Hands-On House

The weekend was busy for me & the kids. Bill had a game Friday and 3 appearances all day on Saturday so we traveled to Lancaster to stay over Nana & Poppy's house Friday night. On Friday we went to the Hands-On House with cousins Tate, Amanda & Sarah. The kids painted their own faces, milked a cow, caught fish, played dress up, worked in a supermarket and on an assembly line. On Saturday we visited Hershey's Chocolate World. We learned about how chocolate is made and of course ate chocolate...yum! The kids had a great time...thanks Nana & Poppy!

The Twenty-One Balloons

We just finished up The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois. The kids liked this one as well. It was about a professor who created a giant air balloon called The Globe & attached a house to it so he could float around for an entire year. He really liked being alone. A sea gull poked a hole in his balloon and he crashed on the volcanic island of Krakatoa. The island was in constant motion from volcanic activity and it was difficult to walk on. He soon met the inhabitants; 20 families all with a mother, father & 2 kids. The families were all named by letters of the alphabet & children were A1 and A2 accordingly. They lived in beautiful homes built on a foundation of pure diamonds! The secret to Krakatoa...it was full of diamond mines filled with billions of dollars of diamonds! It was an interesting story. Madison is still asking us to call her and Adrienne M1 and M2. The M family's house was full of amazing inventions like bumper car couches & chairs and beds that could be raised up through a hole in the roof so the children could view the stars before going to sleep. We began reading Strawberry Girl about 2 feuding families in the deep south in the early 1900's. The kids are enjoying daddy read to them using his best southern accent.

Fire Station Visit

Thanks to our wonderful neighbor & volunteer fireman Tim, we had the opportunity to tour the new and improved Brookhaven Fire Station on Saturday. The kids loved every minute! They sat in the trucks and even got to try on Mr. McCarthy's boots. We also saw the Jaws of Life up close. We learned a little about fire safety and about the dangers of being a fireman, and talked about the strength & courage these men have. I'm grateful for the opportunities the kids have to learn, right here in our own community! Thanks so much Tim for taking time out of your day to show us around.

Pen Pal

Ever since Kindergarten, Madison has had a fascination with India. She loves how the women dress & decorate themselves with beautiful jewelry and clothes. She often asks me to put jewel stickers on her forehead and wrap a pretty scarf on her head so she can pretend to be from India. Last year she came to me and asked if she could have a friend, a girl from India, whom she could write to. So I thought what a great idea Madison! We'll find you a pen pal. So I found this website called Amazing Kids which links up children all over the world to be able to communicate. It took almost a year for them to find a little girl Madison's age from India but they finally found Ruhee. She'll be turning 7 in May and lives with her mom & dad in Ahmedabad, India. She writes beautifully in cursive and just sent Madison a couple pictures of herself, her family, beautiful sticker tattoos of peacock's (India's national bird) and Bindis (tiny jewelry to wear on the forehead). Madison was SO excited to receive these special gifts & to read Ruhee's letter. Here are some pictures of her sporting her new Indian gifts.

Musical Monks

Bill and I saw this skit live on TV and could not stop laughing. Here's a shorter version on video. Don't forget to pause my Playlist Music.
Happy Tuesday!

The Hollow Men

Musical Monks

Joke of the Day
Stand-Up Comedy

Free Online Games
More Funny Videos

Family Fun Day

Last week was pretty busy for Bill so the kids (and me) really missed him. So since he had a game Friday & Sunday, Saturday was officially "Family Fun Day". We went to Tom Jones (TJ's) for breakfast and then to a park to ride bikes and play on the playground. We noticed Adrienne growing out of her bike & thought she would be ready to get rid of her training wheels. When we mentioned it, she said a BIG "No Way!" So while discussing it in the car on the way home we saw a yard sale and a little purple bike...just Adrienne's size. We pulled over & Adrienne sat on it & LOVED it...so Bill bought it for $20 & loaded it in the already full van. I told Adrienne that since God blessed her with a new bike just for her, that He would give her the courage to ride it. And He did! That afternoon we went to the local school parking lot to ride. Bill ran behind her for less than 5 minutes and off she rode! We all cheered for our big girl Adrienne. We are so proud of you Sweet Cheeks!

Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom's birthday is Sunday so I wanted to wish her a very happy birthday. I really wish I could be there in person mom...to give you a hug & kiss...and tell you in person how much I love you! Even though we live in different states I feel closer to you in many ways. In the midst of raising my own family I can now understand and appreciate the sacrafice you made for me, Dee and Jon...and continue to make. Thanks for all you do.

So from Bill & me, Madison, Adrienne & Matthew...

Happy Birthday GeGe! We love and miss you!!!

Our Example

After being a Christian for almost 13 years, I've heard many people comment about their own beliefs.

"I don't believe in organized religion", "The church is full of hypocrites", "As long as I am a good person & do good things", "I'm much better than that person, and HE even goes to church!".

I can relate to all of these statements, because I used to believe them as well. I also used to hear the phrase "the 2 reasons why someone isn't a Christian is 1. they don't know any Christians and 2. they do. I agree that many "Christians" do alot of preaching to others but their lives do not exhibit a life surrendered to Christ (myself included...just ask my family). I agree that we are all hypocrites...we have all said things and done other things...we have all condemned others for doing things we have done. You've heard the stories of priests and pastors sinning horribly against children, their wives and church members. Those stories do hinder the message of the gospel for sure. It does not prove that Christianity is useless...it only proves that we are all sinners in desperate need of a Savior!And it doesn't change who Christ is...He is unchanging.

