CaMiVa Mom

Go Here....

2007-12-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family that follow this blog, I've added a new blog site for you to follow instead of this one, go to: http://camivamom2.blogspot.com/ .

Waaaahhhh

2007-11-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

I've used up all my space for pictures on this sight, what to do, what to do???

I don't want to pay any more money, sooooo I might get a new blog, I'll let you know.

I guess not everything can be free. You know that is something I should of checked on before, I guess, or would I have known to look for that.

Anyway, little problem, I need to take care of.

Cold Stone, Placer Nature Center & Cousins

2007-11-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Here's some things that have been going on around our home, or should I say, away from our home lately...

Cold Stone Creamery Tour, one of the yummiest tours you can enjoy...

Placer Nature Center, time in God's creation...

A little time with the cousins too...

Fun week indeed, and yes we still got our homeschooling done!!!

Of course this is one benefit of homeschooling, getting to experience all that God has to offer!

Reading

2007-11-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

What reading does to the mind...

...it takes the child and leads him up mighty mountains

or down paths that will guide him.

What a blessing that my children have grown to love God's word,

and so many forms of reading,

what a joy it is to watch them run to their special places

and dive into the words that will lead them

in places that they've only dreamed about.

A Classical Concert by Sean Owen & Stephen Fandrich

2007-11-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

Talented, inspiring, stirring, rousing, moving, encouraging, motivating, exciting, stimulating

these are just a few words to describe my brother Sean & his friend Stephen's Classical Concert in Seattle, WA back in October. ENJOY!!!

http://vroomjournal.com/video/SeanOwen.php

Sean Owen Guitar Recital

October 13, 2007

All Pilgrims Christian Church

Capitol Hill

Seattle, WA

http://vroomjournal.com/video/StephenFandrich.php

Stephen Fandrich Piano

RecitalOctober 13, 2007

All Pilgrims Christian Church

Capitol Hill

Seattle, WA

In the Making

2007-11-12T13:55:00.001-08:00

I really enjoy putting slide shows together

for our homeschooling co-op "TLC".

What a joy it is to see everyone watching and enjoying

past memories shared before us.

The music, the pictures, the process getting there always thrills me.

It's a lot of work,

but how rewarding it is to see the finished product enjoyed.

It's also time with special people in my lives,

my husband, my children and friends.

I'm praying the fall TLC slide show

will bless many this year as well.

Here's a few photo's I'm considering.

Caillen's William Wallace Sword

2007-11-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

Caillen is enjoying his new William Wallace Sword that he received through Vision Forum this week. He has even knighted our cat Sir Kristoff.

Here's a bit of history:
A traditional two-handed broadsword, Sir William Wallace’s trusty blade was as imposing in battle as the hero who wielded it. With this weapon, Wallace fought for the honor of Scotland, his beloved homeland. Wallace would die a martyr, but his unflinching courage would spur his countrymen onto ultimate victory at Bannockburn.

Kelly Vivanco Art

2007-11-05T22:39:00.000-08:00

I was recently visiting a friends blog and came across the artist Kelly Vivanco

What intriguing art, it appeals to my thought so deeply,

I enjoy each picture that Kelly has painted,

wow, such talent to capture so much emotion in her characters.

~Here are just a few, enjoy!~

See more here: http://www.kellyvivanco.com/index.php?section=new

Sisters

2007-11-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

Bling

2007-11-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

What fun last night was at Mom's Night Out

hosted by Sherry Harms.

The theme was birthdays!

We had the most seasoned homeschooling mom :)

and the youngest mom (who was home schooled herself)

blow the candles out for everyone!

Afterwards we enjoyed some yummy chocolate moose cake or lemon cake with tea and coffee and of course great conversation and fellowship.

After finishing the yummies we gathered in the living room.

There we had a number and what ever it was we had to tell something about when we were that age, I received 12.

I was in Millington, Tennessee at that age, and it took me awhile to figure out what I was going to share, but with the encouragement of my neighbor (thank you Sandy) she helped me remember, and a flood of memories came flowing in. No I'm not going to share the memory, I don't want my parent's finding out!!! :)

We all learned much about each other, but you'll hear no repeating of stories on this blog about any of them, wow some Mom's have some very interesting stories, quite funny ones too.
After we shared our story we got to pick out some BLING (flashy jewelry and accessories) which was our birthday gifts from Jenny Wells (Thanks Jenny), however it's that funny game where if someone else wants what you have well... you know how that goes, so on the game continued through the night.

