Catching up- Part 4: Bella

Dear Bella,

You are my girlie girl and tomboy all wrapped up in one perfect little princess!! I love the little lady that you are becoming. You have such a sweet spirit! You love Jesus above everything else. He is the first thing you think about in most troubling circumstances. When someone is hurt, you pray for them.  
When someone needs food (school food drive), you want to take as much food as possible. When your teacher talked about making a raffle basket for the school carnival with a "get-well theme," and she said to bring things that you would want to help make you feel better if you were sick, You made a home-made card! I am certain that whoever won that basket must have LOVED your card !💗  We recently told all 4 of you of some friends with kids that didn't have many toys; we told you all to go through your stuff to see if there was anything you would be willing to share. You gave the most stuff. Then a couple nights ago, we were watching Inside Out, and you said, 

I gave that little girl my Inside Out Joy toy because she was one of my favorites and I thought maybe it could be her favorite toy too! I really miss some of those toys sometimes, but it's okay because I gave them to a girl that didn't have many toys. Everyone needs a special toy, right mommy?

Those three sentences sums you up perfectly. You love people with a sincere love that I cannot easily explain! You are an amazing little girl!

You are now 8 years old and in 2nd grade. Your homeroom teacher is Mrs. Lee, but you also have classes with Mrs. Peck and Mrs. Burks- all 3 are AMAZING!!! Your favorite subjects are art and writing.  You are an honor roll student- all A's and B's- so very proud! You are a hard worker- you want everything to be perfect, so you take your time. You get easily frustrated though, if your tasks aren't easily accomplished, but you don't quit. Since you want everything to be just right, you may take a frustration break for a few minutes, but then you go right back to it and work hard to finish the best that you can! You even taught yourself how to ride a bike over the summer. You were at a friend's house and she wanted to teach you how- you had never been on a bike without training wheels before. You told her you wanted to do it yourself.... and you did!!!! You knew how to ride before any of your brothers- of course, then they were jealous and learned the next day, but STILL... you were FIRST!!!! So awesome....

You have been struggling a little with your speech... R's are really hard for you. You started speech this month, and I assume, like everything else you do, you will work hard to defeat this challenge! It has been an issue for awhile, but this year it is even affecting your schoolwork- you are writing W's instead of R's sometimes, so we have to get that fixed!

I am so proud that you are my daughter! I love spending time with you cuddling in my bed while we watch movies. I don't love playing barbies... LOL... but I love our time together, so I will suck it up and play anyways !! HA! I look forward to seeing your future and how you grow up- so far I am pretty stinking proud!! 

-Love, Mom!

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20 QUESTIONS:

6 year old: Purple; 7 years old: Red; 8 years old: Blue

 1. Favorite Color:  Pink and purple  Pink  Pink and purple

2. Favorite Toy:  Elsa doll  Giant doll (Sierra)   Puppy lovey

3. Favorite Fruit: Strawberries  Apples   Oranges and strawberries

4. Favorite TV Show:  Caillou  Curious George   Mia and Me

5. Favorite Lunch:  Ravioli  Mac-n-Cheese   Spaghetti O's 

6. Favorite Clothes:  Dress with leggings  Butterfly shirt/soft pants   PJs

7. Favorite Game:  Hide and Seek  Tag   Don't Break the Ice

8. Favorite Snack:   Marshmallows   Peanut Butter/pretzels   Cinnamon toast

9. Favorite animal: Bunnies, cats, and dogs  Kitty Cats    Kittens

10. Favorite Song:  Let it Go (Frozen)   Let it Go   Can't Stop the Feeling

11. Favorite Book:  "Who is Jesus?" (Little Beginning book)  Green Eggs and Ham   Frozen pillow Book

12. Best friend:Olivia and Izy   Stormie and Olivia
  Olivia, Stormie, Raylynn, Megan, & Ava

13. Favorite Cereal:  Lucky Charms  Cinnamon Toast Crunch   Corn Pops

14. Favorite thing to do outside: Swings  Ride my Scooter   Ride my bike

15. Favorite drink: Chocolate Milk  Chocolate Milk   Diet Coke

16. Favorite holiday:Christmas   Christmas   Christmas

17. Favorite thing to have in bed:  Elsa doll   Bubbles (Scentsy Buddy)   Dog Lovey

18. Favorite breakfast:  Cinnamon toast  Cinnamon Toast   Cereal

19. Favorite Dinner:  Mac and Cheese   Mac-n-Cheese   Spaghetti O's

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?: A Princess  A Princess   A Teacher
(WHAT!?!? Not a princess???)

