The Julianna Journals

Between the Missions

2009-06-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a year. But just to prove we have done some things, I am going to randomly post some pictures.

Julianna has taken quite a liking to fishing. I don't know where she gets it, but she got it.

We also found out this year that NASCAR wasn't our thing, but turkey legs are!

Julianna had the Greatest Birthday Party Ever! Styrofoam peanuts and static electricity! Yea! Ask her momma for full details.

Julianna is still doing her gymnastics and this year she specialized in power tumbling.

We have even hosted some great sleepovers.

OK. I admit this post was just designed to remind you all that we are leaving for Nicaragua again. I know you will keep us and the work there in your prayers. Thanks.

Nicaragua 08 Day Eight

2008-06-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Traveling Home

We started our morning by saying goodbye to our friends. These birds could talk, but they didn't make much sense to us.

We had a hour and a half drive into Managua to catch our flight. This volcano in the distance is just another of the many beautiful sights in this area.

Once we reached Managua, we had to find the local Harley store( who'd a thunk it?) for a couple of our team members. It was a little after nine o'clock and we had a flight to catch about noon. There was some disappointment when we read 10:30 on the locked door. However, while we pondered and moaned, a couple of guys came down the street (I think from a nearby garage) and opened up for business. You can't turn away a van and pickup full of tourists.

Even the girls found a way to pass the time, and after an hour on the highway, this is a good way to stretch your legs.

I look more tired than Julianna. I'll never understand where all of her energy comes from.

Has anyone ever read the safety card in the back of the seat? Julianna studied every one. Not for her own knowledge, but to see if there is anything they could have done better. She also enjoyed picking up a few extra Spanish words.

Now here is an interesting "lay-over" during our last layover in Houston.

"Mom, I am finally on the ground in Oklahoma City!" " ... and are my arms tired!"

A thousand words.

This trip was wonderful. I highly recommend mission trips. Julianna has already said she'll be going back.

Of course, we hope and pray that things continue to grow in Nicaragua for the church. David and Kim Romero are doing a great job and God is blessing their work. They went to Nicaragua with an unusual business plan where they were going to use a coffee farm as a business to employ church members and fund the mission work with little to no outside help. Things have evolved and David and Kim are now doing full-time mission work and the farm activities have been all but removed from the plan. I personally believe God needs them to sow his crops and He will take care of the business.

Keep Mission Nicaragua in your prayers.

Check out missionnicaragua.org for more information.

Nicaragua 08 Day Seven

2008-06-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

Beach Day!!!

We spent this day at San Juan Del Sur. Another first for Julianna.
What a great beach! The sand isn't perfect white, but there aren't yet crowds, very good waves, and perfect weather this day. It was a little drive from Diriamba, less than two hours, but half of the highway could have been confused with a really bad alley in the States.

The day is starting out great for JLee. Another ride in the back of a pickup to go rent boards.

We are learning that Julianna doesn't do anything without sunscreen. We did multiple coats with many reapplies throughout the day and we survived with only a couple of minor patches. Julianna helped me with my back and I was well covered in a six inch stripe down the middle of my back, I got two red stripes in that area you just can't quite reach yourself. Julianna got two patches about two inches wide just below the swimsuit on her bottom. I suspect the wet swimsuit rinsed the reapplications off, because we were diligent and generous in the sunscreen use. Last year there were many bad burns and we heeded the warning.

Isn't this just adorable. Julianna and Bethany really got the hang of this body boarding sport. It probably helps that they float so well. I sink like a cartoon anvil when I try to catch the top of a wave. These girls at times would just lay on the boards in just an inch of water and the incoming wave would pick them up and carry them all the way in.

Julianna was also set on finding some seashells and we did okay during one nice walk down the beach.

It should come as no surprise that I really enjoyed having Julianna come along on this trip. We had fun, we worked together, and she made me very proud over and over again with how well she handled herself. I'll remember this time together for a very long time.

