The Wood Family

Our Fun Day Together!!!

2010-05-27T18:04:00.001-07:00

This was the day we took Shane to the airport for Edinburgh. We all wore our Edinburgh shirts! I was trying to get the kids to do the "I love you" sign, but it ended up like this... They're so cute and funny!!The day before Shane left, we had a Family Fun Day and went miniature golfing. It was SO much fun!!!.....

Shane did great, as usual... (I think I had more hole-in-one's though!)

The kids were adorable playing... Paige couldn't quite figure out how she wanted to hold the putter...

Maddox got it down pretty quickly... Seriously, the kid is such a natural--he had 3 hole-in-ones! No joke!!!....

Zion did awesome too--like a pro!!!

This is how the kids stood when Shane and I would take our turns--"on the bricks!"

What a fun day we had together!!! We sure miss you, Daddy, and can't WAIT for you to get home!!!! We love you!!!!

Zion's First Day of School

2010-01-22T15:05:00.001-08:00

Well, it hasn't been our longest period of time of no blogging, but it has been a while... We are finally somewhat settled. And we are SO glad for that!!! This past week was Zion's 2nd week of school. Here are some pics from his first day... What a day that was!!!

Ready and excited!!!

The boys

The siblings

One of the many hugs from mommy that morning...

A big excited smile!!!

Gathering everything to get out of the car...

Daddy helping with the backpack... (This is where I started crying!)

One last smile for mommy!

The walk into school with daddy... (This is where I lost it for just a minute...)

Zion did great on his first day, and has continued to look forward to each day of school! We are so proud of him, and thankful for his smooth transition... (As this has been a long transition back home for all of us!!) He's doing awesome, and we are all getting more and more settled each day. We appreciate all of you who have encouraged us and prayed for us along the way.

Quick Update

2009-11-30T21:19:00.000-08:00

Dear family and friends... We are home and doing pretty good. The transition is starting to wear on us a little, I'm afraid. But the end is in sight!! We found a house, and will close on it December 14. It needs a little work, but will hopefully get done in a quick and orderly fashion (it always happens that way, right?!)....

We have been bouncing around a little--between Joplin and Kansas City for the past 2 weeks. Shane is getting back into the swing of things at OCC, and the kids and I are actually in St. Louis right now. I do have some Scotland pics to post still, and want to keep up with posting... Our transient lifestyle of late doesn't exactly lend itself to that, I suppose. However, we should be getting settled before we know it (that's what we're telling ourselves anyway...). I will do my best to keep this updated until then!

Thanks for all the prayers and welcome home's from everyone! We are glad to be back!!

Cheers!!

We Are Home.....

2009-11-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Well, we lost our internet the last 4 days we were in Scotland. So silly!! Anyway, we are home. Safe and sound. Just trying to rest up and get back on CST!!! We have the most amazing kids in the whole world!! They did just awesome. We are so proud of them!! I have more pics to post, and more stories, I'm sure... So, I will try to get those on here soon... And also, I hope to have internet whenever we finally get settled back here in the States (which we're still not sure where that is, but we're working on it). So, keep checking and hopefully there might be something interesting on here for you to see!!

We want to thank you all for your prayers and encouragement--especially during our time in Scotland! It means so much to us to have such supportive family and friends!! And thanks for the extra prayers during our traveling time. We love you all and are so thankful for you!!

Her Name Is Rebecca....

2009-11-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

To know how wonderful it is to know that, you must know the story... She is our friend. I have no idea why she is in Scotland or how she got here. But she has been a consistent joy and light to us in this crazy city. Her smile is toothless, yet beautiful. Her face is always beaming with gratefulness--even when we have nothing to give her. And most of all, she has enjoyed my children, which warms my heart to her even more... Paige has been the most open to her--Paige is, by nature, our most social and relational. So, Rebecca must have picked up on that too. Plus, Paige likes to drop the coins in her beat up Starbucks cup--so, Rebecca has made the habit of kissing her little hand--(even when those sweet little hands don't drop any coins in...) Even when we're all the way across the street--and it's a large, busy street!--she still seeks us out with her sweet, grateful smile....

Maybe it's because neither of us truly belong here. Maybe it's because, in a sense, we're both sort of homeless right now--(which is ridiculous for me to say when I have a roof over my head). Or maybe it's because God in His infinite wisdom and kind nature has knitted our hearts together... I really don't know why, but she has become our friend. And she is what I will miss the most about Scotland.

You see, she doesn't speak English--except for "thank you" which comes out "thank ye." And I can't even figure out what language she speaks! I have asked her what her name is before, but to no avail. Today, all that changed. Zion and I ran to the store this afternoon. It was a rare day, and Shane came home in the afternoon to take a mental break and get ready for one more final push on the 'ol Ph.D.! So, since Paige and Maddox were sleeping, Zion and I headed out to get some milk and bread. When we came upon "our friend," as we've called her for the last 2 months, I could tell she was doing something with her fingers. I realized she had cut herself somehow and was bleeding. She had managed to find a tissue, or maybe some other kind soul had at least offered her that much... I asked her about it, and she knew what I meant. She asked me about Zion then... I spoke his name and she wanted to hug him. Then I asked a few times what her name was and patted her leg--and she said, "Rebecca." I wanted to jump for joy to know her name. Finally! Well, we wanted to help her--we always have--and she had a very practical need today. So, we dropped our coins in her beat up Starbucks cup, and Zion and I determined to help take care of her.

There was a pharmacy just a couple doors down, and we popped in there to find the necessary bandages and some wet wipes to clean it off. We headed on down further to get our milk and bread. When we came back by Rebecca, we stopped. I pulled out the bandages and wet wipes and she couldn't stop her smile or stop saying "Thank ye." I cleaned her up, bandaged her finger and then gave the stuff to her so she could keep taking care of it. She just beamed at Zion and me, and kept giving us hugs and kisses. It was precious.....

I started praying a while back that God would help us understand each other whenever it came time for us to leave. I want her to know that I will never forget her, and that even though we're going back to America, we will pray for her... How do you say this to someone who speaks another language?? I pray we already have in some ways... But I still also pray that God will let her ears hear me when I tell her, "God loves you and so do I."

Another Celebration!!

2009-11-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Many of you already know this, but I wanted to blog about it anyway--mostly because we are SO excited about it!!! This past Wednesday, I found out that I have officially been excepted into the Nursing Program!!! This journey started several years ago, actually. I started taking classes a few years ago--just 2 or 3 a semester. Now I have all my prerequisites completed, and this is the next step. So, this is big news in our family. Not only because it's something we've prayed about and waited for, but because this means some changes coming soon in our family. So, while we're excited, we're also a little nervous about what this will entail over the next two years of my program. All the while, we are trusting that God has his hand on our family, and that He is guiding us each step of the way.

So, to celebrate we went to McDonners. It is Indian cuisine, and they say, "Our motto is your satisfaction!" Well, you can't beat that, right?... The place was pretty small, and full, of course. So, we got "take-away," as they say here in Scotland. We had fun! Oh, and Shane bought me a chocolate cake--the same one he got for my birthday! (He knows me so well!!!) Here we are celebrating!!!...

Waiting patiently for our great food!! (I had a vegetarian calzone the size of a watermelon!! It was AWESOME! And it took me four meals to finish it! Leftovers are great, right?!)

What a life with this handsome, wonderful man!! I am quite blessed!!

Thank you to everyone for your encouragement and support along the way. Especially to my wonderful, sweet family--Shane, Zion, Paige and Maddox--you guys have been understanding and supportive at all times! Not to mention you've been a light in the dark times of the semester and never cease to put a smile on my face! I could not have done it without you!! Here's to the next two years! I praise you Lord for going ahead of us. We are your faithful followers....

Halloween 09

2009-11-06T16:04:00.001-08:00

Well, this year Halloween was interesting for us. We did find some costumes, no problem. Halloween is totally celebrated here in Scotland. (Maybe not quite as commercialized...) However, because we're smack in the middle of the city, and our particular apartment complex is small--we didn't have anywhere to actually go trick-or-treating. So, our plan was to dress up and head downstairs to Kenny's newspaper stand, and let the kids buy some candy. In fact, it was funny, because another customer asked us after seeing the kids dressed up, "You know you have to buy the candy in here, right?" So, here was our Halloween adventure....

2 Buzz Lightyear's & 1 Dora

Attempt #1 at a picture of all 3 of the kids....

Attempt #2.....

"Little Buzz"

"Pretty Dora"

"Big Buzz"

This is the hallway to leave our building.

Scoping out the candy.....
Found something!....
Waiting for Kenny to ring it up... (Notice Paige's bucket--she just hated the thought of not having a trick-or-treat bag! So, she grabbed one of Maddox's toy buckets.)
Attempt #3... Adorable, huh?!!

So, we had a fun Halloween! Interesting, but fun. The kids were good sports about it all--they're pretty amazing!

Our Trip to The Castle of Edinburgh

2009-10-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we visited The Castle of Edinburgh. This is something we have been talking about since before we arrived in Scotland. The kids were sooo excited!!! We had a great time--even though it was cold, windy and rained on and off... It was worth it!! This particular Castle was a city within the walls. Amazing. Enjoy the pics!!

2009-10-29T13:58:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Friday Night Fun!

2009-10-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

So, lastnight was a fun and interesting night for us. A friend of Shane's from school--who has a wife and 6 month old--invited us over for dinner. That was a very exciting thing for us since we haven't had the opportunity to make very many friends yet.... Anyway, they live across town, about 2.5 miles away. We knew it would take about 45 min. to an hour for us to walk it, but we were fine with that, and planned on leaving in plenty of time. Well, as things go, we didn't quite leave when we should have, and then when we stepped outside it started raining!! Now, so far when we've experienced the rain it's mostly been a light mist--not a down pour. It wasn't a down pour, but it was much more than a mist lastnight! PLUS, we were walking in it for over and hour since we weren't exactly sure where we were going! But we hadn't looked at the bus schedule, didn't bring a bus route map with us, and we don't know that part of the city that well. So, our options were quite limited. We kept walking...thinking it wasn't as bad as it was... Well, we had walked for over an hour in the rain--dripping wet once we arrived at our new friend's flat late! But they were very gracious to us, and they helped us find a bus route that would take us home when we left. Riding the bus absolutely delights the kids. They think it's great! So, here we are. Riding the bus.

And one last thing--this is why I'm cautious about riding the bus--we got on the wrong #5 bus!! It was headed in the opposite direction! But fortunately it was turning around to head in the right direction, and the bus drivers let us stay on. The "last stop" was actually at the ASDA--which is a "suprecentre" of sorts. I told Shane, "This must be there 'Walmart.'" And sure enough, as we were pulling out of the parking lot, the sign said, "Part of the WalMart Family." WOW! They are taking over the world, aren't they?!

So, to sum up, we had a fun night meeting our new friends and hanging out. Next time, if it's raining we certainly will not be walking that far! But it makes for a fun story, I suppose. And we were able to see some more of the city we wouldn't have noticed from the bus. Cheers, everyone!

Big Accomplishments at the Wood House!!!

2009-10-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated!!!! It wasn't necessarily a "Scottish" celebration, but a celebration nonetheless...
Shane has been working so hard, and he completed his first chapter rough draft for his dissertation yesterday! It was a big deal, and we were very excited for him to complete this!! So, when he got home we went out on the town.... (to Quizno's... very American, I know)... But every time we're out on the town, it's some sort of Scottish experience, I guess.... And to be honest, so many of the little cafe's in the city aren't very conducive to a large stroller and a family of 5 (with little ones anyway). So, there are just pics of us below because most of our readers have most likely seen a Quizno's before. We sure had a great time!

Zion and Shane

Paige and me
(I don't know if Paige was trying to do a kiss face here or what?)

Shane and Maddox (being silly)

Zion and me (his smile is something, huh?)

