The Long Family

2011 in a nutshell?

2011-10-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

2011 is almost gone and I haven't posted in almost a year. I have taken pictures and sorted them and maybe if I do it little by little you will have an idea what we've been up to this past year. I'll start with January! We took the kids to Disney World in Orlando for their first ever Disney trip. We wanted to wait until they were old enough to enjoy it without getting tired out and whiny:) I think it was worth the wait! We had a blast and we were able to enjoy it all with our good friends, The Rowley Family. So, there is our January highlight!

Poison Ivy!!!

2010-09-11T10:18:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we finally put the playset back together in our new backyard. When we finished we stood back to admire the perfect location in a nice shady spot under the trees(picked by our dear friends:) and we noticed a vine hanging from the tree right next to it with leaves of 3!!! When we looked at the ground we saw it was covered in little patches. Sure enough Monday morning Don had a rash on his arms and it was confirmed, we put our kids playhouse in the middle of a poison ivy patch. He has had poison Ivy several times since we've been married and it is not fun! Don is outside right now removing the plant and I am hoping that he doesn't get any new spots! I went out to help him, but he didn't want to ruin 2 pairs of gloves---I'm not complaining---- So, I just took pictures:)

Poison Ivy

The big vine climbing the tree

little shoots of poison ivy on the ground

Homeschool Fun

2010-09-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

In between blogging yesterday, we did do a little school:) We have been waiting on a few of our school books to come in, so we've only been doing Reading, Writing & Math. One fun part of homeschooling is the fun places we get to do our work. We sometimes get to sit outside on the patio or even up in the tree house. We listen to a lot of audio books in the car, too. Today Dana decided the office closet was cool:) She hung her flashlight from one of Daddy's jacket zippers and went to work.

Jordan wanted to stay in his brand new Super Mario pajamas all day. No Problem:) We got this Flash Master math machine and he is hooked. Here he got 100% on his 6 tables in addition. He is in love with math right now:)

A new subject-juggling. just kidding. Dana was determined to learn how to juggle today (2 balls). We had to document her success:)

We also got to stand on our front porch and watch the little baby deer on our neighbors front lawn (along with 7 other deer grazing there). We see deer in our front yard almost everyday and we still get excited when we can get close enough to watch them. God's creation is amazing:)

All in all a fun and productive day!!!

Cousin Kiley's Birthday Visit

2010-09-10T07:23:00.001-07:00

Dana's cousin Kiley turned 7 last Friday and she came to visit us for the day! We had our own little slumber party and spent a little time at Sea World. You should have heard them in the car on the way to Sea World, what a racket!!!
Cousin Kiley with her big balloon
Cousin Kiley blowing out her candle
The kids played in the water zone before we left Sea World.
I think these 2 will be close forever----like sisters

Petting the dolphins was our favorite part.

They held hands most of the day:)

The park was nearly empty since school has already started. I think it was only open because it was labor day weekend. You can see behind the kids that the main gates weren't even open!

Sept 2010 - Dana's Big Teeth

2010-09-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here we are--- up to date! I know that wasn't very many pictures, but with my new (smaller) camera I hope to do better:) I just had to put this picture up so you could see Dana's new teeth coming in. It makes her look so much older! I'm not sure where the other 2 top teeth are going to go, but they have to go somewhere:)

August 2010 - The Lazy Days of Summer (We had a few)

2010-09-09T15:27:00.001-07:00

One of our biggest blessings in moving to San Antonio was Dana's new eye doctor. She recommended CRT (Corneal Refractive Therapy)lenses for Dana. It is a gas permeable contact lens that she wears while she sleeps and it corrects her vision so that she doesn't have to wear anything during the day! It was our answer to prayer! Her Vision was already to a -4.25 in the right eye and about a -3 in the left. With her new lenses she is down to a -.5 and -1! Besides the fact that she doesn't have to wear anything during the day, the lenses are supposed to slow the progression of vision loss. We are still working to get a better fit (they are making her lenses custom because she is so young) with the lenses so that we can have perfect results, but the doctor is confident that as her eye grows she will be able to get a better fit. Praise the Lord for this miracle!
Ollie waiting for crumbs, I don't think he realized it was ice cream and there wouldn't be very much falling on the floor:)
My sweetie pie who loves to come into my room at 7 in the morning and snuggle:) I asked him this morning if he wanted to crawl into my bed before I made it and he said "Are you going to lay down too?" Even though I was already dressed and ready for the day I couldn't resist snuggle time with my boy!
Ollie is a big boy now!
I got a new little camera this month (a canon powershot). I am hoping that the compact portable camera will help me to capture more sweet family moments. These are my first pictures with the new camera---not too bad:)

