Packed the Truck on June 18th and Start5ed the Drive On June 19th

Right before everyone came over to pack the truck the kids enjoyed an empty truck. It was a blessing that they got to see it empty before the left to be take to a friends house.

 The boys loved sitting in the truck.  They never wanted to get out

 The girls were so excited but had mixed feeling about moving.  They had lots of time with friends before we moved.

This is the sweet guy that I've been married to for 15 years.  Wow, does time go by so fast. I just love this picture.

We enjoyed a much needed stop in Elko, Nevada.

Everyone enjoyed a time of resting in our 37 dollar motel :)

Email I send out after we left California...
Hi Everyone,

We are all packed up and ready to hit the hay so we can start traveling by 6am.  I wanted to thank you for all of your prayers. We have a new truck with only 4 thousand mile on it.  We are all settled in for the night at my parents house.  The kids saw the empty house earlier and Silas was like aaawwww....like where is my bed. Everyone else seemed to be ready for everything to happen.  Silas is at an age where he just takes things as they come.  When he saw the big truck infront of my parents house he was so excited and to see Daddys car on the end made him even more in awwww...We did have to leave something behind but it's nothing that can't be replaced in time.  We had some great help and everything has gone so smoothly.  Thank you for all of your prayers.  It was a blessing that  close friend of mine took all for 4 kids from 9am to 6pm What a help that was :)  I'll keep you posted on how our move is going.  Maybe I can send some pictures love Karen and eveyrone else...it's time for bed we have a 9 hour drive ahead.  We plan on stopping in windover, UT tomorrow night.

Wyoming here we come...It was a great drive with a lovely view of our car and u haul in front of us.  We drove from Lodi to Windover, Nevada.  We found a motel for 37 dollars that took us all.  What a great price that was.

Saying Goodbyes

 

Kiley is a sweet friend that the girls have shared a love of horseback riding with.  Ayla has always said that she is like a twin to Kiley because they are so much a like in their personalities. The girls have enjoyed park days, Monday classes, field trips, and sleep overs with memories that will continue on. It was a blessing for them to all enjoy three months of horseback riding together before we left.  Right before they said their goodbyes Kiley gave the girls some winter clothes so they can stay warm this winter.  What a joy it will bring to the girls this winter when they take out those things and are reminded of the the love of friendship. Seeing the love of Christ being displayed through their friendship brings joy to a parents heart.  They girls like to fight over who is going to call first or who is going to play web kinz. The girls now look forward to taking a trip to California to visit their friend Kiley.  Ayla says that she wants to do it in one day and not two.  All that driving is not always a kids favorite thing to do. 

The last supper with my parents in Lodi. They have been more than  a blessing from the Lord.  It's too much to write down. We will miss them just stopping by because we had the joy of having them around the corner for 4 years.  The kids loved the going swimming and bird watching trips with them.  David and I will miss the free babysitting.  That is just one of many things.  God used them to provide a place for us to stay and a stronger foundation built on loving one another and cherishing family ties.  The joy of the Lord is our strength.  God used our place in Lodi to teach us what humilty and contentment are. They are lessons I will treasure because it has drawn us closer to the Lord and our family has grown closer together because of the things God has graciously and faithfully taught us. 

Nana and Papa came by and all of us girls went out  together.  It was a sweet  time of fun and laughter.   I will miss them coming over to visit from the bay area which was only a two hour drive and not a now  14 hour drive. 

The girls enjoyed a last minute 10:30pm ice cream snack with Natasha at my parents house with a packed truck in the drive way.  It was our last night in Lodi.  The girls didn't want the visit to end.  Natasha has been a friend that can make them laugh until they are red in the face. They share a friendship that they can share the love of Christ in. Natasha has spent the night numerous times and has just become apart of the family.  The kids now dream of us visiting California and having more sleep overs. They have meet a new friend here, but Ayla said mom , no one can make me laugh like Tasha, I miss her. They now spend time on the phone talking and playing web kinz. Friendships is something the kids chairish even more now. Now I have to stop the girls from arguing about who is going to call Tasha first. 

 It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about all the friendships God has provided and each one means something different in my life.  God knows every need and he has filled those needs with the friends above and those who aren't shown.  I miss them all so much and know that God will provide new ones here in Wyoming.  No one friend is alike and I do treasure the ones I can't see daily or weekly now.  I know that we will still have email and the phone.  I do look forward to visiting with everyone next summer in California. 

Thanksgiving Morning

We started our thanksgiving morning off with prayers of thanks, hot chocolate, and a breakfast muffin. The kids thought it was fun to have a different kind of breakfast. Then everyone went about their own activities. I was finishing up some cleaning when I had to go into the hall to get something and I found Liam and Silas playing hello, goodbye with the hallway closets. Then I walked towards the living room and I found Daddy teaching Ayla how to watch football. Then I spotted Holly enjoying a story on CD with her head phones on. As I walked back to cleaning I was filled with a heart of thankfulness.

