The Maurer Update

"When I Dead..."

2009-03-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

Creed: "When Judah dead, I gonna keep dat new caw (car) he got. Den I membo when he was 5. When I dead you not gonna be sad mom. We all gonna be togedo in heaven. "

I love this. This makes me feel hopeful just hearing him remind me of this. Yes. Even when we say good bye to people on earth, we have hope because we will meet again. Humorous and hopeful. I love these young minds. They keep me laughing and enjoying life....everyday.

Okay. Sorry. I will do better.

2009-02-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

So obviously I am into Facebook and not so good with my blog. I will try to get into this again....I loved it when I did it.....Here is a pic of us and I will try to jump on and share some stories soon....Victoria, this is because of your comment on Sunday! ha!

A Mother's DAy Moment

2008-06-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Our Baby.....

2008-05-08T09:14:00.001-07:00

So....I am having our third baby and we have found out we are having a GIRL! We are so excited. I got the ultrasound done early, so we are hoping they did not misjudge the gender. I go in today for another ultrasound...hopefully, we will receive confirmation that we are indeed having a girl! This is our last baby (planned, anyway) and it just seems so perfect to have a girl! Jon is equally excited and we have started our journey of name choosing....as most of you know it won't be a "most popular" name and we will probably keep it secret to spare ourselves from all the opinions out there! :>) Once you meet our babies, their names just fit them perfectly.....we are confident that we will find one that is just right for this one too!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Finally....an update!

2008-03-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

So, my blog is called Maurer Update, but it is far from it! Sorry friends!
Let's see....the latest on everyone.....

Creed turned 3 on March 9th. The years really are disappearing! He is a determined fella and the jokester of the family...here is a pic of when he was little and one that is more recent - (christmas)!

Judah turns 5 this next week on april 1st! I have a kindergartner! WHAT?????? He is a dleight. He is so stinkin inquisitive and smart. He challenges me! He has been in pre-school and knows all his letters and sounds, how to write them, he can count past and write up to 100. He knows about 20 shapes (most of which I have no idea the names for!) He has the solar system down and can recite the Pledge of Alligence! Not to mention days of the week, months of the year, the continents and on and on! I am bragging, I know, but really it is only because I cannot believe he knows all this stuff and he is still 4! Here are pictures of how he has changed in the past 5 years too!

I am doing well. I am pregnant with our 3rd baby and feeling tired and a bit nauseas! I am exctied for our new addition and in the meantime, trying to figure out how to fit us into our little 500 Sq. Ft. (or less) Mod. It will be an adventure and a great reason to de-junk our house again. My friend, Elizabeth, is giving me piano lessons and I am enjoying all my friends.....church planting is starting out well and we are doing a lot of prep work for that too!

Jon is doing a great job wearing a million hats! He enjoys his job at APU as a resident director and he is also very energized by the beginnings of the church plant! He is helping a lot at home, getting us organized enough to fit 5 in here and he loves rough housing with our little guys! Legos have been a hit and he just pulled out the little ones from when he was small. The boys play for HOURS.....nice for me. :>)

As far as our church plant details, here are a few! We are planting in Pasadena, CA. We have 20-30 people interested in our core team......we have 4 quality interns, we have several sending churches on board! God has been extremely generous in His provision so far and we are just feeling more passionate about what is in store this year......please pray for people, a building and finances! These are general prayer requests, but they cover A LOT of details! We will try to keep you posted better than we have in the past two years!

Happy New Year! A Week Late!

2008-01-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone who still looks at my blog!!!! I know I am incredibly lazy with it these days......

We went to my family's house this year....all my siblings were home

New Glasses

2007-11-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Blurry....he is 4. He would not cooperate very well. He looks so cute and is very excited about his glasses.....you will see more over the next, well, 10 years....:>)

Judah's Glasses

2007-10-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

Yes. Judah will be getting his first glasses next week. I noticed that his left eye was crossing a little and took him to see the eye doctor. She tested him and we found out that he farsighted. In children this means that they can see far and near but need to focus hard to see anything....that is why there is an eye that turns inward. Because the eyes then see double, their little brain shuts the eyesight off in the "bad" (crossed) eye and the vision deteriorates!

