Sanctified by Sons and One Daughter

Tough Muddar

2012-01-30T12:37:00.005-06:00

On Saturday, Curtis competed in a Tough Muddar, a 12 mile course where participants faced 29 obstacles designed by British special ops. Not only did he compete, but he lived!! He's a TOUGH MUDDAR!

The five Tough Muddars from our church.

I am incredible proud of Curtis for this accomplishment!! To think about where he was a year ago, to see how far he's come, and to know that finished this challenging course makes this accomplishment that much bigger.

From the group picture above, you can see how dirty the team was. Here's a picture of my washing machine, after washing a Tough Muddar load of laundry.
This picture was taken after the Tough Muddar load had been washed once and rinsed twice AND Curtis had vacuumed out the rocks.

Now that he's done a Tough Muddar, what next?

The Warrior Dash!! But not just a Warrior Dash (which is 3+ miles), but a Warrior Dash with your wife. Yep. I start "training" today so that I can compete with Curtis in a Warrior Dash. We're not 100% sure when we'll do it, but we're thinking it will be April or May.

I'm looking forward to working alongside Curtis to tackle a new challenge.

Things that make your heart stop

2012-01-29T07:59:00.002-06:00

Going into your sons' bedroom to find and empty crib.
Thankfully, Curtis was the parent to make this discovery, and didn't react as dramatically and quickly as I would have. Instead, he calmly discovered.....
Seriously, Timothy. You're going to give Mommy a heart attack.

Things Mommy forgot

2012-01-26T12:05:00.005-06:00

From the time we had Benjamin till the time we had Timothy was the biggest gap we had between children. Today, I was reminded of the things that I have forgotten about have an almost two year old little boy. Timothy decided to give me a visual reminder of what life with an almost two year old is like.

(the wall)

(a book shelf)

(the washer AND dryer)
(a door)

CHEESE!!!!!

Here we go again. A busy, fun, challenging, mischievous little boy.

One thing I've found encouraging is the reminder that sweet little Timothy is our last. I only have to go through all this one more time. In March, Curtis and I will be at a point we've never been at before as parents. It will be the longest amount of time we've gone without getting pregnant! Wohoo!

My, how times change.

2012-01-26T10:54:00.004-06:00

From lipstick kisses and red hearts....
... to reminders on sticky notes.
My, how far we've come!

Though there are times when I miss the sweet romantic notes I would leave on Curtis' windshield and the little notes he would leave for me on the nightstand, I couldn't be happier with where we are now. I look at our family, our home, and the places where God has us serving, and I see how we are daily fulfilling our wedding vows to each other. I can also look back, and see how God has grown each of us individually and as a husband and wife.

Even if I could, I wouldn't go back to the days of courtship or early marriage. Though I'm not the same woman I was 11 year ago when I was a young bride, and Curtis isn't the same man he was, God, by his grace, has brought us closer together, solidifying our love for each other. As I talk to friends who are on the brink of marriage, I smile, knowing that they have no clue how wonderful marriage is, and what an amazing sanctification tool it is.

I'm thankful for the fun lipstick kisses memories. But I'm equally as thankful for the orange sticky note memories that we're making each day together.

Life around here

2012-01-20T08:00:00.003-06:00

The first week in January the kids all had the stomach bug. Thankfully it was very mild and passed quickly.

The second week in January was the week my children decided to destroy my house, room by room.

This week, they're passing around another virus.

I keep telling Curtis, "I need a break!!"

This weekend Timothy started running a temperature. By the beginning of the week, it was over 102 and starting to disturb his sleep. We took him to the pediatrician, and he had an ear infection. We suspect it was a bonus from the virus because the doctor told us that his temp shouldn't have been that high because his ears weren't that bad.

Tuesday afternoon, Micah started having asthma issues.

Wednesday and Thursday both big boys ran temperatures.

And here's the scene this morning.....

Benjamin is fine and so far, Elizabeth has been spared.

We're praying that Micah starts feeling better soon so that my mom can come visit! I'm looking forward to seeing her, and having her help so I can maybe get a bit of a break.

Because sometimes...

2012-01-18T18:26:00.004-06:00

... you just need to see what a difference a year and some hard work can make.

Finally!!

2012-01-17T14:04:00.004-06:00

About two years ago, I posted this blog post, asking my readers to let me know which set of curtains worked best for the master bedroom. My goal was to complete my bedroom, making a calm oasis, before Timothy joined our family. Well, we all know how that turned out! Timothy arrived a month early, and my calm oasis was never finished. The master bedroom turned into a kind of nursery, complete with an infant crib, changing table and swing.

And that was okay with us! We were so thankful to have Timothy, but my desire for a grown up, finished room was still there.

A year ago, we put our house on the market. Our bedroom looked good, but didn't really feel like OUR bedroom. There weren't the personal touches that I was hoping for.

This fall, after our house was taken off the market, I decided to start that project again. I collected frames, pictures, vases and ideas.

Today, I FINALLY FINISHED!!!! Though there are still a couple projects I'd like to have in the room, I'm going to wait till our next master bedroom. I think I've found a good balance of making the room show ready, but at the same time making it homey for Curtis and me.

The view from the bedroom door.
I've been wanting to do something with the kids' infant pictures. I found the frames at a garage sale, painted them brown, used scrapbook paper I already had, and printed black and white pictures of each of the kids as infants. The piece of art between the kids' pictures was done and given to us by my sister, Shannon.
The top of Curtis' dresser. The cases were given to us from my other sister, Megan.

Today is a crazy day for Curtis and I. Timothy is sick, we have one car, co-op, deacon's meeting, bible study and preparing the house for bible study. But I'm really looking forward to crawling into bed in my FINISHED bedroom.

What a week

2012-01-13T14:01:00.007-06:00

Last week the boys were going through the stomach bug that Elizabeth had. Though I thought we might accomplish some school, or at least work towards getting everyone on a schedule again, it didn't happen. And that was okay.

But that meant, this week, we had to get back on schedule, start school, start co-op, and start dance. I had high expectation, but was hopeful that we'd be able to accomplish everything we needed to.

Monday was an okay day. We had the Findleys over for a play date. I also got to go shopping with my friend Erin. It had been FOREVER since I had a shopping trip with a girlfriend. All in all, a good day.Tuesday was hectic. We had co-op, it was rainy, kinda crazy day. When we got home Tuesday afternoon, I asked the kids to play in their rooms so that I could work out. This is what they did.

Wednesday would be better! I knew it. We started the day off by working on chore charts. Then Elizabeth and I hit the books. While we were doing school, Micah and Benjamin were busy....
Wednesday was filled with many moments like the picture above. The toilet over flowed, Timothy went into the pantry, and I couldn't find him, and the front door was opened, so I was scared to death that he had run off. The kids were wild, foolish, and disobedient.

Thursday morning brought.....
Thursday night, Benjamin didn't put a pull up on, and flooded his bed. I looked at Curtis in complete frustration and said, "They're now destroying stuff in their sleep!" I was so ready for the week to be over.

Friday mornings are going to be a little hectic for this month. I have a Zumba class at 8:45, then Elizabeth has piano at 10. Curtis kindly planned on going into work a little late, so that he could help me get the whinny kids out the door. As we were all about to leave, we discovered Curtis had a flat tire on his car. So I had to take him to work before heading to Zumba.

This afternoon, Benjamin decided to throw mud on all his siblings. And did his siblings do anything to stop him? Did they come to get me? Nope. Four muddy children.

Ahhhhh!!!! When would the madness end?!?!

In all fairness, there have been some highlights to this week.

With the encouragement and motivation of Erin, I'm attempting to do Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred every day for 30 days. Today is day 12, and I haven't missed a day, even with all the craziness.

(Timothy, with my weights, ready to do Jillian with me!)

I also looked SUPER cute on Tuesday for our first day back to co-op. My mom has the best taste, and got me some great clothes to compliment my weight loss.
Speaking of weight loss, I've lost another 2lbs, despite the stress eating and drinking that I've done this week. It's encouraging to me to see that all the work I'm doing with The Shred and Zumba is paying off, and that my metabolism is doing some of the work for me.

Here's hoping my weekend is MUCH calmer than my week's been. I'm looking forward to having Curtis home for a THREE DAY WEEKEND!!! Thanks, MLK.

