Swim Team

Although the temperatures are slowly climbing to an unpleasant status, we are loving summer. The girls have truly enjoyed swim team and are already looking forward to more swimming in the future. They are serious little fish. Our life has become busier than normal with weekday practices and Saturday meets, but it is so worth it. We have all made some great friends and simply enjoy the atmosphere.

One of the dads on the team is an amazing photographer. He seems to capture great pictures of all the kids. Here are some of our favorites from the season so far...

Danyka on the starting block

Whitney, Danyka and Avery cheering for their friend Bella

Our social butterfly chatting it up in the pool.

Once again socializing (this time on the ready bench)

Avery and Danyka picking out their Piranha beads for beating their best times.

Whit diving in her 100 yd. free relay

The actual Piranha beads...these things are seriously coveted.

Sweet Girl Danyka

I love this picture of Whit racing backstroke.

We only have one swim meet left before finals. I figured I'd be so sick of swim by now, but I will actually miss our Saturday meets. GO PIRANHAS!

Education

When God allowed Scott and me to have children, we had no idea how much we'd be blessed or the challenges we would face. It has been a journey and I am so thankful for the opportunity. God has blessed us with two precious little girls and we love them indescribably.

Since early on, education has been a huge topic of debate and discussion in our home. Initially we were pro home schooling and thought we may pursue that route of education. As time carried on and we prayed and got to know our children better, we felt that was not a viable option for our family, at least not now. Both girls have excelled academically; it has been so fun to watch. Danyka loves her public school and has made friends. She loves to read and especially enjoys her math homework.

When Whit was three, she decided on her own to start reading. At first we thought she was making it up. We quickly realized she wasn't. This past year we looked at placing her in kindergarten rather than the 4 year old preschool class at school. Unfortunately, the extended cut-off date was February 2nd and her birthday is March 4th. With this declaration from the school district we carried on with preschool and Whit had a great year.

Last month we talked to the school principal again. We asked how Whitney would be challenged next year. Our intent wasn't necessarily to skip but to make sure her academic desires would be met. He and one of the lead kindergarten teachers, also the school GATE teacher, decided to have her come in for the week of year end assessments. Whit LOVED going to kindergarten. At the end of day 1 she had proven academically capable of completion. I picked her up and she was asking for play dates with the friends she had made. She thoroughly enjoyed her week. She read books to her classmates and was given all sorts of fun tests.

On the last day, the kinder teacher said he was going to talk to the principal and make his recommendation. With her social and academic skills both meeting and exceeding kinder standards, he recommended that she start 1st grade in the fall. Scott and I had been praying about this decision throughout the week, knowing we would have to figure out what we thought was best for her. After watching her that week, we were confident that the move to 1st grade was the right choice for her. With the principal, teacher and us in agreement, the board approved this move.

It's crazy to think that our baby will be starting 1st grade next year. At some level it is bittersweet, but we are excited for her. It's easy to be concerned with the future and wonder if everything is going to be OK, but through this process we have acknowledged that we serve a great God who loves us perfectly. He will take care of Whitney and our family.

Kid Quote of the Day...

While listening to some upbeat music on the ipod today, Whitney asked if the song we were listening to was a "nice" song. After telling her it was, she asked if they, the singers, had a membership with God and Jesus. Too cute. (Note: We recently renewed our gym membership, hence the word blooper.)

Happy Birthday Jesus

On Wednesday night our family attended our last preschool Christmas performance. It was bittersweet. Whitney was quite animated throughout the entire show. I ate up every moment. Earlier in the day she kept commenting on how excited she was about her talent show. That girl loves the stage. More importantly, she loves Jesus. I feel blessed to know that both of our girls already have a personal relationship with our savior. We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas! God bless.

Merry Christmas 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Merry CHRISTmas! We’re excited to once again celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Our hope for this upcoming year is that your hearts will be filled with hope, peace and joy
as you bask in the love of our savior.

Here are some of our 2010 highlights - Fill in the blank with our
family members’ names: (Some blanks require more than one name.) Scott, Debbie, Danyka and Whitney

1. On a weekend getaway to Tahoe, for Grandma Burrills 65^th birthday, __________________ was a superstar on the sledding slopes. She giggled the entire afternoon.
   


