Finally! Pictures!

Well, after months of my computer consistently locking up, two total wipe-outs of my hard drive and countless trips to see the Geek Squad, I'm happy to report that all my fussing finally got me a new computer. I now have pictures for you to see and enjoy.

First, here is the latest picture of Cody and Caden after they went to a birthday party this past weekend with a cowboy theme. I think they look more like Native American pirates! I'm not sure if Party City makes a set of party favors with that theme...

Below is Caden's first day of pre-school. He is such a big boy now! He loved it and can't wait until next time.
This is what happens to dogs who dig in the trash and eat ravioli.
The two boys making music in the kitchen. They are jamming out to Selah's version of "By and By."
Here's Cody after he received his yellow belt in TaeKwon Do. He was so proud.
And finally, the boys and their Auntie Darci when she came to visit. They loved spending time with her!
And now you're caught up.

Well, except for this: I'm currently watching my husband take a picture of a toad the boys found and a cricket sitting on its back. He's giggling. I wish I had a picture of that.

Men. They never grow up!

The Latest...

For all five of you who read my blog (thanks, family), I need to apologize for how lax I am when it comes to this blog. Here's an update of the recent happenings in our family life. My computer is being repaired for the fifth time, so I'm using Jerry's...thus, the reason for the lack of pictures. I'll post a bunch as soon as I can!

• The boys and I are gearing up for the new school year, shopping for school supplies, getting organized, and doing lots and LOTS of planning. My goal for this year is to make learning more fun and hands-on. Caden will be going to Awana and pre-school this year, and I am still so amazed that he's old enough! I asked his Sunday School teacher how she thought he'd do, and I'm happy to report she said "great!" As a mom, I always wonder how my kids are in another setting where they gave to be accountable to someone else in authority. She did say Caden likes to talk (hmm.....wonder where he gets it?). Other than that, I think he'll be just fine. The boys are BOTH going to Awana this year, which means date night for mommy and daddy. We won't be doing anything extravagent, but just the weekly time together, whether walking hand in hand in Barnes and Noble or grabbing Jerry's favorite Starbucks coffee, will be nice for us.
• My sister Darci came to visit last weekend and we had a wonderful time together. It was so good to have her here, and the boys loved getting to spend some quality time with their Auntie. We didn't do much, but it was just so nice to have her here with us.
• Cody earned his yellow belt! This was his first promotion in Tae Kwon Do, and it was very exciting to see all the hard work pay off. He still enjoys it very much, and I appreciate the tenants of the school and what the instructors instill in the kids.
• We made the difficult decision this year to take a break from directing our church choir. It was hard to let that go, but we felt it was necessary to step back and take a break (even if it's just for the year). I will continue to serve on the worship team once a month and lead worship for our women's bible studies this fall, and Jerry is contemplating taking on the role of "producer," where he'd be overseeing the services one time per month. This would still allow us the opportunity to serve together, but relieve the burden of having a weekly commitment and being in charge of a ministry.
• My niece, Mackenzie, turns 5 today, and we had a fun time celebrating with family yesterday. I can't believe how fast these little ones grow! Yesterday, we lined them up from oldest to youngest to take a photo, and our "baby" is three and a half! Caden is definitely not the baby anymore, and he's quick to tell us so!
• We Husker fans are gearing up for another season of Nebraska football, and Jerry and I have picked our weekend to go out to a game, thanks to Grandma's willingness to watch the kiddos. The fall just isn't the fall without a trek out to the Cornhusker state.
• Summer is drawing to a close, but I am anxious to begin a new chapter in our family's life. My prayer for this year is that we draw closer to Christ, to one another, and that we each allow God to teach us, grow us, and shape us into the people He wants us to be. I can think of no greater goal!

Wishing you all a happy week. I'll try to update again soon (with pictures)!

Lots 'o' Stuff (because I can't think of a better title)

Jerry has caught the theatre bug and has committed to doing another musical.  He got a big role in this story about the life of Billy Sunday, and he will be portraying Billy Sunday's best pal, Homer.  I am so happy for him and can't wait to see the show.  They'll have a hard time keeping me away too long.  I already miss the people and can't wait to see them again.

I have caught a bug too, but I think it could be allergies. I am miserable and I look horrible and I feel horrible.  I am wheezy and sneezy and coughy and icky.  I never had allergies before, but my husband who knows them well says this is classic allergy behavior.  Oh goody.

I have a mountain of paperwork that I've been tackling these past two days:  The stack includes (but is not limited to) stuff for Tae Kwon Do, pre-school, Cody's classes, my lesson schedule, field trip schedules, and most importantly, my planner.  It's filling up quickly.  But it's all good.

I have totally "goofed off" this summer and it's been a blast.  But the reality of Jerry going back to work in mere days is starting to set in, and I can feel the summer slipping away.  I'm just glad I have a few weeks before I get back to teaching to get our year going.  One thing's for certain: It's time to settle back into a routine.  We're all kerbobbled around here!

There's something about the new school year that I love.  I enjoy sharpening brand new pencils, buying (more) packs of Crayola crayons that only cost .50 cents and a big pack of construction paper.  With my kids, the possibilities are endless!  I love boxes of markers that cost a buck, 5-packs of notebooks for .99 cents and folders for a dime.  I love glue sticks.  I know, it's weird, but I do.  Most of all, I love buying my planning book and watching it fill up as the year progresses.  I loved looking back at the end of the year and seeing how much we had done together.  

And the new school year is such a great time to re-group, re-focus, and set (and re-set!) goals. We already have lots of fun things planned, and I am excited to see what God has in store for us again this year.

But first I have to blow my nose.  Excuse me, please....

AAAAAAAH-CHOO!

One Chapter Ends, Another Begins

This past Saturday marked our final show and an end to "Dolly."  Knowing the sadness I would feel, my mom sent me a beautiful email reminding me that the memories will always live on...and I know she's right.  Still, there was a mix of sadness and joy that I am still trying to process.  Above, I am presenting our wonderful directors with signed posters from the cast at our final meeting before our last show.  And yes, those are tears in ALL our eyes.
It was such a blessing having my mom there at the afternoon matinee, and as an added bonus, my sweet nieces, Chloe and Alaina, were there.  Here we all are with "the boys" and my mom. Do you see Jerry in there?  Have I mentioned what a BLAST we had doing this show together? Such fun. 
Here's Horace and Dolly...one last time.  "You go your way, and I'll go mine."  :-)
And, as I stated earlier, when one chapter ends, another begins.  Last night marked Caden's first time sleeping in a toddler bed.  

And we all survived.