Five Points

For those of you who might be interested in the history of our neighborhood, here is a link to some great info. I learned some new things! We just love our neighborhood and neighbors! Speaking of neighbors, around the corner our friends just listed their house...they are moving to DC. Want to be our neighbor?! We are praying that the folks who move in will be just as great as the ones leaving!

~Rose

Zoo Trip With the Kylanders -2007

We enjoyed a trip to the zoo last Friday night with the Kylander family. The kids loved seeing the animals and running around like monkeys. We have a great little Zoo here in Denver and in about 90 minutes we had made it all around and were tuckered out! We all slept well that night!

~Rose

Our Little Homeschool

Hope loves school (for the most part...lol). We have this little student desk that somehow is more fun to do work on.

Notice Owen's creation numbers (Emma's are below) on the green behind him. We just did day 7 today and after three more days in Creation Owen will dive into his first 6 day lesson (of 26) featuring one letter a lesson.

We are doing school in the basement this year which I LOVE! This is our main table to do most of our projects and work on.

Our basement doubles as a guest bedroom (we can sleep two adults nice and comfy on the twin beds). Hope and I use the bed daily for her read alouds. It's so great to cuddle and read together.

Our little storage area. The bookshelf is new ($10 on Craig's List...picked it up less than a mile from our house).

The kids still enjoy all the books we inherited from my mom. In my dream house there is a library like in Beauty and the Beast!

We made the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria last Friday. Foil is wonderful stuff.

We floated them from Europe to the New World! We're saving them to float in the kiddie pool. The sails work great when the kids blow into them. Hope and I are learning a lot and we're only in week three. Learning is so fun!

~Rose

Go Rockies!

Our church gathered at a Rockies game last Saturday evening. I had thought, "We'll go for maybe an hour and then head home...hopefully the kids do well, but I doubt they will last very long. At least the tickets for the Rock Pile seats are cheap." We ended up staying for the whole game! Click here to see the photos. We brought food and drinks and bought 2 bags of cotton candy for the kids which they loved (of course). We spent all of $14 dollars and loved hanging out with everyone. It's so great to have a group of friends that enjoy our kids and are a good influence in their lives. At one point the kids (big and small) were throwing peanut shells at each other. It is one of those few times that can kids throw things at adults and not get in trouble! To top it all off, the Rockies won their game! ~Rose

Tiny Town

Here is an album of photos from our recent trip to Tiny Town with Grandma Kate. Now that she's not working, she can join the kids and I on fun Fridays (light table work day with the intention of getting into nature or going on a field trip).



~Rose

APC -Outreach & Tree Chop

Have you ever used a chain saw? Well, I hadn't so when the opportunity knocked I answered happily! You know, power tools are pretty cool. I can see why men get addicted to them :)

Carrie needed a dead tree chopped down and instead of paying some tree guy, Micah and a few of the guys said they could do it. I love it when the Body of Christ steps us to help each other. So, I told the kids Tuesday morning, let's make sure we get school done early so we can go get 7Eleven slurpees and watch the guys chop down a tree at Miss Carrie's house. Home school is so great! They were so excited and even helped bundle up all the branches. Click here to see all the wonderful photos.



Last Saturday we joined up with Faith EFC to do a Back To School BBQ/Outreach in Curtis Park. It was a great time to get connected with the neighborhood again (we did VBS there in June). The kiddos were happy to get school supplies and backpacks, play games and grab a hot dog or two. We had great fellowship and connected with some of the parents too. Praise God for a great day! Click here to see all the photos.
~Rose

Tim & Lauren's Visit

Our friends Tim and Lauren came out a few weeks ago for a visit. We had a great time with them and were blessed that they took time to spend with us. Thursday we went to REI and then rode the Platte Valley Trolley. Tim & Lauren spent a day in the Rocky Mountians and were here for Owen's birthday party. Here are a few pics from their time out here. The kiddos just loved spending time with Uncle Tim and Lauren.
~Rose

P.S. Thanks Tim & Lauren for Owen's gifts (the stomp rocket is so cool) and CONGRATS on your engagement!

Swimming -Summer 2007

I'm trying this web album thing. Let's see how it works!
~Rose

Owen's 5th Birthday Photos

Here they are finally. The pics from Owen's party. We had such a great day and are blessed with wonderful friends and family. I took a LOT of photos (mostly for the family who couldn't make it)...good thing I figured out how to use this Picasa album thing!



