Week Rundown! (12/22/13 - 12/28/13)

Malachi was still sick on Sunday morning. Lydia stayed home with him while Mysia and I ran the church van and attended morning church services. Malachi was feeling much better after a nap during the afternoon. I stayed home during the evening services. I thought I could take advantage of the situation and get some rest... yeah right. Malachi was definitely over his sickness.

The kids didn't have school on Monday, so they went to work with me for the first part of the day. I had a lot to get accomplished too. Thankfully, Granny took them after lunch. Once off work, we visited for a bit and then came home. We watched the "Nativity Story" before bed. The kids were inquisitive during the entire movie, and we enjoyed the topics and discussion it brought

Even though it was Christmas Eve on Tuesday, it was our Christmas at home. We got up, got dressed, ate a quick breakfast and tore into the gifts! Actually, we took turns. Mysia's main gift from us was part of a scavenger hunt that took her around the house. Malachi got several boxes of Legos that kept us busy for most of the afternoon. Gampa Keim came over for a visit and we ate supper before heading off to the candle-light services at church. On our way home, we tried looking at houses decorated with Christmas lights... Sadly, there weren't very many this year.

Christmas day finally arrived! We got up, ate breakfast, and found what was in our stockings. We then packed gifts and headed over to my parent's house. We visited, played, ate a big dinner, and then opened up gifts. Mysia got some boots she's been wanting, and a nice winter coat. Malachi got a radio-control car! We had fun, and came home tired!

Lydia went into work on Thursday. We dropped her off and the kids went into the office with me so I could get a few things done before I had the rest of the week off on vacation. We headed over to my parent's house to say hi to my brother Ben and his family. The cousins played  for a bit, I talked technology with my brother, and then we came home. Mysia and Malachi played outside for a bit until time to pick up Lydia from work. We spent the evening getting things done around the house and resting.

I spent Friday at home with the kids while Lydia went to work. I want to say I got to spend a lazy time, but there were things to do. Of course, the kids kept me busy as well. They got to play outside for a bit after naps. We ate supper and then spent the evening playing games with my parents and siblings... staying up late!

We slept in an extra hour on Saturday, then it was time for weekend chores. We spent some Christmas money and went to see "Despicable Me 2". It was a fun family film. Then we went to McDonalds before coming home. The evening was spent packing up the Christmas decorations!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (12/15/13 - 12/21/13)

I ran the church vans Sunday morning. Malachi performed with his age group during the morning services. He did very well, and didn't miss a thing! The afternoon was spent at church helping with the older children's practice for their evening program. I was to be one of the speakers, and even Mysia had a solo part. It was a long afternoon. The program went well that evening.

We woke up Monday knowing it was going to be a busy day. Lydia met with some of the PTA at school when we dropped off the kids. She was helping send out an order of jellies that the many of the kids sold to raise funds for the school. I went with Lydia as she visited the doctor to follow up on the tachycardia attack she had last week. She's doing fine, and we're still mystified on what's causing her to have the attacks. We ate lunch together and then both of us went to work. When I got off, I picked up the kids and took Mysia to piano lessons. We then picked up Lydia and took her to the chiropractor appointment. That evening we attended our taekwando class Christmas party. We ate and had a fun gift exchange.

On Tuesday, Lydia did the grocery shopping and took the kids to the store to do some Christmas shopping. We had a nice evening at home.

I sold my car on Wednesday. Malachi brought home a gingerbread house he had made at school. It was heavily decorated. There was a lot of thought in the construction. Malachi says that the gingerbread man represents me... The man is falling down after trying to decorate the house with lights! That evening was a bit rushed, but we made it to church services on time. Lydia and Mysia were tired when we got home.

On Thursday, I had a dentist appointment late afternoon. Lydia and I did a little Christmas shopping before picking up the kids. We ate supper and then I took Mysia and Malachi shopping for Lydia's gifts. Lydia baked cookies all evening. They turned out great!

The kids got to spend most of the day with me in my office since school was out. They spent the afternoon with Granny and Granddad before coming home. We watched movies and baked cookies. Before bed, Malachi started acting a bit odd. Sure enough, he was running a temperature. Since he wasn't feeling good, we let him and Mysia fall asleep on the couch. In fact, we all spent the night there!

Since Malachi was sick, Saturday ended up being a lazy day. We had received frozen rain, so there wasn't any urge to go anywhere either. We watched tv, and got things done around the house. It was much like a holiday for everyone but poor Malachi. Just when we thought he was getting better, he started vomiting in the later afternoon. Unfortunately, it continued through the rest of the evening.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (12/08/13 - 12/14/13)

We all got up early and headed in to church. Lydia and the kids were with me during my van route. The choir performed our Christmas Cantata during the morning services. For the afternoon, we took naps and then headed back to church for evening services. Before bed, we watched "Cricket On The Hearth". The kids were excited to hear the news that school had been canceled for the following day.

I got up Monday morning and got to work early. Lydia stayed home with the kids since they didn't have school due to the icy conditions. She used some of the time for study since her final is Tuesday. That afternoon we went to the dentist for our bi-yearly check-up and cleaning. It started snowing again, and the kids enjoyed playing in it for a wile before supper. Through the evening, we watched the snow pile up on everything!!! The kids took showers and we ate pizza for supper.

Tuesday was interesting. School was closed, but both Lydia and I had to work, so we dropped the kids off at the Boys & Girls Club. We had received over 5 inches on top of what we got over the weekend, so traveling through it was a task. We even got stuck for a bit in the parking lot! Lydia dropped me off and then headed to work. Because of the snow. We watched "Home Alone 2" before bed.

Lydia woke up early Wednesday morning to find her heart racing. She was having another tachycardia attack. She tried many things to bring it down, including shocking her body by walking out into the cold air. Nothing was working. We were able to drop the kids off at school and head in to the ER. She was admitted and they immediately set up an IV to give her medication to restart her heart. Once her heart rate normalized, they did a chest x-Ray and released her. Since she was feeling fine, I dropped her off at her work (at her request) and headed to my own job! I got of a bit early, picked the kids up and dropped them off at Granny's. They spend the evening with them and had fun. Lydia and I headed to Branson to watch the Jubilee Christmas Concert. It was great!

We were a little tired on Thursday, but got up and around. The kids went to school and had a good day. Lydia found out that the doctor was able to reschedule her sleep test for sleep apnea for the evening. Once we got home, we ate supper and Lydia got ready and left. The kids did their homework, and I let them watch a movie after showers before bedtime. Lydia got plugged up and sleep study.

I woke up on Friday with a text from Lydia, she was on her way home. The sleep study went well, but she won't know the results for a couple of weeks. Shortly afterwards, we received calls notifying us that the public schools were cancelled due to the freezing rain that was coming down. Lydia arrived home safely, and we scrambled around trying to figure what to do. The kids ended up coming to the office with me for the day while Lydia went to her workplace. That evening, we ate cashew chicken and watched "It's A Wonderful Life" before bed.

We woke up Saturday, ate breakfast, and headed to church for the children's Christmas party and program practice. The roads were still a bit slick from a bit more snow, but we made it safely. I was selected to be a narrator for the older kids' program. Malachi did well in his practice, and was excited to receive an awesome church shirt as a gift. All the kids had lunch and went over their performance. After we got home later that afternoon, we grabbed our stuff and headed down to Branson. Our friends, the Mitchells, got us in to Silver Dollar City as their guests! We had fun riding a few rides, viewing the Christmas lights, and watched the show "A Christmas Carol". The weather was very cold, but the park wasn't too crowded. The kids even got to see Santa again this year (a tradition since Mysia was a baby). By the time we got home, we were tired. However, it was a wonderful day!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (12/01/13 - 12/07/13)

I ran the church van Sunday morning. Lydia and the kids rode with me after services and then we had a restful afternoon at home. We attended the Ozarks Gospel Showcase later in the afternoon. It was the "Christmas Edition". We went out for dinner and enjoyed the rest of the evening at home.

Since we're down to one vehicle, Monday was a new challenge for us. We left, dropped the kids off at school, I took Lydia to her work, and then heading into my job. I met the tow truck at the bank to pick up the car and take to the auto mechanic.

Tuesday turned out pretty well. We're still trying to get used to one vehicle. Lydia dropped us off before heading to classes. She picked up the kids afterwards and they got to spend the evening with their Aunt Lycia and Uncle Jordan. Lydia and I attended KWFC employee Christmas party. We ate at Colton's and enjoyed the fellowship. Once back home, we went to bed!

Wednesday was a rush. We came home and ate real quick before heading to church. Time was short to get ready, but we made it in time. The kids worked on decorating bags for the elderly in the nursing home as part of their craft time.

