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Showing posts from August, 2011

It Is Beautiful Here

The first year we moved to Colorado, I made a point to be thankful each and every morning for the beauty of Colorado.  It was a great thing for me. . .every day to have at least one thing to be truly grateful for. . .nice to have that perspective and nice to come to God with a thankful heart instead of a me-first-pleasure-seeker heart daily! Anyway. . .all of that to say, we are starting our third year of living out here full time and I am still just blown away by the beauty!  I love it here!  Each day is gorgeous in a whole new way and I am constantly amazed!

Andy's 42 Hours Home

Well, Andy came home yesterday for the weekend.  We were all so excited to see him!  Yesterday was work on the pond day. . .Andy is putting a waterfall and a pond in our front yard (to replace the natural run off and stagnant water area that is currently there).  So yesterday the family helped (okay, helped may be pushing it, but we "worked" together).  It started with just Andy shoveling sand while I watched.  Then Gabby decided to help.  Once Gabby got tired, Tiki took over.  Then Hays grabbed another shovel.  Dax may have shoveled one scoop of sand tops.  Maggie was inside singing along with Jordin Sparks on her iPod (I caught her in the act much to her dismay.)  Each kid only lasted about four minutes, but they felt like they helped nevertheless.  It was just fun to be together as a family and we only had one shovel to the head (really elbow to the head) accident amidst all of the chaos! We are headed to the BMX track this afternoon if everyone wakes up from FOB bef

Neighborhood

A neighborhood has always been somewhat of a fairy tale-ish mystery to me my entire life.  I've never lived in one.  I would see neighborhoods on TV and I had friends who lived in neighborhoods, but I've never experienced living in one first hand.  There was a time in my life when I wanted nothing to do with a neighborhood--I wanted lots of space with woods and no one within seven arrow-flights (that's old Kanakuk Indian lingo for a ways away).  And then as my kids started getting older and multiplying, I started dreaming of a neighborhood with other children and other mothers.  I dreamed of evening street busy with activity:  boys on bikes, girls giggling and moms walking.  I dreamed of people just dropping by because they were on their way and of seeing people out my window and running to greet them. . . and then chatting for a while. Well, guess where I live?  THERE!  I do!  After today and tonight I feel so at home here!  I have loved Durango since the moment I moved

What A Day

I don't even know where to begin about this day. . .it has been normal and crazy and surreal and funny all at the same time. Today started typical. I got up to find Maggie already dressed and ready for school with her lunch made and her backpack on (at 6:15. . .more than one hour BEFORE we walk out the door for school). I made lunches and got "life" sort of put together before I woke up the other kids. I was startled by a large thump and when I ran into the twins room, I found Tiki jumping off of Dax's bed trying to reach the chain deal to turn his fan light on. I'm surprised the fan didn't come out of the ceiling on his head. (And still, my day is normal at this point.) I walked down to Hays's room and turned on the light in his fish tank and switched his iPod from relaxing Billy McLaughlin guitar music to "Batu" by the Putumayo African kids choir. Then I headed to my bed (where Dax sleeps when Andy is gone) to coax him up for the morni

Orphanage Picture

Someone posted pictures on Facebook the other day from when they went to pick up their kids in Rwanda.  Does any little boy look familiar you you (number five from the left)?  He has the most concerned little look on his face. . .I wonder what he was thinking. . . ?  I showed him the picture and he claims not to remember one of the kids.  He did say (after some prodding) that the nanny in the picture was one of the nice ones.  I wonder what was going through his mind when he saw this picture? This is the "blue gate" that takes you into the orphanage.

First Day Of School

Today was the first day of school. Crazy that my kids are growing up so quickly! Hays is in seventh grade and that thought makes me sick to my stomach! When I was in seventh or eighth grade, I vowed that my kids would not have to endure junior high. I guess I thought I could move overseas and they could live there for several years. I'm not sure, I just knew that I didn't want my kids to endure junior high. Well, here we are. . .my oldest is set to endure 7th grade. I know he'll do much better than I did, so I shouldn't worry. I just can't believe that he is that old. My baby. Maggie is in fifth grade. She is getting so big and so grown up. She was so excited to head to school this morning and see her friends (and wear her new school clothes). Her new jeggings have been calling her name from her closet! Tiki and Dax are in first grade. They have different teachers (thank goodness). I think they'll have a blast! Dax didn't cry today which

Colorado With Pops

For the third year in a row, my dad (aka "Pops") drove with me and the kids as we headed West.  It is so fun to have him here.  (Andy and Dax have been in Texas for a wedding.)  The kids absolutely love to have him at our house and we always are "doing" while he is in town.  Yesterday we headed to the Alpine Slides and today we ventured to Mesa Verde. Pops had a little accident on the slides. . .a little too fast on the part of the track that said "SLOW"...needless to say, he left some skin at Durango Mountain Resort! Maggie ran into a friend up at the mountain!

Andy in the Turks

So, Andy is in the Turks this week.  He is supposed to be having a relaxing and fun week in the sun scuba diving and lobster fishing (or whatever you call it).  I am so excited that he got the opportunity to just play for a week now that camp is over!!! Where is the Turks, you ask?  Well, check out the map of soon-to-be Hurricane Irene. . .see where it says "Tuesday AM"--well, that little island to the left of that line is the Turks. Enjoy the weather on your sunny island get-away, Mr. Braner!  (At least scuba diving is UNDER the water and you don't really need sun for that.)

Time In Missouri

Well, the kids are FINALLY home!  It was a long month without them, but they had the best time at K1.  Andy and Gabby and I headed to Branson to pick them up from kamp and to spend some time with my family and some of our friends.  We had a super time! My nephew, Anthony. My favorite night of the trip.  We did that candle ear wax deal and Andy was our first volunteer.  We laughed SO MUCH that night!  Super fun and great bonding with Courtney and Jennafer! My niece, Hannah. This was one of my favorite picture moments.  I was reading at the pool and I looked up to find Dax and Tiki just hanging out on the high dive chatting. . .they stayed up there for about thirty minutes. My nephew, Jack.

More Pics

I'm sorry, but I think my son is 18 years old in this picture. . .where is my little boy?!?!