So Exciting!

This is even more exciting than watching your children sit up or roll over for the first time!  As I look over the April posts I am just thrilled at watching our children do new things and activities!  How blessed we are!!!!  The boys nailing their piano pieces,  Collin, Hans and Alan all running track (and doing well!) to Erin and the concert last night....I'm so humbled and thankful for healthy, talented, motivated children!  This is so fun :o)

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Erin, Hannah and Holly play a Courtly Dance flute trio at the 5-6th Grade Fine Arts concert Thursday night!

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How deep the Father's love for us/ How vast beyond all measure/ That He should give His only Son/ To make a wretch His treasure/ How great the pain of searing loss /The Father turns His face away/ As wounds which mar the Chosen One /Bring many sons to glory /Behold the man upon a cross /My sin upon His shoulders/ Ashamed I hear my mocking voice /Call out among the scoffers /It was my sin that held Him there /Until it was accomplished /His dying breath has brought me life /I know that it is finished /I will nost boast in anything/No gifts, no power, no wisdom/But I will boast in Jesus ChristHis death and resurrection/Why should I gain from His reward/ I cannot give an answer/But this I know with all my heart /His wounds have paid my ransom.

Collin’s Track season so far…

This is Collin’s first year running track.  He has discovered that he likes the longer of the races: the mile and the 800 m.  It has been fun watching him improve and work hard.  Before the first meet he was super excited because he can run longer and faster than his peers.  At the first meet he learned that, “Holy Cow” the other runners run even harder and faster (and had been practicing longer from the look of things).  Rather than get discouraged, he has been working hard and improving each race.   
He ran at 5K to benefit the SC missions trip to China and he ran up front with the college guys (and head football coach Andy Lambert)!   He told me he was not going to race or run hard and in the first 5 seconds he was gone!  I came in way behind him!
So here are some photos:
  This is from the most recent meet.  Collin was in 3 back to back events!  The mile and then 2 relays.  During the 800m he had to quit because he had what looked like a mini asthma attack.  Later that night we learned he had strep.  That on top of 4 races within an hour were too much!  I was encouraged at how protective of him his teammates were.  When I went down to take him water they were gathered around telling me he’d run 4 races and it was just too much!!!  Sweet. This is Collin running the mile at his second meet.  A team mate who is also a Cross Country runner is the best at being in the middle of the track cheering team mates on.  Here she is pushing Colling to not get to far behind! Here collin decided this runner is not going to beat him.  They were down to the last 100 m and he takes him! This is the first race which was a learning day.  There was a runner doing a 5 minute mile.   We aren’t there yet! Plus his teammates were sick so Collin was running alone in the longer races.

He still has 2 more meets to go so I’ll keep ya posted!

Go Fly a Kite!

One of Hans’ friends gave him a kite for his Birthday, it was the perfect kite flying day in KS.  Often it is too windy or completely still.  Today = perfect!

                              Our foster daughter Chelsy came over for a visit and got to enjoy some kite flying and silliness!

Of course no kite flying is complete without sniper fire…right?    

This would have  been a perfect evening if Lacey had not found a skunk in this field and pestered it the remainder of the evening… Still and A+ day in my opinion.

Birthday Boys

We have 2 April Birthday boys…Alan on the 8th and Hans on the 20th.  So we had a variety of festivities and truth be told..I think we still have 1 more get together for Hans (the family one).  However here are 2 of our treasures: 1 year older!

  

As you can see my Saturdays in April were busy!  Fun, but busy!

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This is Hans first piano recital. He started lessons last year and they chose this song back around January. He mastered it early, but they did not have time to start a new song. The recital had a movie/ tv show theme, so Hans' was a classic song. You'll see after this post Collin's piece. It was fun listening to how far they've come! Way to go guys! Over the summer I may have them start teach Erin and Alan!