Maddox and me

Shane and Paige--oh my word, she is so beautiful!!!
(Oh, and I was telling her not to smile here... Go figure...)

And Maddox was, of course, entertaining us. I tried to get this on video, but he stopped once I turned it on. He was being spiderman or something. Oh, let me correct that... He was being "Spectacular Spiderman," as the kids call it. It's hilarious!

We are SO proud of you, Shane/Daddy!!! And we love you soooooo much!!!!

Freeze Tag, Anyone?

2009-10-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

So, if any of you out there would like to know how to play freeze tag in tight quarters--here you go!!

We're having fun in our flat, that's for sure! We just hope the people below us are having fun too!!:)

Just Some More Pics...

2009-10-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here are just some pics.... Nothing very new to report here. We've hit a nice groove here in Edinburgh--visiting the park, grocery shopping every couple of days (due to walking/carrying everything and small storage space), and homeschooling and napping (for the 2 youngest anyway)....

Zion, Paige and Maddox: Today... We had a weird day... So, getting the camera out always livens things up, right?

Here's Paige posing... We have been braiding her hair lately, which is a new thing. She really, really, really wanted 3 braids in her hair!... Since that's how old she is, DUH!... So, we did it--as you can see below... Above, she was posing--adorable, huh?

And this was actually taken last week... The kids were being really silly, still in their pajamas and had gone to one of the beds!

These three certainly love each other!!!

Oh yeah, for any history buffs wondering about "Annie Londonderry" from our last post... She was a very brave and influential woman in the late 1800's who rode her bike all over the world. Sounds kinda silly, but was actually a bold move for a woman at that time. As I said, there was a women's suffrage parade here in Edinburgh last week--so, I'm guessing that's why they noted "Annie Londonderry" even though she was an American woman. Also, we still haven't really figured out why they hung it on David Humes statue... Our theories: 1. Because it's a very prominent thing on the Royal Mile. or 2. Because it's a statue of a man. David Hume lived about a century before Annie Londonderry, and he doesn't seem to have been against women's suffrage. That's all I know, folks...

Just Some Pics...

2009-10-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

Here is Zion working on his memory verse for this week. We are working on having a verse from the Bible that starts with each letter of the alphabet! He's doing really well--even memorizing them! He's so smart!

And the kids were being so cute the other day and cuddling up on the couch... (It wasn't all that easy to get each one looking at the camera and smiling all at once though!) But they're still adorable, aren't they?!!

This has become one of our nightly rituals--reading from God's Word. We are in the book of Genesis reading about Joseph.

And I just thought this was an interesting thing we saw the other day... You may remember this statue of David Hume from an earlier post. (At least I'm pretty sure I posted it.) Anyway, he was a very influential philosopher a long time ago. We're not yet sure what his defamed statue implies, however, we are looking into it. Here's what we do know thus far--there was a women's suffrage parade the other on the Royal Mile, and it was the same day we saw David Hume's statue defamed with a scarf around his head and a sign reading "I remember... Annie Londonderry." I thought it was interesting anyway... maybe it won't be once I found out what it means...

Seriously Scottish

2009-10-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this a while back... Every time we've been up to the Royal Mile, which is one of the more touristy areas of the city--and close to the castle, there is always someone playing the bagpipes. It is "seriously Scottish," don't you think? And quite beautiful, I might add. Here's just a short clip. And yes, the men you see playing bagpipes (and some not playing bagpipes) are always dressed in a kilt and the full Scottish garb! Very authentic. Enjoy!

30 Is The New 20, Right?!!.....

2009-10-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

So, most of you know that I had a birthday just a couple days ago....And that's right, I turned the BIG 3-0...

Here's what we did on the actual day....

Shane surprised me by bringing home a cake!! It was great!!...

Lots of chocolate.... Mmmmm......

Me, getting ready to serve the cake.

The kids were really excited about the cake!

Isn't Maddox just SOOO cute?!...

So then, today I received 2 packages in the mail... They were birthday packages from some dear, sweet people back home=Mom Wood and Kista. Thank you SO much, girlies!!

These are the PJ's that Mom Wood sent me... Nice & warm! Thanks.

And Kista sent this beautiful bracelet! I love it!! Thank you, sweet friend.

And of course, there were some goodies for the kiddos in those packages.....

We had a movie night tonight with the movie that Nana sent us!

(They really are watching a movie.... just waiting for the picture to come back up....:)

And we had the yummy snacks--Halloween rice krispie treats and Veggie Tales fruit snacks!
Thanks SO much!! We had a great night!

And since Shane was evidently taking most of the pictures, I wanted to put a couple of pics on here of him......

Shane studies SO hard!! We are so proud of him!!

Thanks everyone for all the birthday wishes, packages, thoughts and shout outs!! I appreciate it!!

Funny Stories From Across the Pond....

2009-10-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

So, today we were getting ready to go on an "adventure," and there was a knock on our door. When I answered, there was a young girl who wanted to give us a message. She looked like she was getting ready to clean the flat next door to ours, and she told me--in her lovely Scottish accent--that it would be open if we wanted to walk through and go to the back garden. (There is no back door in our flat to the back garden, so we have had no access to it.) Since we were getting ready to leave, we weren't able to do that today, but she then told us that we could go through another open flat for the next two days if we wanted. She was really sweet and concerned about the kids getting outside! Of course, through the whole interchange the kids were swarming the door wanting to know what was going on. And as we proceeded to walk back into the living room, Paige asks me, "Mommy, what kind of Spanish was she speaking?"

Isn't that hilarious?!... One thing I looked forward to in coming to Scotland was seeing how the kids reacted to the Scottish accent. Not only the accent but all the different words they use. For instance, the kids have loved that they call 'cookies'--'biscuits' and 'chips'--'crisps.' But being in the city and especially with such a large university, we hear all kinds of accents! There are people from all over the world here--on the streets, shop owners, even at church, etc. So, they haven't had as much interaction with people who have a true Scottish accent. Anyway, it was quite hilarious!

Our Flat

2009-10-03T12:07:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots of our flat....

This is the hallway... the door on the left is the main door to exit and enter the flat. The curve at the end of the hallway, curves left into our room. And the opening at the right of the curve leads to a smaller hallway where the kids room and a closet is. Just to the right (where the date stamp is) is the door to the bathroom.

This picture is taken from the living room looking down the hallway--I guess this is our "entry way." The short wall to the right is part of the kitchen.

And this is from the entry way looking into the living room/dining room and the kitchen to the left.

And here's the kitchen. The tall cabinet at the right is actually our refrigerator on top and our freezer on the bottom. The cabinet left of the freezer is our washing machine. Isn't it cool that it all looks like cabinets?

This is our living room.

And here is Zion sitting at our dining room table having school. We are homeschooling while we're in Scotland since Zion is starting Kindergarten this year. He's doing great! And we're having fun.

Here's the kids enjoying their Aquadoodles from Nana and Pappy. They love these things. Thanks, Nana and Pappy!!

Here's Maddox sitting in his "chair" playing this cool basketball game. The kids got to pick out some $1 items before we left the U.S. to put in their back packs for the trip. Zion actually picked out this flip-up basketball game, but since arriving to Edinburgh, Maddox has taken it over! He loves it... So much so that he actually broke it! No worries though, we have charts we're working on to help the kids get used to our new surroundings--especially at night. Maddox earned enough stars that he got a new basketball game! (I'll post more about that later....:)

My Addiction.....

2009-09-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

So, I seem to have an addiction to coffee... Now, you might be thinking "who cares?" And truly, I can't imagine that too many of you--even my closest friends and family--actually care. But I thought it might be interesting for you all to know how I deal with my addiction in Scotland... the land of whiskey and tea!

This is what I pour water into, flip a switch, and it boils water in like a minute! Awesome, right?!

Next, I have coffee grounds ready in my new French Press waiting for the hot water..... Thank you, Kate!!!
After that, I cover the "brewing" coffee with a towel to keep it warm... (What do you think, Fran??)
And finally..... mmmm, coffee.... Well, this is not actually my personal cup... But it looked much better than the picture I took! So, there you have it--that's how it's done in Scotland. In case you were wondering....

Afternoon at the Park

2009-09-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

Just a block or two from our flat there is the coolest park ever!! A few days ago we headed over to check it out.....
Aunt Katie and the kids riding the bicycle merry-go-round.

Paige & Maddox loved the swings! There was a basket swing (which I've never seen before, but evidently we do have them in the States) that Paige loved and Maddox wasn't too sure of...

Aunt Katie was helping Zion check out this "machine," as Zion called it, that when you turn the handles water and sand run through it. Zion loved it!!

And then there was the zipline...... And I think the videos say it all.....

Edinburgh At Night

2009-09-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some sights of Edinburgh at night! The night before Jordan and Alexis left for home, we headed out to see the Castle of Edinburgh. It was getting dark, and I tried to get what pictures I could--the scene was SO cool! However, my camera doesn't quite do it all justice...

This is looking down Bank Street from the Royal Mile. Shane heads down this street each day he goes to New College where the School of Divinity is.

Zion and Mommy waiting while Aunt Lexy was looking for a kilt!

This is an old cathedral where they put on all kinds of festivals now.

This is St. Giles at night--it is spectacular! (Even though in this picture it's pretty dark...)

Paige and Daddy--SO sweet!

And this is looking down the Royal Mile from in front of the Castle. The Castle was closed when we arrived, and since we had a stroller and it was getting late, we weren't able to take the stairs in order to get a better view of the Castle. Behind me, where I was taking this picture, they were tearing down bleachers that had been set up for a military festival of some sort. We have plans to visit the Castle again and should get some great pics then!

A little glitch.....

2009-09-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I just wanted to give a quick update.... My computer broke:( and we have just finally revived it! It overheated and totally shut down on me!... We found a great little computer shop that helped us out, but when I brought it home it still wasn't working! Ugh!!! Well, come to find out, we also had a problem with the converter we were using.... So, all is well for now, and I will resume posting a.s.a.p.!!! In just a few short minutes I'm headed on a date with my wonderful, brilliant, adorable husband!... Aunt Katie is still here and is babysitting for us! Yeah, Aunt Katie!! They're going to have a fun movie night!! Ok, Shane is telling me it's time to go:)

Happy Birthday, Maddox!!!!

2009-09-20T16:48:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIG BOY!!!!!

Maddox is officially 2!!...He got to have a couple of family celebrations this year....

We celebrated with the Wood family first in Grain Valley. Of course, Zion and Paige wanted to help open the presents!

Imagine that, Maddox getting excited about a ball!!

And Maddox LOVES cake! In fact, just this morning (here in Scotland) we sang "Happy Birthday" to him, and he walked into the kitchen looking for candles to blow out and then said, "I want cake!"

And our next celebration was with Granny and Papa Tom and some Chase cousins! We had a rainbow cupcake cake--there were yummy, messy red and orange iced cupcakes!!

It was so fun celebrating with everyone, and now our big boy is officially 2!!!
Happy Birthday, Maddox! We love you!!!

First Day Exploring a Little....

2009-09-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

Most of you who would dare check our blog at this point probably already know that we are presently living in Edinburgh, Scotland. Shane arrived about a week ago, and the kids and I (along with some wonderful help--thanks to Aunt Katie and Aunt Lexy!) arrived just yesterday... We are somewhat settled, but still figuring out the time difference.... The city is absolutely gorgeous and SO FUN!! We did a little exploring today... Here are some pics......

Edinburgh, Scotland
Shane and Zion--posing while waiting at the stoplight to cross the street....

Maddox eventually got tired enough while we were exploring that he fell asleep... We are not quite on Scottish time yet!

This is the sign of the part of the University where Shane will study. We are SO proud of him!!!

And this is where that sign leads into.... Isn't it amazing?!!

Paige doing a little dance while standing in front of a beautiful, huge door....

Me standing inside one of the famous British red phone booths!

More sights of Scotland.....

Beautiful, old, huge buildings!.... Amazing!

