Abiding in Grace

Return of the Tooth Fairy

2009-05-12T10:01:00.001-07:00

So the Tooth Fairy made her second visit to the Sipe home over the weekend. Kelsie lost her second bottom tooth (with a little help from daddy) on Saturday. On Sunday morning she awoke to find a shiny coin under her pillow (just like in the book she and daddy have been reading- did you know the Tooth Fairy turns teeth into piano keys??) along with a few clues to find a hidden treasure. Once she realized what that meant, she was off looking for the clues hidden in the laundry room, in the loft, ultimately leading her to her prize- a new Littlest Pet Shop Special Edition Flamingo. WOW! You would have thought it was Christmas and he birthday all rolled into one!

Good Job Tooth Fairy!!

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter this year! Our church has our Easter Services at a huge amphitheatre at a great local park and we take blankets and chairs and sit on the grassy hill and worship our Risen Savior together as a family. This year after church we spent some time with our good friends the Cox family, and we had a great time eating, talking, watching the girls hunt eggs... it was a wonderful time!!!

Here's some pics from our Easter!

Kelsie's toothless Grin

2009-04-13T19:23:00.001-07:00

Isn't she cute???!!!

Weigh In Monday

2009-04-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Down another 2.5 lbs this week- All the while spending 3 days at Disneyland and Easter fesitivities with friends and food on Saturday and Sunday!!!

I have 2 lbs to go to my first goal, then another 5 after that!!! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I should be at my goal weight by summer!

The Tooth Fairy

2009-04-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

So, the tooth fairy made her inaugural visit this week to our home. On Wednesday evening, just before bed, Kelsie lost her first tooth! To say she was excited is a total understatement. She ran around the house with a wide, now toothless, grin so happy to be growing up! Her excitement was contagious!

The tooth fairy left her a nice little note reminding her how important it is to brush her teeth and STOP SUCKING HER THUMB now that she will be getting adult teeth. Let's hope it works!! She got $5 for her very first tooth.

It looks like #2 isn't too far behins- as we were inspecting the hole and watching the adult tooth peep past her gums, we noticed the bottom tooth next to it is loose, too!

Ahhh... my baby hit another milestone... she's growing up so fast!

Pics to follow once I find my camera!

Weigh In Week 5

2009-04-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post my weigh in from Monday starting week 5 on Weight Watchers. This last week was easier, as I only had one day where I knew I'd be out and not have healthy foods to choose from. My good friend Kim and I went to Fresno to see the Rock and Worship RoadShow (www.rockandworshiproadshow.com) on Sunday, so my only choices for dinner were arena food :) I had a hamburger and about 20 french fries- which filled me up fast! Normally I would have eaten the entire thing of fries, but 20 was more than enough! I'm learning to stop before I get so full I'm sick.

Anyway- I weighed in at 135 on Monday! 10 pounds to go!!! (yes, I readjusted my goal, for those of you who've been following me!)

Next week- how to do Weight Watchers during Spring Break- 2 days at Disneyland and Easter Dinner! Lucky for me, we're having Easter at my friend Lynette's house- who is also on WW trying to lose her baby weight (and she's doing GREAT!!!!! I'm lucky to have someone to hold me accountable in this journey!!)

Whatever You're Doing...

2009-03-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

I spent some sweet time with Jesus this morning. This song played on the radio as I was driving home to have my quiet time... and played again while I was praying. Not a coincidence- God usually uses music to get my attention... especially this line...

"Time to re-evaluate who I really am- am I doing everything to follow Your will, or just climbing aimlessly over these hills?"

So often throughout my day I make hundreds of choices... and while those choices in and of themselves are not bad- many of them good; exercising, spending time with my kids, volunteering at school, teaching Women's Bible Study, small group ministries...what am I aiming for? Am I just walking aimlessly with little purpose? What does God want from ME? I know he wants ME. My time- my focus, ALL of me! And only when I surrender completely to Him, will He reveal His purpose and plan for me! I can't wait to dream big and let God work!

Here's a link to the video- I can't figure out how to embed it, so you'll have to go to the link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06AgY5Xoavw

Week 4 starting on Weight Watchers

2009-03-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

After 3 weeks, I am down 7 lbs! Yippee!!!!! This last weekend was tough, since David and I went away for the weekend to Phoenix to see a Spring Training Game with the Mariners. Um, yeah, baseball food and diet don't mix...but I was good! Eating out almost every meal made it a bit challenging, but I'm finding I don't eat as much as I used to, and I'm much more disciplined with my portion sizes and choices. Being a melancholy personality I think helps, because when I know how many points something is that I used to enjoy, and I know how it will blow my week in one sitting, it's easier to see the detailed results on paper and I'm able to stay on track!

7 more to go till my first goal, then about 5 more after that eventually.

Weight Loss, Continued

2009-03-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

OK, so I am on week 2 of weight watchers. No, I didn't shell out the bucks to lose weight, I learned all about the system from some friends and set out determined to lose 10-15 pounds. My dear husband motivated me with a shopping spree once I reach my goal, and well, if you know me at all, once I set my mind to something, there's usually no stopping me.

So, the last week and a half has been me measuring out portion sizes, eating smaller meals, and tracking everything I eat. The hardest part is that I love to eat out- and when I looked online at menus to my favorite places, my jaw just about hit the floor. No wonder I've gained so much weight!!!! Some of my favorite meals at some of my favorite places topped out at over 1200 calories!! So, I'm having to learn to eat more at home, and plan wisely when out and about. Like last weekend, David and I went out to eat for a date- I researched and we chose to go to Chili's- so I wouldn't totally blow my progress. I was actually impressed at myself, ordering from the Guiltless Grill and bypassing the cheeseburger and fries... Look at me!! :o) I also skipped the movie popcorn and opted for 1 serving of multigrain wheat thins.

But once again, I'm stalled this week- stalled by a cold/flu bug that has settled behind my right ear causing an ear infection. Goody. So, now I'm tired, weak and dizzy and on so many drugs it's not even funny. So, while I'm sticking to my plan for food, I haven't gotten the excercise I need or actually, now want! Hopefully I'll be well enough soon to get moving more again.

Ultimately- lost 3 lbs the first week. Yeah me!!

Weight Loss Drama

2009-03-02T16:47:00.000-08:00

OK, so, I look back at photos from just a few years ago- you know the ones- the ones that at the time you thought- "Eww don't take a picture of me, I'm too heavy, fat, pale, etc etc..." and realize now I was hot! The problem is, I've let myself go in the last year or two (or 3) and now am the heaviest I've ever been. And while my dear sweet hubby loves me just the way I am (Love is blind, you know...), I don't. I look in the mirror and don't recognize myself.

So... while I fully admit to being a foodie- a stress eater- a snacker-- whatever the label is, I like to eat... I realize this has got to stop. Or at least, if I'm going to indulge once in awhile, I better get my butt moving more...it's getting harder to move the bigger it gets!

So, I've been pretty consistent(for me, anyway) in trying to be less sedentary and more active. I've taken to walking 2-4 miles on nice days around the neighborhood, with a good friend when our schedules allow, or on the Bike Path nodding at polite strangers doing the same thing (though why is it they are all trim and fit??). I've been actually using my Wii Fit about 3-4 times a week, and trying to get about 30-45 minutes of activity a day. I'm paying more attention to what I eat (moreso HOW MUCH I eat) and what do I get for this??

I gain 2 lbs.

WHAT???!!!!!

No wonder I didn't do this before... I've been bamboozled- I thought that the goal in all this was to LOSE weight.

It must be all muscle... that's what my friend Kimberly said. ;o)

So... how many of you struggle with juggling life as a wife, a mom to young children, volunteer work, jobs, etc... AND try to stick to a diet of some sort and exercise?? What do you do that works? I'm opposed to paying money to lose weight...though I've briefly thought about working the Weight Watchers system... at least just to figure out what my point allotment would be and then do it on my own...

Stay tuned for updates randomly- after all, in order to stay active, it probably means I shouldn't be sitting in front of this inactive computer screen for hours on end, right??

Kelsie's Birthday Party

2009-02-26T09:16:00.001-08:00

On Kelsie's 6th birthday she invited a few of her girl friends over after school for a Littlest Pet Shop themed Party. Since we'd gotten her a DS and taken her to Disneyland already for her birthday, this was a smaller, more intimate party (read: cheaper than we'd ever done). She had a blast playing games with her friends and eating a cake she and mommy made. She helped plan all the games and we had a great time!

Here's the cake and some decorations:

Playing games like "Pin the accessory on the Pet Shop" and "Pet Shop Pet Shop where's Your Bone" and "Animal Charades"

Having cake and "pet kibble" for snack:

Opening presents:

Playing on the trampoline:

Disneyland with Grandma and Grandpa

2009-02-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

To celebrate daddy and Kelsie's birthday, we went to Disneyland (surprised? I know, huge shocker, huh?). David's parents from Seattle surprised Kelsie at the hotel for her birthday- she was so bummed they couldn't make their planned trip here for Christmas due to weather issues, so this was a GREAT surprise for her. She loved taking Grandma and Grandpa all around her favorite place- in spite of the almost never ending rain all weekend!

Mommy challenges

2009-02-26T08:58:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's no fun being a parent. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get overwhelmed with the responsibility and want to be selfish and just quit for a day!

Kelsie has been once again having difficulties at school. While overall she has improved in her day to day behavior, focus and listening, she still has issues with impulse control and managing her emotions. In the last week, I've picked her up twice from the office- once for stabbing someone with scissors (didn't break the skin) and yesterday for biting another student. Each incident occured in the late afternoon during either free play or centers time when the classroom isn't as structured as during the day. Usually provoked by someone else (always a boy) her sensors seem to get overladen and she loses all self control in a given moment. Many times she uses her words first, but fails to bring in another adult to help her with any situation- she reacts first, thinks later. This is rather frustrating to me, as while I wasn't a perfect child by any means, I wasn't the impulsive one. My trouble came from talking too much in class or reading for fun, not assigned reading. So, I find it rather difficult to understand where she's coming from and how to help her. So I turn to begging God for wisdom for me and for self control for her. I KNOW she's a kind, compassionate girl who has a HUGE heart- I just want to make sure everyone else sees that and not just the outbursts.

