Happy 2007!

Happy New Year!

To resolve or not to resolve. It seems every year when I make a New Year Resolution it doesn't take me but 2 days to break it. So here it is I resolve not to resolve! There now I am free of self disappointment. I can face this year care free. I hope you have a care free New Year and a year that brings Glory to God!

Washington Whirl Wind

And I mean wind. We arrived the day be for the BIG wind storm. To quote Kathy "it was a Christmas miracle" that we did not loose power. We had a great time in Washington visiting friends. We had a nice dinner and a relaxing day with the Georgia's, yummy pizza with Carl, a night full of laughs, port and poker with the Drapers and Iversons, a very filling lunch and fun catch up with the Bergers, a short and sweet visit with the Gollings ( wished it could have been longer), a wonderfully delicious dinner at the Simms, a frozen fun time at Zoolights with the Iversons and a nice little hour with the Bauslaugh girls. Oh yeah and I had a nice birthday with the Iversons and a great birthday dinner at Dukes. It was also great to see everyone and CCBC! On the Way home we got to fly by Mt. Ranier. It was so beautiful we were only 2 miles a way but it felt like we could reach out and touch the peak. Here are some pic from our trip.

Garrett

Sorry I have taken so long to up date you all about Garrett. No jail for the weapon charge! Garrett's attorney was able to get the charges reduced to a misdemeanor instead of a felony. His sentence could be community service or another fine. Now his hearing won't be until Jan 3rd. Pray for my attitude, I am frustrated about this whole situation. Thank you for prayin'.

Adriene

Pray Update

Thank you for praying! Garrett had his sentencing this morning. He was only fined $300.00 with no jail time. He was relieved that he did not have to go to jail but his attitude was " see no big deal". Please pray for a change in his attitude. He needs to have his eyes opened to the seriousness of the path he has chosen. We still don't know what will happen at his hearing on Monday the 18th, please pray for God's will. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. It is really hard to see my parents so hurt and to watch my brother throw his life away for drugs. I will post more after Monday.

Adriene

Pray

On Thursday the 14th my brother has his sentencing for theft in Wyoming. There are 3 choices of consequence : 30 days in jail , a $700.00 fine or both. It all depends on how the judge is feeling that day. Please pray for the Lord's will in this situation. We know He uses these types of things to get our attention so which ever one that would be, is what we want. However if he gets jail time then we need to pray that his hearing on the 18th for weapon possession can be delayed again.

Please also pray for my mom and uncle as they drive to WY. this week for the sentencing. Our family needs your prayers.

Adriene

Getting a Tree with Grandma and Grandpa


The other day we went with Mark's parents to get their Christmas tree. The weather was beautiful and so was the tree that they found. It made us miss getting a real tree but when they rang up the price our sadness faded and we were very happy to have our fake tree.

Here's a picture of Leandra's Gingerbread house. She did all the decorating.

Bringing Up The Lights

Here are some interesting sites that explain why we decorate for Christmas

http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Holiday-Lights.html

Our Decorating Pic's

Fall Fun! A Traditon Is Born!


The day before Thanksgiving, Leandra, Jesslyn and I went over to my parents house to have some fun in their many fallen leaves. Leandra has a book about a little girl jumping in leaf piles and it gave me the idea to do some jumping of our own. So we raked and raked. My mom helped and my brother joined in the jumping fun! After we took our last leap we had hot cidar and decided to do it again next year on the day before Thanksgiving.

Have you been tickled by Jesus?




Leandra, Jesslyn and I were on our way home the other day and this was our conversation.
" Mommy is Jesus in the sky? "
" Yes Leandra Jesus is in the sky, Jesus is every where He is even in the car with us isn't that neat?"
There was a short pause followed by a lot of giggling. Then Leandra replied.
" Mommy, Jesus is tickling me"

I sorry 'bout that Mommy.


Here is a little story about a 3 year old and a bathroom......

The other day while I was taking a shower before a play date at our house Leandra was watching TV in our room ( at least that is where I put her when I got into the shower.) Sometime while I was in the shower she came into the bathroom and turned on our tub. Oh by the way our bathroom is carpeted and the bathtub spout can be spun around over the carpet. When I was finished in the shower I stepped out onto a very soggy carpet! I turned off the water and asked Leandra why she turned it on. She informed me that she just wanted too. I explained that she made a very big mess and she needed to help clean it up. She replied. "Sorry 'bout that mess Mommy." So while I am finding ever towel in the house and looking for our wet vac hook up Leandra takes off all her clothes and gets into the shower. I came back to find her covered in body wash. So I turned on the shower to rinse her and she decides that she does not want to take a shower so she comes screaming and running out. We had 15 minutes before people would be at our house. Soap is every where!!! All I could say was why? Why? Why? And all Leandra kept replying was "I sorry 'bout that mommy!" We got her cleaned up and redressed. And I managed to get some clothes on before our guests arrived!



Please pray for my brother Garrett. He is in some legal trouble and may be facing some prison time. He has a hearing on November 20th. Pray also for my parents. Our family is in the middle of some serious spiritual warfare! Thank you to those already praying we feel the comfort from those prayers.

Trick or Treat
A sad trick or treat story .....


Leandra a woke from her nap with great excitement. We put her costume on, took a million pictures and we were off. She ran up to the first house, rang the bell and with great enthusiasm said Trick 'r Treat, held open her bag and said thank you for the candy placed inside. Then we walked down the street to the next house. She walked up to the door rang the bell, the door opened slowly and an ugly demon looking mask peaked out . Leandra screamed and started to cry and could not get away fast enough. I was holding Jesslyn so I couldn't grab her and at first she couldn't find Mark but then he scooped her up into his arms and she cried hysterically. And that was the end of trick or treating.














Emilie & Leandra





Dexter & Jesslyn



Taison & Leandra










Since moving back to CA Mark and I decided we needed some plastic surgery to fit in with all the "beautiful" people here. This past week we had some work done. Unfortunately we chose the wrong surgeon. So prepare yourselves....

Pumpkin Fun!


On our family night this past Monday we had some pumpkin fun. We thought it would be fun to let Leandra decide how to carve our pumpkin we thought wrong. She picked a very scary looking face, so then I picked a cat. She was ok with the cat idea. Mark went to work. Leandra watched and was very interested in the goo that came out of the pumpkin but didn't want to touch it. She was very impressed with the cat and how it glowed once Mark finished the carving. Then Leandra and I made pumpkin cookies and decorated them with chocolate chips which mostly went into Leandra's tummy. Leandra painted her little pumpkin, after she bipitie bopitie booed it turn ing it into a coach for Cinderella. While Jesslyn slept on the couch.

I have so much to post I had to do it in 2 seperate posts!
Last week we visited my Grandma's. We had a wonderful lunch and a nice time chatting. Can't
wait to do it again. Here are some pics from the visit.

Daddy Date

Mark takes Leandra on a date once a month this month he took her "golfing" really they just went to the putting green. But Leandra had a blast!

Jesslyn's swingin'

last week Jesslyn took her first ride in a "big" girl swing.

My Hard Workin' Man!

Mark worked approximately 62 hrs last week. The bank opened it's 5th branch and Mark was in-charge of the grand opening celebration that lasted a week long. It was a great success and I was very proud of him. Each day they gave away Kings tickets and on Friday they had a drawing for world series tickets all expenses paid. He had 3 live radio broadcast and each night a different restaurant served food. Here are some pics from the ribbon cutting and of Mark doing what he does best.