AS WE GROW...

Happy 2010!?!?!?

2010-01-04T11:18:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year!!! I can't believe that it is the year 2010! We are doing very well here in Berrien Springs! We love that we have a snow hill right in our backyard. I think the kids have been outside more this winter than all the winters combined at our other house (maybe a slight exaggeration:-) They love to sled and cross country ski. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Ritter the kids have ski boots and ski's they love it!!! We also have 2 neighbor boys that love to come over and sled too.....the kids love having other kids to play with. Currently I don't think it has stopped snowing since the day after Christmas......we have a bunch of snow. School starts again on the 6th and we will be back into the swing of things with pioneers, basketball practices and games and all the fun things as well as work that come along with school. I can't believe half the school year is over.

Wishing all of you a wonderful new year filled with the Lord and his blessings!!

Back to school!!

2009-09-12T20:21:00.010-04:00

Well it has been back to school for us for a few weeks. Courtney has started 5th grade, Alex has started 1st grade, and Natalie is going to pre-school 3 mornings a week.
We are going to be in the full swing of things come this week.

Courtney starts band and piano, she has already had a volleyball game and 2 more this week girl pioneers and Jr. Choir. She is going to be one busy girl this year. I'm excited about it and I know that she is as well.

Alex is getting used to 1st grade. All day this year, which is really wierd for me! He has reading story's to bring home, math homework pages, memory work, and spelling words. We are adjusting to needing to have things done for the next day when he gets home from school. He really is doing very well!!! He also is able to join buckaroos, which is through our church, he will be learning things about camping, how to make a pine car derby and other things that boys like to know ;-)

Natalie is a "big girl" now!! Being in the 4 yr. old pre-school brings "big" changes than being in the 3's last year. She gets to get her own puzzle off the shelf without asking!! She no longer needs color clips which meant she could only play in that center that matched her color......they can ALL play with the kitchen at the same time if they want. Really she does more than that but I still have to laugh when I think about her telling me those things, and it's all because she's not 3 anymore she's 4!!!

Most important is that they are all learning the word of God everyday!! Really what else is important?

Praying that God blesses our school year and yours too!!

11 years later!!

2009-08-19T07:32:00.010-04:00

That's right folks it's been 11 years of marriage for us!!! Saturday August 15 we celebrated! It was great too our friends, who we set up 11 years ago this summer and who also were in our wedding were married on Saturday. So we went to the wedding and reception and had a blast celebrating with them!!

I really liked attending a wedding on our anniversary. Listening to the pastor, the vows, the music just brought back good memories and let my mind think on the past and while the pastor was preaching knowing that the things he was saying was so true!!

At the wedding my friend had a photo booth for all their guests to go in and have their picture taken!! It was like being in a photo booth at the mall. 4 pictures were taken then they printed out and 4 were put into a scrapbook and the other 4 were given to us to have!! Next to the pictures in the scrapbook we wrote a little note to the bride and groom. I thought this was a very clever idea, and we had some pictures of us which was special to me just because it was our anniversary.......and it was fun too!!!

Lovin' the house!!

2009-07-31T19:09:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time........in that time since the last post the kids have finished school, we sold our house in Stevensville and we bought and moved into Colin's mom and dad's house in Berrien Springs. We've been busy!! I'm so thankful for how much I enjoy living "all the way out here." I have to admit I had my reservations about moving 20 minutes away from church and school and I know that school hasn't started yet, but I'm thoroughly enjoying God's beautiful creation out here. Since we've lived here we have experienced a deer eating in our backyard and a family of turkey's coming along too!! We have taken incredible 10 mile bike rides, that Courtney and Alex have rode the whole way, and now that Tom and Joyce live on the river we have been able to canoe which has been beautiful. The kids have absolutely loved seeing these things and are so happy out here. As for the drive.......going to church has not been a big deal at all it's nice to have a little time in the car sometimes. I also know that my attitude depends alot on the drive for school. I'm prepared with a good attitude about the drive to and from school.

God has blessed us tremendously in these last few months and I pray that he continues to bless us in the months to come.

I pray that he blesses each one of you too!!

catch up part 2.....

2009-05-13T14:51:00.005-04:00

After April was over we headed full force into May with an entertainment day, Mother's day tea party and piano recital.

Natalie played the Dr. for 3 little monkey's, sipping tea at the party, and posing with Mrs. Mashke, Courtney's piano teacher.

Just so you all don't think I forgot about Alex......he has taken to hunting. He stalks the birds around our backyard what a cute little hunter!!! (oops I mean "manly" hunter :-)

Catch up time :-)

2009-05-13T14:13:00.007-04:00

We decided to get away for a night during spring break. This led us to Indianapolis to an indoor water park and the children's museum. It was great being able to swim even though it was snowing outside. We invited grandma and grandpa Robards to come along and we had a great little getaway!

The next weekend was Easter and we celebrated the Lord's resurrection!! What a wonderful day!!

Natalie has turned 4!! The best thing was getting to ride in a booster seat now!! We celebrated with family and was able to work out a visit with Aunt Esther, Cherith, Calvin and Nora. All the kids had fun and the day was great!!

Our State Capitol!