Another reason I sit here blogging this morning is because Haylie is home puking in a bucket. YUCK. This is the one part of parenting I wish I could delegate! I don't do vomit- makes me gag everytime I hold her hair out of her face and rinse out the puke bucket. Not only that- I'm missing FUN DAY at my Women's Bible Study. The one day I get to go and not have to "do" anything, but enjoy fellowship with my friends and have a good time. I know that's selfish- I'm thankful I can be at home to care for my kids, to try and be on top of it all, but sometimes, a mommy just needs a day off!!

So... while Haylie watches Playhouse Disney this morning, I'm going to catch up on uploading pictures that I've been meaning to do! And hold my breath every time she calls out to me. Wish me luck!

Wake up Call from God

2009-02-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

I love music. I like to turn it up loud in the car and sing to my heart's content. Lately, it seems God keeps playing certain songs over and over for me on every Christian radio station available to me (there's 4!). While logically, I can reason that all the stations are playing these 2 songs over and over because their new hits, I choose to believe God knows it takes a bit to get through to me! Lately there have been 2 songs playing that have caught my heart and made me realize that I go through the motions daily of being a follower of Christ. Where's the passion, the wild reckless abandon of my faith from my youth? I still believe... I still love the Lord, but why am I so complacent in my walk? Why is it so easy to go through the motions? This morning's worship and sermon seemed to hit home for me- and made me realize that I compartmentalize the great and powerful God I love and serve. I've forgotten that He alone is HOLY and I am NOTHING. I am undeserving and I should live a life of reverence in knowing WHO I serve, and being ever so grateful for His unconditional love for me.

Isaiah, when in the presence of a Holy God recognized WHO God is and who he was- He fell prostrate before a Holy God and said, "Woe is me! I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." And when the Lord called out "Whom shall I send, Who will go for us?" Isaiah PROMPTLY said..."Here Am I. Send ME." He didn't say, well, let me check my schedule, or, I think you've got the wrong guy for the job... He didn't say- I'm not perfect, I can't do it.. He responded immediately and heeded the call of the Lord.

I can hope and pray that I live my life by giving everything back to the One who gave everything for me. That I don't wait until I have it all perfect, but know that in spite of my sin, in spite of my humanness, God will use me as HE sees fit, and HIS glory will shine through me.

Here's the lyrics to the songs- you can find them on iTunes, or www.air1.com

Matthew West - The Motions
From the album Something To Say

This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care If I break

At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

Chorus
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something

Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Take me all the way

Francesca Battistelli - Free To Be Me
From the album My Paper Heart

At twenty years of age
I'm still looking for a dream
A war is already waged for my destiny
But You've already won the battle
And You've got great plans for me
Though I can't always see

(Chorus)
I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to put the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me

When I was just a girl
I thought I had it figured out
See my life will turn out right
And I'll make it here somehow
But things don't always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt, 'cause...

(Chorus)

Sometimes I believe
That I can do anything
Yet other times I think
I've got nothing good to bring

But You look at my heart and tell me
That I've got all You seek
And it's easy to believe, even though...

(Chorus)

Happy Birthday Kelsie!

2009-02-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

Wow- I know I haven't blogged in a while- Facebook seems to take my time more now than blogging did.

Today is Kelsie's 6th birthday. 6 years ago I spent 30 hours working hard to bring this little one into the world. She took her sweet time then, just as she does now! It's no wonder it takes her 30 minutes to eat a bowl of cereal that her 4 year old sister can eat in 5 minutes. LOL

We celebrated her birthday last weekend at Disneyland with family, and this afternoon after school she had a party at home with 6 of her friends from church and school.

I am amazed daily at who she is becoming- frustrated on occasion, delighted and amused often, she makes me laugh, she makes me cry, and yes, she makes me yell (OK, I know I can control that better myself!). She is an amazing reader, has a compassionate heart that hurts easliy but loves BIG, loves God and loves to worship Him, yet still is tentative to pray out loud; she loves her family, she loves school, church, her friends, Disneyland and Littlest Pet Shop. Her baby blue eyes can still melt my heart just as they did the first second I looked deep into them and realized the amazing responsibility and huge blessing she was to me.

My baby is 6. Time sure does fly. I can only hope to continue to grasp on tight to every moment I have with her, and be thankful for the child she is and pray for the woman she will become.

Happy Birthday to my Big girl- who will ALWAYS be my baby!

Happy Anniversary to US!

2008-12-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

Well... today is David's and my 7 year wedding anniversary. And while we certainly have had our ups and downs and have been through a lot in 7 years, here we are, still married and still loving one another- through it all.

I was hoping to scan some wedding album photos, but wouldn't you know it, my scanner's not working :(
So what I do have are pictures my Grampy took while the pro was taking photos-

Here we are at our rehearsal and right after we were married.

My thoughts when reflecting on that day 7 years ago are mixed- first I think- MAN, we looked HOT!!! Amazing what 7 years and 2 kids will do to a body! LOL

Second I think about how I felt saying my vows to this man that od had provided for me- this man who I promised to love until death parts us- and now, if I were to re-write those vows, they might sound different. In the last 7 years I've learned a lot about marriage and what God desires for our marriage to look like- one that reflects His love for His Church- one where I submit to my husband because of the position God has placed him in, where I show this man unconditional love and respect...whether I think he deserves it or not.

So, now I would vow to stay true to him, love him, respect him, support him in all his ambitions, seek to be his partner in life, in our family, and trust that he will continue to do what's best for me, as he has over the last 7 years.

Thank you, David, for loving me when I'm unlovable, for supporting me, providing for me, being my closest friend and supporter. I know I don't say it enough- but I respect you for the man you are and admire you for being the provider and protector of our family. I love you.

2008-12-14T11:53:00.001-08:00

8th Day of Christmas

2008-12-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, this is harder to keep up with than I thought it would be... but yesterday was the 8th Day of Christmas- the day the Charlie Brown Christmas special aired- one of my all time favorite Christmas specials. Even though I have it on DVD, there's just something about when it airs on TV every year that makes it seem like it's really Christmas time!!!!

2008-12-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

6th and 7th days of Christmas...

2008-12-07T16:27:00.001-08:00

6th day was yesterday- and I was busy being thankful for all our friends and Haylie's friends who came to her party yesterday!!! I'll upload pics soon!!!

On today, the 7th day of Christmas... I'm thankful for the AMAZING Sunday School teachers that my girls have at church- they are all so wonderful and loving and love my kids to death!!! Thank you Ms Terri, Ms Jill, Mr Craig, Ms Kim and Ms Kim!!!

5th Day of Christmas

2008-12-05T15:03:00.000-08:00

On the 5th day of Christmas.....

I'm thankful that Kelsie had an AWESOME week at school and SO proud of her! She didn't have to pull her card ONCE all week- and this is a BIG accomplishment for her! I'm also thankful she was proud of herself!!!!

WTG Kelsie!!!!!!!!!

4th Day of Christmas... AKA Haylie's 4th birthday!

2008-12-04T15:23:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for my baby girl who is 4 today!!!!!!!! I can't believe just 4 years ago I gave birth to my 9 lb 2 oz 22 inch linebacker girl who is now all of 39 inches and 30 lbs sopping wet!!!

Then....

Now...

3rd Day of Christmas

2008-12-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

Today I'm thankful for my amazing friends who I know I can be real with; who know my mistakes and shortcomings, and not only still love me for who I am in Christ, but remind me of who I am when I forget.

I'm thankful for friends who pray hard for me, who are there every time I need them, even when it inconveniences them, and who make me want to be a better woman. Friends who point me to Jesus every chance they get.

You know who you are CCFFs- I love you and am thankful to go through life with you as my sisters!

2nd Day of Christmas...

2008-12-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for my housecleaner, Maria. I know it sounds rather silly, but she makes my life so much easier! Knowing she's coming every 2 weeks makes me get my house in order before she comes, and after she's been here I feel like I have one afternoon of peace!

Maria is also one of the sweetest ladies I've met and I'm not only thankful that she does an oftentimes thankless job for me, but I'm thankful for who she is- an honest, kind, hardworking woman.

Day One of 25 Days of Christmas

2008-12-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

Day One...

I am thankful for my husband who works very hard so I can have a beautiful home that I love, I get to stay home with our daughters, Kelsie can attend private school where she is thriving, and I am in want for nothing. Unfortunately, I tend to take it for granted, and I'm going to try today to make sure he knows how appreciative I am of all his hard work, and how sorry I am when I may not show it.

Been awhile...

2008-12-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

OK, so it's almost been a month since I've posted anything here... my bad! Life just seems to get in the way...

Anyway- It's December 1st, and I thought I'd try something new...

For each day from now until Christmas I'm going to find at least one new thing to be thankful for. I don't want to get caught up in the frenzy of the holidays and forget what truly matters. I want to remember I celebrate the birth of my Savior on Christmas, and to be thankful for my many blessings.

Day One to be posted momentarily!

Post Election Analysis

2008-11-05T16:35:00.001-08:00

1. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, Jesus will still be King.

2. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.

3. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.

4. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my primary citizenship will still be in this order - (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.

5. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the tomb will still be empty.

6. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.

7. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.

8. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment.

(Do you know the first?)

9. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see abortion ultimately overturned will still be winning men and women to a high view of life through the gospel of Christ.

10. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see gay marriage ultimately defeated will still be winning men and women to a biblical view of marriage through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

11. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.

12. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, "Jesus Is Lord" will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.

13. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, we will still know that God is in control.

2008-10-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

And why is this appropriate?

2008-10-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/10/MNFG13F1VG.DTL

This article discusses a 1st grade fireld trip to their teacher's lesbian wedding- in the middle of the school day.

I can go into my reasons as to why this is wildly inappropriate from SO many levels- but here's a thought-

When would it ever be academically justified for a first grade class to go to their heterosexual teacher's wedding as a field trip? It wouldn't!!!

