Halloween

This year for Halloween, the girls (& one of their friends) decided to be spies for Halloween. At first Emma wanted for her and Anna to be something really elabrorate (I can't remember what though). Emma had said that I could make whatever the costume was - she found these complicated directions online. Although I am flattered that she thinks I can actually do that, my response was. "I never signed up for this". :-) She then came up with the "spies" idea... a simple one. A coat, hat and sunglasses - all items we had. This year was simple, low budget all Emma's idea. I love it!

Pink

I see the sky with blue and pink

I see it and I think

God has created this.

He is the artist.

He has created the hues

And to believe in Him will I choose.

I see the sky with blue and pink

I see it and I think

God has created this.

Like He has created me.

heavy heart

PLEASE PRAY!!!!!!

The updates on my friend with cancer are not good. :-( My heart is heavy. I don't even know the words to pray. I just pray... God knows my heart.

Then I heard of another friend who had complications from a surgery and had to have another surgery and a blood transfusion.

And another friend who's wife is 29 weeks pregnant and the baby has heart problems.

Seems the prayer list goes on and on.

Makes for a very heavy heart!

calling all prayer warriors!

I just found out that a friend of mine has stage 4 cancer in her liver, bones, and breasts. She has a 9 year old daughter.

My heart is so heavy. I can't even get the words out.

Just pray.... please!

rainy days

i don't know what it is about rainy days... just makes me want to curl up under a blanket and go to sleep... that is all i feel like doing right now... zzzzzzzz

quote of the day

Anna keeps us laughing. She comes up with the funniest quotes. Here is one from tonight...(this was said with a pouty lip too)...

"I am not a good Asian."

Meaning???? We're not sure. One never knows what Anna thinks...

But she keeps us smiling, that's for sure!

5 things I am thankful for...

(This isn't a complete list... just a list of 5...)

1. I have a very loving, creative, wonderful husband.

2. Our girls are sweet, caring, and lots of fun. They bring us joy!

3. My parents are great parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors.

4. My job.

5. I have some pretty great friends. :-)

why teaching is great....

"Mrs. Toevs, I love you all the way to 100!"

This is from the same kid that was in trouble the day before....

Gotta love kindergarten!

i am tired

it has been a long week. school started. i have a good class overall. i am still trying to get them used to my routines, and the routine of being in school all day everyday. the beginning of the year is always a difficult time and a tiring one!

along with that, we have had no hot water. that is not helpful! but at least i did get out of showing up for jury duty on monday. i can't imagine leaving my 20 kindergarteners with a sub on monday... that would so not be good!

seems that right now there is so much going on. this time of year the world seems to spin out of control. i will be better in a few weeks when the routine is manageable. until then... i am tired!

a poll...

which type of person are you?

1. a lawyer (a negotiator)

2. an accountant (all about the facts, numbers, deadlines)

3. an adventurer (risk taker type person)

4. an associate (people person, procrastinator)

Fun Friends

Just a couple of fun pics from our trip... Melissa and Me

Dorie and Anna

More photos...

We got together with more college friends. I love being able to see these friends. They make me smile. :-) I miss hanging out with them.

Pictured from left to right:

Rachel, Jen, Melissa, Me, Heather

This is my friend Melissa. She is holding Dorie, her daughter. You may remember previous posts asking you to pray for Melissa who was in Uganda to adopt Dorie. They made it home!

We always like to visit with the Pendergrafts. They lived next door to us when we lived in Santa Ana. They get the award for best neighbors ever. :-) Emma and Lily were born just 15 days apart. Anna and Sophie are only a few months apart too.

The Baldaufs live near the Los Alamitos race track. Tonight (Sat. night) the track was hosting the national weiner dog race. We decided to go, just for fun. Anna enjoyed watching the dogs race and Emma enjoyed watching the horses race.

The picture is small, but those are horses racing. :-)

Jane made cupcakes and we had a little birthday party for Anna tonight. Can't believe my baby will be 7 tomorrow! She had fun opening presents and eating cupcakes.

Tomorrow Anna gets the rest of her birthday present... a trip to Disneyland! To say she is excited is an understatement. It is going to be fun just watching her expressions.

some pictures i promised to post...

