Christmas in Ar with the Michau's

Karly and Mommy she still loves me....(that is Isabel in the background). When she gets tired she still wants her mommy and it was getting late.
Nick, Karly, Autumn, Beth, Emily and Madie stocking time from Grandma.

Daddy and Madie, yes she is sucking her thumb STILL!

Caleb the oldest grandchild read Luke 2 from his phone. Technology!! It was funny and sweet. He is such a great kid. He is 18 now and graduates from high school this year and goes off to college. So it was a little emotional for all of us to watch him read it.

Caleb and the girls, they all love him.

Aaron and Tyler I have no pictures of them. I hate that!!! Teenagers.

We got to Hot Springs Friday night the 19th and left on the 23rd to head to Mo. We did not get to stop in Little Rock and see Deborah or the Halls. I was so disappointed but it was icy and we needed to get to the Meyer's house. That morning we got stuck at Rick and Paula's house (my brother) and they made me an amazing birthday breakfast!!! It was as if they new we were going to get iced in, of course Paula said she requested ice so she could make me a birthday breakfast. lol

Our movie this year was "The tale of Desperado". It was not very good but Karly had read the book and wanted to see it. Of course she said the book was better.

My vacation read was Twilight and New moon, oh and I went to see Twilight with my friend Kari. Very good!

Christmas @ Meyermanor 08

The girl's tree upstairs!
The living room tree.

Snuggling with my Karly.

Opening the Wii! Oh you should have heard the screams!!

Frosty and Madie on 12/12/08

We got snow for our Christmas this year. We had to do our Christmas very early due to traveling on the 19th to Ar. So Friday the 12th was our Christmas Eve and it was also a snow day. It was perfect. We opened stocking on Friday night, Karl read our Christmas with a Purpose daily and then Karly read Luke 2, we watch the Grinch and of course we ate, and ate. The girls slept in the living room by the tree so that they could wake up to open presents. They actually slept til almost 8. Which was fine by us. We had a great morning opening presents and playing with the Wii and the other things they got. All three of the girls were excited about the Wii and so were we. They got lots of other little stuff to go along with it. One of my favorite things was the cross that Bel drew for me. I will post a picture of it soon. The girls got boots and purses, Littlest Pet shop VIP, books, lotion, etc.... It was a good morning.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving with Terry Walls (College Friend) and Isabel. This was her first Thanksgiving. She loved it. She likes to eat, watch Christmas movies and play games oh and we put together a big puzzle it was a very relaxing long weekend. Terry and Karl eating.
Madie yummy! No tummy ache this year so she got to enjoy all her favorites. We made a pumpkin pie together even the crust. It was delicious. She loves to cook.

Karly not happy about getting her picture taken of course.

Isabel enjoying her first Thanksgiving.

The gang before we ate.

My favorite part is going around the table and listen to everyone say what they are thankful for. We are not a very serious bunch but we do it and it always gets to me. Terry was thankful for his good report from the doctor and to have a job in this economy. Karl was thankful for family, job, friends, Isabel and the food. Karly was thankful for her home and bed and every thing we have.

Isabel was thankful to have two families now. Madie always says for "mommy" it is the joke but this year she giggled and said mommy but added so much more. Which was very special to hear my girls say how thankful they are for what they know comes from God. I was last so mine was just a repeat of what everyone had said. I am going first next year. lol

Off to sleep. Look for my smashing pumpkin pictures and Decking the halls pictures to come. Goodnight!

HOMESICKNESS

Meyer kids, some of... My Parents, My Brothers and all my nieces and nephews, on the Michau side that is.

Feeling homesick tonight. I just got off the phone with my sister in law, text my nephew last night after his ball game, been chatting with my niece lately. I love Tennessee but feel like I am missing out on so much back home. My nephew is a senior this year, he is a star basketball player and we have never been to one game, not one. My kids have stuff all the time and no one is in the audience cheering them on except us. My heart is in Arkansas!

Addie, Madie and Karly

How cute are they? Addie went with me to pick up the girls from school one day. I had told my girls that morning that I would have a surprise for them when I picked them up, it was Addie.
They screamed when they opened the door and saw Addie. It was precious. Karly said "oh Addie you are a great surprise". She is so easy to love!