Catching up- Part 3: Jonathan

Dear Jonathan,

Oh my, dear Jonathan. I don't know where to begin. Your energetic and inquisitive personality keep me on my toes! I love that God chose me to be your mommy! You make me smile every day - even when I'm pulling out my hair!! Being around you is fun for everyone- you love to be a goofball and make people laugh. You make goofy faces and tell silly jokes. You are rarely sad- nothing gets you down! I love that about you! You teach me things about parenting that I never learned with your big brothers! I love you so much!

You are now 8 years old and in the 2nd grade! Your homeroom teacher is Mrs. Peck, but you also have classes with Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Burks- each of them are amazing teachers!! You are an honor roll student- A's and B's. Your favorite subject is reading - I'm so glad you enjoy reading! You are a little speed demon- you rush, rush, rush through your work- which is not always a good thing. We have struggled a bit with getting you to slow down! I'm interested to see where that over-achiever mentality will take you....

Knocked out with Daddy

Nathan and Jonathan

Your best friends are Blaine, Jared, and Nathan. You love having "playdates" with friends- even if you don't get to do that very often! I think you enjoy time away from your siblings! 

You love to eat. You would eat nearly anything, and then some! You love food (uh-oh!)!! You love to wrestle and tumble around with Xander. I'm not sure there is a weak bone in your body- you are so tough! I can see you becoming a football player because you can take the hits and keep going back for more! I love your never-give-up attitude.

We semi-jokingly call you "Obsesso-Boy!" You like to fixate on things - once you have something in your mind, you don't let it go until it is completed. That can be a good thing, and it can be tiring, but either way, I will say it again- I love your never-give-up attitude! That mentality will take you a long way in life. You do not easily give up; that makes me so proud! You are not a quitter!!!

You are very eager to please! You want everyone to be happy and are always willing to give your own valued possessions away to make someone else happy! You give the biggest, strongest bear-squeeze hugs! You fight with your siblings over who can give me the best hug...and you often win! 

I love you so much, Jonathan Lucas! 

-Mom 

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 6 years old- Green; 7 years old- Orange; 8 years old- Red

1. Favorite Color:  Black and Brown   Red   Red

2. Favorite Toy:  Dog lovey   Bat Scentsy Buddy   Pokemon guys

3. Favorite Fruit: Apples   Oranges   Apples

4. Favorite TV Show:  Johnny Test   Liv and Maddie   Lab Rats

5. Favorite Lunch:  Spaghetti   Pizza Hot Pockets   Mac-n-cheese

6. Favorite Clothes:   Soft pants and long sleeves  Spiderman Hoodie   Athletic pants/t-Shirt

7. Favorite Game:   Football  Star Wars Force Unleashed   Tag

8. Favorite Snack: Candy Canes   Cheese and Crackers   Doritos

9. Favorite animal: Dog  Cheetah   Dog

10. Favorite Song:  Jonah (Veggie Tales)   Minions Banana Song   Johnny Test song

11. Favorite Book:  Zombie Winter  Green Eggs and Ham   Star Wars pillow book

12. Best friend:  Jaxon, Caden, Reel and Blaine  Blaine   Jared, Blaine, and Nathan

13. Favorite Cereal:  Fruit Loops  Cheerios   Marshmallow

14. Favorite thing to do outside: Swings  Play Moo-Cow (tag)   Play tag

15. Favorite drink:  Strawberry Milk   Coke Zero   Diet Coke

16. Favorite holiday:Christmas Halloween   Christmas

17. Favorite thing to have in bed:  Dog Lovey   Dog Lovey   Dog Lovey

18. Favorite breakfast:  Burritos   Cheerios   Eggs in a Basket

19. Favorite Dinner: Ravioli   Pizza Pockets   Spaghetti

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?:  A Dad!!   Army   Cop

Catching Up- Part 2: Asher

Dear Asher, 

January 2016

November 2016

My sweet, cuddle-bug! You are such a loving, sweet-spirited kid... except when it comes to your sister! HA!! I love how you just snuggle up next to me several times a day just to be close! I love your hugs and cuddles!! In the last year, you haven't grown a whole lot, and sometimes that bums you out because your younger siblings are taller than you, but you just remind them that you'll always be older! Smart kid.... these are pics of you from the last year- I think that the best thing about you that has changed is your awesome hair!! EVERYONE loves your hair!! One person said to me recently, "I love that you let him be who he wants to be. You don't cut his hair because YOU want it short, you let him decide how he is most comfortable!"  This explains it perfectly! I love that you don't care what other people say or think about your long hair- you love it (and so do I), and that's all that really matters!

