Happy 5th Birthday, Drewby!!

Wow, I cannot believe that my baby boy is 5 today! Time has flown since the day he was born, and here we are with a 5 year old who we will soon be registering for Kindergarten!
Drew is a happy guy, an early riser, an independent and confident sort of kid who definitely does NOT like being told what to do. By Mom or Dad OR big sis Sadie! But he is also very much a people person who loves to be around others, big or small. He has lots of friends and has knack for noticing details about others that often surprise us. He loves to dress-up and role play and is the most hilarious kid at times!
Drew finally plays with toys, his favorites being anything from Playmobil and Legos, especially when his brother is playing. He loves preschool and the sports classes he has taken through our parks and rec and will be playing t-ball on a real team in the Spring! Drew has definitely made his parents get a little creative when it come to parenting, but we wouldn't trade him for the world! He is an absolute joy and blessing to our family and we just couldn't imagine life without our sweet Drew Anthony.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DREW!!!

One Year

It has been one year since I last saw my Dad.

It has been one year since I last talked to my Dad.

It has been one year since I last heard my Dad's hearty laugh.

It has been one year since I received the most shocking, traumatic phone call of my life.

It has been one year since my Dad walked into Fred Meyer and straight into the doors of Heaven.

It has been a whole year of grief and sadness.

BUT...

It has also been a whole year filled with God's love, peace and comfort.

I get it now. I get what the Bible is talking about when it says:

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

"Cast our cares on the Lord and he will sustain you." Psalm 55:22

"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." Nahum 1:7

Has this past year been terribly painful and difficult? Absolutely. But I cannot imagine what it would have been like had I gone through this alone. Without my family and friends and without my God. He has strengthened me and changed me and given me a whole new understanding of life and death. He has given me and my family the assurance that we will one day see my dad again. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Dad, I miss you and I love you and I WILL see you again one day!

Love,
Elissa

Because I Wanna Be A Cowboy, Baby...

Belt of Green

Once again, karate belt testing arrived and this time, Zack went for his green belt. This is a pretty big step, because once you have a green belt, you can only test every 6 months instead of every 3 months. Green belt puts you at a much higher level in expectations and in skill level. Zack was so excited! He did very well during the testing. I find it kind of funny that Zack actually does better under pressure than he does in everyday class!

During testing (Zack is on the far left)

Zack getting his green belt from Sensei Jusee

Yay for Zack (and all the rest of the students!), we are super proud of you, Buddy!

The Natty

What is the Natty, you ask? Well it's the nickname given by some to the BCS National Championship football game, that the Oregon Ducks happened to play in a few weeks ago. The game was in Arizona against the Auburn Tigers, and this game was HUGE! Poor Tony was stuck in LA at a K-9 conference, but his sweet cousin Brooke came and picked him up and took him to a place to watch the game. The kids and I had our own little Natty party at home and it was fun! I think their favorite part was eating dinner in the living room! Sadly, the Ducks lost, but they played an amazing game and we are super proud of our team!