tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15083228555638872432011-10-15T17:21:55.208-07:00A journal of the adventures and happenings of our family.The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.comBlogger1001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-49471124423211893992011-06-26T13:58:00.001-07:002011-06-26T13:58:28.110-07:00

John is the family's IT guy. That means if we have any questions about our computers, how to get them to talk to a printer, what's new with Apple products, or anything else tech-related, we go to him. If he doesn't know right away, which is VERY rare, he'll figure it out. He says he's in training for being a Mac Genius at the Apple Store when he turns 18. Imagine what he'll learn in the next 17

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-9216809118507037962011-06-25T19:44:00.001-07:002011-06-25T19:44:00.315-07:00

Now, those of you who know my husband David know that he is musical. He sings. He plays the guitar. He even taps out rhythms when working with the worship team for a Sunday morning set. What you might not know, however, is that he also used to play the trumpet. I'm told that that era of his musical career was short-lived, but remnants of those days eek out every so often. In fact, we get an

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Today's swim meet went well. The other team had more than 20 more swimmers than our team, but we still managed to win. Yahoo! Almost every swimmer on our team shaved off time. John took off almost 2 seconds on his back stroke, both boys took off time on their breast stroke, and Shannon's free relay team got first place, again! This particular team of 13-14 girls is still undefeated. Here's a

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n. A place where homeschoolers pass on materials they no longer need at unbelievably low prices. Here's our table. I'd really like to not bring any of this home. Anyone interested in sixth grade reading?- Posted from my iPhone

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-56779916447702471032011-06-22T10:44:00.001-07:002011-06-22T10:51:02.712-07:00

Each day I check my tickle file. It holds items that have been tucked away for my attention on a specific date in the future. I've known about tickle files for years, and several times I've tried to get a system up and started, only to lose papers to a neglected stack of files. Last year I read a blog post about David Allen's Getting Things Done. I devoured the book in a few days and immediately

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-75674609505340427922010-05-22T13:52:00.000-07:002010-05-22T14:07:00.317-07:00

The lights have been dimmed,the props and sets are put away,the makeup has been washed off,and we are all reflecting on our experience with joy and gratitude!Our drama production of It's a Wonderful Lifewith the Jubilate Deo Choruswas a rip-roaring success.Following are some videos I took during the final performanceon Saturday, May 15, as well as some still shotsfrom that evening and some of our

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Tonight was our opening night of the kids' musical, "It's a Wonderful Life." All I can say is that these kids were amazing. The entire cast was stupendous. The crowd was roaring with laughter and absolutely loved Joshua's rendition of Mr. Potter. John crooned out his solo and nailed all of his lines--he was fantastic! Shannon was delightful in her three different roles, singing and dancing

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-16475052458490077782010-05-13T15:49:00.001-07:002010-05-13T23:46:25.736-07:00

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-72075240811383794242010-05-07T23:05:00.001-07:002010-05-13T23:46:44.102-07:00

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-56545349362500368392010-05-01T23:09:00.000-07:002010-05-02T16:44:07.383-07:00

Here is a picture of the birthday girl with her "twin," Titus Williams, on the morningof the Baja team's departure. You see, Shannon's birthday started with her brothers getting all packed up and out the door for a week of ministry in Baja, California. Yes, Shannon's biggest gift this year was to be an only child for nine days, a gift that she really enjoyed. The twins were born on the same day

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-65152103118333079552010-05-01T22:23:00.000-07:002010-05-02T09:17:47.090-07:00

On March 30, David, the boys, and I attended a wonderful evening in Danville at the Blackhawk Museum. The event was sponsored by Patrick Henry College so we could find out more about the college and offer some support since they receive absolutely no government subsidies.The evening began with a stroll through the antique car museum. David and John loved every minute of it and took tons of

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-88874320817415022642010-05-01T13:48:00.000-07:002010-05-01T22:23:13.828-07:00

The boys and I have attended a few debate tournaments this year as part of their Intro to Debate class, which they took this last winter. We were also at the tournaments to cheer on Lydia and Abigail, who were actually competing this year as a team. The boys learned the intricacies of timing debate rounds whereas I learned how to use up every extra synapse in my brain serving as a debate judge!

