tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56036610016131911052024-03-13T21:34:18.308-05:00blessed beyond measureMelodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.comBlogger899125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-43643447192490129012017-03-16T15:13:00.000-05:002017-03-16T15:26:38.425-05:004 year old Abe.I need to document who Abe is as a new 4 year old, before he becomes 4 1/2 or even worse, 5! I'm so behind over here. And sitting at the computer is the last thing I want to do when I have time to myself. But here I am. I want to remember it all one day. I want the boys to be able to read about themselves and our family life.<br />
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Abe as a 4 year old...He's sweet. He loves to gives hugs and kisses. He squeezes my neck so tight when he hugs. It feels amazing. He loves to cuddle and sit close, if not right in my lap. Yesterday, he sat in my lap for an entire movie at the theatre. He never once got restless or decided he move back to his own seat, which was right next to me. He is by far the biggest momma's boy yet. He prefers his momma at every turn. And daily, he makes me feel very loved in a very natural way. I know that is a weird thought. I just mean, I could leave town for a few days and the other two wouldn't care at all. Abe would miss me and maybe cry. And he would not look forward to my absence at all.<br />
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In some childcare situations he is having a really hard time these days. Mother's Day Out and Wednesday nights at our church, his teachers think he hung the moon and often tell me how well behaved and sweet he is. They experience all the goodness in him that I see. But Sunday mornings and our homeschool co-op he gives them all a run for their money. Unfortunately, they don't see the sweetness. I don't understand it. I don't know how to fix it for the unfortunate teachers. And I am just hoping that he soon outgrows it. When I ask him weekly, why he was making bad choices in one of those classrooms, his answer is typically: because I missed you. See, I don't know what to do for that! So I think he's a pretty easy kid for me. But some of the teachers that have him weekly would strongly disagree with my statement. <br />
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He loves to be read to. He is captivated by books and stories. He will even flip through the big boys chapter books that have a few black and white pictures scattered throughout. He will do this for large chunks of time. I hope one day he will become a great reader like the other 2 boys. I plan to start some school with him this summer while the other 2 are taking a break. He is really great at playing alone. The toys he plays with most often would be legos and his pretend play things (pizza, k-cup coffee set, wooden icecream set). Those are some of his favorites. He also loves his leap reader pen to go through his books independently. I am so thankful that he plays so well by himself.<br />
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People often ask what Abe does when I do school with the other two. That is a moment when I get to brag on this boy. He often starts out in the office. He will sing along on whatever hymn we are working on. He will play quietly while I read to them from the bible. That's about the first 20 minutes and then he is ready to go upstairs and play. Usually he ends up watching one cartoon while we finish up school each morning. But he is really a superstar at entertaining himself and letting us get our school done each morning. <br />
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Abe is still completely fascinated with fire trucks. He has been for over 2 years. Fascinated, obsessed, whatever you want to call it. He also loves Batman. And he loves to drive through a car wash. And he loves to talk about tornadoes. He's been known to tell me: Momma, I love you like a tornado car wash. Just think about it such a thing existed. That would be some powerful love! 😊<br />
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Abe loves to paint with water colors. He loves to jump on the trampoline. He loves to be outside and color our driveway with the sidewalk chalk. Last fall he attempted the bike with training wheels and it was more frustrating than fun. But we need to give it another try in the next couple of weeks. Abe also loves music and singing. Every time we are in the car I can hear his sweet, but deep, little voice behind me singing grown up worship songs along with the radio. Good, Good Father has been one of his favorites for a very long time. I pray the truths of these songs are being etched into his heart and mind and one day will be a small part of transforming him into a follower of Jesus.<br />
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Abe is a fantastic eater. He loves fresh veggies and hummus. His favorite is slices of bell pepper. But he also loves carrots and sugar snap peas. Honestly, he will dip just about anything in hummus and eat it. But it HAS to be Sabra. I can't even trick him with other brands or homemade hummus. It has to be Sabra Roasted Red Pepper or the Pine Nut one. Otherwise he turns his little nose up to it. He frequently asks for extra veggies and hummus after he's eaten everything else. Who is this kid!?!! But I love it. He doesn't really eat bread or pasta. He is more into fruit, veggies and meat. But he also loves to eat crackers, chips, yogurt, rice and beans. He has a spicy pallet. He needs his own salsa bowl when we eat Tex Mex. Even when it's spicy he loves the stuff.<br />
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Pax and Abe have a very sweet relationship and they have since the beginning. I'm going to give Pax most of the credit here. He is pretty easy to get along with and is just the perfect both big and little brother. Holden and Abe are going through an annoying rough patch that I hope will improve with time and maturity.<br />
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This kid...who knew my heart could love another boy so much. I'm crazy in love with this one and feel so fortunate that God found us fit to be his forever family.<br />
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Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-79233980977901893682017-01-25T08:39:00.004-06:002017-01-25T08:39:59.887-06:00Abe's 4th BirthdayAbe turned 4 on December 2nd. So behind over here.<br />
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He began his day by opening a gift from Holden and Pax. New legos!</div>
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Then our sweet Master Builder helped him to build it right away!</div>
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Everyone's favorite breakfast at our house is always donuts.</div>
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We also let him open this new fire station. It was actually handed down to us without the furniture. I ended up buying a set of wooden pink furniture for it, because it was the cheapest I could find. He didn't mind at all that it was pink. :)</div>
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He was so excited to have a fire station.</div>
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Not long after breakfast we took off for Chuck E Cheese to meet a few friends and celebrate.</div>
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We had games, pizza and Paw Patrol cupcakes. </div>
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After lunch, we came home and Abe had a nap. Then my parents came over that evening for frito chili pie (one of his favorites!) and more presents and cupcakes.</div>
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I love celebrating my boys birthdays. But this #4 came all too quickly. An "all about 4 year old Abe" is next on my blog-to-do list!Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-29915755086406141392017-01-11T16:49:00.001-06:002017-01-11T16:58:43.436-06:00NovemberNovember consisted of....<br />
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(OK, this first one was actually the last weekend in October.) Jeremy participated in a Spartan race with a few of his best friends. These relationships go all the way back to middle school. These three had a full weekend together. I'm so thankful these friendships are still going strong.<br />
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They stuck together through the entire race.</div>
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Holden's dream of getting glasses sort of came true.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x5x-eOwBsmA/WHLG5GjARNI/AAAAAAAAKA0/00pOwS3RdSQZrLmtS9HVU0aidJWW43dgwCLcB/s1600/20161108_195317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x5x-eOwBsmA/WHLG5GjARNI/AAAAAAAAKA0/00pOwS3RdSQZrLmtS9HVU0aidJWW43dgwCLcB/s320/20161108_195317.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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We converted Abe's toddler bed into a full bed. He affectionately refers to this bed as his "firetruck bed".</div>
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We celebrated 14 years of marriage with a fun little date night at Painting With a Twist. It was such a fun and special evening.</div>
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I'm so thankful for this guy. Good seasons and hard seasons, busy seasons and restful seasons... I'm glad he is by my side.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NFCHDskYZz8/WHLH9osu8kI/AAAAAAAAKBI/VouLuXM-EBcLLQSd9xs4iSsG5AdlO7P7ACLcB/s1600/20161119_175221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NFCHDskYZz8/WHLH9osu8kI/AAAAAAAAKBI/VouLuXM-EBcLLQSd9xs4iSsG5AdlO7P7ACLcB/s320/20161119_175221.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And without our monthly date night, I think I would go cuh-razy! :)</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o9GU89bbbS4/WHLIAC_kbiI/AAAAAAAAKBM/WlKyKMOnrd0KaAShbUKfB2q3LDeV8IGDwCLcB/s1600/20161119_194804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o9GU89bbbS4/WHLIAC_kbiI/AAAAAAAAKBM/WlKyKMOnrd0KaAShbUKfB2q3LDeV8IGDwCLcB/s320/20161119_194804.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also, during the month the boys had their very first piano recital. They did so great!</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eW27Hfpbe0I/WHLJDIzBgrI/AAAAAAAAKBY/jF-m68odICkkF-OoIfhOA-846pExxQnCQCLcB/s1600/20161117_183008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eW27Hfpbe0I/WHLJDIzBgrI/AAAAAAAAKBY/jF-m68odICkkF-OoIfhOA-846pExxQnCQCLcB/s320/20161117_183008.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GpnGFqTpS_M/WHa1k4BodBI/AAAAAAAAKDE/H0Y2xSUFyXsS2GZHsS4QjEjydETGVRGMwCEw/s1600/20161117_185445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GpnGFqTpS_M/WHa1k4BodBI/AAAAAAAAKDE/H0Y2xSUFyXsS2GZHsS4QjEjydETGVRGMwCEw/s320/20161117_185445.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v-sw6eY37Oc/WHa0vrY88GI/AAAAAAAAKDA/00AUdteSXTck_bFREUVSoS7yWk_GaHwowCLcB/s1600/20161117_193753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v-sw6eY37Oc/WHa0vrY88GI/AAAAAAAAKDA/00AUdteSXTck_bFREUVSoS7yWk_GaHwowCLcB/s320/20161117_193753.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then our sweet teacher retired to stay at home with a new baby. I can't blame her, but goodness I thought we had found such a great fit.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vhRbBSCWk1g/WHLJEbwzQxI/AAAAAAAAKBc/DOiTNDOLC20V_-Hub5UAb5skNStnoJAxQCLcB/s1600/20161117_194803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vhRbBSCWk1g/WHLJEbwzQxI/AAAAAAAAKBc/DOiTNDOLC20V_-Hub5UAb5skNStnoJAxQCLcB/s320/20161117_194803.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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And also in November we went to ICE at the Gaylord. We have taken Holden and Pax one other time. They were so young then they could barely walk without falling in the blue parkas. So it definitely felt like a new experience for them this time.</div>
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It was 9 degrees.</div>
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These two skinny boys can not handle 9 degrees very well. Holden was miserable. Daddy was attempting to warm him up.</div>
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But the ice sculptures are pretty incredible. And Pax and Abe loved the ice slides. Holden would have also loved the slides if there was sunshine and it was closer to 40 degrees.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_CiXobC7ZE/WHLJmJf-2XI/AAAAAAAAKBw/1m2CXCB7cykdP1X4Lic2myq4rGvbSuXTACLcB/s1600/20161118_110501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h_CiXobC7ZE/WHLJmJf-2XI/AAAAAAAAKBw/1m2CXCB7cykdP1X4Lic2myq4rGvbSuXTACLcB/s320/20161118_110501.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And finally, also in November, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lacyvargasphotography/" target="_blank"><strong><em>a good friend of mine</em></strong></a> took some family pictures for us. She captured some great photos of the boys and our family. We found lots of keepers.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pttUk17hzoA/WHLKhpeJWuI/AAAAAAAAKB4/hOxfyJxetG0kdGIjzMoYzJ-QM4-LHh8pQCLcB/s1600/McGarrah1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pttUk17hzoA/WHLKhpeJWuI/AAAAAAAAKB4/hOxfyJxetG0kdGIjzMoYzJ-QM4-LHh8pQCLcB/s320/McGarrah1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I can't believe how big and grown up these two are. Didn't they used to be babies? </div>
