Band

Matt had his first concert as part of the percussion section of the Norse Band here at Benicia Middle School. He practices all instruments in the percussion section including the snare drum, the bass drum, and the mallets. But for the concert, he was on the xylophone.

Usually, you can't hear an individual instrument in the band, but with the xylophone, you can clearly hear him!

Matt is having a ton of fun. Nice job Matt!

Emery's Soccer

Emery played soccer for the first time this year, playing in the U12 division.

She did quite well despite being one of the youngest girls out there.

She mostly played midfield because of her speed and quickness. She was also responsible for throw-ins.

Here's a nice sequence where she makes a move to the outside.

Then cuts it back inside.

And now she's right by her defender, heading to the goal!

She had a pretty mediocre coach this year, but she did very well! Great job Emery!

She loved half time or should I say snack time.

I think our team, Tsunami Rush, definitely had the coolest banner.

Emery's team definitely had a lot of fun together and were very supportive of one another. It was a really good group of girls. And we also made a lot of improvement in our soccer playing too.

At the end of the year, I got to coach Emery's team for the Coach's Invitational. It was fun to play under the lights and win too!

Matt's Soccer

Matt played in his second season of soccer this fall and had a very nice year.

He practiced all year long and developed quite a few moves. I was impressed that he used most of those moves to pass very well. This one didn't end up in a goal, but he gave up his own shot to put the ball in the perfect place so someone else could score.

Matt got the "hockey" assist for this one. He got the pass before the pass that led to the goal. It was a fun to play with his buddy Joseph who got the goal and Richie who was a very good player.

I wish I got some more of his fancy footwork on film, but he's developed a lot of good moves.

 

Matt ended up scoring almost 10 goals during the season and guess who never got one on film! I know, I'm a bad dad or at least a bad camera man. While I missed the actual shot, at least I got proof that Matt's shot went into the goal. Does that count for something?

In the first game of the year, Matt was chosen as the player of the game with a goal, a sweet assist, and some nice hustle.

Unfortunately during the season, Matt had some heel pain and had to miss a couple of games. But his team, the Glow Sticks, ended up in 2nd place.

But the season ended well with Matt being chosen to play in the Coach's Invitational. He scored the lone goal for his team that night. Great job and great season Matt!

Mellie

We have a new addition to the family - Mellie - which is short for Melissa. She's a toy poodle mix that we adopted from a rescue. Some people think she's part Maltese. No one knows for sure.

She's about 2-years-old. She seems to act like a teenager. Bursts of activity and then lots of sleeping.

Emery and Matt especially love her. But I think she fits right in with our family. I really enjoy having a dog again as it's been a long time since I had one.

Hebrews 11:6

Isn't it amazing to think that we can PLEASE God? The one true God of the universe takes pleasure in me through my faith that seeks Him and that believes that He rewards those who seek Him.May the boys and girl seek Him always and find Him to their heart's delight.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

The "momentary" in this verse has always encouraged me. No matter what I'm going through. No matter how sad I may feel. No matter how difficult it may seem. It is momentary. And doesn't compare with the glory of God that is waiting for me for eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18
¹⁷ For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

1 Peter 2:24

1 Peter 2:24
²⁴ and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Halloween

Costumes are always so fun. This year, Matt was a stick figure and Emz was an 80's girl. Doesn't she look like Punky Brewster?

I wonder if Sandy looked like that back in the day.

They also got to have some fun carving pumpkins.

This will make a perfect bat sign in the sky.

Emery went with the monogrammed look - EHL.

Character Counts

Emery has started her 5th grade year off very well. We were all a little hesitant, wondering how she would adjust to her new school. But so far, things have gone fabulously.

She has made good friends. She has done great academically. And even more impressive, she won the Joe Henderson Elementary Character Counts award for the first month of the year for her class.

She won a free book with it too. Great job Emery! We're very proud of you!

Philippians 4:19

I do my best to communicate the glorious riches in Christ, but boys will be boys sometimes...
Philippians 4:19
And my God will supply are your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 53:4-6

Praise God for Christ's substitutionary work on the cross for us. Isn't it amazing that anyone would suffer for us let alone the perfect Son of God?

Isaiah 53:4-6

⁴ Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. ⁵ But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. ⁶ All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

1 Corinthians 10:13

This is a favorite verse of many. What a promise of God for us who still sin!

1 Corinthians 10:13
¹³ No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Lee Family Retreat 2016

For the first time ever, the Lee Family Retreat was held with every member of the Lee family! This year, Emery and Matt joined us as we reviewed what God did for us this past year. The retreat wasn't quite the same with them joining us!

