The Darago Daily

Funny Outtake

2012-01-29T22:50:00.003-07:00

After my photo shoot with a large family, the grandma decided to give the boys feather boas and this is the end result. Strangely they all worked the boas quite well! It was so much fun! I entered this pic in the I Heart Faces weekly photo challenge which was titled "Silly Faces". I think this captures that quite well!

Awesome Giveaway

2011-11-21T07:39:00.002-07:00

Check out this amazing giveaway at Laura Winslow's site. She is an amazing photographer and also does some of the best giveaways ever!

GIVEAWAY

Peru!

2011-07-10T15:04:00.003-07:00

Joe and I have been back from Peru for almost two weeks now. I have put together a slideshow of pictures from our trip for you to enjoy. I've also been trying to think how I can possibly put into words what an amazing trip this was. The pictures you will see don't do justice to the amount of lifechange and good that came out of our time in Peru.

The trip started out a little bumpy with a day long delay in getting to Lima. But, once we were there, we hit the ground rolling and didn't stop working and soaking up every opportunity until we were on our way back. We were able to make a good amount of progress on the Childrens Home (Albuergue) by working on various projects. We mixed and poured concrete, stomped in mud to make material for bricks and then formed the bricks, we leveled ALOT of ground, we dug trenches and then filled them back in and we enjoyed every single second of it. We went to the dump and passed out fruit to the people working there and were challenged greatly by this experience. We went to the dayschool and loved on lots of kids.

One of the biggest highlights for Joe and I was getting to meet Jeison Henry, the boy we sponsor through Inca Link. He is a bright, happy 11 year old boy and it was such a privilege to get to spend some time with him. When we were leaving he kept asking over and over "When are you coming back?". We told him we are hoping to see him again next summer!

Another highlight was getting to climb a mountain that had a sand dune attached to it. It took us about 45 minutes of steep climbing to get up, and then about 3 minutes of leaping and running down the sand dune to get to the bottom. One of the funnest things I've ever done, hands down!

Summer Fun

2011-07-06T18:27:00.002-07:00

I am no good at the blogging thing, seems like life is too busy sometimes. But, I think I will atleast try to update every few weeks or so. Since getting back to Peru, which was an amazing growth opportunity, me and the girls and have been busy creating some fun and tasty dishes. First we made rainbow jello, next we made jello in real citrus shells, then we made stained glass 4th of July jello. Sydney has been baking away and made some yummy pizza bites and some banana bread that was delicious! She is quite the little baker.

AWESOME PHOTOGRAPHER & Great contest!

2010-11-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

A while back I found this photographer as I was looking at some headbands on Etsy. Turns out she in the Phoenix area and I have been following her stuff on facebook and her blog ever since. She is doing this amazing contest of all of her favorite things and I would like to share this link with you. Also, take a minute to look at her beautiful photographer. This is one talented lady!

http://laurawinslowphotography.com/blog/2010/11/29/over-2000-59-shops-1-winner-the-huge-fabulous-holiday-giveaway-my-fave-things-scottsdale-photographer/comment-page-3/#comment-41041

Hi!

2010-08-21T11:09:00.004-07:00

I haven't been paying any attention to this blog in a long time. Sydney started blogging and so I thought maybe I should do an update! Life is pretty great here in the Darago household! Caleb started high school this year, Sydney started Junior High and Payton is in 4th grade! WOW! Where has the time gone?

I am in full swing planning for our 5th annual women's retreat again this year at the end of September. I am so excited to have the opportunity to speak again this year and God has really been challenging me as I spend time preparing! I am also so privileged to have an incredible group of ladies to lead along with me! Should be a really cool retreat!

As you can see from the pics - Caleb is a giant! He is almost 6 foot now and clearly taller than both Joe and I. CRAZY!!! But, he's a good kid and just finished his 2nd week of 9th grade! Also, Sydney tried out for cheerleading at the end of last year and made it! So, she is officially a Vistancia Cheerleader and I must say, so stinkin' cute! She is about 5" smaller than all the other girls, but full of energy and pep! And then, Payton is still just as cute and spunky as always! She loves to laugh and is proud to be a combination of a tomboy and a girl! Some days she wants to be all dolled up and then other days could care less! I love it!

Life is full and blessed! And, I am continually thankful for my wonderful and gorgeous hubby! Someone commented the other day that if they didn't know better they would think we were newlyweds! I take that as a huge compliment! Married 16 years and still totally and completely in love with each other!

