Nov. 9, 2008 - Ethan's new faux-hawk
I took Ethan for a hair cut. His hair grows crazy fast and I can't see his eyes half the time so we looked at some pictures of different cuts and agreed on one. He has had long hair for a while now and apparently the new cut was a bit of a shock. He did not like it at all the first day. Thank God he was all smiles today, especially when the boys at church told him they liked his hair. He is a cutie nomatter what.
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Nov. 8, 2008 - Oh what a face!
I love having cell phones with cameras in them. The expressions and day to day life that we can capture is priceless.
Here is my birthday boy. I think he had a good day. 
Now this face I am not so sure what the emotion is behind it.
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Nov. 8, 2008 - A Review of Life these Days
It has been a while since I have posted so I will quickly review what has been going on around here. Life is crazy busy as most of you know with work, church and the kids in school.
Kara turned 13! She and her two best friends went to the Melting Pot for a nice dinner and then had a sleep over.
Brett and Joel had fun going to one of the playoff games and rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays.
I interpreted for Sarah Palin a week before the election. It was a highlight of my career. She was amazing. Here husband and two younger children were with her. I had read a biography about her the week before doing the assignment never expecting to be there. Unfortunately I was no where near her, did not meet her and did not even get a picture.
Here is a photo of myself while interpreting. Not a great picture, too much movement for my friends cell phone to get a good one.
Love this picture of Ethan as a super hero and Faith as a fairie. He is a good big brother. I love the look of protection he has on his face.
I only made it to the pumpkin patch with the boys this year. 
But I got some good pictures of them.
My cousin Tonya came for a quick visit from New York. Lots of fun in a very short time period.
Last but not least, Ethan turned six today. He has been asking for a skateboard for a while now and we decided to take the plunge, with helmet and knee pads of course. Will post more pictures soon.
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Oct. 12, 2008 - My God stories for this week
Just have to share a few things that the Lord has done. He is so faithful. I have been praying for a long time about Joel and especially lately about Joel is school. We had a meeting this week with his teachers and the assistant principle and a few other people that have been working with Joel. The wonderful thing is how much they really like and care about him. You know you can tell when people are just doing thier job or just trying to be polite but really dont care.
He is doing very well, working ten times as hard as kids without any kind of learning disablity and making A's and B's. I am seeing more confidence in him as a person and in his reading.
The teacher shared something with us that had us all teary eyed. They had two write a short story about the first time they met a new friend. Joel wrote about someone from church. The boy that sits next to him wrote about Joel. He is a sweet boy names Thomas. He wrote about how he had a new friend he met at school this year and how Joel was really having a hard time at the begining of the year and that he had been helping him and wrote about how now Joel was doing so well and that he was proud of him. Thomas is very bright and his family is from Japan. He is not your average kid in the 5th grade. Everything he has done for Joel and even the story he wrote were his own choosing, not the teachers suggestion.
When we were leaving the school Brett said, "I think Thomas is actually an angel." The Lord is so good to us.
My other story is completely different.
This last Friday I was at work and the boys were at school and Brett was getting ready to go pick them up from school. He told Faith she was going to ride with him to get the boys. Generally she does not go with him so she asked "why?". He explaned where everyone was that day and she said " Daddy God can babysit me". I actually dont know what he said back but he called me at work to tell me. What a sweety and what childlike faith my little Faithie has.
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Sep. 28, 2008 - New Short Video from Kara
Here is another creative video. This time the star is a piece of bread.
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Sep. 27, 2008 - Movie Review of Fireproof
I have to tell whoever is reading this to go see the movie! It was so good. People who make fun of Kirk Cameron have not seen this movie. He is a very good actor. He is not a teenage Mike Seaver anymore.
Seriously I believe the Lord is really going to use this movie. But here is a warning. I cried a ton. Not really sad tears, I think they were Holy Spirit tears. I think husbands will shed a few too.
I heard on The Joy FM that a firehouse in the Bronx, NY showed the movie and then Kirk Cameron shared his testimony and 16 men were saved.
Very powerful and praying for more Christian moives to be made.
See it soon because you never know how long the good movies will last in the theatres.
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Sep. 21, 2008 - My fun weekend working at Busch Gardens
This week is National Deaf Awareness Week and yesterday at Busch Gardens they hired about 15 interpreters from the agency I with to interpret all the shows. That included musical as well as animal shows for the whole park. We got to wear uniforms with official name badges! It was funny because people would ask us questions that we could not answer. I just explained "It was my first day." Really it was my first and last. 
We worked hard for weeks translating the scripts and working on the musical numbers. My fellow interpreters did a great job.
The joke was because I have five kids I volunteered for "The Land of the Dragons". It was kinda like Barney, very perky and a bit hokey.
Here are some pictures.
Me before I actually interpreted, so pre-sweat.
Here is me interpreting.
This is the "princess" and the "knight" I worked with for the day. End of the day sweat picture. The dragon left the stage right away because it was way too hot to keep the costume on. They are about blind in those things anyways.
We hope to work for them again during the year. There were about 100 deaf people. They were very happy to be able to understand all of the shows.
