Only by God's Grace

The ABC's of God

2012-01-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

I had seen the app "The ABC's of God" on a blog and I became really interested in it. I bought it and I'm so glad I did. I love it!!! Jadyn is still only in the first part of the app, but she's really picking up her letters and how to write them. Here are some pics of her enjoying her new app.

Tracing upper case "B". They trace the upper case letter and lower case letter 3 times each. She's always so proud of her tracing when she's done. =)

Finding the letter "a". This used to be difficult for her, but she's really get a lot faster at it.

Finding the letter "a" in a Bible verse. This is still somewhat difficult for her, but she is improving.

At the end of the lesson, they are given an attribute of God. "A" God is AWESOME!

TotSchool - Monkeying Around with "M"

2012-01-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

Jadyn is 42 months old & Gabe is 23 months old

This week we focused on the letter "M", number "14", and small mammals. Here's our week in pics.

Dot-a-dot "M"

Jadyn used her Curious George stamps on the letter "M"

Jadyn loved this monkey puppet she got to make.

We read "Mary had a Little Lamb."

She loves playing the game Tumbling Monkeys. She was making up her own rules when we played. I had no idea how to play it, but she sure was having fun!

Getting ready to size sort M&Ms

Color matching M&Ms

She counted the 14 fish and colored the octopus.

Her L..O..N..G verse.

She did a good job coloring her verse paper.

Her verse was I John 3:18 "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." We talked about one way to show we love is by sharing our toys.

Jadyn loved making her big snow man this week!

Gabe again wasn't really into sitting and doing school so he enjoyed playing with some toys he hasn't seen in a while.

Fun with his Geotrax Train.

I think he plays with the garage every week! He loves it!=)

While Mj & I made pizza Gabe made some dinner with his Mr. Potsy toy.

Check out 1+1+1=1 , Confessions of a Homeschooler, & my winter pinterest board for these ideas and free printables!

Enjoying a Day Off

2012-01-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

Since Mj had the day off of schooland Mark had the day off of work we decided to go to to South Pointe Park in Miami Beach. It was a beautiful, windy day and the kids had a blast!

Jadyn looking cool while we wait for Mark to pay at the parking meter.

Having fun at the play ground.

Gabe loves slides!

Mj's just hanging around.

Gabe loved this bridge on the play ground. He only took about 5 tumbles on it! He's definitely a clumsy one!=)

Mark & Mj check out the look out.

Heading down to the beach! Isn't it beautiful!!!! Definitely one of the high lights of living in Miami! I can honestly say this is the first time in my life to be at the beach in January! I love it!!!!

Mj and Jadyn loved playing in the waves. Gabe wasn't too thrilled with the wind and chilly water.

Me and My Man!

So thankful for a fun and relaxing day with my wonderful family that God has blessed me with!

Tot School - Fun with "K"

2012-01-13T09:15:00.000-08:00

Jadyn is 42 months old & Gabe is 23 months old.

Finally, we are back to a routine after Christmas break. Jadyn was excited to get back to school. Gabe, not so much. He's been very active lately so we went with that and let him climb and explore everything! LOL. Our focus this week was the letter "K", number "13", and house hold objects. Here's what we did this week.

Dot-a-dot fun with the letter "K".

"K" coloring paper.

Can I just say how much I love to hear Jadyn say the word "koala"!!!

Jadyn loved this kangaroo craft. She really like taking the joey in and out of the kangaroo's pocket.

Matching big "K" and little "k"

Coloring 13 plates on the turtle's shell.

Roll a kite. This was difficult for Jadyn, but good practice for her to learn her numbers and match the pictures. We will definitely be doing more of these.

How many bows go on the kite's tail?

Making a kite out of her geometric shapes. She always loves these.

Coloring her verse. She loves the new paint brushes she got from Nanny & Papa for Christmas. Everything she colored this week was extra colorful! =)

Her cut & paste glue craft (and more colorful coloring!)

"Keep your tongue from evil." A great verse to work on this week with her. She's been saying unkind words to her brothers so it was a good reminder for her to realize how hurtful words can be and how helpful kind words can be.

Color matching

Trying out Gabe's new game he got for Christmas Wok & Roll. Very fun! Great game for toddlers & preschoolers. We played several variations! She loved it!

We talked about Jesus walking out to the disciples on the water. And about what happened when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus.

My wonderful hubby got me an ipad for Christmas! I think the kids have been playing with it more than I have! =) Here's some games that Jadyn loved this week.

Matching Zoo (Great memory card game). We have the lite version. She loves it!

Shape puzzle for kids (lite version) Jadyn enjoys puzzle and nothing beats a puzzle on the ipad!

Fairy Tale Dress Up (lite version) I think this might have been her favorite this week.

Like I said, Gabe was being a monkey this week and really wasn't interested in sitting and "doing school". Here's what he was up to this week.

He did do some dot-a-dot with Jadyn.

But then he just wanted to take the caps on and off.

He loved his new Cars stickers he got for Christmas.

I was thrilled when he actually sat and watched "Super Why" for a little bit (I knew he wasn't destroying anything for 15 min. LOL)

Trying to use up some energy on his bike.

Trying out his new Wok & Roll game he got for Christmas.

Concentrating very hard!=)

Dumping blankets and a whole bin of toys in the laundry basket and then sitting on all of them to watch Mickey Mouse Club house. I'm guessing that's comfortable?!

Lots of gymnastics from recliner to recliner!

Gabe was all about the blinds this week. He learned how to open them and close them and added several fingerprints to my window this week.

Winter Fun!!

We made some snowmen this week since it's probably the only snowmen we'll see here in Miami. Gabe wasn't happy I made him be still for a picture with his snowman! Jadyn , however, was very proud of her snowman!

Check out 1+1+1=1, Confessions of a Homeschoolers, & my winter pinterest board for these printables and ideas!

Lego Land!

2012-01-11T05:46:00.000-08:00

I could watch this over and over! Mj realizes his Christmas gift is a trip to Lego Land!

Jesus, Joy of the Highest Heaven.

2012-01-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

I know Christmas is over, but I just got the Getty's Christmas CD Joy - an Irish Christmas and I've been listening to it every day! I love it! And I love Christmas carols, too! Here's the words to one of my favorites on the CD.

"Jesus, joy of the highest heaven,
Born as a little baby
Under a wondrous star.
Like us, crying He takes His first breath,
Held by His mother, helpless,
Close to her beating heart.
Jesus, laid in a lowly manger,
Facing a world of dangers,
Come to turn me a stranger,
Into a child of God.

Jesus, King of the highest heaven,
Learning to take His first steps,
That He might bring us life.
Like us, knowing our smiles and sorrows,
He showed the way to follow,
A way that is true and right.
Jesus, take away every darkness,
Steady my simple footsteps,
That I might in Your goodness,
Live as a child of God."

Words by Keith & Kristyn Getty

Jadyn's Club House

2012-01-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

Jadyn got this cool card board house for Christmas from her Uncle Benny. It has brought hours of fun already. Mj and her have had so much fun decorating it. They even drew stars on the roof in side and picture frames on the walls inside. I love seeing their imaginations working. Gabe loves to go in and out of the doors! It's so much fun watching the three of them play in this house together (without too much fighting!) ;)

Playing in Jadyn's club house.

Working on coloring the outside.

Jadyn was super excited when Mark fit her toddler bed inside the house! She's been sleeping in there every night this week!

My Little Chef

2012-01-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

Now that our kitchen is functional again after all the renovating, Jadyn and I decided to make home made pizza for dinner. Here's my little chef in action.

Mixing the dough.

Rolling the dough. We were busy making a mess. Look at all those dishes in the sink! LOL

Turning 2...

2012-01-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

That adorable little guy is going to be 2 in 26 days!! I can't believe it! I love my Gabey Baby! (And yes, even when he's 16 he will still be my Gabey Baby!)

Our Fortney Christmas in Miami!

2012-01-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

So, I just realized I never posted about our family Christmas here in Miami. We did our Christmas a couple of days before Dec. 25 so that we could have some special time together before it got crazy in Pennsylvania with all our family. We started by reading Luke 2 and thinking about Jesus' birth. Then we celebrated by giving gifts to each other. Enjoy the pics!

Gabe got a tee ball set.

Jadyn was all about Strawberry Shortcake!

For Mj's gift, I had been telling him for weeks that his gift was too big for a box. So he was surprised to see a box under the tree. In each box I had a clue to the next gift and a letter. After he had all the letters he would have to unscramble the letters to figure out his Christmas gift.

He found the gift in the freezer.

A gift under the palm tree!

This one was tricky to find.

