Typhoon

So, Phil talked with Jon's Family Readiness Officer today trying to get set up so we can have communication with him while he is on the boat for the next 4 months. (He will be on the Essex) He found out the reason we couldn't set up the account is that he hasn't left yet, the reason being there is a typhoon. So we checked it out and from what we can tell Typhoon Kompasu is right over Okinawa right now. The US Navy Typhoon Center classified it a category 3 on a 5 step scale. Right now they are saying winds of up to 115 mph. You can check it out at wunderground.com. No wonder I couldn't get Jon on Facebook last night!

Preparing!?

I've been racking my brain for the last couple days, as to what needs to get done before Sept. 1(NYS CIG TAX DAY). Your all probably thinking if you don't smoke, what does it matter. That's the problem, it does matter. We've been through this before and it goes something like this. Lots of protesting, the thruway gets shut down, roads around the res get gridlocked, roads through the res and any travel on and off gets shut down, with St. Troopers on one side of res line and Tribal Police on the other side. Which means we cant drive our car in or out, not for food, not for work, not for school, not for medical emergencies. That means no one comes in , not for propane deliveries, not for fire wood deliveries ,no mail, no gas....For how long? could be a day, could be weeks. Were hoping it doesn't happen, but SNI lost a court battle yesterday, so they are in fed court today, if they lose, that's it...So, I'm trying to figure out where to park my car tonight, because we live right on the res line and there are many paths through the woods to get out, so that i could walk to my car and still get things done outside of here, but I don't want to do a lot of that unnecessarily.
love ya
Sandi

Did you ever wonder...

How many school supplies are required to send 5 kids to public school?

(That's not including the 10 required boxes of tissues)

Have a great day

Love Sandi

A day of waiting

Today began early and it went on forever. Jensen and I made a trip to Urgent care this morning at 6:30, a fussy baby who did not want to eat, and was a little feverish. She has thrush. If you dont not it a fugul infection that is in her mouth, and it is white and bumpy. So we got and antibiotic for the both of us because I am nursing, and we were good to go. After a trip to the pharmacy and a quick breakfast and coffee at starbucks we headed home. We woke up thekids and I cleaned the house quickly. Ruben got up we dressed all the kids and were off the the gas station, bank, and his dad's house to pick up some papers. Than we were off to the health department and DMV which are in the same building, so we got immunizations for Addi and renewal on the two of the four cars that Rubens owns. The wait was four hours, so we waited in the Health Dept for anhour and a half, and then we went to the post office, McDonalds, and back to the DMV to have a laen Picnic. The wait at the DMV was still hours a way, so Ruben and little Ruben went on to wait, and the girls and I went to Target to get Diapers. That was a quick adventure. Still waiting Ruben said so we went back and played in the lawn for a while I talked with Mom. Than Ruben came and got back in the car. We Went to Walgreens, and to the car wash. Than back to the DMV luckily all of these things are within a mile of the DMV so we did not waste too much gas. finally at 4:45 Rubens walks out and he his done five hours later!!!!!!!! WOw!!!!! What a day we came home cooked a quick dinner and talked with Rubens mom in Mexico, put the kids to bed and Ruben went to see his boss five, just as I thought I was going to relax and watch CSI in peace the door knocker goes off. It's the Uncles and they miss their nephew and neice, so everyone is up again, I cook dinner for them, some popcorn for the kids and now peace the Adult boys are off to Indoor soccer and the kids are talking quietly to themselves in bed.

What a Day!!!!

Road Trip to Erie PA

Today we went to the Erie Zoo and Presque Isle.

We even brought a cow home from the Golden Corral

Roman Centurion

Roman centurion (Daaron) and soldier (Me) reclining
by the fire eating our meal.

Roman centurion training the soldiers.

Daaron is learning about the fall of Rome in "Story of the World" this year. One of the projects Debra and Daaron did was to make Roman Soldier tunics, a cookie "ruin", and cooking a meal over the fire and eating it with your hands. I must say, I'm not real fond of these pictures, however, It is what we were up to. We did this on Friday.

Today, I woke up at 3:30, finally got up at 5:00, showered, read my Bible and Prayed for an hour, and finally headed off to my practicum/internship. Arrived there at 7:25, sat through 4 and a half hours of "professional" development, then did some transcript requests, records requests, and mailings before heading home at around 3:30. It was a long day. But, because it got off to a great start, it was a lot of fun. Here's a verse from this morning.

"Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord Till He comes and rains righteousness on you,"
Hosea 10:12. The rest of the chapter is eye opening and challenging. Anyway, God bless!
Love you all. It is so good to see all the pictures and read the posts. Keep it up.
Uncle Mike

All 4?

Attempting to get a picture of all four kids together, even with 2 adults it was a daunting task!

Senior Pictures

We have two seniors this year. So hard to believe!

Sunday Thanks- Brandi

I am thankful for...

The cool day

My husband who can fix almost everything

sleep

and today especially Icy Hot, and Aldi.

