Sewing with Mama Nichols...
A spectator...
All finished with the owl pillowcase!
Washing dishes for the first time...
And now, the 1st day of spring break.
Mid-60's + sun + slight breeze = perfect!
Happy Monday!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Weekend Fun!
Hanging out with friends...
Sewing with Mama Nichols...
A spectator...
All finished with the owl pillowcase!
Washing dishes for the first time...
And now, the 1st day of spring break.
Mid-60's + sun + slight breeze = perfect!
Happy Monday!
Sewing with Mama Nichols...
A spectator...
All finished with the owl pillowcase!
Washing dishes for the first time...
And now, the 1st day of spring break.
Mid-60's + sun + slight breeze = perfect!
Happy Monday!
Monday, April 8, 2013
What's Up?
Lots here! March/April have been so busy...fortunately, summer is on it's way! It's late, and I debated whether to stop in and say hi or head on to bed, but since Michigan is playing in the championship game and we are experiencing spring's first thunderstorm, certain ones in the house are having trouble sleeping anyway. So here I am. :-)
After Kait's fun birthday weekend, we headed into a full week - women's meeting Monday night and revival from Tuesday on through the weekend. We are thankful for good health and the ability to be in all of the services. God's presence was close and real.
Right on the heels of revival, Greg was offered a different position in the company where he works. We spent several days - right up through Easter weekend - praying, talking, {agonizing} over the decision. He has been doing the same type of work for 15 years, and there were a lot of things to consider. He did decide to accept the job, and will be transitioning to a management position within the next couple of months.
On Good Friday, the girls and I rode along with my mom to Cincinnati to pick up my grandmother for the weekend. We were able to meet my sister and her family (it's Skyline time!), and enjoyed a beautiful, sunny, 55 degree day! So thankful that Grandma is doing well and able to get around to visit now and then. It seems hard to believe that one week from today will mark the first anniversary of Grandma Nichols' passing.
On Saturday, Greg and the boys spent a few hours helping a group from our church with trash pickup in a neighboring county. Our young adults do this annually, and it makes for a pretty good fundraiser. They were worn out by the time the morning was over, so we kept it pretty low key the rest of the day, and finished up with a steak dinner with the family at mom and dad's place.
We approached Easter a little differently this year. Normally it is a time for all the kids to get new outfits and candy, but it just didn't seem that necessary this year, so we skipped it. Period. They received little candy bags from grandparents and cousins, and wore their gently worn, sparkling clean "old" clothes. It worked. ;-) Easter Sunday was everything it should be - rest, worship, and a Honeybaked Ham. :-)
The highlight of this past weekend was taking 10 teens to the lock in at our PHC Headquarters in Anderson, IN. We left right after school on Friday, and made it back home at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday. It was lots of fun for the kids, and a great time of catching up with friends. I still haven't recovered from the "all night" part of the deal, but we're getting there!
We've also had fun trying out different vehicles over the last couple of weeks...Chrysler Aspen, Chevy Traverse, Lincoln Navigator, Honda Pilot...I think that's all so far. My van will have 200,000 miles on it by December (if we keep it that long), and it has lots of aches and pains. Unfortunately, I'm a little spoiled by its luxury, and I'm not quite ready to lay it to rest. Greg and the boys are determined that it's going to leave me stranded and with a huge bill if we don't do something reasonably soon, so I'm trying to heed their advice and get a feel for what will transport a family of six not-very-small people without breaking the bank every time I fill it with gas!
Well, it's almost morning. The thunderstorm has passed and the Wolverines were narrowly defeated. We are geared up and ready for spring break next week! Then the countdown begins...5 weeks of school to go before we can sit on the deck, sip lemonade, and watch the garden grow. Well, maybe...lol!
After Kait's fun birthday weekend, we headed into a full week - women's meeting Monday night and revival from Tuesday on through the weekend. We are thankful for good health and the ability to be in all of the services. God's presence was close and real.
Right on the heels of revival, Greg was offered a different position in the company where he works. We spent several days - right up through Easter weekend - praying, talking, {agonizing} over the decision. He has been doing the same type of work for 15 years, and there were a lot of things to consider. He did decide to accept the job, and will be transitioning to a management position within the next couple of months.