Psalms 118:1
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

Saturday Morning fun

The kids are enjoying some homemade playdough fun. The girls enjoyed having a friend stay over night and they talked until 2am. Everyone is taking a nap today or their will be grumpiness everywhere.
Earlier Today Holly came and told me that Ayla was being grumpy with her and that she figured that it was because she was tired. She said she worked it out and forgave her.
Last weekend we where given an extra children's Bible and I wasn't sure who to give it to since the girls already had one. Liam was standing by me so I asked him if he wanted it. His face lit up and he ran off to share with everyone. Then he told me that it was Bible time and then he asked me to sit down with him. In my mind I was thinking I need to finish cooking the playdough....I stopped and sat down next to him. He opened the Bible and said Mom now I'm going to read it to you. He opened it and sat their in quietness...just looking at the page...Mom what does it say...I started to read and he repeated every word after me. Then he told Silas to be quite because it was Bible time. The whole time we sat down was only about five minutes. And to think of what I would have missed if I put what I was doing first. This is a daily battle and without the Lords help I would miss out on so much. It is my prayer that Liam will come to love the Word of God and treasure it.

Philip. 4:12

"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. " Philip. 4:12



This season in our life hasn't been easy but I have found joy that I would not have had if not for the season we are in. I have spent lots of time in prayer and God squeezing the pride or shame out of me. I've wanted to hold back and then I lack the joy I know I have in Christ. Although this week has been hard in wondering how God will meet our needs he continues to show us. I'm learning that we don't have to have the same thing for breakfast every morning...I'm learning to use what we have and use up what we have...I never would have made those breakfast muffins if I did say I have to use those up.... I looked up a recipe and the kids loved them...I need to say God teach me in this season and pull me into humility and honesty and take away not pride and hiding because of the shame I may feel. It's about you and glorifying you not being focus on what man thinks. Thank you for bringing me to a place where I can see my sin and turn from it so I can bring glory to you. You can even use a silly little thing like a muffin to bring glory to your name. Now I can find joy and thankfulness in what God has done.
This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Here is the muffin recipe:

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup quick cooking oats 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 cup milk 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana

1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2.	Combine 1 cup flour, oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and baking powder. Whisk together milk, peanut butter, banana, egg, oil, and vanilla. Add banana mixture to dry ingredients, mixing just until moistened. Fill prepared muffin cups 3/4 full.
3.	In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup flour, melted butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffins.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 7/8/2010

Preparing for the 4th of July

Ayla had a wonderful idea to make some things for the 4th of July. So this morning right after breakfast she got to work and everyone else joined in.
Ayla is showing one of 5 flags, neck less, and bracelet that she made for her friends and sibling to wear during the fireworks. She was very thoughtful to include Holly and Liam too. It's such a blessing to see her desire to put others first.




Holly spent her time making a butterfly's and a flag. It was a struggle for her to make a butterfly and she spent some time in tears because she didn't think she could do it good enough. We ended up talking together about how we need to be thankful that God has given us hands to work with. After we spent sometime in prayer she seemed to cheer up.

Silas had his own idea going on in his head this morning. Ended up emptying all the things off the game shelf in the garage and found the spin and paint. While I filled the paint bottles for him he found some pom poms to put into the spinner. Liam kept telling him that he couldn't do it because that wasn't what it was for.
Once Silas got started painting he didn't want to stop and Liam kept wanting a turn so we had some sharing teaching moments.

Silas eyes filled with tears and he wanted to have another turn. It seems like the boys are leather playing well or having a battle over something.

One funny thing the kids and I discovered is that when the spinner is on and you take a picture you can see your painting. Usually you just keep it spinning and then you see the picture at the end. Their is something new to learn everyday.
It was so much fun this morning to do some art together that I think I'm going to plan it into our schedule. Like one Saturday a month do a family art project or art time. I really enjoyed this special time with the kids this morning.

After the boys went down for a nap the girls and I enjoyed a movie. As we watched it I had to explain some things that weren't true. We talked about who wrote the movie and what they believe in because of how it was written. Ayla said mom the person who wrote it could be a believer??? I then asked her that if that was true then a believer would want to write about Christ and not about something false. She responded by say yes that is true. And we talked about how even the devil believes in God and that he likes it when people are happy to not believe in God. Although I'm tired, I'm thanking God for the many teaching moments that he brought my way today. It's amazing what you see when you write and reflect on it.
The girls asked what the 4th of July was all about so we read about it before bed. And we found out that the first 4th of July took place 234 years ago. (July 4, 1776)

Without the gospel everything is useless and vain

“Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God.

But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.”