2009-04-22T09:35:00.007-04:00

Courtney had a field trip to Lansing to visit Michigan's state capitol. They have been learning about Michigan and American history this year. This was an exciting field trip for her class to finally see and hear about the things they have learned. I had never been to the capitol so I went with her and lo and behold I also learned a few things!! We had a beautiful day to go. We started at the historical museum then we walked over to the capitol building. It is a truly beautiful building with so much history....it was incredible! The class was able to lay down on a glass floor and look up to the dome the picture on the right is what Courtney saw while she was looking straight up!! The kids all had a good time and so did the adults.......it was a great day!

For Sale By Owner

2009-04-20T09:59:00.002-04:00

1593 S. Teakwood Dr.

Stevensville, MI 49127

4 bedroom, 3 bath brick ranch in Lakeshore subdivision with 2800 sq.ft. finished all levels. Home features hardwood floors in living room and 3 bedrooms, master bedroom offers newer carpet and new sliding glass door, many new windows installed, main floor laundry and geothermal heating and cooling. Basement is finished with a possible 5th bedroom, 2 new egress windows, full bath, family room and rec room. 2 car attached garage and a large fully fenced in backyard with deck.

Here is some info about our house please spread the word if you know of anybody looking to buy a house. Please feel free to e-mail me for more info. My e-mail address is in my profile. Thanks

2nd Place!!!

2009-03-22T16:16:00.002-04:00

Courtney participated in the pine car derby on Saturday at her school. She made her car, with the help of Grandpa Robards, out of small block of wood. She did an excellent job sanding and painting and taking great care to make a great car. The cars are judged for craft and for speed. Last year her car didn't even cross the finish line on its own or place in the craft category, but this year her goal was reached when her car crossed the finish line every race!! After all the racing was over they announced the craft winners and she placed 2nd!! It was surprising and wonderful!! She had fun and was very proud of herself.

Way to go Court!!!

Tagged too!

2009-02-10T08:25:00.003-05:00

Amanda and Tim tagged me so here goes.....

Here are the rules

1.Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.

2.Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3.Explain the picture

4.Tag 4 people to do the same

No cheating (cropping or editing)

Alex is 22 months here and playing around with a silly hat. Courtney is in the background with her broken arm.

I tag

Transition woman

Eye of the storm

A day in the life of Nora Claire

peacebuilder

Sorry I don't have that many blogs that I read:)

Winter Fun!

2009-02-09T11:42:00.007-05:00

Sledding at our neighbor's and grandma and grandpa's house!

Alex and Natalie learned to ice skate with the help of Grandpa and dad!

Colin the Hunter

2009-01-09T08:50:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note about Colin. The hunting bug bit him this year:) So out he went day after day to see of he could get the big one. I don't know if this was the big one, but it was big enough to be proud of! He shot an eight point buck this year and now we have a freezer full of meat!

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T15:03:00.002-05:00

Happy 2009!!

Merry belated Christmas to everyone as well!

We are finally back into the swing of things here in Stevensville. Back to school, work, and extra curriculars. It's nice to have the routine back! All the kids are doing great and somewhat excited to be back in school. Now it's time to settle in for a long (but hopefully not to long) winter and dream for spring to come quickly. I don't really know when I went from loving the winter season to wishing it away so quickly, but I think it has something to do with the whole getting older thing. I enjoy snow for Christmas but when Christmas is done I think the snow should be too:) Oh well I think I'll survive. Wishing all who read this a wonderful 2009 from all of us Ritters in Stevensville:)

Snow Day (already)

2008-11-21T08:01:00.003-05:00

That's right we have our first snow day of the season. I can't believe it! It's November we're not supposed to have snow days until January. Natalie came into our room this morning and told me I needed to come see all the snow. I told her I would get up in a little bit. I didn't really think there was that much snow. Then my sister called and told me school was closed so I got up to see for myself. We have a little over 6" of snow I think it could be more. Oh well. The kids are excited a little bit. They really like school so there was a little disappointment. Colin woke up early to have breakfast with his co-workers so he started shoveling the drive-way at 5:45 this morning and didn't finish until 6:45. He didn't make it to breakfast but he did make it out of our subdivision and made it to work. Everybody stay safe and warm today....And by the way Ashley I made baked oatmeal for the first time this season:) It seemed like a good morning for a great hot breakfast!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T13:29:00.004-04:00

Our neighborhood had trick-or-treat on Thursday night. The kids dressed up in fun costumes and walked around the neighborhood seeking out candy:) They had a great time with friends that came along with us and we have enough candy to last until next year. We carved pumpkins on Tuesday and lit them up Thursday night to see the kids' creations. This is a tradition that I enjoyed with my parents and it's fun to watch my kids enjoy the fun side of halloween.

As you can see we had 2 fifty's girls and 1 cowboy!!

Natalie also had a Noah's Ark party on Thursday at pre-school. Each student had to dress up as an animal. Natalie was a cat (just like Courtney when she was 3:) She had alot of fun....what a fun way to have a party!

Basketball

2008-10-17T13:31:00.005-04:00

The basketball season has come to an end. Courtney enjoyed playing her 2nd year on the c-team. She and her teammates improved tremendously from last year.

