Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Border Clash 11

Drew had the opportunity last weekend to participate in the Nike Border Clash race on the Nike campus in Beaverton.
This race takes the top 40 guys and top 40 girls from Oregon and Washington and gives them a taste of elite runner's life on the Nike campus.
Sorry to say Washington won again this year.
Drew's friends (Blake, Nick, Nick, and Ammon) got up at 4 am to drive up and support Drew and the other southern Oregon runners. They are great friends, but had some trouble spelling!!!
Here they got it right!!!
Now remember it was very cold and they ran around the whole race like this!!!!
This race is an actual head to head, in that they actually start on two opposite sides of a soccer field and race directly at one another!!!
Here you get a view of the actual CLASH of the teams!!!
The cross country logo in the midst of the soccer field.
Drew sporting the Oregon 'blue'!!
Drew and his teammate, David, post-race.
Drew did not have the best of races, but he gave it all he had for the day!!
Way to go Drew!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Hello Baker City

We had a good trip to Portland on Saturday. We were able to visit a church for a Saturday evening service in Beaverton. Then catch the last of the inspirational speakers at the Border Clash evening with Drew. We then were able to get the last few minutes of overtime and see University of Oregon pull off the win over ASU.

Sunday was not all Drew hoped for a race. He ran as hard as his body would allow, but not what he would have liked. We will probably get him into the doctor and have them check his lungs this week. When you are competing at as high of a level as he is, small issues can cause big issues with racing. So he is not feeling as though he can breath during a race. He describes it like asthma. Praying for healing for his chest.

We then headed out to Baker City for the week for hunting. Thankfully the roads were clear the whole way this time. Hannah surprised us by wetting her pants in the car and saying nothing about it!!!! Sometimes I can honestly say that I have no idea what the two of them are thinking. They keep me at the top of my parenting game all the time. And of course being out of routine is never very good for them. So we choose a quite day today as David and Drew went out in search of the elusive elk. David had one in his sights this morning, but could not see the head and would not take the shot without knowing the sex of the animal. He was kind of bummed about that. Praying for more success in the next couple of days.

Off to rest with a book!!!!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Off to Border Clash

So we head out this afternoon to the Oregon-Washington Border Clash put on by Nike.

In this race they take the top 40 runners out of each state and have a race on the Nike campus in Beaverton. They have an interesting start....they put Washington on one end of a soccer field and Oregon at the other end and they race directly towards one another, then turn and funnel up a path together for the rest of the race. It is quite intense and shorter than most races. Nike does an amazing job putting on this fun end of the year race for these athletes. They all look so forward to it.

At the end of the state meet Nike is on-hand to do a short video of all the kids you can find Drew's video here.

After Border Clash on Sunday, we will be heading to Baker for the week. David and Drew have elk tags to try and fill. I will post as I get time and access to a computer.

Friday, November 20, 2009

GOTTCHA!!!!!!

It was 4 years ago today that we stood in the Portland Airport and met our two newest members of our family!!!!
We were not allowed to travel due to the instability of the country during their first presidential elections after 13 years of civil war. In order to get Hannah home to get the medical attention she needed, we chose to forgo the travel to get her home quickly. I do wish we had had the chance to meet them in their own country, where we would have been the ones to stand out and things would have been more understandable for them. Also it would have helped to have the insight into their culture by having seen it. I am so thankful for the many friends who have helped to fill in that gap for us!!!!

Caleb Charles (5 years) and Hannah Charlesetta (2 1/2 years)
Caleb was all eyes and wonder!! He now says we all looked funny and were talking a funny language, though English is the national language in Liberia too!!!
Hannah was a stinky little one, literally, having bad parasites will do that to a person!!
The minute the escort handed her to me she started screaming---loudly!! After about 5 minutes I handed her to David so I could actually talk to Caleb and she stopped---just like that!!! How is that for rejection!!! I do not think female, mother figures were high on her list of trust worthy people!!


Now 4 years later!!!!
We are so thankful for the joy they have brought into our lives. We are so much richer for having them be a part of our family!!!

The Blind Side

Remember the movie The Blind Side is coming out this weekend. Looks like it will be a good watch.

Praying that many Christians will be moved to help those children who have no one else!!! It is time to see a great movement in the people of God!!!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Drew's Weekend

Drew had a long weekend in Boise.