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And this baby of the family smiled so good. I bribed him with Skittles! His favorite!</div>
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December update is right around the corner...</div>
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Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-57636978127104603972017-01-08T17:08:00.001-06:002017-01-08T17:08:48.921-06:00Halloween 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I'm determined to do a major blog catch up this week and never fall behind again. Hahaha. That will be impossible. When I look at our winter/spring calendar it is extra full and extra exciting. And like always, documenting on this little blog will most likely take a back seat. But Jeremy is always encouraging me to keep these little posts going, knowing that one day it may be special for our boys to look back on all of our family adventures. So here we are at Halloween...</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UkqmTi6zJzk/WHLDlkT-8LI/AAAAAAAAKAY/WXA91zF06ikM8WlLG2skuXTYhFNzbUuHACLcB/s1600/20161027_090617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UkqmTi6zJzk/WHLDlkT-8LI/AAAAAAAAKAY/WXA91zF06ikM8WlLG2skuXTYhFNzbUuHACLcB/s320/20161027_090617.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Abe had a little fall party at Mother's Day Out and he wore one of my favorite shirts that the big boys had worn several years ago.</div>
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This year, we painted pumpkins instead of carving. The boys loved it.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJNql2_ft0Y/WHLDprKrH6I/AAAAAAAAKAg/aVUzOzaNBz8ZMXYP3f7vbONF2LnJA9aNQCLcB/s1600/20161031_195356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJNql2_ft0Y/WHLDprKrH6I/AAAAAAAAKAg/aVUzOzaNBz8ZMXYP3f7vbONF2LnJA9aNQCLcB/s320/20161031_195356.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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And keeping with tradition, we had our friends over for frito chili pie and then walked the neighborhood with them and some neighbors. Unfortunately, right about the time I had dinner ready, Holden informed us that he had a migraine headache. He gets them on occasion. So he spent the evening at home being sick from the migraine while I took the boys trick or treating with their friends. For the record, Holden had a black ninja costume, similar to Paxton's costume. He is determined to wear it next year. And this momma is just hoping it will still fit. He grows at a very rapid rate. :)</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yBTkcfWfw0c/WHLDvVVKnCI/AAAAAAAAKAk/8hJoWM-wvho7nSatluT7r7DRRdFMu6FwwCLcB/s1600/20161031_200433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yBTkcfWfw0c/WHLDvVVKnCI/AAAAAAAAKAk/8hJoWM-wvho7nSatluT7r7DRRdFMu6FwwCLcB/s320/20161031_200433.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here we have a green ninja (Pax), a firefighter (Cruz) and Batman (Abe). It was a great night. I was just a little sad that our biggest boy had to miss out on the fun. But sweet Cruz, Pax and Abe made sure to fill his pumpkin with their own candy. </div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-65871822859250859622016-11-21T16:37:00.000-06:002016-11-21T16:37:34.073-06:00Fall UpdateIt's been a pretty steady September/October/November over here. Our school schedule is a little more busy this year. We are not just sitting at home doing school any longer. The boys participate in a PE class 2 days a week and piano lessons 1 day a week. We are regulars at the library each week. And we still love our Wednesday homeschool co-op. And as I've mentioned, Abe is in Mother's Day Out on Thursdays. So we're in the car and on the go more this year than any years past. And there are some pieces of that schedule that I like. I like that our extras can be done during the day and not take up family time in the evenings. I love that there are three days of the week where the boys get an organized gym time (our 2 PE days + gym games at our co-op). The physical activity and time with friends is a highlight for them. But I definitely feel like we are busier and I'm just not used to that feeling. But the good thing is that I can evaluate and change things as I go. In fact, this month I pulled them out of the PE class. We pay for it monthly, so I can always pull out for a month and see how it feels and if I want to head back into it in December, then we will do that. But here are some of our highlights from September and most of October.<br />
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Cute Pax lost a tooth.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x6ngXrpRP68/WBuG2AeOCfI/AAAAAAAAJ7o/r0O34olv-1w32FbYIoSMFBDgnMUL2eRkgCLcB/s1600/20160929_144706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x6ngXrpRP68/WBuG2AeOCfI/AAAAAAAAJ7o/r0O34olv-1w32FbYIoSMFBDgnMUL2eRkgCLcB/s320/20160929_144706.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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And then the neighboring tooth soon followed. I love this look! He's never been cuter.</div>
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Playing with the train tracks on the floor. I love it when they all peacefully play together. On this night, Jeremy was out of town. I was folding laundry next to them while playing some worship music. I needed this night of peaceful playtime between them all. I snapped some pictures to capture a sweet moment that God had provided, during a week that already felt harder since my other half was away.</div>
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Fun at the car wash. This boy LOVES to go to the car wash.</div>
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Holden loves to tinker on the piano. Both boys had a recital last week. One was not bothered by the idea. And the other often told us daily in the weeks leading up to it that he WOULD NOT be playing at his recital. He was mortified at the thought of playing in front of other people and the thought that he might make a mistake. It was too much for him to even think about. :) Eventually he memorized his piece and sucked it up and played at the recital.</div>
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My sweet Abe. You know, he can be a stinker. But when it comes to entertaining himself and playing quietly when we do school stuff, he is pretty amazing.</div>
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While Abe napped one afternoon I made the baddest fort I've ever made. :) (Bad meaning good, obviously.) And they stayed in it to read for over an hour! What is it about forts!?? </div>
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And we all LOVE Battleship!</div>
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Ready for PE.</div>
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Some friends from PE. Tall kid just turned 14. Crazy.</div>
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One Thursday night our family ATTEMPTED a camping trip.<br />
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It was terrible. It rained and rained and rained on us. We ended up trashing our tent right there at the campgrounds. Jeremy and I have gone camping 3 times in our 14 years of marriage. Twice have been disastrous.<br />
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These two buddies love to play dress up! They are the best playmates together.<br />
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We completed another season of sports.</div>
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Soccer for Holden and flag football for Pax. It's always fun to watch them do their thing.</div>
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This guy read books during the games or played with other younger siblings from the teams. And if that didn't satisfy him, then he whined. And whined and whined. Just being honest.<br />
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Business as usual over here, which includes some science. We are studying the human body this year. Holden chose our science and PHEW is it a DOOZY! Said the girl that was tutored through A&P to the safety of a C. I needed that class for my major, but oh my it kicked my tail. And so is this Elementary class. But they are learning some of it, all at an age appropriate level. We may just need to hit it again in 6th grade.</div>
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Sometimes I get a hair brained idea that three young boys with small carts is a good idea in the grocery store. One boy had to return his cart to the entrance of the store before the shopping trip was over. But he might be the next contestant on Supermarket Sweep...and if he is I will cheer him on running through the aisles. Just not at our local Kroger, please.</div>
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And then this sweet one went into glasses. He was NOT excited about it. And he was pretty self conscious the first two weeks wearing them. He still gets compliments on his new look regularly. He was adorable before glasses and the I think the glasses just kicked it up a notch. But I don't think he's totally sure what to do with all the compliments. By that, I mean that sometimes he just doesn't even acknowledge that the person has spoken to him. We are working on that constantly. But I think he questions if they are genuine. You've got to be genuine with this guy. He'll totally see through it if you are not.</div>
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But on this day, I remember what happened. Pax got in the car wearing his new glasses from the store. He looked at Holden (who was the kid that was bummed that he didn't get glasses with his 20/20 vision), and he said, "Holden, do you like them?" He didn't care about mommy gushing over them, or the ladies in the eyeglass store. He wanted his best friend's opinion. And Holden's excited face said it all. He said, "Yes! Can I try them on?!!" Then I asked to get a picture of Pax to text to Jeremy and Holden wanted to join him in the photo. These sweet brothers! I'm so thankful they have each other. As different as they are, they are the best of friends.</div>
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We couldn't let October sneak by without a trip to the pumpkin patch.<br />
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We went with Holden's buddy from church and the rest of his family.<br />
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Abe's face on the tractor...I think he was sad because he couldn't drive it.<br />
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This guy is always my helper in the kitchen. He loves to help cook and bake and prep food for meals! This particular day we were making flourless chocolate pumpkin bars. And he pretty much made them all by himself. They were amazing. <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://fitnessista.com/2015/09/flourless-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bars/" target="_blank">Here is a link to the recipe.</a> </i>They do not taste like a healthy dessert...they really are good!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkoCFgkg-ow/WDNvzS4XgLI/AAAAAAAAJ_A/S6HGY2UdJPcPUTlXFf3pwYE6k1W4nSYWQCLcB/s1600/20160917_120323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bkoCFgkg-ow/WDNvzS4XgLI/AAAAAAAAJ_A/S6HGY2UdJPcPUTlXFf3pwYE6k1W4nSYWQCLcB/s320/20160917_120323.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
And I talk about Pax reading all the time. Which he does read several hours each day. But Holden loves books too. A good, healthy, normal amount. :) I love to see my boys with their noses in books. If I didn't have a million other things to do, I might spend hours a day reading as well.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3K68vDXCYvk/WDNv106hmII/AAAAAAAAJ_E/K9hoqzSucCcvZj8XcDQsUToaQ3HAKYIdwCLcB/s1600/20161023_212829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3K68vDXCYvk/WDNv106hmII/AAAAAAAAJ_E/K9hoqzSucCcvZj8XcDQsUToaQ3HAKYIdwCLcB/s320/20161023_212829.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
Halloween, the piano recital, our 14th anniversary, Thanksgiving and other fall activities will follow soon...stay tuned. </div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-83302699696076689442016-09-26T17:20:00.003-05:002016-09-26T17:20:56.900-05:00a little bit of AbeA few weeks ago Abe started back to Mother's Day Out just one day a week. I thought it would be good for him. And it would give the big boys and I at least one uninterrupted day of school time. Last year we had started our homeschool co-op so I pulled him from MDO. This year he is doing both and he sort of acts like it is torture to be away from me all of that time. :) We attend only morning classes at our co-op, by our own choice. So with MDO, co-op, and time at church he is away from me about 10 hours a week. I remind myself of that when he clings to me at a drop off and I start to feel like maybe it's too much for him. :)<br />
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He was all smiles for his first day, until it was actual time for drop off.</div>
