Swim Meet is Over

It is Monday! We are now recovering from a long weekend. The girls swam so well. In fact our whole SWAC team swam incredibly well. Melina took first in one of her heats for 50 Free! She improved most of all her times for each event! Her Free Relay team also came in 1st place! It was a beautiful race. The girls killed it and smoked all the others! I have to brag a little on that, because it was so exciting! Olline swam so well in her events and improved in her times as well. She is becoming an incredible swimmer and we are so proud. She even was able to dive off the blocks this time! That is a huge hurdle for her to overcome! SO PROUD!!!!!

So last night I started to feel ill, again! I am not over this cold. So this morning I slept in and we are taking it easy. Will do a little school here and see how it goes for me! Girls seem to be doing well and healthy.

It is a sunny day and looks like spring is here! PTL!

As soon as I get the swim meet photos downloaded, I will share a few with all of you!

To Jenger, Cid, Jeriah, Mariah and Nicole...Thank you so much for coming. It meant the world to us and more. No words can explain how we feel about you all. You are our precious family and we love you so much. To have you there supporting the girls was so important and we thank you! Melina was so happy! Mariah...Next time I am keeping you!:)

LOVE YOU and God Bless!

It's Been a While

1-24-10 The Girls!

1-1-10 Happy New Year

It has been a while since I have written on our blog. Things have been extremely busy and I have been focusing on the kids 24/7.

Homeschooling has been going really well. We have been enjoying our Idaho Virtual Academy so much. Both girls are now in the school system and we love learning and doing our studies here at home. Melina has come a long way in her studies and her test scores show it! So cool!

There is always a lot to do and study, but somehow we are doing it all! We are just so blessed and thankful that God has provided this path for us. PTL!

We have continued with our swimming and this weekend will be our next meet! It will be at Whitworth College in Spokane. We will be there Saturday morning at 7:45am and then on Sunday at 6:45am! So early...not sure how we will make it! The girls will be exhausted. Melina will be swimming 12 events, six on each day. Olline will be swimming 7 events, 4 on Sat. and 3 on Sunday! Olline will also have her first relay race with her 3 other girl friends. She will be the freestyle girl at the end of the race to finish it off! CAN'T WAIT!

It has been a little worrisome these last few days. Olline has been sick with a cough and cold and I had a bit of a fever last night! Today we are better, but still recovering. Hope this will not ruin our weekend! Though, with all the prayers said, I know that our Lord will give us the strength we need! Swim meet...here we come!

I haven't been downloading pictures lately either. In fact, I haven't been taking very many. I did go through some photos I had taken in January and I will post a few.

Jade is doing well. He has been working out a lot! He is going to be a mean, lean, fighting machine soon! He has been going to the gym 4 to 5 days a week. On Mon. and Fri. he has been doing a bike spinning class with weights involved as well. Super cool! Wish I could join him. We are very proud of him. Most of all we are so proud for all he does to support this family!!!!!

Well, I better get off this thing so I can go back to teaching. LOVE YOU ALL!

Diana

Newspaper

Melina is in the back on the left! Can you see her?

We wanted to share with you that our Melina was shown as an athlete of the week, along with her swim team in today's paper! We are so proud! This photo was taken at the last swim meet we went to in Cheney, WA. This is Melina's swim team! Soon Olline will join them in the competition part of it! Wow weeee! Love you all!

Photos To Share

I struggled to get more photos on here. It was taking me forever! So here are a few to enjoy!

11-22-09 The SWAC Sharks relay team, Emily, Payton, Melina and Logan!

11-21-09 Melina on the left in her 50 Fly! She improved her time by 8 seconds! That is huge!!!

11-16-09 Olline took at class on Charolette's Web!

11-16-09 Melina's good friends at the finale of their Co Op Classes
Katie, Melina and Emily

Swimming, School and Losing Teeth

Daily Bee Newspaper clip of Melina and her team! 11-25-09

Melina during her Cheney Meet! 11-21-09

Today is Thanksgiving! I hope and pray we all remember to be thankful to our Lord first and foremost for all He has done for us! We love all of you and hope you are having a wonderful thanksgiving. We just ate our dinner, full of everything you could imagine! It was so yummy and now we are fat and full! Can't wait to eat pie! LOL!