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-3301567513662075502010-05-01T13:26:00.000-07:002010-05-01T13:39:16.977-07:00

One of my favorite Bible teachers is Chip Ingram. He has a great way of teaching God's Word, and I always walk away from one of his messages with a valuable nugget of truth. Last month Chip was the featured speaker for the KFAX Speaker's Series, and so I promptly got my ticket to the event. What a delightful evening! There was a worship team from Santa Cruz that opened our time with amazing

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Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who

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When the kids were little, we tried to have our "couch" time, which basically was about 10-15 minutes each evening when David would get home from work, and we could sit and talk. The kids knew this was Mommy and Daddy's special time that was not to be interrupted. It helped us not only connect with each other on a sort-of regular basis, but it helped establish the priority of the husband/wife

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-87458006854390716932010-05-01T12:41:00.001-07:002010-05-01T12:57:38.989-07:00

While reading through my favorite blogs one day, I came across a post about Green Smoothies. What on earth could that be? I read further and did some more research on the internet. Basically, a green smoothie is a concoction made of fruits, green veggies, and any other nutritious ingredients you choose to add which results in a delicious drink. A green smoothie each day helps us get at least

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-63457078332700985152010-05-01T12:19:00.000-07:002010-05-01T12:40:50.135-07:00

Every two years our AWANA club has a Grand Prix. The kids buy their car kits. They plan. They design. They create. After all their hard work, it's always a blast to view the amazing craftsmanship and creativity from the families on race day.This year, David helped John and Shannon with their cars, but he also assisted the Cunningham family with the initial design and cutting for their three

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-91990462437792549722010-03-17T10:19:00.000-07:002010-03-17T11:35:52.103-07:00

Grateful: thankful, appreciative, indebted, obliged, obligated, in someone's debt, beholden.On January 15, a Facebook friend posted an invitation to join her in the Gratitude Project. For 30 days participants were to post three things for which they were grateful. Gratitude would certainly be something I needed to increase in my life, as all too often I only notice the negative, grumbling

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-79539590183504393572010-03-16T18:50:00.001-07:002010-03-17T01:01:29.693-07:00

A few weeks ago David had the opportunity of representing Wham-O, his employer for the past nine years, for a newspaper article. The new owners of Wham-O had just purchased another company called Sprig Toys, and the San Francisco Chronicle was interested in the new change of direction. Sprig Toys makes a line of 'Eco-friendly' products for toddlers that are made of recycled plastic with wood

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-56083273663755018992010-03-10T00:04:00.000-08:002010-03-10T00:22:00.727-08:00

While cleaning out the refrigerator this afternoon to prepare for new groceries, we found a bag of diced onions that had been in there way too long. The "use by" date was 2/14/10--almost a month ago! Oops! On top of that we accidentally left the bag on the counter while we put all the new food away and made dinner. As we cleaned up later, we discovered the now-warm bag of decomposing matter.It

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I stumbled across a give-away on the Doughmesstic blog today, and immediately decided that the pink give-away Kitchen Aid mixer would fit just perfectly in my kitchen which has a pink-peachy color tile with whitewashed and very "distressed" cabinets. Imagine with me the gingerbread I could make in that...or the cupcakes and with real buttercream frosting...or the from-scratch mashed potatoes my

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-86770275551930475952010-03-03T22:16:00.000-08:002010-03-07T00:40:00.897-08:00

I've been having a lot of fun lately reading different blogs. There are some that really inspire me, some that make me laugh, many that leave me challenged. One family I particularly enjoy is the Krafts. They're the kind of people I wouldn't mind having as neighbors. I think it would be a blast to just sit down over a cup of Starbucks coffee with Lynnette and her daughter Abigail, and just

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-74227805762211693392010-03-03T19:59:00.000-08:002010-03-04T17:26:47.878-08:00

On our way home from piano lessons yesterday afternoon, we came across an instance of what appeared to be road rage in our neighborhood. The children and I witnessed the final scenes between two young women. I was able to get a picture on my cell phone camera of one of the cars before the young lady fled away. Because I had to get the boys home quickly for a school webinar, I promised I would

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-23908071504551785692010-02-16T21:03:00.000-08:002010-02-17T17:26:35.746-08:00

Valentine's Day for our familystretched over several days this year. It started on Thursday eveningwhen I made 80 cupcakes.I had a virtual cupcake factory going in my kitchen,given that I only have enough tins to bake 18 at a time!Mix up and pour the batter,in the oven for 18 minutes,cool for 10,pour the next batch,and on it went.As the cupcakes cooled, I loaded them into a box withthree

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-49414616662312789992010-02-10T23:50:00.001-08:002010-02-11T00:15:49.147-08:00

