White Oak Adventures

Nov. 16, 2009

Fall 2009

Here are a few pictures from this fall.  I've been very busy teaching school and preparing for Elijah's arrival and have not had much time to blog.   Sorry about that!  Hopefully pictures really are worth a thousand words! These are from our annual FALL photo shoot. JOSIAH--11 years old JESSE--10 years old NOAH--7 years old REBEKAH--6 years old These are 3 of the four pumpkins the kids created for Creation Day. Jesse carved a silly-faced pumpkin, but it rotted before I remembered to take pictures!   We don't celebrate Halloween, but instead celebrate Creation.  We do various family activities, including a treasure hunt.  This year Creation Day was on Sunday, Oct. 25th. Josiah's pumpkin (Jesse and Josiah LOVE bats...we even went to Austin, TX just to see the bats fly off for their evening hunt!) Noah's mouse pumpkin Rebekah's Sun pumpkin

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Sep. 2, 2009

There's room at the Inn!

Elijah has a place to lay his head!  We finished clearing out the extra room and painted it.  It was my craft room, so it took a while to move everything out.  I finished sewing the crib bedding several weeks ago, so now we were ready to borrow a crib from my sister-in-law and set it up.  I love the final result!!! BTW, we are not keeping the crib under the window...it's just there for the picture!!  I don't want to needlessly worry anyone.

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Aug. 29, 2009

It's a Boy!

I had my 20 week ultrasound on Thursday and we were thrilled to discover that I'm carrying a baby boy!  Everything looks normal and his growth is right on track.  His name will be Elijah Joel. Elijah is laying on his back, facing up.  Head is on the left. Five little toes!

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Jul. 11, 2009

Noah at Night...an update

Jul. 9, 2009

Celebrating the Fourth

Happy Fourth of July!!! And I thought the weather was perfect on Memorial Day.  It was so pretty on the fourth...75 degrees and sunny.  It was the perfect temperature to spend the day lounging with family at the park, which is exactly what we did.  Each Fourth of July we get together with two of Ryan's brother's (and families) to celebrate and hang out.  This year was especially nice because one of his brother/sister-in-law recently adopted the cutest little girl from Russia.  We've only seen her a few times before today, so it was nice to get to spend the whole afternoon getting to know her.  Rebekah, as the youngest of the Michigan cousins, is so glad to have a cousin near her age.  Liza is 3 and Rebekah is 5...so pretty close!   After eating, the ladies hung out with the little kids at the playground and the men-folk played softball with the older kids.  Noah had a particularly good time this year because his cousin Cara taught him how to write some letters in cursive!  That made a big impression on him.  Here are some pictures. The whole bunch of cousins...ages 3-13. The littlest cousins Ryan and I enjoying Liza.

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Jul. 3, 2009

Jesse turns 10!

It sure doesn't seem long for my little ones to grow up.  Jesse turned 10 on July 1st and that's a big deal in our house.  For most birthdays we don't do "parties" in the usual sense, instead we let the birthday child pick out a birthday cereal (that's a big deal because Shredded Wheat and Raisin Bran is a staple here), plan a "theme", and pick out the birthday dinner.  Chores are off-limits for the birthday kid, which is always a good thing.  Grandma and Grandpa come over and help us celebrate with cake and presents.  However, turning 10 means having a party...with friends!  Jesse really surprised me and just wanted one friend to come and spend the night.  He's such a social guy I really thought he'd go for the "big party" scene.  So, in the end, it was a small bash...but a fun one. Ryan came home early and took Josiah, Jesse, & John bowling.  While they were gone Noah, Rebekah, and I decorated for the party.  Jesse thought he was going to have an Olympic themed party, but Josiah and I decided to completely surprise him with a Harry Potter party.  Both boys have been reading the series since we left for our Texas trip.  In less than 8 weeks, Jesse has read 5 of the 6 books.  Keep in mind, several of these books are 600 pages.  Jesse's come along way with his reading in a very short time. Thus, the Harry Potter theme.  And, yes, he was very surprised when he saw the decorations. The birthday boy making a wish! Ryan did a great job reproducing the font from the books. I hung the book covers on the window as a banner. Jesse wanted Subway for dinner. Jesse's friend John (on the left) and Josiah on the right. Grandma and Grandpa gave Jesse a card that plays the Harry Potter theme. Gift time! Some kind of game controller.  I never did figure out what it's for. Happy Birthday Jesse.  You're a fantastic son and Dad and I love you so much!

