we have moved

We have survived our move back home to Rapid City. We are moved into my grandpa's house and even have internet. I am getting things more and more organized every day and every day eases the stress and sadness of transition.

Even though I originally started this blog to keep our families updated with our lives, and their grand kids, I will continue to post. I have a Nebraska family to keep updated now :)

final youth group

Wednesday night was rough. It was our final youth group. Lots of tears and downcast faces.

Here's a sign all the junior highers signed for Terry. I like how someone added "and Eva" at the bottom.

Terry was reminiscing before he left the building for the last time. He took this photo of his vantage point of the freshly painted Building, looking out into what had been his audience.

After Terry and the youth band led us in worship, the students stayed up there to perform the song they wrote for Terry, "Give it All to You." They also sang it for Easter Sunday where Terry preached his last sermon (he doesn't usually preach. i, and another woman, might have encouraged him to preach his last Sunday there...). Anyway, the students sang for us again.

Love these students and am going to miss them like crazy. We hold you in our hearts and you are our joy and crown!

Here is the performance.

And by the way, I think I had a miracle in getting this song recorded. When I started recording my low-battery warning was blinking, meaning I only had moments left. But "somehow" it lasted long enough to record the entire 4 minutes and 42 seconds. It ran out of juice as soon as the song ended.

last awana night

Last night, Wednesday April 11, was Noah's last night of Sparks and Evie's of Cubbies. I usually never can go see them because Terry and I both are at youth group at the same time. But last night I left early so I could see them get their little awards. They were all so cute, but especially my kids (they are mine after all!). They were practicing their little song for their performance next week, which of course they'll miss. Evie was very into the song. I need to get her in dance class or something.

Evie and her BFF Kaylee. I'm so sad they have to leave their friends.

Noah shows his leader and my former co-worker, LeAnn, his little Sparkie award. He's so proud.

Noah finished his entire Sparks book back in like December and this week he completed the review book we had to order extra. I think he was trying to keep up with his friend Ethan, Kaylee's brother. He did a good job. And Evie knows her little Cubbies verses. Kind of.

our appreciation party - with videos

Yesterday, Saturday March 31, 2012, was Evie's fourth birthday, our moving garage sale and a appreciation party for us. It was a big day but so good.

I don't know if you know that our church is wonderful. The support we've known while here is overwhelming. Anything Terry has done with the youth is encouraged and everyone is on board. So we knew we were in for a good night when we arrived for the party at the youth building.

Here's the sign the girls spent all afternoon on. We are not allowed to throw it away. Ever. They want us to post it in our house or Terry's new office. They also signed it for us. Terry is known as "Teryl" by Danielle and to everyone else now and also "Papa" started while on the 2 week mission trip to Mexico summer 2011 since he took care of them all.

The place was packed out. When guests arrived, Brenda (my friend who organized this party) had them write a note to be inserted in the recipe book I was given (I requested recipes to take home with me).

Evie was serenaded with the birthday song and given a few gifts to add to what she had already gotten at home. What a special birthday for her! She was not shy at all. We were also given more gifts and cards on top of the recipe book and well wishes.

I didn't have to watch the little boy punk at all so that was nice. Have you noticed how nice and Harry Potter-ish his hair is these days?

It was my idea to have Terry and these three students - Kenzi, Danielle and Mason - sing the song Terry made up for them on the mission trip about how they were "Stuck in the Ocean." Knowing Terry, it was hilarious and clever. Everyone enjoyed it and asked for an encore. So I had him sing his "Black Diamond Ahead" song based on The Fray's "Over My Head" which was also good though he wouldn't agree with me.

We had to take this photo with all the students after we watched the 10 minute video they made for us. Talk about a tear jerker! It was a fantastic video - all about how much they're going to miss us, what they love about us and what they'll always remember. Terry pretty much broke down and I was just trying to hold it together. The students even made a private little facebook group to coordinate their efforts towards this video and some other secret to be revealed. We were also given matching t-shirts that the students designed and voted on - which we wore to church today.

Terry and I were talking about how the evening was similar to being alive at your own funeral. I told him how I'd never felt so knit to any group like this before and how this must have been how he felt like when he visited China four times with result that he wanted to be a missionary. I told him how I could more easily understand that now, after having loved so much and been loved so much. Then Terry wisely remarked that now he understood how Paul could say in Philippians 4:1 "Therefore my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown..." These students are our joy and crown and we love them so much.

"It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel." Philippians 1:7

Please check out the video that inspires such thoughts from us:

And here is the four of them performing their song!

city egg hunt

I had never taken my kids to a city Easter egg hunt before. I don't think I've ever been to one myself either. Well, maybe once. So I went ahead and took them to the softball four-plex this weekend while Samuel was napping at home with Terry, who worked on his sermon (his last here!).

The egg hunt was just okay. Here they are just waiting around for it to start, along with hundreds of other people. Yeah, didn't notice the giant smudge on my lens until afterwards.

Evie went first. She went for the eggs. Mostly there were nickels inside them. So she got like 40 cents, plus some candy.

Noah picked up mostly candy from the ground. Overall, it was a very "Meh" experience but I think the kids were pleased.

destroyer baby

As I mentioned in my last post, Samuel has a new nickname: Destroyer Samuel. We started calling him that a few months ago because he makes huge messes. The older two haven't been playing with toys at all recently and so all the mess belongs to Samuel. He gets it done.

While we were doing something in the kitchen this weekend I turned around to see him doing this to the front screen door.

