Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Birth family visits

Miss I with her birth mom

Miss O with her birth mom and sister
We were able to get together with both of the big girl's birth families at the end of the summer.  It was so nice to see them all!  It's been waaaaaaay too long since we've gotten together. 

Monday, September 26, 2011

First day of school

Ato T is going to an early childhood special ed. classroom again this year, and he really enjoys it!

Miss I is starting First Grade at home

Miss O is doing Second Grade at home

Sunday, September 18, 2011

State Fair

We decided to get a PCA for Ato T and babysitter for Little Miss, and hit the state fair with just the 2 big girls this year. Our first time at the state fair without a stroller. We had a great time! It was, unfortunately the hottest day of the fair. We drank LOTS of water, and discovered a trick to free cold water. Buy a cup that you use all day. As long as it's a state fair cup, almost all vendors will fill it with water and ice for free.  Then you just keep getting it refilled until all the water bottles are filled up.  :)

Cotton Candy for the first time ever!


Miss I jumping high!

Miss O jumping high!

Daddy and both girls on the giant slide.  (Miss O is hidden behind Miss I's head.)

The dairy building


Ice cream to cool us down!

Or maybe the ice cream is just to drip all over and get everything sticky.

It never fails - every year on the way home.  This year we stayed longer and they walked the whole time.  It took less than 5 minutes for them to fall asleep.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Kids on Stage

Miss O participated in Kids on Stage this summer.  He place we go for Physical, Occupational and Speech therapies puts on a performance every year.  It's a great way for the kids to get some practice speaking in front of a group.  They rehearse for 10 weeks, and at the end give a performance.  Miss O did a fantastic job!


As "Simba"
Her line:  "What's a motto?"
Reply:  "I don't know, what's a motto with you?"

As Paula Abdul, in the American Idol skit.
Her funniest line:  "Well, I, um, like your energy.  But I'm gonna have to say no."

Sesame Street Kid

Receiving her trophy from Deena.  She did a great job learning to use her "big girl voice!"

Monday, September 12, 2011

After Walnut Grove

The day after the Walnut Grove trip, we were able to spend some time at grandma and grandpa's before heading home.


Sunday, September 11, 2011

One Nation Under God



Where were you on this day 10 years ago?  Can you remember what you were doing?  Who you were with?  If you were old enough to remember anything, I'm guessing you know.

I was driving to work with Mike.  I was working as a DCE at a church in Minnetonka.  That morning was my first meeting with the circuit pastors.  I can honestly say I don't really remember any of the other circuit pastor meetings I went to in the year I worked there.  I don't even remember much about that first meeting.  Except for the beginning.

As Mike drove, I heard the news talking about the first plane flying into the tower.  We turned the radio up, but I really didn't think much, other than, "that's too bad."  I had no idea how big those buildings were, how many people spent their days there, how many children were in day care there.  Then we heard that a second plane crashed into the second tower, and we turned the radio up louder.

The pastors were all watching the TV when I got to the church, and we watched prayerfully together as the towers fell.  The rest of the day is a blur to me.  I know that I organized a prayer service with our pastor, made phone calls to church members, made posters about the prayer service and put them out on the road to direct people to the service.

Ten years ago today, we didn't have any children yet.  We actually weren't even thinking about having children yet.  But I vividly remember thinking that night at home, as we were glued to the television, that my children would grow up knowing only a world after the attacks on 9/11.  And now, here we are, 10 years later.  Our oldest child is 8, and I have no idea where to begin to teach her about what happened.  We had the kids leave church today as a missionary spoke of his experiences of living in a largely Muslim area when the attacks happened.  We had them leave, because we don't know where to begin to teach them about this significant event.

So what will I be doing tonight?  I'll be scouring the Internet for useful lessons to use during our school day tomorrow, to begin to teach our children about the tragedy that happened 10 years ago today, and the faith that was shown through the faithful men and women of our country in the minutes, hours, days, and months to follow.

I am often disheartened by our country, and where I see it going.  There are times, especially when I've been out of the country, that I've actually been embarrassed to say that I'm from the US.  (Don't get me wrong, I love living here.  We are blessed.  But the materialism, greediness, overindulgence and self-centeredness of our society are the things that bring out those emotions in me.)  But tonight, I praise our Lord God that we live in a nation that gives us the freedom to worship our loving Father, and the freedom to proclaim the atoning sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Walnut Grove Part 3

The Student

 The Teacher

 Miss I in jail

 Checking out a sod home.

 Sitting in the out house.

 Playing in the store.

Walking to the sod house and log cabin.

Monday, September 05, 2011

Walnut Grove Part 3





Out house

We went about 20 miles out of town to visit a site that had a dugout, sod house and log cabin.  The sod house was once a bed and breakfast.  We were so thankful my parents were willing to take Ato T for the day.  We never would have been able to all of this if he had been with us.  After this, we headed to the pageant, and the girls loved it again this year.  Little Miss was fabulous, and fell asleep during the pageant

Walnut Grove Part 2

At the dugout site.


Supper time!  Picnicking at Plum Creek