Fire Trucks

Javan LOVES firetrucks so when my friend told me that they were having a workshop at Lowe's and the kids each got to build one I thought it was something we definitely had to do. The girls had each gone the day before with my friend, Cindy, who runs a daycare. Cindy had arranged for her kids to go to Lowe's to build Police Cars and asked me if I wanted to join them since I had the day off. I wanted to of course but I had a doctor appointment in Daytona at the same time so Cindy said she would take the girls with her. She would have taken Javan too but she can only have some many kids in each age group and she already hit her quota for his age. When I picked up the girls they proudly displayed their police cars and told me all about how they built them all by themselves and how the light on top really worked. Today after the Farmer's Market I took the kids to Lowe's and they quickly set to work after getting all their tools and supplies. Javan was a big helper but also let me help. Once his truck was done he went to work driving it all over the area we were stationed at while his sister's finished his up. This truck doesn't have lights but it does have a working siren. Javan has not put his firetruck down and when we got home he brought out his other firetrucks so they could all say hi.

Rain on me

Women's Ministry Fall Brunch

Our Women's Ministry usually does a fall retreat but this year we decided to take a year of and do a much smaller event. After many meetings and ideas being thrown around we decided on a Fall Brunch. I am the quote-unquote graphic designer on the team so I am in charge or all the publications, name-tags, rave cards, printouts, etc. During the events I also take care of the photography and me and another lady are in charge of the WM Facebook page. During the event itself, other than taking pictures, I help out where I am needed but I also get to enjoy the events too. Our Fall Brunch went on today and was absolutely wonderful. The food was could have been gourmet and we had three women from the church give their testimonies about how God had moved in their lives, all were pretty extreme stories and very encouraging and inspirational. It often seems like so much work and planning when we are putting on these events but in the end it is easy to see how well worth every bit of work was.

So tired

Javan hasn't been taking his naps like he should. We put him down but he gets up and plays quietly in his room. As you can see, he still needs his naps.

Computer Guys

Sew it up

For a few weeks now Bresa has been asking me to teach her to sew. She said she wanted to know how to make doll clothes for her animals and dolls and wanted me to show her. I was not opposed to it but I wasn't really sure how to go about starting it either. I went to Michaels looking for a simple sew kit that would get her to understand the most general stitches and their purposes but there was nothing that really stood out to me. When my mom asked what they wanted for Christmas this year I told her about Bresa and a sewing activity. My mom was pretty excited about the idea and decided she would show both the girls this weekend while Peter and I were away. They all went to Michaels and got materials to make pumpkin pillows. Mom started by showing the girls how to sew buttons (for the eyes), then embroider (the nose), how to sew material together (the mouth), and finally sew a seam to make a pocket before stuffing it with fluff. When Peter and I got home the girls were just finishing up their pillows and they had both done a beautiful job! Bresa was so proud of herself and wanted to show me each detail. They really did a great job and I was really impressed, not only with the girl's ability, but also in the creativity mom had with the idea.

A Weekend to Remember

Peter and I were talking with our good friends, Brenda and Bill, one day about marriage conferences and retreats. I said in passing that I had always wanted to go to one but we had never made it yet. Brenda and Bill had both been to a couple so they had a lot of things to say about them and different things various organizations offered. A couple months later Brenda and Bill surprised us and told us they had booked a Couples Retreat for us in Tampa and Brenda had even called my mom to make sure she could watch the kids for those dates. The conference was 3 days long, starting on Friday and ending today, and had various sessions within it. There were a lot of topics covered including, communication, threats, God's plan, conflicts, intimacy, and legacies. There were more topics included but I can't name them all. There were also several application projects that we each had to do individually and as a couple together. Saturday night we were have a date night together so Peter and I went to one of the local malls and ate dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the weekend, I was really excited to go but I didn't know how much I would get from it. Peter and I have one of the strongest marriages of any couple that we know but we also know that there is always room for improvement. Just from the first couple sessions we went to Friday night I was already learning knew concepts and opening my mind to see "his side" over "my side". One of the applications we had to do was answer a few questions about what drew us to each other when we first met, what kept us attracted after we got married, how we appreciate each other's differences and how the other's character helps us grow to be a better person. As you answered the questions you were supposed to write them in form of a love letter and then read the letters to each other. I cry about every 45 minutes anyhow so this was no easy task for me. When I finished my letter I read it to Peter (stopping a few times to calm the tears) and then Peter read me his. It was so amazing the things that he said to me, things that I had no idea he felt. Everything was positive of course but to hear how I inspired him and how I did things that made him change his ways or thoughts for the better just blew me away. He didn't agree with the letter I wrote to him but everything I wrote was completely from my heart. By the time the conference was over today I was really amazed at how much I had learned not only about marriage but personal and specific things about Peter that I didn't know even after 13 years of being together. We had a great time and we both took a lot from the conference. There are a couple more getaways coming in this next year that are actually closer to home so we are going to try and get a bunch of our friends to go to it because we honestly thing everyone can benefit from it.