2. ______________________ got to spend Valentine’s Day weekend with Grandma and Grandpa in San Jose.



3. Later in February, _________________ had to come up with a creative delay plan to keep the future bride, our friend Carrie, from finding out about the surprise engagement party we were throwing. It was a success!



4. Grandma and Granddad joined us for a trip to Disneyland in March. _______________ was obsessed with the ride Soaring Over California.



5. With a bit of persuasion, ______________ was sold on the idea of having solar panels placed on the roof to heat our pool. The entire family enjoyed a wonderful season of heated swimming.



6. The girls both enjoyed dancing in their Broadway themed recital in June. _____________ did a jazz routine to “You Can’t Stop the Beat” and _______________ tapped to “Just a
   Spoonful of Sugar”.



7. ___________________ celebrated turning 30 this year.



8. Bike rides have become a new family affair. _______________ learned how to ride a bike without
   training wheels and __________________ has been enjoying the new bicycle that was received as a birthday gift.



9. A swim test, to have access to the deep end, was completed by ___________________ at the indoor pool we visited in Colorado. The complex was amazing. There was an indoor
   sprayground, several waterslides and two diving boards.



10. Grandma and Granddad hosted a family reunion this past summer. ____________ and Dan stayed up late every night playing Monopoly Deal and Mario Kart on the Wii.



11. ________________ was thrilled with the random pool relays that were made up during the Burrill
    family reunion in July.



12. ______________________ enjoyed being in Paul and Carrie’s wedding in August. It was beautiful.



13. In August the girls headed back to school. ______________ is in her second year of preschool and
    _______________ started 1^st grade. It’s been a fun year so far.



14. __________________lead a college Bible study on Job during fall semester. (A fascinating story!)



15. __________________ spent the day after Thanksgiving celebrating with family in San Jose.



16. The day after __________ sister’s family and _________ brother’s family (a total of 10 + our family of 4) spent the night at our house, _____________ asked why people never come over. Extravert?



17. We are looking forward to our trip to Colorado for Christmas. Both girls have dinner dates planned with Granddad. ______________ came up with the idea.

This past year has been filled with good times and great memories. We are thankful for our friends and family who continually love and invest in us. We are looking forward to how God
will continue to grow and stretch us in 2011. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

Love,

Scott, Debbie, Danyka and Whitney

Answers: 1. Danyka 2. Danyka and Whitney 3. Scott 4. Danyka 5. Scott 6. Danyka/Whitney

7. Scott and Debbie 8. Danyka/Debbie 9. Danyka and Whitney 10. Scott 11. Debbie 12. Scott, Debbie, Danyka and Whitney 13. Whitney/Danyka 14. Scott 15. Scott, Debbie, Danyka and Whitney 16. Scott's/Debbie's/Whitney 17. Danyka

Assembly

Danyka was ecstatic when she found out she was Student of the Month. This morning I enjoyed watching her receive her award during a mini assembly. We are so proud of her. She is a hard worker and a great student. Way to go kiddo!

1st and 2nd Grade Awards

Danyka with her teacher, Mrs. Pierce, and her buddy Roman.

Something Old becomes Something New

New all over again!

Our beautiful Miss Danyka keeps growing. What are we going to do with her? We have had a hard time finding pants that fit around the waist and are the right length, even with the adjustable waistbands. After shopping, shopping and more shopping, it was time to get creative. Here are her jeans from last year with a ruffle addition. They came out pretty cute and now they'll fit her all over again.

Minnie Mouse

This morning after finishing Danyka's hair, I told her she looked like Minnie Mouse. She thought that was pretty funny. We are still in the process of growing bangs out, which challenges my creativity on a daily basis. Fortunately she liked the look. I'm wondering what "new" look she will have by the time I pick her up from school.

Space Creature

Whitney had fun at preschool today. The kids all made space masks and sang an outer space song together. Here is the mask she made...full of glitter. Oh boy. =)

Soft Pretzels

The Pretzel Creators

Last Friday I was feeling creative. I thought about doing a craft with the girls but I've been tired of the endless paper projects that seem to exist in our home. Rather than a craft, we made soft pretzels. The girls had a blast making the dough and thoroughly enjoyed playing with it. They each created several of their own original shapes. We baked them and then test tasted. Although they didn't end up super soft, they were still yummy. The experience was a success!