My daughter's kindergarten teacher is single. I can tell you now it would raise eyebrows if she were to have a field trip planned for the class to attend her wedding! And I'm quite certain that while she loves her students (even my sometimes hard to love daughter) she doesn't necessarily want her wedding to be an academic educational experience for them.

Please, vote YES on Prop 8!

Anxious...

2008-09-25T17:48:00.001-07:00

A lot is going on in my life right now, and certain events are occuring at this very moment that are causing me to be anxious. I hate feeling anxious. What I really hate, is that I've known the Lord for so long, that shouldn't it be easy to trust Him each and every time something comes my way that might cause me to wobble a little in my absolute trust of my Loving Savior? My head knows (and my heart does, too, deep down) that I need not worry about anything in this life, because the God of the Universe has promised He will take care of my NEEDS. He never promised my life would be easy, but He does promise He will never give me more than I can bear. So why do I allow Satan a foothold and let him lie to me and make me anxious for my future? I've walked with the Lord for over 20 years, I know He is faithful, I've seen firsthand His faithfulness in my life. But I'm just a messed up sinner, who over and over again worries needlessly about the things I cannot control.

Oh, how thankful I am that He picks me up and loves me still, in all my humanity, and cares so much for me.

I'm clinging to Philippinas 4:6-7 tonight-- "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding will RULE your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

10 days...

2008-09-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

Until the last book in the Baxter series is released.

I am a huge fan of Karen Kingsbury, especially her ever popular Baxter series books. On September 23, the final book, Sunset, will be released. I'm looking forward to it with so much excitement and sadness. While on one hand I can't wait to read it, on the other hand, I don't want to let go of this family I call "mine." What will happen with Dayne and Katy? The Flanigans? John and Elaine? I know so many others feel the same way.

I'm sure I'll find myself curled up for a great read in 10 days! :)

"Let There Be Light"

2008-09-08T16:47:00.001-07:00

My CCFFs

2008-09-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

"Well there ya go...." ;o)

Here's my gal pals and I at Women of Faith this weekend in Anaheim- we also took some time to enjoy a little of Disneyland without kids on Sunday before heading home!

Love you gals!

Here we are with Anita Renfroe...

At the arena and celebrating birthdays- Kimberly's and Kathy's!

The whole house is quiet...

2008-09-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

It is 7:15 am and the whole house is quiet- I'm up, showered, dressed, hair and makeup done. And NO ONE else is awake! This NEVER happens- Kelsie is usually up at the crack of dawn, many times up by 6:15-6:30. I found myself in a quandary- what to do with this quiet, still morning time before I absolutely HAVE to wake the kiddos to get ready for school?

I enjoyed reading my devotional this morning before my day actually started- it's usually later in the day when the girls are at school, or when they're otherwise occupied by a video or playing nicely. It's nice hearing the birds in the morning instead of arguing over what to eat for breakfast or me hurrying everyone along...

What do you do in the still of the morning? Are you a morning person? I'm certainly not! When do you find time with the Lord?

Time's up... better go wake the sweet sleepers so we aren't starting the morning anxious and yelling at one another to hurry up!!

A New Season

2008-08-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

The past week and a half have been a start of a new season in my life. It has been very odd for me to take Kelsie to school and not be with her most of the day. Haylie and I have had lots of alone time to do things just us- which is fun! We've been practicing learning our letters and sounds (she knows them all!!) and writing letters (she's got her name down!) and learning numbers and counting. It's fun having her along with me on errands- I never took the kids with me last year if I could avoid it, an argument was always inevitable.

I get my special time with Kelsie when she gets home from school. Haylie goes down for a nap and Kelsie and I talk and snuggle and do homework together. She really is a neat kid. I'm really loving seeing her grow up and while I still pray constantly for her, I'm encouraged when I see growth in her. She's such a sensitive girl, and it kills me to see her hurt. But she also cares very much about what other people feel, and that is a big encouragement! She's been so tired in the late afternoon/early evenings the last few nights, and I know she's doing her best to adjust to her new schedule, and I'm quite proud of how she's handling it. It's a change for all of us- goodness knows I don't like waking up so early to an alarm! LOL

For me, I'm now able to be more involved in ministry at church. After finishing up my 10 week purity class with 8-9th grade girls this summer, I'm finidng myself now in a new season- where I'll be teaching peers. I'll be co teaching a couple classes this year- God has thrown me out of my comfort zone of teaching kids and teens and somehow decided to use me to teach other women. While in fact all along, I'm sure that I will be the one learning and growing more than anyone. I'm excited to see what God is going to do this year in my family, in my ministry and in my heart!

Kelsie's report

2008-08-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

After I dropped my firstborn off at the scary place called school this morning, watching her with bright eyed wonder and excitement about being a Kindergartener and going to "real" school- I came home and cried. A Lot. When I finally relaxed enough, I took Haylie to the car wash and met some friends for lunch (one of whom has a kindergartener as well). We still had time- came home and cleaned a bit, played with Haylie. I counted the hours, minutes, until I could finally leave to pick her up. When I was standing outside her door when the bell rang, she came out, looking for me and said these three words when she came to me: "KINDERGARTEN ROCKS, MOM!"

I'm so glad she loved it :) She talked about the rules, her new friend, and the playground. I'm still learning bits and pieces about her day :) She's all ready to go back tomorrow!!

First Day pictures

2008-08-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

I'm still crying, so I'll post more about taking Kelsie to school today after I get used to the idea- but I thought I'd post the pics- I know some family members are anxious to see them!

Tomorrow I lose my baby....

2008-08-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is harder than I thought.... I've been moody all day, ready to burst into tears at any given moment. Now that I've tucked my baby into bed, I am ready to bawl myself to sleep... I'm SO not ready for her to grow up and go to school....

Yet I know I can't keep her here forever (no, Lynette- still not gonna homeschool LOL no matter how hard this is). She's so excited, and I try to hide my sadness at my realization that the last 5 1/2 years have FLOWN by and I can't believe I'm the mom of a kindergartener... tomorrow I will not be starting the first day of school as a student, or as a teacher... but as a parent.

At least I still have Haylie at home for 2 more years, right??

I'll be back tomorrow with pics of my kindergartener!

Some AMAZING young women!

2008-08-17T20:07:00.001-07:00

I concluded my 10 week class on purity this morning with some amazing young women. I can't begin to express how proud I am of these girls- all of whom stood before parents and peers this morning and made a vow to live a life of purity and to keep themselves pure for their future husbands. This has been a great summer of growth and maturity for many of these girls. I was honored to be a part of it all!

Disney Princesses

2008-08-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

We went to Disneyland this past week for a last hurrah before summer ended and also celebrated the girls' cousin's 6th birthday with her at Ariel's Grotto with the princesses. We had a great time, as usual! Kelsie's newfound favorite rides are Soarin' and the Jellyfish ride at DCA. She JUST hit 40" so at 5 1/2 she was finally tall enough to ride them! She still won't ride Matterhorn or anything else yet :)

Haylie got her very first Annual Pass!

Tick, tock....

2008-08-13T14:42:00.001-07:00

My how time flies...

I will have a kindergartener in just 5 days. How did this happen? How did my cherub-faced first born baby girl get to be such an adorable little girl who's going to SCHOOL?????????

I'm so not ready for this... I'm off to play Littlest Pet Shop with this adorable cherub faced girl while I still can...

What I want to be when I grow up...

2008-08-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Haylie crawled into bed with me this morning for some snuggling and we were talking about our days activities, that we're going to church first, then mommy teaches a class, then mommy comes home and we pick up grandma and go to Disneyland.

Then I switched gears on her and asked her what she wants to be when she grows up....

"A mommy!! Like you, mommy!"

My heart melted.... I must be doing something good!

Then she added after thinking harder...

"oh, and a blue octopus, you know, like Oswald!"

Hmmm... maybe she's watched enough Noggin... time for school to start again!!!

Kelsie funny

2008-07-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

Kelsie wakes up from her nap and asks me what she can do now.

Me: You can play in the loft upstairs or in the playroom downstairs.

Kelsie: (hands on cheeks, rolls eyes upwards) "Whoa, I just don't know- I can't decide. There's toys upstairs. There's toys downstairs. They're both so much fun. I can't decide which room to play in!"

I think we have so much room in this house none of us knows what to do with it all!!!

In awe of His LOVE

2008-07-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

Background:

I've been teaching a class to 8-9th grade girls at church this summer based on Dannah Gresh's book And the Bride Wore White. It's a class on purity and remaining pure before marriage. So far each of the girls has learned a little about oevrall purity of the mind, of the heart and somewhat about the body. They've discussed who to look for in a mate, how to respond to come ons with great comeback lines, and how to avoid temptation in the first place.

Today, even after all the stress of moving yesterday, and my last minute finishing praparation for this morning, God showed up. Not that He hasn't been present every minute of each class, but today, in teaching the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45-46), God challenged not only these amazing young women, but myself as well, to surrender everything for the greatest thing. To give up our "fake pearls" if you will for the greatest treasure ever- a sold out relationship with Jesus. The pearl of greatest price. God is at work and moving in the lives of these amazing women I have been honored and privileged to serve this summer.

If you're a praying person, pray for these girls that they would surrender all of their fake pearls and take up their cross with full reckless abandon and fall into Jesus. That they would stand before God and say "Here I Am- ready to give up my life for YOU."

Home!

2008-07-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

I'll spare everyone the drama that occurred yesterday afternoon that almost preempted our moving today- but the fact remains: God is good, all the time, and even in the midst of crisis after crisis He reveals His Sovereignty and His love for His children. He heard my cry of desperation and answered swiftly in the form of an amazing realtor who is a blessed friend who did everything within her power to see our dreams of FINALLY moving into this amazing house realized. We love you Dottie, and owe you sincere gratitude for all your hard work!!!