Sometimes I think thatif we could hold still long enough, we could hear the sound of our week "wooshing" by with all that we'redoing right now!The kids just finished their third week of a swim clinic.Our goal is to have them build up some endurance after their long winter break, andwork on some of their strokes, dives, & turns,as a way to prepare for ourswim team which starts in early April.Sarah

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-80561675217025189372010-02-10T23:43:00.000-08:002010-02-10T23:49:57.324-08:00

Each year our AWANA Leaders have a special evening just to celebrate the ministry. This year's theme was USO Swing Night where everyone dressed up in 1940's and/or military attire. The boys were able to wear their grandfather John's navy uniforms from WWII while David wore his father's hat. A great time was had by all--and yes, therewas actually some real swing dancing!John is posing with the

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-64514161811748138362010-01-27T23:49:00.000-08:002010-01-28T08:46:08.906-08:00

We have a daily Bible verse on the sidebar of our blog.When I read today's verse, I immediately thought of Joe White.I didn't know Joe very well. In fact, I have probably only had a few casual conversations with him in all the years that he and his family attended Fairhaven. But I knew of Joe White. To me, he was Randy's dad.He was the smiling manand the faithful husband who was always at his

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Today the guys were investigating plant cells. They made their own slides with banana, onion, and anacharis leaves;looked online for a picture of cork cells; and observed ready-made slides of hydra, ranunclus, zea mays. They were able to quickly find each cell type as they're getting better and better at this.It's great to finally be getting good useout of our expensive microscope!

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Over a year ago I got an unsolicited call from the American Red Cross, asking if I would consider being a blood donor. I had not tried donating blood since I was about 20. The experience had left me terribly dizzy afterwards, so I decided at the time not to try again. When this random call came in, I figured it was at least worth making another effort after all these years. I scheduled the

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-87599748248650635332010-01-14T11:14:00.000-08:002010-01-14T11:28:01.271-08:00

Tonight is Crazy Hat Night at the kids' AWANA meeting. David was busy pulling out his viking hat this morning, and Shannon will wear a silly blue and black "Cat in the Hat" type of hat for the event. I'm not sure yet what the boys will come up with. It just it occurred to me I wear many hats every day! As the mom in the family, the list of tasks and duties I have to accomplish seems

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-4965543928987921752010-01-13T21:43:00.000-08:002010-01-13T23:34:01.609-08:00

Having been inspired by Lynnette Kraft's blog entry today, I decided to share some of the sillier pictures of my kids from 2008.Here are Joshua & Shannon in a weightless condition at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland. Actually, they were simply jumping up while the camera caught them off the ground. A pretty cool feature of one of the exhibits. The Center even emailed the picture to me

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-86377548880463656622010-01-01T12:36:00.000-08:002010-01-12T12:09:27.452-08:00

We typically spend our New Year's Eve quietly at home, watching a movie or visiting with family, and blowing on conch shells or noisy tubes at the turning of the year. This year we decided to try something different and joined a group at a New Year's Eve dance. The Quick Step Social Dance Club consists of a group of home school kids who have an interest in ballroom dance, and who share their

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-88895090543247021052009-12-29T22:10:00.000-08:002009-12-29T23:04:11.546-08:00

For Joshua's World History studies this year, we are reading through William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. We've enlisted some of the Cunningham family to join us, and we're having a grand time giving different voices to the characters and exploring the various themes of betrayal and loyalty, tyranny and pride, and conspiracy and assassination gone awry.Calphurnia When beggars die there are no

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-64592331034527803692009-12-27T21:41:00.000-08:002009-12-28T16:25:11.026-08:00

We spent a quiet morning at home and then headed to Grandma Nancy's house in Berkeley. After a turkey dinner, we finished the opening gifts. Shannon was thrilled with the Webkinz each of her brothers gave her. Grandma was delighted with the pumpkin spice candle that Joshua bought and carved for her.Liz had crocheted a doll blanket for Elizabeth, Shannon's American Girl doll, to match the afghan

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The children joined the Fairhaven Junior Choir this year and sang "For Unto Us A Child Is Born" from Handel's Messiah at the Christmas Concert on December 20.