 What a year 2015-2016 was! Some of the highlights included: Andrew's baptism and great 8th grade year including his being chosen to be a finalist in his school citizenship award, Matthew's great 5th grade year and soccer and drums, Emery's last year of homeschool and violin playing, we all served together at church with Children's Church and we hosted 5 Safe Families children in 3 hostings, just to name some.

God was gracious as usual in using our trials and joys to show us more of how magnificent and glorious He is this past year. We got back on track with verses and memorized the following verse this year:

• 1 Corinthians 2:1-2
• 1 Timothy 4:12
• John 3:36
• Romans 14:7-9
• Hebrews 11:6
• 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
• 1 Peter 2:24
• Isaiah 53:4-6
• 1 Corinthians 10:13
• Philippians 4:19
• Acts 4:11-12
• 1 Peter 4:16
• Psalm 91
• 1 Peter 5:6-11
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• Philippians 4:11-13
• Proverbs 6:20-23
• Galatians 5:22-25
• Luke 12:32-34
• Deuteronomy 6:4-7
• Ephesians 4:29, 31-32
• Psalm 86:11
• Psalm 103
• Romans 15:1-2
• Psalm 16:11
• Romans 10:13-15
• Isaiah 40:8

The boys and girl have so many verses they have memorized and that we continue to review it's crazy!  They memorized 92 verses this year. In addition to that, Andrew has already memorized 238 verses bringing his total to 330 verses! Matt and Emz have 161 additional verses bringing their total to 253 verses! This is the fruit of years of disipline as they practice daily, and we review these verses regularly. I can only hope that they continue this practice and recall these verses for the rest of their lives.

We also read through the following books of the Bible in our family Bible times:

• 1 & 2 Kings
• Mark
• Proverbs
• 2 Samuel

It was a year of more healing for me. More progress on that front. It was a great year for our family. I was very proud of the boys and girl for how seriously they took this retreat and how well they did this past year in growing in maturity. We also had plenty of fun as you can see. Praise God for another good Lee Family Retreat!

And we even got some good family volleyball in! Emery didn't get a bump in on this shot, but she did great too!

Emery's concert and recital

Emery has had a busy summer with her violin. She played in an "orchestra" concert in town.

She was the lone student playing the violin 2 part, but the conductor played the part with her.

Emery has improved quite a bit since last year.

Here she is from her recital just a few weeks ago.

Acts 4:11-12

It's a terrible thing to reject the only One who can save.

Acts 4:11-12
¹¹ He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. ¹² And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Champs!

Our church has a volleyball outreach ministry that they have been doing for 30 years over the summer. Every week, the kids practice with their team on one night and then play games on another night. Every practice and every game, someone teaches a message and preaches the Gospel. Hundreds have heard the Gospel over the years and many have come to Christ through this ministry. It's pretty awesome!

This year, Andrew got to play quite a bit on his team, Flight Force. He's still learning a lot of the nuances of volleyball, but he's got the basics down.

He's definitely got the encouraging part down.

At the end of the summer, there's a tournament for all the teams and a champion is crowned. It's pretty intense by the championship game and the level of play is pretty high. Flight Force were crowned 2016 champs. Nice job guys.

1 Peter 4:16

We've gone through some suffering for the name of Christ. It's never easy. But it's obviously a harder thing to imagine for your children. The boys and girl are starting to venture out on their own at school and other places. And if they do suffer for the name of Christ, I hope they remember this verse and glorify His name.

1 Peter 4:16 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed but is to glorify God in this name.

Psalm 91

I pray that the boys and girl will trust our most faithful and good God all the days of their lives.

Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
³ For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

⁵ You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
⁶ Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
⁸ You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
⁹ For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
¹⁰ No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
¹² They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

¹⁴ “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ “With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

1 Peter 5:6-11

Considering how great and holy God is, you'd think humility would be easier. But that's how sinful and wicked the human heart is. Suffering, on the other hand, is never easy. Thankfully, God's grace is always being poured out on us.

1 Peter 5:6-11
⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. ⁸ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. ¹⁰ After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. ¹¹ To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The bunnies

Our last bunny cage was starting to look a bit sad.

It was only a little over a year old but apparently, my design was poor.

So Emery decided to make a new home for Poofy and Thunder. We cut, sanded, painted, and even shingled this one. The bunnies are living in the lap of luxury!

