bad dogs!

We have two big dogs that like to get out of the back yard even though it is 1/3 of an acre. We live on a semi busy street and that is not good when they get out. So we have decided to hot wire the fence. The day Mark got it installed, Chloe went up and over and we thought maybe she didn't get popped. Right now I just let her off the leash and she TRIED going UNDER the fence, and got popped again. It is not like her to go under the fence. We have never seen her do that. I am thinking that she indeed DID get popped when she went over the other day. I am now in the house and she is in the back yard, not on a leash. I am praying that she will still be in the back yard every time I check on her. Then we will have victory over the dogs getting out and they can enjoy being dogs again and not staying on a leash all the time. Also, we must have victory because it is now ILLEGAL to have your animals tied up on a leash or chain. They have to be free roaming, WE WANT THEM FREE ROAMING, but in the BACK yard!

6 vs 10

This is a simple way to see the mental difference between an almost 7 year old and a solid 10 year old.

Both beds are made and I am happy. They do not complain in the mornings that they have to do this and I am happy for that! Nor do I tell Z that it is not done correctly. He did it well with a good heart and intentions and that is all I am asking for now. Last year we did not make beds, this year I am trying to add it into our mornings. We are getting up with plenty of time for this and we have not had to "rush." This year is going so much better than last year. I think a big part of it is that Dad is home in the mornings and the boys are excited to see him before he leaves! I'm praying this easiness lasts!

Soccer

Last year we started playing sports with Basketball. This year we are adding Soccer to the lineup. Last week Zachery started practice and had a great time. The only problem is he talks so much.... Im sure in the next few practices he will be running some laps for this. Better for him to learn now than later. Marcus starts practice this week. Add this to Bible Study on Wed nights and Boy Scouts on Monday nights and we are a very busy family. Our intention is to keep them so busy with sports and church and Boy Scouts that there will be no time for getting into trouble in later years! Lets see if it works......

Break time, needs liquids! See how sweaty he is? Yuck!

Practicing drills. Marcus is working as an assistant since he practice starts next week.

You want me to sit on the ball? Why, when I can stand and hold it?

Dad tighening shoes again!

Zachery meeting his coach!

Its been awile!

Playing in the sand after a full morning of playing in the ocean.

This what we did every day for the mornings from 9ish to 1230ish. WORE THEM OUT~

Enjoying time with Dad on the balcony of our room.

My dad and Karon took the boys to this amusement park in the afternoons for two days. It was cool with a few big coasters and lots of other stuff to do.

This is the view of the ocean from our hotel. I would sit on the balcony in the mornings before Mark and the boys woke up and just listen to the waves and enjoy the peace in them.

So its been a LLLOOONNNG time since I have blogged. It has been a good summer and a slow summer for us. The boys spent almost 5 weeks back in CA with our families. They had a great time. Before the left, Ozell, Mark's mom came to visit for 2 weeks. She took the boys back with her. When they returned to us, they brought with them, my mom. See visited with us for 1 week. We enjoyed all the visits and our quiet time while we were alone. Our summer ended with a family vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC to visit my dad and step mother. It was a fun and very relaxing time. Mark and I think it was our most relaxing vacation since we married 10 years ago. Enjoy the pics. Now that school is back in session I will be blogging more.

Lots of stuff all at the same time

I have been going going going and haven't stopped to blog. A few things on my mind today:

1. I had a GREAT weekend with my boys at the mom and me camp out with the cub scouts. It was a great time of bonding with Marcus and Zachery. We did ALL the activities, including kayaking, crafts, BB guns, scavenger hunt, hiking trails, and I even raced them a few times up the rock wall. One of the things I learned this weekend, being around other moms and their boys, is that I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE, who has a high energy child that does not always listen and that is not always behaving. Sometimes I think I am the only one in the world that deals with this. I know I am not, it is just the enemy trying to get inside me.
2. This weekend I made 3 new lady friends!! God is so good to me and places me in situations where I can make friends and get to know other ladies that are in the same season of life as me. These ladies also like to do the same activities that Mark and I and the boys like to do! I have been thinking about them since I got home, I found them on Face Book, and now I pray for opportunities to have fun with our families! Oh! They are all 3 Christians, so that is an added bonus :-)
3. Bible Study has been great. I am learning so much. I could be learning so much more if I was doing my homework each night and really devoting time to God like I should. Today our study fell right in line with that and I am even more convicted to get my priorities in order. I have a great leader who is patient and understanding and meets us all right where we are. Could I ask for more? not really.
4. Today I am thankful that my husband is making friends and hanging out with them. Yesterday he had the chance to go on a bike ride out to Hot Springs with his friend. Mark said it was a beautiful ride and a place he wants to take me to. I was frustrated when the day moved on and he was still gone when I put the boys to bed at 830. My thoughts were the boys and I have been gone all weekend long and shouldn't he be rushing home to see us? Well I got over that quickly as I realized I was being selfish with his time and that he really deserved to have "Male Bonding Time."
5. I need to be spending more time in prayer. I have lots of things I need to give to God. I also have friends that I could/should be praying for. I know of many issues (mine and others') that need to be lifted up to Him. So! If you have something I can add to my prayer list for you, let me know :-)

