A recipe for an enjoyable summer

It has been a very busy spring. Plans for the new church are coming along well. We look forward to the beginning of building! This could start possibly in September.

Annie was a blast and Tina is glad to have had the opportunity to be a part of that play. She is still working on the music for Pocahontas and is also enjoying it!

Isaac has had a good year. Grade one took a little getting used to but has really paid off. It is fun to watch Isaac sit and read a book, even to his sister Megan, who is dying to go to school with Isaac. She will start preschool in September. Where has this time gone?

However, we are excited to say that Isaac has only 18 days of school left! This is a time that marks the upcoming summer season. We have much planned in the Stobbe family. On Tim's birthday (aka Canada day), we travel to Abbotsford to spend some time with Tim's family and celebrate his birthday. We then will travel to Calgary where we will spend 2 weeks with Tina's family. This should be a time of much needed rest for us all. After these two weeks we will make our way back to Abbotsford. Tim will return home to Vaughn, and Tina and the kids will stay to spend a little more time with the Stobbe's.

Lots of travelling and lots of resting. Thank you Lord for your goodness!

Annie

It has begun.

After a very long and tiring week, the musical Annie opens. With much anticipation and excitement from a cast of forty some people, our first show with an audience, was last night. It was so much fun. I know that during some rehearsals I wondered if it was really worth it, however when you see the final product, it is truly a blessing to be able to be a part. I am having a great time! I guess you could say that I am fully dressed, with a smile!

I am grateful for the patience of my family and especially Tim (my honey). They have not only been patient but supportive and helpful. I consider myself lucky to have such loving people in my life!

Another exciting bit of news for me (Tina) is that I have the opportunity to direct the music for the next show, Pocahantis, at the theater. Thankfully it will be a less hectic schedule and considering music is something that I totally love, I am very excited.

Yahoo!

Reading is fun!

Isaac started the first grade this past September. One that came with much anticipation. As the first month came and went, it became apparent to us that Isaac needed a boost in learning how to read. This took much patience on all of our parts. So off to work we went. And we worked hard. Using flash cards, playing games, spelling out simple words so that he could figure it out with the letters on the fridge. Isaac also joined a community after school reading program, in which he had a mentor named John. This man was so good for Isaac and because of him (and other efforts too) Isaac started to improve.

By the first report card and parent teacher conference, we were greeted by a beaming Mrs. Selfors (Isaac's teacher). She shared with us that Isaac was one of the most improved kids in the class in 6 weeks when it came to reading. She asked him if she could share his work in the class that she attended to show his improvement! Of course, Isaac was thrilled and said yes.

By the time the second report card came, and another conference with Mrs. Selfors, we learned that Isaac has now reached grade level in his reading and is continuing to soar! In all this time, Isaac has continued to attend the after school reading program. One day he met the leader of the program with these words. "I know how to read the f word now! I am so excited!" Knowing that Tim is a pastor, she quickly found out what Isaac meant. Phew! Each book has a level marked by a letter. Isaac is now on level "f". :-)

This past week, Isaac graduated from the reading program, as he is at grade level reading! I (Mom) was greeted with a phone message from the principal congratulating Isaac and awarding him with a certificate (He got a huge book too). When asked by the principal if he wanted to say anything, these were his words. "I just wanted to say that I love reading, I think it is very fun. I think that everyone should read because it is cool. I want to keep reading, it is so much fun."

Happy Reading!

Tomorrow

"The sun will come out, tomorrow, Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, There'll be sun.....

Just thinkin about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrows, till there's none........"

Okay, so after the last blog, this song is very appropriate, but truly in more ways than one. It with utmost excitement that I (Tina) can tell you that I have received not one but two small parts in Gig Harbor's upcoming musical Annie. Growing up I remember singing all the songs, wanting to dance etc. just like Annie. Now that I am grown, it is a treat for me to be in this musical. I will play the head housekeeper Mrs Pugh. and a lady in the Presidents Cabinet. I get to sing and dance. :-) I have yet to start rehearsals, they begin next week. Whooo hooo!

"Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya, Tomorrow, you're only a day away!"

Spring is coming!

The other day we were out running errands and I saw blue sky! For those who do not understand, in Washington state, it gets very grey and dreary in the winter. Needless to say I was thrilled! All of a sudden I heard Megan singing "Oh Mr. Sun Sun, Mister golden sun, please shine down on me!". It suddenly hit me that we are days away from March and Spring is almost here!

As you can tell , us Stobbe's are very much looking forward to spring and summer. We recently started to plan a trip to Canada this summer to visit both of our families, and the kids are so excited. We are hoping to go to the Stampede when we are in Calgary and everytime we start talking about it, Isaac want's cowboy boots, they both want hats and Megan will suddenly say "Yeehaw Cowboy"

We have been busy with our usual routines and so there is not much to report. Isaac had the week off of school last week and is now back. I (Tina) am happy, he is not so. However he is learning all the time and we are so proud of him for all the improvements that we are noticing.

Toodles

Love is in the air

Valentines day is a chance for us to show love for people and how much we care about them. I(Tina) have really been thinking about this and how it can apply to so many different people, and the differnt ways it is shown!

For example, when Isaac goes to school tommorrow he will hand out peices of paper to everyone in his class telling them how great they are. Why? Because he loves them? No. It is a chance for the kids to say that they appreciate each other. Isaac is very careful, he picks certain cards for certain people because of their personality and friendship. It is his way of saying "Hey, I think you are special"

Tonight was when we celebrated our Valentines day as a family. About a week ago, Tim announced that we would be having a dress up dinner and we were to be ready at supper time. He picked out food that he and I like and he also picked out the kids favorites. Not only did he cook and clean up, but he served us all and then as we sat down, we all noticed a note from him to each of us individually telling us how much we meant to him. This made Valentines day more of a chance for us as a family to be able to talk about how we love each other.

So what is the point? This day of love can mean so many things to people. If it is a chance to tell your significant other that you are head over heels in love with them.......whoo hoo! Have a good time! Or if you are just thinking about friends or family and what they mean to you....Don't let this chance slip by. Happy Valentines Day

1 John 4:7-8 "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Race Night

Twas the night of the Derby and everythings done

The cars have been raced, the ribbons been won

Isaac was first, his car lit up the track

with a win underway there was no looking back

Megan was next, and she heard the man say

Winner! Good job, she was well underway

When Isaac raced Daniel my mouth hit the floor

The race was so close that they did it once more

As the racing went on, it seemed clear to me

At the end of the night who the winners would be

The Stobbes stood strong and we put up a fight

All we can say is "What a fun night!"

Our heads are held high for we know we did great

And with all that said we'll just have to wait......

Until next year