Resolutions

2012-01-09T08:18:00.009-06:00

Every year we make New Year's Resolutions. And I'm sure for many of us, that involves something about being healthy, exercising more, losing weight..... And that's been true for Curtis and I for the past several years. The few pound you gain at the beginning of marriage merged with the few pounds that you gain at the end of your college career. Then we added 3 pregnancies in three years weight, the stress of children with health problems weight, and a master's degree weight.

After 10 years of marriage, we were both overweight, but motivated to fix the problem.

(10 year anniversary)

(11 year anniversary)

This year, as I make resolutions and goals for myself, it is so encouraging to look at these before and after pictures and be able to SEE the results of last year's resolution. Between the two of us, Curtis and I have lost 120lbs.

As I approach a new year, filled with new goals and new challenges, I feel very confident that I can accomplish the goals that I set for myself. My weight loss journey isn't quite over, but knowing that I have and CAN accomplish my goals is so motivating.

As I was talking to a friend yesterday, she put into perspective what Curtis and I have accomplished. It was so encouraging for me too look at where we were a year ago, and see where we are now. If you're facing the "eat healthy", "lose weight", or "exercise more" resolution this year, I hope the journey Curtis and I have been on can encourage you. If we can do it, you can do it!!

Bloopers

2012-01-06T12:49:00.004-06:00

Carissa had lots of fun ideas for poses. I had a couple ideas too. Some worked out really well, some, not so much. Here are a few of the shots that aren't my favorite, but make my laugh.

In the picture above, we were trying to recreate a picture that we had taken while we were dating. None of them looked right. And my crazy laughing face doesn't help much.
Poor Curtis. He's not the most flexible guy in the world. He was trying to get into the right position, and had a little trouble at first. This picture makes me laugh because I'm smiling like nothing is wrong and Curtis looks miserable.

Cute idea. Poor execution on our part. Fail.

Curtis falling, and taking me with him.

One idea Carissa had was to have us all six of us lay in on the ground and she would shoot from above us. The kids didn't cooperate, and I ended up looking like this.....
This was one of the first pictures Carissa took. She told us to kiss. We did. She looked at her picture and said, "That looks fake," and walked off. I didn't know what she meant till I saw this picture. She was right. Looks fake.

Timothy just wanted in on the action too!

Family pictures

2012-01-06T12:05:00.005-06:00

More awesome pictures from my friend Carissa! Not only did she take the beautiful pictures of Curtis and I, but she also volunteered to take pictures of all six of us. It's hard to get a good family picture, so I was thrilled with these! I've had so much fun framing them and hanging them in our home and in Curtis' new office.

I really liked this idea of having our pictures taken with each of the kids individually. I hope these will be cherished by each of them.

Isn't this picture stunning! Timothy's smiling, everyone's looking..... and then there's Benjamin. Sigh. What an accurate picture of him.

2011

2012-01-06T03:18:00.003-06:00

I've been trying to come up with a clever, cute-sey way to summarize 2011. And though I've found several fun ideas, it's just hard to use a cute way to sum up a very hard year.

2011 started as we arrived home from being away from home for nearly 3 weeks, celebrating Christmas with family, but also dealing with the sudden death of my uncle.

We joyfully celebrated Timothy's first year of life. My sister, Shannon, came for a visit, which brought the harsh reality that she would soon be leaving, and heading to Australia for a year to do missions work.

In April, my Papa Kerry passed away. Less than 48 hours later, we welcomed my new nephew. Bittersweet.

Our year continued in a flurry of birthday parties, recitals, broken air conditioners, traveling, and we wrapped up school.

In June my Papa Jimmie passed away.

A week after his funeral my dad was diagnosed with cancer.

During all this, Curtis and I were looking at moving to Michigan.

Our fall began as I started homeschooling TWO, rather than just one. My Dad had surgery, we traveled more, we got a puppy, the big boys played flag football, Elizabeth continued dancing.... life went on.

2011 was a hard year. I faced a lot of hard things. We dealt with a lot. Through it all, I saw God's faithful hand leading us forward. I learned, I loved, I lost, I grew. I'm so thankful for all the joys and trials of 2011.

And I'm praying 2012 will be a calmer year!

Birthday Tea

2012-01-03T08:51:00.004-06:00

The day after Christmas we had the joy of celebrating both my Grandmas' birthday with them. Since Thanksgiving, Elizabeth had been wanting to throw a tea party the day after Christmas. When she realized the day was also her Great-Grandma's birthday, she REALLY wanted to host a tea party. With the help of my creative, loving mom, we had a lovely tea party.

For my Grandma's this was the first Christmas AND the first birthday without their husbands. I hope that the love we have for them was evident, and that the day was joyful, despite the sorrow I'm sure they both had.

Christmas

2012-01-03T08:30:00.009-06:00

How much fun can we have in a few days?

2012-01-03T07:53:00.007-06:00

The answer? A LOT!!!!

Our trip to Kansas was shorter this year than any other. Curtis and I decided that we needed to save up some of his vacation days, so we only took the time off that he was given, which wasn't as much time as usual, since the holidays fell on the weekend. Add to the equation that we went to Wichita Falls since Curtis' dad and step mom weren't able to come here. We arrived in Wichita on the 23rd, and left on the 28th. In that amount of time, we went to church twice, celebrated Christmas, celebrate both my Grandmas' birthdays, went ice skating, went swimming, climbed a rock wall, went to the zoo, cooked with Grandma, and played! We were busy, but has a blast!!

Here are some pictures from our time in Wichita.

Story vs. pictures

2012-01-02T11:35:00.004-06:00

One of reasons I love taking tons of pictures of my kids and the things that go on in our life is because often time, the story that pictures tell is "prettier" than the real life story. An example of this is the pictures below versus the reality that was our 11th anniversary.

We knew we'd be in Wichita Falls for our anniversary, heading home that afternoon and evening. I was hoping to do something fun for our actual anniversary, like visit the church where we got married, buy cupcakes from the bakery where our wedding cake come from.... anything to make the day memorable and special.

However, Thursday night, Elizabeth woke up throwing up. She threw up for three hours, and just felt miserable. Curtis gave me a kiss, wished me happy anniversary, and headed to be shortly after midnight, while I tried to help poor Elizabeth.

Friday morning (the day of our anniversary) we learned that my mom had also been up and sick during the night. Our concern was that we were dealing with something contagious, so we decided to cancel our plans, and head straight home as soon as possible. When you're dealing with little sleep, a sick child, the concern of others getting sick, you're away from home, and you're facing about 5 hours in the car, little things like romance quickly get left behind.

After a rough car trip, we arrived home shortly after 5. Our plan was that Curtis would get the kids settled while I ran to the store for a quick, bland, healthy dinner. We would enjoy a quiet evening to ourselves, some takeout, Castle, and margaritas after the kids went to bed. Our plan were again derailed when we realized that we'd forgotten to pay our electricity bill, and the electricity had been shut off. Super!

We ended our day with take out and me falling asleep on the couch.

I'm so thankful for the pictures below! I'm thankful for the way my friend Carissa was able to really capture us in some sweet, fun and romantic moments. And though our anniversary wasn't ideal, I'm thankful for the memorable day, celebrating another year with the man God blessed me with. There is no one else I would want to spend that day with!

11 years

2011-12-30T11:59:00.002-06:00

Tall girl problems

2011-12-17T12:26:00.004-06:00

And the tall girl's classic problem.....

or volleyball!!!!

There should be pictures

2011-12-14T09:29:00.003-06:00

This morning I sat down to blog about the Advent activities we've been doing. As I began to try to post pictures, I realized the memory card was missing. This is just the latest in a string of mishaps that we've run into in the past few days. Our wireless keyboard had coffee spilled on it, and despite the 2 hours of cleaning that Curtis attempted, it doesn't work. Katy chewed through the power supply cord to Elizabeth's keyboard. The dishwasher is broken. Milk has been spilled, stains have been made, the carpet needs to be cleaned, and there is an every growing pile of laundry that I just can't seem to get ahead of. Take these daily little frustration, add a broken keyboard, dishwasher, keyboard and missing memory card, and it almost feels too overwhelming.