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-64086585682382656022009-12-27T21:18:00.000-08:002009-12-27T21:33:41.740-08:00

It's been a couple years since we made our gingerbread houses, so Liz organized a house-building event with Home Schoolers Loving God on December 18. The morning started with Liz and Shannon baking up the pieces for Shannon's house and plenty of ginger people to share.One of the joys of gingerbread is the delight on the young children's faces as they explore--and sample--their "building supplies

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December 5 - Our Biology students prepared presentations about the experiments they performed at home and independently. Joshua F. taught the group about his osmosis experiment with the semipermeable membrane of an egg while Joshua C. shared about his enzyme experiment with pineapples. Both boys were able to use skills they learned in their speech class for their presentations.December 10 - The

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This year we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with our dear friends, the Cunningham family. Liz and the kids prepared several dishes before joining our friends at their house. Here is Shannon learning how to make mashed potatoes using real potatoes--what else?Shannon also helped saute the vegetables for the stuffing. Since she doesn't care for the stinging eyes that often comes from cut up

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The beginning of November brought the close of the boys' Intro to Speech class with final presentations on the 5th. John amazed the crowd with his dramatic interpretation of the book, Shin's Tricycle, a story about affect of the Hiroshima bombing on a small Japanese family.Joshua presented his expository speech about swords, complete with a graphics board.The entire group posed for a photo at

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Each week immediately after Thursday morning choir practice in south Hayward, we would have 45 minutes to race out to Livermore to join the weekly Intro to Speech Class. Here is Joshua presenting his persuasive speech on the 2nd amendment.Biology class continued with the boys making good use of our high powered microscope. We viewed amazing creatures both in the microscope and online.October 24

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August brought a bountiful harvest of blackberries on the vines out front. Yum!Our church hosted a Vacation Bible School this year. Shannon enjoyed her last year as a participant while John and Joshua served as assistant leaders. The boys especially enjoyed their roles in the daily skits.David took the boys on a Father-Son campout the same weekend that Liz and Shannon worked at an SWR Seminar.

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July 3 - We joined the Cunningham and DiNatale families for some movie nights this summer. We watched the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies and enjoyed some great food and fellowship!July 12 - Family Fun Night at Southgate lived up to its name this year. The team gathered for an evening of games, food, and swimming at the pool. July 17 - We spent a week fostering a dog named Abby. She was a

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June was a busy month with Saturday swim meets and team events. John also celebrated his 14th birthday.June 6 - David often served as an announcer at our home swim meets. Here is a picture of him announcing the swimmers in his "Hippie" costume to match the team's theme for the day.John did not mind sharing his birthday with the whole team. The cool 14-year-old posed for a picture after a

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It's been a loooong time since we updated the blog! Too long. In the next few posts, we'll show some picture highlights of the events that have been keeping us so busy. Enjoy!April 14 - David took the kids up to the mountains for a Wham-O photo shoot in the snow. April 18 - The children played the piano during a short concert for the residents at the Bethesda Retirement Center here in Hayward

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Hard to believe our little girl is now 11 years old!  Her special day began with the traditional birthday pancake bear.  She was pleased I remembered to put the arms on it this year, but I did forget the chocolate chip eyes.  Maybe next year I'll get it right.Shannon and I decorated the lemon cupcakes so she could share her birthday with the students in her clay class.  The kids finished glazing

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Last week 14 of the Endorsed SWR Trainers and Wanda Sanseri joined me in the San Francisco Bay Area for a Trainers' Meeting.  Everyone flew in on Tuesday evening or Wednesday, and believers from my home church, Fairhaven Bible Chapel, or our homeschool support group, Home Schoolers Loving God, hosted the ladies in their homes.  We met at Fairhaven on Thursday through Saturday for further training

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The Spelling Bee this last Saturday was so much fun!  We’ve never been to one in person before, so this was a new experience for all of us.Our homeschool support group, Home Schoolers Loving God, hosted the Bible Spelling Bee. We had three age groups: 5-8, 8-12, and 12-18. The U8 group only had two young guys, and because there was only one U18 speller, the judges opened up the competition to

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-26304903736582295732009-03-05T11:36:00.001-08:002009-03-16T23:59:16.281-07:00

In three weeks the Spell to Write and Read Trainers will be in town for a Trainer's Meeting, and we'll be spending an afternoon and evening in the city. As part of my preparations, the kids and I drove into San Francisco yesterday afternoon to scope out the wharf area for activities and restaurants.    We were given a respite from the rain for the adventure, and the crisp air was invigorating as

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-37062933093183834082009-03-05T11:20:00.000-08:002009-03-05T11:30:57.401-08:00

