Our Life

A New Addition...

2010-08-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

So...WE ARE PREGNANT!!!!! We have been praying for a while for a new addition to our family and we are blessed to announce that we are 5.5 weeks pregnant! Tonight we told the kids and Riley blew us away with his response...he cried!! He told us he was crying because he is happy and not because he is upset ;-) (good to know!) I know we are really early in telling, but we feel that your support and prayers are so much more important than the possibility of something going wrong.

I'm sure I will be much better at blogging with more free time this fall as well as lots to blog about!!

My Babies?

2010-08-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Why can't our kids stay little forever?! Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed each stage that Brianna and Riley have gone through, but I have wondered lately: HOW DID THEY GET SO BIG! Just the other day, we went shopping for school supplies. It was so weird to be shopping for BOTH of them!!! Riley has really blossomed into quite the young man over the summer. I had heard that boys do a lot of changing the summer before heading to Kindergarten, and boy has he! I am so proud of the kind, sweet, and gentle guy he is and find such joy in watching him interact with other kids. He definitely has his "boy" moments of hitting, kicking, or a temper tantrums, but when it really comes down to it, I couldn't ask for a better son. Brianna is also growing up quite rapidly and continues to amaze us with her insights and smarts. Sometimes it feels like she is so much older than she really is...God has blessed her with such wisdom and and understanding that is beyond her 7.5 years. We have had such a wonderful summer as Mommy prepares for an empty nest in just 2 short weeks from now.

I pray that my (our) parenting to this point has nurtured a good student, a child who is respectful, a kind friend, and a caring/generous heart in each of our kids. Thank you LORD for wisdom and understanding even when we "epically fail" as parents.

Musings of a First Grader, Vol 1

2010-04-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

(all entries are from one of her journals from school - no corrections or alterations have been made to her writing)

03-01-10

On the 12th of March is my mom's birthday. I don't know what we're doing for her birthday. But even though I don't know I want it to be a surprise. I want to get the most wonderful present I can think of! I am happy!

03-04-10

Once apon a time there was a beutiful little girl who had a nice family. They were not poor, they are a rich family. One day the little girl (named Krista) asked her mother if she could go pick some flowers. Then her mother said "yes." But the little girl didn't know what she would find. Then she made a friend with a bird. The End.

03-05-10

Once apon a time there was a charming prince who lived in a castle. He was so charming that all the maids would faint. Once day a mean witch locked a beutiful princess in a tower. She was so frightend that she cried. But then the prince busted through the window. Then they got married. Then they lived happily ever after.

03-08-10

Once upon a time there was a princess who was kidnapped. She didn't know what to do so she just started screaming "HELP!!!". Everyone from near and far couldn't hear her. But then a very nice dragon came swooping down and broke through the dungen window and she was saved.

03-12-10

Today is my mother's birthday! She is so lucky to have me as a dauter. I am so lucky to have her as a mom!

03-18-10

My mom planed today National Incredible Kids Day. She planed it because a friend of ours named Antie Aly is pregnit. I don't know if she is having a boy or a girl. (By the way she has been pregnit for 5 weeks.)

03-24-10

Tomorrow I am getting my spacers out! I am soooooooooooooo excited! Did I tell you that my spacers hurt my teeth? I can't wait! Horray! Yay! Whoohoo!

03-25-10

Today I am leaving early because I am going to the orthadonist to get a reanor and a lip-bumper. I can't wait to get my spacers out! My body is filled with excitement! Yay! My spacers really hurt. Good bye spacers!

Anyone Can Cook!!!

2010-03-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

Like the great movie Ratatouille, we believe that our kids can, and should, know how to cook. Just think of it as my little gift to their future spouses! My parents had David and I in the kitchen early on in life and we even planned out meals and shopped for ingredients (with a pre-set budget!) once a week each. Maybe that was my mom's way of taking off from cooking twice a week! My little chefs love to get in the kitchen and help whenever they can. Brianna is now able to do some things at the stove!

On the menu, for these pictures, it Tater Tot Casserole!

