My 40th birthday came and went. It was very nice. I got some beautiful flowers from my friend Jennifer in ABQ. Thanks so much Jen, it was such a wonderful surprise!! Derreck and I went to dinner at Pacific Rim and I had a fabulous meal, the mashed sweet potatoes were wonderful! I got an iPod and I love it!!!
The kids have been studying Greek history and we had our own Olympics. They made "laurel" wreath crowns. We also made Greek food for dinner. They didn't like the hummus, but it was wonderful, trust me!
Heidi participated in the Cheer Camp for the local kids. She learned a little cheer and the kids will join the cheerleaders next Friday night. She loved it. Her oldest cousin K'Lee is a cheerleader helping Heidi's group.
Heidi is still taking gymnastics and loves it. She is also taking a dance class at the gym. She has a wonderful Christian teacher, Sara Inman, who also teaches all kinds of dance (except belly dance :( ) and I am taking her hip hop class. It is really fun for me. I hope to take some of her other classes too, but now that Derreck has started shift work, it's a little harder to do things like that with the kids in tow.
Aaron is also still doing gym and doing it well. We signed him up for a class in Denver City, TX. It's 30 miles away, but they focus more on tumbling and he is really close to doing a back handspring now. He is still at the gym here, where the coach is good, but frankly, he is getting old and doesn't challenge the kids enough. But Aaron is doing well, especially on high bar and rings. I do so wish we had a better gym closer, he has the potential to do so much more, but unfortunately at this point, not the opportunity.
Derreck has started shift work at the job. They work 1st and 2nd shift only and rotate every 2 weeks. He completed the first 2 weeks of night shift. Tomorrow he will have to get up REALLY early. I do not envy that! But it's all going well. He likes it! and that isn't very common for a lot of people. And a lot of people don't even have jobs anymore, so we are very blessed.
Samson is hanging in there, still doing pretty well for an old dog. I love him so. Our walks are very slow and short now, but he still gets excited to go out. He's such a good dog.
With fall here, our weather hasn't been as hot, not consistantly anyway. It's been in the mid-80's but we still had a couple of 97 degree days (awful!!) and a couple of 65 degree days (wonderful!!). Aaron and I have been riding our bikes to church on Sundays for a couple of months now. It's not usually too hot in the mornings, and today we might even need to wear pants. It's 4 miles, and Aaron does great even on his little bike. I hope one day we'll be able to really bike and mountain bike again without having to drive 300 miles. That would be great fun for the whole family!! Except Heidi needs more practice still. She just doesn't have that drive that Aaron had to learn the bike. She can do it but if she feels the slightest wobbly, she jumps off. We are still working on it, so I need to take her to the paved trail again.
God has been good, He continues to amaze me, refine me, and sanctify me. I am blessed, even when it's hard to see it here in Hobbs. I need to be more like Paul, and be content in want, not only in abundance. It's strange. In ABQ we did not have abundance as far as money, we were always broke and in need, but had abundant life. Here we don't have the money worries, have enough, and yet, I am in serious want for something else - out of this place. I am still in the refining process, apparently, and it is hard to go through.
Thanksgiving weekend was very nice. Derreck got off of work around noon, so he and Aaron went to play golf. Heidi and I played "beauty shop" and I curled her hair and she dressed up for a tea party! It was very fun.
