The Bowron Family

Blessed

2008-12-23T23:58:00.002-05:00

Have you ever felt incredibly blessed?

Although it's midnight and I am up and I have sooooooo many things left to do before Christmas:

I AM BLESSED

The house is silent. My heart is bursting with love for my Lord and Savior, my family and friends.

I pray that the peace of Christ's birth be with you!

Merry Christmas

Song Lyrics

2008-12-10T14:44:00.003-05:00

Ian came home yesterday from school singing the 12 Days of Christmas. He was so cute trying to remember the order the lyrics came in. My question to you is: Did you know that
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me -
A partridge in a pantry!

At least according to Ian!
He gets his lyrical talent from his father!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Diaper Uses

2008-12-06T10:56:00.002-05:00

Did you know that a diaper has more than one use?

While in the car the other day, I was enjoying my own music (David Cook's new CD - which I highly recommend) and my wonderful can of diet dr. pepper. Yes the only reason I could enjoy my own music was because I was on my way to work! Well, I was met with a pothole while in mid-drink and of course some splashed out onto my ivory down vest. No I couldn't be wearing my water resistant black vest, it had to be the newer, ivory one! Well in looking around I had no napkins, no tissues, no wipes; no not even anything that had already been used! With further inspection I did notice I had a diaper (yes, a clean one) that had been left in the car. I know you all know how absorbent Pampers can be with urine, but did you know they can clean up soda pop, without even leaving a stain!

Does anyone else have any other helpful uses for diapers out there? I would love to hear them!

Gingerbread House & Holiday Performance

2008-12-05T15:22:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I was able to make a gingerbread house with Lukas in his class at school. We had a wonderful time and made a wonderful mess. It was great to have some one on one time with Lukas and to see him at school with his friends.

After we made our gingerbread houses, the 2nd grade classes put on a concert for us all in the gym. Here's a clip from the performance:

Tree Time

2008-12-05T15:13:00.001-05:00

November 30 - Time to put up the Christmas Tree! Let the holiday begin....

Girls Weekend

2008-12-05T14:30:00.005-05:00

My Cincy girls came over November 21-23 for a girl's weekend. We had a fabulous weekend reconnecting and just relaxing! Friday night we had dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory and then watched Mama Mia in our hotel room!

Saturday started out with pedicures at Philipes Salon and then onto lunch and shopping!

Later that night we headed down to Howl at the Moon! We got there when the doors opened to insure we had a table. We ended up being there for 6 hours - singing, laughing, and even dancing a little! Girls, I had a blast and can't wait to plan our next trip!!!

Wendy and Shannon

The 2 Renees

Santa Fe, New Mexico

2008-12-01T14:28:00.002-05:00

We were fortunate enough to win a trip through Gary's company to Santa Fe in November. This is the trip I mentioned in an earlier post that just so happened to fall on Lukas' birthday. Although we had a great time, I did miss not celebrating with my boy on his actual birthday!

Annissa and Greg also went on the trip; so while Greg and Gary were golfing, Annissa and I were shopping!!! These two pics were from our evening dinner on an old western movie set.

This was my first time horseback riding. I do have to admit that I was absolutely terrified to get on that horse. The one thing I don't understand is why they started us off running the horses up hill! Could we not settle in with any easy ride first and once we were comfortable, take off on a ride! My horse's name was Sunny and by the end of the ride, Sunny and I had finally found our grove. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to ride, and the land was beautiful to see.

Happy Birthday Lukas

2008-12-01T13:58:00.002-05:00

Lukas is now 8! I can't believe it. Gary and I were not able to be there on his actual birthday (I know, I'm still trying to get over the mommy guilt). Anyway, we decided to celebrate his birthday on November 4th instead. He was so excited when we gave him his gift. He finally got the guitar he has always wanted. As most of you may recall, Lukas wants to start his own band - so now he is on his way.

First Colts Game

2008-12-01T13:24:00.003-05:00

On November 2nd, Lukas had the first part of his birthday gift. Gary and Gabe created a scavenger hunt with clues directing Lukas to his surprise, which turned out to be 2 tickets to the Colts v Patriots game. I truly think Lukas was in shock when he discovered the tickets under his pillow in bed. He knew what they were, but it didn't sink in that he was actually going to the game. This was the first NFL game he went too. As most of you know, Lukas has a bit of an alliance issue in regards to the Colts and Patriots, he likes them both! Of course, Gary was relieved when Lukas decided to wear his Sanders jersey instead of his Brady jersey. What made the night for Lukas, was that it was Sanders first game back after being injured; he also enjoyed being able to stay up late on a school night.

Halloween '08

2008-12-01T13:04:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pics from Halloween that have finally been downloaded from my camera. I only got I picture of the older boys - Gabe went trick or treating with a friend and then stayed all night there. Luke and Ian stayed out longer trick or treating with dad and then dad took them to a friends house to visit. Life changes as the boys get older!

Eli with his "cool" vampire hair!

We had an Unknown Phantom (Gabe), a Knight (Ian), a Pirate (Luke), a Bee (Ella), and a Vampire (Eli).

This was absolutely hilarious - Eli decided to stop for a brief performance, singing "Sticky, Sticky, Bubblegum"

These are a couple of cute pics of Eli once we returned from trick or treating:

Cleaning?

2008-12-01T12:53:00.002-05:00

I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when one day in October Eli decided to help me clean up the family room without even being asked too. I was so excited that finally my parenting efforts were paying off for this very rambunctious 2 year old. My family room looked great and I was so proud of Eli for helping, he did such a great job - just look at the photo below:

In case you can't tell from the picture: there are a pair of football cleats, binoculars, and a hat. Just another one of the joys of parenting. I decided I needed to capture this moment, because the story just isn't as funny without the visual aid.

Good Neighbor Weekend

2008-10-26T21:09:00.004-04:00

Our church, Northview Christian Life, did a sermon series on the book "Living a Life on Loan". The book is about living our lives the way Christ would want us too and realizing that our lives are not our own but on loan from Christ. Along with the sermon series, October 18 and 19, our entire church went out into the community to serve others (Good Neighbor Weekend). Church was cancelled for the weekend while we volunteered to help in several different areas in and around Indianapolis. There were crews painting, cleaning, raking, planting, etc... Our "life group" was assigned to help plant trees. What I loved about the whole experience was that we did it as a family. All the kids helped in digging the hole, removing the burlap from the roots, replacing the dirt and new soil around the new tree, and sweeping up the mess. It was great to see my kids so willing to help others!

Eli of course loved the snacks the wonderful community provided for us.

Lukas is helping Gary find the root flair. In case you all don't know what that is, it's where the roots begin to branch out from the tree. This is how you know how deep to dig the hole.

Gabe helping dig the hole. There was a company that came thru and pre-dug the holes, but we had to dig about 3 inches deeper.

Ian is also helping dig - can you see the determination on his face. If you can't see from the picture, his tongue is sticking out just like Michael Jordan.

It took 4 guys to roll the tree close to the hole and then to stand it up. I promise you all, I did help, I was just the one behind the camera when pictures were being taken. The other members of our life group were off planting trees also, I just didn't get pics of them since I had to keep the kids from running around in the street.

This past weekend, was Celebration Weekend at church. We got a recap of the the weekend and was able to see and hear how others served. As you entered the church every seat had a cover on it that read "Every seat tells a story..." on the opposite side it stated - "How have you loved today? Each family was able to take a seat cover home to remind us of the importance of serving and showing others love. Already our family has been talking about how we can show others that we love them. It's a great reminder to look over at the kitchen chair and see the reminder every day. Thank you Northview for allowing us to be a part of something so amazing!!!

School Hayride

2008-10-26T20:59:00.003-04:00

Eli's class at school went on a hayride to pick out a little pumpkin. Eli was excited to be in the wagon, but was not overly excited to pick out a pumpkin, or get his picture taken. But here are a few pics I did get...

Halloween Bunko

2008-10-26T20:53:00.003-04:00

Here's our crazy group of gals all dressed up for Halloween:

Wanting to be like brother...

2008-10-26T20:29:00.006-04:00

Of course Eli wants to be just like his big brother so while I was supposed to be watching Lukas play, I had to be the goal for Eli.

Every time I tried to turn away to watch Lukas' game, Eli yelled at me saying "I kick, I kick, I kick."

