Thursday, September 29, 2011

Off to Oklahoma

Well, I'm off to Oklahoma for Scott's cousin's wedding.  Just Kate and I... 
 First ever flight for baby Kate!



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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Girls Night Out

 A few weeks ago we had a fun and special girls night out. All the girls dressed up in Princess dresses for the evening event. We ate dinner at Houlihans enjoyed girl talk so much losing tack of time...we quickly hurry to the show. We went to Disney On Ice actually it was Rapunzel on Ice was the main show but still had all the princesses there. 
It was very exciting and the girls loved every minute of it!
 
On the way to dinner 
Pretty as a Princess 

 I enjoyed the girl time too 
 Hyper and getting excited 
 Intense audience not wanting to miss a single minute 
It was a hit and a night to remember. 
One of the sweet mom's actually bought a few fun souvenirs for each of the girls to remember the night. 
I still remember when I was little going with my parents, one memory that I hold dear to my heart. There is something magical watching your little girl fall in love with the wonderful fairly tail of love. I think I will remember it as much as she does. 


Update from the 5 for 5 campaign they raised another $8000 to help those affected by the famine in Ethiopia! 
It's crazy the grand total raised is 33,000 so far 
You can still donate at "see your impact" site
Let's take action and make a difference for those in need! 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Birthday Breakfast

Its our yearly tradition to take the kids to our special breakfast place on their actual birthday. This year we decided only to take Jonas to get some one on one time. He loved the extra attention and was so well behaved. 
All my kids one on one are a complete joy to be around when they don't have to fight to get attention. 
We ordered the best chocolate chip pancakes with whip creme. Yummy! 
I think everyone in the restaurant was looking at us as we made a big deal over everything Jonas would say and do. They all knew it was his birthday, people at all the tables were saying hi and talking to him. I tell you he's going to be famous someday as he draws in a crowd. A funny thing happened as I thought I was going to die of embarrassment. The couple that sat behind us  kept saying how cute he was and laughing at the things he would say until he kept saying "baby?, baby?" I looked at Scott " Is there a baby over there?" He didn't see one, I turned around and looked and didn't see one either. By this time Jonas had said it about a hundred times then it clicked when he pointed he had thought the lady behind us had a baby in her tummy. I thought I would die what do you I say? Thank goodness baby Kate was with us and I could redirect him that he has a baby sister. I tried to quickly get his attention to something else. He still tells me I have a baby in my tummy all the time but to a stranger that doesn't is another thing. Oh my gosh was I embarrassed! 
It's just crazy what kids can say and if you know Jonas he's going to tell you like it is! 

He was more excited about the sausage then the pancakes

The yearly family birthday breakfast photo(that's a mouth full)

It's near impossible to get a picture where Jonas is not moving, talking or being funny but you can quickly see his energetic personality! He is one non stop two year old... watch out world here he comes! 
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Party Time

This last Saturday was Jonas first actual birthday party. He turned 2 years old! To be truthful he seems so much older as he hangs so well with the older kids and has been talking for so long. But he will quickly remind you that he's two when he throws that fun 2 year old tantrum. He had a great day and was on cloud 9 knowing it was his special day. There was an extra hop in his step all day. He was very excited that his friends came to celebrate. 
   
 Our cousins Ellie and Abby came!
 Super Nanny Rachel was there! 
 Jonas loves the water splashing game
 Daddy and Mimi with Miss Sunshine 
 Pouring water over Pops game 
 The cute girls 
 The handsome boys (Yes Parker is digging in his nose, classic)
 Trying to get Jonas' toddler friends together (impossible) 
only missing Miss Olivia, too intimating with 3 boys 
Miss Olivia and family 
Pizza Time 
Jonas was lovin licking the cake icing and talking to Elmo and Friends  
About to sing "Happy Birthday"  (proof I was actually at the party)

It's funny as only three families came but had 16 kids there. That should tell you we hang out with some big families. I don't remember the twins being close to their friends at 2 years old but Jonas is... he loves them and talks about them all the time. It was a very special day and fun to pour into our sweet little J-man. 