SO......now he needs to wear glasses from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed....everything in between too including baths! Surprisingly, I am not too stressed about this. His doctor was fantastic! She was so good at explaining everything and worked with him like a pro! He really enjoyed playing eye "games" with her! There is a chance he can grow out of this eye disorder by the time he is a teenager. Please pray that this will happen!

Until we get the call that the glasses are in, I am enjoying his sweet little round face and snapping pictures like crazy.....he will have plenty with glasses on! The doctor said because the glasses will correct his vision so much, his eyes will cross extrememly bad if he takes them off because they will over compensate from seeing so well with them on and work hard to focus and acheive the same thing without them. Therefore, pictures will be taken with glasses on as will everything else!

Judah is excited about glasses. We went together as a family to help him decide which kind to get. After Jon and I picked out some practical frames (plastic that won't break as easily, no nose pad thingys, good shapes on his face) we narrowed it down to about 7 pair. He picked some black converse rectangular glasses. Trust me, he is cool and adorable! I will take pictures and post them soon! In the meantime......here is some I took this week.

It's been a while....

2007-10-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Again! I lose track of hours, days and then weeks!

We have been battling a cold for a while. But besides that, I helped lead worship at our women;s retreat which was a lot of fun for me. God sort of renewed me that weekend and I am finding times of QUICK solitude here and there. For some reason I have been exhausted. I fell asleep at 8:30 pm 2x this week. I guess all the short nights have caught up to me.

Pray for Judah. His left eye is slightly lazy. It turns in a bit especially when he is tired. He see's an optometrist in a couple of weeks (did I get that title right?) Anyway, I found out that Jon's sister and father had the same thing. They had a lot of problems with their vision and ended up with years of glasses. Judah is excited about them for now. He will look adorable. I will post some if he ends up with them. I will post one of me when I was small too. It is hilarious.

Good night!

Being Selfless....

2007-09-14T11:24:00.003-07:00

The other night, I climbed into Judah's top bunk and decided he needed a little mommy quality time. I stayed there until he fell asleep. It has been a long time since I had done that. We had really good conversation. He informed me he loved me more than the planet earth, and all the planets, in fact. All the way up to heaven as well. Then he paused and said, "Mommy....I even love you more than me." Talk about a show stopper. I was speechless for a minute that a 4 year old could grasp the concept of how much they love themsleves and then place someone else above that! What a lesson for me! I love my children deeply, but it was a good reminder to put others before myself. Thanks Judah.

My Boys....

2007-09-14T11:12:00.001-07:00

Here they are! About to walk to McDOnalds with Grandma Loie for a morning of Yogurt Parfait and playing! Fun. Judah is almost 4.5 and Creed is 2.5. 7am. I got to go back to bed! Thanks Loie!

Joy

2007-09-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

Perhaps, tonight (bedtime) was the best part of the day as I snuggled with Judah and we chatted about the day. He talked and talked and we discussed what fun things he looked forward to tomorrow. He told me the what "the greatest kind of love is" the answer was "loving our parents and our family". We talked about how Jesus is with God, and is God and how he sent his Holy Spirit to be with us and use us in His power--like healing the sick and praying for those who are sad. It was a lot of subjects to fit into a 30 minute snuggle....one of the best ones yet. He is so beautiful and smart. I can't wait to watch him grow into himself and what great things he will accomplish.

It think this picture is funny....he was just smiling because he was told and was not even looking at the camera!

Judah's First Day of School!

2007-09-04T17:13:00.001-07:00

Today was a milestone in the Maurer house. Judah went to Pre-school this afternoon.

He had a good day. He couldn't remember his new friends name, but we will catch it tomorrow!

He did come home and say that he thought his teachers were "a little bit un-kind". That saddens a mothers heart. If that is the first thing he can think of to tell me, I guess I will already be having a chat with his teachers! Judah does really good in a classroom setting, so he must have felt pretty bad to tell me. He also said "I think they like me a little." Poor guy.....hopefully tomorrow will be really "kind". He is excited to go back, so that is good!

