Raising Royalty

The move.

2012-01-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

Check out this beast of a truck! Jordan and Uncle Jered pulled up in this thing, and I couldn't believe how it completely overwhelmed my parents' entire driveway!

We had our doubts, but by late afternoon it all fit! Thanks to Pastor Bill, James, Uncle, and daddy, the truck was packed like a pro in no time.

This was the "Ocean's 11" moment. They shut the truck door and stood in a line, staring at the beast. Then slowly, one by one they peeled away in a spirit of triumph.

Here enters Instagram iphone pictures as my camera was packed away safely.

Early the next morning... Goodbye for now boys!

Several days later, after hearing that the truck arrived safely, it was our turn to hit the road. We hadn't seen much snow at all, but of course it was coming down nicely the day before we were scheduled to leave. Actually, there was so much that the pass over the mountains was CLOSED. So we watched for hours for it to open up, and finally my hero (that would be my father) suggested that it was probably our best bet to fly out of the dinky little Yakima airport to ensure we'd be in Seattle the next morning. He bought us tickets, and we got in the car...

We got to Yakima where we sat in the airport...

and sat...

waved to Grampa through security,

ran around,

did puzzles,

ate snacks,

and sat some more...

...until finally our tiny plane took off. It was REALLY turbulent. (See above headline for an idea of the weather that night) I was scared more than once as my buns left the seat. Let's just say my biceps got a nice little workout as I death-gripped one girl on each side of me...

So we stayed the night in Seattle, and woke up the next morning to a beautiful white snowscape. I had serious doubts that we'd make it out of that city. And we barely did. In fact, we had to be some of the last people out of there before they closed the entire airport! We watched the news from Iowa the next day as they reported that Seatac airport was shut down and hadn't been closed in decades!

It was a VERY looooooong travel day. The most intense part of my day happened in a 10 minute window of time. As we were landing in Denver the flight attendant announced that because we were getting in so late (due to sitting on the airplane for-EV-ER while they de-iced it in Seattle) we were probably going to miss our connection. "But those trying to make the flight to Iowa may have a chance. They know you're about to land, but you're going to need to run. And if you miss it, please see a service agent and we'll be happy to put you on the next plane." The wheels hit the ground and I turned my cell phone on to read a text from Jordan telling me he had talked to an agent, we weren't gonna make the connection, and that was the last Iowa flight that day. United was going to put us in a hotel for the night and get us out the next day. OH NO! That was NOT happening. Something inside of me went off as I prepared myself and my children for a sprint through the Denver airport. I texted back- "We are going to run and we WILL MAKE THIS FLIGHT!" I strapped everything tightly to myself, grabbed Anabelle and thanked the seated passengers for letting us off the plane first. I took off, reading signs as I ran. At one point, poor Raegan shouted, "Mommy, I can't do it. I can't run anymore." I turned around and asked her, "Do you want to see your daddy today? If you want to see him, you have to run!"

She passed me at that point and we soon rounded the corner just before they closed the doors behind us. Every passenger on the crowded flight had to hear me wheezing as the tears rolled down my cheeks and we stumbled our way to the very last row. And that's what a motivated mama can accomplish when she's desperate enough.

And look what we saw when we got off the plane! The best Welcome "home" ever! Jordan's entire family was with him to welcome us at the airport with signs and Iowa attire! A sight for sore eyes is the biggest understatement I can think of.

So, here I am. It's freezing!! I'm unpacking one box at a time and slowly learning the street names in my neighborhood. My new home is beautiful, and there's a grocery store right down the street. The girls are sleeping perfectly already, loving their new bedrooms and having a blast unpacking toys they haven't seen in over a year!

I miss my family. A lot. But at least the un-ending bins are keeping me busy.

I'm pretty exhausted. But I made it. We made it.

Here we go Bulldogs!

2012-01-23T19:22:00.000-08:00

The last week in Ellensburg, Raegan attended a mini Cheerleading clinic at EHS. Yes, that's right, the very school I cheered at myself a dozen years ago- and there she was on the court with her bright smile and tight-ribboned braids, cheering on my alma mater. "Here we go Bulldogs, here we go!"

Before the game, we got ready with friends. Megan and I grew up together, and she cheered for EHS after I graduated. And there we were, prettying our own daughters for the "half time show." There were hairs to curl, nails to glitter, and ribbons to tie. We even put lipstick on them. It was probably just as fun for us as it was for them!

Look at these proud grandparents! I'm sure we had the best fans in the stands that night.

It was the perfect ending to a month of strolling down memory lane.

Goodbye Washington for now,

and hello Iowa!

We're moving!

2012-01-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

Alright. My posts have been scarce at best, and I can't wait to tell you why. Nope, not pregnant!

We left California not completely sure of our next steps . We did know we'd be here in Ellensburg for the holidays. We didn't know we would stay this long. And in the end (beginning) we are pretty surprised at where we are choosing to go next!

So, after a solid year of full-time ministry and constant traveling, we are excited to announce that Jordan has accepted a job for Pella in DesMoines, Iowa! Back to business, but this time in his old stomping grounds. Above all other desires, we knew we needed to get our girls settled in somewhere to regain structure and routine. Also, traveling is expensive! I've always wondered in the back of my mind if we'd end up in corn country...

We haven't seen daddy in a couple weeks as he went ahead of us to find us a home, etc. Over the last several months we've learned many wrong (or just hard) ways of transitioning, so we decided to do this big one right! (or as smoothly as possible at least!) As I write, Jordan and his incredible brother, Jered, are headed this way in an enormous Uhaul truck!

What am I excited for?
I'm excited have a real home!
Im excited to live near family.
I'm excited for my girls to grow up with their cousins!
I'm excited for my girls to have their own beds and even rooms!
I'm excited for Raegan to attend an amazing school.
Im excited to spend some one-on-one time with Anabelle.
I'm excited for Jordan to work hard and feel success- he's made for it!
I'm excited to experience four distinct seasons!
Im excited for each of us to quickly fall into a healthy daily/weekly routine.

What's going to be hard?
It's going to be sad to say goodbye to my family and live several states away.
And I'll miss my best friends still.

Starting over: new school, grocery stores, doctors, etc

But I love change. (Thank goodness!) And the past year has truly prepared me for anything! I'm stronger than I thought I was. And we'll have an awesome support system to help us transition.

Come visit us! Or if you want to send me love letters...

15159 Bryn Mawr
Clive, Iowa
50325

Go Hawkeyes!

New Year, Old Friends

2012-01-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

The girls and I drove over the mountains for New Year's Eve. Just one night. It was SO worth it!

We reunited with "Nanny" Danni for lunch at Metropolitan Market! Beautiful as ever, we were so blessed by her cheerful heart and fun Christmas gifts for the girls!

We danced the afternoon away to Wii Dance at the Mock's (watching Anabelle boogy down and remembering how exactly one year ago she took her first steps on that very floor,) we crashed at the Walker's. Look at these excited friends!

We enjoyed a New Year's brunch the next morning with our dearest friends.

Thank you Candace for hosting!

Auntie Andrea playing London Bridges with the girls.

And Auntie Aimee playing with little Caleb. Look at those smiles!

These friends miss each other, and goodbyes are hard. But they're worth the next hellos and new memories together.

Happy 2012!

And, oh my gosh I almost forgot, I actually whipped my 2011 New Year's resolution in the tail! I didn't eat a single french fry all year long. Not one! Oh yeah, baby! I'm basking in that glory and still haven't decided on this years'. What's yours?

Blessed Christmas

2012-01-01T21:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas was exactly how Christmas should be. Surrounded by family, with lots of fun traditions being woven together with new memories. It was magical for my daughters, and I'm seriously overflowing with holiday cheer!

Christmas Eve bath time brought soapy Santa beards.

One present to open: matching pajamas.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

And we left out cookies and pink strawberry milk for Santa.

The perfect Christmas Eve bedtime storybooks:

Christmas morning!

(Still pretty dark outside)

They were so sweet- opening presents together, being excited for everybody to receive gifts, passing out presents, and squealing over their surprises!

Our cozy family.

My dad cooked a full turkey dinner that night, and he taught Raegan how to baste!

And a definite highlight of Christmas 2011 was meeting Uncle Chris's new gal, Natalie. We sang, we danced, we got out old photos and we watched Sister Act 2! She read bedtime stories and everything.

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Christmas is coming...

2011-12-28T22:28:00.000-08:00

A few sweet pictures from our week in Washington leading up to Christmas!

Raegan requested "Cindy Lou Who" hair one morning...

So grateful for my amazing friends and family!

Roadtrip!

