Happy Birthday To My Sister (on the 31st)

L-Listener....my sister listens to me for hours. Sometimes about things that are really important, my hopes and dreams , my questions about faith and direction. Sometimes about things that don't matter so much, what I ate for lunch, how I need a break from my kids.

I can't imagine who I would call if I didn't have her.

I-Intelligent...my sister is so smart. She worked so very hard to pay her own way through college and graduate with high honors. Now she works for a tax accountant...what a brain! She really thinks through decisions that she makes and is not an "emotional thinker" like me.

She is definitely my "go to" person whenever I need advice.

S-Super Mom...my sister is a super mom. This mom of 4, can often be found volunteering in her kids' school, helping with Little Flowers, preparing something for something (boy scouts, teacher luncheons, you name it she does it). At the end of the day, she doesn't go to bed without tucking in her sweet children. Even when her tank is empty, she keeps on giving. She is a great example of motherly love.

A-Alli and Avery's godmother...my sister is the best godmother. She takes the role very seriously, encouraging them to grow in their faith. She definitely earned the title of "mother" with Alli as she walked up and down the hallway with me for hours never complaining. It was her face that Alli first saw that glorious day in October, thirteen years ago.

I can't imagine sharing that special moment with anyone else.

Lisa, when I think about our relationship, it makes me so glad that God blessed my girls with sisters. I hope you have a wonderful day and a year filled with God's love and grace. Thank you for the many ways you bless my life.

Merry Christmas!

We pray that you will feel the love and peace that comes only from Christ our Lord this blessed Christmas! Love, The Rice Family

The Egg Drop

Ethan had a big project for school. "The Egg Drop". When he brought home the paper detailing all the specifications, I wanted to cry. When I saw the section that said you could not use a parachute or any gases besides air, I knew I was out. I definitely do NOT have a scientific brain, so I promptly assigned Randy to help him with that one. The whole concept was to create "something" that would hold an egg and keep it from cracking while it was dropped from the window of the press box at our football stadium.

Friday was the big drop and here is his "contraption" as it was about to be dropped.Mid flight.

Ethan's teacher, Mrs. Huxman coming to inspect the egg.

SUCCESS!!! His egg did not crack! (notice all the cheering in the background...they were chanting Ethan Rice, Ethan Rice!)

Ethan and Randy had a great time taking apart a couch cushion and making a safe little home for his egg. Randy even tested it... by throwing it up in the air as high as he could (a few times) in the street. I bet our neighbors were wondering about us. In the end, it was a really cool project to be a part of. We are so amazed at all the ways our teachers here in Moundridge make learning a hands on experience for our kids. We are truly blessed and I am grateful to have a husband and son who's brains work just a little differently than mine.

A Dozen Anniversaries

I promise I will do a better job updating this blog. I'm sure some of you have stopped checking, but don't give up on me.

Today is our 12th Anniversary. I am so blessed to be married to this wonderful man. I pray that God will grant us dozens more.

Four Pounds

Bethany had a check up with the doctor this afternoon. She is doing great. They couldn't hear any wheezing at all. We get to go down another level on the steroids and if she continues to do well she will be completely off of them in 10 days. We are looking foward to that. She has gained four pounds since she got sick. I think a couple of our other kiddos could benefit from a round of steroids....hee hee!

Operation Goobers to Drubers

A few weeks ago, my friend Lori emailed me about planning a midnight trip to Drubers for our 6th graders. For those of you not from this area, Drubers is an all night Donut Shop in Newton. I had never been there but am always up for a fun time. So "Operation Goobers to Drubers" was formed. We both did a great job keeping it a secret from the kids. The surprise might have been on us though, because Lori called me at 11:00 and told me to look outside. We were in a snow storm! That didn't stop us though. So at 11:40, I went downstairs and told the girls (Alli and her friend Anna) that it was time to go. They ran around going nuts trying to find their shoes and really freaked when they saw Frazer's van in the driveway. Good thing we drove separately because in between phone calls to Cade and Colton to try to guess where we were going, they were fixing their hair in the mirror. Girls, girls, girls! They had no idea where we were going but in the end, the two biggest guesses were Cosmic Bowling or a graveyard. I think they were happy with the outcome. Here are a few pics.The girls waiting in line....

This was my imitation of the old V8 commercials where everyone stood diagonal until they drank one. The kids were too young to remember them, but Lori thought I was funny.

Eating their donuts.

We made them pose for some pics afterwards. I'm not sure if Cade was trying to poke Alli in the eye or not. But it sure looks funny. Notice the girls are in their pjs and the boys are still in their band clothes from the field trip to Lindsborg. Gotta love the difference between boys and girls.

"Operation Goobers to Drubers" was a great success. I don't think any of them will forget their first trip anytime soon.

