Watch Out! That Puppy is Loaded...

Hello Dear Ones,

If you aren't a Facebooker, then you haven't heard...

I took Bailey to the vet yesterday for her check up. The last thing he said to me was, "Congratulations, Grandma!"

Yep. Our sweet, gentle doggie is going to be a mommy. She came to us this way and is likely due any day. Mixed feelings on my end, of course. I L*O*V*E puppies and am so thrilled the kids get to have this experience. However...well, you can guess at the "howevers!" Go back a blog or two and read about how happy I was to get a DOG and not a PUPPY and then chuckle amongst yourselves! :O) At least we know why she never plays and just sleeps all the time! :O)


Love yous,
Christy

Life Lately...

(Hi All, I actually typed this last week but it took me a while to get the pictures attached so it's "old news." I'll post some newer stuff in the next couple days.)

Brennen was on the Lego.com website fascinated by all the available sets. I commented that some day he could go to work for the Lego company and design sets and how cool that would be. Kindrid interrupted me and said firmly, "No, Mommy. Me and Brennen have a plan. We are going to work at restaurants and gas stations when we grow up."

Bailey is doing great. She's about as quiet as she was when she first came and plays very, very little for such a young doggie. The vet wants her to gain about 12 pounds - she's so thin it's sad. She goes back to see him on Monday. If he's happy with her progress, that's good. If not, he's going to run some tests and see if maybe she has an infection of some kind or something. She had some problems the first few times we left her alone but has since been just fine when left. (The first times involved a downed shower curtain/rod, pictures off the wall, nose marks on the bathroom mirror - accessible only by getting onto the counter - and several areas of chewed door trim. Needless to say, I'm thrilled she's over that!!) She joined us on our trip to Denver last weekend and did OK with Matt and Carrie's dogs. She didn't play with them and wanted her space, but there were no fights. I can't even tell you what a calm, sweet, gentle soul she is. The kids love her and are very sweet to her. I'm very happy to have skipped the whole puppy stage, love that my kids are so happy with her and enjoy having her company around the house.

Brennen is on Spring Break this week. We spent the weekend in Denver with Auntie Carrie and Uncle Matt. Everyone (except me) skied on Saturday morning at Arapaho Basin - this meant crossing the Loveland Pass (at 11,990 feet) over the Continental Divide above the Eisenhower tunnel - fun! Carrie and Matt are so patient with the kids. It was Brennen's second time and Kindrid's first. Brennen skied at the beginner's area for a while and then tried the big hill (including the lift) a couple times. He fell some, but mostly did great! I thought that Kindrid would give up almost as soon as she began. Boy! Did she prove me wrong! She had a rough patch right at first, but Carrie talked her through it, and then she did great. She even went down the little hill once without assistance! On the way home, she told us that, "I'm going to be a skier-girl when I grow up!" Thank you, Matt and Carrie, for helping the kids get started on this and for your seemingly inexhaustible patience!!!

(I'm not sure why some pictures are smaller but you get the idea)

Brennen on the "Magic Carpet:"

Kindrid looking like a little pro practicing her "pizza" skills:

So, Saturday we are up in the mountains bundled up against the cold...Sunday finds us at the Denver Zoo in short sleeves eating ice-cream at a picnic table! The zoo was super fun. We've been to number of zoos, but the kids are always so excited to see all the creatures. Their enthusiasm makes it new again for all of us.

Yep...it's official! The milestone to which EVERY parent looks forward...Kindrid is now about the same size as an Emperor Penguin!!

Thank you, Uncle Matt and Auntie Carrie for a fabulous time and the great pictures!!

Todd's had a cold for a week now that is making sleep and work harder. Please pray he starts to feel better soon. (update here...he is much better since last week)

Love,

Christy

A New Family Member...

Introducing....

Bailey!!!

I've mentioned us thinking about getting a dog a couple of times. Yesterday Todd and the kids went to two shelters to see what they could see. They found Bailey. I went back with them, agreed that she is a lovely dog and so she is now part of our family!

She came to the shelter from a rancher along with three other dogs. He listed her as being about two years old and having some golden retriever in her. I think she weighs about 35 pounds but needs to gain a little weight as she is pretty gaunt. She is so sweet and mild-mannered. One hardly knows she's there. She's housebroke! She'd been at the shelter for three weeks, and they'd never heard her bark. Neither have we. She's great with the kids and is eating up all the attention she's getting. We think she'll be a little more spunky once she gains some weight and settles into our home. She responds to some commands and has already shown herself to be VERY bright in learning new things. Of course time will tell, but I think we've found the perfect doggie for our family.