2011-12-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

It was time to pack up and hit the road. With our YWAM outreach over, we couldn't wait to get home for the holidays! That's where we are now, safe and sound in Washington, enjoying the freezing cold winter in my little country hometown. And we drove here!

California was gorgeous~ so many vineyards and beautiful lines of trees.

Our first stop was in Cupertino, CA to spend the weekend visiting my Grandparents.

We were so warmly welcomed into my grandparents' home, and enjoyed playing, swimming, and even attending a cookie party down the block! Great Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Steve were even there to play! Oh, and my amazing father, of course.

And we celebrated Great Grandpa's 85th birthday! His big day is actually today- HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!- but we ate cake and blew out the candles with him two weeks ago. Raegan really wanted to make him a crown so he'd "feel special on his birthday, because I love my Great Grandpa, mommy."

Back on the road! This time, caravaning with Grandpa in his cool VW van.

Driving day 2: Cupertino, CA~ Kalamath Falls, OR

We drove by the glorious Mount Shasta!

Check out Anabelle's game face- let's do this.

Final Driving Day: Kalamath Falls, OR~ Ellensburg, WA!

I'm so darn proud of my incredible kids. They were major troopers, and I was so incredibly impressed by their patience, flexibility, and happy hearts!

Home sweet home.

My parents are my favorite.

We crashed their pad hard, joining once again with everything we own that's so conveniently boxed up and stored here.

Don't you love the Holidays?

Tomorrow's Christmas Eve!

Elf on the Shelf!

2011-12-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

December 16th

December 17th

December 18th

December 19th

December 20th

December 21st

December 22nd

December 23rd

More Elf on the Shelf!

2011-12-15T13:35:00.001-08:00

December 7th

December 8th

Decemeber 9th

Roadtrip!

December 10th

(Hotel... ice anyone?)

December 11th

(Toys for the Road!)

December 12th

(Final day of our roadtrip: Snow outside!)

December 13th

December 14th

December 15th

Preschool Christmas!

2011-12-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick snip-it video of our shining preschool star at her Christmas concert Last Thursday night. It was so fun to watch her nail the hand motions and perform like such a little lady on stage. She's on the left side of the group, waving to us in the first clip.

We will really miss you, Lil' Lighthouse Preschool!

Santa!!

2011-12-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

We met Santa!

Raegan was sweet and brave.

Anabelle was unsure of the big guy and clung to mommy.

They were both excited, however, and we had a really fun outing!

And here's the professional shot of our whole family...

I had to take a picture of a picture to post this, but I wanted evidence that Jordan was there!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Elf on the Shelf!

2011-12-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

This year's Christmas countdown is a brand new Boley tradition that I know will be back each year! Drum roll please.....

Elf on the Shelf!

Meet Chip! (Raegan named him)

Here he is on December 1st, building a snow family out of marshmallows on our mantel!

So, what's the story?

The official website reads:

"The tradition begins when Santa sends his scout elves out to Elf Adoption Centers. Waiting for their families to bring them home, these patient elves hibernate until their family reads The Elf on the Shelf, gives their elf a very special name, and registers their adoption online. Once named, each scout elf will receive its Christmas magic and become a part of the family’s Christmas each and every year.

Excellent listeners and even better observers, these scout elves are the eyes and ears of Santa Claus. Although they cannot be touched, or else they may lose their magic, the elf will always listen and relay messages back to Santa. Taking in all the day-to-day activities around the house, no good deed goes unnoticed; these scout elves take their job seriously.

Each night, after the family goes to bed, the scout elf uses his magical Christmas powers to fly back to the North Pole. Once there, the elf will make his or her daily report to Santa and visit with elf friends where they will tell stories about their beloved families, play with the reindeer, and of course, sneak some of Mrs. Claus’ cookies!

Before the family awakes each morning, their special scout elf will fly back to their home from the North Pole. However, since these elves like to play games, don’t expect to find them in the same spot! While some like to hide in the freezer (probably because it reminds them of the North Pole) and others prefer to sit on the fireplace mantle or hang from the chandelier, these elves love to play hide-and-seek with their families.

On Christmas Eve, the scout elf will listen for Santa’s bell and then fly back to the North Pole until the next season, wishing every girl and each boy a Christmas of peace and a year full of joy."

December 2nd

December 3rd

December 4th

"Dear Raegan and Bella,

I hope you don't mind, I brought back an elf tree from the North Pole.

But I can't get the ornament box open. Please help!

Love,

Chip"

December 5th

"Good morning girls!

Wanna color?"

December 6th

Check back next week for more Chip mischief!

Merry Christmas Pictures!

2011-12-05T16:18:00.000-08:00

I got out my long lens, walked the girls barefoot down the block to the beach, and shot as many pictures as I could. The challenge was keeping other people out of the photos. That, and of course the fact that I was trying to get decent shots of two young moving targets in bright sunshine!

I really like how they turned out, and wanted to share.

So, here's to a Merry Christmas from these fancy beach babes to you!

Oh Christmas Tree!

2011-11-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

Since we don't have our Christmas boxes.

Since it's 75 degrees outside in November.

Since things are just not "normal."

And since we're raising princesses...

We let the girls pick out plastic sparkly pink and purple ornaments to decorate a cheap fake tree for our pad!

The amount of time they've spent trimming and re-trimming this little tree has already made it well worth the twenty bucks.

Even if it is kinda Charlie Brown-ish.

Happy Last day of November!

Our little Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving day as a family here in California.

There's no chance I could cook a turkey even half as good as my father (and we recently devoured his holiday spread) so...

We made delicious hors d'oeuvres instead. All day.

We made food, ate food, made more food, and ate more food.

Brie and Apple Tarts~

Click HERE for the recipe!

Individual Macaroni and Cheese pies~

Click HERE for the recipe!

It wasn't turkey and potatoes, but it was a wonderful day :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful.

2011-11-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

Home sweet home!

After almost an entire year, I stepped into my parents house last week.

And it was truly sweet. It was a girls trip, and we loved every minute!

Look at these pro travelers on the airplane.

And Uncle Chris was there! Every 5 minutes I spend with my brother makes me 5 minutes cooler and 5 minutes smarter. He introduced me to the "Instagram" app on my iphone. Yet another fun way to share photos with the world...

And it even snowed! And you bet your bottom dollar we threw on our mismatched mittens, hats, and rain boots to make a mini snowman and freeze our red noses off.

But there was cocoa. In santa mugs.

And I talked my dad into cooking Thanksgiving dinner a week early. It was SO good.

I love the expressions in the following photos:

Shot 2, zoomed in on Uncle.

"So, Gramma, you and me, ice cream and story reading after this?"

"You got it, kid."

And the cherry on top of the triple chocolate fudge cake of a weekend that we had? Best friends! Raegan and I got to play with Ava and Candace! It was marvelous. There was coffee, there were hugs and kisses on foreheads, lots of echoing giggles, and plenty of grins. And we miss them.

Oh, and there was music!

The girls stood side by side and performed "Do Re Mi" from the Sound of Music for us.

Bravo ladies, bravo!

What am I supposed to do every day without you?

We'll be back in Washington for Christmas, and I'm counting down the days.

Fire Station!

2011-11-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

We're settling in here in Newport Beach, and while daddy's busy during the days, us girls have been checking out our community. I took the girls to the Newport Library last week, and the perky librarian informed us of the Fire station field trip she was planning for this morning. So we went. It was really awesome! She started with a Clifford story book and then we walked next door to take the tour, learn about fire fighting, and climb into the big rig!

When Fire Fighter Adam asked if anybody wanted to try holding the nozzle of the firehose, Anabelle jumped up and down shouting "Meeee!!" and while everybody finished giggling at her cuteness I snapped this shot with Jordan's phone!

We learned a lot today, and came away really grateful for the sacrifices these people make for all of us! A shout out to my Uncle Eric- thank you!

No tricks, All treats!

2011-11-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Little Mermaid and Cinderella!

We took the girls to an amazing Harvest party last night for Halloween. Nothing scary, just lots of fun! Bouncy houses, candy, friendly costumes, and friends. It was a great night.

We knew we were going to have one princess last night, but every time we got near Anabelle with polyester or taffeta she freaked. Just before I'd completely given up and was headed for her cozy pajamas, it hit me! (I don't sew, and i don't know sewing terms, so bare with me here) I ripped apart the seams of a little well worn Cinderella top we have until I was down to just the front piece. Then I "sewed" it (needle and thread by hand) onto a long sleeve white t-shirt that I found on clearance for $3.50 at Target. It even had little cap sleeves built in. She put it on with a smile and VIOLA! Two princesses.

Preschool Trike-A-Thon!

