T'was The Night Before Christmas

Hayden just recited the WHOLE story of The Night Before Christmas...by
memory!! Proud moma moment!

My Ferocious Hunters

Sent from my iPhone

Gobble gobble

Thanksgiving lunch at school with Hayden & Abby today. :)

Storyteller

Look at this spiffy boy! Hayden competed in UIL Storytelling today! So
proud of my boy :). He didn't make it past the first round but who
cares!

Yeah Hayden! I can't believe he's 6 and 'competing'!

Africa 2009 - Omega Missions

Africa 2009
A trip of a life time.
Wanted to share with you a glimpse of my heart, my passion.
Every time I watch my heart whispers, "home".
I love the people, the kids of Dodoma, Tanzania, as well as Ed and Debra Lloyd - the missionaries from Lubbock, Texas, that live in Dodoma. These two...the most real individuals I believe I've ever met.

Parenting at it's finest!

Any guesses?
Well when I was growing up we revved our bicycle motors with a folded
playing card & a clothes pin. For extra horsepower we might have added
another card and pin.

Nowadays the frame of most bikes is too thick for a clothes pin. So.
Today Hayden ran over a can to make a motor...but the motor kept
falling off.

Duct tape to the rescue, his moma says!!

After strapping that V-8 hemi down with duct it purred up and down the
drive Like. A. Beauty. Kept the boy giggling for atleast 15 minutes.

A proud feat in parenting history.

Hayden the rockstar

Original by Hayden.

Swim Day

Thankfully Hayden opted to takes his cowboy belt off before they left
for school! :)

My Crazy Aunt Reba

I simply rolled laughing.
My crazy aunt Reba, whom I love and adore, made these funny jib jab videos.

One features all my aunts and my uncle Thomas.
The other two are ummm a little chippendale-ish...haha...and include my uncles and some of my cousins.

Thanks Reba ;)

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Proud of Rhyan

Go! Rhyan!
David watched Rhyan play ball last night and get did awesome!!!
He plays both ways, kicks PATs, punts. Does it all.

We're so proud of you Rhyan!!!

Mr. Mantis

Wow! Look at this guy. I guess he's a guy. I made him a guy. Maybe he's a she and I should say Ms. Mantis. hmmmm.

Anyway....."he" was hanging out on the riding lawn mower yesterday before I picked Abby and Hayden up from school. I ran in and grabbed my macro to play a little. I wonder what he was thinking as the weird human was pointing a big barrel lens in his face? ha.

First Day of School!

Hayden and Abby have been ready for the last two weeks! They both popped up out of bed this morning (well...Hayden quicker than Abby. She's more like her moma and sister).

I tried to grab some shots before we left...and after a 'first round' i realized...LIKE AN IDIOT...that i hadn't put a flashcard in my camera. Nice.

So....that being said, we took more...and ended up being late! Isn't that LOVELY???!!! Oh well! Starting off with a bang!

Click HERE for more :)

Youth Sunday at Aldersgate

Wow wow wow. The youth. They are real...they are broken...they know how to worship...they know how NOT to be afraid to worship...they are begging for more...and they are in love with their creator.
Today was youth Sunday at Aldersgate, and my dear friend Lauren Pittman gave the "sermon". It was earth-shattering, eye awakening, toe stomping...TRUTH. The youth did every part of the service, and at the end we left wanting more. Give us more.

1 Timothy 4:12 - "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

Click HERE to see more of the service.

We are now full of LUCK

Hayden's very first kill. He was soooo excited to say the least. And
we now have two rabbit's feet in...a ziploc bag. I am so 'proud'.

Duck Food

Erin, Lauren and several of the homeless boys

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AFRICA!

We're here!!!
What an exciting time we've had so far!
After riding in an airplane for 18 + hours, we met Ed & Debra at the
Dar es Salaam airport Sunday night about 10 p.m. We were so glad to
see them! We were tired and hungry!
They took us to an amazing hotel and we had chicken and fries....a
staple here in Tanzania!
Most of us were able to sleep, but Erin and Amanda woke up with the sun!
After a quick breakfast we headed to Dodoma...just a short 6 hour drive! ;)

Along the way we stopped and had ice cream and witnessed first hand an
African long drop. Google it. Wooo hoo!!

