Rachel turns 12!

Last weekend Rachel turned 12 and I can hardly believe it. I really need to do a better job taking pictures but here's what we have of her birthday celebration.

Rachel and friends and cousins at Glazenfyre painting ceramics.


Rachel with friends, Helena and Kara, showing off their creations.

The family dinner with her good friend Taylor. And yes, strawberry cake!

Rachel just wanted money for her birthday so she could go shopping and that's what we did Sunday and Monday. We went to all her favorites and sometimes more than once - Michael's, Target, Kohl's, Old Navy and more. And after all that shopping the only place she bought anything was at Michael's. Rachel has learned to make flower arrangements so she bought some supplies and stuff.

Dinner at Jason's Deli - free ice cream.

To top it all off Rachel and I spent the night at Founder's Inn. She just loves it there. Our room was so cozy. "Pride and Prejudice", lots of yummy snacks and breakfast in bed - it was great!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Last week Melanie took this picture of the kids for me to give to Eric. I am so pleased with how it turned out. I also can't believe how much older the kids are looking. Today we're having a Valentine's party with our science group. Rachel has made cupcakes, brownies and cookies-yum!

Some interesting facts about St. Valentine that the kids and I read yesterday - he lived in Rome around 250 AD, he was a physician and a christian. Gene Veith also says in his blog today that Valentine was a priest. He apparently was the physician of a blind girl who he gave a note to after being imprisoned that was signed "from your Valentine". Valentine was imprisoned for his faith and again according to Mr. Veith was severely beat and beheaded on February 14th. Kind of a depressing thought on such a light hearted day. The anniversary of his death and a Roman holiday was combined later. I'm not a historian so my info. may not be exactly accurate but I am always interested in the origins of such holidays and in the faith of men like St. Valentine and St. Patrick. I love celebrating this day of love with my kids - a day that is rooted in the Gospel of Christ.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from god, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." I John 4:7-11