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Sep. 6, 2008 - Pet Week at Faith's school
This was pet week at Faith's pre-school and all the kids were supposed to bring in a picture of their pet or a pet they wished they had. We took a cute picture of Faith with Titan and Bentley. I asked her teacher if she wanted to have our dog Titan come for a visit to the class. She said yes much to my surprise. I told her he was great with kids but warned her he was VERY big.
He was great. He walked in and went straight to the kids and plopped down in the middle of the circle of kids and just laid there while they all hugged and petted him. Miss Debbie intended it to be more orderly but I think the kids had more fun just getting at him from all sides.
Here are a few of the highlights.
Here is where I am trying to keep him on a leash.
What happened when I took him off the leash. Way more fun! He would have stayed for the day if he could. Pretty cool for Faith to have him at school with her.
A few of the girls took a while to get the courage to pet him. Titan and the boys bonded right away.
Thanks to Rebecca for being the photographer for our adventure!
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Sep. 1, 2008 - New Video
Here is a nother from Kara and Faith. Our dog would not cooperate so there is a stuffed animal for a dog.
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Sep. 1, 2008 - Home video by Kara
Here is a link for something fun Kara and Faith made while I was at work. They share a room now. (It is only 30 seconds.)
Faith is playing herself when she is in her Dora dress. When she is in a floral shirt and jeans, she is "mommy". She is trying to get permission from her mom to be a ballerina recital.
Click Here "BFF productions"
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Aug. 31, 2008 - School days
Here are a few pictures of Ethan and Faith headed to school. (Joel did not want mom to take a picture of him. Too embarassing) They love their new backpacks and lunch boxes. Faith is all girl and Ethan is all skateboards and black and white checks.
Good shot of the backpack.
Brett is the best daddy!
Faith and her friend Katie, a bit sweaty from the playground.
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Aug. 31, 2008 - Becca's new camera
We had a camera break again and got to switch it for a new one. I ended up keeping Rebecca's old one and she picked the new one. She chose a bit bigger and better camera. She takes great pictures. Here are a few of the cool ones she did on photo shop.
And everyday life.
This is Titan, our newest dog. So sweet!!
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Aug. 31, 2008 - Update on our family
Been a while since I blogged. Mostly I post pictures of the kids. Thought I would update everyone on our school year. Lots of changes, lots of prayer.
Last year Ethan and Faith went to a Christian pre-school and loved it. This was a first for me and hard to let go of the homeschool environment we love and are used to. I have been working full time and this really was better for the kids.
Now fast forward to this year and Faith is now at the same school and going five days a week. She cant wait to go to school and already knows both of her teachers as they were Ethan's last year.
Ethan is in Kindergarten at a public school close to our house and he loves it. The teacher seems to really like him. He loves to learn and loves the whole backpack and homework thing. :)
Joel and I have been doing one on one work and all kinds of different therapies for years and he has made great progress with his sensory problems and his dyslexia. We really feel he needs more than we can give him. We have been praying and decided to put him in public school, the same school as Ethan. He is in a 5th grade class. We have prayed for the right teachers and friends. God has been so faithful. I will not say this has been easy for any of us to get used to, especially Joel. He has to work ten times harder than the other kids but he is such a trooper. He is so resilient. So far he has had 4 tests and has made A's on all of them. This has really made him feel good.
Last but not least, Kara and Rebecca are taking classes on-line with the Florida Virtual School. They are both working hard and have the accountability we need. Rebecca is taking two honors courses.
Emotionally this has been really hard for me as a mom. I realize a great deal of my identity was as a "homeschool mom". It is hard to be less involved in their education. I am transitioning to a PTA mom which I never thought I would.
The other day I was having a great guilt trip about if I was better at managing our home I would not have to work. I was really beating myself up and worrying about the kids. God very clearly spoke to me and asked if the scripture was true that "He works all things together for those who are in Christ and are called according to His purpose"? He asked me if I believed that and if He could even work through my mistakes.
He is so faithful. It is not about me. He is showing me areas of pride that I have had toward public school and the families that send their kids there.
For this "church lady" this is a really time of growing and great new opportunities to reach out with the love of Jesus to those at work and now at two different schools.
I am truly on my needs in prayer and in thanks.
Sorry so long, thanks for listening.
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Jul. 20, 2008 - Mission trip to Mexico
Brett just got back from taking a group of teens to Mexico. Rebecca and Kara were able to go. This was thier fist time going on a mission trip. They went with Mission Discovery. They stayed at a church camp in Texsas and crossed the border everyday to Reynosa, Mexico to build a house and help with Vacation Bible School. Rebecca and Kara both gave thier testomonies during Vacation Bible School.
Here is the group headed to Texas at the airport.
Here are the girls with some of the kids they built the house for.
Rebecca and one of her new friends, Najelli.
Here you can see the new house and the old house to the left. The family lives right next to the church, although they are not yet Christians.
You know you know somethig is true and then God just brings some scriptures to my mind. Here are some verses I was thinking about while the Brett and the girls were gone.
I was thinking about how Jesus said in Mathew 10:42 "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
Mark 9:41 "I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward."