Just a note...Melina did so well at her Cheney "Turkey Trot" swim meet. Melina, Olline and I went over to Cheney with our dear friends, Shannon and her girls, Emily and Sarah. Melina and Emily raced on the 21st and 22nd. They did so well and placed super good times. They were even mentioned in the newpaper on the 25th! SO COOL. I will try to post a photo of it.
That weekend Olline was trying so hard to lose her front top left tooth! It just wouldn't come out. So that even on Sunday when we got home she had a sandwich for dinner...she called me and ended up losing her front top RIGHT tooth! What? That is so strange. That left one was hanging on by a thread. So the tooth fairy came that Sunday evening! They next evening that Left one finally came out and the tooth fairy visited again! So poor Olline is super toothless! She has no top front teeth and as you can imagine she is talking a little funny. When I get a photo downloaded to the computer I will post a picture.

It feel good to have a couple days off from school. I know the girls love that. However, our schooling seems to be going great. Couldn't ask for better. Our Monday Co Op has ended (last Monday the 16th) and I am looking forward to having those Mondays to ourselves for awhile. Although the girls really love going and they do have great friends there.

Just keep in mind for prayers that Olline will be having her first swim meet on Saturday, Decemeber 19th! She will race for the first time. Melina will be swimming as well. We will be driving to Moscow, ID again, but for only one day this time! SO FUN!

Love you all and our prayers are with you! God Bless.

Fall Is Here!

We had our first snow on the 29th of October! All our leaves have fallen. We can now see our breath in the cold air. Fall is here...but winter is coming...fast!

We had a great Halloween. We invited a few dear friendsover. I made us all dinner and afterwards we left for the spooky neighborhoods! We had about 9 kids running from house to house. Our girls had a great time. They dressed up as cute ninjas that we made at home. They looked so cute.

School is going well. Kids are doing great and being home is such a blessing. Our Co Op classes are almost finished. We will have two more and then have a break until January. I will miss going, but I am also looking forward to a break.

Jade will be busy this month, getting ready for the ski season. He will also be leaving for Boston the week before Thanksgiving! Wow...that will be an adventure. We wish we could go with him, but this trip will be for work.

The girls and I will be leaving for another swim meet close to Spokane on Nov. 20-22. We are looking forwards to that!

So here are a few photos of our Halloween girls! God Bless you all!

School, Swim, Sleep

Olline and Melina at the fair grounds with the goats 8-26-09

Olline doing her Math! Sept. 2009

Melina on the slide! Sept. 2009

Melina, Emily B. and Olline at the Kroc Center in CDA! 9-26-09

I just want to say that we have our husband/dad back! He came home yesterday! Oh, we so happy! It feels sooooo good to have him home.
We did our schooling today. All went very well. Jade took Olline to the doctor because her cold just won't go away! She didn't have anything really horrible, just sniffles! So I had Jade get her in and they put her on antibiotics too. They said she has a sinus infection. I am so tired of all the sickness going around.
Jade was able to stay home today! It was nice to have him with us. He was able to see Melina swim this evening as well. Her swim meet in on Saturday, so she is working hard to get it all right. She will be fine!
The weather has changed. It is so cold! I think it was in the 50's today. Sweaters and pants and heat! We are suppose to get the rains as well, but I haven't seen any yet.

I just wanted to ask if everyone would say a little prayer for my Grandad! He had throat surgery yesterday and isn't doing so well in the hospital. I haven't heard from my mom yet on all the details. However she texts me and he isn't feeling well. I just pray God will lay His hands and angels on him. I pray he will heal fast. Wish I was there to support him, but I will pray for him here.

Now I am about to go give Olline and Melina a bath! I am tired and ready to relax!

Good night and God Bless!

Yesterday

Yesterday we were able to go to Coeur d'Alene and enjoy time together at the new Kroc Center. The Kroc Center is a new athletic club that is HUGE! Melina will be having her swim meet there next weekend and I thought it would be nice if we went to check it out.
So the night before last Melina spent the night at a friends house. I went to pick her up and we invited her friend Emily to come with us. Emily is a very sweet girl just Melinas age. So it was just us four girls on our way to the big Kroc Center.
We first checked out the competition pool. I timed Melina in some of her races. Then we just had fun. I even swam a few laps! So awesome.
Then we all went into the family fun water area. They have a huge water slide and a bunch of other fun water stuff to play in. Olline and I stayed together and swam all over. Melina and her friend Emily played together and seemed to have a blast! We just had a GREAT time.
The only thing we were missing was DAD! Can't wait for him to be home. Hopefully we will see him on Tuedsay the 29th!
After all that swimming fun, we went to Costco to pick up a few things. We were sooooo hungry that I took the girls to Chili's! It was yummy and we were full and happy afterwards. We left for home and dropped off Emily. Then got home and went straight to bed. I think it was almost 8pm by the time we got home. WOW what a day. I just thank the Lord so much for opportunities like these. It was wonderful. We are so blessed.

