Coming soon: Noah and his mom will be testing for their Fourth-Degree Black Belts. Seth Luke, Levi, and their mom will also be testing for their Blue Belts in kickboxing.
In addition, Seth will be testing for his Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is considered a teaching-level rank. He has been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since he was four years old.
Sienna will be starting rodeo barrel racing soon, and everyone is studying piano, drums, and various string instruments. We have been working out in our new gym and teaching private classes as well.
Noah continues to teach at the karate school and will graduate from Khan Academy homeschool with straight A's. With his busy schedule, he decided not to pursue dual enrollment and will be starting college soon.
The twins have only a few more classes remaining before they graduate with degrees in Criminal Justice and Engineering. We are thinking about purchasing another house in Forest, Va for an investment.
We thank God every day for all his blessings.
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Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs Adam Eades
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Easter was fun and everyone was here. Lots of food and activities.
Chu"ru and Shur"lee are the best.
Happy Birthday to Annie. Annie was named after her great grand mother, mom's mom and great great grandmother who name was also Annie. They were of Indian descent and this is where so many of us get our dark brown hair and eyes from. Picture of Annie holding balloons and money from mom.
Years ago, mom took Suzuki violin lessons with Gabriel, April , and Hannah at the synagogue in Lynchburg near the hospital.. They learned all the notes and played through Book Four and played some at different churches, before eventually putting the instruments aside for a while.
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We spent all day at a German Shepherd Rescue Farm and the dogs were so sweet. We also got to meet about 50 of them today. German Shepherds are such wonderful dogs They are:
🧠 Highly intelligent (one of the smartest breeds)
🛡️ Loyal and protective
🏃 Very energetic
❤️ Deeply bonded to their family Here's video after the owner put them back in the fence.
Noah and I have to learn four Katas for our fourth degree black belt test. We went over two of them last night in our class. Here's a video of Noah demonstrating the two we went over. After this we have to learn two more and fourth degree fighting techniques, self defense techniques as well as a lot of other material. Its a real challenge trying to learn all this stuff at my age but my instructor tells me I was doing really well. I will get started practicing these two katas tonight.
Good character is one of the most important qualities a person can have. It defines who we are when no one is watching and shapes how others see and trust us. A person with good character is dependable, honest, respectful, and kind. These qualities may seem simple, but they make a powerful difference in relationships, work, and everyday life.
One important part of good character is keeping your word. If you tell someone you are going to do something, you should follow through and do it. Your word should mean something. When people know they can count on you, trust is built. If, for some reason, you cannot do what you promised, having the courtesy to call or let them know shows respect. It tells the other person that their time and feelings matter. Being responsible in this way strengthens your reputation and shows maturity.
Honesty is another key part of good character. Always tell the truth. A small lie may seem harmless at first, but it can quickly lead to bigger lies. One lie often requires another to cover it up, and before long, trust is broken. Once trust is lost, it can be very difficult to regain. Telling the truth, even when it is uncomfortable, builds integrity. People respect and value those who are honest.
The way we speak also reflects our character. Constantly cussing or using inappropriate slang can give others the impression of disrespect or a lack of self-control. Words are powerful. They can either uplift people or bring them down. Speaking respectfully and thoughtfully shows discipline and consideration for others. It does not mean you have to be perfect, but being mindful of your language demonstrates maturity and self-respect.
Good character also includes kindness, patience, humility, and self-control. Treating others the way you would like to be treated creates positive relationships. Admitting when you are wrong and being willing to apologize shows strength, not weakness. Having self-control in difficult situations prevents harmful words and actions that you might later regret.
In the end, good character is built through daily choices. It is choosing honesty over deceit, responsibility over excuses, and respect over carelessness. When you consistently practice these values, you earn trust, build strong relationships, and become someone others can look up to. Good character is not just about what you say it is about what you do.
Here's a video of Seth tonight in a private Jiu Jitsu class practicing the battle ropes. Battle ropes are long, heavy, durable ropes (typically nylon, 30–50 ft long, 1.5–2 inches thick) used for high-intensity, low-impact, full-body workouts. They are anchored in the middle, allowing users to create waves, slams, and spirals to build muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, explosive power, and grip strength. We have several of these ropes in our home gym where everyone including Nikolai practice using them.