He had to climb the tree for this one.

I love the look of total shock!! He's been asking for this light saber for 2 years! I found it on clearance so I had to get it for him. No, this wasn't his big gift. There was a letter and clue glued to the box!=)

LEGO LAND!!!! We're taking him to Lego land in February for a Christmas/Birthday gift!! He's so excited!=)

I got my sweet hubby some John MacArthur commentaries.

And I was totally surprised by the ipad my hubby bought me! He's the best!

Christmas in Pennsylvania

2012-01-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

We had such a fun time with our family in Pennsylvania last week (It made the long drive worth it!)! Here are some pics from our week.

We stayed with my brother and sis-in-law. So the kids have fun playing with their cousins every morning! Here's Gabe and my sweet niece Bria.

We spent Christmas Eve with my in-laws. Uncle Benny & Jadyn read a book together.

Gabe & his cousin Ryan playing at Nanny & Papa's house.

Jadyn & her cousin Micah being crazy!

Gabe & Papa getting caught up on the past 6 months of life! =)

Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve.

A lego set for Mj

My niece Julia checking out her cousins' toys.

Christmas Day gifts from Nanny & Papa.

Christmas with the Wise's. Jadyn loves her My Little Pony Set!

Mj reading his Star Wars Mad Libs from Uncle Dutch & Aunt Julie.

Bria liked her new baby doll.

My dad and his 2 grand daughters. I love this pic!!!

My nephew Zach with his lego Mater set.

Cousins at Chocolate World!

Bria and the chocolate house!

Gabe & Jadyn share a milk shake at Chocolate World.

Little Cousin Fun.

Ryan and his plane.

Zach & Jadyn playing hot wheels.

Enjoying some snow showers at Papa Wise's house.

Cousins at Julius Sturgis' Pretzel Factory in Lititz.

Gabe's ready to make a pretzel.

Mj's pretzel.

One more pic with the big pretzel.

We had to stop by Wilbur Chocolates!!=)

And our day in Lititz couldn't end without a visit to a toy store.

Playing Angry Birds! LOL

Gabe decided to tackle Ryan. I don't think Ryan was scared. =)

A trip to Saturday's Market before we left.

Mj had to get one more game of quarter hockey in with Uncle Dutch before we loaded up the car.

I'm so thankful for my wonderful family. So thankful we could all be together over Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

We're getting ready to travel to for Christmas so I know I won't be posting anything until the new year. Just wanted to wish my readers a very Merry Christmas from our family!

Jadyn Sings "Away in a Manger"

2011-12-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

Jesse Tree

2011-12-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

This year we're doing a Jesse Tree. I had read about it last year and wanted to do it this year for the kids. The kids have loved coloring the ornaments to go with each Scripture reading as we walk through the line of Jesse. I've enjoyed just seeing God's hand in each person's life. This will definitely be a annual tradition in our house.

Tot School - More Christmas

2011-12-16T11:16:00.000-08:00

Jadyn is 42 months old & Gabe is 22 months old.

I had so much fun stuff planned for this week, but with Jadyn and I get the stomach virus and our kitchen renovation it all just didn't get done. Oh well. We still had fun and enjoyed some Christmas learning and crafts. Here's our week in pictures.

Sequencing

Working on beginning sounds.

Jadyn's Christmas tree. She loved using the sequins for ornaments.

Jadyn's Rudolph hand print. I asked why he had such a big nose. She said so he can see better at night to help Santa.

Matching ornament shapes.

Coloring "J"

Working on letter recognition.

She loved the gingerbread man.

Putting the nativity scenes in size order.

Jadyn's hand print Christmas tree.

I thought this was a great idea. Gabe wanted to use sequins like his big sister. Wow! Did this turn into quite the mess! At least he had fun, right?! ;)

Gabe's hand print Rudolph.

Gabe's hand print Christmas tree.

You can check out my pinterest board for these ideas and more.

Welcome to Our World

2011-12-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

"Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long awaited Holy Stranger
Make yourself at home
Please make yourself at home

Bring your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world"

Sung by Michael W. Smith

Youth Group Christmas Party 2011

2011-12-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

Last nightwe had our youth group Christmas party. We had a lot of fun enjoying food, games, and just some time to "hang out"! Here's some pics of the night.

Trying to make a Christmas tree out of construction paper without looking.

Some of the Christmas trees.

Jadyn & her friend Kaylee watching the teens making Christmas trees.

A pic of Gabe - just because he's so cute!!!

The teens had to make a snow man as a team blindfolded. Here Julietta tries to figure out where to put the snowman's head.

Team #2 with their snowman.

Team #1 with their snowman.

Mark & Gabe chillin' by the pool.

The white elephant gifts.

Marcus explaining the white elephant gift exchange.

Jonny opening his white elephant gift and Joey trying to figure out his white elephant gift.

Cabinets are Here!!!!

2011-12-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the kitchen cabinets arrived! My wonderful husband has been working non-stop on this kitchen and I am so thankful!!

I was pretty excited to see that truck pull up with cabinets inside.

All those cabinets in teeny tiny boxes!

What our cabinets will look like.

What our kitchen looks like at this moment. Oh the joy of renovating!=)

Tot School - Christmas

2011-12-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

Jadyn is 41 months old & Gabe is 22 months old.

This week we focused on Christmas. It's been a crazy week around here with our kitchen renovation, but we were able to do some school things and I think the kids had fun.

Jadyn colored a picture of Mary, Joseph, & Baby Jesus.

Organizing nativity scene by people and animals.

Getting the lights to the Christmas tree by tracing.

A Christmas tree puzzle.

Working on her letters.

Numbers with a Christmas theme.

We talked about the different people in the Christmas story and what happened to them. She loved this!

Putting the Baby Jesus in order by size.

Which is different?

Her Christmas tree she made.

Gabe wasn't into doing anything Christmasy this week. Oh well, he did keep himself entertained with other things.

Dot-a-dot markers while big Sis colored.

Gabe decided to turn Jadyn's doll house into a zoo/garage.

Beans and cars - Lots of fun!

Doing his farm animal puzzle.

You can check out my Christmas pinterest board for the printables I used.

Pa-Rum-Pum-Pum-Pum

2011-12-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Josh Groban's Christmas CD and "Little Drummer Boy" came on. Gabe decided to sing along. I think Gabe just might have a better voice than Josh Groban! =)

Peace

2011-12-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

My precious sleeping Gabey Baby!

Sunflowers Make Me Happy!

2011-12-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Mj came running in the door yesterday from school with these beautiful sunflowers! Mark bought them from the "sunflower" man (the kids name for him) on the way home from school. They sure did brighten my day!

Aren't they gorgeous!!!

Jadyn couldn't believe how big they were!

Kitchen "Progress"

2011-12-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

We're in the midst of renovating the kitchen and it's quite the mess right now. Here's some pics of the "progress". If you want to see pics of the before check out my post here.

Mark moved the sink. I know I'm going to enjoy looking out the window while I do dishes!=)

This is where the sink used to be. The oven will go here.

My wonderful hubby working so hard. He comes home from a long day at work and works on our kitchen without any complaint! I love this man!

This is where the oven was. The refrigerator and pantry will go here.

Cabinets will hopefully be delivered Friday. Tomorrow Mark will be dry walling. I cannot wait til it's finished!! It's going to look amazing!

Tea Parties!

2011-12-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Jadyn was a busy girl. She had 2 tea parties to attend. In the morning Jadyn and I went to the Ladies' Christmas Tea at church. We enjoyed delicious food and fun with friends. In the afternoon, Jadyn went to her friend Yesiana's Birthday Princess Tea Party. The girls looked adorable dressed in their princess dresses. Mrs. Garcia gave Jadyn the most beautiful princess dress to wear to the party! I had so much fun doing Jadyn's hair and make up. I was so glad she let me turn her into a girly girl for the day!=)

Ready to go to the Christmas Tea.

Jadyn's hair - a messy bun with braids.

Jadyn working on making a Christmas scene on her place mat.

Me, Jadyn, my sis-in-law Lydia, and my niece Julia

Cousins under the tree.

Off to the next tea party - a princess tea party

Of course, the princess needed her sunglasses.

All the princesses.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

2011-12-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look like Christmas here in Miami, but it definitely doesn't feel like Christmas (our high temps are in the upper 70s or low 80s). Definitely a change from Pennsylvania! We were able to find our Christmas tree and ornaments in storage which is simply amazing!=) So last night our first advent activity was to decorate the Christmas tree! We had so much fun! Mj was a huge help and he took such care in putting the "special" ornaments on. Gabe cried every time we put a "ball" on the tree because he wanted to play with them. Jadyn was having fun decorating one branch with all the ornaments she put on.=) Here's pictures from our night.