Some of the highlights from this season included:
Getting to wear really cool uniforms
Scoring 12 points in one game
Having Uncle Noel and Aunt Ashley coming to watch her play
Making a free-throw

It was a great season and we can't wait until next year when she will be able to play for the b-team. This will allow her to play in more games (only 6 this year) and be in a tournament.

Happy Birthday Alex!!

2008-10-05T22:07:00.005-04:00

Alex turned 6 on Sunday!! We celebrated on Friday night with family.

Alex received a set of left handed golf clubs from us! He was very excited! So on Sunday we took him golfing and had a great time. Unfortunately, I keep forgetting to take my camera places so you will just have to take my word for it, or ask him yourself:) I can't believe that he is in Kindergarten and 6 years old. I know this sounds very cliche, but they DO grow up so fast.

Where has the time gone??

2008-09-10T09:49:00.002-04:00

Natalie has started pre-school!! I remember thinking about the day when all the kids would be in school, but it came so fast. Just so you all know she only goes to school 2 mornings a week and she loves it!! I still get her the other 3 days:) I really can't figure out where the time has gone. If any of you have read Alli's post about the kids it's very true the years go by and when a milestone like going to school comes along it makes you stop and think about the time that has gone by. Where has my baby gone?? She is now a little girl which makes me very proud and also a little sad.

Back to School

2008-09-01T10:23:00.008-04:00

Courtney and Alex are back to school!! It's hard to believe that school has started. They were both very excited to start the school year. Courtney has started 4th grade and Alex is in Kindergarten this year. It has been nice to have a schedule back into our routine. They both have done very well the first week! It's such a blessing to have kids (at least for now) get excited about the start of school. I'm sure this won't always be the case so for now I'm thankful for the wonderful attitudes they bring to the first day of school!

Signs of summer's end

2008-09-01T10:17:00.003-04:00

Well there are signs that summer is coming to an end. The big one around our house is the pool has come down. Colin and Alex had one last hurrah in the pool while letting the water out. It was great having it to cool off in and play in but all good things have to come to an end. Since the kids are now back in school it's time to say good-bye to summer and hello to all the things that the school year and fall have to offer. Hope that you all had a great summer too!!

All I want is my 2 front teeth!

2008-08-19T09:25:00.005-04:00

Alex is toothless on the bottom! Saturday he came to me and in a very nonchalant way said "mom look" I looked at his clothes and all around and then he said "I lost my tooth" Of course I was excited for him. He was brushing his teeth and his tooth came out in his tooth brush. We had no idea that his tooth was that loose. Then the next day I wiggled the one next to it and realized that his other one was just as loose. So Colin pulled that one out. Just in time for Kindergarten:)

10 Years!!

2008-08-19T08:53:00.003-04:00

Colin and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on the beach in Ocho Rios, Jamaica!! Neither one of us can believe that it has been 10 years. It was a wonderful and relaxing trip. We ate wonderful food (that I didn't have to cook:), Slept late (in a bed I didn't have to make:), strolled around the resort and laid around on the beach and in the pool! We went out snorkeling and had a guide take us out on a hobe cat. The views were spectacular of the island as well as of the ocean. This was our first time together traveling to a place like this and we enjoyed being together! It was great to be gone and great to come back home with a renewed spirit for our kids and the schedules that we keep from day to day. God has blessed us in these 10 years of marriage and we continually pray that he will continue to bless us for many more years to come!

The Girls Are Back!!!

2008-08-02T15:02:00.006-04:00

Our friends Madison and Norah are back!! We enjoyed a normal week with them coming over on Wednesday. We all had so much fun. Although Norah is not able to do many of the things the girls enjoy doing, because of doctor restrictions, fun was still had by both of the girls. We did alot of swinging and blowing bubbles.
We give God the glory that she is able to be here with us again only 3 weeks after surgery! He is so amazing! I can't fully comprehend all that this little one has gone thru and honestly if you didn't know you wouldn't be able to tell!
She smiled the whole time she was here and was such a joy. We enjoy both of these girls who have become great friends to us.

To God be the glory great things he has done!!!

Going Green (A Little)

2008-07-25T12:40:00.002-04:00

Well all this "talk" on Allison's blog has made me think. Sooooo......today I needed to go to the bank and to the store for a few things. Now we only live about 4 blocks from both so I put Natalie on the back of my bike and Courtney and Alex hopped on their bikes and away we went. We left the car in the garage:) It was a fun thing to do too! I also remembered to grab my reusable shopping bag for the items:) Well I guess it's a start we'll see what this leads to:)

Quick update

2008-07-25T08:56:00.003-04:00

I don't know if anyone has checked out the link about our friend Norah on the previous post about her surgery, but I wanted to let you all know that she is home and during as well as can be expected. We can't wait to play with her soon although it will be a tamer form of playing for a while:) Natalie can't wait to see her and to be honest we all are looking forward to seeing her and the family. Thanks for all the prayers and please keep her on your prayer list there will be more surgery's to come.

Happy Birthday Courtney!

2008-07-19T13:50:00.003-04:00

Courtney is 9!!

We celebrated with a dinner at Chili's with 2 friends from school and they also spent the night. They had a great time swimming and giggling:) It was a fun evening with some family too! One more year 'till we hit double digits!