Oh....I had locked my keys in my car today and Jon was gone without his cell phone....I had to borrow a friends car to pick up my child on his first day! Only me!

Histerical

2007-08-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen the show "Just for Laughs" I cannot begin to tell you the hilarious tricks they play on people. A big box marked "zoo" with a picture of a gorilla on it. THey ask people on the street to sit on it for a minute and the box starts moving and the top starts popping up....people freak out! It is SO funny. Sorry. Had to be here rolling with me. Oh how I love 8pm T.V.

Motherhood!

2007-08-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we have had a good week. Although there were a few things that are noteworthy.

Judah decided he would cut a circle hole in the couch. When I saw it my mouth dropped. The proud mom part of me thought "Yeah! He can cut a circle!" And the other part was like "Are you kidding me??????? Who taught him to cut a circle!?!?!?!" He was punished. He felt terrible. I asked him why he did it and he said, "I couldn't find paper anywhere, Mom!" Nice one. At least it is in a very hidable spot. I will post a picture when I charge my camera battery.

Creed asked me to sing "Tinkle Tinkle" before bed. (Twinkle Little Star) I love their little languages. He also did the funniest thing. I told him goodnight and told him I loved him all the way up to the moon and stars. He usually replies the same, but this time he responded,
"I love me-self all the way up to the moon staws and sun!" What a ham.

Jon is at the beach today with his R.A.'s. We were not allowed to go because they dont' want Jon to be distracted by us...I am fine with it, but it would have been fun. My friend Pamela came over and we tried thinking of something fun to do with the kids. Finally after wasting way too much time it was almost lunch. So we filled the sand table with water and soap and calle dit even. They had fun. I made macaroni and cheese while they watched Barney. Okay, I know. I was one of those youngins who swore I would never let my kids watch that retarded Purple Dinosour! Now I realize how niave I was! He sings nice and kind songs and teaches really good principles compared to many of the shows out there.

My Little Gift

2007-08-17T12:09:00.000-07:00

Creed picked me a flower...

Jon is Home!

2007-08-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

What a good feeling to have him home. We went and met him on west campus as they unloaded and then ate pizza for the first time in 11 days. It was fun. Jon came home with us after and we just hung out. He put his nasty clothes in the laundry (knowing that I would take way too many days!) and we were just a little family. The boys were beside themselves....all the high pitched "Daddy! Daddy!" 's in the house were refreshing. The whining "moooom" sound was gone. Relief. We went to dinner with his team. The students were really fun and we had a good time. Then we headed for ice cream, but the boys fell asleep on the way. I was a little bummed because I had in my mind what a relaxing evening at home would be as a family....but that was my expectation....I got over it quickly as I met all the girls and guys. They were so friendly. We had several offers for babysitting (and you all know I took them up on it!). It was a really good time. We ate a Max's Mexican Restaurant in Azusa. Yummy little hole in the wall.

Today, Jon's brother Paul comes over and we will have him in town until Tuesday. He is a barrel of fun. Unfortunatley Jon has to speak at church this week which he was unaware of. It was also assumed by another church that he would speak! So he was suppose dto be in two places on Sinday morning (popular guy, my man). So, he had to take his day off today and go into church and create a sermon. So here I am today without him. But maybe if we all pray he will be done by dinner!

Tomorrow students begin arriving and so he is on duty all day and then Sunday he is also on duty after church. Then Monday rolls around to office hours and more welcoming. It will be exciting to meet all of our students. I am looking forward to it.

More later...

A Bit of Good Advice

2007-08-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
6. Be generous.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those you love.
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

Tell It LIke It Is!

2007-08-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Judah informed me out loud infront of my bother in law that, "Mom! You have fur growin gunder there!" (My armpit hair had gotten a little long...) I quicly laughed and hushed him and then told him that moms have hair in their armpits just like dads, only we shave it when we actually find time for a shower! It had been 2 days. Needless to say, I quickly found time to shower. Problem solved.