We were able to go to the zoo, thanks to the wonderful weather, Ruben has been asking all summer long, We told him when it got cooler out and Mommy was feeling up to walking for five hours we would go. So he said, "hey mom is cooler out and I think you are feeling better, do we get to got to the Zooo?!!!!" So we did.

I thought after having carried Jensen for 9 months I cold handle carrying her for a few hours in her sling. Well my back is hurting. And my legs are sore. On a better note I was 9 lbs lighter thanks to my diet this week.

The kids had a blast looking at all the animals and Ruben walked the whole, way and he power walked. Our zoo is very spread out with three countries to visit, and the New attraction Nikita the polar bear. I will have to post pictures later from my camera. He was beautiful and the line to see him was so long!!!

Ruben and Gwen really wanted to see the lions the whole day was spent searching for the hairy lions. We finally made it to Africa to see them and they were hiding in the shade eventually one made it over where we could see her a little closer. We spent the most time there.

We came home exhausted we are a quick dinner and were all off to bed. Today we have been cleaning, hanging, pictures, and watching some tv on the couch. I also did some grocery shopping and ruben made a trip to the Home Depot to get a few things we needed.

Well we love you all!!

Sunday Thanks from NY

Thank you God for:
quiet mornings
cool, clear sunny days
hot coffee, and cherry pie
book bags filled with school supplies
closets filled with clothes
last days of summer spent with family
a van filled with gas
enough water for 6 showers
books and newspapers
thank you for my family
and the security we have in you
Sandi

Sunday Thanks from Michigan

God,
Thank you for...
Your word,
"Come, and let us return to the Lord; For he has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the
morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth."
Hosea 6:1-3

For beautiful blue skies with puffy clouds floating overhead.

For bike rides with my son.

For time with my wife.

For family and especially ways to keep in touch.

For early morning prayer.

For your peace.

For learning.

For learning to finish.

Mike

Sunday Thanks

I'm thankful that I am home

for the cool morning

good coffee

my husband and children

their spouses

my beautiful grand kids

my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, in-laws

good friends

a church that isn't afraid to stand up and do the right thing even when it doesn't make sense

our pastor and church staff

I'm thankful for medication & Doctors

I'm thankful for Phil's job

I'm thankful that I don't have to have all the answers because I have a God who does.

Allegheny Picts.

We had a great time at the picnic , lots of cotton candy, snow cones, ice cream, shrimp, clams and meatballs! We even had time to go to Thunder rocks and thanks to all the sugar we had lots of energy to burn!

Whats Next?

We've been very busy around here and the busyness continues for a couple weeks, until school starts. Today we go to Allegheny st park for Wes union picnic. The kids are excited about it because last year it was all you can eat cotton candy, snow cones, ice cream sundaes, shrimp, clams, chicken wings, meat balls....Tomorrow we take Timmy back to school. He wants to go but he doesn't. Hes living in a town house this year that has four bed rooms with two guys each and a kitchen and a living room. Monday, since Wes isn't working, I'm hoping to get to the Erie zoo and use my season pass one more time before it expires. Alyssa works t,w,th next week and Cam works Sat. Then school starts the following wed. Wed Sept 1 is the day that NYS says they are going to start collecting tax on Native American sales of cigs. to help ease NYS $9 billion budget deficit. NYS mayor Michael Bloomberg told Gov. Patterson to "stand on the Thruway with shotgun and a cowboy hat to show the Indians that the state is serious about collecting revenue." and Gov. Patterson is warning that there will be violence and protests because of it , and says that the state police have told him over and over that "there could be violence and death as a result of some of the measures were taking." Even though polls say 7 out of 10 NYers support Native American treaties, and the price of $3 million a day was paid to State Troopers during the last altercation in 1997, Gov. Patterson is still pressing on. Well see what develops, we may be packing up our tent and camping out in Uncle Mikes yard for a while(I hope the warm weather comes back).
Have a good weekend
Love Sandi

I got One!!

Well here she is five weeks old!!!
I was able to e-mail one from Rubens phone, my USB cord was found but was not working, so we are off for the day of shopping, more errands, and McDonalds Playland. The apartment complex is coming to repair our bathroom because the ceiling fell in, and I figured I cant even go to the bathroom by myself, or do the dishes, so the maintenance men might get some help they dont want. I hope you all enjoyed the donuts its soundslike you might need a little more protein for your busy day. Love you
Brandi