After awhile I convinced JLee (and Bethany too) to venture out at least waist deep and try to hop onto the waves. They made that look easy too.

Just after cleaning up and drying off, we called home to report on all the fun. Of course, she's in the bed of the truck again.

Dinner

Take a close look. This is the entrance to one of the best restaurants in the world. Really! Sorry, but I can't offer much help in finding the place. It is not far from the beach, but that's all I know.
We pulled up about 4:45 and noticed they didn't open til 6. But we knocked and the woman who owned the restaurant explained that her staff was off for their dinner break, but she would serve us drinks and appetizers while she tried to get them back in. She and her staff provided better than good service and the food surpassed that.

I really enjoy eating outdoors, especially in that weather.

Even Julianna loved her pasta.

After finishing dinner while the rest of us mingled and had desert, Julianna made a friend with another patron. I seem to recall she was from South Africa?? They got along really well. Julianna is really developing quite a talent at making friends.

I have uploaded all of the photos of our trip, good and blurry, into an online album. If you are interested, let me know and I'll send you the link. I think Julianna and I ( and Manny, too) took over 400 photos.

PS. Juan Pablo was the other young man from the Day 5 post whose name I couldn't remember. He and Gabriel and Jose are attending the Bible college. This is great for the local congregation. These are good guys.

Nicaragua 08 Day Six

2008-06-22T21:36:00.001-07:00

This, the last work day, started with entertainment by the hotel cat at the expense of a local caterpillar.

The ladies planted in the garden at the church building today. Julianna took this picture of the soil I assume they had recently completed. I'm surprised you can't see the seeds sprouting already in this fertile land.

After lunch, Julianna decided to stay at the cement job and we put her right to work!

Yes, if Julianna is working in a picture, that means her Daddy is not working because he is behind the camera. ( No offense to the professional photographers out there...)

One of the family members at this house was Zerling, a new friend of Julianna's from VBS. Here they are enjoying the crayons and coloring book from the care package she received at VBS. Each child at VBS got a T-shirt and a package with school supplies and coloring books, etc. We also passed out a care package to the church members that included food and cooking oils, and medical supplies, etc.

Zerling taught Julianna how a household structure can double as a jungle gym. This combines strength, stamina, creativity, risk, and shade. Not a bad idea.

This is the victory lap, the last cement slab of the trip. I'm sure the backs are quite tired at this point.

After cleaning up, while waiting for dinner, Julianna and I hung out on the hotel grounds.

She said this flower looked like a popcorn ball.

If you are ever in Diriamba, Nicaragua, I can recommend this hotel.

The hotel also has a bird exhibit just out the back door.

Nicaragua 08 Day Five Pt. 3

2008-06-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday Night Dinner

First a couple more shots from just after VBS wrapped up.
Rabbit ears are timeless and they break any language barriers. Julianna had no idea and it sure brought a smile to my face and the adults around me as I took this shot. The local kids loved posing for pictures and digital cameras supplied many smiles this week.

This is Cruz Guido with Julianna. She is very active in the church and community. She is in her second year of psychology studies at the local college. She really took a liking to Julianna. (I can't blame her.)

The next two shots are for all the family from Texas who can appreciate a good ride down the highway in the back of a pick-up. This was another one of those firsts Julianna got to experience on this trip.

This small three wheeled taxi has been nick-named a "mosquito" by the members of our group. The name stuck sometime last year since they were always buzzing around. Julianna, Bethany and I were able to catch a ride after dinner one night back to the hotel for 15 Cordobas ( about 75 cents ).

Dinner Sunday night was at the local preacher's house. Giovanni and Carolina put out quite a spread. Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and homemade ice cream for desert. Ummm, Ummm, good!!!

After dinner, Carolina showed the girls her pet birds. A couple of them were especially defensive protecting their eggs, but these two were very friendly.

