Summer is here!!!!

Woo hoo!!! I am so ready to slow down and enjoy the summer. We have no big plans. Sissy will go to a nature camp the first week of June - the same week I will begin taking some of my education classes - one in June and one in July. I am looking forward to this, but wondering how much of a brain I have left...seems like having kids can drain your brain!

Other plans: Sissy and Bubby will continue their ice skating lessons on Saturdays. They are really enjoying it. Bubby likes to watch the hockey games after practice. I may look into a 5 lesson cheernastics class for Baby. I will be joining a group of women for the next 9 Thursday nights doing Beth Moore's study of Esther AND Hubby and I may be joining a couples study group that will be meeting every other Sunday night. This is a huge deal - I hope that it works out and Hubby enjoys it!

Tonight my baby girl is spending the night away from home for the first time - YIKES! I hope she will make it through the night. I think she should do fine, especially since Sissy is spending the night there with the big sister of that family. She has been so excited for two weeks. I found it has been a great way to motivate her to make good choices and behave. "If you don't stop whining, then I don't think you'll be able to spend the night with friend." It has worked wonders--but now I'll have to think of something new.

Bubby was feeling the need to spend the night off too, so he invited himself to Grammy's house. I tried to talk Hubby into going out - but no luck there - he is out in his greenhouse pruning his plants. So, here I sit in the quiet wondering what to do.

Harden not your hearts...

So, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, .... See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Hebrews 3:7-8,12-13

As I read this passage from the Bible it reminded me of a time in my life (those lovely college years) when I was not following God's will for my life. I was totally self-absorbed and I was running from Him. My heart was hardened and therefore there was no peace within.

I am so thankful that God did not turn His back on me. I was already a child of His - He was just waiting on me to return. And here I am now, determined not to ever leave Him again, not to ever run again. I thank God for His mercy and compassion!

My Boy is Six!!!!

Bubby turned six this past week. He was sooo cute. This was the first time he was actually excited about it. He even went to school telling each teacher he passed that it was his birthday!

He invited the boys from his class to come over and play and ride bikes yesterday. I am not a party-planning mom, so my idea was just to let them play. And that they did - they rode bikes, roamed through the woods and found a huge limb that they all had to carry together! I finally called him to do the candle and sing Happy Birthday but he told me he didn't want to do that. So we just let them run around and get a cupcake and snacks as they felt like it. It was very relaxed and I enjoyed sitting on the porch talking to the other moms. I'm actually very glad I didn't try to plan things, because I know I would have just gotten anxious and frustrated.

Sissy and Baby each had a friend over too. Sissy and her friend hung out with the boys and played outside. Baby and her friend spent most of the time in her room playing dress up and dancing around. I walked in once and they were in the living room standing on the ottomans just dancing like crazy! It was too cute!

The mom of Baby's friend went in and caught them in the office. Baby had told her friend to cut her hair! Thankfully the mom walked in before they found the scissors. And Baby told the mom that I said she could do that!!! (Her brother already scalped her two years ago and we really don't need a repeat.)

There was one dad there, and Hubby seemed to enjoy hanging out and talking to him - huge success if you know my Hubby (not the most social guy on the block - but I do love him!!)

So, I think it was a great day, great birthday and Bubby had lots of fun.

I thank God for the wonderful blessings of this time and this season!

Spring Break Flu

Well, I believe I am now fully recovered from the Spring Break flu. Thankfully I caught it very early and got that Tamiflu in me. It did wonders. I thought I was getting a cold on Tuesday, but by Wednesday afternoon I thought I was having back labor pains! I rushed quickly to the doctor and got started on medicine. I was in bed by 5:00 pm and slept almost completely til noon on Thursday. (I did get up to feed the kids and send them off with their Grammy to Moundville - Thank you Grammy!!!) I got up and moved around some til 7:00 and went back to bed. Friday morning I woke up feeling fine, just tired. My mom came over to take the kids out for a few hours - thanks Mom!!! Today, I am happy to be back to normal.

I think the kids are ready to have some fun with me. I am ready too! And I am ready to love on them again. I just thank God that they have not gotten it, and continue to pray that they won't get it!

Knitting Time

Sissy took a knitting lesson a month ago. She was very excited about it at first and then got discouraged because she got hung up on something. But I could not help her. Soooo, I bought some yarn and some needles, searched online, and checked out a couple of books from the library.

I began making a washcloth - easy right! Well, after I was half way into it I realized that acrylic probably wouldn't work well - I needed cotton yarn. So Sissy and I discussed a couple of different options for my masterpiece. We decided it would make a perfect pencil cozy!

Yes, I know, all of you will be wanting one now. But I am just excited that daughter actually wants to take it to school and use it. Although Hubby says she will probably just hide it in her desk! But here is a picture of it:

It would be much cuter if I had some cutesy buttons and a cutesy ribbon to use as the tie. But I just used what I had. I will definitely need to find some for future projects though.

Then I quickly got started on a "Rocker Wristlet" that was in one of the books. I embellished it with some beads that Sissy picked out.

And now that I am becoming addicted to this knitting stuff, I guess I can go get some different yarn - this blue acrylic yarn can only do so much!

But the best thing is that Sissy has picked up her knitting and knitted with me a couple of times!

Boys will be boys...

Boys love knives, hammers, bugs, breaking things...

A few weeks ago one of the teachers at MDO brought me son's pocket knife that he had brought to school to show off. He had just gotten it (FYI: unknown to him Daddy did dull it - so please do not call DHR) and was very proud of it! We had to thoroughly explain that we do not take knives to school. So, he decided he'd take it to church. Thankfully I caught him before we went. Another explanation about no knives at church either.

But here he is with his ever handy pocket knife - digging in the dirt.

It even has scissors!

Boys know how to have fun!!!

My Baby is 4!!!

My computer has been down, so I have not been able to update that my baby is 4! I can't believe how fast four years has flown by.

She started out her morning with candles in her peanut butter bagel before opening presents.

For days the kids had asked to swim in the "pond" - it's really a watering hole for the deer, but anyway...I told them it still wasn't quite warm enough. After begging and begging, I caved. Here they are in the "pond".

After about 20 minutes they agreed that it was a little cold. So, then we headed to the house where they had to then be hosed down with even colder water. They agreed that maybe mommy knew best and they will wait until mommy says it's warm enough to swim.

Here is the birthday girl in a dress and jacket that I found at the Thrift Store. I thought it was so cute! It looked brand new, but vintage.

Happy birthday Baby Girl!!!