McConaughy Singing

McConaughy sisters sing "I'll Fly Away"

Thanksgiving at the Wards'

This Thanksgiving we drove down to Houston to visit Jason's dad's family. Djedo and Baba Ward. The cousins had a blast together and Joel got to know his Djedo Ward. It amazed me how much Joel looks like his Djedo although it makes sense since Joel looks like Jason and Jason looks alot like his dad as well. We had a great Thanksgiving meal, thanks to Baba Judi and Virginia and Summer her little sous chefs for the day. Nicole and her husband Tim were there most of the weekend. Tim is a great addition to the family and fits Nicole perfectly. He made pies to add to the plethora of food. Friday we went to Galveston Beach. It was a little chilly but the beach is always beautiful and fun. The kids got in the water of course and they all ended up cold and sandy. Saturday we took family pictures which turned out fairly well if I do say so myself. Then we went to Kemah. Kemah has this great little boardwalk shopping center and amusement park. Joel loved the little ride that takes kids up about 20 feet and then drops and bounces them. He must have ridden it over a dozen times. His facial expressions were priceless. By Sunday we were worn out. The Friday before we had driven to Iowa to my Grandpa's birthday celebration, drove home Monday, Recuperated on Tuesday (laundry), then drove out to Houston on Wednesday. Sunday driving home was long we were all so tired. The best part for me as weird as this sounds was finding old family pictures and scanning them into the computer and labeling them. I feel like I am doing something for posterity when I do this. I know, I know that is pretty pathetic. Most of my vacation pictures wherever we go I am seen immersed in old photo albums or boxes or on the computer but someday my descendants will thank me.

November 20th was my grandpa McConaughy's 80th Birthday. We had a huge celebration for him and my grandma Donna who turned 80 earlier in the week. Relatives came from everywhere. Cousins caught up with each other, food was eaten, pictures were taken, old stories were told. Great fun was had by everyone. My aunt Rosalie made a quilt with a block designed be each family. It was a very emotional time for grandpa. Several of his great grandchildren he had never even met. He truly knew he is Loved by all. He is a great patriarch of our family; loyal, hardworking, and faithful to God and his family.

Grandpa and Grandma with most of their 21 grandchildren and about half of their 21 great-grandchildren.

Grandpa with Joel and the John Deere tractor
Grandpa and Hannah
Grandpa and Virginia
Grandpa and Joel chatting over their meal.

In late October Jason and Joel flew out to Fresno and spent some quality time with Jason's mom and grandparents. Joel had so much fun at the cabin watching all the wildlife. They also went to the Fresno zoo and the park. They got to see Aunt Aria and also Neil.

The girls have another photo session

These are a few of my favorites from this "photo session"  Ginny has the best laugh.  She is such a joyful girl. 

Hannah is absolutely beautiful in this color of blue.  Of course, she is always beautiful to me but blue is definitely her color.  

The last picture is of the "Navyhood"  The girls and their "besties".  All beautiful and all so different. 

Crossroads Camp 2009

Crossroads Camp 2009.  The kids had such a great time.

A Week at the Farm

Over Spring Break this year my sister and I and all of our kids loaded up and went to Iowa to see our grandpa McConaughy.  We stayed at my Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Ivan's Farm.  The kids had such a blast playing at the farm and spending time with family.  We can't wait to go back.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

These beautiful pictures were taken as part of a photo scavenger hunt.  We hosted the homeschool girls at an "end of the school year"  slumber party.  I made a list of things for them to find and take pictures of, split them into two teams with two cameras and told them to be creative.  They were creative and they got some really great shots.  

My Crazy, Beautiful, Zany, Wonderful Girls

Friday, February 20, 2009

    My daughters continually amaze.  Whether they will admit it or not they are the best of friends.  And the friends that they choose reassure me that they have good sense.  We prayed when we moved into this neighborhood that God would place other Christian teen girls here that would be good friends to our girls.  And God answered our prayers perfectly (as usual).  There are two neighbor girls, Jess and Cassie, that are also sisters and also 15 and 13 and they have become bosom friends with Hannah and Virginia.  They have a club (like Sisterhood of the traveling pants) with rules and stuff.  They also have devotions together which just makes my spirit sing with joy.  These girls are honestly seeking God in their lives just as my girls are.  It is so awesome to know that my girls have friends that they can share their walk with God with; who will build them up and who they can build up as well.  Yes, they are a little bit crazy when they get together - or zany as I like to call it.  But I just have to laugh when I see how much good clean fun they have together.

