Wednesday, December 19, 2007

It's like manna from heaven... Just keep me grateful!


Well, I'm going back! Yes, the Lord has provided a job for me and it's back to Santa Fe I go. I am starting back with the State of NM Motor Vehicle Division as a Help Desk Specialist tomorrow (Thursday) morning! Even though on my end it has seemed to take forever for all the paperwork to happen and everything get lined up, it's really been a fast process to get me back this time! I am so grateful for the people up there who have worked hard to get things ready. They have actually created a temp position for me until they can get a permanent position lined up. It's incredible, and I am so thankful.

As many of you know, I did not have work for 3 weeks in October and then began working for TEK Systems as a PC Tech at CitiBank for about 4 weeks. However, the week of Thanksgiving they told me that they didn't have approval for the next phase of the project, and so..."Sorry, we have no work for you" and away I go until they get approval. Well, I have not worked since those 2 days before Thanksgiving. I have been hitting the Internet and the streets hard trying to get any other job that I could that would fit our family's needs and schedule. No callbacks, no interviews - No one seems to be hiring! It's been 4 weeks now and man, has it been tough!

Fortunately, Melissa has been giving piano lessons and has even added a couple of students. She is also working at Dillard's during the evening and weekends. Unfortunately, this has not been enough to provide for all of our needs, but we have had some incredible gifts from friends and family that have sustained us. As you can imagine, the next 3 weeks will still be very tight as it will be that long before my first paycheck comes in. God has provided for us so far, and I know he's not about to leave us now. Please continue to pray for us.


I am so grateful for my wife! She is my best friend and I could not have made it through this time without her. Even though there have been times where both of us have been extremely frustrated and have taken it out on each other, we have really come through this time, (and I do hope we're coming up for air) we have come through it shining. It is so awesome that God blessed me with her. We have been able to spend so much time together - praying, playing and just being a family. Our kids have been home all of December as well, because they are going to a year-round school this year. They have 1-month breaks every 3 months, so they have December, April and August with no school. It has really been a good time for us to be together. Not every moment, mind you, but definitely some good times.

Now, another chapter begins. I will be commuting, so I will be gone most of the day, leaving around 6 am and getting home about 5:30-6 pm, depending on the traffic. Melissa works from 6-?? several evenings a week, so we won't see a whole lot of each other. Please pray that she can increase the number of piano students she needs, so that she can quit Dillard's. She probably needs 5-7 more students.

Thank you so much for your prayer and support. We are so grateful. We also covet your prayers for local friends and that we start to feel at home at church.
Thank You!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

New Look

Hey everyone, or anyone that reads this! We thought we try a new look for a while. Y'know, like when you paint a wall and everything looks really fresh all of a sudden. Well, we painted a wall this past weekend in our bedroom - now everything has to change, right? Not really. More later, but hope you like the look.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Clouds...clearing? Is that the sun I see?? Could it be?!

After not having ANY work to do for what is going on 3 weeks now, it appears that there may be a change in the weather in the near future. I received a phone call from my previous boss at the State of New Mexico today. He has known of our situation and we've talked about me coming back, but there hasn't been anything firm or definite.

Well, today he said that they are creating a temp position for me, just to get me back in, and then I will apply for a Help Desk Specialist position they having coming open. There are many more details to be worked out, and yes, this does mean I will be commuting to Santa Fe again :( but thank you Lord for some good news finally!

Coming soon - Some thoughts I've developed over the past couple of months regarding faith!

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

It's Still Raining

Hello all.
It's still raining and I feel like a drenched puppy dog.
Please pray for us. We soooo need a job!

Monday, November 26, 2007

God is good...even when it rains!

I keep reminding myself of this truth. Today my husband walked in the door at 9:30am...after just leaving for work at 7:15am. You see, we've been walking a hard road for two months now. After having to quit his job, the only decent work he's been able to find so far is with a computer temp. agency. He's been there for about 4 weeks. One of the potholes in this "hard road" is that with temp. work, you never really know IF you'll have work the next day...or THAT day...or that week. I think he worked a 40 hour week the first week. Today he went in and they said, We do not have work for you." ie: no pay. To all of you men out there, isn't that like one of the hardest things to hear??