My Beautiful Children

I am still working on Peter and my bedroom and decided that I needed some good pictures of the kids. We have one wall that I painted green and only two dressers on the wall. There is a plant shelf above it but it has baskets and is set back so the wall itself looks very plain. I thought of many different things I could do but eventually decided that I should get good head shots of the children and make square canvas prints of them to hang. I also decided the prints would be a Sepia tone and ultimately Peter and I choose to make them 24"x24" in size. I had to take the kids outside to the get the lighting I wanted and also the type of background that would go with our room's theme. It took some time and Javan was pretty hard to photograph because he doesn't understand the whole pose thing and likes to just run around. I just had to be ready and shoot him as he flew by me. Bresa was a bit of a drama-queen (what was I expecting?) but in the end I was happy with my shots. I tried many different angles and directions and then I checked all the shots out on the computer and made my choices. These here are the shots cropped but still full color. I ordered the prints and they should be here next week sometime.

Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! As usual our Life Group met for breakfast this morning and enjoyed some fellowship and friendship over our meals. After lunch Peter had to get some work done so I took all the kids to see my childhood friend, Ginger, who was in town. She and her husband just had a baby 6 months ago and I was excited to meet her. I went over to Ginger's mom's house where she was staying. The children all played with the toys available while Ginger and I got to catch up and I got to hold her beautiful baby girl, Teagan. We hadn't seen each other since before Javan was born so we had a lot to talk about. After a few hours I gathered up the kids and headed home. I had told them that if they behaved and the weather was good I would take them to a splash park before going home. Well the girls did behave very well and Javan was good for a 2 year old boy but the weather was a bit threatening. We were in Longwood when we got left but I told the girls that it may be nicer up by our house so we would just have to see. There were some scary black clouds in sight but there was also some nice blue sky with sunshine so I told the girls we could go but wasn't sure how long we could stay. They all got their suits on and went to town in the splash pad. I had brought my book, Crazy Love, to finish up and we ended up staying about an hour. We still had to have dinner and get cleaned plus the kids have school tomorrow or we could have probably stayed longer. After some yummy grilled chicken, rice pilaf, and green beans the kids all cleaned up and went to bed a bit early. Peter and I were having some friends over for some adult conversation and dessert. Nothing beats a day full of friends and fun!

Birthdays

Today is Christina's Birthday and next Monday is Noah's birthday. They are both turning 30 this year so they decided to have a pizza party at Christina's mom's restaurant in Baldwin Park. After church Peter and I took the kids over to Mom's and then we headed to Tina and Noah's house. Tina and I went out for pedicures while the boys stayed home and played video games. Once we got back and ready to go again we headed to La Bella Luna for the party. There was a lot of food, about 6 different courses all served at different points. I thought we were just having pizza but that was just a small portion of what we enjoyed. After garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, calamari, salad, pasta, and then pizza it was time for cake. By the time we got through all the food it was getting pretty late and we still had to pick up the kids and drive home so we left after saying good bye and happy birthday one more time. Happy 30th Christina and Noah!!

Making it Special

For Aunt Christina and Uncle Noah, the girls worked very hard on birthday cards. They both made each of them a card and added extra drawings, pictures, and things like word searches (already completed ones). Bresa made her own envelopes for her cards and added poems to them too. They were both very proud of their work and I know Aunt Tina and Uncle Noah will really appreciate them.

Sam I am?

Javan's favorite book is Green Eggs and Ham. He will get the book out and say, "Read 'Sam I Am' Mommy?" How can I resist that little man? We will get up on the couch or bed and Javan will help read the book. He knows just about all the words since he has been read the story so many times. He also likes the book It's not Fun being a Bunny, which is about a bunny who decides he wants to be other animals and goes to live with the bears, possums, moose, etc until he realizes he wants to be a bunny after all. When we finish reading Green Eggs and Ham Javan will usually say, " Read Funnybunny?" and then he runs off to get it before I have time to respond. I am glad my little man loves books so much, I hope his love for them continues as he grows.