While mom's away

Women's Christmas Dessert!

I got to hang out with a bunch of women from church including my bestie Stephanie.

It was a great night out of the house and relaxing with the girls and singing Christmas carols...

And back home Daddy was in charge... 

 

 

 

Indiana Jones!

We had the pleasure of visiting the Discovery Science Center's Indiana Jones Exhibit, and this is extra special for us as we've been studying ancient history and archeology this year.

We got the best parking spot there!

Inside, the exhibit came with individual headphones and touch screen players.  They were amazingly user friendly and have movie clips, historical information, and fun facts.

Here's Jason watching a clip about the Ark (you don't have to hold it up, he just is :)

The players were also used in a scavenger hunt.  There were clues and then puzzles to solve. 

Here Andrew is putting his player in the correct window to earn a piece of the puzzle.

Then at the end, you get your prize and name displayed on the wall :) 

There were movie artifacts...

costumes...

And movie clips and information for each of the four Indy films...

There was also a connection between the stories and the actual history of archeology.

We were excited to find one room had an entire wall of Cuneiform writing.

When studying the Sumerians we made cookies with this writing!  See Here :)

I strongly recommend this exhibit if you're in town before April.

With any luck you'll make it out alive...barely!

PS When we started this exhibit, the kids did not know Indiana Jones so we told them, he's Han Solo.  That got them interested in learning more, and then in the middle of the exhibit I learned that there are hints of Star Wars in the Indiana movies from their Lucasfilm connection (e.g. a restaurant named ObiWan).  Interesting, huh :)

Happy Trick-or-Treating!

We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

I read the Wizard of Oz to the kids last month, then we watched the movie, and then Jason and Beth chose to continue reading books in the series.  So it made perfect sense that they would choose this theme for our trick-or-treating adventures.  A busy week and last minute planning left me without much of a costume but I was Toto, really I was :)

We had a blonde Dorothy and our tall Scarecrow

There was Adam as the Tinman.

And then we have Glinda the Good Witch with the Wizard of Oz himself!

On Halloween we went trick-or-treating in a nearby neighborhood with friends. 

We were quite the bunch going door to door!

Before Halloween we attended our church's Harvest Festival where there was a bouncy house

and a proud rider down the big slide!

And there were pony rides!

Two days later we attended our realtor's neighborhood pumpkin patch where there were pony rides again!

And a petting zoo.  Beth says this goose was the softest thing in there.

There was also a pie eating contest.  Jason did very well coming in third place and loving every minute of it even though he doesn't like pie

(it wasn't pie, it was a pile of strawberry goo and whip cream).

And best of all, all of these activities had friends!

Happy Fall!!!

Remembering all the Costumes of years gone by...

Our first Halloween with kids was October 2003. 

Jason was 9 months old...

2004 -20 month old Jason and 4 month old Beth

2005 - We took a giraffe and Batman to Hullabaloo with our Home Group

2006 - Adam joins the family and it was another fun year at Hullabaloo with our Home Group

Pictured: Hannah, Beth, Ryan, Jason holding 5 month old Adam

 2007 - Adam's first year as Nemo (1st of 3!!!)

2008 - Jill was 20 days old and we had lived in Georgia for 3 months

 2009 - We spent it with the Elonens, who were now living in Georgia with us!

2010 - Back in California at The Village Church Harvest Festival

 2011 - At Village Church Harvest Festival Again

 Can't forget our lovely costumes...

2012 - Coming Tomorrow Night but until then...

how about one from 1990 something :)

I was a 7-Up Spot, the one in red in the middle...Happy Halloween!

One Month Fostering

It's been a month and it's been good and it's been hard and it's what we were meant to do!

Generally, things have been very smooth.  The bio family appreciates what we are doing for their child and works with us.  But they do get four visits a week and that takes a lot of time away from our week.  It is a sacrifice...somedays it's really hard, other days it feels normal, no big deal.

 Our kids are doing well with it all.  Jill and Adam absolutely love having her around.  Jill makes her laugh daily.  Adam has to get a hug from her everytime she wakes up from a nap or returns from a visit.  He loves to sit on the floor and play with her.  The older two have never been "baby" people, but they are willing to help and have done their fair share of holding, watching, and entertaining.  I was worried initially how they all would do with attaching to a temporary baby sister, and while I still wonder what will happen, they seem to understand.  Adam even commented, "Can we get a boy next time?"  They know it's our job to love her and to give her a family while her family figures out how to better take care of her, however long that takes!

Anyone up for a picnic on the floor? 

Wish I could share some of the really sweet pics I have of all these kids playing together but no internet photos of foster baby allowed.  So you'll just have to take my word that she is super easygoing, adorable, and sweet :)

A Once in a Lifetime Experience

It started at home as we watched the Space Shuttle Endeavor take off from Edward's Air Force Base from the comfort of our own living room.

We then got on our red, white, and blue and headed to the Queen Mary in Long Beach to see the flyby live.

It was so fun to be standing there with hundreds of people cheering as Endeavour flew overhead.

 I love this picture Beth took with a bird flying under the plane...

I told Beth after this shot though to stop taking pictures and to just watch.

 I did the same, and it was incredible!

I'm thankful for this once in a lifetime experience, and that I could share it with my kids.  It was even worth the two hours of traffic getting out of Long Beach, especially when Adam told me later that day, "I can still see the Space Shuttle on that airplane in my head."

I told him to save that image deep in his head cuz someday he's going to want to tell his grandchildren about today.

Interestingly enough, when we headed to the Discovery Science Center that afternoon (while foster baby was at a visit) we noticed that the Space Shuttle Cabin in the parking lot says Endeavor!

I did some research and it's a training simulator, an exact copy of the Endeavor that is no longer needed.  What a day!

 

 

 

Our 5th Child...for now

It started almost a year ago...It was Orphan Sunday at church.  And now here we are with a baby.

When Andrew and I went on our first date, he told me he wanted 9 kids...yep, on our first date.  He wasn't completely serious but he knew he wanted a lot of kids, whatever God would give us.  Well after 4 children, physically we knew I shouldn't have anymore.  Emotionally, Mentally, and Spiritually however, we were up for more. 

We talked and figured someday when our kids were older,

someday when we had a bigger house,

 someday when we were no longer selfish with our time,

someday we would like to foster children. 

Well, that Sunday last year we met a representative from Olive Crest, a foster/adoption agency.  Our friend Stephanie knew we were interested in fostering...someday...so she introduced us.  I can still remember my stomach flip-flopping as she told me I didn't need a bigger house.  My response without even blinking, "Well, I would but my husband, he wants to wait until our kids are older."  This woman asked to meet my husband.  Wouldn't you know it, when he heard we could keep babies in a crib in our room he responded, "Well, ok then.  Let's do it!" 

 It seemed Someday had arrived.

We applied online...we took some classes...we updated our CPR certification...we locked up our medicine and knives.  Buying and remodeling a home slowed us down but we kept moving forward one class and one piece of paperwork at a time. 

 And then we were certified. 

And then we got the call. 

She's 7 months old, been in foster care for months already, and she would be a longer-term placement than we had originally wanted but here she is...our 5th Child...for the time being. 
Not my plan but God's plan, not my way but His. 
Sometimes not knowing the future and having no control over it can be very freeing!

People say we're crazy but we don't think any of this is crazy.  Somehow we've allowed God to work on us in this last year, to show us, to teach us, to prepare us for this. 

For He has a plan and we're thrilled to be a part of it, whatever it is!

And you can be a part of it, too...just ask me how :)

Color Blast Party

Before

 During

 After

Happy Birthday, Eli!

 Happy Birthday, Ryan!