You know everyone needs a little BLING, I ended up bringing home what I treasured most, a beautiful dark purple hand purse, although it did made it through many hands and a kind person giving it back (thanks Van)!

Yvette even made it, what a pleasure to have her there, smiling as usual! :)

Look who has now made it to 2 Mom's Night Outs,

"The one and only CP", what a lucky young man.

At the end of the night there was one mystery,

which Mom went home without her shoes! :)

Yes an evening I'll never forget, wonderful memories made with wonderful friends!

A mound of Leaves

2007-10-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Caillen was helping our neighbors rake leaves this evening,
and the pile they raked together was unbelievable.
The funny thing is everywhere you looked there was still more leaves on the ground, you could tell they had worked hard by the mountain they had created,
but the wind decided to just keep on blowing the branches above so they wouldn't run out of something to do, what a thoughtful North Wind.They ended up getting some help in the end,
however more work for the neighbors tomorrow by the looks of it!

Rob Gonsalves

2007-10-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

With the intrigue of an M.C. Escher drawing and the richness of a Chris Van Allsburg painting, renowned Canadian artist Rob Gonsalves depicts that time between sleep and wakefulness, creating a breathtaking, visual exploration of imagination and possibility that encourages us to think past the boundaries of everyday life, and see the possibilities beyond.

His imagery invites the viewer to move past reality into a somewhat surreal depiction of what fantasy and imagination could be.

In each of his paintings, what appears to be becomes something else.

The supports of a train bridge become acrobats balanced on shoulders.

A stately home in autumn is also a tree house being constructed by children.

A child playing with a toy train sees a real train coming through the archway in his living room.

Children bouncing on beds take off in flight above a patchwork landscape.

A violinist sitting on a porch plays music to tall sunflowers which, on closer look become leafy people whose faces are in a sleepy trance.

Artist Rob Gonsalves was born in Toronto in 1959. During his childhood, he developed an interest in drawing from imagination using various media. By age 12, his awareness of architecture grew as he learned perspective techniques and first began to paint renderings of imagined buildings. After an introduction to artist Dali, Gonsalves began his first surrealist paintings. The "magic realism" approach of Magritte along with the precise perspective illusions of Escher came to be influences in his future work. In his post college years, Gonsalves worked full time as an architect, also painting trompe l'oeil murals and theatre sets.

Although Gonsalves' work may appear to be surrealistic, it differs in that the images are deliberately planned and result from conscious thought. Ideas are largely generated by the external world and involve recognizable human activities, using carefully planned illusionist devices. Gonsalves injects a sense of magic into realistic scenes. As a result, the term "magic realism" describes his work accurately. His work is an attempt to represent human beings' desire to believe in the impossible.

Yvette

2007-10-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

I just heard from Evonne

(Yvette's Mom)

that Yvette still

hasn't come out of surgery,

she went in this morning

around 10:30 a.m.

and the surgery started

at 1:00p.m.,

it is now after 8:00p.m..

They found more cancer

than they anticipated in her

right lymph node so she will probably

be spending another night in the hospital and the recovery will be a little bit harder

and longer than they first talked about.

Please pray for Yvette and her family. Thanks!

What a fun beat!

2007-10-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

I enjoy listening to The Andrew Sisters with my kids, we all have so much fun dancing around to their beat!

Here's one that most people know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wiVkdVPGoY

We need to thank Uncle Sean & Auntie Trish for the reminder of them.

Fitting

2007-10-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 15:23

"Everyone enjoys a fitting reply;

it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!

Vaughn's best friend Cameron's Birthday

2007-10-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

Today was Vaughn's best friend "Cameron's" 7th birthday. He had a fantastic time with him and his other old and new friends.

The theme was dinosaurs, everywhere you looked there was detail of this.

From pin the horn on the dinosaur,

to rock candy and small plastic dino's as table decorations

to the pinata'.
They played lots of fun games

and ate a yummy dinosaur cake that his Mama had made for him.

It had red berry sherbet inside it, so when it was cut and started to run, it looked like lava flowing, kinda cool for boys you know.
The gifts were at the end,
and everyone seemed to be pleased,

a couple of boys said that was always there favorite part.