The day of excitement came on Thursday... we got snow! The kids were excited (me too). Lydia got to spend the latter part of the  afternoon with me in my office since she got done with classes by 2:30. By the time we got the kids, the weather was getting awful. It took us 45 minutes to get home! While Lydia fixed supper, the kids and I went outside to enjoy the falling snow. I tried shoveling while the Mysia and Malachi played. The kids rejoiced when we were notified that schools were closed for Friday! While eating supper, we watched the live television performance of the "Sound Of Music". Then it was off to bed.

It was too treacherous to venture onto the roads on Friday, so we made it a snow-day! We listened to Christmas music for the entire morning. The kids were excited, and after breakfast, they played for an hour in the snow. Once back inside, we had hot chocolate, cleaned rooms, and then played a long game of Monopoly. We ate lunch and Lydia won. Mysia and Malachi took a short nap. Once back up, they played with crafts and went back outside in the snow before it got dark.

We stayed home and watched Christmas cartoons Saturday morning. We also did some cleaning and some crafts with the kids. They also got to play outside in the snow. I brought them along with me to work so I could record my show for Sunday afternoon, and afterwards they got to sled down the big hill. I videoing them when they crashed onto the asphalt. Poor Malachi walked away with a goose-egg on his forehead. Once home, Lydia made supper and they watched movies. I attended our church's cantata practice for choir that evening.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (11/24/13 - 11/30/13)

On Sunday morning, Malachi and I attended the Men's Prayer Breakfast at church. I then ran the church van for morning services. Malachi spent the afternoon with Granny and Granddad. Mysia watched some her favorite tv shows at home with us. After evening services we came home and got ready for bed.

Monday was back to school and work. I took the van in to the shop to get it looked at, and everything seemed to be fine. Once home, we packed up some food and headed out to visit with Lydia's extended family... Her Uncle Richard's retirement party!

Tuesday was the last day of school of the week for the kids. That evening, we came home and had pizza for supper. We attended midweek services at church (it was moved from Wednesday since many travel). We stopped by the store before heading home and bed. Lydia had homework to do.

The kids woke up early on Wednesday and cleaned their rooms before Lydia and I got up from bed. We had breakfast and Lydia left for work. The kids spent the morning watching Garfield before we did some housework. They did crafts and had fun with play-dough before lunch. I then had them take naps. The afternoon was spent playing Mario on the Wii and games on the Nook tablet. I was able to get a few home projects done on the computer. Lydia was able to come home early, so we started on the turkey preparation! Yum! We spent the evening watching "Chitty, Chitty, Bang-Bang" and playing Mario Kart Wii together.

On Thanksgiving Day, we got up early and put the turkey in oven at 5am. I went back to sleep, but Lydia stayed up and finished her homework that would be due next week. Once the kids woke up, we made breakfast and turned on the parade. We were disappointed with some of the "musical performances" that came on, but enjoyed the parade and floats. Once ready and packed, we headed to my parents' house. We spent the day eating, visiting, and playing. The kids played with their cousins. Of course, I got a chance to play some computer games with my brothers! Yes, when it comes to technology and games... we've never grown up. Where do you think our kids get it from? :) We also played some family games and the kids watched a few movies before we came home an went to bed. What a fun day!

I was planning on us sleeping in on Friday, but agreed to get up early and do some Black Friday shopping with my dad. He picked me up and we stood in line outside at Bass Pro Shops. They had ammo on sale, and he wanted to take advantage of the offer. While waiting, we got donuts, coffee, and sang to by a mixed quartet! There was a rush to grab the product and then try to get out. Overall, it was fun! But once home... I crashed in bed. Lydia got up and went to her chiropractor, then I went into work for a few hours. The kids watched tv and played, and then after lunch the Lydia and Mysia went to the mall with Granny, Abigail and Ana. Granddad, Ben, and his two boys came over. The boys played all afternoon. Ben and I played a few computer games, and talked tech with my dad. I made a run to the bank and my car died. I abandoned it for the day, hoping that I can take it to the shop next week. After supper, Lydia and I, along with the kids, brought out the Christmas decorations! Our living room was transformed into a winter wonderland... watched Frosty the Snowman and the sequel, then it was bedtime.

We woke up tired on Saturday, but we ate a quick breakfast and headed out to taekwando practice. Afterwards, we decided to spend the rest of the day Christmas shopping. We went to several stores around Springfield. We had a late lunch and HuHot and still had places to go before we finally headed home. Lydia and I were pooped... but the kids were energetic. They took showers and we watched some classic Christmas cartoons before sending them to bed.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (11/17/13 - 11/23/13)

I woke up Sunday morning and left to do the van route. Lydia woke up with a migraine, but thankfully, it went away before church. The kids spent the afternoon with their Aunt Abigail. Sam and Madison visited Lydia and I at lunch at home. Lydia had to meet with her classmates that evening to finish working on their main project that was due later in the week. Of course, she's hoping for a good grade.

On Monday, Mysia found out she's now working on Christmas songs for piano. Yes... she's excited. She's determined to learn them quickly! Once home for the evening, Lydia got supper going and the kids finished their homework. Malachi read a few books and Mysia was doing some of her Bible study. We had them get their showers and watched some tv before bed. I got some projects completed and started while Lydia focused on her homework.

After a busy, but productive day at work, I picked up the kids and headed home. Lydia was already at the house, she had worked on homework after classes. We ate supper, worked on homework, and spent the evening together as family. We did sneak in a few tv shows before bed.

I had a dentist appointment on Wednesday. A new crown need placed on my back tooth. Mysia had school choir that morning and was excited about it when I picked her up after work. That evening, we attended church services.

On Thursday evening, we watched the T"his is America Charlie Brown, The Mayflower Voyagers". Mysia was full of information about the Mayflower since they had been doing reading about it at school. We also watched a few episodes of "cake boss" and the kids (plus Lydia) worked on homework. After showers, Lydia and Mysia worked on some sewing.

Friday finally arrived, and after work and school we came home to a relaxing evening. We ate spaghetti for supper and the kids worked on room clean up before bed.

Saturday morning we woke up, got ready, and attended TaeKwonDo class. We had leftovers for lunch and took naps! We got a few things done around the house and watched a movie before bed.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (11/10/13 - 11/16/13)

Sunday was exciting. After morning services, we had our friends Ken and Linda over to talk about and plan for our upcoming cruise trip in January. They are going, so we went over the itinerary and what all we'd be doing on our vacation. It's gonna be fun!!!

On Monday,  Malachi lost another tooth at supper. He had been wiggling it for several days. His toothless grin is fantastic. Both kids finished their homework and had wanted to read and play before bed. Lydia was again working on her homework and I dealt with trying to back up some computer files.

Lydia attended iMom on Tuesday, which is breakfast with the kids at school and encouragement the mothers. That afternoon, I went with Lydia as she visited a sleep doctor. We found out that there is a good chance she has "sleep apnea" and it could be the cause of her occasional tachycardia. We'll be looking into this in the near future to see what she needs to do. We picked up the kids a little earlier than normal and came home for supper. The evening was spent working on projects (like finances) and spending normal family time together!

On Wednesday, we came home, ate supper, and then headed out to church for evening services. We didn't stay up too late once we got home.

Thursday was exciting!!! Lydia got news that she's been hired at BKD in May. That evening we headed over to school to attend the "Superhero Math Academy"! It was giving us an hands-on experience with how "Common Core" has been implemented in grades K through 2. We were impressed. The teachers were excited in showing the useful tools they have in teaching the kids. The emphasis on learning and creativity is great! The kids and I came home and worked on some of the school crafts while Lydia attended the church's ladies' meeting for a Thanksgiving dinner. The kids were asleep when she arrived home.

After work on Friday, we met with the PTA. We then picked up the kids and attended our friend Noah's singing recital. We then visited with friends at Dairy Queen before heading home to bed.

We woke up Saturday morning, ate a quick breakfast, and headed out to see the new VeggieTales movie, "Merry Larry". It was a fun film, and we enjoyed it. We then went to TaeKwonDo class. It has been a while, so it was good to be back. We came home, had pizza for lunch, and the kids rested while Lydia and I got our weekend house chores accomplished. The kids took turns playing games on the laptop while we watched tv and worked on our projects. We stay busy!!! :)

~Matt

Week Rundown! (11/03/13 - 11/09/13)

Sunday afternoon was spent at my parents' house, celebrating Abigail's birthday. We played bananagrams. After church, we got to hang out with our friends who had come up for the weekend to attend the SG concert last Friday night. We visited at Braum's. Malachi fell asleep before we got home for the evening.

Monday was trying to catch up with all the new events at work. Mysia had piano lessons, and then I made dinner while Lydia went to her Zumba class. Lydia and the kids had homework that evening.

On Tuesday, I attended All-Pro Dads breakfast with the kids at their school. I worked on projects that evening and the kids worked on homework. Lydia had school projects as well.

Wednesday evening was fun night for children's services at church.

On Thursday, the kids and Lydia worked on homework, and I worked on a few design projects. Mysia and Malachi shared turns playing educational games on the computer. Mysia is learning how to manage a shop, and does very well.

