I'm thankful for many MANY things. God has blessed me so abundantly. Although I try to always be thankful, this season causes me to to truly realize how much I'm blessed.
What I'm thankful for:
1. I'm redeemed. I am a sinner, but because Christ loved me, he has called me one of his children and I am his.
2. My husband. He is amazing. He is a perfect partner. I not only love him, but I live each day because he walks beside me. I could never be who I am without him.
3. My children. They give complete joy to my life. Everyday, Erik and I look at each other and smile because of something they did. They've taught me patience (especially Quinlin), what it means to love unconditionally, and not to sweat the small stuff....after all, what is really important?
4. My childhood. I grew up in a fairly poor military family. We didn't have much, sometimes not much to eat. We moved all the time so having friends beyond acquaintances was nearly impossible. But I had parents who loved and protected me. We didn't get much by the way of "things" but they always found money if it was for an experience. They taught me to be honest, to work hard, and love God. I truly believe my life is wonderful because of my parents.
There are many MANY other things I am blessed with, my extended family, my church family, friends, Erik's job, HEALTHY children, great neighborhood and schools. I have many people in my life that love me and I love them.
I don't know if many of you have heard, but the Seattle schools are teaching something new this year regarding thanksgiving. They are teaching that Thanksgiving is a time of mourning because the Indians have nothing to give thanks for today. From Fox News: Seattle public schools want a side of political correctness served on your Thanksgiving table. Washington state's largest school district sent letters to teachers and other employees suggesting Thanksgiving should be "a time of mourning" for its Native American students. The memo, from Caprice Hollins, the district's director of Equity, Race & Learning Support, included an attachment to a paper titled "Deconstructing the Myths of 'The First Thanksgiving.'" It includes 11 "myths" disputing everything from what was served at the first Thanksgiving (no mashed potatoes or cranberries) and who provided the food to the nature of the Pilgrims themselves: Myth No. 3 calls the colonists "rigid fundamentalists" who came to the New World "fully intending to take the land away from its native inhabitants."
Hollins would not defend her letter, but David Tucker, a spokesman for the district, said it was an effort to be sensitive to minorities in Seattle schools.
"One of the core elements in education is not just understanding your own life history but also those of others," he said.
But one Seattle-area tribe says Thanksgiving is not somber on the reservation but a time to see friends and family, as it is for other Americans.
Native Americans in the Northwest celebrate the holiday with turkey and salmon, said Daryl Williams of the Tulalip Tribes. Before the period of bitter and violent relationships between natives and their culturally European counterparts, they worked together to survive, he said.
"The spirit of Thanksgiving, of people working together to help each other, is the spirit I think that needs to grow in this country, because this country has gotten very divisive," he said.
Nationally syndicated talk show host Michael Medved was more blunt.
"The notion that now you have a major school system sending out a message that, no, rather than expressing thanks we should emphasize guilt on this holiday — that is sick, it is destructive and it is anti-American."
The real story:
From Rush 24/7 Wed, Nov. 21st.
of the great myths of Thanksgiving is that we swindled the Indians when we bought Manhattan Island from them, we swindled them. Twenty-four bucks is the equivalent. It turns out, according to a book about Teddy Roosevelt, that that's not true. It turns out that the Indians are the ones that ran the real estate scam when they sold Manhattan. It's a book on Teddy Roosevelt, Commissioner Roosevelt: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt and the New York City Police, 1895-1897, by H. Paul Jeffers. Here are the relevant paragraphs about this. "A persuasive case can be made that the city of New York began with a swindle. For generations school children have been taught that a slick trick was played on unsuspecting Indians by the director of the Dutch West India Company, Peter Minuit. In 1626 he purchased the island of 'Manna-hatin' for sixty gilders worth of trinkets, about twenty-four dollars. What Minuit did not know at the time, however, was that his masterful real estate deal had been struck with the Canarsie tribe, residents of Long Island; they held no title to the land they sold to the Dutch. In due course, the intruders from Amsterdam who thought they had pulled a sharp one on the locals were forced into negotiating a second, more costly deal with the true landlords of Manna-hatin," which is what it was called, Manna-hatin. 
This song has more to do with a chocolate drink, but I like to sing it when I think of chocolate, regardless of the form. After all, when it comes to chocolate, what's not to sing about?
Bate, bate, chocolate,
Tu nariz de cacahuate.
Uno, dos, tres, CHO!
Uno, dos, tres, CO!
Uno, dos, tres, LA!
Uno, dos, tres, TE!
Chocolate, chocolate!
Bate, bate, chocolate!
Bate, bate, bate, bate,
Bate, bate, CHOCOLATE!
Stir, stir, chocolate,
Your nose is a peanut.
One, two, three, CHO!
One, two, three, CO!
One, two, three, LA!
One, two, three, TE!
Chocolate, chocolate!
Stir, stir, the chocolate!
Stir, stir, stir, stir,
Stir, stir, CHOCOLATE!
Our church does a really fun night around Halloween called Trunk or Treat. We always have great time with the games, costumes, treats, etc. This year we ALL dressed up as Frogs!
When Max was born, he was accompanied by two other sweet girls Shelbie, born the day before, and Justice, born a week later. Every year we get the babies pics together. Aren't they cute.
Last month (so I'm weeks behind) we went to a local pumpkin patch. It had poured ALL morning long and although it had quit while we were there, the place was covered in mud....by the end of the day, so were our kids!
Max and Quinlin loved exploring the place and didn't care that there was mud...in fact, I'm sure that made it even more fun. Max took a header early on and had mud not only on his clothes, but on his face. Of course everyone stopped to check out that cute muddy blue eyed blond. We even had Japanese tourist (in snohomish wa? go figure) who asked to take pictures.
