What a year!

Click on the picture above for our complete year at a glance with photos. When you get to the bottom of the page, click "Older Posts" link to continue.

• We started the year by making huge progresses on our home renovations. We continued much progress through the whole year.
• Kelsie (our oldest) turned 18, and graduated from High School.
• Kelsie moved to Cleveland, Tennessee to attend her first year of college.
• Kirk retired from the Navy after 20 years of service. He is currently flying for a civilian contractor working with the Army in Afghanistan flying surveillance missions.
• Kirk is hoping to fulfill his dream job in the new year with a commercial airline.
• Andrew turns 16 and is working on getting his driver's licence.

We close the chapter of this year, 2011, with thankful hearts. God is forever sovereign and faithful in our lives; He has revealed that to us many times this year. His plans are always perfect even though we don't always understand them. The LORD asks us to simply trust Him with all our hearts. As we begin 2012, we look forward to His direction with an attitude of hope and adventure towards what the future holds as He directs our paths.

May God bless YOU, as well as all our friends, and our family as we share in the goodness of 2012 and the Hope that is yet to come!

Family Updates

Life has a way of sneaking by and before we know it, time has passed and we're getting ready to start a new year!

My family has had four Birthdays (Andrew, Teri, Jessie and Kirk), several holidays, and random happenings since my last "family" update post in August when Kelsie left for college. So with that said, I dare not start 2012 without finishing 2011 with our year end Wymore happenings and family updates.

SEPTEMBER~

Andrew turns 16...

... and is surprised with a "stang"

(2001 V6 Mustang, stick shift- the not so fast model).

He also got a shotgun for his birthday.

Andrew likes to hunt birds and target shoot.

Andrew earned his letter man jacket last year for varsity swimming, but received it early his 10 grade school year.

OCTOBER~

Jessie turns 10!

We celebrated with a small family party.

Pumpkin carving~

Jessie and a few friends carve for part of the fun for a sleep-over.

Halloween 2011

NOVEMBER~

Andrew tries on Kirk's Army issued bullet proof armor since he has aspirations to someday go into the military. Kirk went through training with his new job in September-October and was issued this vest for his time flying in Afghanistan as a civilian flying Army C-12's. Kirk's first rotation to Afghanistan started mid-November and he came home mid December.

Jessie plays soccer on the Padre Thunder team.

Since dad was away, Andrew was in charge of cooking the turkey for Thanksgiving; the job Kirk usually does.

Joe helped make the Pumpkin Pie. Jessie also helped.

(notice the newly renovated kitchen compared to past posts? I have not officially posted before and after photos, but Kirk and I have recently completed the dining and kitchen areas and will post comparison photos soon.)

DECEMBER~

Decorating their individual Christmas trees that go in their bedrooms.

The kids posed in front of the Dining Room Christmas tree to send to their dad in an email while he's away~

He'll be home for Christmas Dec 13-Jan 5 !!!

Jessie and Joe on the last week of school the day of their Christmas Concert.

After school they receive a special gift from Kirk in Afghanistan...

A Christmas book with a DVD of Kirk reading the very same book (notice the computer screen of Kirk sitting in a chair reading). The USO provided this service to parents (a book with a DVD of the deployed parent reading the book) who have younger kids back in the states.

Andrew had several swim meets over Christmas break and practices most every day. Andrew's Men's 200 Free Relay Team are focused and set to break the school record (1.34:08) this year!

COOKIE MAKING TIME!

Christmas Eve~

CHRISTMAS DAY 2011~

We enjoyed Christmas Day together in the quietness of our home.

Kelsie finds the first Christmas Pickle hidden in the tree.

An Old World Christmas tradition- after all the gifts are open from under the Christmas tree, the kids begin to hunt for the hidden Christmas Pickle (an ornament). The first child to find the hidden ornament will enjoy a blessed year and receive a special gift.

At our house, we let each child find a pickle (we hide four pickle ornaments between two trees) and each child gets a little gift after they find their pickle.

The boys are still looking!

Joe is very close.

Yeah! Teri gets the cement mixer she'd hoped for. She loved making "mud". There's a lot of work to be done outside with our home renovation and this machine will come in handy (save time and her back)!