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is FOR US. Yet, in every day reality, when you run out of milk, or gas, or money to pay an overdue bill...well, that's when I repeat above said statement: "GOD IS GOOD...GOD IS GOOD!!"
We've not gone without a meal. We have a little gas in the cars. Our kids are healthy. I have a husband who prays with me and for me.

PHILLIPIANS 4:12
12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Ok, maybe I needed to write this and then READ this for myself. It's all about perspective. Thanks for listening!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Help my friend!

A friend of mine, Tim Stevens, is authoring a book about the local church and he has a survey regarding the title of his book. You can take his book survey here.

You can also check out his blog here: Leading Smart

We'll get some more family stuff on here soon.

Sunday, November 4, 2007

What am I doing at 3:30am??

It happens every time I am under a lot of stress....4:00am rolls around and you will find me getting out of bed, unable to sleep. I don't feel bad, or exhausted. In fact, I feel rather rested. It's just that stress has a way of eating up my sleep-time.

Today is different! I woke up at 3:00am!! What?!? Oh yeah...the time change! Thanks a lot, Mr. Clock. I tried taking a Tylenol PM last night. All it did was make me dream about snakes and shrieking eels (ok, maybe it's because we all watched "Princess Bride" last night). But, I decided to check my email, etc. until I get nice and sleepy. I will then crawl back into bed, hopefully until, um, 6am.

Today is my last day at Kohls. It's been a good place to work, and I will miss the people that I've been able to work with. God has given me several opportunities to live out my beliefs and even talk about my faith openly. I'm sorry that it doesn't pay enough to keep me there. When I gave my two weeks' notice, the admin. said, "Would you stay on if we moved you to the floor and gave you more hours?" Awfully sweet of her, but in my head I was saying, "More Hours?? Sure Lady...I'd LOVE to live here, and not see my family even more than I do!"

I'll start working at Dillards on Tuesday. No rest for the weary! At least I have Monday all to myself (and kids, don't even THINK about getting sick on Monday!!). What would I do if I had all the money in the world on that day? A complete "Spa Day", complete with haircut, manicure, pedicure, and massage!! Ahhh. I should take another Tylenol PM and go dream about that!

We are moving into our new house this Friday. Packing this time around has sure brought back a lot of memories of our move from Siloam Springs two years ago! The great thing this time around is that we have this ridiculously huge THREE CAR GARAGE (a typical size for ABQ), so as we pack we move the boxes into the garage, thus leaving us with the feeling that we are still in control of the chaos! Right. Just an observation: one would think that with a three car garage, one could park both vehicles in one's garage and STILL have room for one's bikes, woodworking tools, etc. Well, ONE IS WRONG. Our discovery: "Junk expands to the space allotted." I caught myself telling my mom the other day, "Well, our new house only has a two-car garage..." I heard her start laughing, then I realized how dumb that comment was. Boy, do we get spoiled!!

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

We're Moving...but not far!


The Flamings
6323 Bisbee Pl.
Albuquerque, NM 87114

Since we've only been losing jobs, changing jobs, and changing churches...we are bored. Sooooo, we're moving! Just kidding! That's not why we're moving. But we ARE moving.

Since moving the kids to a new school in ABQ, we began researching the benefits of moving into ABQ instead of staying in Rio Rancho. One morning Jarrod and I were looking at several houses that were possibilities, but just didn't seem to fit, and we decided NOT to pursue them. We then turned the corner and there was this beautiful house with a sign in the yard. We got out and looked in the windows and around the yard and fell in love with it. However, I figured it was way out of our price range, but I called about it anyway. It was RIGHT SMACK DAB in the middle of our price range!!!

Now remember, Jarrod had just quit his job, we are searching for a new church home, and I work part-time at Kohl's (little bucks!). During this time I got hired on at Dillard's for more money, and Jarrod got a temporary job. The unexpected blessing about his temp job is that, instead of lasting 10 days, it may be more like 2 months!! Also, we had told our neighbors, who are our landlords, that we were searching for different housing, since our lease is almost up. They took it upon themselves to go around the neighborhood and collect food for our family. This has happened 4 different times in the past two weeks!

Meanwhile, we are daily praying and reading the Scriptures of Matt. 6 and 7, Phil. 4:13, basically any and every Psalm, which gave us hope that God was going to supply our needs, that He DOES really, really, really care about us! We have just been asking God to walk each step with us, which of course, He always does!

