A great post later.... I promise!

but until then...,....

Embarrassment... sometimes it's the only way!

Yes, that is a Golden Retriever getting ready to eat her breakfast...... there is a problem here!

So, Lilo has a little weight problem. A 26 pound problem to be exact according to our vet! She has been reduced to diet dog food, and actually protested the first two days by not eating at all! Silly dog… she finally caught on to her new feeding – food in bowl, down 20 minutes, and then the bowl is picked up! Well, we thought she was making progress, however yesterday she resulted to lying on the floor to eat her breakfast! Even after I told her to get up, she refused. So like any good momma, I got out the camera to capture her bad behavior, and presto… after a few shots she actually stood up to finish her breakfast! From the looks of her, she looks to have lost a few pounds, and she is moving around more (of course it helps that B takes her for walks around the neighborhood three times a day!) so we are hopeful when we return to the vet the first week of June we will see about a 10 pound weight loss this first month! (at least that is what they are hoping for! it seems like Jenny Craig for dogs!)

Don't worry, Stitch has been put on a diet as well, he's just taking it in stride!

The rain… what more can I say about the rain. Seriously, I think it has been raining for about seven days straight, with rain predicted for the next five days as well. I love it! I mean everything is so crisp outside right now! After the thunderstorms it is so great to go outside and just breathe in the cleanliness of it all! The rain is like a metaphor of our life right now… cloudy with much sun on the horizon. God uses the rain to bring new growth, and to revive the world around us. Everything is always so much greener here after the rain. I know in the next few months, God will bless us richly. And that the blessing will fulfill our desires. This process is very different for me, not so much Derek. I am a calendar type person- it is planned, written down, and revisited. Derek on the other hand just goes with the flow… (and that works because I have the plan LOL) The not knowing, the unknowns, and the time lines are what I am working on giving up control of. If it were my way (which I fully know) it is not, our plan would take place June 11- However, I must remember that this will happen in His time, in His way, and with His guidance! Through this process he has opened doors and made things happen that we never thought could. He continues to amaze us in His desires and what he reveals to us! We are anxiously awaiting his new blessings upon us!

It was raining so much, it was actually flooding our flowers! You know.. the new ones we just planted a few weeks ago! Geez... I would hate to think I did all that work for not!

And standing water is everywhere!

Joy is the theme of my song,

And the beat of my heart,

And that joy is found in You.

For You showed the power of Your cross

And your great saving love,

And my soul woke up to You.

I heard Your beautiful news;

Grace so amazing, so true...

Shout it out, let the people sing

Something so powerful should shake the whole wide world.

Make it loud, make it louder still;

Saviour we´re singing now to celebrate Your beautiful news.

There´s a God who came down to save

Showed the world His amazing grace

There´s a God who came down to save

And He calls your name
(Beautiful News.... Matt Redman)

Two great smiles! Two great kids!

An attempt at straight hair on a rainy day!

Yesterday in a very rare moment (the rain is making M & B a little stir crazy) M actually posed for some pictures! I must say having her hair straightened put her in rare form! So of course, B had to join in on the fun! Derek was actually home this weekend, the first in about 6 weeks! We all stayed in our pajamas ALL DAY yesterday and just hung out and watched movies, read, and slept! It was a glorious day! We did start rearranging a few things around the house… and let’s just say that Monday we will be really busy finishing that plan! I think we could use Clean Sweep to come in and get us organized! We all have accumulated so much stuff!!! Really, just in our cast-offs we could probably support a small village in a third world country! I mean seriously how many shoes, shirts, and pants can one person have?

School is ticking away for us. We only have 8 ½ actual school days left! That is not much time at the end of a year! We are in the middle of a big musical production, so that will eat the first three days of this week, and then Friday we will have our Jr. Achievement Pizza Party. (If you don’t teach, but would like to have some involvement in the classroom, Jr. Achievement is a great opportunity to serve!). That takes us into our last week of school that is a complete blur already… out of town field trip, awards, class party, 5th grade picnic… and then the final day! It will be bittersweet for our students this year. Many of them will get really emotional on the last day of elementary school. This year, more than ever we will cover them in prayer as they head-off to middle schools around the county. Many of our students are on waiting lists for magnet programs, and are worried about where they will end up!

School ending means summer vacation for us! We, as usual, have a lot going on, and hope to get a few extra basketball tournaments included in our vacation this year! Derek thinks that they will place highest enough in state to go to Nationals… we are very excited about that! We are thinking that we may make the round-trip to see everybody, but we will send out dates later! We did book our Gatlinburg trip, and we are actually taking another friend with us this year! It should be a trip to remember!

B is having a birthday Friday! She will be 7, and we can hardly believe that. Where has the time gone with these two? M turns 10 in July, and E will be 23 this year! Time just flies! It is truly like the blink of an eye.

The Fringe of Rain.....

