Happy Birthday Brother!

My husband happens to share a birthday with my brother.  Celebrating together is super fun when we've lived near each other.  Alas, this year is different...but I'm happy to say that Jason is doing quite well in Florida.  He's recently been hired on at a dream job/career...working at Jaxport.  He is working hard and living out of his giftings and design.  It's so amazing!  We've been praying for him to get this amazing job for almost 9 months (long hiring process).  Now that he's got the job...we're praying for an amazing woman!  lol  Now that we know he'll be there long term, we hope to one day visit him in Jacksonville.  The kids and I have never been to Florida.  And...he'll have paid vacation...so hopefully we'll get to see him face to face this year if he can get some time off!  We haven't seen him since mid July last year.

So, Jason, if you are reading this...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I love you so much.  You are an amazing man...and I'm proud to call you my brother.  We share something no one else in the world does...having grown up together :)  I miss you something fierce but I am so happy for you and the direction God is taking your life.  Keep living out of your passions...keep pursuing God, for He is constantly pursuing you.  I pray today is a great day for you and this year is a fantastic year...one of growth and happiness.  I look forward to the day you come visit us in New Castle and we can go play disk golf across the river together :)

Love you bro.

The day we said goodbye :(

~Rose

Happy Birthday Husband!

Happy 36th Birthday Desi!

I love you so much!  I'm still so thankful to be your wife and to be on this journey in life with you.  You are a wonderful travelling companion.  You make life fun and interesting!  You are my best friend and I love spending time with you and having you as a partner in raising our kiddos.  You are a wonderful father and husband. Thank you for loving your family so well.  You are truly a gift to us all.

~Rose

De Collectieve// Challenge Forty-Seven: Breakfast

Breakfast!

See the rest here.  

There are quite a few and it's fun to see different takes on Breakfast :)

~Rose

Read About It, Do It

Owen and I read an excerpt from a book today for a language arts lesson.  The reading selection included this awesome science experiment so we decided to try it ourselves.  It was so fun!

1. Get a plate, a penny and cover the penny in some colored water.

2. Ask a sibling if they can pick up the penny without getting their fingers wet.

3. Show them how you can by lighting a candle, then putting it on a plate and then covering it with a glass.  When the candle uses all the oxygen in the glass it created a vacuum which sucks up the water (and you can remove the penny).

As far as science experiments go this has got to be one of the best we've done.

Easy and it works really well!!!

As far as school goes, we have about 8 days left.  I've ordered testing materials for Hope and Owen.  We'll do the testing in early June.  We're all feeling READY for summer!!!  It's been a great year with lots of growth in all four of our kids.  We'll finish strong and celebrate with some ice cream and a state park visit :)

~Rose

Fifteen Years Ago

A friend of mine just posted this photo on Facebook last night:

What a blast from the past!

I'm pretty sure this was taken at my 20th surprise birthday party in bible college on May 13, 1997.  Desi and I had just started seriously dating.  This picture trips me out.  It brings back all those old memories that I have such a hard time holding onto (my memory is quite bad).  I remember feeling so giddy with love for Desi...so amazed that he felt the same way.  

This was near graduation and I made the decision to stay in the same city instead of move back with my parents.  Dori and I got jobs and rented a studio apartment together (it had 2 murphy beds...so fun).  

Less than 2 years later Desi and I were married and the adventure continued to where we are today: 13 years of marriage, 4 amazing kiddos, 3 cats, 6 chickens and living on faith as God leads us one day at a time.  

~Rose

De Collectieve// Challenge Forty-Six: The Color Red

I took about 6 other "red" shots before settling on this one.  

I love how it says SUMMER is near!

See the rest here.  Go on...look at the other entries...they are great!

~Rose