Fall

It's been a while since I've had the chance to update my blog.  With lesson planning, grading papers, chasing 2 boys around, and trying to sell my house, I've been pooped! 

School so far has been going great!  Every week it gets a little better and I feel a little more confident in what I'm doing. I have an excellent bunch of kiddos and a great group of teachers to work with.  This career is definitely hard and time consuming, but I love every minute of it! 

The Boys

My boys are growing leaps and bounds every day!  They are enjoying each other's company more and more.  It is so fun to watch them cuddle with each other in the morning, wrestle with each other in the afternoon, and play cars or soccer together in the evening.  They are already so close and I love it!  Gavin has been involved in soccer this fall and is doing such a great job!  Mason has been busy exploring every possible drawer, cabinet, room, closet, pantry, etc. that he can find and removing all if it's contents!  Oh my Mason, never a dull moment!!

The next big event for them in Halloween.  Their costumes are in and I can't wait to hit the streets to show them both off!  Gavin is going to be Buzz Lightyear (by his choosing) and Mason is going to be the little green alien from the Toy Story movies.

School

Well, it seems as thought it's been about 2 months since I last updated the blog!  Wow- so much has happened since then!  Our Myrtle Beach trip was awesome!  The boys did SO much better than I expected and I would take that trip again in a heart beat!  19 hours in the car seemed like a breeze with how amazing the kids behaved- truly a God thing! 

This month Gavin also turned 4!!!  I can not believe that 4 years have passed by so quickly.  I am so thankful everyday that God entrusted us with such a wonderful, handsome little man.  May the Lord bless him and keep him always!  We had a wonderful time jumping at the House of Bounce with friends and family to celebrate!

Since the trip, I have worked diligently on my classroom and have finished two weeks of NTA (New Teacher Academy).  School starts for all teachers tomorrow and students come Thursday.  I am so excited and nervous.  I have been praying that the Lord will use me to minister and love the students in a way that only he can do.  I have also prayed that God would open their minds and ears to not only the educational aspect of school, but to the love that Christ has to offer them.  Please join me in praying for my 22 students this year! 

Through NTA I have made some new friends and I am so excited to be teaching with them this year.  We are going to rock "The View" and bring so much light and excitement to those around us!! :)  After I complete one more bulletin board and few other tedious items, my room will be finished!! 

In other news, my brother and sister-in-law have officially decided to adopt from Ethiopia!!!  Their adoption papers have been approved and now begins the many months of preparation, paperwork, and prayer.  Adoptions are not cheap and they are planning on receiving a sibling set from Ethiopia.  Please join us all in praying for God's guidance, peace, and support through this process.  We are all so excited to meet the new members of our family, and it is a true test of patience to wait!!  If you feel led to help out with their adoption, there are super cute t-shirts and other items you can buy that will help go to their adoption fund.  For more information on how you can help, check out their blog at: www.teamchase4andcounting.blogspot.com

Myrtle Beach 2010

We survived!  I am very happy to say that my children did AMAZING!  I was fearing the car ride and the beach with them, but they were so awesome! We had a great time and can't wait to go back next year.

The boys loved the sand at the beach and Gavin loved to jump in the surf.  It was a little difficult at times to deal with the two of them at the condo's pool since neither of them could swim, but both wanted in the water- but we managed!  The car ride was extremely long, but thanks to DVDs there was absolutely no crying or whining the entire 19 hours there and back (truly a God thing- thanks for all the prayers)!  The condo we stayed at was beautiful.  Each bedroom had it's own bathroom with double sinks, shower, and jetted tub- plus a walk-in closet!  The living room was complete with a fireplace and screened in porch (each bedroom had it's own patio off the room).  It was a very lovely place and want to thank my parents for finding it!  Before my family arrived in Myrtle Beach, Kasey and I rented a night on a beach front hotel-- Wow- that was so amazing!  We loved having direct access to the beach, a restaurant, pool and baby pool all right outside our door!

Now that we are back I have my laundry caught up, book study complete, and will start preparing my classroom for next year! 

Thanks for all the prayers for our vacation, it was such a fun time with the family.  I especially enjoyed having my husband with me ALL week long without work!  It was so much fun to have the four of us together and just enjoy each others company!