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Then last week he knew a real live fire truck was coming to school, so he was extremely excited and he had no reservations whatsoever at drop off. He was ready to get on that truck!</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PU0l_qa4dtc/V-maBp2_hyI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/-71K86jp71M3y6GR2-QH_1Q16qgXWtThwCLcB/s1600/20160923_161029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PU0l_qa4dtc/V-maBp2_hyI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/-71K86jp71M3y6GR2-QH_1Q16qgXWtThwCLcB/s320/20160923_161029.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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But this boy is a solid momma's boy and with me is, by far, his most favorite place to be.</div>
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And here is a picture from last month. He loves to sit and paint with water colors. He will sit and do this for a full hour. Which is a long time for a 3 year old boy, in case you are unfamiliar with this gender/age combo. :)</div>
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And then on the day I was taking the brick wall school pictures of the big boys, Abe really thought he needed his own photo shoot. So I snagged these. :)</div>
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In just over 2 months we will be celebrating this boy's 4th birthday. I am not sure at all how that is even possible, but that is what my calendar keeps telling me. I'm hopeful that I'm half crazy and I've somehow skipped a year in my head. But I have a strong suspicion that his 4th birthday really is right around the corner. Which means there really are no more babies that live in my house. Hard truth to swallow for this momma. </div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-41260434550917518552016-09-15T21:23:00.000-05:002016-09-15T21:33:20.917-05:00Pax in 2nd grade<div style="border-image: none; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RmjL_cnV8Ig/V9tWuxMAalI/AAAAAAAAJ5w/b-m8z0fhJbo7w78qvISUEHYCLPdtjE5EgCLcB/s1600/Pax_2nd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RmjL_cnV8Ig/V9tWuxMAalI/AAAAAAAAJ5w/b-m8z0fhJbo7w78qvISUEHYCLPdtjE5EgCLcB/s320/Pax_2nd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A look back on the past three years. He keeps getting cuter. :)</div>
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<br />Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-38463721436501550952016-09-15T21:06:00.001-05:002016-09-15T21:06:45.475-05:00Holden in 3rd grade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CGYsZDjZg4k/V9tSDIayUsI/AAAAAAAAJ5U/QNseRa4wvuAO7sPMjhSt2YaItF58E9GnwCLcB/s1600/Holden_3rd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CGYsZDjZg4k/V9tSDIayUsI/AAAAAAAAJ5U/QNseRa4wvuAO7sPMjhSt2YaItF58E9GnwCLcB/s320/Holden_3rd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And just for grins, here is a little trip down memory lane. Oh my, he just keeps growing up!</div>
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<br />Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-13770688408449741902016-09-09T21:05:00.001-05:002016-09-09T21:08:51.388-05:00Paxton's celebration!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Paxton's 7th birthday fell on a Friday this year. I planned ahead to take the day off from our school work. Normally we don't even start our school year until after his birthday, but this year we got a jump start. We began this birthday in our usual way. Breakfast of choice, which he had decided on donuts the night before, and opening one gift from his brothers.</div>
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One of the biggest nerf guns we could find.</div>
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He is kind of crazy for both Ninjas and Minecraft these days. So we had a little of both. My boys don't play Minecraft, but they think they know ALL about it. Funny how that works. :)</div>
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After we were all dressed and had loved on the birthday boy, Jeremy and I set out in different directions rounding up the troop. Pax had chosen 3 boys from our homeschool co-op and 1 neighbor friend down the street that was out of school that day because he goes to a University model school. Since he had chosen boys that were home and free, we decided to do his celebration at lunch time. He had his heart set on Chuck E. Cheese!</div>
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He got some more great gifts from his buddies: lots of books, legos, the game Battleship and another nerf gun.</div>
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Abe decided during this time that he wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese for HIS birthday. I heard all about it often on this day. We'll see what he thinks when December rolls around.</div>
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Boys and video games...they love this stuff.</div>
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Waiting patiently for their pizza. They were a pretty sweet and fun bunch. And after singing to Pax, they enjoyed a cupcake.</div>
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Later that evening my parents came over for burgers on the grill and Pax got to open the rest of his gifts.</div>
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Lots of fun stuff.</div>
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I would definitely say Paxton's 3 favorite ways to spend his time are: reading books, playing with legos and playing games with anyone and everyone. And he got a little of everything.</div>
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Now the scooter was a complete surprise. He has been wanting one, but he didn't think he would actually get one.</div>
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A big wish and one final cupcake wrapped up our celebration.</div>
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Another birthday in the books. I can't believe this kid is 7!!</div>
<br />Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-88175755263985408842016-09-01T23:06:00.000-05:002016-09-01T23:06:21.822-05:00Paxton Clark is 7.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Pax celebrated his 7th birthday last Friday, August 26th. It was a fun day and celebration that I'll post about soon. But here he is at age 7. Actually this was a few days before his birthday. And I just knew that top left tooth would fall out before his birthday and then I would be determined to get new pictures with his new smile. But lo and behold, nearly 2 weeks later and that tooth is holding on for dear life. :) </div>
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You see this sweet smile? This is how he wakes and how he remains 95% of the time. I consider myself a pretty happy, cup half full individual. So I love that this boy has a happy spirit about him. He is laid back and easy going. He is flexible. He is really funny and understands a lot of humor that I don't always expect him to get. He spends much of his day laughing. And he makes me laugh quite a bit too. He is also a sensitive little boy that likes to ask many questions. In fact, he often starts a conversation with, "Mommy, can I ask you a question?" I've never answered him with "no" to that question. Yet, he asks that question multiple times a day . :)<br />
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Pax tells me he is not an "outdoors kind of guy". His favorite activities are mainly indoor things. He reads more than any child you have ever known. I promise. Im talking 3-4 hours a day of reading book after book after book. It is not unusual for us to find Pax's chapter books wide open, face down ALL OVER THE HOUSE! We have provided him with countless bookmarks but apparently they are never around when he needs them. If he sees one of his books somewhere, his natural instinct is to pick it up and start reading it. Even if he's already read it 5 times before. I'm not a repeat reader very often. Once I've read a book, I'm done with it. Fortunately he repeats them all the time. Otherwise we couldn't afford his hobby or make it to the library fast enough. And he doesn't part with his books. I've tried to encourage him to clean out his bookshelves and give some books away. But he will not part with any of them. Something else he loves to do is build. He loves legos and building with any kinds of blocks that he can find. Another favorite activity that comes to mind is games. He loves to play games! Uno, Skip-bo, Sorry, Trouble, Battleship (this was a new gift Friday from a friend and I think we've played it every day since), Guess Who. He just loves playing games with people. He is a smart boy and he learns quickly. He does play outside. We make it happen. He enjoys swimming, riding bikes, riding his new scooter, going to the park and playing soccer and other sports. But he loves to be home, in his house doing his favorite indoor activities the most.<br />
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This summer Pax began saying he wanted to try and play the piano. He had watched his cousins play and became interested. So he started piano lessons in June. He has done very well. His teacher always tells me that he has great rhythm. And a few weeks ago he returned to the van proudly saying, "She told me to tell you that I can now read music!" He doesn't love it when I tell him that it's time to practice, but he obeys and does his practicing. Paxton is often singing around the house. He loves Toby Mac and Chris Tomlin. I'm often streaming music from my phone and he is always singing along. And he sings big! Big voice, big arms in worship, big facial features. :) He also has some pretty sweet dance moves that we see daily in our house. This boy is full of life! In the fall Pax will have his first try at playing flag football. He enjoys trying new things. Academics come pretty easily for him and his favorite subjects right now are Literature and History.<br />
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Paxton is the amazing middle brother in our family. I always tell him that his role is so special because he is the only one that is both a BIG brother and a LITTLE brother. And he handles both roles like a champ. He was our baby for nearly 4 years until we brought home Abe. But goodness, he is the sweetest big brother to Abe. Sure, Abe annoys him when he destroys a lego creation that he has built. But most of the time he plays with him so well and they have such a good time together. Just in this past year those two have grown so close to one another. In fact, just tonight Abe asked me if Pax could rock him and sing You Are My Sunshine before we put Abe to bed. So Paxton did. Abe is gaining on him in size and he was a lap-full for Pax. But he rocked him, sang to him and then we tucked him in to bed together. Abe is a lucky boy to have this one by his side. Who am I kidding! We are a lucky family to have this one.<br />
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Paxton Clark brings so much sunshine, joy and laughter to our home. I will never stop thanking God for making him ours.Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-44061598308877889472016-08-15T15:55:00.001-05:002016-08-15T15:56:05.994-05:00Summer Fun 2016The summer break is winding to an end and it really has gone by quickly this year. We sometimes wait until close to Labor Day to start school, but this year we will be starting at the same time as our area public schools next week. Since in the past it has taken us about 1-2 weeks to make the painful transition of quite a bit of freedom to quite a bit of structure, I figured we would get a head start on the painful part. Hopefully by Labor Day everyone will have happy hearts and great attitudes. :) But it has been an eventful and fun summer for us with a few road trips, lots of down time and time with friends. During the school year, we are home a lot. So this summer I made it a point to be out and about several times a week. We had the freedom to do so and that is exactly what I did.<br />
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We started out with a list of things we definitely wanted to do this summer. I am happy to say that almost everything on this list is now checked off.</div>
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The boys started off summer with a week in VBS at the church where they attended Mother's Day Out during their preschool years. To say they were pumped about this week is an understatement. They had a blast!</div>
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boy dress up never gets old to these guys</div>
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We've hit up the water park about once a week. Sometimes twice.</div>
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And on a few lucky days we got to bring daddy along.</div>
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We tried to see how many clowns we could squeeze into a tiny car.</div>
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Education continued on, but just minimally. I started working on the alphabet with Abe.</div>
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The boys pressed on through math. Almost every week day this summer they did a little math work.</div>