Once I was set up to be the goal, he would kick it between my legs and cheer for himself by clapping and chanting "goal."

Soccer Star

2008-10-26T20:03:00.005-04:00

Blogs are for bragging, right? In that case, I have to say, Lukas was a top scorer for his soccer team this fall. He scored in almost every game he played, and in several games he had a hat trick! Here are a few pics from the season...

Lukas:

after scoring his third goal of the game.

challenging the ball.

taking his first corner kick.

and little brother (Ian) wanting to be close to the super star.

getting his trophy.

Facebook Fanatic

2008-10-01T22:47:00.002-04:00

I finally joined the rest of you crazy people out there on facebook. I'm utterly amazed at how many old friends you can find out there. I will say it's very addictive. I also think it's fabulous that you can chat with someone while their online too. Vicki and I happened to be on-line late last night at the same time and ended up chatting together. Too much fun! I'm sure the novelty will wear off; but until then you can find me sitting in front of my computer at home (during my down time)!!!

Eli's 1st Day of School

2008-09-05T15:10:00.004-04:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Eli started school today, and boy was he excited. Last night at dinner we mentioned to Eli that he was going to school in the morning. He jumped out of his chair and ran away. He came running back moments later caring his lunch box (which he also calls his backpack). He was ready to go to school right then and there. When told that school wasn't until tomorrow, and he needed to get back in his chair and finish dinner, he expressed his disappointment with an "aaawwwwwww."

This morning while we were all getting dressed, having breakfast and gathering our things, it's all Eli could talk about: "I go to school". When it was time for the other boys to leave for the bus, Eli runs over and grabs his backpack and lunch box. He was determined to go to school with his brothers. As you can imagine, he was broken-hearted when I wouldn't let him leave with the other boys.

After brothers were on the bus, I then loaded Eli up in the van for the drive to school (which just so happens to be our church). Now this is the same school Ian went to for the last 2 years, so Eli is very familiar with the procedure. But when we arrived at his class, and the doors finally opened, Eli really didn't want to go in. Even with his cousin Ella in the same class.

Thankfully, there were no tears, and all seemed fine after his teacher whisked him into class. I have to admit as I walked out the front doors of the church/school, a freedom-yell did leave my lips, and I did a little dance!!! (seriously, I did - just ask the Wolfe's) Don't get me wrong, I love all my boys, but 2 days a week for a few hours by myself is wonderful!!! And what does a mom do with her time off - finally has the opportunity to get to the doctor for herself! No, not how I would have preferred to spend my morning alone, but, oh-well, there's always next week!

As you can see from above, a 4 hour day at school is very exhausting - Eli fell asleep on the way home, and is obviously still sleeping or I wouldn't be posting!

The Next Phelps

2008-08-28T15:25:00.002-04:00

I couldn't resist putting this on the blog for all to see. After the boys were off to school today, Eli came strutting into the family room like this:

Jammies and swim goggles - what look. Isn't he just hilarious!!!!

Fall Baseball

2008-08-28T15:04:00.002-04:00

Gabe is playing fall baseball this year and we have double headers every Sunday from now until mid-October. He decided he wanted to try pitching. The boys are only allowed to pitch for 2 innings during a game. I'm not sure if everyone is this way, but I get so nervous for my kids when they are in the lime-light. It's not that I didn't have faith in him, but others (kids, and especially other parents) can be so mean, and I just didn't want him to have to deal with all that. I'm learning that I can't always protect my kids from the harshness of the world - but boy do I want too!!!

I worried for nothing, because he did a really great job. He pitched for 2 innings and here's the stats that I remember: he had 3 strike-outs, 2 walks (unfortunately he hit one kid, thankfully not hard!), and only 1 run scored during those 2 innings.

His team lost the first game by one in the last inning. It was a very intense game: we were down by 6 runs at the top of the 6th (in which they only play 6 innings), we ended up tying it up, but unfortunately the other team was up to bat and scored a run in the last inning. The boys had about a 15 minute break before they were onto their second game, in which they won by a landslide. 1-1, not too bad a record so far! We'll keep you posted as the season continues.

Baptism - August 16, 2008

2008-08-28T14:38:00.003-04:00

Gabriel and Lukas both decided that since they have asked Jesus in their heart, they needed to get baptized. As a parent it's an amazing feeling to know that your kids are going to spend eternity with Jesus. I have to say that my heart swelled with pride as my boys walked down that long aisle at church with everyone staring at them. I can only imagine what might have been going thru their heads. They seemed a little nervous, but also very excited. I was baptized when I was in jr. high and can't imagine doing what they did at the ages of 10 and 7. As I'm sitting here typing this, I am filled with peace and feel so blessed to have such amazing boys.
Unfortunately the lighting in the church was not conducive for good pictures, but if you look at the right angle you can see pictures of the boys being baptized below:

Gabriel being asked if he has accepted Jesus in his heart.

Gabriel - as he is being baptized (I was so thankful to be with him as he made such a remarkable showing of his love for Christ.)

Lukas being asked if he has accepted Jesus in his life.

Lukas - right before Pastor Joe baptized him (again, so thankful I was able to be with Lukas as he obeyed God and demonstrated his love for Christ in such a wonderful way.)

Gabe and Luke - dad and I are so proud of you and we love you soooooooo much!!!!

Just as God said to Jesus when he was baptized "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you." (Mark 1:11)

Seeking Words of Wisdom

2008-08-22T21:08:00.002-04:00

Well, the boys started school, and hopefully I'll be able to post about that soon (once I can get my camera to download my pics), but until then I'm seeking wisdom. My dear 4th grader has realized just how tough it is when you try for something you want and you don't get it. Unfortunately, this has come in threefold this week (and this is only the second week of school). First Gabe found out that he didn't get into advanced math, while his 2 best friends did. Three days later he gave a speech to his class asking for their votes for Student Council. The next day votes were cast and he missed being the class representative by 2 votes. Then today he found out he did not make the spell bowl team (again, one of his best friends did).

This evening I tried to help him understand that trying these things was an accomplishment in and of itself. And that I was proud of him just for trying and doing his best. He is just feeling so dejected right now and I'm not sure what else to say in order to lift him up. So if there is anyone out there with some words of wisdom I would so greatly appreciate it!!! And even more so, if you could pray for Gabe while he's going thru these tough times I, and he, would be so thankful. It's so hard watching your kids struggle and not being able to do anything about it. I take some comfort in the fact that he came to me to talk about it, but I just feel that I didn't do enough! I'm just praying that all of this doesn't hurt his self confidence and his willingness to try new things.

The Boys are Back in School

2008-08-22T14:51:00.006-04:00

It's official...

I now have a 4th grader, a 2nd grader and a Kindergartner.

It's all going just a little to fast.
Because I'm behind in posting this, the boys have actually been back to school for 2 weeks now. Gabe was delighted at finally getting a male teacher. Lukas actually has 2 teachers; they job share, which I must say I wasn't too excited about at first but now am seeing the benefits of this. Ian is in morning K, and has a wonderful teacher.

It took Ian about 2 days to adjust to getting on the bus and going to a BIG school. He loves it now, and I'm not allowed to go to the bus stop any longer. Thankfully the bus picks the kids of at our cul-de-sac, so I can see them from the porch!!!

Since we live so close to the school, Eli and I walked to get Ian after school on his first day. It was like picking up a different child than I left getting on the bus. He was crying and upset when he got on the bus, and as you can see from the picture above, he was very happy after school. The Kindergarten playground is in the background, and of course RECESS is Ian's favorite part of the day!!!

Last Day of Summer Break

2008-08-11T00:11:00.005-04:00

Thank you Papaw and Mamaw for taking us to Ben & Ari's for some last minute fun before school starts tomorrow (well, actually today since it's now after midnight). We had a blast!!!! Arcade games were played, tickets were earned, prizes were picked out, pizza was eaten and golf was played. How much more fun can 4 boys ask for!!!! (Sorry no golf pics since I was wrapped up in keeping score and in keeping Eli on the same hole we were playing!)

Now the boys are sleeping soundly in bed, dreaming about their first day of school; all but Eli that is! Hopefully he's dreaming about going on the 'big boy potty' since I've decided it's time to potty train him now that the other boys will be at school. OOOOOHHHHHH - please say a prayer that this one goes better than the other three!!!!!!! Watch for further posts on our potty training process.