A "Statue Lady." Yes, it's a real person, and the kids weren't too sure what to think of her!

And what would a day exploring in Scotland be without some bagpipes, right? I'll post a video later--they really did sound cool!

Thanks for checking our blog! Now that we have internet, we should be having regular posts of our time in Scotland!

We've got some 'splainin' to do......

2009-06-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

So, who takes a 5 month hiatus from blogging??... Well, evidently I DO! And this little post is no promise to have new posts (or pics for that matter...) But to explain the last 5 months--we have had no internet!! I know, I know, who in the WORLD does not have internet these days.... But it's true... And we still do not have internet currently. But I'm hoping that problem will soon be fixed!! At this moment, I am not on my own computer and have no pics to post. But once again, I hope to soon... I did just want to explain our absence from the blogosphere, and give a shout out to anyone who might actually still check our blog these days.... Here's hoping we can return SOON!!!!:)

Mommy is in Japan!

2009-01-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

Mommy....we sure love you and miss you!!!! Hope you are having fun in Japan! We are having fun with Daddy, Nana and Gramma Patty! We have been playing with play dough, playing games, painting, cutting, coloring, and praying for you every day!!! WE LOVE YOU! See you soon!

2009-01-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

December.....

2009-01-03T05:43:00.001-08:00

This past month has been crazy for us, and wonderful all at the same time!!! We've been sick, had school programs, celebrated Christmas about 50 different places with our wonderful families, been sick some more, spent a LOT of time in the car, and rang in the new year at home, asleep..... Yesterday I tried loading all my pictures from the last month onto my computer, and for whatever reason, it wouldn't work! So, there are no pics for now.... I will get those up, hopefully, in the next two weeks. Then I will have more pics after that of my trip to Japan!!!!! That's right, I'm heading to Japan TODAY!!!! Shane's sweet Mom and Gramma Patty have come to help with the kiddos while I'm away. And I get to go hang out with Luke, Kacie, Sterling and Kayla (Kacie's sister) for a little over a week. Due to travel time, I'll actually be gone for 10 days. Please pray for our family while we're apart!!

We pray that you and your families had a wonderful Christmas season with all the wonder and joy it brings! And also, Happy New Year!!!!! (I'm still wondering where 2008 went??....) Love to everyone, and we'll return in a few weeks!

Conversations in the Wood House...

2008-12-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

Zion:
Let me set this one up..... We have 5 stockings hanging from our mantle. First of all, I have them set up in a pattern. They are all similar, but we have 2 green and 3 red. So, the 3 boys have red stockings and the 2 girls have green stockings. It works out, if we go Dad, Mom, Zion, Paige, Maddox the stockings go red, green, red, green, red, which makes me perfectly happy! Well, Zion does not like the pattern. He wants them to match--so, he will frequently rearrange them so that the green ones are together and the red ones are together! He is pretty particular, which most of you who know him are already aware of. But what makes it even funnier is that he doesn't call them stockings. Though normally quite articulate, he calls them "sockets." Thus the argument....

Zion: Mom, why did you hang the sockets like that?

Mommy: Well, I hung them in order.. Since we have three boys and three red stockings and 2 girls and 2 green ones, I just hung them up in a pattern. This one is daddy's, then mommy's, then yours, then Paige's, then Maddox's. It's a pattern, see?.....

Zion: Yeah, but mom, I don't want them to hang in a pattern.... I want them to match! Like this.... See, mom, now the sockets are great!

"Sockets," according to Zion....

Paige:
And then our sweet Paige, who is so funny, is expanding her vocabulary all the time! Sometimes in order to motivate the kids we might say something like, "Whoever gets in the bathroom last to brush teeth is a rotten egg!" Well, Paige loves this! But I can't figure out whether she wants to be the rotten egg or not because she actually says "rockin' egg!" Now, we love everything about rock stars, rockin' out and rock 'n roll, etc. So, she really might see this as a positive thing..... No matter what, it does motivate her to move, and it's hilarious to hear her running around saying, "Last one is a rockin' egg!"

Maddox:
He's beginning to say SO many things! He's good at repeating though a little fickle about it. In the last few days he has said some pretty funny things.... Well, funny now. First, I was changing his diaper in his bed just before his nap. He started kicking his feet, and I said, "Don't do that." He looked at me and said, "Don't do that!" I was amazed, and actually started laughing! Then, just lastnight we were sitting at the dinner table, and he threw some food on the floor (which is a constant battle:), and I said to him, "No, no, no!" And as I went on to say, "You don't throw food on the floor...." He looked at me and said, "No, no, no!" I looked at Shane, who turned his face and laughed!!!.... I had to fight a smile, but was able to get the point across... I love that he's talking more and more, but it will be interesting as he starts to repeat everything!!!

Maddox Dancing!

2008-12-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

So, here's the video I mentioned in the last post! It's SO cute! Maddox loves to dance--anytime he hears music, he starts dancing! So cute!!!

Gingerbread House

2008-12-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

For the second year in a row, we've decorated a gingerbread house at Christmas time. It is SO fun! The kids have been looking forward to it for a while, and finally, this past weekend, we were able to get it all put together and decorated.

You can see how hard they were concentrating to get everything put in the exact right spot!

If it had been up to Zion, we would have decorated our house the same way it was decorated on the box! (That's right, it's store bought, not homemade... But come on, who really thought it was homemade?!...)

And the finished product..... What a fun tradition we've started!!!

Well, I've been trying all day (seriously) to upload this adorable video of Maddox dancing! But it is not working for me! So, I will try that another day..... Merry Christmas to everyone! We LOVE Christmas!!!!

Zion's Playing Basketball!!

2008-11-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

Zion is playing basketball at the Y! And he is totally in his element! He is AWESOME!!! Shane is assistant coach of the team, and they are having a blast!!!

Here is Zion's first basket!! SO FUN!!!!

And this is just Zion being excited during his basketball game! Isn't he SO cute?!

Paige made a friend at the basketball game.

And here's what sweet Maddox does during the game. This boy loves basketball!!!!

Seriously, Maddox loves basketball!! Here he is trying SO hard to shoot the ball!

And Paige again with her friend... SO cute!

And this is just a cute picture of Maddox.....

Zion is doing SO great playing basketball. He's so fun to watch!!! We're all so proud of him!!

Halloween Party!!

2008-11-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

Well, once again, it's been a while since I've posted! So sorry..... After Halloween, we ALL got sick!! So, that week was crazy, and this week we've been playing catch up!.... I'll start by posting some pics from Zion's Halloween party at school! Paige, Maddox and Mommy all got to go! And Nana and Pappy were in town and went along too--it was fun!

Zion, The Cowboy

Here's Zion and some classmates standing along the fence waiting to play a game.

And this is the table that was set perfectly for all the kids! Each one of them had their own place, with a bag of treats that had their name on it. The kids loved it!

Paige, The Super-Princess

Here's Paige sitting at the "younger sibling" table.

And Maddox hanging out driving the car during the party!

This is another picture of Paige, The Super-Princess! She couldn't decide between a princess and a super-hero. So, daddy had the great idea to be both!

And another picture of Zion, The Cowboy! He loved being a cowboy (and still does!). We're getting lots of use out of this year's Halloween costume!!

Maddox, The Monkey

In this picture you can't really see his face, but you can see that his whole outfit was a monkey! He truly is a monkey too!!! He climbs, jumps, dances and is just plain silly ALL the time!

And here's our front porch. I promised a picture to show our pumpkins and other fun fall stuff!! I love fall!!!!

Pumpkins!!!

2008-10-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm just going to pretend it hasn't been forever since I've posted anything.... And start catching you all up subtly, as if you really haven't missed anything... Sound okay?... Good!!!

We went on an outing after Shane got home a couple of weeks ago and got our Fall pumpkins! I love this time of year!!!... (I can't say that enough!....) We got two small ones for Zion and Paige to paint and two big ones for us to carve. We painted the two small ones last week. It was fun. And messy!!

Painting.....

Here, Zion is getting himself more paint... It's the same way with ketchup--they never think they have enough on their plate!

So, I think this picture represents why Zion really wanted more paint!....

And this is Maddox... I know, I know, I should've let him paint too!... But I didn't... He observed this year!... Next year he will get to have LOTS of fun painting!!!

Paige was taking her time and making sure she added a lot of pink!...

Here's a picture of how pretty Zion's pumpkin started out... Isn't it funny how they keep painting and painting and adding colors..... And it usually always turns out black or brown..... Oh well, it's FUN!!!

Carving.....

And just the other day we carved our pumpkins!! Here's Shane getting the process started.

And Zion was SO excited!!!

Paige waiting to do her part!...

Zion and Shane digging out the goo!...

Paige... So cute, isn't she??.... She's ready to draw on the pumpkin!

And here's all of us digging out the goo!

As was a tradition for Shane growing up, and is now one for us, we each get to draw a piece of the face. Then Shane cuts them out.

Shane drew the mouth on the right P.
Sara drew the nose on the right P and both eyes on the left P.
Zion drew the left eye on the right P and the mouth on the left P.
Paige drew the right eye on the right P and the nose on the left P.
(P = pumkin, in case you didn't realize...)

We are in the fall spirit around here!!! I love this time of year!!!!! I will post a pic of our front porch soon--mums, pumpkins and scarecrows! I love it!!!! Happy fall, everyone!!!

A Little Update....

2008-10-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting for SO long!... The past week or two have been a little crazy for us! Most of you know that Shane was off gallivanting across the world in Europe--Prague, Berlin and Budapest to be exact. He was visiting each of the ICR libraries and also checking in with a school that is an option for his PhD. He safely returned to us this past Saturday night, but has since become ill with the flu! YUCK! So, pray for him. He was dealing with jet lag as it was and now this! And we missed him terribly and just want all to be back to normal....

Besides all of that, the kids and I have been doing pretty well... We kept ourselves busy and distracted while Shane was gone. We had visitors, ER visits and all kinds of stuff! Okay, I know I need to explain... Maddox fell off the couch and landed directly on his back and sort of hit his head (on the carpet). Almost immediately after picking him up to comfort him he began throwing up (which can be a sign of concussion). After having talked with a nurse at the hospital, she said I needed to have him looked at right away! So, off to the ER we went. He was perfectly fine. They suggested keeping an eye on him, and said (exact words), "If he becomes less and less conscious, we need to see him!" I don't know why that cracks me up.... Anyway, Maddox is completely fine. He had had some milk just before his fall, and we think maybe it just jostled it around a bit and that's why he threw it up. So, there's the story....

I also got a new SD card for my camera which doesn't seem to want to work with my computer the same way my old one did... So, that's another reason for no new pics lately.... I'll get it worked out and get back to posting soon!!!

Maddox's First Birthday!!!

2008-09-24T12:51:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics from Maddox's first birthday!!! We had SO much fun!! Thanks to everyone who was able to come and help us celebrate! Oh, and to explain some of the pics... Maddox did NOT like his cake! Yes, in fact, he cried! We all know he does not get that from his mama!... Also, there are some of Maddox's "one year" pics in the mix and also some "Mommy & Maddox" pics that we finally got taken!!! Enjoy!!

Mr. Maddox Turns One!.....

2008-09-20T18:35:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY!!!!!!!!

Maddox turned one today!!! We had a fun party celebrating! I will post party pics SOON!! But we just wanted to say "Happy Birthday, Maddox!! We love you SOOOOOO much!!!!"

Some Cute Pics!

2008-09-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

Our Family

Zion has been drawing a lot lately. We have also been going to the library about once a week, and for two weeks in a row he wanted to check out "The Bee Movie." So, here is Zion's picture of a bee! Not bad, huh?

More of the scooter...

Shane gave Zion and Paige a ride on his scooter!!! They loved it!!!

And.... the adorable.....

MADDOX!!!.... Who is almost ONE!!!

The kids were having SO much fun watching themselves in the mirror! How cute!!!