Friday evening was relaxing. We got a few things done around house and before bed, we watched "Mirror, Mirror".

Saturday was a day to get things done. We got up and had breakfast while the kids watched some cartoons. We did some weekend housework and the kids played outside. They enjoyed the nice weather while doing "yard work"... raking up the leaves. For lunch, we had our friend Justin (who is attending BBC) over, we also played some Nintendo Wii. That evening, we visited Sam's club and CPO. Both kids got a new book. After supper and showers that evening, we watched "How to Train Your Dragon".

~Matt

Week Rundown! (10/27/13 - 11/02/13)

Sunday was fairly normal. Malachi went to Men's prayer breakfast with me, and spent the afternoon with Granny and Granddad. After evening services, we attended the birthday and anniversary dinner. I lost half a tooth while eating.

It was back to the normal schedule on Mon day. After work, I took Mysia to piano lessons. Malachi and I waited patiently in the car. We met Lydia at the school for a meeting with Mysia's BRIDGES teacher. She is doing very well in her class! That evening we did chores and watched some videos before bed.

On Tuesday, Lydia and I visited with both of the kids' teachers after work. We got some excellent reports, and we're thrilled with their progress. We had a great supper, and then went over homework. Malachi read "green eggs and ham" while Mysia wrote a he real letter to the troops for her class. After the kids' showers, they watched some Garfield before bed.

Early Wednesday morning, Malachi woke me up. He had went to the restroom, and on his way back to his room, his loose tooth popped out. He couldn't find it. A quick search, and I found it near his bedroom door. He was thrilled all day about it... even taking it to school! evening, we went to church. After services, the kids participated in the "trunk-or-treat". They dressed up as Queen Esther and Prophet Malachi. Since it had been raining all day, the adults stood in the foyer to hand out the candy. We came home with a good variety of treats!

Thursday evening was family night. After supper we got things cleaned up around the house and then watched tv... Eating candy!

The kids didn't have school, so they went to boys & girls club for the day. Lydia was sick, so she stayed home and rested. She spent the evening at home with the kids while at worked at the big southern gospel concert. I enjoyed being able to visit ether Greater Vision & Soul'd Out Quartet. It was a big night, announcing next year's concerts, selling the new discount card, and enjoying the concert experience!

Lydia was still feeling sick on Saturday, so she didn't want to go anywhere. I was still tired from the long day before, although energized, or on a music high (concerts do that to me). The kids played for mist of the morning and watched two episodes of cartoons. After lunch, the took naps while I did a grocery run. The kids had their showers, and we spent the evening watching the movie, "Mirror, Mirror" before bed.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (10/20/13 - 10/26/13)

On Sunday morning, Malachi and I got up and left to run the church vans. Mysia's friend had spent the night, so they had breakfast with Lydia, and then headed to church for Sunday School. Mysia was so happy to have her friend with her, and was introducing her to everyone. During the afternoon, we all took naps... both kids were tired. We attended evening services and then came home and watched a movie before bed. Mysia had a hard time getting to sleep. I had some stomach problems.

After having a difficult time sleeping, I woke up on Monday around 4am with Malachi hollering my name. He had thrown up in his bed. I took him to the bathroom and we got cleaned up and bed remade. He said he felt better, but shortly afterwards, it happened again. I then had him sleep in our bedroom, where it helped when it struck once more. I ended up staying home with both kids while Lydia went into work. We rested for the first half of the day, but afterwards, both were feeling great and practically bouncing off the walls. After supper, I tried to get outside and mow the lawn. It was very cool, and getting dark quick. I was able to finish, but hopefully next time, I'll do it before the sun goes down!

Tuesday evening we decided to take a family outing to see "Monsters University". The kids had completed their homework, so it was a surprise for them. Thanks to Malachi, we missed a few sections of the movie by having to visit the restrooms.

On Wednesday, Mysia got to go on a field-trip with her BRIDGES class. They took the city bus to the Discovery Center, where they got to dissect a sheep's brain. She thought it was awesome! Mysia is really enjoying learning about the brain and it's functions. She was very excited about it, and talked about it when she came home. We attended evening services at church, and then headed over to Grandma Taylor's house to visit my great-grandma Irene, who has moved here to stay.

Thursday was "Pastor's Appreciation Day" for my work and the other Christian radio stations in town. We held a Luncheon for the pastors in the area, and the guest speaker was Michael Card. It was neat getting to hear him sing as well. We then got to go to hear him in concert that evening. Michael is very knowledgeable in the Bible, and Lydia and I both enjoyed the presentation.

We were tired on Friday, and the work day seemed to drag on. I got off a little early, picked up the kids, and played some ball outside until Lydia arrived at home. We met up with the folks from our Sunday School class at church and traveled to the corn maze. We cooked hot dogs and ate desert before venturing into the cornfield. It was Mysia and Malachi's first time to visit a corn maze, and they enjoyed it! Our group got "lost" at the end, going around in circles, which added to the fun!

We woke up Saturday and headed out for Lydia's chiropractor appointment, and then dropped her off at the doctor for a 4 hour glucose test. The kids and I headed out to Tae-Kwon-Do class to watch our friends test for their next belt. We've been so busy over the past month that we haven't been able to attend classes. Afterwards, the kids and I spent time at one of the parks in town. It was a good time to let them burn off some energy. We picked up Lydia and headed home. The evening was spent at home getting things done and enjoying the time together!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (10/13/13 - 10/19/13)

Sunday. Since the van had the spare tire on it, I had Lydia and the kids join me for the van route Sunday morning. After the morning services at church, we met my family at Hong Kong Garden for the celebration of Sam's birthday. We then went over to my parents' house and took naps before heading back to church.

I took the van in on Monday to get the tire repaired, thankfully it was because of a nail and easily patched. Lydia attended Zumba class after work. Mysia had piano lessons, and I dropped the kids off with Granny while my dad and I got rid of the brush from Saturday. The kids got to eat grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Both agreed that Granny's was the best! Back at home, Lydia and I ate supper while the kids got their homework done and took their showers before bed. Lydia spent most of the evening doing her homework.

Lydia had a job information supper she attended on Tuesday after classes. I picked up the kids after work and we headed home. They worked on their homework while I prepared bean dip and chips for supper. We watched some Netflix while eating and then left for Granny's house once Lydia arrived home. The cousins played and we got to hold our new niece, Kezia. We visited with Ana and the family for the rest of the evening.

Wednesday evening services was part of our church's missions conference.

Thursday was good, but busy. Everyone had homework to finish, so I attended church and sang in the men's group. Malachi is working with number charts, and can write to 200.

On Friday, we had Ben and his family over for supper and a visit. The cousins played and watched a video.

Saturday morning came quickly. Lydia had a chiropractor appointment and then did the big grocery shopping for the next several weeks. Around noon, we headed back to my folks for one last visit with my brother and family. We came back home before surprising Mysia by picking up one of her best friends. She spent the evening with us and a sleep over. We attended the missions banquet at church as well. The girls acted as long-lost sisters. What an evening!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (10/06/13 - 10/12/13)

Sunday was pretty normal. I drove the church van and sang in the morning services. We didn't take naps during the afternoon, so the kids were a bit tired during the evening services. Before going to bed we had some hot chocolate since we've had some great cool weather.

On Monday, I took Mysia to piano lessons after work. Lydia had zumba class, and the kids worked on homework. We watched a few episodes of "Mythbusters" and let the kids play before bed. Lydia worked on homework for most of the evening.

Tuesday was a beautiful day. The kids worked on homework and played for most of the evening. Malachi and I read a book on snakes, and he was able to make out most of the words on his own.

After work and school Wednesday evening, we met at home, ate a quick supper, and headed to church. Children's' services went well, and afterwards I practiced with the men's group. Before heading home, we stopped by the hospital to congratulate our friends Travis and Megan on the birth of their firstborn son!

Lydia didn't have classes on Thursday, but was able to meet up with her class group for a meeting on the project their working on. She had lunch with me at the BBC cafeteria. Lydia picked up the kids, and headed to my parents' house for a visit. Malachi and I (along with my dad) attended the Men's Beast Feast at High Street Baptist.

On Friday afternoon, I got to spend a lunch/date with Lydia at the mall. It was nice for us both to have a break away from work for an hour without the kids. After work and picking the kids up, we attended a PTA meeting at the school. There are several things coming up that we're helping with.

It rained early Saturday morning. We visited Lydia's chiropractor to see what suggested for her pains and numbness in her arms. We attended balloon release for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day/Month held by Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death (MEND) (www.mend.org). We have a local chapter in Springfield, and we recognized the three miscarriages we had between Mysia and Malachi. Back at home, I found that we had a flat on the van. So I changed it with the spare, and Lydia started on some yard work. Lydia attacked the bush/tree in our front yard, and we had a decent brush pile by evening. We then headed over to Lycia and Jordan's home to celebrate Lycia and Moses' birthdays. We visited with Lydia's family and ate pizza and cupcakes.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (09/29/13 - 10/05/13)

Sunday morning was men's prayer breakfast. In the morning service, our men's group sang "Alpha & Omega". Malachi spent the afternoon with Granddad and Granny. After evening services, we stopped by Sonic for some milk shakes as a treat for the end of summer!