Colts Training Camp

2008-08-11T00:01:00.003-04:00

On Friday, Gary and I took the boys to the Colts practice. They were so excited to be able to see all their favorite players, minus Manning due to his injury, in action. Here are a few pictures from our day:

Double Digits

2008-08-10T23:42:00.003-04:00

My boy is now in double digits!!!! Gabe turned the BIG 10 on August 4. I just can't believe it. I swear it was just yesterday, minus the grey hair, the aches & pains, and the extra weight!!! Really I'm just amazed at how fast my first boy has grown up. He is becoming such a wonderful young man! Gabe I love you very much and am thankful every day that God chose me to be your mom (and I know your dad feels the same!)

Gabe chose to have dinner at CiCi's pizza for his birthday!

Lukas looks on to see what he might be able to talk his brother into sharing!

Aunt Nissa, Ella and Nick were able to join us at CiCi's for the celebration.

Gabe got new roller blades for his birthday! How long before Lukas tries to swipe them?

Yes this is the 4th boy - and can't you tell!!! We would have never let Gabe get away with playing in his Sprite. Wait a minute, we would have never let Gabe even have Sprite at 2 yrs old. How things change!

Gabe doesn't really care for cake, so he picked out a cookie cake instead. He also doesn't like much frosting - pretty plain, I know, but it's what he wanted.

Again, Happy Birthday Gabe, we love you!!!

Work This Out

2008-08-10T23:25:00.005-04:00

Get ready to crank your neck sideways to see this, trust me it's worth it. I'm actually shocked that I finally was able to download a video on our blog that I can't possibly risk trying to figure out how to make it right side up and loosing it AGAIN!!! You may want to scroll down to the bottom of my blog and pause the music playing before you hit play.

I hope you all enjoy watching this as much as we did filming it. In case you can't understand him - Eli is singing "work, work, work, this out" from High School Musical 2. Watch out Jonas Brothers - here come the Bowron Brothers!!!!

Kings Island

2008-08-10T22:07:00.006-04:00

As most of you know, we moved to Indianapolis from Cincinnati, Ohio four years ago. Gabe and Luke still comment that they would love to move back sometimes. And the two biggest reasons are that they miss their friends and Kings Island. We had season passes while we lived in Cincinnati, and were able to go whenever we wanted. So when we told the boys we were going to KI, and that our good friends the Flosses and the Dolls would be joining us, they were thrilled. We spent a couple hours going on some rides and then headed over to the water park for a few hours. After we were nicely fried, we went back for some more excitement at the park. Gabriel was tall enough to ride almost everything, and that is exactly what he did (against mom's better judgment!) He started the day off on the Drop Tower (formerly known as Drop Zone) and ended the day on the Son of Beast (for those of you who don't know, this is one of the largest wooden roller coasters around). Lukas was a little more cautious, much like his mom, but he did enjoy some of the smaller roller coasters (not so small in my opinion) in the Nickelodeon area. Ian, even more like his mom, was terrified of the roller coasters. Although he did ride the Fairly Odd Coaster (formerly - the Beastie), the ride ended with him in tears! I was very proud of him for trying it anyway! Elijah was in heaven. Once we put him on the Nick-Go-Round, he was a riding maniac. Of course, he couldn't ride a whole lot due to his height, but he enjoyed every single ride he was able to go on.

Gary and Gabe on their way up on the Drop Tower

Gabriel and Lukas were able to talk Gary into taking them down Amazon Falls, and yes they all got wet!

Eli on his very first ride!

Although Lukas loved it, can you see the fear on Ian's face? He ended up riding this little coaster several times!

Eli's absolute favorite cartoon is Diego and he was so excited to be driving Diego's truck!

Gracie Doll and Ian on what we still call "the whip". Aren't they just the cutest!!!

Lukas (& Gabe below) riding the Danny Phantom ride - Phantom Flyers

This is what we all wanted to do, but Eli was the only one who was able to take a nap. Ain't life grand when your little!

Thank you so much Doll and Floss families for being able to join us and making our trip to KI even that much more enjoyable. It's so much more fun to share experiences with wonderful friends!!!

To those of you who asked about the tie-dye....

2008-07-18T14:00:00.002-04:00

Honestly it was very simple once I found all the things I needed. The hardest part was finding inexpensive white shirts in all the right sizes! (we actually had to go to 3 stores to buy these). I ended up purchasing the tie-dye kit at Meijer (of all places). Of course Hobby Lobby, Michaels and WalMart all carried the same kit - we just couldn't find the one with the colors we wanted (red and blue). What's great about the kit is that it comes with the dye powder already in the bottle, and all you have to do is add water and shake (3 colors are included in each kit). The kit also comes with rubber bands, plastic gloves, and step by step instructions. I believe the kit was made by Tulip and can be found in the crafty section at Meijer and in the T-shirt aisles at any craft store. My only advice is once you are done applying the dye and wrapping the shirt in saran wrap, leave the shirt to soak up the colors for longer than 10 hours. We only waited 10 hours (because that's what the instructions stated) and then washed the shirts - the red faded. I would almost recommend to let the shirt sit for 24 hours before washing it - so the colors are brighter!

Happy Tie-Dying!!!!

Tooth Fairy

2008-07-18T01:30:00.002-04:00

Ian lost his first tooth on Wednesday, July 16th (if you can't tell from the picture - it's the bottom, front, right tooth). The boys were finishing up their picnic lunch and Lukas & Ian came running inside to the kitchen with the biggest grins on their faces. I thought for sure they had "done" something that I wasn't real sure I wanted to know about. Once they started talking, of course at the same time, in extremely animated, excited and loud voices; I was able to determine that Ian's tooth had fallen out. He wanted to call everyone and tell them, but I held him off and made him finish his lunch. Can you imagine how many times I was asked about the tooth fairy between 1:00 and 9:00?

Pool Fun

2008-07-18T01:18:00.002-04:00

I finally remembered to take my camera to the pool for some fun water pics. Gabe is away this week in Michigan visiting his Grandma and Grandpa, therefore, there or no pictures of him. I just didn't want any of you to wonder why he wasn't in any of the pics.

We are greatful to have a pool in our neighborhood that we frequent often! As you can see from the pics, the boys love being there. It's normally a lot more busy, but we decided to go at 5:00 and we basically had the kiddie pool to ourselves and the big pool only had 10 or so other people. It was great to not have to worry about the boys and they enjoyed having free reign of the area!

Great Times

2008-07-18T00:48:00.014-04:00

Although we did have a great time, that's actually the name of the place. We went to Great Times with Annissa, Greg, Ella and Nick. Gary, Greg, Gabe and Luke enjoyed themselves on the go-karts. Neither of the boys were tall enough to drive, but they did enjoy just riding! Annissa and Ella teamed up against Ian and I and also Gabe and Luke at the bumper boats - which we all left soaking wet.

I do have several pics of the kids golfing. This was Ella's first time and she was done by the third hole. Eli, on the other hand, was having a blast. It was amazing, he got a 2 on each and every hole.

Of course he hit the ball once from the beginning and then moved his ball to the edge of the hole to knock it in and celebrate. Every time his ball went in we all had to cheer. After golf it was back to the go-karts and the bumper boats. Did I mention- we also ate the absolute worst hot dog ever! (it was free with our arm band purchase - now we know why!)

4th of July

2008-07-18T00:31:00.006-04:00

Dad was out of town during the week before the 4th. I thought it would be fun to do something different with the boys while dad was away. I decided it would be cool to have the boys make red, white & blue tie-died shirts for the 4th. What I didn't know was how hard it would be to find all the materials we needed in order to do this. We spent two days trying to find everything we needed.

I know most of you are thinking - "what's the big deal?", "why the obsession?" Well, once I told the boys what we were looking for on day 1, I had to follow thru with the task (so as not to be a "liar"- as quoted by one of the boys - whom shall remain nameless). 2 days, 6 stores (maybe more) later we finally found everything we needed. And I'm glad we did.

The boys really had fun making their own shirts! Just another fun memory I hope they take with them as they get older.

Here are 2 pictures I attempted to take on the 4th before we headed out to the festival and fireworks. As you can see, we had a run-away boy and three captors. I'm sure you can imagine what the next picture would have been: Eli screaming - while the other boys were pulling him down and laughing. I ask myself, will I ever be able to get a decent picture of the 4 of them together? I know, don't expect too much and be happy with what I get!!!!

