Purposeful

If someone were to ask me what my goal was for the summer, I would say it is to be purposeful. 


 Purposeful in many areas:  1.  purposeful in my devotional life   2. purposeful in getting laundry done and keeping my house decent  3.  purposeful in how I spend my time with my 3 kiddos  4.  purposeful in how I spend our money--especially at the grocery store  5.  purposeful in how I (we) discipline our kiddos


1.  I have decided to do Train Up a Mom by Vollie Sanders.  I am going to take each chapter and do one throughout the week.  


2.  Well...I guess the best way to be purposeful is to do a little every day and follow through.  Since we are home a lot during the summer I am not expecting a super clean house.  Just one that if someone stops by I won't be embarrassed!  I can guarantee there will be toys out on the floor though!


3.  I want to read hundreds of books to them this summer.  I'm not exaggerating...this is my goal. I figure its really not too hard.  My girls LOVE to be read to and I love to read to them--so it's a pretty good fit.  We've done really well with this since school has been out, but starting tomorrow I am going to start a list to keep myself accountable!


4.  In January we started a budget.  I have had a hard time staying in the budget in the food area.  It is plenty of money, but this has still been a struggle.  I did better in May using coupons and eating omelets every now and then (they are cheap!!)  Food is expensive now, but I know with planning I can do it!


5.  I am blessed to have a husband 100% on board in the discipline area. Zeb and I discuss situations and how we are going to handle them regularly.   He is very helpful when he is home.  We have also had the privilege of going to a Wednesday night class at our church taught by Dr. Tom Elkin.  I think I might put some of the things that I have hit me that he has said on our blog over the next few weeks.  Tomorrow is the final class in a four week series.  Wish he would do this more often!

Today

Tonight my girls ate an omelet, asparagus, and spinach salad.  Now, SB doesn't eat eggs....we don't feel bad at all that we didn't tell her that an omelet is just eggs and cheese!  NO ONE else can tell her either!!  Definitely not a usual meal for a 3 and 5 year old.  Our girls are great eaters!


Also tonight, Leigh got one of the prongs of a hairbrush stuck between her teeth.  She is 3 plus a little and still puts everything in her mouth! Frustrating, but that was downright funny when she had a hairbrush stuck in her mouth!


This morning, I was told for the first of many times that I don't know everything.  SB is absolutely terrified of swimming.  She can swim and is decently good, but is scared to death.  Sara Beth told me that while she was swimming she thought she would sink.  I told her it was impossible to actually be swimming and sink and that's why she needed to learn to swim.  That's when I got the famous line.  Zeb thinks I should start a tally. 


And...Leigh got the bad blister on the bottom of her foot on the stage of the pool--not the side.

Sara Beth--end of preschool!

Our oldest is done with preschool--hard to imagine!  It was a wonderful year.  She had the sweetest teacher ever!  

There end of the year party was at the beach at Reunion--fun--only one problem...it was freezing!  55 degrees and super windy!  Who would have thought that it would be like that mid May!  It didn't stop the kiddos though!  Several of them had their swimsuits on and were in the water!  As you can tell in the background, the Moms had on anything they could find--and that's Sam in Kelly's arms!

The girls in the class

Thankfully, Sara Beth had plenty of fun in the sand and didn't care to get in the water!

Sara Beth, Sophia, and Sailor Hart

Warner and SB

First Ballet Recital

Last night was Sara Beth's first ballet recital.  Zeb and I gave her a ballerina necklace.  Needless to say, she loved it!  We really haven't let her wear jewelry up to this point, so it was a really big deal to her.  

Maybe my favorite picture ever of her--just pure joy!

Ready to go

William and Wes were in town, so they got to go to their first (and probably last) dance recital.  Laura and Chase, no matter what they say, it wasn't that bad.  They watched all of it (and it was less than an hour!))  William gave her some flowers.

Can't you tell the boys had fun! ha!  

Thankfully her hair stayed during the recital.  It wasn't long enough for a bun, but we pulled it back with a french braid and lots and lots of hairspray!  It gradually fell throughout the evening!  

We all went to Newk's for dinner.  Thanks to Ashley and John, Sam didn't have to go to his first recital--he will have more in his life though!  Sam was really paying Bo Bo attention last night!

