No pictures today - we are migrating through the cold and trying to stay warm. Tom, Kayren, Aleya and I are all sick, while Kyrie and Lorien plod on.
It was -2 today. We've been spoiled the last couple of winters with warmer weather and shorter cold snaps. I guess this cold snap was especially hard because it came on the heals of 50 degree temps!
Lorien has two more basketball games and she will be done. Track is next.
Jathan is running indoor track and did well at his last meet. He is trying to earn a scholarship for track for next year to help out with finances.
Kesse is enjoying Bryan immensely and will host Kyrie this coming weekend for the scholarship competition. Kyrie is flying out on Thursday (next week) and returning on Monday morning.
Kayren is working on her art project, which is turning out well. She is sick right now and not doing much of anything.
Aleya is sick too, and she stays downstairs reading and sleeping most of the time. She has quite the temp!
Tom and I keep going, though last night Tom didn't get very much sleep. He was up trying to breath. He put on some sermons and we fell asleep after a while.
The church continues to grow and we are grateful for all the Lord is doing there.
The Lord's blessings on you all -
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Tom is visiting us at Faith too. He gets to stop by sometimes in between stops. He is very busy tonight, so he can't stay. It's cold!
Aleya is making faces for us!
Here is Oscar! Aleya is beginning her photography career with this photo!
This is Kayren and Lorien posing for a picture that I used in a presentation for Faith Academy. They really do study together on Spanish!
Kayren is "enjoying" her geometry today.
Kyrie is applying to Taylor, Bryan and Grove City. She is trying to figure out which one to go to!
It's about 5 degrees outside in this picture. I am watching the quiet pond from inside the West Des Moines library. I am warm and sipping hot coffee and eating nuts and dried fruits.
It is so peaceful!
And yet - some children in the other end of the library seem to be getting tired of how long their mother is taking picking out books, so they start playing tag. The librarian is not happy. Librarians never seem to be happy when children are playing tag in their library. My girls would love to sit here all day and read, but we need to go, so off to work and school.
Sunday we had a wonderful sermon on Romans 5 and the peace that comes with Christ. It is good to know that real peace comes with Christ and not with silence and a snowy pond.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
School Begins!
Well, Faith Academy began this week, and by today (Wednesday) we already have 42 students. I didn't get a chance to count my math students, but I am truly swamped at work. The curriculum has changed in all of my Algebra classes, so all the labs I prepared last semester need to be changed. Changing curriculum amounts to tons of work!
Kayren started the Network on Monday, and she was glad to be getting back into her routine.
Kyrie and Lorien also started back on Monday, and they were happy to be back into the school schedule. Lorien has a game on Friday night, along with a birthday party with one of her friends. Kyrie is trying to get Kesse to come and visit the school tomorrow, but they need to get permission from all the teachers, which was forgotten today, so we'll see. Kyrie is also working on her college applications. They take a lot of work! She prefers Grove City, but has applied to Bryan and Taylor too. She's been accepted at Bryan and is waiting to hear from Taylor. She needs one more reference in order to send her application to Grove.
Jathan was home for a couple of weeks and intends to drive back Friday. I think that they start classes on Monday. He has worked through the break and earned quite a bit of money, which should help him when he gets back. He loves playing his guitar, and chatting with the girls.
Kesse goes back on Sunday evening. She has gotten in some work time, and some rest time, and hopes to see the girls' school tomorrow. She loves her classes at Bryan, but has enjoyed being home, drinking hot beverages, and curling up on the couch to read. She also does the dishes without us asking! Wow do I miss her!
Lorien is playing basketball and happy to be back in school. She started German this semester, which I thought might mess up her Spanish, but she doesn't think so. She really likes learning foreign languages, and seems to have a knack for it!
Aleya is tagging along with everyone while I try to get her school together. I am thinking that I will have a better chance to look at things when the college kids go back. The older ones are all going out to the Olive Garden tonight (they seem to be much wealthier than we are!)
More company is coming Friday night, and I suppose on Saturday as well. We have lots going on.
We are ever thankful to our Lord for His goodness to our family. It is so nice to have the chance to be altogether. We don't know how many more Christmases we will get like this one.
Kayren started the Network on Monday, and she was glad to be getting back into her routine.
Kyrie and Lorien also started back on Monday, and they were happy to be back into the school schedule. Lorien has a game on Friday night, along with a birthday party with one of her friends. Kyrie is trying to get Kesse to come and visit the school tomorrow, but they need to get permission from all the teachers, which was forgotten today, so we'll see. Kyrie is also working on her college applications. They take a lot of work! She prefers Grove City, but has applied to Bryan and Taylor too. She's been accepted at Bryan and is waiting to hear from Taylor. She needs one more reference in order to send her application to Grove.
