Fun Feathers

When we got our last haircuts, Arielle and I agreed to try something new and fun! Feathers.  Mine is pink and we have no good photos of it. Arielle's was much more noticeable - I think I'll go with PWOC Turquoise next time. 

This was a season where the two of us wanted to do something FUN together as my focus was increasingly becoming absorbed by conference. I think I'll try some dye next. LOL

The only down side of this is that Stacia has been begging for her own feather now.


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Lovely Fall Days

Ah - proof that priorities were still in place 2 weeks before conference! This makes me feel better. We only lost two weeks of school the week before and the week of conference. 

I LOVE THE FALL IN NORTHERN JAPAN! I love the colors, the crisp feel of the mornings, the shortening days and the LACK of sweaty HEAT. LOL 

Harvest has hit the field outside our patio.....

We spent extra time on Egypt but finally finished this section. We plan to add pages to our notebook throughout the year. 

We made cookies for a friend. 

Emily brought a copy of this to Bible Study and I decided to take the idea and run with it for a conference favor.....we made verses centered on The Lord's Prayer to give out. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

YUMMO

When friends PCS (move) we get to try odds and ends of new delights. This raw honey was one such find thanks to Rick and Jan Utecht! 

The first jar went QUICK...so I ordered a few more from Vita Cost. 

GROCERIES.....er "vitamins". 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Oriase Gorge - Love it!

Michael took his day off this week and we headed for the Gorge - October 20th. We knew it would be one of the last few chances for family fun until after Regional Conference. I struggled to maintain boundaries and priorities and did pretty well until the final two weeks before conference. 


We love Lake Towada and the Oriase Gorge. This day we decided to drive around the lake on our way home. We discovered  a campground, a gorgeous view, Mt Hakodda and more.

Beautiful Lake Towada in the Fall 

Family Fun - watching everyone watch us as Mike sets the timer and runs! 

At the shrine

Magicians are drawn to the kids....and this day was no different....actually as I was buying food I heard, "mom, MOM...all the grandmas are taking our pictures!"  I turned around and sure enough about six grannies "discreetly" snapping photos, and rubbing Stacia and Zander's heads. 

Who can blame them....Food on a stick

More food on a stick - its a tradition to feed the vending machine at the lake - Hagen Daas in Japan. 

Adding to today's excitement - we had to find someone to jump us as our battery was dead. It appears this gentleman had never done a thing under his hood....but he let us hook up. 

New views - merged with favorite views

Up by Tsugaru....a spot we've wanted to visit but didn't expect to find this day! ::snort:: 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fun with Friends

Poor neglected family journal. Wow. I don't know that I've ever gone a month without posting since the start of  "Choosing Joy".   The past month has been busy, busy, busy planning the inaugural Asia Region Conference.  I'll write more about that later. I must blog in order - it's the way I am. For now - God showed up. It was ALL God.  Last minute changes caused us to seek God's face constantly on behalf of conference. I believe we were right where He wanted us.  LOL

In the midst of the planning and shopping and skyping....I deliberately took time out to play with the kids. The photo library tells me this was Oct 19th.  I remember it as a beautiful fall day - enjoyed with a young homeschooling family.

Big brothers are such great fun!

Lady Liberty sporting fall colors

Love this young man!

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

I can RIDE A BIKE PERFECTLY!

First - Stacia would like all to know that she would like to be called Anastacia and not Stacia or Stashy. ::snort:: 


Stacia  Anastacia learned a new skill. To be more accurate she PERFECTED a new skill. She'd tried to learn to ride her bike for quite a few years. This spring Tanya, a local friend, shared how training is done in Europe. Bikes without pedals....scoot along with your feet and they begin to coast more and more until they are ready for pedals. Stacia Anastacia had been given a bike that was pink, bigger and had training wheels. She was terrified of falling and we had to run alongside to prop her up. 


We took the pedals off Stacia's bike in early summer. We actually pulled out Zander's old bike as it was shorter, lowered the seat and removed the pedals. She loved it and got more and more confident as the months went by. 

Stacia shows how you can ride her pedal - less bike!

Anastacia told Michael she was ready for pedals.

Fuzzy - but precious! She was off like lightening!

Past our street and over to the next...that speck in the middle under the yellow house is Anastacia. 

She's fallen and gotten back up. She told us she thinks she can handle the bigger bike now if we'll take the training wheels off. We still have some nice fall weather so I believe bike rides are in our future. 

She was so excited and yelling, "I can RIDE A BIKE PERFECTLY!" and "WE CAN GO FOR FAMILY BIKE RIDES!"..... I suspect she and I will ride to the produce market tomorrow...but there is a stretch with quite a bit of traffic.  She didn't make her goal of riding before she was 6 - but she DID ride before she was 6 1/2. LOL 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~

Living all of life before the face of God...

Saturday Hospitality

We have lots of kids in our subdivision and in the neighboring subdivision. We are blessed to have many children who love to play on OUR street.  We've noted that parents are not often outside...in fact, I'd say I've only seen any adult outside twice in months.  As we've talked about this, Michael and I have become more convinced of the need for US to be outside playing with the kids....and interacting with them...showing them Jesus.  This is really hospitality too....... Saturday we played outside with kids....Jared and Michael participated in a rousing game of street ball....Stacia worked on a new skill (post to follow) and I cheered all on, yelled lots of encouraging words and took photos. The neighborhood kids really seem to like it when Michael and I come out too.....and we are thrilled to take one gal with us to youth group every week now.....I think as a direct result of this type of hospitality (inviting others inside our walls).

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...