—John Calvin, preface for Pierre Robert Olivétan’s 1534 French translation of the New Testament

A long update

School ended and now it's free time!!! Not really free and I had to define what that was going to look like so I'm wise with the time God has given me. It has been a struggle to keep up with a regular schedule since school has been out. Our first days without school started with the girls jointing a local swim team and needing to be at practices 4 nights a week. The first practice was a struggle for the girls but they worked through them as we talked and prayed together and made some changes. Both girls had their first meet a couple weeks ago and it was a wonderful but challenging experience for them. One of the many blessing from it was cheering them on as they raced and pushing them beyond what they thought they could do. And during their practices I have had some opportunities to talk about Christ and fellowship with other believers.
The other day the kids came with me to a meeting that had a pool and the girls jumped right in with no questions. We had another opportunity to spend more time at a pool with some friends that gave the girls an opportunity to encourage someone else. The girls didn't really notice it until It was turned into a teaching moment on the way home. I told them how they encouraged their friend with what they learned from their own swimming and how we can glorify God in those situations. Being apart of the swim team has stretched us all and it's been a blessing to be apart of.

Liam has gone to a different level in how he responds to doing what is right. He is smarter and trying to get away with more. Like saying, " Mommy can I watch a video" not now...when you read your Bible...no..no more asking...the list goes on, We have had up the consequences so he understands what is right and what is wrong more clearly. The other day we where at his first dentist appointment and he threw a fit. ( he didn't want anyone else to play the video games in the lobby) I then had to pray to myself for wisdom so we said the verse together," obey your parents in the Lord for this is right" after we said it together he claimed down and then his name was called. My heart was then beating a bit slower and thanking God for the quick response. And Liam is now 100% potty trained...we started in Sept.and stopped and started again. As the candy was gone for the pee I added hot wheels for poop and he was so motivated. He would run to the potty and said mommy I'm going to get a new hot wheel. One day he went 3 times and was pleased with all those hot wheels. Liam is growing up so fast and is excited about doing preschool work with the girls this next year. I told him about his book tonight and he just lit up and told the girls all about it. Out of all 4 Liam has been the greatest challenge for us and the one that keeps mommy praying for more patience.



Silas loves to test and test and test...he thinks he is so cute with that grin and then he does something a second time after I have told him no. He has gotten new consequences and gives me a strange look afterwords but it's a blessing that he responds well the first time. And he has found a new place to play...yes you guessed it the toilet. He has been the only kid that has really played in it with a cup, Yuck!! And he loves to eat and drink like a dog. Yes, he has eaten dog food several times when I wasn't looking. When he eats his cereal he puts his whole face in the bowl and licks it all up. We need to work on the table manners but that will come in time. Silas loves to copy his big brother in everything which makes double work for the both of us. Sometimes I'll be disciplining Liam when Silas turns and does the same thing. Both of the boys keep us busy with the screams and yelling that boy do. ( boys are very loud!!!) I'm so thankful that God has given us boys last because he now I'm so much more laid back and don't mind the mess or the noise as much. I end up preaching to myself by saying, "Is what they are doing really wrong or is it just me feeling bothered by it?" Most of the time it ends up being my selfishness and then I end up praying for God to help find joy in their playing.





Holly just lost one of her front teeth and got her first pair of glasses. I don't think I've ever seen someone so excited about glasses. She loved sitting in the chair to try them on and is very careful to take care of them. Holly has also struggled with her coach on her swim team. It's his first year teaching the group and she talks about how he doesn't say nice things to the other kids. We have watched how things are and we have had some great opportunities to talk about fears and how we can ask God to help us. These struggles have given Holly opportunities to ask for prayer. Holly has gone from being fearful to just saying Mommy I don't think he knows the Lord because of how he talks and treats the other kids. We have had some great teaching opportunities on how we can show love to others and how we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. God uses Holly daily to remind me of what I need to be doing. It's like having someone turn around and put a mirror right in front of you and you see yourself and your ugly sin. It's not easy to see, but it turns out to be a blessing when God has given me the self control to stop and recount the steps I took.

Ayla is growing, growing, and maturing daily. She loves to help out and I am guilty of not letting her help out more. Lots of the time I want the control and I think that I can do it better. I have had to swallow my pride so many times and also apologize and do a replay on how to do it right. Ayla is so great with the boys and is that extra helping hand that is needed to encourage the boys to do what is right. When she tries it with Holly it doesn't turn out well, that is something we have to work on daily. I find myself reminding her that she isn't the parent many times and we talk about how God wants us to encourage the other to do what is right without sounding like parent. Ayla is so great at including others and understanding how our relationships best please God.


David and I have had some extra time together and time as a family as he continues to look for more work. The verse that has filled my thoughts has been, "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." Phip.4:12
It is a privileged to go to the Word of God and find comfort, peace, and rest in knowing that God is in control of all things. He has displayed himself beyond what words can describe and I would have it no other way than to be where I am today. Yes, I do wish I would have done things differently but quickly have to let go of those things because I don't want to over look what God has done and is doing. I want to glorify him in all ways. I'm so thankful for the marriage, the children, and friendships he has graciously given. All the glory goes to him alone.
1 Cor. 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me."
Colo. 1:29 " For this I toil struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works in me."