Last Day of School

You know it has been a good year when 2 of your 3 kids are sad that the year's over! Monkeyman even asked if he could be held back-ha! It was such a great year for him...his teacher was phenominal! I was even crying-what's wrong with me? I did that after the girls went through 2nd grade as well. My oh my! But I had to share this sweet picture of my kindergarten graduate on his last day of school!

To Blog or Not to Blog....that is the question!/thankful list

Today a friend told me that I really needed to update my blog. I have been pondering this for a while now. Not sure how many strangers I want knowing about our personal life. After all...we teach our kids not to talk to strangers so what am I doing posting about our personal life??? Duh! But it is so fun to share my pictures and scrapbook pages and recipes with you all. But is anyone even looking in on this much outdated site? She told me to check with googleanalysis and so I signed up for that but don't think I have it working correctly. Anyone able to help me out??? Is a blog out of date...with facebook and all? A blog just seems so much more personal and creative.

I am thinking a private blog may be the best solution. If you would like to view my blog send me an email at bendaknee@msn.com and I will put you on the list.

My new frame of mind is to give thanks....in every circumstance. My top 20 thankful list today-
I am thankful for:

• for good health
• a dry home (since it has rained almost every day in the past month here)
• beautiful children who love Jesus
• a hard working husband
• a bible I can read any time I like
• a job that lets me create, fingerpaint, blow bubbles, etc. which I absolutely love
• friends to study God's word with and who care about one another (especially me in the past 3 months!)
• for the end of all the 5th grade parent projects (next week school is out!)
• food every day...in abundance....especially vegetables which I am so fond of these days
• my camera...duh....It is probably lonely these days with me spending so much time on the couch!
• a beautiful hanging basket that my mom gave me for Mother's Day...thanks mom!
• traditions
• music and a daughter who is becoming a good piano player
• Dr.'s who help us every day
• Fingernail polish....red especially!
• Free orthodontics...hopefully mom keeps working at least 5 more years :-)
• Hugs
• a wheel chair...yes I am thankful for my wheel chair today.
• Folded laundry....because we have enough clothes to change each day....and then some
• Life long friends

So this is my thankful list....what is yours?

An Update

Sorry I haven't updated for so long! I have been meaning to the past 3 weeks but I realized that all my pictures from this year are on my other computer and I can't sit there yet....maybe soon! Or maybe Jeff can do it for me tomorrow....hmmmmm.

I am supposed to be at a Children's Ministry Conference right now with my precious cohert....Lynda...I miss you so much! I hope you are gleaning enough for the two of us combined!

We go back to Seattle on Monday and hopefully I will get my stiches out and my first look at my new foot....Robo foot I think would be a fitting name.....after all the metal and screws that have been placed inside my heel and ankle. I am envisioning the Terminator gear...oh boy...better stop!

Have a great weekend!

4th week of Decemeber

B.P.'s Reach Out....Jeff's truck is packed with food, clothing, and toys for 3 needy families in Whatcom County. This has become a tradition at our house....unfortunately Hailey and I couldn't go because she had a basketball game right in the middle of the delivery time.

Gotta have a picture of those cute little ruffle buns :-) These are 2 of my favorite 3 month pictures of my sweet little niece!

We got to babysit her during her big brothers birthday party one day...so fun to have a baby around again...I could so adopt a little munchkin...I think!

And this is Jeff's new baby....seriously...he was woodworking and heaven forbid that it would get any dust on it! He had to bring it into the house-ha!

We tore into our 4th bedroom (quite literally) ripping out the carpet and padding and all the trim. We installed new flooring, painted the walls (Taylor chose the color), and Jeff sanded, varnished and glossed new trim for Taylors new room. We had to get a blind for in there too. So this was her Christmas gift this year! One morning I went in her room and found these notes all over the boards....Micah had been busy measuring and Hailey was writing all the numbers down for him-hillarious!

The kid is in heaven! This is his kind of fun...power tools, hammers, boxes, and wood!

The Sunday after Christmas we headed up to Mt. Baker to go sledding. It was a gorgeous day and I found myself so glad that we had made the effort. Sometimes it is hard to give up the day...especially when you are prone to motion sickness! But the memories are well worth it! We had a hot dog and bratwurst roast up there and then enjoyed an afternoon of sledding!

Now seriously...who wouldn't want to live here? You don't have to deal with snow...eh hem dear Ten Pas family in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin :-) And besides you get awesome views like this one every day!

Christmas day...delightful...sunny....relaxing...need I say more?

I don't know how she can stand to wear those.....I was hard for me to even buy them for her :-)

Christmas Eve...surprise! For Dad & Mom's 40th anniversary they decided to surprise all of us....Mom wrapped up some unusual items....like I got a package of ALL laundry detergent, Jeff got a wooden letter R, Micah got a Dick Jane and Sally book called GoGoGoing, Macy got a candle that said....in my mommy's birthday month...Jeannie got a frame with my parents' wedding picture in it...anyway, you get the picture....the last clue was a picture of a barn....so I say....you are taking us to a hay mow? Rewind...try again....you are taking us to Maui? Yep! Whoa...no way....I can't believe you planned all this without letting on at all....I could never keep an exciting secret like that! Maybe age would help a bit-ha!

Even time for a gingerbread house!