Donut Day

Its donut day and I forgot donuts, so I'm up before 7. I have to get my cleaning done by 7:45, run to the bank and drop the library books off, then off to the grocery store by 8 for donuts and the weeks groceries.Pay the bills. Dakota will be leaving for cross country practice about 7:30. Get home in time to wake the kids up and make coffee so we can tour the school at 9:00, after that by 9:15 or 9:30 drop the little boys off at grandma Gates house because they are working for them today and pick up Ash to come have coffee. (Ash and Dan are leaving for the State fair today for 3 days) Then Wes will hopefully take Tim Cam and Alyssa for hair cuts. Sometime I have to figure out whats for lunch and dinner and get those started. When Dakotas done with cross country hell come back and start working with our land lord clearing some property. I have to take Tim and Cam up to get their paychecks and then take Tim shopping for last minute stuff he needs to go back to college. We take him there on Sunday. After Ian and Lyle get done working Wes will take them to get haircuts and Cameron needs a ride to the nursing home because the school tennis team is playing bingo with the residents and Camerons fall sport for his senior year is tennis manager. Then after dinner Alyssa has a drama workshop at the Hollywood theater, and after shes done , then I get to sit down! Have a great day.
Love Sandi

Relax

After a crazy week and a half of preparation for Open House today we rested. The children and I have been trying to adjust to a new scedule once again. I like this one better its a little more organized, but it will change again after Labor day when school actually starts. The kids are so ready. Today we cleaned the house together in the morning went out a ran errands, and went to the park, it was so nice o nly about 80 degress we spent the afternoon there came home had lunch and took a nap. It was nice I have not had one in a while, it had become a daily routine when school let out in May. The evening went too fast a before I knew it dinner was done and the kids were off to bed, I think its because it is dark at about eight now. Ruben knows when its dark its bedtime so at about 7:30 he starts saying " it's bedtime in a little bit, right Mom?"
I feel like we have overcome a battle with Gwen We went to the park today and for the first time when I said, "its time to go" she came down from the slide and walked to the truck. Wow!!!!!! I hope I can see more of that, she has grown up and matured so much since we have had Jensen she really is a great Big sister.
Aunt Sandi I will keep you, Wes, and the family in my prayers, everything is sure to work out in time.
We love you all
Brandi

Thurdays Prayer Post

Yesterday we made our second trip to the eye doctors and wiped out the rest of our bank account to pay for 5 eye exams 3 pr glasses and 3 contact prescriptions, with the plans to replace the money and maybe get a little ahead in the next couple weeks. Well, Wes got home and hour after we did and told me that he got laid-off. So, me, I instantly start trying to figure out if well be able to get everything taken care of that needs to get taken care of, and all my figuring just kept getting interrupted by a song "Jehovah Jireh", and it takes me a while to pay attention to the song instead of trying to figure. Finally I realize whats going on, and I just stop figuring , cause all my figuring doesn't really matter.
The song "Jehovah Jireh" goes like this:
Jehovah Jireh my provider his grace is sufficient for me
My God will supply all my needs according to his riches in Glory
He set his Angels in charge over me
Jehovah Jireh cares for me
( I used to think that the second line went like this: My God will supply all my needs according to his wishes in Glory , instead of his riches-what a difference one word makes , because to me wishes meant what I deserved, and I'm so unworthy, but riches means my God owns everything Ive ever seen and he supplies for my needs with it all)
the verses this song comes from are:
2Corinthians 12:9
But his answer was,"My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." I am most happy then, to be proud of my weaknesses in order to feel the protection of Christs power over me. (Good News Translation)
Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in Glory , by Christ Jesus (King James)
Todays prayer for myself and my family:
Thank you Lord for your Grace which is all my family needs. Help us to remember this truth. Thank you that your power is greatest when we are weak. Help us to remember that You supply all our needs. Help us to always see the glass half full, instead of half empty. Thank you for supplying all our needs from your great riches. Thank you for your protection and for being all we need. Amen
Have a good day
Love Sandi

A beautiful Day!

Yesterday I was so excited because we were able to open the windows and turn off the air. It was so nice last night inthe fifties. Today we kept them open and it is great to feel the fresh air and nice cool breeze, it has been a long hot summer. Today the kids and I cleaned up the house and went for a walk. We did not go far but we were gone for about and hour. I thought poor Gwen was not going to make it she kept throwing herself onthe ground and hanging from the side of the stroller so she would not have to walk. She wanted to walk for so long and now that Addi and Jensen are in the stroller she is not interested in walking at all. Ruben kept telling all the cars " hey stop right there" and putting his hand up, it was so cute he had the most serious face. I found the USB cord and it does not work so I am stuck on what to do next. But I will keep trying I WOULD love for you all to be able to see my new girl.
Tonite I have Open House at the Preschool I am so excited, and tommorrow a day at home to catch up on laundry, and get a few other things done before our summer is officilally over.
Well I love you all I am off to do the dishes and make some dinner for the family to have tonite while I am gone.
Pray for Ruben three hours with all four kids!! HOpefully the walk wore them out so they may be a little calmer.