So, instead of uploading pictures of our continuing Advent celebration, I'm going to take a few deep breaths, and attempt to find the memory card.

Reasons to be a proud momma

2011-12-12T10:47:00.003-06:00

This weekend was pure mayhem! But in the midst of it, I found so many reasons to be proud.

Friday night, Elizabeth went to her first slumber party. Though she's been to a friend's house to spend the night, this was her first time at this friends house, her first slumber party, and she was nervous. I was so proud when she went, despite her nervousness, and didn't call. She's growing up so quickly!

Saturday morning, Elizabeth and Micah had a dress rehearsal for their choir performance. It was a long morning for them, made more challenging by the fact that Daddy was working all day Saturday and a late night for Elizabeth. However, they did everything without complaining or arguing.

While the two big kids were at church, Benjamin helped me with Timothy while we ran to Wal Mart. I was proud of him for not throwing a fit when we left (he wanted to stay and practice too!) and then he was a huge help to me as we navigated Wal Mart on a Saturday two weeks before Christmas.

Saturday afternoon while Elizabeth and Timothy took awesome naps, Micah and Benjamin played nicely together while I got everything ready for our evening. There are times when they are wild, crazy boys, and I was proud of them for knowing when a good time to play quietly was.

Saturday evening, Elizabeth danced at Christmas in the Creek. While lining up with her class, she saw one of the other girls crying. She went over to the little girl, gave her a long hug, and then talked to he about why she was scared. Even though Elizabeth was dealing with her own nerves, she used self control (YAY!) and was able to encourage her friend. She then went on and did an amazing job dancing!

(Elizabeth is on the front row, all the way on the right)

Sunday was the day that all the busyness caught up with us. Micah was feeling sick, and wanted to just stay at home. All of us were worn out, physically tired, and a bit emotional. But despite all that, Elizabeth and Micah did an amazing job at the kid's choir performance. Elizabeth sang an beautiful solo! Micah did so well for his first year. And Benjamin wore a wise man costume and sang a song with the big kids.

I am so proud of my kids! They make my bad days better (most of the time! ;-)) and my good days great! I'm so thankful for them, and for the wonderful people they're growing into.

Snow Day!

2011-12-10T12:21:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, we had a snow day! During the night, Curtis and I hung "falling snow" in the kids' bedroom windows. When they were up, we told them to look out their windows. Curtis stayed home from work, the kids didn't have to do school, it was so fun!

We also decorated the kitchen area. We ate snowman pancakes, which the kids decorated with chocolate chips, and drank hot chocolate out of new Christmas mugs.

It was a fun day before a very busy evening and weekend. I was especially thankful that we were able to enjoy our snow day because Timothy came down with a very high temperature right before bed. A snow day was the perfect was to stop, enjoy each other, and have a little fun before the craziness.

While making art....

2011-12-07T15:27:00.004-06:00

This evening, the kids' are going to sing at a nursing home with their choir. We're making art to take to the residents to be displayed in the dinning room. Benjamin was making his, and said, "I'm going to take this to Papa. He will like it!"

And I get the wind knocked out of me. And the reminder that I don't need hit me again.

Ornament Making

2011-12-06T16:40:00.003-06:00

Today's project was ornament making! Originally, I wanted to make snow flakes out of noodles, paint and glitter. But I forgot to buy the right noodles. And the only good way I could think of to paint the noodles was spray paint, and I wanted the kids to be able to participate.

So we did popsicle stick snowmen! I think they're super cute, which is good since I now have four!

(Elizabeth's, Micah's, Benjamin's and Timothy's... Benjamin's is frowning because it's melting)
At first I was going to do this while Timothy napped. But he was woken up early by his brothers, so he got to participate.

Christmas parade

2011-12-05T14:27:00.004-06:00

Sunday I pulled one of my Crazy Kierstyn schemes. On Facebook, one of my friends mentioned the annual Bryan/College Station Christmas Parade. I thought, "Hmmmm! That sounds like fun!" Sunday morning, I pulled up the info, discovered the parade started at 2pm, and our brilliant plan was put into place.

We went to Sunday school and church. We changed our clothes at church, and grabbed a quick lunch at good ol' Taco Bell. We then headed to the parade zone! It was a cloudy, chilly, rainy afternoon. But that didn't kill this excitement!

My chilly little parade goers, before I bundled them up in sweaters, blankets and towels.

I just love this picture of Micah! I really sums up how all the kids felt at the parade. We had so much fun!

I had to stop taking pictures about half way through the parade, thanks to the little rain shower we had. I SO wish I had a picture of all six of us curled up under an umbrella. It was a great memory!

A few of our Advent projects

2011-12-05T14:18:00.004-06:00

The kids and I have had a great time working on our advent calendar. The trickiest part was coming up with enough activities for the 23 days. So, to help me remember them for next year, I'm documenting them!

Write letters to soldiers.

Make wreaths to decorate the house and their bedroom doors.

The challenge that I've faced is balancing the fun part of Christmas with the the normal, every day stuff that still needs to be accomplished. I could easily let myself get caught up in the glue, paint, decorating and fun, and miss the daily teaching and training of my children.

Here's to balance!

Christmas pictures

2011-12-02T20:16:00.006-06:00

Advent has begun!

2011-12-01T14:57:00.005-06:00

Last Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent. Today, the Krajca family has begun their Advent celebrations! On our bulletin board, I made an advent calendar. On the back of each index card is a Christmas-y activity that the we will do that day. We count down to the 23rd, which is the day we leave for our Christmas traveling.

Today, Day 1, we decorated the tree! This evening, once Curtis gets home, we will begin our family tradition of decorating the Jesse Tree.

Today, I also made a wreath. I love Pintrest! The inspiration for the wreath came from Pintrest, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

May your first day of Advent be just as joyful! God is good to give us a such a glorious reason to rejoice!

Month of Thankfulness Day 30

2011-11-30T09:26:00.003-06:00

I'm thankful that tomorrow is the first day of the Advent Season. More than people, pictures, memories, or any of the other things I've blogged about, I'm thankful for the birth of my Savior. I'm thankful that Light came into the darkness, to rescue and save ME, making a way for ME to go to get to Heaven.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him all creatures, here below!
Praise Him above, yea heavenly hosts!
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

Month of Thankfulness Day 29

2011-11-29T09:51:00.004-06:00

I'm thankful for my in-laws. Charles and Carol, Curtis' parents, blessed me greatly because of the son they raised. I'm thankful for Curtis' brother, and his beautiful family. Though we don't get to see them nearly as much as I would like, I always enjoy their friendship.

Month of Thankfulness Day 28

2011-11-28T15:42:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful I have these pictures to give Elizabeth on her wedding day.

Month of Thankfulness Day 27

2011-11-27T07:39:00.004-06:00

4 years ago today, we received Benjamin's diagnosis or craniosynistosis. It was a very hard day. I'm thankful for the modern medical attention that Benjamin received. I'm thankful for the smooth recovery he had. I'm thankful for the daily grace that God supplied as we walked a very challenging, hard road. I'm thankful for the mighty, healing hand of our Savior. I'm thankful for the healthy little four year old I have been blessed with.

Month of Thankfulness Day 26

2011-11-26T13:52:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for the fun, laughable moments in motherhood.

Month of Thankfulness Day 25

2011-11-25T12:30:00.002-06:00

I'm thankful for the beauty of Creation. I'm thankful that God reveals himself to us in Creation (Romans 1:4-5). I'm thankful that the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-6). I'm thankful that even if we are silent, the rocks will cry out (Luke 19:40). The sun, the trees, sky... all these things and more point to a Creator.

The best of plans.......

2011-11-24T22:18:00.004-06:00

Well, I didn't make it to my Aunt's wedding. Despite that, I am genuinely thankful for marriage, and chose not to change my scheduled post. However, I do want to fill the details of how the start of our Thanksgiving started off a little rougher than I had hoped.

Monday morning arrived. I had a full schedule and we were planning on leaving town. I bounced out of bed, ready to tackle the day with coffee and homemade banana muffins. As I was making muffins, Micah came out and informed me that his ear hurt. Of course!

Curtis left just after 7am to get the oil changed.

8am-9am Timothy had speech therapy.