My Friend

2010-03-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

On today's date, March 12, you would think that I would be writing about my birthday... Instead, I am writing about a new beginning. Most of you know that my friend, Aly, has been on a long journey of becoming a mom. TODAY is the day she found out that she is pregnant!!! This woman has endured more heartache than most of us could ever handle and yet she remains steadfast in the arms of Christ. She has never wavered from holding onto the promise that HE cares for all the desires of her heart, including her most treasured one of wanting to be a mom. My heart is bursting with joy and tears continue to flow at hearing such tremendous news! God is so good!! I know that her pregnancy is only beginning, but I am holding onto a prayer that THIS is the baby she is meant to hold in her arms at full term and to watch them grow into adulthood. You are blessed among women Alyson Louise Steiner and your prayers have been answered! I love you dear friend!

The First Signs of Spring

2010-03-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we have had a rough winter here in Maryland. The snow was paralyzing for several weeks and there are effects still being felt (and snow still on the ground in some places!). Yesterday we had our first day of getting to 60 degrees! Poor Riley is still in his casts and was NOT HAPPY to not be able to ride his bike! The sun felt so warm and I think we all were a bit rejuvenated after being out for a couple of hours!

nothing says spring than dad & son playing catch!notice the flip flops ;-)

watchin' the boys

Riley and good friend Luke. Can anyone picture this as 2 grumpy old men in 70 years?!?!

Blizzard 2010: Take 2

2010-02-11T13:40:00.001-08:00

Well, the snow seems to be finally over!! This go 'round we got about 20 inches, and some of the drifts are 5ft tall!!! Thankfully, the power remained on, so we stayed toasty warm while the winds howled outside. Today is beautiful, with sunny blue skies and above freezing temperatures. It was great to be able to get outside and play and use up some of the energy we have stored up from being cooped up for so long. It is going to take a very long time for all this to melt and in the meantime we will be dealing with a muddy, slushy mess and probably some flooding. This winter will definitely be one to remember and an adventure we, hopefully, won't have to go through again!

me and the kids trying to trudge through the snow to try sledding...it didn't work, the snow is way too deep!

the path to our front door! this is NOT piled up snow, but the height of how it fell!

beautiful icicles!! some of them got to about 3ft long!

Blizzard 2010

2010-02-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

So... we used to like snow, maybe not so much now. Starting Friday afternoon, Feb 5, the snow began to accumulate. Luckily, we had made a couple of grocery store runs and had everything we needed to last us a few days. The weather reports were that we would have about 2ft much like the big snow we had right before Christmas. As the evening progressed toward morning, the totals were updated to 3ft. We lost power Saturday morning at 5:45am and would not get it back until Saturday night at about 10:30pm. We were very fortunate to get it back so quickly as so many of our friends waited until Monday for theirs to be back on. The snow finally stopped
falling Saturday evening at about dinner time! It was indeed about 3ft with drifts in some placed of 4 or 5ft. Below are some pictures...

Here we go...!!!

outside our front door

Brian was so AWESOME at staying ahead of the shoveling! A lot of people waited until it was over before they shoveled and had so much work to do and their cars were stuck (ours is in the garage!)

The 2 mounds are cars! The one in the back is a minivan...

It is finally over!

Sunday was so beautiful with a blue, sunny sky! This is our front yard!

Our neighbors are finally dug out!

Beautiful!!

I wish I could say that this is it for us, unfortunately, as I type this we are getting another 2ft of snowfall! I'm not sure how anyone functions with 5ft of snow in their yard...

2009...In Review

2010-01-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

2009 started with a big move for our family. Brian was reassigned to Fort Meade, Maryland (20 min from Baltimore). We were sad to leave wonderful Alexandria, Virginia, but excited for our new adventure!! Brian was very much looking forward to his new teaching position!

Roxy was added to our family in Jan!! It took a while, but eventually she and Darby warmed up to each other.

With Spring, comes sports!! Brianna joined our Ft Meade soccer league and became the only female member (watch our boys!) of the Black Dragons!! Her coaches were awesome and really showed the kids how to not only play the game, but to be a family and bond as friends! Go Dragons!!