Matthew 18:1-6 "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.
I was thinking about how important it was that they did this good work in Jesus namd, not just in the name of being a good person or even being an American. They represented the love of Jesus to that family.
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Also I was thinking how you can bond with any child in any part of the world and that is why Jesus talked so much about coming to Him like a child. As we grow we get stupid. We become prideful and self reliant.
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Ok so enough of my deep thoughts. :)
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It is so great for me as a mom to hear the stories and see how the Lord used this trip. Short term mission trips had a huge impact on my life. I am so glad that Brett was there with them. I want to go next year!
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Here is a two minute video Rebecca made for the trip on YouTube: Click Here
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Here is a more detailed story on Rebecca's website: Click Here
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Jun. 22, 2008 - Fun at VBS
The kids had a great time at VBS or "PBS" as Faith calls it. The theme was the Avalanche Ranch, Wahoo!!
Faith had fun with her new friend, Katy. The funny thing is they have been in Sunday School together for years but for some reason they clicked this week at VBS.
Ethan had fun with all the boys. He is all boy. He seems to already not like his picture being taken.
My older kids were helpers this year. They lead the younger kids in songs and worked with them in the games and crafts.
Brett was there all week helping out with the games. It was fun watching the kids run around with thier pastor.
Pastor Brett and Pastor Jim hanging out with the kids.
It was fun to watch Rebecca and Kara bonding with the kids.
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Jun. 1, 2008 - Joel's Birthday
Joel celebrated his 11th birthday with three mini parties. When we were in Orlando we went to the Lego Store of course and he got a ton of legos with his birthday money. This is a must for us when we are near Downtown Disney. He got started right away putting them together while we were at the hotel. He got Indiana Jones and Star Wars. Both boxes were over 1,000 pieces. He has a real gift with visual directions. I could never do it. (No pictures from vacation. Too busy relaxing)
When we got back we surprised him as a family with cake and presents.
He had Daniel and Josh over and they went to an arcade and out to dinner.
Another cake!
Ethan had fun with the "big boys".
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Jun. 1, 2008 - Found out what the kids do when I am at work
I was downloading pictures from the camera and found lots of interesting photos. It seems Faith is a popular model in our house. She pretty much does whatever the girls want her to. Too cute!!
OK is this supposed to me? A bit young to be reading about Benjamin Franklin, but oh yeah she is homeschooled!
Even Bentley gets in on the deal.
Ethan has some fun with the girls too.
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May. 29, 2008 - Ethan graduates from Pre-K
We got back from the homeschool convention/vacation to attend Ethan's graduation from Pre-K. He had a great year and it was a great program with all the kids singing on stage and then getting a diploma from the teachers. It was neat for me because even though it was 11 in the morning on a school day, Ethan's whole family was there. Brett and I, my mom and all the kids. I guess it is unusual to see school age kids there, we got a lot of attention.
Ethan and miss Debbie. (Faith will have her next year)
Ethan and his buddies, Kurt and Conner.
My handsome men! Ethan loved dressing up and wearing a tie!
They had a pizza and a pirate party after the graduation.
He had him make a balloon sword, of course!
Kara wanted to try out the hat!
Ethan said it was the "best day ever"! Good cake too!
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May. 24, 2008 - Homeschool Convention
We went to the annual Florida Homeschool Convention in Orlando. We took my mom and all the kids. We had a great time and stayed for a extra few days for some family time.
I hit mostly workshops related to the high school years and workshops dealing with learning disabilities/dyslexia.
My favorite purchases were the book called College Without Compromise click here and Sequential Spelling. Seq. Spelling was written by a man who is dyslexic himself. I will be using this with Joel this summer. Here is a link to the site. They have a ton of things you can download for free if you join the non profit organization. AVKO Educational Research Foundation
A great book for any of you with teen is called Do Hard Things by two homeschool teens, Alex and Brett Harris. The idea is for teens to rebel against the low expectation that our culture has about the teenage years. Here is a link to the blog the twin brothers have. Click Here
I am really glad that we went. I bought a lot of CD's to listen to later for the workshops I was not able to get to. Always a good time to pray and ask the Lord for direction for the next year.
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May. 16, 2008 - Another Praise
Faith has been wearing glasses since she was about 12 months old. This has been a real challenge for us as parents as you can imagine. I cannot even count how many pairs of glasses we have gone through over the years.
I have been questioning whether she had the right prescription as she never seemed to see better. To make a long story short we were finally able to get a second opinion. Faith bonded with the doctor right away, which never happens. He did not feel she even needed glasses! He was not sure if he the glasses have changed her eyes through the years or if she was misdiagnosed after having her original surgery. Either way we were so happy. You should have seen her smile when he told her.
Now we will follow up every six months and see what happens. Even a small break is appreciated, until she is older and able to handle the responsibility of them.
Brett had retina surgery to prevent retinal detachment this week. This was very emotional and painful for him to go through. The Lord was faithful and Brett did well and after he healed he also got new glasses. He looks quite dashing in his glasses.
This has been the week of good news with our eyes.
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