We made it to Ed & Debra's and had a delicious meal of stew! Ymmmy!
Headed to bed ready for the next day!

On Tuesday we spent our first day at the Safina Homeless Shelter. Wow.
I can't really put it into words yet. These boys were incredible. They
were dirty. They have nothing. Yet they have love inside them. You can
see it in their eyes. You can feel it as they reach out to shake your
hand. They LOVE having their pictures taken!!!

One of our projects this week is to help build a roof for the home.
Yes, that's right. THere's no roof there yet. Today we spent most of
the day hammering. HAM-MER-ING. My thumb is black and blue! So is
Lauren's...so is Lori's. Wooo hooo. We hammered and hammered!!!!

We came home to a wonderful meal of WILDABEAST!!! Tasty! I have
officially eaten Wildabeast...with mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots and
crescent rolls!

Off to bed now...tomorrow we visit an elementary school.

This trip has been incredibly humbling to say the least. I could live
here. Yes I could. These boys live at the dumpgrounds. We visit there
on Sunday. I will update more if i Can!

Continue to pray for our strenght, our work, and God's mission.

Getting cleaned!

Abby is checking out the cleaning. She's next... Her first visit!!

Look Bebo!

Our little golfers. David took them to the driving range while i worked on garage sale stuff. Abby ASKED me if she could go to bed tonight! Wow. I. Love. Golf ;)

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...& pepaw!

Fishing with Nanny!!

My Kindergarten Graduate!!

Pedi time!!!

Riding with Dad

Future Softballer....Abby Kay!

Miss Abby Kay had her very first softball practice last night!

She and I very promptly went to Academy today and fitted her with allllll the softball necessities. :)

I'm so very proud of her! She had a GREAT time! She was the youngest and smallest child out there...but wow did the girl listen and do what she was told! :)

I must admit...we have worked more with Hayden. At her age...he was much further advanced - or so it seems - that she is. Slap a little guilt my way... but I was so proud of how she did last night. It's so obvious that this child has watched...and watched...and really paid attention over the last couple of years b/c she really picked up on things quick.

Ok. yeah. now i'm starting to sound like THAT kind of mom! WHO CARES!!!!!!! Yeahhhhhh Abby. The child can work that tongue!

Hayden

He dressed himself for school. The shorts are camoflauge. And yes the
collar is UP. And he never chose to change it :).

Happy Birthday Pepaw!

Mom & Dad came in this weekend to celebrate our birthdays. His was the
7th. Happy Birthday Dad!

Reghan

Reghan shows her pig...in just a few minutes at the Ft. Worth stock
show. Good luck Reghan!!!

Hat Day!

Today is hat day!!!! :)

Baking Cakes

My kids are so blessed. I am blessed. They have amazing grandparents-mine & David's parents.

Yesterday Abby & Hayden spent the afternoon at Grandma & Grandpa Ehlers. They came home with these gourmet cakes! Hayden had wanted to make a cake for his goat that he showed in the stock show. Abby...well...she wanted a cake with babies & monkeys ;)

I love this!! Barbara you are amazing :).

Nannie is coming tonight, we are waiting on pens & needles.

Its a hard life!!!!

David sent this to me of Haydens goat. I wish D would get 'in to' stock showing a little more ;)

Subject: Its a hard life!!!!

New Home Stock Show 2008

Hayden Upward Bball 2008

Busy busy

Basketball Video (click)


Wow. I've not really posted in a loooooooooooooong time. Mobile pics are wonderful....it generally fits our go go go lifestyle.

Here's a few pics and a couple of videos from the local stock show last week as well as Hayden's basketball game.

This weekend is the county stock show, and I'll have shots of Reghan! :) She did awesome, by the way, at local....two 1st place and one third! :)

Stock showing