Cub Scouts

Nathan is moving right along in his scouting.  He is complete with nearly half of his Bear achievements.  Nathan was top seller for popcorn this year!  We pick up the popcorn soon and then we will be able to deliver it.

I was at the kids' school this night.  So glad Ryan was able to be with Nathan when he received his Wolf and officially moved to Bear rank.  

Girl Scouts

Audrey began Girl Scouts a month after school started.  I am a co-leader of her troop.  She can hardly wait to sell cookies.  She is learning that Girl Scouts is about a lot more than simply selling cookies!  We have been busy and loving every second of it.

 First troop meeting.

 Reading from our first Journey.  

 Insect craft.

 Trip to the chocolate shop.

 Juliette Gordon Low's birthday Celebration.

 Troop meeting art.

Aunt Again

My brother, Chad, and his wife, Sarah, decided some time ago to adopt a child.  At first they were looking at an online website for children ready for adoption in Michigan.  They decided that they were interested in adopting a boy.  There were a few leads on children they were ready for placement.  Yet, nothing seemed to work in their favor.  They were told by their caseworker that it is a good idea to do foster care as it can lead to adoption and they are more likely to get a younger child in their placement.

A few months ago I received a call from Chad and he said they were going to pick up a little boy the next day.  Needless to say, they fell in love with him from the first moment they spent with him.  Fourteen month old Jeremiah James was placed in their care in September.  In early October while attending a termination hearing for Jeremiah's biological father, the bio father signed away his parental rights.  I can only imagine how difficult this was.  I am so grateful that he decided to do what was in Jeremiah's best interest and give him the best chance possible.

The adoption process has begun.  It is hard being so far away.  I am grateful for the pictures and stories I get!

Here I go playing "catch up"  I try not to get too far behind but I also try not to post things as we are doing things (because the blog is not private and I am paranoid that there are people that actually could stalk our family).  

Audrey's Birthday Morning - Breakfast in Bed.

Then we headed off to Venice to have the rest of the birthday party.  

Audrey took her best friend, Eden!

It was a really fun birthday.

The Busy Life

Life has become increasingly more BUSY!  This is our normal week - - -
Monday, Girl Scouts
Tuesday, Cub Scouts
Wednesday, Young Women (my current calling at church)
Thursday, Piano
Friday, one day with out a definitive plan!

This past week included all of the above and a church fall party that I helped to organize, set up and take down on Friday.  Saturday was a Girl Scout trip to Olde Naples Chocolate.  Saturday evening we had a babysitter so Ryan and I could go out with friends - fun but still included planning and preparation.  Sunday Audrey spiked a fever at church and we came home early, Ryan's dad and sister came down and spent the rest of the day with us.

Today is Monday and we are starting over again.  Tonight is my first time to present the lesson/activity as co-leader in Girl Scouts.  Tomorrow we turn in Nathan's Cub Scout popcorn order!  Wednesday is mini golfing with the YW.  Thursday is piano - Nathan really needs to practice.  Oh and Halloween falls on Thursday.  Kids have early release from school on Friday and we also have student led conferences on Friday afternoon.  I could keep going but I'll stop.

Life with three kids is busy but I'm not complaining.  I am so grateful to be able to be home with the kids.  There are many families that have to have both parents working full time just to make it.  I am fortunate that at this stage of life I have the blessing to be able to stay home.

If Only For a Moment

Certain people touch your life if even for a moment.  Looking back over my life there have been a few people that I “knew” for only a few minutes and have made a lasting impression.  Leaving a grocery store with a toddler on my hip a wounded veteran in a wheelchair stopped me.  He was selling stuffed Shamu toys to raise money for veterans.  I told him I didn’t have any cash and I wouldn’t be able to help him out.  He insisted that my son take one of the Shamu toys anyway.  Now, 8 years later, that toy sits on my son’s bed.  Though a toddler at the time, Nathan remembers the story, I often told him, of how he came to own that stuffed Shamu.  He sometimes mentions the kindness of that wounded veteran.  Though that man was only in my life for a few moments, he has forever touched my life. 

Work on House

Oh, I can't forget this post!  Over the summer my friend Megan and I put up a tile backsplash in my kitchen.  Megan has experience with mosaic tiling and talked me into doing this ourselves.  It turned out great - but started with a long process of choosing tile, borrowing no less than three wet saws and two long days of tiling.  My only tip, make sure you have a decent wet saw and an awesome sharp blade for that bad boy!

School Year 2013-14

Pictures from the first day of school

Now that we are in our new house the kids are zoned for Vineyards Elementary School.  They have a uniform dress code - which parents really like and Nathan seems to be getting over his distaste for it (at least I haven't heard him talk about it lately).  

Audrey is in Kindergarten with Mrs. Sharp - she has 21 kids in her class

Nathan is in 3rd grade with Mrs. Addis - 17 kids in his class

Summer 2013

As it turns out I am probably close to the worlds worst blogger.  But I guess it doesn't matter because it doesn't seem that anyone missed the posts while I was "out."

There are a few things to post about from over the summer - (funny that I have to look back over the pictures I have taken to see what sorts of things I need to post)

The big deal this summer was our three week vacation to Michigan.  All of our family is from Michigan.  We use to go up to MI during the summer and at Christmas (and before Nathan started school we would go up 3-5 times per year) - now with Ryan's big job we can't make it up for Christmas anymore.  It is going to be an adjustment for all of us.  But if I have to choose between a long trip in the summer when we can be outside and do lots of fun things with the family and a crammed, cold, short trip around Christmas - SUMMER IT IS!

I'll let the pictures tell the story.  I will caption above the photos:

Fun with cousins - Alaina and Zachary

(Didn't notice until now just how much Alaina and Elysse look alike - hair parted on different sides but these girls look a lot alike!)  Audrey - hmmm not sure what that face is all about.

Boat and fishing with Grandma Karen and Grandpa Jim

Park in Lake Odessa

Fishing at Great Grandma Brace's house

Hike on an old Indian Trail

Trip to the Detroit Zoo

Green Field Village

Audrey's try at modeling... No future...

Road Apples

More modeling??

Watering a garden with Uncle Chad

More fun at cousins

Grandkid Picture

Elysse on Lake Michigan

 Building Sand Castles and Flying a Kite

The Badger - takes people from WI to MI everyday

Riding with Grandpa Beadle on the tractor

We had an action packed three weeks and I didn't get pictures of everything but we had a good time.  While visiting family we made sure to get in some fun activities - Nathan and Audrey went camping, we stayed at a condo in Ludington on Lake Michigan, went to Michigan's Adventure amusement park, went fishing and to parks, Detroit Zoo, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.

Having so much fun in Michigan makes the kids miss it all year long...