Hola! Estamos Cantando Y Caminando!

2008-09-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Just some fun videos of the kids!!...

Paige was singing some songs we've sung at home and also at church! It was SOOO cute!

Zion has been working on Spanish numbers and colors at school! He's SO smart!!

And here's Maddox taking a few more steps!! He's SO big!!!

P.S. Gracias, Pablo!

A Conversation With Zion.....

2008-09-08T17:55:00.001-07:00

So, let me set this up for you all, to begin.... The other night we were at Chic-Fil-A eating dinner. First clue to the hilariousness of this story is that the only thing Chic-Fil-A serves is chicken, right?!... Well, as we're ordering, I ask Zion what he would like to eat. He informs me that he would like the "hang-u-ber" in the picture on the menu! I'm scrambling, trying to make sure I'm ordering enough for everyone and exactly what they'll want. So, I quickly reply, "Oh, honey, that's not a hamburger, it's a chicken sandwich. Do you want a chicken sandwich?" And the conversation continues like this....

Zion: No, mommy I don't want a sandwich, I want a hang-u-ber.

Mommy: (Not exactly sure where the break down in communication is yet...) Zion, it's not a hamburger, they don't have hamburgers. It's a chicken sandwich.

Daddy: (Wisely stepping in and basically cutting me off with a smile....) Just order it!

So, we order the "chicken sandwich," which by the way is not a kids meal, so it doesn't come with a toy... It ended up being no big deal for Zion, but I wanted to warn you all out there!....

And as we're sitting at the table, setting out the food, Zion asks for his "hang-u-ber." Daddy tries this time to explain....

And Zion replies, "Daddy, no, no, no... It's a hang-u-ber. HANG.......U.......BER....."

We were left only to laugh at our hilarious son, who was very set in his thinking.... Enough to sound out the word to us!!!

The Kids!!

2008-09-05T11:20:00.001-07:00

Just some pics of our sweet kids!....

Expressions of Zion

"tough guy"

"serious biker"

"pondering"

Beautiful Paige

Just because she's beautiful...

Trying out mommy's high heels! (Notice her "strut!")

Paige is potty trained!!! She received this stool for finally, willingly going #2 on the toilet!... (Since then, we're still having a little trouble with it--not sure why?!) But overall, she was easy and is doing GREAT!!

(A close up of the stool.)

Maddox, The Musician

Maddox loves instruments! He loves climbing up to the piano and playing it!

"The Wood Boys Band"
Maddox LOVED this!!!

If you haven't yet heard.... It's true!!!!

Maddox is walking!!!!!..... This video was taken at Shane's graduation party! I'll get more footage of him walking soon! He's doing GREAT, and thinks he's pretty big stuff!!!

Last Weekend....

2008-09-03T18:55:00.001-07:00

Shane's Graduation Party

This past weekend we celebrated a lot!!!! First, we had a graduation party for Shane. As some of you may remember, Shane graduated with two Masters degrees back in May. He worked hard over the past four years at Lincoln Christian Seminary, and deservedly earned his Masters degrees with honors!! We are SO proud of him!!!

The grad table.... Both degrees, towels, hoods, cap... The thesis, nicely bound (red book at the right), and of course, cake and cookies!!

Jordan & Alexis..........Papa & Paige

A few of the people that helped us celebrate!

We hung out outside and had a blast! It was hot, of course, but still fun! Nana & Pappy got us a bad mitten/volleyball net--which Zion loves!!!! Thank you, Nana & Pappy, for everything!!!!

It's hard to tell from the above picture, but Superman actually showed up at the party!! (Zion insisted on wearing his Superman pj's the whole day! It was cute!)

Paige, swinging of course.......Maddox eating--SO CUTE!

Thanks to everyone who came to help us celebrate!.... (Especially those who traveled so far!) We love you all!!!!

Labor Day

We played outside on Labor Day. It was SO fun!

We got the pool out and the kids enjoyed filling it up, putting their faces in the water and jumping in & out!

Paige was "relaxing" in the pool! She was leaning against one side--it was SO cute! And Zion kept putting his face in the water and then coming up splashing--it was SO cute too!!!... (My kids are SO CUTE!!:)

Women's Bible Study

2008-08-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

Well, some of you ladies reading this received an email from me, but I'm sure there are some I either do not have a current email address for or that I neglected to send it to. (I apologize!!) And some of you may have noticed the new blog added to my blog roll--Women Seeking Him. I would like to invite any of you women out there who are interested to check out this blog! Me, along with two dear friends, have started this blog to form a community of women who are seeking to know God and His Word more, but may not have the opportunity to attend a regular Bible study. (Even if you do go to a Bible, feel free to join us!) We will be going through Beth Moore's workbook A Woman's Heart--God's Dwelling Place. There will be weekly (and perhaps daily) posts to generate discussion and help us process and work through the study together. It will also, hopefully, work as accountability for all of us to grow in the Word. If you haven't checked out the blog yet click here or see the link on my "Blogs We Love" list!!!

Guessing Game....

2008-08-27T20:08:00.001-07:00

Can you guess what this is?........

Scroll down to figure out whether you are right......

Drum roll, please........

It's a SCOOTER!!!!!!

Yep, that's right, folks!.... Shane bought a scooter!....

Here is Shane practicing on his new ride.....

Oh, you can laugh and make fun of Shane all you want.... But this is what you will hear, "100 miles to the gallon, baby, 100 miles to the gallon."

And here are the kids, who are as excited as daddy is about his new scooter! They really want to go with him when he rides it!!

And here is our typical, happy Maddox!! He's always happy about everything, pretty much! So cute, isn't he??!!.....

God's Provision.....

2008-08-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't say it any other way!!!!.... Today was my first day of class. I have been anticipating our life to get CRAZY!!!... I've been calling it the craziness, in fact. Juggling everything was going to be more difficult than ever!... I have often wondered why in the world God called me to this--going back to school, becoming a nurse--at this moment in my life, when all I thought I would do was stay home with my sweet kids!... But I was challenged not too long ago to try to think about the "bigger story" going on! So, I've been trusting that God's "bigger story" was more important than my ideas of what our life should look like right now! In that, God continually provides--he has for the past three years when I started going back to school!! This particular semester, I was more nervous than ever before! However, with friends and my awesome, supportive husband we had things worked out as best we could! My wonderful sister, Lettie, would watch the kids Monday while I was in class from 12:30-1:45, and then Shane would come home early for my class that began at 4:00. Then on Wednesday, when I have the same schedule, my friend Jackie would watch the kids at 12:30. So, that was the plan... Not to mention, I was pretty nervous about my 4:00 chemistry class!... So, today I went to my math class at 12:30 to find out that I don't have to attend class except for two days the whole semester!!!.... The midterm and the final! So, now, instead of picking Zion up from preschool and then scarfing down lunch in the car and spending a few minutes together before taking him to the babysitter, we can actually go home and be normal!! It may not always work like this for these next 2.5 years, but this semester, thankfully, the Lord worked this out for us! And also, I have a great chemistry teacher!! My chemistry class no longer intimidates me!!! I'm just thrilled about all of this!!! God is good, and I just wanted to share His faithfulness in my own life today!!!... Feel free to comment and share your own stories!! God's love and grace to you all!....

Shane's Website

2008-08-24T19:04:00.001-07:00

Well, for anyone who frequents Shane's new website--www.shanejwood.com--you may have noticed a weird home page!... Yes, it's true what it said.... It was totally hacked into!!! At first, it was a little eerie, but now we're laughing about it!... They completely hacked into the website! I mean the art gallery and everything!... So, Shane will be working diligently to get it back up and running SOON!!! For anyone who hasn't had a chance to check out Shane's website, watch for updates on when it's up and running and do check it out!! It's worth your time... CRAZY, huh?!!...

Zion's BIG Day!!!

2008-08-19T13:00:00.001-07:00

Open House

We've had a BIG weekend at the Wood house!!!... Last Thursday, it all began! Zion's open house for school was Thursday night. We got all his supplies together (in his new "Kung Fu Panda" backpack!) and dropped them off. We met his teachers and saw the facility! It was nice to see everything. Zion wasn't too sure about things with all the parents, student's siblings and chaos!!!... But we assured him it wouldn't be so crowded and crazy on Monday.

This is Zion all ready for the open house!

Here's Paigey ready to go with her bubby to the open house!

Here, Zion walking with daddy & Maddox to the open house!

Zion's Special Day

Since Zion is now a "big boy" going to school, Shane wanted to do something special, just the two of them.... So, this past Saturday they went to the creek together. They talked about being a big boy, talked about special things that Zion would do now that he's big, and they threw rocks in the creek and got all wet! They had a BLAST! And they got some orange soda on the way home to top it all off! Zion looked forward to having this time with his daddy, and it was wonderful!!! The top picture is before they left, and the picture below is when they got home.

Zion's First Day of School

And here's Zion on his first day of school!!!!

Paige and Zion--did I mention that we're all really excited?!!!

Zion with his brother & sister!!!

Zion & Mommy

Zion, Daddy & Paigey

We've had a BIG last few days!!!! Zion is loving school!!! When I went to pick him up on Monday, he didn't want to leave! He's excited about going back tomorrow--he goes Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. His teacher asked him to bring a book from the library for Wednesday so the whole class can read it! He thought that was pretty special! He finally opened up tonight (Tuesday) to Shane and me before going to bed. We were laughing and talking all about school!!! He's doing GREAT!!!

Zion's First Day of School

2008-08-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been sitting here for a while and have tried several times to upload some pictures!! But it's NOT working!!!... Anyway, today was Zion's first day of preschool!!!!.... Sigh.... We really can't believe it!... Zion loved it!! In fact, when I went to pick him up, he was not ready to leave!!! He will be going Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. We are all REALLY excited!!! Hopefully I will be able to post some pics of Zion's open house, his special day with daddy and his first day of preschool for you all very soon!!!

Shane's New Blog

2008-08-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed on "Our Favorite Websites" list Shane's new website! If you have yet to check it out, please do!!! It has all kinds of resources and information, especially concerning the book of Revelation and Eschatology... And the main reason for this post is to highlight Shane's new blog as well! You can access it from our "Blogs We Love" list or through Shane's website or go to www.shanejwoodonline.blogspot.com. As you all know, blogs are interactive, and Shane is hoping for interaction from lots of people! The topics will be a variety of things--some more serious than others.... Please check it out, even if you just say hi to Shane--Let's give him a HUGE welcome to the blogosphere!!!!!!

Playing In The Rain, Cool Hair & Funny Faces.....

2008-08-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had (for the second weekend in a row) a garage sale--trying to get rid of some things we are done using, etc. Anyway, Zion and Paige were hanging outside with me, and it began to rain.... They thought it was fun sitting there in the light rain. This is how it started out.....

And eventually, this is what happened....

They were completely drenched!!!!

There was a current running at the end of our driveway. They had fun playing in it--trying to make things float, even themselves! Trying to stop up the current... It was SO FUN!!!!

Well, the temperature had cooled down immensely during all of this... So, when it got too cold, we headed inside to warm up!

Maddox's Cool Hair & Funny Faces!

Yes, Maddox is finally getting some hair!!!! After his bath,the other day, I put it in a mohawk (or "mo-hog" as Zion calls it). It actually stayed for a while! It was hilarious!...

And while he was patiently waiting for his brother and sister to get done bathing, here are some hilarious faces we caught of Maddox!....

Does it get any cuter??!!!.... While Maddox is incredibly laid back, he is also turning out to be somewhat dramatic!... And he is quite the communicator--screaming is his preferred way of talking these days... No, it's not a bad screaming, like crying or hurting or whatever... He's just talking, but making sure that we all hear him!... He still laughs and smiles more than any baby we know!... He's our precious, adorable baby!...

Potty Training!!!