God is good!!!!

Christie

Dusty

2010-05-08T10:47:00.001-07:00

I LOVE COUPONSENSE

2009-11-19T11:47:00.002-07:00

Today was a great couponsense day at Safeway. Here is the list of what I got and what I saved.

5 Red Baron Pizzas
5 Turkey Gravy Mixes
1 Box Cheese Nips
1 Box Chicken Crackers
1 Box Better Cheddars
3 Boxes of Three Cheese Potatoes
3 Betty Crocker cookie mixes
3 50 pkg of Hefty Plates
3 30 pkg of Hefty Cups
1 Loaf of Bread
1 Lb. Honey Ham
1 Lb. White American Cheese
3 2 liters of soda
2 gallons of milk
6 packages of sausage Links
3 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 12 packs of Pop-Tarts
2 Boxes Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
2 Bagels

I spent $56 and got $5 off my next order. Saved $88.47 (62% savings)

IT IS TOTALLY ADDICTING!

Long time no blog...

2009-10-11T17:21:00.002-07:00

Seems like life has been pretty busy lately. Blogging is one of those things that seems ideal to do and yet is not tops on the priority list at this point. I need to figure out a way to be a little more consistent though. Alot has happened over the last few months. Things in the Darago household are good! My kids are all growing like weeds, my husband still continues to be my best friend and amazes me often! Our women's retreat came and went and was incredible! I will have to post on just that sometime soon.

Caleb is playing baseball, drums and electric guitar and really seems to enjoy the whole music thing! He really is pretty good on his guitar for what a short amount of time he has been playing! Sydney is taking ballet and is enjoying every single second of it. She is a natural and was obviously created to dance ballet! Payton is in a class called "Young Rembrandts" and is shining in there too. She is gifted artistically, which is something I am not, and it is fun to watch her create great artwork.

More to come soon...

Pics of My Beautiful Girls!

2009-06-08T16:51:00.003-07:00

2009-04-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

Marriage Quote#3

2009-04-10T07:50:00.002-07:00

"Happy marriages begin when we marry the one we love and they blossom when we love the one we married."

Love is a choice…it doesn’t always feel like it did when we first got married, but it doesn’t mean it’s not love. We live in a culture that says if you don't feel a certain way, then you have probably fallen out of love with your husband. I've been married for almost 15 years now and have come to realize that all of those wonderful feelings you have when you are first dating and married are not a sign of true love and commitment. It's easy to say you're "in love" when the feelings are all warm and fuzzy. But, that really isn't love. Choosing to invest in your marriage and it's success everyday is really what it's all about. There are going to be those times where the feelings are there, but there are going to be alot of times where they are not. I think it's more about what you do with those times and how much you are willing to work at making your marriage successful that equates to real love.

1 Corinthians 13 says "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." If we could all remember these truths from scripture, we would certainly see much more success in the marriage world. It makes me so sad to watch friends just give up on their marriages and not realize that it is worth the effort to fight for.

Lord, help me to be a woman who is investing in my marriage....for your sake and for the sake of others.

My how the kids do grow...

2009-04-02T16:51:00.002-07:00

I was looking at pics from four years ago this month when we had only been in AZ for 4 months. I can't believe how quickly my kids have been growing. Caleb just grew 1/2" in a month and is about 5' 7.5". Payton is finally passing up Sydney in height and weight. I wish I could freeze time for just a bit and go back to when they were toddlers. Nevertheless, life is good and I was reflecting last night on God's goodness to allow me to be a mom! The only job I ever really wanted in life.

Daily Marriage Quote #2

2009-04-02T11:58:00.002-07:00

What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.

We are always going to have struggles of incompatibility because our husbands are not our clones…thank goodness. But, we need to learn to work through those differences and embrace them. We are all uniquely and wonderfully made as Psalm 139 tells us. Do you see your husband that way, as God sees him, or do you want him to be just like you? As women, we have the privilege of either building up, or tearing down our husbands by the way we interact with them. How about today we choose to view them as God does and encourage them to be all that God has created them to be.

Daily Marriage Quote

2009-04-01T11:24:00.002-07:00

I was doing some preparation for my women's bible study tonight and started researching some quotes on marriage. There are some really good ones out there and I thought I would start sharing some of them on my blog and giving my thoughts about them. So, here goes quote #1: Why is it that people get married? Because we need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet. What does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything...the good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things. All of it...all the time, every day. You're saying "Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed, because I will be your witness."

