Biggest Blessings

Newest member of our family

2011-12-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, the Phelps family always seems to be GROWING! Meet Otis, on the left. He and Koda are brothers, both black labs. Koda is thrilled with a playmate and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to bring his brother home. Odie is Otis's nickname and so I've already gotten the dogs mixed up. I might have to just call them Kodis! They'll both come. : )

They are so beautiful!! Sweet, sweet puppies. We are so grateful to our friends, the Harchariks, for giving them to us! Come and visit them often! They are playfully chasing each other outside now after having been given a treat to SIT for my pictures. Good dogs. They round out our now family of 11 if you include the long time kitties, Bessie & Tinkerbell...who are none too thrilled about the dogs. Ha!

Receiving Love, Giving Thanks, Having Joy

2011-12-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

Recently our family has been on the receiving end of all kinds of love. A group of our friends sent us on a Weekend to Remember getaway here in town, and also took all of our children for two nights and two days. It was the first time we were away from them overnight in our 11 years of marriage. It also was the weekend following our anniversary. What was included was a date night to a fancy restaurant in Old Sac., morning Starbucks giftcards, Gas cards, specific instructions on what we were not allowed to discuss on our weekend together, Cash for lunch, etc. etc. The FamilyLife Weekend to Remember marriage conference was so amazing and beautifully timed in our lives. It was, without a doubt, the best weekend we've had in many years and we learned a lot about "oneness" in our marriage but also about receiving from God and giving selflessly to those He loves. Which is everyone!

In the following weekends, we received a hugely wonderful gift from a local bible study group of which a dear friend is part of. They were doing something called "40 Days of Love" and decided to find a family to bless for Christmas. Our name was among the nominees and they all voted on us. I'm still trying to process the gift and Royce and I are beyond words grateful. They showed up with huge bags of wrapped presents for everyone in the family, along with a gift card which is going to allow us to take each child out shopping for another one, and there was also a coupon for a free turkey! What they didn't know was that we had NO idea how we were going to pull off Christmas this year. We have been obedient to not worry too much, God always finds a way to take care of us. He is ever so faithful. When you do things for others, especially around Christmas, it is such a powerful statement of love. I'm not sure if anyone from that bible study will read this, but I'm writing because I felt completely moved toward gratitude and sharing it with others. Our plan is to bring out all of those gifts on Christmas morning and share the gift of giving and the story behind it with our 5 little people who are going to be so excited on Christmas morning... thanks to some pretty awesome and selfless givers.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who has given so much to us and shared so much of yourselves with us. We are truly, truly blessed and pray that we will in turn be a blessing to others. Thank you. We could not find more joy in our present circumstances without the lavish grace our God has bestowed on us, and amazing Love we receive from His Son Jesus. Thank you for being Jesus' hands and feet.

A picture of Royce and I on our special date night - Happy Anniversary, My Love.

2011 Phelps Family Photos

2011-10-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

As promised many months ago (March!), here are the finished photos of the whole family photo shoot. Finally uploading from Snapfish - thank you Tanea with His Life Photography - you captured us well!

PHELPS FAMILY

JUST THE GRANDKIDS

GATHER AROUND MAW-MAW & PAW-PAW

DYLAN, ALEX, NOAH, BRENNA & TAYLOR (STEVE & SONYA'S CREW)

HAYLIE, PATRICK & ELIJAH

PATRICIA & GABRIEL

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe through Google. If you have one that sounds better, let me know! The kids and I are experimenting in the kitchen this week.

1 package devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup margarine, softened (I used BUTTER, of course)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional (no nuts)
1 cup chocolate chips (a few extra ; )

Preparation:
Beat half of the cake mix with the margarine, vanilla and eggs until smooth. Add remaining cake mix, the nuts and the chocolate chips. Stir well. Drop dough from a rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 10 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Preston in Paris

2011-10-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Onto a little bit more positive blog post, today Preston had French Cafe at school. Each year the Kindergarteners go to Le Cafe Francais (pictured below). They do such an amazing job rounding up the parents to pull this off. From a pianist, to the red checkered table cloths, cubed cheese and grapes, to a live artist/painting, wearing berets and being served by parents. They have plenty of time to be "cultured" and enjoy themselves. It was so fun to watch. Here are a few pictures.

Joshua's hospital visit

2011-10-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

It has been exactly 1 week since Joshy got sick. He began vomiting exactly a week ago, to the hour. It was a rough Friday night but Saturday he was just fine. Eating mild foods again, seemingly happy. Until the next day, AFTER we already arrived at church. Although we were planning on holding him with us on communion Sunday to continue recovering, he went ahead and threw up on Royce after we placed the last child in Sunday school. We weren't really sure what to do at that point. Load everyone back up, go home? It seemed to be just water that came up and Royce was also feeling badly. Anyway, we decided to stand in the back of the service until it was over. Someone gave us their seat in the back and during communion I took Joshy in for prayer. As God works in His wonderful way, it was a man whose wife worked closely with small children (a nurse maybe?) who prayed over us and then brought his wife in to see him. She agreed that it might be good, for peace of mind if nothing else, to bring him to an urgent care that day. Well, Royce went straight to bed after church, the kids played and I knew that once all the kids went to bed that I would be taking Joshua in to the ER. Farthest thought from my mind, however, was the fact that they may want to keep him. I just figured I'd do what we always did, go to the ER I was comfortable with (Mercy in Folsom) and be home a couple of hours later...knowing my baby was OK. Instead I texted a handful of people what my plan was, and they all offered to come with, help at home or just pray. I picked up my friend Janet and took her along for the ride (God moment #1)... strange how that worked out as well, because otherwise I would have been alone, and my car would have been stuck in Folsom. So we get to the ER and it was empty. We basically checked in and walked right into the triage room. The physician's assistant just happened to be the husband of a friend in MOPS (another God moment). He got us settled into a room for testing after drawing some of Joshy's blood. We were next ushered in for an abdominal ultrasound to check out his appendix. Next, he had an abdominal xray. He was crying all afternoon, as though in pain, so they wanted to rule out all kinds of things such as appendicitis and intestinal blockage. In his first blood labwork, there were things that proved he was severely dehydrated (low sodium levels, low glucose) however there were also abnormalities, so the ER doctor wanted him admitted. They don't have a pediatric department at this hospital so they had to take him by ambulance to Mercy San Juan. I am so thankful that Janet was with us through this whole thing. We finally got settled at 2am in Carmichael and Joshy fell asleep at 4am. Three hours later, we woke up and I felt awful. Fearing I was coming down with the same intestinal bug, I prayed. I asked the Lord to remove this cup from me and then I began to thank Him for doing so. I might have still felt awful for a little bit, but I just kept thanking Him for healing me. With Royce at home with the other 4 kids, taking time off of work to be the mom and dad around the house, I knew I needed to be well with my baby in the hospital. Before noon, I was feeling completely better. (Praise God!) Joshy, as it turns out, was suffering from "gastrointeritis" sp? which is just a nasty virus that settles into your intestine. It presents itself in different ways in people, either vomiting, diarrea, severe gas. Babies can get hit pretty hard and you have to watch their hydration. So on Monday they were re-hydrating him and they took more labs to make sure the abnormalities went in the direction of normal again. Apparently his Ph balance went off in the opposite direction of someone who has been vomitting would "normally" go. A wonderful resident doctor and attending pediatrician were assigned to him and also a med student. They would sit outside at the desks talking as a team and come in to ask questions from time to time, pulling a "House" on us. I thought it was great. Such wonderful care Joshy received. The pediatrician wanted him overnight to ensure his proper rehydration and then we'd wean him off in the morning. Tuesday morning he was discharged and a different child! Below are some pictures. Thank you Lord for taking such good care of Joshua and our family during this time!

In the ER after finally falling asleep in my arms.

Next day, taking a nap in his crib-cage bed.

Before coming home, happy and feeling better!

Joshy's 1st Birthday

2011-10-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Going through my iPod pictures, I found some of Joshy's birthday afterall!
What a sweet little guy, we love him so much. Below he's eating his first birthday cake and then there is a video for part 2. First baby of mine to eat his cake this way!

