Fighting the Holiday Battles, both Big and Small

The Christmas season seems to get busier and more frustrating every year...as family needs increase and as retailers, merchants, service providers, and shoppers all grow more stressed and irritable - causing them to make mistakes or become negligent creating havoc for everyone. I've vented about my own frustrating experiences on here way too much. While I may feel the need to vent all the emotions out first so my heart and mind are open to receive the lesson or a word from the Lord, I cannot leave the venting out there without sharing the lesson or message that followed.

I have found that I have a much better attitude about frustrating circumstances, unfair treatment, or persecution, when it's obvious persecution for Christ (Matthew 5:9). If it's spiritual warfare before a mission trip, I'm usually ready and armored up. (Ephesians 6: 10-18) If I'm being ridiculed, targeted, and treated unfairly by haters of God and His word because of my faith, then I'm not surprised and know to draw my strength from Him to bear it gladly. When facing gut-wrenching pain or grief, we believers know we are powerless on our own to get through it, so we trust only in our gracious God who possesses all power, authority, and sovereignty.

But the enemy knows our weaknesses. He knows how to distract us and when we are more likely to trust in our own strength instead of looking up to God. He also knows that he is more likely to lead us astray if he chips away at us, little by little, with small irritations and frustrations. Rude drivers, no-shows for costly appointments, miserable customer service, broken promises, wasted hours waiting, last minute cancellations, flight delays, weather changes, traffic jams.....all are so tiny taken by themselves, but when compounded on top of sleepless nights, endless to-do lists, unrealistic expectations, incessant demands....it can all combine to pull our eyes away from the one focus of our entire life - the One lover of our soul - the Creator and Lord over all the universe who spoke it all into existence with his spoken word and then sent His son to die for all our transgressions against Him. When we stop looking up at how big God is, suddenly all the frustrations of the holidays seem enormous. And they all seem somehow unspiritual (yes, I made up that word)...as if we should fight them with human "weapons" instead of donning the armor of God and resisting them with God's word and with prayer.

I enjoy resistance training, but I can't expect to sit on my bum for a month, and then bench press 300#s when the big attacks come. I get the best results when I consistently train each and every muscle group, little by little, every single week. I have to resist the weight, however. I can't just lie under a barbell, defeated. I have to press against it. The little efforts to oppose that weight consistently over time make me stronger and less prone to injury than if I only sporadically lifted weights when I thought I needed strength the most.

 

So all that to say the trivial inconveniences and annoyances in this life have value - eternal value. Disrespect, offense, mistakes, lies, mistreatment, and failures are a given in this life. And while God does not tempt us or make us suffer, He sometimes allows attacks or suffering into our lives, whether big or small, to strengthen us and make us holy and for whatever greater purposes He may have which we cannot see with our finite minds. He wants to redeem that which is broken, worldly, or unjust in our lives, whether it seems spiritual or not. We have a choice, though. We can whine and complain and refuse to draw on God's power to resist it, or we can push back evil with good. We can resist hatred with love, rude behavior with kindness, greed with charity, abuse with compassion, and Satan's lies with God's truth. By relying on God and choosing to respond according to His word, we become stronger in every area of our lives and more like our heavenly Father.

While I often feel like all these irritations waste so much of my limited time on earth, I must remember that nothing is wasted with God. (1 Corinthians 15:58) May we bear it all, both the the little frustrations and the big, awful challenges or extreme persecutions life may bring us, with faith, courage, and hope, resting in His power, presence, and promises, looking not to our own interests but

only to Him.

Field Hockey Surprise

Our daughter's middle school field hockey team is having an amazing season.  After two years of no wins and I think no points at all, they are having quite the winning season. I'm sure she's glad she picked a winning season to experience this new sport.

Record: 5 wins, 1 loss, 1 tie

Goals For: 11

Goals Against: 2

Nana & Pops surprised our daughter by showing up at her field hockey game last week. When she saw them, she turned her fierce factor up a notch and scored her first goal ever (as she is a rookie player). 