You are in the 3rd grade already! Your teacher is Mrs. Swarer- we love her! She's so great with your personality- very mellow and calm...just like you!! You make great grades! You had straight A's until last week when one grade dropped to an 89 ... bummer, BUT still.... you have honor roll, and you always do your best, so I couldn't be more proud! You love to read- I'm so glad since I don't often set a good reading example! You are very smart- coming up with answers to questions before anyone else a lot of the time! At your parent-teacher conference, your teacher cracked me up. She said that you make her laugh at your quick-witted, smart comments sometimes. For example, on your spelling test, you write things like, "I can read your mind" ... or when you completed a self-analysis paper, there was a question that said to mark whether you listen and follow directions "most of the time, "sometimes," or "never." You made your own column to the left of "most of the time," and wrote in above the words: There was no "always" . Then you put a check-mark in your own column!! LOL!!! I love it!!

You love playing Xbox with your brother and collecting Pokemon cards. You would much rather play outside than sit inside like your siblings! You beg me almost daily to make everyone go outside just so you can spend some time out of the house! You taught yourself how to ride a bike this summer, so between riding your bike and riding your scooter, you have a blast!

Asher, I am so proud to call you my son. You make me smile every single day. You are sweet and caring. Everyone who knows you adores you and your smart little personality! I can't wait to see what your future holds- you can do anything you set your mind to! 

Love you- Mom!

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20 QUESTIONS: 

  7 years old- Red; 8 years old- Green; 9 years old- Blue

1. Favorite Color:  Red and black  Green  Orange

2. Favorite Toy:  Legos  Birch the Beaver   Birch the beaver

3. Favorite Fruit: Oranges  Oranges   Oranges

4. Favorite TV Show:  Good Luck, Charlie   Liv and Maddie   Lab Rats

5. Favorite Lunch: Lasagna   Lunchables   Spaghetti

6. Favorite Clothes:   Hoodies   Star Wars Shirt   Jeans and t-shirt

7. Favorite Game:  Tak (Wii game)   Moo Cow (tag)  Call of Duty

8. Favorite Snack: Oranges  Cool Ranch Doritos  Turkey Sandwich

9. Favorite animal:  Lion  and a Chickadee   Dinosaurs   Cheetah

10. Favorite Song:  BYou (by Sabrina Bryan)  Light 'em Up (Fall Out Boy)   Down to the River (Jordan Feliz)

11. Favorite Book:  Bible   Henry and Mudge   The White Fox

12. Best friend: Conner, Thaddeus, and Jaxon R.  Conner   Jacob

13. Favorite Cereal:  Fruit Loops  Fruity Pebbles   Marshmallow Cereal

14. Favorite thing to do outside: Playing "Max Steel"   Snow Ball fight   Ride my scooter

15. Favorite drink:  KoolAid  Mellow Yellow   Orange pop

16. Favorite holiday: Christmas   Christmas   Christmas

17. Favorite thing to have in bed:  Buzz and Fluffy the Dog  Birch the Beaver Birch the Beaver

18. Favorite breakfast:  Bacon  Cereal   Cereal

19. Favorite Dinner: Lasagna   Lasagna   Lasagna

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?: Chef   Chef   Chef

Catching up- Part One: Xander

Happy end of 2016! 

I just looked over my blogging history for this year, and I was sad to discover that I only blogged 4 times in the last year!!! Geez, I need to get back on the blogging-bandwagon! 

For Christmas, Tim and my friend, Kary, both bought me books full of journaling/writing prompts! I love to write, so I don't know why I have neglected my blog so much in the last couple of years. It is quite possibly because of "that one year" when I committed to blogging every single day... I think I got a bit burnt out! HA!! But this year, I am going to do it again. Perhaps not EVERY day, but I am going to use these prompt books to give me ideas for posting ... I think those ideas, along with the silliness of my children should keep me busy all year long!! 