I said pictures would come, so here are a few. Believe me, there are MANY more, but these are just a few highlights. :-)

St. Louis Arch

There is a place called "Geronimo". We stopped there 4 years ago when we made the same drive. We stopped again and posed the girls in the same places as we did 4 years ago.

We made a stop at a meteor crater site in AZ. This photo was taken in the museum.

Hanging out with Dave's parents...

Hanging out with the Cragoe cousins...

We took a drive to Santa Barbara and saw friends of mine from college... Wanda, Mike (not pictured), Justin (also not pictured), Amanda and Jordan Hayes.

After we left Dave's sister's house, we went to San Diego. We stayed with my friend and roommate from college, Marcia and her family (Bryan, Nathan and Ava).

The Fox and Toevs kiddos.

After leaving Marcia's house, we went to visit Dave's sister Patti and her family. Here we are after eating In-n-Out for dinner.

While in Orange County, there were many people to see. We spent one evening with Roy and Cecelia... a.k.a. Boy and Cece.

While staying at the Baldauf's house, Emma, Anna and Rachel had fun with a "spa day". Emma and Rachel made "Lavender Spa". Anna was their first customer. She received a hair style, make up, a massage and a pedicure. She was pretty pleased with her pampering. :-)

The trip isn't over yet. There are more pics to post, but they aren't downloaded yet. Still left on our agenda: Disneyland and our return trip home.

Vacation

We are at the beginning of our second week of vacation. We are currently in our eighth state. We started in Indiana, then traveled west through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and then into California.
The girls are good travelers. They did great on the drive out here (we are still in CA). We took our time as saw many things... the St. Louis arch, route 66, the largest meteor crater, a couple of giant crosses, a Cherokee trading post (tourist store), a Navajo trading post (another tourist store) and many rest stops. This year, we didn't tent camp along the way, but instead stayed in hotels/motels/inns.
To find a place to stay, we would pull up somewhere with free wi-fi (like McDonald's or Del Taco) and priceline a place. Then go directly to the hotel to get our room. We managed to save a few bucks along the way. :-)
We are now in Thousand Oaks visiting with Dave's sister Ruthi and parents. The girls are having a blast with their cousins... Ruthi and her husband Dave have 8 kids, so there is a houseful of playmates! We will be here for a few more days and then head south for a bit before returning home.

* pictures will come... I am just experiencing a bit of technical difficulty right now.

The Wedding!

I wanted to take lots of pictures of the wedding. My camera never left my purse. I was too busy. It was a great wedding though and we had a fantastic time. I did manage to steal a few photos from facebook so I am posting those that I stole. Maybe I can get a hold of some more. :-)

My girls were flower girls in the wedding. Here they are at the rehearsal.

Kyle and Ashley at the rehearsal dinner.

They (K and A) provided this frame as a prop for people to take pictures. The family had a blast with it. :-)

The Mazellan Family
Isn't that a gorgeous bride and a handsome groom?

The first dance.

If I can get a hold of more photos, then I will post more. I promise. :-)

Let the festivities begin...

Family starts arriving today for the wedding. We can't wait for Ben, Carrie, Scott, Jessie and Levi to get here! Should be lots of fun having them stay here. The girls can't wait!

Change

I like change... to an extent. I felt the need to change things up a little in blogland. I decided to redecorate the blog. Just for fun. Who knows... it may change again in the near future. You never know.

11 days and counting...

One of my nephews is getting married. Just 11 days until the exciting day. Can't wait to post fun pics of the day!

This is the first wedding of that generation. This will be one giant celebration!

11 days...

God is Good

I just have to say that miracles can happen. I have a friend, Melissa, that has been in Uganda trying to adopt a little girl. After 14 (or is 15?) weeks, they are home, together!

Melissa is an amazing, faithful person. She never lost sight of who really held the power!

So glad they can be home together as Mommy and Daughter. :-)

My Silly Girl

Both girls crack me up. Tonight it was Anna with a classic line.

[Anna was lying in bed, reading a chapter book.]

Me: What is your book about?

Anna: Uh... it's a long story.

I guess I should have known a chapter book was a long story, huh? Silly me! :-)

New Landscape

Landscaping is something we have always wanted, but didn't have the time or knowledge to do on our own. We knew what we could plant (and to where to plant it) when we lived in California. Indiana is a whole different story. So we asked our friend Bob to help us. His yard always looks good! He came and helped us move some of the plants we already had, and helped us know what to buy. He did most of the work for us too. We are so pleased! There are more pictures to add, but they have to be taken first. :-)

This is just outside our back door. The fountain was made just for us.