Happy Birthday My Love!

2011-10-08T14:28:00.001-07:00

I surprised Royce on his birthday (July 19) to a kid-less night out to Tahoe Joes accompanied by our good friends. It was a nice little get-away and good company too.

Fun Summer Times

2011-10-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

Here we are on a swim day this summer. What a full car!

A new baby?

2011-10-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Each year, it seems, we announce a new "addition" to our family. Yep, you heard right, we extended our family! This time by way of the canine family. Meet Koda, our baby black lab.

He is now about 18 weeks old:

Camping

2011-10-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Joshua couldn't go with infected ears, plus we had a new puppy, so Royce took all 4 of the older kids camping this year! This is the first time I'm seeing all of these photos too. Looks like they had a blast!

More Birthdays

2011-10-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hannah & Preston shared a birthday party in June. The kids worked all week to create signs for different stations of "fun" at this party. There was an adopt a pet (littlest petshop), dress-up, bubbles, search for gold in the sandbox, catch ladybugs & art stations. Grandma & Aunt Gracie made beautiful cakes as usual!
Here are some highlights. (Sadly, I don't have pictures of Joshy's 1st b-day, maybe on my phone? Emily or Gracie or Mom?)
So, Hannah turned 7 and Preston turned 5!

Sleeping baby

2011-10-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

As I look through our recent photos of all the kids, this one struck me. I won't really have license to use the term "sleeping baby" much longer. Joshua, our 5th and last "baby" is getting so big! Look at this precious sleeping like an angel.

Below is a picture of him pre-op surgery for getting tubes in his ears. This was the end of a tough time in this little guys' first year of life. Ear infection upon ear infection from February to June prompted the surgery and his is a different kiddo because of it.

Joshua turned 1 on July 12th and isn't walking yet but recently showed interest in trying.

More updates on other children coming soon!

We've moved!

2011-10-06T17:03:00.001-07:00

After 2 wonderful years in Orangevale, we have moved to Carmichael. The move has us completely busy and exhausted as we try to settle in to the new house but we absolutely love the neighborhood, the house, the and the backyard. Today we are ready to update our blog! Don't want the whole year to get away without sharing some of our highlights. Can hardly believe it is October - but started with the Christmas songs last week. Royce thought I was crazy. : )

Look forward to sharing backwards, keep posted!

Today, here is our backyard and cute little boys jumping on the trampoline. There are some major holes we need to fill in and we've made the grass green again (in most parts, you'll see.)

First Day of School (August)

2011-09-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hannah's first day of 2nd grade at Mission Ave. Open Elementary

Nathan's first day of 4th grade at Twin Lakes Elementary, which was only for a couple of weeks. He is currently on the wait list for Mission, but being homeschooled for now.

Preston's first day of Kindergarten at Mission. He was previously on the wait list, but got in the 3rd week of school.

Some more pics...

Sleeping on Daddy

2011-03-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

Joshua had his first double ear infection the week before our vacation. At that time he was also cutting his top two teeth. It was very difficult to get him to sleep during this time. Here is a sweet moment amid the fatigue of that time.

Jesus Storybook Bible - HIGHLY recommended

2011-03-02T16:21:00.000-08:00

This book had been referred to me by a couple of people and I have referred it to others - or bought it! I noticed it's on sale right now at Christian Book (www.cbd.com) for just $9.50, I think S/H is $3 or $4. Because this book is so well written, and such a treaure to our family, I thought I'd highlight it here on our blog. Every story, from Genesis to Revelation, truly does whisper His name!

Phelps Family

2011-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

Here is a preview of the 2011 Phelps Family photo shoot - just the grandkids below. More pictures to come once they arrive!
What a fun weekend we had with the whole family.

We had SO much fun when all the Phelps's were in town. We crashed Pat's house a few times, we celebrated Dylan's b-day at John's Incredible Pizza. Pretty amazing when you get everyone in town for a weekend...boy were we exhausted at the end of that weekend. Good thing we ended that week with a vacation!

Something funny my kids do...

2011-03-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

You might walk into their room at night and think the rapture happened....OR you might just realize how cute they are. Look at what they do the night before with their clothes for school.

Vacation!

2011-03-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

Just uploaded our pictures from vacation last week. The kids had the week off for "President's Week" so we took them on a multi-family vacation with some friends. We had an absolute blast, as will be evident in the highlight pictures below.

Where did we go??? We went to Angels Camp, California! It was only about an hour and a half drive. We stayed in a timeshare resort that our friends have ownership of. We had a 2 bedroom condo and it was very nice! We had a night to ourselves, getting settled and moved in - and a day to ourselves, still getting settled and moved in, on Wednesday. Royce took the kids swimming in the cold, though the pool was heated. They really enjoyed that. I stayed behind with Joshua napping. That night our friends joined us and 1 at a time, each family mosied on over to our condo where we then had a unit full of 25 people (10 adults, 15 children). It was a bit on the loud side. (so fun!)

[who was the smart one who got the kids playing duck, duck, goose?? Oh that's right, it was Kristen, of course!]

On Friday the ladies spent some time away at Starbucks and then went thrift store shopping in this quaint town of Angels Camp. It was raining on us by the time we got back, but clear skies later in the day. We kept getting told that it was going to snow there, which is unusual for that altitude. That afternoon during naptime, all of the dads got together for a bit and then took the kids to play on a playground.

[At one point, when the moms all came back from somewhere, we found all of the boys shirtless and watching TV. (funny things happen when Dads are in charge) Below is exactly how we found them when we walked in the door.]

By Saturday, we still hadn't seen any snow, so we caravaned up to Arnold and found some snow! Again, a blast was had by all. The kids were able to sled down a hill & after a little while it began to snow on us. We headed back to the resort, attempted to get kids down for a nap and the blue skies at Angels Camp began to flurry with snow. It was beautiful. For a brief few moments, God brought snow to us.

Sadly, on Sunday we headed back home. It was a much needed vacation and change of scenery for us. Our last vacation was to San Diego 2 years ago! Thank you, friends, for making it happen, and thank you Lord, for the opportunity to be in true community and fellowship with your children.

Below are some more photos of our trip....

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

Hello and long time no blog! Below is our annual holiday letter. There are still 1/3 of our family & friends who have yet to receive this along with our card in the mail. Hoping to accomplish the rest of the Christmas cards in January!

More updates and pictures are coming to the blog soon - time to get back into the swing of things. When baby hits 6 months old, we usually feel like we're getting the swing of things. However, there are new challenges we face, such as attitudes of 9 year olds. We'll catch up soon enough with life in the Phelps household. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” Luke 2:10

2010

H ello Friends and Family, we’ve got a rhyme for yous; it’s what happens when you read too much Dr. Seuss.
A bout time we did another letter, I know. Last year we were busy, this year too, watching our family grow!
P helps headquarters gained another little trooper; Joshua Thomas is really quite super!
P lenty of LOVE to go around, we extend some to you too when this letter you have found.
Y ou’ll find a tidbit of all in this letter and maybe you’ll get to know the Phelps’ a little better.

B iggest brother Nathan (9) just started Basketball and loves drawing, playing Legos and isn’t so small. (3rd grade!)
I n the first grade now, Hannah (6 ½) is learning so much, she’s caring, artistic and loves all with a “little mama’s” touch.
R eally testing Mom’s patience these days, Preston (4½) loves to play, do art and is loving his newest brother’s baby stage.
T his toddler, Spencer (2) is such a joy; full of energy, laughter, curiosity; he loves cars & trains and is such a big boy!
H appy is Joshua (5mos.) most would say, but teething & gas some of the day. Giggles & smiles; this age is perfect all the way.
D ad and mom love these blessings that keep them so busy, life isn’t perfect in fact at times makes us dizzy.
A t least we have each other and all of you in our life, but most importantly we are glad that we have Christ.
Y es we have our struggles like anybody does, but we have Hope within us and are joyful because.