Monday, September 19, 2011

A Birthday Wish

Our sweet, fun, loving Jonas turns two today! 
Today is the day that God brought this precious little boy into the world. What a gift he has been for us and our family. His joy for life is priceless and like no other.. you can tell when he smiles as it melts the heart of a stranger in seconds. He is a gift and given to us to be in our family forever. I know when God designed this precious little boy in his mother's womb God knew he created him for our family. He is teaching us about life.. he shows us a different perspective from his eyes and personalty. This day for me is also a remembrance of his mother that carried him! I reflect on what she must have endured with birthing him. How she felt when she first held him in her arms? This morning at breakfast I instantly get choked up thinking she is watching us care for her son loving and caring for him. As he eats his chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream I know she is smiling down from the heavens.. She must be proud and at peace knowing he's in our arms. I also think she must have been just as beautiful as he is! I look deep into his eyes seeing a glimpse of what his mother looked like. I wonder if she had his dimples or distinct Ethiopian looking chin or expressive eyebrows or cute button nose.   One day I hope to meet her in heaven and tell her all about this precious child I'm so very proud to call mine. 
Happy birthday sweet boy! 
 Jonas was born in the beautiful country of Ethiopia by a mother that struggled with her health and life. I can only imagine how much she must have endured.... with living is a small village with limited water and resources. Just like the rest that struggle there today. Even while I write this there is a HUGE problem going on in his country. Which makes it personal for our family to want to act and help.  There is a food and water crisis going on, the biggest one in 60 years... one that is affecting 12.4 million people within 3 countries.

Jonas and Haben are both from Ethiopia and have family members still there suffering and struggling. If they could I know they would want to make a stand and make a difference for their ancestors. 
Until they have their voice it's my job to speak up.

I know when Jonas is old enough to understand his birthday wish could be to help the people in his country. 
So today our birthday wish is for you to join us in helping. 

Jonas is one of the few children that gets a chance for a better life. A life with endless water and food, now it's your turn to make a difference. We are asking you to join us in participating with Asking $5 for 5! Wouldn't it be a nice gift for Jonas to know we are making a difference for his country and his heritage? We are asking you to give just $5 and find 5 friends to give $5 to help. Very simple donate today at this link   all funds are going to World Vision. We can make a big difference!


  A fellow blogger has step up wanting to make a difference. Please read about her story below!
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Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5

Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography 

Thank you Heidi and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can't wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we'll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps. 

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren't so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world's first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond--or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity's baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don't do anything at all.


When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother's hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya--the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, "I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm." The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. "We don't have enough food now...our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues."




Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.


That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called#Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on--in nine generations of 5x5x5...we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to
help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support,
healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.
I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:


  1. Donate $5 or more on this page(http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
  2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
  3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!



I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you're interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn't wait. She doesn't wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn't wait for us to decide if she's important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on...please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped--you are saving lives and changing history.

p.s. Please don't move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you're life is busy like mine, you probably won't get back to it later. Let's not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let's leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Conversation with Jonas


Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com



I know this video might be a little long and blurry but fun to 
catch a glimpse of Jonas' fun personality. 
He still says "no" instead of  "yes" but now does it to be funny. 
He has a big weekend ahead of him and I don't think he knows what to expect.
 It's hard to believe he will be 2 years old on Monday. 
We are having a small Elmo party on Saturday so stay tuned for some pictures.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Help Me Jesus


Just when you think school begins "wow I'm going to have so much more time on my hands now" .. well, that was funny... still not a minute to spare throughout the day and now you throw in getting everyone ready for school in the morning it's just busy chaos. I'm coming to the reality that it's the new norm around here everyday a little different and not to be fooled if it goes smoothly for a hour or two and think I have it under control because within a few minutes it can all go crazy. I really think it's God's sense of humor to think I could actually have control when it's all his and when I'm not leaning on him is when the total chaos begins. I'm slowly learning I need to be leaning on him through every weak moment throughout the day not just when I think I have a little extra time to spend with him. It needs to be every second, every minute of the day when the control goes right from under me to let it go and God will show up, picking me up, sharing his strength to get us through it. My new line I need to get into a good habit of saying out loud is "Help me Jesus" hopefully my kids will learn from my example that I cannot lean on my own strength and do it without Gods help. He has entrusted me with 4 of his children it's my job to do all that I can to raise them up in his kingdom. OH "Help Me Jesus!"


p.s. Thank the Lord for my gift of a wonderful loving Husband that isn't giving up and supports me along the way. (As I type this he's cleaning the kitchen... see I told ya he's amazing) I couldn't do it without you Scott!  By the way our 8th year Anniversary was one of the best:) 
Click here for details 

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Blog Hijack!!!!!!




