Mercy was very excited about waking up early.
Joshua moved up an age category this year.
We came home with lots of loot!
I won!It has been three months since my last post. Our family was very busy. I kept saying “I’ll post to the blog tomorrow.” I guess today is tomorrow.
As many of you may know, in early January we found out that we were expecting our third child. Jason and I were very excited. Of course, Joshua wanted a brother and Mercy wanted a sister.
We have spent the beginning of 2007 keeping busy with home-school, field trips, little league, soccer, and enjoying friends and family. All the while praying for, dreaming of, and planning for our new addition set to arrive September 5.
This past Monday, I went in for a regular prenatal check-up. The doctor could not find a heartbeat. And an ultrasound was done. The doctor then told me that our Little One had died. I was just past my 16th week of pregnancy.
Yesterday, I went into Pomona Valley to have outpatient surgery to remove the baby. I am now home recovering physically, grieving emotionally, and being comforted spiritually.
Jason and I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. We are seeking comfort from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We know that, even though it may be hard see right now or perhaps ever in this life, “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).”
This post is in honor of our dear friend Tony! We went over to his home on Christmas day & had an excellent dinner which he & his sister Anca put much work into. Tony cooked two roast ducks (each seasoned a different way), baked quince, and broccoli. Anca made an excellent pumpkin beer soup, & delicious walnut mashed potatoes. They cooked enough for a small army, but since there were only six of us, there were leftovers. Tony sent us home with duck, and today we had DUQUITOS & QUACKOS!! Thank you Mr. Vasile.
Joshua & Mercy are all ready for Christmas! They have been learning "Joy To the World" so that they can sing it on Christmas Eve. They made out their Christmas wish lists and posted them on the refrigerator. And they made snowmen out of pumpkins leftover from our fall decorating (as seen in the picture).We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas that is full of Christ's love & blessings!
Joshua & Mercy on the caboose.
Well, yesterday was Election Day and like a good little American I headed to the polls. Jason & I did not go until after he was home from work, so we expected a bit of a crowd. What we did not expect was a line about 80 people long when we arrived.
Our polling place was a homeowner’s association clubhouse in Chino (near Don Lugo). The building is set back from the street with a little parking lot out front. The line came out of the building, across the little lawn, down towards the street, & wrapped around to the sidewalk. Jason dropped me off to get in line. Good thing too, because the line kept getting longer. At one point I looked back & saw the line ended almost two houses down from the clubhouse!
We were told by the man in charge of the poll that they were having a problem with the polling machines (the paper was jamming & running out). We were all assured that we were going to be able to vote as long as we were in line by 8pm. At one point we were told that we could turn in our sample ballots and they would be counted! YEAH RIGHT! Some people did choose this option.
Finally, someone from the Registrar of Voters came out to fix the machines and the line started moving. Jason voted with a paper ballot. I voted electronically. Did our votes count?
In the end we waited over an hour and a half! As we drove off at 8:02 pm, the line was still out to the street.
We had an exciting month! We started the month by reading Miss Nelson is Missing! to go along with our literature program (Veritas Press). At the end of that week Jason and I took Joshua to see a play based on the book at the Victoria Garden's Cultural Center. It was a great opportunity to expose Joshua to live theatre & he liked the fact that he was familiar with the story already.
In math we have been working on addition facts, counting money, telling time, fractions, reading & creating graphs, and patterns. Our reading covered some poetry, and we just started reading about Abram. Joshua is doing great in all of his studies! For the most part he has a good attitude about his work but we do have some bad days.
We had some field trips this past month:
Well, November beckons with Thanksgiving, Joshua's birthday, the end of winterball, and holiday preparations!
The Happy Girl!
The family at Twin Lakes
Joshua fishing @ June Lake
Mercy & Jason fishing off the boat, June Lake
Joshua & Mercy exploring near the Owens River
After breakfast, we start with math (Saxon Math 2), which is Joshua's favorite subject. We do one to two lessons a day depending on the difficulty & length. Then we move on to life science (2-3 days/week). We plan on doing 20 weeks on the animal kingdom, ten weeks on the human body, & finish up with six weeks on the plant kingdom. On days we don't do science we are working through "Proper Manners & Health Habits" (Rod & Staff) and Memoria Press' Copy Book II.
We break for lunch and play time. And finish up the day with phonics (Rod & Staff), reading (R&S), literature (Veritas Press), & art (ArtPac) or some other fun activity.
Jason teaches the children their Bible & catechism in the evenings.
Of course this is on an ideal day. We take the day God gives us and try to honor Him. If that means skipping our phonics lesson to teach the children a much needed lesson on thankfulness, that is what we will do.
We start each day with prayer and hymn singing. I pray for God to lead our day, & for Him to bless us with patience & humility.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Psalm 111:10
Our Hotel.
Dinner Out
The Wynn 
Bri & Her New Friend
Joshua and Mercy found a new friend!
Joshua's first time driving a bumper car all by himself.
Mercy dragged Jason on the bumble bees.
This was the first year that Joshua stayed outside to watch fireworks.
We also were celebrating my sister, Marina's birthday!
Mercy's first sparkler!
Jason and Michelle
After we dragged Joshua off the dance floor to leave, he was dancing in the parking lot.
The handsome little guy.
The Mother & Son Dance
Aren't they cute!
Joshua dancing with the ladies.
Joshua danced with me, but moms tend to cramp their sons' style on the dance floor so that didn't last long.
Joshua really knows how to get down into himself!
Catherine and Isaac enter the reception hall.
The cutting of the cake.
The happy couple.