J uly brought us a new baby, kids went back to school and in November Royce lost his job but it’s “cool”.
E verything is up in the air but we’re excited; our new mantra is: God’s in control & if He wills it so be it.
S o Courtney keeps busy with kiddos and MOPS, with homework and housework; the fun never stops.
U nabashed is our love for God and for life; who cares if there’s a little bit of strife.
S o If you told us 10 years ago, when we wed, that we’d have 5 kids, “You’re looney!” we would have said.
! Hopefully by now you’re not sawing a log, but if you want to hear more just check out our blog!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The Phelps Family
Royce, Courtney, Nathan, Hannah, Preston, Spencer & Joshua

Preparations for Christmas

2010-12-20T17:06:00.000-08:00

Trimming the Christmas Tree is always festive around our house. Christmas music on, cookies & cocoa consumption, we're ready to go!

Each night in December, our family goes through the book "The Adventure of Christmas" and reads something about the history and traditions of Christmas, such as trimming the Christmas Tree, why we light up the tree, and our homes, Santa Claus, Holiday Letters and Christmas Greetings. Everyone always enjoys this book each year.

This is something we started this year, an Interactive Nativity set called "What God Wants for Christmas"

We have a 9 year old?!

2010-12-05T16:57:00.000-08:00

December 5th marked the 9th anniversary of several hours of labor and the delivery of my first baby, Nathan Michael Phelps. Wow - in the 3rd grade and 9 years old. They say time will fly and they were right!

We had a quiet birthday party for him and big family shabang as well. There were a couple of friends that came over to do what Nathan likes to do, art

Aunt Gracie made him a spectacular Mario cake and Nathan had a wonderful day!

A continuation...

2010-07-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hannah lost her first tooth. Funny thing is that her adult tooth was behind it, so even though you can see the gap where the baby tooth fell out, my strong flash on the camera picks up the tooth behind it and doesn't allow us to really photograph the lost tooth. Can you see it??

Apparently Spencer thought the race car was hungry for some Corn Flakes.

Here are some pictures from our walk/ride this morning.

What started out as a bike/scooter ride for them became a walk half-way arond the block. Would you believe that all 3 of them at one point asked if I'd carry their bike or scooter? So funny. Next time around, everyone's walking.

And here is just part of the beauty we see on our walks around the block.

Lastly, wanted to share some preciousness with you. Spencer had to ride in the front of the stroller. No bike or scooter or wagon ride for him today. The whole way around he kept reaching out to touch things. I thought it was so special that I took a couple of pictures of his hand reaching out.

Babies & Schedules

2010-07-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Should those two words even go together? I used to think so...

It has been at least a week since my last post here. While I have "facebooked" quite a bit, I haven't taken the time to formulate an update. It's been pretty rough getting my bearings with being home with all 5 little ones. The first week home with them was pretty easy, but Joshua was still in that newborn state of sleepyness. Suffice it to say, he has awakened!

He sure is cute and one of the most-loved babies in our home (only beause of how many more people we have in our family these days) but boy does he have a set of lungs & a voice. The other day I am not sure if it was the taco I ate or the mocha I drank, but it seemed that something didn't agree with his stomach at around 8pm. He screamed & contorted his body to the right, when holding him & looking at him straight on, he looked like the letter "C" backward, cocking his head to his right & twisting his torso that way, even stretching his leg out only on the right side. It was kind of scary and I even almost took him to the ER. I held him to sleep & then let him sleep on me while Royce & I attempted to watch a movie, during which we all fell asleep. So after midnight when we transfered him to his bed, he woke up, still in pain & crying, so I comforted him next to me in our bed and just let him go to sleep there. He was fine for the rest of the night. When he woke up for his next feeding it was several hours later and he was back to normal. The next day he was fine, didn't seem to be in pain, but he cried a lot. That evening, he cried hard again, but this time didn't seem to be in pain as the night before, just crying until he fell asleep - seemingly hungry and yet eating a lot. Quite different behavior than his first 2 weeks of life. He's happy when he's eating & sleeping, but in between is kind of rough. This makes for an even trickier day when you factor in the 4 other kids. Fortunately, we all get a reprieve this weekend with Royce taking the older 3 camping. I'll keep the younger 2 here & we'll clean & chill.

Besides all of that, I do have a few pictures to share. The kids & I went on our first outting this week. The day I had Starbucks, we had gone "out" just to get out & only place we stopped was the drive-thru. Both at Starbucks to get mommy a mocha because the coffee has been left on that morning (which means it smelled burned) and to also get Taco bell for lunch because we had run out of bread for lunches! : )

Then today the kids & I had our first mile-long walk around the block. Hannah & Nathan rode their bikes, Preston rode his scooter (half of the way) and I pushed Spencer & Joshua in the double stroller while Joshy took his nap. Partly, the walk helped soothe him to sleep and he's been sleeping ever since. (it is 1pm now, time to wake him & feed him - such a tough thing to do to wake a sleeping baby)

This posting comes at a difficult time for me, but I am still trying hard to remember every precious moment because I know that they are only in this stage of life so long. Not just for Joshua at 2 weeks old, but for Spencer at 20 months old, Preston at 4, Hannah at 6 & Nathan at 8 1/2. They grow so fast! I believe that hormones are making me extra sentimental these days too. : )

So while our schedule is out of whack, at least it is summertime. Pray for us as you think of us. God is so faithful to teach us & grow us & to give us peace & clarity when we most need it. Now for some pictures....

Here is a picture of Joshua from just this morning.

Aunt Gracie visited several days last week which was super helpful!

Here are some super cute baby feet!

Successful Frenulectomy

2010-07-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on Joshua's frenulectomy yesterday. I held him through it and the dr. snipped it. He screamed, which was hard to hear, but he quickly took to the breat and was then just fine. His latch is much better now and we are very glad we got it taken care of. Thanks for the prayers!

1 week later - Joshua updates

2010-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

Joshua is 1 week old now. He is doing very well & so am I, though still quite sore and staying on top of pain meds. Trying to rest as much as posible.

Royce turns 33 years old today, our actual due date, and returned back to work today, leaving me with the 5 kiddos for the first time. Things have gone suprisingly well! I have 2 sleeping, but 2 are playing around during their naptime (which means they won't sleep, but bedtime will be early tonight!) and 1 playing Legos.

Tomorrow Joshua has an appt. with an ENT to clip a tight frenulum (tongue-tied). I noticed it the last night in the hospital while he was crying. The piece of tissue that is underneath the tongue actually starts at the tip of his tongue and it made perfect sense as to why he was having so much trouble latching on. Fortunately it isn't tight enough to completely hinder his nursing, but the pediatrician did mark his referal as urgent so that we could take care of it right away. Feedings should be much smoother after the procedure. So please pray for him, his appt. is 10:30am, Tuesday, July 20th.

Below are some pictures of these past several days and some visitors we've had over. Unfortunately we did not get pictures of EVERYONE - bummer!

Bringing Baby Home

2010-07-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

Joshua & I came home today (Weds, 7/14) and are doing well. He is the first baby to not have gotten jaundice, must be from the easy-peasy delivery. He's now approx. 7 lbs. 6 oz. but he just seems so small! His first car ride went smoothly, but he wasn't thrilled about getting into his carseat. (pictured below) Here are a few pictures of his homecoming & 3rd day of his life.

Joshua, Day 2

2010-07-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

Joshua had a wonderful 2nd day of life. He has had a little trouble with nursing, but with some "suckle training" I'm doing, he has definitely picked it up in the last 2 feedings. I have only 1 concern for the pediatrician in the morning and then I believe we'll be sent home! Enjoying the peace & rest while here, but also miss the family. More updates to follow....

Meeting the kids

2010-07-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Baby Joshua has arrived!

2010-07-13T01:29:00.001-07:00

We are pleased to announce the birth of our little boy, Joshua Thomas Phelps. A quick blurb from my facebook account, and then some pictures:

Joshua Thomas Phelps arrived at 7:05am, July 12th, weighing 7 lbs. 14 oz. & measuring 20 inches. Will be posting some pics soon if I can get it to work on our netbook here, with very little sleep.