She has kennel cough and will need to be "fixed." We'll take her to the vet this week and make plans to take care of both those things. And she's getting a bath. Today. :O)

Kindrid has such a heart for dogs and just keeps saying over and over that she can't believe we now have one! She was very taken by surprise that we just found her and went and got her. I wish you could have seen her smiles!!

Brennen said on the way home with her, "I have a big thing of happiness in me, Mommy, because we got a dog."


They each got to pick out a toy for her and can't wait to take her for walks and teach her stuff etc. Their joy and her sweet spirit are providing much satisfaction in our decision to get her for Todd and me.

Welcome home, Bailey, welcome home!!!

Have a great week,
Christy

Update...

Hi,

I just have a couple minutes but wanted to share with you about Brennen. As the weeks went on in third grade, he began doing better and better academically and worse and worse in happiness. So today he once again began in second grade. Since last week when we made the decision to move him back, we've seen him relax so much more and become a much happier kiddo. He got B's and A's on the third grade progress report which was awesome, but he felt very pressured to keep up and was very lonely. The one friend he'd made began ignoring him a couple weeks ago. By the beginning of last week he was begging to go back to second grade. We visited a lot with his third grade teacher and with Brennen. His third grade teacher said he'd likely be at the top of his class by the end of the year should he stick it out but he just was so miserable. At seven years old, we decided that our son's happiness was more important than him being challenged academically. He was thrilled to get to go back to his "real" class today. I can't tell you how tough these past weeks have been for us as parents. We know Brennen is capable of so much and want him to have those opportunities, but the cost was just too great. Thank you to all of you that prayed for him and gave me wise counsel as we struggled with this decision. :O)

We spent the last weekend at an indoor water park in Rapid City, South Dakota. They have a Chili's in that town...hmmm....maybe we'll be moving again?? :O) Ha! We went to celebrate our sixteenth anniversary and Valentine's Day. The kids had a great time. It was wonderful to be in a warm, humid environment in the middle of winter! :O)

Not much else is going on here. The whole "to stay in third or move back to second" decision loomed so large for the last couple weeks that it feels wonderful to be done with it!

Love you all,
Christy

All Good Things Must End...

Hi Everyone!

After a month-long visit, Todd's parents left us for greener (well, maybe not greener, but hopefully WARMER) pastures down Denver way for some time with Todd's sister and hubby. Here is a list of the things - that I can remember, anyhow - that my blessed father-in-law accomplished while he was here:

1. Covered hole in coat closet ceiling with an access panel where toilet from upstairs had leaked and been repaired.
2. Fixed closet door handles so they stay put.
3. Fixed the broken seal around the front door.
4. Replaced broken ceiling fans in the both kids' bedrooms.
5. Covered hole in attic vent where wildlife was free to come and go.
6. Fixed two shades in our Pella windows that wouldn't open.
7. Fixed a garage door brace that had fallen off.
8. Hung yard tool organizer in the garage.
9. Supervised plumber when toilet number two leaked and had to have hole cut in basement bathroom ceiling in order to be repaired. (!)
10. Repaired ceiling vent in basement bathroom (that I broke when trying to sop up water from said toilet leak).
11. Solved problem of "broken" (improperly vented) water heater and ran better venting.
12. Vented my previously-vented-to-the-closet-under-the-stairs-dryer to the outside.
13. Ordered and installed a turntable to replace the broken one in the microwave.
14. Ordered and installed a detergent cup to replace the broken one in the dishwasher.
15. Reattached several annoying pieces of trim that would come off each time I cleaned floors.
16. Covered outside opening to bathroom vent that was previously just open to whatever would like to use it as a home (think BIG Wyoming snakes and you come close to what I imagined might have entered my home through that hole!!)

I've surely forgotten a few things - and, no, you can't have him!!! He's all mine. Well, mine and Carrie's, I guess. :O) I told him I could hook him up with lots of friends in need of a handyman and he and my mother-in-law could travel all over the USA with free room/board as long as he wants!! :O) Thank you, Pa Ben, for all you did!!

