Happy 10th Birthday Carson!

Carson turned 10 on the last day of our Missouri vacation. We had celebrated his birthday earlier while all the cousins were still there by opening presents and roasting smores. But on his birthday morning we said goodbye to Gram and Gramps, got in the car, and began the long drive home. 

Carson likes to eat so his one request was to pick all the meals for the day, and Golden Corral was top on his list.  We don't have these in California, so we've only eaten here on road trips.  But gratefully there was one in Wichita Kansas- so we celebrated his birthday lunch with steak and cake and ice cream! 

Carson also likes to read.  His birthday night was our Wizard of Oz adventure, but this picture shows our most common view of him- behind a book.  He finished the Guardians of Gahoole series during vacation, but here he is shown with his newest Tin Tin book.  

Carson learned he liked to fish so we got him a fishing rod for his birthday.  It was a perfect way to spend lots of time down by the lake when he had enough of climbing trees and tea parties.  He is intense at most anything he tries and was successful pretty quick- even if it involved lots of untangling.  

Carson likes to win and play video games.  Eric took him to play laser tag on our way home in Albuquerque.  What a blast!  He loves anything competitive especially if it has guns and strategy.  He's also excited about a new set of legos he got for his birthday and is on his way to becoming a 'master builder'.

Carson is very responsible and trustworthy- generally serious and sometimes worried.  He is a huge help around the house and a kind big brother.  Having a ten year old is new for us- the balance between having a man sized boy who can carry on very meaningful adult conversations, yet is still a child that needs someone to wipe his face occasionally!  

Yes, and I did say man-sized.  Carson was the youngest on the baseball team this spring- but you'll see him third from the left- while the coaches are almost at eye level on the right.  He's 5'6" now and his size is generally the first thing you notice (and if you check out his feet they are now size 11!).  But his eagerness to learn and respond to coaching also set him apart.  Even though the baseball team had a terrible record, Carson worked really hard and had a great attitude.  

Happy Birthday Carson!  Welcome to the double digits!  You are growing up to be quite a man and we love you very much!!

2010 Recap from the Six Turbos

Sorry for the long delay in posts, but before I start with fresh resolve for the coming year, I'd love to record a bit of 2010 first. It was a wonderful year, full of adventure and joy in the midst of regular old life. Many days ran together, but themes did emerge...

Beach Days! We all love the beach, whether it is boogie boarding, playing in the sand, exploring the tidepools, making new friends, or even just sleeping in the sun. We camped at El Capitan beach near Santa Barbara for a week in June and loved it! I expect it may become an annual tradition. Carson is always in the water. He even tried a surf camp this summer- not quite successful yet but he did learn the basics. Henry is the engineer of sand castles while Natalie and Peter love to dig and collect sea life. We spent many Mondays (Eric's day off) as well as summer Fridays (with our homeschool group) at Corona Del Mar in Newport.

Rainy Days. Yes, it does rain in California and our roof leaked, but the kids love rain and run outside as soon as it starts for fear it will be over too fast. They play in streams on our culdesac and ride bikes in the rain. While camping in Flagstaff, AZ (Lake Mary) this summer with my brothers family, we had lots of rain and the kids were quite creative with their mudpies and mud houses. No, it's not snow; but it does get us excited around here.

School Days. There have been plenty of school days this past year. Carson (4th), Henry (2nd), Natalie (1st) and Peter (preschool) have each been excellent students in our homeschool here known as "Eagle Eye Academy". We studied the Roman Empire last spring and are finishing up the Middle Ages now. There have been lots of fun projects and field trips- the Getty Villa (a full scale reproduction of a Roman villa in Malibu) was a highlight. And of course the Middle Ages have been a blast learning about castles and knights and vikings. We've read lots of good books this year including Alice in Wonderland, Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Tales of King Arthur and the Secret Garden. We are also part of a home school co-op (Irvine Christian Academy) where the kids got to be part of their first drama production.

Saturday Sports. Carson and Henry were just the right ages to be able to play on the same baseball team this spring (Irvine Pony machine pitch). It was the first season for both of them and they did an awesome job as they improved. Natalie also had her first chance at a sport this year and played on a girls under 6 soccer team. Turns out she's a pretty intense competitor!