Bunko's Back

2008-07-18T00:13:00.002-04:00

I am soooooo stoked!!!!! I've joined another Bunko group. I love my new group of gals. We are having a blast, and I'm sure as the months go by you'll see more CRAZY pics show up on my blog.

This picture I title "Save a horse, Ride a cowgirl". Actually, my good friend Vicki is a massage therapist and decided to do an impromptu back cracking! Love you girls!!!!

A Day at the Zoo

2008-07-18T00:01:00.002-04:00

My girlfriend Vicki and I decided to take our six animals to the zoo. The day started out at the dolphin show and ended at Culver's for lunch. The older boys loved the sharks and Eli was into the giraffes!

The Bowron boys and the Bernath boys (Mackie decided not to be in the picture)

I had to include a picture of the shark tank. Gabe and Cooper both petted the sharks, but unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough to get a picture. Lukas and Mackie were more reserved and just enjoyed being so close to the sharks and watching them swim. Ian, on the other hand, was not thrilled about visiting the sharks, but acted oh-so brave when it was time to leave!

The next MLB catcher.....Lukas Bowron

2008-07-17T23:57:00.002-04:00

Okay, mom didn't get the best shot; he really did a good job not letting the balls get by him!

Field Day

2008-07-17T23:46:00.002-04:00

Gabe and Luke both had a great time at field day at their school. They got to be outside for a half day of school and play games. Ian, Eli and I were there in the morning for Gabe's field day and then again in the afternoon for Luke's. My only mistake was feeling bad for Eli and letting him out of the stroller during the time we were there to watch Luke!

Mother's Day Tea

2008-07-17T23:38:00.002-04:00

Ian's preschool class had a tea (lemonade & cookies) party for all the moms. Ian met me at the entrance to his class and escorted me to my seat. He then served me a cookie and some lemonade. After our snack, all the kids sang us some songs to celebrate Mother's Day. After the last song, each kid presented their mom with a flower. It was nice to be able to spend time with Ian without all his brothers around.

A Message Just For Me

2008-05-24T21:10:00.003-04:00

Have you ever been sitting in church, listening to the message and wondering if the pastor was speaking directly to you? Well that was me tonight. We are in the middle of a sermon series called Revolution, based on the Sermon on the Mount. Tonight's message was titled 'Be Wealthy' from Matthew 6:19-24. The main idea of the message was that "Stuff doesn't matter. God does. And people matter to God!" Pastor Stan was sharing with us about storing up our treasures in heaven and not here on earth. From a book titled Discipline of Simplicity: "Celebration of Discipline, The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster there are 10 outward expressions of simplicity. They were all very eye opening so I thought I'd share:

1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status. (better car, bigger house, more clothes, etc...)
2. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. (alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, television, etc...)
3. Develop a habit of giving things away.
4. Refuse to be propaganded by the custodians of modern gadgetry. (all the new cool phones that do everything - they don't save you time)
5. Learn to enjoy things without owning them. (take advantage of public parks, walking trails, etc...it's not better just because you've spent money on it)
6. Develop a deeper appreciation for creation.
7. Look with a healthy skepticism at the buy now pay later schemes. (typically by the time you start paying for the item, it's already worn out)
8. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain honest service. (I'm pretty sure this is #8 - Gary was taking the notes tonight, I neither of us can read his handwriting very well =))
9. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. (be skeptical of that "better" deal, someone else may be sacrificed for it)
10. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God.

There are a few on this list that I'm successful at, there are a few that I'm okay with, and then there are those few that I need some serious help with! Oh how I am the constant "work-in-progress".

Well, Pastor Stan didn't stop there. He went on to have us reflect on our own lives as we listened to the praise team sing a song. Our reflections consisted of three things: 1. "Storage Bins" I will liquidate, 2. I will invest in God this week and 3. I will invest in people this week. First, get rid of the things you don't need; second, how will I get deeper into my relationship with God; and third, what am I going to do to invest in the lives of others. Well I'm going to be an open book: I've had a storage container to go to Goodwill sitting in my living room for well over a month now - I think it's time to liquidate it. At the beginning of the year I decided to read the Bible in a year. Over the past month I haven't been doing so well. I know I must get back on track to deepen my relationship with God. Lastly, it has been on my heart this weekend (and Stan's message only intensified it) that I need to spend more time with my boys - whether it's one-on-one time or all together. I need to invest more in the most precious gifts God has ever given to me. It's all about eternity, and I just pray that my family is all together some day in Heaven!

It's been awhile...

2008-05-24T20:11:00.002-04:00

Well it's been awhile since I've updated our blog and a lot has been going on....(for one I haven't had my camera for a couple weeks so therefore, no pics =()

Gabe has been sick lately. Thankfully today he is back to normal. I got my first call from the nurse to come pick him up from school because he had fever, headache and the chills. He has been getting headaches a lot lately so of course we were concerned. We were greatful that we already had a doctors appt. scheduled for the next day. This because at his last soccer game he was complaining that he was having trouble breathing. This has happened once before at school during P.E. The doctor concluded that he probably has activity induced asthema. We now have an inhaler to use in case he gets short of breath while playing sports again.

Gabe and Luke are both doing great in school and are both looking forward to the end of the school year (June 5th). I can tell you that I'm a little anxious about this summer and being able to keep all the kids occupied and having a good time! I just can't seem to keep up with them. I have to tell you, for those of you who have young kids - beware - the kids are learning things much sooner than we ever did!!!! Gabe brought home a math packet, about 12 pages, that was all about geometry. Can I tell you that I was stumped. I know, very sad to say, but I didn't do well in geometry the first time around and that was my sophomore year in high school. There were several times I had to get the laptop out and search for some answers on the internet. He brought the graded packet home this week, no, he didn't get an A+, but overall he did okay! Are there any math tutors out there - Gary and I might need to hire you (no not for Gabe, but for ourselves!!!!!)

Lukas finally completed reading 100 books (each book had to be at least 30 pages long)! He was so proud of himself. The kids in his class who reach the 100 book mark get to have a pizza party and celebrate their accomplishment. Lukas has also decided to start a band. He is saving his money to buy a guitar. He is about 1/3 of the way there. We told him, if he bought the guitar we would pay for the lessons. Our hope is that if he buys the guitar himself, he will keep up with the lessons and maybe have a little bit more determination to follow thru with this new adventure.

Ian officially graduated from preschool on May 16th. The school had a graduation program, with all the kids wearing their cap and gown. It was soooo cute! As I sat and watched, listening to the kids sing their songs and say their Bible verses, I could only imagine what this is really going to feel like when Ian graduates from high school (2021). Of course after the program, Ian asked when it was time to go to Kindergarten. He is ready!!! (and so am I)

Eli, well what can I say, he's Eli!!! Just tonight he was outside playing in the backyard with Gabe and Luke, I was cleaning up dinner, and Gary and Ian were running an errand. I had just finished the dishes and was on my way out to remind the boys to not let Eli near the kiddie pool that we filled up earlier today. As I walked out the back door and opened my mouth for the reminder, I looked over and there was Eli soaking wet from the knees down. He decided to take a little dip in the pool - shoes, socks, shorts and all!!!! As a mom, at the end of a long day, the first response was outrage. As I'm now writing this that has passed and I'm constantly amazed at the things my kids can come up with to do. Right now I've told Eli over 7 times to stop blowing the graham cracker crumbs off the plate. Did he listen, yes, but only because there were no more crumbs on the plate (success)!!!

Well, that's the most recent updates. Hope you and your families are all doing well!

Field Trip

2008-05-02T22:41:00.002-04:00

Ian had another field trip, this time it was Pizza Hut and bowling. First we headed over to Pizza Hut for a tour of the kitchen, including refrigerator and freezer, and then for an early lunch (10:15am - ach)! The kids were able to order their own personal pizza and soft drink of choice.

We then headed next door to the bowling alley for a very long game of bowling. Can you imagine the time it takes for 17 five year olds to bowl (it would have been 18 - we missed you Camden!)? The kids had a blast and were all so well behaved! Oh to be 5 again!!!