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We went to the library weekly and they all read their little hearts out!</div>
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Holden found a series of books he loves...the <i>I survived</i> series. Check it out if you have one that is just getting into chapter books. It is fictional books about true events in history. And Holden has now read most of them and loves them and tells me all about each one.</div>
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And Pax read so much (through the library summer reading club) that he got his name in a book that will be in our public library! So proud of this book worm!</div>
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This same sweet boy started weekly piano lessons this summer and is doing well.</div>
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And he spent many hours building creations at his lego table.</div>
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We cheered on our little track star at many hot track meets.</div>
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We celebrated father's day with my dad.</div>
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And of course with this special daddy.</div>
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Before the triple digits hit, we actually spent time playing outside in ways that didn't have to include water.</div>
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We hosted a boy cousin sleepover and took the cousins to the waterpark.</div>
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We played lots of games.</div>
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We enjoyed a few snow cones.</div>
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We painted.</div>
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We built with blocks.</div>
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And this little baker helped me in the kitchen many times.</div>
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We celebrated the 4th of July!</div>
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twice, actually.</div>
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We had a tonka truck car wash with friends.</div>
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The big boys liked it as much as the little ones.</div>
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Another cousin sleepover and fun times with the Colorado cousins.</div>
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We made lots of messes.</div>
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All 3 boys attended a morning sports camp for 4 days in July. By the 4th day Abe was a mess crying at the thought of leaving me for another day. So instead he and I had a 3 hour date that morning. </div>
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We went roller skating with friends.</div>
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This is the only other picture I have that is not completely blurry. 4 out of 5 in the family loved it. The 3 year old wasn't ready for wheels.</div>
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We took a quick trip to Oklahoma to see friends.</div>
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And we got a wild hair. He's been asking to do this for months.</div>
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And the one thing that Pax has been asking to do ALL SUMMER LONG. Yesterday he and I sat in the hot sun so he could have his lemonade stand. I have no idea where he got the idea, but my best guess is that he read about it in a book. :) He was a trooper and such a cute, little entrepreneur. He made $30 in two hours and at least half of that was in "keep the change". And one person's change was $7.75!! Honestly, he had no plans for his profits. He has put the money is savings jar. I say that he's a saver like his daddy. I think he wanted the experience more than he cared about the money.</div>
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This summer has really been a special one. I think it is the fun ages and how growing up a little definitely changes things but it sure adds some additional possibilities and fun to this season for our family. I wouldn't mind one more month of this summer fun, but all good things must come to an end. So long, summer!</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-89698886641826345762016-08-01T22:08:00.000-05:002016-08-01T22:08:34.359-05:00Holden's TAAF Track FinalsYesterday Holden finished up a great summer season of track and field. I just never would have imagined that someone could participate in track and field before the 7th grade, but we were introduced to a whole new world this summer. Holden did great yesterday. Friday he was a bit confused. On the 100 and 50, he was 1st in his heat. So he was a bit confused when we were telling him that time-wise he came in 6th place on both of those races. Then on the 200 he was 3rd in his heat and time-wise he came in 8th place (the very last spot to make it into the finals). So yesterday morning we were explaining that there is only 1 heat left in all the races. These 8 were the fastest boys. His question to me was, "So today I only need to beat the boys on the line with me?" This boy needs to SEE his competition. My answer was, "Yes. You are only competing with those at the start line that are running with you." The schedule showed that he would run the 100 first. Then he would have a small break (probably 30 minutes). Then he would run the 200 (with probably a 20 minute rest) and then the 50. Pax and Abe and I were making our way to the track to watch the 8U 100m dash while Jeremy had already taken Holden to the heating tent. Jeremy could not usher him directly to his spot, only coaches and those with badges were allowed inside the track area and on the field. Anyways, Jeremy sounded crushed when he called me to tell me that Holden had missed the race. Daddy was kicking himself!! He got Holden to the volunteers a little late and said "Can you run him to the 8U group?" They said sure, and then we suspect they took him to the wrong group. Anyways, Holden was a no show for his first race. Even though he had won 1st in his heat on Friday in the 100 and the 50, we knew that the 100 and 200 would be his best races in the finals. The 50 is over by the time it begins. It's a quick one. Holden and those long legs of his like to have a little time to see the competition and adjust accordingly. Right now, that is just the way he is. I tell you, that boy finds more gas as needed. Anyways, Jeremy was so frustrated with himself for about 10 minutes. Then he got over it and said Holden would have fresh legs for the 200. We knew Friday when he ran the 200, he was worn out from the heat and from the other two runs. Even his coach commented that he could see it on his face when he rounded the corner at the take off. Holden didn't care at all that he missed the 100 on Sunday, so that was good. At that point, they decided to park themselves by the volunteers so they wouldn't miss another race. The 200 came, Jeremy stood at the start line to encourage him. I was in the bleachers, given the task to video. Jeremy will never put me in charge of that again. :) Holden was in the far outside line. Holden does best on the inside lanes, because it appears that everyone else is getting a head start. Haha. And he takes off full speed flying around the corner to pass them all. So outside lane...not his best position. But he did amazing! He brought home a silver medal!! He won second place in the finals! Friday he was in the 8th spot, and when they lined them all up together and he saw his competition, he took the silver. :) We were thrilled for him! Such an accomplishment in his very short track and field experience! Next up was the 50. He likes this one because it's short, but that short length makes it a pretty hard race. He came in 5th on the 50. Goodness, I loved loved loved cheering on my little runner this summer. I loved seeing his passionate competition. I loved seeing his friendly sportsmanship like telling others what fast runners they were after he had beaten them. :) I loved seeing his focus and determination. And I loved seeing him enjoy and excel at another activity.<br />
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Getting ready for the 200.</div>
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Right before the 50.</div>
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A few more pictures from the track season.</div>
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Pax can be the sweetest big brother. Here he was helping me entertain Abe on a very long Saturday. </div>
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Pax brought a backpack full of books to each meet and read and read and read. I'm so thankful he is entertained so well by books. </div>
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And then this guy...he didn't love the track meets. And honestly, I didn't enjoy taking him to the track meets. 6 hours outside in the Texas heat...he was bored, missing a nap and often a grouch. He's happy track season is over! (We didn't exclude him from the t-shirts. They just didn't come in his size.)</div>
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Track Star Diva relaxing in a tiny wagon.</div>
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I was happy with whatever kept Abe content that didn't involve him stealing my phone.</div>
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Running and watching kids run is flat out exhausting.</div>
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State qualifier t-shirt!<br />
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And here are a few pictures from our free time in the metropolis of McAllen, Texas. </div>
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He's been introduced to Texas Roadhouse rolls and honey cinnamon butter and I think that he's in love.<br />
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After a little research on the town, we learned that they have the largest one story library in the United States. It's in a refurbished WalMart. We had to take our book lover, just to say that we've been there. </div>
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He was pumped. That's his Tarzan call. :)<br />
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I absolutely love the library near our home. We visit the library weekly because we love it. But the children's section in McAllen's library was larger than our entire library. It was incredible. SO MANY BOOKS!!<br />
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We were free on Saturday so we were trying to stay indoors, do more restful activities and stay cool from the heat that was happening outdoors. After the library we went to see a $2 movie.<br />
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And on Saturday night I snagged this little photo. Holden had opted for a pallet on the floor just for the novelty of it. So Abe slept with Pax. Look at those two. Melted my heart. :) Abe is a snuggler. Well, they really both are.<br />
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It was a great weekend for our little family. Track was a great experience for Holden. So many memories are tucked away from this little adventure. I don't know if he will always love running the way that he does now. But I'm thankful that he tried something new this summer and his family was able to watch him shine while obnoxiously cheering him on from the front row. </div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-67363522392082864382016-07-30T00:07:00.001-05:002016-08-01T22:08:47.875-05:00Summer Track ClubThis summer Holden has participated in a local summer track club. We talked to him about the idea before signing him up. He loves to run and he loves to race other kids and play tag. So we thought it would be a fun summer outlet for him. In the past, when I've gone for an evening run, he always wants to tag along. He's a quick sprinter but runs out of steam, so Holden tagging along on a long distance run never goes so well for me. But he has run a mile with me a few times. Once he was barefoot because he just chased me out of the house a couple of years back. :)<br />
So throughout this summer we have gone to 5 Saturday track meets in the DFW area with competitors all over the region. He started out competing in the high jump and long jump and several different sprints. He also ran on a 400meter relay for the first 4 meets. The first 4 track meets were sort of like practice. Every finisher received a ribbon of where they placed in their heat. The 5th track meet was the bigger regional meet where they were actually timed. The top 6 in each event made it to the state track meet. By the second track meet, a few coaches were telling Holden they were taking him to state. Maybe because almost every race he ran, he was placing 1st in his heat. It was exciting to watch. Holden is very competitive. He is driven fiercely by competition. And this is all very unfamiliar to me! But fortunately it is very familiar to his father. :) In some instances it's been a frustrating piece of his personality for me to live with. For years, I've been saying "it's not a race" "not everything is a competition" or "it doesn't matter who finished the math page first"!! But this summer, I've seen so much beauty in his great drive to excel above the rest. Since it's common and accepted to see this type of competitive nature in sports, it's helped me really understand the way he is wired. Even if that competitive nature comes out in areas where I don't find it helpful or it's downright frustrating. <br />