Hospital

Last Thursday night after a couple days of bad asthma, Bethany had the worst attacks she had ever had. She was absolutely terrified and so were we. We rushed her to the ER where we found out that her oxygen level was in the 80s. They admitted her right away, put her on oxygen and began IV steroids, antibiotics and increased her breathing treatments. We were able to wean her off the oxygen yesterday and she was dismissed late this morning. As we pulled away from the hospital, she said, "I think I'm gonna start crying I am so happy." I felt the same way. We are so glad to have her home with the rest of our family. Thank you so much to all the people who helped out with our other kiddos and entertained them during the last 4 days. They experienced everything from pizza parties to sleepovers to softball games and basketball games to a musical in McPherson. It's often during these times of struggle that we are able to see our blessings so clearly.
I'll try to update soon on how Bethany is doing.

Projects

I cannot believe Spring Break is almost over. Why is it that lazy days seem to go by so quickly and school days can drag on? Today was project day at our house. We got a several miscellaneous projects done or part way done.

--I cleaned out the flower beds. Several things I purchased at Stone Creek Nursery on clearance in the fall are coming up. So I am very excited. I also ordered a few things from Michigan Bulb Company. They will be here in mid-April. I definitely do not have a green thumb but I am trying my best.

--Randy dug up several shrubs for his mom. She said she could do it herself and I don't doubt that, but in the end we both agreed it was much more enjoyable watching Randy do it. He was glad to help.

--Alli has been asking us to paint her night stand/bookshelf in her bedroom. We finally got around to it today. She did most of it herself with some help from Mom.It looks great and will look much better in her room now. (It used to be dark brown).

--In the background, you can also see some dresser drawers. Some friends of ours gave us a dresser, so Randy spent some time sanding it. He only got 2 drawers done before he ran out of sandpaper though. We didn't feel like making a trip to town to get more, so it will have to wait. I did get those 2 drawers primed and eventually it will be Crimson Red (KU) and will go in E's room.

--All of these tools in the driveway gave E the itch. So, him and his buddy, Parker decided to build something. The end product...a birdhouse! They used scrap wood and worked very hard most of the afternoon. Here are some pics of them painting it. Once it is completely dry and up in our backyard, I will take some more.

Bethany and Avery spent the day outside with us as well. They rode bikes, did cartwheels and somersaults, dug in the dirt and of course....each of them got to paint their own board. Avery's leg must look a lot like a piece of wood because there was more paint on that than anywhere else.

It feels like summer to us. Slight sunburns (better get back into the sunscreen habit). Lemonade. Bike rides. Water balloons. Trips to Pack Park. What fun! I say we just skip Spring. Summer here we come.

We are the champions

Ethan's Mayb team won the Halstead tournament this past weekend. They did a great job defeating teams from 5A schools (we are 2A).

They all received 1st place medals and the coach got a trophy. Ethan was pretty excited to hold it for the pictures. They are a really fun team to watch. They all play so hard and do a great job of passing the ball to whoever has the best shot.

We are finally on Spring Break. The cousins from Wichita are here and having a great time. I've taken some pics so I will try to post thos later

Music City Hall

Ok, it wasn't really Music City Hall. It was actually Moundridge High School Auditorium, but I don't think Bethany knew the difference. Her Kindergarten music program was actually a few weeks ago, but I just got the pictures off the camera, so I thought I would post about it. Bethany had missed 7 days of school because of her asthma, but thankfully got to go back just in time for her program. After all, she has sat through countless concerts of her older siblings and it was finally her time to shine. And shine she did....they all did!
Enjoy the pics.

Bethany playing her bell part.

The whole Kindergarten class.

Winter Jam 2009

Yesterday afternoon/evening, I took the youth to the Winter Jam 2009 concert in Wichita. It was 100% amazing! We loved it. We left McPherson at 2:30 and met up with the Moundridge youth group and traveled together. We got home just before 11:30 last night. The weather here has been unbelievably warm, up until 2 days ago. We had to stand out in the cold in line for over an hour. Alli took this pic of Lori and I while we were waiting. Don't we look great?



I was thankful to have a little time to take Cell Phone 101 from Lindsey. Now I know how to take pics with my phone.

The wait in the cold was well worth it.....
We got to see pureNRG, Francesca Battistelli, Stephanie Smith, Speaker Tony Nolan, NewSong, Brandon Heath and tobyMac. tobyMac was definitely the fan favorite. He was major high energy..bouncing off of trampolines, crowd surfing and climbing clear to the top of the stage. It was a fantastic concert. Unfortunately, none of my pics from inside turned out, but maybe someone will send me some.

Ethan loved it, but got a little freaked out by the crowd getting in. At one point, he told me he couldn't breathe. I was feeling the same way, so I wasn't much help. Alli had a fever all day Friday, but claimed to be "fine" yesterday. She popped a few motrin during the concert and put a smile on her face, but looked miserable by the time we got home. As you can guess, she was not "fine." She's home with a 102.3 temp today. But, even she says it was worth it!

