Update On Life

Well, I don't have anything exciting to post about.  I have been meaning to blog, but just can not find the time.  This is so weird to me.  I usually check my email two or three times a day and blog at least once or twice a week, but here lately, I'm pooped!  This whole working thing is wearing me down!  I know, I know... I'm a weenie!!!  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, the problem is keeping up with my regular house "chores".  By the time I get home, all I want to do is go to bed!  Maybe in another week my body will adjust.  :-)

On the other hand, the kiddos are doing great in school.  Kent, is bringing home tests with perfect scores and doing so well.  Grace, has made several new friends and is a big help to her teacher.  When I picked her up today she said, "Mommy, today I got my tenth sticker because I didn't get my name on the board and I got to get a prize in the treasure chest!  Aren't you proud?  You didn't think I could be quiet that long?"  Yes, it's true, it's a miracle!  I never dreamed Gracie could sit quietly.  She is the most outgoing, confident, sweet little girl and Billy and I are so proud, but shocked at her accomplishment!  Amos, is doing great as well.  He got bit the first week of school but is doing fine.  His sweet teacher, Mrs. Amy, told me about how she had to sit him in "time out" one day,  but I'm sure there are more I don't know about!  Overall, he is doing wonderful and loves going to school with mommy.

Aren't kids funny?  I don't know what I would do without them! They always make my life fun and totally worth every tired minute.  I'm sure I'll have some more great school stories in the next week!  Hopefully, I will get around to blogging them!   :-)

I hope everyone has a great three day weekend!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Everyone had a wonderful first day of school today.  The morning started at 5:00 am and hasn't slowed down until now.  Surprisingly, the kiddos all woke up happy and we got out the door on time!  I did, however, discover that it takes a full 30 minutes to pack four lunches, so I made them ahead of time tonight for tomorrow.  Live and learn, right?!  I think it may take a week or two, but we will eventually establish a routine!  

All three of the kids had great stories to tell about their day with no complaints.  I think they are all excited to get up tomorrow and do it all over again!

My first day of work was kind of crazy, but fun.  I help teach the two year old class at Play Learn(FBC Fayetteville) and love it!  All the children we have in our class are so adorable.  I just love to scoop them up and love on them.  I really miss that age!  Anyway, we did have one child with a very strong will and a set of lungs!  I'm hoping tomorrow will be a little bit better, but for the most part was great! 

Okay, I told you in the previous post that I would be the crazy mom taking tons of pictures, and it was so true today!  I couldn't help it!  I kept telling myself to capture every possible opportunity for a picture so we would always remember.  So... here they are!

Amos, Kent and Grace before school

SO sweet!

Getting in the car...

Getting out of the car...

Walking into school...

(notice Amos had to wear his backpack too!)

Walking down the hall...

Kent with his teacher, Miss Waterson...

Kent hard at work...

Grace waiting patiently to go to her class...

Her first friend!!!!

Her cubby...

Sitting at her desk...

Gracie and her teacher, Ms. Stumbaugh...

Little man, Amos, hanging up his backpack...

Amos and his sweet preschool teachers, Ms. Tracy and Ms. Amy...

I warned you!  I love to take pictures, but aren't you glad I did?!!  We are looking forward to a wonderful year full of learning and having lots of fun!

Getting Back In The Groove

Well, Monday is the big day!  I can't believe it's already time to go back to school.  Thursday, Kent and Grace had open house at school and got to meet their teachers.  In the car on the way to the school we went over the rules... yes mam, no mam, please, thank you etc.  Kent is almost always polite, however, Gracie forgets her manner quite often and needs to be reminded.  We were the first to arrive in the class and the teacher came over to Grace and said, "hi, I'm Ms. Stumbaugh.  I'll be your teacher this year."  Grace quickly stuck out her little hand and said, "it's so nice to meet you.  I'm Gracie."  We were so proud!

By the time we made it to Kent's class, Amos was running circles in the hallway and was tired of being there.  I made Kent introduce himself to his teacher and we were out the door.  Friday morning, Billy took Amos to open house at the preschool.  I could not attend because I started teaching just down the hall from Amos!  Yeah!!!  I started Wednesday and already love it!  Anyway, back to Amos... when we went school shopping he said he needed a backpack and lunch box too because he was going to "real school".  I thought that was precious!  Because of my new job, Amos will be in preschool five days a week.  This is a first for both of us and we are very excited.

I'm sure on Monday I will be the crazy mom taking tons of pictures at school, so get ready!  I just plugged in my battery so I should be good to go!  Good luck to all the other mommy's sending their kiddos to school!   :-)

  

Please Pray For Our Friend

The last two days have been a blur.  

Yesterday around 4:00pm we received a phone call that shook our world.  The phone rang and it was our pastor's dad wanting to speak with Billy.  As they began to talk, I could hear the sadness in my husband's voice.  I began to get a feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I knew he was about to tell me horrible news.  He hung up the phone and wrapped his arms around me and  said, "Matt's gone."  

Matt and his wife Naomi, are one of several special couples we attend church with.  

He died unexpectedly at work on Thursday, and no one knows why. 

How could this be?  We just sat with them at church on Sunday and everything was fine.   

Our hearts are saddened and full of questions.  We can't understand why this would happen. We are clinging tightly to God and asking our friends and family to please pray especially for his wife, Naomi, and his mother.  Please also remember their entire family as well. 

It was so difficult to see our friend so broken tonight.  My prayer for her is that God would wrap His loving arms around her and comfort her with a peace that only He can offer.  I also pray that God would give us the words to speak when the time comes.    

Our hearts are heavy tonight knowing that we will tell our friend goodbye on Monday.  We are holding to the promise that we will see him again one day. 

 We know that when our world crumbles down around us, Jesus never does.  He is always unshakable.

Please pray.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."  Hebrews 10:23

Backpacks for School

Today was a sewing day for school orders!  I can't believe that summer is almost over and school is right around the corner.  Anyway, my mom and I worked on three backpacks and a lunchbox today.  Here are some pictures from the day...

step 1.  Fit the backpack to the frame...

step 2.  Create what you want the machine to stitch on the computer...

step 3.  Save it to a memory card and put the card in the embroidery/monogramming machine...

step 4.  Push a few buttons and watch it stitch...

All done!  :-)

New Wall Ornament

ornament:  1) a useful accessory 2) something that lends grace or beauty 3) one whose virtues or graces add luster to a place or society 

 

This is the word Billy would choose to describe the new element of beauty in our living room.  

Today the phone rang, and it was the taxidermy man saying he had Billy's deer ready for him to pick up.  Let me tell you, I have mixed feelings about this deer.  I love my husband, and I love that he has a passion for hunting, BUT I don't like that he wants to put his magnificent (ha/ha) deer in our living room.  I mean, come on... he already has a mule deer on one wall in our living room, do we really need another one???  

I politely asked him if he would hang it in the garage with his turkey, but that didn't happen.  Instead, he removed something of mine off the wall and hung it up over our big screen TV!  Can you believe this ladies?  

I guess part of being married is sharing and compromise!  I have to admit, it is a big deer and I do love to see how happy it makes him.   :-) 

Those of you that know Billy know that he rarely poses for a picture.  He wasn't very excited that his picture is on the blog, but I just couldn't resist!!!   

This makes me laugh!