Labor began at approx. 9pm, where we were counting contractions getting stronger at home. We went in & I was dilated to a 5. An hour later, a 6. An hour after that a 7. Got an epidrual - twice (kind of a bummer, but worth it in th end, then we got an hour of sleep at 6am, were told my doc would be up at 8 to break my water to get things rolling. He surprised us at 7am, broke the water, asked me to push - I did and then he said, "this baby will be here in 5 minutes." Watched them break away the bed, get the crew in place & then I pushed 2 times on 1 contraction and little Joshua was here - amazingly beautiful & perfect in every way. Praise God. I'm up now on the hospital wi-fi, trying to stay awake because he's spitting up amniotic fluid a bit, thought I'd keep awake by uploading some pics....to be put up soon!

2 centimeters and counting...

2010-07-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

Within days, we'll be meeting the newest member of our family:

Joshua Thomas Phelps

Birthdays & Father's Day

2010-07-06T17:14:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Preston's 4th & Hannah's 6th birthdays at Fliptastic this year. We waited to give them their gifts from us on Preston's actual birthday, which was also Father's Day.

Folsom Zoo & Train Ride

2010-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

We kicked off Summer Fun this year with a trip to the zoo!

Slip - n - Slide - fun in the sun??

2010-07-06T15:26:00.001-07:00

Though there wasn't much sun out, the kids insisted on the slip-n-slide, for a bit. They looked cold to me!

Camera died & dad had to show the kids how it was done properly, so I took some more shots with my phone...

Mother's Day

2010-07-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

I was quite busy this mother's day and yet Royce and the kids found a way to surprise and pamper me. It was very cute, so I photographed every step of the way. I was instructed to sit on the couch and wait while they coordinated their efforts in the back bedrooms. Then they paraded out, 1st came Hannah with a gift bag in arm, followed by Preston (looking like a butler with a towel draped over his arm), then Nathan holding a pitcher of warm water. Royce & Spencer finished the procession with a foot spa soaking machine. Once I planted my feet, I was pampered by each of them, taking turns scrubbing, cleaning, soaking, rubbing. Ahh...I was in heaven.

Daisies Daisies

2010-07-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hannah is in Girl Scouts this year and here they each planted a daisy at the school that is hosting their meetings (Cambridge heights elem.). We also had the joy of selling (and eating) girl scout cookies this winter!
By the way, Hannah tied for selling the 2nd or 3rd most cookies out of the 12 girls, thanks friends/family for buying cookies!

Great Moms Walk - Parade!

2010-07-06T14:47:00.001-07:00

In May, our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group raised funds and participated in the Fair Oaks Spring Fest parade. We went for the awareness and had a total blast, but didn't realize we'd also win the 2nd place ribbon! Here are a few pics of us in action:

The Reduce, Reuse, Recycle poster was the clever brainchild of Melanie Tiner - we had a "Go Green This Spring" theme to work with (F.O. parade) and we wrote: "Reduce" Mommy Stress, "Reuse" timeless advice & words of wisdom, "Recycle" our children's clothing, or something to that effect. Are you a mom of a little one? Maybe YOU need MOPS!? :)

Thank you to everyone who supported Christ Community Church's MOPS group in Carmichael - we were able to raise over $1100! Thank you for coming out and participating too!

EASTER!

2010-07-06T14:42:00.001-07:00

Even though He is Risen, it didn't seem like the sun rose that day. Still, it was a fun day. Again, not great pictures, but they're what I have....

Winter fun

2010-07-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

Just a few snapshots of our Winter. The kids began homeschooling & we tried to keep them active & having fun together. I have been terrible at taking good pictures though! So, from Spencer's first Valentine to the kids enjoying some ice cream on the lawn.... enjoy!

Christmastime Blessings

2010-07-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

It looks like I left off at Thanksgiving - but before just passing by one of the best seasons of the year, I have to include a few pictures of Christmas with the Phelps' family. If I didn't I wouldn't be able to share the many blessings and bring Glory to God for His faithfulness & love toward our family.

Story first: So we have had an interesting year of dealing with less income, went through a Crown Financial (exhaustive 10-week in depth bible study on finances) and began to see where we needed to improve to be better stewards of what God has given us. Now that I'm writing this in July & the study took place in October, I have a broader view of how God has worked and am absolutely amazed. But we'll stick with Christmas for now & then a few pictures.

We were not sure how to give the kids a nice Christmas when bills needed to get paid, debt needed to get repaid, savings needed to get started. As a side note, we were also living in a home rent-free (another blessing by itself) and still struggling to make ends meet, have car insurance and keep everyone fed. One day after church (we also started attending a new church) we got a call that some family members wanted to stop by with something for us. Not only was there a large turkey & all the fixings, snacks galore, food for days and days, but they had pitched in with other families to surprise us with several $100 gift cards to Target. Whispered into my ear was "God loves you very much"... what a gift! We were humbled and brought to our knees in a very powerful way. Within days, a call came in from a business called "Dinner My Way" that several frozen meals were purchased anonymously for my family & they wanted to deliver that night. Within days, again, we checked the mail and received not one, but two gifts in the mail from anonymous donators. A $50 bill and the other a $100 visa cash card. God was certainly making His point.

Why did I share all of that with you? Well, despite our hardship, we had put everything into His hands and the kids had a wonderful Christmas. But more importantly, we experienced God's love in a very powerful and real way and were able to share that with the kids as well. Now for some pictures of the fun we had....

Grandma Nichols made all the kids a special blanket...

Here, they'd made a train of blankets leading down the hallway.

Spencer slept in, didn't know what he was missing!

Eating a Christmas breakfast together with family.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your many gifts, most especially the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, whom you sent here as a sacrifice for us, that we may be forgiven and be restored to You. Thank you for your relationship & faithfulness to our family, through friends and family and people we don't know, we feel Your love.
Thank you for blessings us, bless everyone we know!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas season 2009!

It sure has been a while...time to find my memory card.

2010-06-26T17:26:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here after a day of taking a "break" from nesting. Royce is on a men's retreat, the kids are enjoying wii sports for the first time in months, I need to get dinner going, and yet here I sit thinking about how time flies and it has been forever since I've updated the blog, I mean really.

So, this is a reminder to myself to take more pictures, document them & share them with all of you. With our laptop having a faster connection & a new little baby due to arrive within weeks, it is necessary for me to get back with the swing of blogging. Since I am nesting, I've been off of facebook for weeks and weeks but hope to catch you all up here, in 1 location.

You'll be hearing from me!

Family Photo 2009

2010-04-09T18:22:00.001-07:00

Did I forget to mention the big news???

2010-01-06T15:39:00.001-08:00

In case you hadn't heard, and maybe you counted the stockings below and were wondering why we had an extra?

Yep, you guessed it. We ARE expecting again!!! After getting over the shock & horror of it (that is a bit dramatic) we became very excited - I mean how can you argue with another precious blessing from God. It says in His Word afterall, that children are a reward. Thank you Lord, for this blessing and thank you for promising to help. (Isaiah 42:10)

1st Birthday / Anniversary / Thanksgiving

2010-01-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Spencer turned 1 year old on Nov. 25th, which was also our 9 year anniversary. We celebrated his birthday the next day after our Thanksgiving feast. In 2010, you can expect we'll be celebrating BIG for our 10 year Anniversary / 2nd b-day / Thanksgiving all on the same day! Below are some pictures of our turkey and also of Spencer's interesting cake experience.

Beautiful cake made by Grandma....so far so good...

Until he put his fingers in it and got "messy"...he was hysterical!

Some Phelps Randomness

2010-01-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

I misplaced my camera for a couple of months (between October & December). So we took various pictures with our camera phones, below.

On a rainy day while going to MOPS, I thought I had the stroller pretty well weather proofed. Until I discovered it was all in vain because he had been hanging his head out the side (getting soaked) the whole walk, wanting to see what was going on!

Spencer being cute in his Chargers shirt.

A double rainbow we caught in Orangevale.

The boys just completed their Lincoln Log creation. (ignore the laundry also pictured)

We went to Apple Hill in the beginning of November, which was really fun. Because we began to home school, I asked the kids to predict something they might find. Nathan said, "The BIGGEST apple!" Below, he found it!