We applied for the house and through different circumstances we felt like we had been denied. Then out of the blue, they called and said we WERE approved! Here's the clincher: We had to sign the lease AND pay our deposit within two days...then move in within 14 days!!

Well, true to God's nature, He has provided just enough on a daily basis to pay for what we need today. We don't know where the rest of the rent is coming from, nor the money for our bills, but God does. What a relief!!

Here are a couple pics of the front and back to help you celebrate with us...and in case you have never lived in New Mexico...the big "box" on the roof is a swamp cooler...look it up!



Friday, October 26, 2007

Yes...our kids are giants

Because there have been so many people in shock over Jacob's "tallness" I thought I would post all of their heights...as of this week!

Jacob- 9 years old...5'4", 100 lbs.

Anna Mary- 8 years old, 4'6", 53lbs

Caleb- 6 years old, 4'2", 52ish lbs.

Needless to say, Jake is the tallest in his school's 4th AND 5th grade classes. According to WebMD, or somewhere like that, he's slated to be about 6'7"!!!!!!!! And yes, he is going to play REAL basketball for the first time this year! Anna's a beanpole, and Caleb is solid as a rock!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Team Pictures

Saturday was team picture day for the Flag Football league. Here are some of the pics I snapped while the "professional" was setting them up.

Broncos 2007

And here is the Broncos most valuable player, Caleb Flaming! (at least from this reporters' viewpoint) Caleb has played every position - quarterback, center, runningback, left end and right end! He is very fast and a great flag puller! Many times he is the one that catches up to the other teams runner and snags their flag to save the touchdown.




* * * * * * * * *

Bears 2007

And here is Jacob Flaming for the Bears. This past Saturday the Bears won their first game, and this young man played a huge part in that success. Jacob made several key flag pulls along with an incredible interception after the other team let the ball hit their open arms and bounce out. It was awesome! Jacob plays mostly right end, but he loves to get the running plays. His plan is to take #25 Reggie Bush's place at runningback on the Saints team in a few years. Go for it, Jacob!!



Way to go you two! It's been so fun to watch you this season. Just a couple more weeks to go! Keep playing your hearts out!




Monday, October 15, 2007

Fall is in the air...

Well, with the cool fall weather comes the sights and sounds we all enjoy. Last night, while Melissa was at work, the kids and I carved some pumpkins. I realized while doing this, that I don't recall ever doing it before. Anyway, we had fun. The other thing I did that was "fallish" was today I created a crockpot of my own chili concoction. Yes, I'm without a job and am in Mr. Mom mode right now. Anyway, it wasn't at all like my dad's cowboy chili. More like my mom's chili, but a little hotter thanks to the jalapeno I put in it. Mmmmm...

Here are the pumpkins that are sitting on our front porch.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Balloon Fiesta 2007

Well, it's that time again this year. Time for the balloons to fill the skies of Albuquerque for 14 days! This year we had some good friends from Kansas come and enjoy it with us for a weekend. Scott & Amy Vogt and their kids, Alyson, Zachary, and Jordyn and Faith Loomis drove 12+ hours just to see us and a couple of balloons. :)

Thursday, 10/4/07 - The trip was fairly uneventful (as uneventful as a 12-hour ride with 3 kids -10, 8, and 6 can be!) until they got into Albuquerque. That's when they didn't quite exit I-25 just right and ended up touring the little village of Corrales...at 25 mph! They later found out they were probably less than a 1/4 mile from the road they wanted, but they didn't realize it, so they went back through the village...at 25 mph...to find where they turned wrong. They arrived safe and sound and ready to eat some of Melissa's Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas...mmmmm!
Friday 10/5/07 - Melissa had to work Friday morning and the kids went to school, so the Vogts, Faith and Jarrod went to Santa Fe for the morning. Scott is a horticulturist at the Arboretum in Hesston, KS and there is a large nursery in SF that he wanted to visit. We spent about an hour there before going down to the plaza. We had a hard time finding a parking spot, but just as we were about to leave, we found one. We went to eat lunch at Tia Sophia's. Yum! Yum!

We went back to Rio Rancho after walking around a bit. That evening we grilled burgers and sat on the patio and visited. What a nice night.

