Thankful Thursday

Brrr!  Winter has arrived for us.  It is going to be freezing temps here through Monday I've heard.  School was cancelled for today.  I am mindful of the many who do not have a warm home and also all those who are out working in these freezing conditions.

This week I am thankful for....

~ my husband's 18 year anniversary with USDA.  I am thankful for his hard work and how he provides for our family.  There have been challenges every year but the last 11 months have for sure been new challenges with him working from home.  He's done a good job learning how to do his job in a new way.

~ seeing my big boy in the ring with his steer Terry.  He did a great job showing him, and this was a wonderful experience for him.  There were over 1600 steers competing in this show.  

~ my sweet little guy surprising me with roses.  One day he went with his brother to the store.  He came home and told me close your eyes.  He handed me a bouquet of roses.  He told Caleb he would give him money for them when they got home, and he got it from the envelope he had saved from his birthday gift money.  They are so pretty, I've enjoyed them this week!

~ a little time to volunteer at the school.  Elementary did a fundraiser with "Nothing Bundt Cakes."  The time to pick up the cakes was this week so I helped pass them out.  Also one night I helped make some treat bags that parents had bought for their children for a Valentine surprise.  I have missed being on campus to volunteer so I was thankful for this opportunity this week. 

~ the fire to keep us warm.  My husband made one yesterday for me, and the boys fixed one this morning.  

~ success on a quilting project.  I had saved a picture of a pillow on Pinterest that was made with Christmas material.  I had a jelly roll of fall print fabrics so tried making it.  I was pleased with how it turned out.  It was the first one to do on my own really without my friend/mentor beside me! I was proud of myself!  My measurements were off but the extra was trimmed.

Have a day of blessings! 

 Bethany

As you turn 16

As we were driving home we heard the song “You’re Gonna Miss This.”  It seemed fitting for today and brought tears to my eyes.  Yes I’m gonna miss this.....all four of us being together stopping for a Blizzard.

Driving you to work your steer.

Taking to you football practice.

Waiting to pick you up after football or youth group.

Having my driver with me for Meals On Wheels.

Dropping you off to work various jobs.

Picking up your stuff and bringing you a snack before out of town football games.

Taking you to school in the mornings (although it's been so long already since I've done this anyway!).

There’s so much I’m gonna miss,  but I am thankful for this new chapter and that we get to experience this with you.

I’m excited for you as you have reached this milestone, Caleb and will be praying for your safety. Please be careful!

Love, 
Momma

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday before Christmas!  Can you believe Christmas is next week?  I cannot!  I wrapped a few gifts several weeks ago and did more tonight. Titus was sitting in my lap last night and told me “Maybe we could go to Gramma’s for Christmas, she has some presents at her house.”  We had one gift under our tree. I thought it was cute.

Today I am thankful for...
~ my husband having a safe trip for his meeting and that he was only gone one night.

~ my big boy being here and done with school for the semester. He didn’t have to take his finals (due to his grades and no absences he was exempt!) so just had to go check in at 9 on Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ve been busy and had fun. He’s kept me laughing too. He’s been doing power lifting practice too.

~ my little guy speaking up during the children’s time at the candlelight service. It was seeet. The minister was asking questions.  He’d asked what people were there and what animals did they think were there. Titus raised his hand and answered baby Jesus.

~ attending the candlelight service. It was beautiful. A family sat beside us with one of Titus’ friends and then antother came up and sat by them.  It was so sweet to see them looking at their candles.

~ Christmas cards and pictures in the mail!!  I love checking the mail and finding such fun mail!

~ hearing “Merry Christmas” so many times. It really makes me smile to hear so many people say it this year.

Thanks for visiting. Merry Christmas to you and your family!


Have a day of blessings!

  Bethany

Thankful Thursday

Today is the first day of school, Caleb's first day of high school!  He was happy this morning, Dad fixed him sausage for breakfast and went to get Titus (and me) a chocolate donut too.  We took pictures and then dropped him off.  I'm so excited to hear about his day!

