AAAAAHHHHH!!!!! She's DRIVING!

SO Hannah took the test to get her permit on Wednesday.  Today was her first behind the wheel session with the instructor, so now her permit is valid and she can drive us around.  Don't know if my heart will be able to take it, but she seems to be doing ok!

Elementary School is winding down...

We have had a child at Dunlap elementary school since the fall of 1999 when Hannah started kindergarden.  We have been to every back to school night, every fall festival, every family bingo night or movie night or spaghetti dinner, etc.  Well tonight was our very last Open House to attend.  Bekah will be moving on to Junior high school next year.  This year, we looked at all of her classroom projects, but we didn't have to go to the classrooms of the next grade up to "check out the teachers" like we normally do.  It was quite bitter sweet.  We have wonderful memories of the school and the kids, parents and teachers at Dunlap.   In the next few weeks, the 6th graders will be busy. Tomorrow is a swim party as a reward for the jog a thon money raisers. On Tuesday, they leave for Science Camp until friday. The last week of school includes, a trip to lake Lopez to release the trout that they have been raising, along with a few hours at the water slides.  And the 6th grade breakfast on the last day of school.  I will be taking some pictures to capture our last moments at Dunlap.

Where have I been???

Ok so what happened to March and April???  I really didn't drop off the face of the earth.  Let me see if I can bring you up to date.

In March, we had swimming and church stuff. Bekah's 12th birthday came and went and my parents came to visit.

April became our community service month. We started with helping 200 other people from churches all over town paint over graffitti.  Then the next weekend, Hannah did a 30 hour famine to raise money for World Vision AND she helped at the special olympics (while very hungry!).  the 3rd weekend, we helped clean up the high school campus for the Disney "give a day get a day" project. 

Now we are on to May.  Tim and I celebrated our 24th anniversary on the 3rd.  We are going to see James Taylor and Carol King on the 18th as our gift to each other. 
Mother's day was wonderful with lots of me time.

Tim's mom has been having lots of memory issues lately and today the doctor told her she needs to stop driving (an answer to prayer as we also thought she should stop, but didn't want to be the bad guys) so we have now taken up the transportation for her to all her appointments and shopping needs.

Now we are hitting the home stretch of school with about 5 weeks left. 

Whew.. I need a summer vacation!

SWIMMER!!!!

So, Hannah had her first swim meet today... her VERY FIRST EVER swim meet.  It was also OAHS's swim team's VERY FIRST EVER meet.  They have had 6 practices and of the 19 several swimmers are pretty much beginners. There are 4 swimmers that are in club and then Hannah and a few others that swim pretty well, but have never competed.  They had a meet with Nipomo High School.  The Nipomo JV team also had some basic beginners as well.  Hannah was in the the 4x50 freestyle relay (they took 2nd of 5 teams), the 50 Breaststroke, and the 50 backstroke.  She did really well. Now she has her first posted time, so she can shoot for improving that.   She is loving it.  Here are some pictures of the breaststroke.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Well, 2009 is gone, it is now 2010... it seems like just last year that everyone was talking about Y2K... but then I guess it seems like just last year Hannah was starting school and now she is in High school!
We went to Fresno (our "tradition") for a New Year's Eve celebration with our friends the Hoffman family.  We had lots of good food, lots of shopping and lots of fun.  The girls are still out of school for a few more days, so we are staying up late, watching movies and sleeping in.  All that will come to a screeching halt on Monday... I am already looking forward to spring break!
Here are a few holiday pictures... Happy New year to you all!

Hannah and Bekah with Nana on Christmas evening... notice they are still in their jammies... that is the mark of a wonderful day!

Bekah and Kirsten

The whole gang Jan. 1, 2010

Hannah and Kelsey

Christmas is coming.. the goose is getting fat... ???

Well, since we are not growing our own Christmas goose, I guess that song doesn't work for us.  The kids had their last day of school yesterday.... now we can have all day pajamas and lazy days until January 11th!

Since I haven't blogged in awhile, lets go over some highlights...

Hannah went on a trip to Tijuana Mexico.  Our church supports an "orphanage", it's a boys home really.  Run by a couple who wanted to help some of the street children.  They aren't a govt. agency or anything, just people who want to share the love of Jesus with these destitute boys.  We, as a church, undertake buying all the kids Christmas gifts.  A family in our church selects a boy or girl (the staff have some girls, but it is a boys home) and buy what that child wants for Christmas and some clothes etc.  Then they bring the box back to church where our 1-5th grade kids wrap the gifts.  Then a group of people go down to hang out with the boys and deliver the gifts.  Hannah and Tim went a few years ago. Then, last year, we got Hannah a passport so that she could go, but the trip part got canceled becasue there was some pretty scary violence going on in Tijuana.  The boys home director, Luis, met our people on the Cali side of the border and picked up the gifts.  Hannah was NOT going to miss the trip this year.  She had a great time.  Here are some pictures...

Painting is DONE!  Well, the Family room, living room and dining room are done, but now the entry way and hallway and kitchen look shabby... so maybe after Christmas there will be MORE painting.  We are loving the new colors.  Here are some pictures...

Well that is about all... things are looking like Christmas inside.. but in California it never seems to look like Chirstmas outside! This is what I saw outside yesterday...

Vultures are the bane of Kiwi's existance... they favor the pine tree in our neighbor's yard.  Yesterday when I drove in from work, there were 12 vultures out there!  Kiwi is offended that they want to sit there and barks her little head off... and if they DARE fly over our yard, she runs the length of the yard after them and telling them to STAY OUT!

 Here is a picture of Kiwi in her Christmas finest and in her favorite Christmas hiding place...

Merry Christmas!

Painting is not done..

But here are a few preliminary photos.  The color is Mesa Taupe.  I love it.  The accent wall is a dark brown.. not done yet.  I will post more pictures as I get finished.  Mostly just wanted my parents to see the results, since they were here during the color selection phase. :o)