Norah's surgery

2008-07-09T06:48:00.008-04:00

I just wanted to let you know that our friend Norah will be having her surgery today. It will start @ 7:00 am with pre-op and will last at least 3-4 hours. Please continue to pray with us for this sweet little girl and her family.

So far so good. At about 11:45 the doctors are still working to get through scar tissue and then they will be able to start repairs. She did very well with the anesthesiologist and waved good bye to her parents when carried into surgery. I'll update as I hear. Thanks for your prayers and concerns.

Another update from the family: The docotors have started the repairs to Norah's heart she is now on bypass according to the recent update. The doctors found a hole in her heart that has gone undetected until now. It is something that everybody has before birth and usually closes after the baby is born. Norah's did not. She has high blood pressure so the doctors are not sure if they will close the whole during this surgery. This little one went into surgery @ 9:00 and this update was done @ 2:30. She's such a trooper!!

As of 6:30 the doctors took Norah off bypass but found some bleeding that needed to be controlled. they put her back on bypass and sutured around an old stent. They then took her off bypass again and she was doing well. They now have a sponge with clotting medication neatly packed next to her heart and hopefully soon they will be able to close her chest. Keep praying!

After 4 hours the doctors were finally able to control bleeding for Norah. the last update came around 11:30 last night and her parents were waiting to see her in the PICU. they left her chest open a little bit to monitor her more and hopefully they will be able to close it up today. Her heart is functioning well. the Lord has seen them through this phase of this trial and we all know he will continue to be there every step.

I hope that this works I'm giving you the link to visit norah's caringbridge page so if you want you can read the updates and see pictures of her and her family. www.caringbridge.org/visit/norahkruschel

Prayers for our friend Norah

2008-06-18T18:13:00.003-04:00

This is a special post for our dear friends. Our Pastor and his wife Nikky are great friends of ours. As you can see their daughter Norah is a great friend of Natalie's. They are with each other many times during a week. I watch Norah 1 morning a week and Nikky watches my kids 1 morning a week also. Amazingly enough these two girls saw each other everyday during the school year. What you would never be able to tell about Norah by just looking at her is that she was born with a heart condition. Not just any heart condition but one that was when she was only 5 days old she had her first open heart surgery. She has undergone numerous angioplasties and also had a stroke when she was 9 months old during one of these procedures. Norah is 3 now and will be undergoing her second open heart surgery on July 9th. Please keep her and her family and the surgeons in your prayers for these weeks leading up to her surgery and the weeks that follow her recovery. I know that Natalie will miss seeing Norah. She will have her surgery in Milwaukee at the Children's hospital and will be recovering for 2 weeks for sure. We will miss her at our house playing. Everyday Natalie asks if she gets to see Norah. It is such a neat thing to witness these two girls who are only 3 years old have such a great friendship!

School's out for summer!!!

2008-06-06T14:35:00.004-04:00

Summer has officially started at our house. The kids are done with school, the pool is up, and finally it's hot enough to swim. I really enjoy not having a set schedule now. It's just a time to relax and enjoy! This summer is definitely going to be different from previous summers. Now that the kids are older I don't feel like it is such a daunting task to take them places. We have already been to the mall for pictures and searching for sandals for Alex, grocery shopping with all of them, and going to garage sales too! I'm ready for summer and so far we are two weeks into it and so far so good:)

Just a side note....Well school's not only out for summer, for myself, but I finished my program and received my diploma for dental assisting. Also I did take the Registered Dental Assisting boards on May 14th. I will find out the results sometime in July.

Soccer X's 2

2008-05-28T08:27:00.000-04:00

Courtney and Alex are both involved with soccer this spring. Having two playing keeps us very busy, because they don't always play on the same night. It's great to go to the fields and watch them play hard. I have to say it feels like it is the fall season because the weather has really not cooperated much. Oh well they have fun and come home tired! They both are very talented and enjoy playing. Courtney plays in the 10 and under category so it resembles more of what a soccer game should look like. She plays defense and offense and has even managed to score 3 goals already. Alex is in the 5-6 category and plays with 4 people on the field. In his age group you always know where the ball is because that is where all the kids are. He has at least 10 goals this season and is very proud of himself!! He loves the sport (all sports really) and it is a great way to use his energy!

Piano recital

2008-05-27T08:37:00.003-04:00

Courtney has been taking piano lessons for 2 years now and loves it. She had her end of the year piano recital in May as well and did a fantastic job! Performing in front of people is really not her strength, but every time she has to do it she comes through with flying colors!! We are very proud of her talents and accomplishments!!

Very Busy Month of May

2008-05-07T08:58:00.006-04:00

May finds us coming to the end of the school year!! The kids are excited for summer break, but before that there is always many things that take place. The first things were Courtney and Alex had entertainment days.

