CHRISTmas 2010

We were blessed to be able to go to NM for Christmas (a seven hour drive was a breeze compare to the  24 hours one we took a few years back!).  We were running late to church (which is an hour from my home town), so I wasn't able to get as many pictures as I normally do.  (My family was happy about that - I've been told on many occasions that I take TOO many pictures.  I could think of worse habit to have! :))  I did still managed to capture a few....

Since we are home a lot (homeschooling), we tend to live in sweats...so it's a nice to dress up. :)

                                                     Me and my handsome guys....

It's hard to believe she's in soccer and TKD...she looks like a princess.  She's a perfect balance (in my eyes!)...plays hard, but cleans up well. :)

Landon enjoying some R & R time (relaxing and reading)....with a blazing fire from his Ipad. Too funny... :)

Payton outside hoping the snow would continue....it didn't happen.  But, that was okay, she got to ride Rusty (Tata's horse).

20 Years of Gummy Bears

Max and I just celebrated our 20 year anniversary.  It was a wonderful celebration with lots of reminiscing, an amazing dinner (at the same restaurant where we celebrated our first anniversary!), laughter and tears (he presented me with a beautiful Italian charm bracelet, and wrote what each charm meant and how he felt about me).  Let's just say, I wish I would have worn water proof mascara. :)  He had to leave on a short TDY this morning (a business trip), and as I was hiding his gummy bears and a note in his bag, it occured to me just how many packages he's eaten in the past 20 years.  I began this "sweet" gesture when we first married, knowing everyone needs a sweet treat when they travel. Since he grew up in Germany, these were his favorite candy (and of course it has to be Haribo, not some generic American brand!) :)  I'm not trying to say that gummy bears are the reason for 20 years of marriage. Everyone knows that's marriage is about: compromise, communication, not focusing on flaws (since we all have them!), putting each other first, not sweating the small stuff, etc. - but making them feel special (because they are!) with random acts of thoughtfulness and kindness, helps. So, gummy bears are just a tool I use, to show the most wonderful husband in the world how much I love and appreciate him!

My Birthday Girl

We celebrated Payton's 12th birthday last week. What a fun, loooooong day! She was up at 4:00 am unable to sleep anticipating the day ahead. And, when Payton wakes up...so does everyone else. (she doesn't intentionally wake us up...it just happens!).  I don't think anyone loves and appreciates birthdays more than my daughter.  As a matter of fact...her future husband needs to know this. :)

The absolute best part of her day is "horsing around." It was definitely easier to carry this tradition on in Tucson. This was the 7th year Max and I have scrambled, searched, begged, etc. to get this young lady a horse ride. Thank you, God, for providing this very special treat, for this very special girl. (Yes, I'm bias!)  ;)

 ...and she's off!

Once again, a homemade cake was requested.  My choices were limited.  In the past, I've made a horse head,  horse shoe, horsed in corals, etc.  So this year I decided to turned to the western attire. (Plus anyone that knows Payton...she lives in her boots!)  Max still teased me saying, "what a great hammer!" :) 

Happy Birthday, angel girl. It seemed like yesterday that you sat on your very first saddle....

May God bless you!  I love you VERY much!!

Thankful Book & Grandparents

This was the first time in 13 years that my kids got to spend a holiday with both sets of grandparents (Oma was with us in our thoughts. We sure miss her!). It was a wonderful day with lots of food, laughter, and as usual at the Maxwell House....a board game marathon! :)

                                     Landon showed up in his suit. It was nice to see he had his dress pants on, too. Okay....I'll explain. Max started us on a goofy tradition years ago. (We only do it if it's just the four of us! :)) One Thanksgiving, as I went to sit down at the table, he was already sitting there looking quite sharp with a coat and tie on! (I was pleasantly surprised because he hates dressing up.) I complimented him on how nice he looked, and he just sat there soaking up all the compliments. Well, it was to my (second) surprise, that when dinner was over and he got up from the table....the bottom half was not quite as sharp - he was wearing work out shorts and tennis shoes!! Ah...that man of mine. :) He enjoyed pulling that one off ...so the following year, the three of them showed up at our Thanksgiving dinner dressed in the same manner. I ended up joining in. :)

Years ago, I started a "Thankful Book." I never wanted to forget all of God's blessings throughout the year....so, to make sure that wouldn't happen, we started writing them down. It's a sweet reminder of all He's done in our lives. It's one of my treasures!

The napkin rings I made, says it all - Blessings!

Veteran's Day

I was the POC (point of contact, for you civilians!) ;) for our homeschool Veteran's Parade. It was a beautiful day. There were many veterans that lined the streets of Tucson. Some old, some young, some stood proud, some sat in wheel chairs...all are heroes. As we marched, I was honored to shake their hands, and the lump in my throat grew, as I saw the tears trickle down their humble, worn faces. I pray we blessed them with this simple gesture.

The theme of this year's parade was "Honoring Tucson's Fallen Heroes." It was heart wrenching as I typed the names of these very young men who made the ultimate sacrifice!


They Did Their Share


 On Veteran’s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.

Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it’s been many years;

In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.

Some came back; some didn’t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.

No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.

Let every veteran be honored;
Don’t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can’t repay.

We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let’s say "thank you" to every wearer.