2011-10-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

If we weren't already completely sold (which we were) on Raegan's preschool, this morning did the trick! The students wheeled in their decorated bikes and sported harvest colors to the annual Lil' Lighthouse Preschool Trike-a-thon Fundraising event.

And here's our super star!

First things first. Morning Routine. Each day begins with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag and the Christian Flag AND to the bible. Then "It's a happy day!" song and "suiting up" with the armor of God.

Here's Raegan's lead teacher Miss Peggy and Director Mrs. Menashe putting on the helmet of salvation and leading "I'm in the Lord's army." Like I said, this place is fabulous!

Mrs. Menashe and our bicyclist!

We were all there to support our girl!

And around they go!

As you can see (purple helmet,) we had one serious rider on our hands. She waved and smiled at us a few times, but mostly she put the pedal to the metal and hit the road.

After the ride, the athletes had orange slices and water together. That's Raegan's little friend Kayla in mid sentence.

Just one more cute shot from the night before- orange nail polish!

Home.

2011-10-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

We moved again!

Just a few blocks away, into a place of our own where we'll be for a while. It's a rental, it's furnished with somebody else's furniture, but it's "home." And I love it. Yes, I miss my pink giraffe print broom, my quilt on my bed, and my kitchen gadgets, but we're hanging up Raegan's art projects to decorate and enjoying simplicity for now.

If you want to send me love letters, we got ourselves a little P.O. Box!

P.O. Box 3125

Newport Beach, CA

92659

Since we had 5 kids running around in the last house, I had to purchase one of these on move out day:

Before.

After. Eww nasty.

And can I just say that this magic sucker got out every color of crayon and every scuff mark!

Friends

2011-10-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful for our friends slash housemates- the Ords. It's a pretty amazing thing to actually LIVE with your friends. You should try it sometime. Not just live close by, next door, see everyday, etc... but actually LIVE under one roof. We get to drink coffee in the early mornings and hot tea when it's late at night. And built in playdates for the kids! What a blast!

We decorated fall cupcakes together last week~

Remember when you used to dress as "twinsies" with your bff's?

Speaking of bff's. I really wish I could post an old picture here, but I'd have to dig through boxes of 3x5s for a while to find the perfect shot of me and Meg in matching stretch pants with coordinating baggy sweatshirts and pigtails.

But here's us laughing together today! (thanks to my new iphone)

And here we are as kids... oh wait! Nope! Those are our beautiful daughters- beautiful little friends. They play together only a handful of times a year, but it's always so fun and they're always so glad to see each other.

Tuesday, Raegan and I drove down to Camp Pendelton for an afternoon visit with my oldest friend. As we pulled up to the house, Megan and I both had tears in our eyes. Sometimes I just can't believe how fast time goes by. Wasn't it just yesterday that we were sharing a piano bench and playing dolls?

*Sigh*

Pumpkin carving!

2011-10-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

We are having such a wonderful FALL! These sisters are such sweet friends, and although occasionally lil' sis can bug her big sis, and sometimes big sis can pick on her lil' sis, they just love each other SO darn much.

All of our friends so hard at work!

Guts! Last year, she wanted nothing to do with the inners. This year she dug in and squished the slime and seeds between her fingers, just for the fun of it.

Raegan has plans to strut her stuff as Ariel from the Little Mermaid this Halloween. I'm still on the hunt for a red wig. (Casey, if only I lived closer!) But here's a little sneak peak- the crown.

Getting ready for school

2011-10-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to brush your teeth!

Lil' Lighthouse

2011-10-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

Almost unaware that she was the new kid on the block, Raegan boldly started a brand new preschool this week. Lil' Lighthouse Christian Preschool. On day one she was confident, sweet, and excited to make new friends. "Pink girl and her yellow friend" (she's still learning names, so therefore identifying kids by the color of their outfits) were two new classmates that Raegan liked.

Anabelle sat on the floor right next to Raegan during the morning welcome. Each student has to wear their Lil' Lighthouse backpack to school each day, and she even has homework. It's mostly for fun of course, but Raegan's really enjoying the work book pages and taking her assignments very seriously. I'm feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude that we basically stumbled upon this incredible place, they had one opening left, and took Raegan the next day!

Here's a photo of Raegan's new teacher, Miss Peggy, and the Preschool Director, Marge, holding Scruffy the dog.

We enrolled just in time to join the class for their October fieldtrip to the pumpkin patch! My mission? Learn some names! So along with feeding goats and picking out the perfect round pumpkin (who we named Priscilla) Raegan jumped in the bouncy house with a beautiful new friend named Kayla.

Daddy and little sissy picked us up and got to explore the fall display for a few minutes.

Pumpkins!

Fall is here!

Yippee!

Lovin' October

2011-10-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived. And although there aren't exactly red and orange leaves falling from the Southern California palms, it still feels like fall to me. Cooler breezes are in the air and even a little rain graced our rooftops this week.

It's time for steamy Chicken Pot Pies,

homemade orange playdough,

wet hair and slick rain boots,

and snuggly blankets!

After it stormed for almost 2 days straight, we were left with this.

A perfect cotton candy sunset.

Happy Birthday, Princess!

2011-09-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

September 27th

The evening before Raegan's actual birthday our crew gathered together to throw her a princess party. I bought tons of food and Jess helped me cook it all! Some friends hung out with the kids and everybody chipped in to make it a really great day.

The birthday girl eating her homemade Mac n' cheese by request.

"Daddy has your last present at the park," I said just before Raegan took off down the porch steps and into the sand. As soon as she saw her new pink bicycle she screamed and squealed in delight. Surprise!! Thank you to Raegan's Great Grandparents for making Raegan's birthday bike wish come true.

(these were taken as daddy ran in the house to get her new matching helmet. I forgot to grab it in all the excitement. But rest assured all readers, my daughter always wears her helmet!)

And while I'm telling all, I have to insert somewhere just how much I missed my parents and dear friends. Ava, Claire, Isabelle, Jane, Hadassah, Reiya~ thanks for being some of Raegan's favorite friends, even though you're far away.

September 28th!

Disneyland is decked out for fall!

Grandpa Boley was stopping through town and joined us at Disney for the celebration~

A melodious birthday song especially for Raegan.

Beautiful face paint for a beautiful girl. Thanks Grandpa Boley!

Raegan and mommy did Autopia together and laughed the entire way down the course. I pushed the petal and she drove. It was so funny as we skidded around every turn!

I just love this shot of our two sisters enjoying each others' company as they waited in line to meet Tinkerbell. Thanks Gramma Tracey for the special princess outfits, they are our favorite!

It's A Small World~

Anabelle's fave! She sings and bops her to the beat all the way through.

We like the last room of the ride where all the dolls of the world are in white, dancing and singing together in unity. Did Walt mean for it to look like heaven? I'm gonna google that. Anyway, I peaked up just in time to snap the quintessential "small world" shot- a cowboy and an Indian making sweet music and smilin'.

We stood in line at the Fantasy Faire and met Ariel and Belle!

In Toontown, Raegan and Grace posed with Daisy Duck and the boys hit Goofy's Go-coaster.

After the sun went down, we sat on the Main Street curb for the parade. Aurora and Snow White waived right at Raegan from their float, and Ariel even blew her a birthday kiss!

It was a truly Magical day.

Happy Birthday Raegan Johanna, my treasure.

California.

2011-09-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

So, we're in Orange County, California now.

A little review:

We've moved 6 times in 9 months. (Not including hotels or trips)

Anabelle is 18 months old, and Raegan just turned four!

Since Christmas time we've traveled to Hawaii, Texas, Washington, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, and California.

We currently have no airline tickets booked anywhere.

It's kind of a nice break.

We're helping staff an extended outreach team here in OC, and following in good Boley fashion, it's been a great adventure so far!

I'm in love with the crisp California air here on the coast. Newport beach is our latest "home," (temporary winter vacation rental) and we have the privilege of sharing it with our dear friends! Having 5 young children and 2 families under one roof has its challenges, but at the end of the day we are a very thankful bunch having a very fun time. My girls basically inherited 2 brothers and a big sister, and we love them so much! Raegan is sandwiched in age between the boys, so we've got 1 1/2, 3, 4, 5, and 7. Yes, it's loud here. But there's never a dull moment.

Look at those beach-blondies!

We've been making friends with many local churches and ministries in the area, serving them in any way possible. Last weekend we were invited to attend a huge Korean church and it was a really cool experience. Unsure how Raegan would do, I was pleasantly surprised when she, holding Grace's hand of course, happily checked into the kids ministry room. Smiling but cautious, they were assigned to the duck group for the morning and kissed us goodbye from their mini orange chairs. (Anabelle stayed with mommy)

We attended the English speaking service. The young pastor is a wonderful man, and he honored our group at the end, inviting us on stage to pray for us and introduce us to the congregation.

