Dancin' Away!

Yesterday Rachel's competitive dance team had their first competition.  We woke up early and headed to Nampa for the event ( about 1 1/5 away).  Ethan had his opening baseball Jamboree, so Josh stayed home with him and the boys.  It was really nice to have some girl time with my favorite little girl!

Her team did really well!  They won 1st place in both of their dances and had a gold overall rating!  I was very proud of her.  The part that shocked me the most was at the end of the day they had a freestyle competition.  If you wanted to participate you paid ten dollars and were given a number.  Then they divided the girls into two groups, junior (5-11) and teen (12-18).  I couldn't believe it when Rachel told me she wanted to enter.  I made sure she totally understood what she was getting into " Now, Rachel, you know you are going to have to get up in front of all these people ( about 150) and dance by yourself."  "Yes, mama, I know....I can do this!!"  So off we went and signed her up.

In all there were about 40 girls and you know what, Rachel made it to the finals!!! She did a really great job, especially considering the majority of the girls were at least 3 years older than her!  I was so impressed....not at her dancing, even though she did good, but at the fact that she got up there without any hesitation and did her thing!  If I could, I would have videoed it, but cameras were not allowed :(.  Needless to say we were very proud of her and the team!!  Way to go Bella Sugar!

Rolled and ready to go!!

An early morning start, but she was super excited!!

Bella Sugar getting ready to perform "Think Pink"

Some of the girls from Bella Sugar getting ready to perform "Waking Up is Hard to Do!"

Fore!!!

A dear friend of mine that I met a couple of months after we moved here called me last week and said that the Youth Center here on base was giving golf lessons for kids.  She also has an Ethan who was really interested in taking them.  Since she knew our two boys liked the same kind of things she called to see if my Ethan wanted to go too.  Of course, he jumped at the idea. 

They had their first lesson last week and Ethan had a blast!!!  He cannot wait to go back today.  He was very excited to wear his new clothes too, which is kind of funny to me because Ethan hardly cares what he wears.  However, I had just bought the kids some new spring/summer clothes and this outfit happened to be in there.  He grabbed it and said " Mom, I have to wear this.  It makes me look like a real golfer!".  It was so cute!  THANKS MELISSA for thinking of us!!!

Smiles,

Michelle

From the Mouths of Babes....

It's really funny all the cute and silly things our kids say.  Several people have told me I need to start writing them down so that I will remember them when they are older.  So, I thought every Friday I would blog about what has happened during the week. Mainly, so that I can keep a hard copy of it.

1.  Caleb and Michael were in the living room fighting over a toy. Caleb was being super whiny. We are trying to teach Caleb to control his emotions.

      Me:  Well, I guess you need to go to bed.
      Caleb ( in a desperate voice):  No, mom, no...look I'm breathing, I'm breathing ( whooowhooowhoowhoo)  See I'm all happy now ( tears stopped and smiling big)

2.  Michael is our little quite, mischievous one.  As I was straightening up the house before bedtime, I walked in the kitchen to find the peeling of an orange all over the floor and part of the orange.  I looked down adn said " Michael, what am I going to do with you?".  Caleb quickly responded"  You can throw him in the trash can!"

3.  Rachel to me as I was tucking them into bed.
"Mommy, I love you so much that if you were a booger I would pick you first!" ( didn't know wether to take that as a compliment or not...lol)

4.  I've been trying hard not to let the kids watch so much TV during the day.  So as I was homeschooling Ethan, Caleb runs into the kitchen to tell me in a very determined voice "Mom, God just told me that you need to go turn on the TV"....TV still did not get turned on...lol.  I think Caleb misinterpreted God's voice :)

5.  Every night on base at 5:00 the Star Spangled Banner plays over a loud speaker.  My kids all LOVE hearing it play.  Well, tonight as we were eating dinner at the BX it begins and Caleb says " Mom, listen, listen, God is playing the Star Spangled Banner for us!!"  Ethan " Caleb, that's not from God"  Caleb:  "Yes, it is, it comes from the sky and He plays it for us."....lol  Ethan quickly explained how it really plays, but I thought that was so cute!!

Smiles,
Michelle :)

Richmond here we come!!!

So I did it....took a lot of nerve, but I just signed my sister & I up for our very first 5K run!!  I can't even believe I am typing those words.   I've never been a runner, but I decided if the people on The Biggest Loser can run a marathon I can train and run 3.1 miles!  To keep myself motivated and to have some accountability I called my sister and got her in on the deal. Of course she jumped on board....she's the BEST!!!   I found this really good book called "Run Your Butt Off" ( I know funny title) that has a really manageable running plan for us. It's written by the writers of Runners World magazine.   The program is kind of like the Couch to 5K, but better for me.  It starts out with just 30 mins of walking 4 days a week.  Once that is mastered then you start the walk/run program.  I like this one because you don't move on to the next session until you have mastered the one you are one.  Ideally in 12 weeks she and I should be able to jog/run for 30 mins straight.

As I posted earlier I am really trying to live a healthier life and running is something that is cheap, can be done anywhere, anytime ( I have a treadmill), and it is something I can do with friends or my wonderful husband. So starting Monday my sister and I will begin our training.  The 5k isn't until October ( wanted to wait until the weather is cooler), so that gives us plenty of time to get prepared.