Courtney was part of a jungle music skit on Friday night and Alex was a part of nursery rhymes on Sunday. Courtney did a wonderful job with her speaking parts and danced and sang well too! One of her songs was called Ants in my pants. It was very funny and she did a great job doing the actions! She is right in the front next to the girl in the white shirt (just in cast you can't find her:)

Alex also was on stage with his class hamming it up!! I'm serious Colin and I couldn't believe him up there he was hilarious!! He definetly didn't have any stage fright. He was Jack be nimble and he jumped over a candle stick and he was Jack in Jack and Jill and then he got to "rock out" on ole king cole. He played a blow up guitar and let me tell you he has some serious moves!! Here he is "dancing" with some of his classmates.

~~~Stay tuned for more talent~~~

Happy Birthday to Natalie!

2008-04-27T16:25:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe but Natalie turned 3 on Friday, April 25th. Family came over to help us celebrate her special day! We all enjoyed cake and icecream and watched her open presents!! It was a great evening!!

Spring Break in Florida

2008-04-07T19:28:00.010-04:00

This year for the first time ever we went on vacation for spring break! We didn't start out very small, no, we decided to drive to Orlando, Florida. It was an 18 hour trip, and the kids did great!! I was very proud of them the whole way. I really loved seeing things turn green the farther south we drove, and also the temperature going up! When we arrived in Orlando it was 82 degrees:) We spent 4 days in Florida at the Liki Tiki Village. The resort was wonderful! There was Liki Tiki Lagoon which was a small water park with water slides and wave pool. The kids loved all the slides and Natalie had slides just her size that she thought were "totally fun!" Colin and I stayed with kids and caught them coming out of the slides and we also went down them too! (We had to have a little fun too:) They also had regular pools too. We were very fortunate to have a room right outside one of the pools so we could go back and forth very easily. This was especially nice when Natalie would take naps and the kids could still swim! At this pool there was also a kiddie pool and a hot tub. It was definitely more than we expected.

The last day we were there we went to Sea World and had a great time! The kids really enjoyed seeing all the animals and watching the dolphin and shamu shows! Even though Colin and I had both been there in the past it is always a different experience with your kids. I loved to see the excitement and awe on their faces when they saw things that were amazing to them! We had a wonderful time and would definitely take another road trip! I have realized in recent months (some kind of revelation I guess) how much I need to enjoy them all at their ages because it really is going fast and these times need to be cherished!

New Title.....Again!! (and picture)

2008-04-07T19:23:00.002-04:00

I have come to realize that this blog is not really about me at all, but my way to let you all know how we (as a family) are doing and what we are doing. The title didn't reflect really what this blog has become for me. I am really proud of my family and the things that we all (at one time or another)accomplish in this life with the Lord at our side. I want my family members to watch us grow as a family and see our children grow....I hope that you all have enjoyed the updates this far!

So great to be in "touch"

2008-03-25T12:37:00.004-04:00

Today as I was reading all the various blogs that I read I was thankful that this has been a great way to stay in touch with our family! Surprisingly enough we all don't live that far away from each other yet we really don't see each other as often as we would like to. It's wonderful to be able to add comments of support or otherwise to these blogs and to read the comments that are left for me. It really in many ways makes me feel closer to my family, and when we do get together we can spend less time on "catching up" and more time having wonderful conversation. I also love viewing all the pictures and to watch the kids grow and change. Also Colin has been reading up on the blogs that you all have and I feel that in many ways this cyberworld is definetly keeping our family closer! Sounds a little weird but I'm thankful for every update that is left because I feel closer to my family:)

Happy Easter!!!

2008-03-23T13:00:00.003-04:00

He is Risen!!! He is Risen indeed!!!

Today is the day that we celebrate our risen Lord. We started the day off with Sunrise service (7:00 am). We enjoyed a full church and sang joyful praises to our Lord! We spent the morning with my family and enjoyed an easter egg hunt!! The kids love this (as well as my father, if you know him he is still a kid at heart!) Later in the day we visited with Colin's family. Jesus rising from the dead gives us such a wonderful reason to celebrate that we will have the reward of heaven one day!! Happy Easter!!!

What DOES Colin do??

2008-03-13T11:07:00.005-04:00

Over the years that Colin has worked for WaterFurnace many people have asked me about the waterfurnaces' or what he does there. Well I have to admit I don't know much about this subject, which makes Colin laugh when I tell him about questions that I can't answer:) Anyway we were able to get a first hand look at PARTof what he does for WaterFurnace. He has to dig loops for pipe to run in the ground for waterfurnaces. So we took a field trip to one of his jobs close by and watched him in action. The kids thought this was really cool! Alex was very excited to show off his dirty hand. Colin asked him to get his shovel for him so he was able to help out a little. (you will see this helpfulness in the video!) I was amazed at what goes into and how long it takes to do this. Just to give you an idea if you watch the video you will be able to see three trenches that had been dug and this was about 11:00 am. I took Courtney back at 3:30 pm and they were starting there sixth trench. Colin didn't get home that night until 6:00 pm. I hope that you all find this as interesting as I did. (By the way we now have high speed internet so hopefully I will be able to share more pictures and video about our family in the future.)

Goodbye 20's....Hello 30's

2008-02-13T14:47:00.002-05:00