Nana & Pops must have inspired the entire team because they delivered their best game yet winning 4-0. That makes 3 wins in row after only one loss which was almost too close to count. Go Lady Knights!  Nana and Pops treated our girl to Yo-Lo yogurt to celebrate after the game.

On a side note, earlier that day before I knew Nana and Pops were coming, I posted the following sarcastic update on Facebook:

For those who view me as traditional or non-rebellious, I have a confession to make. Except for a summer study abroad experience and various short-term mission trips, I have lived my entire life in the South and was raised with deep southern traditions. Yet today, three days AFTER Labor Day, I've been to 10 different venues, including a Bible study comprised of respectable, southern, Baptist women, while wearing....(wait for it)......WHITE capris pants, and I wore them on purpose.

So, when Mom arrived wearing white Capris as well, I had to laugh!

On another side note: 

Since the kids call my mom "Nana", I found this random historical fact to be especially interesting.  Nanna was the name of the moon god and patron god of the city of Ur when Abram lived in Ur with his polytheistic family. When Abram beheld the glory of the one true God (Genesis 12), however, he knew in an instant that there is no god like the one true God who possesses all the attributes the Chaldeans looked for in many gods. He discovered that this God is good, loving, and just and calls mankind into a personal relationship with Himself.

Then this week, there was a game that none of us could attend due to piano lessons and a football scrimmage for her brother and a leadership dinner at church that I had to attend.  But much to our surprise, "Grandma Susan", a family friend and her former childcare giver when I worked part-time during her first few years of life, showed up last minute surprising us all.  What a gift from God her unexpected arrival and perfect timing were.

Playing field hockey as a 7th grader and a rookie has been quite the learning experience for our daughter, especially as she learns to play the other supporting positions which are essential to helping the forwards push the ball in for a score when all she really wants to do is be the forward who scores.  The prized positions are reserved for 8th graders who need more playing time to get ready for the more competitive varsity team next year. Her time will come.   She did get to play forward when Nana and Pops attended, since the starter was out that day, so I'm glad she got to score when she had her time in her favorite position.

There is also a difficult personality on the team who God is using to refine her.  This player shares much in common with our daughter.  Both were competitive gymnasts. Both are rookies. Both are driven, fierce, competitive, intense firstbornswith a tendency to boss others.  This girl has three younger siblings, however, and is an 8th grader, so her tendency to boss our girl around is more extreme.  Still, our daughter recognizes that part of what bothers her so much about this girl is something she sees in herself, and I'm praying she will remember how it feels to be on the receiving end. At times, my daughter's humble confessions and wisdom in recalling Matthew 7:3-4 about pointing out the speck in another's eye when you have a plank in yours, and just the way she is learning from this trial have amazed me.  Then there are other days when she's throwing fits, and I just have to remind myself that mood changes are all apart of adolescence and that the mature side of her will win in the end. 

I've been referencing the verse below with her as well as a reminder that we all have to work our way up in life, learning and experiencing all the different roles of a team or an organization before we can get the role we want or effectively lead others. Through these trials, she must cast off her frustration and give her worries to the Lord until He chooses to lift her up.

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-8, ESV)

Football: Let the Games Begin

Our son's first scheduled football game got cancelled after a tropical storm flooded out the fields, so the first official game the team got to play took place last weekend.

Go Chargers!

Well...technically the games began four years ago when football games required less equipment, fewer players, and only a short "commute" up to the 3rd floor rec room of our last house.

He was chosen to be one of the captains for his team based on his character, obedience, respect for authority, leadership, and team-building, so he got to walk out on the field for the coin toss.

Coin toss

He played cornerback for defense, rotated between guard or wide receiver for offense, and also served on the punt team. Notable moments from his first game included a nice open field tackle for a loss on the opposite side of field and forcing  a runner out of bounds to prevent a touchdown by the opposing team.

 

See that red cleat sticking up just over the top right of #63's helmet in the photo below? That's our boy, one of the team captains, making his first tackle at his first football game ever.

 

He had a scrimmage this past week, so my husband tried to take a few pictures (below) with our SLR camera. If our kids continue field sports, we will need a nicer telephoto lens.  Even his iPhone takes better action shots than the SLR.