Kindrid and Brennen enjoyed unlimited attention from Grandma Mary and the doggies. They both feel a little lost without their grandparents here.

Todd and I had a wonderful, relaxing time in Vegas with Carrie and Matt. We got to see the Blue Men (very funny), eat a lot, walk a lot, have breakfast with my Uncle Doug and have lots of highs and lows at the very scary, high rolling, penny slots!! :O) Todd did try a Texas Hold 'Em tournament and placed 5th out of 21. Not too bad for his first shot! It was so fun to hang with Matt and Carrie, enjoy warm air and palm trees and see all the surreal stuff (like living statues at the Venetian and those amazing fountains at Bellagio and walking under lionesses at MGM) that Vegas has to offer. I loved sleeping in, staying out late and just having time with Todd to have uninterrupted conversations. Thank you to my in-laws for staying with our kids and making our trip possible.

Brennen has settled into his class, seems to be doing alright for his first two weeks and is catching on to cursive. He learns any new stuff the teacher presents just fine. I'm working with him on some stuff they did earlier in the year. He has one friend he mainly plays with and comes out of class with a smile. Homework takes a bit longer as we have to add cursive and reviewing stuff they did earlier in the year to the nightly assignments. Please keep him in your prayers if you think of it.

Hope you are having a good start to your weeks! Love,
Christy

Catchin' Up...

Hi Everyone,

I finally have a few minutes to get caught up on the blog.

First of all, by popular demand (!)....here is my gift on which Brennen spent his hard-earned AWANA $35.00: He knows how I love shower gels and lotions!! I know I need to use them some day, but right now they make me so happy in their little bag with the price tag still on it! :O)

Here are some pictures of Brennen's last soccer game. He's the one with the ball in the first picture. His team, the Cardinals, were the "home" team and did end up winning. I didn't get a shot of the scoreboard before they cleared it at the end but it was either 3 or 4 by then.

Having a celebrity in the house for a few weeks was pretty cool. Here is Flat Stanley about to autograph his book just before he travelled back to Illinois. :O)

Fort Caspar Academy had an alll-school, standing room only Christmas program. The entire second grade recited "A Visit From Saint Nicholas" by Clemet Clark Moore (aka...The Night Before Christmas) from memory. Brennen is top row, fifth from the right. Some wonderful folks at our church also worked very hard with the kids on a funny and meaningful Christmas program called "A Christmas County Spelling Bee." Here are some shots of the kids doing their thing. We had a fantastic, two-week long trip to Minnesota over the holidays. Todd drove out with us, flew back to Casper for a while to work, then flew back to MN, then drove back to Casper in our new-to-us Dodge Durango that we purchased from his folks. The kids and I caravaned with Todd's parents out to Casper a few days later. In MN we got to spend a lot of time with family and see a few friends -although never as many as we wish we could see. :O( We spent a lot of time with Kallie Jo - I even had the opportunity to get up with her in the night for feedings a few times. I loved those peaceful moments that brought back memories of my own babies' first few months. And getting up in the night with a baby is a much more fun ball game when one knows it's only for a few nights and not a few months!! :O) The kids also got to spend lots of time with their older cousins, Cierra and Rhiannan. During our time in MN, it was mostly WAY cold but we did have some great snowfalls and a few warmer days when the kids could play outside. Here are the cousins in my mom's old flowering crab tree.
It's been around 50 degrees here the last week or so...we sure don't miss the bitter cold the upper mid-west has been dealing with!

As I mentioned, my in-laws came back to Casper with us for an extended visit. A week after they came, Carrie and Matt came for a night so we could have Christmas with them. As my father in law was walking outside to help them carry in luggage, he slipped on some ice and cracked his head when he fell. A trip to the E.R., four staples, a few headaches and he is back to normal. He's getting the staples out as I type. Here's the most creative gift we received. Carrie made it for our upcoming trip with Matt and her to Vegas:

They are right. Money doesn't grow on trees. It grows on plants!! :O)

Kindrid and Mary....gone to the dogs, I'm afraid:

Finally, we have some news to announce. A few days before Christmas break, Brennen's teacher and principal approached us with the extraordinary offer to move Brennen up a grade. His school is very challenging with excellent curriculum and a year ahead in math (his second grade class is doing the third grade Saxon math curriculum.) Brennen had to learn an entire new approach to phonics and language and conquered that within the first weeks of school. We knew he was doing very well, but on the computer testing they do on a regular basis and in comparison to other students at the school, he is apparently doing exceedingly well, especially in math and reading. His name came up at a meeting, they took a closer look and decided to talk to us. We agreed to have him tested by a third grade teacher. Of course, we secretly hoped he would do a good job on the test, but they'd say he wasn't ready for third. However, he did wonderfully on the test. We agonized over this decision, telling Brennen we thought he should move up but we wouldn't force him. He was in so much pain over leaving his newly-made friends in second grade. He and I observed an entire afternoon in third grade last week. That helped him tremendously. The kids were super friendly, and he saw he was capable of the work. So, Friday was his "last day of school," he has a three-day long "summer vacation" and tomorrow marks his "first day of school" in the third grade. We pray we made the right choice to be good stewards of the fine mind with which God has blessed him. As his mommy and daddy though, we are struggling with the obvious...youngest kid in class (he won't be 8 until April), late to get his driver's license, youngest kid in college etc. We know he is going to be put in situations in junior high and high school now sooner than he would have before. So we aren't looking at this as carved in stone. We'll see how it goes and make adjustments as needed. Please pray for him to be able to get caught up and to make good friends quickly. And, please, supportive comments only!! :O)

That's news with us. I'll try to post more often in the next months so the entries don't take your whole morning cup to read through!! :O)

Love,

Christy

My Heart is His For $35.00...

Last night was AWANA night for the kids. They earn AWANA bucks for memorizing their verses, having their vest, bag and book and participating in special events like "bring a friend night" etc. Periodically they are allowed to go to the AWANA store and spend their hard earned bucks. This is an event that Brennen eagerly anticipates. He keeps careful count of how many bucks he will earn each week and his running total. Last night was Store Night.

When we picked them up after AWANA they were so excited with their purchases. Brennen's first words when he got in the truck were, "Mommy! I bought you a present with some of my money." He was so pleased with himself, and I was a bit surprised. I asked him something about it and he was quiet a moment and then burst into tears. He said through the obvious pain that the decision to do this for me was still causing him, "It cost $35.00, Mommy, but I really wanted to get it for you, Mommy. Because I love you."

I was speechless. You know, these days, Brennen is really kind of "all about Brennen." For him, this was an ENORMOUS sacrifice to make. I don't have words to tell you how deeply it moved me. I'm so blessed!

He came home and insisted on wrapping it and placing it under the tree. The tag reads: "To Christy From Brennen I love you very much."

I've no idea what it is. Will it matter? It will be one of my most treasured possessions because the sacrifice he made to get it for me reveals the depth of his love for me.

Sound familiar? As you go about making it Christmas for your family, consider the great sacrifice God made for us by sending His Son...his most treasured Son....because of the great depth of love He has for us. Have you accepted this original Christmas gift from Him? His gift tag reads, "To You, From God...I love you very much."

A former student used to hug me and say (and I say to you),
"God loves you....and so do I."
Consider yourself hugged...
Christy

FYI...For her big purchase, my sweet, girlie, beauty-loving little Kindrid got a huge snake that one soaks in water and will increase 600% in size over the next four days. Huh...I'm sure there's a whole symbolic "fall of man" vs. "God's plan for our redemption through His love for us" story in here somewhere with one child sacrificing and the other getting a snake but I'm not sure I have the time or inclination to figure it out. I think taking it at face value and marvelling at the choices BOTH children made is plenty for this post! :O)

Kindrid's Dance Recital...

Here is Kindrid's big stage debut! She is fifth from the left. They got a little crowded, so it was hard to do some of her "moves," as she calls them, but you get the idea. :O) I was so proud of her for just getting up there in front of a HUGE audience and doing her thing. She was breathless as she watched some of the older dancers and the number her teacher did. I think it's the first time she's ever seen a real ballerina. It was really fun getting her hair, nails and make up done before the recital. You know me, I'm not much interested in any of those areas for myself, but doing it for Kindrid is like having a live dolly to do it for! :O) She wore her tights, leotard and skirt the rest of the evening and danced all over the house when she wasn't eating (or talking- and sometimes even then!). :O)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhNBmdLHisc

Have a great day!

Christy

Random Sample...

