Wednesday, August 27, 2008
They Do Love Each Other, Don't They?!?
Kraft Macaroni -n- Joes!!
More funnies from Bryson. He wants us to go on a date - me and him. He said that Camryn and Brion could go on a date, too. He wants to take me to Macaroni -n- Joes. This conversation began one night when he was craving some Mac - n - Cheese. I am going to take him to Macaroni Joes (if you don't live in Ama, it's a fun restaurant, more on the adult side. I'm almost positive that they don't have any Kraft boxes in their trash can! I hope he isn't disappointed).
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Bryson...
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Happy Birthday to Brion
Kindergarten (and 3rd Grade) Here We Come...
When I became pregnant with Bryson, I quickly remembered some things that I had somehow forgotten from Camryn's pregnancy! Bryson starting Kindergarten brought back something similar. Although I remembered not crying on Cam's first day, I didn't remember how it would hit me at random times that she was starting school. Last Friday, after visiting Bryson's classroom and meeting his God-sent teacher and having lunch and playing with our dear friends, the Ramsey's, we were helping JoDee in her classroom. Bryson came up and hugged me like he does often, and I just lost it! At that moment, I remembered doing the same thing with Camryn! It's funny the things we remember so adamantly and the things we file somewhere back in our memory!
Bryson is doing great at school. That is, when he gets there. This year, our school started full day Kindergarten which actually works out great for us, but for the first 2 weeks, they are releasing the Kindergarten students at 12pm. Even though his days are shorter than his preschool days were right now, he already thinks he needs a break! When Bryson was in preschool, I helped him keep track of days by telling him that he would go to school for 3 days and then he would have 4 days off. Now, of course, we have 5 days at school and 2 days off. The first night, he asked if he had a day off yet. The next morning, he said that his 'spine and chicken bone' hurt (that's a shoulder blade if you don't live in our house:)) and this morning, he thought that we needed a 'family stay home day' because it was Brion's birthday! He's pretty creative, you gotta give him that! And again, I'm remembering Camryn having the same problem coming to terms with the fact that after starting school, our carefree days are gone forever. After that first day of school, we all really become subject to someone else's timeclock!
It's so fun to watch her develop into a thoughtful, drama-loving, mature, picky, mini-me! I love the innocence she still enjoys. I love the signs that growing up is on the horizon. I truly like this girl!
Dad's Visit
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Isn't it Nostalgic???
Last week was awesome - I got to be a counselor at El Porvenir, the camp our church has used for years and years. I actually went there as a kid, and the last time I went there was 1996 for a young adult retreat.
What made this trip special was it was what we call 'First Chance Camp' or 3rd Grade camp. Camryn's first time at camp!! It was so fun to experience the place with her and to see the old dining hall and old cabins we used to stay in as kids. We went on a hike to Bear's Cave - the short hike at El Porvenir. The kids did great! I was so proud of Camryn. When we started out, I told her, jokingly, that I didn't want to hear any griping! But I really enjoyed hiking with her - she was awesome! I really just enjoyed her, period. She obviously appreciated me being there, and she told me while we were waiting for the next activity, "Mom, I don't want you to ever change. I don't mean how you look, I mean how you act and how fun you are." I thought that was way cool, and it was a definite reminder of what is really important to me in my life!
The theme for the camp was TRANSFORMERS: Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind - Romans 12: 2. What a good reminder for all of us. It seems like more times than not, I am faced with a decision of whether I'm going to conform to the world or transform into what God would have me do. Since December of 2007 I have definitely seen a pattern of things happen in our lives where I have been called to stand up for what was right - not always the easiest thing to do! I have lost a lot of sleep, a few friends, and sadly, I got a bit transfixed, at times, on my circumstances instead of focusing my eyes on things above. Isn't it crazy how we tend to do that? Great mistakes are made when we choose to idolize our circumstance (selfish priorities) instead of keeping our focus. Isn't it crazy that we can know full well a cure for an ailment, but we choose to waller in the mud instead? One thing I want to ask God when I get Home is, "Why is it that very often, human nature was in direct paradox compared to what we should do?" His answer would probably have something to do with the fact that as we learn to use self-control and not indulge our fleshly desires and selfish pursuits, we become more of what He needs us to be. Gosh, I hate it when I can easily rationalize why life isn't all down hill! Just imagine if it was - would we ever take the harder, unsure road? Would we always expect things to come easily? Would we ever need God to pull us up a steep slope? I think I know myself well enough to know what I'd do - I'd waller in the ease of life! And worse, I'd probably think that my good fortune was a direct result of something I did - I'm just lucky or really good! So there is your little lesson about why we must all go through hard times with hard decisions, mostly uphill, just in case you were wondering!
I'll post some pictures of El Porvenir soon - we had to take a disposable camera, so I will have to scan them.
Thank you, Camryn, for being an awesome girl who doesn't CONFORM to this world very often. I see in you such a sweet spirit! And I, too, hope you never change!!!