First we had to try to travel the width of Oregon in snow!! Seriously, it was snowing about 40 miles out of Medford and we basically had snow all the way to Ontario on the Oregon-Idaho border, with the exception of some clear roads around Bend. Drew was traveling with the team in a van and we traveled in our own van. Thankfully we all made it there with no big issues.


First stop was at the Nike Cross Country Team Championships. Drew ran a good race, but not what he was hoping for. He has a very tight chest and a spike hole in his knee for his efforts. We are praying his cold is better for his last two races coming up.

He then spent the rest of the weekend at Boise State University on a recruiting trip. This trip had about 7 others on it, so it was very different from his one on one visit at the U of O. He liked the campus, the places to run, and Boise in general.

Praying for wisdom in the next months as he will have to make a choice on what school to attend next year. It is a very big decision. Praying he find the choice that will keep him right in the center of God's will for his life!!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Family Time?!?

We so enjoyed having Danielle home for the weekend!!!
We had such an awesome time as a family watching Drew at state, at the same place where Danielle competed for four years also. Oh yeah, David and I ran on the same course about 25 years ago too!!!

All five of my kids in one place at one time!!
Sweet sisters!!!


And wonderful brotherly affection?????

Yes, this happens everytime these two get together!!!

Imagine having them growing up in the same house!!!

It was loud!!! And never predictable!!!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

More pictures and links




















































I have no idea why I cannot make these pictures bigger. I did get them off the Internet and I am sure that has something to do with it. Our pictures did not turn out, a combination of bad weather, wrong camera settings and a very excited Dad I think were our problems.

Also since we use this blog to keep up with family and friends at a distance, I thought I would put some links up to some additional sites.
All this said and posted.....We thank God for the health and the strength he has given to Drew to run as he does!!! The glory is all His!! May Drew continue to run in strength and power and give the praise to Him through whom all blessings flow!!!!

A State Re-cap!!!

More pictures of Drew's big day at the Oregon State Cross Country Championships!!!


Oregon runs all of their cross country championships on the same day at the same place, so on Saturday they started in the morning with the 1A, 2A, 3A combined race (girls then boys), then they moved on to the 4A races and the 5A races. So by the time Drew ran, there had been 7 races on the same course. It had been raining a lot last week and the course was fairly squishy to start with, we were very thankful that morning to see clear skies!! Actually it stayed dry till the start of the girls 6A race, when is started drizzling......then when the boys were getting ready the skies opened up with a deluge and a very cold wind!!!


With the conditions being such, there was a large pack of 15-20 runners in the front for 2 miles. Especially on the back stretch where no one wanted to take the lead and break all the very cold wind for everyone. At about 2 1/4 miles the pack broke up with Drew running in 5th when he got out of our view. When we were again able to see him with 600m to go he was tied for 4th and turning on an amazing kick! He passed the last guys and raced the last 400 meters all on guts, as you can see in the picture....it hurt!!!

Drew was excited to see his friend from across town make the podium in 10th place.
And yes, it was still freezing and raining and they took the space blankets from these guys and had them stand up for their pictures!!! Notice Drew's clenched fists!!!

The other exciting part of the day was that their boys team took 4th place!!!!!
Nick, Nick, David, Drew, Ammon, John, Blake, Stetson
North Medford Black Tornado

Saturday, November 7, 2009

We Have A.......

STATE CHAMPION!!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS DREW!!!!
More to come tomorrow.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Today's Happenings

We have enjoyed Erinn having Fridays off, always makes for a fun day, especially for the little ones who can never get enough of their big sister.
Hannah actually asked if she could take a break and go dance with Erinn!!!

Here Hannah is showing off her fashion style!
Grandma's old purple square dance dress with an orange bandanna, a lei, a fuzzy scarf belt and hat!!
That big white bag behind her is a.....wedding dress!! Yep, Danielle finally picked it. She will be here in a couple of hours for the weekend. We are looking forward to seeing it on her!


Caleb had a little more difficulty with school, but having sister home working on the computer downstairs makes things distracting. Then Dad came home from his morning hunting expedition, and that made things more confusing. But he still got it done with no meltdowns. Now that is progress!!!

A Nice Article


There was a nice article about Drew in the local newspaper this morning. You can find it here.

We are praying for success in his running tomorrow and a good testimony!!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Multi-Tasking

Hannah and Caleb are getting an early start on multi-tasking!! Today they worked on their sensory work while watching a movie!! I was actually very busy today, so I put on the movie to keep them occupied for a while and was feeling guilty about not having done any sensory work with them today, and this is what became of it.