We are so thankful for the street we live on; it's like living on a cul-de-sac, but the street is straight instead of curved. The street goes no where so the only traffic is just from us 6 houses. The kids can ride their bikes and play in the street without us fearing any cars. Our neighbors are the best and you will find us all sitting outside, sipping our coffee, and watching the kids play during a good weather day!

Going camping has become a favorite of our family in the last couple of years. We all seem to equally love the outdoors and exploring new areas. We can't wait for warmer weather and the challenge of finding a new spot to camp!

My Buddy!!! We had such wonderful times together this last year while Brianna was in school. Next year he will be off to Kindergarten and I wanted to savor each moment of his last year home. This picture is from a farm that we go to sometimes to pick our own fruit and veggies. It's great for the kids to see where our food comes from and for us to spend time together.

He may have eaten more than he picked... :-)

Our cruise in August was a dream come true!! We were gone for 7 days, had an amazing balcony room, and enjoyed so many different ports of call. We are so thankful for that time we were able to spend together and reconnect as a couple!

While we were away, the kids played!! Our AMAZING friends added our 2 kiddos to their own 3. They offered and we accepted! Jeremy & Brenda you are the best and seeing you all made our dream vacation complete!

Happy 4th Birthday Riley!!! He asked for a "Bolt" themed cake for this special day. We had some friends over and played outside. It was a perfect summer day!

First day of 1st grade!! She is standing outside her school with good friend, Cody. Brianna has had a roller coaster of a first half of the year! Her regular teacher left to have her baby just 1 week after school started. Brianna has hung in there and flourished despite a sub-par substitute. Thankfully her teacher is back and the rest of the school year will be awesome!

This is a picture of Riley and his best friend Brooke on their first day of preschool! We were fortunate to find a church close by that offered a program for 4's. He is doing so great and really looks forward to it!

One day while Brianna was at school, I totally redid her room!! She had no idea that I was planning it and I had to get it all done in just one day (by myself!). What a difference just a bit of paint and moving furniture around can do! She received this desk and our old computer for her new "big girl" space!

Every once in a while being in the military has some perks. We were able to get free tickets to see the Washington Nationals play the Atlanta Braves! We rode the metro there, walked around the new park (only the 2nd season to be used), and even got to enjoy some hot dogs!! Our good friend and neighbor, Tabitha went with us and we had an awesome day!

Something new for Brian and I this year is that we are the leaders of our church's Jr High youth group. There was a need at out church to start a group for 6th-8th grade and we were called for it. They are named STATIC - Students Taking Action Together in Christ. The kids are all awesome!
This is a picture form our Fall Food Drive that we held on Oct 31. We had about 75 students and adults show up to help. The kids went door-to-door and collected more than 1000 food items!! Not one youth left this even unchanged...what an amazing night!

That's it for now!! I am going to leave December to its own blog!!

A New Year...

2010-01-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

I was so great the first half of 2009 at posting blogs and keeping you all up to date on our family...the second half wasn't so good! In fact, I didn't post anything at all! My promise to you all in 2010 is that I will be much better at blogging and sharing pictures. I may never be as great as you, Aly, but I promise to strive toward that goal!!

Be watching for a 2009-In-Review Blog coming soon!

Camping Trip!!

2009-05-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since we have attempted any kind of camping, and thought it was time to give it a shot! We already had most of the gear needed and only had to purchase a few things. I had done some looking online for a camping spot that was close by and had some modern conveniences (bathrooms are necessary with kids!!). We didn't want a campground that was void of trees and had the campers all on top of each other. We found Bayshore Campground in Rock Hall, MD!! Because of Memorial weekend, they were pretty packed but had a space for us. Megan, the owner, was so great over the phone and I couldn't wait to meet her!

Thursday afternoon, we set off!! The car was full and everyone super excited!

We arrived to the beautiful country town of Rock Hall and our camping spot. Megan (who is around our age!) greeted us warmly and lead us to our camp on her golf cart. We couldn't be more thrilled with the location. The whole campground is full of mature trees that provided so much shade and atmosphere. The kids were very wiggly with excitement and proceeded to play with their new ball catching game while Brian and I set up camp. The campground is set on the Chesapeake Bay. While there wasn't really a beach to play on, there were big rocks to sit on and look over the water.

