Kung Fu Class Show 4-28-11

Through Mountain Vista Homeschool Academy, the kids have taken part in a Kung Fu class all year long. Today, the class did a final presentation for parents and friends.

My Thoughts After Seeing "Soul Surfer" - A Movie About Tragedy and Triumph

I took my kids to see Soul Surfer today. It's a movie about a young surfer, Bethany Hamilton, whose entire left arm was literally bitten off by a shark on October 31, 2003 when she was thirteen years old.

When the accident was shown in the movie, I began crying so hard! I remembered when my husband was in a tragic accident on September 16, 2005 and also when our dear friend, fourteen year old Haley Gans, was killed in a skiing accident on November 20, 2009.

I wept for Haley's family and I remembered, too, what it was like to be in the midst of what almost seemed surreal as Dan laid in the hospital and was near death.

The memory of me crying out to God asking for help, asking for a miracle, came back to my being.

Tragedy can happen in an instant. Somehow, supernatural strength comes to those who experience tragedy and life moves on.

I realized today, as memories of my own experience with near tragedy flooded back, that when people told me I was "so brave and strong," I only was brave and strong because God gave guidance and strength during that very surreal time.

Mountain Vista Homeschool Academy School Play - 4-22-11

Joel, Rebekah, and Annabelle have been in Mountain Vista Homeschool Academy's drama club all year long. The club's final performance was tonight. The kids put together an original play about Ellis Island.

Passover 2011 - We Went to a Community Seder

Our family has celebrated Passover every year since the kids were little, but this year was the first time we've ever attended a community seder. It was really fun!

Passover 2011 -- A time of hope, a time of new beginnings

Last night, our family sat down together for a Passover Seder. We had a wonderful seder as a family. We celebrated with our good friends Hellene, Sam, Jeff, and Leo Orenstein-Anderson and with Larisa and Larry Gendernalik. We laughed and sang and rejoiced.

All three of our families have been through so much together.

Larisa and Larry lost their precious daughter, Valerie, in a terrible tragedy during Memorial Day Weekend 2008. (Valerie was murdered.)

Hellene's mom and my mom were alive last year during Passover; since then, both have passed away. All of us went through and were there for one another when my husband, Dan, almost died five and a half years ago.

Although we've been through a lot...

Like the Hebrews rejoiced when they were freed from slavery, we rejoiced. We remembered how Miriam and other women sang and danced after the Hebrews made it safely across the Red Sea.

We remembered how God delivered the Jewish people and how wonderful God truly is. We remembered that miracles do happen.

I am so very glad that we've passed the tradition of celebrating Passover on to our children. I also feel very fortunate to have such good friends!

Rebekah's Birthday Is Today - April 16

Fifteen years ago, on April 16, 1996, Rebekah was born.



Of my three children, Rebekah's birth was probably the easiest. I got to pick her birthday since I she was a planned C-Section baby. I picked April 16 since it was the day after tax day.

I remember arriving at the hospital at about 6:00 AM. The whole thing seemed like a trip to the airport! Rebekah came on schedule; there were no delays. Everything went according to plan and Rebekah neatly arrived at 8:50 AM!

Rebekah was also a very easy baby. She was the only baby that would drink formula in addition to breast milk. She has always been easy going and sweet since the day she was born. She loved everyone and everyone loved her. She did what she was told and rarely caused anyone trouble.

She is good at everything she tries. She loves art, music, dancing, skiing, reading, movies, shopping, hiking, bike riding, animals, camping, museums, hanging out with friends, fencing, kung fu, drama, baton, horseback riding, snowboarding, kayaking, and ice and roller skating.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet daughter!