Thursday, August 25, 2011

That Boy of Mine


My precious boy.  We have been in school for a week and a half now.  Already, the past week and a half have been better than the past 2 years of school. :) We struggled in 2nd and 3rd grade with teachers that just didn't know how to handle Luke.  He has lived the past 2 years of school feeling defeated.  And so have we.  He doesn't fit "in the box." He is an active, energetic, curious, smart, loving handful. :)

We have taken some proactive measures this year to ensure that he is going to have a good year and not be punished for who he is.  And he was blessed with a GREAT teacher!  Someone who gets him and is thinking outside the box for ways to help him succeed in school.   He's always been a straight A or A/B student, but last year he got a couple of C's so we knew that we had to do something this year to nip it in the bud.

Here's a little insight into how his mind works...


That is a math assignment in which he was supposed to come up with 10 "rounding up or down" math equations.  He sat at the kitchen table doing it while I was washing dishes.  Every time he did a problem, he would look up and say something to me.  When he looked back down, he wrote the next equation.  They are all over the place!  No rhyme or reason to the placement on the page.  No order.  A little bit of chaos.  But done, and done well. 

God gave me that math assignment to understand my sweet, sweet boy just a little more.  His brain goes at lightning speed.  It's hard for him to process it all and contain it.  He's a little bit all over the place kinda like that math assignment.

He is an amazing boy. He is funny, loving, caring, sensitive, and loves the Lord.  I am so proud of him and pray that Lance and I can raise him into the man God wants him to be

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Missing Summer Already

Just had to say it. Missing summer. :( I am usually ready for school to start and to get back into a routine each fall. But I wasn't this year. 

Maybe it's because we had a really short summer this year.  (Only 9 weeks)

Maybe it's because Lance took off every Friday in July and we had some great family time. 

Maybe it's because summer is lazy and I love not having to worry about bedtimes and setting alarms.

Maybe it's because Emma is so grown up this year and life is getting easier as the kids get older.

And maybe it's because I realized this summer just how fast they are growing up.  Luke turned 9.  I've had him 1/2 as long as I'm going to have him. Only 9 more years, then he's gone. :(

I miss summer.  I'm ready for Christmas Break already. :)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Happy Birthday Emma! (and Me!)

Happy Birthday to my sweet, funny, smart, happy, adorable, blessing from God, Emma! You are such a great addition to this family, and I can't imagine life without you.  You are such a talker and impress everyone you meet.  You talk like a 6 year old.  You are so mature, yet you are hysterical!  You understand how to make a joke and you laugh at everything.  Your sister's and brother think you hung the moon, and you keep right up with them and everything they do. It's just going to be me and you at home now for a couple of years while the big kids are in school.  I can't wait to see what fun we are going to have this year!  I'm so proud to share my birthday with you, and more proud of the sweet little girl that you are!

We had Emma's party last night and some of our dearest friends came.  Everyone had fun.  Emma is truly a blessing.  I heard multiple people say last night that they just love Emma and think she is amazing.  Made a Momma proud.  She had the BEST time opening her presents.  One of my friends said we could win America's Funniest Videos. :)

She pick a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme party months ago.  We went to buy the party supplies on Thursday and she was adamant that it was all Mickey, not Minnie!  I had to convince her to buy some Minnie supplies since she was a girl.  :)

I think she had more fun than anyone at the party.  And that makes me happy!

My Mom took her around lunchtime so I could get ready for the party.  They went to Chick fil A for lunch then ran a couple errands.  Then my sweet mom picked up the big kids and kept them all until the party.  I love you Mom!

The Birthday Girl and Mom on their adventure

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

The cake

One of the few Minnie things I had to make her buy :)

goodie cups


Ready to open presents! (Isn't she adorable?!?!)

Soooo excited!

Precious girl

Blowing out the candles
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA! I love you!!

First Day of School

I have a 4th grader, a 1st grader and Hope is in KINDERGARTEN!!! How is that?!?! It was a crazy thing to go on a 10 day vacation and get back the day before schools starts, but it was worth it. :)

Hope has been so excited to start kindergarten. I just can't believe she's gone. :( It's going to be so weird to go from 4 to 1 during the days.  What are Emma and I going to do??? (When I asked her that when we were camping she said, "Play in my room.") :)

Here they are. Bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to go!

My big Kindergartner!

Ready for 4th grade

And 1st grade

Emma is ready to go! ha!

Gonna MISS them!

Mrs. Wallace's class

Ms. Lybeck's class

Hurry Daddy, I'm late!

Our annual "1st day of school dinner at Shogun's" :)

Buffalo Vacation 2011

We had the best camping trip last week! It has been sooo hot this summer with a record breaking heat wave.  We were really worried that we would be miserable camping for 9 days, but it turned out great.  The Lord really blessed us.  The first few days were hot, but we escaped to the river to cool down.  By Tues, it cooled off and we had the best weather the rest of the week.  It was amazing!  We even got cold once when we were in the river. Our good friends the Wades and Maiers joined us on Tues and Wed and we all had so much fun the rest of the week.

Home Sweet Home
Here are the highlights...
  • Emma floating on her back in the river
  • Hope riding her bike with no training wheels
  • Catching tadpoles in the river for HOURS!
  • Sara and Luke digging a hole in the river bottom
  • Heading to the shower house and Emma trying to claw her way back into the camper when she saw the raccoons. And Hope and Sara screaming like someone was being murdered! ha!
  • They came every night!
  • The kids jogging with me and Hope hanging in until the end
  • Luke realizing there is no Santa :(
  • Sara breaking her collar bone :(
  • The raccoons coming into camp while we were eating
  • Luke navigating the rapids
  • The swimming hole in Cotter
  • Playing kickball as a family
  • The rain storms
  • The blow guns Lance made out of bamboo
  • Luke's doing ninja training with all the other kids
  • Lance's "hot tub" and rapids chute
  • Diving for shells
  • The Great Raccoon Hunt of 2011
  • The Raccoon trap
    The hunters! Ha! (and they were air soft guns. no animal harmed!)
    Our best Charlie's Angels pose
    Realy roughing it with their recliners!
  • Raccoons eating all of the Maier's food
  • Storm forcing us to eat in the camper. 14 people!
  • Sara diving for shells and then throwing them back in the water for Hope so she could find some :)
  • Emma looking at me and saying "Momma, this is a great picnic" while we were eating down at the river
  • Luke and Lance working on Luke's Weblos badges
  • Hope getting her first loose tooth
  • Hope's excitement when she caught a tadpole and dove for shells

    digging for treasure
  • Father/Son baseball
    Couldn't find Emma. Looked in the camper and there she was!
    
    Playing in the sand
    Having fun!
    The easy life!
    Love Dixon!
      
    The whole crew!
    Crazy faces!
    All the kids
    And the parents
    The Moms
    LOVE this! ha!
    Poor baby. It's been a long week.