Ballet Magnificat! Omega Performance

Thanks to the many volunteers and a few months of hard work, the Ballet Magnificat! Omega performance of Hiding Place was a huge success Saturday night and was performed to a sold out auditorium of 465 seats! God really blessed the effort put in by all and there have been many emails asking when they can come back! Enjoy some pictures of the evening!

A whole bunch of tickets!

Poster and ticket book ready to go!

The ladies of Ballet Magnificat! Omega

The lovely table Sherry Gorman set!

Sherry and all the ladies worked very hard on meals

and the dancers were very impressed telling

Sherry it was the best food they've had!

Set up time!

Warm up

Performance!

Sharing the gospel!

Erin Beaver, tour director extraordinaire!

She is an excellent speaker and it was a blessing to hear her share!

the Earley's and the F18 Hornet

Make a Smilebox slideshow

valentine's day flowers

If you know me at all, you know that I am not a big fan of candy. So Valentine's Day and Halloween are horrible holidays in my opinion, and Easter isn't far behind, in the amount of candy my kids get. But this year I caved in and decided to make these cute lollypop flowers for Katie to give out at her class's V-day party! I got the idea from Disney's "Family Fun Magazine" and the flowers were super easy to make. Here are some pictures of the work in progress and the final result. The pics aren't the best, but hopefully you'll get the idea. I wasn't thinking when I took these pictures at midnight, that I should probably keep the flash on. Tired brains and picture taking don't mix. Nevertheless, enjoy!

Cut out all your leaves, flower petals (3 hearts) and flower centers

(2 patterned pieces of paper)

Crease the hearts, then glue them together to make a petal.

Glue your leaves together as well, then glue the leaves to the hearts.

(You're meant to write "happy v-day, I love you" etc. on the leaves!)

A stack of flowers

Make sure you put your hole in the middle!

The flower centers need holes too!

Stick the pop down the through the middle of everything!

(The example was shown with dum dums,

but I could only fine tootsie roll pops.)

All done! Very colorful!

Oh My

Oh my. I haven't posted since July! And it's January...3rd...2010. Oops.

I guess that most of you who read this blog would naturally assume that quite a lot has happened since July and you'd be right! You can think of my being busy as my ahem, excuse for not blogging.

Ok, let's catch up! (And if you want to know what happened before July, you'll just have to read my previous blog posts!)

July and August kept Jason and I pretty busy with acting performances- Jason in "The Complete Works of Shakespeare; Abridged" as one of only 3 actors who perform ALL of Shakespeare's plays in like 2 hours. And myself as "Snarlett O'Hernia" in "Left in the Breeze" a spoof of "Gone With the Wind". Jason joined me on stage as "Paisley Whelps"- spoofing, umm yeah someone. I get so confused as to what the "real" names are now...

Jason and Candy performing the "Romeo and Juliet" segment w/ a twist...

"Left in the Breeze"- me in the black wig and Jason seated

August brought around Katie's 7th birthday (where do the years go?) and major changes to her schooling. After 2 years at Our Saviour Lutheran private school, Katie joined 8 other kiddos at a "private" homeschool. Katie's teacher from 1st grade at OSLS, Mrs.McCabe, took 5 Kindergarten students and 4, 2nd graders into her home and does the COVA curriculum, an at home based Colorado public school with them. Katie is doing VERY well in school and thoroughly enjoys it!

Katie's 7th b-day - a pool party

1st day of school

September brought Liam's 2nd birthday and my birthday as well. We were able to have professional pictures taken of us in early September by our friend Will Neder. The pictures were taken to give as Christmas presents (all framed and ready to hang!) to Jason's parents as well as mine, but they are such a wonderful memory for the 5 of us too!

Brynn & Liam

In early October I once again was able to serve on the Christian Women's Retreat Committee and help organize another retreat! I have been so blessed to be able to attend such a fabulous retreat with other Christian sisters in Pagosa for the last 4 years!

October also brought around a housing change for the Earley's. Due to declining work and therefore a declining paycheck, we decided to downsize and move a bit closer into town. Going from a WONDERFUL house, back to a duplex. The lack of space has been the most difficult part (well that and the neighbor who snores so loud, we can hear him through the wall...) but the smaller monthly budget has been a blessing.

We also celebrated Evie's 5th birthday in October, having a party at our semi-packed up house a week before we moved. (I don't suggest this!) And trick or treating with Jasmine, a Lion and Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Evie's 5th b-day - a costume party

Halloween

November went by relatively easy with time spent adjusting to our new surroundings and spending a lovely Thanksgiving with Jason's family. Jason and I, as well as the Heavenly Father, were very pleased when Katie made the decision this November to ask the Lord to come live in her heart! Katie giving her life to Jesus was definitely a big thing to be thankful for!

December came around and found us traveling! My brother Jake graduated from the University of Arizona on December 16th and we were all able to go down to Phoenix and see him! We stayed through Christmas and spent a fabulous day with my parents and Jake at my parents home in Gold Canyon, AZ.

Christmas!

Jake's graduation day

The New Year found us back home in Pagosa, me braving the cold temps and everyone else enjoying them as they played in the snow!

As we are now the 3rd day into a New Year, I think back to 2009 and I am thankful it's over. Not because it was a "bad" year, it wasn't- the year was full of joy and new adventures -but because for all the fun we had, it was one of the more stressful years of my life. God taught Jason and I so much last year and we wouldn't trade our lessons for the world. But we're glad we learned them and that they are hopefully(?) over and we can move onto new lessons!