On Monday, Lydia went to the career fair at MSU and, got her résumé out to several companies. I took Mysia to piano lessons after work. Thankfully the weather was nice since Malachi and I waited in the car. We had tacos for supper, and Malachi and Mysia had showers afterwards. Mysia had homework to do, and Malachi i working with learning words by sight.

Lydia picked up the kids after school on Tuesday, and then stopped by work to get me. We ate supper at Wilson's Chuck-wagon BBQ for supper. The restaurant was celebrating 2 years of being in business, and offering their delicious meals at half price for the day! Once home, the kids got their showers and we worked on homework.

Wednesday was an interesting day. A man who had made threats to a local college caused Homeland Security to put several of the colleges and public schools under lock-down. This included BBC and also the kids' elementary school. The police were able to arrest the man, and the lock-downs were lifted by the time school was dismissed! That evening, we had "fun night" at church, which included a lesson, fun games, and a snack.

After supper on Thursday, we headed out to Sam's Club to purchase some snacks for PTA and then did a little shopping at Wal-Mart. By the time we got home, it was past the kids bedtime!

Friday went by pretty fast. We attended a birthday party for Malachi's friend Josiah. We ate pizza and ice-cream. The kids played in the huge sandbox while us adults visited. The weather was cool and comfortable, so it was nice to spend the time outside.

We woke up to rain on Saturday. However, we still attended the Walk 4 Life for the Pregnancy Care Center. It was a great turnout! We had fun, but also got wet. Once home, we changed into dry clothes and Lydia did some shopping while the kids and I worked on cleaning their rooms. We had a restful evening. We watched some movies and played some games!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (09/22/13 - 09/28/13)

Sunday afternoon was fun. We had Lydia's siblings over for lunch between services. We ate, visited, and the cousins' played. Our house was crowded, but it was worth it. That evening, Roy Tremble sang at church. It was neat being able to hear him again!

Mysia didn't have piano lessons on Monday. Lydia attended Zumba class and we had a good evening at home.

I worked later on Tuesday, so Lydia picked up the kids after her classes and we all met at the kids' school for "Open House". As part of the PTA, we encouraged other parents to get involved. We visited Malachi's classroom, got to talk to his teacher and see the progress he is making. He showed us some of his artwork and explained how he's doing on a behavior chart set up to track the students' acts of kindness in the classroom. We then made our way to Mysia's classroom. She showed us how organized her books were and we also talked with her teacher.  

Wednesday went by fast. Abigail came over and spent some time with us before church services.  

Thursday, after work, Lydia met at the Boys & Girls Club to attend the "open house" while picking up the kids. That evening, we worked on the painting of the kids' pinewood cars. Mysia and Malachi did a very good job.

Friday evening was spent getting the pinewood Derby cars ready for the races Saturday. We then played Chinese checkers.

Saturday was the "Day At The Races" at our church. We got to view some classic cars that were parked on the parking lot. The kids and I entered in the pinewood derby races. Unfortunately, neither of us placed. But we did have a good time. Back at home for the afternoon, we watched some home videos. Before going to bed, we played some Mario Kart. I also found out that one of my external hard drives went out... possibly losing some precious data I had backed up on it. We'll see.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (09/15/13 - 09/21/13)

Sunday was Malachi's birthday! He is now 6...! I got up and wished him a happy birthday before heading to church and driving the van before services. That afternoon, he played with his legos and toys. Mysia attended a birthday party for a school friend, it was down the street and she had a fun time. Lydia attended a baby shower at church, and then participated in choir practice before evening services. We stayed afterwards for the Birthday and Anniversary fellowship. Adria, Lycia, and Jordan stopped by the house to wish Malachi a happy birthday. He was excited about his gifts and we enjoyed their visit.

Monday was a cool weather day! It rained enough that Malachi and I enjoyed the breeze flowing through the car while we sat patiently during Mysia's piano lessons. That evening, we met some family at McDonald's in celebration of Malachi's birthday. We ate supper there, and enjoyed the cupcakes Lydia had made for the occasion. Malachi got gifts from Gampa (Gary), Granny & Grandad, and Uncle Sam. Once home, it was time for showers and bed.

Tuesday evening was spent with the kids homework and doing some chores before getting an early start on showers. Malachi taught Lydia and I how to play "trash" with a deck of cards. We played the game until it was the kids' bedtime.

Mysia had her BRIDGES class on Wednesday, and came home telling us about how much she learned. We ate supper and then headed to church. I taught a lesson on being a steward of God's, using the parable of the talents. After services, we headed to Braum's to finally meet our brand new niece, Haivyn. Oh yeah, her parents (Titus and Jordin) were there too! We ate ice cream and visited. 

Thursday evening was spent doing house work and kids' room pick-up. Both had homework to do as well before bed.

Lydia took the Friday of from work so she and Mysia could get their nails done in preparation for Lycia's wedding on Saturday. Afterwards, Mysia and Malachi went to Silver Dollar City with Granny & Granddad and Aunt Abigail. They had a blast, riding rides and even saw a show! Lydia had lunch with me and after work we attended the wedding rehearsal dinner. Lydia went to the bridal shower with the ladies and I went home and played some games on the Nintendo Wii until the kids came home. They took showers and we watched some tv together before bedtime.

Saturday morning was a rush. We got up and had breakfast before Lydia and Mysia headed out to get with the girls for the wedding preparation. Malachi and I waited around at home, then got ready and met up before the wedding. Mysia and Malachi handed out wedding programs (designed by me) and Lydia was the guestbook attendant. We had front row seats and watched Lycia marry Jordan Bell. At one point during the ceremony, Malachi started rubbing his eyes and started coughing slightly. I leaned down and asked him what he was doing. He said he was trying make himself cry. I then asked why. He replied, "well, we're supposed to cry at weddings." That's Malachi! Mysia was taking pictures and enjoying the ceremony. After the bride and groom kissed and thanked everyone for coming, we did family photos with the wedding party. We enjoyed cake and punch at the reception, bade farewell to Jordan and Lycia, and then helped clean up before heading home. I fired up the grill and we had hamburgers for supper while watching some tv. We were all exhausted, and went to bed!!!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (09/08/13 - 09/14/13)

I got up on Sunday morning and went to church to drive one of the vans. The weather was a bit hot and sticky. The afternoon was spent getting things done around the house and paperwork (like bills).

Monday was back to the weekly schedule. The weather was hot, so Malachi and I got to sweat in the heat while sitting in the car during Mysia's piano lessons. That evening, the kids worked on homework.

Tuesday was an exciting day. My place of employment, KWFC, was awarded "Radio Station of the Year" by the National Quartet Convention Music Awards 2013. This is a great honor! Voted by the industry leaders, this makes us the #1 Southern Gospel Radio Station in the nation... WOW! That evening, to celebrate, we went out for supper at one of my favorite places, Hu Hot. After eating as much as we could, we went home and the kids worked on homework, took showers, and got ready for bed.

Wednesday evening was nice. I taught the lesson for children's services at church. Using my puppet "Ace", I shared the story of Moses and the bronze serpent in the wilderness and tying it with Christ on the cross, how we are to also look to Him in faith. Of course, Ace came alive and grabbed the kids' attention with the help of Malachi's toy snake. Sometimes I wish I had more time to get Ace to connect with the children, I enjoy how using the puppet and personality to get their attention.

After work on Friday, we had a PTA meeting at school. The kids played on the school playground afterwards, then we came home and got ready for bed.

Saturday was the BIG day! We got up early, ate breakfast, and hit the road. We spent 3 hours in the van until we made it to Kansas City... To visit Lego Land for Malachi's birthday! There was so much to do. We were a little tour on how they blocks were made, and then the fun began. We rode a shooting ride that let us help Lego characters fight off the bad guys, and then another ride that took us in the air. We built cars and vehicles, racing them against others. It was also Star Wars days, so we got to meet many of the characters as they walked around. After eating our lunch, we went to see a 15 minute movie in "4-D". In addition us wearing the 3-D glasses, the movie sprayed us with water, blew air into our faces, and dropped soap bubbles from the ceiling while we watched. We also received posters and the kids got buttons. By 3pm, we were tired and ready to head home. The kids rested and watched a movie before we did a stop at Walmart for a few items. Once home, we put things away and went to bed. Malachi declared that it was another "best day of my life!"

Week Rundown! (09/01/13 - 09/07/13)

The church vans didn't run in Sunday since it was the holiday weekend nod many of the can drivers were out of town. Lydia and I has spent our last night in Eureka Springs and traveling back that morning. It rained most of the way. We spent the afternoon at my parents' house before heading to evening services. I took part in the drama performance... It went well. We visited more with my parents and my grandma before heading home and going to bed.