9:30am all four kids and I head to the pediatricians office. Micah was diagnosed with an ear infection and the beginnings of pneumonia. Though it was not the calm start to the day I was hoping for, I was so thankful that we were able to get Micah into his doctor and got the diagnosis before leaving town.

I headed home to finish packing.

1pm Curtis leaved work!

2pm, Elizabeth and I were at the dentist so she could get a cavity filled. Sweet girl was cracking us all up as she chit chatted while on "laughing gas".

4pm Hit the road. Our hope was to make it all the way to Wichita, have Tuesday to spend with family, then Elizabeth, mom, Megan, Ephram and I would head to Branson for the wedding.

Shortly after we hit the road, our van overheaded. We turned it around and headed to the mechanic. We ended up having to replace the radiator. Rather than leaving Monday, we had to wait to leave on Tuesday at about 3:30.

It wasn't the way we wanted to start our trip! But we were very thankful that we were able to deal with all the car issues in town, rather than on the side of the road. God was very good to us, reminding us of how much we have to be thankful for.

Month of Thankfulness Day 24

2011-11-24T12:37:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful for time with family.

Month of Thankfulness Day 23

2011-11-23T07:00:00.001-06:00

Today, as I travel to be at my aunt's wedding, I'm thankful for marriage. I'm thankful that God established that marriage relationship, not for our good or happiness, but for his glory and our sanctification. I'm thankful for my parents, grandparents and in-laws who have shown Curtis and I what strong marriages look like. I'm thankful for friends and family who encourage Curtis and I as we seek to glorify God in our marriage.

I'm again thankful for my loving husband.

Month of Thankfulness Day 22

2011-11-22T07:15:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for memories. The good ones, that make me smile. The bad ones, that remind me of God's sovereignty. The old ones, that show how far I've come, by the grace of God. The funny one, that bring a smile to my face.

I'm thankful for my camera, and the ability to capture these precious memories, that are fleeting.

Month of Thankfulness Day 21

2011-11-21T06:45:00.002-06:00

I'm thankful for my grandparents. This year I lost both my Papas. I was blessed to have all four of my grandparents in my life until this spring. Though we moved around when I was growing up, and weren't always geographically close to my grandparents, I am thankful that my parents always made sure that my grandparents were a part of my life. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to talk with each of them, learn from them, learn about life, marriage and parenting, learn more about my parents. I'm thankful for the legacy of love I saw in each of their marriages. I'm thankful that even though I no longer have my Papas in my life, I have still have both my Grandmas.

Today would have been my Papa Kerry's 80th birthday, and next week would have been my Papa Jimmie's birthday.

Month of Thankfulness Day 20

2011-11-20T14:22:00.003-06:00

I'm thankful for the Body of Christ. I'm thankful God has blessed us with a church family who have been there for us, helped us, encouraged us and loved us for the past eight years. I'm thankful that the Word of God is preached powerfully, and without fear of persecution. I'm thankful for the freedom to worship when, how and where I want.

Month of Thankfulness Day 19

2011-11-19T11:59:00.003-06:00

Today, I'm thankful for the fun traditions involved with living in Aggieland. This morning, Curtis and I took the boys to their first Aggie Tailgate. I can easily see this becoming a family tradition.

I'm also thankful for our generous friend who gave Curtis and Micah tickets to the A&M game. I know that Micah is going to have an incredible time, and form some very special memories.

Month of Thankfulness Day 18

2011-11-18T06:16:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful that my children have a Daddy who will come home after a long day at work, and will play with them outside before it gets dark. I'm thankful for a husband who will give this worn out mommy a little break before another busy evening.

Month of Thankfulness Day 17

2011-11-17T09:06:00.003-06:00

Today is World Prematurity Awareness Day. Over one million babies die each year due to complications from their early birth. Today, I am thankful for how God ordained for Timothy to be born early, possibly sparing his life from problems that he and I were facing with the pregnancy. I am thankful for the technology and medical advances that have taken place, which allowed him to receive the care that he needed. I'm thankful for groups like the March of Dimes, which has been a voice for these tiny babies.

Most of all, I'm thankful that even when things are unknown and scary, God is good, and his plan will not be thwarted.

Month of Thankfulness Day 16

2011-11-16T09:31:00.003-06:00

I'm thankful for friends, who are like family. Friends who encourage me in daily life, in my spiritual growth, in my marriage, in my relationship with my children. These are the kind of friends who pick up the phone and let you freak out, even when they're in the middle of a busy evening. These are the kind of friends who are faithful and bless me in so many way.

Month of Thankfulness Day 15

2011-11-15T15:54:00.002-06:00

I'm thankful for rain!!!!

Month of Thankfulness Day 14

2011-11-14T11:58:00.003-06:00

I'm thankful for hymns. This weekend we went to a Matthew Smith/Indelible Grace concert. This band takes older hymns (some well known, most unknown) and rewrites the music. These hymns have a way of encouraging me in my faith, reminding me of Whose I am, aiding in worship, and focusing my heart on Christ.

This is one of the songs that the band sang at the concert. We also sing this song at church occasionally. I love it! And so did my kids. :-) Elizabeth was all but dancing in the aisle!

And if you're not familiar with Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace, just go to You Tube and listen to some of their songs. Or go to the Matthew Smith website.

Month of Thankfulness Day 13

2011-11-13T13:32:00.005-06:00

I'm thankful for my sisters. Today is my sister Shannon's 30th birthday, and I wish so much that the three of us could celebrate together over a large, delicious cake and margaritas. But I can rest in know that my both my sisters are exactly where God wants them, being used for His will and plan.

Growing up in a military family, where we moved every few years, I formed a very close relationship with my sisters. I knew that what my parents told us was true. No matter how many times we moved, or how many friends we had to leave, my sisters would never leave me and that we would always have each other. Despite the many, many, many miles that separate us now, this is still true. I am able to reach out to my sisters any time I need, and know that they will be there to help, encourage, pray for or just to listen to me. And if nothing less, they can always make me smile.

Month of Thankfulness Day 12

2011-11-12T22:26:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for children with strong, healthy bodies who are able to run, play and enjoy a beautiful fall day. We've had some scary periods of time with these kiddos, and I rejoice in God's graciousness to us.

Month of Thankfulness Day 11

2011-11-11T03:41:00.003-06:00

Today, Veteran's Day, I'm thankful for the men and women who have served in our country's military. I'm thankful for the families who support these men and women, as they serve a country that has often times been ungrateful. Being raised in a military family helped instill this love and thankfulness for our military. However, after the 9-11 attacks, I gained a new understanding of how special our freedom is. Today I remember those men and women who dedicated their lives to our country. I especially remember those who paid the ultimate price for my freedom.

Month of Thankfulness Day 10

2011-11-10T09:36:00.003-06:00

I'm thankful for the Word of God. Particularly, these verses, which have challenged me as a homeschool mom.

Proverbs 31:26
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

2 Timothy 4:2-5
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Month of Thankfulness Day 9

2011-11-09T07:40:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for Benjamin's sense of humor. He's always saying amusing things, keeping my life interesting. Recently, we were driving home after taking Curtis a Sonic drink. We had Katy with us, and she was sitting in Micah's lap. Benjamin was helping Katy wave at Curtis with her tail. He then said, "I'm going to teach Katy to say I love you. With her tail. In Spanish!" Not only do I love the way he makes me laugh, but I love the sound of his sweet little voice. He's just so stinkin' adorable!!

Month of Thankfulness Day 8

2011-11-08T07:22:00.001-06:00

I'm thankful for Micah's art. These pictures are from his dream journal. He makes these incredible shapes, saying he sees them in his dream. I'm thankful for his sweetness, his innocence and his imagination. I'm thankful for his tender side. I'm thankful for his tough side. I'm so very thankful that I get to be Mighty Micah's mommy.

Month of Thankfulness Day 7

2011-11-07T07:27:00.001-06:00

Coffee. This Monday morning, as we prepare for the speech therapist to arrive at 8am, I am incredibly thankful for the simple pleasure of a nice, hot cup of coffee.

Month of Thankfulness Day 6

2011-11-06T06:51:00.004-06:00

I'm thankful for little blond headed boys who call me, "Mommy". I'm thankful that I've had the opportunity to learn the names of several different construction vehicles, for sweet baby blue blankets, for how easy going boys are, and for the special bond I'm forming with these guys.