After weeks of work which was a fun project to do together, we finished. It's a 2 story with a walkout deck! I think this is their 4th home. The bunnies move as much as we do if not more! Hopefully, this will be their forever home unless the coyotes get 'em!

2 Timothy 1:7

We have no reason to fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Philippians 4:11-13

Contentment is a hard thing, isn't it? No matter how young or how old, how rich or how poor, it's hard to be content. But it is possible to learn to be content if and only if we look to Christ.

Philippians 4:11-13
¹¹ Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. ¹² I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. ¹³ I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Camping

This year, we went camping near the coast at Samuel Taylor Park. It was perfect weather and a wonderful atmosphere camping amongst the Redwoods. The only thing to watch out for was the raccoons!

We visited Muir Woods and got to see some "baby" Redwoods.

We were blessed to have the Choi's come all the way from SoCal to camp with us! There was a lot of testosterone! Actually not yet, but it's on the way.

Emery was the only girl, but I think she had fun still.

It's always fun to splash around in a creek.

We ended our weekend with a stop at the beach. Point Reyes National Seashore was beautiful but pretty cold for the beach in the summer!

Gymnastics

Emery's gymnastics career was fun but short lived. It seemed like she had something going until she tore her fascia last year. As much as she likes gymnastics, she decided she didn't want to continue for the sake of her health. What a long term thinking 9 year-old I have!

But before she retired, she competed one last time at the Liberty Championships. Here's her floor routine - 9.800, good for 2nd place.

In the vault, she got a 9.750, also good for 2nd place.

She was 1st place on bars with a 9.600.

Unfortunately, I was a tad late on the beam. Sorry Emz. She couldn't quite stay on the beam, but she still managed a 9.775, good for 2nd place.

Her all around score was a 38.925. It was tied for 1st place but due to tie breaker rules, she ended up 2nd. Great job Emery!

Not a bad day and not a bad way to retire.

Baby Dorothy!

Welcome to the world baby Dorothy!

Here she is, just a few days old. Doesn't she look so beautiful and peaceful?

The boys and girl just love their new cousin baby Dorothy. We like to call her Dot. But how does she feel about all the attention?

So far she doesn't seem so pleased. :)

But a month later, I think Emery started winning her over.

And she was thoroughly entertained by Andrew. Get used to that for the rest of your life Dorothy!

Matt appears to have lulled her to sleep, until she rolled right out of his arms! Baby Dorothy has a team of cousin babysitters waiting in the wings! I think she's going to get spoiled by the boys and girl.

14

Andrew turned 14 this year.

I know I feel like most parents and wonder how it happened so fast. He's 5'10" now and just an inch shorter than me. He weighs in at about 130 pounds. He's bigger and taller than I was at his age. We hope he keeps growing and makes that wonderful marker of 6 feet, but he's slowing down.

He had a beach volleyball party with his friends. He's still working on his spike.

But really, it's the setter's fault if the spike isn't perfect. Happy Birthday Andrew! We thank God for your physical growth, your mental and academic growth, but most of all for your spiritual growth. You took a big step in being baptized this year, and I praise God for the fruit he is producing in your life especially the fruit of joy, faithfulness and self-control. I am very proud of you.

Matt's 5th Grade

Matt also had a graduation of sorts. He finished up the 5th grade.

He had a really good year. He did well academically and relationally too. We're all very proud of him.

I thought there might be some transition from home school to public school as he made new friends and got used to a new school. Not for Matt. He loved it from day 1. It didn't hurt that he had a good teacher too - thanks Mr. Whitty!

In fact, Matt loved school so much that he was always super excited on Sunday night that he got to go back to school. And in the same vein, he was thoroughly depressed by day 2 of summer vacation that he has to wait so long to go back to school. His prayer request last night was that he'd be patient until school starts!

8th Grade Graduation

It's hard to believe that our little Andrew is not so little anymore. He just turned 14 and graduated from the 8th grade.

Out of over 400 kids, Andrew had a couple of very nice accomplishments.

He was a part of the National Junior Honor Society.

And in a surprise to us, he was chosen as one of 12 kids to be finalists for the Benicia Teacher's Association Citizenship Awards. Every teacher votes for kids with great attitudes, citizenship, character, etc. and even though Andrew only attended BMS for 2 years out of 3, he was still chosen as one of the 12. That was encouraging and a testimony to Christ's work in his life!

It was fun to celebrate this moment with his grandparents.

We are all very proud of him! Great job Andrew!

He looks happy to be done.