July 2010 - Jordan's 5th Birthday

2010-09-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

I didn't get many pictures of this day! I pulled out the camera at the end of the day, just so I could have a picture of him on his 5th birthday! I won't go into all the events of the day/week, but let's just say---day after vacation...apartment...fleas. I'll spare you all the details. Jordan is such a sweetie and he seemed very pleased with his birthday celebration. So, here are some pictures of my 5 year old munchkin in his jammies on his birthday.

Dana also lost 2 more top teeth on his birthday.

No kisses please!

March 2010- Dana Loses Her 2 Front Teeth

2010-09-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Here she is calling Grandma who requested a call when they finally came out:) They both fell out within a few days of eachother. She did not want to pull them out. Daddy had to finally help when they got so loose we were worried she would choke:)

February 2010 - Dana's 7th Birthday

2010-09-09T11:57:00.001-07:00

Dana is 7! I can't believe it. Where did the time go? This was February, so she is actually 7 1/2 now (she just informed me). Where did the last 6 months go? We found out the day before her birthday that Don was going to take a job in San Antonio/Austin and we would be moving. Our first move since the kids were born. We told her on her birthday and at first I think she was a little sad. She was worried about leaving her friends and family. Fortunately Grandma and Grandpa Long are moving with us and it is only 3 1/2 hours away, so I think we will still be able to keep in touch with some of her close friends. We started packing the day after her birthday and it has been busy ever since.

Determined to blow it out!

Dana and I have been wanting to start a Mommy/Daughter tea time during the day, so I bought a couple of tea cups so we could start our tradition.

Webkinz Jr from Aunt Carly----this was top of the wish list!

A doll and fairy wings and wand from Grandma and Grandpa Long

Special lunch requested at Grandmas: Top Ramen Noodles! The kids beg for this when they go to Grandma Long's house.

A Little House on The Prairie bonnet from Aunt Christy and Uncle Doug.

January 2010 - Disney on Ice

2010-09-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

Dana's friend Hannah invited us to see Disney on Ice. Tickets were given to her to celebrate her scans for cancer coming back clear:) They wouldn't let me bring my camera in, the lens was too large---I had never heard of that before. So, these are the only shots we got of our party.

December 2009 - Christmas Did Happen:)

2010-09-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

I cannnot find any photos from this past Christmas! I know I took some because I can remember one of Mom Long playing on our new Wii. Oh well, if I find them I'll come back and edit this post!!! I certainly hope they haven't been put in the recycling bin by a certain 5 year old boy who admitted to dragging some things around on my desk top:)...........

I'm back, I found them in a mislabeled folder!

Christmas morning begins with Daddy reading the passage from Luke 2 about the birth of Christ.

I made new stockings this year. They look exactly like the ones we had in our family when I was a child. I actually traced one of my Mom's stockings so they could be the exact size. Nostalgia:)

This huge stocking is our advent calendar. Every night we read a Christmas themed story and then the kids get to go and see what candy they get for that day. Candy everyday during December----WOW, they feel lucky:)

Dana got a zum and a Webkinz from Poppy. Top of her list:)

Transformers from Poppy!

American Girl Doll, Emily from Daddy and Mommy.

Grandma Long trying out the Wii Bowling Game

Grandpa Long taking a nap in his new lounge chair from some of his kids.

Our pretty tree before Don decided to hack off each branch individually so he wouldn't get scratched up dragging it out to the curb!

The chopped branches

The hacked tree!

November 2009 - Family Pictures - Finally!

