Ice Time!

The boys and I ventured to Echo Bluff to catch some open hockey ice time on Saturday morning! Cade played for over an hour with a nice group of kids and adults. He started without a helmet but as the intensity of the game progressed, we quickly got his helmet on. Joel joined in for about the last 30 minutes. He even scored a goal, which he was pretty stoked about!! It was a great morning work out!

 

 

Hit with a Virus!

Our beautiful girl got hit with a major virus over night. She woke up with a froggy throat, a nasty cough, a stuffy nose,  and tired eyes. She didn't sleep well, and woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  Lots of oils and NingXia Red have been used! She will feel better for a bit, but then tires easily. We have spent many hours sitting the the chair and watching shows and movies. We were able to get up and enjoy a few puzzles together. Her puzzle skills are growing! We are trying to enjoy the bright moments during the sad moments of sickness. Hoping she feels better soon!! 

 

Swimming With Friends!

Callie and I went to the swimming pool with our friends on Thursday morning! It was nice to do something out of the norm and get some exercise! 

Day At Sea

We woke up to rough seas on Sunday morning. I went to an early morning exercise class and as we got started with the class the instructor noticed we passed right by Coco Cay Island where we were suppose to be stopping for the day. The sea was too rough to get into the channel to drop the ship's anchor. The captain decided to head back to Port Carnaveral to beat a storm that was blowing in. We spent the day rocking back and forth and back and forth. And it was very windy. We tried to do some reading up on the deck but the wind and the rocking made that short lived. The sun was still shining but the breeze made it a bit chilly. In the afternoon we moved down to the pool deck and sat under the shade to watch the NFL playoff games. We didn't notice the wind or waves as much in this location. We were glad to make it back to port safely. 

 

We got off the boat early Monday morning and our shuttle was ready for us. We had a quick ride to the airport and walked right up to a Southwest Airlines agent in hopes of grabbing an earlier flight back to Chicago. There were two direct flights prior to our 4:40pm flight so we hoped we could hop aboard and get home a bit earlier. We went and waited at the first flight's gate and were surprised when our names were called and we got on!! We were so excited! When we landed in Chicago we had an easy pick up from the company where we parked our vehicle, and easily made it out of Chicago without traffic. We were home by 3pm. What a blessing our travel day home was simple and easy! 

Nassau, Bahamas

We made it to Nassau, Bahamas! We enjoyed a relaxing morning with some yummy food and sitting in the sun on the top pool deck with some reading and chatting. There was a nice breeze but the sun made it warm.

We sailed into Nassau, Bahamas around 11am! We grabbed some lunch and then headed off the boat around 1:30pm to catch our snorkeling excursion. We had about a 30 minute boat ride out to the reef and went by the Bahamas' Paradise Island and saw some beautiful homes owned by many American celebrities. The air was breezy, and when we made it to the reef we found the water was chiller than we expected. It definitely took our breath away as we got in. Once we adjusted to the water temperature, the waves, and the equipment, we enjoyed floating together in the water looking at the beautiful coral and fish. The colors were not as bright as we both remembered but it was still beautiful. We observed fish eating and how they move their bodies to do so. Many of the first were camouflaged to match the coral color. We saw a long eel like looking fish and a ray. It was amazing. 

When we got back to th boat we enjoyed another delicious dinner and caught the evening comedian show. The man was very talented on the unicycle as he told jokes and did other physically strenuous talents. 

We had a nice day together filled with activity and rest.

 

 

 

 

 

Cruising!

Mommy and Daddy took four days away to be together, relax, and have fun! Daddy was so sweet to give Mommy the gift of this trip. We awoke bright and early (2:15am)  and headed to the airport to catch our cruise boat, Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. All of our connections went smoothly and we arrived without a problem. We enjoyed checking out the boat, lunch, and a quick nap before our ship set sail from Port Canaveral. We had a quick climb up the rock climbing wall and a nice dinner in the formal dining room before falling asleep early (9pm) because we were exhausted! What a fun first day!

 

 

 

 

45th President

Joel Charles wrote this in his journal at a school. Our 45th president, Donald Trump, was sworn into office just yesterday. Our country is divided because of this presidency. I love Joel's heart as he looks at the role of the president. We all have the job to run and tell others about Jesus.  May Joel's heart be this whether he becomes president or wherever else the Lord may take him as he grows. Joel is going to be something special. And may our new president, in his new role, trust Christ as his Savior and rely on God's Word to guide and direct him as he leads our country through the next four years. 

 

First Week of Hockey

The boys had their first week of hockey on January 15th! We prepared our bags ahead of time and then rushed out of church to make it over to Echo Bluff on time. Since this was our first time, we didn't know what to expect. We were told Joel would play from 1-2pm and Cade from 2-3pm. We successfully got all of the boys' gear and skates on in a timely manner. We figured out is take about 10 minutes to get all of their gear on! Trying out new things is fun! 