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Breathe....
Have you ever so totally overbooked yourself that you did not know what to do? That was me this weekend through Tuesday. It started Saturday morning as the boys had to be at piano practice at 8, we went to the wrong church twice (which is very funny if you know our small town). Practice done, they both did well. Collin and I prepare to run a 5K registration at 9:30. I had been queazy the night before and still not quite right, so I was on edge about running this, but it was to benefit the SC missions trip this summer. So we run and it was very fun. Collin did great and came in 7-8 out of 70 some people. I did fine, but was nauseaus to the point of almost being sick afterwards which is not like me at all. No worries. Go home get ready for Hans' birthday party that afternoon. Hans' glasses break and he freaks out. We were out of water balloons, had to go get more! Then guests arrive. Whoa 8 boys all as excited and wound up as a bunch of 8 yr olds can be. Very fun, very loud! We relaxed when they all left with foster student Chelsy then Lacey finds a skunk to harrass... and refuses to quit. Then 2 other foster students come and I try to forget Lacey. The boys return to a birthday party level of craziness and the fun continues. Chris gets home at 9:30 and kills the skunk and locks stinky Lacey up in kennel.
Lacey barks all night long. Chris finally puts shock collar on her so we can sleep (4 a.m.)
Church, piano recital, reception Sunday... expected company for dinner, but something must have come up and that fell through.
Monday: funeral, a little work, go get Hans' glasses fixed, pick up Collin's French horn, go to Parent/Teacher conferences, pick up Collin from track. Home. Take Hans and Alan to track, (Collin has Music festival tomorrow but is not ready so I call his band teacher while the boys run)...home to get Erin to gymnastics & boys home from track... Hans has an injured heel. Take Collin to piano leave Hans on ice...home.. Wash Lacey, laundry off the line...late getting Erin and Collin...home.. Oops need cupcakes for school Tuesday for Hans' birthday.
Cupcakes made, laundry dry...into bed
Tuesday: Ice cupcakes, make 2 lunches and a sack supper for Collin at festival, Lunch for Chris (which he helped with) FORGOT to iron Collin's clothes... sunglasses for kids school activities...bus comes kids go...Erin forgot her sunglasses. Cupcakes done and delivered with the sunglasses and I report for work at 9 a.m. Home at 5 with the kids, picked Collin up at 9:30 from music festival. Good golly no more days like that.

Science Olympiad

Back the beginning of February Erin was in the Science Olympiad at Fort Hays State.  She and her teammate took 1st in Ornithology and were invited to the State Science olympiad at WSU the beginning of April.  They (being 6th graders) competed against 6-9th graders and came in 17/28.  Yay!

Hans and Alan came with and we wandered the campus while Erin took her test.  We found some neat statues.  This one was named "Woman with Umbrella, Man with a Cane"  We noticed a puddle under the woman...strange!

Happy Easter!

Spring has come to KS and Easter is the precious celebration of our Savior Risen from the Dead!  Our celbration really began Thursday with the Maundy Thursday service at our church where we focus on the sacrifice Jesus made not just in enduring the physical pain of the cross, but the emotional despair of being separated from His Father when He literally BORE our SIN in His Body on the TREE.   Why did He do this for me?  And how precious that He revealed this to me and my family.  Each of our children were deeply moved by the words spoken, the scripture read and the communion with Christ.  Friday we read again the scripture accounts of Jesus death and resurrection and Sunday we celebrated with song, candy, food and family! Thank you Jesus, thank you God!

Alan’s whirly bird

Mom mom McCormick asked the boys what they wanted for their birthdays before she left.  Hans wanted some baseball gloves and Alan wanted a helicopter, which is what he wanted last year, but it broke.  He promised to be more careful this year and Mom mom gave him a really cool one!  

It took many pictures to get both Alan and the copter in focus!

Spring fever

Some certain signs of spring: Even the indoor cat wants outside and may favorite: laundry outside on the clothesline!

 

These were from a few days ago, sadly today it is freezing outside! OK not freezing, but very cold and very windy.  Just like KS to go from 87 F one day to 40 F  that very evening!

Lacey, too pooped to play?

Time for a silly story!  Lacey was laying in the living room looking sad they we were all getting ready for church.  The boys got a ball out and started bouncing it back and forth expecting her to leap into action… but she did not!  She just laid there looking so sad.  “I know you are leaving…stop toying with me!”

She did, however, have her puppy handy for snuggles, you can see if lying behind her!

Country kids...

Country kids absolutely have to be able to enjoy the little things! Some of our best fun in summer involves bubbles, water guns and the pool. When even a trip to the mall or movies involves 30 minute drive and $40... we just don't get out much! But we love our bubbles & so does Lacey.

Sunday I went for a long run...longer than normal for me. I'm trying to push this body of mine that thinks it's getting older! Anyway, I saw Erin heading out into the wheat field east of the house and thought I should see what they are doing and take pictures...nah, I thought I have lots of photos. When I returned from my run 45 minutes later they were still out there, so I had to investigate!

The game was very detailed and i won't go into it, but sefice it to say, country kids, mine anyway, need lots of imagination!