Thanksgiving 2008

Monday, December 8, 2008

    What a blessed Thanksgiving we had this year.  All of the Gotcher family congregated at our house for the week.  My parents, who live in Northwest Kansas stayed for a week.  My brother, Kenny, his wife, Renee, and their three girls, Audrey, Claire, and Elise came for about 5 days.  They drove from their home in Durango.  And my sister, Elizabeth and her husband, Anthony and their four girls, Stormie, Rachael, Faith, and Cadence came over almost every day.  They live nearby in Sapulpa.  In all, there were 10 children and 8 adults. 

    Preparing Thanksgiving dinner was so much fun.  Almost everybody had a hand in making something.  I made the Turkey, Brisket, Cheesecake, Cheeseball and laid out appetizers.  Mom made pumpkin pies, stuffing and gravy.  Dad made a wonderful chocolate mousse pie totally from scratch (even the whip cream).  Hannah made the wonderful rolls, apple pie and peach pie.  Virginia made the green bean casserole.  Renee made her special recipe for cream corn.  Kenny made the mashed potatoes (lumpy the way my family likes them).  Jason carved the meat.  The kids made placemats.  Elizabeth’s family had to go to Anthony’s family Thanksgiving dinner first (for lunch) so Elizabeth got to help with clean up.  It was a great family time and the memories will be treasured forever.

    During the week the cousins had such a great time getting to know each other and playing.  The trampoline got a lot of use.  Thank God for beautiful weather.  Friday we all went to Incredible Pizza to play - what a blast!  The cousins all had fun all week.  Thursday night was slumber party time.  They took over the game room and watched Wall-E.  Joel fell asleep.  He was so wore out.  Friday night Stormie and Rachael helped grandpa make whole wheat pizza crusts.  Pizza night was fun - reminded me of Saturday pizza night at the McConaughys’ when I was a kid - a longstanding tradition.  The pizza was great.  Renee and I got to work on pictures and making a family calendar which was fun.

    This year since we were all together we really wanted to get some good family pictures.  The last time we tried this before Joel, Cadence, and Elise, oh and Anthony, we hired someone and had them taken.  They didn’t work out really well.  So this year we just decided to try taking them ourselves.  So I got a tripod and used my digital camera (great gift from Jason last Christmas).  The timer worked perfectly and we actually got some really great shots.  What a beautiful family I have.  My mom and dad have got to be so proud.  We are all healthy and happy.  We all love our parents and our families and we all love God most of all.  We Thank God for his Love and for the Blessing of being part of His family and the Earthly family he put us in.  

Two Teens in the House

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Okay, we now have two teenagers living in the house.  Virginia turned 13,  August 25th.  Hannah will be 15, October 24th.  Wow!  I really don’t feel old enough to have two teenage daughters.  See the look on Hannah’s face in the picture.  I know you moms that have teen daughters have seen this look.  As a homeschool mom I get this look alot.  The “You want me to do what?!?” look.  Actually this look works for a lot of attitudes.  They are fun to go to movies with but shopping with them is sort of frustrating for me.  They are so picky - I am so not picky.  Sometimes their conversations make me feel old but sometimes I feel like a teen again when we have really good conversations.  Although, my teen years weren’t really all that great - I was awkward to say the least.  

    Having a three year old boy at the same time keeps me grounded too. He is full of silliness and fun.  Joel started preschool (two days a week for a couple of hours).  He really loves it and he is learning so much everyday.  I love to watch him learn new things so sending him to preschool hurts but those few hours every week gives us some much needed quiet to focus on the girls school work.

    So as another season in my life begins I just pray for God to give me the wisdom and strength for the job before me.  May I continue to train them up in the right way; may I continue to grow in my own relationship with God and may my girls see me constantly pushing on toward the goal that is before me.