I felt like last week would never end! All week the rain was supposed to come, the air was hot, the moods sticky all around, and yet the rain eluded us! It did come all around us, but never quite made it to our house! Needless to say, today the rain came! It was a soaker, and still continues to rain! I actually love the rain, and wish that we would get back to our daily afternoon showers! Saves me quite a bit of watering time in the mornings!
In all seriousness it does seem that dark clouds have been lurking. It is amazing when God is working good in your life, how the Devil attempts to steal your joy! And last week was one of those weeks! I mean it seemed to be coming from everywhere, and yet there was still just this peace that surrounded us. Regardless of what "popped-up" everything that we needed to happen just happened as planned (if not sooner!) We (I especially) are really learning to understand His plans, and His timing- something that we take for granted many times. We know that all things will eventually fall into place- and the letting go part is beginning to work for us! Not so much on Derek's part because he is so laid back anyway, but I on the other hand want most of our life planned, down to the minute because (1) I absolutely hate to be late, and (2) I rely heavily on my calendar! It just works best that way for me! It is amazing that everything that has led us up to this point in our journey has continued to point us into our first decision, even with the small amounts of confusion that has been thrown our way! We remain faithful that all things work for the good of GOD and that he knows our plans! (however, at any minute I would not mind a little sneak peak!) Or as my friend has told me 2 presents on my door step! Either way, I am reminded of God's love and His desire to fill us with goodness.
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." - Colossians 3:12-13.

Science Fair came and went at Beauclerc last week! All 5th graders had to present their projects, and M's class did one group project on lemons. In her project, she found that smaller lemons had more seeds than larger lemons (which some of the other lemon projects showed as well!) Next year she will actually do this on her own, so we will see what she decides to come up with. All in all, to be truthful the next 3 weeks will fly by! Our dance recital is the entire weekend of June 5th, and our last day of school is June 5 @ 12! This time of year really cranks up activities at school! With end-of-year performances, awards, parties, field trips (just in my room), yearbook signings, etc. it can get really hectic! Tuesday we will attempt to go to St. Augustine with M's class again, however there is rain predicted again on the day of her trip! Oh well, we will just see what happens! Either way it will be a nice day off from school!
I am really working on slowing down.. I don't know why I feel this overwhelming sense of urgency to have EVERYTHING in order! (Something about planning!) But seriously, knowing the future makes planning the future so much easier!

We spent all weekend at our last in-town YBOA tournament. It was a great weekend for the Nets in Jacksonville. Both our U12 and U14 team placed 2nd, which is REALLY good! While of course they would like to be first, they were great at being second! J is like our son-- and both B & M treat him like their brother! We will enjoy watching him play in the high school tournaments this summer.

Looking forward to a great (but fast) week!

A bit of this and a bit of that......

This group of dancers called the Diamonds were at the Landing for National Dance Week! They are all over 60! Can you believe it! They were so STINKING good! I want to be that active and with-it when I am that old! They danced to Don't cha! It was a RIOT! They should give lessons- they had perfect smiles... attitude.. they were WITH IT! I could not wait to see them do their second number.. they were that good. I think they are going to be performing at The Ritz... I will pay money to see them again! Oh my... have we been busy... but I must say we can finally see the end-in-sight! We have finally reached a peace about where we are and the journey we are about to embark upon! It is so amazing how things are literally falling into place for us! When God is ready, mountains move! We firmly believe that, and have seen that with our own eyes over the past 2 months! God knows our plans, and he takes great pleasure in revealing them to us! We are constantly amazed at his goodness to our family!

Hope everybody had a wonderful Mother's Day! I know I did! We went to a new place to eat after church called the Red Elephant~ I think it may become my new favorite place! The food is so fresh and good! Portions are just the right size and M can eat there! That is HUGE for us!

Derek has been on the road these last few weekends and the girls and I have had some kind of dance something going on so it has been quite hectic around here! The end of the year is always a busy time for us! With him coaching two teams this year, he has spent a bit more time on the road, but I thoroughly think he has enjoyed it! Both of his teams are doing great and he is enjoying watching them grow as players. His 15's won State Sunday, and his 14's are playing here this weekend! It will be good to have him around for a change! (The house probably will not get cleaned, but hey.... we have days to get that done!

It seems in 5th grade there are so many activities for students between awards, dances, field trips, and parties! It is great to be a 5th grader (and a 5th grade teacher)! (M will find out next year!) In just 18 1/2 short days our summer fun will begin! Many of our students are heading to the local middle school next year, so maybe we will continue to see their bright and shining faces!

B is finally getting her front right tooth! We can actually see it under the skin. She is hoping it comes in soon! Although, she has learned to eat apples pretty good without those two front teeth! She is excited to be finishing first grade. She has loved her teachers this year, and is excited to move up to second grade. She is planning her summer with her best friend down the street. She has taken a keen interest in walking our dogs, so we have been perfecting those summer tans! Yesterday and today it was in the 90's~ and it is not even JUNE!! Yesterday was the first day that all three of us agreed that yeah... we probably do want a house with a pool! The only thing about summer we are missing are the afternoon showers and we can't wait for them to begin. B & M both planted quite a few flowers this year, and the sun is just brutal on them! They have been watering just about everyday and still we can see the sun beating them down!