Month of Thankfulness Day 5

2011-11-05T19:45:00.001-05:00

I'm thankful that God gave me a daughter. I'm thankful to have someone to dress up in sweet clothes, make bows for, take to dance lessons, paint finger and toe nails, and someone to do girly things with. 7 years ago, this sweet girl made me a mommy. And though there are unique challenges to raising a little girl who is just like you, I'm thankful for the opportunity. I'm thankful for the sweetness, the joy, the innocence, and the girly-ness that she brings into my life.

Month of Thankfulness Day 4

2011-11-04T08:15:00.003-05:00

I'm thankful for my parents. Despite the miles that separate my family from them, they make an effort to be a part of our life. I'm thankful for the example of strength, faith, and grace they are to my. I'm thankful for the way they've lived their marriage out, as an example to Curtis and I. I'm thankful for the way the support and encourage us. I'm thankful for the way they bless us.

Month of Thankfulness Day 3

2011-11-03T11:16:00.004-05:00

I'm thankful for the change of seasons. I'm not at all a fan of this TX weather! I love waking up and feeling the chill in the air, baking pumpkin, oatmeal or apple muffins for breakfast, savoring a hot cup of coffee, helping the kids pick out long sleeved shirts, and seeing their pink cheeks when they come inside. Fall is my favorite season and I'm thankful for the reminder that it really is fall, even though it doesn't feel like it most days.

Month of Thankfulness Day 2

2011-11-02T08:58:00.003-05:00

I'm thankful my husband, who is gracious to me when I fail to be the wife I should be. I'm thankful for his patience, kindness, and for the way he loves me so well.

Month of Thankfulness Day 28

2011-11-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

I'm thankful I have these pictures to give Elizabeth on her wedding day.

Month of Thankfulness Day 1

2011-11-01T08:52:00.001-05:00

Today we went to co-op, and I was reminded of how thankful I am to be able to homeschool. I'm thankful to live in a state where homeschooling is an easy option. I'm thankful for the support we receive from friend and family. I'm thankful for the way God supplies each of our needs as we take on the task of schooling our children. Though homeschooling is hard and challenging, I need to be reminded of what a privilege it is to be able to teach and train my children in our home.

Post Season Excitement

2011-10-23T21:10:00.003-05:00

Curtis is a HUGE baseball fan. Specifically, he loves the Rangers. The past two year, the Rangers have really given Curtis something to be excited about. And I'll admit, that though I can be quite a whinny baseball wife during the regular season, I quite enjoy the post season!

And so, Ranger mania has hit our home, for the second year!

This is me. Watching a Rangers game. Even though Curtis wasn't home. Sigh. Thankfully, after last season Curtis realized that I'm only a big baseball fan in the post season, and only if the Rangers are the ones playing. Maybe it won't be such a let down next spring when I resort to my whinny baseball wife ways.

But for now.....

GO RANGERS!!!!!!

Merry Christmas, Krajca kids!

2011-10-17T07:37:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago, my parents called Curtis, asking if they could buy the kids a puppy for Christmas. These puppies are bred by a good family friend, and they are safe for a kiddo with dog allergy problems, like Micah.

Curtis and I thought about, and went to visit the puppies. We decided our family was ready for a puppy, picked a puppy, and started making plans for our new addition.

My parent came into town late last week. Before coming over, they picked up the puppy, hid clues in our house, then came outside where I was with the kiddos. Mom told the kids that they had a surprise, but that they were going to go on a treasure hunt to find the surprise.
My mom had written rhyming clues, taking the kids all over the house. Each clue had something that pointed to getting a puppy: a ball, a frisbee, a comb, bowls and finally, a collar and leash.
At this point, the kids were talking about how weird it was that they were getting all this dog stuff, but they hadn't really guessed that they might be getting a puppy. The final clue led them out to the van my parents had arrived in, and there was my mom with the puppy!

Love at first sight!!! The kids were SO excited!

One of the first questions the kids had was what the puppy's name was. We let them pick the name, but were ready to veto anything too crazy. Benjamin declared that she should be named Cutie Pie. Elizabeth decided she liked Ali or Katy. Micah was too busy being very excited to care too much. So we named our new puppy Katy Cutie Pie.

Katy is SUCH a good dog! She absolutely loves being with the kids, and cries when they aren't awake, or aren't playing with her. She's only had a couple of accidents in the house, and spends huge amounts of time taking naps. Her personality is so sweet, and we are excited to have her as part of our family.

This is what 100lbs looks like

2011-10-17T07:31:00.004-05:00

Between the two of us, Curtis and I have lost over 100lbs! Actually, when this picture was taken, we've lost a combined amount of OVER 100lbs. We both still have some more weight to lose, but it feels GREAT to have reached this goal.

And because you know I love a little before and after action......

This picture was taken on our anniversary last year. We are hoping to each meet our weight loss goal by our anniversary this year. Curtis will be able to do it, no problem. I'm on track, but don't have much room to slack off. Can't wait to see that before and after picture!

Aggie pictures

2011-09-29T18:51:00.004-05:00

Faithfulness

2011-09-28T11:45:00.003-05:00

This is a beautiful song written and performed by Chris Medina, an American Idol contestant. His fiance was in an accident, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. This song is about her.

The first time I heard the song, I was struck by what an honorable, faithful man Chris is. The next thought I had was that it's sad that this isn't the normal expectation for a man.

While I do admire men like Chris, who remain faithful to the promise made, despite unforeseen circumstances, I'm also saddened that this is a remarkable feat. I'm thankful for the man my father is, a man who's remained committed, faithful, and madly in love with my mother, for 34 years. I'm thankful for the man I married, who has stood by me, loved me when I was unlovable, encouraged me and supported me during the hard times of life. And it's my heart's desire to raise three energetic little boys to be three godly faithful men, who won't find the kind of faithfulness and devotion that's portrayed in this song remarkable, because it's been what they've seen and what they want to do.

Wishing for Fall

2011-09-26T12:30:00.003-05:00

I really love fall!! I enjoy decorating, baking, doing fall crafts, staging falls pictures, and getting ready for Christmas. It's a time where I look forward to the weather eventually cooling down, though with a high of 100 yesterday, I think I'll just have to keep waiting.

With the first official day of fall this past weekend, I decided it was time to pull out all the fall decorations!
I had already hung our fall wreath. I made it last year, since it was the only fall decorating I was able to do since our house was on the market.

In the picture above, there's a drawing of a pumpkin. Elizabeth made it 2 years ago in art class, using pastels. I love it! This is now one of my new favorite fall decorations.

I tried to take the "less is more" approach this year, lest I make Curtis too crazy. Here's the entertainment center. I'm planning on putting a different picture in the frame, but haven't finished that little project yet.

The fireplace. Simple and sweet.

Our entry way, my other favorite project. I framed fall trees made by Micah and Benjamin. On either side, I hung Aggie pictures, because what's fall without football?!

This morning, I made pumpkin muffins (a family favorite, even when it's not fall!) and pretended it was a brisk fall morning as I sipped my coffee. Maybe all this wishful thinking will result in some fall weather!

Are you ready for some football?!

2011-09-25T20:18:00.008-05:00

This fall, both Micah and Benjamin are playing flag football with Upwards. They were both very excited a couple weeks ago to don their new cleats and hit the practice field!
This past Saturday, the boys had their first game! We are very excited and thankful that the boys are on the same team AND that Curtis is their coach.

The Yellow Jackets!

Both boys did amazing jobs at their first game! I'm enjoying being back at the fields, watching them in action.

Benjamin did fantastically for his first time, and Micah, the veteran of the family, scored the first touchdown of the game! To celebrate, we had donuts.

Ballerina Girl

2011-09-09T08:52:00.005-05:00

We got lucky with Elizabeth and ballet. It was the first "thing" that we tried, when she was 2, and she's been doing it since! Last night, Elizabeth started her 6th year of dance. She looked so grown up, doing barre work. Dancing brings her such joy, and it's such a treat to watch her dance.
And since I was feeling a bit nostalgic.....

Elizabeth on her first day of dance.

First day of co-op!

