I like to post pictures from each year so that I can look back and see the changes; especially at gotcha days and birthdays. Today, I thought it might be fun to look back at how Mark and I have changed through the years. I really hadn't realized how difficult it was going to be to find pictures of the 2 of is though! There just aren't many. I looked through 1000's of pictures and could only find a couple from each year. That made me very sad.

We had a wonderful day yesterday. Mark surprised me by taking the day off. It was a great gift! I had originally intended on walking into town (9 mile walk) with Elizabeth and Ri to pick up our car (windshield needed replaced). What a joy it was not to have to do that! Instead, I had the joy of sharing lunch with my husband and celebrating our 20th together!

So...Mark and I have never really been big gift givers to each other. So I got to thinking about this....20th is a VERY BIG deal!!! We were planning a get away when we took Erin to college... only... Erin REALLY wants Jacob (her boyfriend) to come with us. That kind of puts a damper on any romantic getaways, doesn't it? WE could say no, but it means a LOT to Erin....so...our plans changed. I still had dreams of a weekend away or something like that... but reality sometimes hits you in the face. With just having paid 2 semesters of college and needing to pay 2 more in December, with school fees/supplies/clothes/sports this month and with car repairs and a well that runs dry every day.... reality screams that a weekend away, despite the fact it is your 20th wedding anniversary, is not smart.

So what our we doing for our "gift" to each other. Well... the other day, when Mark and I were training for our "mini" triatholon (though it is NOT mini to me!!!!), Mark shared with me that he just paid for our entry fee. Then he told me that he thought that running the triatholon was the coolest way to celebrate our anniversary. At first, I was taken-a-back! What in the world was he thinking!!! A cool way to celebrate our 20th anniversary??????? WHAT!!! Did he really realize how that sounded? Did he know what I was going through trying to do this??? Did he understand that I really hadn't meant what I said when I said I wanted to do a triatholon one day??? Is he crazy??!@@! But then I got to thinking about it. How cool is it that when we met... on the very next morning... we ran 5 miles together. We were both very athletic and enjoyed doing that kind of thing. And now...20 years later... after 6 kids.... we are running our first EVER "mini" triatholon... and actually enjoying it. It has been something that has really blessed our marriage. He is right; I can NOT think of a better gift to one another.

Well, hope you enjoyed the progression of our marriage. It is a brief glimpse into a blessed gift.

well... you must forgive the "recent' picture. It is the ONLY one of Mark and I that I have for this year. It is a sad picture, but one that will just have to do for today!





(sorry, I couldn't find a picture with Mark and I during this year...guess our life was pretty busy!)

Well, today is a very big day around here....probably one of the bigger days. Our sweet little girl, Erin, turns 18. She officially becomes an adult. And... not that a child turning 18 is enough... but Mark and I celebrate our 20th anniversary. Twenty is a pretty big deal! So, again, I must say that today is a big day. Unfortuatnely, Erin is not around right now. She is celebrating her day working ALL day at a soccer camp. She probably won't get a break until near midnight. I will be lucky if I actually get to "verbally" wish her a happy birthday. It makes me very sad. To make things worse, we ordered her gift online to be sent to Houghton so that she could open it on her actual birthday (since none of us will be with her) and we just FINALLY got notification that it was out of stock and they would cancel the order. So, not only will she be alone, but her gift (the main one) will not be there. But... I did manage to have a couple things sent to her. Hopefully she will actually get those.

Erin is full of life! She is probably one of the most determined young woman that I know. She has been determined since before she was born. We knew that when I was delivering her. The doctor said it would be some time before she was born. He left the room and within a few minutes, the nurse was running after him. When he came back, he was shocked and told me to stop pushing (he had to get ready). I told him that I wasn't doing anything at all. Erin was determined to come on her own terms. She has never changed. She has been a go getter from the moment she was delivered. And her love for life and her intensity for life has always been incredible. SHe has brought us more joy then I could ever describe. I look for God to use her in mighty ways as she begins her journey as an adult. Heppy birthday baby girl!