Wednesday Smile

We have a bossy chipmunk in our garden who thinks he owns it. He scared away the squirrel who came once. Then a big black bird came to the feeder, and the chipmunk who is much smaller than the big black bird jumped up on the feeder and karate kicked the bird right off of it. The bird still comes, but makes sure to stay out of the bosses way. Yesterday we went for ice cream because Sunset Grill has 50cent cones again. Every time we go there Lyle reminds us of when Uncle Phils ice cream fell off his cone, and he grabbed it, and put it back on, but Aunt Tami wouldn't let him eat it.
Have a great day!
Love Sandi

Tuesday in Boston

Last night I ran my fastest mile, made my day! Today we decided to stay at the hotel. Phil spent most of the day in conference. I found a quiet place to sit overlooking the Charles River, and read. It's still rainy so it was a sleepy day. After lunch I napped. Phil and I found out there is a Trader Joe's down the road, so we had to go! We first experienced Trader Joe's in CA. It's just a grocery store, but a fun one, so we got stuff for dinner and breakfast. We had a carpet picnic then went swimming. After swimming I sat in the steam room for about 15 minutes, it was awesome!

Tomorrow we are seeing Chinatown and to look for the Green Dragon Tavern, which is where Paul Revere started his ride and the heart of the revolution began. We planned to go to Fennway to see a game tonight but there was a rain delay so I'm not sure we will get there. I can't wait to be able to put up my pictures! Love you all and have a great Wednesday!

Back To School

Story of the World

Daaron at School (Don't know as I ever went to school like that!:)

Debra and Daaron saying good bye to our house guests yesterday.

Well, Daaron started school yesterday. He was struggling with his math (does not like it one bit!) so Debra told him if he didn't do it he would lose computer and Story of the World (History). He got right to it, more for Story of the World than for the computer. One of the activities we will be doing for Story of the World is having a Roman Soldier meal. Cooking it over our fire and eating it with our hands. Maybe in Toga's and Sandals (not so much soldiers here, maybe senators with the toga's and sandals). We will also be having a Monk meal at some point. He's more excited about the hands on activities. He loves Story of the World.

Yesterday, they did their school in the basement, their normal place. Today, however, they are at the kitchen table. Daaron didn't want to go down stairs. Neither did Debra. So, Daaron went to get his books and as he passed the canning room where our house guests had stayed he said "I miss the kitties being in that room." Debra thought "Oh, that's right. Now I know why we didn't want to go down stairs." I don't think we'd ever be able to foster kids.

I went to Addison today to do more practicum hours. I arrived at about 7:45, waited around until 9:30, before finally heading home. Oh well, now I have time to do my homework. Love you all.

Brandi and Ashley, so good to hear from you both. Ashley and Dan, sometime in your travels stop on out. J, when it comes time for Tiger Stadium, let me know. Well, I think its called Comerica Stadium now, but you know what I mean.

Love you all,
Mike

I only missed 1 day?

WOW, I didn't get to get on the computer at all yesterday and everyone was on. So exciting this morning! Well, we have 2 weeks to go before school starts so we started "Back to School boot camp " yesterday. You should have heard the sighing and moaning going on over 2hrs of 5 min intervals of math, spelling, reading, writing,cooking and exercise, but every time they got a 15 min break they'd be back in 5 min bugging me. Last night we tried to start the school bedtime schedule and we got the shower and snack done alright , but then Ian said"can't we just take it slowly and do 1 change at a time please!" so mom caved, and I don't know what time they went to bed and they didn't get up till after 9 today. We pretty much finished the boys bedroom, there is still a little painting to do and of coarse both Alyssa and the boys need a door, that will come in a while. The boys room has a closet, along with camouflage and chalkboard walls and secret hiding places built into the walls. We got another rabbit, because I have one and Alyssa has her own so Ian and Lyle had to have their own. So now we have 3 rabbits, and we have bunny play dates and bunny babysitting and everything! We went to the fair on sat afternoon and it rained sun and mon. Today I have to get the lawn mowed because its really bad. Well have a good day, I have to go be mean mom and get my boot camp going.
love Sandi

Wow

it seemed like i checked the blog a 100 times today wating for someone to post, because I was so excited to have the internet back, and than I leave to work for a few hours, maek dinner and get thekids to bed , and there was the whole family practically. A busy day, but Ruben was home at noon to help me he also went to work and helped me scrub floor build a drawbridge for my "kingdom" and fis a cabnet that has been broken for years. I know everyone is probably waiting for pictures and I really have tons to share, but Ihave to find my USB cord first maybe tommorrow. Well I love everyone and cant wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Brandi

J + Amy

wow i guess we missed a lot too. happy to see everyone on here. we are doing well we've been to NY twice in the last few weeks for short trips but we had cam and timmy here for awhile which was awesome and I did make it to the lake which is always awesome. on the way back to NY to take cam and timmy home we all stopped at "the jake" and saw the Cleveland Indians play the Seattle Mariners. Kind of a boring game as the Mariners won 2-1 but it gets me that much closer to my life goal of going to every field.......i think next stop will be Pittsburgh but they may have to wait for 2 reasons
1. amy doesn't like baseball
2. the pirates stink and their season is ending shortly
i am still currently working @ starbucks and the lexington rescue mission with the hopes of being able to quit at starbucks in the near future. the mission is unable to offer me insurance at this time which would make transitioning difficult and I am unsure of when it will be available but would like prayers that the doors that I will go through the doors that God is/has/will open. Me and amy are also looking to move out of the apartment we are in the hopes of saving some money which would be awesome so just praying God will work those things out. I'm so happy to see everyone on here.

just letting you know i now have a blog if you haven't seen www.jrleroy.blogspot.com and also a tumblr which is like a more short random blog (hey i have a.d.d. leave me alone) http://j-inreallife.tumblr.com/


alright g'night

J

p.s. hope everyone is as excited for football season as I am. go brian moorman!