We wondered where all the ice from the ice machine was going... HERE IT IS!!! Joe was trying to make "snow" on the sidewalk by crushing ice cubes with a brick. The problem is, it's 78 degrees out side and the "snow" is melting almost as fast as he makes his "snow".

MEMORY VERSE #23

A great verse to remember this time of the year when many people (myself included) are tempted to spend more money than they can afford on Christmas gift giving. Also a great reminder to continue the debt "to love one another"... this is the only debt God wants us to always carry.

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”
(Romans 13:8 NIV)

SSMT #23

My family and I have been faithful in saving cash through the year in our "Christmas Pig" (a holiday decorated piggy bank). Whatever dollar amount is in the Pig the day after Thanksgiving (when we count it) is the cash we will spend on Christmas gifts and Christmas donations to needy families. This method has worked great for us over the years. Having the cash on hand has helped us not be tempted to accumulate a bunch of uncontrollable credit card debt during the Christmas season!

Follow the Leader~ Memory Verses 21 and 22

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you..."

My husband is in Afghanistan for a short time on a job flying (as a civilian contract worker) with the US Army. During his first 24 hours on Afghan soil he heard two separate siren alerts followed by mortar explosions in the distance. The reality of "where he was" hit him hard. Because of modern day technology, I was able to talk with him (skype) during this time and heard first hand about this new location he'll be staying in. As we talked, I not only heard the unrest in his voice, but also saw the emotions in his face. He looked alone and afraid; I felt helpless.

As we talked I remembered Psalm 91 and emailed it to my hubby for encouragement and comfort. His email back to me was filled with gratitude for God's plan and protection. My hubby shared a verse God led him to from Deuteronomy 31:6. He thanked me for sending Psalm 91 and said God's truth gives him everything he needs to keep going each day with confidence despite the fear of the danger around him. Here's Deuteronomy 31:6~

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV ~ SSMT #21 ~ Memory Verse for Nov. 1-14)

My hubby and I trust our Lord in all things and know that when God brings us to a situation in life, He will also bring us through it if we let Him. I love how the Lord "goes before us" and is always "with us" as states in my memory verse for this next two weeks, November 15-30, Deuteronomy 31:8~

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV ~ SSMT #22)

I know my husband is where God needs him to be to grow us both in our faith and to fulfill His Mighty purposes. I'm encouraged to know we don't have to be afraid during this time because we are following the Maker of Heaven and Earth who promises to "never leave us, nor forsake us". We can trust Him as we follow and obey Him; His Word and Promises are always true.

PRAYER: Lord, protect every person who is in Afghanistan and any foreign country for that matter putting their lives in danger for the well being of others. I think of everyone from the soldiers to missionaries sharing the Gospel. Lord, show them Your power through Your presence in their every day. I pray You give them hope in full doses showing them mercy and grace. Thank You, Lord for your Word and your Promises! Lifted in Jesus Name~ AMEN.

UGH!

I'm a "glass half full" kind of gal. I challenge myself to find the positive in every negative. However, I've realized there are certain things in my life that I have trouble finding the positive. No matter how I look at it, these things make me want to yell, "UGH"!!!

• Scooping dog poop from the yard (we have a German Shepherd, and she has BIG poop).
• Trying to peel a boiled egg that refuses to be pealed.
• Fire ant bites, chigger bites, mosquito bites... ANY bug bite that hurt or itch.
• Going to the dentist for any kind of dental work (I know~ there's a lot of positive to fixing my teeth... but still- "UGH!").
• Slow motion grocery store check out lines (especially when I have ice cream in the cart).
• The outrageous price of toilet paper. (Maybe I should look into a bidet?... how many trees would we save not using toilet paper... how much $$$ would my 6 person household save a year?... not to mention all the times my kids plug the septic line with using too much tp... Hummm)
• People who throw lit cigarette butts out their car window while driving (somewhat common in Corpus and YES, the start of many of our fires!).

This is a list of my "UGHS".

How about you?

Any things make me want to yell, "UGH"!!!

MEMORY VERSE #20

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

SSMT #20

Our Popcorn Ball Tradition!

When I was a child I remember a little old lady up the road from where I grew up give out home-made popcorn balls every Halloween to those who visited her house for "trick-or-treating". They were delicious, about the size of an adult fist wrapped in clear wrap tied with a ribbon. This was about 40 years ago when we didn't worry about getting homemade goodies in our trick or treat bag in fear of drugs or sharp objects hidden inside.

About ten years ago as I was sharing memories with my own children, I had a flashback of this fond memory. I searched my Betty Crocker Cookbook (1982 printing) for a recipe that sounded like what we would get from the little old lady up the street. I found "Caramel Popcorn Balls" and believe I found a close match if not the same recipe!

I started a tradition of making Popcorn Balls in the month of October & only in the month of October. This tradition was unintended the first year, but has become a family favorite as the years have passed. This year, my 9 year old was quick to ask me on October 1, "mom, can we make popcorn balls, today?"... and that's what we did! (in the past week and a half, I've made three separate batches.)

Caramel Popcorn Balls

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup butter (1 cube)

1 teaspoon salt

21-28 cups of popcorn (about 3-4 regular sized micro-popped corn; each popped bag yields about 7 cups of popcorn)

Directions

Pop popcorn. *(I use two different bowls to sort the popcorn; one to initially dump the newly popped corn into, then a second to transfer the popcorn by hand over to ensure any unpopped seed get left in the first bowl. No one wants to break a tooth on a popcorn kernel!)

Heat brown sugar, dark corn syrup,butter and salt in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, at medium heat. Bring to a boil and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and wait about 1 minute to add to popcorn. Drizzle over the top and stir completely. Cool slightly.

Dip both hands in a bowl of cold ice water until very cold; lightly pat dry on dish towel.

Shape mixture into 2-3 inch balls. Place on waxed paper; cool completely.

Store wrapped individually in plastic wrap or in plastic sandwich bags; tie bags to seal. For a seasonal touch, I add halloween stickers to the outside of the wrapped popcorn ball.

Enjoy!!!

The Power of NOW~ MEMORY VERSE #19

The Lord has been working on me lately in the area of putting things off. I know I'm not a procrastinator by nature, but lately I've been challenged in not prioritizing certain things and falling back on the excuse, "I can do it tomorrow". My "tomorrows" have strung in to a long list of sad yesterdays. Can you relate?

My next memory verse for Oct. 1-15 is Deuteronomy 30:11. This verse will remind me that the things God has called me to do to serve Him, He commands me to obey Him NOW, and TODAY (not tomorrow or yesterday). It's like giving Him the gift of my time and sense of urgency in His kingdom priorities; being more God-centered than self-centered. He gives me power and encouragement through Scripture in obeying Him now and today... and, there's blessing behind every act of obedience- I know it and EXPECT IT!

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. (emphasis mine) DT 30:11 (NIV) SSMT #19

Getting dressed... MEMORY VERSE #17 & #18

Having just spent the last 10 weeks camped out in the "Beatitudes", it's a new day to be moving to another area of Scripture that God has laid on my heart to memorize.

5... All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:5-7 (NIV)
SSMT #17 & #18

I love the visual of "clothing" myself every morning with humility (putting others first) so that I may receive a fresh dose of favor from God (in other Bible translations "favor" is translated, "grace" or "blessing"). We all need His amazing grace! Verses 6 and 7 remind me to simply, "let go, let God". My study Bible states: "Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passivity. Don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls the circumstances."

These verses come at such an appropriate time; not only do they minister to me in my everyday life application, but they are also nuggets of encouragement to keep reminding my hubby Kirk as he transitions from his military career to civilian. Kirk has been a bit anxious with leaving the familiar routine of flying in the Navy to the unknowns of what lies ahead. He himself is filling his mind with verses about trusting God and not being anxious which has helped him stay focused on God's plan for him and be at peace. Kirk is officially out of the Navy October 1, and has been blessed with a new (temporary) flying job; Kirk is in training for this new job right now flying special missions out of the country for chunks of time (OEF). He is thankful God has provided a temporary job, but this was not the job he had in mind or dreamed of upon getting out of the Navy. Kirk and I hold onto God's promise in Jeremiah 29:11. Please keep Kirk in your prayers as the Lord might bring him to your mind, that he trusts God's plans for his flying career, that he is at peace with what lies ahead and remembers to DAILY, "let go, let God. "

Graduation, Birthday, & Retirement...

Family Updates~ Summer 2011

Where has the summer gone... it seems like it was just May, and now it's already August! I reflect on the summer 2011 that has been filled with many memories, fun times, and life changes.

Our oldest, Kelsie, Graduates from High School with honors!

May 2011

Kelsie graduates as Salutatorian with friend Cassidy, Valedictorian. (Their High School had approximately 250 graduating Seniors)

Kelsie did awesome on her speech. She didn't share what she was going to say with us until we heard it first hand at the graduation; her speech was heart warming and God honoring. We are so proud of her and the woman she is becoming.

Kelsie's Grandma and Grandpa came from Oregon state to share in her special occasion!

Joe, our youngest, turns 7!!! July 9.

Fun Times at the Beach!

Kelsie and Jessie have morbid fun. (hint: one big hole, one smaller hole, and just the perfect camera angle)

...feeding the seagulls is always fun.

Kirk and I celebrated our 23 wedding anniversary this summer...

Can you believe we met on a blind date in the summer of 1983 and have been together ever since!

(a total of 28 years)

First Day of School, July 18th.

Jessie (4th grade), Joe (2nd grade), Andrew (10th grade)

Kelsie not pictured, will be starting college classes August 24.

Our little fixer upper house is surrounded by farm fields; this season the harvest is cotton! We took a bunch of pictures to include one in this year's Christmas cards.

Kirk ends his 20 year military career with his last flight as a Navy Pilot/Flight Instructor on July 22. The last flight is called a "Finny Flight".

Kirk ends his Navy career in a TC-12 with a total of over 5,500 multiengine flight hours.

His multiengine time as a Navy Pilot also includes flying the P-3 and T-34.

The tradition of a finny flight is to water down the pilot as he departs the plane; usually with a fire hose as we did here. As his family, we took the honor to hose him!

Another tradition is to spray the pilot down with champaign. Kirk's Navy buddies did this honor.

After all the hoopla outside, we went to the hanger for a simple retirement ceremony. Kirk's "official" retirement is October 1, but since this was his "finny flight", he opted to have his ceremony at this point to include his Navy buddies from the Reserve Department.

Kirk is honored by his Squadron~ he receives several certificates, a Meritorious Service Medal, a Photo Board signed by his Navy buddies, and this very neat shadow box.

We all got certificates of recognition, but the man of honor is Kirk Roman Wymore!

We are so proud of you, Kirk.

Now that Kirk is retiring from the Navy, his hope is to continue to fly as a civilian pilot (God providing the perfect flying job for him). We also hope to invest in rental properties and possibly a couple flip houses.

Remodeling our "fixer upper" has consumed much of our time in between our family events this summer. The day after Kirk's "finny flight" (Sat, July 23) we began demolition on our kitchen which has turned into a project much like a full-time job! ...thank goodness Kirk is on paid vacation for the next couple month so we can work on the house full time!

In two truck loads we discarded our entire kitchen (minus the appliances which are all in new & good condition and will be re-used). Renovation Updates- "AFTER" pictures on Living Room, Hallways, Dining Room and Kitchen will be posted on this blog soon.

Kelsie getting ready for her road trim to College; she willll be attending Lee University in Tennessee. God blessed Kelsie (and us, her parents) with a "Centennial Scholarship" (full tuition paid for qualifying ACT test score). Kelsie has also been accepted in the Lee Honors Program (1 of 22 students out of 900 incoming freshman). Kelsie plans to explore the Medical and Christian Ministries fields- double majoring in Health Sciences to someday become a PA and also in Spanish, minor in Theology.

...getting her bedroom packed up.

will it all fit in her car? It's a tight fit, for sure!

Tennessee or BUST~ Kelsie and her Dad hit the road early (6:30 am) Wednesday for a long 2 days of driving. Kirk will attend parent orientation and several other events while Kelsie registers for classes, meets her new room-mate, and gets settled in her new college life. Kirk will fly home Sunday morning.

Kelsie loves her new school already!

Classes for our new College Freshman begin August 24, 2011.