Jadyn putting her rocking horse ornament on the tree.

Gabe attempting to put his jingle bell (AKA "ball") on the tree.

Mj getting ready to put his ornament on the tree.

Our Christmas tree with my little helpers.

We love decorating our the Christmas tree!!!!

Tot School - Amazing "A"

2011-12-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

Jadyn is 41 months old & Gabe is 22 months old.

After a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday it's time to get back to our routine for a few more weeks before Christmas. This week we focused on the letter "A", the number "12", and fruit. Here's our week in pictures.

Tracing "A"

Dot-a-dot the "A's" on the apple.

Matching big "A" and little "a" by color.

Coloring the fire hydrants with the number 12 on them.

Counting the apples in the tree and matching the number. She loved this activity!

Gluing apples on the tree.

Our verse this week was "A soft answer turns away wrath." So we talked about what would be a soft answer and what would not be a soft answer.

Matching pairs.

Jadyn always loves cutting out her verse and measuring it.

Jadyn was very excited about making an alligator finger puppet.

Gabe wasn't into doing papers this week so I just let play and play and play! Here's what he did this week.

The one day he did actually color. He colored while he pestered his big sis!

Helping daddy with the kitchen remodel.

Being just like Daddy.

So serious as he works on his shapes.

Today was an absolutely beautiful day so we went to the zoo!

Thanks to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for the free printables and great ideas. The next 2 weeks we will be enjoying Christmas themed units! I can't wait!

Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to explain how much I enjoy the Christmas season! It's always been a favorite holiday, but I think it's become even more of a favorite having children! I love to watch the excitement in their eyes as we get closer and closer to Christmas! We've always done an Advent calendar with the kids, but I saw this idea on pinterest and loved it. On the back of each number I have an activity that we will do that day (watch a Christmas movie, bake cookies, sing Christmas carols, read Christmas stories, drive around to see the lights, etc.). I'm very excited to do this with the kids. I'm also excited about doing a Jesse tree with the kids, too. I read about a Jesse tree last year and loved the idea of tracing the line of Jesse through Jesus. We'll start that tonight. I'll share pictures of our Jesse tree as we add more ornaments to it throughout the advent season.

Our advent calendar

Thanksgiving Tree

2011-12-01T05:40:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving tree was so much fun to work on in the month of November! I think it really helped the kids see how much we really have to be thankful for! Our tree included things like: family, animals, our big back yard, palm trees, the beach, God's grace, God's power, Jesus, clothes, toys, and the very important Lightning McQueen (this was one of Jadyn's). We will definitely be doing this next year.

Our started out like this...

...And ended up full of blessings!

SOLD!

2011-11-30T04:51:00.000-08:00

Today our Pennsylvania house will no longer be ours. I have so many emotions about it. I love this house. It was Mark's and my first house (we bought it on my birthday!). I was pregnant with Mj when we bought it and we had so much fun planning his nursery! We put so much time and effort into finishing the basement. We brought each of our children home to this house. So many special memories have taken place in this beautiful home.
Yet, I'm so excited! Seeing God answer prayer! We thought our house would sell in June, but the day we moved to Miami we found out that the buyers wanted to back out. We were struggling with the whole move and then that put on top of it. It brought us to our knees in prayer. In September we had another buyer. We were 2 weeks before closing and they backed out. We knew it would be hard to sell our house once fall came so we just prepared to struggle with bills for some time until spring came and hopefully there would be a buyer then. But within 1 week of it going back on the market we had a buyer! God, why do we question You?! You are Sovereign!! You knew our house would sell in the perfect time. You would supply our needs!
So today we say good-bye to our beautiful Pennsylvania home and can now begin to make our Miami home look more homey!=)

Demolition Begins

2011-11-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

We knew before we moved to Miami that we would be remodeling the kitchen. It's just way too small. We thought we were going to be able to do it as soon as we moved because our house in Pa. was to sell at the end of June. But things happened and the buyers back out. I was disappointed for many reasons, but decided our new house would be fine not decorated and without a new kitchen for awhile. Well, tomorrow our house in Pa will be sold and so last weekend we went to IKEA and ordered new cabinets and a counter top (so thankful for an amazing sale IKEA was having!!!)
Last night Mark began the demolition of the kitchen. Our new cabinets should be here next Friday! The next couple weeks will be chaotic with our kitchen torn apart, but oh the memories we will make.

Before. Excuse the mess! My sweet hubby says it will make the after pictures even more amazing! LOL

Yep, that's all the counter top I have. And when you're making a crock pot meal (like I was) the counter top is well.... gone!

Gabe was a big help with the shop vac!=)

Mark took the door off to our storage room (hence all the boxes you see). He will dry wall that to form our "U" shaped kitchen. He removed the cabinets that were above the refrigerator. He moved the refrigerator and our pantry so we can still eat in our house!=)

I'm so thankful for a handy husband who enjoys doing this kind of thing. I cannot even tell you how excited I am to be starting on the kitchen!!!!!=)

Fun Evening with Friends

2011-11-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

Last night we spent the evening with friends enjoying a picnic supper watching the cruise ships leave port.

Waiting patiently for the ships.

Fun with Daddy!

Jadyn waving "bye" to the people.

I love that girl and the palm trees!=)

Jadyn and her friend Kaylee having a good time.

Gabe loved seeing all the "big boats."

The Carnival Cruise Ship leaving.

Nice view!!!

"Big Boat!!!!"

Mj enjoying a walk along the water. He loved watching the pelicans nose dive for dinner.

Jadyn & me.

Looking toward Miami. Beautiful!

Our First Miami Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T04:53:00.000-08:00

Our first Miami Thanksgiving was so much fun! It was a beautiful day (well except for the rain that came right when we sat down to eat LOL) enjoying time with new friends that we have made down here. Here are pictures from our day!

The tables set up outside. Each plate had 5 corn kernels to represent the Pilgrims rationing of 5 corn kernels a day. Wow! What a great reminder of how blessed we are.

The kids loved the tire swing.

Jadyn & Kaylee - best buddies

Gabe & I enjoying the sunshine.

Mr. Wishart shooting his potato gun.

Going to catch the potatoes in buckets.

Indian Jadyn

You can't have Thanksgiving without football.

Mj's turkey

Gabe decided to eat his apple instead of making a turkey.

Jadyn's turkey

Totschool - Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

Jadyn is 41 months old & Gabe is 21 months old

We enjoyed a break from our "usual" tot school routine and focused on Thanksgiving fun!

"M" is for Mayflower.

Jadyn's turkey she colored, cut, and pasted.

Getting the pilgrims to the Mayflower by tracing.

Probably the most fun activity of the week. Making turkeys with their feet.

Jadyn was so proud of her turkey.

Jadyn's turkey - the finished product.

Gabe loved his turkey!

Look at that cute footprint turkey!

Number practice with Thanksgiving things.

Jadyn loved doing this potato head inspired turkey.

We loved having Mj home from school today so he joined in on the fun, too!=)

I posted so many Thanksgiving ideas that I couldn't do them all. You can check out my pinterest board for these ideas I used and more.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tinker Bells

2011-11-23T05:15:00.001-08:00

Jadyn was eating lunch and starting singing "Jingle Bells" AKA "Tinker Bells!" Enjoy the video!

Thanksgiving Party

2011-11-23T05:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was able to go to Mj's class's Thanksgiving party. We enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast and I had fun watching Mj play with his friends. It's so hard to believe how close Thanksgiving is (and that I got a little red on my shoulders from the sun - it was hot today!). I'm so thankful that Mj loves school so much and he is doing such a great job! I miss him terribly during the day, but I know that this is where God wants both of us.

Playing Knockout with his friends.

So thankful for my 3rd Grader!

My Heart is Filled with Thankfulness

2011-11-21T05:36:00.001-08:00

"My heart is filled with thankfulness to Him Who bore my pain;
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace and gave me life again;
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness, and clothed me with His light,
And wrote His law of righteousness with pow'r upon my heart.

My heart is filled with thankfulness to Him Who walks beside;
Who floods my weaknesses with strength and causes fears to fly;
Whose every promise is enough for every step I take,
Sustaining me with arms of love and crowning me with grace.

My heart is filled with thankfulness to Him Who reigns above;
Whose wisdom is my perfect peace, Whose every thought is love.
For every day I have on earth is given by the King.
So I will give my life, my all, to love and follow Him.