Today is a beautiful day. Super sunny and a little breeze. The girls and I are trying to take it easy today.

Still SICK!

Well so far Melina isn't better. We will be going to the doctor at 4pm today. It sounds like it went into her chest and it has been four days of it! She needs to see a dr. Then this morning I feel sick. It is in my sinuses right now. YUCK! Olline seems to be doing okay. A little sniffle, but not super sick like her sister.
Jade may be coming home tonight for just the night! Can't wait to see him. It has been 8 days! We all got to talk to him on the cell phone last night. His voice sounded soooo good. MISS HIM!

Well I need to get my Olline out of the tub! God Bless you all today!

Sick Kids

It is almost 10am. Olline woke up sick, just like her sister. So far she isn't as bad as Melina, but I can hear the cold coming on. Melina is still bad in her nose and chest! They do not have fevers, but it still is scary. I am not sure if this needs a doctors attention or if they can just fight it out. I haven't decided yet. I just need lots of prayers so that I do not get it. Jade is gone and it seems that every year he leaves we all get sick. So please Lord help us to heal and be well. Keep me strong so I can teach and take care of my kids and home!!!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

I'm Tired

What a day. We woke up at 6am...got ready for our first day of First Class Co-Op! We used to have it on Fridays, but they changed it to Monday's. It was fun and our girls loved it. Melina sure has a few super sweet friends there that bring out the best qualities in her. So nice to see such great girls that love the Lord!

Olline had a great time and just loves everyone. She is a people person and she could play all day with her friends.

I will be teaching a preschool class for 3 and 4 year old kids for an hour. It turned out great. Kids just are so forgiving...they love you no matter what. I really enjoyed it and I think they like me. Hee. So this begins our 10 week school process of our Co-Op. Such a great blessing for us.

Then this afternoon I had a friend over with her daughter named Briar (like Briar Rose in Sleeping Beauty). She is 4 years old and she and Olline just love each other. Her mom Sarah and I got to visit and it was so nice. She is a very sweet lady.

After the good visit we ate a quick dinner and we were off to church for the girls bible classes. They seem to really love it. I didn't stay. I ran over to the Walmart and got a few things. So, by the time we got home at 8pm the girls and I were so very tired. I am so tired now and should be sleeping.

Jade is still out hunting and I just pray for his safety every day! I miss him so much and he has been gone for just a few days. The girls keep asking for him and it is sometimes hard to be the strong mom. I want him here also! Melina keeps worrying that he may be hurt...but I told her that God is protecting him and that we can put our faith and trust in HIM! That always makes us feel better!

Well it is late and my eyes are shutting as I type. Love you all and God Bless YOU!

Schools On

It is now 10:13pm and I sit here at this new computer (the school supplies it) for Olline's new schooling thinking of our last three days. We started our new adventure in school last Monday! I just can't believe it has come and we are doing this again. I am so proud that we are continuing to homeschool. It is an incredible feeling to know that I am teaching our children here in our own home. I feel we belong here. God has guided us to this place and I have no regrets.
Monday was a strange day...just because we were getting our "school shoes" back on and testing the waters. We did very well and the girls seemed to love it. However, we started a little later (just because I am used to sleeping in a little...lol-it will be hard for me with the school hours!) and so we ended at 4:00pm! That is alright, just because we had a great time. So yesterday, Tuesday, was harder. Olline had swimming lessons at 9am (Melina stayed home sick with a sore throat) and so we didn't get an early start. However, it was a great full day of school work. Then that leaves me for today...we had a great day. Again, we started later than I wanted too, but we got so much done and I feel that the girls were learning and having fun.
It is hard for me to get these two separate curriculum's down! Olline has her own system going and Melina being four years older has her own program! As long as I can organize and do my advance prep., I think that I can do this. Well, I know I can do this. God has put me in the great spot and I will take it on with all my strength! He never fails me and I will try to not fail Him! PTL!
Today was a very hot day. I believe it was over 90 degrees! After school we went as a family to the library. I needed to pick up a few books on Jamestown of Virginia. Jade also wanted to find a few good books on CD. We got our stuff and then went to Home Depot. Oh boy, do I wish I could pick a little bit of this and that to redo our home. Hee Hee!
Well it is late. I have done all the advance prepping that I can do for my girls. Now it is time to try and rest my brain (if I can) and go to sleep. Tomorrow we will have to wake up early to go swimming and another full day of school.
We love you and hope that all is well with our families. Take care and God Bless.

PS...our computer seems to be working again. So as soon as I can find time I will be able to down load a few pictures and share them with you on my blog! LOVE YOU ALL!