5 Bucks

Ethan had a great day yesterday! In fact, from my point of view, most everything that kid did yesterday turned out well.
I'll share with you the two big moments from the day.
1. Ethan's 4th grade class has been taking their State Assessment Tests in Reading for the past 3 days. Sometime mid-morning, I was walking down the hallway and the principal called me in. She said, "Well the results are coming in. That stinkin' Ethan." My heart hit the floor. Then she said, "He got a 98!" HOLY COW!!! That is awesome! We were so proud of him and it was so fun to see how proud he was of himself.
Fast forward about 10 hours to basketball pracitce.
2. After basketball practice some of the boys were shooting around and one of them (who was at the 3-point line) said, "Hey coach! If I make this shot, will you give me 5 bucks?" Of course, the other 4 boys chimed in right away too. So, after a little bit of consideration, Coach Frye lined the boys up on the 3 point line. It was clear on the side, so they wouldn't be able to use the backboard. He told them all they could have one shot and promised to pay $5 to anyone who made it. Ethan was 3rd in line and SWOOSH! What luck! E made it! Coach Frye went out to grab his wallet and discovered he didn't have it with him, but promised to send it to school for him. About 2 minutes after we got home from practice, the doorbell rang and there stood Coach Frye. Once again, we were so proud of him and it was fun to see how proud he was of himself. I have to tell you, from the look on Coach Frye's face, it was the best 5 bucks he had spent in quite a while.
I hope I have a day like that soon!

Where does she put it all?

A bowl of fruit loops and a handful of marshmallows.
Another bowl of fruit loops and another handful of marshmallows.
Yet another bowl of fruit loops and another handful of marshmallows.
3 fun-size crunch bars.
6 turkey roll ups, one bowl of fresh spinach with ranch to dip it in, a bunch of BBQ pringles, a cup of apple berry cherry juice and iced animal crackers.
She's still hungry...
Repeat above, exact same serving amount.
6 oreos dipped in milk.
One string cheese.
One piece of chocolate chip bread.
2 fun-size crunch bars.
A bowl of cheerios snack mix.
1 cup of diced ham.
And guess what? She's hungry again.
Bethany is on steroids for her asthma which has been flaring up terribly bad. She hasn't been to school since last Tuesday. But don't worry, we're not bored. Between breathing treatments and trips to the fridge or pantry, we are plenty busy. I just hope I can get back to work soon or we might really understand the phrase..."You're going to eat us out of house and home."

Dale Rice 07/27/1941-12/20/2008

"That service inspired me to love better." A quote from one of my dear friends after Dale's funeral. She is exactly right, that encompasses exactly who Dale was. He loved well.
Randy's dad passed away on 12/20. While he had been in Memorial Home since August, we still were not ready for him to go. The grief has been deep and raw. But the underlying blessing is that we have been surrounded by the love of many family and friends. We have been so humbled by your kindness. We are blessed. We are blessed.
Randy wrote a poem for the service and I thought I would share it here.

He was born in Western Kansas back in ‘41
Came into a farming family, he was their first son.

He grew up working hard on that family farm.
Always was a quiet spirit, would never do any harm.

The years rolled by and the farm was his, sadly his dad had passed.
Invested blood, sweat, and tears, he was going to make it last.

Along the way he met her and her children too.
They became a family of 5 when they said “I Do.”

Not long after came a wonderful event, about which he never thought twice
It was that day in a courtroom when he passed on the legacy of “Rice.”

Time moved on and the family grew, their 4th child arrived.
Showed all 4 kindness and love, we would never feel deprived.

The children grew and took their own paths, each led a different way.
His guidance and love helped us all get where we are today.

4 weddings occurred over the years and each time he would say,
“I didn’t lose a son or daughter, but gained another today.”

Eventually things changed and it was time to move on,
The opportunity out west was suddenly gone.

The answer to his prayers was a move across the state
For the chance to farm again, he could hardly wait!

Several more years he drove back and forth, tilling up the ground,
Again doing what he loved best, he was the happiest man around.

Although he worked hard every day, the stiffness started to grow.
And the shaking of his hands grew worse, though he tried not to let it show.

His hands shook more and his muscles got weak, it was then he sadly knew,
The days of driving John Deere tractors were numbering very few.

The doctors now said it was a matter of time, the disease could not be beat,
By now getting up and walking was considered a major feat.

His love was strong for his grandkids, he ended up with eleven.
But at times he shed a tear, for the ones already in heaven.

Then the day arrived when the phone call came, the one that we all feared.
The disease had finally taken its toll and the end suddenly neared.

Through tear filled eyes and saddened hearts each one said goodbye,
Knowing that when he was called, to heaven he would fly.

But before he went he shared a gift, that only he could give
We all knew inside our hearts his love would forever live.

Daniel, Alli, Elizabeth, Matthew, Ethan, Nathan, Luke, Bethany, Jacob, Avery, and Nicholas too.
Grandpa’s love will be with you in everything you do.

He loved his wife through good and bad, she was his very best friend,
And he wanted her by his side right up to the very end.

Dad, if I could have one wish today, this is what it would be,
To be as good of a Dad as you were to me and pass on your legacy.

I love you, Dad.
Randy