Friday, March 13, 2015

The Clipboard of Destiny

 About five years ago, when our children started swimming and we started putting them in competitive meets, I got my husband this clipboard so that he could print out the meet sheets and we could keep track of their events. It is old and dog-eared.  It has fallen into the pool a time or two.  But it faithfully goes with us to every swim meet, every time. It has kept us organized and on track.  It holds record of successes and disappointments.  And somehow it got named "the clipboard of destiny". 

We have always believed our children are destined for greatness - God told us so Himself.  Romans 8:28-30 says "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

It is already written that our children are predestined, called, justified and glorified. This holds true whether they swim or if they sink like anchors; whether they go to the Olympics or go to a junior college; whether they run a country or run a Dairy Queen.  They are called. Justified. And glorified. Tonight I watched Rea sit by her little brother and coach him on how he can improve and shave seconds off his time at their swim meet tomorrow.  She got out the clipboard of destiny and showed him where he had already improved from swim meet to swim meet.  She encouraged him, edified him, and challenged him.
 She showed him how to position his legs and his feet in the water to maximize his kick.  She shared with him what had helped to make her successful and what would help him.  She said, "But you have to practice it.  It doesn't do any good to just know it."   Oh, what wise words from my little one.  We know our destiny, but it is not enough to know it.  We must act on it and practice it.  Faith must have an expression of action in order to be evidenced.  Our greatness will never be realized if we do not practice what we know.  Lord, continue to do your work in my children, whom you have called according to YOUR purpose!



The John Taylor Mystery




 Ni'ke came home from school today excited to share that John Taylor, former wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers was at her school today for a fund raiser.  And he gave her this cool bearded hat.  Ma-lak tried on the hat. Ya'shar chimed in about how cool it was to meet him. We chatted about how nice it was that he was "giving back" to the community.  I googled him and pulled up a picture, and asked the kids if they wanted to see a youtube video of their new friend catching a pass back in the 80's.  They all stood in front of my computer with confused looks on their faces.  Finally Ma-lak said, "Um, no....   John Taylor was a white guy."    OK...  Well, after 30 minutes of an exhaustive internet search, I could find NO white former NFL players at ALL named John Taylor. Or Jon. Or Tayler. Or Tailor.  You get the point. So, who was that guy?!?!?!  I'm sure I'll get to the bottom of the mystery soon, but I need to make a few phone calls...

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Who DOESN'T love to dance in a field of flowers?!


A couple weekends ago, I took the kids out to this beautiful little piece of heaven on the northeast side of town where our dear friend, Emily Davis, was doing photo shoots in a field of daisies (or chamomile flowers, actually!) Sounds lovely, doesn't it?  Well it was!  We had so much fun, and I finally got the opportunity to get pictures of the girls in these cute little white dresses that I bought for them LAST summer before they completely outgrew them.  Emily has been a friend of ours for a couple years, first as the kids' principal, then as their home school teacher. Her huge heart and gentle spirit are as lovely as the photos she takes, and we are so happy to know her.  She takes amazing pictures, which I've been admiring for months now - so I was thrilled when we got the chance to shoot with her.  Check out her Facebook page linked below:

Pure Light Photography

David is Going to Germany!!!!

David informed us this morning that he was accepted into the Institute for Law and Finance in Frankfurt, Germany!  He will be in school for a year studying law and finance, starting in October and will get his LL.M., which is a legal master's degree.  We couldn't be more proud!  I've always wanted to go zip around Europe - now we have even more reason... :)  Check out his fundraising page in the link below:

Help David Catch Destiny in Germany!

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US Navy League Cadet Corp and Sea Cadet Corp Annual Inspection and Awards Ceremony - February 28, 2015

 They don't have their "covers" on because that's not allowed inside the galley, but it would have made for two very sharp young cadets in uniform (still does!)  We are so grateful to have found this youth program for them that teaches leadership, courage, basic seamanship, and discipline. The Coast Guard base in Tracen (near Petaluma and Two Rock) is where they have had most of their training. They have put in community service hours since they joined last summer, and Ni'ke is looking forward to joining in May when she turns 10.

