Racing Days

We have been SO busy lately! It's been a fabulous spring so far with mild mornings, warm afternoons and minimal ant mounds and mosquito swarms. What a difference a year makes. We are so busy with friends and our house and church and school stuff and our growing up kids that I don't have any energy left at the end of the day to post a few pictures! The Lord has blessed us indeed. And I am determined to soak up every second of it and never take it for granted.

So tonight we went to the Byrd baseball game and let the big kids play in the batting cages and run races and play red light green light and eat ring pops while the babies practiced their standing skills on a pallet. A perfect summer evening... And NO school tomorrow morning!

In Summary...

This picture pretty much summarizes today for us.

And now I'm exhausted. Good night! I'll call you back tomorrow, Mom.

A Very Important Letter

Saturday we got a very important letter in the mail. It told us that Grace Elizabeth got into South Higlands Magnet Elementary! This is the best elementary school in the state and it's about 1 mile from our house. It's also a performing arts school which is exciting because the school does a lot to emphasizes art and music... two things right up Graces alley. This is a really coveted spot in the lacking Shreveport public school system, and our girl had to compete with literally hundreds of other kids to get in. We are very proud of you, Grace Girl, and are grateful to The Lord that He has given you some extra special smarts. Our prayer is that we will be diligent to teach you not only the "book" learning you need to know but also all about the God who has given you special talents.
And our most fervent prayer for you is that you would love this God with all of your heart soul mind and strength, and use your talents to glorify Him, serve Him, and spread His good news!

Gymnastics!

Last night Grace and I went to see the centenary ladies gymnastics team compete in the national finals in the "gold dome". Our good friends from two blocks over came with us and we had SO MUCH FUN. Seriously. It was a good girls outing. And it was really exciting. Everyone was yelling and clapping and the music was loud and upbeat. We sat on about the 4th row and saw everything up close. Eva is ready to be a gymnast for sure! I think G may stick with ballet... She was a bit concerned that those girls were gonna get a busted lip. :)

Sibling Day!

Apparently it's sibling day according to everyone on FB, so I thought I would document a little bit here too.

My amazing best friend who is also my sister, Mary Allison. How I love her so. Got this kids wedding invite in the mail this week... I get to be the matron (geez) of honor. ;-) How in the world has the time flown by so quickly? And is it just me or is it speeding up? Either way, I'm so excited to see what's in store for her in the future! These are some things I love to DO with my little sis.

Watch Little Women (on the pull out sofa in Magnolia in the den) the night before thanksgiving, cry our eyes out, and then have a "slumber party".


Wear the same article of clothing... Even though we live states away, never shop, and don't discuss our wardrobe before we see each other in our matching attire.


Eat moms chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes then have a dad dessert and sit around the kitchen table (that needs to be refinished) and talk for hours.


Laugh till we cry (which is about 5.7 seconds on average).


Eat PF Changs. It's my favorite place to go with my sis. We should do this more often.


I got my first beat friend when I was 4 and she's been my best friend ever since. I'm a blessed sister for sure!

Sunday Picnic Lunch

Jonathan had to work all day long today, so the kids and I picked up Wendy's on the way home and had a front yard picnic. The weather has been perfect for the past couple of days and my house is a wreck because I'm trying to have us outside every waking moment before its too wet or too hot or too buggy! We are savoring spring around here, folks!

Wendy's means Frostys which means happy kids for sure.

It was a good Sunday all-around. Could we be more blessed? I think not.

The Big Boy Cow Boy Bed

A certain little guy I know decided that he was ready to sleep in his "big boy cowboy bed".

Looks cozy, Jack!

Today Grace Said:

Well, really she sang. If you know G you know she is super shy and probably won't ever willingly sing in front of anyone (until she decides she want to. Remember Branson) but she sings non-stop at home. She is actually very very gifted musically. She can remember music and repeat it after only hearing once or twice. She started "singing" in her crib when she woke up in the morning at 7 weeks old and has never stopped. When she was 2-3 years old she would sing for nearly an hour. Now that she rarely naps I hear a lot of singing coming from her room during quiet time. Many times she gets a little carried away. I will crack her door to tell her to quiet things down and she will have all of her stuffed animals lined up on the bed, be standing on the bed and be playing church service. Today she sang almost all of the words to this song perfectly. She definitely knows more than me! It was our Easter song this year so we have web listening a lot.

Here are the words:

Verse 1

How can it be, the One who died,
Has borne our sin through sacrifice
To conquer every sting of death?
Sing, sing hallelujah.
For joy awakes as dawning light
When Christ’s disciples lift their eyes.
Alive He stands, their Friend and King;
Christ, Christ He is risen.

Chorus

Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Oh, sing hallelujah.
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed;
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.

Verse 2

Where doubt and darkness once had been,
They saw Him and their hearts believed.
But blessed are those who have not seen,
Yet, sing hallelujah.
Once bound by fear now bold in faith,
They preached the truth and power of grace.
And pouring out their lives they gained
Life, life everlasting.

Verse 3

The power that raised Him from the grave
Now works in us to powerfully save.
He frees our hearts to live His grace;
Go tell of His goodness.

Bridge

He’s alive, He’s alive!
Heaven’s gates are opened wide.
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Now in heaven glorified.

Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Ed Cash; © 2012 Gettymusic and Alletrop Music (BMI) (adm. by MusicServices.org)

One More Hunt

Love these sweet friends.

Easter Pictures

Here are some more Easter morning pics for your viewing pleasure!

Today Jack Said:

I'm ready for preschool!

After he chose these accessories...

Hmmmm.....

One More Hunt...

It was sunny enough to take a walk (and see all of the downed trees!) and have a hunt today.

I love these sweet friends!

Resurrection Day 2013

We had a great Easter Sunday! Everyone was well for this holiday (I'm pretty sure this was a first for us this year). The kids got up and found the goodies in their baskets.

My goal with the Easter baskets was to give them things that would remind them of Easter all year. I was clear with them about this point. We got them a new Bible to share.

Jack got a CD with some hymns on it.


Grace got a little necklace with a cross on it.


Then we went to see if Jesus was in the tomb and he wasn't!

Then Daddy read the resurrection story to us... While the kids ate some Cadbury eggs. :)


Then we made resurrection rolls for breakfast. While they cooked we tore up the paper chains we had made earlier in the week while listening to our "Easter song" for this year, Christ is Risen by the Gettys. We also sang and danced and played drums to last years song, Haleluia, Jesus Christ is alive, also by the Gettys.


Then our rolls were cooked and we ate them for breakfast.


Yum! Each kid got a marshmallow on the side as well.


Then it was off to church for a nice service and a rain and hail storm!


By the time the rest of the family arrived at around 3:30 for Easter dinner it was nice and sunny. The ground was still soaked though so we had an indoor egg hunt.








The cousins and their candy.


Then we had our Easter dinner. I can't help but notice how much different this looks than the food I prepared for the Seder dinner.


After everyone left it was quick baths for the kids, face-timing with my parents and bedtime for us all. We had a great week celebrating a very very important holiday.

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

May everyday be a celebration of this great truth!