Saturday 10/6/07 - 3:45AM - Everyone is up and dressed, and mostly ready to head to the train for the balloon fiesta. We got to the Railrunner in time for our 5:16 departure and headed down to the balloon fiesta park. Once we got off the train we all loaded onto a school bus (there were hundreds of buses) and got dropped off at the park entrance. Of course, we immediately got in line for breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls and coffee, or juice. At 6:30 the Dawn Patrol balloons took off to test the weather, wind, etc. About 7 balloons took off. We counted down from 10 and they all lit their flames. It was beautiful in the dark morning.
Shortly after the Dawn Patrol balloons took off, balloons all over the launch field started the inflation process. Now, I should tell you that we are right down on the field, walking amongst all the balloons.
One neat thing for the kids was that most of the balloon teams had balloon "trading cards" that they handed out.

There were many special shape balloons too! At one time, we were right under the "udders" of a giant cow balloon as it was inflating!



Just a few of the balloons we liked...
We were running around trying to see different balloons when all of a sudden we realized we are in the middle of hundreds of balloons! This experience can only be appreciated to the fullest possible extent in person. Words and pictures do not do it justice. Everything goes so fast and before you know it, a balloon you just watched them unfold is soaring away from you! Awesome!!
After being there about 3 hours, it was only 9:00 in the morning, and yet it felt like noon! We decided to head back home via the train and just spend the day doing whatever. Before we left we had to take a pit stop at the port-a-potties, where Anna accidentally left her jacket. We realized this AFTER we had gotten in line for something to drink and were about to leave. She and I (Jarrod) went back to the endless row of stinkypots, and found the jacket right away. Unfortunately, someone had already stolen all of her balloon trading cards out of the pocket.
When we got off the bus to take our train home, we were a bit early when the Southbound train arrived. We decided to take the RailRunner south to see downtown for fun instead of waiting another 30 minutes at the station. I suggested because last year when we were rained out, they sent us back on the train south to downtown and then it went back up to Bernalillo, where our van was. Well, in a year's time, a very efficient RailRunner crew has added several more stops south of Albuquerque downtown, including stops for the Int'l Sunport Airport, Los Lunas, and Belen. Everyone was happy to be back on the comfy train!

While we were riding, Melissa and I started looking at the schedule and realized that we had made a mistake. After talking to the conductor, we confirmed this possibility. He said, "this train does not go back north until later this evening. When we get to Belen there will be a 30 minute layover. I'd suggest you get some lunch at the Rail Cafe there and then we'll figure out what to do with you." He really was quite nice.
Rail Cafe - Martha, owner, was very happy to see us. Beside the 11 of us, there were 5 or 6 of another group that had done the same thing, plus the train crew. Zach was thrilled that he got to grill burgers for everyone. He also had a rookie there to train. They were just about done when they announced they had ran out of buns. Martha said, "Run over to my house, in the bottom drawer of my fridge there's a loaf of panini bread. Get that out and slice it up." So funny! They cooked and we all ate hamburgers in less than 3o minutes. After lunch, we thanked our gracious hosts and they all high-fived each other for a job well done.

Back on the train - again - Conductor Tim came to our car and made sure we all made it back safely and on time. We all felt much better, having eaten, but still had a problem. It's now about 12:00, we would arrive in downtown Abq by 12:30 and the next train to Bernalillo wouldn't leave until 4:50. We called Melissa's sister, Donna, to see if she could come get a couple of us to drive us to our vans, but she just got to her daughter's soccer game and by the time she left, got us, and then we drove back, it would just about be time for the train to leave anyway. So, we all decided to take a bus to Albuquerque Old Town for the rest of the afternoon and we would just wait for the next train.
We browsed the shops, ate ice cream and enjoyed a mariachi band - for nearly 4 hours! It was fun, but we were ready to be home. Finally, it was time to get back on the city bus and head for the train station. We made our train, and back to the station and our vans without anymore incidents. Well, except that I accidentally let our tickets fly out of my hand and 3 or 4 of us ran to stop them from blowing down the tracks. Other than the fact that I twisted my ankle and we didn't need the tickets afterall, the rest of the day was uneventful. We slept well that night.