Here is a group shot. Giovanni and Carolina, son Gabriel and (maybe someday soon, daughter) Cruz. Cruz and Gabriel seem to be an item. Gabriel, along with two other young men, Jose Guido (Cruz's brother) and Juan Pablo, from the congregation are attending the Bible College. All three of these men are good hard workers and are a bright future for the church in this area.

Nicaragua 08 Day Five Pt. 2

2008-06-17T22:33:00.001-07:00

Sunday Afternoon VBS

Look at the length of the registration line for VBS. Everyone has got to have a name tag. It took over an hour to get everyone "inside". It even rained a little and no one budged. The kids are really patient and polite.

This is another view of the main facility. Parents were required to stay out of the VBS activities. Some of the parents have been known to want to take over for the kids and we wanted the kids to do all of their own crafts. The parents respected this request and socialized around and in the kids normal classroom. Interesting turn of events...

We had over 200 kids in attendance for VBS. It lasted two plus hours for three days. It started with singing led by own own bilingual super teacher and skit by the local high school kids.

Then the kids were divided into eight groups based on their random name tag animal/color combination. Each group did four activities each day, three crafts and a snack station. The kids stood around tables to do the crafts and shared supplies. Julianna has been blessed with years of craft training and had only a small amount of difficulty understanding the instructions in Spanish.

The theme of the week was " Firmes en Cristo" from Primero Corinthios 16:13.
- Again, I was paying attention.

Julianna actually adopted a small girl each day and tried to assist them with their crafts. She did find time to create a nice puppet for herself.

The girl in this picture is Reyna. Two years ago when I came to Nicaragua, as I was packing, Julianna on her own accord brought me a picture of herself, a piece of candy and a small stuffed animal. She gave me the instructions to find a little girl her age and give her the toy and candy and show her the picture so they could be friends. This is that girl I chose two years ago. It really made me happy to see them get together.

Nicaragua 08 Day Five

2008-06-16T22:57:00.001-07:00

Sunday Morning

Look at the pretty girl all ready for church. God sure makes some very special things!

The Sunday attendance was extra high, possibly because they heard Julianna was gonna be there. They have one class for the children and one class for the adults.

This is the left half of the children's class room. Pretty full.

The right half. Also full.

Notice the line of attendees still filing in down the road through the doorway.

This is the over flow area just outside the children's class. A couple teachers inside, one just outside. It was very impressive how nicely all the kids acted. Julianna and Bethany watched through the window during the lesson.

After class Julianna and some of the local kids tried their best to chit-chat.

After class, all of the kids move their chairs into rows right behind the adults and all of the kids sit together during the combined worship service. Wow. That sounds like a recipe for riots in America. But, in Nicaragua the children were really well behaved. Of course they squirmed and some whispered, but overall they were better behaved most adults I know.

It really was a full service this particular morning.

If you look closely, you can see a red-head in the center of this picture.

I don't know if they were reading the words or looking at the highlight colors, but they are sure sharing the right book!

OK, I'm gonna have to post the VBS activities in another post. After the morning service we had a lunch on the premises for everyone and just about everyone stayed. After lunch we started preparing for VBS and the children never left the church grounds. Church really lasted all day and it was wonderful! Stay tuned...

Nicaragua 08 Day Four

2008-06-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Another Work Day and VBS Day 2

Again, I don't have many pictures of the VBS on this day. But tomorrow's post will have a few pictures of all the kids. I promise.

I do have a picture of some of the kids after VBS having a good laugh with the big, funny-looking guy. Those kids are right, he is fun to be around in any language.

Here is another picture of the incredible trees of the area. These are in David and Kim's yard. We had dinner at their place Saturday night. They have a really nice place that isn't very far from the church building right on the Pan American Highway.

This is Manuel or Manny as his American friends called him. He is sitting in front of the pile of care packages. Manny is a great young man who is very helpful and has kinda adopted the missionaries.

Julianna and Manny (and Bethany too. ) really had a great time. OK, I know it looks as if Manny is in a painful position is this photo, but really, it is just a friendly game of keep away with a small Nerf Football. I think someone should blow the whistle.

