School Pictures 2015

School is about to start! Can you believe it?! This summer flew by so fast! I figured it would drag on because I am pregnant, but I'm not sure where the summer went! It flew by!

Alden will be going to preschool this year at a private preschool in town. His teacher goes to church with us and has been with his in the nursery and taught him at Jump Start, so he is very comfortable with her. We recently got him school jeans and school shoes and a lunch box. So he is ready to go!

He will be going Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 8 AM - Noon. My baby is growing up so fast.

Alden: Age 4 (Pre-K)

Collyn will be homeschooling this year with mommy. Just like Alden did last year. We will be doing school on Mondays and Wednesdays while Alden is at school. We will probably do school from 10-11 AM. I have homeschool curriculum that I use and we also use ABCMouse.com, which we absolutely love. So, I will teach him for 45 minutes to an hour and then he will finish up with computer time.

Collyn Age: 3 (Preschool)

Bowling Night!

Last week, we went bowling with the youth group in Chico, CA.

Our plan was to go mini-golfing, but it was 108 degrees outside, so we decided bowling was a better option.

8 youth kids went that night.

This was the first time Alden and Collyn have been bowling. I sat and enjoyed watching them bowl, and Lyndon helped them roll the ball down the lane. Alden asked if we could go bowling again. They really enjoyed it.

Happy 3rd Birthday Collyn!

My baby boy turned 3 on August 5th. Where did time go!? He is growing so fast. He is such a sweet little guy, with a wild streak! He is our family clown who likes to entertain. Our dinner table is always laughing every night with his silliness.

This year has been a little different with his birthday. We celebrated his birthday a day early since we had Youth Group on his actual birthday. Then, Lyndon left for the fire, so we had to postpone his friends party to this coming Saturday. Either way, he has been enjoying the presents and love he has received.

He requested a Daniel Tiger Birthday cake. I like to put toys on the cake as decoration, so they have the toys to play with later.

We had dinner as a family and then opened presents! Of course, the main theme was Daniel Tiger!

After presents, of course we had CAKE! He asked for a vanilla cake with white frosting. I added sprinkles! :)

The next morning, on his actual birthday, I made a special pancake breakfast and we celebrated again. Then the boys played with all the new toys!

Happy Birthday Mr. Collyn! I can't believe you are 3!

California Fires!

California is officially on fire! The whole state! It is crazy! We live in Northern California, so we are close to many huge fires burning. There were some mornings we would wake up to ash all over everything. Our sinuses hated it! It has been getting better as time goes on.

Lyndon left Friday to head to a fire. Since it was declared a state of emergency, Lyndon was on-call to head to one of the fires. He got the call last Friday and will be staying there until Friday or Saturday. He is at the Fork Complex Fire outside of Hayfork, CA.

It has definitely made it crazy around our house without daddy around, but we are surviving. It has been a long few days, to say the least.

Jump Start 2015

Alden went to Jump Start again this summer. It is a week long preschool camp put on by the recreation department here in town. They go from 9 AM - 12 PM. They learn, do crafts, play, go on a field trip, have guest speakers.... It really is a wonderful program!

He was a little nervous the first day, but there were some of his friends there, so that helped. This is the same place he will be doing preschool this year.

Collyn had a hard time without his brother around for a few hours a day, but it was a great test run for the school year. Collyn will get to go to Jump Start next year. He is very excited about that.

Baby #3: Olivia- 27 weeks

Wow! Was my last baby post really at 23 weeks!? I have been falling behind! Life this summer has been so busy! We have been going non-stop! Here are some updates on pregnancy #3 with little Miss Olivia.

About Olivia: She is weighing in at about 2 pounds and is around 14 inches in length (According to Babycenter.com). Her eyes are open and she can see light. Her brain, lungs, and heart are fully developed. Now, it is time to mature those lungs and get some fat under that skin. She is wiggling like crazy. No matter the time of day, I feel her little kicks.

Weight Gain: From starting weight- 18 pounds. I gained quite a bit this last month, but since I was behind from the beginning of the pregnancy, my doctor wasn't too concerned.

Symptoms: Aching hips!!! Oh my! This little girl loves my hips. She kicks them all day and night and it is putting a toll on them! They are just achy. I've learned walking around helps stretch them out and then resting. Sleepiness- I toss and turn at night to get comfortable, which I know will only be getting worse. I have to get up at least 2 times a night to use the restroom, so sleep isn't so great right now. I've been shutting my eyes for 10-15 minutes during the day while the kids are playing or watching a show, just to rest a little. I can't see my toes... It's official.