Hello, Family and Friends,

Since our move, I've been able to post about some pretty cool stuff like sky-scrapers, wild animals and adventures all over Wyoming and the surrounding states. But, as it should, life is now settling into a more sedate pace. In my opinion, without the drama of the above-mentioned items, my posts are becoming, well, not quite as interesting as they were! So if I wait longer between posting, at least I have a few things of interest! (All this to explain my lack of posts lately.) :O)

I'm going to give you a random sampling of what's gone on in the last couple weeks...

All by themselves, Kindrid and Brennen completed the Puzzibits project Pa Tim started with them when we were in MN. They were adamant that I put this picture on the blog so Pa Tim can see it. Great gift...thanks to the Nic Amerud Fam!! :O)

Kindrid came downstairs after she woke up a few days ago and cuddled up on my lap. She said sleepily, "Mommy, I had TWO bad dreams last night....and one of them was PG!!"


Brennen worked very hard at school on the following paragraph that came home all typed on the computer by Brennen himself:

"My Pet

I had a pet Golden Retriever named Murphy. He was a very nice dog. He was orangish-gold. He died about a year ago, but I am still very happy he was my dog. I loved Murphy very much."


Uncle Matt and Auntie Carrie came up from Denver along with Bodie (BIG doggie) and Macie (little doggie) to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. It was so fun to have them here. We didn't do anything, really, but hang out, eat and hang out and eat. :O)

Uncle Matt has been Way Out West way too long!! :O)

Daddy taught Brennen how to use the electric knife and carve the turkey!

Of course, Carrie and I made enough food for at least twice the people, but it was an awesome meal!

The other day Brennen got a letter from his Peoria friend, Will P., asking him to help with a Flat Stanley project. Before Matt and Carrie left, we thought Flat Stanley should get his photo op! That's him in Brennen's hands. What the heck is a "Flat Stanley", you ask? Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Stanley
Thanks for making the trip up, guys...we loved having you!!!

After completing the application and interview (mild), we will be officially recognized next Sunday as new members of Cornerstone Evangelical Free church here in Casper!

Email me if you didn't get our new cell numbers and would like to have them.

Other than that, our lives are full, like everyone elses', of daily-ness: soccer, ballet, homework, church, cooking, Facebooking (yeah...it's important!!), hanging with the kids, etc. :O) Some things have happened to different folks I love lately that have made me want to step back, breathe, and really appreciate how this daily-ness is really what life is made of. It's not all the big adventures we have, but the quiet compilation of morning cups of coffee, hugs good-night, warm laundry neatly folded, the rush to get to events on time, the sound of my kids playing in the next room, the excitement of Daddy getting home from work and so on. One of our pastors quoted this verse in his newsletter article this week and it struck a chord with me and so I leave you with it....

Revelation 21:3-4 (New International Version)
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

What a lovely thing we have to look forward to!! Until then, I pray you are finding those simple, everyday times that bring joy to your soul and peace to your spirit!!

Blessings!

Christy

PS...just an update on Brennen and his tooth...he just can't part with it so, after checking with us many times to make sure the Tooth Fairy is OK with it, he's decided to keep it a while longer. It lives in a bag on the desk in his room. His two top, front teeth are now loose. I suppose I need to brace myself for an entire collection of old teeth gracing his desk for who knows how long! :O)

Dear Tooth Farie(s)...

While in MN last weekend, Brennen lost a bottom tooth that has been loose for several months. It's only his third. Last year, when the other two fell out within a day of each other, the new teeth had already grown in behind them so this is the first time we've seen Brennen with a gap. Here's the note our conscientious child wrote while at the hotel and left under his pillow - he has no desire for the Tooth Fairy to think he's trying to cheat her (him??) of her due. :O) He wanted to be able to take it to school and share with his lucky classmates...sorry it's sideways!

The lost tooth gap is on the bottom. He has wide spaces naturally on either side of his top two front teeth. The dentist is very pleased with those spaces as they will provide room for adult teeth when they come in. All three teeth he's lost so far have been from the bottom.

This week's Headlines...

...Christy Agrees To Take On VBS Next Summer!

...Date Night For Todd and Christy to Attend Church Building Fund Committment/Celebration Dinner!

...Goalie Brennen Blocks Several Attempts As Cardinals (his team) Face Strongest Opponents Yet!

...Much Touted Wyoming Winds Begin To Blow In Earnest!