Today I am thankful for...
~ my husband and the way he works to take care of things for our family.  For example, he got the repairman here Monday and took care of making sure we had A/C again quickly!

~ my big boy beginning high school!  He seemed excited and a little nervous this morning.  He's grown so much since last year!

~ reading books with my little guy.  He loves books and always enjoys going to the library and reading before nap.

~ our A/C being fixed.  We heard it dripping inside on Sunday afternoon.  We had a repairman come Monday.  It was fixed but he also told us the unit is getting old so who knows how much longer it will last. 

~ a wonderful book I got to review called Choosing Marriage.  I had started reading it and then found the audio version on Hoopla so started listening to it.  It is very helpful.

~ a phone call from a sweet friend.  It blessed my day to talk to her.

Have a day of blessings! 
   Bethany

To my 14 year old...

Today we celebrate our 14 year old!  Happy birthday Caleb!  

I made a list of 14 things I appreciate about you. There are many more, I'm thankful for you and am blessed to be your Mom! 

1. I appreciate your willingness to help me...if it's unloading groceries or doing something like cook supper when I don't feel well, you are a big help to me in so many ways.  

2. I appreciate that you are a hard worker. I've had different people tell me that they've seen you work hard. This is important all through life. 

3.  I appreciate that you have so much knowledge about so many areas. You always surprise me with the random facts you know.

4.  I appreciate the relationship you have with your Dad.  I remember when you started following him around everywhere and wanted to do everything he did. I like to listen to the two of you talk in the van when you're both up front. I pray that you two will always be close. 

5.  I appreciate your laugh and how you can make me laugh. There are so many ways you do this! Thank you! 

6. I appreciate your sense of adventure.  Remember the time on vacation we went on the rapids.  Or when you and Dad when zip lining?  You love the outdoors.  

7.  I appreciate that you are an amazing big brother. It touches my heart to see you two together and to hear y'all laughing and playing.  You have such a special bond, and I pray you always will. 

8.  I appreciate the friends you have chosen. As you get older it's always important to be wise in your friendships.  You have some good ones and I'm so thankful.  

9.  I appreciate your love of God and your heart to follow Him.  Seek after Him in all you do.  

10.  I appreciate the way younger kids look up to you. I've been told numerous times how good you are with kids.  Those little eyes are watching you and are following what you do.  

11.  I appreciate your hugs.  They are the best and I need those!  

12.  I appreciate your confidence and how you can speak in front of a crowd so effectively.  You amazed me with your speech for UIL modern oratory this year and your best man speech at Uncle Cody's wedding.  Many people are terrified of public speaking, you seem to be a natural at it.  

13.  I appreciate that we share some of the same interests.  I love that you have always loved reading like me! 

14. I appreciate you being you!  God made you special and unique. Always be you and don't try to be like everyone else. 

I'm proud of you. 

Have a day of blessings!
   Bethany

Thankful Thursday

I hope you had a nice holiday yesterday!  We spent the day over at my Mom's. They made some yummy ribs and chicken on the grill.  Plus some homemade ice cream.  Then in the evening we went to watch fire works.

This week I am thankful for...
~ my husband getting up to go to work every day to provide for our family. After our late night last night watching fire works I'm sure it was hard to get up!

~ hearing my boy talk and laugh again.  He is doing much better after his tonsillectomy. He's eating more now too.  He made a little progress each day.  He goes to his follow up next Tuesday.

~ my funny little guy and the things he repeats.  This week I had told him not to drink too much water and showed him on his bottle to drink to this line.  He was telling me how he wanted to drink more and I said but you don't need to drink too much.  He said so what's the solution?  It made me laugh because I say this to him often. 

~ viewing the beautiful wedding pictures from the wedding day of my husband's youngest brother.  The photographer did a wonderful job!  You can tell she loves what she does and is so good at it. 