On Good Friday, the girls and I rode along with my mom to Cincinnati to pick up my grandmother for the weekend. We were able to meet my sister and her family (it's Skyline time!), and enjoyed a beautiful, sunny, 55 degree day! So thankful that Grandma is doing well and able to get around to visit now and then. It seems hard to believe that one week from today will mark the first anniversary of Grandma Nichols' passing.
On Saturday, Greg and the boys spent a few hours helping a group from our church with trash pickup in a neighboring county. Our young adults do this annually, and it makes for a pretty good fundraiser. They were worn out by the time the morning was over, so we kept it pretty low key the rest of the day, and finished up with a steak dinner with the family at mom and dad's place.
We approached Easter a little differently this year. Normally it is a time for all the kids to get new outfits and candy, but it just didn't seem that necessary this year, so we skipped it. Period. They received little candy bags from grandparents and cousins, and wore their gently worn, sparkling clean "old" clothes. It worked. ;-) Easter Sunday was everything it should be - rest, worship, and a Honeybaked Ham. :-)
The highlight of this past weekend was taking 10 teens to the lock in at our PHC Headquarters in Anderson, IN. We left right after school on Friday, and made it back home at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday. It was lots of fun for the kids, and a great time of catching up with friends. I still haven't recovered from the "all night" part of the deal, but we're getting there!
We've also had fun trying out different vehicles over the last couple of weeks...Chrysler Aspen, Chevy Traverse, Lincoln Navigator, Honda Pilot...I think that's all so far. My van will have 200,000 miles on it by December (if we keep it that long), and it has lots of aches and pains. Unfortunately, I'm a little spoiled by its luxury, and I'm not quite ready to lay it to rest. Greg and the boys are determined that it's going to leave me stranded and with a huge bill if we don't do something reasonably soon, so I'm trying to heed their advice and get a feel for what will transport a family of six not-very-small people without breaking the bank every time I fill it with gas!
Well, it's almost morning. The thunderstorm has passed and the Wolverines were narrowly defeated. We are geared up and ready for spring break next week! Then the countdown begins...5 weeks of school to go before we can sit on the deck, sip lemonade, and watch the garden grow. Well, maybe...lol!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Happy 9th Birthday, Kaitlynn!
~March 15, 2013~
Wow...9 years already! I will never forget hearing the words, "It's a girl!" We knew all about having boys, but...a girl?! There was something super fun about waiting until her birth to find out what she would be, and it's been super fun to be her parents for the last 9 years, too! Kaitlynn's birthday fell on a Friday, and it also happened to be Parent Teacher Conference day for me. So, the kids were able to stay home and sleep in, and I worked the morning but had off with them from noon on. :-) Of course, she chose a steak dinner for her birthday meal. We celebrated at Texas Roadhouse, and then finished the evening at The Creamery!
Friday birthdays are cool because they seem to just continue through the weekend! On Saturday morning, we drove a few minutes north and had breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa Burley who were traveling through on their way home from a wedding. We enjoyed a few minutes together over some eggs n bacon!
On Saturday afternoon, we picked up Kait's friend, Emilee, and headed for Dayton. Kaitlynn has always wanted to go to Build-A-Bear, and I was always promising that we would "someday." It occurred to me that pretty soon she would be beyond wanting to stuff a bear, so we made quick but fun trip to build some bears!
And, of course, they were all about wanting food and ice cream we hit the food court before heading back home!
Sunday afternoon we had cake and gifts with some family!
Wow...9 years already! I will never forget hearing the words, "It's a girl!" We knew all about having boys, but...a girl?! There was something super fun about waiting until her birth to find out what she would be, and it's been super fun to be her parents for the last 9 years, too! Kaitlynn's birthday fell on a Friday, and it also happened to be Parent Teacher Conference day for me. So, the kids were able to stay home and sleep in, and I worked the morning but had off with them from noon on. :-) Of course, she chose a steak dinner for her birthday meal. We celebrated at Texas Roadhouse, and then finished the evening at The Creamery!
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| Opening a card and gift at dinner |
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| Then a few more gifts at home |
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| Best buds |
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| Growing kiddos! |
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| Checking out her new scrapbook |
On Saturday afternoon, we picked up Kait's friend, Emilee, and headed for Dayton. Kaitlynn has always wanted to go to Build-A-Bear, and I was always promising that we would "someday." It occurred to me that pretty soon she would be beyond wanting to stuff a bear, so we made quick but fun trip to build some bears!