Where we live, we see wild turkeys all the time, which we find so funny. This time, we counted a total of 33!

Some before and after hair cuts:

Spencer & Emerson, birth buddies in costumes.

Preston as Tigger at Pottery Barn Kids halloween party with best friend, Tommy!

Clark Kent & Superbaby

The whole crew, in costume. We had mad scientist, Justin with us, Nathan was Darth Maul, Hannah was Sleeping Beauty, Preston was a green monster, Spencer was Superman.

This is what happens when you walk away from a 1 year old and leave his food within reach...

You know it's cold in California when you wake up to snow on the car!

Maybe you can't see it, but we had snow on the ground too!

Preston with a baby bunny at "Bethlehem Village" at Sunrise Community Church.

Dad thought he'd be cute sharing his cocoa with Spencer, much to my dismay.

... and the results of giving Spencer cocoa.

Royce surrounded by kids!

Getting our tree - Costco always has the prettiest and best priced noble firs!

Stockings are multiplying!

M&M Family Picture from Six Flags

2010-01-05T16:13:00.001-08:00

In going through some cell phone pictures, I came across this one. We took this at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom this summer, after my awesome MOPS group went in on some family passes for us in May. These are the best stairs I have ever seen!

So we decided to home school...

2010-01-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

Taking the blog back a few months, I would like to catch up on some of the happenings in the Phelps household, especially since I haven't gotten around to any Christmas Pictures/Cards or Letter yet this year (and it's a month past already!)

Back in October, 2009, we thought and prayed a lot about what to do about our situation with the kiddos. School was going along fine, but I was feeling like a square peg in a round hole. Hannah was super excited to start Kindergarten, Nathan was plugging along fine. We struggled to get homework done on a daily basis. He spend 7 hours there at school, and then we spent at least 4 hours fighting to get homework accomplished. Needless to say, I didn't feel like I had a whole lot of time with him for quality time spent & the negativity levels were pretty high. Little Spencer had to be whisked from his bed, without a diaper change most days, and with just a cup of milk to satisfy his belly as we rushed out the door to make it to school 5 minutes late. Returning 3 hours later would repeat that cycle of whisking him out of his bed from a nap & Preston just went along for the ride every day. Again we'd repeat this process a 3rd time to get Nathan later in the afternoon. I felt like I lived out of our car & my little ones suffered from being in the car so much and my older ones suffered from lack of quality time with me at all in the day.

After much prayer & discussion, we decided to home school and bring our schedule back under our control. I was nervous to tell Nathan & Hannah of our decision, because they were enjoying school. In the manner that God works, which is far beyond what I could comprehend or ask for, He solved this problem by having Nathan & Hannah ask if we could do school at home and not return to school. It was quite an amazing morning that turned into a whole discussion about schooling at home that I hadn't planned on having just yet. The kids were so excited and not that sad about leaving school. Their last day was just before Halloween.

We decided to charter with South Sutter Charter School for many reasons. For one, they offer me great accountability, support, and also the funding necessary for anything we need school-related, within the confines of their massive lists. That includes books, curriculum, project materials, art supplies, paper, ink, music lessons, P.E. classes, pretty much anything we could have wanted to do with the kids both with school and extra-curricular-ly (yes I believe I made up that word) that we wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise!

Above is a picture of the desks we brought home from a killer sale in Lodi and how excited the kids were. They flocked to these desks right at first and were very eager to get started with school. They still use the desks quite a lot, for school and otherwise, and it is nearly 3 months later.

It took sometime to get my curriculum in and we will probably be in a learning process for the rest of this school year, but we are excited to be on this homeschooling journey. There you have it, in case you were wondering! : )

Fall-ing (skipping) Forward

2009-10-03T21:24:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been a LONG time since I've updated our blog! I'm ready to get back into the swing of blogging though. Here is our first family picture of the season. Come to think of it, I don't think we've had a recent picture of all 6 of us. This portrait taken at Dewey's Fall Festival last Friday night - but it is only a snapshot of the actual portrait as I don't have a scanner hooked up right now. It was our 3rd year and it was really fun - nice and warm this year - last year it was freezing.

Stay tuned as I begin to catch up a little bit with highlights from the year and move forward from here. We are on a very exciting path as a family and have many things to be thankful for. More soon!

Cool like that

2009-01-28T18:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun picture of Spencer smiling! He is two months old now, getting very big and a happy baby to boot.

Twin Dino's

2009-01-26T21:26:00.001-08:00

Spencer (8 weeks) with his buddy Emerson Brooks (4 weeks). We didn't even plan this and it's the 2nd time it has happened!
ROAR

MOPS

2009-01-26T21:21:00.000-08:00

I snapped a picture of our last meeting.
& my favorite speaker ever: Dr. Lisalee Egbert!

Cold Day at the Park BRRRRR

2009-01-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Remember that Saturday after New Year's? Wow was it a cold one! But we braved the elements & took the new bike for a test drive.

Preston was saying: "Push me!" - the jeep is stationary

Here is where I was - far far away (standing in a little corner of sunlight)

This is how far I zoomed in!

Some Christmas Pictures

2009-01-26T18:57:00.000-08:00

It seems that Santa enjoyed our cookies & milk!

YUM

Sleeping baby...

Crazy Christmas Morning

Preston got Darth Vader Legoman!
Nathan and specially made-by-grandma Light Saber

Aunt Gracie

Aunt Em

Great Grammy & Spencer

Hannah & her 1st bike

The boys on the couch
Stocking time!

Pastor read the Christmas Story to the children

The kids got a kick out of being up on stage.
This video is so cute, just the first 10 seconds or so. For the sake of your equillibrium, you might want to skip the rest...I didn't know it was still recording (new camera & all). But Nathan's Star Wars Legos have become quite an issue in the house with Preston always wanting them. He says, "MY DAR BADER!" So, mom got him some Star Wars legomen & here he is light saber fighting them & when Nathan asks, "Are those legos?" Preston is quick to reply, "Yes, they're mine!"

The "Christmas Letter"

2008-12-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!
Now that you've gotten over the shock and awe of receiving our Christmas Card this year BEFORE Christmas (hopefully anyways) you may have mosied on over to your computer and checked out our blog (because the link was on the card - Thank you Lisa for the wonderful idea!)

I don't know how many years in a row now I have constructed the "Christmas Letter" (6 maybe?), but we have so much fun doing it and yet have so much trouble actually getting it out during the Christmas season. Well, you can imagine that with a new baby, postpartum blues and all the craziness of the year (for us - to elaborate: a move from 7 years in our condo, 2 dead computers, 2 months without internet, 2 dead digital cameras, finally a computer that works BUT intermittent DSL & isn't hooked up to a printer yet, etc. etc. bla - bla - bla -) and whatnot - your Christmas Letter probably wouldn't have arrived until June, at the earliest...perhaps not even until Christmas of 2009. So, in an effort to make things easier on me; to eliminate the guilt of seeing the stack sitting on the counter month after month, and to update family & friends in a timely and tree-saving manner, here is our 2008 Christmas Letter:

Dear Family & Friends,

What a year! In January, we had the privilege of attending a new church, a real life changing moment for us. During one of the services that month, we learned that the number "8" means New Beginnings. For some reason it resonated with us. It was going to be a year of New Beginnings - 2008. Looking back, boy did that turn out to be true! It was a year of hardship as well, but we keep our focus on a new beginning and look forward to what 2009 brings us.

SPENCER - We welcomed Spencer into our lives in November - on our 8 year (there's that number 8 again) anniversary - Nov. 25th. He was almost 3 weeks early, but a really healthy 8 lbs, 2 oz! We are slowly adapting to having 4 children, while feeling very outnumbered and yet increasingly blessed by God to have these beautiful gifts in our lives.

PRESTON - Still a very active little boy who keeps us on our toes. He is super funny and quite the BIG boy lately at 2 1/2 years old. Our little monkey was two in June and talking up a storm all year long though we are continually amazed at his increasing vocabulary.

