This Week In News...

Mark auditioned for community theater. It was his first time doing a singing audition at this level. And he actually landed a main role! (Lucky little booger!) He will be playing the part of Schroeder in the musical, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." Mom and Dad are beaming w/ pride!!!

Reese has had a rough week. I even got a call from the teacher, saying he had a lot of trouble focusing this week. He ended up coming down with a fever Saturday night. Well, that explains that! Poor kid has been fighting something. :( I've been enjoying all the snuggle time I can get with him while he feels under the weather. I've always said, he is my sweetest child. And moments like these snuggle times remind me what a sweet boy he really is. I want to protect him always!

Rina enjoyed her very first sleepover Wednesday night! Her best gal pals, Ava & Alia, invited her over for the night. Never did I think I would let my daughter start sleepovers at such a young age. I mean, 4 years old?!?! But, they are like family to us. So, I was happy to let her go. And Miss Independent had a blast away from home. :) They made pizzas & brownies, watched movies, and did french braids & cheek glitter. So fun! Can't wait to post pics!

This past month...

Reese lost his two front teeth. Mark lost a side molar. Rina lost her earring.

Lacey ran away twice....and luckily came back home....with her tail between her legs. (Little stinker!) Ryan has been working a flex schedule, so we get Mondays off together. I've thoroughly enjoyed our Monday mornings together! While the kids are at school, we've been going out to breakfast or doing shopping. It's like a date every week!

Mark has adjusted to public school. He's made lots of friends. And recently he's become obsessed with learning card tricks. He carries a deck of cards in his pocket wherever he goes, ready to baffle his friends and family. Such a cutie!

Reese, we've been told, has the best handwriting in his class! And he only had one word misspelled on his first spelling test. He spelled "We" like "Wi"

Marina absolutely loves preschool. She went on her first field trip to a fire station. She is having a blast being such a big girl!

And I'm loving the job. So busy. So hectic. But also so fun! It gives me a fresh feeling of accomplishment. I like that. :) And I've made some dear new friends. Being a full-time Mommy was very fulfilling. But being a working Mommy is an all new kind of fulfilling.

I LoVe this quote!

...just read this today on a friend's webpage:

"Behind every successful woman,
there is a pile of dirty laundry!"

...do you agree???

Dear Mark,

I know this has been a season of transition for you. You were uprooted from all your friends & familiar surroundings in private school & made to start fresh in public school. But you have made us so proud with your good attitude. After a little hesitance, you accepted this change with an adventurous spirit!

After only 4 days in public school, your true character has already shone brightly. And this has also made us so proud! On your first day, you stood up to a kid who was defacing bus property. On your second day, you kindly shared with a girl who was without, even amongst teasing from other kids who don't understand a giving spirit, and assumed you were crushing on the girl. And today, you protected Reese on the bus by telling a loud-mouth kid to quit swearing in front of your little brother!

I love how willing you are to take a stand for what is right. And I love how fearlessly you face each situation. You are not swayed by what others might think of you. You are a leader at heart. And I just can't wait to see how the Lord is going to use your strength and conviction to affect this world! How I love you, buddy! XOXO

When we go out......

Analytical Mark is the first to ask, "Where are we going?"

Social bug Marina is the first to ask, "Who will be there?"

And homebody Reese is the first to ask, "When can we go home?"

First Day of School '09

Little Marina began 4yr old preschool today! She has been so excited all week! She is lucky enough to have her best gal pal, Ava, in her class as well. :)


Reese is starting 1st grade! He is such a big boy! We took him to meet his new teacher earlier this week. Reese enjoyed checking out his new classroom and sitting at his new desk. I think it will be a fun year for him. We are so proud! He was excited to ride the bus with his big brother for the first time. Next year he will riding with his sister. I love the memories these kids are creating w/ each other! :)


Mark is entering 5th grade this year. It's a year of great change for him, because he is making the switch over to public school, after attending christian school for 6 years! He really misses his friends. But he is excited to meet new people, try something new, and not have to wear school uniforms! lol!

He is also very excited to be able to ride the bus with his little brother. :)

A Milestone

This week I have truly hit a milestone!
All 3 of my kids are in school! Mark just entered 5th grade, Reese entered 1st, & Marina just began preschool. Wow! I'm a working woman now, with no kiddies at home!

It's so strange. I didn't think this day would come so soon! It makes me realize that all the long sleepless nights, the potty training, the nursing & cuddling, the midnight feedings, heavy carseat carriers, unattractive maternity clothes, stretch marks, etc....EVERYTHING!!! It all was worth it! And it all was for a short season in life.

Now I enter a new phase in life. It's a super fun one too! School projects, after school sports, youth group lockins, weekend sleepovers, chauffering preteens to the movies, etc, etc....that's the next phase in life. And I'm so excited!

For a time, while the kids were infants and toddlers, I felt like I had completely lost my identity. It was so hard! I became a burp cloth. A pillow. A machine that met needs. At least that's what it felt like at times. I also enjoyed their first smiles, first steps, and every dimple & chubby little finger grasp. But thru it all, I felt like I had lost my own identity. Life was wrapped up in the tasks and responsiblilities of motherhood....with very little reward involved. At least not immediate reward. No paycheck. No "thank you's." No bonuses. LOL. In its early stages, motherhood is an investment of time, sweat, and even tears.......with no visible gain in sight. We do it out of love for our sweet bundle of joy...and for the sheer knowledge that someday we will reap the benefit of the long season of sowing.

Well, sure enough, I'm finally at that stage of reaping! I see my kids entering social situations with confidence and the knowledge of what's right and wrong. I see them enjoying different experiences and accomplishing many things. It's awesome! And little by little it's my turn to gain some more of that identity back....beyond simple motherhood. I'm free to take on an office job, spend time working out, fit into clothes that I like for fashion rather than function, etc.

It's a very surreal time in my life. I don't know why. I guess it takes awhile to readjust the way I think about myself and about life, after living in a certain mindframe for over 10 yrs. But I'm excited for what's to come. And I want to encourage other new moms to hang in there. Motherhood is fun. And rewarding. But it can also be tedious and unforgiving. It's in those times I want to say, hang in there! The fun is on the way! And you'll appreciate every moment invested into those little guys when you see them bloom into the confident, happy, smart little boogers you'd hoped for.

So, here I am...super excited to journal all the coming stories and experiences that come with this next season in life. But first, here's a video I came across in my archives. It's one of my favorites of the kids when they were so little. Poor Marina!


Tough Girl...