2008-08-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

Well, we've finally arrived..... That's right, Paige is potty training, and doing well, I might add!... We started this past week. It went like this... Paige had one of her "times" when she wanted to sit on the toilet. I try to never deny her that. My thought was that once she actually went on the toilet, she would know what it was. Then we could go from there! Well, she actually DID go that night! So, we talked about it and told her she would have a tub of surprises to choose from each time she went on the toilet. Something we had at home and had been telling her she could have when she pottied was skittles. So, that night she got a couple skittles for going.... As I should have known with Paige, the next day--after having gone out to the dollar store and purchasing several fun little things for her "surprises"--she would have been completely satisfied with skittles! Well, she's been doing great! Yes, we've had a few accidents!! (At Wal-Mart--that was my favorite!) But truly she's doing GREAT! Today, we had NO accidents! Even at church! I don't even think she's gotten anything out of her surprise tub either!... She's just going because she likes being a big girl!.... We have yet to go #2--any suggestions??.... I've tried asking her what the problem is, but she doesn't really say.... So, we'll just keep trying with that!.. She IS staying dry all night and through her naps as well! So, if we can just get the #2 down, she'll be set!

One of Paige's surprises was a pair of pretty, blue, sparkly flip flops! Here she's posing for me!

And here's Paige showing some stickers she just pulled out of her surprise tub. (I'm pretty sure she had just woken up!)

Happy Birthday To You!!!

2008-08-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

I think August is our family's biggest month for birthdays!!! We've already had THREE (1 aunt and 2 uncles!), and we have several more before the month is over! I was able to leave my brother Brian a message (but still have yet to TALK to him), however, we neglected to call Aunt Crystal and Uncle J for their birthdays!!!! How ridiculous is that??!!!!.... WE ARE SOOOOOO SORRY!!!!... We were thinking of you guys, and here's a little video from your favorite niece and nephews to say "Happy Birthday!!" We love you guys!!!....

Reflections On The Wedding......

2008-08-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry, these posts are coming slowly.... But, even though I put up the cool slide slow about the wedding, I didn't really say anything about it! So, I thought I would post these fun videos of the kids dancing at the reception and tell you all some of the highlights from a beautiful wedding!...

Reflections.....
1.) It was one of the biggest and most beautiful weddings I've ever been to!
2.) Crystal was simply stunning in her dress, and Justin looked pretty good too!
3.) Nothing was left out--the couple even had beautiful bookmarks for us to take home and remember this wonderful occasion!
4.) My kids were ADORABLE! Zion and Paige did a wonderful job walking down the aisle (even though, at the last minute, Zion begged me to help him!... Well, actually he threatened he wouldn't go without me... So, I walked them most of the way down...) And Maddox looked like a little man in his vest, tie and black pants--SO cute!
5.) My husband looked GREAT in his tux!!! (Reminded me of our wedding....:)
6.) The reception was SOOOO fun with everyone enjoying Crystal and Justin and dancing and celebrating!
7.) I got to sing at the ceremony with one of my best friends, Sarah, which was SO fun!!!
8.) The ceremony was such a beautiful tribute to Justin and Crystal, their faith and the foundation of their marriage--Christ.
9.) It's always fun at events like these to be able to see so much family and lots of friends too--what a treat!!!
10.) Shane and Jordan both gave a toast at the reception--I mean, what entertainment, right??!!!....:)

11.) Justin and Crystal were so excited and so happy on their wedding day!!! It was beautiful!!

I'm SO thankful we were able to be a part of such a beautiful and wonderful and important day in Justin and Crystal's lives!...... We're SO happy for you two and all that God has in store for your life together. We are always here for you guys. Welcome to the family, Crystal--sis! We love you both VERY much!!!....

Here are two cute videos of Zion and Paige dancing!! Two of their cousins, Ava and Dillan, also joined in! Enjoy!
(WARNING: The volume (from the songs playing at the reception) may be a little loud on the videos!)

A Great Man

2008-07-26T19:42:00.003-07:00

One of the events I (Sara) was able to attend (unfortunately without Shane and the kids) was my great grandfather's visitation and funeral. He had been sick for a while, so it wasn't entirely unexpected. However, our hearts were heavy in his passing but were lifted as we came together as a family to celebrate his life! He was a generous, kind, thoughtful, quiet, intelligent man who always had a hand to help, an ear to listen and a heart to smile at you. Many people who knew him told their stories about his kindness and generosity in their life. And those able to gather with our family shared tears remembering his life, his love of baseball and golf, and his love for his family--especially his wife. The pictures in the following post are merely a fraction of the family he left in his legacy! Several were unable to attend, and some I neglected to get pictures of (sorry!). As my uncle Dave said at the funeral, "There aren't men like my grandpa anymore...." Well, honestly, I feel I know some of the finest men on the face of the earth right in my own family. But I believe it's due to the grace of God and men, like my great grandfather, who invest in younger lives and who live their own life following after Jesus! I pray God's grace to all affected by my great grandfather's passing.

Legacy of Grandpa Huiskamp

2008-07-26T19:42:00.001-07:00

The Wedding

2008-07-26T09:14:00.001-07:00

Quick Update!

2008-07-23T07:15:00.001-07:00

Okay, so yesterday I was determined to have pictures, a slide show and all kinds of fun stuff to let everyone know what we've been up to the past two weeks!!! Well, it didn't quite work out like I thought!....

So, first of all, I apologize for leaving everyone hanging with the hornet situation--it has been taken care of!!!! We called the bug guy and he came with a power sprayer and sprayed 'em back to where they came from!!!.....

Secondly, we traveled in the last two weeks. My great grandfather passed away, and I was able to attend the visitation and funeral and see lots of family I haven't seen in years! He had been pretty sick, so it was somewhat expected. It was really a celebration of his life! The funeral and visitation both--many people loved and respected my great grandfather--he was a good man! After that, we headed to the St. Louis area for a fun week of visiting family!! We spent time with Nana and Pappy, the Chases--Uncle Brian, Aunt Erin and family and also Aunt Amy, Blake, Granny and Papa Tom came to see us at Uncle Brian's! Then we also got to stay a few days at Grandpa's house!!! After all of that, the much anticipated wedding--Uncle Justin and Aunt Crystal--took place! Shane was one of the best men, I sang with my dear friend, Sarah, and Zion & Paige were the ring bearer and flower girl!!! It was such a beautiful wedding, and we had SO much fun celebrating with Justin and Crystal! We have been talking about dancing at Uncle J's wedding for a while now, and boy did we dance!!!! I have some good pics and even a video--COMING SOON!!!......

Prior to the wedding, Shane was able to spend about 4 days at a monastery for a spiritual retreat. He had a wonderful time and came back refreshed!!! We are so thankful the Lord provided the opportunity for him to take this time to get renewed! He actually left a day early and surprised us--that was fun!!!!!

So, there's a pictureless update--SORRY!!!! I wanted to at least let everyone know how things have been.... Will post pics as soon as I have a chance!! I will also be checking everyone else's blogs SOON as well!!!! Traveling was busier than I even anticipated, and I didn't have a chance to keep up on anything!..... Love to everyone and looking forward to getting back on track!!!!

Stirring up a hornet's nest!......

2008-07-07T07:13:00.001-07:00

Fourth of July........ This is how the 4th started out for us! Just playing in the backyard with no intention of going inside--even for a nap! We were planning to enjoy the FUN day and finish it off with fireworks that evening!.... Well.....

We made a little shade tent for Maddox after he splashed in the pool for a few minutes. He was enjoying himself!....

Zion and Paige wanted to join Maddox in the shade tent!

It was too much fun!!!....

And here's our pool.... Paige picked out the blue color! It's the perfect size for us right now--not too big or too deep, but big enough for us to enjoy!.....

Paige was just too cute and funny in this little yellow froggy hat! I was surprised she kept it on for so long!.....

.....So, after a bit, I decided Maddox had probably been outside long enough... So, I took him inside. Upon coming back outside, Zion began to talk about the bugs (and freak out a little). Most of you are aware that Zion (and now Paige) do NOT LIKE BUGS AT ALL!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, Kista, we're city folks!:) Anyway, we usually just figure out what it is and shoo it away or distract or whatever. Most bugs don't stay in one place for very long... However, as I began to notice what it was that Zion was talking about, I quickly realized he was NOT talking about a fly or even a wasp or a bee! No, actually, there were HORNETS buzzing around us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had only ever seen one hornet in our backyard, and it was only there a couple of times and would go away. I hadn't seen any for DAYS! But this time there were at least 6, if not more, buzzing around us. For anyone who has experienced this, they are pretty aggressive! They don't just fly around--they actually fly near you, AT YOU, almost!... So, I quickly brought the kids inside and began researching on the internet while watching out my window to figure out just what in the world was going on! Something had just chased us out of our backyard, and I, for one, was NOT happy about it!!!!
So, come to find out, we think a colony of "bald-faced hornets" is making their home in our tree just behind our playset! We've since seen several flying all over the backyard. Anytime you head outside to the backyard they begin flying around to check you out! In fact, I'm pretty sure our neighbors--who share the back of our fence--had to stop mowing the other day, in the mid-afternoon, because they were getting swarmed! So, first thing this morning I've already put a call into our bug guy! We should hear back before noon as to how we go about this!! Shane went out Friday evening (when they're not as active) to try and locate the nest. However, the tree is pretty dense in the area where you can see the hornets flying in and out. We're hoping some professionals can find it and get rid of it!!! WE'RE TAKING OUR BACKYARD BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll keep you posted!......

This is the tree..... The hornets fly in and out about 3/4 the way up on the left! Oh, one more piece of information--from what I've read online, these colonies can get anywhere from 400-800 hornets by late summer!! We're hoping to get rid of them now (which the internet also said was nearly impossible!) That's why we're resorting to professionals! (If you do have any info or ideas, feel free to let us know!)

THANK YOU, NANA!!!!

And lastly, a BIG "thank you" to Nana!!! She sent these outfits for the kids and they are SO adorable!!! I was thinking they might be perfect for a rehearsal dinner--is that what you were thinking, Nana??!!!..... (This picture turned out kinda silly, but still adorable! With the three of them, especially at home for some reason, you take what you can get!:)

A Trolley Ride and Lots of Fun!!!

2008-07-02T18:39:00.001-07:00

Last week we got to ride the local trolley with the Kendall cousins!!! It has been a much anticipated ride for us.... We've been talking about going for a while now... It's pretty cool--if you take the round trip, it takes about an hour. There are several stops along the way. It seems that a few people are taking advantage of the "historical" public transportation efforts of the City of Joplin. We enjoyed it and will definitely do it again!!!

Zion & Paige.........................Spencer & Sylas

Sophie & Maddox.......................Selah and Skyler
(Sophie loved being responsible for Maddox!)

We always have a GREAT time with the cousins!!! Thanks for inviting us, Kendalls!!

Zion the Knight

Here is "Zion the Knight!" He actually purchased this with his own, hard-earned money!!! He was proudly wearing it this particular day to our VBS "Super-hero day." He kept it on the whole three hours of VBS--even out on the playground!!!

Sweet Paigey....

Isn't this the most adorable picture?!!!.... She has been doing this new "pose" if you can tell--where she tilts her head to the side. SOOO cute!!

And Paige took this picture of mommy and Maddox. I think she's been taking lessons from her bro. I was surprised she actually got both of us in the picture! It doesn't seem that she cares all that much about taking a picture of something, she's really only concerned with pushing the buttons!

A Sweet Summer Treat!!!

Today we had a special treat after everyone cleaned their whole plate for lunch!! We made chocolate shakes in the blender--or as Zion refers to it, the food tornado! (Seriously, he made that up himself!) Anyway, the kids thoroughly enjoyed the whole process--putting in the ice cream, milk and chocolate, and then enjoying the deliciousness!! What a treat!

Maddox was still enjoying his lunch while the kids were sipping their shakes! He's, sort of, getting the hang of feeding himself... We've just started really. But he's doing a pretty good job!

The Kids and Some Summer Fun!!!