One thing that I am sad that I neglected is my love-letters to my kids on their birthdays! I NEED to keep up with those for sure this next year! While it's kinda late for a couple of my munchkins for this year's birthdays, I will post those today along with their 20 questions!! Every year, I ask each of the kids 20 questions about their favorites.... it's fun to see the changes! 

So buckle up and get ready for a long post... a FUN post... and perhaps a sappy post (X4)!

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To Xander, 

I can't believe how much you have grown and changed in the last year. You are growing out of the baby-face little boy into a young man! You are maturing more and more every single day. I am amazed by how responsible you are. People compliment you on a regular basis- you always do what you are asked without complaining. I know that I can rely on you for anything that I need- from something as simple as bringing me a can of Diet Coke to something less-exciting like cleaning up the trash outside that the critters of the night have destroyed!! Your attitude is always wonderful! Thank you so much for always being my helper!

You are in the 5th grade now- which is CRAZY!! You were just born last week, weren't you? Your teachers are (homeroom) Mrs. Murray, (science) Mrs. Carslile, (reading) Mrs. Kilgore, (math) Mrs. Stanfill, and (spelling) Mrs. Kennedy. You are a great student- your teachers all love you! When it was parent/teacher conference time, they didn't feel like they needed to meet with me because you are never any trouble; however, I wanted to meet with them.... I like to know who your teachers are and how you are doing! You are an honor roll student- A's & B's...but even your B's are high!! You studied space this year in science and LOVED it! You came home with new trivia facts about the universe every day, and said you really enjoyed that lesson the most this year so far! 

You recently "broke up" with your first girlfriend, Kealyn. You have been best friends for several years, so last December, you decided that you liked each other as "more than friends." SO you were boyfriend/girlfriend for 11 months.... nobody could believe how long your first relationship lasted! I was very proud of you - you care so much for her. AND when the two of you broke up, you are still best friends! I love how mature you both have been! Who knows....maybe you'll be together again one day? But even if not, I am impressed by this first relationship!

Your best friend, Ace moved to Connecticut in August- you had a rough time finding friends at school since he left. It's been quite a struggle to find yourself and who you are without your buddy! It makes me sad because the people you have been hanging with aren't the best for you; so, I purpose within my heart to pray for you to bring them up to your amazing level rather than letting them bring you down to theirs. You are a great leader, and you love the Lord! I pray that you will continually allow HIS light to shine through you in your school!

I am excited to see what the next year has in store for you! I love you so much, and I am continually amazed by what a great kid you are, and what an amazing young man you are turning out to be!

-Love Mom! 

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20 QUESTIONS

Xander first: Red- 9 years old; Blue- 10 years old; Green- 11 years old

1. Favorite Color:  Red   Red   Red

2. Favorite Toy: Legos  Lego   Pokemon

3. Favorite Fruit:  Apples  Apples   Apples

4. Favorite TV Show: Max Steel  Mighty Med   Lab Rats

5. Favorite Lunch:  Ham  Baked Potato   Eggs in a Basket

6. Favorite Clothes:  Minecraft Shirt   Star Wars shirts   Jammy pants & t-shirt

7. Favorite Game:  Assassin  GoldenEye   Call of Duty

8. Favorite Snack: Blueberry Muffins   Baked Potato   Cinnamon Toast

9. Favorite animal: Giraffe   Lion   Kangaroo

10. Favorite Song: Everything is Awesome   Stitches   Can't Stop the Feeling

11. Favorite Book:  Baby Mouse   Cat in the Hat   Hatchet

12. Best friend:  Abbey & Josh   Josh  Josh and Ace

13. Favorite Cereal:  Corn Pops   Cinnamon Toast Crunch   Corn Pops

14. Favorite thing to do outside: Water guns   Ride my scooter   Ride Bike

15. Favorite drink: Orange Juice   Mountain Dew   Mountain Dew

16. Favorite holiday: Christmas   Christmas   Christmas

17. Favorite thing to have in bed: Pillow  Bear   Legos

18. Favorite breakfast: Chocolate Mint-Chip Donut    Cinnamon Toast Crunch   Eggs in a Basket

19. Favorite Dinner:  Ham   Lasagna   Lasagna

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?: US Army Soldier  US Army Soldier   US Army Soldier

A brother from another mother

When I was two years old, my parents got divorced. My father didn’t want the responsibility of being a husband or a father. I didn’t hear from him or see him again for 9 years- not until I was 11. He moved from Florida to Arizona, fell in love with another woman, and began a new family. When I was about 3 ½ years old, he and his new wife had a little boy named Dustin. I had a half-brother, but I never had the chance to know him or adore him!

