Memorial Day, Sleepover, Stories, Piano

It's Memorial Day weekend. (So thankful for the soldiers who fight for freedom on behalf of our country...) I love long weekends with the family. The kids had their first swim of the season in the pool. How they and Greg can get in the freezing water - I don't know! We also warmed the hot tub so that helps. It has been a beautiful sunny weekend in the low 80's.

The girls tonight are having a "sleepover" with each other tonight. They are all piled up in Shelby and Keely's room on the floor. They were so cute, all giggly and silly.

Daddy told one of his amazing bedtime stories to them. Let it be remembered that Daddy tells the best stories. How he comes up with them "on the fly" I don't know! The girls will ask him to combine, for instance, The Chipmunks with Narnia or Narnia and Laura Ingalls, and he comes us with some hilarious story. They all think they are funny, but I think Shelby being the oldest at this point gets more of the jokes. She can't contain herself sometimes.

Jesse just loves the pool, well actually, the hot tub. (Pool still is a little cold.) He gets a big smile on his face and gets a kick watching the girls.

Shelby had her first piano recital yesterday. She did great. She also had a part in the skit that the students did. One thing that Greg and I notice about her is that she rarely gets rattled/nervous about anything. I believe this is a good thing most of the time! She didn't get nervous about the recital or even her first Guild performance last week (where she gets judged).

Thank you Jesus!

km

Another Day

I have so much to do this week. I am feeling pretty overwhelmed. Lord help me to keep my eyes on you.

Keely turns 6 tomorrow. I can't believe it. She is growing and maturing so nicely. She has such a sincere love and compassion for people. Her love for Jesus is so evident by the way she talks about Him. On a different note today, her learning to read just seemed to click more. I was thrilled to see her tackling bigger words. Keely is so cute too when she gets a compliment. She gets this bashful smile on her face and just kind of giggles, but otherwise just doesn't know what to say -- I see humility and sweetness. I love this girl!

Jesse, 13 months, loves to sit on my lap when I am sitting on the floor. It is so cute to see him stand in front of me, turn, and then back up to sit on my lap. If someone else is on my lap, he will either cry or sit on that kids lap or just wedge his way in. He thinks he has "mama lap ownership"!

Mandy, 3 yrs. old, these days just says the cutest things and gets so much expression in her face and voice when she describes something.

Shelby, 8, composed a song today on the piano. They are getting better and better! Also this weekend she made her own book of famous American women in history. She made portraits of them on blank paper and looked up some tidbits on them and put them on the same page of their portrait. She has such a love for history, reading, writing, and art. I love her enthusiasm for life!

km

11th Anniversary and Mother's Day

This weekend has been awesome. Every so often, including the weekend Daddy and I were married in 1999, our wedding anniversary and Mother's Day falls on the same weekend -- one on Saturday and one on Sunday. (Daddy says he gets double-whammied!) Daddy and I went went to Palm Springs for two days one night, coming home today. We had such a relaxing time, doing some shopping, eating out, hanging out by the pool. We slept until 8:30 am - can't remember doing that in a very long time! We have not had a night away in two years. I think it was a good time of refreshment and just sweet time together.

I am so thankful to have been married to you, Greg/Daddy, for 11 years now. It really is hard to believe all that has transpired in our lives the last decade plus years. I pray that the Lord continues to mold us and make us more like Him, that our relationship grows only stronger in Him, and that we love each other more truly in another 11 years.

The kids did great with Grammy and Pop Pop. This is the first time we'd been away from Jesse for any length of time. As with being a 4th child, he seemed to do fine. I think all of them endeared themselves only more to their grandparents and vice versa. Mom mentioned that she lost her watch and two sippy cups and changed a really rank diaper! Mandy and Shelby slept in her bed the whole night. Keely cried at bed-time for us - not so unusual. But they love their Grammy and Pop Pop and did well.

I seriously was pampered this weekend. Greg got me a dozen multi-colored roses for our anniversary. I bought some clothing on our shopping excursion. Mom/Grammy got me a pedicure gift card. Greg got me some running clothes and a shirt. The girls made me some sweet cards and a necklace with a "mom" charm which I love. Beyond all the fun gifts, I seriously have the best job ever (no kidding) to be mom to Shelby, Keely, Mandy, and Jesse and to be Greg's wife. Thank you Jesus. Your blessings overwhelm me

Hello! So this is my first attempt at a blog! My hope is to use this blog to chronicle the journey of our family so you may know what helps make our family so special...