~Rose

Mothering

A friend emailed this to me recently. I loved it…especially the last line. How quickly I forget what an amazing task God has given me and just look at how unconvinced I am all the time! Truly I love my children, but sometimes-let’s be honest ladies- daily, they expose my sin!!! That’s not so fun. I am thankful though because I am driven to the cross and have to daily, hourly even, call on Him who knows me so well. This is my high calling for now: the godly training of my children. I can get so overwhelmed some days and just plain mad that they are so childish. I have to remind myself how young they are and that God is lovingly in control of it all. I see them maturing and get these moments where I can just live in that moment and they are so precious, you know. It’s hard to describe, but I have been praying that I can focus on the good and forget the bad and I have had moments of truly enjoying my children like never before. Talking to Hope and Owen and really focusing on them (aka: not doing anything else at the same time), or playing a game with Emma, or rolling a ball with Levi. I think it’s those small things where I completely focus on them that are the biggest boost for me lately as a mother. Well, here I am rambling again, so I’ll add the quote. Thanks to Laura E. for sending it my way!
~Rose

"O dear mothers, please understand that you have a very sacred trust reposed in you by God! He has in effect said unto you, "Take this child away, and nurse it for Me, and I will give thee thy wages" (Exodus 2:9). You are called to equip the future man of God, that he may be "thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:17). If God spares you, you may live to hear that pretty boy speak to thousands, and you will have that sweet reflection in your heart that the quiet teachings of the nursery led the adult man to love his God and serve Him. Those who think that a woman detained at home by her little family is doing nothing, think the reverse of what is true. Scarcely can the godly mother quit her home for a place of worship. However, dream not that she is lost to the work of the church. Far from it, she is doing the best possible service for her Lord. Mothers, the godly training of your offspring is your first and most pressing duty. Christian women, by teaching children the Holy Scriptures, are as much fulfilling their part for the Lord as Moses did in judging Israel, or Solomon in building the temple." C.H. Spurgeon

1st Day Of School

I started school with the kiddos on Monday. We will be in CA for 3 weeks in November, so I need to get a head start (otherwise we'll be working into June and that just won't work for me!). We are doing school in the basement this year, which will be much better. I have all our supplies down there, there are toys for Levi to play with, a bed to cuddle and read on and if we want to we can leave everything out to go eat or whatever. Last year, we used the dining room because Levi was an infant and it was just easier to be in the middle of the house, but it bugged me to have that mess out all the time. We are using My Father's World Curriculum again this year. We have nothing bad to say about it...so wonderfully written and Bible centered. We are so looking forward to enjoying school this year.

Here is Owen who is starting Kindergarten. We'll do 2-4 days a week depending on what our days are like. I may take 2 years to take him through the curriculum.

Here's my beautiful Hope working on her spelling on the first day of school. Spelling is a new subject for Hope this year.

Hope's 2nd grade curriculum (Adventures) will overview US History this week. Hope learned about the Pledge Of Allegiance on Monday and we made these tasty patriotic treats. YUM!

Veggie Garden Giants: My Yellow Zucchini

Look at these babies! We had half of one tonight and it was pretty tasty! I am learning a lot about veggie gardening this year.

Note to self: The Zucchini grows like crazy and will spread like wildfire...need more room next year. I'll post more pics later...got corn, sunflowers, green beans (got a handful- didn't pick them soon enough and they yellowed) and I think there are carrots growing somewhere.
~Rose

APC -Outreach Opportunity & Lair O' The Bear

Please keep our church in your prayers: We are joining up with Faith EFC to do an outreach this Saturday in Curtis Park from 10am to 3pm. We'll be handing out school supplies to the neighborhood kiddos, playing games with them and hosting a free BBQ for everyone. Pray that we'll be able to make real connections and God would be glorfied! Thanks!

Our little man all tuckered out after church 2 sundays ago in Lair O' The Bear. Click here to see all the pics. We love having church in God's creation!

~Rose

Happy 5th Birthday Owen!

Our little man Owen turned 5 today. Where has the time gone? I laid in bed with him tonight and told him the story of his birth.

