wrapping up

Well, the end of the school year is wrapping up....programs, awards assemblies and semester exams....Its almost like you wait all year for this moment and when it gets here it TAKES FOREVER!!!  This week has been so long....but filled with good things.  The boys had their last baseball game of the season last night...they lost, but they were soothed with the ever so delicious food of Don Juans :)  They had a good time, i hope, made some new friends and improved their baseball skills.  Rielyn gets to celebrate her birthday today at school since her's is in the summer....We got the roof finished and are starting on the carport....The mudroom/locker room is almost complete as well...Bryson got his results from the TAKS test...passed all three and commended on all three (that means you miss 2 or less)  He was pumped.  Keldyn has a meet the author tea today at school....all year long the 2nd graders have been composing poetry and today they are presenting it at a tea for the parents...he is in jeans a long sleeve yellow shirt and a pink tie....He went all out for it::) he's very excited.  I am ready for summer....love spending that time with my family and my kids...hope everyone is doing good....

so...i prayed

Ok, for  the past two mornings, I have not slept well...woke up Wednesday morning at 4:30 and today at 3:45 AND CAN'T GO BACK TO SLEEP....today however was different....i woke up with a casting crowns song in my head, not sure which one, and then feeling the need to pray for a girl i went to school with and her daughter...does God do that...wake you up to pray for someone?  i had the feeling that someone, somewhere was crying and that they needed to be comforted!  So...i prayed.  It's not that this girl and i are close or ever were close but for some reason her story and what is happening to her daughter is tearing my heart out...i think bc i have a 5 yr old daughter and i can't even imagine what she is going through.  so...i prayed.  as it turns out, i found out this morning that the little girl was flown to Little Rock last night bc of high fever and a rash ...did not know this this morning when i woke up...GOD DOES THAT!  HE WAKES YOU UP TO PRAY FOR PEOPLE!  I believe in the power of prayer and this little girl is going to pull through so that one day she can be used in a mighty way!

Oy!

So, I had an ear ache two weeks ago, sharp pain when I bent over...felt alot like swimmers ear. So I did the whole alcohol thing (putting in my ear, not drinking it) and in a few days the pain went away...HOWEVER, my hearing went away with it.  For the past two weeks, I have had muffled earning...to the point that my students ask "Why are you yelling at us?"  I had David check it (he is the doctor at our house since we dont EVER go to them) and he couldn't see any swelling or redness (and yes we actually do have one of those ear checky thingys....actually Marla does, but we have access to it).  Another week goes by, still no hearing.  I decided to make an appointment to much persistance from our school nurse and low and behold....Sinus infection, ear infection , fluid at the base of the ear drum and the passage way that goes from your ear drum to wherever else in your body is closed.  A shot, a nose spray and an antibiotic later....hopefully, I'm on the mends.  A coach friend reminded me that she was glad we caught it now and not like poor Keldyn who had a sinus infection for over a year and we never knew so we never did anything about it!  Ready for summer to be here!

Play Ball!

Pre-Game picture...posing

Bryson at bat

Bryson in the field

Keldyn in the field

Keldyn at bat

Rielyn playing 3rd base

POSING!

ready to run on 2nd base

This spring, all three of our kiddos played baseball/t-ball.  This was a first for us...having all three involved in some type of activity.  We are firm believers that kids do too, too much these days.  For us, their lives should not be consumed of one practice after another....they need time to just be kids.  It doesn't last long and we want them to enjoy it as long as they can.  It's hard though, as a parent, to not get caught up in the who was on all-stars last year, etc, etc mentality.  And being as competitive as David and I both are, it is really hard (board games are on lockdown bc inevitably someone ends up on the couch!) (ok, i'm exaggerating a smidge)  Anyway, I'm not the bigges fan of baseball, it bores me actually, but I go and support my babies. AND IT BORES ME! BUT, I love watching my kids.  Rielyn spent most of the season putting dirt in her glove instead of the ball, but she could hit it and run pretty darn fast.  The boys struggled a bit at the beginning but are now getting pretty good and enjoying it.  I was taking pictures at their games the other day and I could not get Rielyn to stop posing for me....AS SHE WAS IN THE FIELD! (still not sure where she came from :)! )  I wanted to share the pics I did get though with you....Hope you have a great weekend!

Mom knows Best!

With much persistance by my mom, I am updating my blog :)  She informed me that she wants to know DAILY what we have been up to....Mom, I feel somedays like I have used up all my words, so daily may be tough, but I can do better.  So here goes:

my babies at Easter...they are getting too big too fast!

Popsicle time with some cousins:)

Mother's Day

first day on the lake of the year

the girls at the run....they are so excited...granted this is BEFORE they actually ran....the after pic was a little different :)

all the girls at the race

me and mine! according to Mark and Marla, she's a mini-me!