I've seen so many runners this summer. And my Holden always has this look of determination. He doesn't slow down. He always digs down and finds a little more umph to pull ahead. Now, I don't mean that He has won every single race. But he has given it his all for every single race. He has his eyes on the prize and he pushes himself to the max. Clearly, God has gifted him with long, athletic legs, a talent for speed and a determined personality. So yesterday Holden competed in the TAAF (Texas Amateur Athletic Federation) state track meet. First of all, what an honor and accomplishment that he even made it this far. We thought racing other kids his age would be fun for him and cute to watch. We had no idea that an 8 year old could compete at the state level. We were so proud of him at his regional meet. At this particular meet, he had to narrow down his events to only 3. He chose all sprinting events since running is his favorite. He chose the 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash and the 200 meter dash. That day he ended up with 2 silver medals and 1 gold. This meant he would be competing at the state level in all of his events. He has worked hard this summer. And in this crazy Texas heat! He has consistently practiced with his track team for 2 hours on 2 nights each week. And we are not a family that gives away our week nights to sports. This has been a first for us...and a last for a while. Honestly, I'm glad the track practices are over. I think he is also. He prefers the meets over the practice. But the hard work and his natural raw talent has bode him well. Suddenly we have found ourselves on a weekend getaway minutes from the Mexico border to watch our boy participate in one final track meet. Yesterday he ran his 3 events...and once again he did really well! Overall, he placed in the top 8 for each event, meaning he will compete in the finals tomorrow. I have no expectations on how he will do in the competition. These boys are fast. And this is his first year in track. Some of these boys are in their third year. But goodness, what a blessing to be the momma on the sidelines screaming and cheering his name like a crazy woman! To see his face and the grit and the determination as he runs. It always overwhelms me with pride! I haven't figured out the why yet, but I think I get as nervous as he does before each race. Then my eyes brim with tears as soon as it's over...no matter the outcome. Just watching him work so hard and doing something that he loves...it gets to me. I'm a weirdo. And below are a few pictures from our track season. I'm sure that I will have an update (+ more pictures) after he competes in the finals on Sunday and summer track club is officially over.<br />
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1st track meet...this was after 2 practices. 4 first place ribbons and 1 second place.</div>
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And he was worn out by the time Jeremy loaded him up for home. This is my afternoon napper. :)</div>
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Ready to race!</div>
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Mister Too-Tall, front and center</div>
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At the regional meet Holden had a few extra cheerleaders - Papa J, Nana, Aunt Brandy and Zoey. It was hot. They were troopers!</div>
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His gold was for the 200. And the silvers were for the 100 and 50.</div>
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Ben is a new friend he has made through the track club.</div>
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And today! The heat was brutal. We are about as south Texas as you can go. I had checked and it was supposed to be 101 with 53% humidity. After 6 hours outside, it felt like all of those horrible things and more. At one point, I thought hell would be cooler.</div>
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He finished off his meet with a snowcone. He was excited to make it to the finals, but maybe even more excited to know he was about to get some swimming time at the hotel pool. His view of the future is very limited at this point. :) So we will swim our little hearts today and try to stay cool before he's off to the races one final time. Stay tuned.</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-41821904120469011632016-07-18T14:25:00.000-05:002016-07-18T14:25:12.727-05:00Gulf Shores 2016 (Part 3)Today is the final installment of summer vacation 2016. And honestly it is just more of the same. Mainly a bunch of beach pictures. Jeremy and I played hard with the boys and we did our fair share of relaxing. Because with 3 little boys and a beach full of sand, they definitely don't need us to entertain them. They also made friends, which meant we made friends too (that we'll probably never see again). Holden always makes us some friends when we go on vacation. :) It's one of my favorite pieces of his personality. And so very different than my own.<br />
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I attempted to make Pax into a sand merman. :)</div>
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They love the sand.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">This boy's favorite view. </span></div>
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Our favorite dinner spot in the area, Cosmos.</div>
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My boys before a dinner out.</div>
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A quick stop at the souvenir shop.</div>
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We spent a few nights crab hunting on the beach. Such a fun and sweet memory. Holden was a pro. Pax was a little timid. And Abe really wanted to do it. His reflexes are not quite as fast as the crabs. But it was hilarious to listen to him squeal each time he saw one.</div>
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And a few pictures from our last day in the sand. </div>
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Why is it so captivating?!</div>
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After I snapped this one of Holden, I walked over to him and just stood with him quietly as he looked out into the ocean. He knew it was our last day and it didn't take him long to break the silence with "can we come back next year?" Boy after my own heart. Vacation is ending and he starts thinking about the next.</div>
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This sweet, peaceful boy doing what he loves.</div>
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And then there's the baby...no words for this one except...goodness, the sand highlighting those crazy long eyelashes. I plan to find a place in our house for those last 4 pictures.</div>
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For weeks leading up to our trip, the forecast for the area was not looking great. It was saying we would have a couple of days without rain, but it would be a cloudy week and lots of rain. Each day we were there, the rain held off and the sun shone brightly. I would check my weather app on my my phone each day and it would be postponing the rain for another day. There was only one really windy day that was overcast and that was when we decided to go to the Alligator Farm. So the morning we were leaving to get on the road, the clouds released and all the rain came down. I said an extra thank you to God that he had given us a beautiful, sunny week. Just seeing all of these pictures again makes me happy and gives me a desire to hop in the car and go back. These beach vacations are a huge highlight for our family each year.</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-5323242005278837642016-07-06T23:25:00.000-05:002016-07-06T23:25:13.970-05:00Gulf Shores 2016 (Part 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Something new we did on this vacation was visit Alligator Alley in Summerdale, Alabama. We bought a Groupon for it before we left home. The weather forecast for our trip was not looking favorable and we thought it would be a good non-beach day activity. It definitely was a good choice. I'm glad we decided to do this. Basically it was like a zoo for alligators. You toured the place at your own pace. They had the alligators divided up by size...from small babies to the big daddies. On this day, we learned that our boys would probably never survive Disney World because at this small park, we heard multiple complaints about how tired they were of walking.</div>
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Here we are at the entrance. The big boys are holding alligator food. No worries - they both shared with Abe. :)</div>
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How could I resist these cute photo ops?!</div>
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Pax was the first brave boy that wanted to hold the small gator. Notice his mouth is taped shut.</div>
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But Abe couldn't wait to get his hands on it.</div>
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And probably the most timid of the 3, but really, he didn't hesitate. He just wasn't jumping to hold it first.</div>
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See evidence of tired feet? I'm afraid by next year, Holden's toes will be dragging the ground. They for sure will be dragging if he is on my back. :)</div>
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After feeding the gators all of our food, Pax wanted to empty out the crumbs into the gator area. Our famous last words were: <i>Just don't drop the cups.</i> We wanted to save them as souvenirs. Well, well, well...next thing we knew an alligator had his entire set of chompers stuck inside our stack of cups. Oh well. At least we got to see this man wrestle him down for our cups.</div>
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As we drove back through Gulf Shores to head back to our condo, we made a last minute decision to eat dinner at<b><i> <a href="http://www.lulubuffett.com/gulf-shores/" target="_blank">Lulu's</a></i></b>. It's such a great family place. I've mentioned it on the blog the last two years. They have live music, tons of activities and a pretty great menu. But if you have children anything like mine, they leave filthy. Or in Abe's case this time, nearly naked. He was soaked with water and sand, so we stripped him down once we got to the car. </div>
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While we waited on our food to arrive, the big boys got to do this. Which meant that they missed out on the sand and water play, so they stayed relatively clean. It was a full and fun day with a little break from the ocean.</div>
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One last vacation installment to come....</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-31261811763333003202016-06-24T20:48:00.002-05:002016-06-24T20:48:50.584-05:00Gulf Shores 2016 (Part 1)For the third year in a row we have traveled to this beautiful, relaxing little area of Alabama for our family vacation. We can't get enough of this place. In 2014 we took our first trip to Gulf Shores, AL. In 2015 we stayed in Orange Beach, which is minutes from Gulf Shores. You can't really tell the difference as you cross from one beach town to the other one. And this year, we drove a little further out of Gulf Shores to a place called Fort Morgan. All 3 locations have the beautiful white sugar sands and the refreshing ocean. Fort Morgan was probably my least favorite, but only because we like to dine out a few nights for dinner. And this location had us in the car for about 15 minutes to get back into town where the restaurants are located. After a full day of sun, sand and surf, it was not uncommon to pull up to a restaurant, and turn around to find 3 little boys sound asleep. But I really have no complaints. It was another fabulous and relaxing family vacation. Our boys are beach bums. They love to play in the sand and run and back and fort from the waves. It's a week of simple and pure entertainment by just being outside in the elements. Picture overload...<br />
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Leaving our house Thursday evening. We like to split up the drive. It's 11 hours but we can't handle it all at once! Jeremy and I can't handle it. Maybe we could if we left early in the morning, but it never works out that way. The boys are fabulous roadtrippers. They've been going on road trip vacations since they were tiny. And now that two of them can read and we can watch movies in the van, they do really well for long hours on the road.</div>
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Friday we were so excited once we spotted the ocean in Mobile, AL!</div>