Over the two full days there we explored the area, went to the beach twice, walked through a nature preserve (until the bugs were so annoying Brian exclaimed, "I've had it with Nature!"), and went into Chestertown to their Tea Party Celebration (as in Boston Tea Party). The kids were awesome and very well behaved. They befriended the camp next to us as they had a wonderful dog named Toby! Riley thought the bugs were too loud at night and told them to be quiet! Our camera ran out of battery life, so below are a few of the pics we were able to get.

Can't wait for the next trip!

Daddy and Riley playing catch. You can see the edge of the pond that was in front of our campsite. Little did we know, it was stocked with catfish! Riley will definitely have a fishing pole next time!

Brianna enjoying a cool morning and our fire pit. SMORES!!!

Our tent and picnic table. You can also see the porta potties right behind. Those were the cleanest porta potties I have ever been in!!

We drove by this guy while in the Eastern Neck Nature Preserve.

I took pics of some of the flowers we saw (just for you Aly!!).

Two different views of Chesapeake Bay

Awww...

Some serious sand digging!

Brianna is always so happy while at the beach

They actually get along so well at the beach.

The only bad thing that happened was that Riley touched our propane lantern the first night and burned his hand in about 4 places. The worst is pictures here. It blistered up the next day to about the size of a half dollar. Ouch!

I Was Tagged...

2009-05-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

8 things I look forward to...

~the cruise Brian and I are taking in August (with no kids!)

~Brianna's soccer games

~starting back to ORU

~seeing Brenda Schans this summer...its been to long my friend!

~beach trips with the kids this summer

~traveling

~baby #3 (not yet...must wait till AFTER the cruise!)

~some great family bike rides when Brianna is a little more confident and not afraid of her bike

8 things I did yesterday...

~finished up the laundry

~went to our church office to turn in our membership cards...so excited!

~took Brianna to school

~took Brianna and Riley to Brianna's soccer practice

~made some killer scrambled eggs and hashbrowns for dinner...yummo!!

~watched Fringe with Brian and had a cup of coffee

~started a new David Baldacci book

~gave the kiddos a much needed bath after a very dirty soccer practice

8 things I wish I could do...

~fly to TX to see Aly

~work out more (that just needs some extra motivation)

~have a date night with my hubby

~make the time go by faster so we can leave on our cruise!

~go on a missions trip to Australia. my good friend Rebecca is part of a medical missions trip to Papua New Guinea; i've been there before and am dying to go back!

~find a way to make a little extra cash from home

~have a great girls' day with Aly, Brenda, Danielle and all my other girlfriends! i hate that we all live so far apart now!

8 shows I watch...

~Grey's Anatomy

~Fringe

~Lie to Me

~American Idol

~House

~Oprah

~Private Practice

~Brothers and Sisters

Just Listen...

2009-04-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

We had a very special day at Church today. Brian and I have started to work with the kids, so we were in children's church this morning. After the worship time, the kids get some "be still and know" time. They are to spread out in the room and have some quiet time with God. After about 2 min (an eternity to a kid!) they are asked if anyone has anything they feel God wants the group to know. Brianna JUMPED up and ran to the front! I wasn't sure what she was going to say or if she would get nervous and not say anything at all. When it was her turn to speak, she said very clearly into the microphone:

"I feel that God wants everyone to know that if you are lonely that you don't have to be because He says He is always with you."

So, of couse, I started to have tears run down my face. I was so proud, yet so humbled by my little girl and how she obeyed what God wanted her to do. I have not a doubt in my mind that there was a child or two in the group that really needed to hear that, and maybe a grown-up too! As adults, we truly lose that childlike faith of "if God says it, then thats it".

How old is your faith?

Brianna's Choir Debut!

2009-03-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

Brianna and two of her choir buddies

Brianna has joined the Children's Choir at our church and is having a lot of fun! She really enjoyed singing in front of the Church today and wasn't even nervous (she wanted me to mention that!). Below is a video of their performance...I can't wait to see them perform at Easter!