Words by Stuart Townend & Keith Getty

Fall Fling 2011

2011-11-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite activities with our youth group in Pennsylvania was our annual Fall Fling. So we were excited to host a Fall Fling for our youth group in Miami at our house and show them some real Fall fun. It definitely doesn't feel or look like fall around here, but it was nice not having to be all bundled up for a fall fling!=) We're excited to make some new memories with our new youth group!=) Here's some pictures of Fall Fling 2011!

Playing some football.

Grilling hamburgers and hotdogs.

Making Scarecrows.

The 3rd place scarecrow.

The 2nd place scarecrow

And the girls were our winners with the 1st place scarecrow.

I saw a caramel apple bar on pinterest and had to try it for our Fall Fling. It was delicious and fun!

Finding the perfect toppings for the caramel apple.

Don't they look yummy!

MJ and his caramel apple.

Enjoying the caramel apples.

Jadyn loved them!

Gabe enjoyed eating the candy that fell off the apples left on the table.

Candy hunt in the hay.

Gabe enjoyed rolling around in the hay.

Jadyn & her friend Kaylee having fun in the hay.

Tot School - Fun with "Z"

2011-11-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

Jadyn is 41 months old & Gabe is 21 months old.

This week Jadyn was sick so we took it easy. We focused on the letter "Z", Number "11", color yellow, and clothes. Here's our week in pictures.

Coloring her Z paper.

Zebra sequencing

Color the octagons.

Finger painting 11 cherry blossoms.

Working on a number puzzle.

Proud of her verse coloring.

Zaccheaus up in the tree.

Jadyn did a lot of this during the week. Watching "Super Why" on the sofa.

Gabe had a fun week, too. Here's what he was up to.

Doing a puzzle all by himself for the first time.

I love that look of concentrations.

He hasn't played with his train for awhile. So it was fun to see him pull this out and play with it.

Always fun to play with beans.

He enjoyed some Connect 4

Coloring with big sister.

As always thanks to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for the printables and ideas.

Messy Yogurt

2011-11-16T06:48:00.000-08:00

So maybe Gabe's not quite ready to eat yogurt solo yet! =)

A Busy Saturday

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Wow, did we have a lot going on Saturday. We started our day by getting family pictures at Matheson Hammock Park. It was a beautiful day and we're so thankful for our friend taking these pictures. He edited some of the pictures to give us a sneak peak!=) I can't wait to see all of them!=)

Since the kids were so well-behaved, we let all the kids play in the tidal pool. Here's Gabe and his friend Titus enjoying the water.

We came home, got changed and headed to the ranch for Mj's baseball party.

Gabe and Mark enjoying the hayride.

Jadyn enjoyed feeding one of the horses.

The team

Mj with his trophy. He was the rookie of the year.

We came home after the party, got showered and changed and headed back to the ranch for the Jr. Church Harvest Banquet.

The Jr. Church kids singing some fun songs with Pastor Garcia.

It was a busy day, but a lot of fun. And the kids were nice and worn out and slept in on Sunday!=)

Tot School - Nifty "N"

2011-11-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

Jadyn is 40 months old & Gabe is 21 months old.

This week we focused on the letter "N", number "10", color black, and bugs. Here's our week in pictures.

Jadyn's beautiful letter "N"

Queen Jadyn tracing "N"

"N" is for Narwhal.

The last paper of her color and shapes book !!!

She read her color and shape book to Gabe.

Glitter on 10 stars.

Counting the eggs in the nest.

Matching the eggs to the nest (Big "N", Little "N")

We talked about the importance of brushing our teeth.

Jadyn made a frame for her room.

Coloring her verse.

And of course measuring her verse. She loves when she is bigger than her verse.

Happy Veteran's Day! We talked about our brave soldiers and why we are to be thankful for them.

Gabe had a fun week, too. I made him a fun new toy from Pinterest that he loved and played with over and over. He's really talking now. This morning I went in to get him out of his crib and he pointed to his diaper and said, "I stink!" He's so funny!=) Here's his week in pictures.

Hiding in a box.

Playing with lacing beads.

Of course, the beans came out again this week.

And the toy I made from Pinterest was a hit.

Coloring the letter "N". He loves saying"Nah!" for "N"!

Thanks to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for the printables and ideas!

Pinterest + Totschool = Hours of Fun!

2011-11-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

Can I just say how much I love Pinterest and I love it even more when I can actually make something from Pinterest!=) I got this idea from pinterest and Gabe has been playing with it for 2 hours now! He loves it. It's just an oatmeal container and pipe cleaners! Great for fine motor skills and just plain fun!=) I've found a bunch of great ideas for totschool on pinterest. If you're not on pinterest yet, what are you waiting for?!=)

Do you think he likes it?!

Jadyn wanted to get in on the fun, too.

Not Every Day Goes Smoothly...

2011-11-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

...in fact, most days don't. I love when other blogs post their kids being "naughty". Here's my tots being naughty!=)

Gabe was singing at the top of his lungs and you can see that Jadyn is NOT HAPPY!

... so she punches him to make him stop!

Yep, a very typical day of homeschooling at our house! (Ok, maybe not the punching but there is usually at least one kid crying at some point.) Hope you're having a great homeschooling morning!=)

The Beginning of Our Thanksgiving Tree

2011-11-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

We started making a Thanksgiving tree on November 1 and will see our tree grow through out the month of November. We have so much to be thankful for. The kids love filling out their leaves first thing in the morning! It's been fun watching them think of what they have to be thankful for. Some things on our tree so far are: God, God's grace, Streak, our House, Mommy & Daddy, I'm a Christian, The kiddos, Palm trees, and these are just a few.

Oh and of course, Jadyn added Uncle Bob & Aunt Sue to our Thanksgiving Tree!=)

I can't wait to see what our tree looks like on November 30!=)

We're Enjoying Fall in Miami!

2011-11-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

We're enjoying the Miami November weather!!! Temps are in the low 80s or upper 70s during the day. You couldn't get more perfect! (especially after seeing back in Pa. the low is 29!!!!!! - I don't know how we're going to handle Christmas back in Pa!! I think we've turned into big whoosies already! LOL) Here's some pics of our beautiful weekend together!

Mark and Mj playing frisbee!

Jadyn & Gabe enjoying sidewalk chalk!

Mj loves playing frisbee especially with his dad!=)

Some visitors came for a visit!=) The kids love watching the neighborhood ducks.

TotSchool - Yummy "Y"

2011-11-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

Jadyn is 40 months & Gabe is 21 months old.

This week we focused on the letter "Y", number "9", color white, and toys. Even though both kids were not feeling 100% we were able to have a fun week of learning! On the way home from dropping Mj off to school we came home and I said to Jadyn, "Why don't we just watch some TV?" Jadyn looked at me horrified and said, "No, Mommy. I need to learn some more!" So cute!=) Glad she loves to learn! Heres our week in pictures!

Jadyn loved this project! Yellow starts with "Y"

Dot-a-dot "Y"

Working on Big "Y" and Little "y".

Color only the birds that have a number 9 beside them.

Matching shapes.

Jadyn loves cutting her verse and measuring it to her!

Another verse craft.

Working on her numbers. She would put the number of beads on the number.

Reading her "Do You?" book.

We talked about mail carriers this week.

We talked about Creation this week. She loved the coloring book we did together.

Mopping the floor. She's quite the helper!

Playing Candy Land with Mommy.

Gabe wasn't quite himself this week since he was battling a cold, but of course, he had fun as always! I love listen to him repeat everything we do and say (especially Jadyn). He started saying "yummy" this week when he eats anything! Here's his week in pictures.

Jadyn trying to show Gabe that his car was too big for the garage.

Playing basketball.

He found my leftover "V" papers from last week and wanted to color it. Of course, Jadyn had to help!=)

His favorite activity this week!

I switched the beans out one day with the stones. He was pretty excited!

Gabe loves singing with Jadyn.

Gabe got the construction site out for the first time in awhile.

Happy to be coloring!

Our dog Streak and Gabe have become best friends recently. Gabe loves playing ball with him.

I can't leave these 2 alone for a second!;) I guess they thought the beans and stones would be more fun out of the bin!

Thanks to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for the printables and ideas!

To Tired to Eat

2011-11-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

We sat down to dinner and Jadyn said, "I don't like it!" So I told her she could sit there until she decided to eat it. About 5 minutes later I hear snoring! LOL I guess she was too tired to eat.

I have no idea how she could sleep like this!

The view from below. She looks so angelic when she's s sleeping!

Chalk Drawing...

2011-11-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

We're enjoying the beautiful Novemberweather here in Florida - much different than our Pennsylvania weather we're used to!=) This morning Jadyn & Gabe enjoyed some fun making chalk
drawings!