Back 2 School

First Day of 1st Grade

I can't believe the school year has already begun! Both Danyka and Whitney love their new classes. The girls are both fortunate to have friends from last year in their classes again.

Danyka thoroughly enjoys the academic side of school. She has already informed me that much of her work is too easy, but she has fun anyway. Fortunately she has a seasoned teacher who will adapt assignments for every child. At home we are enjoying the "American Girl" books together and she is also intrigued by the "Ramona" series. Like almost every kid I've ever met, one of her favorite parts of the school day is recess. She spends most of her time playing on the bars trying to build up her calluses. It's been so much fun watching her grow and become confident. She is such a sweet little girl.

First Day of 4 Year Old Preschool

Whitney is a Bear at preschool this year. She is already reading and writing and loves having her very own homework. We often make up packets at home so she can have assignments that challenge her. Although Whitney enjoys playing with most kids, she usually only tells me about the boys she plays with at school. I hope we're not in for it. hehe. Whit has a natural sense of humor; she says and does the funniest things. I can't believe we've only got a year until both girls are in elementary school. Crazy!

With the start of school it's time again to adjust to a new schedule. Hopefully by the end of month one I will have adapted. The girls keep us busy with school, dance and gymnastics. I can surely say we've officially left toddler zone. Four and six are such fun ages.

Popcorn

The girls and I love popcorn. It's a delicious treat that we particularly enjoy while snuggled up watching a movie. Although Daddy isn't a fan of the air-filled, buttery goodness, he enjoys seeing his girls happy.

Maybe I'm just hungry as I'm writing this blog, but the analogy seemed to fit. June has struck our home like a bag of popcorn. The days started out fairly slowly but as of recent they have been picking up their pace rather quickly. Besides the frequency of events, our days have been filled with ups and downs, both mouth watering kernels and the unedible.

Even though we come to expect burnt or unpopped kernels, they are still a disappointment. Sadly, Scott and I both faced disappointments in our families this month. Scott's 94 year old Grandma who has been battling cancer for quite sometime, passed away. She was an amazing woman. Scott has always had a deep respect and appreciation for both of his grandparents. Ever since Scott attended his Grandpa's funeral last year, he has enjoyed reflecting on the memories he built with his grandparents. They will be missed.

Ironically, the same night Scott's grandma passed away, my dad's brother also passed. His diabetes had previously caused him to lose a foot and his conditions were only getting worse. I always enjoyed spending time with my Uncle Blair. The last time I saw him, he visited Scott and me in college with my parents. We had a great time together. He was so easy going and fun to be around. Out of the 5 kids in my dad's family, only 2 remain.

The best part about a bag of popcorn is that most of the kernels turn out great. This month truly has been filled with an abundance of joyful events. For the second year now, the girls fully enjoyed swim lessons with Miss Tamara. Both of them can swim and are quite proud of themselves. I love watching them dive for toys and jump off the side of the pool yelling, "Cannon Ball".

Both girls also participated in the dance recital at their studio. Scott's parents were able to come watch, which obviously made it way more fun. Danyka did a jazz routine to "You Can't Stop the Beat," from Hairspray. Whitney sang and tapped to "A Spoonful of Sugar," from Mary Poppins. The girls had great stage presence and truly seemed to enjoy themselves. Danyka has already asked if she can do it again next year. It's been wonderful watching her come out of her shell. Whitney was the leader of the pack in her group. She sang her heart out and loved being on stage.

Among many other events, Danyka and Whitney both finished their school years out strong. Whitney will continue on to the 4 year olds preschool class next year as a Bear. She is looking forward to reconnecting with some of her friends, especially Michael. Danyka graduated from Kindergarten. CRAZY! She is so excited to be in 1st Grade. We are proud of both girls.

If I spent the time writing about every perfectly popped kernel, this blog would go on for way too long. It's nearing that point anyway. June is not quite over and we are hoping that our bag will continue to fill. This weekend we will be heading to the beach to celebrate Danyka's 6th birthday and to spend some quality family time together. We can't wait. Maybe someday I'll blog pictures from that trip. No guarentees.