Fast forward several years. Shortly after I turned 11, my dad showed up back in Florida saying that he was a new man. He had found God and wanted my mom and me back in his life. So, my mom took him back. Just over a year later, they had my brother, Nathan. I had a full-brother that I knew and adored!

Fast forward a few more years. Shortly after I turned 16, my mom and dad were divorced again. At some point over the year or so that he had visitation, he introduced me (over the phone) to Dustin, my younger, half-brother. We exchanged pictures and talked a couple times, but that was it.  When Dustin lost contact with me, he lost contact with dad too. Dad disappeared for a while.

Over the years, I always wondered what happened to him, but had NO clue how to reach him. We’re talking back in the early 90’s when we didn’t have Facebook to easily find people you wanted to search for. I didn’t know where to begin. After all, “Dustin Scott” is a pretty generic name… nothing WRONG with the name, but it just doesn’t stand out because it’s pretty common!

Fast forward again to last school year. Asher had an assignment in 2^nd grade where he had to interview me and write about the interview. One of the questions he had to ask me was,

“TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOU THAT I DON’T KNOW!”

So I told him that he has an uncle besides Nathan (who lives here in OK) and Chris (my brother-in-law in KY). He was shocked! So I explained that I have a brother whom I’ve never met because he lives in another state, and I have no idea how to find him!

Then, last month, on my birthday, I went to lunch with a good friend of mine. I was telling her about Dustin and how I wished that I could find him. She said that in this world of technology in which we live, surely I could find him…. So we talked about me sending a message to every Dustin Scott I could find on Facebook that lives in Arizona and then MAYBE I would find him!

This is the message I sent to about 4 or 5 different Dustin Scotts:

“Hello! I am looking for someone named Dustin Scott. While I am not sure if you are who I am looking for, I thought I would attempt to reach out. I have a half-brother (same dad) that I have never met in person. We talked on the phone 20+years ago, and I had a picture of him once, but we never met. Last I knew he lived in Arizona. I would love to find him.... any chance it's you?”

The last one that I sent the message to was THE last one because I saw something on his Facebook profile page that made me know it was my brother! He posted last year that he was looking for his dad named Charles Scott and if anyone saw the message and knew anything about our dad to message him….. So I did!!

That was on Wednesday, September 28^th. I was a completely nervous wreck- my stomach was full of butterflies for days. He had posted that post over a year ago- what if he wasn’t on Facebook anymore? What if he didn’t want to talk to me? What if he only wanted information about dad and wasn’t interested in his sister? What if he didn’t even remember me since we only spoke a couple of times? The longer I waited for a reply, the more questions that ran through my mind. PLUS, then I dreaded the fact that *I* had to tell him our dad died 4 years ago…. That’s not quite what anyone wants to hear after finding long lost family… I don’t think so anyways!

Hi! I’m your sister. Nice to meet you again. By the way, our dad is dead!

On that Saturday, only 3 days after I sent my message, he replied:

"I set up this account hoping I would reach you or him...only talked to you a few times when I was 15. Just sent you a friend request on my account I always am on. My last named got changed to ***** after dad left when I was little. So how have you been sis?"

I cannot explain the excitement I had when I saw that post pop up on my Facebook!! I found my brother! I grew up as an only child until I was almost a teenager, and then it was just Nathan and me, but NOW I have 2 brothers (by blood… plus 1 step-sister and 1 brother/sister-in-law)!!! Family is everything… I love having so many people that I can call family! Below is a collage of me with my two brothers! I don’t know yet if Nathan and Dustin will connect, but maybe one day!

The moment came when I had to tell Dustin about dad passing away. He was obviously bummed that he will now never have the chance to get to know his dad, but also acknowledged that he never really knew him to begin with so…..