I officially turned 30 yesterday! I have to admit that I was not looking forward to this day, but when it came I survived....imagine that:) Seriously though I really did alot of thinking about my life and came to the conclusion that I believe that my 30's are going to be good! I am done having children that's a plus for me:) Now it's raising them....that's why I said my 30's would be good not great:) (remember I will have deal with raising teenagers) I definetly feel more stable now than in say the last 8 years or so. We are settled into a community that we like alot and have found careers that we enjoy (or don't dread going to every day) I find that another plus! The Lord has seen me through some more difficult times and has brought me through to the "sunshine" of the life I have. Remarkably I ended up with a very positive outlook on this decade that lays before me....Thank you Lord!

Snow Days

2008-02-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

Well I guess winter is really here:( We have had 2 snow days this week. Wednesday and today (friday) AHHH!!!! No, I can handle this really:) I have come to understand myself better and I understand that I like my schedule. When the kids have snowdays all our routine goes out the window. Thankfully today the temperature was not so cold, like on Wednesday, and the kids and myself were able to play outside for a while. My attitude is much better when I can get some fresh air and so are the kids:) I guess I would rather have the snow now as l0ng as mother nature doesn't send it in March or April! Everyone stay warm and cozy:) Happy Winter!!

Changes...

2008-01-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already noticed I have made some changes to my blog:) I had to change the title because as of today it was inaccurate......I am no longer a student!!!! I turned in the last of my paperwork today and applied for graduation! It has been almost 5 yrs. since I started the Dental Assisting program, and today I completed it. It was a long journey getting to this point. With 2 kids when I started the program and adding a 3rd child during the process slowed me down a little bit, but persistence paid off and I'm done! What now you might ask:) Well in May I will sit for my Registerd Dental Assisting Boards and hopefully after that I will have the title Corin Ritter, RDA. It was a struggle at times, but there is almost nothing like the feeling of a sense of accomplishment!! Praise the Lord!!!

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-04T17:22:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all!!

As you can see here are the kids all dressed up Christmas eve! Christmas Eve and Christmas are a whirlwind of events surrounded by the most wonderful gift of all....Jesus!! Our church has multiple services on Christmas eve which Courtney and I were part of 2 of them. We attended the 3:30 song service where Courtney sang her first solo!! Courtney, my mom, and myself sang "Away in a Manger" and Courtney sang the 2nd verse all by herself and she did wonderfully using her God given talent. I was very proud of her (to say the least:) Then the children of the day school have a service where they learn recitation and songs and they present the Christmas story at 6:30. Both of these services were very good. Then we came home and spent the rest of the evening with my family. Of course the next morning found us up early, but not to early. The kids were very excited to open their presents and enjoy them. Then it was off to The Ritters' to enjoy more family time and more presents! Then after that off to my parents and more family time and more presents. It was an enjoyable day all around! Then it was time to celebrate the new year! We stayed up until midnight and rang in the new year! Both weeks were great since Colin took Christmas eve and New Years eve off so we had 4 days together!! New Years day found us with alot of snow so we were able to take the kids sledding and we all had a great time! Now we are back to are regular schedules and I'm happy about this. Both kids are back at school and we are preparing for a long winter.....since I'm getting older I think all our winters are long:)

I pray that all of you had a wonderful Christmas season and have a blessed 2008!!

It's been awhile

2007-11-30T13:25:00.000-05:00

I know that it has been awhile since I've blogged. Well here is an update on our family. We are all doing well and can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner. We are still eating halloween candy. The kids went out with some friends of ours on halloween and came home with a ton of candy (I'm not sure if I'm exagerating). Then it was on to November. The weather has been fantastic so of course we all have been out raking and picking up all of our leaves in the yard. The kids also were able to play in them awhile too! Then we were able join family for thanksgiving and that was great. Thanksgiving day we went to the Ritters' house and spent time with them and had a wonderful meal. Then on Saturday we went to my parents house and joined my family in another wonderful meal! It's hard to believe that this is the last day of November oh and by the way it's Colin's birthday today.......He's 30!!! We are celebrating in non-celebratory kind of way. He didn't want anything big so just family and just to hang out! We are now getting ready for the busyness that December brings. Christmas Services and practices, tree-lighting event at our church, decorating, shopping, and I'm sure there's more, BUT as we prepare for this Christmas we always slow down and take time to remember the "Reason for the Season" because without Jesus there would be no reason to celebrate. I pray that all of you who read this have a blessed Christmas Season remembering and reflecting on the most wonderful gift ever given to us....JESUS!!!!!

Weekend Getaway!!!

2007-10-15T13:35:00.000-04:00

Colin's boss treated his employees to an over night at the Grand Hotel on Makinac Island for a marriage conference. Well we decided to leave the day before and stay at a bed and breakfast in Bellaire about 2 hours from Makinac. So we left Saturday afternoon and made are way to the Grand Victorian B&B. Well Mark (Colin's boss) wanted to also treat everyone to a bike tour around the island and so he wanted us to catch the 9:30 am ferry on Sunday. Our dillema was breakfast wasn't served until 9:00am and we really didn't want to pay for just a bed. We would have had to leave around 7:00 am to make the ferry and we decided we wanted to relax and enjoy ourselves so he called mark and politely passed on the bike tour. The next morning we had coffee and read the paper on the balcony of the second level of the B&B. The weather was great and it was so nice to sit and relax and enjoy each others company. So we had breakfast and went on our way (by the way I would totally recommend that B&B)