Another view of the same planter.

This is the view of our yard from my parents' backyard.

The south side of the house. We actually planted these trees last summer. The whole side looks finished now.

Some pretty flowers. :-)

More of our flowers. These are called wine and roses weigela. Someday they will hide the huge electrical box in our yard. Someday.

my girls

Just want to say that I love my girls. They are so much fun. I love to hear their laughter, kiss their cute little cheeks, watch them perform and just have them around. My girls are precious! I am so thankful to have such joyful, happy girls. They treat each other well too. That is a bonus. :-)

Emma at her school's spring performance.

Anna at her school's spring performance.

Mother's Day

I have struggled a bit today. Don't get me wrong... I have a great mom, wonderful husband, terrific girls. I am not struggling in that regard!
As far as Mother's Days go, it was a great day. Dave made breakfast and the table was set very nicely. He bought me my favorite flowers (gerber daisies) and the girls gave me lots of homemade gifts. I didn't go to church today because I still have no voice. (That's a whole different story!) While everyone else was at church, I enjoyed the peacefulness of the house. I exercised, did some laundry (I am weird about getting laundry done), just relaxed. Then for lunch, my parents and my family went to my sister's for a pizza lunch. We sat out in their backyard and enjoyed the best present of all.... sunshine! It was a beautiful, peaceful, relaxing day.
That is not what my struggle was about. My struggle today was for those women who are not "mother's" but who really want to be. I thought of those who have lost children. Those who have been unable to have children.
I had a few Mother's Day myself that were tough. Although those times are behind me now, I haven't forgotten. That is a part of who I am, how could I forget?
I also thought of those who have lost their own mothers. I can't say that I know what that's like. But I can imagine it would make a day of celebrating mothers difficult.
I do wish a Happy Mother's Day to all the moms I know... with or without children here in their arms. To my friends who may have a difficult time on a day like this, I want to say that you are valued and you are also worthy of celebrating.

Thankful

I was chatting online with a friend... isn't it amazing that we can do that?!? I am thankful for her. She is a wonderful person and a great friend! I only get to see her once a year and for only a few hours at that... but that doesn't matter. We can so easily pick up where we left off and just keep going. Miles and time have never mattered. I wish I could hang out with her more often, but I am thankful knowing she is my friend and no matter what happens, she is there. Hard to believe I met her almost 21 years ago. She was the first friend I made in college. She flashed that beautiful dimpled smile and stuck out her hand for a firm handshake... "Hi, I'm Melissa Minnix." :-)
I love you, Merry Melissa! I am so sankful for you. :-)

As Seen on TV

There are so many things advertised on TV. They all promise to make your life easier or better. They can't really deliver on that promise though. They may make your life simpler for a time, but the product will wear out. It may make it easier for you to store a billion sweaters, but eventually, holes appear and the air will find its way back in the bag. The sweeper may work for a short time, but it will break. In this life there is only one thing that lasts... one thing that makes our life better... God. Can't find that advertisement on TV...

Winding Down & Gearing Up

In my classroom we have been counting the number of days we have been in school. Yesterday we were at 157. That means there are only 23 days left. The year is winding down. Quickly.

As I think about the year winding down and summer beginning, I then think about what's in store this summer. It seems the calendar is packed full... feeling like summer will be over before it even begins. Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to summer and know there will be some time to relax and enjoy being with family. But the calendar is full.

The first big think in June is the Principal License test that Dave is taking. That will be stressful! We will be glad when that is over.

There's my nephews wedding in June - I am so excited for that! There will be lots of family visiting and fun times to be had, I am sure!

My parents' 50th wedding anniversary is also in June. We are planning a big party for that.

A trip to CA will most likely fit in there somewhere between the Anniversary and Annie's birthday in July.

Then there will be Annie's birthday.

I am taking a class this summer to renew my teaching license. That will be a week of 8-5 inside a classroom.

Once that is over, it will be time to prepare for next year.

School will start Aug 10.

See? It's over before it starts.... time to wind down the school year and gear up for the summer.

