The ConnConn's

01.02.10 Happy 3rd B-day Ruby Ava

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:10:00 +0000

Happy B-day my precious girl! I have not known you long, but it feels like I've never been without you. Since I first learned of you I have wanted nothing more than to be your mommy, and to love you like I love your brothers and sister. After two long years my prayers were finally answered. You my girl were worth every minute we had to wait for you. You truly complete our family.
I love being your, "Fat Mommy." I love your silliness, and how affectionate you are. When you crawl in bed with me you truly melt my heart. I just want to eat your chubby arms up! I "luff" you even when you pick your boogers and eat them. I would protect you from nice and mean "monsers" any day of the week. I promise to always share my "lip chappick" with you forever, or at least until your old enough to have your own. Oh yeah....and when ever you are hungry don't forget Mommy always has a "nack" for you. If it's your b-day I might even have a "cutcake" for you. My life is sweeter because you are a part of it!
Happy B-day my precious gem!

Where's the Cassi?

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:32:00 +0000

The other day Cassi, Ruby, and I were having a Girls Day at the mall and Target. As we were walking by the jewelry store I looked down at my filthy ring and watch and decided it was time for a good cleaning. So, the three of us headed into the jewelry store, which in Cassi's opinion is so boring compared to Claire's. Claire's has so much more selection!
I was trying to keep the girls occupied while the lady worked her magic on my jewelry. I quickly looked over at the jewelry case and saw a ruby. I quickly pointed it out to Ruby hoping she might be interested. She got right up to the case glanced at it and asked, "Where's the Cassi?" I could of died laughing!
It was quite an adventure keeping them both happy and entertained! The Target nachos and chocolate ice cream did help to keep them content for a while!

Two months

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:19:00 +0000

Well it's been about 2 months, so I guess it's time to blog again. These past two months have absolutely thrown me for a loop....but in a good way. Two months ago I only had three kiddos, now I have four, yeah FOUR! At times I still can't believe it either! I am now one of those moms with more kids than arms. I am now one of those moms that can no longer drive just any vehicle...we are officially a BIG family.

This morning I was laying in a hospital bed with my littlest gem trying to get her to rest, and once again I became completely overwhelmed. God has been so good to myself and our family. We have honestly experienced another miracle in our lives. It's been a process, but it is still a miracle.

The loop I have been on...well let's just say it's a 2.5 year old....need I say more?! My days are now full of sippy cups, giving "cany" every time she potties in the potty (she is already pooping in the potty), chasing, bargaining with her for just about everything, taking a baby jogger or stroller EVERYWHERE, getting about a 1,000 hugs and kisses each day, never being able to go to the bathroom or take a shower by myself, cuddling on the couch, being able to read to someone that doesn't notice when I make up my own stories instead of reading them verbatim, and the list goes on! God has shown me these past two months that I definitely had room in my heart for one more precious gem! He has blessed me beyond measure with four amazing children.

I guess by the next time I blog I better come up w/ a new name. Poor Ruby Duby is so left out...maybe the Sweet Six?

Life

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:30:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago Doug and I, and our good friends were talking about how our lives had turned out so far. We were discussing what we might have thought if we would of been allowed to see little snapshots of what our future looked like.
To be totally honest I never in a million years would of thought that my life would of turned out like this. I never in a million years thought being the wife of a full time pastor, and a mother of four would be what God had planned for my life. Now don't think for a minute that I am disappointed or would have it any other way. It's just a little different than I expected. The part that is radically different is the joy and contentment that I experience daily. I truly believe that God has poured out his blessings upon my family and I in a miraculous way. Trust me we have had our share of heartaches and pain just like everyone else, but God continues to work in our lives.
In my younger years I never would of imagined that my life could possibly be so blessed, and yet so simple. I honestly thought that money and a successful career would bring me happiness rather than my faith in Christ and my precious family.
God has done amazing things in my life this summer. It has been a summer that I will never forget as long as I live. As a family we have become SO much closer. I am finally getting the principle of God, Doug, kids and the results are amazing. I am not saying that I have it mastered, I'm just trying to live it out. Not everyone gets to be married to their best friend and is blessed with the joy of parenting amazing children.
So, basically I am a little emotional/sentimental tonight. I am sitting in a hospital room listening to my son breath in and breath out. I find myself begging God for healing and nourishment for my little mans body. This hospital stay has given me time to reflect upon the blessings of being first a child of God, second an incredibly blessed wife, and of course the luckiest momma in the world. Thank you Lord for blessing my life far more than I could of ever hoped or imagined! Oh yeah, and could you make sure my little man is feeling like a million bucks in a few days so we can go get our precious little girl?

Summer lovin' and lovin' summer!

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:49:00 +0000

Long time no blog! It's not that I am lacking things to blog about,but it seems like every time I sit down to update some other fun opportunity/activity drags me away from the computer. Much more fun/important to live life than blog about it!

So far the Conn Conn's have had a fantastic summer! We started our summer with a FANTASTIC trip to the Oregon Coast. It was just the 5 of us, and we had SO much fun together! We were able to celebrate Trev's b-day on our way there at Benihana (kids loved it). We spent most of our time on the beach, we also visited an aquarium, shopped, spent a lot of time in the hot tub, of course ate at Mo's, ate LOTS of saltwater taffy, stayed up late every night, and slept in every a.m. Big Daddy did a great job of finding us a great condo to stay in!

Upon arriving back home we hit the ground running! We celebrated Trev's b-day w/ friends at the pool. All 3 kids have had the opportunity to spend a few days in Baker w/ my family one at a time. They have had so much fun and gotten incredibly spoiled. It is really different to only have 2 kids at home! I missed them like crazy, but am so glad they each got a little alone time w/ G-ma Kiki and Papa.

I have to say that I love every minute of summer....bbq's w/ friends, daily adventures to our pool, free movies @ Edwards, family dinners on our new patio, watching Chris play baseball, attending God and Country and listening to Big Daddy sing, Bible Study w/ the girls, impromptu trips to Baker and McCall, boating w/ Papa and G-Ma Kiki, Pedi/Mani w/ my girl, floating the Boise River, our yearly camping trip w/ the Harrington's, and the list goes on. Mostly I just love our summer lack of schedule. I love that my kids can stay up late so we can hang out longer, and then they sleep in each a.m. I love that we get to be together ALL DAY!

We are making the most of everyday! We are anticipating our life is in for a BIG change HOPEFULLY in the very near future! As most of you know we are STILL in a holding pattern. Please continue to pray for us! I am signing off to hit the pool!

Happy B-day Cassi and Chris!!

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:55:00 +0000

I love/hate this day! I love celebrating you two, I just don't want you to get any older!
Cassi,
My life would be so boring with out you! You are definitely the life of the party! There is never a dull moment when you are around. I am so thankful that you always keep me on my toes! I love that you are such a girlie girl, but at the same time love animals and the outdoors. Your pink fingernails w/ dirt constantly under them shed a lot of light about you. I love to cook w/ you, and am so thankful I never have to cook dinner alone. You are my little, "Cooker." I also enjoy your artwork all around our house and my classroom. You are quite a talented artist! I am thankful that you are sensitive to the needs of those around you. I have seen you mature in this area a lot recently. Your smile makes my heart happy! I am so glad that you come to see me everyday at recess. I know the main reason you come is to get a snack, but I am happy to see you just the same.

Chris,
Oh how I love my tenderhearted boy. Your kindness and compassion toward others is very evident. Your smile still melts my heart every time. I love to watch you play sports or any athletic activity. Your skill amazes me, but more than that your effort is amazing! You are one determined young man! One of my favorite parts of the day is when you read to me. I love that time with you, and am so impressed at how incredible you are doing. I am so glad you still want me to come see you at lunch each day at school. I love to watch you interact w/ your friends and hear a little about your day! You are an excellent helper to me!

Easter

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:22:00 +0000

I have to say that I LOVE Easter! It is such humbling time to remember what my Savior did upon the cross. I love the newness and freshness of spring however, it kind of crept up on me this year. I wish that I had some better items to put in my kiddos baskets, but at least I do have a few things. I have Easter dress(es) for my girl, new shirts for the boys, and Doug will be stylin' in green.
We had so much fun coloring eggs tonight together! The kids have been begging to do it all week. Tonight was the night! Our eggs.....well they are colorful to say the least!
More important than eggs, new clothes, and Easter baskets we have had some great discussion this week. I think my kids are really starting to understand the importance of Easter, and what it means to them personally. Chris wanted to know if Jesus would of died for just his sins? He was so happy and relieved to know that Jesus loves him that much. Trev soaked up every bit of our communion service at church. He really took it so seriously! He has been full of questions since Wednesday night. It was priceless to hear my kids belt out, "Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Let's just say I bawled like a baby through the whole song. I think they really began to understand what that blood did for them. Cass attempted to hand out cards to all of her friends inviting them to church. She told me she wanted all of her friends to learn about Jesus and come to the Easter Egg Hunt.
The five of us will be doing a card board testimony together this weekend at church. My kids are really excited to be able to share the story of how God brought us together. I am so thankful to serve a risen Savior that is still performing miracles even in the lives of my own family!
I hope that you have a blessed Easter!

Mr. Motivation

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Okay....I have been feeling SOOOO lazy lately! Could it be because I am married to Mr. Motivation?! My man has a serious case of MOTIVATION! He is working like crazy at church and amazing things are happening, working on his Masters, and recently decided to run a half marathon with a good pal. It is crazy to see someone that used to not enjoy running, run 4 miles and read half a book in a day. Running and reading have never been a part of his vocabulary in the 14 years that I have known him. I am so thankful for the healthy example that Douglas is setting for our children!

I have recently had to remind myself that God's plans for those around me are not his plans for me. So, all that to say I am not running a half marathon. I am pretty content with my new exercise regimen at the gym. I am also not going to pursue my Masters at this point (even though I have more than half of my hours). God has really been working on me and helping me to be more disciplined in my own spiritual life. My motivation is my family. I want to be a God fearing woman that serves my family with joy. I have realized that my problem has been that I have no goals. There is no finish line or degree earned at the end. So, my goal this week is to set some goals. I think I might ask Doug for a little help as he seems to set some pretty high ones lately!

Fab 5 fightin'

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:52:00 +0000

okay i have to admit i am a lover not a fighter! i have never much been into wrestling, boxing, karate, or really any of the martial arts. i just don't like to watch people hit or kick each other. however, for the rest of my fam it is a different story. my kids are all excited for basketball to end so they can start karate (much to my dismay). they have been recording and watching all of the karate kid movies lately.
the twins have always enjoyed trying to take each other down. especially when encouraged by their father and older brother. the smack downs usually occur right before bedtime, so that everyone is wound up like no other! smack downs at our house consist of the twins grabbing each others arms and trying to push/pull each other down. there is only a half pound difference in weight, so it is actually a pretty fair fight. doug and trev cheer and guard all of the sharp objects and corners so that the contestants are not hurt. the score of the last fight was 2 to 1 with Cassi the champion. however, she was injured in the smack down. she got a bruise on her shoulder, but it was the kind of bruise that you can not see (at least that is what she said). her shoulder was also "swollened" on the inside. while tucking her in after her victory she told me not to tell anyone, but that she was a tom boy. she decided that she no longer wanted to do gymnastics or ballet just be a fighter.
i have been a soccer mom, a baseball mom, a swim lesson mom, a tumbling mom, a basketball mom.....but i can't do this martial arts mom thing. if i hear one more, "I'm gonna take you down." i might scream! i have to admit i love to watch the twins do their little smack downs in their p.j.'s, but i just don't want them learning real moves so they can really hurt each other!
please don't tell cassi that i blogged she was a tom boy, or for that matter chris that i told you a girl beat him in smack down. i would be in so much trouble!

life and 30 days to live

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:43:00 +0000

well....i guess it was about Christmas time that i last blogged. i am thankful that we did have our "Christmas slow down" because we have literally been running since then. our year has been off to a great start. we have made lots of "healthful" changes around our house. doug and i joined the gym and we are all eating more healthfully! i am SO proud of douglas, and love going to work out with him. i am so thankful for the example that he is setting for our children.

a lot of our time recently has been consumed with the boys playing upward b-ball and cassi cheering. they are all enjoying it and doug and i are having a great time spectating. they are all about ready to start an after school program as well. trev is going to be in a boise children's theater production, chris in more b-ball, and cassi in an art class. never a dull moment around here!

okay....so that was the life part! in a nutshell we are all doing great just trying to make the most of everyday, and that is where the 30 days to live part comes into play. i am really enjoying the new series that we started at church. even before we started the series this was really what i pondered upon during the "Christmas slow down." this year i am really trying to make the most of every minute. i am trying to be more positive. most importantly i am trying to rely on Him more. as the book that i am currently reading states i am "connecting to the vine" instead of trying to be the vine. okay, so it is already the middle of february and i wish i had this all down by now, but i don't. i am just so thankful that God has not given up on me, and continues to work in, and bless my life on a daily basis. i am thankful for the new perspective that he has given me, and how i have been able to enjoy some precious moments with my fam that i might of previously missed out on. the work out discipline has definitely helped my spiritual discipline to be better this year. well i am off to play w/ my kiddos instead of doing the much needed laundry...priorities right?! if i only had 30 days to live clean clothes would be the bottom of my list!

Christmas Slowdown

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:13:00 +0000

Well....Christmas is all and said and done. It's hard to believe all of the shopping, all of the eating, all of the hype is already over for the year. It seems like we hopped off the plane from Cali, hit the ground running, and the next thing I knew it was Christmas. During the month of December we tried to fit in as many Christmas activities as our schedule permitted. We baked a little, watched quite a few Christmas flicks while sipping our new fam favorite hot cocoa w/ vanilla ice cream, decorated our house and tree, looked at lights, hung out w/ friends and fam, shopped a little, celebrated a few b-days, decorated a gingerbread house w/ friends, attempted to read the Christmas story every night before bed, and attended Christmas parties. Amongst the craziness we all got sick, Chris had oral surgery, Doug took his final and wrote a paper for his Masters program, and everyone but myself practiced and performed in, "Simply Christmas" at church. Trev also had his first orchestra concert, which surprisingly was very kind to the ears. I am so proud of my little man! We were also able to spend a little time w/ my Dad who was in the hospital in Boise for a shoulder replacement. The kids had so much fun playing with his hospital bed. We all absolutely adore that man, and hope he doesn't have any more surgeries for a LONG time.
We are currently spending time w/ Doug's family for the holidays. We are enjoying relaxing and spending time just the 5 of us. I already took a peak at the January calendar and am trying to savor every moment w/ the fab 5. I love these peeps so much! It is nice to just slow down and be able to cuddle with them and actually carry on a conversation w/ them with out having to say, "Hurry Up!" Amongst the hustle and bustle of life I find myself saying it quite a bit. We are making the most of the Christmas slowdown. The slowness has given me a chance to reflect upon just how incredible this past year has been. God has truly poured out his blessings upon our family in so many ways. I am humbled to sit, think, and thank Him for the love, grace, faithfulness, and mercy He has bestowed upon us during these past 12 months. I am looking forward to many great Fab 5 adventure to come in the next year. For now I am going to go snuggle with the kids.

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:48:00 +0000

We were so blessed to spend Thanksgiving in California with my family. There were 12 of us in all that made the trip including my parents, brother Will, brother Drew and his wife Christa, sister kati and her adorable almost 6 month old Rhyse, and of course the Fab 5.

We stayed right on the beach in a great house. The kids had so much fun playing in the sand, boogy boarding, playing volleyball, looking at dolphins, seals, crabs, starfish, and finding shells. They also spent a lot of time in the pool and hot tub.

We spent two days at Disney and had an absolute BLAST! We would send G-ma Kiki and Baby Rhyse to get us fast passes for the rides that we wanted to go on. We hardly waited in line at all. We found out that Cassi and Trev are roller coaster maniacs along with their Dad. Chris and I, well lets just say we did a few, but we don't like as Chris says, "That throw up feeling." We were able to see some great parades and lots of characters.

We also spent one day at Sea World. It was a fun day and so much more relaxing than Disney. The kids loved seeing the sharks, and Chris is still doing the Shamu wave. The guys and kids all sat at the bottom of the splash zone on purpose and stayed dry. They were a little disappointed.

The other days of our trip were spent on the beach, exploring Huntington Beach Pier area, shopping, and going to Bolt.

It was a great vacation and we were SO blessed by my parents to take us all. We made so many fun memories together! I am not sure if the sour dough turkey is going to be a yearly tradition for us, but we did not miss real turkey this year. We were having way too much fun to worry about a traditional meal. In fact, we spent Thanksgiving in Disney and stopped at one of the few open restaurants on our way home, Del Taco. Yes, we had Del Taco and various other snacks at about 10 p.m. for our Thanksgiving dinner.

Thank you so much Mom and Dad for a wonderful trip! We so appreciate your generosity! Thank you so much for making this a very special time for our family. We love every minute that we get to spend with you. You are the BEST!

Teeth

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:32:00 +0000

My little man was so brave today! He had to go to the oral surgeon this morning and have a tooth pulled that was fused to his bone. He did not even flinch when they stuck in the I.V.(maybe the nitrous oxide helped out a little)! They ended up having to cut the tooth into 4 pieces, and that included the double root that the tooth had. It was HUGE! They said it was a bigger extraction than most adults.

I kept him nice and doped up most of the day so he did not feel any pain. I am a little concerned with how tomorrow will go! There is a huge hole in his mouth that is VERY deep! We are just praying for no pain!

You may notice from the above picture the huge gap in the front....yeah Chris is missing his 3 front teeth. Too bad there is not a song about that! Poor guy he is in for it when it comes to TEETH! Only seven years old and we are already starting with the orthodontist. The list of to be pulled is long....one down many to go!

Fab 5 for 4 years

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:40:00 +0000

it still overwhelmes me to think that God poured out his blessing upon doug and i to become parents to our 3 beautiful children. it was a long and hard process, but in the end so worth it! (refer to last years post for all the details)
it's hard to believe that it has been that long, but at the same time it seems like we have been together forever. i have completely forgotten what life was like with out them a part of it. was there ever life without mcdonald's, a trampoline, a dirty house, unfinished homework, or sleepless nights?becoming a mommy is the one thing that has totally rocked my whole world. you see this is the one title that i have not been able to fulfill with out God's strength in my life on a daily basis. i must admit (unfortunately) i have done a lot of things in my flesh and some how God let me slide, but not this job. this job doesn't work out so well when heather connelly tries it on her own! in my own strength i am totally unworthy of these three amazing kids.
i can remember praying so hard even before i met them that they would bond with doug and i quickly. oh man, did He answer my prayer. i can remember hugging and kissing them for the first time and it just feeling so right. i don't know how to describe it any other way than, "we became family!" my baby girl was a little shy around others the first several months (hard to believe now), and i was just so happy to hold her in my arms for hours. i absolutely loved to just hold all of them, and still do. i absolutely LOVE the fact that they still hug and kiss me good bye every day at school in front of their friends, and even when we meet in the hall. i am so glad that God is still answering my prayers and has allowed us all to be at the same school again. because i missed out on the first few years of their lives i now want to make up for every minute. i rarely leave them with a sitter because i know in a couple of blinks they're going to be off to college.
honestly, from the minute i met my kids something inside of me changed forever. oh yeah, i still have a pretty big selfish streak, but this momma's babies come first! shortly after bringing our kids home our friends all came to meet them. a few of my friends commented that i looked different. i would just answer with, "of course i look different now i am a MOM!"
sometimes i look at other moms with kids at similar ages as mine and i think, "man that woman has it together! what the heck is wrong with me?" that's when i like to fall back on the, "i've only been a mom for 4 years now excuse, and i got three at once." oh yeah, this mom thing is better than i could of ever imagined, but boy is it hard work. i just wish i could put life on slow motion and savor every minute just a little bit more. last night i was doing homework with the twins and was saddened with how well they are reading. it's just not right they are growing up so fast!i never could of imagined that what i thought to be my biggest curse (infertility) could turn out to be my biggest blessing. God truly knew what he was doing when he put the five of us together! so, today I am celebrating the Fab5 for 4 years, and looking forward to the Fab5 for 5! God is so GOOD!

round dos

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:03:00 +0000

yes, we have started off november just like october SICK! sore throats, runny noses, fifth's disease, a trip to the e.r., vomiting, and the other stuff i won't mention. thankfully i think everyone is pretty much back to normal!

so, besides our illnesses october turned out to be a great month. despite our crazy schedule we made some great memories as a family. we started out the month w/ a trip to baker. we had a great time hanging out on the ranch, and of course a fun 4-wheeler ride up in the mountains.

the following weekend we were able to go to the pumpkin patch w/ some great friends. the kids had a great time at the petting zoo and pony rides (they were at the pumpkin patch). we brought home some pretty cute pumpkins too! the next day we went to the zoo w/ our home team to see the new africa exhibit. the kids LOVED it!

the next weekend doug was off again so he got up and made everybody breakfast, and then we spent the afternoon hiking at camel's back. of course after all of that exercise we had to make a stop at goody's.

of course october ended w/ halloween week. actually, this was probably the most memorable week of all. the kids had to dress up for AWANA in what they wanted to be when they grow up. it was a given that trev was a cowboy, and chris announced that he was going to be doug. so, that left cassi to be heather. of course trev was the cutest cowboy EVER! and the twins, well that was just priceless! chris wore khakis and a shirt w/ one of doug's ties. (doug wears a tie about 2 times a year, but whatever!) he did his hair just like his dad's, sprayed some of his dad's cologne on, and even carried his messenger bag. he had to finish the doug look off w/ a cup of dutch bros. coffee, because that is what dad always drinks. cassi had to dress like me w/ matching jeans, sweater, boots, and of course makeup, a cell phone, and one of my purses. they were very cute! when we got home from church that night chris said, "hey heather, i'll give you a smooch if you let me stay up later." let me tell you that had me rolling.

halloween was a fun day filled w/ school parties and of course lots of candy. doug and i were both able to attend the kiddos parties. then of course there is the good old trunk or treat. peter pan, wonder woman, and flash collected an obscene amount of candy. it has only been a week and we have already polished off a good portion of it.....hmmm do you think that is why we have been sick? (pictures coming soon-blogger would not let me upload them!)

germs

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:13:00 +0000

it is only the middle of october and everyone in our house is on steroids and antibiotics! yes, you are reading this correctly- all five of us have been to the E.N.T. in the past week! he is GREAT, so if you need a good doc. i would be happy to share his name.
this is not a good way to start off the cold/flu season. i am praying that we are getting all of our sickness out of the way! i absolutely hate it when my kids are under the weather! i don't like to see them so miserable. everybody did look better this a.m. and fortunately made it to school!
Happy Healthy Wednesday!

a slice of our life

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:37:00 +0000

Trevar has been in violin lessons for 3 weeks now, and already has learned 7 songs. He has also learned those same songs on the piano all by himself. He is working so hard in school!

The other night we were all curled up together reading a stack of new fun books. In the middle of the story Trev reaches over and gives me a huge kiss on the cheek. He then said, "Mom, thanks for reading me books still. I know that I am 10 and can read them on my own, but I am glad you still read to me."

Conversation the other a.m.

Chris: Mom I am so glad you could not have a baby. Sometimes I still can't believe that you picked me! How did you know that you wanted me?

Me: I saw a picture of you and your sister and brother in a rocking chair and I just fell in love with you. From the minute I saw that picture I did everything I could to make sure that you were my baby. God really answered my prayers. (I couldn't really say much as I was so choked up.)

Chris: I think I might adopt or have a baby someday.

A few weeks ago at school everyone was given a T-shirt for Spirit Friday. The teacher did not have enough, and the last little girl that did not get one started throwing a fit. Chris just nonchalantly got up and gave her his T-shirt. He told his teacher he could just get one a different day. My boy has such a tender heart!

Do you de-gree?

Last night we were driving home from Home Team and were cutting it close for bedtime so we said our "Goodnights" in the car. As Chris was praying Cassi kept on saying Amen, Amen, Amen. When he finished praying he asked her why she was saying Amen? She said she was de-greeing with him. I thought Doug and I were going to die laughing! So, our family has yet another new word. I am thinking the Connelly definition would be to agree with just a little disagreement in there as well. Maybe like you agree about 95%.

A few days ago Cassi was singing, "Mary had a Little Lamb" constantly. My mom and her friend stopped by and she literally sang it 15 times. I was telling Doug about it later that night, and he started laughing. Cassi was singing that a.m. and Doug had told her that she had a beautiful voice and sang that song wonderfully. She totally lit up when he told her that. I guess positive reinforcement really does work!
I LOVE these people! They are the reason my life is so rich!

the desert

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:26:00 +0000

this is not my first trip through this dry and desolate land. i have been here before, just not for for this same exact reason. i have learned a few lessons in the desert, lessons i will never forget as long as i live. i am thankful for these lessons.
this trip seems to be different than the past. in fact, i have never felt such intimacy with God. until last night i actually had a time line of how long this trip was going to last. boy was that thought buried in the sand!

let's just say that God truly spoke to me in Bible Study last night. (i am completing, "Discerning the Voices of God," by Priscilla Shirer). as i watched the video last night there was nothing new or earth shattering that i heard, and i definitely did not catch a camel and high tail it out of here. however, God truly spoke to me and showed me the reasons why i am here, and what i need to do to learn the lessons/life applications He has for me. i am taking my eyes off of this season, and focusing on what God is doing in my life. you see, just like moses i am looking for my burning bush on a daily basis. i am looking for "supernatural makers." when i see them i am not going to rationalize them, instead give the glory to God.

when priscilla stated that, "Bushes don't burn in the palace they burn in the desert, i actually thanked the Lord for this trip. i asked Him again to reveal to me His truth so I could get out of here glorifying Him. i have to admit that at times just like in Luke 24 i have been so overwhelmed with my circumstance that i have failed to recognize that Jesus is right here with me!

just like moses i am so thankful for the intimacy that i am experiencing with my Savior this trip through the desert. i pray for the humility to make it out of here praising him!

thank you Lord for the desert and a few good reasons to get out of here closer to you:

Philipians 3:13,14

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind me and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

life in the fast lane

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:14:00 +0000

i can't believe summer is over, and we are already back in school. it happened so quickly! in fact, it happened so suddenly i didn't have time to be saddened. i just had to jump right into a new school year. to say it has been a hectic month would be an understatement.
this past month has really been an awakening for me in may ways. i have realized just how precious my family is. this whole summer was spent doing things as a family, and it ended with my entire family here for my dad's surgery. it sounds crazy, but it was a sweet time. it was a time i will never in my life forget. i am so thankful for the second chance that my dad was given.
now, i just have to face reality and get into a routine. i have to keep telling myself school is in session, and summer is over. i absolutely love my job, i just miss the carefree days of summer. actually, what i miss the most is being with my kids all day. it almost kills me to leave w/ out the twins each afternoon. the other day i made my daily trip to the caf. to say goodbye to the them, and cassi told me she was going home with me. she told me she had learned everything she needed to for the day. she did not need to be a full day kid anymore. oh how i just wanted to snatch her up and bring her home and cuddle with her on the couch all afternoon.
life has just changed so much in the past month. my twins are gone all day. trev is becoming more and more independent. doug has started his masters and is even more busy than he used to be. and me....well i just have to adjust to a new school, new principal, new kinder. team, new class, and their parents. for the most part it is all positive stuff, now i just have to decide to go with it. maybe the first step is a little reality check...i think it's time to put away the pool toys. step number 2-start volunteering in the kiddos class this week, and enjoy every minute that i do have with them. step number 3- realize that bedtimes and homework are here to stay and deal with it!

answered prayer

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:44:00 +0000

my dad made it through his triple by-pass great today. i appreciate all of the prayers and support that have been shown to my family and i. please continue to pray for him tomorrow as this is when the pain really kicks in. God is so amazing and truly has had his hand upon this whole situation. we are so thankful for his protection upon dad! now we are just praying for a speedy recovery and to get out of i.c.u. quickly!

my dad

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:24:00 +0000

this week my world has been shaken. last week my family and i had a great time biking, boating, eating, and sitting by the pool in mccall. last week my dad was a wild man trying out the new wakeboard and chasing his 4 grandchildren around, this week we found out he has to have triple by-pass open heart surgery. yes, i am typing that! he went from having episodes of chestpain/breathing difficulty to surgery in a 24 hour period.

God truly has had his hand on this whole situation. he sent my parents to the right doctors at the right times. if the blockage would of gone undetected much longer things would not look so promising.

so, as you can imagine my dad is on my heart. he such an amazing man. he has always been my superhero and my knight and shining armor. as a child i won everytime when i played the "my dad is better than your dad one up game." it's pretty hard to one up someone that has brains, good looks, and is an exceptional athlete. throw in the fact that he is hardworking, kind, spontaneous, and funny- you have an unbeatable combination.

he has made so many sacrifces for myself and the rest of our family. he is the most unselfish person that i know. my dad is the rock in our family. i have never seen him get worked up about much, even as as rebellous teenager he never once lost his cool with me.

he stands firm in the word of God. he has truly shown himself faithful, and has reaped the benefits of standing firm in what he knew was truth.

my children absolutely adore their papa. i absolutely love to watch and listen to them interact with him. he always takes time for the teachable moments. he is never too busy to meet their demands, and those range from making papa's pancakes for breakfast to spending hours on the 4-wheeler. papa has even managed to be the one stuck doing cassi's hair (by the way it turned out great).

on aug. 27th my family would covet your prayers as my dad goes in for surgery. we are asking and seeking that God would be with our "Rock."

Soul searching and Goal Setting

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:52:00 +0000

So, far this summer has been a real soul searching time for me. I think it is a combination of many things...my sister having a beautiful baby boy and being extremely happy for her, but at the same time kind of wishing I could of had that precious bonding time between mother and infant. I am not having a pity party just wishing for more time with my kiddos. Could all of this emotion be a result of my twins heading to first grade this year and being away from me all day? I LOVED my afternoons with them!
I also have been doing a great Bible Study that has really caused me to dig deep and find w/ in myself some issues I don't really want to deal with. Another huge factor of is just recently celebrating my 10th anniversary. This is a huge landmark but, I don't think anything has quite made me feel so old! I pulled out the pictures and wanted to cry! My husband looks better today than the day we were married, but not me! What has happened to me? I wonder how he could still love me, as I don't even look like the same person? Can we say INSECURE? It didn't even make me feel better that I tried on my wedding dress and it still fit! Maybe it was the comment that a so called friend made to me, "Well of course it still fits you never had to go through pregnancy and childbirth. You have no excuses." All in all anniversary was great-a trip to Hawaii and a fun night out here in Boise. Just a major realization through the whole thing that I have some major things to work on in my own life!
The other day I was reading one of my favorite blogs and P.W. posed a question that really got me thinking....Looking back 10 years ago did your life turn out the way you had planned?
For me personally I thought all of the changes in my life occurred about 13 years ago when I changed colleges, majors, career choice, surrendered to full time ministry service, and decided that maybe I would think about interrupting my career before the age of 30 to get married and have children. Soon after all of these changes I met and fell in love with my husband. At that point I knew my full time christian service would be walking through life as the wife of a pastor. I wasn't sure what all the journeywould entail, but I was willing to give it my best shot. Oh, ignorance is bliss!
So, looking back 10 years my life is definitely different than I expected, but GREAT different! I have a wonderful husband and 3 incredible children. I had no idea that we would have to go through so much to finally have our family, but it was all so worth it! With God on our side we have overcome things in these past 10 years I never could of thought possible. I am so GLAD that I did not know some of the things we would have to face! All I can say is God is good all the time, and He has continued to be with us through the mountains and the valleys.
Whew! This is pretty deep for me, but all of this soul searching finally came to a head for me yesterday at church. Dr. Jerry Thorpe brought an incredible message and challenge to me personally. He talked a lot about setting goals and the importance of doing so. I would say that for the first 25 years of my life I was incredibly goal oriented and driven. Not to make excuses but motherhood has kind of put anything about me in the backseat. I have no career goals or even real ministry goals at the present time. My goals for most days are just making sure that everyone is dressed, fed, gets to where they need to go, and most importantly happy.
I was definitely challenged on Sunday to once again sit down and write out my goals. It has been a long time since I have done this. He explained how we need to separate our goal categories, and that they need to be measurable and attainable.
Not that the last 10 years of my life have been disappointing, but I think the next 10 will be more fulfilling with the practice of setting and attaining goals on a regular basis. I guess what it comes down to is I don't want to settle for mediocrity any longer. So, hopefully today as my kids are splashing around in our pool I will be able to get my goals in writing. I am so thankful that all of my soul searching this summer has led me to this exercise. Thank you Lord for speaking to me through this message!

10 Years

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:23:00 +0000

Ten years ago today I married my best friend. Many things have changed during this decade (jobs, kids, our goals, etc.), but the one thing that has remained the same is you still remain my best friend.

My life has been made complete because you are a part of it. I am so grateful to have such a Godly husband and father to our children. So, in honor of our tenth anniversary I am going to give my top ten reasons I am so glad that we are married:

1. You are the spiritual leader of our house. I am so thankful that you are spiritually mature and have a close relationship with the Lord. I do not doubt your decisions or leadership because I know and witness your complete dependence upon Him.

2. The priority that you place upon making our marriage work. Thank you for always making time for me. It is so obvious to me that you are constantly trying to keep our marriage alive.

3. Making me laugh. I can honestly say that I have laughed more in these past 13 years than any other time in my life. I absolutely love your sense of humor! I sure hope when I get old that I don't lose bladder control, because sometimes I laugh so hard at you that I think it could happen!

4. You bring out the best in me. I appreciate the way that you encourage me and try to help me overcome my weaknesses (which are many). You always do it in a loving way. Thank you for always believing in me even when I don't believe in myself.

5. Being the best Dad ever! You are such a Godly example to our kids.

6. Always providing for our family. Thank you for being such a hard worker and meeting all of our needs. I truly appreciate your work ethic.

7. Your call and faithfulness to ministry. It has been awesome to see you grow and mature in your ministry. Thank you for your faithfulness to God's calling for your life. God has truly blessed you with amazing talent, and I am so thankful that you are using it to glorify Him.

8. Your enthusiasm for life and positive outlook. You are definitely the glass is half full instead of half empty type of guy.

9. The way that you love and have accepted my family. I am so grateful that you have such a great relationship with each of them.

10. Your smokin' hot body! Age has been good to you Babe!

Happy ten years! I can't wait to celebrate many more anniversaries w/ you! Thanks for making our tenth so special. Hawaii was such a WONDERFUL trip, mainly because I had time to focus just on you and us. I had time to see the real you again with out any interruptions, and was reminded of all the reasons why I fell in love with you and married you to begin with.

June

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:34:00 +0000

I can't believe a whole month has passed! June has been a very fun and incredibly busy month. We started off by finishing school, packing up all of my stuff to move to our new school, and most importantly celebrate Trev's 10th b-day.
The following week Trev headed to Junior camp, and had a GREAT time. While he has away the twins and I headed to Yakima to meet their new cousin. I am the very proud auntie of Rhyse Robert. He is extremely adorable and healthy. It was so fun to be able to spend a little time with him and my sis!
Upon returning from Yakima we actually spent a few days in town. Of course we were running every minute with daily visits to the pool, a visit to the Berry Ranch to pick some delicious strawberries, Meridian Dairy Days, baseball, and even visits to the library.
Doug headed to L.A. for a conference, so the kids decided to head to Baker to be with my family. We had an absolute GREAT time last week! At this point my kiddos think Baker is better than Disney! The kids had a great time kneeboading and tubing behind Papa's boat, fishing daily at the pond, swimming daily at the pond, biking into town, a beautiful 4-wheeler ride in the mountains, our own rodeo when we helped Papa move is pesky cows, gathering eggs, and of course daily visits to the coffee shop to feed their coffee addiction. The visit was great until about 9 p.m. the night before we were leaving. We were making s'mores and Cassi stepped on a red hot roasting stick and burnt the bottom of her foot. So, our trip was made complete with a quick visit to the E.R. For the record she is healing quite nicely- just no walking or swimming until Friday. There is a new shoes at all times rule at our house!
So, far we have had an absolutely wonderful summer! Amongst all of the craziness mentioned above Chris played a great baseball season. His last game was on Saturday and he recieved the Golden Glove Award for the season. It was so much fun to watch him play!
I don't think the kids have been to bed before 10 once since school was out! We are all enjoying a more relaxed schedule! We are also looking forward to a fun 4th of July outing w/ some great friends!

a school year ends, a b-day celebration, and bring on summer!

noreply@blogger.com (fab5) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:28:00 +0000

List format of the highlights from the past week:
Tues.-b-day dinner for T. @ P.F. Chang's.
Wed.- last day of school- Apache helicopter landing on playground and freezing cold picnic. attempting to pack up classroom-still have A LOT to do!
Thurs.-attempted to pack up some more, attended teacher shindig to say goodbye to everyone. pool party/sleepover- whew we made it through! i think everyone had fun?! little man a little grumpy the next day w/ no sleep! i actually made ice cream cake and they ate it! i do have a little martha in me! (i wanted to buy it but, little man wanted home made!)
Fri.- clean destroyed house, costco run, movie. actually felt like summer break!
Sat. -baseball game for chris- it was a cold one, but my little boy was smoking hot! i love to watch him play! b-day party @ boondock's. sat. night service and pizza and strawberry shortcakes w/ friends. doug spent the day @ paint the town. microwave stopped working today-how am i going to make it w/ out that thing?
Sun.- lunch w/ friends. hit the pool just long enough to totally freeze my kids out. went father's day shopping by myself. family bike ride. boys got haircuts. went and got frozen yogurt together.
Plan for the week:
Mon.- Trev heads to camp @ 1 p.m. yard work, go to school and work for a bit. home team @ our house, little man has a baseball game at the same time. i guess i am facilitating?
Tues.-Try to finish up at school. Possible date night w/ hubby?!
Wed.- a few dr. appointments. hopefully i don't have to go back to school today!
Thurs.- go watch doug play in an event w/ his band. we are his biggest fans! hoping to hit graples since i will be out in nampa. love that place!
Fri.-T. returns from camp-YEAH! i guess this means i have to give his electric scooter back. i must say that was a pretty good b-day gift! mama likey!
****this whole week is subject to cancellation. the minute my sis goes into labor we are headed to yakima!