The kids have started a Clay Class. Every Friday for six weeks they will be joining a group of homeschoolers and creating various masterpieces as well as learning about clay, various ways to work with it, how to fire it, painting and glazing, and how clay has been used in various cultures throughout time. Last week Joshua and Shannon got to use the potter's wheel, and John is looking forward to

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A couple weeks ago David's twin sister and her daughter were in town to visit and to check on a local college for Emma. Wow! Our niece was born just a few weeks after we were married, and now she's looking at colleges. Where has the time gone??? We had a fun evening together at Chevy's and were greeted upon our departure by the local wildlife. A racoon was hovering by the door and paused

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We are all faced with situations in life where we need to choose how we will respond. When another person does something that either offends us or inconveniences us, we have a choice. Will we respond with annoyance, criticism, even anger? Or will we choose to offer grace?Last week I was returning to my car from having picked up a couple last-minute items at the grocery store. A man was

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-51333352538294902662009-02-06T16:08:00.000-08:002009-02-06T16:11:25.222-08:00

Shannon joined me as my Curves buddy three weeks ago. Since then I have discovered that she is the best exercise buddy I could have ever asked for. Here's why:She is faithful. She loves to work out, and she wants to go every day.She is available. She's happy to head out the door at any time, any day of the week (M-Sat) for her P.E. time.She has helped me solve the issue of when I can get

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Last Friday we drove down to the University of California Santa Cruz for a field trip at their Organic Farm.  Although we walked through some minor drizzle off and on, we had a fantastic time.  The earth's freshly washed scent refreshed us, and the walking was invigorating.  Our homeschool group was divided up into groups, and we were included in the "Apple Crisp" team with our dear friends Betsy

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My daughter has many talents.  Lately she has been exploring different things that she enjoys, which could always turn into pursuits for the future.  While I attended a workshop at a local Apple Store, Shannon practiced being a Mac Genius as she assisted a young boy who was playing a Lego Mac game.There is a strong likelihood she could also be a Curves trainer or at least an excellent exercise

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We watched the presidential inauguration today after which the students were given a writing assignment.  They could write a poem, a news report, or a narrative of what it was like to watch the first black president become our president.  Here is Joshua's poem. . . Barack H. Obama steps forward.The excitement begins to grow.(Why they don't say his full name,I'll never know.)He raises his right

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So what is a homeschooler to do when his teacher (mom) has to go into San Francisco for the day for a doctor's appointment?  He goes to work with Dad!  Yep, Joshua spent most of the day at Dad's office finding out what David does all day.  However, most of Joshua's time was spent in the shop, not on the computer doing any of the design work.  He was a great help as he prepared parts for a

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The kids, Liz, and our friend Emily enjoyed an amazing concert at a church in Fremont on December 13.  Our friends Kristian Ehlert and Ronna delRosario were part of a special group of singers from the Fremont Christian School who were invited to join in the presentation.  We've decided to make this Christmas concert part of our annual traditions!We attended the "Let Us Break Bread Together"

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Scroll down to the bottom of this page to turn off the playlist so you can hear the music that accompanies this video.Shannon is studying rocks and minerals in Science, so we conducted an experiment where we grew some salt crystals. It was a great experiment. We attempted to do time photography since the crystals were growing so quickly. Next time we'll be sure the tripod does not get moved at

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-21647437779771083382008-12-24T11:24:00.001-08:002008-12-25T11:58:29.552-08:00

On December 6, Liz and Nancy attended the annual Fairhaven Ladies Christmas Tea.  We were treated to beautiful singing and delicious goodies with our tea in a gorgeous environment. Each table was individually decorated by the woman hosting it.  At our table, the hostess gave us the china we were using as a gift!On December 19, Shannon attended a party at Alaina's home where she got to make a

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Swimming in December?  The kids participated in their annual Fall Swim Clinic from October to December 4 at the local Community College.  Here they are on the last evening . . . freezing in the cold evening air.  We're so grateful to have the warm swim parkas!  