Sunday 10/7/07 - We all slept in a while, except for Melissa who had a 7am meeting at work. When she got back, we all decided that we wanted to eat out at Sadie's Mexican restaurant and then go on the Sandia Tram. This is the world’s longest aerial tramway that transports you 2.7 miles above deep canyons and the Sandia mountains. There is an observation deck atop the 10,378 foot Sandia Peak with an 11,000 square-mile panoramic view of Albuquerque.

We enjoyed a fine New Mexican feast at Sadie's and then we stopped at a country market for Faith to get a bag of green chile to take home. We drove up Tramway Road to the base of the park that leads to the tram. From there we could see that thousands of other balloon visitors who had the same idea. The guides at the entrance told us that it would take about a 5-hours roundtrip to ride the tram. That's without even taking time to enjoy the view. Since our guests were planning on leaving for Liberal, KS still, we decided against riding the tram. We got out at a scenic stop, took a few pictures and said our goodbyes.

It was a great weekend! I think everyone would like to do it again next year, but I haven't heard whether or not Faith will be flying by herself or traveling with the Vogt family again. I guess they all survived at least!

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Flag Football Is Underway




Today marks the opening season for NFL Flag football in Rio Rancho. Both boys are playing this year.
Caleb starts off his rookie season with the Broncos. He is joined by a teammate from church, Noah Deist (pictured below). He is very excited and loves to play.

Jacob is in his second season as a returning runningback/right end. He was traded from the Cowboys last year and is now playing for the Bears.

We started off the day with Caleb and his Broncos opening their season at 9:00 AM. Caleb is such a diverse player he plays every position throughout the whole game. Ok, they have to play everyone in each position, so they all get to play every position, but...whatever. Here's a great action shot of Caleb running the ball.

The Broncos started off the season with a 'W' in the Win column; some 28-6 or something. Caleb handed off for a touchdown, as well as ran the ball a couple of times. He also was instrumental in stopping the Buccaneers by snagging the opponent's flag just in time.


The Bears however, were met by the Packers who had a very talented young man that gave the Bears fits all day. Unfortunately, the Bears come away with a loss today, but much was learned. They will be back next week, stronger than ever.


Jacob played very well. He had several interceptions as well as a very key defensive play in which he grabbed the opponents flag just before the end zone, stopping a touchdown. Way to go Jake! Here he is making one of his incredible flag grabs!




Now, some of you may recall that last year at this time, Dad was working at Home Depot and the State of NM and was unable to attend any practices and only one game while Jacob was with the Cowboys. Well, this year is different. Mom was working at Kohl's today and had to miss both games. Unfortunately, Dad doesn't know what to expect at these things and went totally unprepared for hunger, heat, etc. We had no snacks, except for what the boys gleaned from the Team Mom after the game, and some water that he did think to bring. Next week will be different. AND we went for the 9:00 game and stayed there until Jacob's 12:00 game. Whew! We are pooped. So, I am now going to go take my nap!

Friday, September 7, 2007

We survived our first week of school!!! The drive is much more intense than I thought. There are only four ways across the river (the Rio Grande), and all of them are packed between 7-8:30am!! Hopefully we can move a little closer to their school eventually. At least we have Radio Disney!
The first day, Jacob let us know that he was NOT happy with our decision to put him in this school. He does not handle change that well, and was REALLY missing his friends. But today he is loving his teacher, Mr. Bonzon, who is the same height as Jake (about 5'3"), and his making new friends.

Anna talked for 30 minutes straight on the way home!!!!! Jacob kept rolling his eyes, but she normally is so shy in public, that I told him to knock it off...she probably hadn't said A WORD all day, and was like a volcano. I had to laugh...she is sooooo much like me!

Caleb saw me when he walked out of the school and said, "It wasn't scary at all!!" He had been so nervous that morning, that I spent my drive home wondering if we had made the right decision, blah, blah,blah...

And Mommy?? Well, I got home, and found myself kind of wandering around the house asking myself what I should do! Then I sat on the couch and asked myself again...then I got on the computer and asked myself a third time! IT WAS GREAT!!!!!!!!! SILENCE, for the first time in MONTHS!!!

Ahhh, I love school.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Back 2 School...finally!

Well, we made it through the long summer and the kids are back in school!! Yea! Oh come on, you know you thought the same thing with your kids! :)

This summer was extra long as we decided to put our kiddos in a new school. It's a charter school in Albuquerque that run year long. They have 3 months on starting in September, then December off, then 3 more months and then April off. Finally they go 3 more months and then have August off. So, this year our kids an extra long vacation...and we all felt it. Here are some pics from the first day of school. Jacob is in 4th grade, Anna in 3rd and Caleb in 1st.

