So... that being said- we got to work early this morning and were TRULY BLESSED by some amazing friends who stepped out and gave of their precious time to help us move. One of my dear friends watched the girls for over 7 hours today!!!!! So many other people came and helped when they could and used theit gifts and skills and posessions (thanks everyone with the trucks!!!!) to help us out today. What was a neat blessing is one great couple and their sweet son who spent the WHOLE DAY helping us- Not only were they both a tremendous help, but I really enjoyed getting to know them so much better and forming a great friendship with them!

We're far from "done" but here we are- girls tucked into their beds in their new bedroom, all our furniture is in place, and we have internet ;o) LOL Priorities ya know!! There's still random "stuff" at the old house and lots of unopened boxes here- and a bunch in the garage. It will take awhile to get settled. But we're home.

I'm hoping to take some pictures tomorrow- I was so busy today I never did! I want to do some before they come back and paint on Monday morning!

Goodnight from our new house!

Moving

2008-07-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

So, finally our loan has funded on the new house and we got keys from our very dedicated realtor (and even better friend) this afternoon. Our painter will get started tomorrow morning, and hopefully be done with all the bedrooms and laundry room by Saturday morning when we plan to move in.

Isn't amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in a home? I can't believe all that we have and we've only lived in this house for 3 1/2 years. Seriously- I'm thinking half of the garage can go to Goodwill! And what's even more sad is how much stuff our kids have- and most of it they actually use/play with!!

I'm thinking even though we're moving into a home twice as big, we need to downsize our stuff! It may be too tempting to fill the empty spaces in the new house with even more stuff.

Pray we survive the move and get settled in quickly! I feel like we're leaving home for a house... I hope it becomes our home very soon!

Addictions

2008-07-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about drugs or alcohol here... just a harmless little addiction of mine.... really, it's not harmful, and not consuming my thoughts or time at all, it's just a little fun hobby I picked up recently... or so I tell myself.

I'm talking about my love for collecting Disney pins. I'm not that fanatical compared to most, although my husband might speak otherwise. He's not too thrilled that Kelsie and Haylie have also found the joy of pin collecting and trading with Cast Members at Disneyland.

I have visions of my new office decorated with beautifully matted frames with my precious pins. That, of course, is in addition to any and all Disney art or office decor I can find :) Finally I will have a place to display my Disney fun :) Not that anyone will see it often, though if and when I have it set up beautifully and you come to visit, make no mistake, I am likely to show off my Disney room. Unfortunately, reality will soon set in that other rooms will need to receive TLC before my Disney room... so it might be awhile after we move to the new house that I have it set up- and it's likely to be ever changing :)

So, the 2 hours I spent browsing DizPins and ebay today while preparing for my Purity Class this weekend weren't a sign of addiction. They weren't I tell you :)

I guess I'm still in denial (and I'm quite happy there, thank you very much!)

New SpringWidget

2008-07-10T14:04:00.001-07:00

Get this widget!

Visit the Widget Gallery

2008-07-05T14:28:00.001-07:00

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer

You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal.

A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways.

In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music.

You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for.

In love, you express your emotions through actions.

Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well!

At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time.

You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist.

How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

Pictures

2008-07-01T21:18:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures as promised!

Trip to Washington- Kelsie, Haylie, cousin Emma and new cousin baby Maddison at the Children's Museum in Olympia:

Mt Shasta and enjoying a chocolate shake with Grandma at Applebees:

Wow- is it July already????

2008-07-01T17:26:00.000-07:00

OK, so I've gotten way behind on my blogging. Sorry about that!! My life has all of a sudden become rather crazy busy. That's not normal for me. I'm usually the friend who's available at a moment's notice- not filling up my calendar too much. I even said at the end of Spring, this summe rI'm going to relax, take a break from all that I'm involved in (Women's Fellowship, Home Group) and just get refreshed. Boy- did God have other plans for me!!!

First of all, we're about to move. We are purchasing a foreclosed home at a great steal- we're doubling our square footage and getting an awesome pool (MUCH needed in the summer here!!). But- with that comes packing, moving, cleaning, changing address on everything, and getting our current home ready for renters. Right now, escrow is set to close next week and we should move in about a week later after all the walls are painted, blinds installed, carpets cleaned and repairs made.

Second, remember when I said I was going to take a break this summer? Yeah, well, the Lord has decided to stretch me and prepare me for leadership and getting back into the heart of ministry. I am teaching a class for junior high girls on purity and preserving their sexual integrity until marriage. Our Home Group starts back up tomorrow for a great study on marriage- which I'm looking forward to, and growing with my hubby. On top of that I've been in a great accountability group with 5 other amazing women who I am SO BLESSED to call my dear friends and sisters. We're being mentored by our Women's Ministry Director in a great study this summer that has already begun to stretch me. I can't get enough time with these women, I feel like a sponge, I just want to soak up all thier knowledge and wisdom. And I am so thankful for God's answer to my fervent prayers last summer for true authentic friends who would encourage and admonish me in the Lord.

So- life is busy here in our home, and I'm so grateful for the many blessings this summer is bringing, eve in the midst of chaos. I hope to post back soon and share pictures of our trip to Washington where I met my beautiful new niece Maddison and hung out with my bro and his family and the girls got to see Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Angie. We also had a great week at VBS and a fun 5 days with Uncle Larry and Aunt Karla and cousins at Disneyland and Sea World last week.

Until then!

Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary!

2008-06-12T17:24:00.001-07:00

Today is my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. In this day where marriage is not revered as it should be, I celebrate the fact that here is a couple who've made it through the fire and have loved each other and stayed committed to one another for life, just as they vowed before God and their family 60 years ago.

My prayer today is that my Grammy, who's mind has definitely begun to fail her, will remember how she felt on her wedding day and know in her heart and be able to celebrate just a little this momentous occasion.

Happy Anniversary Grammy and Grampy!!

San Diego trip

2008-05-30T09:09:00.001-07:00

We went to San Diego over Memorial Day weekend to celebrate David's cousin's 50th birthday. We went to Sea World on Saturday and met up with her and her daughter and David's Aunt and Uncle. The girls had a blast opening up the new Sesame Street Bay of Play that opened that day- we were some of the first people on the rides and in the play area. They got to meet Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, Elmo and Big Bird.

Then the real fun began when we went to feed the dolphins. The girls were SO thrilled to actually feed and touch a "REAL ALIVE DOLPHIN" :) So was mommy, to be honest. I could just sit and watch these beautiful gentle creatures all day long. The dolphin we fed was so friendly and I just kept rubbing him/her on its head and it seemed to have a constant smile.

We then explored the rest of the park- seeing Sea Lions and feeding them, watching the new Sesame Street 4-D show, enjoying the penguins (my favorite!) and of course Shamu! The kids and Theresa sat in the soak zone for the first Shamu show and wore their ponchos and had the honor of having Shamu splash tons of salt water all over them!

We then stayed for dinner and the nighttime Shamu show "Shamu Rocks" It was awesome!

The next day we went to Balboa Park and enjoyed walking around and the Science Center- the kids especially loved the Kid City and the old fashioned carousel. Theresa and I rode with the kids and played to catch the brass ring. I won! :)

Walking around Balboa Park:

She's a Preschool Graduate!

2008-05-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning we celebrated a milestone in our family- Kelsie's graduation from preschool!

She has grown up so much and learned so much this past year. She's truly becoming a little lady! I can't believe she's going to Kindergarten!!!

Gymnastics Exhibition

2008-05-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend the girls got to show off their gymnastics skills at a little exhibition for all the parents and family members who came to see them perform. Daddy hadn't ever gotten to see them in action, so this was fun for him to see what they're learning every week at gymnastics!

Here's some pics of both Haylie and Kelsie performing!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-05-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm usually HORRIBLE at this, but maybe if I write it down I might be able to stick to it!

Monday:
B- cereal/smoothies
L- kids @ preschool- mommy salad
D- broiled fillet, corn on the cob, rice

Tuesday:
B- waffles, smoothies
L- kids @ preschool- Haylie pizza party, Kelsie party
D- orange chicken and rice

Wednesday:
B- cereal/smoothies
L- PB&J, fruit
D- hot dogs, potato wedges

Thursday:
B- yogurt, pancakes
L- picnic @ park- sandwiches, fruit, etc
D- clean out fridge night

Friday-Sunday out of town :o)

Disneyland (yes, again!)

2008-05-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

The girls and I just returned from our latest trip to the Mouse House in Anaheim. This time, we took along my good friend Lynette and her two daughters, and then met up with 3 other mommies and their kids. The first day it was just the 4 girls and Lynette and myself. The girls had a blast at California Adventure for most of the day- we saw Turtle Talk with Crush, Muppet 3-D, rode Monster's Inc, Flik's Flyers, Heimlich's Chew Chew Train and Ladybug boogie. Then the girls got in their swimsuits and played in the fountains in Bug's Land. They had a blast and got SOAKED! It was a great way for them to cool off. After that we watched the new Pixar Play Parade before heading into Disneyland to watch the Parade of Dreams and then ride the Nemo Subs. We closed the park down and went back to the hotel for baths and bed- before meeting up with our friends at Disneyland the next day.

The next day we hit Fantasyland riding everything we could before we met up with our friends. Kelsie had had not nearly enough sleep and by 11am was already having issues keeping her emotions in check. When our friends arrived and met us, she was bawling in the stroller- that's why you won't see her in any of the first group shots. We'd made the kids matching Mickey/Minnie head shirts for this trip and they all looked so cute (one sibling set didn't have them because of an iron on malfunction. But they still rocked their own Disney shirts!

Awards Night for Cubbies

2008-05-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday was awards night for Cubbies at church. This is Kelsie's last year in Cubbies- next year she moves up to Sparks and will have more verses to learn and memorize. But then Haylie finally gets to start Cubbies next year!

Kelsie earned perfect attendance this year- she didn't miss one night all year. It helps that we lead a Small Group on Wed nights and also the fact she wasn't sick at all ALL YEAR was great, too!

Here's some photos of Awards night!

