Week of April 22 - 28, 2012

 

2012-04-22\IMG_6809.JPG   Late Christmas presents from my sister arrived. I still haven't mailed our package to her - but at least I did get something made this year.   Everything looked to be books or DVD's and everything was for the whole family pretty much. So I just let each child open something.

2012-04-22\IMG_6815.JPG

2012-04-22\IMG_6817.JPG

2012-04-22\IMG_6819.JPG

2012-04-22\IMG_6822.JPG   Afterwards, we did chores. LaRue LOVES socks.

2012-04-22\IMG_6825.JPG

2012-04-22\IMG_6826.JPG   I kept feeling a "tap" on my ankles. I looked down to see Joel mostly under the bed.

2012-04-22\IMG_6828.JPG   Rue also loves to feed the dog.

2012-04-22\IMG_6835.JPG     Psst. Ruezy! Toffee might prefer to eat her food in the bowl. Eating on the carpet will give her fuzz balls!

2012-04-22\IMG_6838.JPG   Errr.... Yeah.   That's better.

2012-04-23\IMG_6842.JPG     Learning to peel carrots.

2012-04-23\IMG_6845.JPG

2012-04-25\IMG_6847.JPG   While Karen and her family lived next door. We frequently helped with schooling. Karen helped with cooking and cleaning. So we both won.

2012-04-25\IMG_6848.JPG

2012-04-25\IMG_6850.JPG

2012-04-25\IMG_6851.JPG

2012-04-25\IMG_6853.JPG

2012-04-26\IMG_6866.JPG   Ruezy has been practicing cutting. She loves to cut. She insists on lines, but doesn't follow them yet.

2012-04-26\IMG_6869.JPG   IF you go back to the very first picture, you can see the results of a cutting spree.

2012-04-26\IMG_6872.JPG     Tim turned 48.   I can't believe it either.

2012-04-26\IMG_6873.JPG   This time last year, we were not sure he was going to last the year. Or recover from his heart attack.   But he is finally "better".

2012-04-26\IMG_6886.JPG   A ceiling touching contest. And then Tim cut the cake and handed it out.

2012-04-26\IMG_6892.JPG   Some pretty good pictures of Vannan.

2012-04-26\IMG_6891.JPG

2012-04-28\IMG_6896.JPG   On Saturday, we got all dressed up for a party.   This is one of her favorite outfits right now. She loves the birds.

2012-04-28\IMG_6898.JPG

2012-04-28\IMG_6906.JPG   And Joel wore his fancy cap with his name on it. He LOVES that hat. The party was a birthday party for Tim's nephew Joel's cousin. Well, he belongs to the whole family really. And he turned 9.

2012-04-28\IMG_6914.JPG   Joel had a blast on the jumper toy. Rue wouldn't go near it.

2012-04-28\IMG_6917.JPG     Our gift. They returned the favor a few weeks later, at Joel's party. Except a ton bigger. Yeah - there will be pictures of Joel's party someday.

2012-04-28\IMG_6943.JPG   The 2 boy cousins.   There are now 7 cousins in Tim's family. 4 girls and 3 boys.   These two are the #3 and #4 cousins.    Cousins 5, 6, and 7 are much younger at 3,2, and 1.

2012-04-28\IMG_6945.JPG   CAKE!!!

2012-04-28\IMG_6953.JPG

2012-04-28\IMG_6961.JPG   And a pinata that co-operated nicely and broke and scattered the candy. I was impressed! It was so fun watching the kids scramble for candy.

2012-04-28\IMG_6964.JPG

2012-04-28\IMG_6970.JPG   It was a really great and fun party. And Rue brought home a pet crab. Kendra brought home a bat. But Rue wants that too.

2012-04-28\IMG_6974.JPG

2012-04-28\0426121819.jpg   And Tim caught a fish for his birthday. The square's are 12 inches.       Tim's job nibble hasn't seemed to pan out. Again. With a 2 chances in 3 to get the job, well, we had hoped.   Volleyball season will start up soon. Usually in mid August sometime. Tim said something about starting a week earlier than last year. This will be his 3rd volleyball year. Reffing will last until Spring again. God will provide.     And in other news totally unrelated and unimportant to the grand scheme of life.   LaRue informed us that her favorite color is blue. Royal blue. or Tourquise blue. And not other shades of blue. And she wants a Blue's Clues birthday party.

These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google. Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/

April 15 - 21 (Just A Week in our Life)

 

38 pictures for you

2012-04-15\IMG_6696.JPG   Sunday:   We dressed up for church. This is one of Rue's favorite outfits. She is frowning because she wanted Cheerios and not photos.

2012-04-15\IMG_6697.JPG   One of her mannerisms. Tilting her face into her left shoulder.

2012-04-15\IMG_6705.JPG     During Tim's radio show, Joel played Blue's Clues ... by himself!