We made the 12:30 ferry and were on our way to the island. It was so foggy on our trip over that we could see nothing not the bridge or the island. Oh well! We arrived in time for lunch with the group and then went to check into the hotel. All I have to say about the Hotel is WOW!! It is a very prestigious place, but I have to say one thing the decor was awful. I know I know they are going for the nostalgic feel, but green walls and yellow and orange floral prints are really not in my taste. After we checked in we went to get ready for the first session of the conference. It was a good session very funny and practical. Then it was time to get ready for the dinner. Any of you who know about the Grand Hotel know that you have to be dressed up after 6:00pm. Coat and tie for men and dress pants or dresses for ladies. So we got all "dolled"up and proceeded to the dining room for our 5 course dinner. It was good food and great conversation with those we were with. We sat at dinner for 3 hours (good thing we didn't have kids with us:) After dinner we saw christian comedian Thor Ramsey he was hilarious! The next day we decided to skip the conference and stroll around the Island. We enjoyed the company of another couple and looked through the shops.

On the way back we were able to see the bridge which I had never seen before so I took a picture:)

We had a great weekend together and it was a much needed rest.

Alex is "5"

2007-10-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

Alex turned 5 on October 5th!!! (His Golden Birthday!) I can't believe that he is 5! He had a great day if I do say so myself:) They had a field trip at school and they went to a corn maze and they were also able to drive peddal cars and do other fun things. Then he had a friend come over and play for the afternoon And then he chose his favorite meal (Tacos) and had his family come over and he opened presents. What more could a 5 yr old ask for?? 5 yrs old seems like such a milestone in one's life. Yet he is still so young maybe it's because he can go off to kindergarten now (milestone as well) I'm not sure but for Courtney and now Alex "5" has been a big deal!! Another milestone for him was learning to ride a 2-wheeler 3 days before he turned 5. He was extremely excited as was mom and dad!!!

Basketball Fever....

2007-10-15T13:10:00.000-04:00

Now that Courtney is in third grade she was able to be on the "c" basketball team. This team was made up of 3rd and 4th graders. Let me just say she's an animal on the court. I know I'm biased but it's true! She loved playing! She learned the rules of the game and also learned a little bit about leadership. She learned how to dribble the ball without it getting stolen from her and she learned how to do a lay-up the correct way! She is a very eager little girl, after her games she would come home and practice in the driveway. She would want Colin or I to guard her but that didn't help much so we had Alex guard her. This was a more realistic way to help her out and Colin and I got a good laugh too! Needless to say God has made her an athlete! Alleluia!!! She had great court sense and what was happening around her.....not bad for the first year. She was also asked to help out our b-team in a tournament with some of her other teammates. That was very exciting! She was a little nervous but it was good experience for her when she can be on the b-team. By the way b-team consists of 5th and 6th graders so she was little out of her league but did great just the same. We are very proud of her accomplishments!!!

Another broken arm......

2007-09-24T20:13:00.000-04:00

Thankfully NO!! This time instead of Courtney it was Natalie that gave us this scare. She was playing on our footrest in the living room and rolled off....no big deal right? That's what I thought until she wouldn't let me touch her arm and she was crying and nothing was stopping her. Well she must have been tired because as I was trying to figure out what was wrong with her arm she fell asleep on my lap while she was still crying. Anyway when she woke up she was still crying and not allowing me to move her arm so off to the walk-in clinic we went. Thankfully my sister was working and was able to get us in right away! So after the doctor ruled out that her collar bone wasn't broken and her upper arm was fine he decided that she needed x-rays on her wrist and elbow. So we went down to x-ray and they took 3 x-ray's. The whole time I kept trying to think how I was going to get through a 2 yr old with a cast for the next 6weeks. We went back down to see the doctor and he said he saw no break.....thank you Lord!!!! He thought she may have sprained it and to see how it is in the morning. Well it isn't morning yet and she is able to use it just fine for "normal" 2 yr old activities. She is playing and playing "spaghetti arms" whenever mom and dad want to know if her arm is OK. Seriously when you have kids life is always interesting:)

School days Part 2

2007-09-07T13:33:00.000-04:00

It was Alex's turn to have his first day of school!! He is attending pre-school 3 mornings a week. He is so excited to be able to have Courtney walk him into school this year. Of course when the first day rolled around he wanted mom to come to so of course I did. (Little secret I wanted to take him in.) But on Friday I sat in the van and watched Courtney and Alex walk up the steps together into school. It was a mix of emotions. But a good feeling none the less. This year Alex will go on field trips and learn to sit more in the classroom. So far so good he has loved it this week and I pray that attitude continues.

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-07T13:22:00.000-04:00

I have to say that my husband actually "labored" on labor day weekend. What most people see as a 4 day weeekend to play and have fun my husband did play but also went to work. They are so busy that he worked a 1/2 day on Sunday and a 1/2 day on Monday. Now I know all of you are going "AWW" don't worry he was able to find time to play too! We had a great weekend in the midst of work. Friday night we went to a friends house and sat around a bonfire and roasted marshmallows and made smores. They were yummy. Now the kids were looking forward to this but we forgot to bring a bat and ball to play with. Calvin (the friend) has a big backyard and a 2 yr old little boy but of course no Alex size toys. Well if you know Alex at all you know that he loves his glove bat and ball. Well Colin can make anything so he took a saw and went over to some of Calvins' apple trees and "made" Alex a bat. Let me tell you it was the hit of the night. (no pun intended). Even two yr old Ben (Calvin's son) like it.