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| Waiting in line |
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| Listening for instructions...so many special things to do when stuffing a special bear! :-) |
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| Brushing and fluffing |
And, of course, they were all about wanting food and ice cream we hit the food court before heading back home!
Sunday afternoon we had cake and gifts with some family!
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| She was so done with my boring poses. :-) |
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| Kait's teeth are still progressing nicely. After a year without eye teeth, they are finally coming in! |
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| Allison the stinker...she squeezes and squeezes! |
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| Kait loves owls...and ice cream cake! |
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| With her best buddy, her cousin Olivia |
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| Liv, Alli, Kait Suz |
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| Happy Birthday, Kaitlynn! |
Saturday, March 9, 2013
March 2013 Part 1
March 2013 is only 9 days old, but already it has been an action packed month for our family! On the 1st, we were able to spend a little time with the newest "member" of the family. I guess you could call him my little brother, lol. My dad has been wanting a puppy for awhile, and his wish was finally granted. Meet Prince:
Yup, I like him pretty well. :-)
On the 2nd, we sent Evan off to Cincinnati with his Aunt Valerie, and the rest of us shuttled my parents to the Columbus airport, where they began their journey to Israel.
On Sunday the 3rd, we made a quick afternoon trip to Dayton where we transferred Alli and Kait to Valerie's care for the next few days.
Monday was a busy day of work/school and preparation to take my students to Muncie, IN for Heartland Regional Student Convention. We left home around 7:30 Monday evening, and arrived in Muncie just in time to unpack and tuck in for a night of sleep before the excitement and chaos of the week began!
We had a young group this year - 1 senior, 1 junior, 1 sophomore, 2 freshmen, 3-8th graders, and 2- 7th graders. This was the first year that Ryan was eligible to compete, and he entered 9 categories. It's always interesting to see how things end up...there are often some surprises along the way. I wanted him to do a solo, but he wasn't completely sold on it. He had the flu a couple of weeks ago, and we just didn't get to spend as much time on it as we would have liked. I knew that it would be best for him to do a platform event his first year so that he would conquer some of the fears early on. His greatest fear of doing a solo was that he would get called to do a command performance at the one of the night rallies. I assured him that it wouldn't happen. With him competing against high school seniors, having an immature voice, etc., it just wasn't in the cards. He was a nervous wreck during competition, but he did very well. He was glad it was over with. :-)
He had table tennis in the afternoon and did well, but didn't medal in that category.
A few minutes after he finished table tennis, we received a call that Ryan's solo was chosen for a command performance. I immediately broke into a sweat, knowing that he did not want to perform in front of the rally audience, and quite frankly I didn't think I would be able to talk him into it. When we took him aside, his immediate response was, "NO WAY!" After the initial shock wore off, I explained to him the honor that it was, not only for him but for our school, and that it was his opportunity to use the song for ministry. After a bit of arm-twisting, he agreed. The Lord really helped him, and he did an excellent job! It can be a bit intimidating to sing in front of 200 peers plus guests, staff, sponsors, etc., and I was really proud of him for plunging in this year and challenging himself.
It was a little excruciating for me to wait from Wednesday to Friday to see where he placed in his solo. :-) The screen came up with the top six places (not in order):
And they announced 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd...I couldn't believe he was getting this close...and 2nd place in Male Solo...Ryan Burley!
And to think...he almost had me convinced he should skip it for this year. :-)
This was my fantastic group of students. Other than being exhausted, it was a great week. The kids cooperated so well, and were so responsible. It made my job so much easier! Two of the nights, we didn't get to have supper until about 10 p.m. That's enough to make any teenager mad, but they were great about everything. :-)
After a lengthy a.m. awards ceremony yesterday, Greg drove the students home and I took off for Dayton to pick up my very homesick younger three. So thankful for safe travels and a great week!
Yup, I like him pretty well. :-)
On the 2nd, we sent Evan off to Cincinnati with his Aunt Valerie, and the rest of us shuttled my parents to the Columbus airport, where they began their journey to Israel.
On Sunday the 3rd, we made a quick afternoon trip to Dayton where we transferred Alli and Kait to Valerie's care for the next few days.