2012-04-16\IMG_6708.JPG     Monday:   Joel continued cutting donuts for his up and coming birthday party.

2012-04-17\IMG_6712.JPG   Tuesday:  The girls received a surprise in the mail. A friend sent them her old Kindle.   And yes, they "fight" over whose turn it is. They LOVE having a Kindle!

2012-04-17\IMG_6713.JPG   Can you see that they are grinning over this "fight"? They staged it for the camera.

2012-04-18\IMG_6715.JPG     Wednesday:  I caught Joel doing his Math Problems .. on the black board.

2012-04-18\IMG_6717.JPG   He also filled in other math pages. Addition charts.

2012-04-18\IMG_6716.JPG     And did more problems on the Black Board.

2012-04-18\IMG_6720.JPG     Little Miss Full Of It   (Featuring another handmedown from Kendra - I made this one too. So much fun to see it again!)

2012-04-18\IMG_6726.JPG   During this week, she went on a shoe and sock spree ... wait, something doesn't look right with those shoes....

2012-04-18\IMG_6730.JPG     Oh MY! How funny.

2012-04-18\IMG_6731.JPG   Vannan showing off her baby bunny. Born in her bedroom.

2012-04-18\IMG_6735.JPG   Playing House, and having supper.

2012-04-18\IMG_6737.JPG

2012-04-19\IMG_6742.JPG   Thursday:   Rue scraped her thumb, slightly. And insisted on a band aide. This is her idea of a band aide.   Too funny.

2012-04-19\IMG_6744.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6748.JPG   Friday:  More Dolly play And wearing shoes.

2012-04-21\IMG_6751.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6755.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6756.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6758.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6759.JPG   Kendra? What are you doing up there?

2012-04-21\IMG_6763.JPG   Vannan took a peak at Kendra's project.

2012-04-21\IMG_6764.JPG     Joel and Rue were playing castles and Cars.

2012-04-21\IMG_6767.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6770.JPG     She was trying to try some wild strawberries in the sun.   It did work...   But the wind blew most of them away.   and then the trees dropped stuff onto the pan with them... not quite a success story.

2012-04-21\IMG_6772.JPG   Joel loves puzzles. And this particular day, he was into tanagrams.

2012-04-21\IMG_6773.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6787.JPG   After Bath Peek A Boo Game.

2012-04-21\IMG_6788.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6789.JPG

2012-04-21\IMG_6802.JPG     I almost didn't buy that towel - found second hand for $3. A little much for our budget. But Joel and Rue both have loved it, so guess it was worth splurging on.

2012-04-21\IMG_6803.JPG     Finally, time for brushing teeth. What is in your hand Joel?

2012-04-21\IMG_6806.JPG     Oh, it is the timer that Aunt Heather got you for Christmas last year. Can't brush his teeth without it.   And a hat. Must Wear Hat to Brush Teeth.

2012-04-21\IMG_6807.JPG   More shoes. This time - Mom's shoes.

\2012-04-21\MY CAMERA January 2012 1163.jpg   Vannan gave me some pictures of her bunnies. Cute huh?   They lived in her bedroom for 3 weeks, then in the extra bathtub for another 2 weeks.   Then we decided that they were big enough to not get eaten by a big snake.

2012-04-21\MY CAMERA January 2012 1165.jpg

Mentally .... this is about where I am.   Stuck somewhere in March or April - Spring.   My brain hasn't even began getting ready for Summer. Let alone back to school!   I had planned to do "Christmas in July Cards" - had it all planned. But it isn't going to happen.   God continues to provide for our needs - friends have brought us food to stretch our budget, and some of it is from the most amazing places.   LaRue got a few extra sets of shorts, and should be fine for the summer.   Joel is fine for now - but looking for summer NEXT YEAR clothes - size 8/10s. Though he is so short, that he usually wears his pants a size smaller.   Tim got a job nibble last week - a nice strong one.  Be in prayer for that.  Hoping to post good news later.   God provides.   Somebody asked me recently "if you could go on vacation, where would you go?" I didn't know. But I think I would LOVE to take the family to one of the Creation Museums.  I know of 3. One in South Texas.  One in Florida.  And one in Kentucky. We had a vacation all set up 8 or 9 years ago, to go to the one in South Texas, and Tim's vacation time got called short and he had to go back to work. We had all gone to Dallas, while Tim did a basket ball camp.  But before the camp was finished, Tim had gotten a call, McDonald's needed him.   I don't remember whether it was that October, or the one after that, that I found out we were expecting Joel.  But I think it was the summer of 2004.   Pictures AND an update!   Maybe I should zone out at Midnight more often?   Please .... Stop in and say hello - I could really use some encouragement and hugs this week.

These pictures were sent with Picasa, from Google. Try it out here: http://picasa.google.com/