The Life and Times

2007-05-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Wow...it's been a while. Guess I have gotten caught up in this thing called "life." Let's see...the last thing I blogged was our holiday events. I'll just pick things up there. January brought a horrible ice storm to the area. Here is some footage of the damage in our neighborhood alone. Others places were hit much worse. Luckily we only lost some branches - and of course electricity for four days!

Jordan also began basketball at this time. After trying soccer and t-ball, he has decided that he enjoys basketball the best. It was a fun season!

February we celebrated Jordan's 6th birthday! He is still into superheroes. This year it was Superman. He has become quite the artist as well. He loves to draw and create things. We also found out through some testing that Jordan has a high I.Q. and has been accepted into the gifted program at school. Eric and I just stand amazed and speechless!

Finally in March the weather started to warm up some although there were still plenty of cold days even into April. It's always a relief when Spring comes knocking at the door. In April, my parents were able to come for a visit which we all enjoyed immensely. Madison then had her turn to celebrate a birthday - #9! We had a party the week my parents were here and then on her actual birthday, she invited a few of her friends out to her Aunt Gail's farm for some more fun! Madison has almost completed third grade and has been on the honor roll throughout the school year. She loves to read, especially mystery stories.

Well, now it's already May. Last weekend we buzzed around here getting Autumn ready for her big dance recital. Madison performed in this 4 years ago, so it all came back to me - the hair, makeup, costume. A lot of work but a lot of fun! You'll enjoy these pictures of her. Autumn is still our little pistol always having an incredible amount of energy and zeal for life.

It's hard to believe that Eric will be headed home in a month although we don't expect him on our doorstep until mid-June. We then plan on enjoying a much needed family vacation.

2007-01-11T09:02:00.000-08:00

Here is some pictures capturing our holiday fun....

Madison singing with her school choir

Shopping for toys for tots

Christmas morning

Special moments with Dad

2007-01-11T08:27:00.000-08:00

Early winter fun in the snow........

At the beginning of December we got a few inches of snow - enough to cancel school so the kids could get out and have some fun. Too cold for me....I stayed inside by the fire!

2006-11-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

Madison and Jordan each enjoyed a Fall party celebration at the school. Contrary to traditional room parties, the school has begun having parties in the gym with various stations featuring arts and crafts, games, and snacks. All of the grades go in for their party at designated times. Even though individual room parties are more intimate, I actually prefer the gym setting which allows me to enjoy both of the kids' parties rather than having to run between the two rooms.

arts and crafts

snacktime

yum yum

arts and crafts

2006-11-11T13:28:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that Autumn is 4 years old? The time has gone by SO fast! We have always had her birthday celebrations at our house, so this year we thought we would go all out - Chuck E Cheese - dinner and entertainment provided! Plus THEY clean up the mess. Now that's what I call a party! Here are a few pictures highlighting Autumn's day!

2006-10-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went out to our Aunt Gail's house for some Fall fun. She had everything from apple bobbing, to horse riding, to a pinata. All three kids - and the adults - had lots of laughs.

2006-10-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went to a nearby amusement park a few weeks ago. The weather was great, making it a nice Saturday getaway.

2006-10-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Wow!...we have been nothing but busy around here now that school is underway. Both Madison and Jordan are doing well and really like their teachers. Madison recently auditioned and was accepted into JT Singers, which is the school choir. That requires arriving at school 30 minutes earlier, so we've had to adjust our schedule a little. Autumn too has finally began preschool - today in fact. I've posted a few pictures of her first day. She has also started dance class which she is excited about. I figured that she could use some dance lessons being that she parades around the house all day in her leotard and tutu.

2006-08-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

Our summer has been full .... full of family, adventure, and fun. And though the season is not officially over, the time has come to put our summer break behind us and move into another school year. Madison, now a seasoned veteran, has begun the third grade. This year Jordan joined the fun as a Kindergartner. With three days under their belt, they are both enjoying new teachers and new challenges.

Even though I am now left alone with only one at home, I cannot fully relish the quiet and slower pace that you might imagine. You see, Autumn is my fireball, full of life and lots of energy. There is no quiet and no slowing down with her. But there is less fighting and arguing without Brother and Sister at home to compete for my attention. And so, Autumn and I have very much enjoyed our time alone together thus far. I think this year will be a pivotal time for preparing her for preschool and directing her energy in the right direction.

Thought I'd share a few pictures of the kids off to their first day of school.

All ready for a new year

Look out Kindergarten..here comes Jordan!

One of the "big kids" now! Don't my new glasses
make me look smart?

2006-08-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

Our Summer travels continue.... a week after I returned home from Nicaragua, the kids and I headed to New York for two weeks. We had a great visit with family and also got some camping in. The kids had a fun time with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents.

collecting nuts at camp

fun at the beach with cousins

cousin pile up

more cousin fun

the kids with their great-grandparents

stopping for a break on the way home

2006-07-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from Nicaragua. I traveled with a group of about fifty others from various churches in the area. Within a weeks time, we helped build houses, held medical and dental clinics, and did Vacation Bible School. We stayed at a quaint hotel on the beach but walked a mile every morning to a third-world village whose residents had virtually nothing. It was a whirlwind of a trip, being busy from sunup to sundown, but I am so glad to have been a part of it. Here are just a few pictures capturing my adventures.

mountains overlooking a lake

Pacific coast of Nicaragua (Suyapa Beach)

typical remote village home

Our progress on new homes

The medical clinic

A man receiving glasses

The dental clinic

Vacation Bible School

The Nica people.......

2006-06-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back at it again - blogging, I mean. For some reason, my former blog would no longer allow me access to blog or edit, so I've had to start over. I copied and pasted a few things from the Spencer Gazette but have otherwise started over again. What a nuisance! Anyway, I hope this attempt works better than the first.