Cameron had a dear smile on his face, it was well appreciated.

I also enjoyed the beautiful view they get to see everyday, WOW!

Lego Extravaganza

2007-10-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Friday night was the TLC Lego Extravaganza,
and what a fun night it was with so many great friends around!

The kids each entered their own Lego creation,

Caillen entered a cross bow that really worked (3rd place)

and a gallow, (yes a gallow, he's a boy through and through that loves history).

Micayla entered an exqusite equestrian,

and Vaughn entered a car race wreck. (3rd place)

Cameron Dickey, Vaughn's best friend won the "People's Choice"

Yah Cameron!!!

It was headed up by the Turner family,

and they didn't miss a beat
from the homemade participation gifts
to door prizes, to a presentation by Christopher a Senior who was able to demonstrate his Lego engineering project to the whole group.
Even the judges were a neat surprise, our very own dear friends Jonathan and Jenn Palmer (practlily newlyweds) and it was so wonderful to see Sandy & John there as well!

The kids cousins who homeschool as well were able to make it, that made it even better.
Wow what fun!!!

Who Am I

2007-10-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have a dear friend who is going through a trying time right now

yet with all that is abundant upon her she remains faithful to our Lord

and holds on strong to Him who supplies all that she needs.

From her blog she has her readers check out a couple of songs on youtube

from one of my favorite bands Casting Crowns, this was one of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA&mode=related&search

I like this version because it shows artistic feeling towards

the song and really gets what is being said in it!

If you wish to visit my friends blog go to: http://reapsongsofjoy.blogspot.com/

Here is a picture of her (she's the one in the pink on the right).

Beauty in the Old

2007-10-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is Marby Mill at Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, how breathtaking!

The feeling, you know...

2007-10-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

Darryl & I are from such a beautiful place,

many people call it God's country,

there is so much proof of this...

Smashing sunsets near Deception Pass bridge,

Yummy Ice cream or Warm soups down by the front in Coupeville,

Lush green magical places, here is the Hoh Rain Forest,

Fields of amazement and color in the Skagit Valley during tulip season,

Spectacular views in Seattle, here looking at the space needle,

The mighty eagle roaming the skies above,

Ferry rides across the sound,where gulls and whales are often seen,

Many beach fronts with memories upon memories,

Mt. Rainier, what more can I say,

and the Ocean that reaches the shore in such a beautiful way,

Yes, I love Washington and so long for it! December here we come!!!

I love Wednesdays!

2007-10-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday's come but once a week,

and ohhh how we love them.

It means either TLC or Field Trips.

Today was TLC, what a glorious day.

I Love My Husband

2007-10-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend at the Pacific Ocean.

Teeth,Tooth, Teeth!

2007-10-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

Micayla had her braces taken off on Wednesday the 10th,

here's a before, during and after picture.

Dr. Donna Galante said "She'll probably go through phase II when she is 13."

Also...
Vaughn lost his 2nd tooth late last night at 9:34pm.

Trusting God

2007-10-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have a burden in my heart that I know God has put there.

I pray I will stand strong against the enemy and those who appose me.

God is my strength and refuge, and I praise Him forever for this gift.

Thank you God/Holy Spirit/Jesus for always being with me!

Smokey

2007-10-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Our dear old Grandpa cat of 21 years, "Smokey"

past away yesterday morning, he's already greatly missed!

Bishops

2007-10-09T21:53:00.001-07:00

Today we went on a field trip to Bishops Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland.

What a fun place for the kids (all ages).

We have gone every year since 1997, wow, 10 years,

and many of those year Caillen celebrated his birthday there.

Here's a group photo of us all

after we came back on the hayride from the pumpkin fields.

He Created

2007-10-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

I love art...I love how it reaches the soul...how it can express a feeling or sense about something or someone.

This painting is among my favorites Paquerettes by Adolphe William Bouguereau.

I love the gentleness of this childs presence. The simplicity of a single flower she has chosen among the many beside her.

I often look deep into things to find more meaning then what you just see. I can sense how this innocent child has chosen the Lord above all the things the culture lies and pushes, and she is there adoring and in peace with what God has created, because He created.

Caillen's 12th Birthday Party Day

2007-10-07T21:52:00.001-07:00

What a fun day with family & friends!!!