2008-06-25T19:24:00.001-07:00

Maddox

Maddox's appetite continues to grow... but he's sometimes a little picky... I was really proud of him the other night when, even though he obviously didn't think much of the taste of the mixed vegetables, he kept letting me feed him anyway! It was SO hilarious, we had to record it!!!!

Maddox is standing really well, as you can see! He certainly is getting BIG all of the sudden!.....

And this Maddox's new favorite thing to do!... He loves to crawl EVERYWHERE, but especially over to Zion's "Elmo chair" so he can climb up onto his knees. He's so proud of himself when he does this! It's really cute!

Summer Fun!

We've been playing in the sprinkler lately, and it's a blast!!! It's been pretty hot down here in southwest Mo. So, the cold water feels GREAT!

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago when Joplin had it's annual "Boomtown Days." It's like a big community carnival with all kinds of games, rides, food and entertainment. (There were some pretty big name music groups here--Jars of Clay, for one!) Anyway, we had two strollers with us--one for Maddox and one in case someone else got tired... Well, Zion and Paige both decided they were tired at the same time... So, this is how we worked it out!:)

Conversations With Zion.....

2008-06-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

So, as Zion was sitting at his "new," much anticipated, creative station..... (which, some of you will be surprised in knowing and others not so surprised, we have actually had for probably two years and have just now opened!) Zion and I had a conversation that was just great! I had to share it!.....

Zion: (pushing the playdough through one of the tools and grabbing the scissors) "And Cut!"

Mommy: "Zion, you sound like a doctor."

Zion: "I don't want to be a doctor!"

Mommy: "What do you want to be, Zion?"

Zion: "A race car driver!!!" (with much enthusiasm and some hand motions going around a track!)

Mommy: "Oh.... I though you wanted to be a teacher with daddy?"

Zion: "A teacher?... Teach what, mommy?"

Mommy: "Teach the Bible!"

Zion: (thinking very hard.....) "ummm...." (the light bulb comes on!) "Mommy! Maybe I can keep my Bible in my race car with me!!!" (he was very pleased with his plan...)

Maddox Crawling & Backyard Fun!!!!

2008-06-05T12:41:00.000-07:00

Maddox Crawling

So, here's Maddox pretty much crawling... It's a little more like he rocks back and forth and then throws himself forward!! It's SO cute! We're proud of him anyway!.....

Backyard Fun!!!
And the latest FUN thing we do in our backyard is this.... Totally Zion's idea... he wanted some water to pour down the slide and then to slide in it! So, here's how it happens... (I know it's a lot of pics/video, but the whole process is too cute to not put it ALL on here!!) Enjoy!...

First, they get water from the hose....

Then head back to the playset.....

It's a long walk with a pitcher full of water. And Zion can't STAND all the water that drips out! (Can you see him annoyingly watching it fall to the ground--what a waste, he thinks!)

Then we climb up to go down the slide....

Zion going down the slide....Paige going down!.....

And here's a video of basically the whole process.... It's really adorable--we had TONS of fun!!!

Cute, Funny Kids!!....

2008-05-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Here's the video of Maddox clapping (finally)!!! Isn't he SO cute?!!!... This was actually a week or so ago, he's even better at it now!! We are SO proud of you, Maddox!!!!

A lot of you might enjoy this one..... especially the Chase boys!!!.... My kids LOVE applesauce (almost as much as they love ketchup!) Here they were spooning it onto their PB&J sandwiches!!! I thought it was creative, and I can remember dipping everything into applesauce with my brothers when we were young!... Anyone hungry??!!!.....
And here, Zion and Paige were enjoying a fun, cheesy, Japanese snack!! Thanks Uncle Luke, Aunt Kacie and Sterling for sending some goodies our way!!! They were mmmm, mmmm good!!!
(When I was trying to get a picture of Paige, she thought it would be fun to make a silly face while eating her crackers!... So, I caught her in the middle of it.)

The Playset, The Zoo & Other Fun Things!.....

2008-05-23T15:04:00.001-07:00

This is our new playset!!!! We have been waiting for this for a couple of months now!.... We saved all the kid's money from Christmas and their birthdays and put it toward a playset!!! So, thanks to all of the grandparents who chipped in!!! We LOVE it!!! It came at a perfect time--the weather has been beautiful, and continues to warm up!... A big thanks to "Big Jake" for putting it together for us!!... You did a great job, and we really appreciate it! In the words of Zion, "You're a good friend."
We have the littlest ice cream cones on the face of the earth.... Seriously, I think they're about 2-3 inches tall or so. They're SO cute! The kids love it--it's just enough for them to get an ice cream treat, but not so much that it melts everywhere and they waste a bunch! Perfect! Here they are eating on our back patio. I took the picture through the screen, that's why it looks weird. They were so cute sitting there together, eating their ice cream!

Last weekend we went to my dad's in St. Louis, and we got to go to the zoo on Friday! It was fun!!! Here's Zion checking out the bears climbing the trees and playing!
Ava got to come with us, which was SO fun!! Her and Paige road together for most of the way.... They are SO cute these days--talking and with all kinds of personality!!!
Heres' the group--except me, taking the picture... We had fun!! Thanks, grandpa for taking us!!!
Shane, helping the girls climb on the rail, like Zion, to see the camels better.
The girls and grandpa looking at the spotted leopard.
And Mr. Maddox.... Happy Maddox!... Yep, this is what he did the whole time!!!
While we were at my dad's, we were celebrating my Nana's 80th birthday! It was sort of a surprise for her... It was fun to have all of us together--there was family from out of town--as far as Colorado!! My cousin, Katie, put a beautiful collage together for her that we all wrote notes on for both of our grandparents! It was a neat weekend... However, I didn't get any pics with Nana! SO silly of me!... Katie got some, and I will steal them from her blog, when she posts them:)
I did get some other pics though.... Paige let Aunt Amy fix her hair, and it was adorable!!!!... Paige was SO cute and so excited about it! She keeps talking about it when I ask her if I can fix her hair.....
Posing with Aunt Amy with her pretty hair.
And posing with mommy too!!

Blake was adorable with Zion! They kept wrestling... Zion did pretty good being gentle with Blake (for the most part:) They were really cute! Blake kept making this face and saying Zion's name! SO cute!!!

And just a cute picture of Maddox... He's clapping his hands now... He's actually been doing it for a while--I have a video, just haven't posted it yet! Oh, Maddox also has two teeth on the bottom and is working on some top teeth as well!! Sorry for not posting a pic of that--I'll try to find one!... He certainly is our happy, adorable, sweet baby boy!!!

Prayer and Encouragement

2008-05-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have heard by now, but I wanted to post something about it anyway.... Yesterday, a well-known singer-songwriter in the Christian community and a huge advocate for adoption--Steven Curtis Chapman--lost one of their adopted daughters in a tragic accident at their home. She had just turned five a few days prior, and according to one article I read they were celebrating their oldest daughter's engagement and getting ready to celebrate one of their son's graduations! What a time for this wonderful family who have done so much for so many people--through music and generosity and leading by example in displaying their faith to the world!! A few years ago, I was watching the grammy's and Steven won. Earlier in the night, the host had asked people not to thank God. Well, even people who didn't mean it still thanked God, but when Steven accepted his grammy, he spoke with such respect and gentleness about the reason he was thanking God--that his reason for singing and writing songs was for the sole purpose of serving God. It was awesome! Shane was in the other room, and I ran into him crying (I was pregnant at the time, yes) but I was SO proud of Steven for so lovingly, respectfully and gently standing up for his faith! What an example. That is merely one story of many where the Chapman family has touched someone's life.... I just wanted to say that if you have a chance, say a prayer for this family and let's all practice and believe what the family said in an article I read earlier, something like, 'We trust in God who was not surprised by this...' What a testimony, and what a wonderful thought to know that whatever comes our way--our God is not surprised! He is faithful and good...

Zion's Soccer Season

2008-05-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well, soccer season has come to a close.... Zion had his last game last week. He did SO great this season!!.... He scored three goals total this season--WOW!!! AWESOME!!!! We are so proud of Zion for playing and having so much fun with it!!!.... Here's some pics from the season, and Zion scoring his first goal!!.....

ZION'S FIRST GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is Zion scoring his first goal!!! It was AWESOME!!!... The best part is watching Zion and Shane celebrate afterwards!!... The video is kinda long, but it's well worth watching!! Enjoy!!

Here's the Silver Team. What a group, huh?!!..... "GO SILVER!!!!!!"
Before each game, the Y has a policy that the teams pray together. We thought it was pretty cool! Here's a picture of them praying.
Anyone that has heard me talk about this will crack up right now... This pretty lady below was Zion's "sideline soccer mom." She was the sweetest lady! Her daughter, Kate, played with Zion on the soccer team. And almost every week, when it was Zion's turn to sit out, he wanted to sit with "Kate's mom." At first, I wasn't sure what to think.... Then I realized, it was a form of independence and security that Zion was revealing, and also, Kate's mom was talking to Zion about the old Ninja Turtle stuff her son had that she would dig out and bring for Zion to have!!.... (Which she did!! How sweet!!) Anyway, I HAD to get a picture of Zion sitting with her... It really was kinda cute!
Here's Zion kicking the ball!! He really is a pretty good little soccer player! It was really fun watching him improve over the season and really get the hang of the game!.... We are SO proud of him!!!

Zion's first soccer season was a blast for our whole family!!! A BIG thanks to Uncle Jordy for helping coach this season--we appreciate you, especially Zion!!! And all the kids LOVED you!! Thanks to those of you who were able to come watch him--it meant the world to Zion!! We understand not everyone had the chance or ability to come see him play, so that's why we're posting all of this!!.... The team as a whole did an awesome job over the season as they learned how to play the game as a team--they became more aggressive and more excited about playing with each game!! (Instead of just watching the trains go by or looking at the birds in the sky.... or picking up grass and putting it on their heads.... They really came a LONG way by the time the season was over!!) Shane did an awesome job coaching the kids--he was GREAT with them! One thing our team was really good at because of Shane's coaching was encouraging each other and not getting upset or frustrated when things didn't go their way or when they weren't winning.... Zion did SO great and we enjoyed every minute of watching him play!! We are SO proud of Zion and can't wait for another season!!!!! "GO SILVER!!!!"

They had gold medals for each one of the kids at the last game... It was great!!!

Graduation....

2008-05-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

DUH!! For some reason, I totally forgot to mention that Shane was picked as one of three honor students in this year's Seminary graduating class!! It was a big honor, and he really deserved it! Dr. Robert Lowery, specifically, said some great things about Shane as a student and a man of God. We are SO proud of Shane!!!! The graduation was GREAT!! Shane had to walk across the stage twice to receive both degrees (which he was completely thrilled about!! HA! HA!)

Here's everyone who was able to attend the commencement ceremonies: Shane's parents--Dave and Tammy Wood. Our family, most of you know.... Shane's older brother Justin and his fiance Crystal. And my dad Steve was also able to come! We had a lot of fun!!!

Shane with both of his diplomas..... What a great feeling to be done!!!!!!

Did I mention that I am SOOOOO proud of Shane??!!!.....

Shane.....

2008-05-07T21:20:00.001-07:00

Well, I just wanted to be sure everyone knew.....

First of all, last weekend was Shane's birthday!! He turned the BIG 26--woohoo!!!! We had a fun weekend celebrating! The best thing was that Zion and Paige wanted to take him to Burger King to the play place! They thought that was the BEST bday gift EVER!!:)

Secondly, I wanted to make sure all of our friends and family (whoever in the world checks our blog, at least) knew that Shane was about to make a HUGE accomplishment!! He is graduating from Lincoln Christian Seminary in three days (this Saturday)!!! He is graduating with two Masters degrees.... An MA in New Testament and an MDiv. He has worked SO hard these last four years and has accomplished SO much!! We are SO proud of him for working so hard and still managing to keep his priorities in line...

