Just catcing up!

I haven’t taken the time to write on my blog and I really miss it as it is a fun way to share and keep everyone up to date on our family.

The girls started school, Hailey is in First grade and doing great in school! She had been reading like crazy and is so proud. She is now involved in the Church program called “Kaboom” and LOVES it! She has made a ton of friends at church! Hailey can’t walk to different rooms in our house, she would rather dance to get to the different rooms and sing at the top of her voice! If I had a quarter for every time I asked her to use an inside voice or to have some quiet time, I would be rich! Hahahahaaaha We thank God for Hailey’s larger than life personality and know some day God has big plans for her to use this great gift for his glory! She is so eager to absorb all she can and makes me crazy sometimes with all her questions, my sweet little sponge! I am sitting out on my girlfriends drive way watching her try with all her might to learn to ride her bike. How sweet these precious moments…………..

Austin is Two and the little “man” of the house. He wants so badly to run with the big kids and I absolutely l am convinced he is Jeremy Jr through and through! His big boy bedroom set is on order and we are awaiting it’s arrival any day! I am so glad I did his baby room in sports so we can have an easy transition to a big boy room. He goes to Nyla’s (family friend) twice a week so I can be productive and run errands, apts, etc. He LOVES going which is such a great relief Austin’s new favorite thing to play is “choo, choo” yes he loves to play with his Train set and I laugh when I am down stairs in my office as I can hear his innocent play with the train and his sound effects to make the train and the animals come alive. He is learning how to say he is sorry and look at you when he is wrong and gives you a big squeeze! He tells everyone in the morning “Ov U” and smiles from ear to ear! He sings with me in the car and closes his eyes to feel the music inside him and when his daddy looks in the rear view mirror to spy him singing, he turns his head and instantly stops because he is embarrassed. Raising a little man is so very different from raising little women!! How sweet these precious moments…………………..

Ashley is in Fourth grade and got in the car today beaming because she got 100% on her science test. I did the mom jig (that is a funny little dance) and gave her a high five and told her how proud of her I was! Ashley is also involved loving Kaboom at church as well as choir. She is trying out for a main character for the Christmas musical (she was a main character in the last spring Musical) We are so very thankful for the opportunity to allow her to grow and be able to stand up in front of an audience and shine. In preschool Ashley took both arms and hid her face as she was so very shy and so embarrassed. You would never think it was the same kiddo! She also was Mary in last year’s Christmas play and did an AMAZING JOB! She is starting soccer soon and can’t hardly wait until it starts! Her huge heart for others always amazes J and I!! She often comes to me and asks just to have the two of us time to talk and share, she glows when she is the center and is eager to please. She is loving her responsibilities as the Class Treasurer at school! How sweet these precious moments……………………………..

Bailey is in eighth grade and as tall as me! Her features are changing daily and her disposition too! One minute I am mommy and the next with an eye roll I am mom. She is an AMAZING left handed pitcher with incredible speed! She shines on and off the mound as a leader. Her favorite thing lately is to bake and share, she loves to make me laugh and she loves to snuggle. One day last week she had a bad day and I was so tired and had a million and one things to do and took her chin and asked if she wanted me to come snuggle her and she smiled and said yes, I played with her hair and tickled her back and thought Oh my gosh in five short years she is going to be 18 and this moment will be long gone. I smiled and thought to myself to remember to do this more often for this time with her will soon be gone! Bailey has a heart of gold for her family always comes first, she is involved in small groups at church and loved camp over the summer. Bailey is in honors math, science and English and has almost straight A’s (one B). She is excited to try out for her Jr High’s softball team in October. The tournament last weekend she was brought in with bases loaded and got five consecutive strike out’s! That’s our girl! How sweet these precious moments………………………..

As for me? This is a new chapter in my life…… I have zero complaints! I am in an amazing Beth Moore bible study called “Living Free” and it is absolutely INCREDIBLE! I always seem so amazed that when I am in God’s word and walking in a close relationship ………….the peace that comes with that. I wake up joyful and go to bed joyful and know that this world we live in isn’t really it……….There is so much more after this……………..and that you ask is what?? ONE WORD……….. REFRESHING!! I used to think I didn’t have time for bible study and making new friends, Can I tell you something? That was such a lie! I have met some of the most special people and am a better person for it! Wednesday mornings are so uplifting at bible study! We are going through the book of Hebrews and the author or Hebrews talks about not what God did for us but what he is doing for us and how much he loves us! He continues to loves us yesterday, today and tom!!!!

I am so excited about fall coming and decorating and cooking soup! (although it is still in the 100’s in Arizona so that might be another month or so) I just told J he needs to get my Deco out of storage!
I am working on my talk for Mom’s (mom group at church) coming up in two weeks and I am so excited about it! I get to share some fun, new ideas how to organize your house and kid’s!! I love organizing and even more than that helping give other’s some new ideas and ways of doing things. It is always so rewarding to be renewed with a new way of doing dinner’s, chores, cleaning, etc.

eXpresso is also coming up Oct 20th and the topic is Envy. I am praying that the panel comes together and the night touches woman,. God isn’t about a religion but a relationship. I have a passion for sharing Jesus with woman, sharing that we were not put on this earth to do life by ourselves but to share what we have been through and where we have been and how God has brought us to where we are today. When I first became a leader of eXpresso, never did I realize what God had in store to teach me and to grow my heart for him through working with woman and listening to their personal stories……………….
Jeremy surprised me last night with a beautiful vase of roses . We have both been so busy with the kids sch’s and he wanted to tell me how much he loves me and appreciates me!!. <3<3<3> I am SO THANKFUL for my AMAZING HUSBAND AND BEST FRIEND AND TEAM MATE! He is our family laundry man, coach, driver, organizer, daddy, best friend, provider, listener, chef, and the list goes on and on! Thank you God for blessing our family and me with such a dedicated man who gives of himself so much for the good of the ones he loves so much!

I bought my very first pair of running shoes! I really am shooting for a 5K in December or January as a small goal! I ran close to three miles today and last Tuesday and do the gym twice and bike daily about 12 miles and on Sat we do about 22. To take care of my body and to sweat feels so good and very rewarding!
My mom came over today after bible study and we made bran muffins and my momma made potato soup and it is the BOMB! My entire family ate two bowls full and I even gave a bowl to my girlfriends husband who was on his own for dinner! How sweet these precious moments…………………….

Jeremy continues to dedicate himself to our family and enjoys the gym almost every day, he has been also bike riding in the am and is gearing up for another awesome season in fantasy football! He is coaching Bailey’s club team with three other coaches and has learned a lot about the in’s and out’s of club softball. He is excited to watch Ash play soccer and enjoys his daily show’s Hailey put’s on! He always smiles from ear to ear when Austin comes skidding around the corner to welcome him home!!

We went to see a comedian at church last Friday night and laughed till we had tears in our eyes! I so enjoyed listening to comedy without the F bombs being dropped left and right and the cursing and vulgarity of what we know today as Comedy! We went to dinner with J’s parents afterwards and laughed and visited, I miss date nights with them, it seems like forever since we got to hang out with them.

We are doing a Simple series at church right now and learning to find “Margin” and it is incredible! Can I tell you, it has so made me think about priorities and living with Margin. I love going to church, holding my husbands hand and being able to take what we hear and apply it, bible study just dives even deeper. I am so sorry, I have been a stranger to the blog world, I have missed journaling!

All my love, Tan