...Grout and Caulk Repairs Completed in Main Floor Bath!

...Kindrid Cleans Room - Finds Floor!

:O) Have a great week!

Christy

For S.I.L. Heather (because she thought it needed one)...

Here is a picture of my new niece...thanks for letting me use it, K.!

How Sweet She Is...

Hello All,

I'm an Auntie once again!

Kallie Josephine Ostby

was born today and weighs in at 4 pounds, 14.25 ounces!! She's 19 inches long and every inch a sweet LITTLE love!!! Mommy Carleen is doing fine and so is Baby Kallie Jo!

Instead of our planned trip to Denver this weekend (we were sad not to see you, Auntie Carrie and Uncle Matt and Grandpa Don), we drove all night last night to come to Minnesota to help celebrate Kallie's arrival. It was a long drive through Northern Nebraska as I-90 was closed in South Dakota due to the huge blizzard that hit that region earlier in the week. We finally tumbled into bed in a Minneapolis hotel this morning around 5:00. We got up around 9:30, the kids swam and then we met Uncle Nic, Auntie Heather and Cousins Cierra and Rhiannan at the Mall of America so the kids could play at Lego Land. While at the mall trying to peek in the windows of the new-not-yet-opened-to-Kindrid's-dismay American Girl (why didn't you tell me, Pat?) store, we got the call that Kallie was here. We went to the hospital, surprised Carleen, Jeff and Grandma Marge very much and got to see our new niece/cousin. A supper at Famous Daves with family and a trip to REI (if we couldn't do it in Denver, Carrie, we were determined to get it done in The Cities!!) rounded out a very full day! Tomorrow we will get to see Grandma Mary, Pa Ben and Pa Tim and visit Kallie a bit more. Then, it's drive all day Monday to return to Casper. I'm sure we'll be tired but are so happy we could be here to share this time with family and meet this precious little gift!

Have a great rest of the weekend!
Christy

A New Look for Todd...

Todd's glasses arrived late in the week. Now my husband is not only handsome, he's handsome AND distinguished looking! :O) Love you, Babe!!!

PS...Go Vikes!!!!

Trick Or Treat...

Indy and the Halloween Fairy wanted you to see their costumes...

Todd dressed up as a fisherman for work today, too. We went to his hospital after school to trick or treat. Here's a lovely family shot! :O)

Like my costume? :OP

Todd and kids are out in the neighborhood right now getting their loot while I man the candy bowl on the home front. We've had maybe a dozen or so visitors so far. :O)

Have a great weekend!!

Christy

That's Good! That's Bad!

Hello Friends and Family,

I know it's been a little longer than I usually wait to post, but life has been busier this week and kinda got away from me. We've had lots of ups and downs since I last posted....nothing serious and "ups" outweigh the "downs!"

Both Todd and I continued to have sore throats last week causing sleepless nights and much snoring on Todd's part. :O) (That's Bad!)

We got a very heavy, sloppy, fast-falling snowstorm on Tuesday (That's Good!) that all melted away the next day (That's Bad!). (You see, my whole classification system of good vs. bad is based on lots of scientific research and data...no one can accuse me of it being purely my own opinion!) :O)

Here is Kindrid watching the onslaught of fat flakes coming down....

When adjusting his arm length ceased to be enough to focus his eyes, Todd went and had them checked. (That's Bad!) His New Glasses will be arriving sometime next week! (That's Good!)
His blood pressure has been elevated (That's Bad!) but he's going to the doctor next week to get it figured out. (That's Good!)

The census has been up at Todd's hospital. (That's Good!) Todd was Administrator On Call for the last week. He's been AOC before with minimal activity after work hours in the past, but this week was pretty different with lots of calls and unique situations. He was on the phone a lot in the evenings and over the weekend. (That's Bad!)