Total Hit!

2007-08-15T13:47:00.001-07:00

For all my mom and dad friends out there, I decided to try somehting new today. I have heart and star shaped ice cube trays (from IKea, but you can get them in the dollar section at Target right now) and I filled them with Vanilla Yogurt. After Naptime, we had our normal snacktime and I just plopped the yogurt cubes into their juice and they LOVED it! Fun and refreshing for summer. I also make those homemade popcicles with vanilla yogurt....way less surgar than normal popcicles and they like them the same! Try it!

Two days left.

2007-08-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

I am REALLY ready for Jon to be home. I miss him. The boys miss him. Life is not nearly as full, fast or funny without him!

I just have to say my boys are so fun. Creed is into maps right now. Not real ones....any piece of paper is a map right now (thanks to Dora the Explorer). He says "Mom, dis way and dis way and hew."

Judah adds an "m" to the front of so many words! I love it because it reminds me that he too, is still small. He says, 'I'm so Mecited!" or today he said, "my one hundred mecent piece" (fifty cent piece). I just thought I would blog it so I remember it.

I am so thankful for these inspiring little people that God gave to me. Thanks God.

Menu Ideas Anyone?

2007-08-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

So I was trying to make a grocery list today and felt braindead while trying to think up new meals to make. Any ideas? I am more than willing to share ideas with people...

What are your favorite breakfasts?

Lunches?

Snacks?

Dinners?

Let me know! THANKS!

Awkward Moments

2007-08-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

It is so bothersome to be walking down the sidewalk and catch someones eye too far away to say hello. Then, both parties look down or away and silently walk by each other. Today this happened and I tried saying hello, and it was too late at that point and the man briefly stared at me and kept going. What is wrong with our society? Why can't we just smile and keep eye contact longer than 2 seconds flat? Weird.

I was heading to bed when suddenly...

2007-08-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

THERE WAS A SKUNK ON MY PORCH! I do not htink I have ever seen one this close before. I was nervous and thinking....."if I move, does it spray the window? Maybe I will stay still like a statue and it will find food elsewhere....okay, now it is coming closer...crap!" So I stayed very still and watched as it CLIMBED MY BACK STEPS and smelled my flowers (as if he were wondering what it would be like to smell good). He headed down again and kept walking around....the funny thing is that our neighbor spotted him on our front porch almost a week ago and Jon went out after him (mainly to get a good look) and so we must have a special scent he likes (great). I can't smell him at all. I couldn't last week either. I just pray nothing falls or moves on my porch and makes him spray! AH! At least it would be a good story....I would have taken a picture, but Jon has the camera on his hiking trip! Goodnight.

DAY 6...

2007-08-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Well, hopefully day 7 will be one of rest! :>) My boys are doing great. Today we decided it would be fun to go to breakfast at Burger King. We like Jack in the Box better for breakfast, but it is pricey and there is no playground! So after eating they zoomed over to the playground only to have a Burger King employee run out and inform us that it was broken. (No sign was posted!) Huge disapointment to my little guys. That was the most exciting part. SO....we went and got our car washed in one of those fun automatic kind that splat your car with colorful soap and slap it with those rubberized tassles and then blow dry it as you leave. Creed was nervous at first, but by the end he "yiked" it. It was "citing" (exciting). Unfortunately, our car is not that clean from the thing. Next time we are doing the good old hand wash. That can be just as much fun and 5 bucks cheaper.

After we got washed, we decided a yard sale would be fun. THe two we found were complete duds. One was all clothes and the other had mostly car parts. Judah was bummed. He loves finding a cheap toy.

Speaking of cheap toys, I bribed my children yesterday. I told them if they took a good nap that I would buy them a new toy. It worked brilliantly. They slept for about 2 hours but too late in the day! I took them to a thrift store. Judah found a back hoe loader truck and Creed picked out a guitar (after Judah talked him into wanting it). They didn't go to sleep until 10pm. Backfire.

My friend Heidi came over yesterday. That was fun it was the first time she was our new place. The kids have a blast together. Heidi's kids are on the left, Creed and Judah are in the middle and the other Judah and his brother Nathan are on the right....

