Pie Baking

Z and I made a Chocolate Pie today. Yum!

1st Day of School

I can't believe it's the first day of third grade.  J will be walking up and down the halls where I walked so many times while I was pregnant with him.  His 3rd grade classroom is right next door to my old 3rd grade classroom.  Surreal!  Amazing how things come full circle!  I think this is the first time I've been a little tearful since the first day of Kindergarten.  I guess because, once again, I'm reminded of how time flies.  This is also the first year he didn't want me to walk him to class...only to the building.  I asked him if he wanted me to walk him to his classroom and he was so torn and couldn't make up his mind...wanting to be a big boy but still wanting the security of mommy.  I finally suggested this morning, "How about I walk you to the door of the school?"  He immediately thought that was a great idea...a good compromise.  Of course, I was still able to get my first day picture and he didn't hesitate to get a hug and a kiss before walking in the building.  He's such a big kid but he's still my baby.  Lesson of the Day:  God is so good!  I am amazed by His love for us and how He brings my life full circle over and over again!  I always look back at all that has happened and I can see His hand in everything...even when it didn't make a lick of sense at the time.

Coneygirl and her sidekick Dr. Hoot

You never know who you'll find at our house!

Piranha infested waters and big snakes....Ahhhhhh!

Crawling through Piranha infested waters.

Crazy picture in front of the "Finding Nemo" fish tank.

"That's a big snake!"

Pink Birds

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh, My!

This week, J, Z, Lyndee (my niece), and I took a field trip to the zoo. Although I thought we were either going to melt right there on the concrete or die of a heat stroke, we had a great time. It was soooooo hot! Pretty much everyone at the zoo had a completely wet backside from sweat and seemed to be searching for the same thing: the misting fans! Regardless of the heat, we had a fun day! Highlights were the new baby elephant, the robotic dinosaur exhibit, and for Z, the Flamingos (anything pink). I loved watching the kids checking out the animals. Lesson of the day: I will be purchasing a Garmin before the next trip downtown (the trip home was interesting :)!

Down in the Dumps Day

Okay, I really bored.  (Mom, I know you probably have tons of stuff I can do so I won't be bored...at least you always did when I was a kid, and that saying "I'm bored" is borderline cursing.)  Believe me, I've got plenty of stuff I need to do (my house needs to be cleaned, the guest bedroom has a huge pile of hand-me-downs I need to go through, I've got a ton of AWANA junk I need to deal with, I need to get the printer fixed so I can print Z's thank you cards, just to name a few), I just don't feel like doing anything...which means...boredom in my world.   I just feel like moping around.  I think it's that we've been so busy all year, especially the first month of summer, that I'm having the post excitement let down.  Or maybe it's that I've been thinking a lot about how fast life is moving and sometimes I feel like I'm left on the bench watching it spin around and I want to slow it down but can't.  Where did the last five years go?  Why does stress seem to make the years fly by faster and when it subsides you feel like you've missed something?  What a funk I've been in!!!  I just need to get over it!  Lesson of the day:  "Be still and know that I am God!"  Need I say more... 

It's the fiary, cowgirl, rock star's birthday!!!

The initial blow.

The power blow.

Today is my sweet baby girl's 4th birthday. Wow, those four years just zipped right by! Z has been such a blessing. I don't think any of us can imagine what life would be without her. She has definitely added a needed element to our family. Z is creative and imaginative. She loves music and dancing. She's insanely smart and super funny. She keeps us on our toes because we never know what to expect from her or who we're going to see...one day, a garden fairy, the next day a cowgirl, and the following day, a rock star. For lunch today, we celebrated with leftover cupcakes and trick candles (hehe)...note the power blow for that one candle that just kept relighting. It was too funny. Lesson of the day: Treasure every moment...because they pass sooooo quickly.