Proud to be an American

My exchange student, Bel asked me if I wanted to live in another country because the election did not go the way I voted. Now I have not said one bad thing about our new president elect in front of her but she asked me that this morning. Of course I said "NO, I am still proud to be an American". I am so disappointed when I hear people talk so bad about him in front of their kids or anyone. Before the election you say your opinion after the election you pray and support. You look at the positive. I want my kids to respect whoever is the president period. Now when he disappoints me with decisions he makes I will discuss that with them but still. It is important to me that my kids are supportive and proud to live in a democratic society. As for his color, I could careless what color he is. I may someday have a child by adoption that is that colored. Color had nothing to do with my voting. So I am still proud to be an America!
Oh, I have to add this, the other night they were discussing his abortion stand and Karly looked at me and said "Mom what is an abortion?". Oh it was so sad to have to tell her what that means. The look on her face was of pure shock. She just couldn't understand why someone would ever do that. It was one of those moments as a parent that you hate to see them growing up and learning about sin. OH it broke my heart. It opened up a great discussion on making wise choices.

Election day 2008

Ok so every presidential election I think I am going to early vote this time BUT I never do. Four years ago it took me 20-30 minutes at 5 on election day. Today Karl went to vote at like 8ish and called me to get dressed and come vote that no one was in our line. I got out of my truck at 8:40 and back in my truck at 8:52, 12 minutes and that included talking to Karl as I was walking in and then telling him goodbye as I was leaving. (YES there was kissing involved haha).
It was great. I wanted to take Bel our exchange student with me to see the process but needed her to stay home with the girls. She thinks this whole process is so interested. She is so shocked by the commercials that are so nasty. She doesn't understand why it matters who you know, where you were born, your morals, why it matters if you have cheated on your wife.... "She said why does that mean you won't make a good president?".
Karly's teacher gave her several worksheets on the election process. It was very interesting to sit and do it with her as we had the news on this morning as they were talking about the electoral votes. I think it really helped her learning it. She has an amazing teacher (Mrs. Davis). I must say I am so proud of education the girls are getting and I love relearning all this stuff with them. Although most days I don't feel smarter then my fifth grader. What am I going to do when she is in high school?? Tutors!
Well this time tomorrow we will have a new president. I don't know who it will be but God does. I also don't know if my guys wins if it will make that big of a difference in where we are going as a country. I do know this that no matter who wins, I need to commit to pray for our president and our country more because God is able to do above and beyond what I could ask or think. I might pray harder if my guy doesn't win but really I should pray hard either way.

Trick or Treat 2008

We had so much fun with our small group. We went trick or treating in the Peter's neighborhood.
Karl dressed up like a mechanic and I went in my PJ's. I was nice and warm.

Karly was a spa girl who had just gotten a facial and her hair rolled.

Madie is not Sarah Palin but a report for MGM channel 8. She was too cute!

Isabel carved her first pumpkin and I think this was her first time to go trick or treating.

The best part was roasting the seeds.

Walden's Farm 2008

My Madie 8 years old
I love this picture of the my girls, so cute!
Family picture on top of a hay mountain.
Karl and Madie (notice the tree behind them? amazing)
My 5th grader, Karly!
It is officially fall when we take a trip out to Walden's Farm to pick out pumpkins and enjoy all the fun the farm has to offer.

Holiday in Gatlinburg 2008

Ruth the tree hugger!
Us girls feeding the ducks behind our condo. It was so beautiful.
My Madie taking mommy for a little ride. She is so precious!!
This was about an hour into the park and I totally got sick on this ride and was sick the rest of the day but I kept going and going.....
This was my sweet husband painting my nails. I asked and he did it. We had way to much time on our hands and now I have way to much paint on my hands.

We had a great vacation or 'Holiday' as Isabel would call it. We are have a great time getting to know Isabel. She is a very sweet, funny girl. She fits perfectly with our family.

Proud Mommy

Karly receiving an award for Honor Roll and Perfect Attendance.
Madie received three awards: Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance and the one we were most proud of she was picked as The Timber Wolf for all of the Third Grade. Timber Wolf is a character trait that they are working on for that six weeks. She got most responsible, our Madie most responsible. WOW!!
This is Karly's science project an edible animal cell, yum! She is turning it in Friday, so we do not know what her grade is yet.
Madie and Karly on their first day of school August 11th 2008.
This was Karly's reading project and book report on "Spring Break". It was so good. The girl could not go on the Washington trip because she broke her leg. So Karly printed off pictures of Washington and hung them from the ceiling over the girl, like she was dreaming of being there. It was so cute. She got an "A" on her project. Way to go Karly!

