reading it, there are so many emotions through the text.  What I got most out of the book, whether it be "correct" or not was profound.  It really discusses how God is in all relationships.  You have a relationship with Him, a real one, not the one where you try to be perfect.  And also a relationship through God with other people!  The book really kind of shoots down the theory of being good, going to church on Sunday will get ya to Heaven......  makes ya think. I have known these answers for quite some time, but if was a quick review and reminder in the most awesome display!  If you have not read the book, I highly recommend it!  It is a quick short read and it is at walmart for ten bucks!

On another note, my boys.... growing so big!  Marshall is off backpacking this weekend!  Everything he needs on his back, it was crazy getting all that gear together!  His feet have passed up mine, he wears men's 8.5 and he is 12!!!  I know he will be a big man like daddy:)

Mason so funny!  We had a rough week with school, but he is trying so hard to be the big brother at home!  With us moving the office, he will have his own room now and he is excited!  He likes to keep his room clean, the other boys.... not so much.....

Mikey  doing a little better on his behavior school wise, thanks to Uncle Mac "watching him" through email with the teacher!  He was amazed by this, it is hilarious!  He rides his bike like a pro now to school every day! 

Today we sand our pinewood derby cars!  Eric bought a dremmel so the boys can use it and shape their cars just right, they are very pumped about this!  Hope you all are safe!  Talk soon!

New Year, New things!

The past year had been pretty tough for us, lots of changes.  Mason's healing over the past year has been extreme!  Eric quitting his job of 17 years to pursue his own business, and me, going back to working the floor as a mother-baby nurse.  The year flew by... LITERALLY!  Where did it go?  Did I do all that I was supposed to?  I know things got left out, or perhaps there just wasn't enough time to fit it  all in so priorities were made.  This year will be another year of changes.

Growing the business to an office maybe?  I quit working the floor to focus on the business with my hubby. The boys are busy as ever in many activities.  It is almost camping season again and I cannot wait!  I LOVE getting out with Eric and the boys on a trip.  I love waking up to a little chill in a tent and making some coffee and hot cocoa and sitting around the fire that Marshall puts together.  I love listening to Mikey and Mason tell me about all of their discoveries in the wilderness!  Mikey made a spear out of a stick, a feather, rock and some leather the other day.  It was so cute and he was so proud! He is my little Huck Fin, always outside, barefoot, and finding something to stuff in his pockets.  Mason loves friends which he has quite a few in the neighborhood.  I am just now starting to let him hang out with his buddies and they can ride their bikes.  Marshall is just getting too big, he is as tall as me, no big feat there, wears men's shoes, and now men's clothes!  YIKES!!  He is doing well in school and really takes the lead in activities, I am so proud of his leadership skills.  All of the boys just want to be like dad!  No big surprise there!

Christmas was busy and fun, on Christmas morning we had brunch and stayed in our PJ's most of the day!  Eric went pheasant hunting after Christmas and brought back quite a few, so for New Years day, I prepared a feast of Pheasant with jalapenos and bacon, Pheasant casserole, and creole butter fried pheasant, along with all the traditional new years fixins.  It was tasty! This morning we are hanging out in bed, which is nice, we have not had a Saturday morning like this in a while!  And what will we do today?  Who knows!  I am sure we will get out with the kids and do something, but for now... snugglin with a cup of coffee.... nice... I will update soon:)

Gifting..

Well, it is finally time for me to finish up the gifts!!  I really love giving gifts, I love the feeling that comes with giving.  My boys are wanting to get eachother gifts, which is fun for me, to see what they pick out for their brothers.  I am most thankful for the Ultimate gift of the season, Jesus.  Thank you God that you sent him for us, thank you for his life so I may speak to my sons about how Jesus lived and what they can glean from Him.  I pray health, safety and happiness for all out there.  May we all be together in this season and catch the spirit of giving to eachother.  I don't mean physical presents necessarily, but time, friendship and caring to eachother. The weather is cold this am, possible yucky rain, freezing rain this morning. Then in the 70's by thursday!  go figure!  But we will trudge on and enjoy this time of year!  Take care all!

Busy days... but fun

Well, the month of December seems to fly by, but I am most excited that after next week, we will have a slow down of sorts. School letting out, activites waning thanks to the holidays, and just time to be with family. I can't wait to start my holiday baking, make gingerbread towns with the boys, and clean out around here! We can ride our bikes in the middle of the day! The boys are older now and they like to cook too, thus the kitchen will be a mess the next few weeks, but someday I pray a wife will appreciate that I let the boys learn to cook..... and clean! So I am posting a pic of my three sons and I will post more of our December creations to come!