Christmas Play

The Christmas Play, "Back to the Manger" was a wonderful experience for us all. I really enjoyed teaching Matthew's class & Adrienne's class their dances. Adrienne's class were the 80's aerobicizers. Matthew's class were the bell ringers & Madison's class (girls only) were the 50's poodle skirt hand-jive dancers. The kids loved every minute of the singing and dancing. Thanks for the pics Papa!

IGC

Since Bill started coaching gymnastics again, he thought it would be good to jump back into the sport & coach at International Gymnastics Camp for their Thanksgiving Clinic. He contacted hid old friend Brent and asked if we could swap, Bill would coach & the girls would stay overnight in a cabin & do gymnastics for 2 days straight. Now this just isn't any old gym. Foam pits as far as the eye can see. 6 inch wide beams instead of 4, all leading to another pit. Spring floors and even a dance gym! The girls had a fantastic time! They met new friends, learned new skills and even had the chance to learn from Olympic Champion Russian gymnast Svetlana Boginskaya! Wow!!! It was a great trip. Bill, Matthew & I stayed in a large room below the Klaus family home. Matthew enjoyed himself too as did I. I even managed a few flips into the pit myself. Not bad for an almost 40 old lady!

We look forward to going back again this summer!

Matthew and the goats

 These 2 kids were a little rowdy :)

 Matthews mat tower

 Adrienne learning her dance

 Matthew on PBars

 Madison on tumble track

The gymnasts of Cabin #5

Madison's Level 5 Meet

Heart Dissection

I guess I was missing my former days in surgery as a PA...because I decided to purchase a sheeps heart & sheeps kidney to dissect. In science we are learning about the human body. We just finished learning about the urinary & circulatory systems so I figured this would be something the kids would remember. I invited a few of Madison's Compass classmates, we had a little lunch & then began to dissect (I figured they wouldn't have much of an appetite after :). It was great. Thankfully I didn't cut through the Mitral valve, so we were able to view it in tact in all it's glory. It is always amazing to see up close how God created these organs to function. It made me marvel at His design and hopefully the kids could marvel right along with me :D

Loss of a Job...But it Never Really was a Job.

Hip-Hop, the 76ers mascot is no more. On Thursday as Bill was driving in to work, he was listening to sports radio. The talk show host (I won't name names because his name doesn't deserve to be mentioned on my blog) asked the new owners if Hip-Hop was going to be fired. "I've got a big pot of boiling water, let's have some rabbit stew!".
Bill called me with a feeling that it would be his last day...and it was. He was so thankful to be able to thank all the amazing friends & co workers for 14 years of fun. Bill loved his job. It was the perfect job for my energetic-can't-sit-still- let-me-entertain-you husband. We never saw it as a job...it was a way of life for our whole family. Parades, zoos, movie premieres, dunk shows, games, parties...all these things we were able to do as a family. So many skits on the court involved the kids, me, Bill's mom, Madison's soccer team. It was a family thing...wonderful for that fact.
So on Friday morning as Bill walked downstairs and announced " Well...today is the first day of a new season in our lives!" We all cried. We are still so sad to say goodbye to the friends that we have met along the way & the wonderful opportunities we have had as a family. Some things we are not sad to leave. Game nights...Bill working all day and not arriving home till 11pm. Exhausted. The sheer physicalness (is that even a word?) of the job. Him having to be up and energetic even when he is exhausted...he won't miss. Endless piles of sweaty clothes and sweaty stinky rabbit heads hanging in my house...I won't miss.
I typed up a little history of Hip-Hop HERE. It tells Bill's story. We have kept Hip-Hop's identity secret for 14 years. I feel like people should know what an amazing man he is. I want to send it to the press. Bill said no...so I won't. But if I could I would ask them, along with mister talk radio guy...

Did you know that the man in the costume prayed each and every time before he walked out on the court?
Did you know that he was a national champion and the first man to score a perfect 10 in National Championship history?
Did you know he cried inside his rabbit costume when he visited a sick child in the hospital?
Did you know he endured 3 major surgeries during the 14 years and risked his life at times to entertain you?

So what will we do now? We are not sure. Bill will be coaching at the girls gymnastics club more often. His resume is complete and we will be sending it out. We have been praying alot. Praying that the Lord would show us the way. He answered us as I read in Isaiah 30:


"He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as He hears it He answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you saying 'This is the way, walk in it'.


Teacher, Our Lord, we will wait to hear your voice from behind us saying "This is the way, walk in it."

Hip-Hop 1997-2011

Emma Rose

My heart is heavy for my dear friend Steph. 

She lost her 3 year old daughter Emma on Friday. 

Please pray for her, her husband Ken and Gavin & Mason her brothers. 

Lord we do not understand it all. 

Your ways are not our ways. 

You give & take away but we trust you have a greater plan.