I do though believe that a true Christian's life should look different from someone who is not a believer. Our lives should be a light in a dark world. The fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) should be clearly visible in how we speak & live. After all...we are a new creation in Christ! We should desire to know more about God, by reading the bible & desiring to meet with others who know God, like a healthy local church. This desire and change does not come from our own doing, or by just trying to be a better person. It comes from God in us. We could always look like a good person by comparing ourselves with others. "I can't believe she did that!" or, "I would never act like that!"

What if we compared ourselves to God? What if we compared ourselves with Jesus...who walked this earth, loving those who hated him, was tempted but never sinned, never gossiped, never lied. What if He is our example & not the Christian that lives next door. "That's ridiculous Christina...we could never attain those standards!"

You're right! And that's why He died. So sinners like us can enter His gates with thanksgiving, and love God, because He first loved us. He is our example, so lets stop looking to the right & left of us and just look up AND let's live like forgiven, redeemed children of God!

If you are not a Christian but are curious to learn more, find a healthy local church. One that preaches from the bible...one that is alive. You know the ones. Also look for the Alpha Course & sign up. It's a great introduction to Christianity. It's good even if you grew up in a church, knew about the "Rules" of religion but never had a relationship with Christ. Or simply pick up that old bible, dust it off & start to read in John...and pray that God would show up and meet you. You will not regret it!

Walking Her Home

Turn up your volume & just listen to this song playing. Walking Her Home by Mark Schultz. It tells the story of a young boy marrying his true love, having a baby and growing old together. My sweet husband heard it this morning & told me to find it and listen...a few tears later, I put it on my Playlist. Thanks for the song love. Thanks for never leaving my side. "Yur the best!"

Book of the Month

The homeschool curriculum I use is a literature based curriculum which means we do a lot of reading to the kids. One of the reasons I have continued homeschooling is Sonlight's amazing books. All of us LOVE the books!! Usually Bill reads to them before they go to sleep...or I do if Bill has a game. We have laughed, cried, and pretended to be characters from the books. We have learned about World War 2, Robin Hood, Queen Elizabeth and the days of chivalry, all from reading these great books! Reading to the kids has produced wonderful fruit as well...listening skills, vocabulary, creativity and speaking skills. So every month I am going to try to highlight the books we are reading. We just finished reading The School Story by Andrew Clements. It was a cute story about an 11 year old girl who writes a book & secretly tries to get her mom (a publisher) to publish it. With the help of her best friend and a teacher at school, Natalie writes a wonderful story that her mom publishes before finding out the author is her own daughter. Natalie dedicates her book to her dad who died when she was younger and we all ended up crying as Bill read the final page. A great story and it even encouraged Madison in her own writing. Parts were a little boring for Adrienne & Matthew but they still listened in for the most part. We have just started reading The Twenty-One Balloons. It's about a professor who hopes to fly in his giant air balloon only to crash on a strange island with even stranger inhabitants. Pretty good so far. I'll let you know how it ends.

And a Happy Birthday Shout-out to my brother-in-law John!

New Bikes!

So I forgot to take a picture of all of us on our bikes yesterday...hence the strange man on bike shot. On Saturday we went to Target and bought new bikes for Bill & I. Yesterday the weather was absolutely beautiful and we were outside all day riding around the block. While the little ones were napping I went out with Madison. As we were riding with the wind in our hair & the sun on our faces, Madison turns to me & says , "Isn't this great mom! Just you and me, mom & daughter, riding together!" It was great. A memory I hope to have forever. That's what weekends are all about!

Cleared!

Bill saw his doctor yesterday and he has been cleared for everything...running, jumping, dunking, flipping...everything. It has been 8 months since the surgery & 9 months since the injury. Praise God who is Faithful and Loving.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

The Little Things

Yesterday was a good day. The kids played well, Bill came home early AND he brought with him beautiful pink flowers and Peeps for the kids. Thanks honey! I love having flowers in my home...they just make me happy. It also causes me to be aware of God's love for me...even in the little things. God's love through my husband's thoughtfulness, through the beauty God created in those flowers, and through little blessings like these chairs & table in our new room. We bought the chairs in Lancaster for $300 and then yesterday, I looked across at my neighbors house & saw this end table plopped in the snow with the trash. I told Bill about it & this morning he brought it home. It's not exactly the cottage style I was going for but perfect for now. And maybe I can sand it down & throw some paint on it! I just love that God is at work...even in the little things.

Let It Snow!

This morning we enjoyed waking up to a beautiful winter wonderland outside with 4 inches on the ground. Not a big deal for my family in Buffalo, but a big deal for us. I went shopping for food last night and there was not a crumb of bread left in the store. It's funny how the whole town closes down even for an inch of snow. Bill went in later this morning so we had a great breakfast together...something we can't often do because of his therapy schedule. Adrienne made a cute penguin snow meter in Compass a few weeks ago and got to use it this morning. So hibernation continues...5 loads of wash to do today, school and hopefully another fun day playing in the snow. Happy Monday!