Resurrection Sunday 2011

We had a wonderful day celebrating our Risen Savior! Our church put on a beautiful musical. (I LOVE my new church! It took months to find after moving back, but it was so worth the wait.) We had a wonderful brunch on base and then spent the rest of the day spending time as a family. Each year, I'm more humbled as I reflect on what my Savior went through for me: betrayal, torture, separation from His Father and death. It's hard to think about the immense pain and suffering He went through.  The days leading up to His resurrection are somber. But today, it's a celebration of Him concurring the grave!  It's a day to celebrate and thank Him.




A quick snap shot before service.

Getting ready on Good Friday for our time of communion.  This Bible is the only antique we brought back from Germany.  It's from the 1800's.

Payton baking a cake for her family....

...and this is just a glimpse of the crumbs that were through out the kitchen. :)

The beautiful results!

I don't know which is sweeter...the cake or my daughter?   :)

Why the Ties?

My parents came for a visit and brought a couple of my nieces and my nephew.  They ALL had a great time.  The real kick was taking them to Pinnacle Peaks on their last day (it was my dad's 71st birthday and his FAVORITE place to eat!).  We told the kids that they had to wear a tie, or they weren't allowed to go in.  But the truth is, ties aren't allowed in this cowboy steak house!  So in the middle of dinner the waitress comes and tells them they are law breakers, and their ties have to be cut off!  My older niece, Destiny, looked at me and said, "This is uncle Max's tie, they can't cut if off!"  I reassure her they were old (and very out-dated) ties that I keep around just for Pinnacle Peaks.  :)

A BIG Day!

 Landon got his driver's permit!

  He will start off slowly (in terms of how much he'll drive...but, I'm especially refering to his speed!).  He drove a little around the base after we got his permit, and also drove us to Payton's soccer practice.  I have to say...he's doing really well!  And that's a HUGE complement coming from me, the worse back-seat driver around.

He passed his test with  flying colors.  I told him he's lucky he didn't have to take a driver's test in Germany! It was one of the most painful experiences I've had. It was worse than a root canal...(without anesthesia!).

A picture is worth a thousand words..... :)

A Torturous Day

When you are a homeschool mom, your kids are "always" with you.  However, there is one place I don't  allow my kids to go with me - and that is....the torturous grocery store! (I took them when they were babies, but when they were older, they stayed home with daddy or sat at a table in the commissary with a book.)  I figured, if they didn't know what was available, they wouldn't know what they were missing. Well yesterday, I was on base and needed Landon's strength to load lots of water for me. So instead of getting dropped off at the library, he went with me. I soon realized it was nice having him push the heavy cart while I shopped.  It didn't take long for the torture to begin! The kid was suffering. He drooled as he walked down the isles. He couldn't believe all the wonderful junk food he has missed out on. He felt neglected!  I laughed as he gave me a scenario of every meal he planned on eating when he moves out on his own. (I told him to invite me over!) :)  Seriously, my kids know (I've told them enough times!)...that when I'm no longer responsible for his health, they will make their own decisions on what they eat. However, it's my job to teach them the importance of a healthy lifestyle - and a "treat" (Mr. Webster's definition: treat - noun an occurrence that causes special pleasure or delight; something considered choice to eat;)...not a lifestyle!

Anyway, he did fess up and tell me that he appreciates me keeping them healthy, and that he will always have junk food in moderation, like we do now. I guess only time will tell.  :)

 I did cave in, and he left with his very own large bag of (fried, not baked!) spicy Doritos. :)

Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day!  It's a day we set aside and show our loved ones what they mean to us.  When Max and I were first married we used to go out for a nice dinner. We soon realized ...Valentine's night was crazy! The wait was long, the service was bad, prices were inflated, etc. So instead, I started making a special dinner for us. I pulled out the china, lit the candles, and we exchanged beautiful cards and small meaningful gifts. Then we had kids. Ah, we now have to change our plans? Wrong. Why would we? Isn't this day about love? The only thing I changed, is the menu. The fancy meal was replaced with a heart shaped meatloaf. (Which "real" beef is a treat for them, since I typically use ground turkey for everything.)  :) We have always received homemade cards or a poem from the kids (although, Landon's have now gone digital!).  The kids get to open their long awaited coupon books I make. (I blogged about these books last Feb.).

 We end our grateful day with thanking our Lord for His "perfect love" and our love for each other.

Arizona Skiing

Skiing in Arizona is wonderful!!  We are only four hours from the mountain, and we get to ski during the week, so the place is empty And, I don't have to freeze to death, because we're in Arizona!  Love it!  The kids are begging for another trip.  We'll see if it happens.

                                             A beautiful sunny day!

Kids ready to hit the slopes....mama waiting for the sun to come out.  It did! :)

Landon staring at the vending machine, debating if he wants to part with his $. 

                 Payton taking a hot chocolate break. (She on the other hand, is always ready to part with her money for yummy food/drink.)  ;)

                                   Landon at 15....

.....12 years earlier, at three.  What a cutie pie! :) 

Tournaments

We had back to back tournaments.  Payton's soccer team played in the 21st annual soccer tournament here in Tucson.  They were thrilled to get to play the "highlight" game.  The field was beautiful and it with an actual score board - they even got their names announced over the intercom.  The dad who introduced them asked us to send him our daughter's nick names.  So it was fun to hear "Payton Shnookums Maxwell."  :)

 They didn't win the game, but they sure played like professionals.

                     Nice kick....

                     Run, Payton, run!

The following weekend, we drove out to Albuquerque for a Tae Kwon Do tournament.  It was such a blessing to have my whole family there to route them on.  They've never had that.  Their coach and a couple other students from their class also flew in.  There were no knock outs, so I was happy!  :)

               A nice picture before they got sweaty. :)

Landon placed second in forms.  (Of course we were all bias and thought he deserved first!)  :)

He's now getting ready to spar.  He didn't win, but he did well for not competing in several years.  This is just the first of many tournaments. Their new school competes often. 

Payton getting ready for forms.  She didn't win, because she forgot one move. She's done that form a million times...but all it takes is one mistake.   

......but she won in sparring, so she was happy.  I'm still hoping they will change their interest.  Ballet and golf is what I'm still routing for. It's so much safer. :)

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.