Basic respect should be given to everyone. Deeper respect is earned through consistent actions: accountability, honesty, fairness, and respect for boundaries. It cannot be demanded, forced, or claimed only demonstrated. When I first started training in Karate, my master who is Hachi meaning eighth degree would always say "nothing is given, everything is earned" referring to earning a black belt and earning respect. He is 78 years old now and is also a retired principal with Campbell County Schools and I love to hear the stories he tells us.
When I told him several years back I was ready to test for my black belt, he said let me see your risk, my risk, why do you want to see my risk I asked? He said he could tell how strong I was by my wrist. He looked at it and said yes you are ready and I tested for my first degree black belt a little after this. I learned so much about respect, not only in training but by meeting wonderful people at the school.
Many people avoid learning respect because it requires self-awareness and accountability. It challenges ego, exposes flaws, and removes excuses for harmful behavior. Power and control are easier than humility, and many were never taught respect in the first place.
Respect is not rare because it is difficult to understand, but because it requires effort, integrity, and decency when no one is watching.When you tell someone you’re going to do something, do it. Don’t be late for work or class. Open doors for the elderly. When you’re in the grocery line with a full cart, let the people with just a few items go ahead of you. I once let at least ten people in front of me and ended up late for class but it was worth it.
We were at a store recently, and Seth held the door open for several elderly people. A woman came up to me and asked if she could ask a question. I said yes, and she asked if my son trained in martial arts. I told her he did and asked how she knew. She said his mannerisms were so unique, and she commented on his physique, saying she could tell he was strong. She explained that she had been watching him as he held the door open for so many people.
People are always watching you, so be on your best behavior. If you can help someone, do it, it matters.
Seth's room is connected to a garage in the back of our house which he uses to practice his martial arts late at night if he don't want to go in our martial arts building. Here's a video of the boys practicing their kick boxing routines.
Kick boxing is a Jamanese hybrid martial art basically comprising of elements of punching and kicking. It was developed by adapting fighting techniques from Karate, Western boxing, and Muay Thai. It originated in 1960s in Japan and gained practitioners in America during the next ten years. By 1974, its popularity in the United States was symbolized with the first World Championship being held by Professional Karate Association. By the 1990s, with the addition of more ground fighting techniques adapted from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it contributed to the development of Mixed Martial Arts.
In 2002, I started a youth group called Cross Roads. It wasn’t affiliated with any church it was simply something I felt called to do to help young people, including my seven children at the time. We met weekly for Bible studies and took trips to places like Kings Dominion, Appomattox Courthouse, Monticello, and many other beautiful sites across Virginia.
One Saturday morning, I called all the youth and said, “Who wants to climb the Peaks of Otter this morning?” I told them if they were interested, to show up, and I sent directions on how to get there.
Some of the youth had never heard of the Peaks of Otter and honestly thought it was a pizza place on top of a big hill.
About ten youth showed up, not including my kids and every single one of them was dressed in their Sunday best: high-heel shoes, fancy dresses, and suits. When everyone arrived, I said, “Alright, everyone ready to climb? Let’s go.”
We started hiking, and about thirty minutes into the adventure, one of the youth asked, “Where is this pizza place?” I said, “It’s the Peaks of Otter,” but they were still convinced there was pizza waiting for them in the mountains.
It took us about an hour and a half to reach the top. Along the way, I commented several times on how proud I was of them for climbing a mountain in high heels and dress shoes. Still, they kept going motivated by the promise of pizza.
When we finally reached the top, they were overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery. Everyone was in awe of how amazing it looked. Then the big question came from several of them at once:
“Okay… where is the pizza restaurant?”
That’s when I had to break the news. I never said Pizza of Otter I said Peaks of Otter.
The good news was that I had carried a huge picnic basket the entire way, filled with all kinds of good food. We sat down, ate together, took pictures, and then climbed back down.
For most of those youth, it was the first time they had ever climbed a mountain. They said it made them feel stronger. Years later, one of them told me it was a real challenge, that they were glad they had done it once but they never wanted to climb it again.
Back in the late nineties, I was crowned Mrs. Campbell County International, using the platform of Special Olympics. I traveled to Wintergreen on several occasions to help the Olympians ski and enjoy themselves.