Drive In Movie Night at AWANA

2008-05-09T15:32:00.001-07:00

At AWANA Cubbies, every year at the end of the year, the kids (ahem, the parents) get to make a "car" or other such vehicle out of cardboard boxes and the kids sit in them and watch a movie on the big screens in the high school room. This year, we decided to make Cinderella's carriage. Drive in Movie Night was on a Wednesday Night- I started Monday :)

To go with her carriage, she of course had to dress the part!!

More on friendship

2008-05-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

We took a friend out today to celebrate her birthday a day early- we surprised her and went to get pedicures before we all were heading to a luncheon. We decided to get artsy and take a picture of our pretty feet :)

I am truly blessed!

Friendship

2008-04-28T18:00:00.001-07:00

I am blessed to have great friends in my life. Here is one of them :)

We decorated a table for our end of the year luncheon at church for Women's Fellowship. I think it turned out cute!

Pics from recent Disney trip

2008-04-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

We went down to Anaheim a week ago to see the Mariners play the Angels (they lost) and went to Disneyland on Sunday with the kids, my mom, and we met DH's cousin and her daughter there. We had a great time!

AWANA Grand Prix

2008-04-28T17:40:00.001-07:00

I'm a little tardy in posting these pics, but I just d/l the pics from my card!

A few weeks ago Kelsie participated in AWANA Grand Prix at church. Daddy worked really hard on making sure the car was fast- Kelsie made it pretty and painted/decorated it herself. They named it Pink Lightning. And rightly so, as she won 2nd place trophy for speed!!

Here's some pics!

On being a witness...

2008-04-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

I've learned a few things the last few months-

My best witness for Christ is not the words I say, but the love and respect behind them. My witness extends far beyond my words spoken to reflect my character.

If my character is not in line with what I say, or my actions belie my words, then anything I ever said for Christ becomes against Him.

Be careful with your witness!

States I've been in

2008-04-23T16:02:00.001-07:00

create your own visited states map

A MUST READ

2008-04-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading an amazing book called The Shack. If you've ever wondered why evil exists and if God is such a loving God, why do bad things happen- this book is for you. If you're wondering why structured religion seems to miss the mark, this book is for you. If you're seeking something more in your life, this book is for you. If you're an atheist, agnostic, Christian, Jew, or just love good writing, this book is for you.

This is a fiction novel that will rock your world to the core.

Disney

2008-04-23T09:11:00.001-07:00

OK, it's not news to those who know me well, but I'm a Disney fan. I grew up going to Disneyland as a kid, usually just for a day or 2 in the summer. I spent my 21st birthday not at a bar, or in Vegas, but at Disneyland. I got my first Annual Pass when I was living in Torrance, a mere 30 minutes from the Happiest Place on Earth. My children were introduced to Disneyland each before their 1st birthday.

I love helping people plan their trips. I love taking newbies with me to show them how to avoid long lines, and introduce them to the magic of Walt's park. We just returned from a day at Disneyland that promised to be very busy- we met DH's cousin and her sweet daughter there early Sunday morning (I think the only thing that can get me up and moving in the morning is Disney! LOL) and promptly rode many rides without waiting in any line longer than 10 minutes. We even walked on a few!! At the end of the day DH's cousin mentioned she won't ever come here again without me or without a plan in place. She was so surprised at how much we were able to do and how much fun it was. We introduced her DD to pin trading, and she had a blast searching for Minnie Mouse pins on cast lanyards.

My biggest dream was realized when DH took me to Disney World in January for my birthday. Since then, I have planned and plotted in my mind how to get back there again soon!!! Ultimately, I'd love to visit each Disney park around the globe!

So- if you're planning a Disney trip sometime soon, I'm excited for you and would love to hear how it went! I love to share the Disney love!

Books Read in 2008

2008-04-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

A friend (ok, an online acquaintance that I've met twice IRL) recently posted on her myspace blog which books she's read already in 2008. When many others responded with amazement at the number of books she's read so far, I thought in my mind, I think I have her beat.

Soooo... Looking back to see what I've read so far this year... I may not be entirely accurate, but here's a shot:

A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury
A Time to Embrace by Karen Kingsbury
Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury
Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini
Around the World in 80 Dates by Christa Ann Banister
Let them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd
Sisters, Ink by Rebecca Seitz
Sunrise by Karen Kingsbury
You Had Me at Goodbye by Tracey Bateman
Catch a Rising Star by Tracey Bateman
Stori Telling by Tori Spelling
Searching for Spice by Megan DiMaria
Mosaic by Amy Grant
The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears
The 10 Best Decisions a Woman Can Make by Pam Farrell
The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008
Birnbaum's Official Guide to Walt Disney World 2007 and 2008
Priced to Move by Ginny Aiken
The Bunko Babes by Leah Starr Baker

I think that's all. :o)

Bragging!

2008-04-03T17:31:00.000-07:00

So, today I took Kelsie to get her blood drawn as a part of her Kindergarten physical. I didn't do it after the dr visit we had 3 weeks ago since it was already so late in the afternoon and the girls were at meltdown then...

So, I left Bible study a little early today to get her to the lab vefore they closed for lunch. I prepared her, told her what to expect, and prayed for the best. Well, God is GOOD, and so is my brave little girl! We had the BEST nurse/phlebotomist who did her blood draw, she was sooo kind and sweet, and when she brought out the needle, Kelsie didn't even flinch!!!!! Not once did she even utter a tiny sound throught the poke or any part of it! I was sooo proud! Everyone in the office congratulated her in being so brave- everyone told her how she was the ONLY kid who didn't cry when they got their blood taken. She was BEAMING!!!

From my little drama queen; I never would have expected!!!

Oh, and here's a cute picture I took of the girls this week- They're so CUTE!!! Just had to share!

How fast can you type?

2008-03-28T16:48:00.002-07:00

57 words

Speedtest

This was my first try- I'm proud of myself, since I don't know how to type "properly" and never learned!

Raising a strong willed firstborn with a flair for the dramatic

2008-03-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

I think by the time Kelsie is grown, I will be able to write a book, and this will be its title.

Right now, I am sorely lacking in wisdom regarding raising my strong willed firstborn child with a flair for the dramatic, so I'm hoping and praying for more! And along with that wisdom, I need creativity, stamina, strength, and while I'm asking, a thinner waistline!

So, after picking up Kelsie from preschool today and being talked to by both teachers for different reasons, I ended up in tears on the way home. What am I doing wrong, Lord? I can talk till I'm blue in the face, reason, pray and cuddle with her, but it just isn't sinking in! She has been so disrespectful in her attitudes and refusing to listen and obey when I or a teacher asks something of her. Just the expressions on her face scream "FINE! I'll do what you want but I'm letting you know what I really think and I don't like it! MMmpphh!" Does Kelsie seem to care that mommy's disappointed and desires her to want to do what is right and to live a life pleasing to the Lord? No, she just cares that if it keeps up she won't get to play games at Steve's Pizza tonight or jump on the trampoline after nap.

We talked about how her attitudes and disrespect and dishonoring of her parents and teachers causes her to have an ugly heart. And that Jesus gave her a beautiful heart to show love to others and to be kind and compassionate. We know she's a beautiful child of God, and we want other people to know this as well, and for others to see Jesus in her. My prayer is it didn't go in one ear and out the other and some day all this hard work in trying to raise a daughter in God's love and grace will pay off and she will be the beautiful caring woman we know she can be.

But for now- we press on. I've decided this will be her verse for the next week; we will work on learning it and keeping it in our hearts, so when we're tempted to make poor choices, God's Word will help instruct us to do good.

"Do what is right and good in the LORD's sight, so that it may go well with you..." Deuteronomy 6:18

Kelsieisms

2008-03-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

So, on the way home today from the FedEx pickup store, Kelsie announces she wants a horse. Not a stuffed pretend horse, a REAL horse. When I asked her what color is her horse, she tells me it will be pink, with blue polka dots (hmm amazingly similar to her Webkinz pony the Easter Bunny brought her). And it will eat carrots and chocolate and jelly beans.

The rest of the conversation went like this:

Me: What's your pretend horse's name?

K: It's not pretend, mom, it's a real horse.

Me: But Kelsie, we don't have enough money to buy a horse.

K: That's ok mom, I'll trade Mrs. Kelly dog (her stuffed pink dog) for it and I got money from the Easter Bunny I can spend.

Me: Oh. But where will your horse live? We don't have a big backyard for it to gallop around and be free.

K: Mooo-oom, that's ok. It can gallop in Matt's grass! (Matt is our next door neighbor)

So, problem solved!!! I hope Matt doesn't mind a horse in his yard! LOL

Easter pics

2008-03-24T18:54:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics from our various Easter activities- egg hunts with friends, at preschool, and finally, at church at the park and at home in our yard.

Highlights from our trip!

2008-03-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

We made it home safely from a great 5 days in Utah with my best friend Laura and her family. The kids had a great time playing together, and most of the time they all got along really well! I took our Wii system and some games to play with, so we had a lot of fun doing that (especially playing Boogie!).

Here's a few pics (sadly enough there isn't one of Laura and me- I guess I was too busy getting kids' pics until it was too late!!!).

Road Trip!!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm taking the girls on a road trip tomorrow to Utah! They are so excited- they wake up every morning and ask, "are we going to Utah today Mommy??" I find it amusing, since they don't know where or what Utah is! They know we're going to see "Auntie" Laura- whom none of us have seen in over 2 years! Kelsie talks likes she's going to see her long lost best friends, yet can't remember all their names, and last time Kelsie saw them all she was only 2 1/2. (I'm sure by tomorrow she'll remember them all). She knows they're not her real cousins but has decided to call them that anyway :)

I'm so excited as well, it seems every time my best friend Laura and I try to meet up something comes up and it hasn't worked out. So, here's to praying no one gets sick tonight, the van doesn't break down and Hwy 58 doesn't get snow or anything crazy tonight!!

Ugh to ignorant doctors

2008-03-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

OK, I'll try and make this rant brief.

So, we took the girls for checkups today since the one ped we liked is planning on leaving to start his own practice. OK, so I make sure to get my girls in before he leaves, since Kelsie needs a K physical before school.