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-68070485188385126672008-12-05T14:06:00.000-08:002008-12-05T14:17:50.077-08:00

Anyone who has been in our home during December has seen our Advent Calendar hanging on the wall over the piano.  True to FitzGerald family tradition, the banner is up once again and ready for our December devotional Advent Foretold, written by our dear friends Gary and Wanda Sanseri.  We never tire of studying the Old Testament prophesies of the coming Messiah and their New Testament fulfillment

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How would you like to spend your 50th birthday?  I cannot think of a better way to start my day than to worship the Lord Jesus with the saints at my church.  What a glorious time we had, too!  We had the blessing of hearing Susie, who is home from college for the holidays, sing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."Then we had FOUR baptisms!  Three young men who have been raised in our church gave their

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We celebrated Thanksgiving with David's mother at her home in Berkeley this year.  Shannon and I met her early in the morning to pick up the turkey and fixins.  Back at the house, Shannon learned how to make my family's traditional cranberry sauce.  While waiting for the turkey to roast in the oven, we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and drank egg nog.John and David interrupted their

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We had the unexpected delight of joining two other families for a weekend at a resort in Angel's Camp.  The kids were thrilled to spend time with their friends and to explore the gold country. David and I were happy to get some work done at the condo while the kids were off with their friends and still have some great times as a family and with friends!John soon became a favorite with

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One of our favorite art places is Aran's Art Studio in Castro Valley.  On Friday, 11/21, we invited Shannon's friend Emily along as a belated birthday gift, to paint her own pottery.  She chose a little dish and a cup with fall leaves around it.  Here are the girls picking out the colors they want to use on their pieces.  Shannon painted a beautiful fairy and an ornament which turned out to be a

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-47526717872090790082008-11-30T00:20:00.000-08:002008-11-30T00:25:56.520-08:00

Every year we try to get to at least one of the Youth Symphonies offered in the Bay Area.  On Tuesday, 11/18, we attended the Oakland Youth Symphony at the Marriot Center.  Here are the kids waiting for the event to begin.The theme was centered around the percussion section of the orchestra.  We had great fun learning about the different instruments that are used to create those interesting

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-18604092041759472282008-11-29T23:42:00.000-08:002008-11-30T01:00:46.319-08:00

For David's birthday this year (10/24), he wanted a get-away for just the two of us.  One of his favorite things to do is sit and watch waves, so we sent the kids off with friends and family and headed down to Monterey Bay.  We found a great hotel in Marina, well within driving distance from the places we wanted to see and yet far enough away from the touristy places to get a good price.  On

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On October 10 we drove across the Bay and down Highway 1 to our favorite pumpkin patch:  Arata's Farm.  There is a huge straw maze, covering 2.5 acres, that the kids love to run through with their friends.  Every year it is a different pattern, so they can easily spend an hour in there and still find their way out...several times. After a picnic lunch, Shannon and her friends chose pumpkins to

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-55422068070851554432008-09-29T09:58:00.001-07:002010-05-22T15:28:40.468-07:00

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to turn off the playlist so you can hear this song.

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-36538702337017620212008-09-27T22:51:00.001-07:002008-09-27T23:15:29.124-07:00

We left Santa Maria and headed up El Camino Real, the same road the priests used many years ago to establish missions up the coast of California.  Today it is known as Highway 101.Upon arriving in Morro Bay, a beautiful little coastal fishing village and a very special place to us, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Dorn's Restaurant with a view of the harbor below.The Morro Bay harbor was

The FitzGerald Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07281953150161793793noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1508322855563887243.post-10023032296663562872008-09-27T09:34:00.000-07:002008-09-27T22:51:21.793-07:00

After morning devotions, the Tanksley and FitzGerald kids posed for a group photo and then headed off to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.  We made a stop in Brea where Liz's dad Carl lives.  Joshua made a bee line for Grandpa's piano where he treated us to a couple of his original compositions.The drive this morning tuckered out John who paused for a brief cat nap before lunch.After a great

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Mary (another SWR Trainer) and Liz spent the morning comparing notes, talking about Spell to Write and Read and homeschooling high schoolers, and just having fun catching up.  The kids worked together to make lunch.Karis, the Enchantress, prepared to meet the crusaders who were playing outside.The battle-ready warriors came in for a water break only to be caught in her spell.Later in the day we

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Leaving the Flagstaff area, we were amazed at the lush pine forest landscape of the northern Arizona area.  This wasn't anything like what we expected the Arizona desert to look like.  It reminded us a lot of the mountain area of Arnold, CA.  Once we were out of the pine forests, we saw more of the desert terrain we were expecting. The saguaro cacti were everywhere.  Did you know that these cacti

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We ventured north to the Grand Canyon today.  The view was spectacular, and the weather was refreshing.  September is definitely a great time to visit these National Parks!At the Desert View point, there is the Watch Tower.  It provides a great view of the eastern end of the South Rim, but it is also a fascinating place in and of itself.John & Shannon enjoyed the view from the top of the

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We had a difficult morning today.  Tensions were high and we struggled to get along with one another.  The traveling is wearing on us, and as has been typical thus far, just getting out the door was a challenge.  Consequently, we weren't on the road until almost noon.  However, once on the highway we were amazed at the beauty that eastern New Mexico offered.  We crossed the Continental Divide.  