Proud Parents, yet again =)

2008-05-02T21:58:00.003-04:00

Today Gabriel and Lukas were recognized by their school with the Personal Best Award. This award is given to students with good attendance (less than 5 missed days - my boys missed none - praise God for good health!), students who exhibit good character traits (responsibility, respect, trustworthiness, caring, fairness & citizenship) and students with outstanding academic achievement (effort). The school had an award ceremony for the parents to attend, which included a beautiful song performed by our good friend Beth Liller! (Thanks Beth for giving of your time!) Both boys were so proud of themselves, as were their parents!!! I just think it's wonderful that an elementary school has a program like this to encourage all kids to strive for greatness.

Let the games begin...

2008-05-02T21:36:00.003-04:00

This spring Gabriel has decided to play soccer. He's on team Barcelona and dad is helping coach. I think Gabe's muscles were in shock after the first practice. He hasn't played soccer in over a year and hadn't used some of his leg muscles in a while. He's doing great and is learning a lot about using your head (not only physically) to get the job done. His speed on the field is amazing! Doesn't this picture remind you of Gary? (at least for those of you who knew him when he played).

Lukas decided to play baseball and was so excited when he found out that this year there would be a catcher position available. He was able to bring home the catcher equipment after the first practice and we thought we would never get him out of it!!!! He's enjoying himself and has proven to be a very consistent hitter. Although at this age the kids are not focused sometimes, Lukas really loves the game and knows a lot about what to do when he's on the field.

Ian and Eli are basically along for the ride and do pretty well at watching their brothers and cheering them on. It seems as though we are always on our way to someone's game or practice. So if you can't reach us at home, you know where we'll be, at least until mid-June!

Cool Dude!

2008-05-02T21:33:00.003-04:00

Eli the surfer dude...

Bowling Birthday

2008-05-02T21:18:00.004-04:00

Ian decided he wanted to have four of is closest friends from school join him to celebrate his birthday. I picked the kids up from school and we went to Pinheads to have some fun bowling. Of course everyone was very excited to bowl until about the fourth frame; when the finally realized there was an arcade there.

After the first game was finished, with Ian coming in second, we gathered around to sing Happy Birthday, eat some cookie cake and open some presents. Of course, after sitting only about 3 feet away from the arcade the kids talked me into getting some tokens so they could play games. While we were packing up to leave Ian said that his fifth birthday party was the BEST!

God Is Good

2008-04-27T22:29:00.003-04:00

This weekend was baptism weekend at our church. We have been talking a lot about being baptized with the boys ever since they saw their Aunt and Uncle get baptized a few months back. Of course, we are not wanting to push our kids into making life changing decisions for us, but only if it's what God wants them to do. Again this weekend the boys came to service to see one of their friends be baptized. I think they were really amazed that a "kid" could do this, not just adults!!! Well at dinner tonight we again were talking about baptism and accepting God into your heart. Gabe asked Jesus into his heart one morning before pre-k over four years ago now. Of course we were so proud of him and still are for making that decision. Tonight Lukas has joined the family of believers "officially". I say officially, because he wasn't real sure if he'd ever done it before. We told him that if he wasn't sure that we could pray together as a family for him to accept Jesus into his heart. At mom's encouragement, Gary prayed and Lukas repeated after him, asking God for forgiveness, expressing his love for God, telling Jesus of his desire to be obedient and asking Him into his life! We are sooooooooo very proud of Lukas for making such a wonderful decision to follow Jesus. Both boys are now anxious to be baptized. Isn't God good!!!!

I can't let this opportunity go without asking you if you have made that decision to follow Christ? As we expressed to Lukas, and the other boys, this prayer is the most important prayer that each of us will ever pray. I only encourage you all to examine your own heart and know that if it feels empty, God is there to fill it up! Love and prayers.......

Happy Birthday Ian

2008-04-07T15:33:00.007-04:00

Ian, our little comedian, is now 5 years old and I just can't believe it! It's hard to imagine that in about 4 months he will be starting Kindergarten. We celebrated Ian's birthday today, and as usual the birthday boy got to choose where he wanted to go for lunch. Out of all the restaurants around here he chose Wendy's. Dad was able to meet us there along with Papaw, Mamaw, Aunt Nissa, Ella and Nicholas.

After lunch we went back home for cake and presents. This year Ian got his first "big" bike. So of course we had to have a big bike riding party out front! I don't think he realized how hard it was going to be to pedal such a big bike, but he's getting the hang of it. His little leg muscles got so tired he just couldn't push it along any more. Ian also got some cash and a gift certificate to Pinheads to go bowling! His big brother Gabe also gave him a present that was a surprise to mom and dad as well. He wrapped up 10 of his cherished Pokemon cards and gave them to Ian for his birthday. As you can imagine, we all were really proud of Gabe for doing this - he just has such a big heart!!!

Because Ian wanted to start his birthday as soon as possible (he woke @ 6:00am) he crashed for a nap to recover! I'm sure this evening there will be more bike riding and cake! HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ian Shcabean!!!!!

Gabe's Spring Concert

2008-03-28T21:38:00.006-04:00

The 3rd grade classes at Cumberland Rd put on their spring concert last night. The show was called The Family Feud. It was about the family of instruments who were feuding over who was better. I had a short video to share but unfortunately had problems getting it to work, so here are some pics instead. The lighting in the gym is really bad so most of the pictures came out pretty dark. In case you can't tell, Gabe is in the front row on the right.

Happy Easter

2008-03-28T19:45:00.023-04:00

Unfortunately I was unable to get a picture of all the boys together for Easter, but here are a some pics of the boys enjoying all the Easter activities:

EASTER EGG HUNT

Balloon Fun

2008-03-28T19:29:00.002-04:00

Eli got some balloons for his birthday and he had so much fun playing with them. He would start at one end of the house and run as fast as he could to the other end of the house while holding the balloons and screaming! He was so funny. He then decided it would be fun to play hide-n-seek behind the balloons. What fun he had!!!

My Baby's Two!!!!

2008-03-11T22:14:00.006-04:00

Our blessed little miracle. It's hard to imagine life without him, but over two years ago it was hard to imagine that God had blessed us with another perfect little baby boy!!! We weren't expecting to have another baby, but God's plans are so much BIGGER than our own! What we didn't know, and only God did, was that our family was not complete. After the first shock of finding out we were expecting (yes, I am part of the 1%)....to then finding out that it was two babies....to then find out that one had not thrived....to then seeing Eli's perfect little heartbeat....to then meeting him for the first time....to now....I'm getting emotional just thinking about it! God so gives us the desires of our heart, even when we don't know what those desires are. Thank you Lord for the many blessings you've given us!

Eli's birthday was last Wednesday, March 5th. This was also the day that he was to start school (MMO) at our church. Well as it turns out, he was sick and we didn't get to celebrate either one of these big achievements. So on his birthday, we stayed in our jammies and took a nap together. All the close contact led to mommy being sick and therefore the party was postponed even longer. (I ended up with the flu and strep throat.) Daddy had to stop by the store on his way home from work to get me some Sprite and he also picked up Eli and Elmo balloon. By the evening Eli was feeling better and actually ate some pancakes for dinner. So much for a birthday celebration =(

We finally celebrated his birthday on Sunday. Thankfully, he is still too young to know that he got his presents four days late. I'm sure the other boys wouldn't have been so patient. Of course you have to wonder what in the world does a house full of boys need - NOTHING - that's what!!!! I don't think he really cared what was in the presents, just that he was able to open them all by himself!!!!

He was soooooo cute trying to blow out the candles. He just kept blowing and blowing and the flame didn't even flicker. Finally, we all counted to three and helped him out. He was amazed to see the flames go out. Of course he enjoyed his cookie cake immensely. He was a bit concerned about the frosting on his thumb - but then decided to just lick it off. That's my boy!

Jamaica

2008-03-04T16:00:00.005-05:00

Gary and I were awarded a trip to Jamaica with some other couples from the company he works for, GFS. We were blessed to be able to go to Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica for five days. The weather was absolutely wonderful, sunny and 80s everyday. The trip for the two of us was really uneventful. Unfortunately, those couples flying out of Louisville were not so lucky. Their flight to NC was delayed due to fog and therefore they missed their flight to Jamaica. They were able to get on a later flight, but again, unfortunately, their luggage was not so lucky. For almost 2 days they were without their luggage. Thankfully, GFS paid for them to purchase bathing suits, shirts and flip flops for the next day at the beach/pool.

