Spring....Renewal

This year is flying by as fast as the last. I can not believe it is mid-March! I am thankful that Easter is later this year so that I have more time to prepare and enjoy it! I love Ash Wednesday and Lent. Every year I vow to give up chocolate and EVERY year I fail miserably.....So, this year I decided to follow our priest's advice and "do something" instead of "give up something". I've been walking for years as exercise and sometimes running--usually in intervals. Well, I decided to start running competetively as my Lent goal. I run my first 5K this Saturday as part of the St. Paddy's Day parade, with another 5K planned in early April and a 10K in late April. My big goal is to run the Lake Caroline 15K in late October and the St. Jude 1/2 marathon in early December. Please pray that I stay diligent. This is the verse that serves as my inspiration from Hebrews 12:1-2--"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

I got the kids' Spring pics back from Lisa Patti yesterday and it made me cry. They are growing up too, too fast and John Parker kind of has that "I'm over it" look on his face. Everything is starting to be "too cool" in his world *sigh*.......But, he did hug me goodbye in front of all his buddies when I dropped him off at baseball camp this morning and told me that he loved me, so there is still hope! :) I included several of the pictures and a picture of the Easter wreaths that my friend Diane made for me. I can't wait to put them up. Check her out on Facebook at "Door Decor". I hope everyone has a wonderful Lenten season!!

Spring Fever

We went to Satartia last weekend and rode around through the woods and down by the creek. It was such a pretty day. I love Fall and Winter, but am ready for some warmer weather. I took some pics of the kids, and can't believe how fast they are growing up!

My Silly Valentines

Maybe I was going through holiday withdrawal because I was VERY excited about Valentine's Day this year. John Bret thinks the kids got more today than he got at Christmas!! (that is so not true...) haha......John Bret got camo and a knife which probably isn't very romantic, but the card was nice.... :)We had a good morning and the kids were excited about their parties at school and handing out their Valentines. Happy Day to everyone!!

Snow Day

Well, we had another February snow......not as good as last year, but it was still really nice! We didn't last too long out there at 23 degrees, but managed to run around some. I'm glad the kids have gotten to see so much snow during their childhood. And, I love how quite it is outside after it snows........

Proud Mama

Last year at this time we were meeting with John Parker's teacher trying to decide what we needed to work on to get him where he needed to be for 2nd grade. We went to a reading tutor and spent countless hours reading, going over basic rules of phonics, etc. It was tough on both of us. He worked so hard and never once complained. He got where he needed to be, but after talking to his teacher and the principal, it was decided that although he didn't have to--repeating 1st grade would be a good decision and give him more time to mature and gain more self confidence. Deciding to have John Parker repeat 1st grade was a tough decision. I worried about how it would affect him and his self esteem. I knew he would miss his friends. He is such a smart boy but really needed that extra time to mature--especially since he was one of the younger ones in his class. For the first couple of months of school he often asked, "So why did I have to repeat again?" We would tell him that it was a good thing and not because of anything that he did wrong. Well, he started thriving and changing in ways that I never imagined. When I received his report card yesterday I cried. What joy filled my heart to see the things that his precious teacher had written:

"John Parker continues to do excellent work in all academic subjects. I am quite impressed with not only his written communication skills and his art work, but with his problem-solving skills as well. He is emerging as a class leader, as one on whom others can rely to make decisions. He takes note of his surroundings and what is going on (he gets the total picture) and he volunteers viable, probable solutions. He has also matured quite nicely in how he relates to others. I am eagerly looking forward to what all he will accomplish next term!" He got excellent marks in writing, reading comprehension, algebra and listening attentively.....

Thank you God for continuing to bless us and for allowing us to raise such a precious, kind son!!

Christmas Fun

We had a FULL weekend!! John Parker's program--Songs of the Season--was wonderful as usual and he had a great class party. Mr. Coleman does such a great job with the kids and you can see how much they respect and listen to him. Saturday we went to Doughnuts and Hot Cocoa party; took pics with Santa; and went to Logan's Princess party. Sunday afternoon we hosted a Cookie Swap and had a great time. Today was Avery's class party and they were all so happy and excited.....plus Santa paid a visit. I can't believe Christmas is just 5 short days away!!