Switzlerfamily5--Family Log

2008-12-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

Our week in Pictures...

2008-12-20T17:06:00.001-08:00

Pics from the Switzler farm...

2008-11-24T21:42:00.001-08:00

Praise God for our family, our farm, our friends, our country. We are so happy to be on our farm. We love that we get to share our blessings with you. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

The Switzler Farm Pics!

2008-11-20T21:08:00.001-08:00

Friday, August 1, 2008

2008-08-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

These pics are from the last week. Ryan had surgery on his tonsils, adenoids, and ears. He handled it like a pro. I was so proud of him! He is doing well and recovering quickly! After his surgery, the whole family worked on a coloring poster. We got creative with being housebound for a week!

Bailey went to camp this last week with her youth group and had a blast! She is on the top of the sand volcano with her very good friend, Nicole. The picture of her and grandma sewing is them working together on making shorts out of some worn out jeans. Crafty...Crafty!

Ryan is sitting in a hummer of a friend ours. (Nicole's Dad) Kind of having fun, ya think?

We had a tea party in Grandma's backyard and we had fancy dresses, homemade cookies and tea. It was so fun!

Gracie helped me at the camp we had at Haven of Hope Ranch today, and God threw in a treasure and let her rider her favorite horse, Rocky today. She is in bliss...Can you tell?

Some Horsin' around!

2008-07-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Updates and Prayers

2008-07-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well, since we have been horrible about keeping up via email, blog, pictures etc, I am making a commitment to do better with all of those things. For now, however, I wanted just to give you all a quick family update. We are all doing well. Thoroughly enjoying summer time together! We are playing and visiting fun places and just spending time being together...

Bailey is going to be 12 on September 1st! Where does the time go? She is growing into this beautiful young lady. I truly find her amazing! She is an amazing pianist and cowgirl...does that actually go together? Well, for her it does! She has been helping our family out at a Christian Ranch Ministry http://havenofhoperanch.org/ and she has found her passion...Riding...fast...with her hair flying and dirt on her face....who would have thought? She has found her permanent smile when she is riding a horse named Bear at the ranch. She is an absolute natural! She is leaving for Christian camp at the end of this week. This is always the highlight of her summer. She truly enjoys her friends and always comes home with a deeper relationship with the Lord. She will be gone for a week. The last time she went to camp was around the last time I posted....eeek that was a year ago! (Sorry everyone.) She went up on this repelling thing that was soooooo high, only 2 other people at camp went to the top. She did it! I couldn't believe it when I saw her on the video. I cried. She was so brave! If I had been there, I wouldn't have let her do it! It was way to high! (I guess that's why parents aren't allowed to go to camp with their children.) They need to spread their wings....

Gracie is going to be 6 on August 16th, and I can't believe my little girl has actually graduated kindergarten and is going into 1st grade! I have no more preschoolers. This is very, very strange. Let's just say I tried very hard to hold it together at her Kindergarten graduation. She is the spitting image of me. I know my mom prayed I would have one just like me. She's determined, stubborn, goofy, talks up a storm, and is the reason I have to say, "No" at least 50 times a day. But she has a heart for babies, children and all animals. She is a horse addict and cries when she has to get off the horse. She loves sugar and life and laughing and Heaven. She says she wants to go there for her birthday. I told her I would like her to hang here with us for a while if that was okay with God. So now her new desire for her birthday is to jump a pony and have her birthday at the local toystore, Hopscotch. A few minutes ago she woke up from her nap and told me she named the fly on the couch, "Sucker." Only Grace....such a funny girl.

Ryan...bless his heart is having surgery tomorrow. He is very nervous. He will have his tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in. The doctors have been telling us it needs to be done. I will be glad to have it over. He is handling things like a pro. Today he had to get his blood drawn, and he barely cried. Well, once I told him I would get him a chocolate milk shake, he dried it right up! Amazing! That kid loves chocolate ice cream and shakes like Jesus loves us! I also offered to borrow a Playstation 2 for him to play for the next week while he is recovering. (Since he doesn't have one b/c he would be the kid who never quit playing, this is a VERY big deal.) So, knowing that video games will be waiting for him and his favorite popsicles are waiting for him in the freezer, surgery doesn't seem nearly as bad as it did originally. Grandma, Gracie, and I also went to the Library and got him a big bag of books to give him when he's ready and feels like reading with mommy, daddy, or sissies. I just hope no other kids come looking for wildlife books at the Library, because they will be extremely dissapointed when they realize all but three have been checked out.