Although Gary and I went on the vacation together, our ideas of vacation are totally different. Gary wanted to be on the go and involved in as much as possible, while I wanted to relax and soak up some rays by the gorgeous pool and beach! Gary went skiing, played beach volleyball, went on a zip-line tour, played bocce ball, played tennis, etc....just makes me tired thinking about it. My days consisted of me taking an hour walk along the beach and around the resort; to then going to the pool and/or the beach. Needless to say the both of us came back very red, even with the sunblock.

The amazing thing about the trip was that GFS allowed us all to do some mission work while we were there. On Monday morning we went to a children's home called My Father's House and had some time to get to know the family who runs the home. Before I get into the home itself I must tell you a little about the Jamaican culture. Most men do not work, they feel their purpose in life is to "spread their seed". While driving down the streets we witnessed several men sitting around doing absolutely nothing while during that time of day they should have been working. The women take care of the homes (which most are no bigger than 12x12 boxes) and the children. They do the laundry, which is done all by hand. But before they can even do the laundry they must gather the water, which typically is not close by. Marriage is not common in Jamaica and therefore financial responsibility is put upon the women as well. School costs $1 a day per child. The "lucky" women who work at the resort doing housekeeping only make $30 a week. Therefore, most kids are not able to go to school everyday or even at all. My Fathers House is a home for disadvantaged children whose mother's can't take care of them. They have a school at the home with two teachers. There are always families wanting their children to stay at My Father's House because it's an actual house with several rooms, the kids are able to attend school and they are also given the knowledge they need to find a job after leaving the home. It's hard for me to imagine being willing to give my child up in order for them to have a better life.

While at the children's home we shared in a devotion together. We did some crafts with the kids (ages ranged from 4-15 years) and basically just played with them. We also went into the nearby village to help out. Some of us carried water to the houses, some did laundry, some bathed kids, some played with the kids and some helped put a floor in one of those 12x12 houses I mentioned earlier. This house could take years to build due to lack of money. It's amazing that here in the states a 3000 square foot house can be built in less than 4 months but in Jamaica a family could wait years for what we consider a room. Puts things into perspective!!!!

I know it's been a long post but I just couldn't figure out a way to shorten it. Thanks for reading and we just ask that you pray for the work that's being done in Jamaica, as well as, other countries around the world!

Nicholas James Weiler

2008-03-04T15:56:00.002-05:00

Born on February 19th, weighing 6lbs, 1oz, looking just like his dad!!!

Friday Night Movie Night

2008-03-04T15:40:00.002-05:00

Friday nights at the Bowron home:

Dad goes to church to help with the Junior High kids, while Mom and the boys have a "fun" dinner and a movie. The boys get to decide on what to have for dinner. Usually it's pizza or frozen waffles ("fun" food). We all then decide what movie we want to watch. Because we usually all want to watch something different, I decided that we would write down the movie titles, fold up the papers, put them in a hat and draw one out. While I get the movie set up, the boys gather their pillows and blankets, put on their pj's and pick their spot!!! Then comes the movie and of course, popcorn.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T21:18:00.003-05:00

Just have to share a couple pics of the boys enjoying their Valentines from mommy....

Dinner and Devotion

2008-02-12T23:42:00.003-05:00

Feeling led to share so please don't take this as me patting myself on the back!

Tonight after dinner I decided it was time we, as a family, got back to the basics. I can't remember the last time we sat down and had family devotions. Honestly I think we only had 2 boys at the time. I'm so ashamed to admit that, but it is what it is and I must move on. I'm in a wonderful bible study for moms right now and boy am I feeling passionate about taking my role as "mom" seriously. I think we as moms get so caught up in taking care of the physical needs of our kids we leave out the spiritual needs; me of course being one of them. I'm realizing the prayers at dinner are not enough. My children praying at bedtime is not enough. There is soooo much more that I need, and want, to do in order for them to be men of God! I've always prayed for my children but I never let them in on that. I don't think they ever knew that I prayed for them nor did they ever ask me too. How sad that makes me to realize!!!!

Well, tonight God opened up His word to Matthew 15:10-18 and what it means to be "unclean". God always knows what we need to read/hear/study and boy did this hit home tonight. The words we say and how we say them have been something the boys; and I must be honest, me as well, have been struggling with. It was great to be able to read God's word and then to talk about the passage with the boys. I'm amazed at Gabe's understanding of the bible. I think he knew the answers to my questions even before I asked them. The boys then shared some things they were struggling with so that Gary and I could be praying for them. There were some laughs, as well as, some tears shared. The boys then got to hear me pray for each of them and their needs for the first time in a long time. I am so greatful for the bible study I'm in for giving me the push to move beyond the surface and really delve into the spiritual needs of my boys. Ultimately, if their not getting spiritually fed at home where's it going to happen?

"But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart. Those are the things that make you 'unclean'" Matthew 15:18

Eli's Meijer Adventure

2008-02-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

Well, Eli and I were off to the grocery store today after we took Ian to school. It's still a wonderful feeling to only have one child with me when I have to run errands. Especially since Eli still gets strapped in the cart. After today I may have to rethink this. For those of you who are around Eli - you know he is my little monkey. What I hadn't realized was exactly how smart this little man really is. While in the cereal row, Eli proceeded to take his coat off by himself for the first time. Of course I was so proud of him and we had to clap and do a little cheer. As we continue down the row, not only did he figure this out, he also figured out how to remove the strap so he could then proceed to stand up in the cart. As I look over from removing the Apple Jacks from the shelf, I come eye to eye with the most adorable face - one with a HUGE grin and big blue eyes looking very proud of himself. I'm sure you can use your imagination to figure out how the rest of the trip went. It looks as though if I want an uneventful trip to the store from now on I'll be going at night once Gary gets home from work!!!!

semester grades

2008-01-23T22:55:00.000-05:00

We are once again extremely proud parents. Gabe and Luke received their report cards for the semester. Gabe received two A's, one A+, two B+'s and one A-. I am constantly amazed at the things Gabe is already learning in 3rd grade. I have to admit, Gary and I have had to use the internet to be sure we knew exactly what the homework was talking about =( Gabe's teachers stated that he is a pleasure in class and works hard. Lukas also did extremely well. He doesn't receive letter grades yet, but he received four S's (secured) and two P's (progressing). All of Lukas' teachers stated that he is a hard worker and a pleasure to have in class. His 1st grade teacher is very pleased with his progress and stated that he is right where he needs to be academically. Ian doesn't receive report cards in his pre-k class, but we get to take a look at a journal the teachers make of his progress. I am amazed that he is already trying to put the letter sounds together to try and spell words. All the boys love school and are doing great.

off to the show

2008-01-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

The boys and I joined Ella and Aunt Nissa for Ella's first time at the movie theatre. We went to see the new VeggieTales movie, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.

Of course all the kids enjoyed the popcorn and candy they consumed. Annissa and I were just thankful that everyone behaved appropriately. By the way, Lukas did join us. He was just boycotting the camera.

New Year, Many Changes

2008-01-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

A new year means many new things. One of the biggest changes for Eli was taking away his crib and giving him freedom in his toddler bed. He wasn't sure what to think of it. At first, he ran to the closed door, stuck his fingers under the door and proceeded to scream at an amazing volume! He then learned that with no sides closing him in, he could empty out all the baskets in his changing table, which hold his diapers, wipes, and blankets. Needless to say, I was having to reorganize his room after every nap; and occasionally still do. I have to admit, it was bittersweet taking down the crib and seeing my last baby sleeping in a bed, but boy isn't he cute!!!

Another BIG change for Eli was getting tubes in both of his ears. He had a continual ear infection for 3 months so the doctors decided that he needed tubes in order for all the fluid to drain. It was amazingly fast. He was only away from me for about 15 minutes. He was such a big boy. He didn't cry when they came to get him and he was the only baby that wasn't crying when he came back. I was so proud of him!!! The first couple days after the surgery were a bit difficult because an ugly virus decided to make it's home in Eli's little body so he was coughing, had a sore throat and a runny nose. Things are looking good now and we hope that when we go back for his re-check that all is well!!!