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It was around 4pm by the time we got settled into our condo, but the boys couldn't wait another second to put on their swim shorts and go splash in the ocean.</div>
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We walked this boardwalk countless times during the week.</div>
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Family selfie. Seriously...our happy place.</div>
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The boys played in the sand and ocean for a bit. Then we threw their clothes back on them to head into town for a quick, late dinner and a stop for groceries and supplies for the week. They sat in the van with Jeremy while I shopped alone. I returned to this scene. Flat worn out from all their travels.</div>
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The next morning after breakfast we headed straight out to the beach. The weather was beautiful.</div>
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And these three boys had a ball. </div>
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Do you see how the beautiful beach looks empty? Well it wasn't. But there was never much of a crowd. Just a little perk of traveling before summer truly begins.</div>
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Abe loved going in the ocean but was timid of the powerful waves. So he especially loved Jeremy or I holding him in the water.</div>
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A lady found a living starfish so each of the boys got to touch it and then we set it back free into the ocean.</div>
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Fun at the pools.</div>
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Half of the nights we had simple dinners in the condo, like tacos and carrots. :) And the other nights we went out for beloved seafood!</div>
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That's not all, but that is all for now. More vacation pictures to come...</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-41269553447438863882016-06-23T14:36:00.001-05:002016-06-23T14:36:36.066-05:00May Happenings.The biggest highlight of May was our family vacation. That is my next post. But some other fun happenings from the month are below:<br />
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Pax and I had a date at Barnes and Nobles. I promised him that if he gave soccer his all for the 6 games that we were in town, that I would take him to a REAL book store and let him pick out a new book. You would have thought I promised him Disney World. We headed to B&N immediately following his final game. The boy had a good season.</div>
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Mother's Day</div>
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My sister came for a visit.</div>
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A rainy week called for garage roller skating. They literally had a tiny available strip to skate in. I don't know how or why they chose to entertain themselves this way. But they did on several occasions.</div>
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I learned that McAlisters served kids meals for 99 cents. 99 cents!! So it's become a regular hot spot for us. And my nearest location is almost as kind to a mom with young kids as Chick Fil A. Almost. My crew dining al fresco.</div>
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The boys got to play with hammers and nails while Jeremy built a new portion to our fence. The spring storms had done quite a work on part of our fence. Now it looks better than ever. He is quite talented.</div>
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I do love capturing these little every day moments. The big stuff is fun and memorable. But the little everyday things are pretty special too.</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-79264235909680717362016-06-04T16:30:00.002-05:002016-06-04T16:30:31.909-05:00Holden's birthday celebrationWell, here I am, a month behind again. For Holden's birthday, we took 3 of his buddies bowling, to dinner and out for icecream. We invited them all to spend the night. Two of the buddies are brothers and they couldn't sleepover. So one little friend, Jaxson, stayed the night. When it was time to settle down and actually sleep, I thought our friend was going to bail. But he talked to his mommy and she gave him some tough love. So they made it through the night and we had a healthy breakfast of donuts before sending Jaxson home. Here are some pictures from our celebration with his friends.<br />
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Brody, Jaxson, Holden, Pax and Reed - They are all 2nd graders with Holden. But since 1st and 2nd grade are together at our church, Pax fits comfortably right into the group. They were a hoot. And I have never seen so much competition that I saw this night over bowling.</div>
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TCBY</div>
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And the next morning, his favorite donuts stacked like an 8. I can not believe that he is 8!!</div>
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Holden's birthday fell on a Sunday this year. We spent our morning at church. We played outside in the afternoon. And then in the evening we met my parents and my sister's family at Fuzzy's for dinner. He had requested nachos for his birthday dinner. The weather was perfect for patio seating and I brought along cupcakes to share.</div>
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The cousins - Carson, Pax, Cameron and Holden</div>
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Back at home opening his birthday gifts.</div>
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Holden really wanted a skateboard, but we thought he was a little young for it. Roller blades had been something else he had been talking about, so that was one of his gifts from us. It was a full and fun weekend of celebrating our oldest boy!</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-21395781809884993632016-05-02T11:38:00.001-05:002016-05-02T11:38:29.952-05:00Holden @ age 8!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This boy has grown up this year! He has matured so much. He's still an 8 year old boy, which apparently means potty humor is hilarious. Ick!! But in so many areas this past year, I have watched my son grow and mature and understand so many more pieces about life and relationships and his Heavenly Father. In fact, on March 29, just over a month ago, he made the decision that he wants to truly follow Jesus with his life. It was an exciting day for this family! This is something we have prayed for Holden since the beginning. God has gently been pursuing his heart and I trust that he will continue as Holden grows to know him more and more.<br />
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And speaking of growing up, he's just tall. He is long, lean and very long-legged. His height is in those legs. This past fall/winter he was wearing size 12 slim in pants as a 7 year old. And his summer shorts are also all size 12 slim. He is 56" tall. Which officially puts him off the charts in height. And he weighs 64lbs (81%). His height always brings up the subject of basketball. But so far soccer has been a sport where he really excels. Just today I was grinning while watching him play as I heard a lady behind me saying, "Wow! Number 12 has some speed. He is fast!" She didn't realize that I was the proud momma of that cute #12. I have a feeling I will be cheering this boy on in sports for many more years. I love being on the sidelines watching him shine and have so much fun. He is very competitive. He is very driven by competition. He can also be a sore loser, particularly if it's a one-on-one competition. But this season in soccer he has found the fun of a team. He is PASSING the ball now! Even when he has more confidence in his own abilities than in his teammates. He can be a bit of a control freak (Amen to any other first born control freaks out there?). So letting go of that soccer ball and passing it to a teammate that you can't completely trust to score is a big deal for him. And he's doing it. He's understanding the sport more and more this year and understanding the benefits of passing and playing together. Watching him play soccer is a big highlight of my week. #proudsoccermom He also enjoyed flag football in the fall. And this summer, we think he may be doing a track club. He loves to run and race other kids, so track should be right up his alley.<br />
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Holden has been a trooper in school this year. Last year he realized that he had 12 more years of this school junk and he tried to hold a revolt. It didn't go so well for him. This year, we tweaked our routine and it has gone really smoothly. Except his younger brother tried to hold his own revolt, but we can talk about that in August when it's his birthday. :) I'm convinced that it's a 1st grader thing. So Holden will be completing the second grade in less than 2 weeks. He has really enjoyed science this year. That was probably his favorite subject. Math has been a harder subject for him, but the problem might be the teacher. (All fingers pointing at me since we homeschool.) Reading and writing comes easily for him. We get our school work done in the morning. Then when we're done, we play. Holden often still takes a 2 hour nap in the afternoons. I know this is highly unusual for his age. We don't know exactly why, but the boy needs a nap. Without it he sometimes gets a migraine headache or will fall asleep somewhere at 5pm or 6pm. If we are busy he can often push himself and be okay. But if it's just a regular old weekday and we're home, he naps.<br />
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Riding his bike is his favorite activity. If the obsession continues, we may get out of buying him a car when he is 16. I think he will be perfectly happy to ride his little bike wherever he needs to go. :) The boy loves to be outside and to be active. Riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline, swimming, playing sports and just running around. He is an outdoorsy boy. Just being outside makes him so happy. In recent weeks we have been spending a whole lot of time outside.<br />
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Holden is still our social butterfly. Wednesdays have been a highlight for him this year. We have been attending a homeschool co-op on Wednesdays. Then he has church activities on Wednesday evenings. It is an entire day with lots of friends, just his cup of tea. He has also made a point to meet every child somewhat close to his age (or his height) on our street. I adore how easily he makes friends. He is a friendly little boy. He also plays most afternoons outside with our neighbors once they are home from school.<br />
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Holden and Pax are great buddies. I love watching them laugh, play and joke together. They are really close. They have plenty of moments where they don't get along. But, more often than not, they live in friend mode and it's special to see. Holden is also a big helper with Abe. Sometimes too big of a helper, like he needs someone to boss, and Abe is "it". This was a few weeks ago when the boys had just woken up. Abe woke not feeling well with asthma and he didn't want to be put down. Holden held him just like this while I was getting breakfast on the table for the boys. Goodness, they can be so sweet to one another. I try to hang on to these moments and memories and throw out the ones when they are fighting. :)<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">I think Holden will always be my sweet boy no matter how big grows. Though I will admit that he is still the biggest daddy's boy that you can imagine. He still wants to be just like him and you can see the intense admiration he has for this man. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I will forever be thankful for the way God orchestrates our lives often against our own prayers and desires. He gave us the greatest gift and it has been an incredible 8 years.</span></div>
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Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-77861536178796207182016-04-30T23:15:00.002-05:002016-04-30T23:17:49.661-05:00HoldenDuring the last few days of April I can't help but reflect back to what it was like for me in 2008. I was heartbroken on this very night eight years ago. Heartbroken. In tears. And talking to God. I remember that night like it was yesterday. It was a heart wrenching night where I eventually went to bed with red puffy eyes and a stuffy nose. But now when I reflect on it, I can't help but smile at God's plan. How he held me during that time. But as a good father, I know he was eagerly waiting to place this gift into my hands. He knew what was taking place in the morning. I knew God had asked me to faithfully pray for an April baby, but there we were closing out the month with empty arms. A nursery ready for our little one, yet no news of when that might be. That more detailed story is <a href="http://ourgrowingfamily02.blogspot.com/2009/04/one-year-ago-today_30.html" target="_blank"><i><b>here</b></i></a>. So tomorrow we will be celebrating our 8 year old miracle. Holden has heard this story so many times, but I know he doesn't understand the weight of it and how much his story has impacted Jeremy and I. And honestly, I'm not sure that he will ever get it until he is a father himself. But what a privilege to be this boy's momma. On the good days and hard days and every day in between. Thank you Jesus for making him ours!<br />
