Merry Christmas 2019

Merry Christmas

TOP 10 for 2019!

• A great full year with our babies - Pepper & Pearl! They have been an amazing gift and addition to our family. Their personalities surpass any desires we may have requested. They are THE BEST!! 😻😻
• We learned through some x-rays in January that God completely healed Pepper's heart! No more congenital heart failure and it's the perfect size. He has some respiratory/asthmatic effects, so we have a steroid inhaler for him that he breaths (1 puff twice a day). 💗
• Family vacation to Maui, Hawaii celebrating Matt's parents' 50th wedding anniversary! ⛱
• Helping and supporting Jodie's parents' permanent move from Milan, IN to Hernando, FL. 
• New school co-op groups: Biology at Calvary (Micah); Brave Writer Literature & Apologia Intro to Chemistry and Physics (Lilly)
• Micah turned 16 and is driving independently ... to baseball practice, church tech/audio jobs, biology class, etc.
• Micah is following a few colleges, and vice-versa, for playing baseball ... and studying. ⚾
• Lilly started singing in a choir, began learning to play the ukelele, got braces, and participated (singing and gymnastics/movement) in our church's Winter Wonder Christmas production. 🎄
• God chose October 13th, Jodie's 49th birthday (like a light switch) to provide some miraculous healing. 2 months and counting!! 😃
• Matt extended his role with our family/church outreach 'Missions & Me' and incorporated a new partnership with our local Teen Challenge facility in New River. Over Thanksgiving weekend we got to meet some of the men, hear their testimonies, and decorate their facilities.

Merry Christmas 2018

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

December 2018

A chance for Pepper and Pearl to explore the garden!

Our 'small group' - prayer partners, and do life together family.

November 2018

Celebrating Lilly's 11th birthday!

(Zack, Emma, Zander, Lilly, & Matthew)

New flooring for the front room.

Completed the novel Frankenstein, saw the play, and had fun with an art project.

October 2018

Our dear friends, the Vega family, visit from Argentina.

Great Granny Rich's funeral in TN.  She is an inspiration for living a life fully for Jesus.

Halloween - Pepper had fun greeting the kids at our front door.  He's doing well on his medication.
Lilly went out (Sloth in front) with her neighborhood girlfriends.

September 2018

Nana & Papa Joe visited for 10 days.

Tonya & Craig joined us for an afternoon at Odyssea Aquarium.

Micah sports his cards - he's getting really good at cardistry and magic tricks.

Pepper and Pearl enjoy their perch at the front window.  They greet us when we come home and they "meow" good-bye when we leave.

Pepper had some symptoms that have continued to persist throughout the last month and all began to culminate together.  We scheduled an appointment with the vet on Monday morning (9/17/18) but Lilly persisted we take him to VetMed on Sunday.  We found out he has an enlarged heart and his lungs were full of fluid.  He is going through congenital heart failure.

August 2018

We celebrated Micah's 15th birthday at K-1 Racing.  Since summer baseball is done we scheduled his wisdom teeth to be pulled.
Matt and Lilly went to St. Louis for a weekend to celebrate his cousin's wedding reception with family.  They got to go into the Arch.
Lilly began taking classes at Circus School of Arizona.  She does aerial silks, tightrope, trapeze and the lyra hoop.  At home she continues to make DIY crafts.
Before school got underway we spent our annual week in Flagstaff with Aunt Alice.  It is such a blessing to us to have that time to relax!  We spent one afternoon at a favorite place of mine - Flagstaff Extreme (an obstacle course in the trees).  :)

July 2018

Micah's 14u team, PCA, won the championship game in their last tournament of the summer.  A great clincher!
The kids and I went to Camp Verde area with some friends to a new jumping hole.  There were 3 levels of cliffs!
Soles For Souls is well underway, but we are taking breaks with days at Wet N' Wild, DBacks baseball games, and activities with friends.