Proud Parents

2007-12-30T17:42:00.000-05:00

It's wonderful to see when your kids really "get" something. Gabriel told Gary and I that before we left for church on Saturday night he had to run back up to his room. Surprisingly, we were actually leaving early for church so we had time for the last minute delay. We didn't think to ask what he needed, but today he informed us what he was up to. He went to his room and gathered up some change from his bank to give to church. We asked him why and he informed us that our money doesn't belong to us but to God. Our church is raising money to build on to the sanctuary and Gabe wanted to be a part of that. Gary and I are so proud of him for obeying what God was obviously telling him to do. May we all be that willing to listen and obey!

It's cookie time....

2007-12-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

This is the first year I actually had the patience to let the boys help me decorate the Christmas cookies. My sister and I made the cookies, along with several other yummy goodies. In the past I would always frost and decorate the cookies myself. Growing up, my mom always let us help her and I didn't want my boys to miss out on the fun or one of my most memorable Christmas traditions. I was pleasantly surprised to realize they didn't make as big a mess as I had dreaded!!!!
Lukas applying sprinkles to his cookie. (you can see Eli in the background - still a little to young to help out - maybe next year)
Gabe is such a perfectionist that he got a little frustrated while trying to spread the frosting over the cookie.
Ian was so happy to get to help me put on the sprinkles!

Christmas Program

2007-12-15T23:48:00.000-05:00

Lukas had his Christmas program at school. He played the Jack-in-the-box, one of the Christmas toys. We were so proud of him. He delivered his lines very well and just looked so cute up on stage. FYI - can you believe the school actually called it a Christmas Program and not the ever popular 'holiday program' that most public schools end up calling their shows. I was so glad to see this!

Joy of Driving

2007-12-05T22:27:00.001-05:00

Well I figured I better spill it before this ends up on the Warner Family blog. We had a wonderful time at the MOPS Christmas party and gift exchange last night. After we cleaned up from the event, I loaded all my stuff in the van and was on my way home. As most of you know it was freezing cold last night and it had started snowing (not that this really has anything to do with my story). Well anyway, I was taking Kelly Warner home from MOPS as well. We barely made it past the round-a-bout at Hazel Dell and 131st and what do ya know, I get pulled over for speeding. Those of you who have seen me drive - STOP laughing, I know I'm a lead foot. Well of course the policeman asked why I was going so fast (48 in a 30). So I told him the truth - "I was adjusting the temperature in the car because it was freezing." He looked at me and said something like - You should have at least said you were trying to get home before the snow. I then stated that I'm sure he didn't want me to lie. Well he went back to his car with my license and registration. For those of you who have ever been pulled over, you know that the longer they are in their patrol car the worse the outcome. So as the minutes passed, I'm for sure thinking I'm going to get a huge ticket and am going to have to return my Gymboree purchase to cover the cost. Now Kelly has a wonderful idea to give him one of the extra ornaments we had at MOPS (the ornament was clear glass filled with candy). It sounded like a good idea to me. Of course other thoughts were going thru my head like - "I could tell him I had just come from church", or that "I know several Carmel police officers" and maybe he would give me a break......He then returns and hands me back my license with.....wait for it.......ONLY a warning!!!!! He tells me to slow down and I proceed to give him the ornament mentioned earlier. He then asks if I'm trying to bribe an officer. Of course I hadn't thought about that! I then tell him "NO - because I wasn't going to give it to him had he given me a ticket." Thankfully he had a wonderful sense of humor and was a very kind man. Needless to say, I now drive with my cruise control set at 30 while I'm driving on the stretch of road. God is good!!!!!!!

Black Friday

2007-11-28T01:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite days of the year - Black Friday!!!!!
My sister and friend Vicki, joined me in an all day shopping excursion that started at 4:00am and ended about 12 hours later. Of course we had to make matching shirts for the big day that stated 'we'll outshop you any day' on the back and 'shopping goddess' on the front. We had so much fun and got a lot of our Christmas shopping done. While we were at the mall we decided to visit Santa to be sure we were all on the "nice" list!!!!

Thanksgiving

2007-11-28T00:44:00.000-05:00

Ian's preschool class did a Thanksgiving program. As you can see from the pictures, Ian was an indian during the program. He and his good friend Camden got to march back and forth across the stage delivering things to the pilgrims. Of course you never know if they will be shy or not, but Ian decided to make his debut by chanting "hut, 2, 3, 4" while marching. He enjoyed every minute that he was on stage. The kids sang songs, played drums, did sign language and memorized some bible verses for all of us. I am so thankful that Ian has such a wonderful preschool to attend!

Look Who's 7

2007-11-13T04:05:00.001-05:00

Lukas has now turned seven and I just can't believe it! I just had to post a baby picture just to show how much he has grown up. As is our tradition, Lukas got to choose what restaurant we went to for dinner. Greg, Annissa and Ella joined us for dinner at Chili's which seems to be our place to go for birthday celebrations. The boys love getting the free birthday ice cream and the birthday boy gets to choose a special dessert. Lukas decided he was too full for dessert so we headed home for presents. Of course, once we were home we had to have cupcakes and ice cream. It seems on the ten minute drive home the boys had room for dessert!!!!

(Before you all think I'm crazy, Lukas prefers cupcakes without frosting.)
Lukas' most beloved gift was his Tom Brady jersey. Yes I did say Tom Brady. It seems our second born is a Patriot's fan. For you Colts fans, please don't hold that against him. He still roots for the Colts and wears his Manning jersey. Unfortuneately I didn't capture his true excitement when he opened up his Brady jersey in time for the Colts-Patriots game. There was a lot of yelling going on in our house during that game. You see, I have Tom Brady as my QB on my fantasy football team so I wanted him to do well, I just didn't want them to win. Of course Lukas was thrilled and had to wear his Brady jersey to school the next day. I tell you what, the boy just loves to be opposite of everyone else!!!!

Lukas was willing to share his gifts with his brothers, but Eli and Ian sure had a rough time!!!

Candy, Candy, Candy....

2007-11-13T03:57:00.001-05:00

Between Darth Vader, Peyton Manning, Buzz Lightyear and our very own chick we now have enough candy to put a small country on a sugar buzz =) Their cousin Ella joined us for the Halloween festivities! The boys were so excited about going trick or treating that they could barely stomach even one piece of pizza before it was time to go. Of course they wanted to start right at 5:00 but we held them off until about 5:40. And still we have more candy than we know what to do with.

Walt Disney World

2007-10-28T22:17:00.000-04:00

(click above space to link to my Picassa web album to see pictures)
Get ready because this may be a long one. We were able to take the family to WDW over the past week because the boys were out of school for Fall Break. We started our trip on Friday (10/19) at 9:00am and made it to Macon, GA around 9:00pm to sleep and rejuvenate. I will say the boys were pretty well behaved and we only had minor arguments. As we stopped for lunch we did shuffle the kids around so the same two boys were not sitting next to each other. This seemed to help keep things from becoming too explosive.

Saturday 10/20: we continued our road trip from GA to Orlando, FL. We made it to our condo, just outside of Disneyworld around 4:00pm. After unpacking and getting ourselves refreshed, we hopped back in the van and made our way to Downtown Disney. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of going to Disney, this is a huge shopping/dining area within Disneyworld. There is a Leggo store there and the boys were absolutely amazed at the HUGE replicas made out of leggos. We were all hungry and can you guess where the boys wanted to eat....out of all the restaurants there we ended up at McDonalds. (huge surprise there =)) We walked around for a few hours and of course the boys wanted to buy everything they saw. We finally talked them into waiting to buy anything till later in the week since it was only day 1.

Sunday 10/21: we were all up pretty early and ready to go. Our first stop MGM Studios. As we drove into Disney the boys were so excited and couldn't believe we were really there. Once inside the park, we were greeted with the music from High School Musical. Ian, Eli and myself enjoyed watching the show while Gabe, Lukas and dad went to ride the Tower of Terror. As Lukas will tell you it was definately NOT his favorite ride. He was very scared, but of course Gabe and dad loved every minute of it. Well on to the next stop - Star Wars!!!!! Not only did the boys love the Star Wars ride, but we had the opportunity to watch a live Jedi show. Kids were being picked from the audience to learn to be a Jedi and to fight Darth Vader. Unfortunately the 4 times we were at the show none of the boys got picked. Next came lunch at Pizza Planet (from the Toy Story movie). After lunch Ian finally got to meet Buzz, the other boys did too, but they weren't as excited! We hada great spot to view the parade and were able to see all the kids favorite characters. We went on a few more rides until it was time for the most awesome Stunt Show. There were motorcycles, automobiles, trucks and stuntmen doing some very awesome tricks that you only see in the movies. Needless to say the boys loved this (especially the big kid - Gary!) Eli wasn't as impressed but he made it thru okay. It was past his naptime by this point and he had had a very long day so far. Next, the rain came. And no I don't mean a quick shower, but a downpour. The boys had so much fun playing in the rain we decided against the umbrella and rain ponchos. I think everyone around us thought we were crazy, but hey isn't that what vacation is for!!!!