All in All, everything is great at the Funches residence!

Its the dogs AGAIN!

I brought them inside during the storm and put them in the bathroom. If I dont, Chloe pees on my carpets......

They found the stash of TP behind the toilet and shredded it. Like $6 down the drain... sucks!

Please help send Jen out to serve our Lord!

Hello Friends and Family!

I am writing to you on behalf of a dear friend of mine, Jen. Jen is leaving in a few months to serve in the missions field for the next 2 years. As you all know it takes a lot of spiritual and financial support to make this happen. As she nears the end of her time stateside she still has a LOT of funds to raise. Would you please prayerfully consider supporting her either spiritually or financially? I have her support sign up sheet and a detailed budget showing you where the money is going. Please let me know if you are interested and I can email you these forms! Any and all amounts are appreciated as they add up before you know it! Below is a letter from Jen sharing her heart for missions.


I hope this letter finds you well! This year has gone by fast, and amazing things have been happening in my life that I am excited to share with you all!
As most of you know, I have been working on my Creative Writing Certificate from Cal State San Bernardino. English and creative writing have been a passion of mine, and a field that I’ve been blessed to work in before.
Even though I finished my Bachelor’s in English last June, I really felt that this certificate would bring my skills up to the next level. In doing so, I have been using my passions and talents to help my community through Sandals Church in Riverside. I have been given the opportunity to minister to local shelters, facilitate Sunday School classrooms, and edit “The Wire,” our newsletter for local and global outreach. Sandals has given me opportunity to serve others while giving back to the community through deeds and work.
Even though I have made wonderful friendships and have really started to feel at home here in Riverside, God started calling me to break out of this comfort zone to work and serve overseas. In prayer for finding out which path I needed to follow after completing my degree, I was contacted by Pacific Islands Bible College (PIBC), a fully accredited four-year college and graduate-level seminary servicing four islands of Micronesia, including Guam.
After much prayer and consideration, I accepted a 2-year position as an English Instructor at PIBC. I will be working closely with the English department to facilitate tutoring, instruct introductory courses, and open a writing and resource center. Also, as a member of the Sandals’ global family, I will be supported further in my own spiritual needs. The tasks ahead will be nothing short of exhausting, but it is with God’s grace and strength that I will be able to take part in serving through my field of expertise.
With much technical support, I am now in need of spiritual and financial assistance. In order to keep the cost of attendance low and education accessible at PIBC, the university staff is funded by support from friends, family, and organizations.
In the past and coming months, my church, small group, and close friends have been and continue to be so helpful in planning fundraisers to help raise support. However, as the departure date draws near, I am still in need of financial assistance. Any amount that you could give would be a huge blessing to this ministry. It’s imperative that my income from sponsorship be approximately $1,600 per month, with over $8,000 to start out on. All donations collected will offset the cost of living expenses and provisions at a modest minimum wage level for the full-time PIBC position.
I am so excited to be able to work in an area that I’m passionate about while providing spiritual support for others. I fully believe that love is best shown through being the hands and feet of God, and because of this, I cannot wait to dedicate my time and talents to Micronesia. Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Love always,

Jennifer Rydzik

Family Nights

When Mark and I decided that we were moving to TX one of our selling points is that we would be able to spend more time together as a family since I would not need to work. We started having Tuesday Family Nights as our special one night a week to do what the kids choose. We usually go out to eat because the community resturants have "kids eat free" on Tuesdays and you know I am always looking to save some money.
This week we ended up at McDonald's becuase my Mom send the boys gift card to here for Easter. It is their favorite place and as you can see they were very happy! They ordered their own food and payed for too! I had to chip in cause they eat adult meals now that cost more than kids meals!