Monday was a busy day of work/school and preparation to take my students to Muncie, IN for Heartland Regional Student Convention. We left home around 7:30 Monday evening, and arrived in Muncie just in time to unpack and tuck in for a night of sleep before the excitement and chaos of the week began!
We had a young group this year - 1 senior, 1 junior, 1 sophomore, 2 freshmen, 3-8th graders, and 2- 7th graders. This was the first year that Ryan was eligible to compete, and he entered 9 categories. It's always interesting to see how things end up...there are often some surprises along the way. I wanted him to do a solo, but he wasn't completely sold on it. He had the flu a couple of weeks ago, and we just didn't get to spend as much time on it as we would have liked. I knew that it would be best for him to do a platform event his first year so that he would conquer some of the fears early on. His greatest fear of doing a solo was that he would get called to do a command performance at the one of the night rallies. I assured him that it wouldn't happen. With him competing against high school seniors, having an immature voice, etc., it just wasn't in the cards. He was a nervous wreck during competition, but he did very well. He was glad it was over with. :-)
He had table tennis in the afternoon and did well, but didn't medal in that category.
A few minutes after he finished table tennis, we received a call that Ryan's solo was chosen for a command performance. I immediately broke into a sweat, knowing that he did not want to perform in front of the rally audience, and quite frankly I didn't think I would be able to talk him into it. When we took him aside, his immediate response was, "NO WAY!" After the initial shock wore off, I explained to him the honor that it was, not only for him but for our school, and that it was his opportunity to use the song for ministry. After a bit of arm-twisting, he agreed. The Lord really helped him, and he did an excellent job! It can be a bit intimidating to sing in front of 200 peers plus guests, staff, sponsors, etc., and I was really proud of him for plunging in this year and challenging himself.
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| ...and I was wearing heels. :-( |
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| Archery |
It was a little excruciating for me to wait from Wednesday to Friday to see where he placed in his solo. :-) The screen came up with the top six places (not in order):
And they announced 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd...I couldn't believe he was getting this close...and 2nd place in Male Solo...Ryan Burley!
And to think...he almost had me convinced he should skip it for this year. :-)
This was my fantastic group of students. Other than being exhausted, it was a great week. The kids cooperated so well, and were so responsible. It made my job so much easier! Two of the nights, we didn't get to have supper until about 10 p.m. That's enough to make any teenager mad, but they were great about everything. :-)
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| Very happy kids holding our school award... 2nd place total points in athletics |
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| He probably wouldn't want me to mention this, but Greg was honored with the 2013 Heartland Convention Christian Character Award. |
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So glad Clayton and Leah were able to join us... Clayton is one of our students and lives in
Michigan. We look forward to doing this again!
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| A winter storm with lots of snow made things interesting and amazingly beautiful. Wish I'd had time to take pics all over campus. |
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Recent Random Pics
A couple of weeks ago, I met my sister on Thursday afternoon so she could take the boys back with her to GBS for Friday's basketball tournaments. Our school didn't send a team this year, but the boys wanted to watch the action and they were happy to get to spend another day with their friend Brad.
Late Friday evening, the rest of us made it to Cincinnati to watch the championship game. By the time things were wrapped up, these girls were exhausted. :-)
On Saturday, Adam took Greg and the boys along with the rest of his youth group to Perfect North for a day of skiing and tubing. Valerie had a commitment for a few minutes that evening, so I kept the girls occupied by taking them to some of my favorite places. They were totally enchanted by the tower at the top of Eden Park. When I tried to go up there in late July, it was blocked off. I'm guessing they did some renovations, because it is beautiful. The girls were speechless and totally conviced that it was Rapunzel's castle. :-)
Before leaving town late that night, we enjoyed some Skyline.
This picture was taken on that warm, January Saturday when we met to celebrate a couple of birthdays. That's a serious pile of energy on that slide! :-)
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| Annie, Ryan, Brad, Evan, Aubrey |
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| Allie, Annie, Kait, Aubrey |
Before leaving town late that night, we enjoyed some Skyline.
This picture was taken on that warm, January Saturday when we met to celebrate a couple of birthdays. That's a serious pile of energy on that slide! :-)
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| Suzanna, Olivia, Aubrey, Allison, Kaitlynn ~ Annie must have been napping. |
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