Manny also happened to be on hall monitor duty at school when a few of us stopped by. David knew the Principal and thought we'd be welcomed to take a tour. He was right. Manny led us through the school. Brent was with us carrying his professional camera and we got the royal treatment. The grade school kids and teachers were very polite. They did have a computer lab with seven Microsoft loaded PCs. The students were learning basics. This day they were typing a document, in Spanish, about autism. See, I pay attention.

David and Kim have some of the most comfortable rockers ever made. There is a great success story about the man who made the furniture. He started with a hobby and now employs a couple dozen in a growing business.

Kim made us a tortilla soup that was wonderful. Their place is set up well for groups to gather and we had our evening devotional in the living room this night.

Julianna actually had a small cry, missing Mom and home, after her phone call this night, but she recovered well. Tomorrow is Sunday and that is really something special in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua 08 Day Three

2008-06-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Work Day Two and VBS Day One

Julianna took the camera on this day and recorded 12 shots, mostly at breakfast so that is what you get...

Breakfast is served each morning in this open air pavilion adjacent to the pool. The first day we had beans and rice and a cheese that I was not familiar with. Then the kitchen help offered to make what ever we asked for and "pan-cake-ees" became the norm for the rest of our stay. We also requested a side of fresh fruit. Pineapples, watermelon, and bananas etc. are incredible just the way God prepares them. You know, no preservatives, no additives, no freezing, no canning, no MSG, no shipping, and no sugar added.

OK. I'll admit this is the most comfortable looking mission trip one can imagine. And it really is enjoyable eating breakfast outdoors in the morning surrounded by lush vegetation. But we did go off to do concrete work... (Just wait til you see what we did on the "fun day" before we returned home)

Julianna did manage to wear herself out, but she was able to stay up with the rest of us (this and each night) through the nightly devotional and any other activities. If you are familiar with Julianna you know she doesn't stop until everyone else does.

What is missing from this days pictures was the first day of VBS. Followed by chinese take-out at the hotel, nightly devo and a very enjoyable game of "Crazy Uno". Crazy Uno should be adopted by anyone capable of quick thinking, dexterity to manage dozens of cards and recreational revenge. Julianna was really getting the revenge part down. Rules available upon request.

Nicaragua 08 Day Two

2008-06-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

Work Day

The two main projects of this trip were a VBS and installing concrete floors in some member's houses. Both of these are a major undertaking since we only had a total of 16 on this trip and two were cute little girls.

This is the neighborhood road where we did the first couple of concrete floors. Dirt road of course, but look at the vegetation. This is the fence lines. They simply plant a fence and it leads to privacy. Who needs pickets?

This is a picture Julianna took of some of the members of the family we worked for first. (Julianna took a large number of the photos on the trip and she often took the camera when we went different directions, so I'm realizing I don't have as many pictures as I have memories...)
Julianna used the camera to break the ice with these kids and before you knew it they were giggling and playing without a common language.

Julianna wasn't all play however. There was a little work she was able to get done in between her diplomatic duties.

Yes, those are brand new cement shoes she is wearing. Luckily, Nicaragua dirt is nothing like the clothes-staining, hard-to-work-with red clay of Oklahoma.

In Nicaragua, they mix concrete directly on the ground with shovels. About 1 bag of cement, two parts rock, and six parts sand. We'd stir that and pile it into a volcano shape and pour water into the top and carefully mix the water into the dry parts. The Americans had many failures of the volcano and allowed the water/cement mix to run away much to the enjoyment of the locals who had better flow control skills. By the way, stirring cement with a shovel is "back-breaking work".
Once it was mixed, wheel barrows or five gallon buckets would carry it into the room for spreading which was done on your hands and knees with a hand trowel.