Then we played some more on Monday. We had a cookout at mom and dad Ritters' house and we finally went out in the boat. Courtney and Alex went tubing behind the boat for the first time. Colin enjoyed tubing with them and they both can't wait until the next time! By the way Natalie fell asleep in the boat so I guess she will get her turn next time!

School Days!!

2007-08-31T15:11:00.000-04:00

Courtney started her first day back to school on Monday the 27th!! It's hard to believe that another school year is here. She is now in 3rd grade!! So she moved to a new classroom and has a new teacher. This is very exciting for her! She had a great first week learning new classroom rules and taking on extra responsibilites like an assignment notebook. Also eating lunch at a different time and at the big lunch tables. She also is able to play C-team basketball so she will start practicing next week. My little girl is in 3rd grade and you know what this mother is excited for all the new adventures to come:)

Our 9th anniversary!

2007-08-17T14:52:00.000-04:00

Colin and I celebrated our 9th anniversary on Wednesday August 15th. As we went to dinner and enjoyed an evening to celebrate our marriage we just couldn't believe it had been 9 years. This is a picture on top of Ober Gatlinburg with the breathtaking view that only God himself could provide!

Gatlinburg, TN

2007-08-17T14:14:00.000-04:00

We took our summer vacation to Gatlinburg, TN. My parents and sister and her family all traveled in 2 vehicles for 10 hours for this fantastic vacation. We had a great cabin with plenty of room for 11 people! Our cabin included three bedrooms and 3.5 baths a great game room in the basement that the kids loved and a hottub! We packed our days full everyday that we were there. Some of the things on our agenda included horseback riding, Hillbilly Mini golf, Ripley's Aquarium, and the most breathtaking views of the Smoky Mountains the views were from the top of the mountain in Ober Gatlinburg. We had to take a tram ride up to Ober and then a ski lift to the top. It was amazing! We did manage to get in some time at the pool which we all had fun playing in. Gatlinburg at night was fun to see. It is such a busy town! Everynight we would take the trolley to Gatlinburg ( about a 5 min. trip) and walk the town and shop of course:) It was very hot there the week we went so evening trips were much more bearable. Natalie did a great job keeping up with the group. The older kids were so excited just to be taking in all the sights. It was a wirlwind vacation but definetly something I would do again.

Slumber Party Survived!

2007-07-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

Really it went great! Courtney's first slumber party was a hit! She invited three girls to stay and only one was able, but they had a great time with each other. Playing, eating, giggling and of course staying up until they couldn't stay awake any longer. (or until mom said lights out) They camped out in the basement with their sleeping bags and watched the Disney channel. What fun! The sleepover went so well she was asking to have another one next year! I'm sure we will be having a sleepover sooner than that!

Could we be diaper free?

2007-07-11T20:30:00.000-04:00

This could be a milestone in Natalie's life (as well as ours.) For about the last week Natalie has been successfully using the "potty" consistently. It has been a good feeling not needing to throw the diapers in the cart. I don't think I'll know what to do if I don't have to pack a diaper bag anymore it has been just a part of life for about the past 4 yrs. Yes, I said 4 yrs. Just about the time that Alex was potty trained we had Natalie so the contents of the bag changed just slightly. Don't worry I'm sure I'll get used to not carrying anything except my purse. She is growing up so fast, but this is definetly something that I won't miss.

Birthday #8

2007-07-09T13:21:00.000-04:00

Well this week finds us getting ready for Courtney's 8th birthday party. By the way who can believe that she's going to be 8?? Anyway she will be having her very first sleep over! How exciting (I hope):) She will be having 2 girls coming and spending the night. So we have to make a cake and have a craft and order pizza and have a lot of giggling going on. I'm not sure what Colin and Alex will do. I'm sure they will find something "manly" to do. It seems like she just shouldn't be old enough for sleepover's. I still remember the day she was born (I'm sure I'll never forget.) She was so tiny and now she helps me around the house and with her brother and sister. Don't get me wrong I'm glad she can help, but it still doesn't seem like she should be 8. Yesterday I couldn't believe it when one of her friends called and left her a message on the answering machine to call her back so she did and it was just so they could talk. Colin and I looked at each other and he said "just wait until she's a teenager." YIKES! She's growing up so fast, just like they all are, and we continue to pray that she grows with Christ everyday.

Here I am......somewhat timidly

2007-07-06T14:44:00.000-04:00

Well here I am.....not exactly sure what I'm doing, but I enjoy reading all of your blogs and finding out how everone is doing that I would like to share to you all how our family is doing too. By the way I think my family decided that it would be a good idea for me.

Well our summer is going well. Courtney and Alex have finished soccer as well as vacation bible school and Courtney has finished a basketball camp. She loved it that she wanted it to be another week! Natalie has just been going with the flow between everything. Now that all the formal things are over we have been relaxing by our small pool out back and on occasion we spend time at my Aunt's in-ground pool (which is bigger than ours). We are looking forward to a family vacation to Tennessee the first week in August. Other than that it seems that the summer is flying by and I can't do anything to stop it so I guess I will sit back and enjoy it.