Kindergarten Orientation

Rosefield has so many incoming kindergarteners they are hiring a 5th teacher
the kids sat at desks and colored while the teacher spoke to the parents
Joshua was drawing something for his teacher
He's gonna love school
His new outfit for orientation
Not sure what to expect
The list of kids in Joshuas class
Principal Hanna speaking to all parents & kids
Joshua's new teacher Mrs. Coronado

We started off in the cafeteria with cookies and lemonade and a quick intro from the principal Mr. Hanna. It was a nice night meeting the teacher and seeing all of the kids that will be in his class. There will be 25 kids. The teacher seems really nice and Joshua liked her. We got a list of supplies to start collecting and a sheet on how to rate where our kids are and where they should be entering kindergarten. I think I will be helping out in this class a lot. It was a fun night.

Church Picnic

Sharing dessert
Go Hannah!
cooling off Darrell
My little pirate
Friends
Today we had our first Calvary Chapel Surprise picnic and it was lots of fun. There was lots of food, games, homeade pie contest, face painting and lots of fellowship, oh yes we even had the paparazzi Shubin there. The kids had a great time Joshua got his face painted so he could be a pirate. He loved it and when he saw himself in the mirror he said "I am the cutest pirate I ever did see." He is a funny kid. After the picnic daddy had a softball game then we went to Red Robin for dinner, the waitress liked Joshua's pirate look so much she asked if she could take a picture of him.

My Happy Birthday

Beautiful Roses from my husband
Pretty flower from Teddy
A beautifully wrapped gift from Monica at the park
Amazing cupcakes Monica made (with a recipe from Erica) yummy!

I started my day at the park for a playday for Joshua and was quite surprised to find awesome cupcakes and a gift waiting for me along with lots of kids for Joshua to play with and moms for me to fellowship with. What a nice way to start my day. After park time Joshua and I went shopping then to pick up Hannah & more shopping, after we got home my doorbell rang and I opened it to Teddy & Mindy with my very pretty flowers in hand. How sweet and what a surprise. Then my wonderful husband came home with beautiful roses. I feel so blessed. Brian, the kids, and I went to the Elephant Bar for dinner and had a great meal followed by some very yummy Creme Brulee. (We tried to take pictures but my batteries died in the camera :( I was so sad) then my husband took me to the bible book store and he and the kids bought me some gifts. What a great night with my family they made me feel so loved. I had a great day full of surprises, emails, IM's and lots of phone calls. Thank you to everyone who made my birthday such a great day. I feel blessed beyond words.

Dream Catcher Field

some of our girls waiting to bat Hannah is in the batters helmet
Hannah standing in front of the big ball at the stadium
Coach Brian

Hannah up to bat
Hannah scoring
My little catcher
Joshua paying close attention to the game (ha ha)
Brian Pitching to our daughter

We got to play at Dream Catcher Park last night as you can see the field is painted on some corky/rubber stuff. The girls had lots of fun playing and Joshua had lots of fun entertaining the other kids and the parents. We won our six straight game. Good job Crimson Tide.

Another Prayer Request

As many of you have probably seen on the news there is a cat-burglar in Surprise he has struck 6 times so far and the last three times have been in Copper Canyon Ranch where we live along with the Lyons family and the Harrell family. He is coming into homes in the middle of the night and leaving without anyone knowing he was there. This makes me very unerved and last night I didn't sleep much I kept getting up and looking out the window all night long. Please pray that he will be caught and that those of us who live here will be safe along with the others who live in Copper Canyon Ranch. Thank you for lifting us up in prayer.

Prayer Request

Family & Friends Next Wednesday April 16th @9:00am I will be having a CT Scan on my abdomen and Pelvis area to check my gallbladder and to check for diverticulitus. Please pray for wisdom for my doctor in a diagnosis and treatment. Please also pray for me for peace and to let the Lord calm my fears. I am a little nervous and scared but I do know that God is in control and I need to rest in that. I will let you all know the results as soon as I get them. Thank you for your prayers they are greatly appreciated.

What is the best way to pray?

Today at lunch my son was asking what the correct way to pray was and these are his ideas of what to do. Sometimes he is so precious today he brought tears to my eyes.

