March 2015

Matt had some great opportunities for one-on-one with the kids this month.  He took Lilly to the Father/Daughter Sock Hop at church.  They had a blast dancing the night away!  With Micah, they invited some father/son friends to join them for the Tales From The Dugout event.  They heard several celebrities tell about living out their faith while playing professional baseball.

Jodie donated 10" to Locks of Love in support of her friend, Erin.  In her zeal to eliminate chemicals from the house, she made her first batches of laundry and dishwasher detergents.

The kids enjoy creating board game competitions for their Beanie Boos and Micah's baseball season began.

February 2015

The cooler weather this month gave Micah and Matt some time to work on "Micah's Shed".  He enjoys going out to 'work on projects'.
Grandpa and Grandma Rich came out to visit.
We went to the Arabian Horse Show with the Gravels.  This was a fun, first experience for both of our families.
Micah began stage 2 of his braces journey.



Arabian Horse Show with Gravels

Lilly and Grandma complete a puzzle

Stage 2 braces - top only (for now)

January 2015

Our "Studio Go" crew for the week

On the Malecon

We got to start our year off with a family mission trip!!  We went to LaPaz, B.C. Mexico to serve the elementary kids during the TEAM annual conference.  We love the relationships we have built with these missionaries and it was amazing getting to see them again and hang out with these kids.


Matt & Micah paddle boarding with the guys

Back home Lilly was promoted to Jr. Elite in gymnastics.  She also got to add 'horse lessons' to her extra curricular activities.  Her 1-hour/week lessons feel like 1 minute to her.  Lilly got her ears pierced on January 4th.



 Matt and Micah spent an evening at the University of Phoenix Stadium preparing for the 49th Superbowl.  It was their 2nd NFL Experience together (2008, 2015).  Micah's own flag football winter season continues.

Our friends, John & Cindy Trent, came over for dinner and brought "friends" for Micah and Lilly.  These characters are from their book The Treasure Tree, about childrens' personalities and how to use these gifts for God's plan and glory.  It's a favorite book of ours that we love to share.

Micah - Chewy & Honey; Lilly - Giggles & Lance

Merry Christmas 2014

Our 2014 Highlights

We give great thanks and praise to our Savior Jesus Christ for these blessing, and more!

 ·         Matt’s mission trip to Tanzania, Africa visiting the villages of Kondoa & Mairowa, hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, and spending an afternoon with our sponsor child – Nehemiah (on Nehemiah’s 13^th birthday).

·         Micah made his personal decision to follow Jesus as his personal Savior!! (February)

·         Jodie made another big change in our families “fueling” process to improve/maintain good health in our home.  We purchased a juicer and began using YL essential oils for aches, ailments, and boosting our immune system.

·         Two weeks in Tennessee and Alabama.  First week in Gatlinburg, TN with Jodie’s family celebrating her parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary.  A trip to the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center. Five days in Savannah, TN with Great Granny Rich (and other Rich relatives) – sitting on the front porch swing, touring the Shiloh battle grounds, catching lightening bugs, picking fresh blackberries, and celebrating the 4^th of July.

·         Annual trip to Flagstaff with Uncle Charlie & Aunt Alice – week at Bear Paw!

·         Family vacation to LegoLand California!  Two days at the park riding roller coasters and one day at the beach.  Pure fun!!

·         The kids have rhyming birthdays:  eleven & seven.  They think this is so cool!  On the way to CA they saw a 7-Eleven convenient store.  “That’s us, that’s us!!”

·         Four camping trips this summer!  All with great friends making great memories.

·         Hours spent playing with Beanie Boo stuffed animals.  Micah and Lilly have so much fun with these.  They are integrated into everything.

·         Homeschooling is such a joy!  Micah is 5^th grade and Lilly is 1^st grade.  We are beginning our journey to read through the Bible, and our “together” study is Science – Apologia Zoology 2.

·         A week of “hanging out” with our dear friends, the Vega family.  They are from Argentina, missionaries in Malaysia, and were visiting for our church’s Global Missionary Conference.

·         Micah & Lilly made a public profession of their faith in Jesus and were both baptized on November 8, 2014.

·         Micah & Lilly continue to enjoy participating in their extra-curricular activities and continue to improve in their skills and abilities.

o   Micah – baseball, flag football, piano

o   Lilly – gymnastics, … reading and losing teeth

·         Preparations for a 2^nd family mission trip to LaPaz, Mexico (January 2015).

“And this I (we) pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;”  Philippians 1:9-10

December 2014

Hard to believe the last month of the year is here and almost over.

We took a family vacation to LEGOLAND.  It was so much FUN!  None of us had been before, we rode all of the roller-coasters and just had such a great time spending two days at the park and one day at La Jolla beach.  The weather was fabulous.

When we got home it was time to prepare for Lilly's 7th birthday party.  She and Micah have LOVED the Beanie Boos this year, so she chose the theme "Beanie Boo Birthday Party".  Kelli T. came over on Friday to decorate the cake ("Ollie the Octopus"), and nine of her friends attended on Saturday.  They had a blast with crafts, games, and eating Ollie's legs.  (hehe)

This month during our Barton House visit both kids shared their testimonies (we were able to show the video of their baptisms), played the piano, and read Christmas stories.  It was a beautiful comparison to when we started doing Bible studies there 6 years ago.

Christmas activities and traditions will lead us into our Christmas traveling to Indiana this year.  We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!

Jesse Tree Tradition

November 2014

Micah and Lilly made their public profession this month through their baptism.  They are UNASHAMED that Jesus is their Lord.  It was a beautiful moment.

 

Matt's 10th Annual TDNR (Tour De New River) was the first Saturday of the month.  These rides are his regular way of raising funds for the continued building of the schools in Tanzania.  They are very close to completing this project and had the first graduating class this year.  Matt, and his friend, Jim, rode and finished the 40 mile route together.

 

Some great field trips we took this month were Sea Life Aquarium and the Southwest Wildlife Conservatory.  The animals in both were absolutely beautiful.  God is so creative and detailed with his animal creations.

 

Grandma and Grandpa Rich visited two times this month.  They arrived first for a long weekend for Micah & Lilly's baptism.  After going home to cold and snow ... they returned for a beautiful week during Thanksgiving and to celebrate Lilly's birthday with her.

 

A highlight for Micah - getting to run the chainsaw!
Changes for Matt & Jodie - both get reading glasses 1.0

 

October 2014

School is going well - we are REALLY enjoying our science study of sea creatures.
The kids and I started up our fall visits to the Barton House this month.  There are several new residents and we found out that Ellen, the activities director, will be retiring in November.  Our Home Fellowship organized our bi-annual meal at Neighborhood Ministries.  Micah and Lilly get so excited for this night.  We served dinner in the 1st grade classroom this time.
This was the year for our church's Mission Festival.  Over 40 of our 50 missionaries were able to attend.  Our dear friends, Willy & Marilina Vega, and their children, came from Malaysia/Argentina.  We made great memories visiting with them, playing with them, and hanging out with them!
As we wrapped up the month, he kids and I went to Schnepf Farms for their pumpkin festival.  It was a beautiful day walking through the corn stalks, riding in the hay wagon, and picking out pumpkins.  We re-kindled some neighborhood relationships on Halloween night as we walked the up and down our street dressed up and socializing.