Catchin' Up with Us MeYeR's

Watched the Harvest Moon come up from Behind the Organ Mountains last night....completely amazing! Never seen anything like it.

Oh my goodness, I LOVE the Organ Mountains. All I did to get this was walk one block down the road, so that the church wasn't in the picture. It's no wonder Dan never wants to live anywhere but right here : )

Catchin' the MeYeR's might be a better title for this week's update. Seems like we were on the run and scattered to the four winds this week. It's official...I've become a soccer mom, err~ more like a TaeKwonDo observer, Gymnastics dropper offer and picker upper, TumbleBugs supervisor, Sam's club trip making concession stand refiller, airport shuttle runner, take an extra kid along-er Mama...LOL! Phew...I don't know who made up the term "at home' mom, but it obviously wasn't a mom : ) It's a good thing that I 'stay home' so I have TIME to do all those things. Thank you Lord, for the blessing of being able to be at home with my boys. Dan left Monday morning for a work trip to Washington state for an undetermined length...probably 2-3 weeks. *sigh* I sure do miss him, and so do the boys. However, I'm so grateful that he has the chance to do this, and that his work ethic is so good that someone would call him from 5 states away because he wants DAN, not just anyone that can handle a torch. I'm glad that the Lord provided the job, at just the right time.

~Anywho, here at home with the junior set of the Man Crew...we've been busy finding things to do that DON'T involve the TV. When Dave Roever was at our church 2 weeks ago, he challenged the kids to spend 30 days without TV, video games, texting or MP3 players. The boys weren't thrilled but agreed to try it out. So far, so good. They've complained about being bored more often, but generally find something to occupy themselves with before they are even done complaining. I'm glad to have quieter evenings, nice chats and game playing instead of just vegging out in front of the tube. The boys will even begrudgingly admit that it hasn't been as bad as they thought. So...it's progress and I'll take it!

~David is working really hard and is close to mastering a DOUBLE Front flip...as in two full rotations before landing. I'm amazed at his talent, his dedication and his continued enjoyment of his sport. Going down the tumble track at gym. I've seen him do a roundoff, backflip with a full twist, a whipback, another back with a full twist and then a frontflip with a 1/2 twist...all in one tumble pass. ZOIKS!! He learned how to do gainer backflips this week as well. He even said the other day that he thinks he would like to be a gymnastics coach once he's an adult.

~Pat's 2nd week of TaeKwonDo classes went MUCH better this week and he even signed up to help do a demonstration at the Festival this weekend. He did really well and even got to break his first board today : ) James and Derek won a FREE month of lessons...Jodi may or may NOT thank me...LOL! He's excited about James joining his class...Derek, not so much. He is really missing Dan and in serious need of some MAN TIME...hurry home, Daddy! Pat is also actively being 'recruited' by the David's gymnastics team coaches. Dan and I have decided not to allow him to join, but it does tell us that it isn't just in our heads that the boys have talent...LOL!

Ai-YAH! Pat shows off his new skills at his Demo today.

~Derek loves, Loves, LOVES his TumbleBugs class and anxiously awaits in all week. He is desperately missing his GameBoy, but has been doing much more 'reading' this week and asking me what things say and picking letters and numbers out wherever we go. He has really enjoyed all the books my Mom read onto tapes for him especially this week and will NOT go to bed without the tape player on his bed now : )

~I am tired...I miss Dan....I should NOT be allowed to be a single parent (I stink at it) and I'm tired of being in the car all the time. BUT, I've enjoyed this week. I've been playing on the computer after the boys go to bed including finally getting back to my beloved blog that I've neglected all summer, I've chatted on the phone longer and more often this week than I probably have in the last month and have had a ball catching up with my girlfriends, I've scrapbooked, and I've READ, READ, READ! I counted earlier this week and I've read 41 books since we moved into this house in the last week of June...WOW! No new books, but that I've read that many of my own collection in the past 3 months, surprised even me. At the end of the day, though....I still miss Dan, I'm still tired and I still shouldn't be allowed to be a single parent. Dan is usually the fun one and I'm the 'fun-sucker' but with Dan gone, I'm trying to be more fun, and I'm just no good at it. I really should just stick with keeping everyone fed, healthy and on schedule and let Dan be the fun one. I knew that parenting was designed to be a 2 person gig for a reason LOL! Have I mentioned that I miss Dan and that I'm tired?? I can't remember....

~In the not so great news department this week, my maternal grandmother passed away on Thursday. She was almost 94, survived by her 6 children, 23 grandchildren and almost as many in law grandchildren, I've LOST COUNT of the great grandchildren and I think 4 great GREAT grandchildren. She loved the Lord and her family...what a legacy she leaves behind. I can't say that I wish her back...she gets to be with the Lord and with my grandfather who has been gone about 19 years now. I'm sure she was missing him. You will be missed, Grma

~In the great news department...'Shua and Lauren are celebrating their ONE YEAR anniversary today. I'm so proud of them! May the Lord continue to bless them as they grow together and towards Him.

~We have been trying to enjoy our 'local culture' more this past month...Dan and I went to the Hatch Chile Festival over Labor Day weekend for our 14th anniversary and HAD A BALL! We took the motorcycle up there (about an hour) and the weather was perfect for riding. We tasted, sipped, smelled, chatted, sampled, bought trinkets and just had a wonderful time. This weekend here in Cruces is the Whole Enchilada Festival where Cruces has the WORLD RECORD for the largest Enchilada. Why?? Who knows...but there it is : ) So we went today, and wandered about in the sun for a while, listened to Jodi sing (I put up a video on FB) Pat did his TaeKwonDo Demo and just had a good time. Not sure what odd or obscure festival or celebration is next, but bring it on. One thing I realized after we moved away from IL is that there are so many things to do there, and we had enjoyed so few of them...what a waste. Let's get out there and have some fun and soak up some of the local flavor.

James at the Whole Enchilada Festival...trying desperately NOT to get any more sun.

~OK, big shock, but this is turning out to be much longer than I had anticipated, so I guess I'll post a pic and then sign off. Got church in the morning, and the church picnic tomorrow afternoon. David is bringing a friend, and Pat is meeting a friend there. I'm going to make apple crisp....and something else. Any suggestions??

Our beautiful church where we will be enjoying said picnic. Isn't that a beautiful building?

Thanks for listening to me ramble,

~Kristy~