When we picked Raegan up, I asked her what she noticed about the church. (Did she notice that everyone and everything in the room was predominantly Asian? Did she feel like a minority? I was so curious!) Her answer: "It was fun! We made these puppets, mom, and sang songs." Living at the University of the Nations in Kona, immersed in world languages and different cultures, not only changed me, but helped shape Raegan's view. She didn't even notice that her blonde hair stuck out like a wildfire! All she saw was joyful people serving the Lord and jumped right in!

So many more stories to come!

Iowa trip take two

2011-09-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

There are just so many beautiful Boley girls! I cannot believe how grown up my nieces are. One highlight of the trip for me was sitting in on Emma's middle school choir class. I pulled up a chair right next to her, borrowed some music, and sang to my choir-geek heart's content! We also cheered on Emma's volleyball team and Claire's soccer team- such a proud Auntie.

Another highlight was staying in Jered and Christy's home. We laughed a lot and experienced the most extravagant gift of hospitality I've ever seen~

Thank you Christy!

Goodbye Iowa.

Bye Henry the horse and Charolette the cow.

Love you Boleys.

Turtles and blue jeans

2011-09-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

If a turtle is the analogy for carrying your home on your back, that your home is where you are, so to speak, then I'm a turtle. A happy mama turtle with a big ol' shell on my back. It's not like I'm homeless, in fact, I feel like I have a handful of places I call home. It's funny when somebody asks where I live these days... well... today I'm in Iowa, yesterday I was in Missouri, and I came from living in Hawaii, but I grew up in Washington, and I'm headed to California.

We finished an amazing summer staffing a YWAM school. Jordan headed to Los Angeles with a crew of 220 young people to bring the heart of God to the city. I brought the girls at the tail end of the two weeks for a taste of the excitement! We love it there. (I'll admit I had my doubts, but as soon as we got there, we just knew.) We love it there so much that we've decided to stay. There is a small community of us left over from the outreach group that feel called to continue what's been started. For many reasons, this just fits for our family. One thing I love about YWAM is how much it values people and wants the best for them, and we feel like we're growing a big family around us of people with that same heart and a common goal in L.A. I'm pretty excited to be on the mainland too- more accessible to family and friends, which are so important to us. We feel super blessed to be running with close friends, the Ord family. Raegan has a sweet older friend in Grace! My daughter now has friends in 3 states!

Currently we're having a fun time visiting the Boley clan in the midwest. Overnight, it went from almost 100 degrees and muggy as all get out, to fall! One order of crisp air with sunshine please. It's my favorite. This combo doesn't really exist in Hawaii. There aren't really seasons there. But here, I've been wearing JEANS people!! I want to shout it from the rooftops for all to hear: I'm wearing long sleeves and I LOVE it!

A few fun photos so far that capture the trip:

My sister in law never ceases to amaze me. Christy made us homemade pizzas on the BBQ grill a few nights ago! Truly homemade from the sauce down to the dough, it was delicious. Now that's what I call a pizza party! I'm getting cheesier in my old age.

Pun totally intended.

Rider. And other important friends.

2011-08-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

There are so many important things I should be doing right now, but here I sit with my hummus and garden veggie straws, in desperate need of a break. It's hot. Like- my glasses fog up when I roll out of my air conditioned car. So, I'm at my desk with a fan in my face and a beautiful view of the ocean while the girls sleep at the same time, giving me at least an hour of quiet. We've been living back on campus lately, and it's been quite an adventure. Jordan's busy in L.A. with the Circuit Rider outreach team, and we miss daddy a lot! But girls time is super fun too...

This afternoon we were so hot we melted our way down to the campus pool and jumped straight in. Usually it feels cold at first. Today it just felt good. Have I mentioned that it's warm outside today? Ok, so we're back at home, showered off, and I find myself standing in the hallway with one eye on my hilarious Anabelle still enjoying the left over bath with a freezing cold drip from the faucet, and the other eye on Raegan, who is chasing Rider around the kitchen. And even though my hair is dripping wet, and I'm freshly clean, I'm beginning to sweat again. For the love!!

Who is Rider, you might ask?

Oh, just a kitten that lives across the hall in the laundry room. Each dorm building has a cat. Ours had a baby during the summer session, and was appropriately named [Circuit] Rider. Raegan's in love. Adores this little fur ball. I gave in, and it's been having "play dates" at our house. Anabelle scares the poor dear with her squeals of excitement, so we limit these dates to once a day. I know, who am I? What kind of hippy farmer have I become?

Sigh.

Last week my parents came, and it goes without saying that it was a highlight week of the summer for these girls!

Posing outside "Kona Joe's" Coffee Plantation:

Incredible view of the ocean and trellis-grown coffee plants:

Grandma and Anabelle laughing on the swings at our favorite park:

Raegan started preschool!

Picking her up from school on a HOT day:

On a wall in our bedroom:

Grandpa and Raegan exploring the lagoon:

Sisters, going out to dinner:

Almost every one of these shots was taken with my mom's Iphone! I'm seriously impressed, yet again, with Mac. Ok, back to work...

Much needed family day

2011-08-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

After a month full of booked Saturdays, we were so thankful to spend the entire day as a family, enjoying quality time together in this beautiful place called Hawaii. Jordan's cousin Lauren joined us too! Doughnuts and coffee for breakfast, lots of pool time in the bright sunshine, naps for everyone, more pool time, nachos and rice krispie treats for dinner, and a walk across the street to watch the sun set over the water.

I literally cannot believe what a great swimmer Raegan has become this summer! She jumps in, swims all the way across the pool, climbs out herself, and does it all over again. In and out, in and out for hours. She's still 3 years old people! It's really amazing to watch.

Swimming across the pool:

The perfect pencil jump!

And a little ring diving:

I probably should have learned my lesson by now. It's possible to go to a beach and "just put our feet in," right? No, it's not possible. Not even close to possible! Try covered head to toe in salt water and sand. I guess in the back of my mind my mom-instint kinda knew what would happen since I managed to swipe a towel off the back of a chair while walking out the front door tonight. It was warm still, and it was gorgeous. And Raegan was giddy with excitement over the sand between her toes and the "pink striped sunset!"

Sweet dreams.

Mauna Kea Exploration

2011-08-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

My hubby and I have just a few main things in common, and one of my favorites is our love for spontaneity! So when the last minute invite from our friends came over text, we loaded into the car and raced the sun. (And stopped for pizza at Costco of course) After an hour we rounded the back of the mountain and started the trek up the winding road. Soon the hazy weather we were surrounded by was beneath us, and the orange glow above the clouds as we looked down on them was unexplainable.

I'm glad I didn't google the place before we left, because the butterflies in my stomach as we drove up the mountain would have been more like flying monkeys! I've never experienced high altitude like that before (14,000 feet), and we didn't last long at all. I was dizzy! We watched the sun melt into the horizon and then immediately drove back down to the star-gazing visitors center at 9,000 feet...

The sky was packed full of the closest, most vivid stars I've ever seen. It was jaw-dropping. Hot chocolate in hand, we each peeked through an enormous telescope and saw the ring around Saturn while we listened to a guide tell stories about the stars. My camera gave it a good ol' college try, but couldn't capture anything close to what my eyes saw. Let's just leave it that way.

So, I googled it.

Wow!

Check this out...

The website says "The 4,200 meter high summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii houses the world's largest observatory for optical, infared, and submillimeter astronomy."

These domes are TELESCOPES! We parked right next to one.

They're huge.

So cool!

Beatin' the heat.

2011-08-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

Target not only has air-conditioning...

...It has slurpees too.

And "friend carts."

Mommy the flight attendant.

2011-08-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

This morning we packed our pink suitcase full of princess gowns and took a flight to Disneyland. Well, we pretended anyway. A genius move on my part actually, because once the in-flight movie was playing and the flight attendant (me) had come through the cabin with snacks and a complimentary beverage service, the oldest traveler insisted that the pilot (also me) sit down and "drive the plane!" So, I actually sat and drank a cup of coffee. Brilliant.

It wasn't until this morning that I realized how similar the life of mom is to that of a flight attendant. Think about it. We constantly serve drinks and small sized snacks, we make our customers comfortable, smile with patience, search the cabin for blankies, sleep strange hours and rarely sit down. I guess the big difference is that mom's don't get paid, and it's a 24 hour job.

Well, my job satisfaction is high even though the pay is lousy! These girls are friends now- playing with each other and loving tender hugs and time together! Anabelle is a wonderful little friend to her big sister!

My husband, the teacher.