One particular day stands out even now. I had to travel to Roanoke for a trunk show to select my dress and model some of the clothing. My three teenage daughters were with me, and along the way, we got completely lost. We stopped to ask someone for directions to the trunk show, and they pointed us down the road.
We followed their directions and walked into what we thought was the trunk show only to be greeted by enormous monster trucks, dirt everywhere, and the rumble of engines. I remember thinking, This can’t be the place. We asked someone if the trunk show was there too, and they told us it was actually the monster truck show, which was about to begin. They handed us a candy apple, wished us well, and sent us on our way.
I finally made a phone call, got the correct directions, and we eventually made it to the right place. But the memory of accidentally walking into a monster truck show instead of a trunk show was so surreal and it still makes us laugh to this day.
Savannah and her six children.
About 30 years ago, my family visited a friend and his wife for the weekend. He was a neurosurgeon, and they owned a beautiful male Great Dane. He was gentle, sweet, and had such a calm presence. I remember telling them that one day I was going to buy my family a Great Dane.
Fast forward to recent years, and I finally found a male Great Dane online. The family said he was four years old and that they were rehoming him because he didn’t get along with their other animals. I thought that didn’t sound right. Great Danes are usually so sweet so we decided to meet him. We drove to pick him up, paid the family, and brought him home. I set up an appointment at Pets mart for him to start his six week training and didn't realize he was an old dog getting ready to die.
Almost immediately, I noticed that he was breathing very heavily. At first, I thought he was just excited or anxious about being in a new home. But when I took him for a walk, he began gasping for air every few minutes. I don’t text much, so I asked my daughter to message the previous owners to ask if he always coughed or gasped for air. They replied that he coughed from time to time.
I became worried it might be kennel cough, so I called the vet. She said the earliest appointment she had was February 4, about a week and a half away. In the meantime, I set up a vaporizer for him at night, and it seemed to help.
The next day, he saw another dog, got out of the fence, and stayed gone for 24 hours. We eventually found him just a little way down the road. We fixed the fence, fed him, and gave him water. Soon after, his coughing returned,this time much louder and worse. My daughter again texted the previous owners, asking if they had any vet or vaccination records. They said they didn’t have any records because he had never been to a vet, but they did send an AKC registration paper but I'm not sure if it belong to this dog.
Over the next week, I stayed very busy trying to help him breathe. I gently patted his lungs the way doctors do when a child has pneumonia, and for a while he seemed to feel better. On Sunday night, I decided he needed to see a vet immediately. I called several clinics, but they were all booked. Finally, I found one an hour away.
The vet came out to my car, listened to his heart and lungs, and then told me something I will never forget: this dog was going to die. His heart was failing, and he needed urgent care right away. She advised us to go to another city near Roanoke. My daughter found an emergency clinic, and they told us to bring him in immediately.
When we arrived, they took his vitals, did numerous X-rays, and ran other tests. Then the vet came in and told us he was in congestive heart failure and that his lungs were full of fluid. We also learned that he was not four years old he was an elderly dog, much older than we had been told.
The vet explained that there was nothing they could do and that euthanasia was the kindest option. We sat there and cried. The dog we brought home hoping to have for at least five or six years was leaving us after only two weeks. In those two weeks, he brought so much joy to everyone and everyone was so attached to him. Looking back, I believe that made every vet bill worth it.
We messaged the previous owners to let them know what had happened. All they said was that they were sorry. She claimed she never knew because he had never seen a vet. The dog we were told was four years old was actually an old dog who could have died at any time. The previous owners did offer to pay for a St. Bernard for us but I'm not sure if this will happen or not.
We chose not to cremate him. Instead, we brought him home and buried him. The boys recited the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm as we stood outside in the cold for nearly two hours digging his grave. The ground was frozen and hard, but we wanted to do right by him.
Several years ago, my son Adam’s girlfriend told me she was waiting for him to propose. I told her that when Adam was ready, it would happen in its own time. I'm not going to give the girl's name but her last name ends in a R.