Sunday Church. We love Sovereign Grace Church of Orange County! It's exciting to have Sunday morning services at the OC Plaza since Easter and to keep building friendships with people here, including some brand new families. Eric is doing an awesome job preaching and leading. The kids and I love helping him out any way we can. We get to host guest receptions and home groups at the house and the kids are growing in their love and care for all the people around them. We get to send Dad off to meetings like the Preaching Practicum, T4G, and Leadership Conferences. And everyone loved going to the Sovereign Grace Together conference in San Diego (especially since we got to hang out with some old friends!)

Date Nights. I love date nights! And so do the kids. Eric and I get to go out alone together almost every week. We have some great babysitters. Since August, our friend Kipsy has been living with us while finding a new job. She is a dear sister who loves our kids and is quick to help around the house and send us out. Eric and I like to walk to the local coffee shop or go to the beach. We went away for a weekend in Beverly Hills in the spring and to a concert this fall. We are still in the stage of exploring Orange County and LA any chance we get.

Family Visitors. We love having extended family come to visit! It's always a sweet bonding time with cousins, siblings, and grandparents, And it's an excuse to do more fun things like the beach, whale watching trips, Sawdust festival, OC Great Park, bike rides, etc. I flew back to PA with Natalie and Peter to celebrate my Dad's 60th birthday and got to be with all my siblings in one place. Eric's parents and sister Heather came to join us for Christmas and we celebrated in high style.

Vacation Days. It was a great year for vacations. We try to get away as a family regularly even for a short time. We spent some time at a friend's home in Fallbrook, camping at El Capitan with a side trip to Six Flags, camping with my brother and family near Flagstaff AZ (with his boat!), then some time in the mountains dog sitting and four wheeling in the desert. What memories!

All the other days. too many to describe: sick days (gratefully few), holidays(with new friends and old), losing teeth days (many!), lazy days, grumpy days, lego days, birthdays, cleaning days, even a few video game days in there. I'm grateful for this past year, grateful for this particular season of life that the Lord has us in. He is always good, but He is choosing to show His goodness to us through a season of blessing and prosperity right now and I give Him all the glory for it!

Happy 9th Birthday Carson!

Our big guy turned 9 years old recently. He is a sweetheart- the gentle giant (5'2" and 130 lbs!) who loves to read and play legos. He dreams big and always has some major project underway. He's a great leader and does an awesome job taking care of his brothers and sister. He loves the water and will stay in the ocean easily for 4 hours until we make him come in. Happy Birthday to you Carson!

Baseball Season!

We've been busy with baseball for the last few months. Since Henry and Carson are age 7 and 8 right now we were able to get them together on the same team (yeah!!). They are playing in the Irvine Pony machine pitch league on the Giants team.

This was the first season for either of the boys to play baseball so they have definitely learned so much and improved week to week. The coaches have been great and taught the boys all they need to know (like where is right field). Carson has been a strong hitter and was chosen as one of three boys on the team to be in the home run derby next week. Henry shown great perseverance and has never given up even when he has trouble hitting. He's also very attentive to the score during the game (just ask the scorekeeper!).

I'm surprised how much both of the boys love the game. They are always talking about it, wanting to practice more and looking forward to the next game. When I told them the season was almost over, they were heartbroken.

But the season is not over yet! They finished regular play in third place so now we are getting ready for playoffs to begin. If they make it to the championship game, it will be on May 22.

The boys have loved their teammates and coaches. After every game all the boys run over to an empty field and play their own pickup game together. Well, that is after they get their snack which I think they love almost as much as all other aspects of the game.

And don't you love the photos? Claire is the mom of one of the players and takes some great shots! Thanks Claire!

Carson Likes to Read

One of Carson's chores is the take out/bring in the trash cans, but as usual, the book he was reading was just too good to put down. I only caught the last few moments but I watched him reading while moving all 3 cans.

Happy 8th Birthday Carson!

Carson turned 8 years old on June 25th. He had been thinking long and hard about how to celebrate it and was very eager for the big day. In bed one night last week, he told me he'd like a civil war birthday. (I assume this was suggested to him by a recent trip to a Civil War enactment with Dad & Gramps). Since I couldn't find any "Happy Civil War Birthday" balloons, Eric built long rifles with the kids as part of Carson's birthday gifts (with dowels, 2x4's, and Gramps old belts). The boys got to paint them and played yankees vs rebels at my aunt & uncle's cabin in the Poconos (more photos of that to come)...

Happy Birthday Carson! We love you very much! You are kind and intense and love to do the right thing. Thanks for being a leader, a helper and a great big brother! We are excited to see how the Lord uses you and grows you up to a man of God!