Family Time!

It has been a busy, busy past two months with three separate weeks of visiting family and the Pastor's Conference at the beginning of April.
My Dad and Mom came out at the beginning of March to celebrate my Mom's birthday and Katie's a few days afterward. I have been blessed with them being able to come out several times this year. How much we love spending time with them! The weather was up and down that weekend, but we did get a few really "warm" and sunny days. It was beautiful! We went to DC a couple of days, played at the park, hung out at the Rio, and celebrated two very special birthdays. Thank you so much for coming to be with us! We love you!

On our first day in DC, we walked along the memorials.  I especially wanted to take my Dad to the World War II memorial.  Both my Dad's father and Grandfather served in the war.  His Grandfather received a bronze star at the Battle of the Ramagen Bridge.  
There was a policeman on a horse patrolling the path along the water.  When we walked by, he pulled up close so that the girls could see and pet the horse.  Well... the girls didn't like that and Katie erupted in a screaming fit. Though insignificant, this was a memory of the trip because for days and weeks afterwards, Katie would say, "Horse!  Horse!  Want it!  Want it!  Gamma Horse, pet him.  Want it!  Want it!"  She would say it over and over again!
Ford's Theatre had just reopened after some new renovations.  The theatre itself was open, but the museum in the basement remained closed.  
This is the booth where he was sitting when John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of the head.



After you tour the theatre, you can cross the street and visit the house where he died.  This is the bed where he passed away.  

The American History Museum had also been closed for renovations at the beginning of this school year.  We didn't have long to tour this museum, but we did walk through this famous exhibit.  
Martha Washington's dress.  And it is as tiny as it looks!
I think that this is Helen Taft's dress.  And Abby of course!  A good exhibit for my girly girl!

The last day of their visit was really cold. But we bundled up and played with bubbles along the water at the Rio! The adults were freezing, but the girls loved it!

Happy Birthday Gamma and Katie!


A week after they left, my sister flew out for a nice long visit. I love my sister! And have missed her so much! We crashed it the week she was here. We spent Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in DC! We would have gone down on Thursday too but it was raining. Although Jason did come home early on Thursday and Tracy and I got to go out, just the two of us, to the Spy Museum. Alas, it was so sad to say goodbye to her on Friday! But we had so much fun and saw as much as we possible could! Hope you got a good taste of DC and American History!
So, as for pictures with Tracy, I only got a day at the park and the White House. I guess I was to busy to take pictures the rest of the time. Sorry Tracy! Guess I will have to come take your pictures! Here are a few cute park pictures.





A week after my sister left, my in-laws flew out for a week to absolutely bless us! The Pastor's Conference was that week and we were going to need to find babysitters for three full days. So they came up with this great plan. They flew into PA on Friday, visited with family, we drove the girls out on Saturday to meet them, they took the girls to Williamsport to spend 5 days with Jenna and Mike and their 4 kids, then drove back on Wednesday evening and spent the next 4 days with us. All in all, the girls got to spend time with their cousins, we got a 5 day vacation from kids, a worry-free Pastor's Conference, and we got to spend several days with them in the end. Now that is a plan if I ever saw one! THANK YOU so much for serving us in this way! It meant so much to us! Plus, we love you and loved spending time catching up!
Well, much worse than my picture taking with Tracy is my picture taking with Dee and Gary! I went to find some pictures and didn't take any!!! How sad! I am so sorry! I promise, we really did have a great time!

Love you all! And so thankful to have you visit! Our time to come home seems so close now!

Happy Birthday Kate!

My little Katie turns two today! I can't believe it! She is still my little chubby-love, although she is starting to slim down. The other day I was changing her diaper and realized that she no longer had any rolls on her legs! Ah! I was so sad! I took pictures of her arms and wrists so that I could remember her cute chubbiness! Her hair is soft, brown, and curly. I love the curls and the short little ringlets on the back of her head. It is kind of at that awkward stage where it always looks disheveled. I love it though! She is loud, active, loves to run around, climb things, loves to laugh, be tickled, be chased, play hide-n-seek and duck duck goose, loves to cuddle (especially with Mommy), loves her blanket and still sucks on her finger.
She definitely doesn't hide any of her feelings, she lays it all out on the table! You never have to wonder what she is thinking or feeling! I like to say that she is passionate and committed! One of her greatest strengths as well as her weakness. I love this about her though. She is passionate about sin, passionate about play, and passionate about love! Jason and I were talking the other day about how God might use this in her life.
She is also talking a lot. For some reason, she says things in twos. "Milk, Milk" or "Abby, Abby" or "Want it, Want it" or really pretty much everything. Unless she is composing a sentence. Which she is doing more and more of. Her little memory cracks me up. I took her and Abby to see Cordurouy the other day at Barnes & Noble. Let's just say, they prefer to read about him! For days afterwards, Katie would start telling me, "Cordurouy? Want it, want it! (which means that she doesn't want it) Hug, hug. Want it, want it!"
She loves babies! Her favorite baby is Case Wassink. When they come over she loves on him, gives him oodles of kisses, dangles toys for him, wants to hold him, lets us know every time he cries, spits up, drops a toy, or any other small thing. But she also notices every other baby or stroller in her eyesight. I have to keep an eye on her or she will run over and start kissing on them! It is really sweet!
Katie, we can't imagine life without you! You are so precious to this family! Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!