By Joanna Fuchs

Tim Hawkins

For the past three years, I have checked Tim Hawkins website hoping he would be performing close enough to where we could take Payton (his #1 fan!). This past summer, I found out he was coming to Tucson! So for three months, I've held onto tickets.  She knew something was up our sleeve when we told her she wasn't going to soccer practice. She was ecstatic that she was going to see him live.  I tell you what.....we laughed so hard it hurt! At one point during the show, I got my composure long enough to look over at my family.  I then lost it again, at what I witnessed - Payton was hunched over holding her stomach, Max had tears running down his face, and Landon was as red as a tomato from the laughter. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard. He is hilarious!! If he is ever at a church in your area...pay the money, and be ready to laugh until you cry! What a wonderful gift/ministry God gave him, to be able to support his family....by making people laugh. :)

A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. – Proverbs 17:22

God will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. - Job 8:21

 Job knew what he was talking about. :)

Fall & Football

Our homeschool group had a fun activity planned for the teens. We drove over an hour to get to the  largest corn maze we'd ever been to. The event took place at night, so the kids needed flashlights to make their way through the maze. Unfortunately, my camera was acting up (it was probably the photographer's error!?!), so all my night shots didn't turn out. (sigh....)

Thank you, my sweet children, for pacifying me and not complaining while I reminisce our many trips to the pumpkin patch. :)

  When Max was little, his oma would tell him the angels were baking cookies when the sky was lit up with all the beautiful sunset colors. To this day, he still reminds us. ;)

  U of A's Homecoming game. It was lots of fun.

Payton claimed she always wanted a "foam finger." However, I was shocked when she

purchased it, instead of the nachos she soooooooo badly wanted. Food is usually her number one choice! :) However, Landon can never understand his sister's purchases. He's so practical and disciplined when it comes to money.

These smiles were legitimate. Jack-in-the Box offered two tacos to everyone at the game if the Wild Cats would score 33 points. Well they did, so we were off to get our tacos.

Family Hike

On October 11th, we observe Christopher Columbus for discovering America. Over five hundred years later, the Maxwell's were out to explore Finger Rock Mountain. :) Unfortunately, we got off the trail and never made it to the top. (I was whinny because it was getting hot, so we headed back home.) We will attempt it another day. Here are a few pictures of a beautiful Tucson morning.

                                    The hike begins....
                              

                                  "Hey, children...stop for a picture!"

                     We still have a ways to go....

                               time to rest.....

                                       water break..

Max carried our Charlie when the brush was too thick. Isn't he a wonderful daddy? :)

Until next time, Finger Rock.....

Desert Creatures

I had forgotten how many creatures live right in our backyard....or, as in the last photo, right in our house.  Here are just a few I captured....

A mama dove....

and her soon to be babies....

                  Unfortunately, a 20 foot high home wasn't safe enough - the eggs disappeared after a few days....(sigh).

 A tadpole's beautifully decorated home...by Payton. :)

Yeah, this one survived! Introducing...."Mr. frog!"(or Mrs.?) It's taken residency in our neighbor's pond.

Meet our free tenants living underneath our deck! Apparently, javalinas could be dangerous, but these guys didn't look like a threat - they just needed shade! They sure did scare the daylights out of me when I heard a noise and peered under our deck to see what it was!!

It wouldn't be the desert without the dreaded scorpion! ;)

Back in School...

The title explains why I haven't posted in awhile. :) Summer came and went, and we've been back in school for three weeks. The summer was especially quick for us with the move and remodeling. And, now it's back to reality (my family hates that word! I use it after a vacation, and they all snarl at me!). :) Anyhow, I love the break from school (as I'm sure everyone does), but I also love getting back to routine.

                                                   Payton working on vocabulary.

Landon labeling the world. A skill he accomplished a few years ago, and I will not let him forget it.  :)

                                       A few pictures of our homeschool room.

                               We meet in our hs room, but they also have desks in their room for their independent work (and peace and quiet for us all!).  :)

                                                       just "some" of our books... ;)


The kids have a packed year ahead of them. They have some challenging subjects and some enjoyable one. We all work very hard - it's what the Lord expects, so we always try to give Him our very best! Our learning might begin in the pages of a book....but they spiral to places that are so much more rewarding. It's such a joy and honor to watch my children grow daily. I'll never say it's easier, but they are SO worth the time invested!

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalms 32:8).

Pool Fun

L&P are a perfect age for a pool. I REALLY hated this body of water in the back yard when they were toddlers! I am very protective (those who know me, might say "over" protective, and that's okay! :)). But when you live in Tucson and read about all the drownings, it is frightening! As soon as they became  mobile, they wore a life vest every time we were outside. Those vests became part of their summer attire. (There wasn't, and still isn't, any negotiating when it comes to safety!) Another reason the vest were so important was...we had a large German Shepard, Rocky, who would not tolerate anything or anyone in the water. So we knew if one of them would accidentally fall in the pool, Rocky needed something to grab hold of, so he could pull them out. He was the best lifeguard ever! He ruined 'lots' of pool toys, floats, etc. But well worth the peace of mind to us! :) 

I couldn't resist a picture of the cutest babies in the world! :)

Attitude

I love this quote - and hoping it will bless someone!  (Of course it will be posted in our homeschool room, but not only for the children...... :))

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.”


- Charles Swindoll

Family Camping Trip

We had a great time camping with our family in NM. The weather, company, and food were perfect! (Why does everything taste better in the great outdoors?!)  The funny thing is, Payton is the only one who caught fish! She caught four using a Barbie fishing rod that she borrowed from her little cousin. Thanks Uncle Mike and Auntie Mary for accommodating us. I forgot to take a picture of their camping trailor, but let's just say....they don't rough it anymore. We camped in style!

Our proud fisherman  girl....

Landon, Uncle Ruben, Auntie Noelle and James not giving up on fishing (notice Uncle Ruben using the Barbie pole...he's trying his luck!) :)

Landon playing the guitar. It was nice, even without the campfire. :)

An Uno game with cousins.....

Imagine that? Landon reading.

A watermelon with a face. :)