Thankful Thursday...On Sunday?

I know, I know... I am so late it isn't even funny! I completely missed Christmas & New Year's, and I'm three days late this week. Well, better late than never, right? I have spent much of the last few weeks reminiscing over the last year. I have been so humbled by God's provision, mercy, and grace over the last 14 months. I feel like I have grown more in the last year in my walk with God than I have in the last 11. It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that Daddy has to go through to get me past my stubborn nature. And yet, for all the good, bad, and the ugly, I would not trade this year for anything!

Our "year" actually began on November 2, 2007, when our precious Violet was born. What a surprise her pregnancy was! Only 7 months after Madison was born, I was pregnant again! But what a gift she has been. Her birth was divinely ordained for such a time as this - I can't wait to see where God takes her next!

Our Christmas picture from 2007, taken by our friend Roxanne Vargas.

In January, we took a family trip to Paris with our great friend/babysitter extraordinaire Katie Swartzman. You might say we were crazy, taking 3 children under the age of 5 on a transatlantic flight. Yes, yes we are! But I would not trade the memories for the world! Here we are on the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Feeding the birds in a little park next to the Seine River.


Relaxing in the apartment. How the children have grown in a year!


Yes, I was crazy to take a 2 month old to France! But even more crazy to take Madison, who wasn't walking yet, and just as stubborn then as she is now!


Our family at Disneyland Paris. Such a great day, with so many fun memories with the girls!


By far, Kat's favorite part of the trip - getting to meet Cinderella!



She looks so little in this picture!


And Madison is so little, too - still a baby.

Shortly after our Paris trip, we decided that I needed to go to work to help with our family's finances. God opened an opportunity for me to work at my parents' office. I was there part time until September, when I started full-time. We have learned so much humility (how do you tell your parents that you want to work for them?) and grace (parents that still love you even when you have to admit that you've royally screwed up). We have seen God provide, financially, emotionally, and spiritually, in ways that we would not have imagined. And His ideas for provision are so much cooler than ours! We have seen Jerome's business go from losing 6 deals in 3 months to having a home under contract that was only on the market for 2 weeks! We have had friends come alongside us to watch our children so that I can work (many, many, many thanks to all of you). We have had friends, family, and mentors pray for us continually. We made it through 10 months with no real estate sales, and God provided. Such a great time to be alive!

Violet during 4th of July celebrations - what a party animal!



The Blegers terrorize Indiana! Cousin Michael got married October 4, so we ALL flew TOGETHER (thanks Mama) for the celebration. And we're all still alive! Seriously, it was a great trip, and so wonderful to watch the girls with their great-grandpa. He is so precious & loving, just like his daughter.


Madison & Papa at a Tucker family wedding in October.


The princess & the King! he, he, he... I only say "King" because we are constantly reminding the older princesses that Mommy is Queen of the Castle!


The infamous poop night! If you missed that post, click here and prepare to laugh until you pee your pants. I will NEVER forget that night.


Our 2008 family picture, taken in October by my daddy. While Mom did really silly, embarrassing things to get the grandkids to smile. They never did that for us. They threatened... yeah, again, good to be the grandkid!





Violet's 1st birthday party! Such a little princess!

The Tucker/Bleger family trip to Phoenix for Thanksgiving. Violet got to meet that family, including the great-grandparents, and we got to wear shorts! God is good!

They still love the ears, even after a year. And now, Violet actually likes to wear them.

They're big enough now to perform in the Christmas program at church.

All in all, this has been an amazing year. Filled with joy, heartache, praise, prayer, miracles,tears, laughter, family, friends, frustrations, fears, provision, and trust. I believe that is the most important lesson I have learned this year - trust. I CAN trust Daddy! Thank you , my friends, for sharing in this year with me, for walking with our family, for holding us up in prayer, for laughing with us, for sharing life. I am honored, and looking forward to what God has in store for 2009. It's gotta be good!

Bragging Mama

Yeah, yeah, I know. I've missed THREE Thankful Thursdays in a row now. The world is going to stop spinning on its axis and fall into darkness. No, not really, but I am shocked that I have missed this many weeks. Well, I do have Christmas and New Year's as excuses, but I've got nothing for yesterday. Other than the normal Thursday chaos that is our home. And the studying for my test on Saturday. Anyways, I will get to my normal thankful post hopefully this weekend, but I have a really cool idea for it that will require the commandeering of Jerome's laptop for a while. So, instead, you'll have to deal with a little bit of my bragging...





When we decided to put Katrina in school this fall, I was a little nervous about whether or not she was really ready. Socially, I knew she was, but I wasn't sure where she would fall academically. She could not read, and could not identify most of her letters or numbers. I knew that there were a lot of her classmates who could write their names, read a little, etc. I know she is a lot like me, very strong-willed, but so eager to please people.





She has done so well since August. She is now reading small books on her own, can write her name, can identify all her letters and numbers up to 20, and is excelling beyond my expectations. She absolutely loves school, loves her teacher, and loves reminding her little friends that Jesus wants to be their friend, too. It is so reassuring to my heart. As my friend Jill posted a while ago, it can be intimidating to stand firmly for where you believe God has called you, and to defend that calling, especially in regards to your children. And, we know that God has called Katrina to this school for this time. Will she be in public schools all 12 years? Who knows? But for now, I rest in the knowledge that God has placed her, and our family, in this school for this time. Why? I may not know on this side of heaven, but that's ok.





Ok, off my soap box! So, here is the beautiful little example that she brought home last night that truly showed me just how far she has come. And all the little quirks that come with raising a "lefty" (Daddy & I are "rightys").