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As we left our motel and got into the car this morning, we found a colony of prairie dogs in a grassy area right in front of us.  What a fun way to start our morning. Next, we visited the Taos Pueblo which is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the USA.  The Tiwa tribe still live in the pueblo.  We enjoyed a tour of the grounds, and then we did some exploring on our own.After our

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The kids had a blast playing pool with Micki downstairs.  This morning he paused briefly for a photo op with the boys.While Liz took over the dining room in order to fill mail orders, the kids headed back to Villa Sport with Sally for a morning of fun at the water slides.  They had the place pretty much to themselves for most of the time and had a fantastic time.We had a wonderful time with our

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We started out the day by traveling across town to the home of Liz's Aunt Bobbie and Uncle David. We enjoyed a great visit and a delicious country brunch. Their home had a lovely view of Pike's Peak and reminded us of a mountain cabin. What a fun morning/afternoon.Next, we drove over to the Garden of the Gods, a city park which is also a National Natural Landmark. These huge sandstone

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As we traveled across Kansas, we took a short break in Oakley, the birthplace of Buffalo Bill. There was a gigantic sculpture of the buffalo hunter next to the cabin.  The children had lots of fun climbing all over the monument and creating fun poses.Even Bunny had to get into the act by posing in the stirrup.Here's the log cabin, although we don't think it was the original building--it was too

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On a hill in Boonville, MO, we had a beautiful view of the flooded Missouri River and the site of Old Franklin, the original eastern point of the Santa Fe Trail.   Boonville is the oldest town in Central Missouri.Right behind the above lookout point, was an ancient Indian burial mound.In the center of Boonville was a very nice memorial to the veterans of the area.  Bunny contemplated the words of

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The day started with a short drive to the Ackerman Toyota service department where our Sienna got an oil change.  After 5400+ miles on the road it was time for a little maintenance! Liz set up her office briefly in the waiting room while the car was being worked on, and the kids took some time to read their books. We were so grateful to find a Toyota dealership in town where we knew we would be

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After sleeping for about 2 hours, David and I headed over to the Louisville Airport where David departed for California.  He would finish his cross-country trip the fast way--on an airplane where he would land in Oakland, CA, only six hours later.  The rest of the family will now continue the westward drive without him.  We miss him already!After sleeping in, we finally were on the road and drove

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As promised, we returned to Marion, IN, so we could sing for the congregation at Aunt Anna's church, Immanuel Baptist, on Sunday morning.  The family sang "I'd Rather Have Jesus," and then Liz and David sang "How Great Thou Art" and "Immanuel's Land." We also shared our testimonies of how we came to know the Lord Jesus Christ.After church, we were joined by Pastor & Mrs. Kughen and Joe & Debbie

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We started the day by heading for Niagara Falls.  We were already experiencing the humidity of the area, but as we got closer to the roar of the falls, the air seemed to thicken with each step.  Wow!  Although we were not able to go into Canada to see the falls from that side, the American Falls were spectacular nonetheless.  Does anyone know which Great Lakes the water is falling from then into?

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While the Davis boys spent the morning at their homeschool co-op classes, the FitzGerald kids did some of their own school classes and practiced the piano.  When the boys returned home, all the kids started enjoying the games and toys of the household.The breakfast of champions!Liz got to work on filling the mail orders that had been coming in since last weekend.  We dug out the bins from the van

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Surprise!  We drove today from Columbus, Ohio, along Lake Erie, through the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, and into New York.  We are staying at the home of Gary & Kathy Davis in Rochester, NY.  David and Gary were Industrial Design students at Syracuse University back in the 1980's.  The kids have settled in quite nicely with the Davis boys (Garrison, Ben & Will) and enjoyed an evening at

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We started the day by driving a short distance to Petersburg, KY, home of the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum.  This was a long-awaited visit, as we've been eager to see this place ever since we heard of its opening last year.John decided to get into the mood as we entered the Museum.  Here is a picture of him posing inside a dinosaur sculpture out front.Bunny thought she'd also pose with one