So, it got me thinking about this question. Am I being a good witness to my husbands life? Proverbs 31:11-12 says "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life". I want to be the one who notices my husbands life, not leave that up to someone else. And, when I am caught up in selfishness and wanting my own way, I might miss something that was worth noticing and that he needed noticed. May God help me to be a wife that brings my husband good all of his days!

Smoke Alarm at 3 a.m.

2009-03-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

Last night as our whole family was comfortably and soundly sleeping at 3 a.m. when we were abruptly awakened by the sound of our smoke alarms going off. I immediately jumped up and ran into the girls room where Payton had already done a 2 second dismount from the top bunk and Sydney was crawling out of her bed. I ushered them into Calebs room and then we headed quickly down the stairs towards the back door. Meanwhile, Joe was trying to figure out what was going on. I was so proud of my kids for their quick response, but they were so nervous...Paytons legs were even shaking. Well, it turns out that there was some dust in the smoke detector in our bedroom and because it was windy I think it triggered it going off. Joe took care of it and finally got the shrill noise to stop. We made sure all was well, talked with the kids and then put them back to bed. Afterall, today is AIMS testing for them.

As I was trying to go back to sleep, which took way too long, I was hit with a thought. As soon as I heard the alarms going off, my only thought was getting my family out of the house safe. Not once did the thought of trying to save any of my things enter my mind. Sometimes when I imagine a fire, I think of all the stuff I would want to save. But, last night, even though it was a false alarm, I was reminded that stuff is just stuff and the only thing that is really important is our families and the people God places in our life.

It was a great opportunity to pass this truth along to my kids. So, this morning as we got ready, we talked about how they did the same thing as me when the alarms went off. They didn't say "wait, let me get..." they simply wanted to get out with their family! I'm thankful for the small reminder of what is really important in life! And, thankful it was only some dust and not a real emergency!

2009-03-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

Staycation

2009-03-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break this year, we decided to do a staycation. We stayed at home and just did fun things around the city. Joe took several days of vacation so we could do this. We had a blast. We slept out in a tent in the backyard two nights, went swimming one day, went quading in the desert, went to a movie, went to a spring training game and just had alot of fun together. I was really sad when the kids were ready to go back to school. I am already feeling ready for summer vacation.

Spring Break

2009-03-16T16:36:00.001-07:00

Angels We Have Heard

2008-12-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

Well, this last Sunday was the big Journey Fastlane Christmas Program. After 6 weeks of tryouts, learning songs, choreography, speaking parts, getting costumes ready, lots of praying and practicing, our grade schoolers did and absolutely amazing job! Sydney tried out for and got the part of Halo, the diva angel and did an outstanding job. She even got to sing a solo called "Glory to Glory". It was truly beautiful! Payton was a spotlight dancer and got to show off her great dancing skills during two songs. She had so much fun and did such a great job.

I am so proud of all the kids and their hard work. Because of the program, we had our largest attendance ever at Journey. There were 656 people there and it was so packed there was standing room only. The kids were able to present the true message of Christmas to so many people and then after the program, Joe was able to share the gospel. God is at work in big ways at Journey and we are so fortunate to be a part of it.

Women's Retreat

2008-10-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! All I can say is WOW! Our women's retreat was simply amazing and God was at work in some powerful ways. We took 59 ladies this year, which in and of itself is quite amazing. The first year we took 20, last year we took 40 and this year 59! I keep thinking of the scripture from Ephesians 3:20 when I think about this retreat. Our speaker was a dear woman and mentor in my life, Ruthie Thune. She spoke three times and each talk spoke clearly to my heart and the other women's hearts as well. Our theme was Journey of the Heart and I can truly say that it was a great journey. The women of Journey are such a privilege to work alongside of and serve with. We had so many ladies serving on this retreat, from set up, worship team, small group leaders, etc. and they all served so beautifully and sacrificially. My prayer is that the things we learned on this retreat will affect our lives for years to come.

Fun in Flagstaff!