HANNAH - She is very much the princess of the family. Testing us in her 4 1/2 year old way and very independent and full of spunk. She also had a birthday in June. She is currently in her 2nd year of preschool and loving every minute of it. In 2009 she will embark on a new journey into Kindergarten and is so excited about that.

NATHAN - A big 1st grader already, wow! He is a special 7 year old, and while we have our moments with him, he is really proving to us how inquisitive and bright 7 year olds can be. He loves to figure things out and ask questions, though he doesn't love homework. He loves his teacher, though he doesn't love obeying all the school rules. (we're working on that!) He is very much into Legos and Star Wars - put those two things together and you'll show him heaven early.

ROYCE & COURTNEY - We are parents of 4 little kids, what more is there to say??? We are busy, busy, busy. Royce is still working for Artisan Tile and still enjoying it, though things have slowed down a little bit in the business. Somehow God finds a way to provide for our family so when we start to get stressed and wonder how ends are going to meet, we continually ask ourselves, "Why did I allow doubt to creep in?" God's timing might not be our own, but it works and is perfect. Courtney is still involved with her Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group and even went to a MOPS Convention in Dallas in October that proved to be a very valuable experience.

As difficult a year as we had, we have somehow come out ahead and closer than ever and are very blessed and can only attribute our blessings to Jesus Christ's power in our lives. When we are weak, He is strong.

Enough about us, we want to hear from YOU. Please keep in touch and drop us a line anytime. Our email addresses will be listed below and did change this year, so make a note of it. We pray that you are all having a PEACEful and JOYful Christmas Season!

With Love,
The Phelps Family
Royce, Courtney, Nathan, Hannah, Preston & Spencer

courtneyaphelps@att.net
roycephelps@att.net

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but this cocoa is so delightful...

2008-12-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

Our annual Christmas Light Night with a Live Nativity play at Christ the King Lutheran church on Walnut & stroll down Dovewood Court was Sat. Dec. 20th (Preston turned 2 1/2) and especially cold! Good thing we brought our hot cocoa along with us. Spencer didn't get to enjoy the hot cocoa but he was bundled up and nursed through half of the play anyways! After Dovewood, we drove by one more Court, our friend Kevin from Choir has his house all decorated along with everyone no his court. It's almost just a beautiful as Dovewood without all the traffic. Anyways, I took a picture of a tree on his street that was decorated like Rudolph.

Stinky Baby

2008-12-22T10:50:00.001-08:00

After waiting 3 weeks (for belly button to get regular) without a real bath, it was finally time when we went to snuggle Spencer and he was a bit sour. Here are a few pics of his first bath! I love the 2nd one because he is looking up at my face while I wash him. Don't you wonder what he's thinking??

Bumper Sticker: "I'd Rather Be Here:"

2008-12-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, WE didn't go to Disneyland, but Grandma & Aunt's Em & Gracie went last weekend. Since my mom is so willing to share her digital camera with us, I was able to upload HER pictures to our computer and can't help but share a few with those who haven't seen D-land all decked out for the holidays. Enjoy - even though we weren't there, we still enjoy the sights!

7 Years Old, Nathan Turned

2008-12-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

On Dec. 5th, Nathan turned 7! It is hard to believe he is really 7 years old already! We held a party in our home (we hadn't been able to do this at the condo) and went all out with Jedi Training, a gorgeous Darth Vader cake made by Grandma Cheryl, Light Sabre fighting in the backyard with cousins & friends. It made for a pretty crowded night, but Nathan had an absolute blast - we hope his Jedi friends did too. Here are some pictures of his Star Wars Birthday Bash.

Love, Definitely

2008-12-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

When we thought about the prospect of bringing home another child, we couldn't fathom what it would be like and how the other kids would react and be with him. I don't know why we have those weird questions, because how could it be anything but wonderful, crazy, great and lovely? The kids absolutely adore Baby Spencer and it is just so fun to see how automatic and easy love can be. With our spouses we have to "fall into love" but with kids, it just happens and you can't explain it. To think that this is how our Heavenly Father feels for His children is mind-bending. We don't need to woo Him or please him - He just loves us because we're His creation. Enjoy a few photos of this special adoration between siblings below and some pictures of bringing Spencer home....

Spencer Theodore Phelps

2008-11-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

Meet the newest Phelps!

Spencer was born on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 (his mommy & daddy's 8th anniversary!) at 2:59pm. He weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 inches long with blonde hair and blue eyes. He and mom came home from the hospital on Thanksgiving Day. Needless to say, we have a lot to be thankful for this year. Despite being 2-3 weeks early, he was perfect and big!

Below are some pictures from the hospital that family took. (Thanks for sending me these Debbie!) If you've been wondering where my updates are - well, we've been busy and also still don't have a camera, though we've been borrowing my mom's camera - so there will be more updates more often now that the computer is working again!

No pictures...but an update nonetheless!

2008-09-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

In August, my digital camera broke. Eventually we'll replace it and be able to update with photos of the kids. For now, here is an update on us. Parts might be a repeat for some:

Early August, we moved! We have a ton of space and a huge backyard and it has been busy in itself to slowly unpack, etc. In fact, we still have a ton of stuff to bring over this weekend from the condo. Since the move, our laptop has crashed and just a month or two prior to that, my old computer (literally) died. Smoke actually came from the back of it when it turned off - never to turn on again.

Along with the demise of our computers, the internet service has taken forever (2 months) to get situated in the new house. I'm currently "online" but the DSL signal is intermittent, so a technician will be out on Friday to really fix things.

An angel (good friend) brought over a computer (actually, make that 2 Angels, 2 good friends dropped off used computers at my house all in the same night on Monday) and one of them has allowed my usage and is working, though pretty slow but I'm not complaining!!! Long story short, I am FINALLY online again.

The family is doing great, Royce is working his tail off to provide and keeping extremely busy despite the economy of other Tile companies. We are blessed to be with Artisan Tile as God has His hand on this compnay, as well as on our family.

Nathan started 1st grade last month, Hannah started 4 year old Preschool at Christ Community Preschool, where she went to the 3's program last year. Preston is talking a lot and cute as a bug. They're all 3 doing really good and driving their mother crazy all at the same time.

Now for the news, we are expecting a little boy this Winter and have decided to name him Spencer. The middle name is up in the air at this point. We thought we were going with Theodore, but are thinking about switching it to Immanuel, which means: "God is with us" - it just seems appropriate for this season in our lives. Spencer is due Dec. 12th, however we expect to have him in November! With H being 10 days early and then P being 12 days early, the doctor and I just don't think Spencer will hang on until December!

On other news, my mom is moving from Tahoe to come live with us and will be looking for a part-time job and go back to school for her Accounting Degree and hoping also for her Nursing License along the way! We expect her here in about a month and are looking forward to it.

Many of you, my special friends, have been leaving me messages or voicemails and I have been really unfaithful to return many calls/messages/emails, etc. It is not personal, so I apologize if I have hurt any feelings. In addition to family stuff I have been balancing my MOPS group of which I have been Co-Coordinating with my good friend Janet. It is like a full-time job, but is an act of service in a ministry that I believe in whole-heartedly. I've been trying to check my email at family/friends houses but also the local library and it has been difficult to do much more than skim and read a few here and there. Very hard to balance a 2 year old on my lap and try to construct an email! Even here at home for the past day he has been fighting me over the keyboard. : )

So there is my update to any who come here a wondering! Next week I'll be going to Dallas for a MOPS Convention and my mom will be here helping Royce with the kiddos. Sometime later in October/November I hope to make more time for all of the important people in my life. Happy Fall!

Love,
Courtney

Having a healthy Baby!

2008-07-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Today was our sonagram and we were pleasantly surprised, but also very excited to learn that we are having a BOY! We thought it was going to be a girl and were proved wrong. So now the name decisions begin. Exciting!

Beach Babes!