Joel's session worked on skating for the first half. The coach really wanted the kids to understand the importance of stopping and learning to fall, but getting back up quickly. They did a little playing with a puck. Joel did so well. He was a good listener and focused on the task before him. 

When Cade's session started we realized that he could have been out during the first session, as well. So in the coming weeks, we are excited for him to play in both. Cade's group did skill work with dribbling the puck and passing. They then got to scrimmage the second half of their practice. He scored two goals. He was learning to stay in his channel during the scrimmage versus bunching around the puck. He had a great time. 

We can't wait for next week! 

 

Conference Basketball Tourament

Cade's first season as a PCA Eagle basketball player has been a JOY! He has grown as a person, a player, and a teammate! He has learned how to work hard, be determined, loose with graciousness, win with humility, and trust the Lord more. His knowledge of the game has grown ten-fold and it has been fun to hear him strategizing before and after games! He has had a ton of fun and we have enjoyed watching him.

This week we played in the conference tournament for both the A and B teams. Both teams won the first night at the tournament! The boys played two close games and came out the victors. On Tuesday the A team was defeated. On Thursday, the B team played a great game against Deer Park and we lost with a "throw it up" shot with one second left to loose by one point. The game was a heartbreaker. We played well but the second half the game started to swing to Deer Park's favor, and the foul calls were not balanced by the referees. It was such a sad end but we were proud of our boys! On Friday, the B team played in the 3rd place game and came out the victors. Cade got to play in the game. He had a great time and played excellent defense. He even scored two points for his team! What a joy to watch him. He is a talented athlete! 

 

 

 

Hockey Gear

The boys are going to give ice hockey a try this January and February. They get to participate in a 6 week session, hopefully learning skills and receiving the chance to play small games. Today we rented gear from the organization who puts on the camp. The boys are excited! 

 

Deer Park Basketball Tournament

Cade received the opportunity to play in the C (6th grade) Basketball tournament Deer Park held the first weekend in January. We only have three sixth grade boys on our team, so the rest of the team is filled out with 4th and 5th graders. The talent level falls off after the first five players simply because most PCA kids have not had the experience of playing yet. Our five starters played almost the whole game of the first two matches. The third game we gained a lead and were able to play our fourth and fifth graders. It was nice the younger boys could get into play. 

Cade played in the first two games with much aggression, excellent defense, hard work, and joy. He made two shots the first game and one the second game. Each time he made a basket, he would turn and smile at us in the stands. He was so proud. He received the job of guarding the big "giant" the first game. He did a great job job of distracting in and getting in his way. Cade could not compete with his height, but her sure tried and it was so fun to watch. We lost the first two games but fought hard and it was great competition. 

Pop, Grandma, Joel, and Callie were great supporters and cheered well. Callie would yell out the boys' names while they played. Our favorite moment was when she yelled for Grady shooting a free throw when it was silent in the gym and he made the shot. He turned and smiled at her. Fun to still see the boys being little boys. 

Here is the song Grandma and Joel made during one of the games: 

Hi Ho Hi Ho 

It's to the game we go

We sit and scream for our team

Hi Ho Hi Ho Hi Ho

Hi Ho Hi Ho

It's to the game we go

We sit and drink our favorite drink

Hi Ho Hi Ho Hi Ho Hi Ho

Hi Ho Hi Ho

It's to the game we go

It's done at last, the game has passed

Hi Ho Hi HO

P

Special Love!

Our family was extremely blessed with a visit from Mrs. Patty Cabeen. She came to bring the children gifts. Each child received a new book, a lego set, and a stuffed animal. Patty's unconditional love and care for our family is something extraordinary. She and her husband, Tom, have been through much pain in their lifetime. Their generosity despite their heartache is a beautiful thing. I love that my kids can be in their life and learn from her. They love their days when they get to go to her home and play. I hope she knows how much she is loved by them. Though Patty and Tom never got to receive grandchildren, I hope our kids can bring a glimmer of special moments to their hearts.  

Staycation

After all of the Christmas crazies we received a few days to stay at home and not live by a schedule. The boys played a lot of Legos and listened to a lot of Jonathan Park. We interrupted to play a few games throughout the day, and the boys used Joel's Christmas gift from Cade to rent a Wii video game. It was nice to live without a go-go schedule for a few days. 

 

New Year's Measurements

The 2017 measurements are in!

Callie - 3 feet

Joel - 4 feet 5/8 inch

Cade - 4 feet 10 inches 

Our babies are 

 

Cousin Fun!

We didn't get to go to the Bents farm, but it worked out that some of the Bents kids were able to come to The Plex  to play basketball. Grandpa went out and picked up Sage, Brody, Corbin, Glory, and Zeb to join us! We were so glad to be able to spend more time with them! 

 

Time with Cousins!

We got to spend a few special hours with our cousins bowling and playing laser tag at Perfect Games in Ames. Uncle Jeremy brought Glory, Sage, Brody, Celeste, and Corbin to play with us.

