Skating : 0

Today, the older two girls and I were able to go to a skating birthday party for their little friend Jillian.  It was a lot of fun. Lexi and Jilli have been really good friends since we moved here to Lubbock. Lexi was only 2 and a half when we moved here, so they have had a whole 4 years of playing together, dressing up, birthday parties, museum trips, and just plain having fun.

Today was not only a blast for the girls but I had a whole lot of fun too. I was brave and decided to put on a pair of skates. I used to LOVE to roller blade and roller skate when I was little. It was so much fun teaching the girls. They were both troopers. As many times as Jenna fell she never got tired of it the whole two hours we were there. I even got to impress them with by skating backwards! It was so cute seeing how excited they were. Lexi kept saying "Mommy, your DOING it!! "Good job mommy, your doing it"

Sweet girls! It was a good time for us! We had a lot of fun!  

LOL

Sometimes my kids do something that is just so incredibly silly that I will laugh out loud! Tonight after we got home from a birthday party the girls took their balloons and made people out of them. They even gave them names. You can probably guess the name of this lovely BLUE beauty! YEP, you got it, Madam Blueberry!  

Thankful...

My little sister informed me last night that I needed to get to it, and write on my blog! :)

So I began thinking this afternoon what I was feeling today and what I wanted to say out loud! (because at least one someone is reading my blog :) I realized today I am grateful! Thankful for my home.

Louisiana will always be my/our homeplace! It will always be the place that I get butterflies in my tummy as I get closer to it. It will always be the place I miss 'til I feel sick to my stomach! But... today I realized I love my place here in Lubbock! Those of you who have lived in Lubbock are probably laughing, because what I hear most people say is that they cant wait to get out of this city.

Not Me! I love it here!

I love the weather. We really have seasons here! Winter,Spring, Summer, and Fall.

I love our dear friends in Lubbock. They are all so very good to us. We have made deep lasting relationships here!

I love our church body. Our little church is a place that is truly reaching out to the lost and ministering to the people who gather every week. I love working with all of those children and seeing them be amazed at the stories in the bible.

I love MY(our) house. It is the perfect house for us. It has so many elements that I am just in love with

I love my family! Our little family of five is so happy here. All of our girls have their little friends, and their little things that make this their home too.

So today Kayli, I wrote it down just for you! I am Thankful!

I'm a big girl... #5

       (Granny, you cant tell in the picture, but she has her hair bands in with piggy tails!)

As I watched all of our friends shower my baby girl with gifts my heart swelled with pride. Not because I wanted all those extra toys, or because she even needed them, but because I saw the love that each of those gifts held. Each person that gave her a gift knew my baby! (not so baby anymore!) They gave her gifts that they KNEW she would love, and be grateful for. She received so many nice things. The thing that meant most to me though, was the people that came to her party. They love my Jenna girl, and I am so grateful for that. We are blessed with true, good, and loyal friends! Thank you God for that.

Princess Jenna truly enjoyed her day of being treated like royalty! She was the princess that invited all of her princess (and prince) friends. Because it was a dress up party, there was lots of changing outfits. You will notice about 4 or five wardrobe changes!

She was blessed with lots of friends, big and small!

 

We played lots of princess games. Pin the crown on the princess, pass the frog (hot potatoe) and musical thrones!

And we decorated crown for the royalty to wear!

 

We have a tradition with the girls where they get to pick and make their own cake! It is a lot of fun, and we usually get pretty creative with it! Jenna used candy on hers this year! Yummy!

Thanks again Ashleigh for all of your help. I couldn't have pulled it off without you!

Friday Outing

  On Friday morning the girls and I (all five of them) went to the Science Spectrum. It was a lot of fun. Here are a few silly shots I caught as they were playing

Grace and Audrey on the Fire truck "CHEEEESE"

 

The Three Amigos!

Here is Audrey and Andi playing the drum! Aren't they so cute. (Yes, I did make them stop the repetitive loud sound as soon as I took the picture :)

Grace, our little weather girl!

It was a good day!

So many things to be thankful for!

 

So many things have happened this week that have reflected God's amazing provision. Really though there have been things that have happened this week that I realize are not even needs really, just things that God has blessed us with because He wants to.

 

The biggest and most significant day of this week was today. It marked the last day of Justin's training. He is a true Lubbock Police Officer. He drove his car home for the first time last night, with lights going, and as he pulled up he "yipped" (that's really what that little chirp horn is called) at us. It was so fun to go and sit in his car and look at all the little buttons and gadgets. He took us all for a ride around the neighborhood this morning. I am so proud of him. He has worked so hard, for so long to come to this stage of our life. We are finally done with "training", and we are moving forward.  Praise God for that! God also provided the mid-night shift for Justin. It is the shift we prayed for. It really fits the place that our family is at right now. I am so relieved to know we will have him home in the evenings again.  We wont have any holidays this year, but we kinda knew that from the beginning. I guess we will have to do like Courtney and Amber do, have Christmas on the Eve, or on another day. Who knows!

 

Another little praise (big for me:) is that I found the table I have been looking for since we moved into the new house. I really wanted something for my living area before my sisters came this month. (I get to see BOTH Courtney and Amber and their families within a month. Court and her crew at the beginning of Nov. and Amber and her crew at the end of Nov.) I couldn't find THE table that I had in my head, or that I could afford. I found it on Craig's list for FREE! I got this table and two side tables. I expected a junker that I could refinish and make work. But I love it, and it fits perfect. I know God orchestrated the whole thing, and it makes me so thankful!

SO Court, and Amber now my living room will be mostly decorated when you come. It is so important to me that you feel cozy in my home! I cant wait to see you!!

No school

Yep, I am confessing! I did not do school today with the girls. WHY!!?
Because I needed to be renewed! My heart was tired, my body was weary, and I felt on the verge of tears. I asked myself what would help me feel better?!

Ps 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."

In my case today it was a clean house. It renewed my spirit. I know it sounds funny, but as I cleaned, i thought through some things that needed to be thought through.

I asked myself "Why do you feel so frustrated?" "Why do you feel so tired?" As I cleaned I didnt come up with any answers but i did decide this... stop complaining and DO something about it!
I took a deep breath, and I took action. (at least in my head :)

SOO... cleaning my house cleaned my heart, and renewed a steadfast spirit within me! Thank you God for doing the work inside me, while I did the work on my little home. I feel better inside and out!

What gives you a renewed spirit!? What helps you take a new breath and start fresh? Please tell me, I really do want to know. Is it nature, friend time, scrapbooking, golfing... what is it!?
Please share!