2010-09-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Don set up the tripod and backdrop and we decided to try and get a few family photos, since we have very few. Here are a few of my favorites. There is one of our whole family, but I'm saving it for the top of our blog:)

November 2009 - Visit from Poppy

2010-09-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

My Dad came to visit us for Thanksgiving. We always have so much fun when Poppy comes with all his creative ideas and projects. This year we did our 3rd annual gingerbread house and he brought a Martha Stewart Turkey Placecard Project to do with Dana. We can't wait for his visit this next Thanksgiving. What will we do next?!?!

Jordan and Dana were hounding Poppy the whole time they were putting together the gingerbread house! "When can we eat it!" It was hardly together when they started gobbling it up!!!

The Turkey Place Cards that Poppy and Dana made for our Thanksgiving meal.

November 2009 - Homeschool Art Fair

2010-09-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Our Homeschool group Homewood Christian put on an art fair. Dana saved her art projects from the year to display at the fair. We had a very sweet teacher named Miss Bonnie come to our house to teach Dana about art once a week. These are some of the projects they did together.

November 2009 - Grammie Brings Oliver Bennet

2010-09-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

In September my Mom called on my birthday to tell us that my gift was a brand new puppy from her recent litter of westie puppies. She flew from California with the puppy in November and then stayed for a visit. We always have fun when Grammie comes to visit. The kids love to be spoiled:) Oh, Dana named the puppy Oliver Bennet Long. As far as puppies go, he has been the best!

Grammie threw a party for Dana's littlest pet shop----complete with miniature cookies:)

November 2009 Camping Trip to Buscher State Park

2010-09-09T07:30:00.000-07:00

We love to go camping! With our hot Texas weather we only get to go once in the Spring and once in the Fall, but we have such a great time. We look forward to it and we love to see how we can improve the experience each time we go. The kids are finally old enough that we can relax a little while they run around and explore within our site. I think our favorite part is sitting around the camp fire at night and spending time with our friends and family. We usually make these trips with our friends, The Levees and with Doug's family (Don's older brother). I used our little camera that we bought 7 years ago when Dana was born and that is the last time I'll use it:) So, sorry for the blurry pictures, but you get the idea. So, this is post #1 in this marathon blogging session, now I'm off too get the kids started on their math:)

Our new tent---- our upgrade from the previous trip. I think it is supposed to sleep 12! The nice thing is we can stand up in it and walk around without having to bend over:) It's actually easier to set up than our smaller one. Wanna go camping, come on in there's room for more:)

Dana and her cousin Kiley

For Dad

2010-09-09T07:22:00.001-07:00

So, I received an email from my Dad asking if all these things on my blog really just happened. The answer is "NO." ---- and yes it HAS been almost a year since I've updated my blog. So in an effort to please my family I am going to dedicate my day (in between dishes, laundry, ironing and homeschooling ) to updating my blog with pictures taken from Oct 2009 until the present. I can't even remember what we've done in that time, but I will try to make some sense of it:) I love you all, please don't forget about us:)

Fall Festival 2009---Our Photo Booth

2009-11-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

We call these 3 "The Musketeers"! They are church buddies---Kiley Long (cousin/princess), Nicole Rawls(babyhood friend/butterfly)and Dana (Dorothy)

We had the opportunity to set up a photo booth and take pictures of all the guests at our church's Fall Festival. We had fun setting it up (and staying up all night getting them developed to hand out at church the next day). I think Don got an hour and half of sleep that night:) We took over 100 photos! Now that we have our photo umbrellas and backgrounds, I am excited to take my own pictures of the kids at home.

September 2009- Visit from my brother/Sea World San Antonio

2009-11-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

My brother returned from his tour of duty in Iraq at the end of August and he came to visit us in Texas. We all went to Sea World San Antonio while he was here. The shows were so much better than I remember them as a child. Beautiful!

Hand-me-down Fun!!!

2009-11-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

I remember the excitement of getting hand-me-downs from my best friend growing up. She would send me home with black trash bags full of new clothes for my closet. It was so much fun. My sister sent Jordan some hand-me-downs from his cousin, Bailey. He had to try them on right away. Knowing they used to belong to his cousin, Bailey, made them pretty special:)I had to get a picture of this ensemble!