Ward Family Vacation 2008

July, 2008

Wow! We just got home from a whirlwind vacation.  July 10th, we loaded up the van and took off for Williams, Arizona.  We had to wait until July 10th because Virginia had 5th row tickets to the Jonas Brothers concert on July 8th.  She had an “awesome” time and got to see her favorite group up close.  So, we left the evening of the 10th, Jason and I drove all night and made it to the Grand Canyon Hotel mid-afternoon July 11th.  The next morning we boarded the Grand Canyon Train to the Grand Canyon.  We rode in an old pullman car that was used for the Polar Express.  The ride to the Canyon was about an hour and a half.  There was a nice tour guide named Sam and an entertainer named Calvin who sang old country and folk songs.  We got about 3 hours to explore the south rim of the canyon before we had to board the train again.  The canyon was majestic.  Jason and Hannah sat on the edge for awhile.  On the way back we had another entertainer named Paco and then we encountered some “train robbers”  They rode their horses up shooting guns in the air, boarded the train and proceeded to rob us of whatever “folded money” was visible.  We put a dollar in Joel’s overalls so he could get robbed.  It was a great day and we were very tired when we got back but we loaded up in the van and drove 2 hours to stay in a “cheaper” hotel in Laughlin, Nevada.  That experience wasn’t great.  Suffice it to say we won’t ever do that again.  The next morning we drove to Anaheim, California and the Disneyland Hotel.  The Disneyland Hotel was wonderful.  We enjoyed the pool the first afternoon after we checked in.  Then we toured Downtown Disney that evening.  Lots of shops, entertainment, eateries, people.  We even got to watch the fireworks show from afar.  We spent two days at Disneyland and some of that time at California Adventure.  We rode all the good rides and some twice.  Even Virginia rode the rides.  The girls loved Space Mountain.  I loved the Thunder Mountain Railway.  Joel loved the Toy Story ride.  Jason couldn’t make up his mind which was his favorite.  The park was great.  We didn’t have to wait in long lines, the day and the environment were beautiful.  After our second day at Disney we checked into a cheaper hotel to sleep then the next morning we drove up the coast towards Santa Cruz, our next stop.  We stopped at a beach in Santa Barbara to play in the ocean.  At Santa Cruz we checked into our hotel which was a stone’s throw from the entrance to the Boardwalk but had no air conditioning.  We spent the next day playing at the Beach Boardwalk, walking the pier and riding the rides.  I got sunburnt.  That night we drove to San Francisco and checked into an overpriced hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf.  The next day we took a double decker bus tour of San Francisco.  We insisted on sitting on the top although it was very cold.  We saw all the top spots.  My favorite was the Golden Gate Bridge.  The architecture of the houses was great to see also.  We stayed another night there then drove to North Bend, Oregon to spend a week with Jason’s grandparents.    There, we had a nice relaxing time.  The Coos County fair on Tuesday was a blast.  I love small county fairs.  Jason went deep sea fishing of course, for bottom fish because all the other fishing was bad this season. 

    We had planned to take another week taking our time driving home.  Staying at his grandparents cabin, visiting my brother and his family but circumstances at the donut shop were deteriorating and we felt it was time we got back.  So we left North Bend at 5:30pm Thursday evening and drove straight through, stopping to eat twice, to home.  We arrived home Saturday morning.  Even though we all enjoyed our vacation immensely we are glad to be home.

    Joel pointed to the canyon while talking to a little japanese girl and told her it was his vacation, he said at every stop that it was his “vacation”.  He had so much fun.  Sometimes I thought his head might explode from all the new experiences he was trying to take in.  And even though he thought he could use the people in the back of the van as a human jungle gym he really did quite well in the van for such a long trip. 

Rosanna's Testimony

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

 I asked my Grandpa McConaughy to write down for me and my children the Story of his Faith.  In reading that letter, I felt compelled that I should do the same.  Putting down in words what I believe might give me the impetus I need to get out of this valley I seem to be in. 

    I have been a believer for as long as I can remember.  I have studied the Bible, gone to Church, and been a Christian since childhood.  I was baptized at the age of 8.  My parents were very diligent in teaching me and grounding me in the firm foundation of the Bible.  My life is built on this foundation.  I firmly believe that if not for this foundation, the storms of my life would have wrecked me.  I don’t question my faith.  I did when I was younger, a bit, but God always answered my questions and really, Christianity just made sense to me.  You really do have to come to faith like a child - Children Love Jesus - they see the simplicity and the awesomeness in the Love of Jesus.  For some reason, the older we get, the “smarter” we get, the more we want to reason God away and make this life more about “me”; my choices, my life, my feelings, my will, etc...  But we always feel a yearning or a “hole” in our spirit where God should be and we continually try to fill that hole with other beliefs or shallow belief so that we don’t have to acknowledge the sovereignty of God or the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

    I believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by him.  John 14:6   I believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, he died on the cross for my sins and the sins of the world.  And he was resurrected on the third day.  See the Gospels

    I believe that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.  Romans 3:23

    I believe that the wages of sin is death - there is no bell curve.  Romans 6:23

    I believe that through the sacrifice of Jesus, if we believe in him, repent and are baptized, and receive Him into our hearts we can be saved.  Without that we are lost and condemned to eternal destruction.  Romans 10:9

    I believe that God created this world by his Word in six days and rested on the seventh.  I believe God knows how long a day is and when he told us 6 days he meant 6 days.  I am pretty literal that way.  I believe God has awesome creativity totally beyond our comprehension; after all, he has full use of his brain while the average human only uses 10% of theirs (some less than others).  Genesis 1

    I believe the Bible is the Word of God - All of it.  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Tim. 3:16

    I believe in the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Wholly one but wholly separate also.  I don’t understand it completely but I refer back to the “beyond comprehension” part of his brain (and his power).