~ strawberries, cherries, cantaloupe, and watermelon.  Yummy things we've had this week!

~ living in this country and celebrating our freedom!

Have a day of blessings! 

Bethany

Family Vacation 2016 (Part 1)

I wanted to share a little bit about our vacation.  We were not sure when or where we were going until about a week prior to leaving.  Earlier this year we'd thought about going to Arkansas but didn't know if we wanted to drive that far so I didn't plan anything.

I had found one cabin for us that I thought would be great.  Then a couple days later I looked and I believe the prices went up over night. While it said prices may change without notice, I just did not like that so I did not want to go there.

Instead we went to Jellystone Park at Whispering Pines.  I'm so glad we made the decision to go here!
We drove down the beautiful tree lined road and came upon the entrance to the park.

Examples of some of the cabins

We got checked in at the Ranger Station and found our cabin.  It was situated among the trees and across the "street" from the pond.  In the picture below you can see the pond behind these other cabins.  

The resort property is so nice.  Everything was clean and comfortable.  The equipment was well-maintained.  I thought the staff was nice and friendly.  They seemed to enjoy being there and wanted to help.

They have all sorts of activities for guests....swimming pools, basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, volleyball, and a jumping pillow to name a few which are all free to use.  They have a mini golf area that was very new and very nice.  You do have to go "rent" the putters from the Ranger Station which is free but you have to buy the ball for $5. There is also a really cool playground with a neat wooden climbing structure.  They have a nice outdoor theater where they show movies at night.  They have a big fire pit surrounded with tree stumps to sit on where you can meet with Yogi to make s'mores. Besides these amenities, they offer some special activities for the kids including gem mining, tie dying, and ceramics.  

I thought this was a pretty picture with the light coming through the trees.  

We stayed here Sunday through Wednesday.  There was plenty to do and enjoy.  We would not have had to leave the park except we forgot a couple of cooking items!  It was not overly busy while we were there.  There were quite a few cabins full as well as RV spots and tents, but I did not feel like we were surrounded by people.  

We took food to cook on the grill outside our cabin.  Some of the cabins have kitchens in them, and I may get that cabin in the future. We forgot our BBQ tools so had to run to get some at the dollar store nearby.  One day it started raining too while my husband was trying to cook. He'd already finished the hot dogs and had to take off the pork chops because of the rain. I had not considered what we would do about our food if it had rained and he was unable to cook.  It did not last long though and was able to finish cooking the pork chops for our supper.

We all enjoyed our time here and would like to return.  Check with this park if you would like to make a reservation this summer for an affordable vacation at a fun, relaxing location!
  
Have a day of blessings!
  Bethany

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday! We've had a "different" sort of week here.  Caleb started throwing up Tuesday morning at 6 a.m.  We thought it was his allergies because he used to do this just about every night. He ate breakfast and went to school.  But they called me that he'd thrown up again before 8:30 so I picked him up.  He got sick several more times so I guess it was some sort of stomach bug instead of allergies.  I thought he was on the mend after he ate and seemed improved, but hours later he got sick again. I kept him home yesterday too because he got sick in the night again, but then he didn't get sick anymore after that.  He is back to school today.   I'm thankful he is feeling better! And I felt like God gave me extra strength to care for Caleb cause my husband was out of town for work.

~ my husband getting to come home and being able to talk to him while he was gone.

~ my boy feeling better and his normal regular health.

~ progress on the baby's room.  It is closer to being ready for the baby's arrival!

~ my Mom....today is her birthday.  I'm thankful for all the things she's taught me and her love.

~ money to pay our bills.

~ the wonderful shower hosted by our church.  (I mentioned this yesterday.)  We feel so blessed and thankful for everything they did for us.

What are you thankful for today?

Have a day of blessings!
  

5th Grade

The first six weeks of 5th grade passed quickly for my boy.  We are in the routine now and have quite a busy boy!