August 2009-Dad Long's 80th Birthday Celebration

2009-11-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

Don's Family reunited in Texas to celebrate Dad's 80th Birthday. All of his children were able to be with him on his birthday (along with a few in-laws, 8 grandchildren and their first great grandchild). It had been 15 years since the last time they were all together at once, so it was very special.

AUGUST 2009-Vacaville, CA

2009-11-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to visit my sister,Carly, in August. We hadn't seen each other in almost 2 years! We had so much fun!!! I was glad to hug and kiss my nieces (Reagan & Drew) and my nephew (Bailey)! 2 years is way too long:(

Canyon Lake, Texas

2009-08-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

My handsome husband---I just adore him!

We spent the weekend with our great friends in Canyon Lake, Texas and Don's Brother Doug's family---Here is our bunch at lunch:)

The view from the balcony of their house where we hung out quite a bit. We sat in the hot tub, watched a lightning display, and just sat around to chat. It was lovely!

They have a media room upstairs which the kids thought was cool. Here they are watching a movie and eating popcorn.

Dana and her cousin Kiley playing up in the loft. These 2 are like sisters. It is so cute to watch them play together.

Jordan and Daddy---My boys!

Jordan was in a funny mood and I asked him to make faces at me. He really is my little snuggly sweetheart!

Dana surprised us with her water skiing on the kiddie board. She took right to it!!!

My little fish!!! This summer they have really taken to the water!

Jordan and Daddy and I didn't ski---we rode the tube. Honest, I did----the camera battery ran out:) I'm getting old, though. I just don't enjoy being jerked around anymore. I like fast, but it has to be smooth---I can do without the jolts to my joints!!!

The Island where we dropped the kids off for lunch. We sent their lunch over on the tube:) Then we enjoyed a few quiet moments on the boat! It was a beautiful day spent with awesome friends!!!

Trip to Austin, Texas

2009-08-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

On our way to Canyon Lake, Texas we stopped in Austin to see the Levee Family (some of our best friends!). Our trip started out on a bad note when Dana ran into the tailgate of Don's truck while we were loading up at 5 am, but thankfully stitches were not neccessary:) We put a butterfly closure on it during the drive and it closed up nicely. We had a relaxing time hanging out with Deborah and Jeremy and their 3 boys. We went to see the Inner Space Cavern with them----God's creation is amazing! Well worth the 3 hour drive to spend the day with our great friends!

Dana Loses Her 1st Tooth

2009-07-27T21:39:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to find myself really sad when her first baby tooth fell out of her mouth on Saturday. The teeth that she'll have for the rest of her life are coming in:( She is growing up and I can't stop her. We had to wake up 3 times in the night before we finally found her sleeping so that we could put a dollar under her pillow.

Skirt in a Day!

2009-07-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make Dana a skirt and I found the instructions for this one online. I made it today! I'm sure if I was an experience seamstress it would have been an hour, but I was thrilled with finishing the project in one day:)I also made her a cute headband (which I also found the instructions for online:)I'm excited to try this one again, as I am sure I could improve a few things. Dana was such the model tonight. She was so excited to have something Mommy made--this is the first clothing item I have sewn for her!

Evening at Home

2009-07-11T21:51:00.001-07:00

I love it when the kids will hug on each other for the camera. I wish they were always so sweet and loving towards one another! They wanted a silly picture on the blog,too. So, here it is:)

Jordan Turns 4!!!

2009-07-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it---where did the time go.:( He is such a blessing in our lives and what a joy to watch him grow up. He is such a boy! Thanks for the construction play set, Poppy! Grammie, thanks for the legos and tools:) We had fun shopping!

Sweet and Sassy!

2009-07-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

We celebrated (Dana's friend) Hannah's Birthday at Sweet and Sassy (a girl's spa). Starting and ending the party with a limo ride was a real treat that Dana is not soon to forget. It was so cute to watch the girls play. We were very glad that Hannah was feeling well enough to have a little party. Please remember to pray for our dear little friend as she goes through her cancer treatments. Please pray specifically that they will be able to remove the tumor next month without taking the kidney. And also pray for her complete healing and that it will never come back! She is such a doll and everyone who meets her loves her dearly! Happy 6th Birthday, Hannah!!!