Hello all, its been a long time since I've written... I've been reading regularly though. It's always great to hear about everything our family is doing, we are a busy bunch that is for sure! I love to hear about all the neat places everyone has been traveling to, especially Aunt Tami. Dan and i are making plans for a few trips of our own this coming year. This weekend we are headed to the State Fair, which has been a tradition for me ever since i can remember and i still look forward to it, as i did when i was younger. In Feb. we will be headed to Florida, for a friends wedding, that should be fun and exciting. I hope to be getting to Texas this coming year as well, to visit a friend who is stationed there. Today i read this passage and thought it was a good one. We have good days, great days, and way down deep in the pit days. Some seasons are easier than others, while some are downright impossible. I've wondered how some folks have survived the many hardships that have come theirway. Others' lives have seemed almost charmed. For each of us, our days are unpredictable, and we tip the scales from preposterous to precious. Life is a gift bulging with mystery, intigue, comedy, tragedy and purpose... Patsy Clairmont. Also a verse that i liked today is Hebrews 13:5. The picture above is a picture of some of the beach glass pieces Dan and i Found on one of our weekend searches at the beach. Blues and Greens are great finds, but red you almost never find those they are the most rare and this is the first piece we have ever found in NY. You can sell pieces like that for hundreds of dollars, which is a cool idea if you can find the right people to sell to... Well hope to write again soon.

Love,

Ashley

Over Night Guests

First, can I just say, I love this blog. I love seeing what everyone is doing. I love being able to have contact with everyone.

Second, I went for a bike ride last night and found two kittens abandoned at the nature center. I was on my bike and had no way to bring them home, but one just would not let me leave, purring, rubbing up against my legs, walking around my bike and meowing. So.... I went home, talked to Debra and Daaron, and took the car back. Both cats ended up coming home with us with the understanding that they'd be going to the animal shelter today. We had the most grateful house guests ever. They chowed down the food like they hadn't ever eaten, drank the water together, and curled up on our laps. Finally, we put them in a bushel basket with a blanket and a ticking clock and they slept that way the entire night. I've never seen kittens sleep that long. Our two cats were not happy, hissing and prowling outside their door. But, I did what I said I would do and we took them to the shelter today.... after a lot of pictures. Here's some of our house guests.
Mike

Kansas to Boston

I had a great time is KS. I will never forget the welcome I got at the airport, it seemed to register with Gwen first, who said "oh hi" while jumping up and down grabbing my finger and running, "come on, come on!". There was a lot of "Grandma, Grandma, Grandma" from Ruben, and general excitement from Addi. Then I got to meet Jensen. What a beauty she is,(she still has blue eyes! I hope they stay!) I got to hold her for a couple of minutes before we put her in the car seat for the ride home. And of course, my beautiful Brandi was there, with 4 children, in the airport, looking like it was effortless! I had a great time just being Mom and Grandma! There is nothing quite like it!

While I was in KS it was hot, hot, hot! I went straight from there to Boston, same suitcase, same clothing. It was 96 at 5am in KS, when I got off the plane in Boston it was 64 and raining. The rain hasn't stopped yet. Keep in mind, I have the same clothes I had in KS. 3 skirts, 1 dress, 4 summer shirts, one set of workout clothes, and thankfully a pair of capris that Brandi sent home with me. I am freezing! Who knew. I know you all have been thinking about Fall, but our lowest temps have been in the upper 80's, and I have a trip to Virgina Beach coming up, I have not been thinking about Fall! Until today. Last night Phil and I figured out the rapid transit system, by taking a bus and a train to Hard Rock Cafe of course. (we bought a sweatshirt) The same route takes you to the Freedom Trail, which I took when I came here with the Free Methodist Church when I was 13. We really wanted to follow that. Phil wanted to see the USS Constitution and Paul Revere's house. When we got off at the train station we went into a market that we had noticed the night before and got coffee, it was raining hard and really windy. The coffee was just what we needed. Phil got a pumpkin walnut muffin top, which really got me feeling like fall. As we walked through the building I got samples of clam chowder, mac and cheese, juice. . .that was breakfast for me, and it was free! We missed the trail somehow, (must have been all the rain) but found our way to the ship yard, only to find out that you can't tour the ship on Mondays. We did get some pictures and saw the museum, then we followed the trail back to our starting point. The trail takes you through little Italy, where we took a little detour to get a cannoli and some biscotti for tomorrow mornings coffee, then walked by Paul Revere's house, (you can no longer tour for free, so we just walked by) then back to the markets near the train station. We got a seafood platter and split it, there is nothing like fresh seafood, I've been lucky enough to have it on both coasts this year! When we got back to the train station we saw the red line, the freedom trail, still don't know how we missed it! Time to make our way back to the hotel. The rapid transit at rush hour, we made it! So many people, so many languages! A little boy got on the bus ran right to Phil, put his had on his knee and said something, we have no idea what, but he was really excited! (Phil was not in uniform little kids always run up to him when he's in uniform) I love seeing all the neighborhoods while riding the bus, we are right by Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Simmons College, every building is old and full of history! It's a beautiful city, even in the rain. I love to see all the roof top and patio gardens, I think I'd love to live here for a year, I'm sure it would be a life changing experience! Tomorrow we stick around the hotel, the Wed. back to see the USS Constitution set sail, and then to China Town. I'm going to try to stay out of Little Italy, but let me tell you that cannoli was near amazing and it's not going to be easy! My trainer is going to kill me when I get back to the gym!

