T's close-up

Final door photo

and

T's close-up!

OUR first school project - we survived!!

So Holt and I went to orientation last week....

and, well... we signed up for a lot. We like to help. We want to be a part of T's schooling...

Little did we know the first thing Holt signed up for was due THIS Friday.  Yeah... THIS Friday.

So, off to the dollar store I went... and we ended up with this:

Daddy was finishing my soccer field...

 

you can see we are still building the "Healthy Habits Highway" - street needs dividers and cars are yet to be glued on but you get the picture.

 

 

 and this is our "NO Fast Food Farm"

 

Yes, that's a real tractor...

 

and this... well this is the "Town of Please and Thank You!"

 

And... where does everyone sleep you ask?

 

The "Cottage Of Consideration" of course!

 

(look at my little clothes on the clothesline!!)

 

 

 and if you need to work some ants out of your pants

 

Get on over and play soccer at "Fair Play Field"

 

 

 

Or ...if you need to just relax...

 

Get on over for a sailboat ride in the "Love the Lord Lagoon"

 

 

There is one square left to be completed.  Apparently Ms. Molet has a sign so we will be adding that

 

so you'll have to wait for that one!

 

At the end... they will end up at

 

"MS. Molet's Class - Population - 12"

 

 

 

Here are the "people" that Kate made... greatness!

 

 

 Will send a pic once everything is done. We are working with another mom... Holt took pictures of all the kiddos today and they are going to be stick figures with big 'ol heads added to this somehow.

 

It will be cute.  Tonight gave me a glimpse of what Holt and I will be doing for the next 15 years.

 

PROJECTS!  Thankfully we make a great team!

 

Just hope this one thinks so too!

 

 

Six days...

In six short days... Ms. Lee taught T how to swim!!

 

 

 

and dive!

 

 

simply amazing

 

there he goes...

and here he comes!

 

REACH AND PUUULL MAMA ...REACH AND PULL

 

(is what he says as he comes out of the water) 

 

 

then Daddy had to get in and learn how to practice

 

and he did much better than I did (I have a hard time shoving my son's head underwater!)

 

then he showed us how he floats on his back...

 

and his tummy

AMAZING!  I had many more pics but this site is being a bit of a pain so this is all that I'll post.

We'll have to do a refresher next year - but I am SO proud!  Our boy can swim!!

 WUHOOOOOO! 

 

 

Daddy wins silver in dodgeball!!

Daddy gave great instructions on how to play dodgeball

 

and the future jock of America.... well, he payed attention!

and at 101 Ms. Ebby was there to cheer them on all the way!!!

Congratulations on a Silver Medal - that's awesome!!!

Katie is our August Service Project!

Our service project for this weekend was a teacher...

 

Luckily, we have one in the family - Katelyn!!!!

 

Tristan, Daddy and I made a "pencil" made out of pool noodles, tape a dowel and some paint!

 

We cut, we measured, we painted...

 

and we had FUN!

 

 

T said we had to "watch the instructions" - too cute!

 

 

 then he showed off our work...

 

 

 Daddy prepared the new fish for their home...

 

 

and we put together a goodie basket...

 

 

 then after we played some..

 

we headed over to the house and laid out her treasures

 

then the big reveal!

 

I told her not to expect much...

 

apparently this was more than she expected.

 

SUCCESS!

 

 

Alyssa and Aunt Debby looked on...

 

and then Aunt Kathy and Uncle Kirk came by...

 

family photo!

 

T got lots of snuggles for all of his hard work

 

 

and Katelyn stole kisses (do you blame her!?)

 

then our thank you note...

 

So sweet!  We love you Katie, hope your year with the first graders is great!!! 

Go Daddy!!

Daddy has joined with Ebby and is taking part in the Global Corporate Challenge.

he is playing volleyball, dodge ball and flag football.

Volleyball started us off... and as of right now they are undefeated!

Everyone involved started Friday off with a parade and fun

and someone found all the kids at the water fountains!

it was hot, he was soaked and it was a blast!!

Then on Saturday and Sunday... Daddy and his team...

Bumped, set and spiked

to first place!!!

He's a gold medalist!

Congrats Holtie!!  Now...onto dodge ball!!!

A tip from Mama

Something I want you to KNOW about women Tristan... our greatest fear is abandonment.  I have been abandoned - majorly abandoned a few times in my life... quite recently actually.  It ripped me at my core and made me fierce and angry.  It also left me confused and scared... just like a little girl.

See, when someone trusts you with their heart, trusts you to protect them, delight in them, cherish them... it's a GIFT.  A huge gift.  This can happen between father-daughter, in dating and certainly in marriage and I suppose even in friendship.  When someone damages that... they damage a woman at their core.

I have been damaged.  Again.  I sometimes wonder how or why I let this happen but then I realize it's only because I let myself love.  And that's ok.  It is no one's job to "fix" anything... it is for me to see, to learn, to grow and to ultimately trust God with.

Men desire respect, women... well, they want to be protected and delighted in. 

Remember my sweet boy, a woman's heart is a gift.  She is not something to be conquered and discarded.  Not your girlfriends, your wife and certainly not your daughter should you have one.

I want you to ask great questions, I want  you to care deeply how you treat others and I want you to seek after God about what He says - not just what I say.   When you make the choice to leave a heart that you have loved... make sure it's for the right reason - because you break something inside that is very, very difficult to mend. So if you leave, leave well..... leave carefully.  Leave respectfully.

Be better than most... Love with caution... but when you love... give it all you've got.  I pray for your future wife a lot.  Seems silly because you are only 3 1/2 but I pray she loves you, trusts you completely and that you protect, fight for her and honor her.  I pray that she loves our family and that you choose what she needs... because she truly NEEDS you to do that.  I pray she loves the Lord, loves what He loves and that you both... while not perfectly... reflect the image of Christ.

I love you and know in my heart you will be a great man, husband and father!!!

Happy Almost 50th to Lee

I hate being so far away from my family... I miss everything *SIGH*

Thankfully though, there are pics, and Facebook and phones... so I can at least FEEL like I was there.

Here is some of what we missed...

Apparently Zach had to blindfold him :)

and then SURPRISE!!  Friends and family galore!

We got a little before and after....

the lovely ladies... minus Aunt Jeanne - BOO!

got a little goofy (imagine that!?)

and got a little sweet... can't wait to meet Solara!!

Sad to miss but happy that they "got" you!

Happy (Almost) 50th Lee!

we love you!!!