Since Monday was Labour Day, we slept in. It was also our 10-year wedding anniversary! Breakfast was a little late, but Lydia made biscuits and gravy with eggs. We brought out the fancy utensils and plates, and made it a special meal. The kids played nicely for most of the day. We did some unpacking from the weekend, some housework, and the kids took naps. We had Rib Crib for supper and watched the "Sound Of Music" before sending the kids to bed. Lydia and I worked on the finances and budget.

After classes on Tuesday, Lydia went grocery shopping. I picked up the kids once I left work and we all met at home. Mysia practiced her piano and Malachi picked up his room while groceries were put away and dinner cooked. Malachi had  brought home his first homework assignment. It was tracing circles. Once shown, he said, "oh... This will be easy." Mysia's homework was reading portion of her library book. Lydia worked on her homework for the entire evening. Before going to bed, Malachi picked out a book and actually read a book to me (with help on a few of the bigger words). He did very well. Mysia spent some time writing in one of her notebooks. She's determined to finish a "book" that she's been wanting to write.
 
School went well for the kids on Wednesday. It was "fun night" for our children services at church that evening. The kids even got to enjoy a bit of the outdoors.

On Thursday evening, I attended the men's Bible study at church. Lydia and the kids worked on homework, and then they played before bed. Lydia had a few projects that she worked on for most of the night.

Friday went by fast. I got a new prescription of eye-contacts, and can see a bit clearer. Malachi came home with a "caught being good" paper. He was thrilled. After supper, I met Sam at church and recorded piano and vocals for three songs. I'm going to eventually choose one to submit to Cathedral Family Reunion contest by the end of the next week. Lydia and the kids spent the evening together playing the Nintendo Wii before bed.

On Saturday morning, Malachi and I woke up, ate a quick breakfast, and headed out to the Men's Beast Feast hosted by our church. There was shooting, archery, a hiking trail, and more. I took part in the trap shoot competition, my first. I didn't place, but it was fun! We had a great lunch by Rib Crib, and enjoyed the devotion. Malachi got to shoot at the BB Gun range with his friends, and we went on a hike in the hot afternoon weather before heading home. Lydia and Mysia spent the day going shopping and visiting some stores at the mall. They had lunch and Mysia got a haircut. They arrived home tired as well. We ate leftovers for supper and watched a few episodes of "Saved By The Bell" during the evening.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (08/25/13 - 08/31/13)

We were still on our weekend vacation trip in Branson on Sunday. It was hard to say goodbye to a weekend of fun. It was nice to get a way from home. However, since we were busy for most of it, there wasn't much time for rest! We did get things unpacked and clothes washed once we returned home. The kids were exhausted. That evening, we attended Lycia and Jordan's wedding shower. Mysia got to help hand them the gifts. Afterwards, we returned home and went to bed.

Monday was back to school for the kids. Lydia and I went to work. I got off in time to pick both up from school, and we then headed out for Mysia's piano lessons. It was hot sitting in the car, but with the windows down and being able to play on the Nook, Malachi didn't care. Lydia had Zumba classes at home, so the kids and I ate supper, Mysia did her homework, and Malachi worked on picking up his room. They watched some television episodes until Lydia arrived at home. They then took their showers and went to bed. I worked on some of my projects and read up on some online articles.

Lydia had classes on Tuesday after dropping the kids off at school. I picked up the kids from school and dropped them off at Granny's house. After work I picked them back up and headed home. We all had a quick supper, and I left for church drama practice. The kids had showers and Lydia worked on some things around the house. Once I returned home, the kids went to bed and Lydia folded laundry before we went to bed.

I left for work on Wednesday, Lydia took the kids to school and then went into work. I picked both of them up from boys and girls club. They were very excited about the day! At BRIDGES, Mysia learned what a prefix, root (also called a base), and a suffix of a word is. She was thrilled because she understood what the teacher was talking about. We attended evening services at church, and once we returned home the kids read a few books before going to bed.

Thursday evening was a bit rushed for me. We ate supper and then Lydia worked on homework while the kids enjoyed the evening. I attended the men's Bible study at church. When I arrived back home, the kids were already in bed. I worked on a few graphic design projects, and Lydia continued with her homework.

Friday was exciting. After work, Lydia picked up the kids and headed home to start supper. I picked Sam up from work, and once we arrived home, I packed up our luggage for the weekend. We ate supper and Sam took the kids to the park to feed the ducks. They were to spend the weekend with him and Abigail. Lydia and I got into the KWFC vehicle and headed to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for a weekend together. The kids slept at Granny's and Lydia made it to our hotel safely.

On Saturday, the kids attended taekwondo and then spent lunch at McDonalds with their uncle Sam. Back at Granny's, they swam for several hours. They also got to go shopping and play the Wii before showers and bed. Lydia and I enjoyed our morning resting and then we grabbed breakfast before headed to the Great Passion Play. I did a live broadcast on KWFC from 11-1, interviewing several from the play. They were trying to break an attendance record that evening, and we were helping give a push on-air. Although it was hot, the experience was great. Lydia and I had lunch downtown, checked out a few shops, and visited the spots of our marriage 10 years ago. We returned to the Great Passion Play grounds and took the Holy Land Tour, browsed the Bible Museum, enjoyed a great meal, and then watched the evening performance of the play.

~Matt

M&M: School Fundraising

 

Mysia and Malachi were looking at a paper showing prizes for selling school cards for fundraising. Malachi had brought it home earlier in the week. Now if you have kids, or young enough to remember, you know that these fundraisers give an option once a certain number has been reached. It's a pretty good incentive, and there are some really neat gifts!

Both were excited about all the offers abailable. One that grabbed their attention is that If they can sell 15, they'll get choice of a megaphone or mini-locker. Mysia pointed it out and told Malachi, "if we get that high, we'll definitely have to pick the mini-locker, there's no way Mom and Dad will let us bring the other thing in the house.... Ever."

Malachi responded with nodding head, "yup..."

LOL! They know!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (08/18/13 - 08/24/13)

Sunday was Lydia's birthday. I woke her up before heading to church for van route and gave her card. The kids then gave her their card creations once they woke up. We enjoyed the services, and afterwards, Mysia went with Granny and Granddad to play piano at the nursing home. She did very well. The rest of us went home and took naps. We watched a little bit of tv before heading back to church. After the evening services, we treated Lydia to a late supper and dessert at Rib Crib for her birthday. Several of our extended family members met us there to celebrate as well!

Monday was a day of nice weather. We got up and did our well with our new morning schedule! The kids made it to school, and Lydia and I made it to the workplace on time!!! After school, I dropped the kids off at Granny's house and headed back to work to until five. That evening, the kids and I put their school supplies up and got supper ready. Mysia was disappointed that no homework was sent home. I had them take their showers and be ready for bed, then let them watch tv and play until Lydia returned home from her Zumba class. I then mowed the lawn before it got dark.

We had nice day on Tuesday. Lydia started her classes for the semester. That evening we ate supper and I headed out for church drama practice. Lydia and Mysia worked on homework. Mysia was disappointed that she was only given one sheet and that it was "too easy". The kids were ready for bed when I returned home. Lydia worked on homework until bedtime. She was exhausted.

We got of to school and work with no problems Wednesday morning. Mysia was excited since it was the start of the BRIDGES program. She was hoping that she'd have homework. She claims that her day in the special education program as a 10. She did have a few pages of homework, and Malachi was pleased to announce that he is glad that he won't have any until the first of next month. The kids got to spend time at granny's after school, then it was home to eat and get ready for church. Lydia attended a Zumba class after work, so once she arrived home, she quickly ate and we headed out. It was the first day for Master Club's Children Services, so it was fun and adventurous at church. Afterwards, the kids went to bed and Lydia worked on some homework.

I left for work on Thursday and Lydia dropped the kids off at school before heading to her college classes. After school let out, I dropped the kids off at Granny's and went back to work until 5.   Once home for the evening, we had chicken sandwiches for supper and I rushed off to the Men's Bible Study at church. Lydia and the kids got things ready for our vacation for the weekend. When I arrived home, the kids were already in bed asleep. Lydia worked on PTA projects and homework. I helped pack and get things ready to go into the van for our trip. Lydia gave me a much needed haircut before bed.

Friday was full of excitement. I got up, packed our stuff in the van, and then left for work earlier than normal. Lydia and the kids got ready for the day, and packed the rest of their things. Lydia then dropped them off at school and headed into work. Once I arrived at the radio station, I did what needed to be done around the office before the entire staff left for Silver Dollar City. We spent the entire day on the park handing out our hand fans (that I designed) to all those attending the Southern Gospel Picnic festival. I got to hear some great music, and bug people as I tried to give them each a fan. We finished and my boss dropped me off at the hotel (Splash Country Inn). Lydia got off work, met the kids at school, attended a PTA meeting, and then picked up some supper for her and the kids while they headed to Branson to meet up with me. As I waited, I cooled off in one of the outdoor pools. I then ate supper when they arrived, and the kids and I enjoyed the indoor water park for a few hours while Lydia tried to focus on her homework. We came back to the room, and Lydia joined us in the indoor pool for a swim before bed.