    I believe God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.  And yet he has time for me.  In fact, he thinks I am special.  He thinks each one of us is special.  He spent time and thought creating each of us and he has a plan for our lives.  He loves me so much that he sent his Son for me.  

    I believe whether you or I believe or not - it still is.  His forgiveness and Love is there; we just have to humble ourselves and reach out for it.  And then we have to hang on for the rest of our lives.

    “When I received Jesus as my savior, He forgave my sins and promised me eternal life.  He has loved me even when I failed to show my love to Him through disobedience”  quoted from grandpa McConaughy.  And I add even when I am unlovable He still Loves me unconditionally.

    I believe God wants our love and obedience above all - more than our sacrifice, our money, our service, etc...  Nothing we do means anything if it isn’t what God wants from us and if it isn’t done out of Love for Him. 

    I am not open-minded about my beliefs.  I believe that a person can be so open-minded their brains leak out and they lose the good sense they were born with.

    I believe the plan God has for my life is disciple-ing my family and being a good witness to the people I come in contact with.  As easy as that sounds, it seems to be very hard for me.  Endurance, persistence, patience, and consistency are not easy things to live and be joyful while doing.  That is where my valley comes in.  I feel like I have been in the trenches for awhile; trying and plodding along but not making any visible headway.  Meanwhile, I am falling apart.  I have isolated myself somehow from support.  I find myself envious of those that have been wounded (or quit) and taken themselves out of the trenches and out of the fight.  I see them getting sympathy and “medical” care and I think maybe I deserve that too.  Maybe I should take a break from my “duty”, give up for a while.  I can always be a good Christian, a good mother, a good wife, etc... again later.    

    But this week, God has give me reassurance twice that He sees me and He is encouraging me to stick to it but also to rely more on Him for support instead of trying to go it alone.  Also I know that I need to find a fellowship of other believer’s for support and refreshing - to fight alongside me and pray with me and for me.  I was reading about John Quincy Adams and the passage said that J.Q. Adams took as his Motto, “Duty is ours;  Results are Gods”  Meaning that we should do our duty and leave the results up to God.  That takes the outcome out of my hands - I just need to keep doing what I am doing and quit worrying if it will work.  Then, this morning I read a devotion that talked about Habbakuk.  Habakkuk had a great hunger and thirst for God.  More than anything else he wanted to meet God.  The Lord honored his quest and fulfilled his heart’s desire.  All because he was faithful at his post of duty.  Habakkuk said, “I will stand upon my watch.  I will wait and see.”  The Lord answered Habakkuk and He answered me.  I will stand upon my watch.  I will do my duty (with Love) and leave the results in God’s hands.  I WILL bloom where I am planted!!

    I Pray that somehow this testimony brings you closer to God.  If you are a believer already, may it encourage you.  If you are not saved; I pray that you will read the Bible, and seek God’s face.  That you will believe in Jesus Christ - his sacrifice and his salvation plan for you.  And once you have that salvation, that relationship with God; do your duty and stand upon your watch!   God is Faithful and his results are Eternal.

Family Visits

Thursday, April 2008 

Recently we had an extended visit from my parents, Dean and Karen.  They stayed about three weeks.  Dad taught the girls the science of bread making and we all enjoyed the bounty of his lessons.  The pizza crusts were the best in my opinion.  Mom got to be here for the arrival of her 10th grandchild (9th granddaughter), Cadence Grace Thomas.  Jason enjoyed having Dad come learn and help out at the shop.  He even got a few Mondays off thanks to Dad filling in for him.

    Next week Jason’s grandparents and his uncle, the Days, will be here for a visit.  We have been anticipating their visit since we moved in and we are excited to spend time with them and have them enjoy the hospitality of our new home.   Jason’s mom visited in March and got to play with her favorite grandchildren and see how much they have grown and changed since her last visit.  This summer, Jason’s brother Dorron is planning an extended visit.  We are excited to have him coming to stay with us as he lived with us many years ago when the girls were little.  He is all grown up now, a math teacher, yikes.  He will be helping out at the shop and working with the girls on their math and perhaps some foreign language lessons.  I started to feel like, with all these family visits, my school schedule was getting off track but then I realized once again that learning is part of life not something you should try to put on a schedule.  My girls probably learn more during the disruptions than they do during the routine school day.  Each person that comes to visit teaches us something new.

Okay, I am trying this Google Blog thing to see if it is any easier than what I have been doing.