Voting

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

It.has.happened!!!!

About a month ago or so, Brady came home and told me he likes a girl.  He told me her name - a girl I know from school - and then made me swear not to tell ANYONE.  I told him that I would not tell anyone and we chatted for a bit about her, why he liked her, and how he gets nervous around her.  It was a bit hard to hear....this is my BABY.  At the same time it warmed my heart....he CHOSE to talk to ME.  I hope it is always like this.  I hope he is always comfortable enough to want to share his heart with me.  Later when he talked to both Chris and I about his first crush, Chris asked him why he liked this girl.  He looked at us and said "She is just so beautiful!" Awwww...
   Brady and I on the way to his field trip

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

This GUY!!!

Evan participated in his very first karate tournament in October.  He had only been in karate since August and he did soooo well.  He won both a first place medal and a second place medal...so proud of this kiddo....and so excited to see him really enjoy an activity....his focus clearly reflects his interest.



Thursday, August 20, 2015

He really is a little artist

Because of our eVan Gogh's interest and talent in art, Chris and I decided to sign him up for art class with Jayne Morgan .  She is a local artist in Bluff Park and offers art classes for Bluff Park Elementary School students at her studio after school on Tuesday afternoons.  He has made us so proud with his paintings.   He has been the youngest one in her classes, and he has impressed us with his work.  He enjoys it so much.  For our active, does not always prefer to sit still, little guy, the fact that he sat still and focused for Jayne's classes and produced such beautiful work, tells Chris and I this may be his thing.  For his birthday his grandparents all chipped in to pay for a week of art camp with Jayne in July....the perfect gift for this gifted artist.




Sophomoric Salvation Chapter 2

A couple of weeks ago while reading the Bible to the boys, heaven and salvation came up.  I mentioned that truly surrendering your life to Christ and asking him to be your Savior is the way to have eternity with HIM in heaven.  As soon as I could get the last syllable out of my mouth, Evan pipes up with "I have already done that"  with complete conviction and sincerity.  So I asked him, "You did?" and he said - very seriously - "Yes, I told GOD that in my bed". I dug further, "what did you say?"  He answered, "I said 'GOD, I love you.  I want to be with you in heaven when I die'".  I was amazed at this private moment he had with GOD, and touched, also unsure - with his age - the level of sincerity of this encounter.  Does he truly understand the seriousness and depth of what had occurred.  I do not know but I know I do not want to minimize this moment in his life.  I said "Evan, that is awesome! That makes my heart so happy."

LORD, I pray for this salvation and surrender to be genuine in all three of my boys' lives.


Sweet Nothings

My Madman is such a sweet snuggle bug.  He is so thoughtful and precious in his little sweet nothings to his momma.  Earlier in the summer - we had a rare moment - Maddox had a sleep over with me.  Chris was out of town for work.  Grayson & Olivia Kim spent the night so their parents could go to the Dave Matthew's Band concert.  The four older children had a slumber party in the den.  I did not want Maddox to feel left out so I invited him to have a slumber party with his Mommy.  He was lying next to me and he reached over and patted my back and - very sweetly - said "I love you Mommy".  Several times throughout the night, he patted me and draped his arm across me to hold me.   It was SOOOOO precious!  I love this little angel.

Tonight while watching a movie with the boys, Maddox snuggled up to me and said I like this movie, Mom.  He then said I LOVE you, Mommy.  Short pause - "and I LOVE GOD!"

LOVE this sooo very much!


Wednesday, August 12, 2015

The Protector of the house is....

Evan.  I just overhead Evan - while getting ready to try Karate (his chosen Fall "sport") - "Brady are you coming to my karate?" Brady - "yes, I am coming." Evan - "I am excited to try it.  I can't wait to see how strong I am.....how strong I need to be to protect this family.  Because that is what I want to be - the Protector of this Family" ❤️ it!

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Proud of this kiddo!

Brady has played t-ball since he was four.  However, this Spring was his first Spring to play rec ball - instead of Upward.  Needless to say, the difference is obvious from what he experienced with Upward and what the kids in rec ball have experienced.  There was an obvious difference in his baseball abilities and the other boys.  It was a lot of fun to watch him play, grow, and learn during this season.  We were blessed with awesome coaches and great families to cheer the boys on with.

I have discovered, in my almost 9 years as a mom, that we can learn sooooo much from our children.  Watching his attitude, patience, joy, and overall fantastic attitude during this baseball season has been so refreshing to watch.  On multiple occasions his coaches said something to either Chris or I about his great attitude, respect for the coaches, willingness to do anything asked of him, and constant smile. 

