Several weeks ago, our family became members at the YMCA. The swimming facility was an affordable summer activity that could be enjoyed by all. Not only is this organization super family friendly, they also have great programs that encourage self-esteem.
One of the criteria for the swimming facilty is to earn a colorful wrist ban/ribbon which allows certain pool access. For example,
In order to earn a yellow ribbon, you must jump in and swim halfway down the lap pool (approx 8ft deep) without touching the sides. Even though some of our swimming skills were a little rusty, that didn't deter our children from trying. I was so blessed to see the determination of our 9 year old son to earn a yellow ribbon. He hasn't had formal swimming lessons, but he's been very comfortable in the water ever since Marlon helped him wade around and dunked him a few times at 1 year old. After 4 attempts of trying to swim at the YMCA, stomach down, to reach that halfway point, Maxwell finally decided to ask the lifeguard if he could pass the test by swimming on his back. Amazingly, he was allowed to do this and passed the test with pure ease. I was so impressed that he was willing to try an unconventional means to meet his goal which resulted in success and a healthy dose of confidence. Now, a few weeks later, our son has taken a 2 week summer swim class (see video) and can not only swim face forward down the lap pool, but he's earned his "green" ribbon and made it all the way to the end! -Cherish the simplicites in life, (even the unconventional ones.) Sweet MaYah turned 1 year old this week....She get more precious every day and we all adore her tremendously. I'll work on sharing a video of her new walking talent. In the meantime, I will post some photos (scroll down for more, I think I added over 50 pics!) I'm also linking her birth announcement video from last year. Here are a few oldie but goodie video links in case you want to travel down memory lane with us :)
I've missed blogging over the past several weeks...I've been in "Betrothal Planning" mode for over 2 months and now I'm happy to announce we had a blessed celebration last week (see pic below). I look forward to sharing the video with the ancient Hebrew customs and traditional dancing :) We also concluded our Festival for Pesach (http://www.joyfuljunction.com/2/post/2012/04/blessed-pesach-passover-fellowship.html), so things should slow down slightly for us.
Please keep in touch with your family happenings! This was the result of a driver going 40+mph and slamming into the back of Marlon in our truck while he was at a complete stop and preparing to turn. This is the damage to our '87 Toyota after being thrust 3+ car lengths into the intersection (just broken lights and a shifted bumper), plus a bit of shock and serious whiplash. I am SOOOOOO grateful for a very diligent and helpful insurance agent. Dear EC was so kind to track us down and ensure we didn't loose our insurance coverage in December. Our schedules are so busy and this payment was overlooked, yet our agent was very kind to help avoid lapse in service.
I share this info because in addition to continual coverage, EC also set us up with a very comprehensive plan which included a generous amount of medical coverage. In Marlon's no-fault accident, he is able to receive top notch medical treatment and services to help him recover over the next few weeks. This may have been a very stressful situation if we didn't have this medical coverage. For a few weeks, Marlon had been going to the chiropractor for his lower back which was so helpful and allowed him to go to the gym and exercise 3-4 times per week. He was doing a regimented exercise program up until the accident and now he requires therapy to get things back in order. Aside from the shoulder, neck and head pain, Marlon is also experiencing other side effects resulting from banging his head up against the window after impact. The moral of the story is, it really pays to have knowledgeable and reliable professionals with your interests at hand. Many compliments to our insurance agent, EC! This is the question (?)
Our friend managed to get about 1/4 cup of milk from our Mama Goat. She put up a little fight at first, but eventually calmed down. I do plan to do more research about milking goats, but I welcome any tips you may share. After 13 years of marriage, I'm happy to announce the birth of our twins: Their mama, "Mancha," is doing great!
She is a first time mom and has really bonded well with her kids. She delivered them under the RV in our backyard just before sunset. We made it home from the theater to welcome the new arrivals. We were able to dry them off, assist with latching on to nurse, then we stood back at a distance to admire the beautiful creation....HalleluYAH! So much can happen in just 3 weeks. Last month, MaYah used to do a crawl that Marlon would refer to as the "wounded solider": Look at her now: Here's a glimpse at a few winter preparations in the Strawberry Patch. I was responsible for "Big Pruning" (cutting big chunks off the runners & leaves), and the children were handling the "Fine Tuning", ( closely cutting the stems and leaves.) I admit, it was catchy to call out "I'll do big pruning, y'all do the fine tuning" :) This was a picture from last summer....Freshly picked strawberries are amazing. |
This nook is a bit of reflection and inspiration from me, a Joyful Mommy of 10 with hopes of encouraging others along their journey :)A Few Family Pics: Categories
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