Summertime Once Again

I cannot believe it is summertime once again! Savannah's Kindergarten year went by so fast! Looking back I remember taking her to school on her first day.  We found her seat and her name neatly printed on her name tag.  There were so many little boys and girls that we did not know and thank goodness there were a few familiar faces too.  Leaving her with a couple of friends made me feel much better.
I became a volunteer for "Workshop", which meant I would go to the classroom every Tuesday for a couple of hours to help the students and then help her teacher with cutting, stapling, or whatever needed to be done that day.  Those not so familiar faces became children that I looked forward to seeing and cheering on as they would sound out words that were once foreign to them.  Oh, the joys of being a Kindergartner.  They sure do learn a lot and soar in their academics! Savannah's teacher was always so great with the kids! They loved her because she made learning FUN!
I also remember the first time I sat down with her to go over her "sight words".  She is now reading like a Pro and loves to find books she can read.
She has grown up so much this year and there are days I find myself just looking at her and admiring the beautiful little girl she has become.  When she catches me staring at her she looks and me with that "13 year old attitude" and says,"What?".  I am just so proud of her and I find myself realizing just how quickly they really do grow up!

I am excited for summer.  This summer I want to cherish the time we have to sleep in a little and then rest at the pool while the girls play with friends, take the girls to their first ever Gymnastics classes, have morning school time with the girls so they don't forget all that they have learned this year, attend VBS at our church, vacation with my sisters and parents and stay up late with the girls star gazing with Savannah's Telescope.  I also want to dive deeper into the Words of the Lord. He is so good to us, so faithful, and our ever loving Provider. I want to remind myself everyday what He says in Psalm 84:11 "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."  I pray you have a wonderful Summer and remember to cherish the time!

Beautiful Beaches and Disney World!

We were blessed this Spring Break to get away for a week and see my grandparents in South Florida and enjoy some time at Disney World.  The week went by very quickly, but we made such wonderful memories. The first part of the week we enjoyed plenty of time at the beach and pool and spent some quality time with my grandparents.  It is sad to watch the people you love grow older,but it just means they are that much closer to entering the gates of  Heaven.  I am blessed to have grandparents that love the Lord and share His Word with us and our children.
The second part of the week we spent playing at Disney World! We were fortunate to spend two days with some friends from our church.  The kids had a great time together and us adults as well.  We rode a lot of great rides and saw some fantastic shows as well.  We have taken the girls three times and each year we go there is always something new to discover!

Now we are back home. The laundry has been washed, the girls are back at school, Doug is back to work and I am back in my routine as well.

First Day of Kindergarten!

Our first born SK started Kindergarten today! I can't believe it! I still remember the day she was born and can't believe it has almost been six years! Kindergarten seems like such a huge step.   I still remember my Kindergarten teacher and how sweet she was.  I remember swinging on the swings at recess and I still remember what the classroom looked like.  I was fortunate to attend a small Christian school and never walked in the doors of a public school until I took a Driver's ed. course my sophomore year.  Some people, like my husband, say that I grew up in a "bubble" and I am okay with that.

Back to Kindergarten...She had a great day and was smiling and talking to a friend when we left her classroom. There seem to be a lot of little girls in her class and three of which she knew already! It is always nice to have a friend in a new place. When she got off the bus we asked her what her favorite part of the day was and her response was, "Riding the bus!". The best part is that the bus drops her off and picks her up at our driveway.  That makes a nervous mom very happy!  I am so excited for her and pray that she has a great first year and excels in her academics as she shines brightly for Jesus!

"Look mom, I'm doing it!"

We are so proud of our eldest daughter SK. The past few weeks have been huge stepping stones for her. She has turned 5, started homeschooling, took her studs out and enjoys wearing new earrings and she can now ride her bike with out training wheels. She does an awesome job! Her little "sis" is catching on and figured out how to peddle her bike as well. I see some family bike riding outings in the near future!

Potty Training our little Princess

We are in the process of potty training our youngest princess. She is doing really well and it really hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. When I ask her if she has to go potty she says, "No". Of course, when I make her try she will usually go and then say, "I done". She looks oh so cute in her little panties.

She is also our little comedian and makes us laugh all the time. She is so busy these days trying to keep up with her "Sissy" and loves annoying playing with her. I know SK gets tired of her and so I am thankful that we both get a little break during little pr nap time. I have to say SK is a wonderful big "sissy" and is always willing to help her and is very patient with her. I know will make a great mom one day (many, many years from now!).

I am also very proud of my hubby who just accepted a new position! Way to go Babe! He will be working from home which will be so nice. No more 45 minute drive to and from work! He will start in September after we take a little family vacation to Pigeon Forge, TN.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Preparing for Homeschooling

As most of you know I will be homeschooling SK this Fall for Pre-K4. My mom helped me find the resources I needed and we put together an amazing board I will use each week. I found this idea on another mom's Homeschooling blog. I like it because it does not take up too much room as we will be using our dining room for a classroom. I am looking into getting her a little desk to use as well. I hope my enthusiasm lasts throughout the school year. We will have a theme each week, a letter, number, color or shape, Bible Verse, Bible Character, patterns, calendar time, clock time, Word of the week, and we will focus on her personal information. We will also be making lots of crafts!!! We actually found most of these items at the Dollar Store. It is amazing how many teacher supplies they have there. I also created binders with folders in them for each subject. I think SK is excited and I think she will really excel by being able to move at her own pace. I just have to make sure I keep it all on the Pre-K level. I will keep you posted on how it goes! By the way, my mouth feels a lot better and I am starting to get used to my braces, so thanks for all the prayers!

"Braces, Glasses and Ibuprofen"

So, I feel 13 again today! "Why?", you ask. Well, I entered the world of braces today. Yes, I am 29 and I have braces again! Go ahead and say it, I know what you are thinking....."Metal Mouth!"....."Brace Face!"...the list could go on and on. This morning I took the girls over to my in-laws and then headed over to the Orthodontist. I was very nervous about the appointment and was hoping it would not cause me too much pain.

Looking into the mirror after they had placed the brackets on my teeth all I could think of was the new "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie and the scene of the little boy with the braces and headgear trying to eat some candy. Thank goodness I don't have to wear headgear I think my little girls would be pretty scared of their mommy. Of course, the worst part of all is that I have to have 4 teeth extracted due to crowding. I inherited a small mouth from my dad, thanks dad! I am not looking forward to that appointment at all.

I am in pain right now and will be taking Ibuprofen consecutively for the next several days. So if you think about me, please say a little prayer for me. It would be much appreciated! This picture completely describes what I feel like when I look in the mirror.

Humor of the Day: The Orthodontist gave me a pill to take prior to my appointment that would cause my mouth to be dry. The form said to not wear contacts since the medication causes your eyes to be dry as well. So I wore my glasses today. As they were working I would take my glasses off and then put them back on to look into the mirror above me. At one point I (all in "Trisha" form) freaked out and was like, "Oh no, where did I put my glasses?" I thought they had fallen to the floor since they were not in my hand. The assistant looked at me and laughed and said, "They are on your face sweetie." We laughed and I felt like a complete moron! I could totally here D saying, "Only you babe!" So yes, today I am wearing braces and glasses! Nice!