Sarah's Daddy/Daughter Date....

Well Sarah patiently waited since Eden got to go with Daddy on a date to have her turn.  Sarah got to pick the evening's events and she chose to see Megamind at the movies and then go for a sundae at Sonic afterwards.  She had a great time and Daddy even spoiled her by allowing her to illegally ride shotgun and even took her shopping for some new jeans!  What an awesome father, i mean what dad delights in shopping with his daughter?  I seriously don't know how they (Eden and Sarah) will even find someone to match the awesomeness of their Dad when they are old enough to think about marriage (who am i kidding they already do think about marriage!)  ;-)

This date had been planned for a whole week and every day Sarah would check with me how many days were left until her date and finally on Friday the day of the date, she said to me with giddiness in her voice, "Daddy might even let me get popcorn!"  Oh the simple pleasures!  


John, thanks for being an amazing father and therefore by default also an awesome husband!  :-)

Joy to my Heart....

I hated reading as a kid.  I'm not sure why although i'm sure school had something to do with it, but it wasn't until i was married that i started reading all the time for fun.  

My mother was the inspiration for me.  When i was about 15 or 16 she was reading a thriller that she told me a little about and said she didn't want to read any more as it was too disturbing....so i picked it up and although it was disturbing, it was captivating and i started to think, well this isn't boring like everything we're "made" to read in school.  It planted a seed and i did begin to read books from time to time after that. 


I truly became hooked when i borrowed my friends copy of The Work and the Glory while i was in college and finished all 9 volumes right as i was ready to give birth to Immanuel.  Historical Fictions are my favorite.


Anyway, as many of you know i home-school the kids.  From time to time i doubt my abilities to teach them the right things, but am always then reassured by friends and the Lord.  When it comes to reading i worry the most.  Immanuel has dyslexia and has quite a hard time, although he is definitely making progression.  Eden does quite well, but i still worry that they should be further along for their age then they are.  


The other day my fears were put to rest.


I walked out into the living room and saw this:

My heart was filled with joy.  This is the first time since i taught my kids to read that i have witnessed reading "real" books (ya know the ones without pictures even) for FUN!  That's right Eden was reading for pleasure.  I couldn't believe my eyes!  I even asked her what the story was about to check for sure that she was reading it and not just pretending.  


The kids see me read all the time and on this particular day i had been reading all day as i was sick with a cold in bed.  After i praised Eden to the ends of the earth, Immanuel took out a book and began to do the same.  I know it's harder for him, but the fact that he's trying and recognizes that it's a good thing brings me hope. It does eventually pay off.  I am glad that book reading is a joyful thing in my home.  :-)  

I'm not sure if i didn't like reading so much now that the bug would have been caught....thank you Mother.....even all these years after i have grown-up, your influence and inspiration are felt and appreciated.

Parks = Photo Ops

It was a beautiful Fall day and so we decided to go to the park for some bike riding, roller skating, and other fun.  I love going to the park as it seems to produce (at least to me) some of the best photos.  We were lucky to also have Annie and Asia with us to add to the fun and stayed for a couple of hours. and had a picnic too.


Taking pictures at the park also reminds me of my days with Iman and Edy when they were really little and we lived in Utah.  Back then going to the park was about the best and only thing I did outdoors with the kids besides going to the library and so most of my photo albums from Utah are full of park pictures.  Here's a bunch of Jack to help even things up.  He sure is one smiley guy!

 This is one of my favorite faces he makes.

 Annie...quite time pondering....

 After witnessing this for 5 seconds i decided that it was dangerous

...but it still made a cool photo!  ;-)

 This is the guy with the metal detector that Immanuel, being the social butterfly that he is, asked what he was doing.  No joke, the man explained that before the park was there it was a farmer's field and he saw Martians there and was looking for debris from the Martians!  It took me a while to convince Immanuel that this wasn't true.  He was sure of it, afterall the man described what they looked like and everything!

See that? Course you don't, but i am rolling my eyes right now.  lol!

It Is Done....

Well i survived....i had help though.  My friend Tiffany made it possible, especially with us only having one car, but i am glad that it is over....that's right i am definitely talking about soccer.  


Immanuel and Eden had a really good time with soccer and both say they want to do it in the spring too which starts in March, but at least i get a break from the practices and Every-Saturday games. Sarah has also been infected by the soccer bug and wants to join up in the spring too. We'll see about Jack...no doubt he has ball skills...only time will tell if he can make a team work come March as they do have a team for 3 yr olds. 


This last Saturday was there last game and as per Sarah's faithful prayer Friday night before bed, both Iman and Edy scored goals!  It was Immanuel's first too, so he was pretty pleased.  Immanuel's coach had a party later on that day to celebrate and told Immanuel he was a "warrior!"


They played....I was tired....they are happy...so am I.

 Eden and her trophy!

 Playing some game....babe blades?  Well that's what Immanuel said they were called anyway. They all seemed more excited about this then they did about soccer the whole season, ha!

 Coaches last pep talk...

 Coach Jeff giving Iman's his trophy!

Iman's soccer team

Trunk or Treat

In the past i have never been a fan of "Trunk or Treats" just because it always seemed a cop-out from the real thing.  However when you live in the middle of nowhere and don't have any neighbors, it is ideal.  I now live in an area where "Trunk or Treating" serves a purpose and i think our ward here in Tennessee does a great job of making it a fun night for the kids.  They had dinner inside the church (this year was chilli), hot chocolate and lots of games and crafts for the children while we all waited for it to get dark.  Then we all went out to the parking lot where the parents had decorated their car trunks and had candy galore to give out to the children.  My kids like to make the decorations for our van, which is great because it means all i have to do is stick them up with tape.


This year John and i decided to dress up (i think it's been since i was in high school, or maybe collage since i dressed up for Halloween).  John was a DCOM student and i was a witch.  Immanuel was Toothless the Dragon (from the Dream Works movie), Eden, Sarah, and Jack all were cowgirls/cowboys, which made my job all the more easy.  After i got done dressing Jack (he refused to wear Iman's checkered shirt) i realized the one i put him in made him look like Freddy Kruger....yikes!  Oh well, at least he didn't have the glove with the scary knives on it!  ;-)  


Thanks to Cumberland Gap Ward Primary and Young Women for all your hard work!

 Waiting in line for games...

 SO FUNNY, this guy is always making me laugh!  

I'm impressed he could fit them in his mouth!

 Immanuel - pin the nose on the jack-o-lantern

 Our trunk - Edy made the bats above.

 My babies!

 Yee Haw!

 So handsome!  I love it when he smiles like this!  :-)

I LOVE Jack's response in this picture.  

He was REALLY excited about all the candy!  Ha ha!