2011-09-06T18:17:00.003-05:00

Today was the first day of our 3rd year at Brazos Classical Academy. Though I will be the very first to admit that being a part of a co-op is A LOT of work, we are thankful to be a part of a group of such loving, dedicated, like minded families. The support that I've received as a newbie homeschool mom has been invaluable. And the friendships that my children and I have made are treasured.

As I prepared to kick of another year of co-op, knowing that it would probably be our busiest year yet, this verse came to mind, and will be the prayer of my heart in the coming months.

"So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the works of our hands!"
Psalm 90: 12, 14 and 17

PreK

2011-09-01T22:22:00.004-05:00

Benjamin was very thoughtful when giving his answer. Again, I just loved seeing bits of his personality. What sweet boys I have!!

Name: Benjamin David Krajca
Age: 4
Favorite Color: green
Favorite thing to eat for breakfast: meat
Favorite thing to eat for lunch: corn dogs
Favorite thing to eat for dinner: hot dogs
Favorite thing to eat for dessert: Popsicles
Favorite movie: Math Adventures to the Moon
Favorite TV show: Tom and Jerry
Favorite place to go: movie theater
Favorite book:
Favorite thing to wear: the clothes I'm wearing right now
Favorite sport: baseball
Favorite shoes: slippers

Things that make me.....
happy: holding me upside down and having ice put in my shirt.
sad: not being able to get on the computer
laugh: I already told you! Ice in my shirt and being upside down.... That's my favorite.
cry: scrapping my knee on the sidewalk.
excited: playing football with Micah for the first time.

Kindergarten

2011-09-01T22:21:00.001-05:00

I gave Micah this interview on his first day of Kindergarten. I don't know what it is about these things, but I love them! I love getting little glimpses into his heart and personality.
Name: Micah Wayne Krajca
Age: 5
Favorite Color: dark green
Favorite thing to eat for breakfast: meat
Favorite thing to eat for lunch: meat
Favorite thing to eat for dinner: meat
Favorite thing to eat for dessert: meat
Favorite movie: Bugs Life and Spy Kids (which happen to be the last two movie he watched)
Favorite TV show: Wild Kratts and Power Ranger Samuri
Favorite place to go: to the store with Mommy and Daddy
Favorite book: The Grinch
Favorite thing to wear: my football shirt
Favorite sport: football
Favorite shoes: Luminators

Things that make me.....
happy: having Christmas at Grandma and Grand-Daddy's house and Aunt Shannon is a missionary.
sad: Grand-Daddy has cancer
laugh: tickles
cry: people biting me and falling off my bike onto the driveway
excited: playing football with Benjamin

My boys

2011-09-01T16:01:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I cut Timothy's hair. I had one person tell me he looked just like Benjamin, and one person tell me he looked just like Micah. Here are all three boys at 19 months. Who do you think Timothy favors?

First day of school

2011-08-31T09:27:00.006-05:00

First day of school! First day of school!!

This past Monday, Generations of Grace Classical Academy opened it's doors for the first day of school.

The classroom was decorated.....

The head administrator enthusiastically greeted students.....
The excited students donned their first day of school clothes and joined the staff for a Back to School Breakfast.....
And an equally excited teacher welcomed her students to the 2nd grade, Kindergarten and PreK.....
After a morning of hard work, the students helped the teacher prepared "inside out" cupcakes, complete with cupcake toppers that read, "Happy first day of school!"
The cupcake toppers were right. It was a GREAT first day of school!! May God establish the works of our hands this year.

Being content

2011-08-28T16:33:00.004-05:00

Since it seems that our plans just don't align with the better plans that God has for us, I've been working on contentment. The most practical way I've done this is in my home. After 9 months on the market, we decided to take a break, move back into our home, and work on making our little 3 bedroom 1400 square ft house work for us.

One of the first things we did was to rearrange bedrooms. Micah and Benjamin had been sharing a bedroom, and Elizabeth and Timothy had been sharing a room. Elizabeth is getting to the point where she really needs and appreciates her own room, her own space, and an opportunity to escape her brothers from time to time. So Micah and Benjamin got a new roommate!
The picture above was taken on the boys' first night together.

Eventually, we plan to get bunk beds for the two older boys. But for now, we're continuing in our lesson of contentment and using the trundle bed that we already have. The most exciting part of this move was when I took the hinges off both kids' rooms and maneuvered the crib out of one room and into the other room without taking it apart! I was pretty proud of myself, though it was quite an adventure.

We've done other rearranging, and redecorating to make the transition a fun one for the kids. I'll have to share those pictures soon.

Even though both Curtis and I would have rather been setting our kids up in new rooms in our new house, I am thankful for how well these little transitions have gone. I've had opportunities to talk with the kids about being thankful for the house we have, even though it does feel a little small. My creativity has been stretched as I try to make our space work for us. But it's been a fun process!

Vacay, Day 10!

2011-08-27T17:37:00.003-05:00

We drove home!

Our time in Atlanta and Pensacola was blessed. We received so many of the things we were needing: time with extended family, to away from the daily responsibilities at home, great time with friends, but more of all, family time. I am so thankful for the time we had together as a family.

Vacay, Day 9!

2011-08-27T17:23:00.008-05:00

Vacay, Day 8!

2011-08-24T14:03:00.004-05:00

Friday morning we went to the National Naval Aviation Museum. It was incredible!! If you're even in Pensacola, it's a must! We really enjoyed our time.

After lunch, we headed to the BEACH!!!! We were there for several hour, enjoying the water, playing in the sand, and God's incredible creation.

Vacay, Day 7!

2011-08-24T10:33:00.006-05:00

Day 7 was a big day for us. It was the day the kids had been looking forward to for weeks! We drove to Florida!!! That morning, everyone but Timothy was excited to load up the van. Timothy was NOT happy. He gets very anxious when we start loading the car. I think he's worried we're going to forget him. He got so stressed out, he went over to the hang up bag and started snapping the hangers. So I put him in a sling and gave him so good snuggle time.

Once we arrived in the beautiful Sunshine State, where it happened to be raining, we headed to our dear friends, the Butchers, house. The Butchers used to lived here, but moved about a year ago. It was such a joy to see them again!

After a yummy dinner, we headed to the beach! We told the kids that we were only going to put our feet in the water, and that we were there to take pictures. Despite the fact that we weren't building sand castles or swimming, I still saw this expression when I looked in the back.....

It was beautiful! The sun was setting, the temperature was low, it was lovely!

Vacay, Day 6!

2011-08-23T11:49:00.002-05:00

Our first day without Grandma. :-( We had to console ourselves with another trip to the donut store. Wednesday was also our last full day in Atlanta. We hit the pool again, started doing laundry, and made art!

Vacay, Day 5!

2011-08-23T11:37:00.004-05:00

This vacation recap is taking longer than I thought.....

Day 5 we enjoyed a nice quiet day with the Wilsons! We loved on baby Ephram.....

And took cousin pictures. That was challenging! 6 kids, 7 and under. Whew! Here are a couple shots that capture the real moment.

And the beautiful final product!!!Being with my sister and her boys... cooking with her, letting our kids play together, helping each other parent... made me wish she lived closer. It was a joy to spend time with them, even if we weren't doing anything extraordinary.

Vacay, Day 4!

2011-08-21T13:32:00.001-05:00

Day 4 started off with the best donuts. In the world. I consumed a ridiculous amount of donuts, starting on the 4th day of our vacation. Mmmmmm!!

After a tasty breakfast, my mom took my dad to the airport.

While she was at the airport, Timothy decided that his little body was worn out, and that he needed to clearly convey to us that he needed a break. So he threw up everywhere. Multiple times. I had one child with walking pneumonia and one child throwing up while on vacation at my sister's house where there was an infant. God was very gracious and after a quiet morning, Timothy was back action!

Monday morning, while Timothy rested at home with Curtis, we all went to a bounce house.

After some rest time, we headed to the pool! My sister's neighborhood has an awesome pool!

Vacay Day 3!

2011-08-15T09:27:00.002-05:00

Day 3! The whole reason for our vacation. My nephew, Ephram, was baptized. It was so beautiful to see my sister, Megan and her husband take such symbolic and important steps in their parenting journey. Ephram and his big brother, Jeremiah, are very blessed to have such wonderful parents!

After the church service, we enjoyed a fun family lunch. It was indeed a wonderful day of celebration!

The day before, when we were driving, Micah had been having some asthma issues. He continued to have issues on Sunday morning. At one point, Curtis and I were trying to find an Urgent Care facility where we could take him during the church service. Thankfully, he made it through the church service and lunch. When we got home, we realized he felt warm, and was running a temp of 102! Off to Urgent Care we went where Micah was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. Poor guy!! We had a quiet evening, watching a movie and eating pizza.

After all the kiddos were down for the night, the grownups enjoyed a game of Pictionary!! Even though we were all really tired, it was a wonderful wasy to spend the evening before my dad went back to Wichita.

Vacay Day 2!

2011-08-13T14:39:00.005-05:00

Day 2 of our family started in Louisiana. We knew it was a long day, and we were all excited to get going so we could get to Atlanta. After a yummy breakfast at the hotel, we loaded up, got back on the road, and started heading East!

We stopped in Mobile Alabama for lunch. Thanks to awesome cell phones with GPS, I was able to find a Chick-Fil-A not far off the road for us to stop at. Curtis was able to use the GPS on his phone to get us where we needed to go. Traveling is MUCH easier with cell phones!

We were in Alabama FOREVER! But with coloring sheets, stickers, little toys, DVDs, and Hank the Cowdog on CD, we were able to keep smiling.

Finally, we saw this......
and were very happy!

One thing that I did with the kids that went over really well were state coloring sheets. Each of the big kids had a map of the US, and we colored the states as we went through. Then, as we entered a new state, they would get a coloring sheet of just the state. Micah in particular really enjoyed these, and colored the states with lots of different colors.

We'd also do coloring sheets with the state bird, flower, tree or flag. I could pull up state info on my phone and give the kids random facts on the new states we were entering.

We arrived at my sister's house at about 8:30, eastern time (7:30 on our body clocks). The first thing we had to do was give Micah a breathing treatment. He had been struggling all day while we were driving, though he never had a full out asthma attack.

Overall, the day went really well! We ate dinner in the car, helping to keep us moving. While we were traveling, some friends of ours were also traveling, and having lots of car problems. I was thankful for God's traveling mercies granted to us.

Vacay, Day 1!

2011-08-12T10:53:00.005-05:00

The first day of our vacation was also the last day of VBS. Curtis dropped us off at the church at 8:30, with the van fully loaded and ready to go. I was very proud of us!

Curtis headed to work for the morning, then joined us for the closing assembly. He entertained the boys while Elizabeth helped my take down the decorations in my VBS classroom. We left the church at about 1pm, and headed to get some lunch. Gotta love Little Ceasars!

We ate a quick lunch in the parking lot of HEB, then ran into HEB to pick up snacks, drinks, dinner and ice for the car.

At exactly 2:58, we pulled out of the parking lot and hit the road!

Timothy took a quick nap, the big kids enjoyed reading Where's Waldo books and watching a DVD.
A few hours later, we arrived in Louisiana!!

We ate dinner in the van, trying to save money and time. Man, I love lunchables!

At about 9:00pm, we arrived in LaFayette. My Dad graciously got us a hotel there, using some of his reward points. The kids LOVE staying in hotels! It took Curtis and I awhile to get everyone calmed down enough to sleep.

When we arrived in our room, we noticed that it was a handicapped room, which meant the bathroom was enormous! It was big enough that we were able to put a small crib for Timothy in the bathroom, and he was able to have his own room. It worked perfectly!

Unfortunately, Curtis and I had a little problem with our sleeping arrangements. The slats under the mattress were poorly made, and kept falling. I didn't realize how lopsided the bed was until the next morning.

Even though it was a very long day, I was pleased with how smoothly our plans fell into place. I was also thankful for God's traveling mercies and my Dad's generosity in getting us the hotel room. It was a good start to an amazing vacation!

Micah-ism

2011-08-12T09:23:00.002-05:00

While taking a dirty diaper to the trash can: "This diaper feels empty, but it doesn't smell empty!"

The best part of VBS

2011-08-12T09:16:00.003-05:00

(This is a little write up that I did for the church newsletter.)

During VBS this year, the children learned about one of the missionaries that our church supports, Shannon Johnston, who also happens to be my sister. Shannon has been in Australia, working with MTW, since March. Part of Shannon’s ministry will take her to Japan to work with an MTW team there, helping communities rebuild after the earthquake and tsunami. Part of what the team in Japan is doing is to encourage hope and healing by bringing the arts into areas hardest hit by the tsunami. Shannon will be going as a visual arts partner in this effort. She is also in the process of making a huge scarf to symbolically wrap the church in Japan in love and warmth. To learn more about Shannon's work, or to further support her, visit her blog: http://www.shannonjohnston.blogspot.com/

During the week of VBS, children brought in change to help raise money for Shannon as she prepares to go to Japan. The class that raised the most money for Shannon was able to pie Pastor Jon on the last day of VBS. With the help of teachers and parents, the children raised $550 for Shannon!! The class who raised the most was the Kindergarten class, raising just over $98. The 2nd and 3rd graders raised almost $91 and the PreK1 class raised just over $90. All the money raised will be donated to MTW to help Shannon get to Japan.

While it was fun and exciting to watch Pastor Jon be pied, it was more exciting to see God work in the hearts of the children as they became more mission minded. As we Skyped with Shannon during the morning assembly, I could see missions become real to many children. Thank you to all the parents, teachers and staff who encouraged the children in their efforts. And thank you Pastor Jon for being such a good sport!

VBS '11

2011-08-12T08:55:00.003-05:00

Blink!

Summer is coming to an end. Not exactly sure when that happened, but here we are.

A couple weeks ago, we were in the midst of VBS. I absolutly love VBS! It's incredible to see a group of people come together and prepare for a week of sharing Jesus with our children. As I look around, I see people giving of their time, talents, efforts and money, simply to help our children grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Jesus. Pretty cool.

This week, we had a beach theme. I STILL have the Son Surf Beach Bash songs stuck in my head. The sign of a successful VBS!

Here are a couple pictures from our week.....

The kids loved their teachers, loved doing crafts, thought the snacks were super awesome, and I got to teach 2nd and 3rd graders. It was a great week!

Life

2011-07-22T10:07:00.003-05:00

One of the struggles I've been facing is the frustrating feeling that nothing is going smoothly. There seems to always be a hiccup in the plans that we lay out. Recently, when asked how my summer has been, I've given the response, "Overwhelming." Many of your know that in the span of two months I lost both my Papas. Here's what else we've been dealing with.

Curtis has been job hunting since January. We were only looking in College Station and in Wichita, KS. The market in Wichita isn't the best for Curtis' area of expertise. We continued to look here in College Station, with some positive leads that lead no where. In May(ish) we received a call from a bank in Michigan, wanting Curtis to apply for a position that they had available. We decided at the beginning of this process that we would walk through any door that God opened, so Curtis applied.

In mid June, Curtis had a great interview at A&M. The next week, he had an even better phone interview with the bank in Michigan. Both places seemed to be moving forward, and Curtis and I were excited and overwhelmed as we looked at the possibility of having to decide between the two and the very real possibility of moving to Michigan.

We waited, anticipating to hear from both places in the first week of July. We still haven't heard anything, leading us to believe that he hasn't gotten either job, putting us back at square one. There still hope that the A&M job is available, since the process of getting a state job can be a slow one, and several people have been on vacation. We're trying to prepare ourselves for not getting either job, which is frustrating and discouraging.

Add to this emotional roller coaster the house situation. The house was on the market from September-January. We took it off the market, for January and part of February. We put it back on the market in February, as the market started picking up. We have TONS of showings, but nothing panned out. A couple weeks ago, we lost our realtor. Curtis and I were under the naive impression that our house would just roll over to another realtor. Instead, we learned that we had to completely take the house off the market, and start back at square one with a new realtor.

Rather than going through that process again, we've decided to take the house off the market, and work on "moving back into our house". This will involve unpacking some boxes, moving everything out of our storage unit and back into the house, rehanging pictures and the bulletin board, getting the boys in bunk beds, rearranging rooms so that Elizabeth can have her own room, and finding a place for all our homeschool stuff.

The frustrating thing about all this is I feel like we've been through the wringer, yet we're right back where we started. I'm curious to see the lessons that God has been teaching us through all this, but not yet sure what they are. I know that all these events will produce fruit in my life. It's been my goal to be faithful to my Savior, in all these things, because of his faithfulness to me.

This is what 60lbs looks like

2011-07-17T14:24:00.003-05:00

last night, on our way to see the Harry Potter finale (which, by the way, was awesome!)

March, at Micah's birthday party

Between the two of us, we have lost 60lbs!! We're still working towards our individual goals, but feel really good about what we've accomplished thus far. More than anything, I'm thankful that we've been able to make some healthy lifestyle decision for ourselves and for our family.

Lunch

2011-07-15T12:03:00.002-05:00

Peanut butter on a spoon and sliced bananas. Timothy's new favorite lunch!

Baseball player

2011-07-15T11:38:00.004-05:00

In the evenings, after his big brothers and sister are in bed, Timothy enjoys some time as an only child. One evening in particular, he enjoyed "playing baseball" with his Daddy.

Oh, the cuteness!!! He used a turtle puppet as his bat, and a smallish beach ball for the baseball.

This is the stuff.....

2011-07-15T11:33:00.003-05:00

During a phone call to Curtis to figure out our busy evening schedule, I told him that we weren't having a bad day, but there was just lots of little stuff that was making me crazy! Things like....
waking up to 100's of ants on the kitchen floor
too many poopy diapers
bickering over the Lego window
smashed Graham crackers
ants in the clean laundry bucket
the coffee pot turning off before I had my 2nd cup of coffee
stepping on a block in my bare feet
a daughter who forgets she's not the mommy

This is the stuff that makes me crazy! But this is also the stuff that He uses to teach my patience.

Then and now.... weight loss edition

2011-07-05T09:35:00.004-05:00

4th of July 2010.

4th of July 2011

For the past few months, Curtis and I have both been working on loosing some weight. I got VERY excited when I saw our family picture from this year, and compared it with the family picture from last year. It's nice to see results!

And can you believe how bald Timothy was?! Sweet fuzzy headed little guy.

4th of July fun

2011-07-05T09:19:00.005-05:00

Compared to some of the other 4th of July celebrations we've had, yesterday was down right boring! But we loved it! After an emotional, draining, stressful and crazy couple of month, a three day weekend with very little on our plate was just what we needed. I'll go into more details later, but things have been particularly stressful in the past week. Though it's exciting to see the hand of God moving in our lives, it's a little scary. But more on that later....

Yesterday, we went to Heritage park in Bryan. They have.....

a bike parade....

sack races with pin wheels for prizes....

lots of patriotic fun and flag waving.....

and face painting!

We spent the morning at Heritage Park. After that, it was a quiet afternoon for the kiddos while I worked on organizing the laundry room. Exciting, I know! We're hoping to finish painting the laundry room this coming weekend. In the evening, we grilled,and enjoyed more time outside in the pool.

I am so thankful for the days of calm given right in the middle of craziness!

Father's Day, come and gone.

2011-06-23T07:45:00.003-05:00

Three years ago, Father's Day was on Elizabeth's birthday. I posted a little early about the many Father's that I have been blessed with in my life; my Daddy, Curtis, my father-in-law, and my Papas.

This year for Father's Day, we drove to Altus, OK. As I was sitting next to my Dad, in the funeral home, I was reminded that it was Father's Day. He had just lost his Dad, and my Mom was going through her first Father's Day without her Daddy. It just plain sucked!

My wandering mind went back three years, to the Father's Day on Elizabeth's birthday. And to the montage of pictures with these special men. And now, there are even more special memories! Memories with Timothy and his Great-Papas and more memories of Elizabeth, Micah and Benjamin.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy late Father's day!!! I am incredibly thankful for the men in the montage, the memories the my children and I have with them, and for the loving care of my Heavenly Father when life just sucks.

Papa

2011-06-23T07:35:00.004-05:00

8 short weeks after we lost my Papa Kerry, my Papa Jimmie passed away. As I sat at his funeral, the 3rd family funeral I'd attended in 6 months, I found myself overwhelmed with sweet memories. And the above picture easily sums up several memories of Papa. His recliner, in the same corner of the living room that it had always been in. An OSU t-shirt. His sweet, slight smile. His hands. The table behind him, set for a meal that he and Grandma had planned for us all.

As I entered another stage of grief, I found myself thinking that it was all just too much. It's too much, and too hard to lose both my Papas in such a short amount of time. It's been heartbreaking to watch my Grandmas become widows. But God has been gracious to remind me of his never ending, sustaining love, that has carried me through the grief process before. Though sad, I am confident that my Savior is loving and has a plan in all this.

My girl

2011-06-14T21:39:00.002-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Oh me, oh my.

2011-06-13T14:20:00.004-05:00

May was a very crazy month. Lots of fun, but really crazy. As we looked ahead to June, we knew it would be equally crazy. However, we looked forward to knowing that we didn't have anything going on for Memorial Day weekend. Until our AC went out.

Then I left for Atlanta, Georgia to meet my newest nephew the following Thursday. We had several friends who offered their help to us during this time, and were blessed by a lady in our church who opened her home to us.

The AC was fixed on Friday after Memorial Day, Curtis and the kids "moved back home" on Saturday, and I came home from Atlanta on Sunday, after a five hour delay in Atlanta.

On Thursday, June 9th, the kids and I headed to Wichita to help my mom with VBS since my dad was going to be out of town.

During all this, my Papa Johnston suffered two heart attacks. His health started to rapidly decline, and he entered congestive heart failure.

So Curtis is in College Station, holding down the fort there. The kids and I are in Wichita, helping with VBS. My dad is out of the country. And we're just waiting to see when Papa will pass away. I'm feeling weary from all that life has offered to us in the past few weeks, but trying to rest in God's perfect plan.

Chaos and sweetness

2011-06-08T11:36:00.003-05:00

Our life is chaos right now. Total chaos. So much chaos that I'll have to write a blog just about all the chaos. But since I don't really want to do that, here are some pictures of Timothy at this first day of Sunday school. Sweet, sweet, sweet big boy!

Pics from my phone

2011-05-28T04:26:00.003-05:00

Here are a few moments that I've captured over the past month or so when I didn't have a real camera handy. A little glimpse into my life.

It's summer in Texas! Time to break out the pool! But for Timothy, swimming in the "big" pool with his siblings can be a little overwhelming. So I filled our empty sandbox with water, and let him have his own private pool,
We've entered a new era for Timothy. Climbing! Nothing is safe. And homeschooling just got a lot more interesting!

Recently, Timothy's been falling asleep in his highchair during lunch. Sweet boy.
Watching the royal wedding.
Usually, my boys are rough and tumble, wild and crazy. One evening, Micah laid on me while I was on the couch, wrapped his "little" arms around me, and told me he would keep me safe from Benjamin. I savored this moment!
Another savorable moment..... a late sleeping Benjamin!
While we were in OKC last month, Elizabeth, my Mom and I took a break from the craziness and got pedicures. It was wonderful! Such a special time with two very special ladies.

For six straight days, we were sick. I think we ended up passing around two different viruses. This picture of Micah was taken during one of SIX doctor's visits that we made during our sickness. Poor little guy. Elizabeth and Benjamin were the same way the day before.

Sell this house?!

2011-05-23T15:00:00.003-05:00

Yep. The house is still on the market. After taking it off the market for a few weeks earlier this year, we put it back on at the end of February.

We've been enjoying lots of traffic, compared to the fall. We show the house at least twice a week, the most times we've showed it in a week is five times. We've even received an offer. However, it was low and the buyers weren't interested in negotiating.

All this is great, however, we still haven't sold the house.

One piece of criticism that we continually get is the carpet. Curtis and I decided we weren't putting any more big money into the house, specifically carpet since we have 4 young children. Last night, Curtis and I cleaned the carpets with a proffesional carpet cleaner that we rented. I was thrilled with the results!

Obviously, it doesn't look new. And we didn't worry too much about the areas the rug and carpet would cover. But as our realtor said, we just want to give a more positive first impression. And hopefully, now potential buyers will see the house as more move in ready.