Showing off the start of her big drawings!

Gabe decided to play with the container underneath the palm tree.

Playing together!

Jadyn thought drawing on the palm tree was hilarious!

There was chalk everywhere!=)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

Oh the craziness that happens at our house sometimes!=)

Trick or Treat

2011-10-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a fun evening trick-or-treating with the kids! Here are some pics from our night!

Trick-or-Treat at the mall.

Jadyn loved the big Winnie the Pooh at the Disney Store.

We were able to meet up with some friends to trick-or-treat! So thankful for the new friends we have made here in Miami!

Jadyn, her Aunt Lydia, and cousin Julia!

Gabe the lion.

Enjoying a trip to Burger King on the way home from the mall.

Being crazy (or maybe too much sugar already!)

The worn-out parents!

Jadyn was very excited about the pumpkin treat from Mrs. Garcia!

Mj checking out his candy stash! (Do you think he'll notice if that Reese's Peanut butter Cup goes missing?!;) )

Gabe was pretty happy about his candy!

Zoo Boo!

2011-10-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we took the kids to the zoo for some trick or treat fun! Here are some pictures from Zoo Boo!

Gabe roaring at himself in the mirror! He wasn't sure what to think of his costume at first!=)

Mj - Indiana Jones, Gabe - Lion, Jadyn - Bumble bee

Jadyn loves getting candy!

Enjoying some of the loot!=)

Watching the lemurs on the way.

Hmmmm... what should I eat next?

Poor Gabe was so hot (temps were in the 80s). Our costumes are made for Pennsylvania Halloweens when it's freezing not hot and humid Miami Halloweens!=)

Indiana Jones meets the flamingos.

Checking out all the goodies!

Mj's favorite part of the day!=)

Round 2 of Trick or Treating will be tonight with family and friends at the mall! We can't wait!=)

Heaven is for Real (for Kids) - Review

2011-10-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Heaven is for Real for Kids as told by Colton Burpo is a great book for children who may have questions about Heaven. The pictures are beautiful and captivated my daughter's attention. I appreciated the Scripture verse on each page to reinforce aspects of Heaven written in the Bible. I'm not going to debate whether I think little Colton was in heaven, but I think the story is a great book for children.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Bathtime with Gabe

2011-10-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Why do toddlers never do what you want them to do! ;) When I say "I love" Gabe will answer "My Mama!" It's the cutest thing ever!=) Well, here's a video during bath time of me trying to get Gabe to say his line. I still haven't gotten one video of him saying it!! What a booger!=)

Spaghetti Supper 2011

2011-10-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Last night was the school's annual Spaghetti Supper! The kids had a blast on the rides and games! They sure were tuckered out by the time we went home. Mj loved hanging out with his friends and going on rides with them. I hear laser tag was a hit with his friends Levi and Sutton. Jadyn loved all the rides. And Gabe enjoyed petting the horses. Here are some pics from the night.

Mj and his friend Levi battling for victory!

Jadyn ready for a pony ride.

Gabe finally sat on the horse. This smile only lasted a couple of seconds. When the horse moved he freaked out! LOL

Jadyn and her best friend Kaylee ready for the hay ride.

Mark & Jadyn enjoying snack time.

Mj and I enjoying a break, too.

Mj's class's scare crow (" I was a 3rd Grade Spy'')

Blog Bash 2011

2011-10-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hi! I love meeting new bloggers and checking out new blogs so thanks for stopping by my blog. Here's a little about me and my wonderful family.

This is my family! We recently moved from Pennsylvania (where my husband and I have lived all of our lives) to Florida! Talk about a change! LOL It's been awesome seeing God work in this move through the highs and lows.

My husband Mark and I just celebrated our 10th anniversary in August. We've known each other since elementary school and I can't imagine my life without him. He is my best friend and my rock! Mark works at the church and school in the maintenance department. We also are able to help my sis-in-law and brother-in-law out with the youth group. We love working with teens (and we miss our teens back in Pa so very much!). We're in charge of the Jr. High (so please pray for us! LOL).

This is our oldest son MJ. He's 8 years old and in 3rd grade. This is his first year in "real" school and he is loving it! Although he does tell me a lot how much he misses me during the day (melts my heart!). Mj loves Star Wars and Legos. He's also playing baseball this fall and enjoying learning a new sport. Mj has a such a tender heart. I know God is going to use that in a great way!

Jadyn's name means "Jehovah Has Heard"! And boy did God hear and answer! We struggled getting pregnant after Mj. We always pictured ourselves having many kids, but God seemed to have other plans. We went to a fertility specialist and he told us we would never have children without medical help and that it was a miracle we even had MJ. I was heart broken. We prayed for 4 and 1/2 years for another baby and in October 2007 after feeling very nauseous for a week, I looked at 2 blue lines on a pregnancy test shaking, crying and in awe of what God had done. I remember Mj knocking on the door and asking me if I was ok!=)
Jadyn is quite the personality (I think God was just taking 5 years to prepare us for this "wild child".) She is a tomboy, but still likes to play dress up and with her babies. She is a tough one and definitely knows what she wants. I asked her the other day what she wants to be when she grows up. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, of course, I want to be a mommy!" Love my girl!

Well, after hearing that us having children was pretty much impossible. We figured Jadyn was our last, but God had other plans!! Gabe is 19 months younger than Jadyn and is such a joy in our lives. I was a bit "freaked" out when I realized as parents we would be moving from "man-to-man" to "zone" defense. And Jadyn was still a "baby" and here I would be having another baby, but oh, I wouldn't trade Gabe for anything. He's always happy. His smile just melts my heart! Gabe is 20 months old (I cannot believe he's going to be 2 in a couple of months). He's repeating everything we say right now!! He loves doing whatever Mj and Jadyn are doing. He's all about coloring and throwing balls.

So that's my family (which is pretty much what I blog about). I homeschool my younger two and have many posts about our totschool. I also have posts of my homeschooling days with Mj. Thanks again for stopping by!

Tot School - "V" is Very Fun!

2011-10-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Jadyn is 40 months old & Gabe is 20 months old

Our focus this week was on "V", "8", brown, and land forms. Jadyn loved talking about volcanoes and caves. I was so bummed that I ran out of vinegar, so we'll have to make a volcano once I get to the store! Here's our week in pictures.

Dot-a-dot "V"

Tracing "V"

Her verse craft. We talked about how Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

Working on her numbers with her puzzle.

8 parakeets.

Matching pictures with their shadows.

Her brown paper. She's so excited that our color and shape book is almost finished!

How many? She loved the Halloween themed papers! Found them at Over the Big Moon.

Tracing practice.

"V" is for vet. We talked about what veterinarians do and how they help us take care of our dog.

Jadyn came to me while I was working and said, "Mommy, I'm learning. Look! - I made two T's with my logs!" I was so proud of her!=)

Gabe is all about coloring right now! As soon as he sees the crayons come out he's climbing up on a chair and rubbing his belly (the sign for "please") He absolutely loves it! He also learned to sign "milk" and "eat" this week.

Working so hard and excited to color with his big sister!

Lefty or righty?!

I think I have a picture of him every week playing with his cars and garage! He loves it!

Playing basketball with our furry dog. Somehow our dog always manages to creep into our pictures! LOL

Puzzles with Jadyn!

I pulled the beans out for Gabe to play with for the first time this week. He loved them and didn't put any into his mouth!=) I will definitely be pulling these out again!

So that was our week! Thanks to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for the free printables and ideas!

Straight A's!

2011-10-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

Mj was so excited to show me his Principal's Award Certificate he got for getting Straight A's on his report card! I was so excited for him and proud, too! He's worked so hard this quarter and it shows! I miss homeschooling him, but he absolutely loves school and is working so hard! So proud of my 3rd grader!

Only in a Home with Boys...

2011-10-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

So as I was cooking dinner last night, I hear Gabe laughing and saying "Wook!" I turn around and this is what I see...

Yes, that is Mj's cup on Gabe's head! Only in a house with boys..... (and of course, I had to get a picture!!!!!)

A Year Ago....

2011-10-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken just over a year ago when we took a 2 week vacation driving to Miami to look at a job here for Mark. During this trip, I can tell you that never in our wildest imaginations did we see ourselves living here 1 year later! It's been so neat to see how God has worked in our lives this past year. It hasn't been easy... but I wouldn't trade this time for anything. God has grown us as a family closer to Him. We miss so much about Pennsylvania - fall, our family, our church family... but we are loving our new friends, our family here (Lyd, Marcus, & Jules), and the beach. I went to many verses during the past year to help me. Here is one of the ones I went to over and over. Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Holding a baby alligator at an alligator farm.