Thanks for all the prayers about my nerve, the pain has been tolerable. I'm going to start another new med on Friday, and I have a surgical consult on Sept. 1.

Sunday Thanks- Brandi

This looks new and I have not been on in a while, I have missed alot, but I will join in.

Thanks for...
My beautiful month old baby, airplanes, sleep, and patience.

My new life has begun, we have a new addition and we have made it through our first month. I have started work, and although it has been a little bumpy and aggrivating I am making it. Mom was here to help me this week and it was great. I really needed a boost in my attitude, and the kids enjoyed being with someone besides me. I am so tired we had an early trip to the airport and before nine and made it home from the airport, went to the grocery, washed dishes, scrubbed down all the floors and bathrooms, cleaned the living room and bedrooms, and made homemade waffles, and I scrificed my afternoon nap to take time to set up my classroom. But Ruben had a great surprise for me when I got home. The gift of being connected with my family, Wow Wow !!!!!!!!!!! Great Great!!!!!!!!!.

Love you all and I can;t wait to catch up on time missed with you all.
Brandi and the Family

Sunday Thanks

Thank you Lord for:
Sunday mornings
Family
Bunnies
Comfortable bed after day at the fair
Candy apple and cotton candy
The sound of rain outside my bedroom window
The feel of changing seasons in the air
The season change in me from summers long lazy unplanned days, to autumns busy, cleaning , cooking, creating days.
My life
thank you Lord for today!
Sandi

Sunday Thanks-Mike

God,
Thank you for...
My family, both my immediate family, Debra and Daaron,
and for my extended family.
Thank you for sisters who love their families and their God.
Thank you for brothers-in-law who encourage me.
Thank you for the gift of music.
Thank you for current freedom.
Thank you for my brothers and sisters in Christ, both here in the states, and in parts of the world where death and imprisonment come simply for following Jesus.
Thank you for the prayers of my family.
Thank you for nephews and nieces who continually amaze me as they grow into such godly men and women.
Thank you for song lyrics, such as "My Jesus" by Todd Agnew.
Thank you for the changing seasons.
Thank you for the coming fall colors.
Thank you for the changing seasons of our lives.
Thank you for the examples of the various men and women in my life who are examples of how to handle the changing seasons of life.
Thank you for your Son.
Thank you...
Thank you!

Phil's Prayer

I'll admit I'm glad we're not disciples
Out on a lake paralyzed with fright
'Cause I'm afraid I might have laughed at Peter
Until he stepped into that stormy night

If You wanted me to walk on water
Why'd You make this solid ground seem so right?


I'll admit I'm glad I'm not King David
Ruling over everything I see
'Cause I think I've fallen for more than Bathsheba
Your creation's a temptation for me

If You wanted me to love You only
Why'd you make the moonlight sparkle in her eyes?


I'll admit I'm glad I'm not John the Baptist
In a jail cell waiting for my day to die
'Cause at least down here I know what we're chasing
And it's hard to trust Your dreams are so much better than mine

If You wanted me to die to myself
Why'd You make me fall so deeply in love with life?


If You wanted me to surrender
Why'd You make these hands able to hold on so tight?


If You wanted me to be like You
Why'd You make me like me?


Todd Agnew - If You Wanted Me

Thursday Prayer Post-Mike

So, I hope its ok to join you in this.

What I'm Thankful For

Beautiful fall-like days.
Gas in my car.
Reminders of what's important.
God's grace, which I depend on daily.
Gas in my lawn mower- yes, believe it or not, I enjoy mowing, especially looking over the lawn when I'm finished.
Bon Fires, especially on a cool clear night.
Early morning prayer.
Friends who seek you out, a rare thing these days, it seems.
Protection during canning. One of Debra's bowls broke today but nobody got hurt by the glass.