So we have ants. We haven't had to worry about ants in a long time. Somehow I leave a drop of juice or an apple core in the sink for more than 2 hours and there they are. Blasted little workers.

I just picked up a flyer for some exercise classes at the community college behind us. It is free. I figure it is time to lose the middle after YEARS of no exercise. We will see if I actually do it! I am glad I took the first step....picking up the flyer! That was hard work. I can't blame my fat stomach on the boys anymore. It is those mocha's I LOVE.

Doin pretty good so far!

2007-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

So, we are on day 4. It is going pretty good, although I caught a flu of some sort...achy, sore throat, cough. 3 advil every 4 hours does wonders.

I have a lot to do before Jon gets home. But I feel like I am being decently productive despite the illness. The boys are being good for me. Having Jon gone only makes me appreciate him more. It is good for me to experience that absence. I miss him.

So we were in H & M (clothing store). My friend talked me into taking the boys (stupid of me to listen!) Anyway, we were walking past the undie section and Judah exclaimed "breast bands!" Hilarious. Where did he come up with that one....not too long after Creed shouted "Nipples! Mommy....same!" as he pointed at the bra...Partly laughing and partly bashful we headed out of the store to the play area at the mall and waited for my friend. Mind you this was after explaining to Judah why it is rude to look up a girls skirt (luckily it was mine) and how he should never peek under the changing room stall doors (luckily it was my friend!) Exhausting.

THis picture would not flip for me. Sorry. But Creed looks so funny to me....this is Judah's dollar store water mask.

Well. Caliou is almost over and I need to make taquitos for my little muchkins. I will write more later. :>)

Gear Up!

2007-08-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well, Jon leaves on an 11 day backpacking trip with his R.A's tomorrow at 5am. If you know Jon, starting at 5am is not the way to kick off the trip! He will probably be up until 2am packing! He is still running around collecting things like his fishing pole (he says he will use it more than 2 times....anyone want o bet with me?)

He is really enjoying his job as a Resident Director so far and I think he fits this position perfectly. Today he gave the devotion ( I was not there, but got a report) and the students LOVED him! I told them I think he is amazing and that he ALWAYS does a great job when he speaks. It was cute of them to tell me like I had never heard him before! They don't know our background yet, so they do not understand that I have consistently heard him for over 6 years now! :>) I still think he is fantastic.

I am a little anxious about being home with the boys for 11 days ALONE, but I have a lot of friends I plant o pester over that time. Jon's brother comes next week for a day and then stays longer when JOn returns (he is hanging out with a friend inbetween) so that will be fun! The boys LOVE uncle Paul...he is the only uncle that gives gifts all the time! (Who doesn't like an uncle like that?)

I would have lived for my mom to come and hang with me during this time, but she broke her foot this summer and just found out that the Dr. who did the surgery did not do it correctly and she has to do it again! THis time with a different doctor....but that means another 6-10 weeks without putting ANY pressure on it! My parents have a trip tpo HAwaii planned this fall....pray that her foot heals enough to go and enjoy their trip!

Well, I am tired and I need to go to bed bc I know Jon will need me to wake him up at 5am! He would never make the trip if I didnt kick him out of bed! Pray that this week goes smoothly....Kate

July, already?

2007-07-19T22:37:00.001-07:00

Time is flying by! They say it happens as you get older and now I finally believe them (whoever them are!)

I have not had internet connection like this since a year ago....I am so excited to be online and wireless and know that I can blog on a whim! yippee!

My kids are growing so fast and I feel like I am missing it somehow. Each day crawls along and then...bam! They are 6 months older and I realize how small they really were. I am desperately trying to cherish this time, but some days it is simply impossible. The cute red heads are their very good friends Landon (2) and Andrea (almost 4) We are eating ice cream here! As you can see Creed is a ham...

We just moved to Azusa CA and Jon started his new job as a Resident Director this week. So far, he is really excited and I know he will be incredible in this position! We cannot wait for school to start....meeting the students will be so much fun!

