Summer Time

We are having a wonderful, relaxing summer. We are enjoying the down time without all the activities, schedules, etc. The craziness will start up soon enough! 

Here are a few pics of summer. 

They are on their way to a Lua.

Aloha! :)

A movie in the middle of the day. A big treat.  (Notice Landon with the remote in his hand. Really? For a movie? I think it's a male's security blanket.)  :)

Somethings you just can't take off for the summer. Music is one.

I LOVE hearing my children play their music. But when they decide to play at the same time - heads phones are needed. They both use them, but I'm especially grateful when they're used on the electric guitar. I'm an acoustic gal myself.

Fortunate for Landon, we paid for an online SAT prep course for him this summer. (He tried to look at it as a burden during the summer, until I reminded him how blessed he is that we care to use our money to help him this way. I try to teach my kids to look at things as with a different heart when it comes to chores, school work, etc. We are so blessed we have the mind and physical health to do these things. There are so many people in the world that can't wash a dish or study for an exam. But we can, and I am grateful for that. 

Payton working on some art work for her room. 

Landon hosted a pool party at our home. There was not a dull moment with 12 teens for the day.  :)

Bathing Charlie outside = dry floors inside!

And you can't have a summer in Tucson without the monsoons.  The storms are amazing and scary at the same time. I wish I could capture a lighting show, it is spectacular. 

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”
Psalms 19:1

Baptism

Payton was baptized this past Sunday, June 24.  It was a very exciting day for us! 

Both my kids accepted Jesus as their personal Savior at the age of five (which was even more exciting!). But we wanted them to wait until they were old enough (and it be their idea) to make this public declaration for their love and trust in Jesus Christ. 

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. "Matthew 28:19

                                     Praying after she was emerged into the baptismal.

                             Here Pastor Chase was quoting a special verse he chose for her.

Landon was baptized (also at the age of 13) in the Gulf of Mexico. It was so special that he was able to emerged into God's very own baptismal....the sea! :) 

“We may never be martyrs but we can die to self, to sin, to the world, to our plans and ambitions. That is the significance of baptism; we died with Christ and rose to new life”  ~ Vance Haver

Father's Day

It's past Father's Day, but I didn't want to ignore this special day. Max is the greatest father in the world! He is the most unselfish man (person!) I know.  It doesn't matter what he is doing, or has planned...he will drop everything if the kids need him, or just want his attention.

 I had some yummy muffins and his gifts waiting for him to enjoy before church.
After church we took him for a nice (steak) lunch. I also put together an album with before and after pictures of all the work he's done on our home. He's worked his tail off, and the pictures confirmed it! :)

Since eventually I am going to print this blog. I want to add some pictures from the past.

Here are just a few:

We were living in Germany when I looked outside and saw this precious site.  Like Father, like son.

On this morning, Landon got to go with daddy to work.  It was bring-your-child-to-work-day. (Since there were such great bike trails in Germany, Max road his bike to work as often as he could.)

Here the guys returned from a morning run in Florida.

Do they think they are cool or what?!  :)

This was taken at a father-daughter tea at church.

Daddy and Payton would make pancakes every Sunday morning before church while we lived in Germany.  (Notice the chocolate syrup on the counter. They would get very creative at times!) :)

Payton got a remote helicopter for Christmas one year, and made the mistake of flying it outside where it ended up in my neighbor's tree. Max spent hours with her trying to spot it...hoping they could retrieve it. Unfortunately, that one was never seen again. But he did come home from work with a replacement for her.  :)

He was her soft ball coach this year. They both LOVE sports, and I have always been grateful for the special father-daughter bond that gives them.

Apparently they were tired of walking.  :)

He will join in and have fun with them....at any cost.  :)

Happy Father's Day & thank you for being the best father in the world to our children. We adore you!!

Romans Road

My kids and some other homeschooling friends started a band. They got to play at Hotel Congress on Tuesday night, and had a blast. They've only been playing together for six weeks, so I thought they did really well. (Payton has not done much singing, so it wasn't perfect, but I thought she pulled it off. It's not about perfection. It's about bringing God glory and doing what you love! And they love this. 