My Prayer

Dad
Mom
Sandi and kids, for her prayers for them
Lyle, God, please bring strength and energy to his body.
Tami,
God, please bring healing and peace to Tami's mind. Help her pain to decrease. I pray you would turn down the volume on the pain. Turn it down, down to a low, low volume.
Phil,
As he travels, works, speaks, thank you for his ministry
Income to get through the year
Elimination of debt
Strength to finish this degree
Wisdom to take the next step

Love you all
Mike

Thursday Prayer Post

Things I am thankful for today:

Starbucks coffee(that J and Amy brought us)

Cinnamon biscotti

cooler days and nights

bowls full of veggies from my own garden

a quiet but productive early morning(until I sat down at the computer)

My prayer concerns:

Lyles cough is getting better, but hes extremely tired and gets warn out easy(not like Lyle at all)

Tami and her pain and her new medicine

Todays trip to the eye drs and shopping

(patience for me- I hate shopping)

(that we all would be able to distinguish between what is essential and what is not)

(for us to make wise decisions with what God has blessed us with)

Daily Prayer for my children:

that they would remember what they know is right, and practice it. That they would make wise decisions, and that Gods light would shine through them.

Daily prayer for me:

That God would give me patience, and help me remember that they are just kids, and the wisdom to guide them to the place that God would have them be. Help me be the mom that you want me to be. Help me to respect my children's likes and talents , and show me how to encourage them into the direction they should go.

My thoughts today:

have to do with my prayer request about shopping. Shopping stresses me out. Shopping with 5-6 kids really stresses me out.I get discouraged and angry at the greed that tends to come out when we walk into a store. Part of me knows that they are just kids doing what kids do and part of me worries that I didn't raise them well enough to control themselves and discern between what are needless desires and what are essentials. But I can fall back on the promise that if I teach them now they ll remember it when they are older, so despite the rolling eyes and sighs , I will keep on talking and teaching these things. Then when were riding and we start talking about animals that we would like to get and someone says yeah but how many things can that be used for (like a dog has 2 purposes companionship and maybe protection,and a chicken has eggs,meat and fertilizer...), I know that they are listening and learning and thinking about purpose and lasting usefulness. There are many verses I could use for this, but the one I was reminded of is :

2Corinthians 4:18

For we fix our attention not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be see lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.

enjoy your day!

Love Sandi

Let the creating begin!

Alyssas new room(she bought everything for it with her own money)

flip flop cookies (biscotti, frosting, and sour gummy worms)

Wednesday Smile

Well its official, all our brains have turned to mush with all this hot humid weather. Last night I was making peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for snack and cinnamon biscuits for breakfast and i realized the cookies had been in for 10 min and the heat wasn't on, and then after I made all the biscuits and cut them out, I realized that I didn't put any sugar or cinnamon in them. Earlier I was making salad for dinner and I asked Alyssa to go out to the garden and get a cucumber, she was out there for a while then she came back in and asked if cucumbers were round or long, so I told her they were long and she went back out. She brought me back in a zucchini, so I had to go out and get a cucumber myself, and she said cucumbers in the store don't look like that! Shes right. Last night Lyle was getting ready for bed and he said I'm looking for my blankey and then he laughed and said blanket is blankeys girlfriend. It took Wes 10 min of us explaining it to him to get it. You know Blankette like the Chipettes. Mush!

Love ya

Sandi

I need some energy!

Ive been trying to get up enough energy to have a back to school boot camp (fortunately, I just found out, that the kids don't go back to school till the 8th, so I have more time than I thought I did). We are all going to need some help getting ready for school this year. Its going to be extremely difficult getting everyone out of the house by 7:15 (even me). I had to take Tim to work this morning at 5:45 and as I was getting ready, I looked out the window, and couldn't figure out what the strange light up at the school was, It was the sunrise! Its gonna be rough.

love ya

Sandi

Prayer request

I'm asking you all to pray for me. I'm having trouble with my trigeminal neuralgia again, I've been perscribed a new med, and I'm really struggling with some issues related to that. Thanks, Tami

Cleaning

It was a beautiful day here too, cooler temps and less humid, but I wouldnt have know it. I spent the day cleaning and Im tired now. We, are remodeling the little kids rooms, so I moved stuff around for them yesterday and I still need to go through their stuff and get rid of some. So we have stud walls all over and the kids think that its great for a race track and hide n seek. I cant wait till the dry wall goes up, but you know how those kind of projects go around here, Im just hoping it gets done before school. I moved the living room and the dining room around again so everything got taken out and cleaned and put in a new spot. So much dirt! So much junk! What do we do with it all? Ive been selling some things on ebay, and Im thinking about having a yard sale fri and sat, then donating lots of stuff I dont sell and just plain throwing stuff out. This place needs to be cleaned out, its driviing me crazy! One great thing, were all getting closets, Im so excited!
Love ya
Sandi

Beautiful Day

It is a beautiful day today! Temps in the 80's and no humidity!!!! I have a guy working on repairing my kitchen ceiling right now, another one changing our outlets so they will be 3 prong, and putting in a new kitchen faucet so there will be no more dripping! We are so blessed to be able to live in this house! Yesterday we finished painting the living room, now I can get the carpets cleaned! And since the kitchen ceiling is being fixed I can start working on getting it ready to paint! But for today I can't wait till the men leave so I can get out and run all the errands I've been putting off because of the heat.