Each morning when he arrives he puts up the flags.  This was his job last year at the end of the year. Then he has been running the school store with another boy on Mondays through Thursdays.  They have fun pencils, erasers, etc., and the kids love shopping there. On Friday mornings he helps me sale spirit ribbons.

After school he takes down the flags.  Last year he did this in his last period class, but this year he has math last so he does it after school instead. Since I pick him up each day, I have figured out when to go so he will be done with that!  He also gets the mail for the secretary.

The classwork has been busy too! He seems to have more homework this year than in the past.  It is mostly studying for quizzes and math homework.  Math was rough for us both for the first couple of weeks I'd say, but he is doing great.  (I will say some of the questions on those math papers confuse me so much.  The wording of the story problems makes it seem like they want to trick the student. It is definitely different than what I had.)

Now the past couple of weeks we've added something new after school!  They are starting a robotics team for 4th and 5th graders.  He is really excited to learn about this.  Also, he made the team for UIL Number Sense (which did surprise me that he tried out for this one!) and is practicing for the UIL Picture Memory team (they haven't picked the team yet).  Number Sense is a test that they have to answer as many problems as they can in 10 minutes I think without doing any work on paper.  They are learning some tricks to do them in their head.  Picture Memory is the one he did last year....they have 40 pictures to memorize the title and artist's name.  It is the same pictures for two years in a row, and he remembers most of them from last year.  This year we can focus more on the spelling of the words.  Those practices are held after school each day.

He is also in 4H and the club president.

Also a few weeks ago he made it to the 1 million word club through the AR reading program.  He was the first one to get there.  :)

He is a busy boy and seems to be doing well keeping up with things.

Have a day of blessings!
 

5th grader!

The end of summer is here and we are to the first day of school.  Our summer was fast and fun, filled with trips, new memories, and lessons. Good-bye to our days of sleeping late. Good-bye to our errand days together. I'll be heading to do errands on my own. I know I'll miss having you along....because you were so helpful and because of the funny things that always happened to us. Good-bye to pajama days and chore lists and swimming and library visits and snow cones and out of town trips and cooking together and watching our game shows.

I'm not like other Moms who jump for joy when their kids return to school. Sure, there are things I will do when you are in school that I haven't done this summer (like eat lunch when I want or listen to audio books!). But I truly miss having you around.

We'll drop you off for your last first day at this intermediate campus. It feels different for me this year, knowing it's your last year here before junior high. The last year at the place where all the teachers and staff know who you are (and know me). We will be starting over I guess next year and that leaves me with a lump in my throat.

This year the theme for your school is "Be a Star."  When we went to meet your teacher, several classrooms had used the theme of shining like a star. That is what you do, and I have no doubt you will continue to do that this year.

You'll be the oldest on the campus. Make the younger students you know feel special and acknowledge the ones who know you.

Make a new friend. It's easy to hang out with the ones you already know, but think back to when you were the new boy here.  Be a friend to someone who doesn't have a friend.

Remember that it's okay to be different.  You've never been one to go along with the crowd, and I hope you will continue to shine in your uniqueness.

Some things may be hard for you. Don't give up. Keep trying. As you learned his year with your ham radio test, you can succeed when you are dedicated to it.

Take a stand for what is right. Do the right thing even if others don't.

Your Momma and Daddy (and a bunch of other people) support you and love you. We want you to succeed and will help you any way you can. We will be praying for you always.

I have such fond memories of my fifth grade year and teacher.  I hope this is an amazing year for you.  You've got a great group of teachers!  I look forward to seeing how you grow and learn this year.

Love, Momma



Have a day of blessings!

To my 10 year old....

Ten years ago today our lives were blessed with you our 8 pound baby boy.

I am so thankful for the gift of you and the blessing you are to me and Dad as well as the others around you.

It has been a joy to watch you grow up and learn and try new things. You always amaze me!

It is hard to believe you are already a 10 year old.  We've enjoyed remembering together the day you were born and meeting you for the first time. What a happy day that was!  I'm so glad we can celebrate you today.