2008-07-23T15:43:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a fun family vacation in Santa Cruz for a family reunion. Before returning home on Saturday, Royce's birthday, we thought we'd take the kids to the beach for the first time. The kids had so much fun playing in the sand for two hours, collecting shells and getting very sandy! Preston didn't like the ocean, but he did enjoy playing in the sand. Hannah was rolled over in a wave of sand (mud) and took home a less than happy memory about the beach, but the video below will show how much fun they had running to and from the waves.

Check out our slide show of the beach and more pics from Santa Cruz to follow soon....

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

EASTER FUN

2008-05-31T21:00:00.001-07:00

We went to an Easter thing at church the day before Easter.

The kids watching us practice in the Choir room before church started...

Family picture at church...

The kids in front of the water fall was NOT happenin'Grandma & Grandpa The kids were excited to receive their Easter Baskets once we got to Grammy & Papa's house.

Easter Egg Hunt!Dinner Time on the Patio
My Sisters & I

Easter Haircuts at Jack & Jillybeans!

2008-05-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

Gibbon's Park - our FAVE!

2008-05-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

March Madness continues...

Costco Shopping - A Child's Perspective

2008-05-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

Award ceremony in Kindergarten

2008-05-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

An award winning photo...

2008-05-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

If I can say so myself.

A picture of Coco's place card with my special decoration on it at Tea & Treasures (MOPS).

Uncle Daniel's Birthday

2008-05-31T19:44:00.001-07:00

Some pictures and also some entertainment! Just cock your head to the left and enjoy my little brother's talent.

The kids resuming the "dessert" position at Grandma's house...

March Madness

2008-05-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

On March 1st, we had a spontaneous family day at Sun Splash and John's Incredible Pizza. We started the day off with racing go-carts - which we all loved. Ended up at the yummy pizza place where the kids played for hours and Preston fell asleep in his stroller. Everyone was so tired at the end of the day!

At the ZOO

2008-05-31T19:20:00.001-07:00

Deanna and I took the kids to the Zoo on Feb. 28th. It was a lot of fun, the girls had a blast and Preston was very intrigued by some of the animals we saw! Here are some pictures...

More February Fun

2008-05-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

Valentine's Day at Hannah's school with Miss Kris & Miss Nicole...

Special Bibles for Special Kiddos... Visiting with Cousin Heather... Then to Leatherbys....look at the cute trio...

Another special birthday

2008-05-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hannah's friends, Delilah & Mikayla turned 4 in Feburary. Hannah was able to attend their special "Tea Birthday" princess-style! Every little girl's dream!

A Happy Birthday - Feb 1st

2008-05-31T18:05:00.001-07:00

It's always fun to get a "date night" without children, but especially when you're turning 31! Tonight we celebrated, the usual, at Tahoe Joe's and the movies! Grandma & Grandpa Nichols watched the little ones.

January

2008-05-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

A few of our favorite moments in January...

Our ginger bread houses!

A silly family photo...

In case you're wondering what is around our heads, those are none other than jean bandanas - home made! Daddy came home from work with a big hole in his jeans, so each of us took turns literally tearing the jeans right off of him!

Peanut butter, anyone?

Nathan paper-chained himself up to the books/toys!

I'm Baaaaaaaaack!

2008-05-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Whew! It has been a whirlwind of several months. As you may have seen, I haven't updated the blog since the beginning of the year. We have lots of news, of which you have probably heard about, no thanks to my blogging technique. Expecting our 4th little bundle of joy, I am finally past the 1st trimester and feeling GOOD!

I'll get around to uploading new photos and updating the blog over the next week. Now that I'm feeling better, my house is already back in shape, I'm tackling MOPS projects like a hound and trying to play catch up in almost every area of my life.

And just in my defense really quick, I tried to update a few months ago, but had forgotten my password and hadn't the time to request a new one. Now I'm back in business! YAY

More soon......

Our Christmas Letter for 2007

2008-02-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

I tried something different this year and got them out late, again. However, I only got them out to half of our list. I ran out of ink in the printer, and just never got around to the other half. For that, I am sorry, but you can check it out here if you didn't receive a copy.

Christmas Brochure 2007 - Upload a doc

Hope for the New Year

2008-01-02T14:14:00.001-08:00

I haven't uploaded any new pictures, but I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. I feel very strongly that this is going to be a good year. A wonderfully blessed year. You could say that 2007 was a difficult year for many reasons. Sometimes I lose sight of the grand scheme of things when I'm in the throws of tough times. There were a lot of tough times this past year, but I have been able to look back and actually see God prevailing. This year I want to, no - I need to see God in the midst of day-to-day things that pile up and cause frustration, fear, anger, worry and much more. I am reminded of Jeremiah 29:11 which states, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Wow - what a powerful verse. Another sentiment that comes to mind is a part of a song by Toby Mac which is actually sung by Mandisa. She says, "How do I sense the tide that's rising, desensitizing me, from living in light of Eternity?" My plan for the New Year is to not lose sight of the big picture - eternity. I want to live my life today in light of eternity. This might seem like a big mumble jumble of thoughts, and well yes, I guess it is. Praise God for giving me this hope for our future. Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

2007-12-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day was finally here. We stayed in all day, had an exciting and laid back morning and then begain preparing for Royce's family to come over in the afternoon. We cooked a turkey and birthday cake (sang to Jesus) and Maw-maw & Paw-paw (Phil & Jan) came over; Cathy, Jet, Jet & Lili came over and then later after their Christmas goings-on; Pat, Heather, Elijah & Haylie came by. It was a fun, fun day!

Santa ate some yummy cookies but left a few crumbs.Preston is trying to drink this candy cane!Opening stocking first for a change.I think he's getting the hang of it!Oh the excitement!Hannah looks so cuddlyYou are looking at new CSI Field Agent, Royce Phelps...hee heeOops, forgot to take a pic of the pretty bird BEFORE carving it.A glance at our Christmas table.Paw-Paw & Maw-MawJet & CathyRoyce & CourtneyPreston didn't last long at the table.Happy Birthday Jesus!A room full of family...and cute cousins! Haylie, Nathan, Elijah & Jet (R to L)Save the Cheerleader, Save the World?Funny boys played in the "Lego Room" for a long time.The "Lego Room" where Nathan can keep them away from Preston!

We hope you enjoyed looking at our many Christmas Day pictures, but more than that, we hope you had a very Merry Christmas! We are so thankful that God sent his only Son here to die for our sins. In every way possible we strived to teach the kids this year the true reason for this season - Jesus and we hope to maintain this same level of excitement throughout the year. As I'm typing this, I am reminded of a book I recently got because my Mothers of Preschoolers group talked about it, called The ADVENTure of Christmas. What a blessing this book has been to me! I highly recommend it to anyone, get it now to prepare for the next Christmas season and always. The book is available on Amazon at a reduced price - written by Lisa Welchel (Blair from The Facts of Life). Didn't mean to promote here, but hey - the book is well worth it!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Dedication

2007-12-24T20:32:00.000-08:00

Baby Lola was dedicated today. I was able to snag a couple of not-so-good photos from the event. We didn't last the whole service at Arcade Church because Preston wanted to run and scream. Lola looked so cute! She is being held by Lisa in the middle of the picture with Jeff to the right.

Oops, the day's not over yet!

2007-12-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

Uncle David and Miss Telly (Kelly) stopped by right before bed with a special treat for the kids. Below are some cute pics of the kids all jamified & blissful.

More Christmas

2007-12-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Christmas today with my mom's side of the family. We all went over to my Grandma & Grandpa Fuller's house where they had prepared their home for all of us and everything was fun and festive. They also prepared a yummy Christmas dinner and we exchanged presents around the tree.

Behind Nathan is Auntie Em & Auntie Gracie with Hannah.The fam.Cutest little cheeser ever.Aunt Lisa with Jackson.top right to bottom left: Great Grandma Trudy, Great Grammy Fuller, Grandma & Lola.

Got the "ch" part of cheese!Royce getting piled up on.Lincoln & Nathan checking out Hannah's candy!Drinking milk and eating cookies....

Beautiful Girl in Church

2007-12-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

Just sharing a beautiful picture of Hannah while she was sitting on Daddy's lap in church Sunday morning.

Christmas Begins

2007-12-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family over at my sister Erin's house. We all had so much fun. Below are some pictures from the day!

The kids sang songs like Happy Birthday to Jesus with their crowns on after opening up their Christmas Crackers (thanks Deanna for introducing us to the crackers this year!). Grandma is orchestrating.

The twins, Carter & Cohen performed Feliz Navidad! so cuteMason & Nathan checking out what was inside their crackers.Lincoln playing with his surprise!Preston loving on Mom.Aww...Hannah got a pretty bracelet.

Preston opening up his first Christmas gift...

Santa Part 2

2007-12-21T19:33:00.000-08:00

Well I said I would brave the mall again, and we did! Since Nathan missed Santa the first time, I took him back. Aunt Em & Aunt Gracie went with us to help and we were in line for about an hour! We tried it with Preston again and he took to it the same as the first time, only this time they didn't get a picture of him screaming. But we did get a cute one of Nathan & Hannah.

Nathan's Christmas Party

2007-12-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

On Nathan's last day of Kindergarten in 2007 (Fri. Dec. 21) they had a "Night Before Christmas" party where they got to wear their pajamas to school, have a yummy breakfast together, party, exchange presents and carolling. He had a blast and so did Preston & Hannah in their PJs with the rest of the kids.

Christmas Cookie Making!

2007-12-20T17:39:00.000-08:00

After a BUSY day (took the kids to McDonald's with their friends Esther & Leah after we picked up Nathan from school) we decided to tackle the sugar cookies we'd been meaning to get made and decorated. These are the same cookies that Santa later ate. The kids were so cute with their decorating skills and precise sprinkle placement.

And then at naptime I found Princess Hannah.. .

2007-12-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

So I brought her home from school, she had a nap before going to pick up Nathan from school, and after a while I peeked in on her to see if she really was sleeping. This preciousness is what I found. She put on a tiara comb before drifting off to slumberland.

Hannah as Mary

2007-12-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

When I picked up Hannah from her last day of preschool in 2007 (12/20), I was pleasantly surprised by some pictures the teachers shared with us and sent home with her. It was of a group of kids in her class posing a Nativity scene and Hannah was none other than Mary, mother of Jesus - holding the baby Jesus and everything. I knew that that was perfect for her personality and so I just had to share this darling picture.

A Big Weekend

2007-12-18T16:23:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Dec. 14th we got a babysitter and went to a dinner/theater at my dad's church. We got to have an adult dinner with Jeff & Lisa, Erin & Ron, David & Kelly, Daniel and my Dad & Debbie along with other relatives who also attend there. It was fun, but I don't have any pictures. Then on Saturday the kids and I went to a Happy Birthday Jesus party and that night we had my brother babysit while the kids slept and we had a late night at a Christmas gathering at Michael & Deanna's - eggnog, games (men vs. women - we tied I guess) and white elephant gift exchange. It was fun! Then on Sunday we made our final trek out to Dovewood Ct. mainly to take in the live Nativity play they put on at the Christ the King Lutheran Church across the street. It was very festive and we brought hot cocoa again - and ran into Brandi's family too! Below are some pictures from the weekend. Christmas is drawing near!!

We Elved Ourselves!!

2007-12-17T06:07:00.000-08:00

(click) The Kiddos & (click) Just Us

Christmas Lights!

2007-12-17T05:54:00.000-08:00

Each year, we love to go to Dovewood Court in Orangvale and take in all the lights. We did this last weekend and again last night. We went back last night with hot cocoa in hand, to see the live Nativity play they put on. It was amazing, as usual, and the kids really enjoyed it. Here are a few pictures from our two trips to Dovewood this year.

Santa Part 1

2007-12-17T05:31:00.000-08:00

Took Hannah & Preston to the mall and sat on Santa's lap. Preston didn't like it very much, can you tell?? Priceless. Now Nathan wants to go though, so we'll be braving the mall at least once more.

Speaking of Santa - a friend gave me a very special ornament of Santa kneeling over Baby Jesus in the manger this past week and I wanted to share Santa's Christmas Prayer, there is an excerpt on the back of the ornament.

"Santa's Christmas Prayer" by Alda Monteschio

On Christmas Eve the other night I saw the most amazing sight, for there beneath the Christmas tree was Santa kneeling on his knee. His countenance was different than that all-familiar, jolly grin; his head was bowed, with hand to breast, and slightly tucked into his vest. For there in a nativity was Jesus and His family, and as I heard him start to pray I listened close to what he'd say. "Lord, You know that You're the reason I take pleasure in this season. I don't want to take Your place, but just reflect Your wondrous grace. I hope You'll help them understand I'm just an ordinary man, who found a way to do Your will by finding kids with needs to fill. But all those centuries ago, there was no way for me to know that they would make so much of me, and all the gifts beneath the tree. They think I have some hidden power granted at the midnight hour, but it is my love for You inspiring the things I do. And so when they begin to open gifts for which they have been hoping, may they give You all the glory, for You're the One True Christmas story."

Hannah in Preschool

2007-12-17T05:27:00.000-08:00

I knew she would, but Hannah loves preschool so much! She just goes right in and doesn't even really need a "good bye" or anything. With Nathan going last year, she was totally ready to start this. We love Christ Community Preschool. Here are her school pictures!

Happy Birthday Nathan!

2007-12-12T21:24:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007: What a day! We had a packed schedule on this day. It started out with wishing my baby a happy 6th birthday followed by taking him to Kindergarten. Hannah, Preston & I spent a little while playing with Lincoln, Jackson & Aunt Lisa before lunch and naps. Aunt Gracie babysat the younger two while they slept and I picked up Nathan from school. Meanwhile, Great Grammy & Papa came over to give Nathan a birthday present. A little after 3pm and two naps we headed over to Hannah's special friend, Esther's house for her 3rd birthday party. That was really fun for all three kiddos. We went straight from there up to Roseville to pick up some cupcakes before arriving to my Dad & Debbie's house for a little family birthday time for Nathan. He is so proud to be 6 years old now. We are so proud of him!!Pin the Fairy on the Flower -at Esther's birthday party

My cute little boys observing the game

Playing on the trampoline - I think it was still bouncing!

Holding his Pirates' compass and making a wish...

Everyone's enjoying cupcakes and ice cream

Savoring every bite

Aunt Lisa and the boys - she is thinking, "Am I really letting them eat this???"

This one, Cohen I believe, is REALLY enjoying his cupcake.

His Mommy was SO mad.

Chocolate beard!

A happy little 6 year old had a really good day.

CHEEEEEEESE!

2007-12-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

Preston learned a new word. It was so cute. After haircuts (both boys desperately needed) and baths, we spent many minutes in the stairway taking pictures and Preston kept saying, "CHEEESE!" Not too shabby on the haircuts, if I can say so myself. Actually, I began Nathan's and Royce finished it. Below are some more cute pics of the kids in the stairs.

We looked and we looked ...

2007-12-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

You know the drill - if you've had a little one with a certain addiction to a certain pacifying device. You buy them at every grocery visit but always end up with just the ONE last (oh-so-sacred) one. Well, can you find it???
Yep, you guessed it. He chucked it right inside the Christmas Tree, and it landed on the bottom-most branch deep inside. Phew, at least we found it. We have made a 9pm trek to the store for a new pacifier in the past. Once. Sometimes when I just can't find something, I pray that God will show me where to look. Who'da'thot a pacifier would be INSIDE the Christmas Tree? Thank you Lord!!

Oh Christmas Tree!

2007-12-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year, but boy is it busy and go by fast! I'm finally uploading some more pictures. We got our Christmas tree on Nov. 30th, put it up and decorated it the next day. The kids love putting ornaments on. Preston went to bed and never saw the lights/ornaments. When he woke up the next day, he just stood in front of the tree in awe. It took several minutes before he reached out to touch it. For the most part he has been pretty good about leaving the tree and ornaments alone - unless they are shaped like balls - we have to keep those ones up pretty high! The next day, I took the trimmings from the tree and made a wreath. It was so difficult, but I kept at it (for 2 hours!), so I have to share a picture of it too.