Monday, March 17, 2014
For you, Mama.
Don't think you ever saw Joshua all dressed up in his ninja costume. He is very serious when he does it--so funny. You did a great job! Thank you!
Sunday, March 16, 2014
3 Things
I don't know if anyone reads this anymore since I haven't kept it up well, but if you do, here are three updates on us...
1) We decided that our old church, Good Shepherd, will be our new church. Lots of ups and downs on the church front these last two months, but we feel this is where we should be. Love seeing old friends and just really like the teaching and worship there. The boys seem to like their classes and Julia already talks about her new friends. It's neat to see how much families have grown and changed in 4 years since we left and also how much they have stayed the same. Look forward to finding our place there again. We did find that the cousins also have a great church and we thoroughly enjoyed visiting there with them! Thanks Kim and Randy for having us there and not pressuring us at all in our search!
2) We bought a car this weekend. After a lot of thought and some time, we got a used smaller SUV that holds 8 people. It's small enough that I don't feel too awkward driving it (as Matt pointed out, I could never do a suburban) but big enough that we can give rides to folks now and maybe one day hold more kids of our own.
3) Matt found out he will travel in Nicaragua at the end of the summer for a two week "cultural immersion" that is an optional part of his curriculum. Excited for him to get this experience!
That's all our updates for now! Taking this rainy afternoon to rest and prepare for the week ahead.
1) We decided that our old church, Good Shepherd, will be our new church. Lots of ups and downs on the church front these last two months, but we feel this is where we should be. Love seeing old friends and just really like the teaching and worship there. The boys seem to like their classes and Julia already talks about her new friends. It's neat to see how much families have grown and changed in 4 years since we left and also how much they have stayed the same. Look forward to finding our place there again. We did find that the cousins also have a great church and we thoroughly enjoyed visiting there with them! Thanks Kim and Randy for having us there and not pressuring us at all in our search!
2) We bought a car this weekend. After a lot of thought and some time, we got a used smaller SUV that holds 8 people. It's small enough that I don't feel too awkward driving it (as Matt pointed out, I could never do a suburban) but big enough that we can give rides to folks now and maybe one day hold more kids of our own.
3) Matt found out he will travel in Nicaragua at the end of the summer for a two week "cultural immersion" that is an optional part of his curriculum. Excited for him to get this experience!
That's all our updates for now! Taking this rainy afternoon to rest and prepare for the week ahead.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Kid Photography
chalk creations
don't know which boy took this, but it's beautiful!
Sand wars
Joshua really wanted to remember this cake.
Funny hair- I brushed it before giving him a trim. He looks much more like himself when he doesn't wash or brush it:)
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Back...sort of.
Okay, so I took the blog off the public setting because I had made another blog for selling our house and didn't want those readers to be able to read all about our family by clicking on my username. BUT, we recently decided we are going to wait till next year to sell, so I'm back...sort of.
These days we aren't taking too many pictures, unless it's the kids taking photos of such memorable masterpieces as their latest lego creation or the piece of candy they put upside down on their brownie. Not exactly blogworthy material:)
These days Matt is doing a ton of studying, plus class and the gym. He is busy and there is always more he can do, though he tries to balance out his time and see the kids some each day. He's about halfway through the first ("easy") semester at Duke, with summer, fall, and spring to go. He's enjoying being at Duke, is looking forward to his new career, and can't wait for a little over a year from now when he'll actually get a day really and truly "off" sometimes.
These days the boys are winding down from basketball (fun times, though they weren't exactly the star players!), looking forward to starting flag football this spring, and getting through their day-to-day school stuff. Joshua is the model student and enjoys his friends at school. He was made for school. It's hard to believe how shy and unsocial he was at 5. I was just reading in the record book I keep that before he started school, it used to be a remarkable thing if he actually played with children in a normal way, not shying away or talking baby talk with them. Now he makes friends easily and loves having playmates.
Gray was not made for school, but he's making it. He is just so "in his head" all the time. He doesn't connect to other kids as quickly as Joshua. He can completely tune out what's going on around him (even if he's on the court in a basketball game) if there's something he's thinking about. He can take hours to complete his very easy homework.