Since that day that we finally reconnected, we have been talking almost daily…just trying to catch up from all these years of lost time. He is 35, and I am 39 …that is A LOT of catching up! I can’t wait to learn more about him and the life he has lived.

Special thanks to Mrs. L’s school assignment that made me NOT stop thinking about Dustin for the last several months; and to Tiffany for encouraging me to keep looking until I find him! I am SO very glad I did!

God is good!!

Where the Spirit of the Lord is ...

Today, when I woke up, I had an overwhelming urge to pray. I didn't exactly know what all I needed to pray for, but it's amazing what God reveals as we step out and just START to pray. 

In my spirit, He would bring people to me to pray for. As I would focus on one person, another would pop into my head. I had one friend that I felt led to pray for, who, when I told them I had been praying, she explained that she really needed it today and to keep praying! 

I love listening to His leading....

During the day today, I felt that prompting of the Spirit to pray again. Once again, I didn't know why or for what I was praying, but I did it. I prayed in the Spirit for awhile. At work, I have one place that, anytime I am there, I am at peace. I knew that if I went there, I could really pray out whatever it was that the Lord wanted me to be praying about. 

While I was praying in this room, the following is what I felt in my spirit. I had to write it down while it was fresh. I felt like God was saying:

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom to pray. Freedom to worship. Freedom to bask in His glory. Where we allow His Spirit to move, we experience a freedom like never before experienced. The Spirit of the Lord is in this place. Freedom is here. Peace is here."

God is SO good. His Spirit leads us into perfect peace and freedom. I make mistakes. I screw up and hurt people (unintentionally, of course). I sin. I am human. BUT God is bigger than my mistakes. God is bigger than the trials of this life. Where I allow HIM to lead, I can know without a doubt that there is complete freedom! 

Friends will let you down

Sometimes people let us down. It's funny because I've always been one to put a lot of faith in people. I always look for the best in them. I WANT to see the good in everyone. Unfortunately, that means that I find myself feeling let down a lot. I once heard it said that if you have no expectations, you can never be disappointed. I guess that would be true, but what a sad life to live if it means living it without expectations! I expect good from people. I expect people to treat me like I would go out of my way to treat them. Maybe that's silly and naive of me, but that's me!

Sometimes I feel as though I am the only person contributing to my friendships.... like sometimes I wonder if I would have any friends at all if *I* didn't call and arrange to get together. Do I feel like I have to see my friends in order to maintain a friendship? YES... can you maintain a relationship with your spouse if you never see them... or with God if you never spend time with Him? NOPE, you cannot maintain meaningful relationships with people if you never invest in them. 

So, again, I put myself out there, then when someone lets me down, I get bummed. Silly? Maybe, but oh well- keeping it real here.... sorry if this sounds depressing.... just trying to get my thoughts out of my head tonight.

The stinky part is keeping my reaction to disappointment at bay in front of my kids. I want them to understand that disappointment happens and that people will let you down without saying to them:
LIFE SUCKS SOMETIMES!!! 

Recently, I made plans with a friend that I hadn't seen in a long time. When the plans fell through (she made other plans at the same time and chose that plan instead), I wanted to sit there and cry while feeling sorry for myself; however, my kids were right there with me when I found out that our plans weren't going to work out. I had to suck it up and tell them I was bummed, but we would go have fun anyways! And we did. And the good that came from this- my friend got to spend good, quality time with her extended family, AND I got to enjoy good, quality time with my kids!

The following week, one of my kids was promised a play date with a friend, but when it came time to DO the play date, the friend's parent never answered the phone/text. Meanwhile, my child kept asking me, "Why aren't they answering? When can I go over there?"  

How do I answer that? 

Another child has been DYING to talk to his buddy on the phone all summer long...literally. I have asked the other parent if that would be okay countless times. Each time, she'd reply with "Sure, on this day we'll call..." but then she'd never call. Meanwhile, my child repeatedly asks, "When can I talk to my friend? Why hasn't he called yet?" 

How do I answer that? 

I have tried using these as teaching moments. Not only does disappointment come, but we can avoid letting other people down by being people of our word. When we say we will do something, we should make every effort to do it. I want them to know that sometimes life does suck, and sometimes people are stupid and hurt our feelings, but like the picture above says, sometimes people are awesome!