In case you need a translation, the correct answers are:

lemon, cherry, 7, 6, 14

I love how she writes her e upside-down & backwards, and how her a is backwards as well. Things I never thought about as a righty. Thanks for letting me brag a little - I love my princess!

Things I've done...

The things I've done are in bold. What have you done? Repost it to your blog, then leave me a note so I can see your adventures! Here's mine.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run (if softball counts)
36. Danced like a fool and didn’t care who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales
42. Had amazing friends
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs (and DVD's, and...)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (heck no!)
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an “expert”
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (working on it...)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking with the windows open
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart (so he said...)
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (yes, oh yes...like the guns...)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach (again, heck no!)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions (no way - it was too much fun!)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

New's Years Day - Sledding Insanity!

Our great friends, Ryan & Sommer Randol, invited all of us to their home in Mancos on New Year's Day for sledding & chili. We drove into the mountains above their house, then Ryan pulled us to the sledding hill behind his 4-wheeler. The snow was about 2 feet deep where we were sledding, which made for very interesting walking with the children. We had a grand time sledding, throwing snowballs, and shooting guns... oh, come on, its the Randols. Did you actually think we would go into the woods without shooting something? We then all went back to the Randols and enjoyed Sommer's homemade chili with all the fixings. All in all, it was a very fun day!

Violet's first real snow experience - what is this cold stuff?

Madison enjoying a little snack in the snow. As long as she had food, she was fine.

Daddy & Violet getting ready to sled.

Katrina got to ride on the toboggan behind the 4-wheeler with the other "big" girls. She had a blast, and was such a trooper. She hiked through snow above her hips for most of the afternoon.

Ryan & Sommer's youngest, Sean. He is almost 4 months old, and is, obviously, not easily fussed. He just lounged around in his carrier, admiring the scenery.

The crew - obviously Madi did not appreciate the photo op.

Only Ryan, Mike, Sommer, & Tiffany would go sledding and take an infant carrier, a camo diaper bag, and enough firearms to form a militia. Sleds & guns - what a great combination!

Ryan & Sommer, our amazing hosts - they always make everything a fun adventure!

Madi still did not appreciate the photo opp.

Violet, Celine & Tiff resting inbetween hikes.

Christmas Morning

After spending Christmas Eve with Jerome's family, we drove out to my parents' ranch to spend the night with my parents. It was snowing fairly hard when we left town, and by the time we got to the house it was fairly deep. Needless to say, we got stuck in their driveway. But, we got everybody up to the house & asleep so that we could party Christmas morning!

Violet crawled around with this piece of wrapping paper stuck to her hair for about a half hour while we were opening presents.

Katrina modeling her new Cinderella dress. She loved it!

Madison opening her new baby doll that actually pees after you give her a bottle. Gee, thanks Grandma...

Papa snuggling with Violet.

"I got binocolers, Mama." She thinks they take pictures.

Myself & Madison watching "Old" Grandma open her presents.

Violet & Madison eating cereal while waiting for Papa's quiches to finish warming up. Only these girls could get away with pouring cereal all over my mother's floor and not get in trouble. Must be nice to be the grandkid...

Violet enjoying some quality time with "Old" Grandma.

The big girls opening their stockings, and we enjoyed a rare moment of sibling cooperation. They can be nice!

Opening presents is hard work!

Christmas Eve 2008

We've begun a Bleger family tradition in the last few years of spending Christmas Eve after service together. We eat, open presents, & generally just enjoy some time together. Kristin's parents, Bill & Linda, came down for the week and joined us for some fun!

Grandpa Bill & Pepe giving Pax his first pool lesson.

Pax & Grandpa Bill snuggling on the couch.

The beautiful Woods/Bleger women, Kristin & her mom Linda.

Adam, looking slick from church, and Pax, ready for bed.



The grandmas enjoying a little time to watch the kids.



Katrina, very excited about her new poncho that Aunt Kristin made.

Madison admiring the spread. She ate a lot of shrimp and bread that night.

Pepe & Violet playing with Miro.

Christmas Memories

I know, I know... It's after New Year's, and I'm just now blogging about Christmas. So, I'm a little behind. We've been slightly busy in our house. So, be prepared for a whole slew of posts. I've commandered the laptop and I don't plan on giving it back until I'm caught up! Blogging meets anal rententive. Gotta love it!

Anyways, I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the parties, the time with family. Since much of our family is out of the area, here are a few memories from this season:

Katrina singing with friends Kale and Grace in the kids' program at church (thanks to Jill P for the pics - our batteries died in our camera right after it started).

Madison as a sheep in the program. She really enjoyed being a sheep. She, in fact, insisted that she was going to be a sheep every time we went near the church for the next two weeks.

Our beautiful tree - found after a mile and a half hike into the woods behind my parents' ranch. Grandma and Grandpa went up early to "scout" potential trees. When we got there, Grandma showed Madison the tree she liked & asked her if she liked it. Madison said, "No, I no like it." Grandpa then took her to his tree and asked the same question. Madison said, "I like it. It's pretty." Guess which tree ended up at my parents' house? Yup, my dad, big fat tree. The pretty, perfectly formed tree ended up at our house. Good choice Madison!

Katrina & Madison enjoying some hot cocoa after the "hunt".

My mom & dad's tree - aka Madison's choice. Aka the fat tree with the massive pile of presents!

Our back deck after the huge snowstorm - we got a bunch of snow in not much time. It was the first white Christmas in a while!



Jerome's parents' tree - they actually got lights on it before Christmas this year! Now we'll just have to see how long it takes to get it down.


Our front yard after the second major snowstorm of the season. We're now officially tired of shoveling!