last days of school

We have so blessed to send the boys to such amazing schools and more importantly to have truly amazing teachers! 

We love EUMK and SKF!

EUMK SENIOR K CLASS OF 2012

Taner has been at EUMK since he was 2.  He starting by going just 1 day a week over 4 years ago. I can not believe sweet Tanner's time as EUMK has ended. The school is so hands on, creative and small. One of the things that attracted me to it over 4 years ago was that it was a mix between Montessori and traditional. I also loved the options for days because so many of the other preschools you had to go 3-4 days.  We were able to ease into school and even do K part-time.
Tanner will be going to Westminster Academy next fall. 1st grade is 1/2 days so I feel so blessed to have one more year a theme with him!

1st Day of EUMK...the 2's

Today was Sam's last day ever at Special Kids and Families. I am so very sad not only is he going to be in Pre-K next year but he will no longer be next door to me on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at work. I have been very spoiled the last 2 years being able to read to him, eat lunch with him and give kisses anytime!

Last day at Special Kids Play, Do, Learn preschool.

That's his..."I graduated and I'm going to EUMK"...thumbs up! He is so exciting to be going to Tanner's school.

1st day of Special Kids Play, Do, Learn...16months

hello busy life

HELLO busy life...that happens too quickly

My laptop had a nervous breakdown so I have been laptop less for the last 2 weeks while I was waiting on the new one. For some reason our desktop does not like for me to blog so I have lots of pictures to blog about.

This sweet boy does not prefer to have his picture taken so he is always hiding from me.  The other night in the car I managed to snap this precious smile in the midst of him not letting me take pictures. I can not believe this bundle of joy will be a 1st grader...tear!

We had another exciting Taekwondo tournament this past weekend. Tanner won 3rd place in sparring...he was really excited! If you have a boy, I highly recommend Taekwondo. We go to Midtown Taekwondo and really love the teachers. They really focus on self-control, respect and responsibility...all things we think are pretty important.

Breaking news...Tanner taught himself to tie his shoe this morning! Just in the nick of time...you it used to be a K skill on the report card...not anymore:)

The boys never made their "SUPER HERO" capes from Sam's birthday party so when Chris was in class the other night...we crafted! Sam added Uncle Wes, Virgina and John to his while Tanner added lots of the lighting bolts and "T's".  They spent the rest of the night pretending to be "SUPER HEROS"...I had to hide the "bad guys" for them to find and capture.

In this Memphis heat, we have already spent lots of time at the swimming pool.  The boys will take swimming lessons in June and I'm thinking about signing T up for the swim team at the Y?

Sam and I have have been spending our mornings doing "preschool" at home.  This week we talked about the letter "D".  He made a "D" donut (pink icing and sprinkles), we read "If You Give  a Dog a Donut", made play dough donuts and made donuts for Daddy from biscuits.

Sam has spent the last week in some sort of "SUPER HERO" cape. He got a few hoots and hollers as we rode our bike through the neighborhood! He's a mess but he really makes me laugh.

So excited for SUMMER to have both boys home! We are working on our summer TO DO list now.  I will post it soon. So far Tanner has lots of science experiments and Sam has lots of SUPER HERO ideas.

happy mother's day

It is such a privilege to be their mom!

Was that sermon written for me???

JOY and COMPLAINING are not COMPATIBLE...ouch...those were the words I heard and they hit me pretty hard.

I can not tell you how often I pray for a joyful heart not just for me but for one of my boys as well.  I pray that God will let me see the good not the bad.  I don't however ask God to stop my 

complaining heart

so 

last Sunday when Dr. Strickland said

joy and complaining are not compatible I was CONVICTED...big time. 

This sermon was for me:)  

How could God possibly answer my prayers for a joyful heart when I do complain so often?

Dr. Strickland called it

"RISE AND WHINE"

hum...yes some days I do just rise and whine...i didn't get to run, the boys are making me crazy, often i find myself feeling like other people have an easier life or i feel sorry for myself and want someone to appreciate me...i know PITY PARTY.

Philippians 2:14 says 

"Do everything without grumbling or complaining". Another translation says "do everything readily and cheerfully".  I do grumble and I do complain so this week my prayer has changed not just God give me a JOYFUL heart but cease my awful complaining.  

"ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE"

Another point made was to 

"See God at work in all things"...not sure that I really do that

so I am praying to learn how to better...

"fix our(my) attention , not on the things that are seen, but on the things that are unseen. What is seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:17b-18

I clearly need to change HOW I look at things because this is how my attitude is determined.

So from this I take: (all Dr. Stricklands' words)

I CANT CONTROL THE CIRCUMSTANCES BUT I CAN CONTROL MY ATTITUDE.

CHALLENGE:

FIND THE GOOD IN THE HERE AND NOW!

Weekend Snapshots

Snapshots from a BUSY Weekend

Friday Night Date Night...no photos but we finally saw THE HUNGER GAMES. I read the books several months ago but Chris just spent the last 2 weeks reading books 1-3 so he was dying to see the movie.  I had just finished another book that was also in the theatres but I assure you he did not want to see it. We were able to get a trail run in together too...I love running with Chris.