Thanks to everyone who has supported us, prayed for us, and encouraged us along the way! We love you all, and we are glad you can join with us and celebrate the most wonderful husband, daddy and scholar we know--SHANE WOOD!!!!

Soooooo Funny!!!!!.......

2008-05-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Zion got Maddox laughing and it was hilarious!!!!..... It had gone on for a few minutes before I ran to get my camera, and it continued long after I cut this video off.... It was GREAT!!! Enjoy!!.......

Things I Love About My Kids......

2008-05-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

ZION:
*His compassionate heart.....
*His love for life and having fun!!!
*How he enjoys someone else getting the attention as much as he enjoys himself getting it!
*The way he loves his little sister and brother...
*How nothing gets by him or gets forgotten--promises, surprises, fun times, needs...

PAIGE:
*How sweet she is....
*Her confident strut!!.....
*How when she finds a quarter she wants to give it to Jesus.
*The way she loves to play mommy with her babies & thanks God for them every night!!....
*That she loves all the girly stuff--babies, dresses, jewelry, fixing hair.....

MADDOX:
*The way he smiles at everything....
*His sweet, lovable nature...
*Making him giggle until he gets the hiccups!...
*That fine line between screaming-laughing and screaming-crying!....
*How he adores his daddy....

I think my kids are the BEST!!!! And these are just a few reasons why.....
(Thanks for the idea Meghan!:)

Some Fun Videos!

2008-04-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Maddox has been eating some solid foods... He is liking them and it's filling him up a lot more--so, that's great!! We just wanted to give you an idea of what our dinner table is like now that Maddox joins us....:)

The kids got a new movie a few weeks ago from Gramma Patty--"Ice Age." They have watched it several times, and on it there is a preview for the new "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie. Here is a dance they have seen the Chipmunks do........

Zion's soccer team has won and lost a few games! No one really keeps score (except for Shane!:) Anyway, they played a team two weeks ago who were a LOT bigger and more aggressive! But Shane is helping them to learn good sportsmanship and having fun and being encouraging to one another even when we're not scoring any goals!..... GO SILVER!!!!!

Okay.... Let's Do Some Catching Up!!....

2008-04-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

OUR FAMILY

Zion and Paige in the robes they LOVE putting on after they get out of the bath! They're both dogs! How cute!!!

Zion and Paige were being SO cute at the table one morning... First they were posing, then they were making silly faces!

MADDOX

Maddox woke up with his favorite blanky all wrapped around his head... It was cute!

We are SO blessed.... all our children adore each other!!

Look at the BIG boy!!.....

Maddox wants to crawl SOOOOOOOOO bad!!!!

PAIGE

Paige got some stick-on earrings in her Easter basket this year! This was the only time she actually had them on her ears--the rest of them have been stuck to other things!....

Paige wanted her daddy to fix her hair on this particular day! It was adorable watching the two of them, and Shane did a great job!!

Paige changing her baby's diaper! She's such a good little mommy!

Paige likes to do everything mommy does--here she's putting on some deoderant!

ZION

Zion loves doing different signs with his hands.... Here he's doing the "I love you" sign and the "rock 'n roll" sign!! He also likes to do "hang loose." It's really cute!

Sneaking some cookie dough! Mmmmm.....

Okay, I have to share this adorable story..... Zion has been doing chores, etc. to earn money. He has been doing really great! We are trying to start early with teaching him to save and give! It's a BIG concept, but he's doing great with it! Anyway, he had been saving his money, with his eye on the umbrellas we often see at Wal-mart. Well, he was SO excited about them that he wanted to buy Paige one as well. So, he spent his money and bought both Paige and himself an umbrella--isn't that SO sweet?!!!.....

COMING SOON: More Soccer Pics and some videos!!!

Zion's First Photo Shoot!

2008-04-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Zion loves taking pictures! A few weeks ago at our cousin Brandy's wedding, he took a bunch of pictures!! Here's a slide show to give you a taste of what he can do! We think he's pretty good!!

A Photographer In The Making.....

2008-04-12T15:52:00.001-07:00

Soccer Time!!!

2008-04-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

That's right!! Zion is playing soccer this year!!!! It is SO fun!! Shane is his coach and is having a BLAST!!! Zion had his first game this past week--it was SO great!! Zion's team won 5-3. He is having a great time playing!

These first pics are from one of their practices..... And the video is from his first game!

ZION'S TEAM SCORES A GOAL!!!!

My camera died in the middle of the game! (I can't believe I didn't double-check the battery status!!!!!) Anyway, this was a pretty good video I got before it died... He has six more games, so we'll be able to get LOTS of the action!!

Weekend Update!

2008-04-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well, for anyone who doubted (including us, to be honest), God, once again, pulled through to provide in every way for ICR!!! Shane and Mark pooled together 250 DVD's to take with them to the Tulsa, OK Church of Christ Conference they attended this past weekend!! It was half of their goal, but enough to pass out to many with a few to spare at the close of the conference! When God asks us to trust Him, He is ever faithful to provide, even when it looks differently than we anticipate or dream!

We want to say "thank you" to all of you who prayed for us and for ICR for this specific event! It might not sound like a big deal, but this DVD has been weighing heavily on our family and the ICR family for the past 4-6 weeks!!! It was quite an accomplishment for Shane to get it done so quickly and with such quality, that when this last road block appeared it was SO discouraging.... but as I said, God provided as always and has continued to reveal His glory! Mark spoke at the conference with another well-known speaker, Jeff Walling. They did a phenomenal job, and touched and challenged many hearts over the weekend!! Shane and Mark were greatly encouraged at the conference, and from all the people praying and working through this time of stress! We are now reaping the reward of working hard and trusting God in all of this! Shane has only worked a half day so far this week!! March was a tough month for us, and Shane is taking some much needed rest time and we are ALL enjoying it VERY much!! Thank you again to all of you who support us, encourage us, and intercede to the Lord on our behalf. We love you all and thank God for you!!!

Prayer

2008-03-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

I am realizing more and more that I want and need to infuse every part of my life with the faith that I claim to have!! So, this blog is a pretty BIG part of our life--as we share it with all of YOU!!!!! First of all, I want to ask all of you prayer warriors out there to please pray for ICR (Institute for Christian Resources). Shane and Mark have been under tremendous pressure lately in trying to meet some deadlines with a current HUGE project!!! It is a DVD series that is basically a condensed version of Mark's "Principles of Interpretation" class--a.k.a. "How to Interpret the Bible." Shane has worked day and night trying to finish the DVD and get it ready to mass produce! There has been one hang up after another in this process alone... Now that it is ready to make 500 copies for the first weekend debut (this weekend!!) there has been no end to doors slamming in our faces!!! First, the big DVD burner that ICR owns will NOT burn the DVD's. So, Shane and Mark called upon the community at OCC asking students w/ dual DVD burners to help us out! Hundreds of DVD's have been returned because the students are unable to burn them!!! As I'm writing this, I hear Shane's computer telling me it's time for me to burn another one!..... So, one-at-a-time, with all the help we can find, we're working to get this project finally completed!!! Secondly, this weekend, where the first batch of DVD's will be available, Mark will be speaking in Tulsa, OK. With all the stress of this project, he feels unprepared! Please pray for Shane and Mark and our families and all those helping us--that God will be glorified through all this and His people strengthened and encouraged in this time of need! We appreciate your prayers!

If you want to know more about ICR please visit the website at www.icrtransform.com or click on our ICR link.

Some Random Pics

2008-03-18T07:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Paige!!!

2008-03-12T11:13:00.001-07:00

Paige turned TWO!!!! That is SO crazy to us.... but fun at the same time!! She was shy and excited all at once during her party--being the center of attention. We talked about her party all week long, and she was SO excited!!! Her party was last Friday, but she officially turned two yesterday (March 11). She is such a sweet, little girl. She is confident and knows what she wants, and at the same time has a very sensitive side to her! Our family is so blessed to have her in it! We love you Paigey! Happy birthday!!

This is Paige in her new outfit for her party! She became shy all of the sudden when she first came out. (It was adorable!)

Paige opening her presents with Daddy and Zion's help!

Just a cute profile picture of our Paigey!

Here's Paige's cake. It was strawberry cake with a strawberry filling and pink/yellow icing.

Paige tried SO hard to blow out the candles on her own... They weren't trick candles, but Daddy even had a hard time helping her!:)

I think everyone enjoyed the cake! Especially the kiddos!!!

Paige's party was a BLAST! It was SO fun watching her!! Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us!!!

Just a little video of Paige at her party... She was acting like a dinosaur--have we ever mentioned that we LOVE dinosaurs??

Fun Times Outside!!

2008-03-05T20:48:00.001-08:00

We have been able to play outside several times in the last week or so... This first picture of Zion, I was trying something with my camera and this is what turned out! Kinda cool... I need to work on it though!

(There is actually a basketball hoop that he is dunking into. You just can't see it in the pic!)

This is the digging corner in our wonderful, BIG backyard!! We love having a great yard to play in!!!

This swing was actually left by the previous owners. We were a bit frustrated at first because we thought it was broke, but come to find out, it's not!!! So, we're enjoying it!!

Paige loves babies, loves playing "mommy," and is really fun to watch while doing it!! This is her newest baby--it's from Haiti. Nana & Pappy recently got back from a mission trip to Haiti, and they brought Paige this beautiful doll back! We gave her a Haitian name--Mirlilie. (You should hear Paige say it! It's great!)

And Maddox got a maraca from Haiti! He loves it! Thanks, Nana & Pappy!!! Zion got a machete and a truck--we have some pics, but just haven't uploaded them yet! Zion plays with the machete ALL the time--he says, "It's like 'Lenanardo's' (Leonardo) sword!"

Okay, this was pretty cool! Zion was having fun throwing the ball up onto the roof to see how high he could get it. He got it stuck once or twice and we came close to getting it all the way over... but this particular one I happened to be recording was the BEST!!!! Zion made the shot off the roof!! Too bad we weren't playing HORSE or something!! You also get to see Paige in the digging corner and her asking me to "watch"--her favorite thing to say right now!

Maddox

2008-03-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Maddox is getting SO big!! We recently got out the 'ol walker. The toys are missing from it--not exactly sure where those are?.... But this is the third kid that's used it, and it's been moved twice in it's lifetime with us, so we're just glad it's in one piece and Maddox can actually use it!!! He LOVES it!!! He seems to really like being able to look around and see everything! He's also getting SO strong--he really works his legs and tries to stand! He's SO happy:)

Here's just a little picture of Maddox in his swing earlier today....

And this video is GREAT! Maddox has been making these funny noises lately.... We're not really sure if he's holding in his cry or if he's really just trying to say something!.... Let us know what YOU think!... It's adorable no matter what, that's for sure!

We Miss You, Daddy!!!

2008-02-28T19:20:00.001-08:00

Shane has been gone this week at his LAST intensive week class before he graduates this May. We are SO proud of him for working SO hard for the past four years! But we have really missed him this week! This post is for you, Daddy! Can't wait to see you tomorrow!

Shane, Zion and Paige were having SO much fun dancing together! Aren't they cute?!

Daddy, come home and play piano with me, please!
Love, your Paigey

Zion and Maddox were playing in the HUGE tent we made the other day! They can't wait for Daddy to get home and make another tent with them!

We went to the park three times this week!! The weather has been pretty decent here in southwest Missouri!!! Daddy, we want you to come home and go to the park with us!!!

Zion was climbing on everything! He's such a BIG guy these days!!! He turned four and grew up, I guess!

Zion and Paige both wanted to ride the duck. So, they rode together and giggled the whole time!

Maddox had fun at the park too! Even though on Thursday it was actually pretty chilly!

Paige had fun crawling through the tunnel.

We love you, Daddy!!!! See you tomorrow!!!

Some Pics & A Warm Day!!!

2008-02-25T21:09:00.001-08:00

Okay, so this picture was just funny..... They had been running around playing and throwing all the pillows to the floor, and decided to take a break! Looks like they need a nap!!

