Un Real Upchuck

Yep it's un-real! Our project for the night was unreal Upchuck where you dig into a regurgitated Starling pellet. I know super gross, but Lilly and Owen wanted to know what animal poop has in it. So we just happened to see this in Hobby Lobby and I got it. Gary and the kids love this kind if thing. I just take pictures and remove myself from the situation!!
One day we will all say:
Hey remember when we dug into the regurgitated Starling pellet and found the dead mouse???
Thanksgiving conversations will be so fun one day!

Ordinary Back Pack To......

To Extraordinary

Bling a custom one of a kind back pack!

Love Colorado

Lilly the sleepless child

Lilly is not a sleeper. Let me take this back Lilly is a Sleeper between the hours of 1:00am and 9:00am. Sleep for her has been excruciating since the moment she took her very first breath. I pray and pray some nights that bedtime would be this wonderful time of reading and prayer and sleep. We have everything but sleep. There have been nights when Gary, Owen and I have gone to bed and Lilly is screaming to high heaven to stay awake. This summer I have been guilty of letting her stay up and sleep with me because Gary is working. And in all honesty it avoids the fight of keeping her in bed. I became super lazy and now I am paying for it.
My laziness made our little sleeping problem way worse.
School is starting in one week and my sweet little girl needs to be on a better routine for her sanity and mine. So we started bedtime at 7:30. We washed up, brushed our teeth, put on our pj's and read three chapters of a Tinker Bell book, prayed as a family and tucked both Lilly and Owen into bed.
Both kids stayed in their rooms reading or playing and then Owen crawled in bed went sound asleep and Lilly came downstairs. Gary took her back to bed. She came down again. I took her to bed. This was our routine for 2 hours and 42 minutes. It is now 10:53 and she is still wide awake.
I will be strong for her sake and mine. I am praying she let go and just sleep.

Proverbs 23:13
Do not withhold discipline from a child

Yup! Done With the Heat.

I Have All Ways Liked Chick fil A

So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman,'
for she was taken out of man." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:20-24 NIV)

Lunch with my Favorite People!

Lilly asked me if I have ever used one of those???? Yes I have!

Teddy Stephanie and Allie

I have been secretly jumping up and down because Teddy,Steph and Allie will be moving to Kansas! The Army is moving them to Ft. Leavenworth. I am so happy that they are only about six hours away! We can all drive three hours and meet in the middle. Teddy will be traveling a ton in his new job but I am really excited to be able to see Allie! Hoping we may even be able to have her come stay with us!! I keep contemplating a new Toyota Sequoia that could even bring Allie with us for a visit! Not to mention road trips to Idaho and Florida, just saying!
A couple of weeks and they will be so much closer!!

Grieving for The Colorado Movie Goers

I have to admit waking up Friday morning and seeing the news of the shootings in Aurora was horrifying. I can't even imagine what went through the minds of the people in that theater. After having several days to absorb the news and details I have so many questions. Something has gone very very wrong with this mans life. He will pay, maybe not by man but his day of judgement will be one that I pray I will never have to imagine. I pray this person fall to his knees and begin seeking forgiveness.
I am again disturbed at the number of children attending a "Dark" midnight movie. The youngest victim of this massacor was six. I just don't understand why a six year old non the less any children were doing at this movie. Let alone this time of night. Please forgive me if I seem crass, I too am grieving this horrible tragedy. And in no way shape or form did any of the victims do anything wrong. I just don't understand the concept of taking babies to a midnight movie that is violent and scary. Makes no sense.
I guess a lot of things don't make sense in our world. Gary and I continue to seek The Lord knowing He is the only way and the only truth.
Praying for the families of all the victims, and praying for peace for each survivor to be able to move forward in Christ.

Zoo Day

So we had a beautiful Colorado Day at the Zoo! We also were blessed with a behind the gate look at the new elephant exhibit. We were about to leave when this wonderful guide at the zoo asked Lilly and Owen if they would like a ride down the mountain. When we all got on the trolley she asked us if we would like to go see the Elephants in their new barn. It was so cool! We are one of the very first guest of the Zoo to see the new barn. This gal even took us on a behind the seen look at what the new exhibit will look like this fall when it opens! Such a blessing!!

Zoo Pictures

Thankful for Grace

We took a drive to see the northwest side of Colorado Springs today. I have forgotten that our big city is so small. We tend to stay on the north east side of the Springs where we work, go to school and church. We had no idea how close this fire was to our home until this drive. Our favorite places to hike and play are all along the Waldo Canyon Fire area. I honestly don't think we were prepared for what we saw. Our mountains and favorite trail will never be the same in our lifetime. We were able to drive down Flying W Ranch road off Centennial. With the exception of the mountain side burned it looked like a normal neighborhood. And then all the sudden it was home after home burned to the ground. I want everyone to know that we were on Flying W Ranch Road which is like Barnes road. Out of respect for our Colorado Springs neighbors we respected the privacy of the residence and did not drive directly into any of the neighborhoods nor took any photos. But the destruction was evident and heartbreaking. This was also a learning lesson for Lilly and Owen. As we were driving we saw a home burned to the ground with a swing set in the backyard. Lilly and Owen took this to heart and both were very sadden for the children that lived in this home. Owen prayed right then and there and soon Lilly followed. God is most certainly in control and still the same today as yesterday. The fire may be smoldering in spots but the destruction will remain for a lifetime. Praying for all of these directly effected by the destruction of the Waldo Canyon Fire.

Grace From the Ashes (Waldo Canyon Fire)

Getting Skinny

Well....... I am not skinny yet and I am sure the fact I am drinking this won't help!

Stinking Owen

Apparently he needs a picture to look at in while going potty! Its a good thing he is cute or we would have to trade him in on a used piece of bubble gum!!

Operation Get Skinny

Let's just say I did not do well on vacation at all. I ate fried bread, cheeseburgers, chicken fried stake and lots of different food that had huckleberries in it. I totally failed again. But tomorrow I will be back on my diet and mission of getting skinny! I get to lead worship this weekend and it's my favorite thing ever to sing to Jesus but man do I hate seeing the video of the chubby girl. I can't lie when I dream I am a perfect size six!! Any who I have a before picture of me. By Christmas I shall post a near after!! Okay it's not really me but you get the idea, chubby blond girl in pink. At least I have a sense of humor about this.

Comments

After being in Idaho, our family told us that they could not comment on our blog. So I looked into it and noticed it was blocked. Sorry I fixed it! We love it when you all comment!

My Vacation Home on the River

Okay maybe it's not really mine but a girl can dream!

We asked and Prayed

It's raining!! This is good and bad news. We need the moisture really bad but the burn area is now flooding. Those poor people just can't get a break. Hopefully this moisture will be enough to put out the fire and not cause any flooding damage to the area.
Willie hates rain! Silly cat!

Fantastic Trip

We just got home from a fantastic trip to Idaho. We had a really nice time visiting Gary's family and friends. My kids love Stephanie and Morgan. I think the fresh smoke free air went to Lilly's head just a little she got out of the jeep and became a sassy little girl! I am pretty sure that Owen had to learn to walk again after being carried by Morgan all week! We got to see Joe and Becky and they are doing great. Can't wait for them to come and visit us. It was a fantastic week!