At the lunch break, Julianna went with the ladies for the afternoon to get things prepared for the next day's VBS. There was a class/planning session with the local ladies to make sure everything was ready. This was the best run VBS I've been a part of. The guys finished up work about three o'clock and cleaned up and worked VBS as group monitors at four o'clock each day. It was a really good way to get the men involved with the VBS plus we had to quit the concrete work on time too.

Again, Julianna made friends quickly while the women were having the training session.

The ladies who would be teaching the VBS also got to color their own VBS shirts to match the ones the kids would get.

This photo of Julianna and Bethany shows the results of the first expansion project on this church building. The post to Julianna's right is the back corner of the original tin roof structure and you can see beyond that a section of black plastic roofing material giving them an extra 25% covered area. Also to Julianna's right is a row of tall trees that aids in the shelter. The opposite side wall is wrapped in the black plastic and makes a fine wind break.

Behind Julianna and Bethany is a house that is the children's wing. It has two rooms and also serves as the "teacher workroom" where crayons and such are stored securely.

There will be better pictures in the coming days of this structure at full capacity.

The church grounds did have a good old-fashioned outhouse. That is a cement potty, no shiny white seat.

And, yes, when in Nicaragua... do as the Nicaraguans do. Julianna never goes anywhere without trying the restroom. Now where is that hand sanitizer?

The first night's dinner was at a little Tex Mex restaurant in Diriamba. It was open air to the busiest street around. Even though they knew we were coming, they weren't ready for this group. Food was brought out so slowly that it actually seemed that they were waiting for plates to get back into the kitchen for the next couple of people. Maybe the kitchen could only make two meals at a time. Oh well, it was fairly good food.

Oh yeah, you can't beat an ice cold coke in a glass bottle when away from home.

Nicaragua 08 Day One

2008-06-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but it'll take me a few days to get this trip blogged. Think of it as a mini series. I'm sure you'll be on the edge of your seat.

Travel Day

You can't go on this trip without first signing your very own passport. Not everyone gets to do this on Daddy's messy desk...

This trip contains many firsts for Julianna and she had compiled quite a list of possibilities. The obvious ones that came true were:
first airplane flight, first trip out of country and first trip to beach. She had also hoped for others, like first horse ride, that just didn't come to pass. Others occurred that she hadn't planned on but enjoyed very much such as first ride in bed of a pick-up truck (yeehaw!), first mosquito ride(more on this later) and first boogie board ride.

Julianna and Bethany got thier wings from the ticket counter.

Had to touch base with Mom from the first plane (Yeah baby, we got a window seat!). Actually thanks to cell phones it was much easier to keep in touch throughout the trip this year. In years past it required special trips to an internet cafe to make calls to the states, but now this part of Nicaragua is covered by 3G networks and it is very reasonable for locals to call the states. US roaming fees are ridiculous, but there were plenty of church members who allowed us to borrow phones. They are all pay as you go, so we just added the minutes we needed plus a bit more and everyone was happy.

Julianna learned her way around the airport really quickly, or at least she learned to just follow the pack.

Moving walkways (or runways) are great entertainment, especially your first time. Who can fault a kid for this? Besides, it helped pass the layover time.

Still chugging along after dark in Nicaragua.

The local minister, since there had been some recent reports of wrong doings to Americans in the area, asked the Chief of Police of Diriamba what it might cost for a police officer to ride on our bus back from Managua. The Chief said no problem, I'd be glad to, and brought a pick-up full of big gun-toting officers as police escort for the hour and a half drive. Some thought they just wanted a reason to get to the big city for the evening.

And finally we made it to the hotel. It was really nice especially for the area. We had a A/C window unit (knobs were all missing, but I've used pliers before), cable TV (we turned it on the night we arrived and never did again. I was looking forward to reruns in spanish, but didn't find the time.), and occasional hot running water (occasionally hot and occasionally running). Yes, that is a shotgun in the guard's lap behind Julianna. I don't think she ever noticed...

Stay tuned.