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Jul. 3, 2009

Memorial Day 2009

We had a really wonderful Memorial Day.  The weather was absolutely perfect...which always is a plus. Our children plus several of the neighborhood kids did their own parade.  They'd been planning it for the last few days and even had "meetings" to get ready.  It was really cute and all of the neighbors came out on their porches to watch. Here they come! Our little patriots. Shortly after the parade, we drove to my aunt's house in Charlotte.  We had three new babies this year, Isaac, Kira, & Matthew  AND two pregnant mama's...my cousin Marianne & myself.  It wouldn't be Memorial Day without cuddling a new baby! This is just some of the gang. Rebekah's annual "patriotic" dress.  I've been making her one since her first Memorial Day (she was 6 months old). Jesse's  literally STUFFED with food.  He had no choice but to rest. The gang:  Jesse (almost 10), Noah (7), Rebekah (5.5), & Josiah (11)

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Jul. 3, 2009

Check out our vacation Souvenir!

The day before Mother's day I got this gift: Ryan and I are thrilled!   Baby #5 is on the way and we couldn't be happier.  This is a baby we've wanted for a long time, but seemed out of our reach.  I have a history of lots of miscarriages, so we're praying that this little one is healthy and strong. I'm due January 15th, so it'll be my first winter baby. Pretty cool Mother's Day gift, huh?

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Jul. 3, 2009

TEXAS 2009

May 5th we left for a two-week trip to Texas.   It's a two day drive, so we broke it up with a stop to Nashville, TN to visit the Parthenon.  We just finished studying it in History, so it was neat to see it close-up. While we were in Texas we visited 3 of Ryan's siblings...two in Dallas and one just outside of Houston.  It was so nice to visit and get to know all of our nieces and nephews that we rarely get to see.    We also drove to Galveston to play in the Gulf, toured NASA, drove to Austin to see the State Capital Building and take a boat tour to see about a half-million bats fly out of the Congress Ave. Bridge.  We visited two Houston museums and enjoyed the Dallas Zoo.  On the way home, we went to Mammoth Cave.  The kids were not exactly looking forward to it, but after the tour they decided it was in the top 3 greatest parts of our trip. Ryan and I loved spending so much time "playing" with the kids.  We weren't  in a hurry and made our schedule day-by-day.  We did a lot of swimming, putt-putt golfing, archery, & board games at the condo we stayed in.  It was a great trip. Capital Building Children's Museum of Houston Inside the Health Museum Noah biking with his skeleton at the Health Museum. NASA tour Galveston The ocean water was as warm as bath water.  FANTASTIC! The typical mom-forced pose. Rebekah lost her very first tooth at a Burger King somewhere in Arkansas.

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Jul. 3, 2009

Happy Birthday Josiah

As you can tell, I've gotten behind on my blog.  Let me catch you up. I left off on April 29th, which also was Josiah's 11th birthday.  We gave him a "Mario" party which delighted him.  The cake design is almost entirely his idea.  This was our first attempt at a 3-D cake and I think it turned out pretty well.    His favorite gift was a giant Nerf gun and a huge case of Nerf bullets.  Eleven years old!  I  can't believe time is going so fast.  Happy Birthday Josiah....We're crazy about you!!!

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Apr. 13, 2009

Easter 2009

Easter morning greeted us with sunshine and brisk temperatures.  It was only 34 degrees when we left for church, but warmed up into the mid 40's by afternoon.  Noah put on his white shorts and said, "Did you mean for me to wear this?"  I think he thought his mama lost her mind.  Rebekah's dress was sleeveless, but at the last second I gave her a white cardigan to put on over it.  Top Row:  Jesse...9.5, Josiah...almost 11 Front Row:  Rebekah...5.5, Noah...7 Josiah and Jesse's friend John went to church with us, so that made the day extra special.  John's parents sent an Easter basket over for the kids.  My kids have never had a traditional Easter basket, so it was a novelty.  The basket contained candy, chalk, puzzle games, & yo--yo's.  They were delighted! I got my annual "Easter Lily" picture.  We wanted to be sure to get a seat, so I didn't have time to get creative.  I took two shots, here's the one that turned out okay. After church we went to Bob Evan's for lunch.  Jesse got an adult dinner of Strawberry Banana Cream Stacked and Stuffed Hot Cakes. (Yes, that's the whole name). He was stuffed after only eating half, so the rest went home.  I think  this is the first meal that Jesse COULDN'T finish.  Later in the day Ryan and I gave the kids the Resurrection Basket and watched a movie together.  Ryan and the kids played The Un-Game in the evening.  Happy Easter!

