LA Dodgers!

Last night Ken took me to a Dodgers game to celebrate my birthday. It was so much fun! They were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks and it was a shut out, 7-0. They gave out free posters so we got one (have no idea what we'll do with it...) and by the end of the game, fans were turning them into paper airplanes and trying to get them to fly out on to the field. There were also beach balls galore. We each got a Dodger dog and some frozen yogurt. There were 52,270 people in attendance last night and I have never seen such an active crowd. They did the wave about 10 times, a couple got engaged, we saw Larry King in the crowd, etc. Everyone was in blue and white (Dodgers colors) so I guess we'll have to keep that in mind for our next Dodgers game. One guy was in Dodgers colors with a Red Sox (Dodger colored) hat. We saw Adam Dunn from Cincinnati playing for Arizona and of course Ramirez from the Red Sox playing for the Dodgers. Lots of kids had dredlock hats to look like Ramirez. Too cute! It was a great night!

Way Happenings

I've been a total computer junkie lately. It started with blogging which I've discovered is a great way to journal daily as well as keep loved ones who live far away posted about our lives. Then we got a new, much faster computer which made computer time much more enjoyable. Then my friend Amy introduced me to facebook and now I'm completely hopeless. Facebook is so cool! I've connected with so many people already. Family like my brothers and cousins, former students from Chicago, friends from Cincinnati, friends from college, friends from high school, and even new friends who live right here in La Mirada have profiles on facebook. I just signed up on Monday night and I already have over 70 "friends". It's very addicting.
Ken has started teaching again. He has an overload semester with 12 units. He actually subbed for a professor today. The other professor has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's and started treatment immediately.
Yesterday we went to a MOMS Club playgroup and they had a big inflatable pool with waterslide. I didn't think Sky would want to go down the slide but she really surprised me. I guess all that water slide action in Palm Springs gave her the courage she needed.
We had our good friends the Denhams over for a playdate today. My friend Jolene is due with baby #3 in a few weeks so we mostly sat in front of a fan while the kids played. Brad LOVES having company over. He gets very busy and interactive. He was running around with a pink princess crown on his head today.
Tomorrow is a preschool Open House day so Sky and I will stop by and meet her teachers. She starts school on Monday. I am so excited and really hope that this will be a good experience for her! I had to assemble an emergency pack for her with canned foods, drinks, and even a solar blanket. I have no idea what all that is about. Like if something bad were to happen I would leave her at preschool! I guess it must give some parents peace of mind...
This weekend promises to be fun as I will milk it for all it's worth in celebrating my birthday. I'm sure I'll have some good blogs for that!

California Adventure Park

Disneyland includes a separate park called California Adventure which, at this point, I like just as well if not better than Disneyland. The lines are shorter, the rides seem less scary for Sky and Brad, and the park is not as big or overwhelming for me to take the kids there myself. They have some fun performances too.

President Schuyler

There's been a lot of political talk around our house lately as we've been watching both conventions and Sky is very interested in the female vice presidential candidate ("princess"). She's been asking lots of questions about what a president does, where he/she goes, etc. Up until now, Sky has been set on being a doctor/nurse/vet but after hearing about the secret service (personal army of servants), she has changed her aspirations to the White House.
Tonight she played president by signing bills (with her pink gel pen), hosting a dinner party with play food, giving a speech to her fellow Americans, and visiting foreign countries (different places in the house). She's got my vote.

Blessed Be The Name of the Lord

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'

Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name



We used to sing this song at our church in Cincinnati, Crossroads Community Church. It became hard to sing as it became apparent that we would be leaving Crossroads (and Cincinnati) and moving to California (the "desert place"). It is even harder to sing at our new church in California as it brings back dear memories of friends from Crossroads that I miss so much and also because, at the same time, I get overwhelmed with God's blessing and provision in my life.

We sang this song over the weekend at our California church, The Crossing, and it made me think about our journey across the continent and just how much has happened to us in just a year. Sometimes when "the darkness closes in", I have to remind myself to "chose to say, 'Blessed be the name of the Lord'". But the longer I live, the more I see God's amazing hand in my life and am truly grateful that I am his child.

Bowling

Sky in her bowling shoes!



Wednesdays will be my tough day this semester as Ken will be at school all day and then has a class from 6-9:30pm. Today was my first official Wednesday of the semester and Ken's first official day back teaching. I actually had a wonderful day!


In the morning, a friend from Talbot, Amy Olson (some of you have an awesome purse that she made), and her 2 kids stopped by. The kids played and we had a great time of talking and catching up on life. Her husband has to go in for nasal surgery next week and they just found black and white mold in both bathrooms of the house they are renting so they could really use your prayers as they have a lot going on right now! Please pray that God will provide what they need for the surgery costs (they have minimal insurance) and that Derek would recover quickly and not fall behind with his classes due to the surgery. Thanks!


Then this afternoon we went bowling with the MOMS club and had a really great time. The place we went to put up bumpers so that the kids couldn't get any gutter balls and they also had a metal ramp that the kids could use to push their balls down (so as to gather momentum and actually knock down the pins). Sky's final score was 83. She was more into dancing on the floor in between turns but she had a blast. Sky really liked her bowling shoes too.


I learned something new about bowling alleys. I always thought that the shiny alley floor was due to extra laquer. No. The shiny floor is shiny due to oil and that oil is VERY SLIPPERY. Don't ask me how I learned this!


Ok, I'll tell you. Sky's ball was going so slowly that I thought I would just give it an extra nudge toward the pins. BANG! Down I went. Thankfully I landed on my hands and only have a sore palm to show for my stupidity. Sorry, I didn't get any pictures of that one!


Then tonight, while Ken was gone at school, I watched Sky's friend Charlyse so that her parents could counsel with someone from their church. This actually made the night go by faster as she and Sky played so nicely together and I only had to watch Brad. I offered to do it again as it went so well.

Being Appreciated

Today I took Sky to the doctor for her TB test for preschool. Sky was crying hysterically before we even entered the doctor's office. Everytime she cried, Brad cried. Then they both cried all the way home in the car. Many people looked on in amazement and horror. I was thinking to myself, "Ok, it's going to be one of THOSE days!".
Then the doorbell rang and I was handed the most beautiful assortment of chocolate dipped fruit I have ever seen. It was an Edible Arrangement and it was from the dean of Talbot and his wife, saying thanks to me for helping out with the Talbot students and their wives. Wow! All the crying stopped. The power of chocolate is amazing.
I feel so appreciated and loved (and it definitely helped me get through the day). The Talbot community is great!