ACHOOO

Spring is here. I love it. I really do. What I don't love about spring are the allergy issues that come with it. I want to enjoy the sun, the plants, the new life, the growth... all without sinus pain, sneezing, itchy watery eyes... etc. Is that too much to ask? Medicine helps, but doesn't cure...

In spite of the allergy issues though, I really am enjoying this spring. The sun makes me smile. The warmth lifts my spirit. The new growth all around is exciting to see. Thank you God for spring coming after winter!

Spring

Spring is in the air! And I am LOVING it!

please pray with me...

Calling all prayer warriors...

My friend Melissa is in Uganda trying to adopt a little girl. I am not sure of all the details, but she is having a difficult time. You can check out her blog at www.lovedasfirstbest.blogspot.com If that link doesn't work, then click on the link on the right side of my blog... Loved as First Best. Please pray for Melissa and her Sweet Baby Girl! They need God to part the Red Sea.

Thanks for your prayers!

praying...

So many things lately have been weighing on my heart. I have this long prayer list. I am trying to be diligent about praying for it all. Sometimes I don't even know what to pray... it is good that God knows my heart without me having to use words.

One of the prayer requests I have been praying for is for a good friend who is trying to adopt a little girl in Uganda. Melissa is there right now with her Sweet Baby Girl. Will you help me pray that the Uganda courts work with her and that the government will issue the needed visa? Melissa hopes to come home with her daughter in just a couple of weeks. If you are interested in tracking her journey, you can click on my link for Love as First Best.

*Mel, if you are reading this, know that I am praying! May God part the Red Sea for you and may you return to the states with Sweet Baby Girl! I can't wait to meet her! Love you!

can't make sense of it all...

We are all mortal beings and until we are living in eternity, the only thing we can count on 100% is that one day our life here will be over. So why does it shock me to know that so many people lately have breathed their last breath here on this earth? It seems like I have known of so many deaths in just the last few weeks. Some were expected and yet others were so tragic and sudden. My heart breaks for all my friends that have lost a loved one. Today my heart is especially heavy for a friend who's teenage son is gone too soon. This morning he was a normal kid driving his car, and now, he's gone. It doesn't make sense. I can't wrap my mortal mind around it.

I still feel the same way I did when I wrote this on Tuesday... only today I know of another death...too many deaths recently. Just makes my heart feel so heavy.

Urban Dictionary

I was on facebook and noticed that several people had looked at the urban dictionary (www.urbandictionary.com) to find out the meaning of their name. I decided to check it out... just for fun. Here is what I found for Ronda:

1. too offensive to post! (seriously... I am not posting what it said!)

2. stereotypical name for an obese black woman.

3. a foreign exchange student who thinks shes it.

Since I didn't think any of those were anything like me... I typed in Rhonda to see what it said. Here is what I got for Rhonda:

1. A strong, opinionated woman who lives for the day.

2. A nice,down to earth,good looking woman. She is one in billion. She is a crazy girl in all the right ways. The most beautiful wife a guy could ever have. No one tops her.

3. a dependable gun, usually no less than an AK-47, a thug's best friend.

So if I have to have to pick one that would best fit me, I would hope it would be the second meaning for Rhonda.

a few things to be thankful for...

I am thankful for my husband. He is really great.

I am thankful for my girls. They are so much fun.

I am thankful for my house. I love having a great place to call my "home".

I am thankful for my job. I get to hang out with 5 and 6 year olds all day. I get lots of hugs and lots of smiles all day long. How cool is that?!?

I am thankful for my computer. Boy am I glad we got a MAC! ♥ it!

Flower girls in da house...

Today Kyle and Ashley came by with flowers for Emma and Anna. They handed them flowers and asked them to be flower girls in the wedding. Dreams really do come true... Emma has wanted to be a flower girls forever... she finally gets to. (She'll be nine years old at the wedding.) Annie is excited, although she really has no idea what she is excited about. :-)

Wedding Plans

Our family is super excited these days. There is a wedding happening soon. I have a nephew getting married in June. This is the first one of the nieces and nephews on either side of our family to get married.

Kyle proposed to Ashley on my mom's birthday. We were all at my sister's house spying out the windows when Kyle got down on his knee to ask her. Pretty cool!

We all love Ashley and my girls can't wait till she is their cousin for real. Welcome to the family, Ashley!

Happy New Year!

What will you call the new year...

20-10?

2000-10?

or just 10?