2008-10-09T13:52:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, our family ventured up to Flagstaff for a much needed time of fun together. We left on Thursday after the kids got out of school early and returned late Saturday night. The weather was just incredible. I actually got to wear jeans and a sweatshirt and enjoy some "fall" type weather. We went hiking and driving through the woods and the boys went squirrel hunting. My kids absolutely love being outside and we had so much fun looking at the beautiful trees and seeing lots of great wildlife.

I love living here in Peoria, because in two hours I can be in a totally different climate, enjoying amazing scenery and beautiful weather. It was a good reminder of what an awesome Creator I serve.

Women's Retreat

2008-09-25T15:56:00.001-07:00

Well, it is just about time for our annual women's retreat. This year our theme is, Journey of the Heart! I cannot even tell you how excited I am about this. The team of ladies that is leading this retreat is incredible! We had our first meeting of all the leaders last night and it was just incredible. After going over numerous details, we spent extended time in prayer, and man was it powerful! It is obvious that God is going before us and preparing the way. We have 52 ladies signed up to go right now, which means we have 4 spots left. We took 40 last year, so this is a significant jump for us.

Today, Jan Jueckstock came over and helped us make one of the surprises for all of the ladies. We made these cute pockets that hold note cards and they turned out soooo cute. I feel like I've been spending a large majority of my time getting ready for this, but it will all be worth it. So far, I've worked on nametags, signs for the cabins, a pillow surprise and many other fun details.

If you think about it, please pray that God will be at work in the lives of all the women that are going. Our guest speaker this year is Ruthie Thune and I am not only excited on a personal level to see her, but know that the messages she is going to share will be powerful.

2008-09-17T15:47:00.001-07:00

Girls having fun!

2008-09-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night, Caleb had a friend spend the night. So, the girls made a salon in their room and wanted me to come visit it. They did my makeup and gave me tatoos. Lots of fun. Then when I was finished they asked me to do their makeup. We pretended that they were going to a red carpet movie premier and so we went over the top with the makeup. Then, we took pictures like they were fashion models. It was so funny to watch them posing. I can't believe how old Sydney looks in these pictures. I'm not ready for this yet, and thankful that this was just for play.

Journey Poolside!!!

2008-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

On August 17, Journey had an event called "Journey Poolside". We met at the Carlat's house and had hot dogs and food. We had lifeguards so the kids could swim, but the most incredible part was that we did baptisms. I can't even tell you how amazing it was to watch these people take this step of obedience and be baptized. There were alot of childen that got baptized and for some of them, their fathers actually baptized them. It was super emotional. Then there were the adults. Vaughn, our neighbor, got baptized and it was an incredible moment to witness after watching him come to faith over the last year! His two children got baptized as well. Then there was Tami who has just an incredible story of God's redemptive grace in her life. What an awesome thing to see her get baptized. I'm so privileged to be a part of Journey church and was reminded yesterday morning, that God has done and will continue to do amazing things in and through this truly special group of Christ followers. God is at work and fulfilling his purposes in the Northwest Valley!!!!!

School is in session!

2008-08-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Wow - it's hard to believe that another summer has come and gone and my three kiddos are back in school. They were all so excited and so ready to go back this year, which makes me extremely thankful. They all love to learn so much and I am really proud of what great examples they are to their peers. Caleb is in 7th grade, hard to believe that I am old enough to have a junior higher. Sydney is is 5th grade and is excelling in every area of school. And, Payton is in 2nd grade and just loves life more and more every day. We have met all of their teachers and are extremely impressed with each of them. They all seem to have a real passion for what they do and a desire to help these kids succeed. Paytons teacher sent home a sheet that said she will treat each child as if it was her own every day. She is 52 years old and has been teaching for 23+ years. So far, only two weeks in, Caleb had earned 17 positives on his card, which is great. Sydney has been placed in a few classes that will really challenge her to the next level, and Payton has been given the opportunity to sit by a boy that was being made fun of because the teacher told her that she knew Payton was a good girl who would watch out for him. So thankful for these three amazing kids that God has allowed me to be a mommy to.

A Great Hike!

2008-06-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

The other day we went hiking on West Wing Mountain. The kids did amazing and it was such a good hike. Living in AZ is truly amazing, we are always amazed at how beautiful it is here and that we can go on a hike like this just 10 minutes from home. While we were hiking we came across two chuckwallas. They are some weird looking lizards, but kind of cool!

My son turned 12...where has the time gone?