I've thought of taking him out of school so he doesn't drive his teachers absolutely crazy. But his regular teacher and speech teacher have encouraged me to keep him in and that he can thrive there. I also am reluctant to take him out because his view is that he wants me teach him at home sometimes when he thinks school isn't fun. I don't want him to think when you face something that isn't ideal, you run away, or that everything in life has to be entertainment. Plus, based on the fact that he pretty much hates any instruction I give him on his schoolwork, homeschool ain't going to be as fun as he imagines! So we are staying the course right now. I still love the diversity at their school, as they are in class with kids of all colors and cultures. I still want to do what I can to support public schools and their teachers. I still don't want to hole up at home and shut out the world, as is my natural tendency. He also recently qualified for the AIG program, so in a couple of years, he'll spend a majority of his day there getting differentiated work that will probably hold his attention better.
These days Julia is spending her days dancing and singing around the house. She seems so shy at first with strangers but actually breaks out her social butterfly side pretty easily. She just started a pre-ballet class and was talking and participating like a champ on her first day. We have also been looking for a new church and she has gone into each new class without a fuss and played and chatted and had a great time. She loves to have two little girls from our Kids' Night Out program come over each week for reading and writing and play time. She still cannot wait to start school.
These days I am wrapping up a phase of home improvements/decorating/cleaning out in order to get ready for selling the house. We'll gear back up for that when Matt's school is winding down and it's not so busy. I'm crocheting here and there (thanks for teaching me, Mama!) and doing a few other craft projects. I'm keeping up with Kids' Night and helping run a tutoring program. I'm getting ready to become a weekly "reading buddy" for a child in Gray's class, once the resource teacher has everything set up. I'm working out with Matt in the basement, mostly weight lifting. I'm starting to prepare for an ACT for Justice meeting on Orphan Care that I'll be in charge of in a few months. I'm playing baby and little people with Julia. (Though I must admit, these are the times I think she needs a sister! Just not into pretending anymore.) I'm trying to keep up with the admin stuff for the gym. I'm enjoying my weekly Bible Study. I'm praying for us to settle on a new church.
So there's the long catch-up on us. Probably won't write as much as I used to, but will try to post periodically. Have a great week!
These days we aren't taking too many pictures, unless it's the kids taking photos of such memorable masterpieces as their latest lego creation or the piece of candy they put upside down on their brownie. Not exactly blogworthy material:)
These days Matt is doing a ton of studying, plus class and the gym. He is busy and there is always more he can do, though he tries to balance out his time and see the kids some each day. He's about halfway through the first ("easy") semester at Duke, with summer, fall, and spring to go. He's enjoying being at Duke, is looking forward to his new career, and can't wait for a little over a year from now when he'll actually get a day really and truly "off" sometimes.
These days the boys are winding down from basketball (fun times, though they weren't exactly the star players!), looking forward to starting flag football this spring, and getting through their day-to-day school stuff. Joshua is the model student and enjoys his friends at school. He was made for school. It's hard to believe how shy and unsocial he was at 5. I was just reading in the record book I keep that before he started school, it used to be a remarkable thing if he actually played with children in a normal way, not shying away or talking baby talk with them. Now he makes friends easily and loves having playmates.
Gray was not made for school, but he's making it. He is just so "in his head" all the time. He doesn't connect to other kids as quickly as Joshua. He can completely tune out what's going on around him (even if he's on the court in a basketball game) if there's something he's thinking about. He can take hours to complete his very easy homework.
I've thought of taking him out of school so he doesn't drive his teachers absolutely crazy. But his regular teacher and speech teacher have encouraged me to keep him in and that he can thrive there. I also am reluctant to take him out because his view is that he wants me teach him at home sometimes when he thinks school isn't fun. I don't want him to think when you face something that isn't ideal, you run away, or that everything in life has to be entertainment. Plus, based on the fact that he pretty much hates any instruction I give him on his schoolwork, homeschool ain't going to be as fun as he imagines! So we are staying the course right now. I still love the diversity at their school, as they are in class with kids of all colors and cultures. I still want to do what I can to support public schools and their teachers. I still don't want to hole up at home and shut out the world, as is my natural tendency. He also recently qualified for the AIG program, so in a couple of years, he'll spend a majority of his day there getting differentiated work that will probably hold his attention better.
These days Julia is spending her days dancing and singing around the house. She seems so shy at first with strangers but actually breaks out her social butterfly side pretty easily. She just started a pre-ballet class and was talking and participating like a champ on her first day. We have also been looking for a new church and she has gone into each new class without a fuss and played and chatted and had a great time. She loves to have two little girls from our Kids' Night Out program come over each week for reading and writing and play time. She still cannot wait to start school.
