It's Okay, I'm With the Band...

...yes, you read that right - we now have a child who is officially 'with the band'!

K1 kicked off her Junior High experience with a swift and sudden immersion into the world of marching band! In our school district, all 7th-12th grade band members participate in both marching band and pep band, so before school even started this year, we got our first taste of BAND CAMP. That's right, band camp...5 days, 40 hours, and 1 field exposition...WOW!

Band has been a huge confidence-booster (and yes, definitely a time-filler as well), and truly helped to make K1's transition from elementary to junior high SO much smoother than it could have been. It was wonderful for her to have a place where she 'fit' even before school started this year.

Plus, it has been fun for us! We are discovering more and more what a talent she has on the trumpet, and our whole family enjoys attending the parades and sporting events to cheer her on. The band is currently hard at work on their field performance, which we look forward to seeing for ourselves next month, and after homecoming this week, we have 2 more parades to attend!

We are hopeful that K2's experience in band will be a positive one as well - he is kicking things off this year in percussion! Earplugs, anyone?? :)

Demonstrating the marching steps in slow motion.

Playing some of their new music - a piece from the musical 'Chicago.'

Pausing for a group photo.

Starting off with a parade the very first week of school!

Marching in full dress at their second parade last weekend!

Go, girl! We're so proud of you!!

Husker Mania!

To kickoff football season, we were SO fortunate to get a tour of Memorial Stadium before all the kiddos headed back to school. What an awesome experience for all of us! GO BIG RED!

K3 and his best buddy never left each other's side throughout the tour...how sweet is that?!

The 'Tunnel Walk' experience...wow...

Mom and K1 on the field.

Strutting our stuff at center field!

Running for a touchdown!

Heading off the field...

...to check out the championship trophies!

Go Huskers!

A Double-Digit Celebration!

This summer, we were blessed to celebrate another year with K2 as he took the plunge into double-digits!

10 years is quite the milestone, and he enjoyed plenty of celebrating, both with family and friends. First, we swam in our pool with family and then treated him to a night of go-cart races on his special day.

Then we welcomed 4 extra bodies of energy into our home for a testosterone-filled evening of Nerf gun battles, pizza, video games, cake, ping pong, presents, and Star Wars. We topped it off with water balloon wars and plenty of water fun in the morning! This was K2's first request for a birthday sleepover, and we are proud to say that we all survived!

Thanks for keeping us hopping for 10 whole years now - we love you!

The big 1-0!!

Oh, the excitement!

Attacking the flaming 'tank' cake with his new sword (and LOTS of energy)!

The race is on! First, the boys battle it out...

...and then the girls rock the roadway!

Family Vacation!!

Here it is...the blog you've been waiting for...our SUMMER family vacation!

Never mind that we are now only 4 days away from FALL!

We were blessed to kick off our summer with a wonderful family vacation. We stayed in a large cabin on a lake with some extended family and had a most relaxing and enjoyable week away from the responsibilities and busyness of everyday life. We were yet again reminded of the value of family and the importance of connecting with each other on purpose and without distraction, and we were also inspired to 'get away' as a family every summer because time is just slipping away far too quickly...

So, to recap, we spent the week doing all the things we often want to do but don't make time for:

Exploring God's beautiful creation...together...

Just listening...to the quiet...together...

Playing...without a screen...together...

Celebrating...together...

Discovering the joy in the little things...together...

Splashing, creating, imagining, and laughing...together...

I pray that we are often reminded of the importance of together; that we make time for the things that we value rather than making excuses for the time we give away.

Lord, help us to live each day without regret, having made You and those You love our priority. Let us not go to bed at night wishing to recapture the time we lost, but instead treasuring every moment we shared, for we know it is only those moments that will truly last.

"I came that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10