Upcoming Vacation

Well, this week is going to be a laundry marathon and  a "keep the house clean" challenge!  We leave in a few days for Myrtle Beach.  I will be packing for 4 people and trying to keep our house clean at the same time in case someone were to call and want to view it!  So far I have the boys laundry washed and dried.  I need to fold, put away, or pack them now.  I also need to make a list of all the snacks (since my boys are beyond just picky eaters) and drinks we need to take with us, movies, games, toys, etc. 

This is going to be our first vacation as a family of 4.  While I'm excited to get away, I'll have to admit I'm a little nervous.  We have a 19 hour drive ahead of us and several days at the beach- an endless mass of water (which neither of my boys can swim) filled with lots of people and many hazards! I know it will turn out better than I expect, or at least that is my hope.  I think the boys will really love the sand- it will just be keeping Gavin from thinking he is big enough to go out in the ocean and Mason from eating the sand and anything else on the beach he finds of interest!  The good thing is that my entire family, minus one brother, will be joining us and the boys  will have all their cousins to play with.  This should be quite interesting to say the least! :)

Kasey completed his golf tournament this weekend.  He didn't play as well as he would've liked to, but he had fun!  What a wonderful gift from his dad!  I have to continue to brag on him- he has yet to miss a Bible study with Gavin at night-- he amazes me and I am so proud on how God his using him to lead our family. 

Please continue to pray  for our family as God continues to move and help us recognize and establish the proper roles for the family as established in Deuteronomy.

Just little tid bits...

Good Morning!

 Well this morning has been quite humorous!  Mason got up this morning, walked into the pantry, climbed on Gavin's stool in there, and started rustling around.  He normally just likes to play with a few plastic spoons and a bucket in there from his birthday party, however this morning he had a different agenda.   He walked over to me and in his hand was a bag of white donuts!  He wanted them!!  So this morning for breakfast, Mason ate white powdered donuts!  Oh he cracks me up- what personality!  He is such a busy little boy, but I can tell he is smart- always thinking!!

Today Kasey is in a golf tournament.  Actually it lasts all weekend!  GOOD LUCK KASE!  This is the tournament that he didn't do so well in last year.  I hope he makes a great recovery this year and really enjoys himself!  He has been playing excellent golf lately so I know he'll do great!

Our Visionary Parenting Bible study ended last night.  It was such a wonderful experience and has changed our lives.  God really worked wonders in our hearts and we are better parents (of course) because of His guidance and love.  I can't wait to start up with the same care group this fall!

The Beginning

Well it seems as though everyone is blogging.  I  greatly enjoy reading other people's blogs, so I thought my family could start one as well.   What a great time for us to start blogging as so many changes are taking place.  First of all, I, Lesley, will be starting my first year of teaching this fall!  I am sure that next school year will provide me with several memorable blogging moments!  Secondly, Kasey has worked his way up to becoming a Mortgage Lender at Arvest.  This is a great, yet sometimes scary, opportunity for him and I am so very proud of him!  Thirdly, we have our house up for sale!  We hope to sell our very first house and move to one a tad bigger.  The house we are selling has been the place where we have raised our two beautiful boys and enjoyed the company of some awesome neighbors!  While it will be a bittersweet moment to sell this house, I look forward to making new memories in a new house where our family can can continue to serve the Lord to the best of our ability.  Finally, our friends are finally having babies!!!  For the longest time, Kasey and I were the only couple in our small group of friends that had any children.  Well, that is no longer the case!  We are so very excited to have the arrival of baby 'A' to our fine friends.  This is the first and we are so excited for them to being this parenting journey.  We are also proud to say that there will be a second addition to family 'M'!  We know how exciting yet emotional it is to add the second child and want to pray special blessings on that family.  May God provide them with as many blessings to their family as he has to ours! 

Alright, well, this concludes our very first blog.  I hope our blog provides encouragement and if nothing else, presents it self as a testimony of all God has done in our lives and how very much we love him.  Our first and true love is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and want to welcome any and everyone to come to him.  If you have any questions on how you can do this, please contact us or blog- we would be more than happy to share God's love and saving grace with you!