So far, playing football has brought out more toughness, discipline, endurance, and speed from our son. He set a PR last week for running, coming in 2nd place. The other kid who beat him is in his 5th year of Pop Warner football, so for this to be our son's first year, I think he's doing really well.

After that game, and after weeks of trying to find sports drinks that did not have food dyes, corn syrup, excessive sugar or other toxic chemicals, I decided to make my own for the kids to drink the rest of the season. My batch included sea salt, organic coconut sugar,magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, B vitamins, kale, chia seeds, and spinach. And as is typical of healthy drinks, it looks like bile. Did they drink it?

Our son liked it.  Our daughter wasn't too crazy about the gritty texture of the chia seeds floating around undissolved.  Oops!

Appreciating Cows, Water, Words, Cupcakes, Critters, and Selfies

Chick-fil-A Cow Appreciation Day has become an annual tradition for us.  Usually I dress like a cow and take the kids, but this year, my husband took them so I could catch up on work back home.  The things we will do for free chicken.  We almost always see church friends when we go to Cow Appreciation Day.  This year, friends saw our family, but our family didn't recognize them.  They must have had some really elaborate costumes.

Orwell was hoping to get in on the free chicken offer as well, but his cow costume made him look more like a Holland Lop bunny, specifically our late pet Cody, than a cow, and I'm assuming that the only pets allowed in public restaurants are trained service animals.

We joined a pool/fitness center this summer, but we haven't had too many opportunities to go with so many summer activities.  Plus, I'm not a big fan of the pool now that my vein disease has gotten so bad I don't want to gross out strangers in public with the sight of my spidery legs. Our nanny took the kids a few time while I worked.  But who really needs a pool when you have a water spigot, balloons, buckets, and an imagination?  Water balloons and paint buckets have been favorite recreational toys this summer.

During the few moments of free time our daughter could find this summer, she wrote another "book". I am thrilled that she is actually writing out some of the wild and imaginative stories in her head. I'm also reminded of a promise I made myself many years ago to write and publish a true story that shows God's sovereignty when things seem out of control. It is a story of redemption, hope, and grace that should inspire others in their faith journey and possibly serve as a ministry resource for women in crisis. But I have a feeling my little tween who charges through life without seeing any of the obstacles in her way will get her fiction stories published before her mama writes the first chapter of the only story she knows.

The kids' interest in culinary arts continues.  Our daughter is still cooking most of her meals and preparing dinner for all of us a few nights a week.  

She's also teaching her brother to cook.  He mastered eggs and cupcakes last week.  Their culinary skills are derailing any summer nutrition goals I may have considered setting for myself. These blueberry cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting were delicious!

 We finally found a temporary solution to Orwell's destructive tendencies.  Each month, my husband and daughter trim his claws and cover them with fake nails called "soft claws".  These fake cat claws come in all colors. I'm tempted to get him glow-in-the-dark neon green claws next, but he's wearing the clear version now. They are working as long as he doesn't pull them off.

Orwell continues to amuse me by his sleeping positions. He must have been having a really good dream the other day because he looked like he was clapping. "If you're happy and you know it, clap your [paws]".

Orwell certainly leads a luxurious lifestyle, though you would never know it from the discontented expression he always wears on his face.

Muffin has been collaborating with me on the development of a STEM lesson on pendulum motion.   I think my students will appreciate all her demonstrations.

When I don't see the Roomba on the charger/docking station, it's sometimes because Muffin has been taking it for joy rides around the house.  She still loves hopping onto the center, activating the start button, and going for solo rides.

I don't get to see the Mighty Moms (my workout group) when school is out of session, so Muffin has been filling in as my workout buddy and coach.  She watches and critiques me very closely.

To increase my workout intensity, she'll hop on my back while I'm doing push-ups to add more weight or tickle my arms and push me up higher when I do starfish push-ups or side balances.