Sleep: Again, not great sleep. Tired a lot. I get a good amount of sleep each night, but not consistent.

Cravings: Lemonade and grapes

Best Moment: Hitting that 3rd trimester check-point. Hearing the heartbeat at the doctors appointment.

Looking forward to: The end of the 3rd trimester! ;)

27 weeks down! 13 to go!! Getting closer!

Mommy, Why do we go to church every Sunday?

As I was getting ready this morning for church, of course we were running late. We are were tired from the day before and I overslept. My loving husband quietly left for church before we woke up to give us a little more rest. However, that gave me only 30 minutes to get myself, plus a 4 and 2 year old dressed and ready to go. And, they wanted to ride their bikes to church, which I needed another 5-7 minutes to be able to do.

I rushed around like a mad woman. I got the kids clothes laid out on the couch and told them to get dressed and I would help them with any part they couldn't do, since they both had buttons on their shirts. I ran into the bathroom and took a quick shower. When I was dressed, I came back to the living room to find my kids still in their pajamas playing on the floor with toys.

Okay, I got this!

I dressed them and told them to find their shoes. I went to the kitchen and poured some cereal for breakfast. We rarely have cereal for breakfast and of course my 2 year old wanted scrambled eggs. No, sorry. Cold cereal this morning.

I went back to the bathroom, put my make-up on and combed out my hair and put it up in some clips. No time for a blow-dryer or curling iron this morning. I grabbed my bible from my nightstand and tossed it in the diaper bag. The kids had their shoes on and I slipped on my flip-flops. They grabbed their helmets and while I was snapping the straps, my 4 year old stops me in my tracks with this question...

"Mommy, why do we go to church every Sunday?"

My quick mommy response in the moment... "That's just what we do."

He wasn't satisfied.

"But, WHY? Why do we go?"

I stood in front of him for a few seconds to collect my thoughts. Remembering he is four I said,

"We go every Sunday to learn more about God. To build our relationship with Him"

He felt satisfied and headed out to get on his bike.

During the 5 minute walk to church, I started thinking... WHY do I go to church every Sunday?

I grew up in church. It's what I did. But, thinking harder it is so much more.

There is no other place I go where I feel so connected with others of every generation. The moment I walk in the door, the music playing quietly through the speakers in the hallway and sanctuary, I feel the overwhelming presence of God. There are the hand shakes and genuine tight hugs. People know me there. They know things within my personal life, they know my struggles, they know my needs. Sometimes it's just a friendly 'Hello' and small talk, and sometimes I seek out the person that needs the hug and smile and truly ask how everything is going, knowing there is struggles in their life.

There is no other place to sing praises to God with many other people praising him with me. Hearing the voices around me, lifting their hearts to Jesus, inviting him into their hearts, crying when they are hurting, some with hands in the air, some sitting silently with their heads bowed. Everyone completely entranced by His presence.

There is no other place to partake in the Lord's Supper. To eat the bread with other believers, and drink from the cup. Honoring Jesus. Remembering just what he did for us. Every Sunday, I get to be part of such a beautiful moment. Thanking God for everything He has done in my life.

There is no other place to sit and listen to the word of God be spoken. Learning, soaking everything in, evaluating my own life. Opening that Bible and learning deeper the meaning of it all.

There is no other place to fellowship with others after the service. To sit over a cup of coffee and a little snack, growing together in life. Knowing the connectiins their are safe and genuine. The love that pours out of that place in overwhelming.

My kids are loved there. They run around with friends. They go to Sunday School and learn from generations before them about the love of God.

It is a family. It is a community. But it is so much more.

So, why do I go to church every Sunday? There are so many many reasons!

It starts my week fresh. It rejuvenates my soul. It helps me get through hard times. It is my life.

I am a Christian. I love Jesus. I love the community of followers that I can come to each week and recharge my batteries. I hope my children feel this same passion as they grow.

My 4 year old makes me think a lot. He made me stop and evaluate deeper why I do what I do. Sometimes going to church every Sunday is routine. It's 'just what we do'. But to step back and realize it is so much more.

God's love for us is so overwhelming. No words could describe that love. But, going on Sunday gives me a glimpse of that love. And, that love is through the body of believers, praising Him, honoring Him, loving others and serving others. Nothing can describe that love.