He took apart that spring thing! Look at him showing me the screw - he's so pleased. I took a few photos and then took it away. Little destroyer baby.

easter eggs and kidnapping

I'm terrible about doing crafts, even something as simple as dying Easter eggs. It's just not my thing. But when I saw the dye at Pamida, I unselfishly thought of my kids and went ahead and bought some. It's a good thing I did because I used it as an excuse to get Terry to come home early from work. It was necessary he be home early so some students could kidnap him, forcing him to have another party with them (last night made three parties in one week. what can i say? we're enjoying our last week here!).

Long story short, our Easter egg craft worked out.

Evie applies glitter.

They were supposed to be tye-dyed but didn't really turn out like that. What was nice about them was that we added color drops to the eggs in a bag. Very easy. My kind of craft.

No, we didn't allow Samuel to help. His new nickname is Destroyer Samuel after all...

Also, Samuel freaked out when they students came for Terry. Poor little guy. Noah and Evie were prepared because I told them what was coming, but you can't exactly do that with a 14 month old.

So I was instructed by Jon to leave our back garage door open along with the dungeon door, which is accessed from the garage. While Terry was playing a video game with the kids, I went to the garage to place a dirty diaper out there and saw all 7 students filing down into the dungeon. They scared me! I proceeded to grab the camera as nonchalantly as I could before they burst up from the dungeon and attacked Terry.

Once they took him to Jon's house we played Balderdash and several sliver producing games of Sardines in Jon's large, unfinished house. It was a fun night.

And here is the kidnapping.

s'mores party

All the students wanted to have another get-together the night after they threw us their appreciation party. The last Sunday in March was gorgeous - 80 degrees - so we played outside in the backyard before firing up the grill for some s'mores.

Terry hanging out with Kenzi and Brittyn.

Can you spot me? - I think I've been hanging out with them too much... I love these girls.

Terry is wearing the t-shirt they had printed for us. The back has their top ten memories of us.

And here is that appreciation video they made for us.

de-pantsed

Evie brought Samuel up the stairs the other day.

I had left them to play in the dungeon while I made lunch with Noah, who is usually the one to carry Samuel around. Evie thought she could do it though and proceeded to drag him up 2 sets of stairs. She somehow de-pantsed him and got both arms out of his shirt. He was not happy though he got over it pretty quick.

Evie's 4th birthday

Evie was ready for her birthday after her fresh pretty haircut. We tried to make her day special and give her her way. First thing, she put on her sunshiny dress to go with the gorgeous 90 degree day we had and we went to get donuts. She got the last chocolate one.

We also had a moving garage sale so that was pretty fun for everyone.

After naps, Evie put on her crown and opened her gifts.

Her requested rainbow cake turned out wonderful. I combined ideas/recipes from here and here.

We were both so pleased.

Afterwards we hung out and watched a movie together for family movie night/birthday girl wish. She requested Bolt.

Then we had pizza. We weren't that hungry due to all the cake though.

As soon as the pizza was in our over-full bellies we went to the youth building for an appreciation/birthday party for our family since we're moving away from this church. We were given more food to eat, a emotional video to watch and more gifts for Evie. She was so pleased to have another song and more gifts. I'd say her birthday was a big success!

third haircut

Evie's first haircut was only a year ago on her third birthday. Her second was in September. So I figured she needed another one since she was turning four on March 31.

Before

After. We did a slight wedge to it. I like it a lot.

an early graduation

After watching Noah go off to Story Hour at the library for the last few years, Evie was greatly looking forward to her turn last September. She was finally three.

But since we're moving, she had to go ahead and graduate early.

What a cute little nearly four year old (her birthday was March 31st).

growing kids

We've been really busy lately with all the moving stuff on top of regular busy life so I've been practically absent from the blog. I thought some updated photos of us might be a good idea since I have extra time during the garage sale we are doing today.

Samuel's short short hair cut is growing out. Now it sticks up pretty good and reminds me of Harry Potter. Love it.

Evie turns four today and she's just so much fun. She got her haircut earlier this week so this photo is no longer up to date! She's been enjoying playing with stuffed animals and has quite the pile on her bed that have to sleep with her.

Noah's hair on the other hand is growing out. I like it longer and I don't. For now it's staying. And he's less into the stuffed animals but has a small pile too.

And here's all of us together. Our friend Adam, the Mexico missionary, was here this week to visit, so he took this photo for us.

mops

I've been involved with MOPS ever since we moved to NE in 2007 and on steering since 2008. It was a good addition to my life with kids at home but now that we have three kids and are homeschooling, time is getting a little short. So I'll be done with MOPS after we move. But I sure have enjoyed it.

My kids have enjoyed it too. Every Tuesday they want to know if we can go to MOPS b/c their best friend Katherine (in the white shirt) is there. So many friends we are going to miss!

bottle boy

Silly Samuel has always done things a little different from his older two siblings. He would not sleep on his back - had to be on his belly - and it took forever for him to start on table food. So, in true Samuel style, once I stopped nursing at one year old (February first), he would not take a sippy cup, even though I'd introduced it a couple months earlier. So he'd go all day long with only a couple ounces to drink. Shortly after the transition he got sick with RSV and I gave in and let him have the bottle since he had grown to love the thing. I was not going to fight over it.

But I can now confidently say that he has finally transitioned to a sippy cup, within the last week or so of March. I think he realized he gets a lot more to drink this way. Silly Samuel.