These days I am wrapping up a phase of home improvements/decorating/cleaning out in order to get ready for selling the house. We'll gear back up for that when Matt's school is winding down and it's not so busy. I'm crocheting here and there (thanks for teaching me, Mama!) and doing a few other craft projects. I'm keeping up with Kids' Night and helping run a tutoring program. I'm getting ready to become a weekly "reading buddy" for a child in Gray's class, once the resource teacher has everything set up. I'm working out with Matt in the basement, mostly weight lifting. I'm starting to prepare for an ACT for Justice meeting on Orphan Care that I'll be in charge of in a few months. I'm playing baby and little people with Julia. (Though I must admit, these are the times I think she needs a sister! Just not into pretending anymore.) I'm trying to keep up with the admin stuff for the gym. I'm enjoying my weekly Bible Study. I'm praying for us to settle on a new church.
So there's the long catch-up on us. Probably won't write as much as I used to, but will try to post periodically. Have a great week!
Monday, August 12, 2013
The Sound! (pictures for you non-facebookers)
We just got back from a very fun weekend at Bogue Sound. We stayed in the house next door to my grandmother's old house (now Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bill's house), which used to be my grandmother's sister's house. I loved seeing and hearing and smelling all the familiar things from my childhood summer trips there. And I thought a lot about Grandmama Roper and how much she would have loved to see the kids. Definitely made me miss her, but have some great memories to relive with the kids now.
All the kids just loved the trip. Kathy commented on how well-behaved they were and they really did do great, I believe because they were just so excited to be there!
We arrived Friday afternoon and promptly headed over to Emerald Isle to the beach.
Julia spent most of the time hand-in-hand with Mimi, digging in the hand or splashing in the waves. She was shivering like crazy towards the end but still didn't want to leave. When we first got to the beach and she smelled the beachy smell, she said, "Mom, there's something in my bottom and it's stinky!"
Joshua enjoyed fighting the waves and trying to body surf, as well as make a sand tower.
Gray loved for Matt to take him out into the waves. He squealed with every crash and wanted to do it again. Otherwise, he was standing near the water's edge jumping and landing on his bottom over and over, trying to ride waves, or- when it was time to go of course-making "sand angels" in the sand.
This is Joshua hoping to catch a wave:)
"Look mom, I'm Spiderman!" says Julia. We will ignore the fact that the net on her face was just previously entangled in a raw chicken crab baited line.
In the afternoon, we went to Beaufort's town festival called the Pirate Invasion. We watched ships have a water battle with guns and cannons and then saw a troupe of actors perform a comedy/sword fight show. It was super hot, but the kids enjoyed it anyway. Then we went home for a dinner with some great family friends at Kathy and Bill's.
Julia has been talking about wanting to see hammerhead sharks for months and she finally got her dream come true. She was sooo excited and told us each about 20 times, "Look there's a hammerhead shark!!!"
This was a show with some divers. At the end, you could put your hand on the glass for a high five, which Gray waited patiently to do. When the diver came to him, he motioned to Gray about his shark hat, courtesy of Kathy from the gift shop. Gray liked getting that attention for a moment.
All the kids just loved the trip. Kathy commented on how well-behaved they were and they really did do great, I believe because they were just so excited to be there!
We arrived Friday afternoon and promptly headed over to Emerald Isle to the beach.
On Saturday, we spent the morning kayaking and crabbing. I went out once with Gray, but not far. Kathy, Daddy, and Matt all went out too, chasing dolphins, going over to the islands, or just paddling around. Meanwhile, those on the shore had fun catching crabs.
On our final day, we headed to the aquarium where Kathy volunteers. It is a great place and we all enjoyed seeing the sea life.
After the aquarium, we made another stop by the beach, which could have last all day if it were up to the kids, but a storm blew in and we went back and packed and headed home. We really had such a great weekend and look forward to going back when we can!! Huge thanks to Kathy and Bill for feeding us and entertaining us!!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Random Pictures of Us
these two have been best buds
nothing better than a weapon for Gray
family photo attempt before church
Daddy/Daughter matching outfits
love bugs
Joshua's camera work
Gray wanted lots of pictures without his siblings
Joshua trying to worm his way into our picture
Julia's version of a smile is to squint her eyes
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