Here is a pic of Jon on Graduation Day! Like the sleeves????? We still don't get it.

For those of you who are wondering about the church plant, it is in the works. We are planning for next fall and gathering our team in the meantime. God has given us this job (quite divinely, I believe) as a tent making skill as we pioneer our way into the Vineyard world of churches! We are so amazed at how well this job fits who Jon is and takes care of our needs at the same time! Free housing! and utilities! This means great debt reduction for us and we are thrilled about that.

I plan to add more soon. For real this time. We just were home to Wisconsin and I will post some pics soon...

in the mean time pray that we get settled and make new friends quickly! I am a little Fuller home sick! The community there was very unique and unrealistic for the rest of my life, but I made life long friends there and I cannot believe that I think 20 minutes is really far away! (it is when you usually walk a block or across the hall!)

Bye!

5 Months Later...

2007-04-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Wow. Things have changed since my last blog. I apologize that I have been a slacker. We went to Florida for Christmas and my Sister in Law was married to Brian....
January we were sick a lot.....
February was fine......
March Jon and I went to Hawaii for 10 days with our good friends Cari and Nate........it was FANTASTIC! Then we ame home to the stomach flu. Ew.
This month has been the month of resumes! We have applied to several schools (or rather, Jon has) for an Resident Director position. So far, we are jus tin waiting mode! Please pray that a door opens soon! He graduates June 9th and then we have 60 days to move! We are pumped to be finished and yet we are sad because of all the frinedships we have established here. We are going to be making a big adjustment!

Creed turned 2 on March 9th and Judah turned 4 on April 1! They have grown up SO fast.....I will post some pics........

2006-11-23T17:26:00.000-08:00

Max

Catilina Island August 2006

2006-10-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know, Jon and I are community coordiators at Fuller this year (we needed to add something to our plate....haha.). We get to organize community events for our neighbors and help people get to know each other....we actually really enjoy this considering it is a part of our life with or without a title....this year we just get rent credit for it! Nice! Anyway, each year, the Residentail Community Staff take us on a retreat to Catilina Island. It is a little camp we meet at right on the ocean (duh, island) and we have a little bit of training and a lot of free time with our families. The followingpics were taken there. We had a really nice and refreshing time!

2006-10-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

It was a great trip as a family! (Paul, Jon thanks you for his clothing).

2006-10-19T21:28:00.001-07:00

Judah digging in the sandbox at the camp on Catilina Island.

2006-10-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Catilina digger.

2006-10-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

We actuallt REALLY did take them in this little boat into the ocean and row around a bit....wish we would have gotten a pic of that! It was really fun.

2006-10-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

I slaughter the word Kayak in the upcoming photo. oops.

2006-10-19T21:20:00.001-07:00

He is obessed with that hat!

2006-10-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Creed in his oversized lifevest. I think that would have made it worse had he fallen in the water!

2006-10-19T21:19:00.001-07:00

I love that scrunched nose thing Creed does!

2006-10-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Love this picture of Jon and Creed. This was our tent on Catilina Island.

2006-10-19T21:17:00.001-07:00

Me and My Mexican Dior Sunglasses ($10)

2006-10-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha! What a funny Pic!

2006-10-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Judah and Mommy posing with the fake scuba diver.

2006-10-19T21:15:00.001-07:00

Judah's eyes closed.

2006-10-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

youth camp summer 2006

Trip to Wisconsin Summer 2006

2006-10-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

While Jon headed off to Venezuela, I headed home for rest, relaxation and plain old help. It was a great trip. I got to see all my grandparents and then hang out with my parents for several days while my boys were entertained and on top of that, I got to sleep in! Between getting my eyebrows waxed and my hair cut, a lot was happening int he O'Connor house!! Below are some pictures of our fun trip. (Thank goodness I don't have any of the plane ride over...that was a trip of its own...) Enjoy!

2006-10-19T20:39:00.001-07:00

Orange was the color of the day.

2006-10-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Close to the best we could do.

2006-10-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

Chalk! Mom is still sleeping while Grandma pulls out the creativity in the boys!

