May 2013-The Beach Part 2 (Picture Overload)

Maybe this whole catching up thing is not a good idea....to do on the eve of the third day of school being closed due to weather, blogging about the beach. Sheesh, depressing much? But the best thing about this vacation is that we didn't do anything. We were at the beach pretty much the whole time.

This is the moment where Abram learned the phrase "Holy Crap!" from his father. Who then tried to play it off like he said, "Holy Crab!" Nice try, but in his defense it was huge!

We were there during nesting season! We made our traditional candy store trip, and went to Forsyth Park where there just happened to be an outdoor concert going on!

There was some wave riding......and some wave jumping....



And then it was time to say goodbye..

May 2013-The Beach

Have I ever mentioned I love Tybee Island? Because I do. It's just outside Savannah. The water is not clear, the sand is not white. But if you go at the right time, it's not crowded. It's the cutest little town, and something about it just makes me sigh and happy. You can drive into Savannah for a bit of history and moss covered trees, it's not hustling and bustling-because it's the South. If only in my mind, things seem to slow down a bit-and cell phones get ignored. This past year we went right after school let out. It was a perfect time to go-no crowds, and lots of adventures.

This is one of my favorite pictures. There was an empty room no one claimed in the house because the kids wanted to be together.

May 2013 Circle G Ranch

We have been several times, and it never gets old. This time we took my parents. And my mom rode a camel with Abram and Kris rode with Reese. It was one of those perfect days. The weather was perfect, everyone was in a good mood, and I pretty much laughed all morning long.

As a side note, I am grateful for pictures to remind me of funny stories I would be killed if I published.

Hello, Old Friend

Wow, I feel like I am writing in my journal-with the exception that it has probably been longer. My entries are always, "Dear Journal, Sorry it has been so long-a lot has happened..."and then I blurt out life events, or that I am too tired to get up to speed. The motivation to get back to blogging was inspired by a first grade project the parents my son was assigned. A timeline of significant events from his birth. I was SO GRATEFUL I had a blog to look back to-and although the project itself brought me to the point of insanity and the realization I could never homeschool-it was really fun to look back to stories I had forgotten and laugh with my kiddos at cute moments.

There is also something very comforting to look back at what you have written, trials you have faced, times you have grown. It is also very therapeutic to have place where you can just be real. A "semi-private" place where you can go to say what you feel without judgment (unless others comment harshly, I guess), and possibly help others who are struggling with the same thing. I was "put out" with my blog, because somehow I managed to lose my friends list, and re write the look of it, and cannot find the plain, "old school" look anywhere. Oh well. I keep promising myself that I will make this into a book-I need to get on that.

So the next couple of weeks, I will try to update the past few months with long picture posts. It's disappointing really. I will try to recollect the memories that have gone unwritten. We have had a crazy past few months, and I want to remember-remember many things, but especially how the Lord really knows who I am and what I need. And even when I am struggling-especially when I am struggling-when I take the time to look around-He is and has been, right beside me all along.

Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day was great this year. I got completely spoiled. I have been wanting new make up forever, and Kris pulled a sneaky trick and got a friend of mine to ask me to go to the mall. He had given her money to go with me to buy make up and to cut my hair (she does that sort of stuff professionally)! Cra-zy! I would have never spent the money to do this, and had I known about it-I would have refused. I feel really guilty spending lots of money on such things for myself, but what was done, was done. It was really sweet. The boys got me my favorite flowers and a crown to wear because I am the princess. So all day they called me princess-it was so sweet.

At the end of the school year (I guess they did it for Mother's Day) Abram brought this home.

It made me pretty emotional. I think it looks just like me. The details are amazing, the hair is red, orange, and yellow mixed up-which is exactly what it is. I could tell he put a lot of thought and effort into it. it makes me teary eyed just typing it. I love how kind the picture looks, the eyes, the smile. I feel so grateful he sees me like that. I sure do love that boy.

O "Me" of Little Faith

I was reminded of a great lesson by my 6 year old yesterday. We were swimming in the pool, and playing with dive sticks. The deep end of our community pool has a 5ft to 10ft slope and Abram threw one of the dive sticks on the slope, and it rolled into deeper waters. He was having a hard time trying to get the dive stick and he tried over and over again. I asked if he needed help, and he said he could do it. After 10 tries or so, I asked if he needed me to get it. He was catching his breath and holding to the side of the pool and looked at me and asked, "Mom, can I pray about it?" I hadn't even thought about it. I said, "Of course." and he put both hands on the edge of the pool, rested his head on his hands and I could see his lips moving but couldn't hear what he was saying. I also said a silent prayer to please help him with this. Abram looked at me, took a deep breath and went under. From where I was in the water he looked like he just missed it. When he came up, I said, "You were so close!" Abram just smiled and lifted his other hand out of the water holding the diving stick. "It worked Mom! It really worked!"

Of course it worked. Because Heavenly Father hears our prayers. And He knows how important things are to us. He knows how important it was to Abram to get that diving stick. I felt humbled, and told Abram to say a prayer of thanks, and he did, and so did I. I was so grateful for him to have that experience. To learn that if Heavenly Father would help him find a diving stick, how many other things would He help him with.