I have always liked the song "Masterpiece" by Sandi Patty. I feel this second verse is so accurate.

Verse 2:
And now you're growing up
Your life's a miracle.
Every time I look at you,
I stand in awe.
Because I see in you
a reflection of me
and you'll always be my little lamb from God.
And as your life goes on each day
how I pray that you will see
just how much your life has meant to me.
And I'm so proud of you
what else is there to say
just be the masterpiece He created you to be.

More lyrics http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/sandi_patti/you_are_a_masterpiece-lyrics-759717.html#ixzz3ADYQVjEm

I love you!
Momma


Have a day of blessings!

Ten years later

Over the past few weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about a decade and how quickly that length of time passes. As I think back ten years, there have been so many changes for me and our family. You see, tomorrow our boy will turn ten years old…two hands….a decade!

Today I'm over at Laced With Grace sharing "Ten Years Later. "

Join me there to read the rest of my thoughts.

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

I guess it is a very late edition of Thankful Thursday this week!  I started working on the Wednesday Hodgepodge yesterday and never got to answering the questions.  I always make a point though to do Thankful Thursday! 

We've had a good week here, busy with several things. 

This week I'm thankful for...
~ listening to my husband give the lesson on Wednesday night at our church. He spoke on the distractions of this life and how those take our eyes of Jesus.  He did a wonderful job.

~ watching my boy in his swim lessons this week.  He has really enjoyed the class.  It is one hour each day.  He's learning a lot of new skills.  I've heard the teachers are fabulous and was thankful he had the opportunity to take lessons this summer.

~ witnessing a man in Subway in quick action who prevented a little girl from getting run over by a van that was leaving the parking lot.  I was so glad that man jumped up when he did and the girl was safe.  She was looking for a ball that had rolled away.

~ seeing big huge tomatoes on our vines as well as baby cantaloupes.  They have gotten bigger this week already.

~ my Mom coming to see us one day and watch Caleb's swim lessons.  And she brought us a little bit of a chocolate cake she made.  It was so good! 

Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

Hooray for Thursday and the last day of school!  It has felt weird to me that we went into the month of June.  I know the teachers and students were ready for the break!  Caleb has had a good year in 4th grade, and we are so proud of him.

Today I am thankful for...
~ celebrating our 13th anniversary with my sweet husband.  We had a nice day together, and I was thankful it worked out for me to be with him on that day. He gave me the sweetest card too, it made me saw awwww when I read the front. 

~ my boy finishing 4th grade.  I received many compliments on him from his teachers as well as the 5th grade teachers saying they are looking forward to having him in class.  He has had a good year and I'm thankful for that. 

~ Also I'm thankful for end of year traditions.  We have a fun new tradition  (that was started last year on the last day of school) was something "different" for breakfast.  Last year he had cupcakes and this year he had rocky road ice cream.  For several years I've made a poster that says "Welcome to Summer ____ Grader" and hang it on the garage door for him to see when we get home. 

~ making a rubber band bracelet with my boy.  He made one when he went to his reading party last week called Midnight Madness and wanted to teach me how to make them.  I found him a pack of rubber bands this week and we made them after school.

~ having a fun water fight together!  I loved hearing my boy laughing as he got us wet and we got him wet in return! 

Have a day of blessings!

A treasured moment

We were walking in the parking lot towards our truck after browsing in Lowes. I realized there was a hand in mine. I looked down casually and noticed our boy walking between us, holding both our hands. This happens so rarely now because as a 9 year old he doesn't like holding my hand much anymore. As I've realized this,  I've come to appreciate those moments so much more when I do feel his hand in mine. This felt like such a special moment to me, even though it was so short of a walk and lasted such a brief time.

As I think about holding that hand I am filled with thankfulness that we have our boy. He is such a blessing, and I'm so thankful to be his Mom. (On a side note I love when the kids at school say, "aren't you Caleb's Mom?")