I was thinking our weekend would be pretty laid back however I had apparently not looked at the "boys" calendar...Friday Taekwondo, Saturday morning bowling, Saturday afternoon Baseball scrimmage, EUMK senior Sunday and a little project...oh well BUSY BUT FUN!

Saturday morning Tanner went bowling with Mrs. H and Mrs. H, his K teachers.

At the EUMK Family Night a friend of Tanners bid on "Bowling with the SK teachers" so D invited Tanner to come along. The boys had so much fun bowling with the teachers.  We never think to go bowling but it would be a fun winter Friday "Family" night activity or a good December birthday party!

Look at all of that baseball cuteness. I may not know much about the game but I love shopping for the gear...the red socks stressed him a little but in the end he decided they were cool. Tanner did not get his baseball skills from me...I have no hand eye coordination..i.e....I close my eyes when the ball comes my way. Tanner has actually been helping me work on my throw...he also keeps me from getting lost when I drive...what would I do without him???

Tanner is playing up this year...technically he was suppose to play T-ball again but the Sports Director at Hope encouraged us to play up so we did.  I think it was a great choice because he is really learning the game.

I am a little nervous to type it...

BUT

Sam has been so good at the practices and was great a the scrimmage.  A good friend of Tanners has a little brother who is almost 4 and they play great together. His mom and I are both "single" on practice night...both hubbies are in school so we always have our whole crew with us(she has 3 boys). My dad has been really helpful and offers to help whenever he is in town but so far no meltdowns.

Getting out a few of Sams' birthday presents. It was hot so it was a great sprinkler day.

The boys made a marble run using water heater pipe insulation, a box and some painters tape.  It entertained them for about an hour...woo-hoo! Thank you Pinterest.

Do you see the PROJECT??

A new front porch...we decided our house needed a little pick me up but we didn't want to rob a bank to do it.  We ended up painting our shutters, the front door and taking down the cedar columns to add what you see. I think overall we spent maybe $200...the labor lives here!

My handsome Kindergartner getting ready to head to Senior Sunday at EUMK. I can not believe he only has a few weeks left. It has been such an amazing year for Tanner.

The new front door color BM...Palladian Blue.  I now feel like the outside of our house matches the inside...more pictures to come.

EUMK Senior Kindergartners

2011-2012

Ouachita 50k...for Chris

This past weekend Chris ran his first

ULTRA MARATHON.

If you are a runner you will know this is a huge accomplishment...you are in a whole different group when you are considered an "ULTRA" runner.

It's 31 miles people...considering he has not even been running for 2 years yet I am super proud of him.  He finished 42 out of 127 runners...in 6 and 1/2 hours.  This is an amazing time...remember trails times are so different from road times.  He has been googling 50 milers on the IPAD.

Arkansas is beautiful...Pinnacle Mountain was amazing! At mile 3 Chris has to climb...yes with hands and feet over 750 feet up the side of a giant mountain. I know this sounds cliche but the weather was perfect...it was suppose to rain and be hot but the rain stopped the day before and the morning started in 50's and ended in the low 60's.

Nothing like SWEET KISSES to help you make it through the last 4 miles!

THIS, my friends, is why trail runs ROCK! Let's just say my cute boys were fed at the aid stations as well...we cheered for the runners and helped point them the right direction...the sweet, sweet workers were so kind!

The volunteers are so great about asking each runner "what do you need?" as they run up.  They even start calling out what they have.  My smaller runners where big fans of the Skittles and Nutter Butters.

We got to the race site around 5:15a.m. and didn't leave until after 1:00p.m....the boys were sooo good! Sam took a short nap in between driving to aid stations.  They were in heaven...in the mountains with all of those trails and big boulders.  After they tired from climbing and running, they used the rocks and leaves to build with.

Not once did anyone say my boys were "busy", "how do you keep up with them", or "they have soo much energy"...nope not once...their energy was appreciated...maybe those ultra trail running volunteers see the good in lots of energy...maybe we should move to the mountains...I think God made them for my boys!

After the race, they were grilling burgers and hot dogs. They had loads of other food as well. Chris ate at the race before we headed to get Mexican food to feed myself and the boys.

Super Man "Sam" Party

Super Sam turns 3!

We celebrated Sam's birthday Saturday morning with a SUPERHERO party. Turning 3 is such a fun age because they have so many ideas about their party! Sam wanted...cake, superhero capes, superman, a trampoline and balls. EASY! We had the party at the Special Kids and Families therapy center...best place to have a party. Chris and I with the help of Katie and Tanner (and the Phillips who kept Sam) went last night to set up the party...it was nice to wake up and have everything ready. Thanks to Pinterest it was easy to find a few Super Hero ideas.  

I think the party was a hit...at least it was for Sam and that's most important right?

Notice the family shirts?

Another Sam request...he wanted us all to dress up like Super Heros!!

BTW...how handsome is my husband! Such a lucky girl:)