July is right around the corner and I'm wondering what will be in store. Summer is here! Hip Hip Hooray!

Easter Bliss

Last night we attended one of the seven Easter services at our church. It felt a little odd going to church on Saturday night, but it was wonderful. The girls played and watched the Veggie Tales Easter movie in their class while Scott and I enjoyed festive worship and a message about Heaven. The sermon was great and the best part was watching people from the congregation make a life decision to follow Jesus. If you died today, are you confident you would go to heaven?

We had a simple and relaxing morning around here. Daddy and the girls let me sleep in while they had breakfast together and built a blanket tent. After I awoke, our first family activity was retelling the Easter story with the Resurrection Eggs. The girls did a great job helping and impressed both Scott and me with how much they knew.

The rest of our morning was spent in a sugar high state of existence. After we all got dressed, we gave the girls their Easter baskets and then had an indoor egg hunt. The weather didn't permit an outdoor hunt. The girls' baskets were filled with candy and other fun toys. Some of the eggs were filled with candy and others had money in them. I can only imagine what God feels like when he sees his children excited because watching our children filled with joy was one of the morning's greatest treasures. I loved hearing them say "thank you" each time they opened one of their eggs.

Jesus gave us the best gift of all by dying on the cross for us and giving us eternal life. I am blessed to know that both of my children have a relationship with him and want to follow him. As a mom, I couldn't ask for any better earthly gift. Happy Easter! I hope your celebration has been special as well.

Funny Kid Comment

I'm horrible at keeping this blog current but I thought I'd post a funny comment Danyka made yesterday.

Sitting at the dinner table last night, I had a horrible headache. Danyka looked at me and said, "Mommy, I know why you have a headache?" When I asked her why, she responded, "because we drained your energy." Luckily I was able to compose myself without laughing and told her that wasn't the reason.

Today, she still wanted to help and told me I probably had a headache from my allergies. She's so cute. I love that girl.

Summer Fun

Summer time is always fun. Our family has been busy with plenty of fun events. The girls are both having a great time at FBC's preschool summer camp. They are getting so big.

Since I haven't posted a blog in quite some time, I figured I would post some recent pictures.

Our first summer event was visiting my parents in Colorado. We were there from June 9th through the 16th. The weather was interesting because we had tornado warnings most days. Fortunately we were still able to get out and play. The best trips were to Water World and the Butterfly Pavillion. Traveling is getting much easier now that the girls are getting older.

On June 27th we celebrated Danyka's 5th birthday with a small swim party. The theme was butterflies. There were butterfly decorations, cupcakes and hairbows for favors. Danyka was definitely spoiled. This seemed to be the year of the Barbie. She even received some fun accessories, including a toilet. You'd be surprised how frequently Barbie's need to go potty.








July 3rd was spent hanging out with the Burrill side of the family. It was a wonderful day to swim. We ate yummy food and enjoyed good company. The adults even played a few games of PIG in the pool.

The 4th of July was a spectacular day as well. Mid afternoon we joined our friends, the Albrights, along with some of their neighbors and families for a celebration. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs, swam and watched fireworks. This was the first year the girls have seen fireworks. They loved them and especially enjoyed playing with the sparklers.




Scott and I are still actively involved with the college group at FBC. The students are wondeful and we feel blessed to be a part of their lives. This summer we have been leading a Monday night Bible Study at our house. There are generally around 2o students that attend. Bringing with us an intervarsity background, we try to engage the kids in a community activity each week. This past week we played "the bubble gum game". It was very entertaining...at least for Scott and me.

Yesterday the girls finished 2 weeks of swim lessons. We are amazed at what they were able to accomplish in 8 days and we LOVE their swim teacher. In fact, we signed the girls up for a semi-private session at the beginning of August. Prior to swim lessons, neither one of the girls would put their faces in the water. Now they are swimming, jumping off the diving board, floating and diving for toys. Of course none of these skills are perfected but they are doing awesome.

So that's our summer in a nutshell. Leave it to me to have a mega blog post. It's hard to find the time to post anything so I figured I'd just go for it this morning. Life is good and we are incredibly blessed.