There is something I should have shared with you 2 weeks ago, but in my lag of posts, I have totally forgotten to share it. It makes me sad. I completely forgot to post on Ri's gotcha day celebration back in May. It had been 3 years. I am ashamed to say I had forgotten it. ... altogether. Not because it meant nothing to me. In fact,we had watch his movie and talked about his gotcha day for several days prior... but May was very, very chaotic and somehow.. it just went by. We are blessed to have had Ri for over 3 years now. Wow - time has flown. Andsoon..Iwill try to post some things about him that are priceless. He isan amazing boy!

But.. for now.. I would rather post that 2 weeks ago (nearly 3), Ri prayed a prayer that only confirmed to us what we believe he had already done. He trusted in Jesus Christ as his savior. It was a very priceless moment. A prayer so tender and so sweet, something I know pleases the Lord. Just about everyday now, he reminds me to thank God for him asking Jesus to be his savior. It is a joy beyond description to hear one of your children put their faith in Jesus.

Once again, time has gone by quicker then I would like. I guess with 6 kids, things never really calm down. My life seems to be always in some kind of whirlwind. Emily is doing wonderfully. Skyview has been the most incredible gift Emily has ever recieved. She told me last weekend that the girl that we took to camp is not the same girl who will be coming home. Every breath she takes is being consumed with a love for these campers and for Skyview Baptist Ranch. We had the joy of seeing her for a few hours this past weekend. I don't think I have seen her glow more or be more excited. She has fallen in love with camp ministry. She can not say enough about her experience, her friends, the staff, Skyview, her boss, the campers, and her love for the Lord. It is so thrilling to sit and listen to her talk. It is, by far, the hardest thing she has ever done. BUt as she has told me over and over ... God has given her all the strength and joy she needs. It is fun to sit back and watch it all unfolding. God has stretched her beyond anything I could imagine for her and it is a joy to see how He is taking each stretch and molding her. I can not say enough about this experience nor about Skyview.

Erin leaves Sunday to work at a soccer camp for 2 weeks at Houghton. She will be one of the coaches at the camp. It is the same camp that she attended last year as a camper. Up until a few months ago, she was really looking forward to it. She is still looking forward to the camp and the time playing soccer.... but now it means that she and Jacob will be a part 2 weeks just before they both leave for college. She really isn't looking forward to that part. She will be home one week and then will have to turn around and go back to school for the year. It is a bitter sweet experience for the kids. They are both excited about starting this part of their life but are both not looking forward to going to two different schools in two different states. It will definitely be a challenge. Erin starts fulls swing into soccer beginning the 15th of August. She has to go to school 2 weeks before everyone else for pre-season.

Sam is starting into a full schedule again. He is working all summer as a lifeguard. Soccer has just begun. He had a tournament last weekend and another this weekend. In fact, he just left for an hour ago for this weekend's tournament. In a week, he will have a full week of marching band camp 7-3 and then soccer every night for 2-3 hours. After that, we are back into full blown hectic schedules. He will work up until school begins and will have both soccer and band to juggle. Once he enters school, he will have a full course schedule.. including a college course. Growing up sure goes fast!!

Jacob is dreading school. Not the school work part, just the re-entering school. Unfortunately, in public school, there are way too many kids that have some very, very poor values. The languange they use is not something that we use around our home nor something we take lightly. It is very hard on him to hear kids so disrespectful and talk about the things that they talk about. He is also a child that is pretty black and white when it comes to rules; especially rules that have been ingrained in him since he was a baby. Unfortunately, far too many kids could care a less about rules; especially the ones that reflect God's rules (basic ones like - lying, not taking God's name in vain, love your neighbor, lust/sex, etc). Not to mention the cruelity of kids (especially boys) at that age. Jacob has a very tender heart and the cruel things that people say (often just off the cuff and without any thought or meaning behind them) go straight to his heart and hurt him deeply. So heading back to that type of environment is not something he wants to do. But he is not fighting us. He is doing it without any fuss and with more strength then I could ever have had. I love seeing how much he has grown. THere are things that I know are very much outside his comfort zone and that he DEFINITELY does NOT want to do... I watch him take a deep breath, lower his head, and head straight into the situation. He truly is a young man of strength!