So, we got some fruity cheerios (because they were on sale) and it turns out they're good for learning colors and counting!! Paige LOVES it!! However, now she wants to count everything that she has multiple of on her plate--here she's counting her lima beans.

Here is big boy Maddox!! He's getting SO big, and he thinks he's big stuff when he rolls over--it's really cute!

Paige figured out how to get herself into Maddox's swing. She's such a little mommy, and likes to turn on the music for Maddox when he's swinging. So, she climbed in the swing once, then got out to turn the music on, and climbed back in! She never ceases to totally crack us up!!

We made a huge tent in the living room the other day! It was awesome! Here's Zion hanging out in it--nice face, huh??... He's really into making silly faces right now!

Here is just an adorable picture of Maddox! He's such a sweet and happy baby!!It actually warmed up a little today. So, we went to the park to take advantage of it!! We had SO much fun!!

I realize I haven't posted some good pics of Maddox to show how BIG he's getting--I will do that soon! And also, we've lived at our new house for how long now??... and I have yet to post pics of it! I will do that soon as well! Thanks for being patient!!:)

Zion's 4th Birthday!!!!

2008-02-19T20:40:00.001-08:00

Well, it's true.... Zion is FOUR years old!!!! We can hardly believe we have a four year old!!! Zion's birthday was GREAT! We had a big crowd, lots of food, fellowship and cake!!! We have been so blessed over the past four years to have Zion in our lives! He is a happy, loving, compassionate, energetic, smart, adorable little guy. He is such a joy to us! There are so many people who are so special to him, a lot of them got to come celebrate with us! Thank you! And here's to Zion: Happy birthday, son. We love you SO much!!!!

Grandma and Grandpa Chase came into town a week before Zion's bday and gave him his gifts then. One of the gifts was a roboraptor. Zion decided that's what kind of cake he wanted! So, here it is--the roboraptor cake! Zion thought it looked like a roboraptor, so I was completely satisfied!!!! (And yes, it is edible! Only the head and arms were not.)

This is a table full of cousins!!!! The Kendall's and the Oehlschlager's got to come over for the party!! It was a fun table, to say the least!!!

Zion had a great helper--his little sis, Paige! She was quite eager to help him, especially in the opening and tearing the wrapping paper off part!! He was pretty gracious with her.

Zion is really into Ninja Turtles right now! He got LOTS of it for his bday!! He was pretty excited!

So many presents!!!.... And he loves all of them and plays with pretty much all of them every day!!! Thanks everyone!

Here are the "Wood girls" at the party. Alexis is the newest addition to the Wood family (well, officially anyway). She's been family for a while now!

Zion's party was GREAT!!!! Thanks to everyone who came to help us celebrate!!!!

Counting.......

2008-01-31T18:30:00.000-08:00

We've been working on counting with Paige--she is doing REALLY great! She can make it to ten almost by herself:)

Cute Kids!!

2008-01-31T18:14:00.001-08:00

Both Zion and Paige LOVE brushing their teeth!!!! (Hopefully it's not just a phase!:) Zion now wants to brush his own teeth all by himself. So, we made him a deal, that he can brush them in the morning, and mommy or daddy brushes them at night. I'm SO thankful we don't have to fight either of them to brush their teeth!!!
Paige was coloring/drawing/writing the other day.... She was going back and forth between a highlighter, a crayon and a pen. She was very intent and almost shaking her little hand to be so precise while she was writing. It was really cute!!

Maddox is rolling over like CRAZY!! Here he was SO proud of himself after he rolled over. That smile is on his face almost constantly. He is the happiest baby EVER!!!!
Zion enjoys talking on the phone. He was talking to his friend, Brooke, the other day! They really miss each other and love talking to each other on the phone! I usually eavesdrop a little, and their conversations are adorable and hilarious!!:)

4 Months and Rollin'

2008-01-27T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hello?.... Anyone still there??.....

2008-01-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

Just wondering if there are still any faithful blog checkers checking our blog!...... It has, once again, been too long to even apologize... So, instead of trying to catch up, I'll just post some random pics from the past few months! We're finally able to get settled in our new home (I will post pics of that soon). I'm sure most of you want to see pics of the kids anyway!:)This was our gingerbread house. We had SO much fun putting it together!!! We got to enjoy it for about two weeks before we headed back to St. Louis for Christmas.

A few days before Christmas, we opened our presents at our new house! The kids really enjoyed it!! Zion woke up at 6:55 a.m. And for the first time ever, he got to wake Paige up!
We have a little tradition... We make Jesus a birthday cake for Christmas! (The icing I used to write Jesus' name was a bit runny!!)We got to go to Nana and Papa's house for the day! We got to see Francie, Larry & Guy--who we hadn't seen for a while! We all had fun!!
We also went to Iowa to see Granny, Papa Tom, Zack, Amy and Blake. We hung out at Zack & Amy's when we first arrived--Blake sure loves Maddox!:)
Here is Zion, who was quite excited about his new clothes for Uncle Jordan's wedding. Zion was the ring bearer and was SO adorable!! He got a little shy at the wedding and ran down the aisle with the pillow covering his face!
Zion and Brooke were dancing together while Kista was giving Nana and Pappy dancing lessons. They did a GREAT job, but didn't get a chance to try out their new moves at the wedding! I got some good pics of everyone learning to dance though:)
Daddy and Maddox were spending some floor time together! The picture is a little dark, but was so adorable I wanted to post it anyway!
This picture is a little dark as well. But it perfectly portrays both the boys at this stage... Zion loves Maddox SO much, he almost smothers him, and Maddox just lays back and enjoys it! They're going to be best friends!!
Here is happy Mr. Maddox! He is just about the happiest baby I've ever seen! Nana and Papa came to visit us at our new house! Papa was making Maddox laugh!
And Nana was reading a book to Zion and Paige. They all stopped for a second to smile for the camera--isn't this a sweet picture??!!
We had a little birthday party for Papa while they were here, and Daddy got some good pics!
Maddox likes his pacifier a lot of the time.... But his big sister likes to play with it and sometimes we misplace it... He actually does really well without it.... He decided to try out his thumb the other day! It was so adorable.We had Jordan & Alexis over to celebrate Jordan's birthday (a little late). Zion was excited about the cake (actually the icing!) and the ice cream!
Our friend's Tyler and Margo came over with Jord and Lexy as well! Zion asked if I would take a picture of all of them together. (Margo and Paige were reading a book on the couch.) We sure have fun when they all come over!!:)

Just Some Pics....

2007-11-13T21:26:00.001-08:00

Well, I've slacked off a little.... I still need to post halloween pics! I will get to it as soon as I get the pictures downloaded to my computer!... Here are some cute pictures from a few weeks ago when we visited Granny, Papa Tom, Aunt Amy, Uncle Zack & Blake.Quite a troop, huh??
This picture is for Aunt Amy--she took it for me. She caught Paige struttin' her stuff up the sidewalk! It was perfect!
And here's Paige swinging with a HUGE smile! She loves the swings!! Zion absolutely adores Maddox!! He loves holding him--he's such a big boy. And Maddox seems to enjoy it as well.We got this picture from Aunt Amy---SO CUTE!!!! Zion did a great job driving Blake's gator, especially since he has only driven one a couple of times before. We attempted to drive it to the park across the street. Zion did okay on the way there--he was kinda all over the sidewalk (and in the yards, etc.) But on the way back, he did great!

The Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

We got to go to "Pumpkins & Pines" pumpkin patch with Kista and Brooke a couple of weekends ago. We had a GREAT time! We painted and carved the pumpkins we got (we'll post pics of that later).... It was a beautiful day to be outside! Don't you just LOVE fall??!!! We all had a great time! There were LOTS of fun things to do.....We brought our own little pumpkin to the pumpkin patch with us!:) (He actually had a pumpkin sleeper on as well, but he had an accident just before we left.)
He rode around with daddy all day! He's such a good boy and SO cute!!
The kids loved playing in the corn!
Cool picture with the corn in the air, huh??....
The tractors were fun! "Beep! Beep! Excuse me!"
Zion LOVED riding the horse! He was SO excited!!
The train was adorable! Paige started out on it, but decided it wasn't for her. So, her and daddy just walked alongside Zion while he rode.
And before we got the pumpkins, we had to measure to see how tall everyone was! Look at those adorable kiddos!:)

GOD SOLD OUR HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

We have been praying and waiting for our house to sell.... Zion has included our house selling in almost every prayer (all of us have!)--before bed, before we eat, etc. Finally, by God's good grace, we will be able to make the transition to Joplin. It is amazing how God has taken care of us and provided for us! Zion has been telling everyone that "God sold our house!" He is very excited to move to Joplin!! Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us and encouraging us through this transition....

As most of you may know, we had found a house in Webb City. It is, thankfully, still available for us. So, in less than a month we will be able to move! The day before Thanksgiving we will say good bye to our house in Wright City. And the Monday after Thanksgiving we will close on our new house!! We are SO excited!! Here is a picture of our new house....

Visit With Nana & Papa

2007-10-28T20:20:00.001-07:00

The kids and I have been able to visit Nana & Papa a few times in the last few weeks! Here are a couple of pictures from our last visit. (Paige was taking a nap when I got the camera out, that's why she isn't in the pictures....)
Zion posed with Nana & Papa! What a great picture!Nana & Papa have a bunch of horses and army men that Zion loves playing with! Nana said she got them used when my dad was a little boy. (Can you even imagine how old they might be??!!!:)

Maddox was just relaxing, having a good 'ol time listening to Papa chat with him! We had a great visit!!!

Where Is Sterling When I Need Him??!!!....

2007-10-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

So, I usually have the diaper bag sitting out of reach. However, the other day, I left it sitting on the bench and, of course, Paige found it! She went straight for the pocket that had the gum. When Sterling came to visit a couple of weeks ago, he and Paige found Nana's purse and specifically found the gum. Sterling enjoys hunting for gum and actually chewing it--wrapper and all!!.... I think Paige would have enjoyed this even more had Sterling been with her!

She found it in the diaper bag.... (I actually took this AFTER we picked it all up and Paige tried to find it again.... but I thought it would be funny to try and show the progression of events....)

She got the gum and worked really hard getting each piece out!
You can see the diligent concentration, can't you??....
And here is the end result.... Well done, Paige!!! Sterling would be SO proud of his cousin!!

Just Hangin' Out.....

2007-10-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Here's Daddy and Maddox just chillin' together....

Mommy had to get in on it and get some love too!!:)

Zion Got A Hair Cut!!!

2007-10-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Isn't he SO cute??!

These were his poses when I asked him to pose or "smile" for the camera!! Funny.....:)

All Kinds of Silliness!!!

2007-10-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

We don't have to try too hard to have a fun time together!! Zion & Paige both LOVE to laugh and be silly!! Maddox is learning quickly..... Here are a few pics of us being "silly!!"Here is Zion with a GREAT face!! We can hear the trains going through town many times a day. Whenever Paige hears or sees a train, she starts saying "choo choo." And this is the adorable face that goes along with "choo choo."Isn't this face adorable??!!... You can really see Maddox's sweet dimples here!

Zion was making silly faces for me to take pictures of him! He loves having me take a picture and then looking at it... (I think this was our second or third take--he gets so excited that he forgets to wait until it flashes and clicks and actually takes the picture!)
Paige loves experimenting with all of my things--sunglasses, purses, jewelery, etc. Here she was trying VERY hard to put Nana's sunglasses on! She usually sticks them up on top of her head since I wear mine that way a lot.... She's SO cute!:)
Maddox's face is just priceless in this picture--a little dramatic, I think!:) He's SO adorable!!
And here we were trying to get a good picture of the three of us... We were all sitting in Pappy's big chair.... We just couldn't get one of us all looking and smiling--so, after a few tries, we just settled with this one!! It was fun trying though!:)