So, in walks the other doctor in the practice, one I haven't met, and didn't really want to since from the descriptions of other friends, I had a feeling we'd clash on certain issues.

Anyway- we obviously had to discuss why we chose not to immunize our babies, and why I still didn't want them to receive any vaccinations today. Then she proceeds to attempt to scare me by telling me about all her family members who have died or are severely injured from diptheria and polio. Are you kidding me? If you're going to try and scare me into vaccinating, don't you think you'd try and scare me with the threat of a disease actually PRESENT in the United States????????????

OK, I could go on and on, but I won't. Needless to say, I left the visit with a sour taste in my mouth and a little less respect for that practice. (Nevermind the staff person behind the desk whom I overheard berating a parent on the telephone using a tone of voice that DEFINTELY wasn't deserving of a parent calling to determine whether his/her injured son needed to go to Urgent Care vs. the ER!!!!!! Last thing that parent needed was the nurse/secretary/receptionist treating her like dirt while concerned for the well being of their child!)

Playing around with the blog

2008-03-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

I've been avoiding laundry and playing around with my blog today a bit and added a bookshelf showing what I'm currently reading and also some of my favorite music to the blog. Hope you enjoy!

Ahhhhhh

2008-03-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Just had to share this moment with all of you- I'm reading some message boards and participating in some debate here online in the office and David and the girls are in the bathroom- the girls are in the bath and they're all singing Amazing Grace- My Chains are Gone. Nothing sweeter than that!

Support Parental Rights

2008-03-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Recently the media has brought forth the issue in California that it is illegal to homeschool unless the parent is a credentialed teacher.

This isn't just an issue that pertains to homeschooling families, but to all families- the issue at hand is the government slowly taking away parental rights. We as parents whould have the right to choose what's best for our children without the government mandating what that is or stripping us of our rights to parent.

Please see this site, and if you also so choose, go to www.hslda.org to sign the petition to depublish the ruling regarding California's homeschooling laws.

https://www.parentalrights.org/

Thanks :)

Reality Check- musings on grace

2008-03-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

Is your life right now what you thought it would be? Is it ever?

I guess I've been dealing with what my reality is as opposed to what I desire things to be. And I've been disappointed. I know life doesn't always turn out the way you hoped and dreamed, I'm aware of that ;) I'm also aware that it appears that I have so much that many others wish they had. I do count my blessings, and they are plenty. Maybe this is a big pity party- maybe it's just a lesson in reality for Heidi Sipe. But things in my life aren't what I pictured they would be. Was it that my hopes were so far out there that they were unattainable? I don't think so. Maybe it's just that people are fallible human beings reliant on a much bigger God of the Universe for His mercy and grace to change our hearts to be more like Him. And that means work, pain, and surrendering one's self to Him.

Philippians 2:1-11
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

I think this is the problem- and I'm as guilty as the next person. Selfishness gets in our way of truly loving others the way Christ loved us. He commands us to consider others better than ourselves. Even those "others" who hurt us, who we may not feel deserve our love and grace. Because I know I didn't deserve the grace that was given to me on the cross.

I know right now I am feeling the challenge of extending grace where I may not want to. But because I don't deserve Christ's love and grace, yet he freely gives it to me, how much more should I bestow grace and mercy on another?

My life may not look the way I pictured it in my mind, or be what I want it to be right now. I'm sure I've contributed to that in many ways. And the only solution I can find right now is to surrender to God's will and trust He has an amazing plan for me and my family. And allow the Holy Spirit to change my heart and work in me. I can't change anyone else, but I can allow Christ to change me.

Oh, to be in Heaven and walk with my Savior and know His peace so intimately. To feel His unconditional amazing love that never ends.

Ignorance abounds

2008-03-07T17:03:00.001-08:00

I don't really have anything too prolific to say right now, just that I sometimes want to strangle ignorant people. You know, that one person who thinks they know what they're saying but in all reality is completely illogical and the more you point out their untruths or holes in their logic, the more they go to defend their idiocy, and therefore go on to looking even mor elost and bewildered than before. But THEY'RE RIGHT and you have no idea what you're talking about! I especially have a special place in my heart for those ignorant people who feel they have to belittle, scorn, and criticize people who make different life choices than they do and stand firm in those decisions with knowledge and peace.

I KNOW that usually these are the people who feel so insecure about their own choices in life that in order to feel ok with themselves, they have to tear down other people, which in effect only causes people like me to be even more firm and secure in my choices.

I've been attacked the last few weeks on so many levels, and I'm choosing to trust in TRUTH. Areas of attack have mainly been in my faith and my family's choice not to vaccinate. Both areas of my life where I am very passionate and have no wavering on. At times before, you'd usually see me sitting on the sidelines in such a debate, but not lately. Of course, it's a whole lot easier to do behind a computer screen ;)

Anyway- to those naysayers out there, I say only one thing: Bring it On!

Gratitude Journal

2008-03-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

I decided today that I need to focus on the blessings in my life, so I'm starting a Gratitude Journal. I invite my friends out there to do the same, and to hold me accountable to find the blessings in my life and not focusing on the negatives.

So... today I am grateful for:

My husband who works so diligently so that I can be a SAHM

My kids, who, though they can drive me crazy at times, truly are blessings from the Lord

Our family's health. We have escaped the flu bug this season (knock on wood) and it's been over a year since either girl has been sick with anything other than a minor minor cold.

My friends who encourage me and lift me up in prayer when I need it.

Mom's Night Out tomorrow!! Whoo hoo! Luigi's for dinner, talking with my friends, and NO KIDS! ;)

The sunshine and warm Spring-like weather.

What are you grateful for today?

Tag!!

2008-03-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

"In the last few days, two men have offered me keys to their homes, and more importantly, access to their plasma widescreens. My pandering to their sense of chivalry has, apparently, worked flawlessly.

Rover darts off, then growls."

Taken from page 123 of Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini

I tag Lynette, Sadie, Kelly, Nea, Laura

Sigh....

2008-03-03T16:25:00.001-08:00

Parenting is hard. Those of you who are parents, know this! I've always known this, but today just seemed harder than other days.

An hour into the girls' preschool, I got a call on my cell phone from Kelsie's teacher. At first I thought she was sick, but as I listened to the message (I missed the call), she was telling me that after numerous warnings, Kelsie could not keep her hands to herself.

So, I got in the van and headed back to preschool and went to her class. We had a talk, and she has no idea why she decided to hit her friends. I asked if they did something, said something, etc, and she said no. So, after having another discussion of why God gave us hands and what He wants us to use them for, I followed her class out to recess. During that time I had 2 little girls (one of whom Kelsie had hit earlier) tattle on someone else in the class 5 times! In 5 minutes!

Now, I KNOW Kelsie isn't perfect, but in our house, tattling just to tattle isn't tolerated. So, now I'm thinking maybe other kids have said and done something, but Kelsie just isn't tattling? In discussing the issue with her teacher, we both came to the conclusion that she likes her personal space and isn't too happy when it's invaded by others, and not knowing how to handle it, she hits or pushes them out of her way. We don't know. She gets her feelings hurt easily, and maybe she just bottles it up and then explodes?

Anyway- she lost her TV priviledge for this afternoon and hopefully we can get to the root of this issue soon.

Pray for us :)

This can't be happening....

2008-02-29T14:16:00.001-08:00

So, the time has come to start considering KINDERGARTEN. No, really, it can't be, because wasn't my baby just a nursling?

We went to Kindergarten Open House last night for the Christian school we are considering. Aspects we love are the caring Christian environment, Biblically based curriculum, SMALL class sizes, not heavy on testing ;) Of course, the tuition is something to be considered!

My heart is torn. Part of me feels I should homeschool. I don't know if it's guilt or internal pressure not from God, or if it's the Holy Spirit's prompting. Maybe it's because I'm not quite ready to let her go. I mean, preschool is one thing, but this is big kid school we're talking about! With her and my personalities, I fear it would be a daily struggle to accomplish anything and I'm not sure I am the person who can motivate her to be her best. David agrees- we are all a much happier family when I get time away from the girls when they're at school. I'm musch more patient and my time spent with them is quality time. She thrives at preschool, but part of me longs to keep her home, maybe just to convince myself she's not big enough for school yet! She's my baby!!!!

I understand most people don't struggle with this decision- it's just a matter of proving where you live and sending them off to the local public school. For us, we've ruled out that option (though selfishly, it'd be nice to open the door in my PJs and watch her walk the 1/2 block to school). With the way the schools are these days and the NCLB Act that dictates so much of student learning and achievment and teaching to tests, along with the many budget cuts our schools in CA will now be seeing, it isn't an environment we want our children to be learning in.

So, stay tuned and pray for our family as we seek God's will for us in this matter. And come August 18, 2008, we'll have a kindergartener in our home!!

Chick-Fil-A is coming!!!!!

2008-02-27T15:50:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chick-fil-A restaurant coming to Bakersfield
By JOHN COX, Californian staff writer
e-mail: jcox@bakersfield.com | Monday, Feb 25 2008 2:23 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Feb 25 2008 6:40 PM

Atlanta-based fast-food chain Chick-fil-A confirmed Monday that it hopes to open in Bakersfield by year’s end in a new building next to a former Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shop.

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No lease has been signed, but a company spokeswoman said the restaurant would occupy a space at the northeast corner of California Avenue and Stockdale Highway between October and January.

If the deal comes through it could be the first Chick-fil-A in Bakersfield since the 1980s, when one existed for two or three years inside Valley Plaza at the space now occupied by the bebe clothing store, a mall official said.

Chick-fil-A’s chicken breast sandwiches are popular across the South but are relatively scarce in California, where it has only about 16 stores. With 1,365 locations nationwide, the 41-year-old company opened its first stand-alone restaurant in the Los Angeles area two years ago, spokeswoman Brenda Green said. The chain has existed in Southern California food courts for years before that.

“Our growth strategy is not to enter the market fast, but we enter the market slow,” she said, adding that this year the company intends to open 73 standard locations, 5 upscale restaurants and 10 to 15 food court-type stands.

Bakersfield is an emerging market for Chick-fil-A, Green said. The company is planning to “build out” here and in Fresno.