I found a travel size connect four today and that is what Hannah is working on. The pieces are much smaller and therefore require much more dexterity. She is also laying on her tummy requiring her to strengthen the muscles in her neck.

Caleb is working with the magnets and crossing mid-line.

They also have the zoo sticks with the squishy worms there.

I have started compiling these sensory work games in one area so it is easy to grab and use at any time.

SAFE!!

We are happy to report that Michael, Erinn's boyfriend, is safe! He is presently stationed at Fort Hood where the terrible shooting took place this afternoon. Our pastor's son, David, who is also stationed there is also safe.

We ask for you to pray along with us for the many families whose news is not so joyous tonight. As of last report there were 11 dead and 31 wounded, 2 of them seriously. May God love surround those families and grant healing to those wounded.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

New OT Activities

I am slowly working through the book Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske. This is the book I got this summer to start reading, that showed me we definitely needed to work with an OT to get some of our issues resolved. I must admit the book was quite overwhelming this summer, but now that I know a little more, it is eye opening. I am loving it!
I just skipped to the crux of the matter and moved right to chapter 10-Helping Your Child Learn and Get Organized!!!
I learned:
1) "not all children with SID have learning disabilities, but about 70 percent of learning disabled kids have SI dysfunction" page 222
2) "National Center for Learning Disabilities defines learning disabilities as a group of neurological disorders that affect the brain's ability to store, process, and communicate information." page 222
3) 'Your goal is that as he grows up, he will become sensory smart and self-aware enough to recognize his own neurological state and to self-regulate, that is, to give himself the sensory input he needs to keep on track." page 229
4) "We don't all learn the same way, although we are generally all taught the same way....the multi sensory approach that taps into more than one or two senses works best. This applies to all children, and especially to a child with sensory issues who has a strongly preferred mode of learning." page 235
So on to some practical ideas for the day!

Here is Hannah working with the Connect Four game. No, she is not playing it, she is using it as a tool.
1) she picked up the red pieces individually with her right thumb and pointer finger and placed them in the game. Then she did the same with her left hand with the black pieces.
2) then she picked up one piece and stored it in her hand and then picked up a second piece and stored it in her hand. She then manipulated one piece back into her fingers and placed it in the game, then the second piece. She again did red with one hand and black with the other hand.
3) She then did the same thing with 3 pieces. We did not go higher as the pieces were too large for her hand.
These games are teaching fine motor skills as well as strengthening her fingers. And she loves it!!
We are still working on grip with Caleb. Here you see the zoo sticks I talked about a while ago, with the squishy worms. Then I added in having him practice his writing with a straw. When he grips it too tight it squished and if he pushed too hard it bends.
Today we had a couple of tough points, so we took some 'big work' breaks. Having him catch and throw a heavy ball, do big kangaroo jumps, race upstairs for something I pretended to need, and the ever popular----jumping jacks!! Most of the time these helped him to refocus and move back into what he need to do. We also discussed him needing to recognize when he 'needs' some 'big work' and to ask for it. We will see if he is able to do that yet in the days to come.

Sting Pong???

First of all---I can't believe I am posting about this!!
Second--Do not take this as a recommended family past time!!
Third--This is my son's cute belly, with a close-up result of sting-pong!!!!

So this fun game was shown to us by our pastor's son, a recent West Point grad!
The cross country boys have taken it to heart as one of their favorite games, and really there is much worse things they could be doing with their time!!


So it starts with a regular game of ping pong, BUT if you miss, you must stand with a paddle to your face and bare your stomach for the consequences!!!

Your opponent gets to try and slam the ball into your bare belly instead of gaining points!!!
I think the winner is the person with the fewest welts!!
He looks pretty proud of his aim!!

But I think he is just as proud of his welts!!!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

A District Champion!!!!

Drew is Southwest Conference District Champion 2009!!!
The Boys Varsity team is also District Champions!!!!


Here is the crowd at the start!



Intensity!

I love the focus you can see on the faces of these guys in the lead at mile 2.
Drew and Matt, from Sheldon, have broke away from the pack with a half mile to go!
The final 200 meters--digging deep!
The finish in sight!
A proud moment!
Discussing the race with Coach Voskes!
Ammon, Blake, Drew, Stetson, Nick, John, and David
CONGRATULATIONS GUYS!!!!
OFF TO STATE!!!