Spring Fun

2009-03-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since we have updated you all with any news. We are settling in great and the kids seem to love our new home and area. Brian is VERY happy with his job and the people he works with. They are a crazy group and very close knit. A bunch of the guys got together to have dinner and see Watchmen last night; I am thankful he has some guys to have fun with! Right now I am not working and staying home taking care of my family. It is great to not be rushing around balancing schedules and never seeing either my husband or my kids!

We have a wonderful neighborhood here on Fort Meade. Our street only has one row of 6 townhouses, so it is secluded from traffic and noise (its like living on a culdisac (sp) that is straight instead of a circle) . Our neighbors are all wonderful and we are enjoying their company. We are excited for some warmer weather that will bring BBQs and nights sitting around outdoor fire pits!

(this was last week when we had about 8in of snow!)

Today, we are having a 72 degree day! It was time to buy the kids their first "real" bikes! Riley is a daredevil and took pretty naturally to it. Brianna is a little more cautious and nervous, but she is doing really great! Now we have to find some great riding trails without too many hills for us to go on family rides together. I am loving the ages of the kids; we are able to do so much and have so much fun without having to worry about all the baby gear to lug around.

a video of the kids riding their new bikes

Also, we have a new member of the family! Roxy is a 1 year old kitty that we adopted. She is super sweet and we call her our "love sponge"! Darby was not too sure about her and we had to keep them mostly separated for the first few days. Roxy was very patient and didn't seem to mind all the hissing Darby was doing. Now they seem to like each other and are even playing together!

Parklawn Elementary Memories

2009-01-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

(written by Brianna Bender)

I miss my old school a lot. And I miss my friends. It was so fun for my mom to be at my school and I hope they miss me too. All my friends may be a little sad, but wherever they are, I will still remember them. And my teachers too!

Brianna brought cupcakes for her birthday...is was also a time so say goodbye to her class

cupcake face!

best friend Amy

Myra was a good friend!

Frances was really smart

Leonel was a great buddy!

Maya was my best best friend!

Ms Kure was the best teacher...EVER!

my class all signed my Parklawn Panther shirt so I could remember them!

Maya and I drew this best friends picture together

Christmas 2008

2009-01-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

I know that it is now January, but I wanted to make sure I get these memories down!

We had a wonderfully quiet Christmas Eve and Day! With our impending move, we were thankful to have a rest and really enjoy our children.

On Christmas Eve, it is our tradition to exchange new tree ornaments with each other. We try to have it represent something significant that year if possible, especially with the kids. Brianna received a school chalkboard to show her first year of Kindergarten, Riley's was a big "digger" bulldozer - he has been especially into the construction stuff this year, Brian's was a "movie buff" clapboard, and mine was a handpainted mini-martini glass (Brian started me on this collectible line last year).

I think the kids didn't really wake up realizing what morning it was! Riley climbed into bed with us like he does each morning when he wakes up, and Brianna soon followed. Neither said anything of presents! Brian asked them to go on out to the living room and we would be right there. We could hear the surprise in their voices when they say the presents and Brianna ran back into our room and said, "We must have been really good! There are a lot of presents out there!" Here are a few of the pictures we took opening presents!

Grandpa Steve and Grandma Jeanne gave them this Nativity kit for the kids to put together

fingerpaints for the bathtub!

Riley got Daddy a book of Batman comics from the 1940s newspapers

Brianna got Riley his own Leapster...mostly so he would stop playing with hers!

a daily crossword calendar for Daddy's desk from Brianna! she knows her dad LOVES to do crosswords!

Littlest Petshop Wii game!

travel Thomas train set from Grandpa Bill and Gramma Lissa!

Riley's own tools from Daddy...mostly so he would stop touching his! (are you seeing a pattern here?!)

Decorating the Tree!

2008-12-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

At first, we weren't going to put up any Christmas decorations this year due to our move in January. I tried, I really really tried! It was making me more depressed by the minute not having anything decorated! So, yesterday I got out my green and red Tupperware bins and went to work! I put up some garland around our fireplace and archway to the kitchen, Christmas nicknacks on the mantel, and then the tree. Mommy is in charge of the lights (no exceptions and NO I don't want any help!), and then after dinner Daddy and the kids hung up the ornaments. Each year on Christmas Eve we give each other a new ornament for the tree that has to do with something in the past year. Brian picks out mine, I pick out Brian's, and we choose the kids' and Darby's together. It was fun to look at the dates (some from OUR childhood) and the kids were totally into all the stories. We has Christmas tunes in the background and it was a fun moment together.