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We left Lebanon and headed for the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.  We were here six years ago and promised we would return some day.  While Liz parked in the cafe working on accounting and answering emails, David and the kids explored all five levels of the wonderful children's learning center.  Hope you enjoy the video we made of the day.Driving through Indianapolis to find an Applebee's

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We picked up Anna at her house and took her out to breakfast at the Cracker Barrel.  She posed with Shannon in front of the house before we left her for the day.  The plan is to see her again next weekend.We drove back across Highway 26 to West Lafayette and the home of Liz's Aunt Janet, her dad's sister.  Her husband John used his mower to cut the grass in between rain showers.As we were walking

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Lee waved "good-bye" to us from the townhouse in Sycamore as we headed off to visit Aunt Anna in Marion, Indiana.At one point we got caught at a railroad crossing.  Turning off the engine of the car, we waited for the train to pass--all 142 cars of it!  We estimated the train was about 2/3 of a mile long.Everywhere we went, the towns each had their own water tower.  Lee had explained to us that

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Liz worked at the book table downstairs. She spent part of Saturday filling the mail orders that had been coming in since the family left on the trip.The two trainers, Lee Bradford & Liz FitzGerald.Lee demonstrated how to dictate spelling words.Liz enjoyed working with the ladies on their Master Teachers' Logs, the best way to learn how to teach SWR!Meanwhile, David and the kids ventured into

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This morning started out with David dropping off Liz and Lee at the church for the seminar. Then he headed back to the townhouse where he and the kids had devotions, completed some school classes, did some laundry, and just basically rested. After the seminar, we headed over to Huntley--only about 45 minutes away--to meet Uncle Grant and Aunt Harriet. They took us to the Golden Corral, an

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We enjoyed baked oatmeal for breakfast.  Wow!  I had to get that recipe from Melissa!Morning P.E. on the trampoline.Bunny took a jump on the trampoline with Veronica and Shannon.Liz and Melissa posed out front just before we left.The Ramirez and FitzGerald children.Sadly, we had to say "good-bye" to our friends and continue on our way.  The kids were discussing all the things they wanted to do in

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One of the things we have enjoyed about our trip thus far is the lack of traffic.  We've had wide open roads, and sometimes we have been all alone on our stretch of highway.  The country roads have been beautiful, but occasionally they have offered views other than farm lands and pastures.  This morning we had to pull over to the side of the road as a house passed by.  Yes, a house!  As it was

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We woke to bright, shining sunlight although it was still quite chilly.  We filled up the cooler with more ice, enjoyed Belgium waffles in the motel, and talked with the office staff about stuffed animals who join travelers on road trips.Within only 30 miles, we traveled past amazing land formations, green fields, barren rocky landscape, and lots of cattle grazing.  Wyoming is not only beautiful

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We woke to a glorious morning with crisp, mountain air!Come to find out, the owner of our cabins had grown up at the beautiful farm right next to where our lodging was nestled in the mountains.  Today, he lives in Vacaville, CA, only an hour's drive from our home.  Bunny enjoyed watching the cows grazing on the rich, green grass.Per the owners' suggestion, we ended up taking the mountain route

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Bunny has come along for the ride and is quite excited about all the places she will be visiting. She had a good night's sleep just like Shannon.We woke early, enjoyed a continental breakfast at our motel, and spent a little time reshuffling the contents of the car where we're sitting.  Since we're going to be spending so much time in the car, we need to have certain things accessible and other

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Hey, everyone!  Get out your USA map and follow us on our cross-country adventure!  Try to find on your map each one of the places we mention.  Some of them will be obvious while others will be more remote.  Also, try to guess where we'll be going the next day before we post.After waiting all day, the kids were finally in the car ready to leave.  Amazingly, David was able to get everything to fit

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For the past couple years we've been trying to figure out how to get back to Indiana & Illinois to visit Liz's extended family.  We haven't been back there since 2002, six years ago!  The children were only 9, 7, and 4 at the time.  Since summer is Liz's busiest season for her seminars and the mail orders coming in through her web site, a summer vacation has been out of the question.  However,

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We're finally heading out and are on the road.  We left 10 hrs later than planned, but the car is loaded to the gills and our happy children are enjoying a movie in the backseat while we head for Reno, NV.  Our intention was to make it to Twin Falls, ID, by bed time.  We may end up driving through the night so we can get on our schedule.  Of course, catching up on sleep in Yellowstone is not our

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