Scott is doing so well. He is working very hard as this is his busy season. Some of you may not have known this, but we were suppose to be moving. Scott was offered a job in Montana and looked at another in Texas. As we prayed during worship one morning at church, we told God we would go wherever He wanted us to go. Our hearts, however, were settled here in Mcminnville. Ten minutes later, we went down to the children's church to pick up our children when a man came up to Scott and offered him a job here as a surveyor and he offered Scott the same pay. We prayed for a few days and he took the job here. He works very hard. His muscles have gotten very big, too! He brings me flowers about once a week and thanks me for all I do for him as a wife. He wrote on my hand the other day (In church) that I "was one hot mama." He works hard to make me feel special, and I love him for that. I am starting to think that the 11th year of marriage is the best year. But maybe I will think that every year...
Scott also has our yard looking better than anyone else's on the block. He takes pride in his garden, and I love that he keeps my flowers alive! He's my hero...in so many ways...

Jessica (Me) I am relishing in taking care of my family right now. I love making homemade dinners and doing laundry. I know it sounds crazy...it's just that during the school year it is just so busy! I love being able to plan healthy meals and clean out closets and make Scott's lunch for him at 5:00 A.M. I just love the fact that I get to be a mom and a wife, and that during the summer months, nothing else competes for my attention. Lately, I have found my niche in life in addition to being a mom and wife. I love the ministry that God has called me to at Haven of Hope ranch. It's a non-profit ranch. I get to combine my love for horses with my love for children, adults and God. This ministry uses horses to minister to people. Sometimes I get to teach riding, sometimes I talk to parents while they watch their children ride from the fence, sometimes I just work with the horses. I, of course, love the riding, but I tell you...this girl is out of shape! My legs are killing me! (Of course I smile as I say that.) Last night I got to do something so amazing! I got to teach dressage to a friend and her sister on their draft horses! Wow! I am in love with draft horses! They are amazing animals! I look so forward to our next session! I have never ridden such an amazing (and huge) animal! I have met the neatest people through Haven of Hope. I praise God for His ministry! It is so wonderful to combine His work with a passion He puts into each of us! (For me that just happens to be horses.)

This video tells about Michelle Nash the woman who started the ranch and the mission for the ranch. (Use Caution and make sure to have tissue handy!)
Click on the Link below, it is so worth your time even if you're not a horse person....

http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?video_id=fvpJa8ZRIqI&rel=1&eurl=http%3A//havenofhoperanch.org/&iurl=http%3A//i.ytimg.com/vi/fvpJa8ZRIqI/default.jpg&t=OEgsToPDskI2QyrwiQmn0o425LkgyU3L

So much for a "Quick" Family update....But you know me... Never short on words...just the way God made me I guess!

Take Care and I will write again soon!

2007-08-07T16:21:00.000-07:00

2007-08-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

2007-08-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

2007-08-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Roman, the newest addition to our family.

2007-05-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of our newest family member. More to come later...

2006-10-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Look at those helpful children doing laundry...

2006-10-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Bailey climbed this rock barefoot.

2006-10-14T12:05:00.001-07:00

Grace really liked the sand.

2006-10-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ryan on the beach.

2006-10-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ryan splashing through the water.

2006-10-14T12:03:00.001-07:00

Small waves.

2006-10-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Coastline.

2006-10-14T12:02:00.001-07:00

Rock.

2006-10-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Grace running in circles.

2006-10-14T12:01:00.002-07:00

Grace, Mom,& Bailey.

2006-10-14T12:01:00.001-07:00

Switzler kids.

2006-10-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

Everybody running to see the starfish.

2006-10-14T12:00:00.002-07:00

Starfish.

2006-10-14T12:00:00.001-07:00

Sand dollar on the beach.

2006-10-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ryan wrote his for the first time in the sand.

2006-10-14T11:58:00.001-07:00

Pacific Ocean.

2006-10-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

Seal pup 3

2006-10-14T11:56:00.001-07:00

Seal pup 2.

2006-10-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

This species of octopus is the largest in the world. But I can't remember the name of the species.

2006-10-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

A morey eel.

2006-10-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Dungeness (sp) crab. I want to eat them every time I see this pic.

2006-10-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Seal Pup 1.

2006-10-14T11:52:00.001-07:00

Feeding the seals.

2006-10-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Our little movie star.

2006-10-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

View toward Haystack Rock.

2006-10-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

Bailey & Jozie enjoying the freezing cold water.

2006-10-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

The Larson's at the Oregon Coast.

2006-10-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

the Switzler's at the Oregon Coast.

2006-10-14T11:44:00.001-07:00

Grace having fun in the sand.

2006-10-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

Bailey & Jozie on the carousel...

2006-10-14T11:43:00.001-07:00

Ryan on the carousel...

2006-10-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

Grace on the carousel...

2006-10-14T11:42:00.001-07:00

Grace Anne.

2006-10-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Eating ice cream downtown Seaside, OR

2006-10-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Bailey is pushing me to our room.

2006-10-14T11:40:00.001-07:00

Jozie and Bailey on the balcony.

2006-10-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

The view from our room looking toward the ocean.