Monday 10/22: Majic Kingdom here we come. BIG Colts game - so of course we all wore are Colts blue shirts. I thought we might stand out a little, but amazingly so, there were many other Colts fans at WDW. I think Dungey would have been pleased - "Go Colts" was being shouted out everywhere. Our first ride was the Buzz Lightyear ride. Ian was in heaven. He wasn't too fond of most of the rides but Buzz was a big hit! Eli thought this was a blast (no pun intended) - this being his first 'real' ride. The older boys rode Space Mountain (roller coaster in the dark) with dad and loved it. They also got to drive some race cars, even Ian!!! Off to the next parade....again the boys loved watching their favorite characters pass by. Eli especially liked hearing the music and watching the characters dance along. After the parade, Eli decided to nap so dad took Gabe, Luke and Ian to a few "big kid" rides. We met up later so Gabe, Luke and dad could go on a water ride. Our day started at 9am and we left the park around 8:30pm; I can't possibly give you a play-by-play. We had a great time but were all exhausted. All 4 boys were asleep by the time we got back to the condo.

Tuesday 10/23: not up as early today. Even though Epcot opened at 9am the Bowron's didn't arrive until after 10am. It was a much more relaxing day. There just weren't as many people at Epcot as there were at Majic Kingdom which was fine with us. Gabe, Lukas and I rode Mission Space. We loved it. I can't really explain it well, but it felt like we were really in space - from take-off to landing. This just happened to be the day NASA sent another shuttle into space. We were getting off the ride as the space shuttle was lifting off not too far from us!!!! Gabe and Luke's other favorite ride at Epcot was Soarin'. This ride makes you feel as if you are flying. I stayed with Eli and Ian during this ride, but Gabe, Luke and Gary all said it was great! Of course you can't leave Epcot without going on an adventure with Figment. Everyone sing along if you know the words......Imagination, Imagination.......

Wednesday 10/24: Animal Kingdom during the day and back to Majic Kingdom at night. Animal Kingdom was not my personal favorite, but Gabe and Luke enjoyed it due to the huge Mt. Everst roller coaster. Gabe actually had to ride it twice before we left. Lukas liked it also, but was satisfied with only riding it once. Gary took the boys on a water rapids ride and everyone came off pretty wet. Gabe got absolutely drenched. Before heading the the Majic Kingdom again we had to go back to the condo so Gary and the boys could change their clothes. At Majic Kingdom we rode some of our favorite rides again. We also stayed to see the Spectro Majic Parade. This parade is at night and all the floats and characters are covered in lights. It was beautiful, except for the part where Ian had a meltdown!!!! That night we also saw fireworks from the ferry boat that took us from the park to the parking lot.

Thursday 10/25: Our last day at Disney =( We decided to venture back to MGM to see some of the things we missed, as well as do some of our favorites again. Gary and Gabe went on yet another roller coaster - Lukas was very sad because he was about an inch too short to join them. Although we had to stand in line for a very long time, we were able to get our picture taken with Lightening McQueen and Matter from CARS. This was by far the most exciting thing for Ian. He actually kissed both cars before we left. Lukas and Gabe met the red Power Ranger and were able to see all the other Rangers as well. They were all so excited to see some of their favorite characters. Eli didn't really care to see the characters up close - he was a bit scared so therefore not a lot of pictures with him and any characters.

Friday was our day off before getting back on the road. We did a little swimming and the boys played some shuffle board. Later in the evening we went to dinner and walked around the outlet mall. And no, before you ask, I did not buy anything!!!

Saturday was one of the longest days of our lives. We decided to drive from Orlando to Indy without staying over anywhere. The trip ended up taking us about 17 hours. The ride was just not as exciting on the way back. 4 boys, 6 movies, 6 stops, 5 states, and several snacks later we finally made it home in one piece around 2:30am this lovely cold morning. I wouldn't trade it for the world, but I am glad to be home!!!

Star Struck

2007-10-28T22:10:00.000-04:00

Our local Marsh grocery store had a few of the Pacers players (those who are still upstanding citizens) at the store for pictures and autographs. The boys were able to meet Jeff Foster and Danny Granger. Eli wasn't all that impressed, but the other boys were soooo excited to meet a professional athelete up close. I don't think they realized just how tall these men really are.

Pumpkin Pickin' Time.....

2007-10-28T21:16:00.000-04:00

Well it's that time of year again. Time for the annual trip to the pumpkin patch. We had a good time and were joined by my sister and her family as has become tradition since we moved to Indy.

The older boys and Ella enjoyed playing in the huge pile of hay. Gabe, Lukas and Ian took a tour thru the haunted house (of course it wasn't all that scary, or Ian wouldn't have gone in).

We all went on a hayride out to the field on a hunt for the perfect pumpkins. Thankfully it wasn't a long ride since Eli wasn't all that fond of the hay.

We had a great day and the perfect weather. Of course as most moms do, I was all about trying to capture the moment on film. Hope you enjoy a few of the pictures from our day at the pumpkin patch.

Poor Baby

2007-10-28T16:11:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't resist showing some pictures of Eli after he woke up covered in hives. We later found out he is allergic to penicillin. Our poor baby looks so miserable but he took it very well after getting some benadryl in him.

2007-10-12T15:26:00.000-04:00

Well it's fall and I couldn't resist taking Eli out in the leaves to take some pictures.
This is my favorite!!!!

2007-10-12T14:56:00.000-04:00

Eli had his first trip to the ER on September 24th. He woke up around 1:30am and was having trouble breathing. The doctors at Community North decided to have him transfered to Riley after his x-ray showed some swelling to his esophagus (sp?). Once at Riley it was determined that the swelling was only minor due to croop. Needless to say we had a very long day.

We then found out at his 18 month check-up that he had a double ear infection and the doctor put him on amoxicillin. Well this morning when I went to get him out of bed he was covered in red splotches from head to toe. Well we went back to the doctor again and found out that he has a severe case of hives from an allergic reaction to the medicine. Our poor baby has been thru a lot recently but hopefully is on his way back to being healthy and a lot less irritable.

Naptime Fun

2007-10-12T14:41:00.000-04:00

Eli just wasn't ready to go to sleep yet, so we decided to play and take some pictures. He is such a funny little thing and loves to laugh and to make others laugh also. He was making silly faces and and jumping around in his crib. Playing peek-a-boo was a lot of fun until mom decided it was really time to take a nap. We have so much fun with this little man.

Fall Sports

2007-10-12T14:30:00.001-04:00

Gabe is playing fall baseball. The team has decided that he is the fastest runner and therefore steals a lot of bases!!! Although the Cougars record is only 1-7, they still get to play in the tournament.

Lukas tried flag football, but decided it wasn't the sport for him (so no pictures).

2007-10-12T14:18:00.000-04:00

Ian decided he wanted to play soccer this year. I use the word "play" even though he never got out on the field during a game. Maybe next year!!!!

Back to School

2007-10-10T21:56:00.000-04:00

Ian started Pre-K at our church in September. He goes to school 3 days a week for 4 hours a day. He had a rough start at first, but has since come to really enjoy it. He wakes up every morning asking if he gets to go to school that day. His teachers have already commented on what a comedian he is. I just don't know where he gets it!?! Lukas is in first grade and enjoying every minute of it. He has met several new friends and has learned so much already. He has already earned a Good Character Award for being so well behaved. Although he doesn't receive letter grades yet, his teacher is impressed with his learning so far. Gabe has started third grade. It is halfway thru the first grading period and he has all A's and a B+. Needless to say, we are extremely proud of him. He loves math and spelling, as well as reading. I know where the joy of reading came from, but the math and spelling......he certainly didn't get that from his mom!