Rollerskating Fun!

2009-07-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dana got some rollerskates this past Christmas and six months later she is strapping them on whenever she gets the chance. Our tile floors through out the house are great for this! She is getting better and better everyday. I can't wait to take her to a real rink:)

Meet Ruby

2009-07-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

We've added another member to our household. Our first cat ever, Ruby. It probably has something to do with the fact that I ran over the stray that we had become quite attached to. Long story, which is still quite painful for me to tell. A few weeks after the accidental murder of "Poco" this little kitten was found romping in our yard. Dana spent the entire day cuddling her and we made a spur of the moment decision to make her Dana's pet. We are still adjusting:) We are thinking she may spend a little more time outside when she is big enough! Don has nicknamed her "Rubeast". The kids are really enjoying her, though:)

Reading with Poppy

2009-07-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

My Dad narrated a treasury for us when he was here 2 years ago. Jordan was enjoying listening to Poppy and following along in the book and I couldn't resist snapping a couple of photos.

Blueberry Picking at Moorehead Blueberry Farm

2009-07-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

Don and I took the kids blueberry picking. I think we picked close to 15 pounds! We love to put them in our smoothies:) When they are fresh we love to eat them with granola and yogurt---YUM! These are the best tasting blueberries ever. Don even bought 3 bushes for our backyard this year. They are so worth $1.50 a pound!!!

Dana's Salvation!

2009-07-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to another church in town that was doing a different VBS than ours. They had such a great time. On Friday night (the final day of Vacation Bible School)we talked with Dana about what she had learned during the week. She told us that she knew she needed Christ to save her. So we prayed with her as she made her decision to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We are so thrilled for this answer to our prayers----- A prayer which began before she was born. Here are some pics of the kids playing together after VBS in their Boomerang Express T-shirts (which they thought were so cool).

Dana's Ballet Program--"Deliver Us"

2009-07-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

Dana had her first ballet performance in June. I'm so far behind I can't even remember the date (and I'm too tired to go look it up:) It was the story of the life of Moses. It was amazing! There were about 12 different levels of dancers and they all had a part in the show. Dana was a frog (from the plagues) for tap and a Hebrew child for ballet. It was so fun to watch her up there on stage---It made her seem so big! She is now dancing everywhere she goes:)

Dana's Kindergarten Graduation

2009-05-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Dana's Ballet Exams

2009-05-15T11:38:00.001-07:00

Dana Turns 6

2009-02-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

Aunt Christy bought Dana this shirt to wear on her special day. She loved wearing it to her Bible Buddies class and taking cupcakes to share with her friends.
She doesn't look like a baby anymore! We haven't lost any teeth yet, but I'm sure it's just around the corner:(
Grammie got Molly (American Girl doll) for Dana. When Dana got up this morning she wanted to dress up like Molly. This is the best I could come up with:)
Dana and Molly
Dana LOVES her Molly doll and is already half way through her Molly story collection this morning:)She just blurted out (while I was uploading these pictures) "Mom! The Nazis are in this book!" One of our school books this year was about some Jewish children that were hiding from the Nazis. It's fun to see her putting all these little facts together in her brain. She is growing up so fast!!!

Christmas Cradle

2009-01-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

I was enjoying my family so much on Christmas day that, sadly, I didn't take any pictures. We did take a picture the next day of the beautiful cradle that Don made for Dana.

I had a cradle when I was a little girl and in October I asked Don if he thought he could build one for Dana. I had no idea it would be so gorgeous!!! I am always so amazed at my hubbies ability to make things happen. He drew up a sketch of what he wanted it to look like and piece by piece he started to build it. He didn't even have all the proper tools, but he is so creative and found a way to make it happen. This cradle is built to last (no nails-all dowels!). It will be a family heirloom for sure! Dana loves the fact that it's big enough for a real baby:)

I wanted to be a part of her gift too, so found a piece of foam for the mattress and made a sheet, pillow case and silky blanket to go in it.

I am so thrilled with the finished product!!!