2008-04-23T17:20:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, April 19th Caleb turned 12. I was thinking back that day to what a sweet, little baby he was at only 5 lbs. 12 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. Who would've thought that at 12 he would be 5"3 and 120 lbs. What happened to my little baby boy? I'm so thankful for such a great son. Caleb is a very sweet, caring and kind young man. Joe and I couldn't be more proud of the way he's growing up!

Bon Jovi Rocked!

2008-04-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

Joe and I headed to the Bon Jovi concert last night and had an awesome time! Chris Daughtry opened for him and did a great job as well. It was a flashback to high school, but I was impressed with the performance. They sang for almost 2 hours straight and had so much energy it was unbelievable. The crowd was totally into it too! Thanks to Scott Harris for getting us tickets to the suite his company owns! It was great to be Living on a Prayer while riding our steel horse after taking that Bad Medicine! I've never wanted to lay down in a bed of roses or be a runaway so bad before! It was truly a great date night with my hot hubbie!

Our new garden!

2008-04-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

So Payton has been asking for a very long time to plant a garden and we finally did it. It turned out well and is growing great right now. Hopefully we can keep it alive during the long hot summer! We planted cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, jalapenos, pumpkins, watermelons, cucumbers and sunflowers! We also planted a pot with gerber daisies which are so pretty!

Fun in Flagstaff!

2008-03-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

The Darago Family headed for Flagstaff for Spring Break this year. We left on Easter Sunday and returned the following Wednesday. Although it was a quick trip, we had lots of fun. On Monday we played in the snow and the temps were amazing. It was about 48 degrees while we were throwing snowballs and sledding! How great is that. Then, on Tuesday, we headed to Snowbowl for a fun day of snowboarding and skiing. Caleb, Sydney and Payton all took snowboard lessons and I must say I am impressed with how great they all did. Caleb had taken a lesson before, so by the afternoon, he was headed up the hills with Joe and I. Payton and Sydney were amazing. They both did so well, but unfortunately by mid afternoon the altitude had struck Sydney and she was unable to continue her lesson. Payton, however, finished up and then headed up the mountain with us and came all the way down like a champ! What a fun time we had. It seemed like it was over way to quick, but it was really good to get away and spend some quality time together as a family!

Funny Pic!

2008-02-08T23:20:00.001-07:00

We picked lots of wonderful oranges and grapefruits at RL and Joann Browns house the other day. The kids had so much fun and actually got to climb up the grapefruit tree. Climbing a tree where we live is quite an unusual thing. So much so that Caleb said it was one of the best days he's had...all because he got to climb a tree. I guess that's what happens when you live in the desert! Don't you just love his mustache and the girls gleaming white smiles! HA HA

Some Fun Pics of the Family!

2008-02-08T23:07:00.001-07:00

I Love This Man!

2008-02-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today about how much I love my husband. I was walking by his jacket the other day when he was out of town and I picked it up to hang it up in the closet. As I went to hang it up, I put it up to my face to smell it and I realized just how much I can't imagine my life without this amazing man in it. Sometimes you begin to take your spouse for granted and I was reminded that day that I never want to do that with my hubby or my marriage. I was listening to the radio today and heard a show about marriage and how you need to be working on your marriage at every stage, because your marriage won't magically be amazing someday once the kids are grown and out of the house if you didn't nurture it along the way. They said that somehow getting married can take a red-hot romance and turn it into a couple of roomates coexisting. May that never be in my marriage. With God's help I want to make sure to love and cherish the great guy that He gave me and to let my husband know that I am thankful for his love and leadership everyday, even the days I don't necessarily feel like it. Anyway, I'm rambling, but truly am thankful for my hubby and would encourage you to let your husband know just how thankful you are for him!

So Thankful!

2008-01-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been thinking how gracious God has been to me and my family over these past few years. So many things have happened and continue to happen around us that are difficult to understand. A great friend recently reminded me of the hymn, "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand" . What a great reminder that our hope is to be built on nothing other than Jesus, so that when the storms of life come, and they will come, we are held tight by his anchor. I needed that reminder this week and will continue to sing that hymn as a daily reminder of my total dependance on Christ. I want to be known as a woman who is willing to be totally obedient to the things that Christ is impressing upon me. I am being reminded that unless I am in His word daily, I won't be able to know what those things are and when Satan comes to tempt, I will fall because I am weak.