 You couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for the outdoor ceremony and inspection in the morning.  By 1:30, those beautiful little white clouds had turned dark and stormy and we had a down pour!



Rea is in the middle, but I think Ma-lak is hidden in the back!

 Ma-lak is at the end of the line at the far right, and Rea is just ahead of him




Why Did the Turkey Cross the Road??

To get in the way of sleepy nurses who were only trying to get home after a long night of work, apparently...

Aunt Marilyn Rose

 This amazing lady passed away on February 9th after suffering a stroke less than 2 weeks before.  Ma-lak and I flew out to Missouri for her funeral which was on Saturday, the 14th.  Aunt Marilyn was my dad's older sister, and one of my very favorite aunts growing up as a child!  I have such special memories of her and the fun we had with her and Uncle Donnie. So many "firsts" for me involved her - she set me up with my first penpal, a girl named Stephanie who lived in Quincy, IL.  She introduced me to my first Chinese food - that she made herself in her own wok!  Her egg rolls were amazing...  And she took me to my first movie, Gremlins, in 1984!

 My dad, with Uncle Raymond, and Aunt Marilyn and Aunt Kathy in the front

 Aunt Marilyn, loving the outdoors like she did!

 Aunt Marilyn with her daughter, Kathi, and her close friend at her 50th wedding anniversary party

We stayed at Danny and Carlene's house - our amazing cousins who always welcome us with open arms and feed us so well and love on us so big when we are back for a visit.  It was fun to watch the kids play with each other like they've always known each other.  Ma-lak and Deion met for the first time that weekend and they hit it off immediately!  Left to right: Emma, Lexi, Ashlynn holding Braelyn, Ma-lak, Deion, and Levi.

Spelling Bee Champ!

 Ma-lak was so excited to win his school spelling bee with the winning word "poultry".  (Ni'ke was so disappointed because she was sick the day her class held theirs and she was unable to compete in the school one.)  So we all went to support Ma-lak in our local district Spelling Bee.  The nerves got to him - he went out in the first round, misspelling a simple word that he knew - and I can't remember what it is at the moment! I hated to see him so upset and disappointed, but Ni'ke was quick to comfort him by saying, "That's ok, next year we'll both be in it and you can try not to lose against ME."



New Years Eve, 2014


Rea and I got home from Baltimore on December 30, so the next day was spent lounging around the house, watching football, and opening presents from Ohio.  The kids decided they wanted Red Lobster dinner to start the New Year off right.... Why not?!

North Baltimore Aquatic Center Winter Training Camp 2014

 Rea had an amazing opportunity to swim and train for four days at a swim camp sponsored by the aquatic center where Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt train for the Olympics.  He had just flown in from spending Christmas in California with his now fiance and was kind enough to pause from his training and take a picture with them.   Thankfully I didn't cause this young man to fall and break a swimming arm... We nearly collided as he was racing, dripping wet and just out of the pool, to the bathroom and I was zipping around a blind corner near the swim shop.  All was well and no harm was done - Rio 2016 will not be a flop because of me. :)


Rea - front and center with her group!

 Rea (left)

 One of the group lecture times - they covered topics like diet and sleep, how to train before a big event, staying focused, etc...

 She lived in the green hat all week... Not sure what that was about!  (Pretty sure it was for a low-maintenance hair-style.)

 Rea (left) with new friends!

 Rea (left) in the pool doing group exercises

This was Rea's first experience away from home and overnight without parents or family - she loved her independence and was very responsible, from what I was told.  She loved it and came home fired up and she can't wait to go back in June.

Baltimore, Maryland - December, 2014

 After spending a week with my parents in Ohio, Rea and I flew to Baltimore to see David for a few days.  While she was having her adventures at swim camp, David and I explored the harbor and enjoyed some great sea food!










We also took the train to Washington DC for a day - it was a loooong day and a quick trip, but we packed a lot in!  The capital building was almost unrecognizable because of all the construction and scaffolding, but still was thrilling to see.




 We took the underground tunnel way to the Library of Congress - gotta love big Christmas trees in the city during the holidays!



  We did manage to get over to a couple of the Smithsonian museums - but by then I was turning into a tired old woman who been up too long...

 The Gutenberg Bible