Red, White, and Blue Sunday at Church

It was red, white, and blue Sunday at church!!! After church we basically had a cookout and LOTS of desserts! I thought the kids looked so cute in their patriotic colors and Babe looked so handsome. So much to write about our weekend but it is just to late! I'll have to write about it another time!

Means a lot to hear . . .

I went to pick the kids up from Vacation Bible School today and an older lady came over to me and said "I know your kids from MOPS and they are delightful children." That meant ALOT to me.

A week and 1/2 or so ago I took the kids and Gabriel's friend to McDonald's in Walmart. An older lady came over to me (she was the Walmart greeter) and said "Are these your children?" I told her yes except the one. She said "They are so well behaved". I thanked her and she responded "Thank you, we rarely see that."

Babysat a friends child today and we all had a fun time making wind cars from a kit (See pictures above). They really got into decorating their cars and then they raced them. They worked!!

The slide pictures were not today but earlier. The kids have enjoyed having that slide!

More summer

I haven't blogged and yet so much has gone on! This is an amazingly fun summer. I have met new and fun people and have had so much activity through the house! I met a few ladies at the pool that were so fun to talk to and Christians and homeschoolers. I also have come to know a mother of one of Gabriel's classmates much better and have enjoyed her conversation. Tonight my friend Kristin is coming over with her son and that will be fun.

Yesterday 2 of Gabriel's school friends came over. I was so happy to see how he interacted with them and the role he played. When one was crying he went over and cracked a joke and got him laughing and the sadness was gone. Then we were all sitting around eating push ups and the one boy said that he had gone and played with his friends last night. I asked him his friends names but he didn't know. Gabriel spoke up and said "maybe their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail" and EVERYONE started laughing!!  I have also been thrilled to see a new aspect of Annalina's personality. She seems to take the odd kid out and spend time with them. The other day a girl came over whose mother had died when she was young and her dad put her with her grandparents to raise and now that he got married took her back and she has MAJOR issues to say the least. I don't know if I ever saw her smile and almost everything that comes out of her mouth is not polite. Her new step mom was not made aware of issues and was finding out about them in other ways the dad is getting ready to take off to Iraq. Annalina had NO problems that I saw with her and just befriended her! Annalina has a unique personality it will be exciting to see how God uses her.

A mother from Gabriel's class told me today that her daughter came to her and wanted to tell her something. She was quite serious about it. She said "You know Gabriel? I think he is husband material". The mother was appalled that her kindergartener was speaking of marriage but as she talked with her daughter she found out she wasn't talking about now AND that really she was annalizing Gabriel with the criteria that she had given her daughter. The girl said "Gabriel is kind, responsible, and takes care of me." She had told her daughter things to look for including loving God when the time comes. The mother said the reason I tell you this is because she saw these things in your son. Praise the Lord. May Gabriel continue to grow in his walk with his Saviour.

Happy Daddy's Day!!

We decided to celebrate Father's Day today. Babe works tomorrow. We took him to Middlegate (in the middle of no where) and he ordered the MONSTER Burger!! If you can eat the burger and everything else on the plate you get a free T-shirt. Babe didn't struggle much but was feeling it more when he got home. The kids and I thought it was fun and so did Babe! I think that was a pretty good place for a Father's Day meal!! Babe had to call my brother Quentin to let him know that he followed through with a belief of his: Self control is eating through the pain! My brother was proud of him I am sure!

Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park

Gabriel and Annalina wanted to come here to see the dinosaur fossils. I recently got them a children's video by Answers in Genesis about dinosaurs and the Bible. They really enjoy it and it teaches great stuff. I learned from it. On the way to the park the kids rewatched both dvds. Somehow my memory card lost the pictures with the kids by the fossils, of course! I'll have to look again! But other pictures are on it so I'll post those. Gabriel loved seeing the flowers . . . Indian Paintbrush (Beautiful!) and some type of oversized white poppy, etc. We also took a walk and saw a black lizard and a great view. It was way more green there. Babe and I were suprised by the scenery. We pictured it to be a lot more desolate! It was a pleasant surprise!

Pictures above: Top is an Ichtyosaur picture at full size with the kids and I in front (very small in comparison!)

The Voice of Reason!

Gabriel: I wish I was grass so I could grow tall.

Annalina: But then someone would mow you!

Does it get any better than this . . .

Gabriel and Annalina tonight were coloring and making things for me. Annalina colored 2 beautiful pictures, one of a fairytale carriage with sparkly crayon on the top and the other was a butterfly picture that I am to look at if I am sad so I won't be sad anymore. So sweet!!

Gabriel went and picked a yellow and red rose from outside and made a hat with construction paper.  He stuck the flowers in and taped them together and cut a whole for my head but he didn't want it to go down to far on my face. He truly thought it looked so good on me. He was just smiling and smiling. I wish I could remember all he told me about the hat. So sweet again.

I am blessed with children that think of me and my happiness. So blessed. God's merciful kindness truly has been great in my life.