Our AMAZING Boy!!!

It has been 4 months since David turned 9 and I have not yet posted some highlights of his stellar 8th year... (I thought I had better get it done since he still hasn't had a friend party to celebrate...bad mama...AND his sister is about to have her birthday!!) So, here goes... David's eighth year was chalked FULL of changes which his laid back personality allowed him to handle pretty well. We did leave his beloved Alaska...his loyal heart hated to leave special friends and the only home he remembers. The trip down the Alcan was FANTASTIC with many wonderful family memories...being in AK & Canada at the SAME time, dancing at the sign post park, the HUGE water park and the fun time catching the waves for our BRAVE boy, seeing all kinds of wildlife, stopping to see a best AK buddies who had moved to Seattle to name a few. David adjusted well to his 2nd grade classroom with a super teacher, Mrs. Leuhring, who had also lived in AK!! He also made THE best new friends...the Bones, Rebekka, Shawn... They all went to school and AWANA together! :D David went to his first school dance, was opening adored and chased each day by 2 girls (I reminded him daily that he couldn't date until after med school though and he passed that on to the girls! :D)...He did a really cool study of Africa in class and did an Elephant report and made a toy to barter at the "African Market". The day also included authentic African food!! David has always enjoyed acting and was able to star in 2 plays...He was Mogli in The Jungle Book and a pirate in Swashbucklers. We are so proud of his ability to memorize lines, but, mostly we LOVE that he memorizes scripture so easily. We are thrilled that he is learning to hide God's Word in his heart and that it helps him in his every day life to be of good character...make good choices, share his faith, and be a good friend. He was THRILLED to cheer on his AK Governor, Sarah Palin as she ran for VP during election time!! At the AWANA Grand Prix the car Papa & David built together won all but 1 race. How EXCITING that was!! David also got to tackle bigger mountains with his snowboard his 8th year...Papa even tried snowboard, but alas, has gone back to skiing!!:D Skateboarding continued to be a great love and many new parks were found here in CO and many skills were learned...especially when David and his cousin Jonah got to study at SKATELAB in So Cal!! Wow was Mama nervous to watch at times!! The biggest new thing for David in year 8 was starting guitar. We soon found out yet another area where God has gifted our boy. He is a fast learner and we love to hear him worship!! We look forward to see how God will use this gift as he grows!! :D Our boy is smart and is a leader at school, he is a kind & FUN friend and big brother, he loves Wii & video games, skateboarding, snowboarding, camping, playing with friends, Jesus, AWANA, playing guitar, family game nights, Lexi... He has such a heart for the lost and the hurting. Our boy is our joy and we love him so and are INCREDIBLY proud and honored to be his parents!!! "Thank you, Jesus for the PRECIOUS gift of David Gregory Zydonis!!"

Beautiful distractions...

There is a BEAUTIFUL view from the "kitchen sink" window! It makes doing dishes a joy! I look out and think independent thoughts... (I still don't get to go to the bathroom by myself, but, at the kitchen sink I am alone for whole minutes at a time...) I LOVE the enormous tree out that window!! All summer long I have admired it when the sun shone brightly down, the moon too; when the breeze gently moved it's leaves; even when it stood majestically still. And then came fall...WOW!! The colors were ablaze and truly that tree was at it's beautiful best! This morning I noticed that the strong north winds have taken away all but a few leaves and the tree is bare and cold looking. I can now see right through to beyond it... And there IT was...Pikes Peak in all it's snow topped GLORY!! WOW!!! The mountains are AMAZING from my kitchen sink window, better than any other sight I have seen all summer or fall. How could I have forgotten?? I was so busily distracted by the tree that I forgot about the MOUNTAIN!!! God gently spoke to my heart and reminded me it is like that in my life sometimes as well. I get so distracted by beautiful things...my bright & creative kids, coffee with my lovely sister and her hysterically funny daughter, my hard working husband who loves me (and Jesus!!), attending prayer & mommy groups, helping at the kids school's, sharing my faith with new friends... Sometimes I miss HIM...my GLORIOUS Jesus...the One who's beauty is beyond compare!! Oh, I realize my "distractions" are still wonderful and worthy of my time. They are all given to me by THE One Whom I mustn't miss... He must always be in the forefront, the reason I appreciate all the other things well. His glory makes all of the other things shine brighter! I am utterly amazed this morning how Jesus, the creator of all things, desires to be in relationship with me! That He delights in 'lil ole, often distracted me! I want Him to be my focus each day...I don't want to ever "forget".