Her Memorial Website

This One is for Poppy

Crazy September

School Starts...

Adrienne's Girl Party...

Adrienne & Matthew Family Party...

Gifts...

And more gifts...

Papa's Party...

Matthew's boy party...

and then soccer...

and more soccer...

So long September...I'm going to rest now...October, come quickly...thank you.

Williamsburg Vacation

Vacation Wirlwind...and Now a Hurricane!

Well we left early from Williamsburg VA due to hurricane Irene...and actually it was a good thing. After a whole week of beautiful beach weather at the Outer Banks and 5 action packed days at Water Country USA, Busch Gardens and Historic Williamsburg...we were so ready to come home. Vacation was wonderful in every way. Family fun, relaxing, reading, talking, eating, playing...it was wonderful! The time spent with my parents, my sister and her family and my brother & Kati was terrific. Now as we wait to get pounded by Irene...I have plenty of time to look through pictures. Here is a slideshow of my pics from the Outer Banks...enjoy! I hope to put together another slideshow of our time in Virginia...hopefully before the power goes out :)

Madison's 10th Birthday Slideshow

Yes I know...it was in back in June...but better late than never! Enjoy the slideshow & thanks to Papa for the pics & to the whole family for the wonderful gifts. I'll echo Madison when she said..."This was the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!!!!

The Dancing Old Man

I Love church. I love it because it is there where I experience God in a very real way. There is a man at my church. In his 70's I think. He wears suspenders with a suit every Sunday. He is usually sitting alone. But when that worship music begins...he is no longer sitting. When the music picks up, faster, louder... he starts dancing. And last week, he did it again...and it made me cry. To see this man dance with his arms raised & his face lit up with pure joy...it's like witnessing a little bit of heaven, right there in front of me. I can't look away. Why is he so filled up with joy? He knows a great love. He has been forgiven much so he loves God much. And watching him makes me love God more too.

5th grade is HERE!

The History of Medicine, Mother Theresa, India, China, Around the World in 80 Days, Genghis Kahn, Eric Liddel, Louis Braille,Aladdin, The Incredible Journey, Blood and Guts, chopsticks, Nutrition, silk worms, Gandhi....and so much more! Currently, Madison has hijacked 2 books and is reading them right now. Matthew wanted to begin putting together the 600 piece global puzzel until I stopped him, and Adrienne is excited about the origami book. I do want the summer to last longer...but all these books get me excited to learn too! And Bill...well he will be more excited after he pays off the visa bill :)

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Spontaneous

During a crazy busy summer with swim practice 3 mornings a week, gymnastics 2 mornings and swim meets every Wed night and Sat morning...I realize how important it is to create spontaneous fun memories with Bill and the kids. Like sunglass shopping at Claires or more recently letting the kids play and dance in the rainstorm the other day. Madison said it was the 'best time ever' and was hoping for rain the next night. With Madison now 10 I am realizing my time with them at home with us will be so short in the span of my life. Lord help me see them as the true blessings they are and tresure them. Help me be spontaneous and delight in them...just like you delight in us...your children. Amen.

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Junior Lifeguards

I love our pool & the opportunities it provides...swim team, lessons, meeting new friends...and lots of fun! I introduce to you the new junior lifeguards at the Brookhaven Swim Club!

4th of July on Grand Island

Having a blast! Water fights, swimming pool, old family videos, boat ride, good food, and Fantasy Island!

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Swimming A!

Swim season has begun!!! The girls are doing well so far. Adrienne's last meet she was so beautiful in the backstroke & won her race! She was built for speed that little one. I am so proud of her!

The House Finch

Every spring I see the robins stand in front of our front porch, gazing into our porch with visions of perfectly safe & dry nests to lay their eggs. Well after the first time we let a robin build her nest, and bird mites infested our porch furniture (not fun at all), we decided to put little stuffed animals in each corner of the porch to prevent little mama robins from building their nests. I thought I was home free...until I saw this little grey bird fly out of my fern hanging on the porch. (Great picture courtesy of Papa)

And then we looked inside the fern and found her little nest filled with 5 speckled eggs...

Daddy finch is very involved...always keeping lookout for the very loud human named Matthew who can be quite unpredictable and did I mention loud :) 

But even though...I think they like their little home. 

Looking forward to meeting baby finches soon!

Daddy's Love

The scene: Gymnastics Championships. 

Adrienne Elise just finished performing on floor. 

She did the most beautiful round-off backhandspring all by her self for the first time.

Running over to her dad (coach Bill) yelling 'I did it!!". 

This picture was taken by a friend. It brought tears to my eyes.

Philly Mud Run

Proud of my guy for setting a goal & completing the Mud Run! 

10k race with 30 obstacles...most of them in the mud. 

Here are some shots. 

And maybe next year I can drum up enough courage to do it with him!

Foot in the face :)

Adrienne cheering her daddy on...

And the finish!