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Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-38197045660198894422016-04-28T21:41:00.001-05:002016-04-28T21:46:58.477-05:00massive catch up.I know blogs were once popular, back in 2007 when I started this one. And then eventually most people fell off that train, unless of course it generates an income. Those people still blog, obviously. :) But I'm just not ready to give mine up. Initially I started it for the birth mothers in our lives, so they can hop online anytime and see what's going on with the boys and our family. But I love the documentation for my own sake as well. So right now, I'm going to do a little 3 month catch up, just a few of our highlights. And then pinky swear to myself that I'll never fall this far behind again! I left off at <a href="http://ourgrowingfamily02.blogspot.com/2016/02/jeremys-birthday.html" target="_blank"><i><b>Jeremy's 36th birthday</b></i></a>, which was January 30th!<br />
So in February:<br />
We celebrated Valentine's Day.<br />
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We got to attend a little party with our other homeschooling friends.</div>
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And the boys received their annual balloons + a few other fun treats from us.</div>
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Also during this month, I was saying to someone how we had never had an injury related ER visit with our 3 boys. And how incredible that was. Then a few days later Abe face planted off our trampoline. It was traumatizing.</div>
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(wish I could trade eyelashes with that kid.)</div>
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Then in March:</div>
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I turned 36 on the 26th. We celebrated with an Easter Egg Hunt.... :)</div>
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Easter was the very next day.</div>
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And this month of April...</div>
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Abe finally graduated to a toddler bed. It was not a flawless transition. :) But he's doing okay now.</div>
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We met some friends in Texoma for a weekend.</div>
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Why are the great outdoors so great!? I don't know, but it is always so much fun for our boys to spend time out in nature. It's fun to watch them explore and play in this type of an environment.</div>
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And eating s'mores is always a bonus.</div>
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And then we started another season of soccer.</div>
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Pax isn't so sure about all the running. We are starting to think he may be better suited for golf. :) But I've bribed him with a Barnes and Nobles date if he can give all of his effort for 6 games. He's halfway there! He's hustling, trying hard and has even scored a goal. I'm proud of him!</div>
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And Holden is a soccer rock star. It's a delight to watch him play and run his little heart out.</div>
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Spring is officially here and we are soaking up this nice weather. I'm sure in just a short time I will be melting and complaining about the heat. So for now, each morning we head outside just as soon as our schoolwork is done. Daily the boys are riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline, going to the park and enjoying the sunshine.</div>
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Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-67371933842489489422016-02-22T15:03:00.003-06:002016-02-22T15:03:42.774-06:00Jeremy's birthday.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Jeremy turned 36 last month. Ouch. We're getting old. Oh well. As wise old people have always said, it's better than the alternative. :) His birthday was on a Saturday. We had kept some friends kiddos one weekend in the fall, so on Jeremy's birthday weekend it was our turn for a weekend alone. We drove to Houston to drop off the boys and then spent the next 2 nights in downtown Houston. We didn't do a whole lot worthy of pictures. We spent Saturday in Old Town Spring which was a neat little place to browse and shop. And we had quiet uninterrupted meals out all weekend. That's always a plus. We slept in (as late as possible). My boys have completely stolen my ability to truly sleep in so I just gave it my best effort. And we just enjoyed one another's company. On Thursday evening, the night before leaving for Houston, we had a family birthday dinner out at Grimaldi's for pizza. We knew the boys would also want to celebrate their daddy. I had been once before to Grimaldi's but Jeremy and the boys had not. And we are some pizza loving people! The wait staff brings pizza dough for the kiddos to play with as you wait on your dinner. Brilliant. </div>
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My view from across the table. These two are pretty tight.</div>
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Abe loves pizza. He just loves it. And he had no problem devouring 2 huge slices of our pizza.</div>
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Clearly Pax and I were also at dinner, but we didn't get a picture together. I hate it when I do that. </div>
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I wasn't supposed to do any gifts for his birthday this year. We had done a little more than normal for anniversaries back in November. Then there was Christmas, we were not supposed to buy for one another (his idea) and I went ahead and got him a little something. So then he said absolutely nothing for his birthday. But that's just ridiculous, right? No one really means that, right? Well, actually he does. Gifts aren't really his thing. But I spent less than $10, so I consider that practically nothing. :) He loves the lyrics to this old hymn and in recent weeks before his birthday God had really used the song to remind Jeremy of his constant presence in his life. So it was his one little gift we got for him.</div>
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And the one measly picture I had from our weekend alone. This man is definitely worth celebrating. :) And I'm thankful to be the girl that gets to celebrate all his big moments.</div>
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Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-34259457385458870052016-02-09T16:45:00.000-06:002016-02-09T16:45:08.259-06:00Homeschooling: Year 3!We have found our groove! Hey, it may have taken 3 years, but we found it. This spring semester has really clicked for me. I will say that our first year felt easy peasy. Holden in kindergarten, me using an all inclusive curriculum, and only working for a couple of hours each morning (during Abe's morning nap). Holden was already reading when we began and things just went smoothly. Pax is right on his heels in age so he just did kinder along with us at age 4 and actually has become a pretty brilliant little boy. But, I take no credit. I think he always had it in him. Beginning school just brought it to light. It is interesting to me that the reasons I began homeschooling have changed as we have been doing this for nearly three years now. Those initial reasons are still there, in the background. But now having homeschooled for a few years, there are plenty of other reasons I find that makes me want to continue what we have going. Those things are better for a one on one conversation when I'm asked. Because honestly, most people don't care to read them here. I'm still not committing to forever on this. But I'm more than excited to commit to next year.<br />
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We really changed it up this year. Through some really encouraging and insightful conversations last spring, I pieced together our curriculum. For those that are new to exploring the homeschooling option, I am going to list here what has worked for us and what has not.<br />
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<b>Science</b> - <b>Apologia Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the 5th Day.</b><br />
We read from this Science textbook twice a week. We should complete this book early (mid-March, I think) and I believe my plan is to buy another textbook from this group and dive right in rather than waiting for fall. This science is a keeper. It has captivated my boys minds and they have learned so much. And so have I!<br />
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<b>History - Beautiful Feet: Early American History for Primary Grades.</b><br />
We complete history once or twice week. Only once a week when we go to our co-op, Sonlight. I'll talk about that in another post. But this history curriculum has taken key characters in history and compiled the information into these great literature books. So we read aloud and they usually have a task in their journal to complete. This history can be a two year commitment to complete it in full. Seeing that I am not halfway through our lessons yet, we will definitely continue on with this study into next year. Today we read about the first Thanksgiving feast, which is odd in February! But that's where we are in the study.<br />
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<b>Math - Math U See: Alpha</b><br />
At this point in time, math is a harder subject for us. In reading and comprehension, the boys are doing excellent. And most of our subjects revolve around those two things. But right now I can admit that we are catching up in Math. I do like this curriculum. I'm not yet in love with it or anything. We started the fall with Life of Fred, which was story formed math. My boys easily learn from stories and literature. So this sounded like a good option for us. But I felt like it was not taking us in the direction I wanted us to go. So at the end of the fall I made a switch to Math U See. This one is taking us in the direction I want to go. But math is a more challenging concept for my boys right now. I've been told by those that have gone before that eventually it just clicks. So I'm walking slowly with them, making sure we actually master the concept before moving on. I am planning to stick to Math U See. And we plan to continue our math all summer long. It's too easily forgotten right now, as I quickly learned when we picked back up this fall.<br />
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<b>Reading - no set curriculum</b><br />
We are big ole bunch of book worms. The boys read on their own daily. I would guess that Pax reads 5-8 different chapter books per week. But during school I'm making a point to read them some good classic literature. This is probably Paxton's favorite part of school. Listening to me read these great story books. He typically wants me to read more and more once I've completed our chapter(s) for the day. During this school year we have completed: Mr Popper's Penguins, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Mary Poppins and Teddy's Button (my very favorite so far). Currently we are in the final portion of Despereaux. And Dragonwings is next on the agenda. So if you're looking for some good read alouds for your kids, those were some that we enjoyed.<br />
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<b>Writing - no set curriculum</b><br />
The boys do copywork each day. Sometimes it's the verse they are memorizing for church. Sometimes it's new information from our science or history. Sometimes it's about a character trait we need to work on. They hate copywork. Someone typically complains. But we still do it. Daily.<br />
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<b>Art - Simply Charlotte Mason Artist Study</b><br />
We have spent this year learning about Vincent van Gogh and study his paintings. They can now identify and name several of his works of art. We do this once a week.<br />
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<b>Music -</b> We sing a hymn each morning when we begin our school. Every 4 weeks we learn a new hymn. Hymns are full of biblical truths and honestly my kids rarely hear them unless they hear them at home. So we decided to incorporate these this year. We have also studied some composers and their classic pieces of music.<br />
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<b>Devotional/Bible Time - The Dig: Proverbs Words of Wisdom</b><br />
I haven't loved this one. It's been ok. But I want studying and reading the Bible together to be part of our daily school routine. This particular guide hasn't been my favorite for the purpose I was going for.<br />