“We think it’s just a great economic growth area with huge potential for Chick-fil-A,” she said.

Bakersfield resident David Pauling was delighted with the news.

“It’s a fantastic product,” he said.

The restaurant would have a drive-through lane as well as an interior seating area, said Tim Siegel, a principal with LS Realty, the Sherman Oaks company that owns the property.

Siegel said the chain is negotiating for its own building just east of the former Krispy Kreme building at the intersection.

“They would like to be open in November, I think, if they had their druthers,” he said.

Disney World resumed- Day 5 Animal Kingdom and Pleasure Island

2008-02-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

Day 5 found us waking up early to get to Disney's Animal Kingdom. We made it to the front of the rope drop area due to a "secret entance" (Thanks TourGuideMike!) and waited during the opening ceremonie. Our mission- Expedition Everest.

Here's some pictures of us by Rainforest Cafe, the Opening Ceremonies Parade and the first glimpse at the Tree of Life

Once the rope dropped we high tailed it to Expedition Everest, grabbed a fast pass for later, jumped in line and made it on the first train of the day! This is a high speed roller coaster with the premise that you are on a trek through Mt Everest, searching for the Yeti- who has incidentally torn up some of the train tracks you are on. Many people love this ride. I DID NOT!!! I had my head buried in David's shoulder the entire time praying for it to end NOW. It was way too intense for me, and when I finally touched ground it took me a good 10 minutes to get my bearings back. David rode it again later in the day while I wandered through shops.

After Everest we hit DinoLand to ride Dinosaur. This ride vehicle is like Indiana Jones, but the ride is much scarier with the Dinosaurs coming right at you. After this, we decided we were done with thrill rides for awhile! So we went on a safari!!!

We then got in line to get seats to see Finding Nemo: the Musical. This show was AMAZING! We showed a lot of the video to the girls and they loved it!

After Nemo we ate lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. Sorry, no pics, but it was yummy! :)

David then rode Kali River Rapids while I waited to take his picture :)

The rest of the afternoon was us touring the walk trhough area of Majarajah Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest, and the area around the Tree of Life. Here's some shots of a few animals we encountered:

And here are some beautiful pictures of the Tree of Life- see if you can identify the animal carvings :)

We then went to Camp Minnie Mickey to see the Festival of the Lion King- which turned out to be more than worth the price of admission- David and I absolutely loved the high energy stage show, the music, the acrobatics, EVERYTHING.

After the show, we left Animal Kingdom (after David got in one more ride on Everest) and went back to the resort to freshen up and change for our night at Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. We had dinner ressies at Planet Hollywood, and planned to shop a little and check out the comedy clubs. While we were both rather excited for this, it turned out to be not the greatest- dinner was so-so and one of the clubs- Adventurer's Club, was a total bust. I was really disappointed since many people had recommended it highly. We did go to the Comedy Wherehouse, where we were treated to a great Improv show which was pretty good- I snapped this "hidden Mickey" inside the club:

This ended our 5th day at Disney World :) Tomorrow- Magic Kingdom (with hopefully better weather!)

Happy Birthday Kelsie!!!

2008-02-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

Taking a break in between Disney World trip report to reminisce on Kelsie's birth day.

5 years ago I was awaiting the birth of our first child- after 30 long hours of labor, with the assistance of David, my mom and best friend Laura helping me through each contraction, Kelsie Nicole Sipe was born at 9:50 pm on February 12, 2003. She weighed 6 lbs 6 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long and looked just like a china porcelain doll! She was perfect!

I can't believe my baby is 5 years old already- where has the time gone??? Very soon she'll be in kindergarten!!!

Kelsie as a baby- 8 months and 10 months

Kelsie 1 year old

Kelsie 17 months old

Kelsie 2 years

Kelsie 3 years old with Cinderella

Kelsie 4 years old

Kelsie November 2007

Kelsie celebrating her birthday at Disneyland

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELSIE!!!!!!!!!

Day 4 and...wait for it... Le Cellier... Mmmmmmm

2008-02-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

Our fourth day, Monday, was our midpoint for our trip. We slept in this morning (the first and pretty much only morning we slept in- I woke up at 7:30 instead of 6:30!) and took it slower as we got ready for the day. Our plan was to go to DownTown Disney to shop for a bit, and then off to Epcot for World Showcase that evening for our most anticipated meal at Le Cellier. (We made reservations here 184 days prior!!- as soon as we could!)

We woke up to beautiful weather- clear skies, and a little bit warmer (still wearing a hoodie over tshirt, but a vast improvement over Sunday!) Here was theview from our room that morning-

We shopped aorund for some things for the girls, and ended up buying a Limited Edition Thomas Kincade painting on canvas of Cinderella castle. It's beautiful! It's waiting to be framed and hung over our fireplace soon- its propped up there now, so if you're over anytime, you'll see it!!

Here's a picture of David outside one of the shops at DTD

We stopped by a Disney Vacation Club booth (DVC) and spoke with a young man a little bit about it, and ended up taking a tour and doing an Open House to learn more about the program and how it works. The models were of the newest DVC resort at Animal Kingdom Lodge- they are BEAUTIFUL. I especially loved the whirlpool tub and large shower, King beds and flat screen TVs in all one bedroom units.

After our DVC Open House a driver took us right to Epcot, where we hit World Showcase to see the Chinese Acrobats and The World Showcase Players in UK.
Chinese Acrobats:

Then came the highlight of our trip- dinner at LeCellier. Now, when you take advice from numerous sources on message boards, and listen to the hype about a certain place, you certainly hope walking in that it lives up to it's hype. Well- there is a good reason that LeCellier is rated the #3 best restaurant on property by WDW guests (#1&2 being Victoria and Albert's and Califoria Grill, respectively). It is WORTH the hype and booking 6 months in advance!!!!!!!!!

We both had filet mignon- David's was the mushroom filet, mine the Maple BBQ with cream cheese mashed potatoes. I also had the cheddar cheese soup as an appetizer and it was the best soup I ever tasted! (Sorry- I ate it too fast and didn't get a pic!) Dessert for me was chocolate "moose" and David had mandarin sorbet which both were outstanding. I'm ready to book another trip and will eat here EVERY NIGHT!!!!

Here's a few shots from our tour around World Showcase this afternoon and evening

After dinner we rode Maelstrom before park closing and then headed back to Port Orleans to rest up for our big day at Disney's Animal Kingdom tomorrow!

Day 3 at WDW- Disney's Hollywood Studios

2008-02-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

Day 3 was spent at newly re-named Disney's Hollywood Studios-formerly Disney's MGM Studios. It was COLD!!!! this day- colder in FL than it was at home in CA. I think the high might have hit the low 50's, maybe around 2pm. Some of our souvenir money was used to buy me a jacket and 2 blankets to keep us warm while we waited for Fantasmic that evening.

Also- note- there are practically no pictures of either of us from this park- either from our camera or on our PhotoPass- I think we were so busy running around trying to see everything, and trying to stay warm, that we didn't get any.

Anyway- onto the good stuff!

We made rope drop at Studios, which was a MUST for David to get on Rockin' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. Once the preshow and countdown was done, we high tailed it over to RnRC- where he got a fastpass and jumped in line right away, and I used my ticket to get him a fastpass for ToT. Here is where we saw the MLK weekend crowds, as it was Sunday of the holiday weekend, and certainly more crowded than we'd seen anywhere else. Our strategies worked, David was able to ride RnRC, ToT and then Star Tours within the first hour.

Here are some pictures of the rides I didn't ride ;) FWIW, David said his favorite ride in all the parks was ROckin Roller COaster :)

We then rode the Great Movie Ride (yawn- except for the Wizard of Oz part), and ran over to catch Beauty and the Beast stage show. This is the show that launched it into Broadway, and it was a great show and was able to get the gist of the story line in 20 minutes.

We then had lunch at Toy Story's Pizza Planet, upon recommendation of friends who had been to WDW just a few weeks prior- it was close to the best counter service we had all week, and the decor was cute, too!

We then rode the Backlot Tram which toured the working lots, and showcased some items along the way.

The "Earful" Tower- seen here without any park logo, having just removed the MGM logo and painted white in preparation of the new logo.

Also seen on the tram tour were Herbie the lovebug- in 2 parts (used in the Lights, Motor, Action stunt show), Walt Disney's private jet which he used to tour over the FL land when deciding to build a second park, and Catastrophe Canyon.

After the tram, we ran over to see Indiana Jones Stunt show (sorry, no pics!), and then David went to ride RnRC again while I walked around and took pictures, and explored the park. Here's a few pics I took:

We then saw the Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show- I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted to, I was too cold, and into what was happening!

We then went to dinner 30 minutes early to get warm! Lucky for us, they seated us right away. Neither of us were overly impressed with Mama Melrose's, but it was warm, the atmosphere was nice, and the food was ok. The service left something to be desired. Anyway- we both had chicken parmesan, which I've had better at Olive Garden.

After dinner we went and bought blankets to keep us warm while we waited for Fantasmic! Now, while we've seen the Disneyland version a few times in its entirety, I was looking forward to seeing this one- especially because we didn't have to sit on the ground to see! The premise was the same, but the show had different elements. I missed seeing Peter Pan and his pals on the sailing ship Columbia like at Disneyland, but overall, I loved the show. Makes me want to see it again at Disneyland just to compare.

We left the park after Fantasmic (it was closed anyway!) and went back to the room and warmed up and crashed after such a long day. Next morning we get to sleep in!

Hidden Mickeys

2008-02-01T17:25:00.001-08:00

OK, don't have time to write up all of Day 3 right now, so how about some hidden Mickeys?

In France at the base of a tree:

In Morocco:

In Journey To Imagination with Figment:

In the queue for the Backlot Tram at Disney's Hollywood Studios:

On a book in the library in France:

On a mural in the Maharajah Jungle Trek in Animal Kingdom:

On a wall in China:

Some not so "hidden" but fun nonetheless:

We saw a lot more, and had fun searching for them high and low- many we couldn't photograph, as they were in a ride. Next trip I want to find a lot more!