It started out this morning with church, then

to Bridgeport for bridge climbing

hiking and sand castles!

Here are some photos from that adventure:

Then we drove the windy road back to Woodchuck Court for some more fun to follow, and how can you go wrong then to have food for hungry boys (and girls)!

Finally, Games, Cake & Gifts.

Mom's Night Out

2007-10-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

The words "Mom's Night Out" themselves bring the feeling of refreshment, relaxation, letting your hair down, good food, friends and conversation.
It's always something to look forward to each month, time with some of my favorite women in the world.

I LOVE MOM'S NIGHT OUT!!!

Tonight we experienced an especially serene and touching evening.

It started with touring the McDonald castle, which then led us to the kitchen to make spring rolls, sided with yummy salad's and rice.

After sitting around the table awhile and then getting up to move around a bit, we sat yet again for an array of delicious looking deserts, savored with Jenny's yummy Walnut Green Tea.

After this our dear friend and fearless leader of MNO, Jenny led us in an incredible time of rejuvenation through sharing her story, and sharing with us how much our Lord loves us and how we need to remember that. "We are homeschooling Mommy's building cathedrals within our homes through each child we raise, it takes a lot of time, love, and dedication, but ohhh how it is worth it!"
She topped her time off leading us with a beautiful song and then closing us in a very moving and heart felt prayer. I thank the Lord for all the many unique and talented people He has put me around, I am truly blessed to experience life around them. I sense sometimes a glimpse of heaven with these women.

What a privilege for Christopher to step into one of our Mom's Night Out, even if it was just for a moment to pick up his Mom!
It was great to see him and his Dad there at the end.

12 Months/2 Pictures each of well...

2007-10-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

...silliness!!!

October 2006: Little Roman & Gee, these roses smell great!

November 2006: Saturday sleeping in the living room & You might be a redneck toilet!

December 2006: Mama Meeah & Get her off of me!

January 2007: Hippie Dance by Fillmore and Flo.

February 2007: Gift from Caillen (MOM!), Bird Seed Man.

March 2007: 2 lovely maids and a Peeping Vaughn.

April 2007: Bunny Ears and First Tooth to say Adios!

May 2007: If toys could talk & Trampoline Water Jumping.

June 2007: I spy & Mom do we have to leave the swimming pool?

July 2007: Goggles & Birthday Gift!

August 2007: Nuh uh Dad, Really? & My Feet are bigger than Dads!

September 2007: What? Isn't this the way you wear a party hat? & Hi Shadow!

What every Mom wants to hear...

2007-10-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

Today I've been corresponding with a friend and a teacher of my sons in TLC

(Homeschool Co-Op). She is teaching the 5 senses,

and Vaughn has absolutely loved this class AND his teacher.

Here is what she wrote to me today,

"Thank you for the encouragement. I'm so glad Vaughn is enjoying the class. He is wonderful to have in class. He is a joy with his kind spirit, obedient heart, helpful nature, and exuberance for life. You are a blessed Mama!!!"

Rebecca (Vaughn's teacher) is the one in the light green jacket holding a girl in pink and black.

Small Group

2007-10-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

We belong to a fabulous small group,

we study the word of God,

eat great food,

laugh

cry

and have learned so much from each other,

we have a great family.

Here are some photos of everyone!

Micayla's Hairstyle and a New Born Baby

2007-10-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

Micayla was a model today at Bon Bon Salon

with a dear and sweet apprentice named Laura.

She works with Catherine Peters.

She looks all grown up now! Wow, what a hairstyle can do.

It was only last year in September

Micayla did Locks of Love

and Catherine was cutting her hair then,

what a difference in a year.

Here's a picture of before, during and after.

While we were there

we were privileged to hear about a life coming into this world.

One of the stylist sisters had had her baby,

and the sister called to let everyone know she had a baby boy.

Then a little bit later we were text with a picture of precious "Rider".

Field Trip

2007-09-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Sacramento to an indoor ice skating rink,

though it was 86 degrees outside,

it was a winter wonderland inside,

it felt great!!!

We had a large group from our Homeschooling group go

and we had such a fabulous time with them,

enjoy the photos.

What a fun week

2007-09-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

The family has had a week of enjoyment and fun...

Having a My Little Pony fashion show...Caillen going to a THC 7th and Up hang night for the first time,

with Mom as of the chaperone's...