Sneak Preview of Poppy's Book

2009-01-12T11:17:00.001-08:00

My Dad wrote an amazing book this year called "Amazing Horse Facts and Trivia" (by Gary Mullen). It will be out in the Spring at Barnes and Noble! He got his hands on a few copies for our family and we have been thoroughly enjoying it:) If you even like horses, you've got to see this book! We are so proud of him and thankful that he did this just for us:)

Christmas Eve

2009-01-12T09:47:00.001-08:00

My Dad came to spend Christmas with us this year. The kids just love their Poppy. The kids made a gingerbread house with him last Thanksgiving and a tradition began. This years gingerbread house was a definite improvement over last years. We found a lot of fun Christmas candy around the house to improve the simple kit we bought. My Dad is so much fun!

Dana left for cookies for Santa, which happened to be Daddy's favorite (Mint Milanos).

Growing Up So Fast

2009-01-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

Jordan is changing so much right now. For the last couple of years he has been obsessed with letters. I am excited that he is finally starting to show an interest in other things. He loves to play with his toy cars right now and Veggie Tales Silly Songs is his favorite movie (at the moment). He loves to sing and we can hear him humming in his bed at night:) Oh, and I think his absolute favorite thing to do is chase his sister around the house and make her scream. He just loves to irritate her. They are really starting to play together, it just doesn't usually end well.

The Houston Ballet's Nutcracker

2009-01-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

We took Dana and her cousin, Kiley to see the Houston Ballet perform The Nutcracker. It was our first time, too (and Don and I both agreed it was VERY long). It seems like it would be so much more interesting with dialog:) It's sooo much dancing and the moves start to look the same. The girls really seemed to enjoy it, though. The sets and costumes were beautiful. The girls both brought their Bitty Baby dolls (which they both named Claire). After the show we ate at a Thai restaraunt for lunch---delicious.

Dana's New Glasses

2009-01-12T09:18:00.000-08:00

We discovered Dana needed glasses when she asked if she could move forward in church to see what the speaker was writing on the whiteboard. She moved forward and still couldn't see, so we printed out an eye chart off the internet and did a home test. Sure enough, she is nearsighted. I feel horrible that she has been seeing the world through blurry eyes. She is excited to see the individual leaves on the trees now:)

The "Just for Fun Princess Party"

2008-11-11T13:15:00.000-08:00

Dana asked if she could throw a dress up party for her friends--- just for fun---I told her we could invite 5 little girls. She planned and planned for 2 months!!! She talked about it everyday---Literally!!! She has never had a birthday party with friends so she was really excited about it. I don't know if you can read her "Plans for the Dress-up Party for Girls" photo, but Mom's job was to "bake cookies" and "make sure we are not fighting". I think she had a good time:)

More Cuddles

2008-11-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

Dana was reading to the boys right before bed. She loves animals and she frequently picks this book (full of unusual species) to read.

Fall Festival 2008

2008-11-01T07:33:00.001-07:00

I almost didn't dress the kids up for the Fall Festival, but when I found these costumes for 75% off on Oct. 30th I grabbed them. I'm glad I did because they were so thrilled. They begged to wear them all day:)

Playing Peacefully

2008-11-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

The kids were playing in Dana's room and giggling away in a cowboy hat and construction hat. They were being so sweet to eachother I just had to grab the camera.

New Pics on the Blog

2008-10-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

The camera was sitting out on Sunday Morning and we happened to be ready unusually early, so Don offered to snap some pictures of us.

I just love this smile!

She was in a mood to pose---which is rare:)

We got our ears pierced together! I went first to show her it wasn't so bad.

Jordan got his first remote control car this weekend!

Adventures in Odyssey 20th Birthday Bash

2008-08-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

On August 16th Focus on the Family put on a live Adventures in Odyssey show to celebrate the show's 20th year. We had such a blast!!! I have a ton of pics on my Facebook if you want to look them up---I just don't have the time to put them on my blog right now. The weekend was a whirlwind:)

Little Bookworm

2008-07-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is how you'll find Dana most of the time. Dressed up like a princess and reading a book. Hmmm---I wonder where she gets that from?

