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Happy 8th Birthday Isaac

When we asked Isaac what he wanted for his b-day this is what he said!

                                         and more lego stuff

                                      mustang remote control car

                                    me and my two guys:)

                                    Liv and Jess "helping " Isaac build his legos

Isaac the Drummer

   Isaac really loves the drums and has been trying to teach himself so here's a little video the girls took of  "practicing" with me before church started. He's a little off beat, but he's trying so hard and I'm so proud of him!

Happy Veterans Day

Happy Veterans Day! Here's to remembering all our vets who have served in our military for our Freedom, I'm so thankful for those long gone but not forgotten like my Grandpa Cavanagh who fought in WW 2, Thank you to all those presently serving in our military! I have a deep admiration and respect for you! Thank you Jason and Jeff young men in our church. I have to give a shout out to the wives and families of our brave men and women like Leah you sacrifice so much too. God Bless America and Pray for Revival!

Confessions.....

With a title like that you might expect something juicy, but I'm pretty ordinary so my confession is this....When things around my house are disorganized and or a mess Its hard for me to have the victory. I always feel so much better(much to the chagrin of those around me)when the chores are done and the house is clean and believe me there are days when no matter what I try to do it stays a mess, granted I"m sure it has something to do with those darling little people and all the things they leave behind, and its summer and I'm trying not to be neurotic about the house and actually have fun with the kids.

So saying all that, we had a busy weekend up in Oceanside for the Crusade which is worthy of another post, just becouse it was fantastic to see The miracles that took place, plus it was beautiful weather , Sunday was church all day and I was kind of beat so Sunday afternoon we had lunch, the kids wanted me to open up a coconut we had bought so I did and..... had a wierd allergic reaction! It was really freaky  cause I got sick to my stomach, dizzy, lightheaded, I thought I was going to pass out! And Really itchy! But what scared me was I felt like my chest was very heavy and I couldn't breath real deep. I took a sleep aid which was nothing but a higher dose of benadryl and didn't feel better and I start to feel real apprehensive and panicky ( I told Arty if I pass out just stick me with Isaac's epipen and call 911) Haha . Long story short got some other medication and thankfully it started workin , the funny thing is right when church started I started feeling really really groggy from the benadryl and Arty said I was playing the piano during song service kind of slow then I had nursery where thankfully the two kids that were in there fell asleep and I just laid on the floor, thinking I hope nobody comes in here and sees me like this! We get home and I just climbed into bed and slept for a long time! It was wonderful. Now this is where the house being clean comes into play. I woke up thinking up Oh no I think the kitchen was still a mess and I have to tackle it first thing but when i stumbled out to  the kitchen for that cup of coffee that was going to get me going I saw that my awesome Husband had cleaned it from top to bottom, he even  cleaned out the leftovers from the fridge and washed those dishes and swept and mopped the floor!. My Hero! It just gave me such a wonderful boost to start my day and I ended up getting everything else done in record time and even got to take the kids swimming, all in all its been a great day!

Adrie and Olivia will be home from Grandma and Granpa Fisher's in two weeks so hopefully I will get to have some pics up then.

Happy 14th Birthday Olivia and other news...

Today is my beautiful Olivia Joy's 14th birthday. It is a bittersweet day for me cause I'm excited to see my little girl grow up into a young lady, and she is not with me today:( Her and Adrienna went to Grandma and Grandpa Fishers for a couple of weeks where they are having a Great time!) Oh the joys of summer vacation and the blessing of having my parents relatively close by for the first time in 10 years. I had to put the pictures on another post as Olivia is my computer tech and I'm lost without her.

Oh yeah back to my bittersweet moment( see how easily I get distracted!) I'm sad to realize how quickly Life can pass you by. Just yesterday I was enjoying my roly poly curly haired baby girl and now she is a teenager. I still enjoy her but in a different way. She is a great girl and I'm so thankful to have her as my daughter.

As for other news.... we have been on summer vacation for a month now, and I realize I hadn't blogged even once!

Its been relaxing, no rushing , well not in the day time at least, we've had a very busy church schedule with outreaches, revivals, concerts, you get the picture. Its been nice though...We've been to the beach, the county fair, celebrated Father's Day and our 17th anniversary. Summer. I love it! So hopefully soon I can get some pictures up , in the meantime I'm enjoying the kids and reveling in staying up late and sleeping in.

Happy 14th Birthday Olivia

                                           Victoria(cousin) and Olivia then....

                                               

and Now!

Photography by Olivia

                                                 Liv and her big sis Adrie

End of the year fieldtrip: LEGOLAND

Isaac with his classmates riding the camel

Egyptian Lego room

Beetle Bounce! Look at how tiny Isaac looks compared to the other kids

My beautiful Jessica having lots of fun!

Ahhh....In the shark's mouth

Just Taking a Stroll

Wonder how many lego's it took to put this together?

Easter Pictures

                                           Adrienna,Olivia,Jessica, and Isaac(always goofing off)

                                           Me and my honey( no I'm not taller than him, its just my shoes)

                                               Father like son

                                            What was I saying about Isaac always being a ham....