Before dinner we went to the movies and saw Earth! We really enjoyed it. Zachery made it through most of it but at the end he fell asleep. I should have know better but I tried to fit it in before his daily "crash time" It didnt work. Can you tell the sun is in our eyes?

Mark and I!

The kids never say no to an offer of a bike ride! However, someone told Mark this week that you have to be 14 to ride on the back....so I need to make a call to the DMV and find out for sure. Cause since we have moved here the boys have been on MANY rides.... we dont need another ticket.

Random fun over the last couple weeks

marcus and Baily have been doing crafts at the house and these two pics are what they created. I need to make a trip to Micheal's to replenesh the craft supply.

This is the note that Zachery wrote to the tooth fairy to let her know that he lost his tooth on the bus but that he still wanted his money.... and the arrow so she would know that he was on the bottom bunk so she would not give his money to his brother on the top bunk. :-)

Me and my Zachery. I love this pic. I am going to have it printed and framed! I dont get these big hugs very often!

I guess the top of the house has a better view???

Camping part 2

Filleting the fish!

Oh No! You just cutt the head off! and now you are cutting off the tail???

Let me do it let me do it!!!

Big ol buffalo!

Zachery flying his kite! He and his kite did the best during out flying session. Look at the view of the lake!

We are scheduled to go back in June for Fathers Day! Dont know if we can wait that long for another trip, we had so much fun as a family. The kids got to run wild, play with other kids, ride their bikes and scooters all over the campgounds....eat eat eat. The work NO was not said very much! :-)

Weekend of Camping!

Here are some pics of our camping weekend. Were were out there for 4 days three nights. Had a blast! Enjoy:

Zachery caught a fish!

Mark and the boys fishing for dinner.

This is the campsite and our view of the lake. It was georgous.

Here is our ol' faithful trailer that does not let us down. We used the lights, stove, sink, and the toilet! It all still works!

This is were the boys slept for the weekend. This tent was given to us from my Uncle Jim! We would not have been able to go camping without it! The boys dont fit in the trailer anymore!

This is the nice room also donated to us by my Uncle Jim and Aunt Cathy! Thanks :-) It even has this cool little covered area to keep the coolers in, It was perfect! Zackery enjoying the campgounds and his bike! Marcus had his scooter.

Zachery is the trailer eating or something.

Mark and Marcus flying the kites. Mark's brother (Uncle Mike for the boys) bought them these for Christmas and we finally got to use them! It was so beautiful out and a fun time for us all.

Marcus posing by the lake! He is getting so big and becoming a young man!

Mark and Marcus with the kite!

Another 1st!

Zachery came home today missing his tooth! He has been wanting to loose a tooth for a while now...it finally happened. The school nurse put it in a little plastic tooth on a rope necklace. Do you think it made it home? NNOOOOOOOOOOOO! He lost it somewhere on the bus coming home. Oh well. There will be more.

Fun.... at the Funches House

This young guy is at our house alot. He and Marcus are friends. They go to school together. The last time he was here he asked if I had a wig. He was SHOCKED when I told him I did. So he put it on and was a great sport for me to take a pic of him. Fun times at the Funches House! You just never what we are up to.

Happy Easter....HE is Risen!

Today started off with a great Easter service at church. Worship was awesome, moving, and got right to my heart. After church we BBQed in the rain some Carne Asada and it was yummy! Then we had an Easter Egg hunt in our front yards. Over 200 eggs for three kids!
Tarrance and Maria joined us for the day along with Dayna. Maria got here this morning and Tarrance came over when he got out of work!

Mark and Zachery decided to practice casting their new fishing poles (courtesy of my Uncle Jimmy!)in the front yard as if it were a lake. I mean I know it was raining and all but there was no water in sight!

Mark fishing for grass in the yard!

Kids having fun with the eggs. Who needs baskets when you have reusable grocery sacks???

Well he couldn't reach it but he really wanted it, so he climbed the tree for it!

Skipping right along!

Is Dayna so cute!!

Do you think he needed to go potty? LOL
Great Easter Day with friends. We are happy and our love tanks are full!

Tress are all gone.....almost

Lots of tractors, lots of trailers, and even more tree brush! That pine tree behind the trailer is the last one to go!

No more Pine Trees in the front yard!!

Dang, we busted another water line!! Hurry with the tractor and move this big tree so we can dig it up.

Last tree to fall in the back yard. It was a biggie.

This was the 1st water line to break. Easy to find and easy to fix. We like these kinds of setbacks as apposed to a tree falling on the house.