Only on rare occasions do I hijack this blog, but today is one of those days. Today Heidi and I are celebrating our 8 year anniversary! A little over 10 years ago I laid eyes on her for the first time and I have never been the same since. For those of you that don’t know how we met, grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and keep reading.
The year was 2001 and I had my first real job out of college as a graphics coordinator for the production of all the Senior Tour golf events for the year. It was a pretty cool job to have as a young single guy as I got to travel the country (flying) to 30+ events and have a fun job in sports. In the meantime, Heidi took a job with a marketing company where she would travel the country (driving in a Tahoe…road rules style with 3 other co-workers) to golf tournaments getting people to sign up for MasterCards.


At the beginning of the year one if my best friends told me about a girl he knew from college, Heidi, that was traveling around to golf tournaments and I should go check her out/introduce myself. I decided to check her out that week (ya, she was hot!) but I was too shy to introduce myself. It wasn’t until a few weeks later when we were both in Valencia California when we finally met. Our mutual friend Chad was living in LA so he drove out to Valencia to have dinner with me and he invited Heidi and her friend to join us. After that night I knew I had to pursue this girl. She was beautiful, funny, outgoing…just perfect.
The next time I got to see her was in Jacksonville, Fl where I lived. She was there doing The PLAYERS Championship which happened to be postponed to finish on Monday because of bad weather. I was flying on a red-eye back from California on Sunday night and we agreed to meet up Monday night for dinner and drinks with her crew that she traveled with. She was supposed to leave on Tuesday to drive to Atlanta for her next event, but I wanted to see her more. I offered to drive her and her friend up to Atlanta on Wednesday if they wanted to stay and hang out on Tuesday. If I was playing a card game, I basically just showed her all of my cards when I offered to drive 12 hours round trip from Jax to Atlanta just to get to spend one more day with her. Well, she didn’t stay…just kidding! She stayed and we had a day that we will never forget. We stayed up until about 3AM just flirting, talking, and getting to know each other. The next day I drove her and her friend back to Atlanta and actually dropped her off at her family’s house (I think they thought I was crazy!)
A couple weeks later I drove up to Hilton Head to see her (much shorter drive than Atlanta!). This is where we had our first “date”. I came to her tent around noon and we walked to lunch right under the famous lighthouse in Harbour Town. I remember it being such a beautiful day… we grabbed a hamburger and some peel and eat shrimp and found a bench to sit on and get to know each other better. That night we went to a fun place called Wild Wing CafĂ© that was right across the street from her hotel where we had a big table of people (her co-workers and a few of my CBS friends)…we had a fun night eating wings, drinking beer, and listing to the live band. When the night was over I walked her back to her hotel. We were having a pretty deep conversation which had the theme of her not wanted to a relationship right now and just wanting to have a fun year traveling the country. We got to her room and continued to talk just outside of her room when I couldn’t stand it anymore… I grabbed her and planted one on her…Our first kiss! If she wasn’t confused before, I just escalated it to another level for her. What is this boy doing? Didn’t I just tell him I didn’t want a relationship?
Well, from then on I stayed persistent…I wasn’t going to let this one get away. For the rest of the year we continued to date, but not just your average dates… this was like dream dating. Since we were in a different city every week our dates after Hilton Head were in Birmingham, Nashville, Boston, Cape Cod, Grand Rapids, Chicago, Park City, New York City, Napa, Minneapolis, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Talk about adventure! It was such a fun way to start a relationship… a part of our life that we will never forget.


I love you Heidi Rodenbaugh Armstrong…you are the woman of my dreams, my best friend, my lover, and the best thing that has ever happened to me. Thanks for a great 8 years of marriage!


-Scott