Fall Break

Ok so I am so excited about Fall Break. I have not had this many days off in a row in over 4 years, since I was a stay at home mom. So I am elated to say the least...... I love my new job even more at this point. I really do love it. It is going really good. Darlene my assistant is a huge help!! I am so proud of my teachers they work so hard in their classrooms. I love how they take care of getting a sub for themselves if they have to be out. They are so creative in the classroom.

Today and yesterday the Fire Department visited us for Fire Safety month. Most of the kids enjoyed it but of course several were very scared of them. The firemen decided to make me the Ginni pig and put me in the outfit from the boots, to the oxygen tank and the mask. OK well I am very claustrophobic. I was seriously about to panic in the suite but I did it. Oh man am I glad I am not a fireman. Yuk it was an awful feeling. The whole thing almost weight as much as I do. I hated it but the kids were not scared of me so it accomplished what they were trying to do.
Of course my teachers were taking pictures of me looking so lovely as a firemen. So sorry I don't have one to post.

Picture of Isabel

Me and my three girls!

Karly, Madie, Me and Isabell playing a game.

Don't I just look like the mother of three children or more?????

We are going to have another daughter, Isabel!

Ok so if you haven't heard, we are going to have a third daughter tonight!! We are so excited we have been wanting to get an exchange student since July but it just did not work out. But a student got place in a family that was just a single lady with no kids. The student wanted a mom and a dad with siblings. Her parents are divorced and she has no siblings. She already goes to the school in our district, which is with in walking distance of our house. So we are getting her. We met her last night and she is precious. The lady she has been living with just cried, she is going to miss her so bad. So we went home and moved Madie into Karly's room so that Isabel can have her own room. The girls just loved her. All three of them had the biggest smiles on their faces, there was lots of giggling.

I know there will be challenges in the next year and it will not all be roses but we are so excited about having a teenager daughter for the year. Keep us all in your prayers. I will post pictures soon. She is a doll.

Facebook

Ok so my best friends from college (Ashley, Deborah and Deborah) talked me into starting a Facebook page. Like I have time for this, like I even know how to do it. I don't understand how to find friends, how to add all that cute stuff, add pictures nothing. So tonight I get the lap top and think I will play with it and try to figure some stuff out and it won't do anything. Just my luck!

Oh thanks Ashley Z. I did get my maiden name on there like you said. Yeah now more folks can find me. My question is do we really want to be found? If we haven't stayed in touch with them in 18 years why now???

We have become reality junkies on tv and now we are becoming blog and myspace, facebook junkies. I wonder what Freud would say about that?

Worship at FBC

Ok so yesterday Karl and I went to worship together. It was great we were in there before the music even started. We got to hear Jason do the announcements and we stayed until the very end. I now understand about the traffic issues that I never saw because I was there at 8 and did not leave until 12:30ish.

Wow what a difference to sit in there and just be able to worship. It was refreshing and much needed. We will get back to volunteering but for now we are going to just worship.

"My God is mighty to save" wow what a song. Oh I loved it and I know HE loved it.

Last Summer Blast

I forgot to post that Madie turned 8 years old. We did not do a party this year but did take her out to dinner and of course she had to have her best buddy over, Izzy! The Chapman's bought them matching outfits for her birthday. They looked so cute!!

Autumn, Bethany, Madie, Emily and Karly a day with cousins!
Reagan and Nicolas big 2!
Madie and Mommy relaxing!
This was while Madie was still happy tubing right before the big flip.

The girls and I had one last summer blast before school started. Here are a few pictures we took while visiting the family.

The twins turned 2 so we got to be at their birthday party.

My brother Rick got a new boat so he took us for a boat ride it was so relaxing, just what I needed.

The next day we took all the kids out to the water park/amusement park. We opened the park up at 11 and closed it down at 8. So much fun.

Then back to reality for us. School started and my first day at CLC started. We had a great first week. I am so going to love my new schedule. It was so nice to come home each day and do homework with the girls and start on dinner. It is the little things that make you so happy. It felt good for my family to be my main focus once again. Tomorrow Karl and I are going to go to worship together. We are going to be able to sit through the whole service. I can't wait!!