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So our morning of school looks a little like this...Typically after breakfast, I clean up while they get dressed and have some time to jump on the trampoline. Even when it's 30 degrees outside. :) I really appreciate that they begin their day with activity. I'm pretty sure that they appreciate it as well. We start our school by 8:45 with prayer, a hymn and our devotional. Then we move on to math because that takes the most brain power. :) Then copywork. Then science/history (we do these on opposite days). Then our reading and anything else we need to finish up. We are done with school by lunch time. Last summer I sat down with Jeremy and we really evaluated why we have chosen this route and what we wanted to accomplish as a family on this journey. He kept saying: a well rounded education. So we've incorporated some things that originally I hadn't thought of by myself: the hymns, the classical music/composer and the artist study. I used plenty of resources and other homeschooling mommas to help me to get to this point. I'm thankful for the community and the many resources. Yet, someone reading this may see all kinds of flaws in our approach. And I'm still fairly new to homeschooling. I may find my own flaws when I read this post in 5 years. But I feel like one thing I am learning is there is no "right" way to do it. Each family and child is different. So you have to figure out what works for you and your family. What I do know, is that this is working for us right now. Even with the schedule above we go to the library once a week. The boys love this library trip. We spend a full morning at our co-op on Wednesdays. And we have hours each week to play in the sunshine. But with that said, remember that it's taken me 3 years to get into this groove and really figure out a schedule. But we've finally gotten there.<br />
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Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-27156631100176204522016-01-28T15:23:00.001-06:002016-01-28T15:23:12.683-06:00January happenings.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I love a new year and a new beginning. When we returned home from Colorado, this little baby was waiting for us. We had ordered it after Christmas. For some reason, Jeremy had thought a magical Santa was going to buy us a blender. That didn't happen. So we bought one ourselves and I love it. We have used this thing nearly every single day since getting it.</div>
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Abe has the largest veggie intake of the boys because he loves these green smoothies. He helped me fill this container with spinach, banana, frozen mango, a splash of orange juice and some water. He pushed the button to blend. And quickly slurped it down.<br />
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The schools in our area headed back and we took an extra week of play. Well, the boys played and I organized my house from top to bottom. Spring cleaning in January and it was fabulous. And it really involved no cleaning. Even better. :) But then we headed back to our books. It took us a good week to get back into that routine. And now we are rolling right along.</div>
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Some school outside in the sunshine. Pax will read multiple chapter books in a day. I really can't even believe it. Is he going to be a writer or what? He has a great hunger for words and reading. I have just never seen anything like it. Except if I didn't have many responsibilities in this life I could sure plow through some books. But I was not this way at age 6.</div>
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Some school inside at the desk. Writing can be painful. Physically painful to my boys. ;)</div>
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And this little guy. He would LOVE it if I set him in front of a TV the entire time we were doing school. I'm always saying "go play". And apparently that is hard for this one's personality or age. I'm not sure which. But so far the fire truck tent filled with a few toys and books keeps him occupied for a while.</div>
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I've been showing some tough love to the 6 month old injury. At the end of December I saw my orthopedic and she said I was free to head back to Camp Gladiator. That the physical strain and activity on my arm would be good for it by extending the range of motion of my wrist and breaking up the scar tissue from surgery. Sounds pleasant, right? :) She said it would be sore and probably "flare up" with the increased movement. So I headed back this month. And it sure has "flared up". That picture is just a big swollen area around my incision. Going back to CG, I realized how very out of shape I am compared to last January when I had been running several miles a week. And I'm still somewhat limited with the injury. But I'm back it. It's fun and it's a special part of my day. A time just for me that I thoroughly enjoy.</div>
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I've had a couple of one on one dates this month with my big boys.</div>
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Both dates included fro-yo.</div>
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We met up with some church friends at the MLK parade in downtown Fort Worth. This was our first MLK parade. The boys loved it. Marching bands, music, cars, motorcycles and people throwing candy. What more could a little boy want? I'm so thankful and proud to be part of our church.</div>
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It was so cold that morning.</div>
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So they warmed up with hot coco on their way home. I bought one hot coco and Starbucks split it for me between 3 cups. :)</div>
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We had a last minute dinner out with friends at Abuelo's. And this little pair are an affectionate couple of boys. Pretty sweet friends.</div>
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Abe and Cruz. The fun of being 3. </div>
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And little brother, Rico, looks like a sweet little baby doll. </div>
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We had a family movie night with popcorn. Mainly because Jeremy and I hadn't watched Aladdin in YEARS and we wanted to see it. :)</div>
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And this athletic little boy can now out run me. :( Holy moly what happened? I've always won in the past. He and I went on a bike ride one Friday when Jeremy was home. We played at the park and I decided we should race on foot. I picked a longer distance because Holden has always gone full steam and then puttered out. But this time...he won. Big time. He even ran backwards at one point and taunted me. I raced him a second time. And he won again. I don't claim to be fast. At all! But he's 7. And I'm taller. Not by a ton, but I'm still taller. I hope <b>hope</b> <b>HOPE</b> he'll be my running buddy in future years.</div>
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And this weekend we will close up January by celebrating Jeremy's birthday! He will turn 36 on Saturday. Some friends are watching the boys for 2 nights while we have a little getaway by ourselves. It's been over a year since we've done this and you don't even know how much I'm looking forward to this weekend. And that is a little of what we have been up to this month.</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5603661001613191105.post-81926223636377911342016-01-24T15:38:00.001-06:002016-01-24T15:38:57.031-06:00ColoradoWe decided in early 2015 that we would close up that year and ring in 2016 in Colorado with my sister and her family. And that is what we did! It sure is long drive (10.5 hours without any stops), but the visit ALWAYS makes it worth the trek. We didn't do a ton during our stay. We mostly relaxed around their house. We let our brother-in-law feed us breakfast feasts each morning. And we got to see a little bit of what their morning routine looks like each day, which is so so neat, yet so different than our own. The boys had so much fun with their cousins. They jumped on the neighbor's trampoline in the frigid weather. (Their neighbors happen to be some of their closest friends, which makes me a little envious.) They sang hours of karaoke (all from a Disney CD - think Frozen and Arielle). They colored together. They just ran around and played and had a lot of fun. One of my only days to really take pictures was the day we followed my sister's family to a snowy area to sled. There was no snow in their area. So we took a drive (about an hour away) and found a really great sledding area. We couldn't come all the way to Colorado in December and not get to experience some snow fun!! Soon after arriving to our snowy destination, we got out of our vehicles and Pax was suddenly lethargic and sick to his stomach. My brother in law quickly realized he had altitude sickness. We had him guzzle a bottle of water, take a 15 minute nap in the van and then he was as good as new. It was the oddest thing. But we praised God for such a quick turn around and we went on playing. The kids had so much fun. After some time, 3 sat in a van freezing, while the other 3 continued to play. You'd never guess in a million years which ones traded in the cold.<br />
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Bella and Pax and were glued to karaoke. I don't have a video for you to hear this duet. You're welcome. That's all you need to say for that. :) Don't get me wrong, Bella was pretty good. And Pax has now been singing the song Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. Yes, just imagine that one. </div>
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These two, in their comfies, singing some Frozen. </div>
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Our snow day. Luckily the neighbors have 4 little boys. We were all set with snow gear!</div>
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Ahhhh. The scenery.</div>
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Six sweet cousins. One is crying. Not too bad.</div>
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Abe loved the sledding. And he sure didn't mind the big girls pulling him around through the snow.</div>
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Jeremy trying to snowboard on Holden's spooner board. It didn't work. At all. </div>
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Bella was all joy.</div>
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My sister packed hot cocoa. We cooled it off with a bit of snow. Ha.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gjQyAWV9KZc/VqUygrQkwzI/AAAAAAAAJYY/UW-0WwwI1Og/s1600/pax%2Bsled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gjQyAWV9KZc/VqUygrQkwzI/AAAAAAAAJYY/UW-0WwwI1Og/s320/pax%2Bsled.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3tG9f_83ZFw/VqUyiqqIyXI/AAAAAAAAJYg/jKuF1QP3YE0/s1600/j%2Band%2Bme%2Bsnow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3tG9f_83ZFw/VqUyiqqIyXI/AAAAAAAAJYg/jKuF1QP3YE0/s320/j%2Band%2Bme%2Bsnow.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm so thankful for this guy. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6WUWWHmUq0c/VqUzNFYgkiI/AAAAAAAAJYo/6MB_WGBKAEA/s1600/20151231_135245%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6WUWWHmUq0c/VqUzNFYgkiI/AAAAAAAAJYo/6MB_WGBKAEA/s320/20151231_135245%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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The little of the bunch was the first to throw in the towel and give up on the snow. He was cold and he was DONE. 3 year old DONE! Hope, the oldest and then Holden soon followed into our van. Holden was also 3 year old done. :) Kidding. Sort of. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-68dKu1v6c/VqU4UR8ZTMI/AAAAAAAAJZA/JJGqmciCtUY/s1600/Family%2Bscenic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-68dKu1v6c/VqU4UR8ZTMI/AAAAAAAAJZA/JJGqmciCtUY/s320/Family%2Bscenic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As we drove back home, we stopped at this scenic overlook that looks out on their little town.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3H5sq5dgv4w/VqUzQikaZnI/AAAAAAAAJYw/-gjx_yCLlps/s1600/20160102_160022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3H5sq5dgv4w/VqUzQikaZnI/AAAAAAAAJYw/-gjx_yCLlps/s320/20160102_160022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then this was our drive home on January 2nd. They had worn themselves out and it took them at least two more days to recover on rest.</div>
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I'm thankful for the time away from home during Jeremy's break from work. The solid time we got to spend with this family that we don't see as often as the others. The mentors they are for us, even when they don't even realize it. Cousins and the sweet relationships they are forming! The snow that we have YET to experience in this part of Texas, this winter. We want snow...we want snow...we want snow...I'm thankful for the few moments that we did capture in photos. And how it was another fun trip and now a memory in the hearts of my boys. I'm so glad we made the drive and rang in 2016 with these people. My regret: I have no pictures of the adults!</div>
Melodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589995674020326830noreply@blogger.com0