It was a fun day with a hay maze, hay ride, animal watching, corn eating, and of course we went home with pumpkins.
Kristi tagged me...so here we go!
Here are the rules. 1)Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves. (2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules. (3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. (4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
8 things…
1. I grew up in the Navy and moved a ton. Not to mention my travels as an adult. So, I've lived in 3 countries 6 states. 8 different schools and 12 homes before I was 19. I hope to live right here in Washington the rest of my life.
2. I played Water polo through High school. I was kicked out of a game one with a technical foul for punching a girl...she deserved it!
3.When I was 15, my family (in our super cool minivan) was chased by some crazy road raged driver because my brother sprayed silly string out our window and it landed on this guys car.
4. My brother and have had many adventures together living in many interesting places. While in Wisconsin, we found an abandoned (we thought) old house. After several weeks of slowly getting further and further in our exploration of this house we discovered prosthetic legs hanging on a wall of a bedroom and a calendar dated from the 50's. It was pretty creepy and scary, but lots of fun and entertainment for 9 & 10 year olds. Eventually our fun was spoiled when we came to do some more exploring, only to find a family there...
5.My real name is Martha, but I've gone by Marci since I was a few weeks old.
6.I had my first date when I was 18.
7.Fall is my favorite time of year
8. I Love Monkeys and often refer to my children as monkey butt.
I'm tagging Sarah, Claire, Michelle, Haley, Belinda
There is nothing sweeter than kids singing! Max, who is just 16 months old, has started singing all the time. I LOVE to hear him. He doesn't really have words so he just makes up sounds. He often wakes up in the morning laying in his crib singing away. Or he'll start as we drive around on our errands. I especially love when he waddles down the hallway singing at the top of his lungs.
He has also figured out that the song book at church is for singing. Yesterday during service, he pointed at a song book. I picked it up, put it on his lap, and opened it. He instantly started singing. I was so surprised that he connected that. The only downside is that it was during communion and so we had to ssshh him. I hated that...I love that he sings, but I guess there is a time and place.
He's such a sweet boy. I love him.
Erik and I the amazing blessing of being part of AIM (Adventures In Missions) many many years ago, back when we were young and had just met. I can't put in words what AIM did for me and means to me. Even today, my experience in AIM continues to affect my life in a way that is beyond measure.
Recently when Erik and I started blogging, we began to come back into contact with many of our friends we haven't seen since our AIM days. The other day, Erik came across two more blogs. The owners of blogs are two mentors of mine and Erik's from back in the day. Reading their words now, remind me of why my AIM experience was so powerful. They are incredible Men of God and I hope that you all can be blessed by their words the way that I am.
For sinners only-Rex Boyles
There's something about that name- Craig Hicks
That right. Quinlin's secret identity. She's really Spidergirl! Criminals beware.... She'll use her spidysenses to seek out and destroy!
I've always thought that Quinlin had some super powers. It so Amazing how in seconds, she can walk into a perfectly clean room and turn it into a disaster zone. My mom has called her the destructinator. It almost as if she has suction cups on her hands and arms that are super stretchy so she can reach out several feet away and pull things down. She must...how else could she make such a huge mess in seconds?
Time to go back to school for Quinlin! She was very excited to wear her new clothes and new backpack. I'm sure she'll love to see her friends.
Now Max has the run of the house to himself. He'll be able to nap in peace without the sound of elephants tromping down the hall or squeels and shouting coming from all over.
It was a fun summer, but I'm ready for fall. Before long, there be a different noise is the house during the day...a new little baby crying. Only 16 more weeks to go...
We celebrated Anika's birthday during our visit. She turned 2. Happy Birthday Anika. And of course a birthday isn't complete without cake....
yummmie for cake.....
oohhh....it feels so squishy....
how did cake get all over?
who needs a fork?
yummmm....frosting!
Did someone say....surprise inside? where.....
too big? What?
Erik's parents, Fred & Jill, have a cabin up towards Tahoe off the American River. We all went to visit the cabin and stayed the night.
We played a lot of cards....
Took the cousins to the river....
It was very cold! Erik was pretty much the only one who would get in.
Even Quinlin thought he was crazy!
Max stayed in just so he could throw rocks in the water with his dad.
Poor little Anika took a bad fall and busted her little lip.
Max with Uncle Justin.
We squeezed sleeping spots in for everyone. Here are all five cousins. Max stayed for about two seconds before he found something else more interesting than posing for a camera.
This picture of Quinlin is pretty typical of her in the water. It's no surprise to most of you that Quinlin loves the water. Whether she's in the pool, bath, or any other water, she loves to splash herself...the girl can't get enough!
Quinlin's turn for a "Smack down"
She is her father's daughter.... Isn't squirting everyone great fun!
Savannah (Kelli's daughter)
Our Nephew Kylan LOVES to have Erik smack him down. Basically, it's just Erik throwing him in the pool....but it's Kylan's favorite thing. It's all he can talk about when we come to visit. Here are some pics of the "smack down"....
CA Trip....
We just got back from visitng Erik's family back in CA. It was so much fun to have all the cousin's playing together.
We spent the majority of the time in the pool, although we did many other things too. I'll post those pictures throughout the next few weeks.
For now, here a a couple of Quinlin and Max...
GIRL!
Last week, we took the kids to our ultra sound. She was in perfect position and within seconds we could see she was a girl. We have a name in mind, but we are still discussing spelling. We'll keep you posted.
