We visited the LA Arboretum at the end of March, a final celebration of the end of spring break!! Since we celebrated the beginning of spring break by being sick =(, it was extra lovely to be able to venture outdoors.

What an amazingly beautiful place! As I looked through my pictures... I was amazed at how God's beauty is displayed through His creation, and in the creativity and skills of the men and women who designed and planted these beautiful gardens. Enjoy!!












We enjoyed a beautiful day, surrounded by the beauty of creation, enjoying the beauty of good friends.


Speaking of beauty, I am constantly amazed at the beauty revealed in the love of my children!!

Dillon's Pirate Party!!

We had a fantastic time at Dillon's Pirate Party!!! Dillon has been taking gymnastics lessons. We wanted to share the fun, so we had his party at the gym center.

First they enjoyed an hour of gym lessons... with the gym all to themselves. What fun!!! The instructor even dressed the part and set up the course as a pirate ship, complete with climbing up the gang plank, to jumping off into the "ocean" at the end!!!!










This was a special treat... they looked a little like Peter Pan, flying in the air... though some were a bit more graceful than others!!!


It was nice to sit back and relax and enjoy the party... without the responsibility of leading games. Oh, did I mention that it was very hot that day??? =) I had on a fun pirate-ee shirt on... but it had long sleeves... yeah... that didn't last long!!

Next, we celebrated!!! They decorated the room... except for our fun pirate-ship edition. Don't you love play-mobile??? All we had to do was provide the food!!


We feasted on fruit, veggies and chips....
...and enjoyed a pirate-hat cake!!!!


Here is our pirate before the party started...

And here we all are after!!!


Such fun on this wonderful day!!!!!

February??? Really? Yikes!!!!

We have been having fun here at the Rosencrans.... well... fun in between getting sick and then healthy.... and then sick again.

I have also joined facebook! It is so fun to encounter old friends and discover what they are up to! It feels a bit easier to keep up with than blogging... but I like to blog too. So, I guess you can see me in both places.

Stay tuned for fun pictures from our adventures.... and maybe a few from last summer as well!!!

Love to you all... thanks for faithfully checking back!!!!

Yes, I am a numbers gal....

So, this was our week:

4 doctors appointments

6 prescriptions for antibiotics

3 cases of pink eye

1 ear infection

an infinite amount of coughing and well... you know....

I guess I was wrong, we were unable to get through winter without antibiotics...

I hope March finds us healthier!!!

Behind.... so now what??

This is my challenge: A reasonable to-do list. Every day I never accomplish all I intend to. In fact, when I make the list, I know half of it will remain un-done. I struggle with wanting to "enjoy the story" of each day. My too long list haunts my mind. Clean the bathrooms? Blog? Call a friend? Play a game with Anna and Dillon? Finish the Christmas letters? Pay the bills? Iron? Lesson plan for Biola? Put away Valentine's Day decorations? Study 2 Corinthians? Pray? What do I do now????

How do I quiet these demands, make good choices with my time, and find the elusive balance between managing my home and life and enjoying my home and my life?

Flexible planning... that what I need to work on. Today didn't "work" because I was caring for sick family all weekend, including myself. The only energy I have today is an act of God's grace, giving me enough to finish the day.

So now what?? Prayer. Pray for peace. What will bring peace to my home, to my soul? Maybe if I just do one load of laundry instead of the five that I know await me, that will be sufficient for today. Instead of scrubbing the kitchen floor, I spot clean it. Quick-wipe the bathrooms, save the deeper cleaning for next week. I have a schedule, now I need to use it. My house was cleaned last week, it will be cleaned next Monday, this Monday with have to be the "short" version. Maybe that is what I need to have in my plan, the "short" version.

And look, I have done something I have longed to do every day this fall/winter season.... share with you all in my poor neglected blog!!

Thanks for listening. I feel better already!!! Who knows? Maybe I will finish those Christmas letters after all!!!!

July 7th 2007

Anna’s party was delightful!!! She wanted to share her love of bugs and games so we hosted the “Bug Olympics”. The bug decorations and bug cake were a little creepy, but we enjoyed our celebrations. Some guests couldn’t come, so the adults became (mostly) willing participants!!

We had a Bee race...

...an Ant crawl..

..and the bug toss!!
We even had a medal ceremony!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

We enjoyed our day!! Did you???

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

We love, because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

I am back!!

It feels good to be back. I have been “enjoying the story”; I just haven’t had time to share it with you all!!

I will pick up the story, with some occasional flashbacks. Enjoy!!

End of year celebrations!

We had fun celebrating the end of the school year. I always like the relaxing pace of June, Biola is over, school is winding down, and summer school (for me) has not yet begun. I really enjoy my time off!!!

Dillon really enjoyed his year with Ms Martha. We had a fun little celebration, went to the park, and took "last time" photographs. What a sweet woman Ms Martha is!!!

Anna's kindergarten opted out of the traditional graduation ceremony. (I was relieved to not have to focus on the fact that most of her classmates were going on to 1st grade and we weren't!!) Instead, they organized a precious celebration, complete with singing! The highlight was hearing 100 children singing "Life is a Highway" with joyous voices and choreographed moves!!! What fun!!! We loved Anna's teachers and were so thankful for the year she had with them!!! We made some sweet friendships that year. Thank you Lord!!!


We loved Anna's teachers and were so thankful for the year she had with them!!! We made some sweet friendships that year. Thank you Lord!!!

Sweet Dreams