World Traveler

2008-06-08T21:01:00.001-07:00

Julianna joined her Daddy on a mission trip to Nicaragua. It is the longest she has ever been away from me and I miss her greatly. This is her before she left. I hear from her every night and she is having a great time. She is making lots of friends, and learning a little Spanish, and helping with all of the work that they are doing. She did so well leaving for the trip with no crying or anything. It was so funny because she woke up thinking she was sick, but I explained to her that is a nervous tummy. It was the first time she had experienced that to such a degree. It was cute.This is the group that went. I admired Julianna's bravery in going somewhere so out of her comfort zone. I hope that she can now have a point of reference when I tell her that she had better pick up her toys, eat her veggies, etc., because there are kids that don't have that kind of thing.
I can't believe I let her go!! She at 7 has now been to a foreign country that I have not been to. Is this an indication of the future?
We will post more pictures upon her return.

Whose kids are these?

2008-06-08T20:29:00.001-07:00

These are my good friends Ray and Jana's girls, Katie and Kara. If you know them at all you can pick your jaw up off the floor. They are almost 13! I still remember the day they were born. Now I feel really old.

Yes, they are taller than my shoulders and I am in heels! They are such beautiful girls. They are going to be heart breakers...in 10 years.

Everybody called these two ham and cheese. That is Maleah, Kathy's baby who is going to be 3 soon. Where does the time go?

Happy Birthday to Dad and Mom

2008-06-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

Julianna wanted to do something special for Ellis' birthday, so she made cupcakes and decorated them. They are chocolate with chocolate icing, and the letter E in blue icing on top. Then she topped them off with colored sprinkles. She worked so hard on them as you can see in the picture.

This is the finished product with candles that spell "Happy Birthday".

She got me earrings for my birthday. She knows me so well. Then we went and ate at the Cheesecake Factory, which is just sinful. When I asked her how old I was she said 37. WRONG!!!

Oh and notice my smile...without braces!!!

Oh no! She is now a 2nd grader!

2008-06-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well it is official, Julianna has completed 1st grade. She keeps running around saying that her teacher Mrs. T says she is now a 2nd grader. I want to call her a liar. She just started kindergarten, right? But, I know it is true. She is growing up too fast ignoring my pleas to slow down.She had a very successful year, thanks to the best 1st grade teacher ever, Mrs. Takagishi. She learned so much from this wonderful and caring teacher. Not only did she learn reading and math, but she taught them to respect others and appreciate mistakes as chances to try again. She helped them learn with crazy rhymes to the tune of macarena, hatched baby chicks in the classroom, created fun games, and gave them so many other fun learning experiences. We could not have asked for better during this transitional year. Julianna tested in reading at a 4th grade level by the end of the year and loved going to school. Thank you Mrs. T.

At the class party, all of the kids got a t-shirt with their name printed on it, and all of their friends came around and signed it. It will be a great keepsake. This picture is of what Julianna wrote on Mrs. T's shirt. I thought it was so sweet of her to write thank you. She has a sweet, sweet spirit...and a 2nd grade attitude to balance it out.

The Heat of Summer

2008-05-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Summer came rushing in today with temperatures in the mid 90's. Quite a change from the 60's we had last week.

Happy Anniversary to Grandma and Grandpa! 36 years is quite and accomplishment. Congratulations and many more!

Olympic Champion

2008-05-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today Julianna had her 2008 M&M Olympics . This is the day when all of the family comes to watch what the kids have learned in gymnastics this year. I really missed Grandma and Grandpa this year because Grandma always took all of the pictures which allowed me just to watch. I had a hard time running the camera and paying attention at the same time. Miss you guys! This year she showed us her beam, bar, and floor routine. They were all impressive, but we were especially proud of her cart wheels and round offs that she has worked so hard on.
I was trying to think of how many years Julianna has done this and gave up trying to count. We will just say she has done this since she was 2 years old and I think this is her sixth trophy.
Coach Kelsey has been her coach for the last two years. Julianna loves her.

Go Yard Dawgs!!