Jathan was home for a couple of weeks and intends to drive back Friday. I think that they start classes on Monday. He has worked through the break and earned quite a bit of money, which should help him when he gets back. He loves playing his guitar, and chatting with the girls.
Kesse goes back on Sunday evening. She has gotten in some work time, and some rest time, and hopes to see the girls' school tomorrow. She loves her classes at Bryan, but has enjoyed being home, drinking hot beverages, and curling up on the couch to read. She also does the dishes without us asking! Wow do I miss her!
Lorien is playing basketball and happy to be back in school. She started German this semester, which I thought might mess up her Spanish, but she doesn't think so. She really likes learning foreign languages, and seems to have a knack for it!
Aleya is tagging along with everyone while I try to get her school together. I am thinking that I will have a better chance to look at things when the college kids go back. The older ones are all going out to the Olive Garden tonight (they seem to be much wealthier than we are!)
More company is coming Friday night, and I suppose on Saturday as well. We have lots going on.
We are ever thankful to our Lord for His goodness to our family. It is so nice to have the chance to be altogether. We don't know how many more Christmases we will get like this one.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Enjoying the New Year
This first week of January has been busy and fun. We had a relatively quiet New Year's Eve at the Smith's house. Tom was working, so we didn't go until almost 11 p.m. But the kids were already there, so we were able to bring in the New Year with family, and lots of folks from the church.
New Year's Day was quiet and wonderful. It was bitterly cold outside, so we stayed home for the morning. Later, we went shopping at Half-Price Books (to use Tom's Christmas gift card), and then to WalMart to get groceries. It was a nice, calm, slow day.
Wednesday, Tom went back to work, as well as Jathan and the girls. Lorien had basketball practice, and I went to work to write more curriculum. I have struggled with most of the work that I have been working on during the break since the computer I have been using is not cooperating. It manages to shut off by itself, whenever it pleases, and leaves whatever work I've done unsaved. Bummer. I switched computers and things got better.
Thursday and Friday we all just worked and got hair cuts, organized the garage tools, and cleaned up Christmas decorations. We were invited to Susan Lynch's (our neighbor across the street) to watch a movie and eat pizza on Friday night. We had a lovely time there.
Today, we went to get free bread (probably over $200 worth), took Aleya to Upwards basketball, and then came home. Tom has a wretched cold that came on last night. Jathan, Kesse, Kayren and Lorien left for Omaha at 10:30 last night. Kesse called at 1:00 am to let us know that she made it. I was glad that she called, but it WAS late!
Tomorrow is church, and Tom will enjoy our new elder, Mike Nop, teaching Sunday School! He can just be sick on the back row, and listen!
We had a wonderful vacation and are getting ready to start school again on Monday. Jathan goes back on Friday, and Kesse on Saturday. It's been nice to have the whole family together.
Thank you for all the letters and cards that we received for Christmas. It is so nice to hear what everyone is doing.
New Year's Day was quiet and wonderful. It was bitterly cold outside, so we stayed home for the morning. Later, we went shopping at Half-Price Books (to use Tom's Christmas gift card), and then to WalMart to get groceries. It was a nice, calm, slow day.
Wednesday, Tom went back to work, as well as Jathan and the girls. Lorien had basketball practice, and I went to work to write more curriculum. I have struggled with most of the work that I have been working on during the break since the computer I have been using is not cooperating. It manages to shut off by itself, whenever it pleases, and leaves whatever work I've done unsaved. Bummer. I switched computers and things got better.
Thursday and Friday we all just worked and got hair cuts, organized the garage tools, and cleaned up Christmas decorations. We were invited to Susan Lynch's (our neighbor across the street) to watch a movie and eat pizza on Friday night. We had a lovely time there.
Today, we went to get free bread (probably over $200 worth), took Aleya to Upwards basketball, and then came home. Tom has a wretched cold that came on last night. Jathan, Kesse, Kayren and Lorien left for Omaha at 10:30 last night. Kesse called at 1:00 am to let us know that she made it. I was glad that she called, but it WAS late!
Tomorrow is church, and Tom will enjoy our new elder, Mike Nop, teaching Sunday School! He can just be sick on the back row, and listen!
We had a wonderful vacation and are getting ready to start school again on Monday. Jathan goes back on Friday, and Kesse on Saturday. It's been nice to have the whole family together.
Thank you for all the letters and cards that we received for Christmas. It is so nice to hear what everyone is doing.
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