Mj enjoyed the Mortensen's pool (he loves visiting there now and going swimming still!)

Gabe's first trip to the beach. (I can't believe how much he's changed in a year!!!!)

Our first time to Miami Beach. Definitely one of our favorite places now!=)

Jadyn during our road trip!

Enjoying some ice cream in Savannah, GA on the way home.

Tot School - Exciting "X"

2011-10-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Jadyn is 40 months old & Gabe is 20 months old.

This week we focused on "X", number "7", sight word "little", color pink, and musical instruments. Jadyn was really excited about school this week (more than usual). She's so funny! As soon as we drop Mj off at school she asks, "Can we do school right when we get home?" Here's our week in pictures.

Dot-a-dot X

Tracing "X" - Her tracing is improving so much!

Shape sorting

Matching the letters to spell xylophone.

Sorting xylophones by size. She loves this activity!

X is for X-ray!

7 ants at the teddy bear picnic.

Working on numbers. She picked the number card and then put that many bars on the xylophone. She has a hard time knowing the number by looking at it so this was great practice for her!

We talked about Noah (perfect week to talk about the flood with all the rain we were getting).

And we talked about David.

She was excited to pick a craft from the craft bin.

Cutting her shapes and matching them.

Dot-a-dot the "x" on the xylophone.

Her big brother Mj taught her how to play Go Fish so we played this game many times during the week.

Gabe had a fun totschool week, too. He's really repeating us when we talk. He started saying "Bye Daddy" and repeats numbers and the alphabet. His new thing this week is when he gets in his "football" position and then counts down, "Dee! Dee! Dee!" then jumps on you! He loves this!

Working hard on his block tower.

Fun with his garage.

He loves this toy.

He was supposed to be putting learning links in the container, but this was more fun! =)

Coloring

And this is what happens when I'm not paying attention. =)

Gabe and Jadyn had a lot of fun together this week. I love watching the two of them interact. Jadyn is such a good big sister to Gabe. Gabe loves to do whatever Jadyn is doing. Here are my favorite pictures of the 2 of them this week.

Gabe's fall tree

Jadyn's fall tree

Fun at the park on a cool morning - It was in the 60s in the morning!!! Reminded of us Pennsylvania with those temperatures. We sure are missing fall in Pa.

So that was our week! How was your week? Thanks as always to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for the free printables and ideas. What a blessing these women are!

Glad They Can Enjoy It!

2011-10-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

The ducksand ibises are sure enjoying all this rain we're getting. I think I've already gotten spoiled in the 4 months we've lived here in Florida of all the sunshine we normally get. This is our 4th straight day of rain and the overcast, gloomy skies are pretty depressing! LOL The kids are going bonkers not being able to play outside - Jadyn's been begging every day to please play outside. "I won't get wet!" she says. Ha! Ha! How did we ever survive Pennsylvania winters being cooped up in the house?! LOL Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and beautiful and we sure can't wait (although I think the ducks will be a bit sad!)

A Look Into Our Totschool

2011-10-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

I should actually put a video up of the kids crying and fighting with each other, but here's a nice video of a short glimpse into our homeschool day.

Haircuts Make Me Sad!

2011-10-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

I think I cry every time Gabe gets a haircut. He looks so grown up after every hair cut.This hair cut

went much better now that Gabe is all about Elmo. So we stuck in one of our Elmo's World DVDs and Gabe was intently watching Elmo while Mark did the cutting.

Time for the hair cut.

I love this face! Can you tell he was really into Elmo's World!!! LOL

Dug Down Deep - Review

2011-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris is an excellent book on doctrine. He talks about how we need to be like the wise man and have our foundation like a rock and not like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. Joshua explains the doctrines that our foundational to our Christian faith. There were some things that I disagreed with him on (speaking in tongues and the gift of prophecy), but overall this is an excellent book about doctrine. This book would be great to disciple a new believer with. And it's also a great book for seasoned Christians to be reminded about these core doctrines of the Christian faith.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Our All Star

2011-10-15T11:51:00.001-07:00

Mj's doing really well in baseball! I'm so proud of him! Here's some pics from his game today!

Ready in outfield!

Up to bat. He has a good eye - he got walked!

Maze Craze

2011-10-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our Maze Craze with the youth group.The teens loved the maze! There were many brush-burned knees, elbows, and screams! We are loving serving the Lord here in Miami! We're getting to know these teens better and are loving working with them. I think one of the highlights is definitely working with Lyd & Marcus! How much fun to be with family serving God together! - Awesome! Here are some pictures from our night!

Our kids were stoked about the Maze Craze!

Part of the maze. It was huge!!!! Of course, the lights were turned off and the maze had some "scary" surprises in their, too.

Mark helped make the maze and enjoyed going through it!=)

Mj made it through and went a bunch of times with the teens! He had a blast!=)

Is there any doubt that Jadyn would love the maze?! She went through it a bunch of times. I told her that if she went with the teens people would be trying to scare them. She said, "I won't be scared." Then she looked at Emma & Liz and said "Let's go!" She loved it and she sure does love Emma and Liz!

I went through with Mj and Jadyn. It really was a lot of fun!

So Mark and I weren't paying attention and we knew Mj and Jadyn had gone back through, but then we couldn't find Gabe - yep, he went through the maze, too. He even went through with Liz (he got a little scared, but was pretty brave for a 20 month old!) =)

Gabe was excited his cousin Julia came. He likes to scare her with a big "Boo!"

Thank You, God, for Blessing Me - Review

2011-10-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

Thank You, God, for Blessing Me is a great book to teach young children how to pray. The book is Hermie's bed-time prayer to God. Hermie thanks God for all the blessings God has given him. The pictures are fun to look at. The book is a board book which is great for babies. A wonderful way to teach toddlers and preschoolers how to pray! I highly recommend this book!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Truly Blessed

2011-10-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Some days I want to pull my hair out, but most days I just absolutely love doing what I'm doing - being mom to these 3 miracles! There is never a dull moment around here, it's never quiet (well, except when they're all sleeping), it's chaotic most of the time and I love it! What an honor and daunting task God has entrusted Mark and I with. We are blessed beyond anything we could ever imagine! Mj, Jadyn, & Gabe - I love you more than words can say and God loves you so much more than that.

Our little princess - Jadyn

The boys wrestling after school. Gabe is always so excited to see Mj come home from school!

Gabe loves to scare everyone. He hid behind the trees and yelled "Boo!"

These two are so funny together! I love to watch them play and discover the world around them.

Tot School - "E" is Excellent!

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Jadyn is 40 months old & Gabe is 20 months old

After having 2 weeks off of tot school Jadyn was so excited to get to work on the Letter E. We also focused on the number 6, the sight word "is", the color purple, and kitchen and food things. Can I just say how cute she says the word "sushi". She calls it "squishy!" I would make her say it over and over! =) Here's our week in pictures.

Jadyn reading "Where is the egg?" to Gabe.

What a beautiful purple paper!

An elephant puppet. Jadyn loved that her finger was the trunk.

Dot-a-dot "E"

The number "6"

We made a crown and talked about Queen Esther.

Jadyn colored her verse. "Even a child is known by his deeds." Prov. 20:11

Practicing cutting.

Tracing "E". She didn't enjoy tracing as much this week.

She was proud of the elephant she made out of shapes.

Matching Big "E" and little "e"

Matching what goes in each room. She thought it was funny to put the food in the bedroom.

Shape sorting

Matching numbers

I think this was her favorite activity for the week. She had to find the "e" magnets out of all the alphabet magnets and then stick them on the filing cabinet. You can see Gabe was enjoying it, too.

Jadyn's verse was tiny this week.

Reviewing all the letters we've learned and the word cards for each letter!

Jadyn let Gabe help her color her "E" paper.

Gabe is learning so much! He's really started talking these last two weeks. He says "puppy", "nasty", "Hi!", "Buh-bye", "Mama", "Daddy", and repeats a bunch of things we say to him. I love watching him just take everything in. He's such a copycat now. I'm glad Jadyn doesn't mind. =)

Learning that flowers smell so good!

He decided to play football with the education cubes!

Gabe loves the shape sorter and he's getting much better at putting the shapes back on!

Reading a Thomas Book.

Playing with the color chips and a bin.

This kid loves dot-a-dot markers and the mess they can make! =)

Knocking down my tower.

I guess this is a better way to play with the blocks! =)

A little peek-a-boo under the chair. He was so proud of finding the car while we were playing.

Gabe has almost mastered the shape sorter. The triangle still confuses him, but that's ok! =)

It was good to get back to a schedule and they were so excited to be "back in school" like big brother Mj! Thanks to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for all the great printables and ideas!