2006-10-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Bailey at the ocean.

2006-10-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Small waterfall.

2006-10-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

Ryan, Jozie, & Bailey.

2006-10-14T11:35:00.001-07:00

Ryan playing in a creek.

2006-10-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

The Switzlers and the Larsons

Some pics from this summer...

2006-10-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

We have had an awesome summer hangin' out with the Larson's, Ken, Wendy, Jozie, & Miley. They graciously invited our family on a few getaways to some really cool places. Thanks to the Larsons!

2006-10-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

Bailey and Jozie getting their pedicures!

2006-10-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

Getting glamorous for Bailey's B-day!

2006-10-08T16:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Bailey, You're 10 today!

2006-10-08T16:51:00.001-07:00

Birthday presents!

2006-10-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Newest members of the family....Treetop and Twitch!

2006-10-08T16:50:00.001-07:00

Gifts from Mckenzie

2006-10-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Oh oh, onion rings.... "onion ring tower"

2006-10-08T16:49:00.002-07:00

mesmerised by the singing!

2006-10-08T16:49:00.001-07:00

Most embarassing moment!

2006-10-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

mmmmm.... good!

2006-10-08T16:48:00.002-07:00

All of us at Red Robin!

2006-10-08T16:48:00.001-07:00

Gracie having fun

2006-10-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ryan flying high!

2006-10-08T16:47:00.001-07:00

Starbucks girlds

2006-10-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

having fun

2006-10-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

A day for a beautiful birthday girl! September 1, 2006

A day in the life of a 4-year old Birthday girl....

2006-08-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Lord for the precious gift we have in Gracie. Thank you for the blessing she is to this family. We love her so much... Amen

Gracie, Today was your 4th birthday, and we had adventures together all day. I am so happy I get to be your mommy and have days like today with you. We woke you with a song and balloons down the hall and into the family room. We put a crown on you, and sang again. We got dressed and took you to see your special Kimmie for breakfast. Then we took you to lunch at Arctic Circle where you ordered a mini corn dogs, fries and an apple juice. Then we went to the grocery store. Next we went to Salem to see the big Carousel, and play in the big park by the river! We let you nap in the car, and then we made you cupcakes shaped like hearts. Sister made you grape kool aid too! You chose Pizza for dinner (of Course!) Then we had your friends over for cake, games and ice-cream. Everyone decorated their own cupcakes, and you really liked the frosting. We finished off the night with a trip to your favorite place besides the stable...the Playground!!!! We took your friends and stayed until it was almost dark! We came home very tired where we said goodbyes to all our friends in the driveway. Today marks two special things... the day of your birth and the day you decided to stop sucking your thumb! Big girl! We love you! Happy Birthday sweetheart!

2006-08-17T22:35:00.001-07:00

The birthday girl is waking up, and happy that today is her big 4th birthday!

2006-08-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Coming out of her room and finding her balloons all over the house...

2006-08-17T22:34:00.001-07:00

The birthday girl with her crown!

2006-08-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

Gracie at breakfast opening cards...very happy!

2006-08-17T22:33:00.001-07:00

Birthday breakfast at Kimmie's house...

2006-08-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Kids with Kimmie and Tina...What a special time we had with them...

2006-08-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

Birthday girl with her apple juice at lunchtime...on our way for more adventures...

2006-08-17T22:31:00.003-07:00

In awe of the carousel...

2006-08-17T22:31:00.002-07:00

Kids at the carousel...

2006-08-17T22:31:00.001-07:00

Birthday girl playing in the grass...

2006-08-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Bailey rollin'

2006-08-17T22:30:00.001-07:00

Rolling together in the lush beautiful grass in the State's Capital...

2006-08-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

Kids at the river in Salem...

2006-08-17T22:29:00.001-07:00

Serious business happening here...

2006-08-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

Ballerina, princess, tap dancing, birthday girl!

2006-08-17T22:28:00.001-07:00

Ooooh lah lah, cutie gracie with her pretty new "tap shoes on"

2006-08-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

Big brother with the birthday girl...so sweet!

2006-08-17T22:27:00.003-07:00

Big Brother!

2006-08-17T22:27:00.002-07:00

Beautiful girl!

2006-08-17T22:27:00.001-07:00

Birthday girl waiting for everyone to arrive!

2006-08-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Working together on birthday crafts....yeah!

2006-08-17T22:26:00.001-07:00

Craft time for everyone at the party!

2006-08-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Gracie making her birthday craft...This is serious business you know!!!

2006-08-17T22:25:00.001-07:00

Bailey and Hayley making their crafts...

2006-08-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

The children decorating/eating their own cupcakes...

2006-08-17T22:24:00.002-07:00

Everyone's wataching!

2006-08-17T22:24:00.001-07:00

Time to blow out the candles...

2006-08-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Candle time!