We were all tired on Saturday, so we slept in. Not the easiest thing to do on a different bed in a hotel room. We ate bagels for breakfast and then headed out to White Water. We spent hours in the tidal wave pool, riding each slide, and floating down the lazy river. We ate a quick lunch at the van (peanut butter & jelly sandwiches). We returned to the water park and did many of the same things over again. By the time 5pm came around, we were all tired. Back at the hotel, we napped and watched some Disney movies on the tv. After supper, quesadillas on the George Foreman grill we brought along, we went back to the indoor water park. It didn't take long for the kids (and us) to get tired, so we went back to our room and went to sleep!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (08/11/13 - 08/17/13)

Sunday was Anniversary Services at church. There Warren family sang in the morning services and then again after lunch. Our pastor celebrated 30 years. After the afternoon service we came home and the kids took naps. I took the change and mowed the lawn since it had finally dried up from all the rain we've had for the past week and a half. It took longer than normal due to the grass being so long. There wasn't any evening services, so as a family, we played games on the Nintendo Wii and watched Netflix before bed. By the way, the kids beat us on several of the Wii games. Ugh!

Monday morning kicked off with Lydia rushing off to college. She has a special one week class that is required for her degree. After leaving Malachi with his sitter, Becca, I dropped off Mysia at Boys & Girls Club and went to work. After her class, Lydia went to work for the rest of the afternoon. I took Mysia to piano lessons and then we all met at home and then headed off to visit Lydia's extended family. We visited, kids played, ate supper and had cake in celebration of MeMaw's birthday.

Today was the last day for Malachi to have a sitter. They baked a cake in a shape of a Lego block and played Wii games. That evening, Lydia and I went to school to meet the kids' teachers. Mysia and Malachi were excited. Mysia has class with several friends. When Lydia showed up at the school, we discovered that the van had a flat tire! While Mysia attended Bridges (gifted program) orientation with Lydia, Malachi played in the playground while I put on the spare tire. One of his best friends from daycare was there, so he was thrilled. Once home, we ate supper and got things ready for school. The the kids' teachers gave them "jitter glitter" to put under their head so that they are 'bright' for the next morning... oh boy!

Excitement filled our house on Wednesday since it finally arrived... yup, the first day of school! We had most of everything packed, and Lydia left to make it to her class. the kids and i made it to school in time.I picked them up are we headed home. Both had stories to tell. Mysia was disappointed that there was no homework! We put up the lunch boxes and Mysia practiced her piano while I got supper ready. Malachi and I read the boxcar children book #1 and Mysia read one of her books. Lydia came home after work, we ate supper, and then headed to church for evening services. Malachi didn't make it all the way, by the time the sermon started, he fell asleep. Once at home, the kids went to bed. Lydia stayed up working her project for class. We had the windows open to let in the nice cool air, and boy... it felt great.

We seem to have found a routine, and everyone got to up and ready on time on Thursday. It was a cool morning, a bit unusual for the month of August. Remember that 'jitter glitter"? Well, since it had gotten a bit cold during the night, Malachi had obviously buried himself in the covers and under his pillow. Glitter was caked onto his face and head when he walked out of his room. We tried our best to clean him up before leaving the house, but there was still enough in his hair to make his head shine in the sunlight! After breakfast,  Lydia went to class and I dropped the kids off at school before getting to work. That afternoon, I picked the kids up from school took them to Granny's house so that they could spend the time with her and Grandad through supper. They shared their new school experiences. Lydia and I got to enjoy supper together. I attended a men's Bible study at church, and the kids were dropped off at home. By the time I returned, they were already in bed asleep!

Friday seemed to have come pretty fast. We got up and got ready and got the kids to school on time. It was the last day for Lydia's week-long class, and she was happy with how it went. Lydia picked up the kids after school and they went to the library before heading home. That evening, I cooked hot dogs and cheddar bratwurst on the grill. The kids played for a bit, and then we did housework for most of the evening.

Saturday was busy! We got up, ate pancakes for breakfast, and the kids and I headed out for TaeQwonDo "Spar Wars". Mysia and Malachi participated in the 'tiger tails' tournament. They did very well, and it was fun watching all the action. Mysia did very well and we enjoyed cheering everyone on. We ate the concessions that were available and watched our class members in the Sparring Tournament. Lydia had stayed home to get some things done and do a grocery run before the afternoon. When the tournament was over, the kids and I headed over to Granny's house to play while Lydia held a ladies' spa party at our house. Once finished, we spent the evening relaxing. We read books, watched a movie, and got ready for bed!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (08/04/13 - 08/10/13)

Sunday was still rainy. The sump-pump for our house was working overtime. I ran the vans for morning services at church. We also heard the news that our first niece was born by the end of services! Mysia spent the afternoon with Aunt Abigail. Malachi watched "Cake Boss", took a nice long nap, and then we read a book before returning to church that evening. Mysia ended up going back with Abigail and spent the night. We returned home and ate grapes and cucumbers before finally going to bed.

Mysia spent Monday with Abigail. They went shopping with grandma. She had piano lessons before we returned home for supper. Lydia attended Zumba class while the kids and I played games and read books.

On Tuesday, Lydia took Malachi for kindergarten registration. Mysia got to go swimming for the last time of the summer with the boys and girls club. That evening we ate sloppy joes and watched an episode of Robin Hood on Netflix. The kids took showers before bed.

We attended event services at church on Wednesday. Back at home, we ate cucumbers and read books before going to bed.

Thursday was the last day Lydia had free from work, so I took it off as well and we made it a family day. We all slept in and the kids played while I made pancakes as a late breakfast. We then left for the Mall. Our first stop was to JC Pennys. There, Malachi tried on a few vests with dress-pants. At Sears, Mysia got to model several outfits, and we picked up a new dress for her. Before leaving the mall, we stopped by a toy store that had games and books. Once home, we had hamburgers for a late lunch/early supper. We worked on getting the school supplies organized and did housework. Malachi cleaned his room, and we worked on going through the many things in Mysia's room. She had tons of notes, doodles, and papers that needed be sorted through. It time for bed when we finished.

Mysia got to spend the day with Granny on Friday. Malachi had fun with his sitter, Becca. Going back to work after a day off with family wasn't much fun for Lydia and I, but we made it through. Lydia and Mysia attended the baby shower for Aunt Ana that evening. That left Malachi and I to fend for ourselves for supper.  We played and watched tv together until the girls got back.

Saturday was busy from the start. I woke up early that morning with stomach trouble, so I rested in the morning while Lydia and the kids got up and went to see VeggieTales for free at movie theater. They then attended TaeKwonDo class. The afternoon was spent with my extended family. The cousins played while we ate and visited. We had fun time catching up as well. That evening, the kids had baths and played before bed.


~Matt

Week Rundown! (07/28/13 - 08/03/13)

After the busy day without naps, Sunday was destined to be a bit tiring for me! Malachi and I woke up and attended Men's Prayer Breakfast at church, and then he spent the morning with Granddad and Granny while I did the church van route. Lydia and Mysia met us at church for morning services. Malachi went back to Granddad and Granny's house for the afternoon, while the rest of us went home. After lunch, I napped. Mysia watched "Care-bears" while Lydia read a book, enjoying the peaceful afternoon. I dropped Lydia and Mysia off at my mom's while I headed to church early for drama practice (we'll be performing the skit on the 25th of August).

Monday turned out to be interesting. Malachi was supposed to have lunch with me and then spend the afternoon with his Aunt Abigail, but Mysia had some stomach problems at the Boys and Girls Club, so she got to join us! She remained with me in the office for the rest of the afternoon. We visited with Granny before heading home. Lydia had some queasiness throughout the day, so she skipped her zumba class. After supper, I took the chance of the nice weather to mow the lawn. We opened the windows (something quite odd for the last week in July) and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

After a night of storms and heavy rainfall, we woke up Tuesday to find that our backyard was flooded. I'm so glad I had mowed the evening before! Lydia went into work after dropping Mysia off at Boys and Girls Club. I took the day off from work to spend with Malachi. We got several things done around the house and played. We spent some time beating levels on Super Mario Brothers. After lunch, we visited Grandma Taylor and Aunt Abigail, then returned home for a short nap. Once Lydia and Mysia came home, we ate hotdogs and bratwurst while watching a few episodes of "Robin Hood" on Netflix. There were a few household chores that needed done before bed, and we watched it rain again!