I remember Desi had a bunch of Jr. Highers to take to summer camp the day I was due. The church we were at was going to give him a cell phone that he would have so I could reach him. I wasn't too excited about it, so I took things into my own hands...and drank caster oil mixed with Coke. I'll spare you the details, but a few hours later I was in hard labor and early Sunday morning I was on my way to the hospital (in hard labor). Sparing you even more details, Owen was born about an hour after getting to the hospital (naturally-which is REALLY PAINFUL).

I recalled to Owen how excited daddy and I were to meet him and how healthy and wonderful he was. Many people came to visit him and his big sister Hope could not get enough of him. I told him how God wanted him in our family and how special he is and that God has a wonderful and exciting plan for his life. I asked for a big hug and kiss. I was denied the kiss. For the past 6 months or so, he does not want kisses (he's a germ-a-phobe...scared of germs). This is why I kiss Levi about a 100 times a day! After I got up, he complained that I heated up his mattress, so I offered that he use my bed for a little bit till his mattress got cool again. He's still in my bed. We had a great party for him today with friends, family and neighbors. He got a lot of nice gifts...mostly car stuff which is his favorite. Thanks to all who came and all who sent gifts. We are blessed. Here are a few pics from back in the day.
Owen at 2.5 months old.

Hope 2, Owen 5.5 months.

Owen 1 year old.

Owen last month with his sisters on a camping trip with our church.

Happy Birthday Owen! You are a kind, sensitive and generous boy. God has gifted you with many words, a wonderful story telling ability, and a joyful zest for life. You love playing with Hot Wheels cars, watching movies, playing computer games (which you are very skilled at), camping, playing outside, and playing with your swords. You are a good brother who protects your sisters and watches out for his baby brother. You really love playing with Emma and get really silly with her sometimes. I look forward to seeing you mature over the next year and am excited to start teaching you Kindergarten soon! I love you and am blessed to be your momma!

~Rose
Pictures from the party will be posted soon!

The New Kitchen Floor

We had a request (miss you Brent & Lisa) for a close up of our kitchen floor.
It is cork and we LOVE it!

~Rose

The New Laundry Room

My brother Jason was a big help with the new drywall.

Owen had to help paint and did such a good job!
Notice the new vinyl tile floor that Desi and I put in. I love it-easy to install and inexpensive!

Josh helping to bring in the new washer...I was sooooo excited to get a washer/dryer after 5 weeks of no laundry in the house!

This is my new laundry room :)
Note: the yellow is where the blue is, but there are two white walls and the steps are painted brown. I'll post a pic later. Our neighbor Candace came over for a few hours over three days to paint for us. Desi and I helped her a bit here and there, but without her, it probably would not have gotten done before our friends flew in for a visit.
Once again...neighbors are great :)

~Rose

Goofy Plastic Glasses

Our neighbor Pepper gave the kiddos little goody bags with candy and plastic glasses and bracelets. Now we've had these little plastic glasses before, but they have never been played with like they were on this day! The kids became PURE GOOF BALLS once they put them on and it was hilarious to watch them. I had to grab the camera.

~Rose

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzz

Two little sickies last week taking a snooze together. Emma is totally a daddy's girl, but thankfully loves to cuddle with me too sometimes :)

~Rose

Goodbye Neighbor!

We had our neighbor Devin over for a goodbye dinner a little while back. She had been living with her dad right next door. We just love her :) She was great with the kiddos and we enjoyed wonderful conversation (she's a believer) and rousing games of Phase 10! It was time for her to move back to Kansas City, MO and we're really gonna miss her.

Moral of this post: Enjoy your neighbors while they are around!

~Rose

City Park Fountain

Near the end of the Voss' visit in Denver we took them to City Park to enjoy this cool fountain on a really HOT day. The kids just loved it and we spent close to two hours splashing, laughing and climbing on the fountain. Even Levi loved it and I had to get him out and warm him up a couple times (his lips were blue). I took TONS of pics and had a hard time narrowing them down, so here are some of my favorites.

~Rose

Hammond's Candy Factory

While the Voss family was visiting we wanted to do something Denver-ish and fun. Hammond's Candy Factory is close to our house and has free factory tours. The kids had a blast (how could they not) and we were able to sample a few free candies. YUM!

That is a huge roll of candy he's holding that is still warm and will be put into a puller and pull it into a candy cane size roll that is hand cut, curved and packaged. It can take up to 2 years to become a candy maker. They make candy canes about 50 weeks each year. They also make marshmallows, chocolate and old fashioned candy. If you're out visiting, we'd love to take you!

~Rose