So much to say

Parent Teacher Conferences went great. So fun to get to know their teachers better, and see how much they love your kids. My kids love their teachers and to see that their teachers love them as well is such a great feeling. Academically all is well.
Jalen put together a speech and tried to get on student council. He won!! He was so precious. He prayed about it a lot and he told God that if he didn't get voted for that it would be okay and he told God that he won't complain or whine and he wouldn't say bad things about the person who wins. It was so precious.
I have never known a child who is as helpful as Cameron. I really never thought a child would be so helpful and have such initiative. He just sees what needs to be done and does it. Yesterday on the way home from school, we pulled into our sub-division and he saw two trash cans rolling around on the road (it was super windy). He says to me, "Mom, stop the van so I can get out and get those trash cans off the road." So he got out and put the trash cans up by a tree and he put the cans together so they would be heavier and not as likely to be blown around again (that's what he said).
Justin and I have been loving our IPOD NANO, we listen to podcasts pretty much everyday, and the past couple weeks we've been listening to Steven Furtick. He has a 4 part series out called Sun Stand Still. And he also just released a book with the same title. So I went and bought the book last week too. We are enjoying going through the book and messages together. I will share more about that soon.
As always there is so much to be thankful for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Health for family
2. 3 amazing kids
3. Home
4. freedom
5. great school/teachers
6. love
How about you? I love your comments. :)

Creative Writing

Mountain Climbing
by Jalen Maust

Have you ever been to Virginia? I have. I like to see people climbing mountains. The people are as high as an eagle. I hear turkey vultures screeching. The turkey vulture is screeching as loud as a lion. I smell fresh air floating. I smell fresh air floating as fast as a cheetah. I touch boulders, some were tumbling at me. The boulders were as big as an elephant! I like to climb trees. Going to Virginia makes me as happy as a lark!


If You Give a Pig a Popsicle
by Jalen Maust

If you give a pig a Popsicle he will want to roll in the mud! Then he will want to do a cannon ball. He will want a bath to clean himself. So he'll ask you for your towel. Then he'll want to go to the beach. When he comes back he will want to refresh himself. He'll want a drink. After that he'll want to take a swim. And chances are if you give him hot chocolate he's going to ask you for a Popsicle.


School Bus
by Jalen Maust

Beep Beep!
Beep Beep!
I ride the bus from school. I have an assigned seat. I sit by Remy, my best friend. I sit by my friends too. I see flowers and homes. I feel great from school.

9 years ago today....

Nine years ago today, our lives changed forever. Our first child, our sweet, beautiful Cameron was born at right about..... NOW. (10:30 am). It was a rainy Monday morning, he weighed in at 8 lbs 2 oz.
Today we celebrate his life, his past, present and future. Cameron loves parties and loves people, he's very sentimental, and he remembers everything.

Last night about 9pm, he came up from his room from reading, and he found me on the couch and he dove into me and hugged me good for about 30 seconds. I look forward to this bear-like, emotion filled hug each evening. It is not the hug I try to get from him, or the ones right at bed-time when we're tucking him in. It's this famous, out of the blue, no-words said hug. It often brings tears to my eyes, (but I try not to let him see those). It's his way of showing and saying "I love you", "thank-you mom". It's the kind of hug that neither of us wants to pull away from. It's the hug I will remember always.

My prayer for Cameron today and daily:
Lord,
I pray that out of your glorious riches, you may strengthen Cameron with power through your Spirit in his inner being, so that Christ may dwell in his heart through faith. And I pray that Cameron will be rooted and established in love. I pray that he will have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and that he would know this love that surpasses knowledge- that Cameron will be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God! AMEN.

Family Picture Day

We spent Sunday doing family pictures. I have a lot to say about this, but I will keep it simple and say that it was a "once in a lifetime experience". I am glad we did it, but don't ever want to do it again.
Here is some of my favorites. Out of 130 pictures, I like about 50 of them, but I only LOVE about 3 of them. But between smiles, hair, sun-light, shadows, no smiles, etc, etc. I'd say we did pretty good.

(Note: Jalen likes his long hair, he wants to keep growing it. Cameron had long hair until 2 days ago, and then decided he wanted it cut, but then thought it was too short. Miah wanted her hair cut short like mommy's, but we compromised and took about 3 inches off.)

Lovin' the Fall, Workin' Hard, Excited about the Future

Hi everyone,
It has been too long, I have been adjusting to a new stage in life. It has been an adjustment for me, with all three kids in school for the first time. It took me a month to get into a routine and figure out how and when to get everything done.

School is going great. Our school is big on homework, but we are used to it now, and I am amazed at what the kids have learned in just 7 weeks of school. I am so proud of them, they work/study so hard and at this point they all really enjoy school. I am looking forward to conferences in a few weeks!

For the past month now, I am volunteering at Five Star every morning from 8 - 10:15am, then I pick Miah up from school at 10:20 and head home. I love it! There is so much work to get done, and I am glad I have a few hours a week to help.

Other things I've been up to:
1. Planning Birthday Parties
2. Painting the house
3. Stacking Fire wood/sticks for winter
4. Teaching Miah to read
5. Cutting up vegys for Salsa
6. Teaching Spinning & Strength Training Classes
7. Writing a Grant
8. Budgeting & Planning

We have a lot of great things coming up. I think of the future and smile. I am truly thankful and content. I know probably every mom feels this way, but I think I have the best kids in the world. They bless me daily with their words, hugs and kind actions. I see them growing up before my eyes and I am so proud of the people they are becoming.

We are having family photos taken this coming weekend, so I will share those photos with you all next week.

Prayer we have been teaching our kids and praying ourselves as well. "Lord, give me the wisdom to know what's right, and the courage to do what's right, even when it's hard."