Staying up to the wee hours of the morning playing cards...

The kids cousin AJ's 4th Birthday party (he's the littlest of the bunch)...

Caillen building his glider and seeing it soar...
Vaughn having another wiggly loose tooth...

Vaughn & Micayla studying more about Botany...

Time with our family, our animals and God...Really enjoying God's incredible creations over and over again!!!

Swing

2007-09-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

My oldest son is learning how to swing dance

and loving every bit of it.

He enjoys the movement and time with his friends.

He has a great teacher who is a Senior this year, she has been homeschooled her whole life. Here's a picture of Becca Malech, such a terrific person she loves the Lord and His people and shows it by the way she talks and acts.

Caillen has been coming home and practicing with me (whom loves to dance).

I think it's going to get more and more popular

around the Owens home.

Enjoy these photos taken during his swing dance class at TLC

(our local homeschool co-op).

Sunflowers

2007-09-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

My youngest son is studying Botany, and we have found it a perfect time of the year to check out some of our local flowers that are seeding.

So we visited an area here where we live that has hundreds and hundreds of sunflowers. Here's some photos of the kids with their flower.

Not far from there was a field of horses and pony's that we found very hungry and looked like they were thinking "the grass is always greener on the other side", or at least, wow you have grass on your side, so give it here...

so that is what we did for the next hour.

Passing on the Baton & Awards Night

2007-08-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

Caillen bought his first bike for $5.00 on Monday night

from our his friend across the street who was all to kind.

Here is a picture with his sister on it,

and then Caillen passed his old bike down to Vaughn who is enjoying his new bike,

so we will officially retire Caillen, Micayla & Vaughn's first bike, wow, a lot of great memories.

Also tonight was Royal Rangers and Missionetts Award Ceremonies,
the kids did wonderfully,
Caillen received many different badges tonight (wow he worked hard)
Micayla received her 9 badges for the year,
and Vaughn received 7 badges + 4 royal ranger of the month awards
+ Royal Ranger of the Year too!
I'm proud of all 3 of them.

Mr. & Mrs. Palmer

2007-08-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

We were privileged to attend many weddings this summer:

here is Jonathan & Jenn Palmer

on Friday, July 13, 2007.

We first met Jonathan's girlfriend Jenn on November 19, 2004, it was a rainy evening and we were in the lobby dorms, the kids had a blast running around and having a great time with them. We instantly fell in love with Jenn's love for children and her radiant smile.

Jonathan, you caught a good one, and like wise Jenn. Congratulations to you both!!!

Twin Cities Church Picnic & Baptism 8-20-2007

2007-08-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Vaughn, Micayla,

Caillen with his friend Cody,

and the group that was baptized at Lake WildWood.

Wonderful weather, Fantastic friends and Marvelous memories made!

Twin Cities Church 8-19-07 Lake Wildwood Picnic and Baptism's!

TCC Picnic Fall 2008

2007-08-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to our annual Twin Cities Church Picnic and Baptism,

this is a time when our church body meets at one of our local communities

"Lake WildWood" for a wonderful day at that lake.

Here are some photos from past LWW events.

Later today I'll post today's photos.

Gentleness

2007-08-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

This reminds me of the gentleness

of how the Holy Spirit

lives and moves

in us.

God's Creation-Women

2007-08-17T14:30:00.001-07:00

Their are so many woman that pass through our lives, it starts with your Mom who loves and nourishes you, and then it moves onto our teachers and role models, they are the women that shape you in so many ways.

Their are an abudance of incredible women I'm privledged to be around often, and I thank the Lord for each and every one of them.

Here are a few of their photos.

County Fair

2007-08-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Our family has enjoyed a wonderful tradition over the past 5 years... going to our local county fair..."The Nevada County Fair" known for it's beauty of its tall trees and lush greens.

We have so much to do when fair approaches, collecting those things that are fair worthy that we have saved all year, and also some that are made just weeks or even days before the turn in day when entries are due.

This year we had one day for rides, and then on our breaks we would go to see some of our entries:

Here are some Blue & Red Ribbon Winners (this is just a sample, as all together we entered close to 70 items, thought that would be a bit much to show), enjoy!

On the second and third day, we spent most of that time going to all the other events.

