Love Her Heart

Chloe has had some friends donate their hair to Locks of Love in the past. She was inspired and has been waiting a very long time to grow her hair long enough to donate it.

Today was the day! She was so ready she could hardly contain her excitement! She had planned to surprise her classmates tomorrow with her new short hair..which she will still do...but she 'confessed' to telling several of her girlfriends today...but she DID NOT tell any of the boys. :)

Chlo,
You have waited and waited for this day. Daddy and I love to see your heart of compassion lived out...you want to help someone else who needs a wig, and we think that is precious. It blesses us to see you loving others...even people you don't know. That's God's Light shining through you and nothing could make us more proud. You are a gift.

Love you the mostest,
Mommy and Daddy

Be Still My Heart

In a fleeting, random moment...
In the middle of dinner prep and homework...
Eli reaches toward me and cups my face...
Eyes endearing...

"I love sharing this life with you."

Can I Get A Witness??

Christmas just happened like a month ago...right??
We, probably like you, may have gone a little overboard on gifts...with the help of super generous Grandparents, respectively.
So...our kids rooms are stuffed to the brim with awesome toys...bright and shiny new toys.

Want to know what they choose to play with???
8 out of 10 times...
Garbage.
Our kids play with garbage.
Items I am confident were thrown into the recycling bin yesterday, somehow sprout legs and jump into the creative arms of our children.
Most recently they have transformed into homes for stuffed animals and legos. Cereal boxes have become castles inhabited by flat royal people sketched on paper.

And I mostly love it...in fact, I 85% love it...
I just have to get used to my kitchen (because that is also where they choose to play... not in their toy stuffed rooms) being strewn with garbage.

I should probably explain...

So.
We have had a little bit of change in the past several months.
Ok...we have had A. LOT. of change in the past several months.
We live in Washington State now.
Hopefully, through Facebook that does not come as a huge shock to most of you...but to some of you I am sure it will. Sorry about that.  There doesn't seem to be a very seamless way to put that out there... but I will try to share some of the story here.

It all started back in July when we came out to WA for our annual summer vacation that we had thought we were going to skip. Money was tight...we had decided not to...and then we were really sad.  (especially the kids..."what do you MEAN we aren't going to Boppi and GrandBob's?!?!" Followed by super sad faces, batting eyelashes and sniffs.)  We remembered we had some sky miles that we had been hoarding  saving and we decided to go for it.

Once we arrived, all was per the usual...waking up, sitting around in sweatshirts until it gets warm enough to put on a swimsuit and then heading out to the beach for low tide. On our first Sunday, Kevin's parents wanted us to visit the church that they had started attending...he went, I stayed home with a sick Chloe. As he was leaving, Kevin kissed me on the forehead and told me that he planned to talk to the Head Pastor after church to see if he was hiring.  After the year and a half that we had had job wise, this did not surprise or concern me.  I literally thought, "what harm can that do?"

Harm was probably not the right word...but because of that conversation, and a lot of God sized situations later, Kevin is now on staff at that very. church.

It is a wonderful place.  We are blessed to be working with a very gifted leader and pastor.  We are part of a talented team. We are being loved on and embraced by a wonderful church family and seeing the hand of God in our lives in a very refreshing way.

We miss our people back in Georgia, but are very certain that we are where we are supposed to be.

2013 seems full of promise. Full of new.

First Day of PreK - Take 2

E started PreK last week.
Well...technically he started PreK in April.  In order to get him into a program he needs, we needed to enroll him into their school.  So he finished PreK precisely 4 weeks after starting it...and ABCs and 123 were but a review...

So he started FOR REAL last week.  It's a wonder how different it felt this time around.  I cried a little in April...but not so much in August.  He had some trouble on his second first day...walking to the same corner he walked to in April as his boycott of going to school...but eventually was peeled from my arms and sat at his table to begin morning work.  I kissed both of his hands and told him to hold onto them for when he missed me...his fists were still tight as I walked out the door.

He is big.  He is ready. I miss him.

Upon pick up, he announced that he has a new friend.  His name is Body. (pronounced like Cody)
He likes sharks too. Thank you, Jesus.

(Will hopefully add pictures of him and his shark backpack (which totally rocks, btw) once I get my computer situation worked out...currently having some issues...but soon.

It Seems We Have Come To a Compromise...

This is Lily.
She is 'the neighborhood' cat.
Except for she spends neigh a second away from our hood.
It could be that we feed her twice a day.  And rub her behind the ears when no one is looking.
She is an outside cat.
Except for she tries multiple times a day to be an inside cat.
I leave the back door open while the kids play outside.  (much to my husbands frustration: air conditioning the back yard is not wise financially...I agree.  But, I can hear them and they can hear me...gives them a sense of freedom and me a sense of control...it works.)
Well, you can bet Lily will sneak in every chance she gets.
Usually, I just need to say "Liiiiilllllyyyyyy" in a motherly tone and she stops in her tracks.
Other times I have to send the kids to retrieve her and put her back outside. 
Because, I am allergic to her.  She knows this.  I have told her multiple times.
Cats love feline-allergic people...have you noticed that??
So. 
I know that she will try. 
She knows she will not win.
But today we seem to have come to a bit of a compromise.
I caved.
After two attempts to assume her favorite 'off limits' spot of the armchair in the back bedroom, she settled for the door. 
And I did too.

Summer List 2012

Summer List 2012

Swim  Plant a Garden Tomatoes Catch Fireflies Make Rootbeer Floats  

Go to Boppi and GrandBob's beach  Outside Movie Night  Swim in the Ocean   

Sleepover with friends  READ Crafts Build a sand castle Watch the Sunset  S'Mores  

Camp in the side-yard  Stay the night at a Friend's house  Sprinklers  Go to the Library  Make Popsicles Aquarium  Go to the Park  Play in the Creek  Memorize Bible Verses 

 Catch spiders  Build a Fort  Go Fishing    Have a Water Fight  I.N.K.

Apple Fritters from Cleveland Donuts  Read under the stars   

HIKE  Ice cream sundae Sunday Fly on an airplane