My heart has been heavy this week as Mother's Day approaches.  A year ago this week I went to my follow-up appointment after our miscarriage. I remember the doctor telling me to wait three months before we tried again for another child, which would mean wait until August.  I didn't know if I wanted to try again and for the three months went back and forth,  unsure what to do. I had figured it out though and knew my due day would be the beginning of May if we conceived in August. In my mind that would be a perfect plan. But obviously that didn't happen and we still aren't expecting another child. My heart has continued to feel mixed emotions about this.  My heart still hurts from the last miscarriage, and I have realized we may not have additional children here. I don't know what the future holds, but we are trusting God for the next step.

This Mother's Day I'm thankful for the gift of my son and his hand in mine. Because of the last 9 months, I've had a small glimpse of how women must feel who are unable to conceive. There is so much pain, frustration, and unknowns. It's just plain hard, and I never knew that prior to this experience.  I'm blessed to have his hand to hold, and because of the pain we've gone through, I don't take those sweet moments for granted.

Happy Mother's Day today.  I'm remembering all those who long to have children, for those who have babies in Heaven, and for those missing their Mom's today.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom who has been a loving encouragement to me. I'm thankful to have her in my life and our memories together.

Have a day of blessings!

Detective birthday party

This year Caleb wanted to have a detective birthday party.  I looked for ideas on Pinterest, and he helped me come up with things and make things how he wanted them to be.  We had his family party the weekend before his birthday, and everyone seemed to have a fun time. 

First we made the invitations on the computer using some clip art I found on Microsoft Word. I printed them on tag and cut them to fit in a legal size envelope.  The back side had the RSVP information. For the case # I used Caleb's birth date.

We printed the envelopes on our computer as well with CONFIDENTIAL in red in the lower corner, and for the return address we put HEADQUARTERS and our address. 

We decided first we would have a code for the guests to read when they arrived.  I used a font on Microsoft Word called webdings to make the message, and then printed it, glued both pieces to construction paper, and laminated.  The code said "Come inside to be fingerprinted."

We put this on our front porch.

Then we decided the mystery was going to be that lunch tickets were stolen.  The guests had to find their lunch tickets using a clue after they were fingerprinted.  We called it "The Case of the Missing Lunch Tickets."

We made cards for all the guests to be fingerprinted.  We put their name and used their birth date for their ID number.  The ID number matched the number on the lunch ticket.  Here is a picture of the fingerprint cards and lunch tickets. 

 

We had scavenger hunt type clues for everyone to find their tickets.  We had four different hiding places....the washing machine, phone, freezer, and under a chair.  We also had an easier clue for a little cousin to find her lunch ticket hidden on Caleb's pillow.

Caleb also wanted a laser beam for the detectives to go through so he made this between trees in the backyard with red yarn. 

For the decorations I printed a finger print that I attached to construction paper.  Also I made question marks with black poster board.  Caleb drew me a magnifying glass which I traced onto black poster board and laminated.

We gathered a bunch of disguises too for everyone to take funny pictures. 

This is the sign we made for the front door. 

My Mom made the cake.  Caleb told her what he wanted several months ago and she came up with this.  He thought it was perfect.  (The blotted out parts were our last name). I loved the real magnifying glass that was looking towards the fingerprints.

(Know it is not the best photo but I took a picture of a printed picture so I could cover our name.)

One of the fun things that happened were some "mystery guests" that arrived.  It was so funny to go to the door and see some family  members dressed with disguises.  I did not know they were doing it, and it was so fun and a great idea for the party! 

We had a fun day and the party was a lot of fun!  I'm glad I got to plan it with  my boy. 

Have a day of blessings!

I want to remember

.... the way you adjusted so well to your new campus as you began 3rd grade. 

... when I hear you softly humming a song or loudly singing at random times.

....how it filled my heart with joy to see you love reading so much all year long!