Day #2, part 2

2008-02-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

OK, last we left off, the skies were ominous...

After we had a rest back in our room for a little while, we went back to the Magic Kingdom. On our agenda for the evening, hit a few rides, and stake out a spot to watch SpectroMagic Parade and Wishes (fireworks).

We arrived in the Magic Kingdom, taking in a few sights along the way- after a few pictures by the castle, we went to eat dinner at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. We had the standard burger and fries (sorry, no pics of that!)

After dinner, we went on Tomorrowland Transit Authority (People Mover- oh, how I miss this at Disneyland!!!), and checked out the Carousel of Progress. When we exited CoP, we saw it had rained a bit while inside. We started walking to where we were planning to sit for the parade when we thought, hmm, maybe we should step aside and put our ponchos on, just in case. A VERY good thing we did, because no more than 2 minutes later, it started POURING RAIN! And not just little drops like in CA, but buckets of big drops of rain. At one point we were walking to who knows where, we got blasted with a sheet of rain with the wind, which prompted us to cram under an awning near Main Street, watching all the people soaked scrambling for shelter. We were trying to see how long it would last, so we walked down Main Street a bit, in and out of stores. We came across two sweet little mice name Suzy and Perla (from Cinderella) and I had to stop and take a picture for Kelsie as that's her favorite movie.

We then hung out awhile undercover at the train station watching the castle change colors, the lighting in the distance and the mass of people on Main Street running through the rain, deciding whether to wait it out till the fireworks should start at 8pm. The 2 scheduled parades that night were out for the count, so I was sad, since that was one of the must sees for me. Oh well, what could you do? At 8:15, we decided to hop on the monorail and check out the Polynesioan Resort. As we got off the monorail and walked into the Main lobby, we saw the fireworks going off. Oops! We jumped back on the monorail and went back to Magic Kingdom, where by now the rain had pretty much stopped, and most people had left the park. It was open late that night, so we decided to make the most of it, riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates (better at home!), Tiki Room (IMO, Walt Disney was rolling over in his grave at this "updated" version of the classic which is at Disneyland). By this time I was getting sleepy, so we headedback to the resort to get dry and to rest for a long day tomorrow at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Pictures of the castle at night: First is from Train Station, and in the downpouring of rain, second is after rain has stopped

Trip report, Day #2

2008-02-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

Day 2 found us waking up very early in order to make rope drop at Epcot to ride the big ticket rides in Future World. Thank goodness for refillable mugs and coffee/hot chocolate in the morning! We had groceries delivered so we saved time and money by eating in our room each morning.

We arrived at Epcot's turnstyles at 8:20- and this is when David first started wondering if my planning had gone a little too far LOL The turnstyles open at 8:45, and then you are led (or run!) to a point in the park where Cast Members (CMs) wait at a rope, thus "rope drop." At 9am (park opening) Mickey, Minnie, and their pals came out and a family chosen to open the park for the morning came out in a Test Track car (google it- or look up the ride in YouTube, it was our favorite ride!). After the countdown, the CM's walk you behind a rope to various attractions. Most people head to ride Soarin' But, since we frequent Disneyland Resort, where Soarin originated at California Adventure, and I won't ride it any more after my first attempt scared the bejeebies out of me (I could NOT convince myself I wasn't flying in the air- it's THAT realistic!), we headed for Test Track. We were on the second car of the morning! Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was nervous, praying my breakfast would stay in my tummy and vertigo would not ruin the rest of my day. It did NOT! I LOVED IT!!! We rode it twice that morning, once again later with a Fastpass. After Test Track, David braved Mission:Space- the orange side (this would be the version that causes something like 3 or 4 gs force on you and has caused death in certain individuals (with preexisting conditions). He liked it, but wasn't blown away by it. He obviously has a stronger stomach than many!! After this, we walked around Future World for a little bit, got David a Fast Pass for Soarin for later, saw the Circle of Life movie, rode Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment again, met Figment :),

THEN tried some sodas from around the World (and thanks to DISboards and TourGuide Mike I knew NOT tro try "Beverly" from Italy- David did, and here's his reaction:

Here's a few pictures of our morning in Future World at Epcot on January 19:

We then headed over through World Showcase once it opened at 11 through Canada, UK, and France, ultimately to our lunch reservation at Chefs de France. I had fun being able to practice my French, and the CMs in the shop seemed to appreciate my effort. Our waiter, Gregoire, at Chefs de France enjoyed speaking French with me- well, I comprehended WAY more than I could speak, it's been years ya know!! I was surprised at the fact I understood everything he said, and was able to order my meal and dessert in French :)

Me in Canada:

David in a telephone booth in UK (yes, it was a real working pay phone!! They do still exist!!)

Lunch!!

This was the BEST dessert EVER!!! Mmmmm

After lunch, on our way out of the park we were able to ride Spaceship Earth (the big golf ball LOL). I was bummed initially planning our trip because this has been under refurbishment and wasn't scheduled to open until February, so when they had soft openings running, I was glad to ride!! I don't know what's changed, since I'd never been on it before, but it was a neat experience for us!

We then left to head back for a rest in our room since we knew we had a late night planned at Magic Kingdom that night. Little did we know my well planned plans were about to be foiled by a massive thunderstorm and tornado watch...

More later on our evening!

Our Trip, Part #1

2008-02-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

I'm going to do this in stages, so you'll all have to be patient (all, like 4 of you who are reading this! LOL).

We left on Thursday night, Jan 17 on a red eye from L.A. The flight went well, and we arrived in Orlando at 6:30am EST (3:30 am at home!) We hopped on Magical Express (a free service providing rides to and from the airport for those staying on WDW property) and had the whole bus to ourselves (What, you mean most people don't arrive before dawn???).

My first sight was the entrance sign to the WDW property... see, it was still dark!

We checked into Port Orleans French Quarter smoothly and changed our clothes and freshened up in the bathroom. Left our bags with Bell Services and after a quick bite to eat at the Food Court, we headed out to the Magic Kingdom!! We made it for rope drop, and saw the neat little welcome show welcoming everyone to the Magic Kingdom for the day- we headed straight for Space Mountain (and yes, I rode it!!!). We then rode Buzz Light Year (better at home) and then went to Adventure Land and rode Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride, over to Peter Pan's Flight, and Mickey's Philharmagic (an AMAZING 3-D movie). Then it was time to have breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and Friends.

After breakfast, we still had time before our room was ready, so we explored the Magic Kingdom some more and rode Haunted Mansion, The Railroad, and David checked out Stitch! Alien Encounter and we kinda just took in the sights (by now we were fading fast!) When we got the number to our room, we headed back to our resort, found our checked bags waiting for us, and we settled in for a nap!!

After a quick nap and shower, we went to Epcot for my birthday dinner at Coral Reef. This was amazing! We sat next to a giant aquarium and watched the sea life swim, and divers exploring the reef while eating a yummy dinner- I had NY Strip Steak, David had crab legs. And right before our desserts came out, a diver came up to the window with a sign saying "Happy 32nd Birthday, Heidi" and blew me a kiss while our waiter had people around us sing happy birthday. Don't have a picture, but David has it on viedo, so if you're ever over, I'm sure he'll want to show you all the video he took!

After our yummy dinner, we had Extra Magic Hours at Epcot, and we took advantage of it! We were lucky there wer eno lines for most of the rides (except the E-ticket rides, which we planned to do the next morning anyway)- we rode Journey Into Your Imagination, Living with the Land, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and walked around enjoying the atmosphere- we went over to World Showcase to watch Illuminations, the fireworks show on the lagoon, and were a little disappointed by the show. It was nice, but I guess we'd built it up to be more. This was the end to our first day at Walt Disney World! Time to head back for bed!

Pictures of Magic Kingdom and Epcot first day

The Sipes take on the World!

2008-01-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

So, I can't believe this is actually happening! The day is here! Months ago the thought of me finally getting to go to Disney World was just that- a thought. A glimmer of hope that SOMEDAY I would make it to see the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

And now, that day is here. Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!

It's so surreal still to me and I won't likely believe it until I step foot tomorrow morning into the Magic Kingdom.

The girls are excited to spend time with their grandmas, and I think they're both at the age where they'll be just fine without me for a week! I sure hope so, cause they have no choice now!! :)

I just have to say, my husband is so amazing to me. He knows how Disney fixated I am, and that I've always wanted to see the Florida parks, and here he is, making this happen for me. He's almost as excited as I am ;)

So, tomorrow morning I will be walking through the Magic Kingdom, taking in Cinderella's Castle, and enjoying breakfast with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore, and my best friend, my husband. What better way to celebrate turning 32??

I'llb e sure to return with many pictures and memories to share!!

More Christmas

2008-01-03T14:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007

2008-01-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

PMS in a handbasket

2007-12-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

I'm in a funk right now, and I know it's hormones, but I just want to crawl into bed and lay in the fetal position and feel sorry for myself... Don't you just hate that feeling, gals? And my poor husband doesn't understand- he said tonight- you don't have to feel this way, it's a choice...

Hmmm.... I don't choose to do this every 28-35 days!!! ;)

Guess I should bring my Bible along and remind myself of all the true blessings in my life :)

I promise to get Christmas pictures up soon, I haven't even taken them off my camera yet! I've been busy planning and getting ready for our Disney World trip! My next project, once I get going, that is, is to iron on Disney images onto tshirts for us :) I'm SOOO creatively challenged, so I will be so happy if I get that accomplished!

4 weeks!!

2007-12-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

COuntdown to Disney World!

In just four short weeks on my 32nd birthday, David and I will be in the WORLD!!! Happy birthday to me!!

Happy Anniversary!

2007-12-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

Today is our 6th wedding anniversary. David has been in Pismo since yesterday morning, but should arrive home this afternoon, and after a birthday party the kids have to go to (and I as well), we secured a babysitter from another small group at church and we will get to have a night out! Hope I can stay up late- the girls woke me up at 6am, and I didn't get to sleep until 1:30 this morning!

This is us on our wedding day: