The Downing 5

Finally....The First Game of the Season!

2009-06-18T21:46:00.011-04:00

After many cancelled practices and games, Little Dude finally had his first game. They played awesome and won. Final Score 22-10. He did great! All that practicing with his sisters paid off

On DeckUp to Bat

Swings and Hits

Rounding Third And He Scores! Our MVP!

Playing Pitcher

One game down....a zillion more to go!

Parents Day Out

2009-05-17T20:37:00.007-04:00

Pookie Bear and I got away for a day and stopped by this museum. It was interesting, but the best part was walking around outside and having him pose for pictures. He He!

A Trip to the Dentist

2009-03-23T16:14:00.009-04:00

Oh my goodness! I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted. Where has the time gone???? Things have been crazy around here. As many of you know, Pookie Bear lost his job, so I have been working as many hours as possible. God has been so good to us through this time. Our bills are paid, we have food on the table and attitudes are good. We have never felt His love like this before.

Today the kids went to the dentist. I was at work so Pookie sent some pictures to my phone. I couldn't resist putting them on here!

First up is Tootie. Here she is after a pulled tooth, a filling and a cap.

Thirty minutes later it's still numb!

Check out the smile...cracks me up!

Now it's Little Dude's turn for a filling and cap.

Again, 30 minutes later the lip is still numb!

Last, but not least is Twirl Girl.

And, the cool lip!

I wonder if they would have been so willing to pose if they knew I was putting the pictures here?!?!?!

Father's Love Letter

2009-01-22T21:30:00.003-05:00

There are times in our lives that we just need a reminder about how much our Father really does love us. This is one of those times for our family.

Fun in the Snow

2009-01-10T11:41:00.003-05:00

After breakfast (blueberry french toast - YUMM-O) the kids got bundled up and went outside to play. Here's a few pictures of the activity. Next up, sledding at Hogan's Hill!

Lucy is not amused!

Emily and the Shermanotor!

The kids and Sherman (Shhh...don't tell them they are laying where the dogs go potty!)

The Wig

2008-12-19T09:41:00.005-05:00

We bought Tootie a Hannah Montana wig for $1.00 at Wal-mart a few weeks ago. Who would have thought it would be so popular. (All of these pictures were taken on my very popular with the kids cell phone - next post will show you just how popular!)

(this one is just plain weird!)

2008-12-12T11:05:00.006-05:00

Have You Ever?

I'm playing along with Shaggabear and Rachel.

The things I've done are in bold.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world (really want to!)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (it was not pretty!)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (would like to!)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (does a greyhound bus count?)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (bad decision!)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (shhhh!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (another bad decision!)
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (does a dinner cruise count?)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (working on it!)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke (again - not pretty!)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (it was a pencil sketch - same thing right?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen (getting info for us to do that!)
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason (I love my Pookie Bear!)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (thanks to TwirlGirl!)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (overrated!)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (tried to!)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Want to play along? Copy and paste and leave me a comment so I know you did.

New Ornaments

2008-12-01T12:10:00.009-05:00

Every year we purchase and/or make ornaments for our Christmas tree. We have so many handmade ornaments and each one holds a special memory. We plan on giving the children their ornaments once they have homes of their own. This year we found some cute ones that fit each child perfectly. Hopefully, we find time to make some this year too (been thinking about punched tin).

This is Twirlgirl's.

It is a flute. She has been playing the flute for 2 years and loves it!
This is Little Dude's.

It is a guitar. He started taking lessons a few months ago and loves his guitar.

This is Tootie's.

It is a bottle of nailpolish. The girl is hooked on lip gloss, nail polish and anything else girly!

Sorry about the picture quality. I took these real quick with my camera phone.

Happy Birthday Twirlgirl!!!

2008-11-10T11:15:00.017-05:00

I can't believe my sweet little girl is 13!!! Time is flying by way too fast. First she started Jr. High and now this. God has used this little girl to teach her mommy and daddy so much! Below is a list of some of our most valuable lessons.

He taught us about the miracle of His Healing Power - Without that she wouldn't even be here!

He taught us about Prayer - We would have been completely helpless to protect this life inside my womb without it

He taught us about Faith - There is no way to face doctors concerns and statements on your own strength - Faith is the only thing that got us through

He taught us about Hope - There is a Hope and it is found believing in Him no matter what happens

He taught us about Trust - Without it the day after day of bedrest would have been unbearable, but we trusted

He taught us about Patience - Minute by Minute, Day by Day, Month by Month

He taught us about the Calm of His Presence - That is where we listened

He taught us about Selflessness - It's not about us

And most of all He taught us that God has a sense of humor and He will give you a child that acts exactly like you!

NEW LAYOUT

2008-10-30T20:02:00.002-04:00

Many Thanks to Shaggabear and Mama Lily for sharing the website for their new blog layouts. We were so excited to change ours up a bit. There are endless possibilities. Because I have trouble making decisions (you should see me with a menu at a restaurant...aaugh!), my Pookie Bear told me to use the fall them. (He likes to boss me around like that!) I have to admit it looks pretty good. I Can't wait for Christmas layouts...I bet the options will be endless, which means many hours pondering designs - oh the pressure. But, not to worry my Pookie Bear will swoop in to save the day and just tell me to Pick That One!

Yard Work

2008-10-22T13:24:00.011-04:00

We spent the day Sunday working in the yard! We mowed, weed wacked, cut down branches, pulled up the last of the garden and tore out a few rose bushes. I can't believe how much more we still have to do. Here are some pictures that were taken with my phone of all the hard work!

Here's where Tootie and Little Dude started to fight over the rake! (Stop fighting! There is plenty of rakes and hard work to go around for everyone!)
Hmmm - I wonder where my Pookie Bear is?

We ended our day with a nice hot fire. We cooked out hot dogs and roasted marshmallows with some of our newly cut branches!

And playing on the trampoline! (All four kids!)

Little Dude's Top 10

2008-10-17T15:30:00.007-04:00

Little Dude is turning 10 on Monday. So, in honor of his birthday, I am going to list the top ten reasons he is the best little boy ever. (Please note that these are in no particular order! Although #10 is one of my favorites!)

1. He is a sweet boy with a good heart

2. He love to get hugs and to give them no matter where we are at

3. He is quirky (but not too quirky-just the right amount of quirkiness)

4. He is a cuddle bug and will get up extra early just for the chance to crawl in bed with mommy and or daddy and snuggle under the covers

5. He is very creative and likes to invent things that we periodically find attached to something in the house. On any given day you can find a new invention attached to a tree in our backyard. Everything he makes has a specific purpose behind it. He has an awesome imaginiation and draws well.

6. He puts up with ALOT from his sisters and takes it pretty well

7. He is funny - He gets jokes and likes to make people laugh. He will entertain people with the I'm melting scene from the wizard of oz or some other line he's picked up along the way. Watch out for his break dancin moves too!

8. He loves God and tries hard to implement what he learns into his life. He strives to always make good choices and think of others first!

9. He looks (and acts!) like his daddy!

10. He loves his mommy!

Renewal Cake

2008-09-21T09:49:00.004-04:00

Eddie's mom and dad (my aunt and uncle) are having their vow renewal today. I volunteered to make one of the cakes for it (I am notorious for volunteering to do extra things then stressing about it, but that's a whole other post!). Here's how the cake turned out. Not perfect (I wanted to use fondit but they wouldn't let me!) , but still pretty!

Gold Rush Days

2008-09-17T20:35:00.011-04:00

Pookie Bear's family reunion was Labor Day weekend in Bellville, Ohio. It took place at the annual Gold Rush Days Festival on a River. We weren't sure what to expect, but everyone had a great time. Here's a few pictures of our fun day there!

Pookie's OLD-er Sister Starting to Dig (note PB older brother in the background - Pookie wants everyone to notice how gray and old he looks compared to PB and they are 18 months apart!)

PB OLD-er brother showing the kids how to pan for gold

Kids trying out their new panning skills

Even PB tried his hand at it

(but it didn't last long because ones feet tend to go to sleep when you are in this position for an extended amount of time - Just Sayin!)

Somewhere in this picture is Tootie's fleck of gold

(according to Uncle Don she only needs 999 more flecks to make an ounce - Seriously - who has the time for all that work!)

Soon the kids were bored and in the water (the seriously gross water!) Except Twirlgirl - she is way too mature to go in there! (plus she was not about to have wet underwear on for the rest of the day!)

Next is face painting (which lasted a total of 5 minutes because they jumped back into the water!)

It was a great day but it left one major question that still needs answered!

Is that the same forehead?

(Pookie wants everyone to note once more that he is 18 months younger than his brother and he thinks he looks fabulous for 40-almost 41)

Mommy's Babies

2008-09-15T20:28:00.016-04:00

I have been going through pictures on our computer looking for things to post from the summer and realized there were a lot of interesting pictures of our kids. I am now wondering if we have any normal pictures to post! So, I thought I would share the best of the best with everyone!

But seriously, we are getting ready to post some updates now that we have another computer and all our pictures downloaded! Stay tuned!!!!

We Have Veggies!

2008-06-26T10:23:00.007-04:00

WOW! It's been a long time since my last post...how time flies! We planted a garden this year. Not a big garden, but a decent size for us! This whole week we have enjoyed the first fruits (or veggies) of our labor. We have radishes and green onions. They are delish but a little hotter than store bought. Also, yesterday we found the first signs of our peppers!

Kitchen Floor #2

2008-04-21T16:06:00.004-04:00

Okay, so the old floor is up!

(Isn't Charlie so cute!)

And the new floor is down!

There is just one itty bitty problem..................When you turn around this is what you see!

Stay tuned! For the final results!

Kitchen Floor

2008-04-18T11:37:00.004-04:00

Thursday Night I tripped on the linoleum going into the kitchen. It was in that brief moment that I thought it would be a great time to rip up the worn out, ripped up floor. So I got down on the floor and starting pulling, tugging and cutting away at the floor. Twirlgirl came in and took pity on her poor mom and got down on the floor to help! We got it all pretty much up in record time. Here's a picture I took and sent to Pookie Bear to surprise him (ha ha ha).

By the time this was all done I was too tired to clean this up on my own! So, I called in backups. This is what I saw coming into the kitchen! Pretty funny!

Stay tuned for future pictures of our new floor getting done this weekend!!!

Meggie Mouth

2008-03-27T09:54:00.004-04:00

What a CRAZY Week! Spring Break is here and I have been working the whole time. My boss decided to have surgery on Tuesday - and guess who is covering!!! Anyway, we've let the kids have friends over all week. They have been playing games constantly and just hanging out. At least their getting rested up! So, last night Meggie came over and hung out with us. She has a tendency to get a little bored. To keep her entertained I started to take pictures of her with my cell phone. I thought I would share my two favorites with you. By the way, I have come up with a new term - Meggie Mouth! To be kind - here is the after shot....she's definately becoming a cute little (still obnoxious) teenie girl!

The Prayer That Never Ends

2008-01-28T20:32:00.000-05:00

Our little princess loves to pray. She always prays from her heart and says the most beautiful things. Sometimes she gets a little long winded. (I think that comes from Pookie!). Her sister and brother try very hard to be patient, but when your sleepy it can be difficult.

So here's a picture of when she starts (Notice how angelic!)
And when she ends (you never know who will be the last one standing!)

What Snoopy Thinks of Snow

2008-01-03T20:52:00.001-05:00

Little Dude's Artwork

2007-11-19T12:12:00.000-05:00

Little Dude was one of (15) 3rd. graders to have their artwork picked to be on display at the courthouse. Since school was let out early on Friday, I took the kids up to see it. They were supposed to create a harvest picture. The funny thing was that all the pictures looked pretty much the same. The officer at the courthouse joked that you can tell who lived in the city by how many ears of corn they had on their stalks! Congrats Little Dude...I think you had the best cornstalks, pumpkins and black birds!!!!

Pookie Bear Turns 40

2007-11-13T12:53:00.000-05:00

My dear pookie bear turned 40 on Monday! He is so excited! (I can't even imagine!) His mom and oldest sister decorated the front of our house. These pictures do not do it justice. There was an inflatable walker with a panic button (hilarious!), signs all over, caution tape and dangling 40's everywhere. He Loved it. His picture was also in Monday's paper...check it out if you get the local paper. I'll post more photos later of our awesome celebration in Chicago!!! We had a blast (from the past literally!!!)

Carmel Apples

2007-11-06T12:08:00.001-05:00

Every year we make carmel apples with the kids. This year we added nuts, mini m&m's, chocolate chips and sprinkles to them. The kids had a blast and everyone enjoyed their gooey snack. Note...Princess accessorized her Daddy for the picture!

That Time of Year Again!

2007-10-31T15:02:00.000-04:00

It is Halloween once again. A time to divide people into 3 catergories - those who do celebrate, those who don't and those who just celebrate the fun stuff. Our family has chosen to be a don't. This year we have had more comments made to us about our stance than any other. So, I thought - why not post about it! As children Pookie Bear and I came from families that celebrated Halloween. We went Trick or Treating practically every year. Our church even had Halloween parties inside the sanctuary (yikes-can you imagine!). As teens we went to a few parties, but pretty much never felt like it was something we wanted to do. As parents, we really wanted to not just ban Halloween on the "Because I said so" philosophy, but to give our kids actual reasons behind it (which we do every year). It doesn't matter how much you try to sugar coat the holiday and tell yourself your only doing the fun part of it - the evilness of this day is real. When we begin to compromise we open the door to the enemy to continue to compromise. Once we have allowed our child to be introduced to demonic activity (which happens to many children on Halloween whether it was in doing something fun or not) we have to answer for it. Pookie Bear and I are not perfect parents. We make a lot of mistakes (believe me a lot!). We don't think we are better than anyone else - Far from it! But, this issue rests heavy on our hearts. As Christian parents we need to seek God first on whether this is something He wants us to have our children participate in. The enemy wants only to devour our children - the last thing we need to do is open a door and make it any easier for him under the disguise of "It's all in fun!".

Duff Cake

2007-10-22T11:56:00.000-04:00

Our kids love "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network. It is a show about "Duff" the owner of "Charm City Cakes". He makes the most unusual cakes I have ever seen. They are always making their cakes bigger and better that anyone else. Well, a few weeks ago they had a 5 tiered cake with a hang loose hand on top. Josh kept saying how awesome it was. Then a few days later he handed me a drawing he made of the same cake and said that's what he wanted for his birthday. So, my mind begins to churn out ideas. Since I always make the kids' cakes every year to whatever theme they want I figured I better come up with something good for him. Which led me to my first time use of Fondint. That is one unusual product. It's like edible playdough...way weird...but very effective! After an hour of decorating this is what I came up with. He loved it and was impressed with mom for a minute. Another year older for Josh, another year mom came through and a whole year for him to come up with something even harder for the next one!!!
'

Cleansing Streams

2007-10-01T10:37:00.000-04:00

This coming weekend Pookie Bear and I will once again be going to Pennsylvania to the Cleansing Stream Retreat. This will be our third time in one year. I am always feeling anxious about this time. On one hand I can't wait to go and on the other I am dreading the preparation and kid shuffling that has to be done.

Cleansing Streams is an amazing deliverance ministry that has not only changed my life but many others around me. We love facilitating the classes and having God use us in ways we never thought possible. God is chipping away at me and reforming me into the daughter He wants me to be. It has been hard and very painful at times but so worth it.

So, as we get ready for another journey please pray for us, our families, all the participants this weekend - and that Pookie Bear doesn't get us lost on the way home!!!!!!!

Frustrated Blogger

2007-09-24T12:00:00.001-04:00

Yes I am a Frustrated Blogger. I thought it would be so easy to keep up with posting. I had dreams of taking awesome pictures and writing witty stories to go with them. But, to my disappointment, that has not happened. I take lots of pictures on our new digital camera (thanks to Pookie Bear's Bonus!). Then, I try to upload the pics. It never works for me or the computer locks up. So, I give up, turn the computer off and walk away feeling like a complete blogging failure!!!! But, today is a new day and I am determined to conquer this thing. I will somehow someway someday get pictures on our blog!!!!

What we did this summer

2007-08-23T20:08:00.000-04:00

With school quickly approaching I thought it might be kinda fun to remember all the things that happened this summer. So here's a list of the top 20 in no particular order:

1. We built a fire pit for daddy
2. I had my 36th birthday (no tears this year!)
3. We got a new puppy
4. Our church picnic
5. Zoo
6. COSI
7. Great Lakes Science Center
8. Experienced our first Renassaince Festival (that was a little strange)
9. KENNYWOOD
10. Mansoon Lagoon
11. Cedar Point
12. African Wildlife Safari
13. Swimming at Grandma and Papa's
14. Lots of Parades
15. Kids changed their first flat tire
16. Joshua caught his first fish
17. Went to the Mama Lily's Bash of the year (otherwise known as their vow renewal)
18. Pet Stingrays
19. Spent a ridiculous amount of time and money tracking down school supplies for 3 kids
20. Started a blog

So, that's a pretty good look at our summer vacation. I think I'll start putting some pictures up of the different events...some are pretty cute...a couple are hilarious (Just think...Pookie Bear, bucket on his head, a blow-up sword, a princess and a fake water blowing water dinosaur!)

Hello Everyone

2007-07-27T11:29:00.000-04:00

We have finally decided to join the rest of the world and start a blog. It will definately be a work in progress. Between working, home, kids, sports, school, dogs and life there just isnt' a lot of time left. And, to be honest, we have no idea what we're doing yet!!! So, check back and see what happens. I know my Pookie Bear will be putting in all kinds of oddities!!!!!