.....how it blessed me so much to see you leading "I'll Fly Away" and "Amazing Grace" at Meemaw's memorial service. 

... when you would give me a big smile when you'd see me volunteering at your school. 

... how you will ask me if I went to the library and dump all the books all over the living room floor, looking at each one.

...how I was so proud to watch you order your entire sandwich at Subway all by yourself.  I knew you could do it but just seeing you do it gave me a special feeling that you are growing up!

... the shouts of excitement when we told you that you were going to be a big brother.  I am so thankful we had our secret with you for a few weeks.  You got to share in our joy.

.... that you said exactly what I knew you would say whenever we told you about the miscarriage.  I dreaded telling you so much because I knew how excited you were. 

...the way it made my heart smile when you called me from Midnight Madness to see if it was okay for you to get your face painted (because you had never done it before).

...how muddy and dirty you were when we spent a mostly rainy Memorial Day weekend at the river and you loved every minute.

....sharing sunflower seeds and sour straws while we watched field events at field day.

...the night at bedtime when you told me you need new socks and underwear desperately.

...watching you catch a shark and the excitement on your face.

... swimming and playing racquetball on Saturday afternoons.

...the day you told me I was the best mom because I let you get a medium drink for orange Hi-C!!

...in your prayer when you thanked God for letting us live here on His land and the reminder this is just temporary.

...when you accidentally cut your finger and you asked if we could just take you to the hospital so they could put some blood back in you.

... seeing that you won 2nd place in a drawing contest at the library.

..... watching "Let's Make a Deal" together on summer days.

... how encouraged I was when you told me one day a lesson about using knives and the reminder to never give up.

... the day you made slime using a recipe from a library book.

... laughing and screaming together as we rode a water park slide.

... how you make me laugh when we are doing our grocery shopping as you ride on the front of the cart, leaning against me and wiping off my kisses!

... the day you told me you were practically 10.  

... hearing you laugh with Daddy as you shot rubber bands at army men.


Happy 9th birthday to my sweet Caleb! I am thankful for you and the blessing it is to be your Mom.


Have a day of blessings!

Thankful Thursday

It is a rainy Thursday morning here.  It has been raining over an hour, and it is so dark outside too.  I told Caleb as I took him to school it made me want to go crawl back in bed.  I'm thankful for my car being in the garage so we did not have to get in the rain to get to school and also that the walkway up to the school is covered all the way so Caleb didn't have to get wet either. 

Today I am thankful for so many things.
~ the connection I have with my husband.  Several times the past few days I've noticed we are thinking the same thing at the same time, where he says what I was thinking about.  Or I pick up the phone to call to ask him something after work and as I pick it up it is ringing because he is calling to ask me about the same thing. 

~ the confidence my sweet boy has.  He is in 4-H this year.  Last year we went to the meetings and he participated in some events as a "Clover Kid."  This year he is old enough to join.  He knew they were having officer elections and said he wanted to be secretary.  At the meeting the leader was talking about the offices and asked if anyone had any nominations.  He nominated himself.  No one else was nominated so he got the office.  He also shared about his photography project when she asked for volunteers.  I am thankful for his confidence and how he share his ideas. 

~ encouraging time Monday evening at our monthly Bible study.  The ladies of our church gather once a month.  I always enjoy getting together with them.  After having a headache Monday afternoon I wasn't sure I would feel up to going but I did and was glad I went. I appreciate these women.

~ having fun entering things at the fair.  We went last Saturday for Caleb to drop off his baked goods.  Then we walked through the exhibits and found his craft entries.  He was so excited to see the ribbons on his entries.  Nearly everything he entered placed.  This week I have been dropping of my baked goods to be judged.  Today I am taking a pecan pie.  It's fun to enter and see the other entries and also to win a ribbon for some things too! 

~ getting a new iron.  It works so much better than the last one I'd bought.  I'm glad I could get a new one! 

Have a day of blessings!

Police birthday party!