Brennen came home from school on Wednesday with a full-blown case of hives again. (That's Bad!) They lasted until Monday (That's Bad!) and caused him a lot of discomfort/sleeplessness with the itching. (That's Bad!) I still have no idea what causes them. (That's Bad). At least they are gone for now. (That's Good! - I had to figure out a way to get one "good" in this paragraph!) :O)

Brennen didn't have school on Thursday/Friday last week due to parent-teacher conferences. (That's Good!). We thought about taking a trip somewhere, but decided to stay put for a change which was wise considering the sore throats and hives. (That's Good!) Brennen loves having days just to stay at home! (That's Good!) Brennen's conference was wonderful...he's doing great in school with all A's and high class rankings. (That's Good!) His reading level is significantly above average and, best of all, he likes it. (That's Good!) His teacher did share that she will be moving to Colorado over Christmas break, and they currently seeking a replacement. (That's very, very Bad!) Brennen took the news OK, but, in typical Brennen fashion, we noticed his behavior got worse over the next few days. (That's Bad!) Poor guy! The transition to a new school with all new friends and new writing and phonics program was a big deal for him. The good news is that we know God is working for Brennen's good all the time and we put our trust in that. (That's Good!) We know it will all work out. Please pray for Brennen and his class!

For the last few months, Todd and I have been unable to use our bathroom shower as it needed to be re-grouted and caulked. (That's Bad!) Todd had time to get to that project this weekend. (That's Good!) I got to use it yesterday...so nice not to have to traipse through the house for a shower anymore! (That's Good!)

Last week the senior pastor from our new church called and asked if I would do the devotion talk for the 3rd-6th graders at last night's AWANA club meeting. (That's Good!) I was totally OK talking to the kids but wasn't thrilled that their adult leaders would also be in the room. (That's Bad!) I'm just more comfortable with kids! Anyhow, considering what week it is, I spoke about "fear." It went smoothly, the kids seemed engaged, and I got that ol' "I love teaching" thrill that comes from doing the one thing I always come back to feeling I'm fairly decent at. :O) (That's Good!) I will do lots of other stuff with pleasure, but this one thing brings such deep satisfaction!

Todd has been in Albuquerque most of this week for meetings. (That's Bad!) He's due to come home this evening. (That's Good!)

I say that so you can understand how big a deal it was that I took Brennen to his first soccer practice by myself. (That's Bad!) Wish you could have seen Brennen and me trying to get his shin guards and socks on while the team waited to begin practice! (That's Bad!) Turns out Brennen instinctively knew how they went on (That's Good!) as I was clueless!! He LOVED it! (That's Good!) We were a little frustrated as they'd asked Todd to coach and he'd decided to do it. Brennen was Over The Top (!) thrilled at the prospect of having Daddy as a coach - if you know Brennen, you know he seldom gets very exited about much but this news caused him to grin and jump around and shout with joy! There was some phone tag, and, by the time we touched base with the leadership, they'd found a different coach without calling and letting us know. (That's Bad!) That news, combined with his teacher moving, made for a few bad days for Brennen. (That's Bad!) Anyhow, the coach says he could use some help so hopefully Todd will still get to be involved. (That's Good!)

We had "make your own" pizzas Saturday night (That's Good!) - so that's what this random picture is about...Monday, after school, the kids and I went to Wal-Mart to get pumpkins. When we went to carve them, Kindrid's was really, really disgusting on the inside. (That's Bad!) We had one really sad little girl so, Knight Daddy went out on his trusty white horse to exchange the pumpkin. (That's Good!) He ended up having to go to a couple places but finally returned with his trophy and pumpkin carving commenced. (That's Good!)



Note the Indy hat...


Kindrid's ballet class was invited to dress up on Tuesday...here is my little ballet-fairy girl! (That's Good...and Cute!!)

And in other news....

...Congrats to my friend, R.F, on her new job! Way to go, girl!! (That's Good!)

...A great joy in my week was to hear from my friend, J.O., that she is back to normal and as feisty as ever after a bout with cancer...you are my hero, J.!!! (That's Good!)

...Although we forgot to call or email (That's Bad!) we still wish Cousin Cia a very happy birthday!! (That's Good!) We love you, Cia!!!

...We are sad to miss it (That's Bad!) but we sure hope Auntie Carleen has a wonderful time at her shower on Saturday! (That's Good!)

...my in-laws re-listed their house with a new realtor this last week...buy it so they can move here!! See it at: http://www.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?loc=Brainerd%2c+MN&mnp=140000&mxp=150000&bd=4&bth=2&sid=74160bd0451d4fd9972bdebd6a9f53c2&lid=1104142754&lsn=3&srcnt=18

(That would be very, very Good!)

Hope all is well with you and that The Good and The Bad all work out for you as they do for us...we are blessed!

Love,

Christy