Wednesday Nights Are Fun!

2011-10-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Wednesday nights are fun around here. Mj and Jadyn are getting ready for Awana. Mj was cramming his verses so he could pass 2 sections to get 2 life savers since it was lifesaver night. Jadyn was picking out which bear would go to the Teddy Bear picnic. Mark was already at church working with his discipleship group and I was rounding up the troops and getting every body ready to go to church. =) Mark and I have taken over the Jr. High teens on Wednesday nights and we're loving getting to know them better. After church we had Marcus, Lyd, and Jules over for a new pinterest recipe - Chocolate Strawberry Trifle.

Jadyn's ready for Cubbies!

Gabe enjoyed dessert!

Worldess Wednesday

2011-10-12T11:27:00.001-07:00

Oops! Someone's a little dirty!

Craft Time

2011-10-11T07:33:00.001-07:00

What does craft time look like at your house? Well at our house it's messy!! VERY messy! This picture was taken before they got started. I forgot to get a picture after but it was bad, very bad! =) I love watching their imaginations become masterpieces of art!

Brotherly Love

2011-10-10T06:56:00.000-07:00

I love to watch Mj & Gabe interact. Gabe loves his big brother and copies everything he does! Mj is so good with Gabe and loves to read books to him! So thankful for my boys!

Your Grace Still Amazes Me

2011-10-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

My faithful Father, enduring Friend
Your tender mercy’s like a river with no end
It overwhelms me, covers my sin
Each time I come into Your presence
I stand in wonder once again

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
Each day I fall on my knees

‘Cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

Oh, patient Saviour, You make me whole
You are the Author and the Healer of my soul
What can I give You, Lord, what can I say
I know there’s no way to repay You
Only to offer You my praise

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
Each day I fall on my knees

‘Cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

It’s deeper, it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
It’s deeper it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
than anything my eyes can see

Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
Each day I fall on my knees

‘Cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

Sung by Phillips, Craig, & Dean

The Zoo & Some Rain

2011-10-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

For Mj's last day off of school we went to the zoo. Unfortunately, it rained a lot while we were there, but we had fun for a couple of hours.

Jadyn loves climbing on the big elephant.

Uncle Bob sent Mj a GPS yesterday in the mail so Mj made sure to bring and see where we were at all times! =)

Digging for dinosaur bones.

Gabe looks so grown up in this picture.

Waiting for the down pour to be over.

I guess Jadyn & Gabe weren't wet enough from the rain. They decided to get more wet!!!

Nasty

2011-10-06T11:27:00.001-07:00

Last year, I taught Jadyn to say "Boys are nasty." Well, that turned into her calling every boy she saw "Nasty." Yesterday, this is what I heard Gabe saying.... (he was saying it with out prodding from me but once I got the camera out he stopped so I had to remind him.)

Fun in the Sun!

2011-10-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today for Mj's day off we went down to Mattheson Hammock Park. I love this place; it's absolutely beautiful! The kids enjoyed splashing in the water, playing in the sand and just enjoying the beautiful day! I must say - It's pretty cool that we get to swim in October! Would never be doing this in Pennsylvania! =) Although I am missing my boots, sweaters, and the beautiful fall colors.

Making volcanoes in the sand!

Gabe "swimming."

Jadyn was brave and picked up the slimy egg sacs that were floating in the tidal pool.

Right before we left, Mj decided he was brave enough to touch the slime, too.

Fun at Pinecrest Gardens

2011-10-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we enjoyed Mj's day off school by going to Pinecrest Gardens. The kids pretended to be explorers walking through the jungle looking for wild beasts (AKA fish, turtles, & lizards).

Looking for the turtles.

There they are!

Time to cool off at the splash pad.

Gabe actually got close to the mushroom this time!

Mj's First Baseball Game

2011-10-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

Mj was so excited for his first baseball game! Here's some pics of my all-star!

Go Red Sox!

Is it me, or does he look so grown up in this picture?

Getting a pep talk from Coach.

Ready for the ball!

Drive-in Movie Car

2011-10-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

With having our company last week I never got to post about Mj's drive-in movie car that Mark made for his jr. church drive in movie night. I think Mark might have had more fun than Mj!=)

The first stage of the car.

The finished product.

Fun with the Storcks!

2011-10-03T05:38:00.000-07:00

We were so excited that the Storcks (a couple from our church back in Pa.) came to visit us last week! The kids were spoiled rotten and we all had a wonderful time together! Here are some pictures from our very fun week!

Monday: Alligator Farm

Gabe loved getting close to the big alligators!

Jadyn went on an air boat ride through the Everglades with Uncle Bob & Aunt Sue!

Tuesday: Toured Westwood Christian School & Mattheson Hammock Park

Jadyn & Gabe enjoyed showing Uncle Bob & Aunt Sue the pretty pictures in the preschool building.

Uncle Bob & Aunt Sue with Jadyn & Gabe at Westwood.

Cooling off at the tidal pool.

Wednesday: The Zoo

Posing with the bear statue.

Looking for the crocodile.

Fun with Uncle Bob & a lizard.

Thursday: Pinecrest Gardens

Trying to get a group picture.

Fun at the petting zoo.

What a big tree!

Friday: South Beach & South Pointe Park

Enjoying a beautiful beach day with Uncle Bob & Aunt Sue!

Patiently waiting for the cruise ships to leave port.

Yay! A cruise ship! The kids loved watching them leave port!

Mj & Jadyn waving to the people on the cruise ship.

Having fun watching the kids at the splash pad.

Gabe's cheesy smile!

Enjoying a beautiful walk in the park.

A beautiful sunset as we left - followed by a crazy thunderstorm we got stuck in!

What a fun week!

Spelling Bee

2011-09-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday Mj participated in the school spelling bee. He was such a nervous wreck. Poor thing! He did awesome and made through about 10 rounds. I was so proud of him!!! I was shocked when he told me last week that he was one of the winners of his class bee and got to move on to the school bee! He wants to work hard to be in the spelling bee next year. Go Mj!!!!

Fun with the letter "F"

2011-09-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Jadyn is 39 months old & Gabe is 19 months old

We focused on "F", "5", "orange" and body parts this week. Here's pictures of our week.

Jadyn's orange paper. She loves to color.

Jadyn was excited that her verse was actually longer than she was.

Catching fish.

Reading her book "A Friend for Me."

Tracing "F"

F is for fruit snacks.

Coloring her Bible verse - John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Making a fish out of her geometric shapes.

Making a clown out of shapes.

Building fish

Dot-a-dot F

A hand print fish.

5 apples in the basket.

Gabe is enjoying his tot school time. Playing cars and garage is always fun.

Learning with his puppy.
Dot-a-dot fun.
Fish puzzle!
Ok, maybe some days totschool isn't that fun.
Working hard on using his fork.
Stacking alphabet blocks.
Thansk to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for their great printables and ideas!

Make a Joyful Noise

2011-09-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

Jadyn is always singing something while she plays! I love to hear her sing. Her song of choice today - "Come People of the Risen King" by the Gettys.

Things I Love

2011-09-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

I love Pandora! Have you tried the toddler station?! So fun! That's what we listen to while doing crafts and other fun tot things. While I study I listen to Christian music and what a fun way to get some many different songs! Love it!

Mmmmm..... nothing better than a cold coke to make me happy!

Palm trees!!! I've always loved palm trees and now we have palm trees in our front yard!!! Although one thing I've learned in Miami is how many different types of palm trees there are! Wow! (I also love that girl standing beside the palm tree! - She's pretty cool, too!)

Words with Friends! I just keep telling myself it's not a waste of time it's helping my brain function!

Maybe it's the whole living in Miami thing, but I'm all about limes right now! Love them! I've been making limeade a lot and thinking about attempting key lime pie! Yum!

I'm totally addicted to Pinterest. I've found so many crafty ideas to try around the house, for totschool, recipes, etc!! Love this and after I this post I'll be pinning over at Pinterest! ;)

And I love these 3 crazy kids of mine! They keep things interesting and stress me out, but I wouldn't change that for anything in the world!

Those are just a few things I love. What things do you love?! I'd love to hear!

Tot School - "I" is for Ice Cream!

2011-09-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

Jadyn is 39 months old & Gabe is 19 months old.

This week we focused on the letter "I", number "4", color "red", and winter. We took it easy this week and didn't have as many activities because it's been crazy around here. Here's our week in pictures.

Color matching inchworms.

Dot-a-dot I.

Some fun with Connect 4.

Her rectangle paper for her shape book.