And for the record...I was there...just no pics!

Look what my husband did for my birthday...

At Sam's baptism back in November, Zeb had an idea to do this for my birthday.  Our preacher, Dr. Duncan says an individualized prayer for each child he baptizes.  Zeb went back and listened to each prayer and typed them out along with a picture from that day---SUPER special!  Now we have to come up with the perfect place for them!

Visit from Mary Brooke (and Troy and Emily)

The Gardners came for a visit on Friday night!  The kids had a lot of fun playing around, but it was really hard to get a decent picture!!!

Sam was not sure what to think of her lovin'!

Sam at 10 months is about the same height as Mary Brooke at 13 1/2 months!

What a difference 3 weeks makes...

The first picture was taken  in the waiting room at Dr. Carron's office when we were deciding if he needed tubes.  The second picture was taken Wednesday while crawling on our floor!  It's amazing to me.  Now, who knows if it's tubes, warmer weather, age, etc...  Zeb and I don't really care, but we are very grateful our sweet boy is feeling better!  He is talking a ton more, moving more, and interacting with others a lot more!  And, we haven't been to the doctor in 3 whole weeks--a record!!!  Thank you, God for making this little boy better!

How Leigh eats an apple

She is much to stubborn to let me show her the correct way, so she just eats the core too!

First day in the sprinkers...

Sunday afternoon it was much too hot to just be outside, so we got the sprinklers out!  There is nothing like watching kiddos just having fun and playing!

This is Kate!  She is a sweet little girl who is hanging out with us some!  She will probably be in lots of pictures to come this summer!

Dinner

This is what we cooked on Saturday night and they were hands down the best fish tacos I have ever had!  

Table 100

We went to Table 100 to celebrate Mother's Day.  Doe was having an okay day, or so we thought.  Ms. Shirley brings her and Mom goes to help her get out of the car and Doe has a small seizure.  The man inside (possibly a manager) sees what is happening, grabs a chair and rushes out.  Our waiter comes out as well and goes to get an umbrella to hold over her to keep the sun off of her.  She recovers very quickly and wants to eat since she is already out and dressed.  They then proceed to help her inside to the table.  It was honestly the best service I have ever seen anywhere!  The food is fantastic--I had the cobb salad today--so I would be going back anyway, but the service sealed the deal!  Doe loves to eat out and loves to try new restaurants and has been wanting to go to this one so I am so glad she was able finish.  She got the shrimp and grits and ate more then I have seen her eat in a long time.  It will probably be her last lunch out and it sure was a great one!  Thanks Table 100--go eat there!!!

Look who learned to

PULL UP!

School Egg Hunts

Both of the girls had great fun at their Easter egg hunts for school!  

Leigh only has 3 girls in her class--here they are--Rosemary, Ebbie, and Leigh

Both of her teachers are pregnant and expecting babies in June!  (three kiddos ran off for this pic)

The girls in Sara Beth's class

The whole class

10 months

Sam I am, you are 10 months old!  My, oh my!  Forget toys, doors are your thing!  You crawl from one door to another and examine it all over!  You are loving food!  Your favorites are puffs and yogurt.  You eat pretty much all kinds of baby food, but the green stuff is your least favorite!  We are slowly introducing big boy food.  You still choke pretty easy.  You like crackers, cheerios, and black beans so far.  Since you have gotten tubes, you are a lot more independent.  My May (my mom) was saying today how you are happier with others now and not just me or Daddy.  You are a super fast crawler and can push up on me, but not yet on toys or window frames.  You save your biggest laughs for your sisters-- Always!  You have your two bottom middle teeth, and the side right one on the top.  Your top middle and the one on the left look like they won't be too long coming in.  You sleep about 12 to 12 1/2 hours at night with a short 30 minute morning nap.  You are napping in your crib in the afternoon--anywhere from an hour to two and a half!  I have been calling your daddy, Super Dad, because he is the one who got you napping in your crib a few weekends ago!  You are too fast and not interested in slowing down for pictures so I don't feel like I have a single good one from last month.  (the second one down---you had your arms like this for over 30 minutes in the swing--I don't see how that was comfortable!)