2011-08-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Last week we were honored to spend some time teaching and praying for the Korean Married Couples Seminar that's running on campus right now. We teamed together on this assignment, and it was a blast! Here's a great shot of Jordan teaching. His heart is alive. Can you tell?

Family Fun Fest!!!

2011-07-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

Still soaked in the wake of the joy of last week, I'm here to share my trip!

Travel Tuesday!

Raegan, Anabelle, Danni, and I flew the 6 hours from Kona to Seatac together on a Tuesday, and aside from a few moments near the end, it went very well. Danni blows my mind. We had to say goodbye for now to our sweet nanny, as she was needed back in Tacoma on Doctors orders. So, suitcases all around, and tear drops falling, we said "bye for now" on the Arrivals sidewalk outside of baggage claim.

Whirlwind Wednesday!

Since departing for YWAM just after Christmas, this was the first time I'd stepped foot in our home or hugged my friends in 7 months. And I had one day. We are renting to one of my best friends' twin sister and her amazing family! How small does this world get at times? I underestimated how emotional this day might be. Turns out, it was incredibly wonderful, and incredibly difficult all at once. It smelled like my house, but with somebody else's candle and soap choices weaved in. It looked like my house, yet it was full of another families belongings. It was packed with the same best friends running around, but I didn't know the answer when they asked where to find the cups. It was bizarre. Yet so comforting and so fun.

When we left Washington, we thought we'd be back. So we threw everything we own into our office/storage unit out back and locked the door. It didn't take us long to realize we were made for this, we love traveling, and we wouldn't return long term. But that left a HUGE mess behind. So my parents are rockstars. They've been loading up our stuff one car at a time over that past months in an effort to empty the room. It's getting there!

I was so overwhelmed by the love and service everyone showed me that day. My dad packed up the car, my mom played with the kids, my friends made food, held kids, talked, listened, and cried when it was over. It was like a big hug of a day- how loved am I. THANK YOU!!!

Casey, Candace, Susanne, and I with all of our kids (sweet Baby Elliott was snoozing away in his car seat and opted out of the photo)

My sweet Susanne and her new baby Elliott!

Thankful Thursday!

Raegan went home with Gramma for the sleepover of a life-time, and I joined my dad with Anabelle for wedding week in Minnesota! My dear cousin, Tiffany was about to tie the knot to an awesome guy named Robert, and it was a big ol' family reunion!

Anabelle getting juice at the airport, ready to fly again!

My cousin Liesl and I at family dinner, fresh off the airplane.

Anabelle fell asleep in the car, so I unbuckled the whole carseat and carried it right into the restaurant. Big sister didn't quite do things like this as a toddler, but this second child took a nice little nap, nuzzled between the tables...

Ol' Friend Friday!

At lunch with a great friend of my dads from his college days at Purdue.

And back in Ellensburg, Raegan played with Ava, the daugther of my old friend, Megan!

We stayed at White Bear Lodge, and Anabelle loved the bears everywhere. Her animal sounds still mostly all sounds like monkeys, but we're working on it...

And on to the wedding rehearsal and pizza dinner! Anabelle made fast friends with the flower girls, who turned out to be quite the dancers as well. They kept each other company all weekend.

Here's my uncle Dave giving the groom a big hug as he pretends to give away my cousin.

Ceremony Saturday!

My dad cared for Anabelle much of the wedding day, so I was able to do my part in the wedding. Cousin Matt accompanied on guitar as I sang "The Wedding Song" during the couples lighting of the unity candle. I almost made it through the entire thing. As I was finishing up the tag at the end, Tiffany peaked over from her spot as the bride and teared filled my eyes- what a joyous day to celebrate!

All 7 cousins! (Plus Robert!)

Tiffany chose purple in honor of her monther, my Aunt Ruth. It was her signature color! So all the bridesmaid wore purple, the guests were asked to wear purple, the flowers, programs, and cake had purple. It was a sea of purple-

On the table at the reception were these photo cards, telling guests that instead of party favors, a donation had been made in Ruth's honor. Beautiful.

Scorching Sunday!

Nearly 100 degrees out, the Minnesota humidity rolled in thick for the Twins game. Some family traveled home, and some of us hit Target Field. It was Anabelle's first baseball game, and she enjoyed it so much, she even fell asleep in the stroller. She was such a trooper on this entire trip.

Mommy Monday!

We hopped the plane back to Seatac, where we all reunited, and Raegan was excited to tell me all about "Gramma Camp"- her amazing weekend with Gramma.

I've got the best parents in the world. I feel so blessed.

Thank you for the most wonderful time.

Triumphant Tuesday!

When I was pregnant with Anabelle, Raegan and I flew alone, but that was the last time I'd traveled without an adult companion. Until Tuesday. TWO kids. ONE mommy. SIX hours. I felt like supermom. Thankfully I found favor with the ticket agent, and although they were also juggling stand-bys, she still somehow arranged to put us in the last row, all to ourselves! So, with 3 seats, we made our way home. And we actually had some fun!

My helpers, blazing by in the airport!

And as soon as we got home, we jumped back into the "Circuit Riders" training school we are staffing right now. It has been a very memorable summer thus far, and it's only the middle!

Love to all my old friends and new friends and my amazing family.

Water Day!

2011-07-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

300 students and staff took over the soccer field during orientation weekend, and it was as if we transported back in time to when we were all kids again! Blow up bouncy toys meet slip n' slide water fun!? Sign me up!

Jordan's cousin Lauren is here for the summer, enrolled as a circuit rider, and we have been so blessed to spend time together as a family! Despite her funny face, Anabelle AND Raegan both adore their fun cousin!

Danni taught Anabelle to smile and say, "Cheeeeese!"

Happy 4th!

2011-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th of July at the Kona Parade on Ali'i Drive! It was HOT, so we had snow-cones (Raegan shared hers with her friend Gracey) and iced coffee while we watched the parade travel along the ocean front. University of the Nations filled the streets with flags from all over the world and Island Breeze hula dancers- we were proud to cheer on our school!

And we ended the night with friends, all cozied up on our lanai for a perfect view of a pretty impressive fireworks show over the water.

My fish.

2011-07-02T16:29:00.001-07:00

Somehow we never made it down to the city pool during our DTS. A few of my mom friends take their kids there often, but I think we were just too busy. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we "discovered" it, and it's now a Boley hot spot! Turns out to be kind of ironic that Raegan was calling it "swimming lessons" every time we went, even though we weren't signed up for anything. Why? Because she actually learned to swim! In a span of 2 weeks she went from water wings in the kiddy pool and not liking water on her face to full-on swimming in the adult pool. (I'd like to give some credit to Hadasseh, for fearlessly showing Raegan how fun it is to dunk your own head under the water, even if you eyes are open and your face comes up covered in curly hair) It's a bit baffling actually. I guess when a child is ready for something, it comes quickly. Raegan jumps off the edge and swims 15 feet to us. No wings, no help, face above the water, smiling all the way. Way to go girl!!

Outnumbered.

2011-07-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

Jordan is seriously outnumbered this summer!

It's like a Pretty-Pink-Sparkly-Princess-Girl-Fest at our house!

Makeup, nail polish, fashion, dress-up, bows, princess movies, anything PINK, cookie dough, snuggling, and lots of LOVE. When Danni arrived she brought with her the biggest heart, and it dropped like a bomb on each member of our family. She's so selfless, so patient, so kind. Sharing all she has, bending over backward, and loving much. We are still so grateful to the Lord every day for this present!

While we've been in staff training, preparing for the students to arrive NEXT WEEK!!! (excuse me) Danni has been showing the Boley beauties an extremely good time. She's a "figure it out" kinda girl, so they've been heading to the city pool, campus pool, "Queen's Bath" local kids beach, and other fun places in town. She's never been here before, but after a few days of riding shotgun, she's got it down, daily packing up the kids and their paraphernalia and venturing out with one goal: fun in the sun! *Sigh*

Circuit Riders are coming!

2011-07-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

Here's the promo video for the amazing school we're staffing! 265 students arrive next week, and we are excited for an incredible summer of training youth!

Click here to watch the Circuit Rider video!

Raegan Jo

2011-06-23T02:16:00.000-07:00

I just love you.

The missing piece

2011-06-21T23:57:00.000-07:00

DTS ended Friday night, and Staffing began Monday morning! The weekend sandwiched in between was filled with sandy sunshine at the beach, cleaning the condo, and Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, my love.

The girls were up early preparing a yummy breakfast and wrapping gifts while daddy slept in. Raegan helped me make a sign to hang, and just as her daddy was waking up, she could not help but run in and announce the surprise! She made this card all by herself- it's hard to see, but she wrote "Dad" and chose soccer balls and prince-charming stickers on purpose. I love this photo- could be Jordan's funny smile, or maybe it's Anabelle's look, or both, but I just love it.