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Apr. 6, 2009

Noah's birthday

April 5, 2009 Noah turned 7 today.  Yesterday I took him to Target to get some party supplies and as we were crossing the parking lot he said, "Today is the last day you can hold my 6-year-old hand.  Tomorrow you'll have to hold my 7 year-old hand."  Such a sweetie, my little Noah.  Dinosaur-dig cake

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Mar. 13, 2009

Fancy Nancy Night

We do a "Family Night" once a week, usually on Mondays.  We already spend a lot of time together, but each week this is our special night to focus on each other and not get distracted by everyday busyness.  Usually Ryan and I decide what we're going to do, but from time to time we let the children take a turn at making all the decisions. This particular night was extra memorable.  Rebekah planned it all and was extremely excited to have our first ever, Fancy Nancy night.  If you don't have little girls, you might not be familiar with the book series by Jane O'Connor. Rebekah LOVES Fancy Nancy!  Nancy and Rebekah are truly kindred spirits.  So, family night was going to be extra fancy!  I wore my wedding dress and Rebekah wore her "fancy" dress that Grandma bought her.  She informed the boys that they had to wear church clothes.  Surprisingly, no one complained.  In fact, Jesse went all out and wore Ryan's tie!  It was a grand evening for all. Here are some pictures of our Fancy evening. Fancy Girls Fancy Guys Fancy table (no plastic cups!) And a very fancy waiter!

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Feb. 28, 2009

A New Reader

Rebekah is reading now.  She, more than the boys, loves school.  I think that because she so self-motivated, teaching her to read was easier than teaching the boys.  She has a collection of books in her room that she's saving to "read herself".  At the rate she's going, it shouldn't be long! January 2009.  Rebekah read her first "real" book.

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Feb. 28, 2009

Christmas Portraits

I'm very, very late posting our annual Christmas portraits.  But, here they are!  I made Rebekah's dress and then worked very hard to find clothes for the boys that went with it.  I wanted to do something different this year, so I tried working with gold, cream, & brown.

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Dec. 28, 2008

Thank you Josiah!

I realize I haven't posted in a while, but before I get caught up with all of our holiday happenings I want to share just how sweet Josiah is. Josiah has been saving money to buy a Nerf gun.  He's been shoveling our driveway each time it's snowed as well as shoveling for a neighbor.  Tonight he and Jesse asked Ryan to take them to Target to buy their guns.  Ryan took all four children and I got an hour to myself!  Once they got home I went to see what they picked.  To my surprise Josiah handed me a bag of candy.  Coconut candy...my favorite.  I was astonished.  "What's this?" I asked him.   He just shrugged and said, "It's what I wanted to get you for Christmas except I didn't have my money with me then."  Of course, I burst into tears.  I felt so loved, but also guilty.  I wanted him to get his gun...he'd worked hard for it.  On the other hand, I felt so loved that he wanted to bless me with something he knew I'd enjoy.  I'm a lucky mama.

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Nov. 18, 2008

Happy Birthday Dear Bekah!

Rebekah turned five today!   Last night before bed she said, "Goodbye Four"!  Apparently she is very glad to be five.  Here's a picture of her at her first birthday: Rebekah turns 1 Here is a picture of her now: Rebekah turns 5 I always make her an outfit for her birthday, so this year I made her this ladybug jumper.  The figurine is from my mom.  She gets her one each year.  If you haven't figured it out yet, her birthday theme was Ladybugs.  The morning of her party, we came downstairs and there was a ladybug crawling around on the coffee table and another on the ceiling.  We told her they must have heard about the party and come early. The Cake The Decorations Blowing out Candles Opening gifts. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR BEKAH! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

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Nov. 5, 2008

The Vote 2008

What a fun day this was!  This morning I took the kids to a "kid election" where they got to register to vote and then cast a ballot.  We've spent the last seven weeks studying the branches of government and the election process, so this was a wonderful finish to our study.  During the early afternoon Ryan and I (with the kids) went and voted.  There was no wait, which was a wonderful surprise.  We came armed with toys and treats planning on a minimum of a two-hour wait.  Tonight, as the election results came in, all four children colored in their electoral map.  Rebekah fell asleep at 9:30, but the others colored until Obama was announced as our new president.  Democracy is precious.  I'm glad to have played a part in the process, regardless of whether or not my candidate was chosen. Here's a pix of the kids outside of our polling precinct.

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Nov. 4, 2008

Playful Pumpkins

I read an article in Family Fun Magazine that showed an alternative to carving pumpkins:  decorating with foam sheets & shapes.  It took some doing to convince all four of the kids to try it, but in the end they all said they liked it better than carving. Mary's Farm Market...our favorite pumpkin picking spot Noah's working hard on his polka-dot pumpkin The finished product! Rebekah's Princess Pumpkin Josiah and Jesse both wanted to do bats.  FYI...both boys REALLY like bats.  They have a stuffed bat collection, they own lots of bat books, and know a lot about different kinds of bats.  It didn't surprise me that's what they wanted to make. Josiah's bat Jesse's bat

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Nov. 2, 2008

Yearly Pictures

I used to take the kids to JcPenney to get their yearly pictures done.  Last fall I decided to try taking them myself and they turned out well.  So, I gave it another try this year.  I'm very happy with the results.  The first four are the poses I chose, the last few are just some other poses I particularly liked. JOSIAH  age 10 JESSE age 9 NOAH age 6 REBEKAH age 5 (well, in less than two weeks) The other poses:

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