Happy New Year!

When the boys got off work, they came over. We watched movies and snacked.

We began the evening with "Lord of the Beans", moved on to "Kung Fu Panda," and rang in the year with "Remember the Titans". Sparkling Cider - folks - sparkling cider. We had a fun circle time of remembering highlights of 2008 and looking ahead to 2009.

Krista called and she has landed in WA.

Choosing Joy!©2009 D.R.G.

2 out of 3 Found

We spent the afternoon geocaching, while Josiah and Jamin slaved away at the mall and Krista winged her way to the state of WA. ::snort::

Out in the middle of ranch land, cars zipping by, we "formed up" whenever a car came by...think they noticed us? ::snort::

Cute - Briar Patch find looked like a carrot

Ingenious hide - cache was INSIDE the real skull

Someone was fed up with their computer ::snort::

Um....Mike and Jared were breaking branches as we scraped through these tight spots....don't think 15 pass vans are supposed to be on these "roads"...some day we will need to buy Mike a 4 wheel drive TRUCK. ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2008 D.R.G.

2008 Family Read Alouds

The Great Brain - John Fitzgerald
The Door in the Wall
Robin Hood - Howard Pyle
Nick of Time - Ted Bell
The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis
Snow Treasures
The Odyssey - Adrian Mitchell
The Corn Grows Ripe - Dorothy Rhoads
The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis
Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

Krista's In the Air

Krista left this afternoon at 3:00. She is currently in Denver. The plan is to reach Spokane near 11:00 p.m., ring in the New Year, and be at work tomorrow at 5 a.m. Her plan is to work as much overtime as she can, save as much as possible, and be financially secure when she enters EBC in the fall. She'll have two years of college left. She hopes, with scholarships and savings, to have her tuition nearly secure.
I'm so glad she was able to have a week off of work. It was a good visit.
















Smile and wave, Krista, smile and wave!

I really miss her already....but I'm...
Choosing Joy!
©2008 D.R.G.

The Return of the Pig Hat

Guess whose birthday is coming up?


Jared didn't' want to spend a day when the girls were home "shopping". He suggested we go out for dinner and ice cream while the whole family is home and save the gifts for his birthday on 4 Jan. We agreed. He was a bit taken aback when I showed up with the pig hat.

I told him a guy who would dress in Longhorn garb and be photographed in Academy, or dance in Walmart was surely confident enough to wear a Pig Hat in public. It's amazing what a bit of encouragement from Mom can accomplish.


Josiah and Jamin had to go to work. The rest of us headed to the lake to enjoy Jared's "day" and to spend our last full day with Krista.

Bre is happy

Arielle is determined

Some kung fu thing at the top of the play structure...





He's happy to have discovered the mysteries of life (see post below).

Jared, David, BreAnne and Nolan

Krista and Mike

I have these sunsets to look forward to when we move into the trailer. ::snort::

Finally, we have to admit the day is ending.

A last celebratory stop - Dairy Queen.

Krista asked if we could watch, "Court Jester" with Danny Kaye in it. We did. Everyone is in bed. I'm going to go to bed. I tend not to sleep well when one of the kids are leaving....but they HAVE worn me out, so maybe....

©2008 D.R.G.

Mysteries of Life

Many of the mysteries of life come clear when you spend time at the lake. I've found this to be true. Evidently, Zander has also found it to be true.

"I've figured out how I got to this family."

"An angel came to mom and said, 'Behold you will have a son.'"

"Name him Zander."

"The angel forgot to tell Mom I'd be naughty."

I TELL him he is NOT a bad boy, I explain that he simply sometimes makes bad choices.....but he pops out with statements like this from time to time.

Can a sweetheart who brings his Mom flowers like these be a "naughty boy"?

©2008 D.R.G.

Monday

We spent most the days with me working on bookwork, Mike in the office and doing invocations, and the older kids working on Scholarship and FAFSA things. Josiah got called in to work (he was surprised to find a scholarship for people over 6 ft 2 in). Jamin went to work.

When Mike got home we had dinner.

We played games....Twister

Jared has a "unique" - some say cheating - way of stretching across the mat...

It's a Tango Line....

Didn't last long....

Manly hug - beat the stuffing out of each other

We take glee in certain competitive players discomfort ::snort::

"Hmmmm....is this a new sister thing," Stacia wonders?

We moved on to Charades - Zander's always include several ferocious animals, hunters and fights... and we never guess them quite right. ::snort::

Shark

Windshield Wipers

Krista leaves tomorrow afternoon. Grrrr.....

©2008 D.R.G.