M is growing like a weed! She is ready for summer to kick back, swim, and read. I'm not sure if she is dancing or not, but we do have a full summer planned!

My new short lens on my Nikon quit working. That was a REAL bummer... Camera shop said it seemed like a gear issue (one they have witnessed many times before!) For one short second I thought... man.... should I have gone with the Canon? HA! Hopefully it will be repaired or replaced in the next two weeks!

I just want to tell you all that God is so good to us! He fulfills all of our needs, and satisfies the desires of our Hearts! He fills us up with JOY!

Delight yourself in the LORD; and HE WILL give you the desires of your heart. ~ Psalms 37:4

A few random pictures !

I uploaded some pictures from my canon and forgot that I had taken a few snapshots with it at National Dance Week! That was a great day, but was it ever hot!

Our friend AJ getting some sun and enjoying the show!

M was actually cat napping here! She did that on and off!

Great deal on these hats! They were great for shading the sun!

This was from our Patrol Appreciation Day over at PAL on Monument! It was also very hot that day! But B and M were troopers! They tagged right along with the Patrols! Of course, they have no choice as their mom is a co-sponsor for Patrols!

It is so hot here right now... really hot for May.. I mean like in the low 90's... did I mention it was still May??? We will be swimming this weekend to escape the heat and maybe even doing a little bit of traveling to watch some 15's and 17's play state basketball!

Wicked was AWESOME!!!!

We had the absolutely best time at Wicked Saturday with my friend Deb and the girls. Derek was able to get us really good seats, and the girls have talked non-stop about the play ever since. They mimic the lines, do the dances, and just will not stop talking about it! I am glad that we took the time to take them! I always worry that it may be too "adult" for them, or that they will be bored, and they haven't been either to any of the shows we have taken them to! Next year, I believe the Wizard of Oz and Grease are coming for sure, so there will be great shows to see then as well!

We are having a super fantastic week! Looking forward to a very hot weekend!

Ahhh.... A little time to post!

Finally, a much needed update! It seems like forever since I have had a moment to sit down, upload some pictures, and right down some random thoughts! I can't really even tell you what we have been up to, except it has been a lot, and it has kept us moving! This is B with her friend S from dance! They are great friends... can you tell? B is always willing to smile for me!

Ms. Simona has all the little kids just loving her! .. M is getting ready to go on stage! Pictures from National Dance Week. M and B had a ball down at the Landing, but only M danced! Miss Kendra did a great job with Sneaker Night! It looked really good on stage, and all the girls really liked their costumes!

A very busy two weeks have we! I mean really, it seems like there for a second we could just not keep up! But alas... a weekend of cleaning, working in the yard, and getting organized has helped me tremendously! The house is finally in order, (maybe now I will let a few of you over) because prior to this weekend, it was a MESS, a WRECK, complete CHAOS! With Derek out of town, we were really able to get a lot done. Not that he slows progress, but we just don't seem to get as much done!

M and B have not stopped talking (and acting out) about Wicked. It was an AWESOME show! We all really had a great time, and they really have talked about different parts of it, trying to put it all together. I am glad we took the time to get those tickets back in January! I never know if they will like the shows, or want to leave at intermission! So far, they have enjoyed everything we have taken them to see!

We have a lot of interesting and fun things going on this week. We would ask for prayer over our week that would allow us to focus and really think some situations through. There may be some changes coming for the Rowan's and we just want to make the right choices regarding them!

We are on the final countdown with school as well! I think when we go back Monday we have 24 days left! That is really a very short amount of time when you start factoring in all of our programs, award ceremonies, end of the year parties, and field trips! It will be just a blink and then summer is here! And, we have great plans for summer!

Have a fantastic week!

Back to Normal.... Not quite yet!

This is our life the last 2 weeks! Dance, Basketball, Dance, Basketball, Dance, Dance, Dance!

Oh my, have the Rowan's been busy! A good busy though! These last two weeks have flown by. It is a hectic time of year for us with school ending for us, recitals, and travel basketball. This year M has a dance class that meets on some Saturdays, so we have not traveled as much with Derek. We have driven to Gainesville for a few games, and may head to Leesburg next weekend to watch his bigger teams. Either way, we can tell the travel ball schedule is in full swing!

We (the girls) are busy getting ready for recitals (first weekend in June). This year, the studio that we dance at has three shows. And of course, it just worked out that we are all in different shows! Should be a great weekend of dance though!

I still have not had the opportunity to organize my house after the three year school hiatus! I am going to try to get that done today! I did get some landscaping done Thursday night, and will finish that project Sunday. Today... we will focus on the inside!

The girls and I are off to see Wicked this afternoon, but all of us are in the cleaning mode today! I promise a longer post with more pictures later.....

Take Care!