Sweetheart Banquet

Every year they put on a sweetheart banquet for the PC students and their wives. This year was wonderful! I can't really share too much about it because it is supposed to be a surprise each year, but... it was memorable!

Our King of Forts

It's cold, you can't go outside, so we come to find out one of Jason's hidden talents, fort making! This is one of my favorite pictures of the girls! They are laying down inside one of these massive forts!

Janu-Hairy to Gary

I feel like every blog post begins with, "Sorry, I am a little behind." Well... maybe one day I will catch up.
One evening back in the fall, we were hanging out with the Wassinks and Walt and Kim Alexander. We were all joking around and the guys came up with this fabulous idea. All the guys in the PC would grow out their beards for the month of January. At the end of the month, they would shave their beards, leave a mustache, and dress-up like Gary Ricucci for a day! They titled this special holiday, "Janu-Hairy to Gary!" Melissa, Gary's secretary, put signs up all over the Sovereign Grace Ministries offices the night before the big day. What is also awesome, is that it landed on a Thursday, which is the day that the PC wives all come to the CLC gym with the kids. We were able to see all the guys in costume! It was so funny! And what was so encouraging was how touched Gary was by how the guys wanted to honor him!

How We Spent The Cardinals Road To SuperBowl Craziness!

Yes, this blog post would have been a lot more interesting if the Cardinals hadn't already gone to the SuperBowl. But, what can you do? Football was definitely a highlight for Jason and I this year. My fantasy team didn't do too shabby! I am slowly but surely getting better at it. It certainly helps that Larry Fitzgerald is one of my receivers! Several years ago, my dad bought season tickets to the Cardinals and we started going to the games with him. It has been a lot of fun! So, this year, Jason and I have joked that the year we leave, is of course the year that the Arizona Cardinals go to the SuperBowl! It is also the year that Pinetop got dumped on with snow! But that is beside the point! We were able to watch all of the playoff games with the Wassinks and Devon and Kristine Kauflin. Us three couples have had a great time getting to know one another! Sorry Devon that the Cardinals had to crush Carolina! Each week we couldn't believe that we were going to the next game. Unbelievable! So our little superbowl party was also a lot of fun! Hannah was the good one for taking pictures of all the action. Thanks Hannah!  

I forgot how much fun it was to wear ribbons in my hair!  How fun to have little girls!  
Doesn't she just get cuter and cuter!
My precious ones!
Kristine, Hannah and I
I will explain the scruffy beard in another post!  He is still the hottest man alive!
Okay, so here is where we thought, "Oh my goodness!  The Cardinals just won the SuperBowl!"



Can they pull it off?

Okay, so maybe they aren't going to win.  So sad!  But hey, what a ride!


Korey Kauflin and Case Wassink. Have I mentioned that these two boys were born the same day? They were a couple of doors down from each other in the hospital. Aren't they adorable?

Wow!  Can't wait for Cardinals training camp this summer!

January Happenings

Wow! Have I been bad at updating this blog the past couple of months. Well, January flew by! I am even having a difficult time remembering all that happened in January. Which is reminding me why I started this blog in the first place! Let's see...
First off, Jason and I are really excited to have several visitors this second half of the year. Two of Jason's close friends, who are also pastors back home, came out at the beginning of January to attend a class at the PC. Jason had a great time hanging out all week, going to class, lunches, dinners, and even a movie! It was a sweet taste of home!
Otherwise, it was a cold month! At least in Arizona when it is burning hot outside, you can still go swimming. Here, you just stay inside! Or at least these Arizonians do! The girls and I fill our time with lots of play dates, more play dates, and even more play dates! We have had a great time getting to know Matt and Hannah Wassink and their little boy Case. Hannah and I were laughing the other week because I think we spent most of the week together. And usually shopping is on the agenda! I have never been a very big shopper, but, well, it is cold here and that is all we can think of to do. And I have totally found the fun in finding great deals!

Another BIG January event was the start of... LOST! We love the TV show Lost! I wish that I could say more about it, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone who is still trying to catch up. But, oooo, this season is going to be great! This is actually something else that we have been enjoying with the Wassinks. They come over on Wednesday nights to watch it and we make this awesome caramel popcorn. I will actually have to post this recipe because it is downright YUMMY! And super cheap! It is in the CLC cookbook.
There was also our biggest snowfall yet here in MD. They have lots and lots of ice here, but this was a beautiful snow that lasted a few days. We had nothing going on the day that it snowed, so I called Amy Briley, a PC wife here, and basically invited ourselves over. This was probably one of my more memorable days here! We had so much fun! Lots of PC families were there to play that day. The main attraction was lots and lots of sledding on the hill behind there house! Both girls got into this and we went over and over again! We came in and out all day, talking, laughing, drinking hot chocolate, and, I got some great pictures!







I am so sad that I can't remember more of the month of January! A big reason to Blog, Blog, Blog! Time goes by so fast!