2008-05-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, its that time again. Every year Ellis does stats for our arena football league. This comes with season tickets, so Julianna has not missed a game in years. She does well throughout the first quarter but after that it is a fight against the clock to keep her occupied. Third quarter is snack time. I wish I would have gotten a picture of her and her friend in the picture above sitting in the floor putting on makeup in the second quarter. Maybe they were trying to score some attention from the football players.
This is her entertaining herself in the fourth quarter. She may get "bored", but suggest we should just stay home and she would not hear of it. So here's hoping we have an exciting season...Go Yard Dawgs!

Mothers Day 2008

2008-05-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there. It is the most rewarding job I have ever done. I look at Julianna every day and am proud to call her mine. She is such a sweet and loving soul and has a heart as big as Texas. I love you Julianna!Our day was great! Julianna got me a camera. That is why you now get to see pictures from my postings. I think she took more pictures than me though, most of them of things like noses, and toes, and the decor of the restaurant. I'll keep all those works of art to myself.

We went to eat at Texas Road House for some excellent steak, potatoes, and bread. We thought we would be smart and wait until 1:30 to avoid the rush. No such luck, 45 minutes later we were seated. They did have art supplies on a table to entertain the kids, and outside they had sidewalk chalk to use. I thought this was a great idea and it helped Julianna pass at least 10 minutes without saying she was starving. This is her contribution to the ever growing piece of art outside the restaurant.
We then went to our favorite spa to have our toes and nails done. Julianna loves to do this with me. We have so much fun being treated like princesses.
This is the result of our time at the spa. Yes, that is my foot with the crazy design. If you know me at all, you know that I love to put the unusual creations that my nail girl comes up with on my toes. I think it is ironic that I really don't like my fingernails painted and if I do get them done they are pale and tame. Julianna went with the dark fall colors this time, perhaps being confused by the colder weather today as compared to the 85 degrees yesterday. Gotta love Oklahoma!

It was a wonderful day spent with my little girl. Thank you Julianna (and her Daddy) for honoring me today!

That Girl's a Goalie!

2008-04-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

It was a very good Saturday for Soccer. Just a touch chilly, not frigid like we've been experiencing.

The team we were playing this particular morning was a bit faster and slightly more familiar with teamwork than we were, as usual. Our friend Noah was one of the leading participants on this semi-pro soccer team. A lot of time was spent on our end of the field, but JLee had a really good time with her turn at goalie.

Julianna (Madison too) started in her usual energy conservation mode waiting for the right time to engage. The red shoes belong to Noah.

And then she became a real trooper. She stopped numerous attacks.

She quickly cleared the ball out of her zone and returned to her post.

Over and over. Again and again she denied the other team their prize. Often times, to the disgust of his parents, it was her friend Noah she was battling.

She even took one to the head from the foot of Noah. And yes, it too was denied.

If you look closely in these pictures you can see a little smile on her face. She had a great game and a good time this week. Oh yeah, Noah and the rest of his team had plenty to enjoy today as well and later that afternoon JLee and Noah played together in his fancy new tree house.

I guess the aggressive battle terms used above may be a bit much...

2008-03-30T22:19:00.001-07:00

Nothin' fancy. Just some Easter photos...

Julianna's favorite Easter pasttime. This trumps egg hunting mostly because she has been shut out by starting at the back of the pack the last two years.

She also made her first sock puppet with Daddy on Easter afternoon. Obviously Daddy over designed. The long face is because she is dealing with her new knowledge of hot glue on a fingertip. Ouch.

Joining the online world

2008-03-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well Julianna (or I as her mother) is officially an online contributer due to the fact that Grandma and Grandpa moved away and need a way to keep up with the life of this beautiful child. She could probably run this thing better than me...take that back, I have no doubts she could do this better than me. But, since she still has to ask me how to spell words like contributer, I will be posting for her and about her. I promise nothing except to try for the sake of Grandma and Grandpa whom we miss very much. Here goes nothing!!!!