On Wednesday, I left for work and dropped Mysia off at Boys and Girls Club. Lydia texted me once I got to work. On her way to pick up our sitter, Malachi broke out in hives while in the van! She stopped by the store and got him some Benadryl. He was fine for most of the day, but that evening we wondered if something had actually bit him on the neck and arms. We're not too sure. His breakfast was a banana and strawberry yogurt. For supper we had pizza, and Mysia used a couple we had found from earlier in the school year that she had for a free personal pan pizza! She was excited about it. At church, several of the older women approached us for a remedy for Malachi's allergic reaction that was visible on his neck. They said it looked like poison ivy, or something similar. The suggestion was to try the blue Dawn dish-soap. So, once home, he had a shower and I scrubbed him down. He smelled like our clean dishes!!! He admitted that it did stop the irritation. I checked on him during the night, and he seemed to be sleeping well.

One of the first things I did Thursday morning was check on Malachi. His neck had some red marks, but it was noticeably better. Whew! Mysia and I got ready and headed out. Lydia worked on the grocery menu before she took Malachi with her for the shopping around town. We had a quick supper that evening and then headed to church to meet with our Tae-Kwon-Do class for a snack and awards. All four of us were awarded yellow belts! Yay! Malachi got awarded the "Spirit Award" for most improved student. It was a great night!

Mysia spent the day with Granny on Friday. After work, we tried taking the kids to the library, but they were already closed. We returned home and ate supper. Malachi gave us a a but of a fit with eating, and was acting tired, so he went to bed. Mysia stayed up and played Mario on the Wii.

We woke up Saturday to rain. A lot of it! The backyard was flooded once again. We attended Tae-Kwon-Do class, learning some new kicks. Before heading home, we stopped by the library. Mysia and Malachi had finished their book reading charts and received a free book. We spent time there checking out books and letting the kids put on a puppet show. We ate a great lunch at home and the kids took naps. Lydia worked on the finances (she's great at it of course), and we did housework. I also had some computer projects I'm working on that I tried to tackle. The kids worked on their rooms before a simple supper and took baths. Mysia played some games on the computer and Malachi played with toys before bed.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (07/21/13 - 07/27/13)

Sunday was pretty normal with van route and church services. Abigail had spent the afternoon with us, and the kids took naps. We watched some Netflix and relaxed being lazy around the house.

Monday evening Lydia had Zumba class. The kids and I ate supper and we watched "The Mouse and the Motorcycle". We did a little house pick-up.

Still on her summer schedule, Lydia spent the day at home with Malachi on Tuesday. Her main focus was finances and bills. She even worked on it throughout the evening. What a wife!!! Of course, we still did family things together after supper, and the kids had their showers. We even snuck in some Netflix before bed!

Being the middle of the week, Wednesday was fairly  normal. After work, we attended evening services at church.

On Thursday, Lydia did some errands and went to the eye doctor. She then dropped Malachi off with me at lunchtime and went to work. Malachi spent the rest of the afternoon with me in the office. He took a nap and watched a movie while I worked. That evening, we ate supper at Rib Crib... great food!!! After returning home, the kids played education games on the computer and took showers before bed. There were also a few house chored that we had to take care of, but that's normal!

Lydia and I took off work a little early and we attended a Springfield Cardinal game, courtesy of the Boys and Girls Club and French's Mustard. They fed us hamburgers and hot dogs before the game started. It had been a very rainy day, so the weather was cool while we watched the Cardinals beat the Arkansas Naturals, 7-2! Afterwards, they put on a fireworks show at the stadium.

We got up Saturday and headed to church for the Super Family Rally. It was a one-day event in place of a week-long VBS. We learned about David and Goliath, and fighting the giants that come to attack our family. We also made sling-shots, with contests outside and an epic marshmallow war! I ran drove one of the church vans. Afterwards, we came home and then went to a PTA meeting. The kids played in the pool and we had hamburgers and hot dogs. We were tired that evening, so after showers, we watched an episode of "How Stuff Works" on wheat production, and then went to bed.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (07/14/13 - 07/20/13)

On Sunday, we attended a wedding of Lydia's college classmates. The weather was hot and humid.

Mysia got to spend the day with her Aunt Abigail on Monday. During piano lessons, Mysia was happy to find out she was to work on "Jesus Loves Me". She practiced the song several time during the evening. Lydia attended her zumba class that evening.

Tuesday was a special day. I took it off from work. Lydia spent most of the day with Mysia. After breakfast, they went out to Firestone Pottery and painted pottery pieces. They stopped and got a cupcake before returning home for sandwiches and tea. Malachi and i went fishing. Within thirty minutes, he caught 3 and I caught 5. They were too small to keep, so we threw them back. We spent time at the park so he could run off energy, and then we ate lunch at McDonald's. We all took naps and then spent the evening

Malachi got to spend some time with Abigail on Wednesday. We attended evening services at church, then came home and watched some tv together before bed.

Thursday evening we did some chores around the house.

Friday was hectic. It was a big concert day for me, so I rushed to work to get as much accomplished before the event. Lydia picked up the kids and they got to spend the evening with their cousins under the watch of Granny and Granddad. They visited McDonald's and got to play outside! Lydia attended the concert with me. It was great! The vocal talent of the Nelons and LeFevre Quartet is fantastic. After the concert, we visited with my siblings past midnight!

Saturday morning we got up and rushed off to Taekwondo testing. All four of us tested our white belt knowledge in hopes that we'll be awarded yellow belt! Both Mysia and Malachi did great, however, there were instances where Lydia and I both messed up. We came home, ate lunch, and then took naps. We were all tired. We did some house cleaning, focusing on the kids' rooms, and ate a late supper. Before bed, watched a neat episode on "How Stuff Works" about corn. Malachi was intrigued!

~Matt

Week Rundown! (07/07/13 - 07/13/13)

Lydia didn't get much sleep, and her infected eye was giving her trouble Sunday morning. She ended up staying home from church since it was bothering her and we were concerned it might be pink eye. I took the kids with me to church,

Monday morning, Lydia eye wasn't doing too good, so we dropped Mysia off and went to the clinic. The doctor was too sure what it might be, so he scheduled an appointment with the optometrist later that afternoon. I went into work, while Lydia waited at home with Malachi. Abigail took her to the doctor and found that it was just infected due to dirt or something that had gotten into it back on Saturday. Since our dryer was still down, we went over to my parents' house after supper. They let us dry two loads of laundry, and we went swimming in their pool!

Lydia went in to work on Tuesday to make up for missing the day before. That evening, we watched movies and let Lydia rest her eye.

Wednesday was fairly typical. We attended evening services at church and then came home and went to bed!

On Thursday, Lydia did some running around town with some errands. She her and Malachi visited with me at lunch. Mysia got to go swimming. After eating supper and getting a few things done around the house, we watched a movie together as a family before going to bed.

Friday was busy, trying to get things finished and ready for the weekend. During the evening, we worked on our TaeKwonDo moves and knowledge. We wanted to be ready for class the following morning. I also worked on my paper for the class to get me a stripe on my white belt. (I'll be posting it on my personal blog sometime this week)

We woke up and got moving on Saturday. We rushed getting ready, and left at a good time. Lydia has scheduled to meet with a lady selling a china tea set. So we bought it at a good price before heading to TaeKwonDo lessons. Next week is our testing for yellow belt, so we tried our best to make sure we knew are forms and moves. After class, Mysia got to go to a friends birthday party. She had a fun time. We had lunch and Malachi took a good nap. Since were obviously a close family... we spent the evening together. We worked on housework and then watched some videos together. Before bed Lydia gave us guys haircuts and we had baths/showers.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (06/30/13 - 07/06/13)

At church, we got to enjoy the singing of the Dartt Family during the Sunday morning services. It was great to be able to see them again. The weather was much cooler that afternoon than previous days. The kids took naps and we spent the latter part of the afternoon reading. We discovered that our dryer had died, and wouldn't start. We put together dessert before heading to church to help prepare for the Independence Day Celebration. After evening services, we ate at watched fireworks! Yay!

On Monday, Mysia got to go on a field trip to the Japanese Stroll Gardens. She said that the flowers and plants were awesome. The weather was nice and cool, which made me happy since I sat in the car during her piano lessons.

The weather continued to be nice on Tuesday. Lydia and Malachi went grocery shopping before naps that afternoon. Mysia got to go swimming at the with the Boys & Girls Club. That evening, the kids played in the backyard while supper was being prepared. They read books before showers and bed.

Wednesday evening was spent at church and then we stopped by Grandma's house for ice-cream and cake in celebration of her birthday. We had a good visit with the family on the back deck.