What an amazing God I serve...may I never lose sight of all that He has done for me and why I am then compelled to serve Him with everything that is in me. And, not only to serve Him, but to share His grace and truth with all of the amazing people He has surrounded me with.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

We wanted to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. We're so grateful for the influence you all have in our lives. May you take time in these busy days ahead to reflect and rejoice in God's most amazing gift, Jesus. May you be reminded, as we have, of the great difference he has made in our lives and the many blessings we have because of Him. We love you all.

Joe, Christie, Caleb, Sydney and Payton

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2007-11-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to wish all of you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. We have so many things to be thankful for today and all of our friends and family are one of the biggest things we are thankful for. May you reflect today on the many blessings God has given you and be truly thankful!

Women's Retreat

2007-09-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

The weekend of September 14-15, a group of 45 women headed up to Prescott for our 2nd annual Women's Retreat. We had fun getting away to cooler weather and also hearing from God's Word. It was amazing to spend time getting to know so many different ladies and also to hear how God is working in their lives as a result of the retreat. About 6 months of planning went into the retreat and every moment was worth it. It is a real privilege for me to work with the women of Journey Church.

Great Picking!

2007-09-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Our family took a little mini vacation to Willcox, AZ to pick apples and veggies at Apple Annie's Orchards. We left Sunday after church, grabbed a bite to eat in the car and then headed to Tuscon to visit the Sonoran Desert Museum. What a great place! Our kids had a blast even though we were dripping with sweat by the time we left. We will definitely make the trip there again. It's such a beautiful place!

After we spent some time there, we drove to Willcox and stayed the night at the Days Inn. When we woke up on Monday morning, it was 65 degrees outside and just beautiful. After eating breakfast, we jumped in the car and headed to the orchard. We were the only ones there for a while, so we set off picking peaches, golden delicious, red delicious and granny smith apples. My kids absolutely loved every second of their time at Apple Annies. We picked 48 pounds of apples and 11 pounds of peaches. Enough to share with our friends and family! We then headed over to the produce farm where we picked green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and then bought a watermelon and some sweet corn. Everything has been so delicious and we had a blast as a family!

A Beautiful Sunset

2007-09-06T20:56:00.001-07:00

Today was a great day because it actually cooled off a bit here in the valley. While my family was enjoying dinner on the back patio, I began to notice that the sky looked like it was turning quite beautiful. I hopped in my car and drove down the road and took these photos of the amazing sunset. It was gorgeous and a reminder to me of God's creativity and goodness to me.

Watching my kids have fun!

2007-08-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

One thing that I love about this time of year is that my kids all get to be involved in different activities that they love. Sydney loves ballet and started a class on Monday. It is so fun to watch how graceful she is and she makes ballet look so lovely.

Payton on the other hand loves gymnastics and also started a class on Monday. She was so excited because she started in the girls intro class and by the end of her first session, the teacher said she needed to move up to the next class. It's so fun to watch her doing her cartwheels, roundoffs, etc. She is a little ball of energy.

Caleb will start baseball in the next month or so and is excited about it. He hasn't played in a few years, so it will be fun to watch him at it again. Another thing he loves to do is skateboard with his friends. He is really getting pretty good, especially for how big he is and how fast he's growing!

Having kids is such a blessing and such a reminder of God's incredible goodness to me. Thank you Lord for letting me stay home with these three precious kids!

Bob, Leigh & Grace

2007-08-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

After two long years, Bob and Leigh finally have their new daughter in their arms. Here are some photos that Bob sent of their first few days with Grace. She is a true beauty and I am so happy for them. I can't wait to get to meet her face to face, hopefully in October or November!

A True Friend

2007-08-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of Christi Jensen who will be heading to Idaho this weekend. She has been a true friend over the last year and I am really going to miss her! The first photo is of me and Christi at the women's retreat last year. The second one is her and her beautiful little girl, Evie.

Up and Blogging

2007-08-23T14:14:00.001-07:00

I finally decided to get on board with the whole "blog" scene. I think what really made me want to get started is the fact that my amazing friend, Christi Jensen, and her family are moving to Idaho on Sunday and I really want to stay in contact with her. I also love to look at other peoples blogs and get updates on them. So...I guess I'm on my way! Also, my best friend in the whole world, Leigh (that's me and her in the photo) just headed to China with her husband to bring home their 4th child, Grace. I can't wait to see this precious little girl that they have been praying about for so long!