Elizabeth and Ri have both been taking swim lessons. AFter the first day of lessons, Elizabeth was floating and trying to use her arms. It was amazing. It took Ri 3 days of lessons and a separation from his sister to get him to put his face comfortably in the water... but by that third day, he was floating and trying to use his arms as well. He went from crying when his face got wet to holding his breath and kicking with all his might to swim 3-4 feet. It was amazing! Both are doing very well. Elizabeth just went from level 2 to level 3. Ri went from level 1 to level 2. Both can now swim a few yards. Both have jumped off the diving board. Elizabeth will swim to the wall without help. Ri is a little more apprehensive about letting go of the guard when he can not touch the ground.

The first week of lessons, Elizabeth had Erin as her teacher. Erin is incredible with the kids. SHe does a great, great job. Evidentally (as you can see from the pictures of Sam) Sam does a great job as well. He had swarms of kids on him during the last day of lessons. His boss told me that several of the kids have said that he is their favorite. Having Ri and Elizabeth for your little brother and sister really seems to help all of my kids work well with younger kids.

As for Mark and I, we are doing great. We celebrate our 20th wedding anniverasary on August 3rd. It has been an incredible journey. I am so blessed to have a husband that I adore, respect, and love more today then I did the day we married. I look around and see so many marriages that are hurting and I can do nothing but give God the glory and thank Him for what Mark and I have been given.

Jacob (and the others as well... but mainly Jacob) has been such a blessing to us. For the past 4 months or so, Mark and I have been making a point to workout every night when he gets home from work. It has been a true gift to our marriage. Either the kids come and stay in the playroom or Jacob (usuallY) ends up watching them for us. About a month or so ago, I made the mistake of feeling really good and mentioning to my husband that I would ... one day... like to make a goal of completing a triatholon. Now, I must be honest... I am pretty confident that I was only saying it to simply get a point across that I was feeling really good. I was really just saying "hey - I really feel stronger now and I am enjoying that feeling". But instead, I had to make it sound REALLY good and like I REALLY wanted to do a triatholon. I really was just trying to make myself look good in front of my husband. WELL.... you have to be careful what you say sometimes.... because my husband took my words as real and found us a triatholon to compete in. Well... compete is not the word I am going to use to describe our event....I think it may be more like ... the triatholon that I might die in.

So, come September, Mark and I are going to ... BOTH OF US.... "participate" in a triatholon. It isn't the simple one that I just found out about ---- the one that is 500 yards swim in a pool (I like that thought), 9 mile bike ride (I like that too) and then a 5 K run. ... Oh no! Not the one my sweet, loving husband found for us! No! Not that one! He chose a much better one for my first (and probably only) triatholon. It is a .4 mile swim in a lake (ugh - yuck-- ugh oh my!), 15 mile (yes - 15 miles.. not the lovely 9), and a 5K run (of which is the last event of the three and the one I struggle with most!).

So... if I die in September, you will all know why. It will not be my husband's fault. Nope, it is ALL mine! Mine for bragging to my husband and shooting off my mouth about how good I was feeling. And if I die... then one of you must finish (even start) Jacob's 16th birthday book. He is the only one of the 6 kids who does not have a book that has been done by me. Each of the others have a book that is at least 300 pages (and much more). Fill it with my love for him... ok??????? That is truly one of the things that hangs over my head. If I die before I make his, he will be crushed (of course... he may be crushed more in the fact that I died).

Seriously, though, we are training for our event. I can swim a half mile with very little problems, but I do not know what I will do in a lake. I have biked more then 15 miles (but recently Mark and I biked the 15 miles - hard ... did I say hard? yep - my husband pushed me very hard! I thought I was going to do a leisurely 15 miles ------nope.. .it was full force). And I have finally made the full 5K on a regular basis. But ..... doing all 3 right after each other is something I am completely unsure of.

So.. that is our life in a nutshell. Enjoy the pictures.