some new visitors

we had some friends and their kids drop by yesterday. it was a welcome treat for my kids who because of their horizontal mom hasn't gotten out much. liv pulled out a craft, as a good Christiansen can, and they loved it! thanks for playing guys!

chopped on Melrose

Another day with mom in bed, liv had a great idea to have our own chopped (she loves the show) We had 2 rounds the appetizer and main meal.

at our chopped no one actually gets chopped

our kitchen was a mad rush of deliciousness

and being the judge was very yummy, my kids are great chefs!

a science day on melrose

were having turkey for dinner and our bird had 3 packs of "guts" score for home schoolers!

David explained the parts to them but with his weak stomach he had to step out

another proud day for this mom

as I type this I am a little overwhelmed with emotions, how did my baby get taller than me, am I really old enough to have this high schooler, actually the biggest thing is that i remember David right here in this spot more than 20 years ago and it makes me remember all the times we talked about having kids, would we have a runner, a girl or a boy... and here we are today

my boy finishing 10th in the catholic league which makes him All Conference AS A SOPHOMORE! Everyone knows how crazy I am about my kids but today was a little bit more he is always special to me and now the conference knows how great he is too. I know a true bragging mother, guilty.

the memory so maaaaany years ago included this man and here he is again I love Gods fun surprises!

our 3 varsity runners finishing in the top 10 making them all, All Conference. I will enjoy this for a while before I start thinking of next weekend, oh hope my blood pressure can handle it.

If you have been in Davids life for a long time you will understand the beauty of this photo, men who shaped David life now shape our sons. God has great ideas!

our newest back yard "field"

we have our own grid iron here on melrose street.

birthday in peoria

it has become a tradition that we give the boys gifts for Davids birthday.

always fun in the pool

this girl is something, two years ago she entered her first pool and today she practices her breathing... wait and see what is to come from this girl

birthday smiles

15:48 from B was a bonus gift for coach

the boys all gave the coach PRs

spirits were very high today!

we celebrated a little more with some wings, happy birthday David with more birthdays together than apart I know that a birthday starting at a hotel and ending with a great fenwick race was nothing short of a perfect birthday for my man.

a slice of encouragement

everyone who follows this blog knows the trails I have raising Gray, well today I saw hope in his future. This week we made a stop at the Christian book store because gray has been asking to buy Bibles. He said "I want to be a missionary here so I think I better have a stash of Bibles to hand out" great, right? so at the book store he picked out 6 tiny 2x3" Bibles which he said "were perfect". so today we brought a friend to church for her fist time and as we were going to drive her home gray ran in to the house and came back out with a Bible and told her " here this is for you. keep it in your purse so you can read the Bible anytime you want" she was very touched and showed him that it went in her purse. he fell asleep before we got home but I can't wait to talk with him tomorrow about it and tell him he really is a missionary now! suddenly all his troubles don't seem all that bad...