Mallory's graduation!

 Our daughter Mallory graduated from the local high school a few weeks ago. She attended public high school for her final year as she had been home schooled and attended a charter school the other years of high school. She did very well, made some new friends and got really good grades! She enjoyed her teachers and classes. She even graduated Magna Cum Laude! 

We are so proud of her and all that she has overcome in the past few years. She has dealt with some physical and mental illnesses, and had a spiritual crisis at one point. But she came back to God and has been feeling really well. I'm so thankful for her life, her fun personality and her beauty inside & out.

Enjoy the pictures!

Mallory with me and my husband at Baccalaureate 

Showing off her cap with a quote from "Fine, Fine Life" by For King and Country

Pretty dress and shoes

Mallory with her Nana

Mallory with her Auntie

Me, Mallory and Joshua

Me, Mallory, Joshua and Bethany before the ceremony

Being silly with her cousin after the ceremony

Photo by the school district of Mallory signing "I love you," which we were signing to her!

Mallory and a young friend from youth group

Mallory and two friends from school

Mallory and her band teacher

Grandma (my mom), me, Joshua, Mallory, Bethany, Savannah (Caleb's girlfriend) and Caleb after the ceremony. Her Nana and Auntie were there too.

It was a wonderful (but windy) evening, and we enjoyed celebrating our girl with a party a few days before. There was also a graduation Sunday at our church when we celebrated even more! She had a table set up there with memorabilia from her high school years and from younger years too.

Congratulations, Mallory!

Her favorite verse:
Matthew 6:33-34
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Word of the Year 2025: Steadfast

 I know it's two weeks into the year, but I have wanted to post over a week. Life has been busy with lots of appointments, babysitting little boys, going out of town to an uncle's funeral, etc.,

I decided on the word, "STEADFAST" for my word of the year this year. Why? Well, I have been letting some of my goals slip in November and December. I was eating more sugar and walking less and less. My year began so well, and I got tempted...  I also need to brush my teeth more in the morning, I tend to neglect that, and it is a bad habit! So I decided to focus again and work harder. I've always loved the "steadfast love of the Lord," so I decided to look into that more.

What does steadfast mean?

Definition: fixed in direction, firm in purpose, resolute, faithful, intent, stable, unyielding, unwavering, standing firm. 

Bible verses related to the word:

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

"My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music." Psalm 57:7

 "My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul." Psalm 108:1

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in You." Isaiah 26:3

And my verse of the year: Beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord our labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

I love each of these verses, especially the last two. It was hard to choose, but I decided that it is good to remember that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. Sometimes it does feel that way. It's good to remember later this spring and summer as we prepare for and have graduation as well as VBS! 

I love this graphic, it's my new screen saver on my phone:

What about you? Do you have a word of the year? I'd love to hear about it!
I also need to blog about our Christmas... maybe next week!

Marching band 2024

 In the heat and sun, my two teenage girls began marching band practice at the end of July. They just finished their season this past weekend, and it wasn't too, too cold here in Colorado! It was about 50 degrees for a low, which was lovely! It didn't snow at the state championships but it was windy. 

This year my husband and I rode the students' bus as chaperones. It was the first year that we had done so, and it was GREAT! We were pleasantly surprised at the kids' manners, the noise level was not too bad, and we were able to watch movies! We saw "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (haven't seen that one for a while!),  "Rise of the Guardians," and then on the way home we saw "Cars" and "Pirates of the Caribbean." Our 15-year-old daughter sat behind us with a friend. 

We stayed in a different hotel than usual, and it was a good experience. We quickly learned our way around and got acclimated to it. The continental breakfast was comparable. We slept well, and it was pretty quiet even though there were 80 kids in the building!

After a practice at a local church, the marching band performed in the quarter-finals and earned 7th place, one-tenth of a point above another band from our town. The following day, they performed in the semi-finals and earned 8th place, which was high enough so that they could perform in finals that evening. Last year the finals were canceled, so they were excited to be able to perform in them this year.

That evening, our band played in the finals competition and again earned 8th place. It was a great experience for the whole band. I felt bad for one student who ended up sick with the flu. We are so proud of all of the students, and our daughters for performing well and giving their best to the team. There were many tears after the final performance of the year, especially for all of the seniors, which was about 25 kids! Our older daughter is a senior and said that she wants to perform in the marching band in college!

We missed having Joshua's mom and sister attend with us, but medical problems got in the way for them this fall. We will hopefully travel together again with them next fall. Maybe our son will come with us too.

Enjoy the pictures!

daughter (middle) with friends

two daughters together, one mellophone and one synthesizer

Love these two so, so much! I'm glad that I get to be their mom.💙💙

showing the glitter on her face

Enjoying some performances and awards together

Performing "Across the Mirror's Edge"

Drums lined up

Performing "Across the Mirror's Edge"

Performing "Across the Mirror's Edge"

My hubby with me and our younger daughter

Lunch and water all lined up

Older daughter and friend

practicing at a church parking lot

Goodie bags all lined up

Front ensemble/pit performing "Across the Mirror's Edge"

We will miss the marching band performances for the rest of this year, but there are still a few pep band nights at football games and two parades this fall.

What are your kids involved in? I'd enjoy hearing about it!

Ephesians 2:8-9 
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Numbers 10:9
When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.

Psalm 150:4-6

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with strings and pipe, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the Lord.