WOW! My 100th Blog

100 reasons why I love Brian
1) He is my good and perfect gift from God
2) He loves Jesus with all his heart
3) He is my husband
4) He is the father of my children
5) He ask me to marry him
6) He has a really cute smile
7) He loves football
8) He loves baseball
9) He loves real wrestling not WWE
10) He loves chocolate
11) He loves my cooking
12) He loves my family
13) He lets me stay home to be a mom
14) He leads our family
15) He makes me laugh
16) He Rocks!
17) He is my best friend
18) I love the way he treats his mom
19) He is a great provider for our family
20) He thinks things through before making a decision
21) He remembers all our anniversaries (dating, engagement, & wedding)
22) He tells me everyday how much he loves me
23) He calls me several times a day to talk to me
24) He prefers to spend his free time with his family
25) He gave me my wonderful house
26) He gave me a great brother in law
27) He gave me two great kids
28) He gave me the perfect wedding
29) He gave me the perfect honeymoon
30) He reads the bible and lives it
31) He’s a great ball player
32) He loves Knott’s Berry farm as much as I do
33) He prays for me
34) He prays with me
35) He prays for our family
36) He listens to me when I need him to
37) He vacuums
38) He does dishes
39) He does his own laundry
40) He cleans the house
41) He keeps the Jacuzzi in great working order so it’s always ready when I need it
42) He loves my silliness
43) He is very silly
44) He has NEVER been shy with me
45) He loves me unconditionally
46) He is smarter than I am
47) He’s a great bass player
48) He looks great in a singlet
49) His mere presence in a room makes me smile
50) He strives to be like Christ
51) He answers my questions about the bible
52) I love finding him reading the bible
53) He thinks Susan is funny
54) He gave me a love for hockey
55) He roots for my Steelers when they are on
56) He lets me golf with him
57) His integrity
58) He loves babies
59) He let my nephew call him Uncle Barney for years
60) He lets me buy his clothes
61) He gave me a grandma that I adore
62) He has great parents
63) He rocks my world
64) He believes in me
65) I love to sit and listen to him play worship music on his guitar
66) He makes me feel safe
67) He understands me
68) He makes me feel secure
69) He lets me serve in ministry
70) He is a hand’s on parent
71) He holds my hand in public
72) He gives me PDA’s
73) He was my coach when I had kids
74) He is amazing
75) He always has time for his children
76) He puts up with my faults and still loves me
77) He doesn’t tease me when I cry at movies
78) He gets things in the cabinets for me I can’t reach
79) He puts up with my constant singing
80) He coaches our daughter’s softball team
81) He took me to The Little Brown Church in the Vale
82) He still loves taking me on dates
83) He got up in the middle of the night to feed our babies so I could sleep
84) He changed diapers
85) He let me have 8 bride’s maids
86) He gave up a trip to Israel to marry me
87) His faith
88) He WOW’s me
89) He moved me out of California
90) He puts me and the kids first
91) He is fun to go on a road trip with
92) He respects me
93) He asked my dad if he could marry me
94) He saved me from a lizard and a crab in Jamaica
95) He let’s me buy shoes
96) We make decisions together
97) He makes me melt when he kisses me
98) He encourages me
99) He tells me I’m beautiful even without makeup
100) Because he is just stinking awesome!

Hannah Started Kickball Today

Hannah started Kickball today after school. Her school is doing it to raise money for Cancer research. The kids were a lot of fun to watch we have 4 more weeks to go. Last night softball today kickball this girl loves sports.

Oh my son

Joshua came out of his room today in this outfit and told me he was ready to start cooking. I think he was going for the Aunt Jamima look.

We are so proud of Hannah

Friday was the big day "Report Card Day" as we looked at her report we were so proud of her, this is what we saw:
Language Arts 2 96% A
Mathematics 2 97% A
Science 2 95% A
Spanish 2 95% A
Social Studies 2 107% A
Music 2 95% A
Art 2 100% A
Physical Ed 2 100% A
Reading 2 95% A
Work Skills E Exceeds Expectations
Social Skills E Exceeds Expectations

When I was pregnant I used to pray that she would get her daddy's brains and she did. We are so proud of her . Great Job Hannah! We love you so much and are so proud of you.

1st softball game Go Crimson Tide!