Danni.

She is the final piece to our family puzzle this summer, and we are already blown away by the fun and peace that she brings to our home. Anabelle can't stop smiling at her, and she even says her name, "Nanni!" which is just a bit ironic, since her main reason for traveling to Kona this summer will be nannying our girls. Don't even get me started on Raegan.

She currently has purple toes nails, and pink fingernails with sparkly flowers on each nail! They got to go swimming, paint nails, and watch a princess movie all in one day! Yesterday after dinner it starting raining, and we were reminded of the conversation we'd had earlier in the day about how weird rain is in Hawaii and how tempting it is to go play outside when it dumps. The sun shines, the rain pours, and then you're bound to see a glorious rainbow across the sky. And we did! Outside, drenched in our clothes, without our shoes, dancing and splashing, we enjoyed a big fat rainbow and a heavy shower! (My glasses were covered in raindrops)

With her princess pillow cases and sparkly personality, she's won our hearts yet again. I'm so very grateful. She won't know until years down the road what a gift this summer will be to our family.

My budding musician.

A few times in the last month I have caught Raegan pretending to be a choir director, and she was doing it again last night! With all her dolls/animals/soap dispensers lined up in a row, she sings her heart out, waves her arms, and inserts encouraging "sing it!"s here and there for pizazz. My heart is happy.

Sweet dreams.

We did it!!!

2011-06-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Fire & Fragrance teams poured back onto the campus last weekend by the van-fulls, and there was a definite buzz in the air! Our family pulled up to the airport as the Cambodia team arrived, and it was so FUN to run toward our friends and embrace their tired bodies after 46 hours of traveling home.

Welcome home my friends!

Friday night was GRADUATION!

When they handed me my certificate last night I pumped my fists and yelled "we DID it!" with such a joyous pride over my family. We are closer, stronger, more humble, more alive, more thankful, and more committed than ever to ministering this joy and hope to others!

Fire and Fragrance DTS was a blast! These crazy kids screamed until they were hoarse, cheering on their friends up front. Our school leaders were incredible~ look at them embracing each one of us, loving us individually, and pushing us forward into our calling.

So, what's next for this Boley crew? We've decided to stay and give our lives away to see the Kingdom of God advanced. What we know:

We will live in Kona, staffing schools and training young people in the ways of God.

We will travel, bringing the gospel to the nations.

And Raegan has been accepted to the U of Nations preschool in the fall!

Starting Monday morning we will join the staff for the first "School of the Circuit Riders" here on the Kona campus. We are so excited for this mini 5 week training course, beginning July 7th. And we will have one of my super star students from my teaching days back at Life Christian join us for the summer. Danni will be living with us and nannying our girls- like a really fun older sister!

Sweet slices of life

2011-06-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it again.

I let way too much time go between telling my stories.

How will I ever catch up? (deep breath)

Our school is coming to an end next week! We had a conference call a couple of weeks ago with all of us- 100 people gathered around a dozen phones in countries all over the world- for the purpose of encouraging each other with testimonies. They broad cast the call in the prayer room here on base, so it was extra fun for us. I cannot wait to welcome home all of our teams from around the world and hear all of their stories.

As for us... Our family has been very busy here in Kona. Let me give you just a few sweet slices of ministry life these days:

On Tuesday evenings we joined the Call2All DTS community outreach. We buckled the whole family (Including our good friend Erin) into our car and followed the YWAM van to a neighborhood up the hill to meet people and spread the love of God. It was a simple act of encouraging the community we live in. Raegan LOVED it! She's so bold, so good at making friends, and such a joyful little girl.

I had a really blessed birthday on May 4th. I'm 29 now. The countdown has begun, and I only have 3 hundred and thirty something days left before I am in the next decade bracket! 30. Thirty. 30. Oh wow, that is just nuts. Let's focus on today: I'm 29. I'm in my twenties. Anyway, we started the day (nice and early as usual) at a coffee plantation overlooking the coffee fields and the ocean, called "Kona Joe." Raegan's middle name is Johanna, or Jo for short, so it's only obvious what we called her for the rest of the day...

After drinking the best latte I've had in a long time, we packed up the car to drive South for a day of outreach. About 90 minutes from the base lives a community of about 2,000 Marshallese people. Quick history lesson: In 1954, after the US military performed nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands, many of the people had to flee their radioactive homes, and a large group settled here, on the big island of Hawaii. Despite severe poverty, they are kind and welcoming, seemingly content with their simple life. Anabelle and Raegan played with the local children, running in the dirt without shoes on and sharing their individually-packaged costco snacks and sharp crayola crayons. It was like drinking a nice tall glass of perspective. Raegan had many questions on the way home, and continues to ask when we can go back and share with the children who don't have much.

amen.

³⁷ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

⁴⁰ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’"

Matthew 25-37-40

We stopped on our way home to snap a picture of this guy, perched on a fence along the road. Peacocks roam wild here in Hawaii. Amazing.

That's all for now.

Much love.

My girl is growing up

2011-05-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Anabelle is a blossoming little flower. She's on a steep learning curve, adding words daily to her expanding vocabulary. "Night night" is one of my favorites this week! Here's a short video I took with our iphone to capture the sweetness of this wonderful age:

P.S. My favorite part is Anabelle's reaction when I ask her if she loves her sister.

so proud.

2011-05-06T14:57:00.000-07:00

This morning I led 70 kids on campus in worship! And guess who sat on a stool right next to me and sang into a microphone? Raegan! My lioness. My bold and beautiful first born daughter led worship with me today for a room full of older children. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her clapping to the beat and singing with a smile on her face. It was a joy to behold. Jordan held Anabelle in the crowd, and they danced and sang along.

This is a huge deal, because in the past when I've taken my guitar out to lead, she's melted down to some degree. Last week was a big breakthrough because during the same Friday morning slot, as soon as I started the tears welled up in her eyes, but after being calmed by daddy she decided to sit on stage with me, and was really well behaved. She told me afterward that she even sang along. So, this week we talked about how loved and safe she was, but that mommy had a job to do- it was time to lead a short time of fun worship. She was given the choice to be with daddy and a few friends in the crowd, or help mommy on stage. And low and behold, a worship leader was born!

I'm beaming with pride.

I wish I had a picture of her up on stage, but maybe moments like this are better captured in your mind. Burned in there really, never to be forgotten.

live from the beach...

2011-05-03T02:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Our friends gathered for an Easter brunch to celebrate the risen savior- Jesus Christ. Raegan kept saying, "Daddy, why do we celebrate Easter? Because Jesus is alive! And do you know where He lives? In heaven way high up in the clouds." Well, I guess it really is that simple.

Thanks to my amazing mom, the girls had sweet matching dresses for the occasion. It was really hard to get them to stand still for a photo with sugar already pumping through their veins!

Raegan and Hadasah teamed up to find their share of eggs during the egg hunt, then sat together and cracked them open- lots and lots of sugar was found. They each looked up for just a quick second before diving back into their egg piles.

Happy Easter to all of our friends and family on the mainland and around the world. We miss you all tremendously, and celebrating holidays really brings this homesickness out of me. I'm so grateful to have wonderful friends here, but I badly wish I could have all of YOU in one place when parties come around. Speaking of, I'm turning 29 next week. I got a card from my grandparents today and felt so loved!

Well, we are trying to leave the chocolate and jelly beans for the kids, and doing a pretty good job. Power to you if you've ignored the call of that huge hollow chocolate bunny like I have!

Love, love, love to you.

Sweet Anabelle

2011-04-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

My darling!

Thanks Gramma & Grampa Boley for the bright yellow dress~ it matches her personality just perfectly.

Our youngest treasure is really blooming, at 13 months coming alive before our eyes! She is finding her voice, which is honestly challenging at times for us. In fact, I distinctly remember this crazy time for Raegan, when opinions are forming, but there aren't words to express them yet. But she does have some words, and the ones she can say are so great:

"Mama"

"Dada"

"Wow!"

"Pretty"

"Please"

"Bath"

"Hi"

"Ruff"

Her latest facial expressions are completely priceless. The way she cocks her head to the side and twinkles her sweet eyes at you just melts you like butter. Her dance moves are rockin', her smile is more of a giant grin, and her little body is getting a bit taller and a bit leaner. She likes to put her head on the ground and buns in the air and just smile upside down at us.

Her curly hair is bleached from the sunshine, getting longer, and I even trimmed her bangs so she's got a cute hairdo! Raegan is her best friend, and the two laugh and laugh at each other. Today her favorite snack is cheese. She climbs, play peek-a-boo, and is almost running!

I am so proud of you, my Anabella Jean!

