LAST POST

This is my last post for 2016. I love this pic of the girls. We've all been through so much this year, but what always stays the same is the love my kids have for each other. We pray for each other, keep each other up to date on our lives, celebrate the good things in each others lives, and truly love each other.

This didn't happen by chance. We worked hard to come to a place where we don't love because of duty, but out of devotion. I'm most thankful for this family trait and I pray it always is the norm in the Rogers' house.

TOP TEN 2017

As is our tradition...we all remembered 2016 and the fun things we have done, places we have been, and people we love doing life with!

December

I love our calendar. I love using colored markers and making it look like our chaos is mostly fun...and planned. I love being a family with things to do, even if sometimes it seems like too much. It's good to have places to go to stretch our minds, our bodies, our relationships. I like to serve, it gives me great joy, and I like to give my kids opportunities to do the same. 

December is always busy, I've tried to do as much shopping as I can before the kids get out of school. There are always last minute things, so as much as I can do the better for my state of mind. We've taken our time decorating for Christmas, doing a little every week. I love our tree and enjoy getting setting up our nativities, our snowman collection and other things we've collected over the years. 

Jordan has played in both a school event "Caroling in the Halls" and had a band concert. Sheridan has had two or three basketball games each week and a choir concert last week. Both Jordan and Sheridan are playing JO volleyball with the Golden Suns. This is going to be a great experience for them. Right now they have two-hour practices twice a week. Cameron will be singing in church next week with Kid Life. 

Erin is home from school. Lauren will finish her finals this week. The littles 5 more days of school and I will take Richard back and forth to LR for his winter work meetings this week. We have big plans for the week before Christmas...it's the most WONDERFUL time of the year...why? ...Because my family WANTS to be at home and the reason is JESUS. 

GOTCHA DAY!

NOVEMBER 6th. The day it became official that Jordan and Cameron would be ours. It's only been TWO years! They've lived with us three. It's kind of amazing! Our lives would be VERY SMALL without the addition of them to our family. Blending families is not easy, but the blessings far outweigh the difficulties. We laugh more, we see more, we think more and we do more with them than we would if they weren't here.

Today is election day in the USA and an HISTORIC vote is taking place.

No doubt here who wins here: family.

Minute to Win It Birthday Party!

We were ready for Jordan and her friends after school on Friday! Jordan has the last birthday of the year in our family so she usually changes her mind MANY times during the year about what kind of party she wants! 

This year her birthday was two days after my event, so I had to talk her in to letting me throw her a party a week late so I could put my mind around it.  Richard helped me gather everything I needed and we played FUN games and awarded them candy medals, grilled hotdogs, served cheese dip (Jordan's favorite!) and had fun giggling with her sweet friends! Jordan adds so much fun to our family...I'm thankful we got to give her a VERY SPECIAL DAY! 

Turning 12

Jordan adds so much to our family...but mostly...

Laughter ~ The girl thinks she's funny and has the gift of humor some of the time! She laughs at our jokes and keeps her cool no matter what is going on!

Legs ~ No matter where she's sitting, there's not room for others. Her legs are all over the place as she's getting taller and taller! You can usually find her sprawled on the living room floow with legs on both ends of the room.

Laundry ~ Because it's easier to put clothes in a basket than up...Jordan has more laundry than everyone else. It's great because she knows how to do her own!

Not one clear thought...

I haven't blogged in two weeks and it's not for lack of content, but I can't get one clear thought about what we're doing or how we're doing it! We've moved, gotten school activities started, and I'm working every day on my upcoming event.  We mostly manage to eat meals and keep the floors swept too.

Highlights from the last few days: It's taken around 50 trips but we've finally got everything here...I mean, there's still my vacuum, a few cleaning supplies and a broom I'm missing...but we're here. Most of the things we use are put away in the house but the daunting task is the 2 of three garage bays filled with boxes and "stuff." We've already purged...this is furniture I'm going to sell and books we haven't seen in a year, a card collection and the mopeds. Someday, someday.

This happened. Jordan has been so ANXIOUS to get her tuba home! I mean, it will hardly fit in the back of my 4Runner but she's got to get that thing home! I'm thankful for the extra insulation in this new house. 

Volleyball season has started. Sheridan is the smallest player on the court...but not the quietest. She knows how to call the ball, is getting to be a really good setter and most importantly works hard on the floor. Cam loves volleyball because there is popcorn for $1. He was SET UP to watch on Monday night. 

The final details...pillars. Seriously, we've had SO MUCH RAIN...the yard is still a mess. But the finishing guys just took their sweet time getting back here to get the last touches on the house. I can live without pillars...but there's no reason to if the rest of the house is finished. They will cover the wood later in the week...so they said. Left to do: gutters, yard work, some electrical panel changes, and sorting the mess in the garage.

Back to School Week

3 packets of info to fill out, 1 picture collage, 10 new remind apps, and 3 full backpacks.
45 minutes in lines to get 3 kids after school today.
One parents night at the elementary school and a volleyball parent meeting with more paper work to fill out...concussion forms!?

This week:
Junior High:
$5 locker fee
$10 choir t shirt
$24 2 junior high booster club tshirts
$15 choir uniform fee
Middle School:
$30 band instrument rental fee
$45 generic instrument mouth piece
$11 beginner band book
$10 PE t shirt
$10 band t shirt
Elementary School:
$5 PTO membership

Summer Art Project

One day we pulled out the tissue paper, canvases, modge podge and paint brushes. It was time to do some art and use their creativity! The girls picked all their own colors (to match their new bedrooms) and thought about what they wanted on the canvases. We had our friend paint the verses they chose and we were all tickled with how they turned out. I'm so thankful for this project...just because it can't be bad to hang a verse of TRUTH in your room to see every day. These girls are growing up and we pray they have the TRUTH in their hearts every day.