Every year my boy has a plan for the theme for his birthday party.  He usually knows the theme months (or sometimes even a year) in advance. 

This year he chose to have a police birthday party.  I looked for ideas, decorations, etc. online and thought I'd share what we did.

We had two parties.  The first was with some friends from church.  We met at Schlotzsky's in an extra room they have.  The boys ate and played with the pretend jail we'd made, had cupcakes, and played another game to get the "robber" in the jail.

Here is our pretend jail.  I've included two pictures so you can see both sides.  It was a group effort!  My husband found the box at work in the trash pile.  It worked out perfectly.  He cut the bars and they wrapped them with foil.  The other part he covered with duct tape.  I made the poster on the front.  Caleb wanted two guards and one dog.  My husband drew the dog and the Barney Fife guard and my Mom drew the blue guard.  Caleb was pleased with how it turned out.  It made for fun photos at his party as he put family members in the jail and someone could put their face in the holes to be the guards.

 

 

Here is the game we made.  I'd seen an idea on Pinterest using a similar idea (they did theirs outside with a whole village and didn't use straws).  Caleb and I made a box to look like a jail.  We cut a small hole in the front for a door.  I put it on the floor in a corner.  The boys got on their hands and knees with a straw (new straw for each boy by the way) and had to blow the "robber" (a small plastic ball) into the jail.  They all had fun with this and it was more difficult that you'd think! 

For this party we made cupcakes.  Caleb and I made them and decorated them together.  I made cupcake toppers with a badge and an "8" in them and the other side had "Caleb."  I decided to put them in the shape of an "8" too. 

For the goodie bags, we had a little notepad, pencil, plastic police badge, and crocheted handcuffs for the boys.  My Mom made these from another Pinterest idea I found.  They turned out so cute I thought! She made most of them gray but did a camo pair for Caleb too.

We had a family party at our house.  For decorations my husband and I hung blue and black balloons in a line down our front hallway (another Pinterest idea).  It was super easy to do this and did not take too long either once the balloons were blown up. 

(not sure what happened with this picture, it messed up in the upload)

I also printed these (that I found on Pinterest) and lined them down the two sides of our cabinets along with badges from the Dollar Tree.  My husband drew the police car.  Didn't he do a great job on both the car and the police dog? 

Here is the birthday cake. (I blacked out his name which was above the pocket.)   My Mom made it too.  It turned out great!  Caleb was excited to keep the plastic walkie talkie, handcuffs, and baton too.

It was a very fun birthday, and I'm appreciative of the help from my husband and Mom to have things like Caleb wanted.

Have a day of blessings!

Good bye summer, hello 3rd grade!

To my Caleb,
As I looked back at the letter I wrote you as you were beginning 2nd grade, I was reminded how quickly time passes. 

We have had a wonderful summer.  I was thinking the other day again about how thankful I am to be a stay at home Mom.  It is such a blessing that we can spend our days together.  We had fun on our vacation in June, and you got to go to two camps this summer.  We also enjoyed our routine, both the days we were home or the days we went to run errands.  You are such a great boy and such fun to have around!

One thing you did a lot of this summer was read.  We should have  kept a list of every single book you read.  It would have been a very long one!  You love any of the Boxcar Children books and always get a stack of them when we go to the library. 

Now you are heading off to 3rd grade.  I really can't believe it.
Third grade...a new campus.
Third grade...three teachers instead of just one.
Third grade...changing classes. (I didn't do that till 6th grade!)
Third grade...the year you will be old enough to participate in more events, like 4-H.
Third grade...a grade I've never taught.
Third grade...the year you will start taking the state standardized test.
Third grade...

I will miss you when you go off to third grade.  I will miss your loud singing as you dance around the house or the quiet of the car as you read or having you help me on grocery shopping trips.  I know you will have many new opportunities and learn many new things as you have new responsibilities this year.   

I am so proud of you! I am praying for you. Your Momma loves you. 

Have a day of blessings!