Another big fat transition!

2011-04-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

Only one blog has made its way up here in the last month- but there is a legitimate reason! We have been in another "big fat transition" as a family...

My last entry was the night before the big race in Galveston, Texas. Well, with hours and hours of training, a solid team, and much prayer, Chris tackled the Ironman and WON! That makes him the national champion of that distance. He was a machine. Running has never been my thing, but watching a race of that caliber was seriously motivating. Crossing the finish line, Chris's body language gave credit to the Lord in Heaven. He hugged his kids, kissed his wife, and when the mic was shoved in his face he proclaimed his faith in front of the adoring crowd. It was a spectacle.

After the incredible WIN in Galveston, we packed up and flew back to Kona. This paragraph will be short because I don't want to relive the gory details of that day. It will go down in history as the hardest travel day we've experienced as a family. Hopefully not to be topped. We survived. Moving on...

In returning to this beautiful island, we began to settle into our new home, a condo above the base. It's such an amazing gift from God. Coming from one room with a tiny bathroom, this new place has been a breath of fresh air. Every night (if we're home) we watch the sun setting on the ocean from our porch and marvel at the creativity of our God! Last week at sun set Raegan was sitting on my lap while we rocked on the wicker rocking chair, and out of the blue she said, "Mommy, we're living happily ever after, aren't we?"

Our first week home, the 5 hour time change was waking up both girls very early in the morning. The first morning home we were out of bed at 2am. Each morning they woke up exactly one hour later until they got back to their "normal" 6am routine. What is "normal" anymore really? Want flexible children? Spring lots of change on them! My forming opinion on this topic: Create a basic structure and schedule for your children, and then be ready and excited to divert from it! You'll know when to pull the reigns back in. That's what we're focusing on. Getting back on a schedule, solidifying stability.

What are we doing now? We are still in the outreach portion of our DTS, and for the next couple of weeks we are ministering here in Kona. Aside from team dinners and daily prayer room times, we are weekly going into a local christian high school to build up the students there. We are praying for people, leading worship, hosting dinners to encourage others, teaching, having a presence in the community, and spreading the love of Christ.

Our girls have purposely had much of our attention since we got home, and they deserve it! Family time has been so wonderful. It's been such an amazing opportunity in this season for Jordan to spend as much time with our children as I do- and it's apparent! Raegan and Anabelle love their daddy so much, and are so excited to spend time with him each day. Aside from times of tiredness, they are equally content with mom or dad.

Speaking of family, my Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Steve flew over from Maui for the day last week to visit and see what we've been up to! So much fun in one day- we toured the campus, sang, read books, bathed, talked, played, and laughed. We were so blessed by their visit- come again!!

Well, congratulations if you're still reading this, you made it to the end of my mega long update! Thanks for not giving up on my blog, I'm back!

Lots of love from Kona.

Goodbyes, red ants, and texas.

2011-04-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

We're currently on the road, but before we left we had to say goodbye to some of our dear friends. Each day of the week a different group left from the flags, piling into the campus vans with all of their luggage and waving goodbye out the windows as the van drivers followed YWAM tradition by circling three times with the horn a honking! Destination: all over the world!!

Raegan had the best view of all the "goodbyes" from way up high on Alex's shoulder.

Bless you Coles and Casteels- miss you until we see you again soon!

Alyssa's cool carry-on bag. Woah.

And our sweet friends Whitney and Kelsey, just before they left for Iceland!

During one of the send-offs, Raegan was playig with some young boys, karate kicking a big plant... all of a sudden, she was screaming and crying, stomping around. I kinda froze, but my friend grabbed her and swatted a couple dozen red ants off of her right foot. After a nice mini bath we put some itchy ointment on all the tiny bites- there were a lot- and she was fine by the next day. There are still tons of little bumps where the bites are healing up. That'll teach you to pick on a helpless plant I suppose.

Anyway, we bravely said our goodbyes, and now our school has teams in Mozambique, Cambodia, Nepal, France, Iceland, Jordan, Pakistan, Kosovo, and Los Angeles, California. Oh, and we're here in Texas, but soon returning for local outreach in Kona, Hawaii.

So, what are we doing in Texas anyway? Well, let me finally tell you what's in store for our next three months...

I have to start this story back in the first weeks of school when we met our new friends, Chris and Karis Lieto. He's a professional triathlete, one of the top in the nation actually. She's mother of 2 beautiful children and a successful business woman. But more importantly, they love the Lord and have laid down life as usual to be involved in YWAM, just like us! Also added to the mix are two lovely young ladies with amazing New Zealand accents and strong faith in God. The gals that nannied for our families have joined the crew as outreach members, to complete our small team. They both come from YWAM families and have been such an asset to our little family.

So, six adults and 4 kids storng, we are forming a unique outreach that we scheduled around Chris's racing schedule. Tonight we're in Galveston, Texas for a big Ironman race, and we're praying for a WIN! Tomorrow morning bright and early, Chris will swim 1.2 miles, bike 56, and then run a half marathon- 13.1 miles! That's 70.3 miles.

Last weekend he raced about half of these distances in Kemah, TX and placed 3rd! Here's Raegan, checking out the swim exit the day before the race...

"More Than Sport"

Jordan has been heading up the "More Than Sport" booth at the race expos. More Than Sport is the Lietos non-profit 0rganization to raise funds and awareness to make changes in the communities Chris races in. To find out more, or make a donation, check out the website here!

My 1st born!!

In between race weekends we stayed in Houston, and had some really cool opportunities to bless the local community. One evening I led worship before Chris and Jordan brought a word of encouragement to a Christian triathlete club called Tri4Him. They were visibly uplifted by the evening, and I made a few friends that I saw again this weekend at the race expo!

We are praying for a WIN tomorrow!

Back to Kona on Monday morning, but for now- goodnight!

"Love Feast"

2011-03-29T12:09:00.001-07:00

Friday our wonderful staff threw us a beautiful banquet to celebrate the end of lecture phase and the beginning of outreach adventures! The food was amazing, decorations lovely, and the people just glowing. We got a little dressed up and had a great evening under a white tent overlooking the ocean, with a perfect orange sunset melting into the horizon.

Celebrating is so important. Let's try not to let even the little victories in life scoot by us without acknowledgement, frozen yogurt, or at least a high five! We did it! And we CELEBRATED!

My new friends are dear to me, and I can't wait to see them all return after life-changing travels in a few months. I can't wait to sit down and hear stories of miracles and the love of God changing people. I can't wait to see who's dating, who cut their hair short, and who let their beard grow crazy long! I can't wait to hear about children being rescued and adults being set free from bondage. I can't wait to cheer with excitement over these young adults, who are brave enough to think they can make a difference. Because they will. A big difference. And I can't wait!

Spring break!

2011-03-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

My parents came for Spring Break!

Did you hear that? My PARENTS CAME HERE! To see it with their own eyes. Well, mostly to see US with their own eyes:) 3 months was a pretty long time.

I didn't take my normal crazy amount of photos because we were having the most fun ever! We were busy. It was so comforting to let somebody from the outside "in" on our life here. It's hard to really explain something like this.

Raegan was beside herself all week with sheer excitement. Anabelle followed suit, and showed off all of her tricks! We were a puddle of tears on goodbye-day, but it was worth it. Love you and miss you already.

...all crammed in the backseat of the car on the last night! This was utterly hilarious to my girls. Come visit us again soon!!

Finishing strong!

2011-03-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's time for another post, and I don't even know where to begin! Life moves quickly here. Not to mention a Tsunami thrown in the mix! Next week my parents arrive for spring break, and we are all giddy with excitement. It'll be amazing to show them the ins and outs of what we've been up to for the last 3 months. Lecture phase is coming to a quick close, and we are preparing for an incredible outreach trip! We have two main locations of focus- Texas and Hawaii! We're traveling with another family and two incredible young gals, and will be working together to make an impact around the Houston and Galviston areas as well as locally, here on the big island! More details to come, I promise. In the meantime, we are working on finishing strong!!

We have been focusing, among many other things, on our health since we arrived here. Jordan has lost a whopping 20 pounds! Wow! We are eating as healthy as we can, exercising, and sweating constantly (unintentionally... it's just so darn hot here.) I've started working out with an amazing gal who goes by Lu. She is a crossfit trainer at home, but left her gym to come join YWAM! The work outs are crazy, but pretty short, and the other gals are as encouraging as can be- so I'm excited to go. That's a big deal. I even bought a pair or cute shorts. Pink ones. Oh yeah.