 One of the songs they played was, "I'm Not Ashamed" by the Newsboys. It was an awesome testimony, and I pray our Lord was blessed by it!

 (Payton's singing and playing the keyboard on the right, and Landon is lead guitarist on the left.) 

Here's the link to hear them on youtube.

http://youtu.be/fjZIK8sFO0A

Memorial Day

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

President Abraham Lincoln- Gettysburg Address

Remembering the ultimate sacrifice. May God comfort the families 

Celebrating 17 Years!

It's so hard for me to believe that Landon is 17! His birthday was on Saturday this year, and since that only happens every seven years (and knowing it will probably be the last time we will have him all to ourselves).....we enjoyed the whole day together.

I made Nutella and banana French toast for breakfast. Why not celebrate with dessert? (Most people label items like this as breakfast. Really? Sorry, but this is a dessert. And a good one at that!  :)

Him and his sister enjoying unlimited video time. A rare occasion in this house. (In this picture, they are poster children of what video games do to the brain. Don't they look like they're in a trance. Just keeping it real, folks!)

After lunch, we hung out at one of Landon's favorite places: Barnes and Noble. 

Daddy got a shot of me and one of my favorite people on this earth. I love this young man!

We sent the guys to the Apple store, and Payton and I set up our Movie Theater in our family room. Watching a good movie is one of Landon't favorite things to do. (Unfortunately, good (clean!) movies are a rare thing in the twenty first century! I am soooo grateful for Clear Play!) 

Birthday boy guy by the concession stand. 

Payton made this poster for our feature film.

Landon didn't know, but in this pizza box was his birthday cake. (Pizza being another one of his favorite things!) 

This was quite fun to make. I used strawberry fruit role-ups for the pepperonis, milk duds for sausage, apple sour rings for the green peppers and onions....and grated white chocolate for the cheese. He love it! 

I absolutely hate that my son is growing up so fast, but I absolutely love the young man he is!

Happy Birthday, son....

We all love you so very much.

“But if any man love God, the same is known of him.”

                                                 1 Corinthians 8:3

Science Co-op

Payton just completed a science co-op class with our homeschool group. We met once a week for experiments, review, etc. It was a lot of work for her (it was an 8th grade class, and she's in 7th, but I knew she could do it, and she did!). I'm not sure if she'd admit it, but she also had lots of fun. 

Studying science through my homeschooling years has always left me in awe! The perfection in God's creation is just mind boggling. From an atom to the axial tilt of the earth. He created it all, perfect! He is perfect! I'm so grateful my children learned the truth, not the lies I was fed in school.

 Evolution, what a joke!

 Anyhow, here are a few pictures.  :)

I made cupcakes for their last class.  You gotta end the school year with lots of junk food....
and the parties have just begun.  :)

So Sweet

This is what daddy's bag looks like after Payton makes his lunch. (She must of been in a hurry for this one, usually it's neater and "more" decorative!)  ;) 

Here's the dinner she made last winter when I was sick in bed. I have spent many years teaching this young lady all the life skills she needs to take care of a house hold, and I can always count on her!

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30

San Diego

Max's rescue unit has to stay water qualified (they practice landing the helo on ships, they drop the pararesue guys in the middle of the ocean, etc.). Since San Diego is the closest to Tucson, that is where they train. The kids and I were able to join him on this last trip.  It was nice to visit the beach again. The kids especially enjoyed it, even getting into the freezing water...brrrr! The Gulf of Mexico is definitely the only ocean that is warm enough for me to get in.

It's suppose to read "2012"

We were out there early in the morning. Oh, to have this kind of energy without coffee. :)

Some more action.

Going back out in the afternoon after some school work...(you can't stop using your brain just because your at the beach!).  :)

Payton didn't think it was funny after the 8th time I told her to "go fly a kite!" :)

Landon getting ready to skim board....

...and he got it.

Strike a pose.

When Max is around....there is always construction going on. :)

You can't leave the beach without burying someone.  (Landon actually started digging his own hole, Payton just enjoyed finishing!)

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
C. S. Lewis