One Sunday in 2017 while I was in the kitchen cooking dinner for the family, she approached me and asked if she could try on my diamond wedding ring the ring I had worn for thirty eight years. I didn’t think much of it. I told her yes and went upstairs to get it. I usually didn’t wear my ring while cooking or practicing martial arts, so I kept it safely in my jewelry box.
She tried the ring on and, to my shock, announced to everyone in the house that she was finally engaged.
Later that evening, after everyone had gone home, I realized she had never given my ring back. When I asked for it, she refused. Within a couple of weeks, my son broke up with her, but she still kept the ring. Soon after, I discovered she had listed it on an online marketplace and was trying to sell it.
She also began telling people that Adam was a “mama’s baby.” She could not accept that he had moved on and found another girlfriend. One morning, she went to his cabin which belonged to me and broke the windows and the back door to get inside. She smashed eggs from the refrigerator, threw groceries all over the floor, and broke his dishes. When the police arrived, she was completely naked.
Adam called 911, and the police took her away. She claimed that she was mentally ill and that this was the reason for her behavior. She later spent time in a mental hospital but never paid restitution for the damage she caused.
I never got my wedding ring back. My husband cried over what she had done to our son, to our home, and to us. After my husband passed away, we found the original papers for the ring, but by then it was too late to do anything about it.
That ring wasn’t just jewelry. It held thirty-eight years of marriage, love, and memories and it was taken from us without consequence. Stay tune, more stories to come.ah!
Seth and Sienna at age nine and noah at age 7 playing in a musical performance
Memory Luke with his Pediatrician.
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In 2008 We bought two St. Bernard puppies from a breeder in southwestern Virginia. They were the sweetest puppies. When they were three years old, my son’s girlfriend decided she didn’t like them and of course, they didn’t like her either. Whenever she was around, they became very aggressive.
One day, while I wasn’t home, she told my son he had to get rid of my precious dogs. She took them as far as she could, into another county, and simply dropped them off. I thought this was pure evil. We had no idea what had happened to our dogs. We went out searching for them, calling their names, but there was nothing no sign of them anywhere.
Two weeks later, I received a call from the county. They said I was the only person in the county who owned St. Bernards and that two of them had been found on a farm in another county. The man who found them had called around trying to locate their owner. When we went to pick them up, I told her to never do anything like that to my dogs again.
Having fun at grandmother's house.
Luke playing the Mario theme song
uke, Levi and Noah wrote this song several years ago. Since then they have added to the song and will post a video later.
Luke and Adam playing a duet entitle Canon in D
A Wonderful memory when the kids attended the sports academy.
Introducing Titan our new AKA Register Harlequin Great Dane. His name mean very great strength, or importance. In Greek in means giant in size and immensely strong.
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Luke and Levi will test for their brown belt in karate in a couple of weeks. They are doing really well in the kick boxing class as well.
Lorelai and Olivia spent the afternoon with us and had so much fun. They are really getting good at archery and took their first ukulele lesson from their mamama. Soon mom is doing an online karate class for all family members and looking forward in earning her 3rd degree black belt. She is also taking kick boxing back to back to karate.
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Congratulations, The twins majored in Criminal Jusicice and Engineering and Science.
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Fun at the orchard. The kids got to pick their own peaches and went on a wagon ride. They had so much fun.
Summer Horse Camp
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Happy Birthday to Levi
crochet sesame street characters
Biking
These little boys have been like grandsons since their birth. They are so sweet and caring and are Seth, Noah, Luke and Levi best friends as well as the music teacher sons.
Here's a video of Luke and his music professor jazzing away on the piano.
Photo from the past. Savannah wearing her mom's wedding dress and Sienna age 12 mos.
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Memory of Seth in a Jiu Jitsu competition in Richmond, Va
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Coming June, a new baby will be added to our family. Congratulations to Jeff and Savannah on their six child, technically seventh. She lost a child very early in the
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Levi earned his Jr. Black Belt last January. Jr. Black Belts are able to enter
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New American Girl dolls from mamamama
A gift from Sienna.
Riding horses on a sunny day.
Noah practicing the Grinch song with his dad.
Halloween Fun
biking..
All six of us are on a billboard advertising our karate school.
Our Newest addition to the family, Beethoven and Mozart. They are Golden Doodles and are the best puppies and are such a joy to have around. We have
Seth demonstrating his flying side kick.
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