I found a really neat race in Richmond, VA which will be halfway between where we both live.  I love the fact that it also has a 1 mile fun run for the kids, complete with mascots to cheer them on ( Ethan and Rachel want to do it) and they are going to have lots of activities for them as well.  I also love the cause....it is to raise money for their Childrens Hospital. Plus an extra bonus is Richmond is the home to Kings Dominion, so after the race we can go have some fun there!!

Super excited and pray that I can do this!!!

Smiles,
Michelle

The Lord is Our Rock!

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).

This verse has been showing up a lot in my life this week.  First of all,  Rachel ( our daughter) had found a song by a group called God Rocks.  The song is totally based on Psalm 18:2  and she wanted to start learning it to sing.  So I bought her the soundtrack and we've been working on it this week. Then this morning as I was doing my usual blog reading I came upon this article from  faithdeployed.com and it was also based on Psalm 18:2  I believe it was God's way of telling me that  life in the military doesn't have to be a life of instability.  If we just focus on what is important:  Our relationship with God, our marriage, and our family, we can have a life that is just as stable as those not in the military. Does it mean it's easy, no, but it does mean we do have a God who will be "our rock, our fortress, our deliver....in Him we can take refuge"  and He will give us the strength to get through it all.  Below is the article I was reading and I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me!!

Smiles,

Michelle

The Military Life = A Life of Stability

by JOCELYN on APRIL 5, 2011

by Kristin Schwabauer Rydbeck

Even though we moved every three years and even though my Dad was gone a lot, there was something about my family that was safe, predictable. And somehow, this safety and predictability made the military lifestyle work for us. Let me explain.

As a kid growing up military, there was always change and transition going on around me. But I never felt unstable. I never felt like my world was shattering around me. I never ended up in counseling because of the military.

My parents were good at getting a few things across to us kids. First, God was important and faith came first. This meant we spent time around the dinner table after eating doing family devotions and praying. This also meant I regularly saw both my mom and my dad studying God’s Word. I watched my parents make decisions based on their faith in God. In my family, I knew God was a solid foundation. He was something I could count on when everything else around me was out of control.

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2).

Second, I knew my parents loved each other. They regularly dated each other. They kissed and showed affection. They put each other’s needs first. And as a little kid, this made me feel safe. A few times, I came home from school upset because one of my classmates parents’ was getting a divorce. When I heard my parents argue about something, I burst into tears and asked them if they were getting a divorce. They promised (and still promise to this day) that they are committed to working through things and will never divorce each other. This has always given me much comfort.

Third, I know my parents love me. They have always supported me in things I’m interested in. They helped me with homework when I needed it, drove me to ballet and cheered me on during basketball games. Similarly, they went to my sister’s art shows and supported her during volleyball season. They attended my brother’s play performances (every performance of the same show, I might add) and paid for his music lessons. They invested themselves in our endeavors, encouraged our unique individuality and were our biggest cheerleaders.

So the point I’m trying to make is this. In spite of a nomadic lifestyle in the military, there are ways to create safety, predictability and stability for your kids. In fact, your kids may actually enjoy the military life and may even miss it when it’s gone, like I do. You are providing a unique opportunity for your kids, by being in the military, to travel the world, meet lots of people and have a wider worldview. God has given you and your family a unique opportunity to serve Him in ministry and He considers not only you, but your spouse and kids too, worthy to fill this mighty role.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

A Day at the Zoo...

On Friday, the weather was absolutely beautiful!  I had asked a friend I met here and her kids if they wanted to go to the zoo with us.  It's amazing to me the people God places in our lives.

I met Melissa a couple of months after we moved here.  She and I had so much it common it was kind of eerie.  We were both from NC, had previously taught elementary school, had an Ethan and a Rachel, were homeschooling our children and came from the same base in FL!  Really, I couldn't believe it and our kids get along SO well!!!  It's also funny how much our two Ethan's have in common.  They really love the same things and get along so great!  And my Rachel adores her Rachel.  She's acts like her little mama, it's so cute!  I am really going to miss them when we leave.

The zoo is in Boise, like everything else here...lol.  We really had a blast.  The kids loved looking at all the animals! It's not a real big zoo,  nor a small one either.  It's kind of in the middle.  We spent about 2.5 hours there and really had a great time!

The gang enjoying looking at the animals

Taking a break to go down the giraffe slide

The two Ethan's :)

and the two Rachel's!

The kids couldn't believe how close the tiger was to them....they LOVED it!

Having fun at Petting Zoo

The whole gang!!

Smiles,
Michelle

Picnic at the Park...

Ok, if you know my boys, you know they are somewhat obsessed with airplanes.  It really doesn't matter what kind....military, commercial, etc. They live and breathe them.  You would think that their daddy was a pilot ( I get asked that alot), but he's not.  It all started in Florida when we lived close to Eglin AFB and Ethan just fell in love with the F-15's there.  He's been hooked ever since!  I guess because he talks about them all the time, the little boys love airplanes too. 

Well, right down the road from our house on base is the "Airplane Park", as the kids call it.  It has a couple of picnic tables and several airplanes that you can go around and read about.  So, the day after my parents left the weather was beautiful and I took the kids on a picnic.  They were so excited and told me I was the best mommy ever.....ahhhhh, the little things in life!  

Enjoying their Happy Meals from BK!

Ethan really enjoyed going around and reading about each airplane

Michael did too.....lol

Rachel and Ethan thought it was so cool that they could stand under the plane and touch it

Memorial at the park

Smiles,

Michelle