1st Day of Preschool

Today was Kale's first day of preschool.  

 After a weekend away celebrating a family wedding and then a very rough thunderstorm night, I was wondering how tolerable he would be of something new, but he took it all in stride.

 I've been told that mothering is not about letting go but about letting go a great number of times.  Today wasn't the first for me, but it was a big one.

 We took lots of pictures, he asked me to stay and play for awhile, and had to give me a series of hugs and kisses before I could go.

 Kale with his teacher Mrs. Blough.

 Kale with Mrs. Williams, the para in the room.

 There are 14 total  kiddos in his class as well as a classroom fish, "Blueberry."

 This was a sign that Kale was in the right classroom!

When I picked him up he said, "I missed you, Mama, but you are always in my heart."  You too, bud, you too.

A Weed Among the Flowers

I was at a friend's house recently and on her porch she had a beautiful display of "flowers" in several small glass jars.  I commented how beautiful they were and she laughed, squeezed my arm and said, "I collected those weeds out of a ditch on a drive home yesterday."  Did you catch that?  Weeds.

Later that afternoon when the boys were napping, I went a few feet up the gravel road alongside our home and cut a few of my own weeds and assembled them into my own glass jars.

 Have you ever felt like a weed among the flowers, friends?  You go on a play date and the other kids are way more well mannered than your own.  You visit a friends home and she decorates and cleans so much better than you.  You go to a potluck and want to hide your dessert because next to the others, it just doesn't measure up.  You meant not to think ill thoughts of that woman you keep seeing at the grocery store that looks like she just crawled out of bed and didn't give personal hygiene a thought.  Weeds.

But you know what?  God even makes weeds beautiful.  Weeds.  We are imperfect people living in a sinful world.  We think imperfect thoughts, do imperfect things, and struggle to stretch out for the sunrise and drink in the goodness of God's glorious riches and live.  Truly live.

The next opportunity you get, take a long stroll down a gravel road and look and see the beautiful weeds.  And remember, you were created in God's image.  He wants you to flourish like a flower.

The Season of Summer

I have a love-hate relationship with summer.  Amazing lightning bugs to end the day after the mosquito bites have gotten big, red, and itchy.  Plump, tasty garden produce after hours of toil to get rid of the pesky weeds.  Happy, sweaty, sandy boys who need baths every night.  Love-hate.

This season that is sandwiched between spring and fall.  This season that often drags on in its dog days or seems to fast forward when the temps dip keeping us out of the pool.  This season that hosts my birthday and adds another wrinkle to my face.  Love-hate.

When I was a kid, I loved summer; lived for summer.  School was out, my feet were on the softball diamond, our family enjoyed fires on our patio watching the stars above.  Not a care in the world.  Now, I carry sweaty boys who skin their knees, endure whining when it's time to leave the pool, skip the campfire most nights because I'm too tired to watch the stars.  Love-hate.

As a mom of young kids I feel my soul is in the season of summer.  Many days feel stagnant and humid and nothing seems to want to grow.  Days of no breeze and only thunderclouds in the distance.  Days when the mosquito is feasting.  But amidst these barren, dry days are days of refreshment.  Days of rain and cool breezes and icy lemonade in a glass that runneth over.  Love-hate.

How thankful I am that just as with any season, this season too shall pass.  And that in the dead of winter I'll long for summer once again.

Greyson's Dedication

Greyson was dedicated to the Lord on Sunday, June 29 surrounded by our families and our small group.  We enjoyed having our worship pastor, Pastor Alex, dedicate Grey.

Greyson's "I AM Prayer:"

I am...a man of God, I am a King and a Priest.  I am loved by God and loved by my family.  God has a plan for me, a future for me, a hope for me...and it's in Him.  I will do great things because He strengthens me.  His promises live in me and I am His creative work.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Kale's 4th Birthday

Kale turned 4 years old in June.  To stay with tradition, his bedroom was filled with balloons the night before.

 And Kale stuck with his tradition of having to move all the balloons downstairs...

 During the day, Kale, Grey and I celebrated by getting cupcakes and visiting a park.

 In the evening after Papa arrived home, we went to a family fun park with go-carts and a bounce pillow, followed by supper at Pizza Hut.

 Kale chose what cars Papa and Mama would drive.  I think he's figured our driving out already.  Note the flames on the side of Mama's car!!!

 We held Kale's party on the Sunday following his birthday in conjunction with Greyson's dedication at church.  We went with a cars theme.  Kale helped with party prep gluing traffic signs for the ceiling.

 Kale also selected the cars he wanted placed on the tables.

 We did a brunch for lunch with breakfast casseroles, pancakes, and other fixins.

 This year's cake was a car cake.  After baking it, we found that the details were pretty cute and hated to frost it and lose the detail.  So, we placed a bowl of frosting next to it with a sign that read "Paint Detail."

We love our four year old!

Attic Reno 16

I had purchased a desk off of a Facebook for sale group several months ago.  I've been itching to tackle this project and get it placed in our attic space and begin to utilize it.  The before pic:

 And after:

 Paint color: Tidal Teal from Lowes.  

 Found the awesome knobs at Hobby Lobby.

 The cubby on top I purchased from a friend (Thanks, Nicole!).  It holds loads of cards and other essential mailing items.  The chair was purchased from a barn sale-already the orange color.  I've found this is a great spot to park myself during afternoon nap time for the boys.  My sweet little corner of office space :)

Attic Reno 15

Attic reno continues with the finishing of the stairwell banister.  Justin, the patient Papa that he is, allowed Kale to help him prime the woodwork for the project.  Then after Kale was in bed, he went out and took care of the finishing paint.

 A view looking up to the landing.  (Sidenote: I scored the fabulous table at a garage sale...)

 A view from the landing looking up toward the master suite.

 And finally, a view from the master suite looking down to the landing.

Super duper close to be completely finished with the attic project now!

Our not so little boy

I have become increasingly more aware that my Kale is not such a little boy anymore and my heart hurts just a little bit.

 This boy who it seems was just born a few months ago is already writing his name and has favorite friends and doesn't always want his mama to read him stories at night.

 This boy who will turn four years old next month that now ventures outside to play with Cedar all by himself and dresses himself and goes potty all.by.himself.

 This boy who goes on dates with me to orchestra concerts and holds real conversations about instruments, cars and what he did while mama was away.  I hope he'll always want to date me!

 This boy.  I'm wanting to stop time for this boy.  I'm wanting to read and research for all the questions he'll have for me.  I'm wanting to hold him in my arms and not let any harm come to him.  That's where God comes in and reminds me that he is His and I must trust.  This boy.  Oh how I love this boy.

Easter 2014

Easter 2014 was special in many ways.  It was the first year Kale "hunted" for eggs, it was Grey's 1st Easter, Papa preached at church, and we spent the day with D's family in some amazing weather after a very cold start to spring.

 Kale has a firm grasp on the Easter story and has really taken to the Resurrection Eggs this year.  I think it will be cool in a few years when he can lead Grey through the story of the cross.

 We managed to get ready and out the door to be at church early for Papa so he could get prepared to give his message.  He retold the story of the events leading up to the cross and then focused on the veil being torn and how the separation between God and man was no more.  I've even got a cool piece of purple fabric to put in Greyson's baby book, that Justin utilized as an illustration during his message.

 We have much to smile about in celebrating our risen Lord!