Since Thursday was the Independence Day holiday, we had a lazy morning and afternoon.  We did get a few things done around the house, and after naps we headed downtown for some fun! Our fist stop was the Discovery Center. While there, we took part in the exhibits and put our knowledge to the test. Once we completed our tour, we walked to the Ice Skating rink. It was first time for Mysia and Malachi to try skating. It was odd to think we were skating in July! We then ate some shaved ice and headed to find our spots at the stadium for the fireworks. We were told that it was super-crowed, so we chose a place on a hill outside the stadium. It then began to ran. We walked back to the skating rink, and the kids enjoyed an hour playing on the inflatable bouncy houses and activities. Finally, as the evening drew to a close, we once again found that spot on the hill and watched the fireworks before returning home and eating some ice cream and watermelon before bed!

We woke up Friday and began to set out items for our "yard sale". I went and hung up a few signs to direct people to our house. Through the day, we made a few sales, but not as much as we wanted. The kids played outside for most of the day. After naps, they played in the wading pool I had cleaned up and refilled with water that morning. For supper, I grilled hamburgers and we packed up the "stuff". We took showers and did some reading before bed.

There wasn't much sleeping in on Saturday. We had the yard set up for the sale by 7 and ready for buyers. A few came and went throughout the day. The kids and I rode bikes up and down the street while the morning was cool, and then Lydia took them to taekwondo class while I watched over our yard. Malachi got more stripes for his white belt and Lydia won the tiger tales activity. After naps, the kids played in the pool. Lydia met up with Lycia for a visit and then got some groceries. We ate supper and then packed up what was left of our yard sale. Lydia and the kids made "dirt cake" and I took the kids to the park for a short bike ride before they got showers and put to bed. Lydia's right eye started bugging her (it got infected), so she spent the evening trying to rest it.

~Matt

Week Rundown! (06/23/13 - 06/29/13)

Sunday morning was Men's Prayer Breakfast at church, and Malachi went with me. He got to spend the afternoon at Granny's house with Aunt Abigail. Lydia, Mysia and I had a nice relaxing afternoon at home. After evening services, we came home and the kids played and watched some tv before bed. The dryer had broken down, so Lydia and I spent most of the evening cleaning the lint out of it and I was able to get it going again.

Monday was hot, and the temperature was expected to rise over the next few days. I sweated it out, sitting in the car after work while Mysia had her piano lessons. The kids and I had supper and played while attended a Zumba class. I waited until it cooled down a bit and then mowed the lawn. It really needed it!

On Tuesday, Lydia spent the day with Malachi getting things done around the house, etc. Lydia's dad visited later that afternoon. We had supper at who hot and enjoyed our visit. Once home, the kids took their showers and went to bed. Lydia and I got some things done around the house before turning in as well.

Mysia got to spend the day with her aunt Abigail on Wednesday. They played, went swimming, and played some more. After work, we attended evening church services. Mysia got to spend the night with Abigail.

Lydia and Malachi spent most of the day together while I went to work. Mysia once again spent the day with Abigail, until later that afternoon. We had Lycia and Jordan over for supper and games and had a good time with their visit.

I was awakened during the night/early Friday morning to a quick moving thunderstorm. I didn't think much of it, until that morning... our small wading pool had been picked up by the wind and wrapped around the slide in the backyard! Go figure. I was able to get off work early, so I picked up the kids and let them ride scooters before supper. We enjoyed the first part of the evening together, then Malachi went to a birthday party for the evening and the rest of us went for a dip in Granny's pool. We then went back to pick him up and ended spending a few hours visiting.

Saturday was a fun but busy day. We got things done around the house, including setting up the pool again, before heading for Taekwondo class. For lunch, we had pizza at my parents' house and we swam in their pool before heading back home. We had our friends, the Tolberts, over for grilled steak and potatoes. The kids played outside for the most part while we visited waiting for the food to finish cooking. We also played several board games before they left. Mysia got to go along and spend the night. I then left and helped Sam with moving. He had some furniture that needed loaded from his apartment. When I got back home... I was tired!


~Matt

Week Rundown! (06/16/13 - 06/22/13)

Lydia woke up Sunday morning around 5 with a fast beating heart. Yes, she had another tachycardia attack. We tried several things to get her heart beat back to normal, but to now avail. After dropping the kids off with Granny, we headed to the ER. On the way, it finally started to go down. What a scare. We headed back home and she relaxed before morning services at church. We spent the afternoon with Lydia's mom and siblings. We watched the Flinstones, took naps, and talked wedding plans. After evening services, we enjoyed the birthday & anniversary dinner fellowship.

Monday back to the regular work week. Mysia had piano lessons before supper. The kids played and we did chores before the kids went to bed. Lydia and I stayed up and watched the Hobbit.

We had "Family Day" on Tuesday. We got up and got ready for free day at the Zoo. It was a bit crowded, but we got to most of the animal exhibits. The weather was nice, so we enjoyed the time. We even rode the train that went around the pond. For lunch, we went to McDonald's. Then it was back home for some rest and naps. It sure felt good! To finish our day, we went swimming at one of the public pools. For the first hour, it wasn't too crowded at all. Mysia spent most of her time at the diving board. Malachi was happy swimming around the fun water works. That evening, the kids took showers and we lazed around the house while watching AFV on Netflix. Malachi didn't last too long before falling asleep on the couch.

Wednesday was nice, and we had a good evening at church. Since many were at youth camp this week, attendance was low. I got the privilege of running media for the services.

I got up and headed out for a normal day on Thursday. However, when I arrived at work, it was hot! The AC was out. Yuck. Mysia had a fun day at Boys & Girls club. Lydia spent the day home with Malachi. They picked up Mysia later in the afternoon and visited the library. We had supper, the kids read and played games, then  ate some ice-cream before bed.

On Friday, Mysia had the privilege of going on a field trip to the Titanic museum in Branson. She was so excited about it, and talked about the adventure when she got home. I got off work early and took the chance to try out the driving range at a local golf course with a few of my coworkers. It was my first time and I stunk! After a quick supper, we met our Sunday school class at the bowling alley. All the families had fun playing a few games, especially the "glow bowling". Mysia and Malachi did very well.

We had a lazy morning on Saturday. Since taekwondo class was cancelled, the kids watched cartoons and we ate a late breakfast. We then tackled the house, getting all chores done and rooms picked up, before some late afternoon naps. The kids played for a bit, and then during supper we watched "A Little Princess". While the kids took showers, we watched a Roy Roger's movie, "Sons of the Pioneers".

~Matt

Week Rundown! (06/09/13 - 06/15/13)

I was tired when I got up, but made it to church in time to run the van for morning services on Sunday. Malachi was a little slow getting ready, so it put Lydia behind on getting to church. Services were good, but the weather was humid. We had a good rest in the afternoon before returning to church for evening services. Afterwards, we visited for a bit before returning home.

On Monday, the heat started to arrive in our weather. We all had a great day‚ pretty normal. It was a bit hot sitting in the car while Mysia had her piano lessons though! The evening was pretty much the usual as well. The kids played and Lydia and I did the daily chores. After the kids went to bed, we watched an episode of "The Bible" on DVD.

Tuesday was a nice day for Lydia. During the summer, she has both Tuesday and Thursday to spend at home with Malachi. This will give her some time for stress relief from college, and the ability to get some things done she's put off due lately. I got up, dropped off Mysia and went to work. Mysia got to go swimming with the Boys & Girls Club. Lydia and Malachi spent the morning at home doing activities like play-dough! After lunch, Lydia went to the dentist for a teeth clean and then she took Malachi to the library. The evening was nice, the kids read books to fill up the chart from the library's summer reading program. After supper, we talked about the activities the library wants the kids to do, and which ones that we wanted to tackle. Both were excited with the prospects of things to do this summer, it was more difficult to get them showered and ready for bed.

Wednesday was pretty normal, nothing to exciting. Church services where nice, and the kids sat with us. We're trying to get them to learn how to behave in the main services, so far so good! Malachi was doing a word search and was upset because there he found all the words except the one at the top of the list.... "Find"!

Lydia spent the day at home with Malachi on Thursday, although they did a little bit of running around to the bank and store before lunch. Mysia had a field trip to the MSU Agricultural Center. She got the chance to milk a cow! That evening, I mowed the lawn after supper and took a dip in the waging pool with the kids. We found it to be a bit slimy, so we dumped and moved it to another location. It was them showers and bed!

Friday was different. I got up and when into work at 5am so that I could help participate in the KWFC Golf Tournament. Lydia got up later with the kids and actually made it into work a bit earlier than scheduled. My afternoon was spent taking and printing pictures of the golfers at Murder Rock near Branson. The evening was restful for me... After supper, I fell asleep on the couch!!! The kids watched Netflix and played. Lydia worked on the menu and grocery list, a task not easily done.

Saturday morning was rainy. We attended Teakwondo class and then Lydia went to the church ladies' meeting activity. The kids and I went home for lunch and naps. It rained, so we didn't get to go swim like we wanted to. Lydia made a grocery run before we headed over to my parent's house for supper and visit. Us guys had planned to go clay shooting, but the rain had also drenched that idea. We visited for the evening and then got home for showers before bed.

~Matt