Jesus is Risen!

In light of  the Celebration of Jesus Christ  Rising from the Dead, what a glorious thing it is to be able to say Jesus is Risen! Let us never forget What an amazing gift of salvation we have been given with His Death and Resurrection.
I must confess lately I've been a little discouraged with what I think should be or even shouldn't be happening in my life, church, etc...  But as I look around at the world and the wicked and craziness of it... How can I deny that God has called me and you to tell the world there is a hope and and answer for all this madness, and It is in the Power of the Cross and the Blood. Isn't it amazing that you can read the news  and read the bible and see the signs of the times. A couple of guys in our church are in the navy and had to sit and listen yesterday to their CO's tell them how the Don't ask Don't Tell Policy has been repealed in our military, and of course they are supposed to be sensitive and tolerate. Then Drudge Report had a horrific video of two girls beating another girl in a McDonalds, I could barely watch it and it sickened me literally to my stomach, and there were people watching and laughing and I pray God how much more of  this wickedness are you going to tolerate? Jesus is coming back People are we Ready? Are we doing His Work? So as we remember and yes celebrate and rejoice in the Risen Savior we have to remember it wasn't just for us but those  dying in their sin, there's not much time....Jesus is Risen ....Glory Hallelujah

Spring Break

Hip Hip Hooray Easter Vacation is here! 2 glorious weeks of sleeping in, 3rd week is Tempe conference, but I am so so ready for this break! The kids got out early yesterday and we went bike riding at Coronado, it was a beautiful warm sunny day. We only had one minor casualty, Jessica bit the dust as she was riding as her sisters would say "daredevilish" Poor girl . Just to give you an idea though of how excited the kids are to be on vacation, Arty was asking Isaac if he had any homework to which Isaac replied" Dad I have no homework , I've been set free!" Gotta love that Boy.

And now... a couple of yummy healthy  Spring recipes for you.

Crispy Kale

1 bunch of kale rinsed and shaken off, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with garlic,sea salt, and pepper and bake in oven at 350 for 15 mins or until crispy. Tastes like pumpkin seeds and the kids love it!

P.F. Chang cucumbers

slice up cucumbers and drizzle white or red vinegar  with garlic seasoning , add enough soy sauce to coat the cucumbers and top with sesame seeds. Yum! 

B.B. Brownies!

Last night we had a fellowship before biblestudy, Arty bbq'd carne asada in the rain( well on the porch-out of the rain) and I love love love dessert, so instead of making my decadent rich delicious desserts, I made a lowfat, lower calorie one. B.B Brownies and they were so good! So here you go!

B.B. Brownies

1 box of Brownie Mix

1 can of black beans.

Empty brownie mix in bowl, drain beans and rinse, then throw into blender and blend until completely smooth . Add to brownie mix and put into 9 by 13 pan and bake as directed.

Happy 15th Birthday Adrienna!

                                              Adrienna and Olivia :Look Mom, sisterly love"

                                                        She loves her converse!

                                             She's the best big sister!

                                               Fun with some of her best friends!

Snow Day!

Look We can see Snow!

Getting Closer...

Looks like fun....us Californians are pretty creative ...

....Using boogie boards as sleds!!!

Adri trying to make a snow angel

                                                                   Me sliding down no sled, hands free.

Snow day video -Isaac and Adri!

Adri trying to catch Isaac... Total FAIL!!!!!

 

Snowy San Diego Mountains

For the first time that I can ever recall living here in San Diego, I have NEVER seen snow in our mountains. For those  not familiar with San Diego topography, the mountains to the east are what separate us from the desert and of course we have the ocean to the west of us. So this is what prompted us to take the kids out of school and go have some fun in the snow, and we had a blast!  Can I say we are having an awesome winter! I'm loving it! More pictures to come.

Coming soon....

Somehow I mysteriously managed to delete every single picture on my phone, pictures I was going to use for my next few posts. Pictures of  yummy recipes I want to share, our snow day and more. Waaaaahaaaaa. Never fear my dear readers I can post the recipes and I do have pictures on the camera that I  need to transfer over, so coming soon....

Snow is coming....

Well at least to Alpine, but I can drive there in 20 mins!  We are getting hit with an Artic Winter Storm tonight and Tomorrow! We have 3 impact teams coming to outreach for us Saturday so please pray for the rain to stop early and for them not to be too cold! I will be doing nursery so I'll be fine Ha-Ha.


Going off subject here I have a very yummy dessert that is not only non-fat but sugar free and it tastes very delicious! It is Marin Kid approved. So here it is(sorry no pics:( ):

Sugar Free/Fatfree White Chocolate Cherry pudding

1 box of sugar free cherry jello mix
1 box of fatfree/sugarfree white chocolate instant pudding mix

make jello as instructed on box, let it set in a pretty clear dish, when jello is set make s/f wh. choc pudding with nonfat milk and pour over jello . Let sit in the fridge for 15 mins and then enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Part 1

Downtown view from our bikes on Harbor Island

Arty and I got to get away for a very relaxing valentine's date Thurs and Friday. We decided to go get a hotel since we were going to a marriage seminar hosted by the Rice's Church. I pricelined a hotel downtown and got the Westgate, it was so beautiful, I loved every minute of it. We really had a lot of fun, we ate at Anthonys on the water, drank lots of coffee, bike rided up and down the harbor and Seaport Village. The weather was absolutely gorgeous so thank you honey for insisting on doing this. You're the best!