June 2018

What an incredible fun-filled month!  SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER. 😊
Micah spent time RC racing with his buddies, playing baseball (practice and weekend tournaments) and working on coach Steve's houseboat.  Lilly hosted a 'slime party', went to Horse Camp, played with our neighborhood friends, and served at FMSC with the Adventure Girls' group.  Both kids attended the SBC (Scottsdale Bible Church) Performing Arts Camp.  During their adventures, I began our annual Soles For Souls planning, communications and activities.

The most exciting news ... we got kittens!!  Oh my goodness.  Their names are Pepper (male, dark tabby) and Pearl (female, white/silver).

December 2016

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2016!!!

Please come back after New Years.  I'm hoping to have time to catch up.  😏

Merry Christmas 2015!



MERRY CHRISTMAS dear family and friends!

 

We are so thankful to our dearest Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the many blessings and highlights through this 2015 year.  It is through His grace and mercy that we endure the trials and persecutions, along with the excitement and fun, and

consider it all JOY!





It's been a beautiful year of growth - physical, mental and spiritual; Legos; Beanie Boo Big Eyes; Perler Beads; puzzles; Hot Wheels; neighborhood growth (new babies and families); school field trips; FUN with family and friends; and opportunities to reach out and serve others.

As we wrap up our 2015 with family, we anticipate the new year and all God has to show us.  We look forward to His leading, the people He'll have us share our lives with, the people He'll have us share His life with, and the way He'll have us stay connected with you. 

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins,; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

1 John 2:1-2

December 2015

We pulled out all of our Christmas tubs this year and when the tree got put up and fluffed the kids couldn't wait to sleep under it.  (We have since put on our ornaments)  We have enjoyed many of our family traditions this month!  A couple of new highlights this month were: The kids set up their Beanie Boos for "family photos" and we had a 6-night Star Wars marathon watching 1-6 in order, in preparation for the new release this month.

Micah's fall season of football (Jets) ended with being 6th seed in regular season. Then placing 3^rd in the playoffs.  Early in December, he participated on the Partridge All-Star team and came out in 4th position.
On December 6th, Lilly participated in the Gingerbread Gymboree.  It was a great experience and her first set of scores to be entered into the USAG.  Lilly's scores:  bars - 9.5 (2nd place); beam - 9.4 (2nd place); floor - 9.2 (2nd place) and vault - 9.0 (tied for 4th place).  She won the overall champion award for her age division - 37.1.

 

November 2015



This month the kids and I were able to tour the Honeywell plant at Deer Valley.  Our highlight - seeing Matt's office space.  The kids loved seeing where Matt goes Monday through Friday.

Our good friend, Kelli T., invited Lilly and I to an Operette - Die Fleurdemaus (the bat).  It was a great "girls night" at Grand Canyon's theatre.

 Micah began tennis lessons with his friend, Brady, (and his sister Faith).  Micah won't be playing a team sport this winter so that we'll be able to travel as a family to Lilly's gymnastics competitions.  He's chosen to learn more tennis and start warming up for baseball.
Our church had the grand opening of our new sanctuary!  We now have stadium seats and a balcony.  We are excited to see how God uses this more efficient space.

Thanksgiving week/end brought a great family gathering at Alice & Charlie's for Thanksgiving day.  In our 18 years of celebrating Thanksgiving together, and mostly in Arizona, this was our first time to spend the day with Alice & Charlie.  On Sunday we celebrated Lilly's 8th birthday with a S'more themed party!  She had S'more fun since it was her actual birthday (29th).

Just before Thanksgiving weekend, Sammy let us know it was time for her to go.  On Tuesday, I took one of my most favorite pictures of her.  She looks amazing and was full of spunk.  On Friday, she was done - she wouldn't talk, she didn't clean herself the night before, she wouldn't eat, she wouldn't leave the back corner of the room (she's never hung out there before), she would hardly open her eyes or lift her head, and she couldn't make it to her litterbox.  We said goodbye on Saturday, November 20, 2015.

April 10, 1999 - November 20, 2015

Our last family photo with Sammy