Some people in our lives can make us feel amazing. Some people are always there when you need them, BUT they also go out of their way to seek you out as well. Some people can be counted on no matter what! I want my kids to expect the best- even if that means getting hurt along the way. I don't want them to ever focus on the occasional hurt and disappointment, rather I want them to focus on the good in every individual.

"People will also lift you up, save you, love you, embrace you, teach you, and guide you!"

 

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Most importantly, one that will NEVER let you down is God! I am so glad He is in my life. His word says that He will never leave or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). He will never let me down! I don't have to focus on the hurt caused by people because if God be for me, who can be against me (Romans 8:31)?!?

First and last of first, second, and fourth

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!!!

What an amazingly awesome year this has been!  

I began a new job as a Teaching Assistant for my little's school- it was THE best year of my working life! After all the years working at Wal-Mart, I can honestly say that I never had as great a year as this past year! The only thing that I don't like about my new job is the uncertainty of the future. School jobs are on a temporary contract so I don't know from year to year if my position will still be mine... LOTS of prayers are requested that I get to keep my amazing job in this upcoming year!!! Thanks in advance!

Enough about me...

Jonathan and Bella began the year as 1st graders- Jonathan was in Mrs. M's class (the same 1st grade teacher we had for Xander a few years ago). Since Jonathan looks so much like Xander, she often called him by his brother's name- LOL! He absolutely loved her; in fact, he said yesterday that she has been his favorite teacher of all time so far!! Jonathan learned so much this year. He tested "high enough" on his math testing that he, along with a few other 1st graders, got to go to the 3rd grade class to learn some basic multiplication! He loves this because Asher hasn't even learned how to multiply yet! He loves to learn so much that it is almost to a fault. He tends to rush A LOT through his assignments where I know that if he would SLOW DOWN he would do so much better. He received the Tiger Cub award (kinda like a Student of the Month) and also received in-class awards for excellent leadership!!

Bella was in Mrs. U's class (the same 1st grade teacher we had for Asher last year). Although they don't like to admit it, she and Asher are a lot alike, so I was glad that she had the same teacher- Mrs. U already knew what to expect :)  She was excited because her two besties were in class with her again this year! She learned a lot as well. This year was a struggle for her as she tends to get easily frustrated with things when she doesn't pick it up right away. I wish I knew how to help her not get so frustrated sometimes! Anyway, overall she had a great year and has come so far from where she began! She also received the Tiger Cub award in her class this year!

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Asher began this year as a 2nd grader! Our school does something differently in 2nd grade- they rotate classes. While they are assigned to one teacher for homeroom, they essentially have 3 different teachers: 1 teaches math/science; 1 teaches reading/social studies; 1 teaches writing/penmanship. For Asher's homeroom teacher, he had the same teacher that Xander had for his 2 years in 2nd grade: Mrs. L. (we love her)!! Asher struggled a little bit this year with his shyness- more so than last year- so we had to work on that a little bit. This was his first year of actual A-F grades, and he got straight A's both semesters- YAY! He also received the Tiger Cub award in his class!!

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Xander started this year as a 4th grader. In our community, the elementary schools only go through 3rd grade, so he got to move out of the littles' building and into a whole new school! The new place is for 4th-6th graders, and it is called an Intermediate Grade Center (IGC, for short). He loved the IGC because the 4th graders were in their own little community- on separate sides of the building from the other grades. He made many new friends as his homeroom class included not one person from his old school! He made straight-A's for 1st semester and A/B honor roll for 2nd semester. He, like Jonathan, tends to rush through his work... how do I get them to slow down!?!? At some point during this school year, he hit 5'2" in height... Uh-Oh... he's almost up to mommy!! AND he got a girlfriend! When did my baby grow up?? The girlfriend is someone he has been best friends with since 2nd grade, but this year they both agreed that they liked each other as "more than friends." When I asked what that meant exactly, he said, "You know, you hang out and talk on the playground and sit together when you can!" So, if that's what it means, then I am okay with it! LOL! Her mom is pretty cool too, so I told him that if they end up breaking up, they have to stay best friends because I don't want to break up with her mom {giggle}! Xander ALSO received Tiger Cub for his class along with Top Artist and Top Speller!

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Needless to say, these kiddos make me so proud! I love how much they have learned and how smart they are! Every one of them challenges me to learn more just to keep up with them!! I can't wait to see what 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade will be all about for these guys!! 

Until next year!!