Wednesday I leave to KS to finally hold my new grand baby!!!!!! Sunday I will fly from KS to Boston and spend 4 days there at a chaplains conference. They have it every year, and every year it's in a different place, Phil and I have been wanting to go to Boston so I'm really excited! We will spend all of our free time sight seeing. We have a trip to Virginia in Sept., we will be staying at a military resort there, in a log cabin on the ocean! We go to KS for Thanksgiving and the 5k Turkey Trot, then again when Jon comes home so we can celebrate Christmas with everyone. What a busy time!

Here is Jon's address if you want to send him a note. I'm sure he would appreciate it. He will be going on the boat soon, and will spend 4 months sailing, he's really not looking forward to it.

LCpl. LeRoy, Jonathan, M.
HMM-262
Unit 37238
FPO AP 96603-7238

Monday Morning

Finally! A beautiful cool day with a wonderful breeze. I would put this on my Sunday Thanks, but I'm a day late, and you know the rest of the saying. Anyway, what a beautiful day. Screen doors and windows are open, allowing the cool breeze to blow away the smells of fever and sickness. We've all had that this weekend. The breeze is reminding me of those wonderful fall days. I love it!

Nothing new to tell anyone. So, I'm out of here for now. Love you all.
Mike
p.s.
I know these are older photos, but it just reminded me of the fun times we have as a family. Love you all.

Sunday Thanks

Lord I'm thankful for:

music

air conditioning

coffee

a relaxing weekend on the river

sunshine

J and Amy getting home safely

fresh fruit and vegetables

my husband

my church

telephones and Internet so we can all stay connected

and for a family that wants to stay connected

Sunday morning Thanks

Thank you Lord for:

Safe travels home for the boys

Availability of free medical care for Lyle

J and Amy feeding Cam 1 last time before they went back to KY

Early morning Tim Horton's Runs

Ash and Dans willingness to be an active part of our family

Pride (in a job well done and money earned) and responsibility that jobs bring to my children

My ability to stay home with my kids while they are growing up

Wes' patience

My kids love and concern for each other and their willingness to share and provide for one another

Cooler weather

Rain to keep the veggies and flowers growing

Good Will stores,thrift shops and yard sales

Kids willing to shop at the above

Tims financial aide is finally figured out and taken care of

its feels kind of dreary and looks kind of dreary today, but I'm thankful that we have another day to spend together.

Love ya

Sandi

Sick Summer

Well this has been a summer of sickness for us, We started out with strep throat and mono, and were ending up with whooping cough.
Sandi

Friday the 13th my lucky day!

After the kids got home from Ashleys we went to the bank then went out for breakfast, we had just got back home, when someone knocked at my door. It was Mrs. Dye we saw her walking by the bank earlier and passed her when we came home. I didn't even notice it, but I dropped my ,licence in front of the bank before I went in and she not seeing me picked it up, and walked back here to deliver it. So today is my lucky day. Thank you God for your protections even when we don't know it.
Sandi

All Alone

Its 8 am and I'm sitting in a completely empty house, except for Rocky whom I should be taking out soon. I keep feeling like there is something I should be doing now instead of playing on the computer. The little kids spent the night with Ashley because Wes and I went to see the Fab. Thunderbirds at Thursday in the square last night. I like to listen to music but I am quite uncomfortable with so many people around and so many drinks around. Wes loves it though, he is such a people person and everyone knows him. I especially like to watch the young guys come up and talk to him, they have alot of respect for him. I'm taking Lyle to the doctors at 11 today, because we cant get his cough under control, last night we had to come right home because Ash called and said Lyle coughed so much he threw up, so I figures he would be feeling bad and would want to come home, so I talked to him on the phone and asked him how he was he said good and I asked him if he wanted me to come get him and he said no thanks! So they spent the night at Ashley and Dans. We tried to watch the meteor showers ,we saw a couple then we were too tired and we went to sleep by 1230. Summer is getting near the end and we are getting all the things done that need to get done like school shopping for school supplies and clothes. Alyssa Ian and Lyle all did there school shopping at the salvation army store and spent $40 for everything all 3 of them need. Except Alyssa bought her own sneakers,shes been working all summer. I hate sending them back to school, I love to watch them be free , like yesterday we went swimming at clear creek where they have a rope to swing on, and they have so much fun, and in the evenings they've been riding the 4 wheeler into the corn field and playing hide and seek, even though the corn or whatever weeds are in it gives Ian a really bad rash, hes ready to go back the next day. I hate to have to contain them to sit still for 5-6 hrs every day and to have to walk everywhere they go instead of run its so stifling. I think it bothers me more this year than it has before, maybe because they re getting older and we wont have alot more summers full of shear joy and freedom. Enjoy every last drop of your summer.

love ya

Sandi