Tonight was Hannah's first softball game and her team won 14-7 they played so well. Hannah had 3 hits, she scored and she got two people out at home plate while she was playing catcher. She was so good tonight I was so proud.

A devotion I found on Silence

Today’s Truth

Isaiah 45:3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

Friend to Friend

I’m not very good at being silent. If there is a word to be spoken, I will gladly speak it. For much of my life, I avoided silence at all costs. I walked in the door from school, turned on the radio in one room and the television in another. I was afraid of the dark – physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Over the years, I have come to learn that the seasons of silence are different in nature and purpose. Sometimes the silence falls like a sweet, gentle and refreshing rain. During those times, I am meeting the One I love the most...and just reveling in His presence. I don't have to do anything - be anything or seek anything. I am just with Him...and He is with me. I crawl up into His lap...wrap my arms around Him and just stay for awhile. During these silent times He brings healing and restoration. I fall in love all over with Him again - He reminds me that His love in unchanging and unconditional...and that He is not going anywhere!
Then there are times when the silence is like a deep, dark pit. Several years ago, I went through a two-year clinical depression that nips at my heels every moment of every day. But in that pit, I found Psalm 40:1-3. God gave it to me in the darkness, but it has become my life song in the light.
“Psalm 40:1-3 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” (NIV)

Oh, I have read the book of Psalms many times, but this time, in the silence under the Juniper Tree, it settled into my soul and took root. I began to learn how to wait on God...how to cry out to Him...how to trust Him like the helpless child that I am while He lifted me up and we had what my kids call “daddy time”. During those precious times, we laugh, cry, and talk about the trials that brought me to the pit of darkness. For the first time in my life, I began to realize that anyone or anything that makes me cry out to Him – any circumstance that drives me into His arms can be counted as good, as a blessing!
I am learning to embrace the silent times as gifts from His hand to my life. So time under the Juniper tree is good. Sometimes I just need to be reminded. How about you?

Let’s Pray

Father, thank You for arranging the circumstances of my life in such a way that I was forced to stop…rest…and sit at Your feet in quiet solitude. Thank You for the healing I found there. Thank You for the new truth and redefined purpose for my life. I would go through it all again, Father, for what You did during my time “under the Juniper tree”. Help me to apply the truths I found there and to share Your plan of deliverance with those who now struggle with the darkness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now it’s Your Turn

Do you long for times of silence or avoid them whenever possible? Why? I encourage you to find a few minutes each day to spend in silence. Establish the habit of a silent retreat when possible. Read the Psalms daily and keep your gaze on God.

More from the Girls

If you had followed my life over the last 30 years, you would agree that I have earned the title, “Stress-Buster”. At times, I was more like “stress-busted” but have come to realize that we will never be free from stress this side of heaven – so we had better figure out how to deal with it. That’s why I wrote the book Escaping the Stress Trap, a verse-by-verse study of Psalm 23. If you read Psalm 23 every day for a month, I guarantee that you will see a difference in your stress level. I pray that you will experience the peace of God in a new way. We would love to hear from you! Blessings

Why can't you rewind the movie?

Look at this sad face. We went to the movies Sunday to see College Road Trip and when it was over he wanted us to rewind the movie and watch it again when we told him we couldn't do that he got sad and started to cry. He doesn't understand that it's not like being at home watching a movie, he thought we were just being mean and didn't want him to see it again. Funny boy!
By the way what a cute, funny, clean "G" rated movie.

Joshua's Been Tagged

Ok! Joshua has been tagged by Sir Silas to give you all 10 fun facts about himself that you would all like to know so here he goes:

1) I was born in Fullerton Calif.

2) I love to slip and slide inmy back yard with my sister.

3) I love to listen to music and dance epecially if it's High School Musical.

4) I start kindergarten in August.

5) My favorite thing to eat for breakfast is bacon.

6) I love to watch movies some of them again and again and again.

7) I love to play baseball with my daddy in the back yard and I can hit a ball very hard and very far.

8) I love to wear flip flops I have 6 different pairs of them.

9) I love to pray with my mommy & Erica at Paradise Bakery

10) I was named after my daddy's favorite football player.

Ok, done! Now it's time to tag someone else so Titus and Shelby it's your turn to tell us some fun facts about you.