April & May 2012

  What a busy last couple of months it has been!  We launched a new business, wrapped up a couple of  home school classes, and spent lots of time doing fun things.
   Our business is a wholesale utilities business.  If you'd like to spend less on things like cell phone, internet, long distance, tv, and gas/electricity, you're going to want to go to our online store at www.iaml.acndirect.com .  We're so excited for this opportunity and look forward to helping many people in this suffering economy.
  We are winding school down here.  With that, it means fewer classes and activities.  I love it but also know it is the calm before the storm of no schedule once summer officially begins.
  Hope you enjy the pictures.

This free scrapbook design made with Smilebox

March 2012

Birthday month with Levi on the 13th and Mimi on the 26th.
Cari was blessed to go on a train to visit dear college friends in La Jolla, CA.
We finally were able to ski twice before the season ended.

Free photo slideshow made with Smilebox

Februaruy 2012

With Valentine's, John's birthday and the President's week off, there are always "Kodak" moments.

 Valentine's Day began with pink pancakes, the kids colored fun coloring pages, had a scavenger hunt, enjoyed a meal of heart-shaped meatloaf, pink mashed potatoes, and ended with a family movie.

President's Holiday brought our dear friends the Marshalls. We had a blast ice skating and taking in the sights at Yosemite. We then ended the vacation in Cambria, seeing zebras, enjoying a pic nic, and of course, the ocean were just a few highlights.

Make a free picture slideshow









 




 









 







 







  

  




 





 

Jan 2012



The Oldest and Youngest "Tharp" Grandboys



Month in Pictures



The View from Our Deck




 






 



All the cousins at the belated Christmas dinner



Levi Fishin'



Abby with her ist splint post surgery.



Fiery Sunset





Taking a break for awhile

I have been so frustrated with our computer.  I don't know if it is our connection, the computer, or what but every time I try to download it takes forever!!!  One of the reasons I began this blog in the first place was to keep long distance family and friends up-to-date on what we were doing and pictures of the kids as they grow.  I'm not one of those bloggers who feels the need to journal or work on my literary skills on here.  Because I don't have the time to wait for the down/uploading of pictures and videos, I've decided to sign off for now until something changes.  If and when that does happen, I'll send out an email letting y'all know we're back on track.. 
Until then, all is a gift,

Cari

Been awhile!

Hi Faithful Few.  I know it's been awhile since I've posted.  Summer hits and all goes helter-skelter here.  If I can be patient enough for these darn downloads to happen, I'll be catchin' y'all up on the fun we've had this summer.
Stay tuned!

Freedom Facts for Friday!

“…there is nothing you can want, there is nothing you can ask for,
there is nothing you can need in time or in eternity,
there is nothing living, nothing dying,
there is nothing in this world, nothing in the next world,
there is nothing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning,
nothing in heaven
which is not contained in this text —
“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

~Charles Spurgeon

Wordless Wednesday -Last Week in Pictures

Abby's last choir performance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

checking out our camping spot there's still a lot of snow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making cookies

A lifetime friend and his family visit

 

 

Enjoying a meal with old and new friends

Tiny Talk Tuesday

When my oldest daughter was about 3 she noticed a daddy-long-leg spider on our sidewalk.  She yelled for her daddy and said, 

"Daddy, look there's your long legs."

Multitudes on Monday! June 6, 11

360. peace retreats for oldest
361. self-parenting
362. being teachable
363. back-flips landed
364. sweet gymnastics teachers
365. great recital
366. little ones trying their best
367. working with friends
368.children helpers and blessings
370. Abs thinking of baby brother
373. beautiful weather
375. horrible weather
377. working in hail
378. exhaustion
379. warm fire
380. cozy bed
381. cuddling with Mim's
382. I's silly kisses
383. stranger seeing Jesus in me

Freedom Facts for Friday!

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  

Trust in God;  

trust also in me.

John 14:1                                                       

       

 

Freedom Facts for Friday!

"Effective spiritual, emotional, and social training in the lives of our children [has] to be both intentional and planned."
                           Susan Clarkson from her book The Ministry of Motherhood

Spring 2011 Piano and Gymnastics Recitals

Abby nailed her back flip.  She was the only one other than teenagers that could do a back flip.  Mimi is the first one out of the tunnel and the smallest one in the group.

I'm very proud of how everyone ended the year!

Wordless Wednesday May 6-24

I have A LOT of catching up to do with end-of-the-year field trips, recitals, etc.

Patiently waiting for their piano recital performance

Levi and "best fwend" that he's only met one other time

 

Mimi and Abby's finale at their gymnastics recital

A very Happy Mother's Day

 

A fun field trip to the zoo 

 

 

                            

Abby's choir performance

 

 

 

 

Tiny Talk Tuesday

When my oldest was 5 this is what he told a firefighter who was telling the homeschool group about the importance of fire alarms, 

"I know our batteries work in the fire alarm at home 

because every time my mommy cooks

it goes off."

Everyone got a tremendous kick out of his very solemn and serious response.

A little disclaimer here, when the oven was on, it would smoke because of things burning in the bottom from overflowed dishes NOT because I was burning things. ; )

Multitudes on Monday! May 17-22

328. fellowship and feasting

329. new, cheery plants

330. anticipation of a date

331. a thoughtful sister-in-law

332. love-words to nieces through children's books

333.  glad for my marriage

334. happy to still be in love

335. family fellowship childcare

336. the greens in the new hostas

337. nothing stolen from left-behind purse

338. colors of spring

339. colors in pre-dawn light

346. Amy reading to the kids

350. creek's cascading cacophony

352. Royal Wedding church fun

354. kiss on the cheek from dear old one

358. last week of school

Freedom Facts for Friday!

"The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One." 

Can't remember where I saw this quote.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

 

Daddy pointed out the In-N-Out Burger palm trees that cross.

Levi's response,"Aw, they're lovin' each other Daddy."

He hugged himself as he said it.

Multitudes on Monday!

309. Blessed Truths spoken to my soul through my uncle
310. Seeing ugly and being repentant
311. Look of Daddy-love from my brother to his first newborn girl
312. Newborn nursing
313. Full, dark head of hair
314. Easing into the day
315. Sustenance for a day absent of sleep the night before
318&19. A drive to get away and then having a home to come back to
321. Love-made gifts
322. Planting time
323. Pizza out
324. Rest and "time-off"
326. New plants to plant

Multitudes on Monday!

281. rainbow colors on counter

282. walk/talk with a friend

283. A's tenderness to littles

285. better computer time management = more time

287. lunch outside

289. children singing to christian radio in the morn

295. quicker wait

296. grocery-unloading elves

297. I learning hard how to cook

298.  grass cuttin', bird singin', sun sparklin', plant gardenin', morning

300. fresh insights in the Word

301. I's attentiveness and comprehension of Biblical Truths
302. a whole day outside
303. fun cousin time
304. Forks' burgers
305. plants given, livin' and plantin'
306. Strawberry Hill has begun
307. answered prayer- replacement chickens and a rooster gifted

All is a gift!