My girls, the bookworms

We rely on the library pretty heavily for enjoyment around here! We have gone at least once a week for the year we've been here, so far. We love storytime on Thursdays and getting to do a craft that goes along with the story for that day. The deal we've made is that if Abigail and Anna sit quietly during storytime, then they each get to check out a movie. They love this tradition, and LOVE picking out 5 books a piece each week. Anna's favorite is "The Jolly Postman" where there are envelopes glued to pages with postcards, letters, etc. We've had that one at least 5 times...Anna can ALWAYS find it among the many shelves!! Now that Aliza is more mobile, she has gotten into the habit of pulling books off the shelves by the dozen! All my girls are bookworms! The summer reading program started Thursday, and they are SO excited! We read books everyday together, but now have to record them in their Reading Log for prizes each week. Abigail and Anna were "reading" the other day while I was cooking supper, and shouted, "Where's my Reading Log? We read our books". So if you see us out in the yard on a blanket, look closely...there might be a book in our hands! We've had to stop having our picnic lunches in the yard because the ants terrorize us!! Maybe they'll leave us alone if we are only reading!

Abigail's Dance

Abigail with her dance instructors, Ms. Dana and Miss Shaun.

We have been so blessed by Abigail participating in dance at Cathedral Oaks Dance Arts this year. Each week during class, Ms. Dana shared a devotion with them, they prayed, and often times the girls would lead the prayer time. Girls 4-6 years old!!!!!! She has learned MUCH more than dance technique this year! Last weekend was CODA's Dance Recital. Unfortunately, 3 hours before she was to perform the Friday night show, Abigail came down with a nasty stomach bug (the same one Aliza got 48 hours before, and Anna got 4 hours earlier that day). She was crushed to miss it, but clearly was looking out for her fellow dance friends. "I don't want to throw up on stage and get everybody else sick", she said to me an hour before she was to get ready. She rested all night and the next day, pulling herself together to dance for Saturday's show. All of the songs at the recital were praise and worship songs, and these dancers of all ages just took your breath away by the way they lifted their bodies in praise to The King! For the finale, the Prince of Egypt theme song, When You Believe, played as all the dancers held hands and spiraled the stage. "There can be miracles, when you believe"...dancers tiny and tall lifted their arms praising God....it was phenomenonal! I could hardly see Abigail through my tears of joy, but she was up there, with her graceful arms, reaching toward heaven.

For Outreach Week (this past Wed.) they went to a local nursing home and performed their dances for the residents. They adapted well to a much smaller "stage" and just did wonderfully! After the 4 classes were done, the dance students were encouraged to mingle. I was so touched by Abigail who walked RIGHT over to a gentleman, shared her scarf with him and the two of them just played together. She was so gentle with him as if she sensed he was frail. He was so cooperative and played and danced right along with her. My, how God uses our children!

30 Reasons I Love My Husband

Happy 30th Birthday (May 2) and 9th Anniversary (May 6), Louis

1. He seeks God's Will for his life and loves serving Him!
2. He adores his 3 daughters.
3. He never thinks my ideas are
bad, even when they turn out to be.
4. He doesn't seem to mind my organizing and re-organizing, and re-re-organizing, until I'm happy with it. He just always asks "Where's ________? without looking first!
5. He has a way with preaching so that ALL can relate and understand- He's never over your head!
6. He's a terrible speller, and ALWAYS makes me feel needed!!
7. He praises me often.
8. He is sensitive, and I appreciate this quality about him.
9. The first time we met at band camp in 1995, he was just as shy and nervous as I was.
10. We can always find something to talk about.
11. He isn't critical of my absent-mindedness, and I have a lot of that!
12. He often goes after food requests of mine, at any time of the day.
13. He's good to clean house "just because".
14. He'll take all 3 girls to McDonald's for a playdate if I'm not feeling good.
15. He makes accomodations for us to be together as much as he can.
16. He keeps the grass mowed, the trash out, and the bills paid on time!
17. He talks out loud as he plans his day so I know where he'll be and when, in case I need him.
18. He can be silly with the girls when I don't feel like acting so silly.
19. He is the perfect Daddy of daughters!
20. He supports me in more ways that I can count.
21. He often ends up giving me my gifts early, because he's just too excited to wait.
22. He is spontaneous.
23. He is always looking for ways to make things better.
24. He likes simple things.
25. He loves being outdoors as a family.
26. He has molded some of his interests to fit what we like.
27. He has painted fingernails, put up hair, and has participated in tea parties with his girls!
28. He makes the best french toast EVER!
29. He has eaten everything I've cooked, even when it hasn't turned out perfectly.
30. I love listening to him laugh and joking around with him. He TRULY is my best friend!

I love you SOOO much, Louis, and truly thank God for you daily!! I have been so richly blessed knowing you these past 14 years and have loved being your wife for 9 of those years!

Roses are Red, violets are blue...All things fun can cause injury, too

The first arrangement (2 red roses, 3 white lillies) is one that was on the alter at church in honor of my birthday from Louis and the girls. The second arrangement of a dozen roses was delivered Tuesday during Core Group time at Community Bible Study. One of my friends told the delivery guy, "Mari is the one whose face is all red". Louis was so thoughtful!! He managed to clean house, grill out, help the girls make me a birthday cake in between church meetings, and a function at church that night! Such a good husband, he is and I feel blessed!

Anna put Aliza in here "to keep her out of the kitchen cabinets", she said.

Pay no attention to Abigail's wardrobe choice, hehe!! She's enjoying our yard!!

Abigail and her new bike.

Here's Anna sporting her swelled face and bruise (notice the right side looking at her) from a mouth and nose injury 2 weeks ago. She was running and tripped hitting her mouth and nose on the kitchen step. Her inner lip was torn from her top gum line pretty badly, and though there was a tooth hemorrhage, she walked away with all her teeth and NO stitches! 2 hours upon returning from the doc, she fell off her bike busting her knee. So we played inside for a while, after I picked her up by the shoulders yelling, "Please stop hurting yourself, you are scaring your MAMA!"

Time to tell time

Abigail and Anna made their own clocks to practice telling time. We used paper plates, metal brads, scrap cardstock, number stickers, and crayons. They were proud of their work and even happier they could have their own clocks to play with! This was fun for us!

Aliza got to play with a clock too!

Valentine's Party with Homeschool Group

Lots of crafts and lots of busy hands creating!

Abigail makes her princess wand...she loves using the glitter glue a bit too much!
Anna paints her ceramic heart and about five more, as well!

This was our first time to attend the Homeschool Group and the girls got to meet some new friends, while particpating in a variety of crafts and games to celebrate Valentine's Day. We enjoyed a yummy soup/sandwich lunch, played outside on the huge Noah's Ark playground, and then all the children got to walk around and put Valntines in the monkey bags they made while at the party. The girls really enjoyed themselves and it was nice to visit with other homeschooling parents as well.