Daddy and Dana

2008-07-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't resist running for the camera when I saw them curled up like this in the morning. I love these moments:)

Jordan Turns 3!!!

2008-07-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

He was so thrilled with all the letters in his cards---he is in love with letters---quite literally:)

He is such a GREAT Dad:)

Sweet Siblings

Our Little Ballerina

2008-06-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Dana started Ballet and Tap and she is really loving it:)

Sucker for Poo

2008-06-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

I tried everything to get Jordan to go #2 on the potty, but he just didn't want to do it. I saw these suckers at the store and sure enough that was all it took. Of course, he decided to do it AFTER his bath---but isn't that always how it works, you can only keep 'em clean for a little while:)

Poco and Tink

2008-05-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

On Thanksgiving Day this past year, a calico cat showed up on our front porch and she hasn't left since. We did not feed her for the first 3 weeks she was there, but she continued to stay anyway. I think she just wanted some attention, which Dana and Jordan lavished on her everytime we went out the front door.

One day a couple of months ago we noticed we had 5 cats in our driveway, which led us to believe we would soon have kittens. Sure enough 4 weeks ago "Poco"(we named her pocohantus because she showed up on Thanksgiving)had a litter of 4 kitten in a chiminea in our backyard. Dana was thrilled!!! We didn't handle the kittens and only peeked at them when Poco was eating. On Sunday morning, 2 weeks ago, we woke up to find that she had moved them all. Dana was devastated!!! We were pretty sure she moved them to a hole in between the neighbors 1st and 2nd floor. Poco was still hanging around, but no kittens to be seen. Today we looked out our front door and there was Poco and one little black kitten. It looks like she may be the only one left. Dana named them all the day they were born, and she is sure that this one is "Tink". So that is the story of how the Long family sort-of got a cat, which they never thought would happen in a million years.

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning at Grandpa and Grandma Long's. One of our favorite places to be! Dana & Jordan got to play in the little swimming pool next door with their cousins. Don flew to Mexico today to prep for the church missions trip in July, he only went for the day, but we missed having him home on a holiday.

Our recent Adventures in Odyssey episodes

2008-05-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

For those who wanted to hear these episodes, I meant to remind you when they would be on, but never got around to it:) These episodes aired April 19th and 26th.

You can hear them if you go to Oneplace.com. The episode titles were The Triangled Web Parts 1 & 2. These should be on oneplace.com for the next few weeks.

We also did a small podcast interview which you can hear at Whitsend.org. This podcast is also available on Itunes.

Dana enjoying the swingset

2008-05-01T15:25:00.001-07:00

Jordan enjoying the swingset

2008-05-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that the kids are playing outside and getting more exercise. They don't know it's good for them---It's just fun:)

More pictures of the same home

2008-05-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some more so you can get a better idea of the layout.

Interior pictures of the same house

2008-05-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Some views of the kitchen area

Another House Finished

2008-05-01T13:40:00.001-07:00

This is a house that Don was contracted to build that is finishing up this week. The owners were already moving in when Don was taking these pictures:)

New Swingset

2008-05-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

We bought the kids a swingset from Costco. We figured we would enjoy putting it together during the nice Spring Weather! It took us 20 hours working non-stop----real teamwork:) They love it---this was a GREAT investment:)

Texas Bluebonnets

2008-03-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

Texas Bluebonnets

2008-03-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Texas state flower (wildflower) is in bloom right now. They only last a few weeks, but they are SO beautiful!

More Birthday Pics

2008-03-12T20:56:00.001-07:00

Dana's 5th Birthday

2008-03-12T20:53:00.001-07:00

Cousins are fun!

2008-03-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

We trade babysitting with Doug and Christy once a month so we can have a date night (this was their night out)! The kids love spending time with their cousins Kenton, Justin & Kiley.

Family time before bed is the best!

2008-03-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

Sisters

2008-03-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

I love my little sisters! They're not so little anymore!!!

Mom's Graduation

2008-03-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

My Mom graduated from nursing school! Yeah, Mom! We are so proud of her!

Dana Reciting the Christmas Story

2007-12-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

Dana Reciting the Christmas Story from Luke 2

Pictures by the Christmas Tree --- December 2007

2007-12-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures of the kids by the Christmas tree. Christmas is extra special when you get to share it with young children. We are so thankful to God for our family!