We have been super busy.  Track season is wrapping up and David has a long distance runner that has qualified in the mile AND the two mile.  SO, he will be spending his birthday Saturday in Austin, hopefully watching this young lady, who is a senior and are good friends of ours, win state!  The kids t-ball and baseball seasons are wrapping up as well.  Rielyn enjoys playing, but gets a little bored when she is in the field....likes to fill her glove with dirt!  The boys have done great. We sat out last year so they had some catching up to do and have improved a ton...they still love basketball the most (I can't imagine why!!!)  We celebrated mother's day with all of the schubert clan.  Keith and Meredith came in with their new baby Landry (who is totally cute) and Steph and Bryce came in with their new addition Casyn (He and I spent a lot of time together....sleeping!) and Tiff and her kiddos came in as well.  The girls participated in a mother's day dash.  Rielyn had been asking me to run a race and so we finally found time to do one together.  We are all relatively healthy (Rielyn had a spout of 5th's disease, but is on the mends) and doing well.  Lots of plans around the house for the summer (new pier, new boat house, pergolla down by the water, carport...Inside, new mud room, tile downstairs, new backsplash in kitchen, new countertop in laundry room, AND i'd like to paint the inside of my house and actually decorate it...NOT one of my strongsuits...decorating!!! we'll see how that goes)....We are ready for summer....ready for lazy days by the water, ready for sunsets on the back porch, ready for no papers to grade or lesson plans to prepare....ready for summer!

Love Wins....

Lately, I have been very concerned about the teachings of a new "preacher" Rob Bell.  Oh, he seems to be a super nice and sweet man, however, I'm not sure he has actually READ the Bible.  He has two books out and his latest one is called Love Wins.  There is a video of him promoting this book if you'd like to see it.  I have not read it, but from what I have read and have seen (articles from CNN and the video) I get that the basic essence of what he is saying is that God isn't really going to send people to hell.  That even if you don't believe in him and aren't baptized but you are a "good" person, he's not really going to send to you a place where you burn forever.  That earth is our hell and that everyone will go to heaven.  SO, I am intrigued (about what this guy is really teaching), concerned (that many people will believe what he is saying), worried (that people want the "easy to swallow" sermons....see my sisters blog for that).  Then this morning, I was doing my Max Lucado devotional and this is what it read....

The Standard
We are made holy through the sacrifice Christ made in his body once and for all time. Hebrews 10:10

Only the holy will see God.  Holiness is a prerequisite to heaven.  Perfection is a requirement for eternity.  We wish it weren't so.  We act like it isn't so.  We act like those who are "decent" will see God.  We suggest that those who try hard will see God. We act as if we're good if we never do anything too bad. And that goodness is enough to qualify us for heaven.
Sounds right to us, but it doesn't sound right to God. And he sets the standard.  And the standard is high.  "You must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt 5:48)
You see, in God's plan, God is the standard for perfection.  We don't compare ourselves to others; they are just as fouled up as we are.  The goal is to be like him; anything less is inadequate.  (He Still Moves Stones)

When I read this, I wanted to say TAKE THAT ROB BELL!!!  It is very scary for our society that a man, a false teacher, is becoming so popular and being taught in our churches!!!  It makes me more determined than ever to teach my own children the WORD of God, that was breathed onto the pages.  To let them know that no, there is not a fast food, easy to swallow version of the Bible.  And to be cautious of those who claim to be teaching God's word and to have discernment and wisdom.... for them and for me!

Spring Break 2011 - trip to Colorado

A gas station on Route 66...the history there is kind of interesting; we stayed in Tucumcari, NM - halfway to CO

loved this! there were actually 3 crosses but this is all we got

the Sobey's traveling to CO - our kids argued over who would get to ride with them...they have a 16 yr old son...HE LOVED when Rielyn rode with them LOL - said she talked too much :)

these rocks in NM were amazing...the colors were so distinct

a lake in NM - Aquauiu (SP?) was amazing, you are just driving along and then all of a sudden there this lake in the middle of the mountains - it was gorgeous

a day at the ski slopes - there were over 5000 people there

all smiles

my boys - after the first day....you can tell we are still working on balancing...by the end they were skiing blacks

all of us thanks to a nice lady - the sobey's were out on the slopes...we don't take these too often....

a view from the ski lift

Thursday we shopped in Pagosa Springs - this bear was HUGE

We just got back from our first ever family trip....we've gone on small trips but this was the first big trip we've done.  We went to Pagosa Springs CO and skiied Wolfe Creek Lodge.  The boys picked up skiing pretty quick; by the 3rd day they were skiing blacks....Keldyn of course was fearless - tips down the mountain, full speed...Bryson overanalyzed it at first (if you can believe that) but with some patient teaching from Scott he did great...Rielyn not so much at first but once we bought here the stretchy band for the front of her skiis she did great (blues on the last day).  We went with our friends from school (Scott, Dina and Tyler Sobey...Dina is the kids PE teacher and I teach Tyler in class and David has him for bball, Scott teaches in Pine Tree)...We had a blast...we left Saturday morning and got home Saturday morning.  David and i had been skiing early in our marriage and it was definitely different going as parents this time with our kiddos...it was so much fun seeing them have fun.  Funny how it becomes less about you when your kids are around....sometimes we need those reminders...they are with us for such a short time anyway.  Thanks Sobey's for letting us tag along!  We had so much fun! I think this will become an annual event for us!