Wise and Foolish Builders

Remember the fun song:
"The wise man build his house upon a rock,
the wise man build his house upon a rock,
the wise man build his house upon the rock
the rains came down and the floods came up
But the house on the rock stood firm".
The foolish man build his house upon the sand
the rains came down and the floods came up
and the house on the sand went splat!!!!

I loved that song when I was in children's church and I still will sing it in preschool worship.
My quiet time this morning was from Matthew 7:24-25 which is Jesus speaking about the wise and foolish builders.

I have heard this all my life and I knew what it meant but last night I watched Larry King and saw it, the Chapman's are living it. They have build a firm foundation and the rains and the floods have come and will continue to come but they are who Jesus was speaking of "the wise who build on the rock".

Don't you love God's word, it is so amazing!

Decisions....Decisions

Well I have not blogged in awhile and let me explain why: Ok so in the last month we have made some big decisions. I have resigned from my current position at FBC to take another position at FBC. I will now be our Creative Learning Center director which is our Mother's day out program. The main reason for this change is that the schedule will be much more "mommy friendly". That brings me to our other big decision, after 7 years we have finally started our paper work to adopt a daughter from China!!! To say we are excited is an understatement, to say we are nervous another understatement, but knowing that we are finally obeying God's plan feels amazing.
I know I am going to get lots of questions like why China? why another girl? why at our age? All I can say to all of those questions is 7 years ago when Izzy Chapman came home Karl and I both felt it so strongly that we were going to go to China and get our daughter. Even as I type this tears are running down my face because she is not even born and yet I love her and can't wait to bring her home. I have no idea how we are going to afford it but I totally know God will provide as he always does. So pray for us as we are on a very long journey. Right now it is 24 to 28 months even possible 30 months. I would love to get her by December 2010, she would make a great 40th birthday present.

TPAC Recital 2008

Karly's Recital 2008
She did a beautiful job dancing again this year. Of course we were so proud of her. My parents were able to come back to see her perform. She looked so graceful out there. She says this is it that she wants to try basketball which is fine. Whatever she wants to try is fine by us as long as she keeps her commitment to it. So I guess next year I will have pictures of her shooting hoops instead of dancing. That will be different. Karl will probably enjoy basketball much more.

Goodbye Brett and Susie

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Today was the last day of VBS and Ms. Susie's last day at the office. Brett and Susie Cox are some of the dearest people. They have an amazing way of making everyone feel loved and special, especially children. My girls adore them both. They love to come to the office with me so they could go see Ms. Susie. They loved to have sleep overs at their house, of course they would have ice cream and candy for breakfast. But that was ok because it was Susie. I love to give Susie a hard time about Madie's bad teeth and all the candy she has given her over the last four years but really I never minded. Because along with the candy was lots of love. When you don't have family around it is so nice to have people like Brett and Susie who will come to plays or dance or cheer leading. Thanks for always coming to their events.


Susie asked me the other day why does God allow you to make such special relationships with so many people and then he takes them away from you. Mrs. Susie I have thought about that a lot and this is what I have come up with. You and Brett have touch so many lives at FBC. So many families love you and all those families will be praying for you. I know my girls will remind me every night "pray for Brett and Susie". Also the kids in Brazil are going to be so blessed to have you in their lives. Every hug, every smile, every time you show them love you are showing them God. Don't get me wrong, I so wish we could keep you but I know God has an amazing plan for you. Don't forget to start a blog so we can check in with you. We love you both dearly!

VBS 2008

Karly's Crew

Madie's Crew

VBS is going great!!! Our theme this year is Power Lab.

The kids are learning where true power comes from-God. It has been so much fun.

Today we learned that God gives us the power to be brave just like Peter was when he stepped out of the boat to walk on water. I love that story. Can you imagine how scary that one step was? We learned that somethings either sink or float and Peter floated on the water as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus his power source. I know VBS is for the kids but man I love the basic messages of the Bible that continue to speak to me, no matter how many times I hear them.

The coolest thing today was I did this science experiment in second worship testing things that would sink or float. So in case you were wondering, a lemon will float but a lime will sink.

A peeled orange will sink but an unpeeled orange will float. The one that I just don't get was a regular coke will sink but a diet coke will float. So we decided to see if Pepsi was different but nope, regular Pepsi floated and diet sunk. I don't get it!!

Tomorrow is our salvation message. So please pray for our kids that they will listen with their ears but more importantly with their hearts.