So I do believe that I've caught us up to where we need to be! I will attempt to keep everything more current over this next year!

shepherd lead us

I was driving home this afternoon from running errands, feeling frustrated, hoping that we didn't bounce any checks as there was a slight delay in getting paid for the last 2 weeks and I heard this song come on the radio.  I always hear songs I like, but always miss who they are by or what the title is.  So after the song was over I made sure to turn the volume WAY up (I needed to hear over the loud children I have) so I could catch who the song was by.  "Shepherd" by Ian Eskelin.  Psalm 23 is one of my favorite passages of scripture, so this song is now an instant favorite of mine.  

Shepherd by Ian Eskelin

You bring me to quiet pastures.  And to where still waters flow.  You are mighty yet so tender.  I can rest because I know. 

Chorus: I’m safe in Your care, each day my prayer is Shepherd guard me, Shepherd guide me, Shepherd ever close beside me.  I will follow where You lead me, Jesus. 

Shepherd lead. 

When I’m weary You restore me.  All I’m needing You provide.  I will never want or worry.  Lord my soul is satisfied.

Chorus 2x

Shepherd lead.

Safe in Your care, each day my prayer…

Chorus- Shepherd guard me….

Shepherd lead.  Shepherd lead.

Jason and I have been praying about moving to Austin, Texas this August, but we've been struggling about God's direction.  Jason and I had decided that if God led us to Texas, we'd follow.  And if He opened the doors to stay here, we'd stay.  But we weren't getting any real definite answers.  Some things here tanked, some stuff there sounded good.  Some areas here opened up, some places there didn't.  What to do and where to go?  We've had more prayer requests lately than praises!  But the biggest request we had was a job.  We sent out about 30 resumes and heard nothing- for about 6 weeks.  We then decided to call the best looking prospects.  But lo and behold before we call anywhere we get an email with a job offer the same week we get an offer to rent a house that is sort of in the area we want to be.  2 or 3 days after we get these offers they both bomb in the same day.  The job was too far from where the house was, but we said we'd move to where the job was.  The job then tells us that they want someone with 5+ years experience, not 4+.  Bummer.  We then find out that the house- even though it sounds nice- is over 30 years old and "a bit out in the boonies."  Now, I do not want to sound stuck up, but the whole point in moving to the city, is to be in the city!  Or at least a suburb of the city.  So we decided that the house was too far out and we really should look at a more central location, especially since we had been applying for service repairman jobs in HVAC.  Jason still  has to call a few places, we are not going to assume that God is telling us NO on TX from just one job falling through, but it's looking more and more like we will be here for the next year.  This makes me both happy and sad.  Of course the happy part is that we don't have to leave our friends and we get to still enjoy our church family!!!  But as you know I do not like winter, though I can deal with it if I must.  It won't kill me.  So that's the sad part- winter and the fact that I was REALLY looking forward to living in the city.  Really looking forward to it....

All through these last few months, Jason and I have fervently prayed that God would show us and lead us to where we needed to be.  Where He could use us to the fullest of His glory.  And if we stay here or go there, we still aren't sure what God will have us do.  And we still aren't sure how we will pay the bills, but we know if we trust the Father, He will provide all we need.  So we let the Shepherd lead us.    

4th of July weekend and rachel's wedding

The 4th of July weekend was crazy busy!  On Friday we all went to dinner at my parent's home and then all 8 of us (the 5 Earley's, mom and dad and my brother Jake) went down to the carnival.  After we got home at 10, I left and took some paper lanterns to the reception hall for Jason's sister.  And I didn't get to bed till midnight.  Yawn.  

Liam on his first carnival ride!

Katie & Savannah 

This was right before his feet stuck and he did a flip!

The next day was the 4th of July and Jason's little sister, Rachel, got married that evening to Dusty Higgins.  I was privileged to do Rachel's hair and make-up and everyone thought she looked just lovely.  (Not because of my skills with the "paint" mind you, but because Rach is just naturally very pretty.)  Katie and Evie were the flower girls and did a very good job at spreading their petals down the aisle.  The ceremony was THE shortest one I have ever witnessed, lasting less than 10 minutes. But after it was done there was a wonderful dinner and dancing.  And I mean dancing!  Till about 12:30 am Jason and I danced!  After the ceremony was over the girls went to my parents house and they took them to the fireworks.  Then dad took them home, relieved the babysitter who had been watching Liam since about 6:30 (a 7 pm wedding is too late for a 2 year old who goes to bed at 7 pm) put the girls down for the night and then watched golf till Jase and I came home at 1 am.  We had a TON of fun, but didn't get to be till 2 am!  Yawn, yawn.

A few of the photos I took

 

Dusty, Rachel and my MIL, Ruth

Beautiful flower girls!

We were tired, but still managed to be up and at church by 8:30 the next morning and then have youth group at our house that Sunday night.  Yawn, yawn, yawn!  And Monday morning K & E had to be at swim lessons by 9! 

YAWN!  I took a nap Monday afternoon....

jason's 30th birthday

Jason's 30th birthday was back in May and I am just getting around to blogging about it.  How sad is that?  Since it's taken me so long to get around to posting anything, I'll just keep the details short and sweet and post a few pictures.  

We had a great time celebrating with a black and white theme with red accents.  We had about 40 friends and family here and we spent the evening BBQing, jumping on the trampoline and then sitting around our little fire pit.  Jason got a bunch of gift cards to the coffee shop as presents and was thrilled by that.  Coffee is the thing that keeps him going most days I think...  Jase wanted a white cake, so I did a 4 layer white cake with whip cream icing and it was layered with more whip cream and strawberries!  Yummy!

It was a wonderful night!