Just a quick update on Eric....first, I'd like to say a huge thanks to all of you who have committed to writing him while he is overseas. The calendar has been sent out earlier this week, so all of you should know when you are scheduled to send him something. The letters/cards are already making their way to Afghanistan as I write this. I know Eric will really appreciate the support. For any of you who have not gotten on the calendar but would like to, please just email or call me and I will add your name. Or if you prefer to just write on your own, the address is listed below. Eric also has been keeping a blog on his various experiences that is very interesting.

Spencer Eric L.
4/1/205
Kandahar
APO AE 09355

www.afganistanadventures.blogspot.com

2006-06-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of weeks ago, while Eric was on a 10-day leave, our family headed South for some much needed family time. We did a 5 state tour in six days - Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Among our places of interest were New Orleans, Gulfport, and Gulf Shores. Our favorite was Gulf Shores, AL without a doubt. I think it will be on our future vacation list for sure. Here are some of the pictures highlighting our trip South. Some not so pretty........

Madison & Jordan enjoying some quiet time

An Anabellum home (plantation) in Louisiana

Near the French Quarter in New Orleans

The kids & I with the French Quarter behind us

Gulfport, Mississippi

There was still quite a bit of damage in New Orleans and on the Mississppi coast. Here are just a few images of the aftermath.

2006-06-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Just some miscellaneous pictures I thought you might enjoy.

snack time

Jordan after his Spring concert

Jordan's last day at preschool

Cooling off with snowcones

At the ball game

2006-06-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

This year we were able to spend Easter with my family. My mom, stepdad, and niece all came for a visit. And though not the real meaning behind the celebration, there were at least three egg hunts which resulted in more candy than I know what to do with.

2006-06-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Madison celebrated her 8th birthday back in April. Here are a few pictures to recapture her day in the spotlight.

2006-06-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

2006-06-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

Saying Goodbye

The month of February went quite quickly for us. We spent much of our time working around the house attacking our to-do list before Eric left. And believe it or not, we accomplished everything we wanted to do! When we weren't hard at work, the five of us sat and read or played games, savoring every moment together.On Sunday, February 26th, many people from our church and neighborhood came by to visit and say good bye to Eric. It was a bittersweet time - bitter to see him go and sweet to be surrounded with so many friends who support us. After everyone had left, Eric soon followed. Tuesday afternoon Eric's parents, the kids, and I headed off to see him one last time. Wednesday there were informational classes in the morning and free time in the afternoon. Thursday was the farewell ceremony and lunch followed by our last good byes.I've included pictures of some of our last moments together. If any of you would like to email Eric, I am sure he would love to hear from all of you. His address is: ericlspencer@gmail.com He also has a website of his own that will give updates on his travels over the next 12-18 months. As soon as I get the address I will post it here.

2006-05-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Arabic Amy

Okay....most of you don't know what on earth I am talking about. Let me explain. Due to some wonderful Middle Eastern friends of ours, I was introduced to the Arabic language this past Summer. It wasn't long before a couple of them were trying to teach me some words and phrases in their own language. I also purchased a computer program on Arabic which helped add to my growing vocabulary.About a month ago I discovered that a college nearby was offering a course in Arabic, so I dove at the opportunity. Thinking I might have somewhat of a head start on the others, I was feeling quite confident as I walked into the classroom. Boy, was I wrong!!! Five minutes into the class and my confidence nearly bottomed out! As we went around the room and gave the reason why we were interested in the course, I was about the least knowledgeable one there. To my left were two women who had lived for a few years in Saudi Arabia and were far more advanced than I in Arabic. To my right was a lady who is actually more on my level but will be in the class only four weeks and then joins the Peace Corp in Morocco. Next was a young man from Saudi Arabia who knew Arabic only as a child but has lost the language due to being in the US for many years. Then there were two more women, one of which was late and did not share her reason for taking the class and another who was absent. The teacher is from Syria/Sudan.Our first lesson was learning the alphabet and its sounds - for two hours we did this. We studied out of a book that a child just entering kindergarten might use, so it was very basic. To me however, there was nothing basic about it. I now understand why my Middle Eastern friends told me time and time again that I couldn't learn Arabic because it's too difficult. Yes, it is!...but I am determined and I will learn this.

2006-05-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Meet the family

Eric - software engineer; US army officer (preparing for deployment to Afganistan); Seattle Seahawks/Mariners fan; a.k.a. "Spence" and "Stinkydad"

Amy - domestic engineer (fancy name for stay at home mom); the queen of organization; notorious for her big dreams and zealous ideas

Madison - an ambitious 7-year old whose nose is always in a book; 2nd grader; loves school; a.k.a. "Sister"

Jordan - a 4-year old who dreams of one day becoming a superhero; preschooler; loves dressing up and building things; a.k.a. "Brother" and "Son"

Autumm - an energetic and carefree 3-year old whose zeal for life is contagious; notorious for having her hands in everything and leaving her mark wherever she goes

2006-05-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Our Christmas

Can you believe we celebrated three Christmases in 2005? Amy's parents came for a visit from New York in November, which warranted an early Christmas with them. We actually had a Thanksgiving dinner before exchanging gifts. Two holidays in one evening! Our second celebration was the weekend before Christmas Day when we gathered with Eric's family for a night of fun. Our last celebration was actually Christmas weekend when we took a spur of the moment trip to New York for three days. The drive was long as always, about 15 hours, but we drove through the night so the kids could sleep. This always seems to work best. We enjoyed our stay in New York albeit short. We were of course welcomed with snow upon our arrival, making us ready for Spring now more than ever. We have only seen snow here once so far this Winter.