The girls continue to thrive. They each have so many friends, and know lots of people on campus. It's so fun to walk around and listen to Raegan, "Hi John! Hey Grace! Shiloh, what'cha doing? Hi Ezekiel!" She is a confident, loving little lady with an amazing heart for others. Anabelle also has her favorites, and is so content to spend time in the arms of others, not just mom, which makes our snuggle time that much more special! My girls are flexible, thankful, and tan! We have learned to sleep in one room, with no privacy, and have grown much closer together. Sisters have become friends, and they share a mutual affection toward one another that is perfect and precious.

It's been a crazy 3 months.

Our life has been flipped upside down.

What's next!?

Tsunami

2011-03-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

Last night I wrote:

Our phones have no service, but as we turn in for the night, I wanted to make sure that all of my friends and family know WE ARE SAFE. The University of the Nations is a tsunami safety zone, and our leaders have informed us that we are absolutely safe on the top of this hill, with our door locked and kids fast asleep :)

People who live down on the water in Kona are being evacuated right now, and the gymnasium up here on our campus will be opened to these community members as a safe place to be tonight. News reports say if it hits, it'll be around 3am.

We are not afraid, and have been reassured of our safety. So we have been praying for the islands as well as Japan. Lord, please stop the wave from hitting!

The Update:

Starting at around 9:30pm, we were up hourly last night, listening to the loud Tsunami Siren warning blasts. (I have to admit, although I knew we were safe, the sound was a bit scary) Our phones had no service, so we used the internet to keep updated. Our school leaders updated our school's website with information, and our building manager came to our door to explain the protocol. We were to stay in our room, and not leave the campus. (No problem!) The city was evacuated to high ground, and the University of Nations took in quite a few people with sleeping bags for the night. The waves swelled up over Alii Drive, down by the water, where we often spend time walking or visiting our favorite coffee shop. Some businesses down there will have lots of damage to repair, but as far as I know, it's all pretty minor considering the source of these huge waves.

We prayed last night each time we were awaken by the sirens, that the tsunami would not hit, and if it did, that the damage would be minimal. Thank you Lord! We also continue to pray for Japan and the complete devastation there. The few friends we have there are safe, but we know many others have lost everything.

So, we are very tired today, but will not complain.

In a state of gratitude.

Love to you all!

Party time!

2011-03-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

So many of our new friends and a few old friends came to celebrate Anabelle last night! We had a pink polka-dotted party in the park.

Raegan and Rachel helped me blow up tons of balloons inside.

I decorated with the letters I made for Raegan's first birthday!

It was too breezy to hang them, so we pinned them to the picnic table...

We wrapped the palm trees with pink crepe paper and balloons!

Mama and the beautiful birthday girl just as the guests were arriving~

We are so blessed to be surrounded by such a fun community. And even more people showed up after we took the picture! I was blown away by how people showered our children with love. Anabelle even received gifts- a few new outfits and fun toys! I did not expect that at all! What a treasured memory.

Cake time!

Anabelle was really polite. Even after she finally realized that the sugary cake was all hers, she sat there and politely ate an entire piece for almost an hour. She was so demure!

We ended the night with a nice "mini bath" and a super duper good shampoo! She had frosting everywhere and cake chunks in her hair! Such a joyful day.

Turning ONE!

2011-03-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Before the sun was even up, Raegan woke up singing. She knew it was Anabelle's birthday and was ready to celebrate. It was really sweet actually, how Raegan took charge of the morning and led us all in "Happy Birthday" and then present unwrapping. Anabelle has been a true gift to our family. Every time I remember her birth I tear up at what a precious and peace-filled day that was, exactly one year ago- click here to read Anabelle's birth story.

Raegan singing to her sweet sister~

"Happy birthday to...

...YOuuuuuu!"

Let me at 'em!!

Raegan "helping" open the gift she picked out for her little sis.

Anabelle playing with her old school Fischer Price milk wagon!

My joyful ONE year old!

stay tuned for party highlights tomorrow night.

February in Photos!

2011-03-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

What a crazy February! For literally half of this month, we were in our room sick. After Raegan caught the flu and was out for a week, we thought we were in the clear and even enjoyed a fun Saturday outside at the beach, only to get sick that night and spend the next week in bed ourselves. A solid 2 weeks at "home" turned out to be kind of a good thing: lots of snuggle time with our kiddos and needed rest. Just call me the Clorox Queen.

Sickness aside, we've had a great month. Our wedding anniversary and Valentine's Day were super fun! We are especially loving the speakers in class this week- an amazing couple who've traveled the world and are sharing their heart and what they're doing regarding major injustices in the world. Heavy topics, but there is hope. We have enjoyed a few really fun rain storms, played with lots of friends and even received fun mail from back home! Thanks for the Valentine's! Here's the month in photos...

Dance party in the rain!

Princess power!

Fun at the "Ark Park"

A special Saturday with friends, playing at a hotel pool and beach!

Matching sisters, riding in style around campus.

Thanks Gramma Tracey for the cute new outfits!

Healing.

2011-02-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

Jen had experienced pain and hearing loss in both ears, but especially her right ear, since her ear drums ruptured at the age of nine. She had several sets of tubes throughout her life, but nothing really fixed the problem- she's now 21.

On her plane ride to the island to join our DTS in early January, her right ear worsened and she and her husband ended up at the ER after landing. After a couple weeks in and out of doctor offices and emergency rooms, she had surgery here in Kona. Still in much pain, and not given any drugs, her hearing was muffled and she'd missed most of the lectures and prayer room times with our class. In fact, we were all wondering where they had been- because when we did see her she never complained, and was very quiet. Finally, after hearing of the terrible constant pain she was in, our class came around her and prayed with all the faith we could muster, and God came through! We simply prayed over her, "Be healed, in Jesus' name." Aside from the birth of my children, this was the first miracle I've ever seen. She was healed. Right before my eyes. Her face lit up and she shouted in utter shock! The pain was gone in an instant, and she was able to stand right by the speakers and sing without any pain! It was the first time she could hear clearly in many many years, and all of her pain was completely gone. She was undone- we all were!

My prior reaction to hearing stories like this one, were that there must have been some other reason for the healing, like a coincidence. But, as I write this I am convinced in my gut because I saw with my own two eyes: God healed this woman. Years and years of pain, vanished in an instant. And not to return! It's now been several weeks, and she's still absolutely pain-free.

Our faith the size of a mustard seed was all the Lord required to come and show His love for my new friend. Amen.

Happy Valentine's Day~

2011-02-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

Raegan woke up to a bag full of treats Monday morning- "Mommy, who is this present for?" You should have seen her face when she found out it was for her. Every little thing she pulled out was a treasure in her eyes, "Thank you! Thank you. Thank you!" It was a level of thankfulness I haven't yet seen in her. Maybe this simple life isn't such a bad thing after all.

We all wore pink to celebrate the day:

We had a special dinner date to McDonald's! And Raegan fed Anabelle her first tastes of ice cream cone...

(she liked it.)

Later that evening we went to a special event on campus. As you may know, we had to say goodbye to Hannah as she headed home to finish her degree, but the good news there is that we got to meet this wonderful young lady- Rachel! The Hawaiin dancer on the right is the girls' new nanny. She's got a tender heart and a sweet smile on her face! They've warmed right up to her, and we are so blessed by her energy and love.

On another note:

Unfortunately, Raegan woke up Tuesday morning with the stomach flu, and has spent the entire week in bed. Literally. "Lethargic" is a word I've never had the chance to use in describing my lovely lioness. But this week, it's at the top of the list. She's watched so many movies- thank God for the library on campus. We may have checked out every Veggie Tales movie they own! We are currently praying for her appetite to return so she can fuel that little body with some good energy. The throwing up has ceased, and the color is returning to her face, but she's just exhausted and feels crummy. I've been enjoying lots of snuggle time and reading books together. (Also praying that I don't get it!) Anabelle has been spending most of her waking hours with Rachel and Jordan outside of the room, and so far she has managed to stay healthy as well. Lot's of laundry, lots of cleaning, lots of loving.

Can you say Clorox Disinfectant Wipes?

Happy Birthday!

2011-02-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

Happy 80th Birthday to my Grandma Grace!

We think it's pretty amazing that our girls have a relationship with their GREAT Grandparents.

We love you, and are thinking of you today!

6 years!

2011-02-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

February 5th we celebrated being married for SIX YEARS! Jordan planned a night away at a nearby hotel, and our dearest Hannah spent the night at our "house" with the kiddos! Yes, you heard me right- A NIGHT AWAY! It was glorious. The next morning our friends brought the girls over and we enjoyed the sunshine poolside all day long. Raegan is a little fish! And Anabelle really enjoys the water too. It was a perfect celebration of six years together.

As usual, I was behind the camera in all of these shots. I promise, I was there. Just picture me with a pink nose and a big smile :)