We're already looking forward to starting on things to enter into next years county fair.

Promotion

2007-06-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

My magnificent husband of 16 years

was given a promotion ceremony

yesterday the 10th of June

from the Reserve side

of the Air Force.

It was a little funny because he actually
was promoted 14 months ago,

but at least they got to him! :)

Here is a picture of the whole family:

Caillen, Me, Darryl, Micayla

and Vaughn in front.

Malakoff Diggins

2007-05-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

My family and I were a part of a homeschooling group that lived in one of California's old mining towns this past mother's day weekend. It was incredible, the weather, company and food were superb and the character's that came alive by everyone there were extremely fascinating. I played One-Eyed Charlie, a real legend from CA. She, yes I said she, was known as a man until after they found her dead, everyone was shocked.

Here is a photo of the group that attended Malakoff. What an incredible memory made over Mother's Day weekend!

Excitement

2007-04-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

Excitement

It runs through my children

like caffeine in their veins,

It's contagious too!

One minute I'm relaxed on the rocking chair

reading a good book,

the next I'm dancing around in the arms of my oldest sons arms

to the Andrew Sisters!

WOW!

Yes, excitement is contagious!

Jesus

2007-04-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

My youngest son received a plush frog in a rabbit costume for being a "BIG helper" this past week! He ended up naming it JESUS because he received it around Easter time.

He loves holding Jesus in his arms all day long, taking it with him on road trips, to the grocery store, in the library, to church, and of course to cuddle with in bed at an end of the day.

I have been watching my son closely in how he takes care of and loves on this little stuffed animal day in and day out.

It reminds me of two things:

One, our Heavenly Father loves us greatly so much, he goes with us everywhere, he is with us always and has given us the best gifts.

Second, when we have become believers in Christ and have excepted Him as our Lord and Savior we need to have Him in every moment of our lives, day in and day out, he should be the complete focus of our day, that bringing glory to His name.

I have learned a lot from my 7 year old this past week, what a wonderful thing!!! :)

Ah Cats...

2007-03-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

We have 3 uniquely different cats, 2 males and 1 female.

The female doesn't cause much fuss or create problems except for the occasional hairballs, but you should see the long hair on this little lady you would understand that, "OK so a few hairballs are OK with the looks of her beautiful fur blowing in the wind is like a field of wheat on a windy day".

The boys however seem to battle over their territory often, I mean it's a daily thing. But alas, we caught them together in the same sleeping area, do they not know we would catch them eventually?!?

Ah Cats...

My Valentine Boy

2007-02-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

Then and Now

7 years ago,

I was blessed with the best kind of Valentine gift a mom could receive,

it was a healthy bouncing boy.

We named him Vaughn after his grandfather.

He has been such a sweetheart,

his smile and joy abounds and is very catchy.

I love my gift,

and I thank the Lord for him.

Dancing Cats

2007-02-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG71klJSPPI

My brother showed me this clip, I thought it was cute enough to share!

Birthday Gifts

2007-02-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday, and I received some fabulous gifts from my husband and children. They all had great thought put into them, I was amazed how personalized they were. My oldest made me a birthday DVD, that he himself made with the help of his dad, it was made with one of my favorite songs from when I was very young. My daughter made me a friendship bracelet just like hers that has beads on it that represent the colors of our faith. She also gave me a beautiful necklace. My youngest son honored me with my favorite milk chocolates Lindor balls, YUM!!! Then my husband got me the purse I've been wanting for years, wow, what sweet gestures all for me. You know the funny thing is, just being next to them, being in there presents is the greatest gift to me. I am so thankful for my family, what joy they bring to me.

My Dear Friend

2007-02-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Sandy is one lady that I hold in such high regard when it comes to finding joy in others and making the most of everything! I have learned so much from her in these past years that she has become my mentor. Life brought me new meaning when she would share with me about different circumstances. I am always amazed at her insight and knowledge of our Lord, and how she makes it go into our practical days of our lives.

My dear friend Sandy that I love so much needs your prayers, she suffered a stroke back on November 7th, 2006, and since then she has made incredible progress, however she still has a long road ahead of her which has had some setbacks. What is amazing to me through this long period of time is that when I see her or talk with her on the phone she never ceases to amaze me about how much love she gives still even in this difficult time in her life.

I thank you so much for your prayers as I know she does too!