Caleb is not too sure about this new school thing. There we a couple of times when I think tears were on the verge of coming out.











Anna Mary is ready for some great new adventures in a new school.
At least she has a friend from church that sits next to her.




And then there's Jacob...our pre-teenager. Yes, he's only 9, but he looks and sometimes acts like he's 14. His basic attitude on the first day was, "Ok, guys, I'm a big boy now you don't have to stick around and fuss over me and take pictures. I've done this before and I can do it on my own...just go!" :( Ok, so we left him alone.






Happy 60th Dad/Grandad!










August 18th we celebrated Melissa's dad's birthday in Santa Fe! It was planned as a surprise party, but mom had to tell him the morning of because he was bound and determined to get a lot of work done in preparation for their move to Pojoaque...and he wasn't about to let mom do any running around on her own. So, she told him, "We're having a party for you today and that's all I'm going to say." Of course, he was happy with that. She did tell him one more thing. She said, "I'll tell you one person that is coming...Caleb!" Here are some pics from that special day!




Of course, there is always great food whenever Lou Brown (my mother-in-law) is involved. Thanks, Mom, Aunt Margie, Aunt Mary, Donna and Melissa!! Awesome feast!


Dad, how many times did you go through that line? I'm not tellin' how many times I went through. Good stuff!




The theme was classic cars with 50's music playing in the background. The kids danced on the hardwood floor...ok, so did some of the adults. What a great time!




The grandkids (minus Emily & Cameron who are in Florida)


Well, dad couldn't have any type of gathering without preaching so...Just kidding! Mom and Dad are such a blessing and I am very blessed to have them as my in-laws. The flip side is they are very blessed as well. Dad received many gifts from his friends and church people and genuinely felt loved and accepted. Dad, thank you for being such a great inspiration and blessing to so many people...especially me and my family. We love you!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Hot Times in Old Town...of Albuquerque


Well, it was the Salsa Festival this weekend in Albuquerque and our friends from Arkansas, the Quirings came for a weekend visit at just the right time. Here are some pics of the fun we had.





This is Shelly, Ryan, Collin and Jessica Quiring...And Melissa, Anna, Jacob and Caleb Flaming. Yours truly is taking the shot.



Kids aren't the only ones that can try on crazy hats, y'know!




We had fun!!

Best buds doing what they do best...eating. Lots of enchiladas (pronounced een-chi-lathas), burritos (prounounced bew-rrrrrr-eeee-toes), and fajitas (pronounced fah-heet-aaahs). Collin loves it when I enunciate these words with a Spanish flair.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Reunion collage


When we went to Nebraska in July for the family reunion, every family got together to take individual family pictures. Well, one of my cousins very creatively put each family's pic together to make one big collage. Isn't this cool? Way to go Jake (cousin)!! Be sure to click on the pic to make it hugigantinormous, and you can see people better.


This weekend my best friend is dragging his family, ok, not literally, but bringing his family out to visit with us. Should be a great time! We're planning on visiting the Int'l Balloon Fiesta museum which is supposed to be really cool! Will try to post some pics next week!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

August is here!

I took this picture of the sunrise this morning as Melissa and I drank coffee on the patio. Mmmm...I love this new job!

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Trying to be a good Housewife

I am sitting here in this office. I am supposed to be CLEANING it. But every time I come in here I think, "Ok, I could start pulling everything out of here, OR...I could get on Facebook and see how my friends are doing." So, guess what I've been chosing lately??

You see, this office is so pitiful that just thinking about cleaning it makes me want to eat a chocolate bar! Help.

Also, this is the first day in, oh....two and a half years (it seems) that all three of my kids are actually playing together and not killing eachother! So I feel that I have to take advantage of the quietness. It might only last another two seconds.

Can anyone relate?

Photo shoot

Well, it's time for some updated family pics. Last night we went down to the bosque (Spanish: land covered with trees) by the Rio Grande and took some pictures. We got too hot and too hungry to stay very long, so we'll get some more pics soon.

Jacob - Age 9-1/2


Anna Mary - Age 8


Caleb - Age 6


I like this one.