Our DIY Project

I had seen some cool DIY projects on Pinterest, and Olivia being the crafty girl she is, volunteered to help me do one of the projects. We decided on the Yarn Chandeliers:

They actually turned out really cool and weren't that hard to do. Olivia and I had a lot of fun making them, even if we did get a little messy in the process. :) Here's some some pictures of the process:

The 4th of July!

This Fourth of July we really put our swimming pool to use. We celebrated by having the Morrows and Halls over to swim and have tri-tip for dinner, angel food cake and homemade ice cream for dessert, and fireworks once it got dark. Here are some pictures of our Fourth of July:

Our pool full of people...

 Kennedy and Grace playing in the pool

Ellory, Emilie, and Olivia

Kennedy and Grace

Mom and Joel

The end of the evening

We're Back!!

A few nights ago I went back on my mom's blog and had so much fun looking at all the pictures from years ago. I would tell myself the next post would be the last, but it didn't really work! :) The last few days I've been thinking about my mom re-posting and starting to blog again...Instead of her posting, though, it's Audrey. The last few years I have really enjoyed taking pictures on family vacations or just us hanging around the house swimming. I thought blogging with those pictures would be even more fun! So here I am! I can't wait to update the blog with pictures and posts very soon!

Our family...according to Elizabeth

Merry Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas 2011…

Our family is wrapping up another busy and full year. As the years fly by we realize how important and life-giving our friends and family are. We are grateful to God for you, we pray you experience the love and joy of Christmas this year.

I’m enjoying being a full-time stay at home mom. I swing from feeling very overwhelmed to being completely content with the crazy chaos of my everyday life. I enjoyed running two half-marathons this year in Fresno. I love cooking and baking, catching up with friends over coffee, and the occasional trip out of town just Joshua and I (Napa Valley & Avila Beach this year). I hate doing laundry and if you come by unannounced you can tell.

Between family and work, Joshua doesn’t find much idle time these days. He loves spending time with the kids, cheering for Audrey and Elizabeth (very loudly, I might add) at their cross country meets, and helping them with their homework. In July, Joshua transferred to Lyles Mechanical Co. and was promoted to Vice President. He is enjoying getting to know his new colleagues, and the challenges of learning a new sector of the construction industry. When he does find a few spare minutes, Joshua spends it hanging out with friends, helping at the church, and working on projects around the house. He is certain that 2012 will be the year that he finds a hobby…(tune-in next year to see if he does).

Audrey is 10 and in the 5^th grade. She continues to enjoy school even though her homework and projects keep her very busy. She is a driven, achievement-oriented, and helpful first-born child. She has some fun field trips this year, including a trip to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley and an overnight “ship trip” in the San Francisco Bay. She enjoys playing volleyball, running cross country, cooking and baking, holding babies, playing/walking our dogs, writing stories, playing teacher, and reading.

Elizabeth is 8 and in 3^rd grade. She is shy, but has made some great friends this year despite her quiet demeanor. She also ran cross country and made it to the district finals. She hates being late and isn’t too fond of change. She loves playing outside, whistling, doing ballet, and reading (her favorite book this year was Soul Surfer). She dreams of going to Hawaii, learning to surf, and meeting Bethany Hamilton.

Olivia is 6 and in the first grade. She loves her teacher. She has an outgoing, magnetic personality but she also is very compassionate and empathetic. She loves anything collectable (rocks, Pokeémon cards, stickers, erasers, junk). She loves to jump rope, race against her big sisters to see who’s faster, climb trees, wear pajamas, and play house.

Grace is 4. She is a sweet, loving little girl. She and Joel are great playmates while the big kids are at school. She decided to cut her own hair a few months back, she told me, “Don’t be mad mommy, it looks pretty!” She loves to wake up early, dress herself, sing, and help mommy cook. Joshua was telling her the other day that he would like her to stay little forever, she very matter-of-factly told him, “Daddy, I can’t because Jesus is growing me up!”

Joel is 2. He is active, loves all things boy, like balls, trucks, monsters, swords, guns, masks, cars, destroying things, and dirt. He loves to sit on the couch with daddy and watch “ball games.” This summer he got his first haircut. He is adored by his sisters, but he can annoy them very easily by pulling their hair, kicking, or running off with whatever they are playing with. He loves playing outside, feeding the ducks, watching the trash truck, coloring, and reading books with mommy.

We are blessed;; we have so much to be grateful for this holiday season. Thankful for the hope, grace, and joy we find in Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,

Joshua, Laura, Audrey, Elizabeth, Olivia, Grace, and Joel

Summer

These little people have been keeping me very busy this summer. In the coming weeks I hope to be updating the blog. We have been very busy and having lots of fun this summer!

encouraging words...