I love baseball.  Watching Brady play has reminded me of how much I enjoyed playing softball and of how much I miss it.

BIGGER - I love Brady and watching him do life makes me want to be a better person and how much I am missing.

He is a GREAT kid that has a lot worth emulating....when his coach handed Brady his trophy he told him what a great kid he is and told him "any chance I get, I am going to have you play on my team". 

On a baseball note he told Brady that he was the team's most improved player.  He told him that in all of his years of baseball experience, he has never seen someone improve as much as Brady had in just one season.





Tuesday, March 24, 2015

My MJ

 This little star did AWESOME at the Bluff Park Elementary School Living Museum.  All the third graders are assigned to choose a famous person that is either retired from their known profession or deceased.  They have to create their background and research, write, and memorize their biographical speech.  They are all lined up in the halls of the school and as visitors approach them they introduce themselves and then recite their speech.  Brady chose to Michael Jordan and he rocked it....absolutely nailed it!  He enjoyed this school project a lot!  He was one of the only ones that memorized his whole speech and he had A LOT of facts!!!



Monday, March 23, 2015

Thankful Little Soul

I am enamored with Maddox's thankful spirit.  He has a way of noticing all the little things in the world and pausing to thank GOD for them.  So often he will say "I want to tell GOD ______" and then he will bow his head and say "GOD thank you for _____".  Just last week Maddox and I were driving in the van and he said "Mommy aren't the trees that GOD made beautiful?"  I told him yes and then he said "I am gonna tell GOD."  Then he said "GOD, thank you for the beautiful trees."  This continued for a while as he prayed for everything and everyone that GOD created.  It was so precious.....love it!

My sweet pea praying at school before lunch

Sunday, February 22, 2015

eVan Gogh

Evan has really impressed us lately with his artistic abilities.  We do not spend much time with other 5-year- olds but we are quite impressed with his art work.  He has really blossomed in his talent.  We have had several "WOW!! Did you do that by yourself" moments.  We have even considered enrolling him in art classes to further his talent and invest in something he enjoys so much!  Our own eVan Gogh : )

a banner that Evan made for Brady's basketball team...the Ducks



A penguin Evan colored for the brochure he made for his class' presentation on the Arctic



Sweet Rudolph that Evan drew in December of 2014


Art project that Evan came home with on 2/19/15

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The best Daddy

Yesterday while having lunch with my caboose at our kitchen island, Maddox looks at me and says "you know who the best Mommy is?"  I answered: "Who?" With his yummy grin he says, "You, Mommy."  Then he says: "Do you know who the best Daddy is?"  Assuming the answer, I replied: "Daddy?"  He said: "No, not Daddy?" "Cwis, that is his other name, you know, Cwis (Chris)."  He is quite funny this little guy.

Winter fun at home....fort building

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Out of the mouth of Babes

This one:

 (Maddox on Circus Day at preschool)
 and his many "sayings"

I love the fun, sweet, curiosity-filled things this sweet Angel says on a regular basis.  As much as that, I love how he says things....how his r's are still w's, his cute lisp....how this is it, my last baby so I am enjoying every misspoken syllable of it knowing when this ends, it is over for me.  This past Sunday after I picked Maddox up from his class at church I asked him about what he learned.  He told me about how Jesus healed Lazarus.  I said "that is awesome, buddy, isn't it?"  He said "yes, Mommy, GOD is going to heal my back too." (he fell on the bleachers at Brady's basketball game the day before).

Last week while Maddox and I were in the car together he said: "I love Daddy.  I want to be just like him when I grow up."  I said: "you do?"  He said: "yes, I do.  I am gonna ask GOD right now if I can be like Daddy when I grow up."  I said: "okay, buddy."  Then from the back seat, I softly hear: "GOD, can I be like Daddy when I grow up?" Then I hear: "Mommy, GOD said 'that is fine'".

It warms my heart how he will come running up to me at random times - "I want a hug and a kiss" with his arms open wide.  When I kneel down to hug him, I am greeted with his puckered lips : )  After our hug and kiss, he goes on his merry way....so precious!

Often in conversation with Maddox when we tell him some bit of information, he will say "I already know that."  This is always after we have told him something we have not yet conveyed to him.  When we ask him how he knows, his answer is always: "Because GOD told me."  Oh my!  A prophet perhaps?? Probably just a know-it-all ; )

Love this sweet babe and all his little comments, cadence, and voice!