Hello to All

1948 Grandad (Clyde D. King) hunting!!!

1957 Grammy and their dog Rebel!!! So cute!

What a beautiful day today! Suppose to be in the 80's! The nights are cooler and the days are just perfect. I think I smell school in the air. Or Jade would say he smells hunting! LOL.

This morning we woke up to get ready for swim team. Melina was the only girl there on her team. Summers are so much slower for swim and I love the days when her coach can spend more one on one time with her. I think she likes it also. However, she pushes herself more when she has others to race with.

Olline just is doing so well also! We are still very proud of them. We are hoping that Melina's next swim meet will be October 2-4 in Coeur d'Alene. It will be at a brand new center and it should be exciting. Plus we won't have to drive over 4 hours to get there! Also, we won't need a hotel, we can come home! Great things to look forward to.

School is coming fast. We will be starting on the 31st of this month! Olline will be starting the Idaho Virtual Academy. It is an online school (charter school), which they supply all her needs, even a computer. I just need a bit more structure with her! I just get overwhelmed with two whole curriculum's! I am nervous, it may be harder for us, or it may be a great way to teach! We all need lots of prayer. I just need to remember to take it day by day! My brains get ahead of me sometimes and I get scared!

So, school seems to be getting lined up and ready. Just need to do last minute organizing when the time get closer. As for now we are trying to enjoy every minute of our summer!

We hope you are all doing well. Love you bunches. God Bless.

Quick Note

I just wanted to say that this year on August 1st Melina swam the huge annual Long Bridge Swim. Yes, it is the same bridge you drive over when you come to Sandpoint! It is 1.76 miles long!!!! Melina swam it in 1 hour and 36 minutes! WOW WEE. We think that is incredible and she really didn't train or practice. She just went for it. God has certainly blessed us!

SO MUCH HAPPENING

Today I am using Jade's laptop. Our computer has been out of commission for some time now. We are hoping that it will be back up in a week or so. So I just wanted to post a small letter today. I miss adding to my blog. So much has happened since July 17th. Kids attended camps. Melina attended a bible camp for a week-over night!!! It was her first over night event. It was so strange. That same week Olline attended the Schweitzer day camp from 8-4pm. To be home alone without my girls was a very weird feeling. Jade and I did get a little vacation though. We went on the boat, went to Canada and such. It was great.

So time is ticking down for school to restart. I am in the process in getting everything in order. However, without my computer I am unable to do a lot of it. This year I will be signing up Olline for the 1st grade Idaho Virtual Academy. It is a public (charter school) system. It scares me a little, but I want to try it for a year. It is a homeschool system. They send us the computer, school work and everything we need. It does not have a christian study, so I would like to add that. If we like it, I plan to only use it for the 1st and 2nd grades. We will see how it goes. I am still trying to register her up.
Melina and I will be doing the next level of A New World of Adventure! It is a great program with all the subjects except Math; I supplement that in.

Oh, we did go camping too! For just a couple days. We dug for Star Garnets, had wild weather, and great bonding time. We had to leave our camp at 3am to get away from tornado winds, thunder and lightning. WOW!

Well I will try to post soon. It may be awhile for our computer to be running smooth! We love you all and wish the best for you. God Bless you!

Sandpoint City Beach

7-17-09 Girls with their tubes!

7-17-09 Girls at City Beach

7-17-09 Panoramic View of the girls at City Beach

Yesterday we went to the city beach. We left early before it started to get crowded. It was already hot by the time we got there at 10:30am. It was so gorgeous and perfect. The girls hit the water right away. I laid it the sun till I got really hot and then jumped in. Or should I say slowly walked in. We had a blast, just the girls and I. It is good for us three to be alone and play together. We usually have friends and I just watch. But to be together and interact with my girls is the best blessing ever. They were super sweet and a JOY to be with! I am so thankful for them both!

We played and played, the beach got crowded and we ate ice cream. Then we play a little more and decided to pack up and head home. We rested at home, then when dad got home we ate dinner and hit the boat! We went to our "nooky nook" and swam again! It was perfect! The girls played so hard. They like to jump off the back of the boat over and over. I am so surprised what fish they have turned out to be!

Speaking of fish...Jade and I both caught a few big bass. It is so much fun. We played, swam, fished and the eagles were flying all over! The water temperature was a great 74 degrees! God spoils us toooo much! I just hope we always stay grateful for what we have.

So today Melina is already off at Amanda's house. I plan to get things organized today for Melina and Olline. Melina leaves for camp tomorrow and Olline leaves for Schweitzers day camp Monday! Melina needs to pack and get ready for her big week away from the family! To tell you the truth I am nervous and sad she is going. I will MISS her terribly!