Happy Valentine's Day pt 2

Front Entrance to the hotel

Lobby

Lobby where the High tea is served

sitting area of bedroom

pretty bedcovering

Pure Love Givaway

Please go to this blog A Perfect Lily. To find out more about The "Pure Love Givaway"  Doing so will save the Lives of 3 precious children with Downs Syndrome. Peter, Kareen, and Olga. Imagine being thrown away, institutionalized, unloved, unwanted all becouse YOU were born with an extra chromosome. Well together we all can make a difference in these precious lives. God deems them valuable,lovable, and worth Everything. Patti Rice Thank God that you and I know others are acting on God's call for your life.  Keep up the fight and know so many people are behind you in prayer.

Jessica Grace Marin

I am bursting with Pride right now over my my Jessica Grace aka  Jessica Bug. Not only did she make perfect attendance for this last quarter she also got the Excellence award(one per class) and this was for Godly behavior and leadership qualities, along with Great attitude and kindness towards others but she for the very first time since she has started Kuyper Preparatory (this is her second year) is on the Honor Roll!!!!!    I am so proud of my girl. She has worked sooooo hard to get this  and this is the story behind it all.

I have been pretty fortunate to have my kids work very hard in school without too much prompting from myself . And since all my kids have started at Kuyper they have done well, been on the honor roll and headmasters list pretty consistently except for Jessica. As happy as I am  for them it hasn't been the most important thing in my life and I have always told them even better than getting good grades and being smart is good character and working hard. Jessica would always be a little sad because frankly since she has started Kuyper, school has been a challenge and so I have always told her as long as you are doing you're best everything is A-OK with me.Well Jess, has really been working hard and unbenownst to us not only did she get the Perfect attendance but the Honor Roll and Excellence. It was the cutest thing ever to see her whole face just light up when they called her name. So here's to my baby girl who is getting soooo big. You did it Honey! And even though I would and will love you just as much if you didn't get these awards, you deserved them and I'm so happy for YOU. Hooray!

Weather Update

Summer in January: Break out the suntan lotion

Yup that was a headline in today's paper. Thought I'd give you all another weather update for our weird and crazy weather. Lets see in 3 weeks I've gone from cold and rainy here in SD. Very Cold but beautiful in Prescott Az and now 75 to 80 degrees. No wonder I'm getting sick! Yes I have the sniffles, but I am doing Everything I can to prevent it from getting worse. In the meantime I'll try and enjoy every minute of it.

Happy New Year 2011

Out with the Old and In  with the New. One of the things I love about the New Year is the freshness of new beginnings. In retrospect last year was a hard one in a few different ways.

Our church went through a difficult time. We had just gotten into a new building went to  Jan conference and came home to everybody but one couple  and one navy guy gone! That was pretty disheartening, but God is faithful and throughout the next 9 months  God brought in more people and I can say how thankful I am for these precious people, Some of these are learning how to play the guitar and the drums so hopefully soon I will not be the only musician up on that platform. In this New Year I am believing God to bring our church further and I am believing God to bring home the backsliders and we are starting to see a little bit of that.

Our Finances have been spare. Arty's business has taken  a real hit, some of his main accounts decided to keep all their work in house instead of  using their vendors. We had some moments of "ok God" You promise to provide for us, I think in those times of dark moments I really learned to say God, You are worthy of All Praise.  Even though I have feared and sinned by doubting and yes even complaining there were timely words that were spoken by unsuspecting people that caused me to repent and say No matter what, God you are God and how good You are. Yes God does provide and He gave Arty a part time estimating job that has helped tremendously.

Our Family. Jan 24 My sister Rose went into labor and delivered little Benjamin 31/2 months early at 2lbs. 2 oz. He wasn't even done developing in her womb. That Harrowing week afraid that they both would die. The doctors telling her he would have setback after setback, severely disabled, not being able to function normally. Thank God for so many of you wonderful people who prayed and believed God for none of this to be true, God is a miracle working God and Benjamin is a happy normal baby. He is not delayed, does not have any disabilities, he's a Miracle!

Some Random Pics of 2010

                                          Jordan, Olivia, Adri, Jade, and Jessica at the Virgin river

                                          sunset at Zion National Park

                                         Adrie and Maria(our other part of the family)

                                         Our Benjamin Boy always laughing

                                          Adrie's volleyball game



So looking back over this post, maybe it wasn't so bad or hard after all, God proved himself Faithful in every trial and stage of life, and hopefully I have grown stronger and wiser. I know I am more thankful. So here's to a new year and new beginnings and a year of great Fruitfulness, I'm looking forward to it!