Fall Festival --- October 31, 2007

2007-10-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

We went to the fall festival at our church. Dana was Tinkerbell and Jordan was Dumbo. He didn't like to wear the hood, but his poofy little belly was so cute! Kids bring such joy to your life!!!

The Oil Ranch --- October 2007

2007-10-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

We are part of a homeschool group in our town(over 250 families are members!) They organize field trips almost every month, so we went on our first one---to the Oil Ranch. It is a working ranch with lots of fun things for kids to do. Dana rode a pony for her first time, we fed cows, and rode on a little train around the ranch. The kids loved it!

Adventures in Odyssey Recording --- September 2007

2007-09-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Focus on the Family flew us to California in September to do a recording for their children's radio program, Adventures in Odyssey. To celebrate their 20th Anniversary they put together a script with some of the original cast (We were 12 years old when we made our first show). It was so much fun!!! The shows are supposed to air this Spring. I will let you know the dates later on.

Uncle 5's Commissioning Ceremony--August 2007

2007-08-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

In August we flew to Quantico, VA to attend my brother Jordan's commissioning ceremony. We were so proud of him! After finishing Officer Candidate School, he is now a Second Leiutenant of the United States Marine Corp. He is in the middle of his 6 months of Basic Training (He hopes to be assigned to infantry)and will probably be off to Iraq in a few months. Please keep him in your prayers. Oh, we call him Uncle 5 because it was too confusing with 2 Jordan's living in the same house for a year. Dana came up with the nickname, because he was the 5th member of our household for a little while. We sure miss him!!!

Jordan's 2nd Birthday---July 5, 2007

2007-07-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jordan!!!

Drew Hailey Peters---May 26, 2007

2007-05-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

My new niece, Drew, was born on May 26th. She was born with a cleft palate just like me. Her first few months have been a struggle, but she is finally starting to gain weight---yeah!!! She is such a sweet baby!!!

Big Helper

2007-05-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Dana helping Daddy plant our Spring Garden

Our Spring Garden

2007-05-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

We are attempting our first garden!!! Don is doing it actually---I am trying to stay away so as not to "jinx" it. I've tried to grow pumpkins for the last 3 years with no success:) We are hoping for tomatoes, corn, peppers, cucumbers, and green beans---we shall see. Dana loved helping Daddy!!!

The New Building of Silver Springs Baptist Church

2007-03-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

On February 25th we had our first service in the new building of Silver Springs Baptist Church. We had over 360 in attendance (we usually run between 150 and 200). We are so excited about our new facilities!

Spec Home

2007-03-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a close up of the same house. I wanted you to be able to see the pretty stone and stucco. See our sign!

Another Spec Home

2007-03-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

Do you want to buy a house? It is even prettier in person! 3300 square feet one story with a game room upstairs. Lots of fancy trim inside. I would love to move in!!!

Dana and Raggedy Ann

2007-03-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

We started reading The Raggedy Ann Stories a few weeks before her birthday. Every night we would read one chapter. When we finished reading she would say " I wish I had a doll like Raggedy". I knew just what to get her for her birthday!

Jordan eating Dana's cake

2007-03-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

Jordan loved Dana's cake too!

Dana's Birthday Cake

2007-03-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

This is the cake that Uncle 5 made for Dana. She loved it!

Dana's 4th Birthday

2007-03-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe she is 4 years old. She is growing up so fast. She is really taking off with her reading, and she just started trying to write. We can't wait to start our "real" homeschool in the fall. We are going to read a lot of fun books.

2007-03-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

This is my very first post! I am hoping that this will be a fun way to let you view my pictures (since we have been having problems sending them through email). I miss you all!!!

Jordan Turned 3!!!

2005-07-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

He was so pleased with all his presents---of course they all had something to do with letters:)

#1 Dad!!!

Toot Toot Cute!!!

I love this little boy---I can't believe he's 3!

Sweet Siblings

Happy Birthday Jordan!

He just loves his letters---he was so thrilled with his cards and all the letters on them:)