Well, I pray you all will have a blessed day! Love you so much. God Bless.

Today is a hot one

7-15-09 Can you see the eagle???

7-15-09 This is the place we like to anchor the boat and swim!

7-16-09 This was today with the girls jumping on the trampoline

Today the girls and I enjoyed time with friends. They have a trampoline and the girls would spray the sprinkler up underneath of them and jump. It was lots of fun for them.

My friend had her nieces there with her and one of them is the same age as our niece Mariah! She looked so much like Mariah! It was very cool. She is a beautiful girl and she and Melina hit it off!

We ended up at a little beach and played some more. Melina and this girl spent most of the time together. I just thought that was so neat!

We sure enjoy their company and hope to do it again.

It is a hot one. I believe about 90! We sure do enjoy the weather so we can spend time on the boat or at the beach. I think we are a little spoiled.

We hope our families are well. We keep you all in our daily prayers. Love you and God Bless.

Panoramic Photo

7-14-09 Here are the girls helping out their daddy reel in a fish!

7-14-09 We were on the boat at this time. I was able to take this photo in 5 shots and the camera will put them together! To the left is the City Beach! So fun! Can you see the tip of our boat on the bottom right?

7-14-09 Here we are out fishing in our "Nooky Nook" were we go to swim. The girls swam and Jade and I fished! Beautiful!

I wanted to share these beautiful panorama photos I took last night of our lake! I hope they come through! Love you all! God Bless.

Rain Rain Rain

7-11-09 Sweet Luke was just hot and sleepy

7-11-09 Olline on the Pack River

7-7-09 Olline in her Braids

7-8-09 Melina finally lost a tooth

7-10-09 Kids at the church

6-8-09 Alien girls, Melina, Amanda, Olline off to bible school

7-4-09 Papa (dad) at Bottle Bay on his birthday

7-4-09 Meme (mom) and Olline at Bottle Bay

7-7-09 Olline's hand made Alien Shirt

7-7-09 Melina's Hand Made Alien Shirt

IT IS RAINING!!! PTL!!! I am so happy that the rain came. I do enjoy the sun, however, our grass was dieing and things are looking so dry so soon! Thank you Lord for sending us your rain! We had storms last night and so far today we are just getting nice cool rain!

We have been very busy. The week of July 6th-10th the girls attended Vacation Bible School. The theme was Space Camp and they had a blast!! They dressed up like aliens and I now have my photos downloaded so I can share them with you. They even painted their nails with glow in the dark nail polish.

This last Saturday, this girls and I went on the Pack River and floated on it. Our friends from church invited us and we used their tubes (thank you!) to float on. It was so hot and perfect to be on the water. I accidentally put a hole in the raft I was using and thankfully one of the oars we had had tape on it! We peeled off a piece and was able to repair the raft! I felt so bad!

The river was perfect. It was slow and you just float on it for a few hours. Our friends little son from China was so sleepy and unsure of things, he fell asleep on his daddy! It was so cute!

Jade was unable to come with us, so I hope next time we will get him out there! I would love to do it again!

This week is a nice relaxing week. It is nice because thing will pick up again on the 19th. Melina attends a Bible Camp that whole week. She will be able to stay the night that entire week! FIRST TIME! Then Olline will attend the Schweitzer Camp from 8am-4pm that whole week also! Crazy, our girls are growing up toooooo fast. They get to do all these things without their parents! (It's just not right:)

So I will try to get some photos up! Love you all. God bless!

July Madness

As some of you know my parents birthdays are celebrated with the whole country! They were born on July 4th! As I was growing up, I always thought that the 4th was just a BIG party for my parents! I didn't realize till later that it was the celebration of our USA and freedom. So this year we were blessed to have them both here. We had fantastic weather-very hot in the 90's! We got to spend great time with them and we also got to go out on the lake! It was so much fun...I love them so much. They are so special to us.

This week the girls have been attending VBS (vacation bible school) at church. The theme is Space Camp! Yesterday they got to dress up like aliens! Amanda spent the night on Tuesday and the girls decorated their own t-shirts! The curled their hair and had a great alien day! I think they are having a great time and I feel it is so special for them to be with other kids that celebrate our Lord.

The weather has been strange. So many dark clouds with the sun! It has become more muggy than we usually have. However, it has been a bit cooler from those 90 degree days.

Well I better get off this thing. I need to go pick up the girls from church at 11:30. Love you all and God Bless. (I will post a few more pictures later. I need to down size a few because they are too big)