Jadyn learned the 4 stages of a frog's life. Although she kept calling the eggs eyes.

Building inchworm pattern.

Coloring her verse. "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." I think I needed this verse this week more than she did. =)

Red paper.

Her strong man.

Jadyn loves cutting her verse and taping it together to see how big it is.

Gabe had a busy week. His new thing this week is that he says Jadyn and Mj's names now. And he started coming to me and saying "Ma! Ma!" and then babbles something to me and points to something and then walks away. It's so cute!!!!

Making a mess with learning links.

Learning about gravity with his cars and garage.

Making another mess with his cubes.

Some quiet play with his train.

Thanks to 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for their ideas and printables!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T05:26:00.001-07:00

Who is this dancer?!

Faith Becomes Sight

2011-09-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

10 years ago today, my mom's faith became sight. That year and 3 months that she was sick were some of the hardest months of my life, but God gave me strength and comfort and still does today. Not a day goes by that I don't miss my mom. I still want to call her on the phone and tell her the funny thing Jadyn did, or how well Mj did in school today, or what accomplishment Gabe did. I wish my kids would have gotten to meet her.
It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. 9-11 means so many things to different people. Yes, I remember the feeling when I saw the plane hit the 2nd tower, but most of all I remember that was the day I saw my mom for the last time til I get to heaven.
My mom was on a liver transplant list. God had other plans, but if you are not an organ donor, please consider it.

This is my family doing on of our favorite things growing up - camping. We went every other weekend in the summer. I have some great memories of those times fishing, around the camp fire, and hiking.

This is my family on my wedding day. 8-11-01. This was the best my mom had looked in 6 months. She was so excited for this day and God was so good to give her a good day on that day! We never expected one month later she would be with her Savior.

I love the words to the song "To Live is Christ" especially thinking of the 2nd verse today.

"Before You gave us life and breath,

You numbered all our days.

You set Your gracious love on us

And chose us to be saved.

This fleeting life is passing by,

With all its joys and pain.

But we believe to live is Christ

And death is gain.

And though we grieve for those we love

Who fall asleep in Christ,

We know they'll see the Savior's face

And gaze into His eyes.

So now we grieve, yet we don't grieve

As those who have no hope.

For just as Jesus rose again

He'll raise His own.

And now we're longing for the day

We'll see the Lamb once slain,

Who saved a countless multitude

To glorify His name.

We're yearning for the wedding feast

Of Jesus and His bride.

His nail-scarred hands will finally bring

Us to His side.

To live is Christ, to die is gain,

In every age, this truth remains

We will not fear, we're unashamed.

To live is Christ, to die is gain."

Words by Mark Altrogge and Bob Kauflin

Exploring

2011-09-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Gabe enjoyed some exploring of the school while the teens had a game night. Here are some pictures of my explorer.

Ready to go on our expedition.

Hmmm..... maybe the baseball field will be fun?

"I really like the speed bump!" He kept walking on this speed bump!

Oh, there's an airplane!

Checking out the stones by the batting cages.

Almost Ready

2011-09-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

This cool baseball player just needs his uniform to be ready for his first baseball game on Saturday! Mark took him to get some extra baseball pants, kleets, socks, and those cool sunglasses! He was so excited. He came home and showed me everything (yes, even his cup which he told me he first thought was for his knee! LOL Love that boy of mine!) I'm excited to see him play his first baseball game!

Time to Celebrate!

2011-09-10T08:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday was Mark's birthday, so last night we went to Dave & Buster's with Marcus and Lydia to celebrate! We had so much fun! You can't go wrong with a Chuck E Cheese for big people! =) We enjoyed a delicious meal. The guys had double cheeseburgers and the girls had chicken tacos! Yum!!!! We played lots of games. I think our favorite was fruit ninja! We got some prizes with our tickets (lots and lots of candy! -Yep we're still young at heart!). It was a fun night with family and a great way to celebrate Mark's birthday!

Mark and I showing off our moves on Dance Dance Revolution!

Mark driving the mac truck game. I was in charge of the horn!

Fruit Ninja!

Marcus & Lydia racing on snow mobiles.

Hip Hip Hooray for "H"!

2011-09-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

Jadyn is 38 months old & Gabe is 19 months old.

This week we focused on the letter "h", the number "3", sight word "and", color "blue", shape "triangle", and tools. Here's our week in pictures.

Tracing and getting ready to make "H".

Sorting hippos by size.

Dog-a-dot H

Jadyn cut out the triangle and glued it on the paper.

Jadyn's hippo

Working on naming her tools.

Jadyn colored her verse. "Honor your father and your mother."

Tracing numbers. Her tracing improves each week!

Matching and building patterns with learning links.

Playing Hi-Ho Cherry-O!

Working on her cutting skills.

Jadyn glued a mommy and daddy out of shapes.

Matching Big "H" hippos and Little "h" hippos.

Jadyn was very proud of her rocking horse.

Reading Gabe a book.

Jadyn cut out her verse and measured it next to her.

Building patterns with hippos.

We learned the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle"

Gabe got into a lot of trouble during tot school this week! I forget how destructive and energetic little boys are!=)

Dumping the geometric shapes, but he did put them back in thankfully!

Singing with Jadyn.

Train time.

Studying the fire truck.

Dumping unifix cubes and putting them in the basket.

Well, I guess putting the basket on your head is fun, too!

Fun with the airplane.

We were able to go to Mj's school for their 9/11 service. Jadyn and Gabe loved seeing the fire truck.

And they liked the police car, too.

Check out 1+1+1=1 and Confessions of a Homeschooler for the printables I used and great ideas!

Back in Pa.

2011-09-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's been surreal watching the pictures of the flooding back in Pa. It's been hard being here in Miami and not being there. Our house which is still for sale up there did have some basement flooding, but it could have been so much worse! Thank You Lord!

Route 39 - by my house where I grew up.

This is the park I used to take the kids to in Middletown.

Looking out to Hersheypark Dr. That McDonalds was one of our favorite spots to eat.

Praying for all of those affected by these floods.!

I'm Horrible with Surprises!

2011-09-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

Can I say that I have a horrible time keeping a secret!!! I won a Rapunzel doll for Jadyn from Life as Mom and it came on Tuesday in the mail. Well, guess who couldn't wait to give it to her that day instead of waiting for Christmas! ME! She had so much fun opening her box and seeing the huge Rapunzel doll!

The same day Mj's gift for Christmas came in the mail. He got home from school with Mark and Mark told me that Mj's teacher came and told him that Mj is doing such a great job in school. He had a big struggle with the cursive writing when he first started. I had taught him a different cursive and had only started cursive the second half of 2nd grade. Well, the other students have been doing cursive since K-5. Mj's handwriting has improved so much! She also said he was so diligent in his work and he has gotten 100% on every reading quiz they've had. He also was the only one in his class to get an A+ on their history test. Ok, enough bragging from this proud mama!=) So after hearing all that, guess what I did. Yep, gave him what was supposed to be his Christmas gift - the wii game Guilty Party!

Oh well..... Guess I'll have to find other surprises for Christmas!=)

Gabby God's Little Angel - Review

2011-09-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

Jadyn was so excited to get this book! She loved the pink and sparkly cover! Sheila Walsh does a great job as the author of helping children understand how important they are to God and how much He loves them! The story kept Jadyn entertained. She wanted to read it over and over. She loved the fun illustrations. A great story for any girl in the family!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Booksneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Faithful God

2011-09-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

"May the grace that sought my heart on that first day
Be the grace that binds my heart to stay
May the truth that opened up my eyes on that first time
Be the thoughts on my mind that never go away

For You are a lamp to my feet
A light to my path
You're the hand that's holding me

Faithful God, every promise kept
Every need You've met, Faithful God
All I am and all I'll ever be
Is all because You love faithfully
Faithful God

May the love that caught my heart to set it free
Be the love that others see in me
And may this hope that's reaches to the depths of human need
Be the song that I sing in joy and suffering
For you are the love that never leaves
The friend that won't deceive
You're the one sure thing

Faithful God, every promise kept
Every need You've met, Faithful God
All I am and all I'll ever be
Is all because You love faithfully
Faithful God

How deep, how wide the love
That pierced His side, the love
Redemption's mine, O Love that will not let me go

How deep the love (How deep, how wide the love)
How deep the love (That pierced His side, the love)
Redemption's mine, O Love that will not let me go

How deep, how wide the love
That pierced His side, the love
Redemption's mine, O Love that will not let me go

Faithful God, every promise kept
Every need You've met, Faithful God
All I am and all I'll ever be
Is all because You love faithfully
Faithful God"

Words by Laura Story