2006-10-19T20:37:00.002-07:00

Silly guys.

2006-10-19T20:37:00.001-07:00

Jammies.

2006-10-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Grandpa reading stories.

2006-10-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

Grandma is always pulling out fun at her house. Cookie cutters and playdough...a great combo.

2006-10-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Taking mommy deeper than she planned in Lake Nepco.

2006-10-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

Creed LOVES putting his hair in any sort of body of water...this includes mud.

2006-10-19T20:33:00.003-07:00

Squatter.

2006-10-19T20:33:00.002-07:00

Yeah!

2006-10-19T20:33:00.001-07:00

Mud.

2006-10-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

Fun in the sand. Dirt. Sand. All super fun.

2006-10-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Wading in Lake Nepco with Grandpa Bob.

2006-10-19T20:31:00.001-07:00

This was uncle Jeffs digger when he was small.

2006-10-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

A snail he found.

2006-10-19T20:30:00.001-07:00

Its a bird...its a plane....oh....its grandpa!

2006-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

My boyz.

2006-10-19T20:29:00.001-07:00

Creed with me!

2006-10-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hang on Creed!

2006-10-19T20:28:00.001-07:00

around and around!

2006-10-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Oops...did this out of order....Judah became a pro on this thing and enjoyed giving Creed a ride!

2006-10-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

Fireman Creed!

2006-10-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

The HIGHLIGHT of Judah's visit each time....he even talks to my dad about it on the phone inbetween visits!

2006-10-19T20:24:00.001-07:00

Grandpa's surprise! Judah's very own John Deere for the week!

2006-10-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Now this is the real way to fake mow!

2006-10-19T20:23:00.001-07:00

He loved it.

2006-10-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

Dirt is cool.

2006-10-19T20:22:00.001-07:00

MMMMMmmmmm, Mac and Cheese at Grandma's house! Can you tell Judah likes it?????

2006-10-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

Creed's turn to smile!

2006-10-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

Grandpa's helpers.

2006-10-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

Look how strong I am! I can pull out HUGE tufts of your grass Grandpa!

2006-10-19T20:19:00.001-07:00

Oh the fun one can have in long grass!

2006-10-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hours of fun....not kidding.

2006-10-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Bob offering assistance (what a fitting name, as he "gets the job done")

2006-10-19T20:17:00.001-07:00

GRASS????!!!!!???? We moe concrete where we live!

2006-10-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Woe! Grandpa has dirt! And a digger!

2006-10-19T20:16:00.001-07:00

The drive from Milwaukee to Wisconsin Rapids

2006-10-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but this was the ONLY picture we got of my Grandma Kristiansen! Sorry Grandma! She found an empty ice cube tray to entertain Creed.

2006-10-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Grandpa John Kristiansen during our visit this summer.

2006-10-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Grandma O'C, Creed at 15 months and me (28 years--for future reference)

2006-10-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

Grandma looks better than I do and she has 63 years on me!

2006-10-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

cant seem to get everyone on the same page mom!

2006-10-19T20:08:00.000-07:00

My Grandma O'Connor, my mom, myself and two of her great grandsons...

Venezuela Summer 2006

2006-10-19T20:01:00.001-07:00

The following pictures are from Jon's trip to Venezuela through our church and with our region (churches surrounding us). He was there for 10 days had a great time. He had the chance to speak 8 times at multiple churches and did 2 conferences for the young adults in the country. It was a great opportunity and he will be going back in February for a church planting conference (he is one of the speakers).

2006-10-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

A German WWII shipwreck off the coast of Venezuela, Jon's team got to scuba dive around the area.

2006-10-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Nicole, Jon and Jonathan in Venezuela

2006-10-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

jon prying a sloth out of a venezuela tree.

2006-10-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

hilarious. they caught it.

2006-10-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

nice.

2006-10-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

jons friend jeff...they caught this thing together....

2006-10-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

they are REALLY slow he says

2006-10-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

sloth smiling with jon

2006-08-30T09:10:00.001-07:00

With some of the people they metin Venezuela