Cade bowled for the second time without bumpers and improved so much! He bowled a 74 and had two strikes. It was fun to see him improve. It is hard for him to learn and be taught a new technique for the first few hours, but then he decides he is going to take the challenge and overcome it. I love when he gets over his own pride and desires and starts listening. Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It is hard to hang on during these moments of rejection. 

After bowling, Curtis, Cade, Joel, and Brody played laser tag. They had a great time together! Cade could have played all afternoon! 

The kids enjoyed being with their cousins and hope to get to visit their farm tomorrow! 

 

 

 

 

After playing with our cousins, we stopped by Grandma Sparks' nursing home to visit for awhile. We took our Christmas board games to play. Grandma did a great job fishing with Callie, and watched us play Sequence and Suspend. Curtis encouraged her heart with special words throughout our time. 

Happy New Year!

We traveled to Grandma Glenna and Grandpa Bill's home on New Year's Day. The kids were excited to spend a few days with them! Grandma and Callie enjoyed playing with the Barbies before bedtime. Callie was so excited to spend special time with Grandma. 

Side Note: These were the couple Barbie dolls mommy had as a child. Mommy rarely played with Barbie dolls but I did have a few. 

 

Good Bye 2016!

We had a wonderful 2016 and look forward to all the Lord has for us in 2017! Our Chicago Cubs won the World Series, Curtis started his new role as Lead Pastor at PBC, we traveled to Montana visiting many National Monuments and Parks, played soccer, played baseball, took overnights excursions to Iowa and Wisconsin, the boys went to Kansas, we were a part of a number of weddings, went to the Iowa State Fair, Jessica visited Utah, and more. Everyday we were given life and everyday we lived it to its fullest. I am not sure we could have squeezed much more fun out of the days God gave us in 2016! What a year of joy even as we faced change. He is a good God and takes care of us!  

New Year's Eve!

We had the Bullington family over for New Year's Eve for 2016!  We had them over in 2015, so I guess it is a tradition!  We also invited the Driscoll family to join us.  The little kids had a fun time running around the house, but I think Cade and Evan had an even greater time getting special attention from Justin when he taught them how to play a new strategy game.  Cade absolutely loved this opportunity and was beaming at the end of the night!  What a fun way to make memories!

Game Time!

Callie has been so intrigued by the cup stacking this Christmas that she just had to get in on the action!

Jonathan Park!

We purchased a new Jonathan Park series as a family gift this Christmas.  Cade absolutely LOVES the Jonathan Park audio drama series.  He listens to them almost non-stop!  The drama is filled with Biblical truth, and many points for defending the faith concerning Biblical creation.  Oh how I pray he is hiding all of these amazing bits of truth in His heart to share with others and help lead them to a relationship with Christ.  We are blessed with the wonderful tool Jonathan Park is to our family.

Odell Family Outing!

We enjoyed a special outing with all 14 Odells this Christmas vacation!  We went bowling, stopped by Kohls for a deal on Cubs World Series shirts, and then to Monicals for a meal together!  Grandma Bev's one request for this Christmas was a fun time with us all sharing an experience together.  We had a great time!

Cousin Fun!

We enjoyed more moments with the Lambert cousins at Pop and Grandma's home!  The kids spent time playing games together all throughout Grandma's home.  Uncle Chuck took the kids to the gym to play to basketball each day which they loved.  The kids enjoyed playing with Grandma's new cat, which was almost impossible to catch.  It is always fun to give them a challenge!

Ethan and Callie were wonderful playmates during this trip together! We definitely felt more protected after they dressed up like this for us!

December 26

Josh and Tori were able to stop in on the 26th for a bit!  We had a great time laughing and talking and playing games.  They brought the kids a few small gifts which filled the kid's hearts with happiness.  Cade received Star Wars cards, Joel a pack of Tsum Tsums, and Callie a new playdoh set.  They were so excited to have some fun new toys and things they recently saw at the store and were excited about!

We rented the movie The Secret Life of Pets and enjoyed the special soda treat the kids received in their stocking on Christmas morning!  We really enjoyed the movie and the kids felt so special with their glass bottle sodas!

Merry Christmas!!

We enjoyed a Christmas morning of unwrapping beautiful packages to find more beautiful gifts inside.  It was fun to see the kids' joy and excitement.  Each of the kids received some new clothes, new shoes, a book, a board games, and a couple of toys.  They had fun opening all of their gifts.

It was a whirlwind of a morning because we scurried to church after gifts.  The printer at church didn't work so we had a bit of a stress getting Daddy's sermon all ready to go.  Mommy worked in the nursery at church, and Daddy made due with the kids up in the service until he got up to preach.  We did get a nice family picture at the end of church, so that made Mommy's heart happy!  

We got a nice grandparent and grandchild picture of the Odell's after church before we had a simple Christmas dinner and more gifts!  We were all so tired by 4pm this day.  What a whirlwind of fun and excitement!

Cousin time!