As with most of you, we are focusing on the moments we can share together instead of all the physical presents. I hope to hear about the special times and traditions you all with share with your friends and family this Holiday season!

Autumn Fun!

2008-11-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

What could be more classic in the Fall, than kids jumping in the leaves? We had a beautiful sunny day today and totally took advantage of getting the kids outside to help with the leaves. The payoff? A HUGE pile to play in of course!

Dewey Beach, DE

2008-10-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well, its official: summer is over! We took advantage of a couple of amazing "Indian Summer" days and took the kids to the Delaware coast. Brian was just finishing a 10 day leave from work (he totally needed some time off!), and we wanted to make the most of it. Who would have known that we would have 80 degree days in the middle of October?! We packed up the car and after about 2.5 hours arrived at the beach. We found a cute little hotel right on the dunes and were lucky to get a room in front with a view. The kids couldn't get their lunch down fast enough and were begging to get out to the water. How is it that kids have such high endurance for such cold water??? I think it must be the excitement and pure joy that is in them when facing the magnificence of the ocean! They were quite content with their buckets and one shovel for about 3 hours when Daddy announced that he must eat some dinner! I have a feeling they would have stayed out to play on the sand until they fell asleep! I found such a peace sitting in my "mommy chair" watching my children enjoy themselves. The next morning after breakfast we attempted a nice walk, but Riley must have heard me say "beach swim" instead of "walk"!! He just couldn't comprehend that you can actually walk next to the water without going in it!! I pray a beach house is in my future!!

A beautiful horseshoe crab gliding across the sand during out walk!

Riley was never satisfied unless the bucket was completely full to the top!

They never got tired jumping waves!

Brianna is a beach girl in the making! After only one afternoon, her skin was tanner and her hair blonder!

Riley is very serious about his sand castles! He and Daddy built them and then Riley spent a lot of time looking for rocks to put on top of them!

that's Brianna laying in the water in the background!

A Grown-Up Girl!

2008-09-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that Brianna has already finished her first month of Kindergarten! Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday that Brenda, Danielle, and I were busy with our playdates and enjoying each other as good friends. Brianna is in public school, but unlike most elementaries, her school goes year around (July 28th - June 17th). It is also ALL DAY! Oh how I miss my little girl! She is now more concerned with which barrettes to put in her hair, what days to eat school lunch (which are, by the way, served on awesome red trays!), and who her current best friend is! She was very fortunate to be put into a multiage, K-1-2, classroom. Her teacher, Ms Kure, is fabulous and we couldn't be happier. Brianna is very loved by all her teachers and we are told almost daily what a joy she is to everyone she is around. She is reading above her grade, doing math, and completing her homework without much help. She loves her school and is thriving.

I will share this story with you: on her first day of school, the classes were all sitting down in the auditorium (sp...sorry!) for a welcome assembly. Brianna, however, wouldn't sit. Ms Kure continued to encourage her to sit, but for some reason Brianna kept saying, "I can't! I just can't sit down!". Ms Kure saw that Brianna was quite serious about this and moved on to help the other children. Finally, Brianna was the only one left standing and they needed to get started. Ms Kure firmly said to Brianna to sit as they were about to start. To this Brianna replied, "I just can't sit down Ms Kure!! I'm just so excited! This is my very first day of school and I'm too excited to sit down!!". This outburst of pure joy was witnessed by most of the teachers and Ms Kure told us that it very much served as a reminder of why they all love their jobs and continue to invest in these kids. What an amazing young lady I have and am truly blessed each day with her sweet spirit!!

Our First!

2008-09-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family!! Aly - you have totally inspired me to start using this website! I love looking at your blog and seeing how your life is going. I can see why so many have chosen to use this as a means to communicate. We all get so little time to talk on the phone and see each other and this is a great way to keep in touch! I can't wait to share pictures of the kids and keep you up to date with all their shenanigans!! I look forward to all your comments! - Dara