Sometimes she'll demonstrate various HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout routines, but she gives out after about 24 seconds.  She's definitely better at speed and agility than endurance.  I haven't perfected the wheelie as well as she has, but my binkies are improving. :-)

When Muffin isn't pushing me hard in our home gym, I like to go biking on the greenway.  Recent flash flooding destroyed the large section of bike trail that connects the section behind our neighborhood to the lake, so it will be a long time before I see the sun set over the lake.  This picture, taken on July 9, is the last one I'll get to take from my bike for a few months.

When I first attempted to bike to the lake after the big storm and before I realized that entire section of greenway was closed due to damages, I learned a value lesson. After flash flooding, take the sharp turns slowly if you bike the greenway, or you could end up like Absalom. Had my tires been fully inflated and my frame a tad bigger, I'm not sure I could have ducked low enough.

 

The tween hijacked my phone again and changed my screen background to this photo. She either forgot my promise to share all the pics she posts to my phone background or she thinks this picture needs to be immortalized.

Instead of selfies, I'll close with mini-me pics instead. Here is a side-by-side of my husband in his geeky 6th grade phase vs. our son in 3rd grade.

Little boys with glasses and smarts
Become handsome men who melt girls' hearts.

As long as he lives, the one on the left is mine.
And I'm treasuring my time with the one who is nine.

Kids, Critters, Culture, Clothes, Comments, and Quotes (April 2016)

I can't remember a day when God has not used my kids to keep me humble. I just had the following conversation with my son:

Me: Should I teach STEM next year or take a break to free up more time for you and your sister? You seem to enjoy the class, and I love how much you have been applying what you are learning in there, but if I'm a terrible teacher, I need to quit.

Boy: You are not a terrible teacher, Mom. You just aren't the best.

Me: Agreed. So who is the best?

Boy: Mrs. B*

 

Mrs. B* was his 2nd grade teacher who tried to get me to apply as her teaching assistant, but I would not do it. Instead, I hired her to be my teaching assistant in my STEM class. I also made sure she got recognized by the local radio station as the teacher of the month because she deserves it. The timing of this statement was especially peculiar because Mrs. B* had just won in her age group in a half marathon the weekend before and then won the plank hold contest for her 5am (GULP!) boot camp class where she was the oldest (mid 50s I'm guessing), and she joked about being a little competitive, so my son's comment gave her the triple crown for the week.

Mrs. B recently sent me this amusing math meme.

Critters
Old pics of Cody showed up in my look back app, and I'm thinking he and Orwell would have made a really cute pair, except we would have had two alpha males in the house at the same time had Cody lived longer.

At least Orwell gets along well with Muffin. They both joined me for my quiet time this morning.

My mother-in-law sent me this cute meme.  The timing was so appropriate given that my husband had just wrapped my power cord for my laptop with electrical tape in four places where it had been chewed down to exposed wires.

Bunnies on laptops are familiar scenes around here.  Cody liked the pounce on multiple keys at once approach.  He once pulled off four keys in one swoop.

Muffin is more interested in getting more screen time than in troubleshooting.

Fitness
One of the moms in my Mighty Moms group invited me to a She-Fit workout instructed by a two-time Olympic contender in wrestling. She said, "I'm not sure if it will challenge you or not since you are in such good shape." My muscles were sore for the rest of the week. They say a teacher should also be a student, so I knew the workout would be good for me since it would be different, and I'm always telling my group to mix it up. And so we did. Whew, I'm tired! Then the coach went and posted a pic of us on his website AFTER the workout, I had on no make-up and was worn plum out!

As if that wasn't bad enough, later he posted a promo video of us working out.  We never signed waiver forms and had no idea what he was doing with his phone.  He could have warned us, so I could have combed my hair and put on make-up.  It's a good thing he's a godly man who I can never sue. Ha!





Update  Then in May he posted the following pic. Too bad we did not get any compensation for all these pics.

His whole family is amazing.  His wife was an Olympic competitor in soccer for Canada's team. They have five children (two by adoption) and stay busy coaching numerous clubs and teams.  She coaches the Carolina Railhawks; he is personal trainer and wrestling coach; both run sports camps for kids and family training programs all year at this awesome facility while raising five kids and planting a new church which he pastors.  Just like the apostle Paul, they are "tentmakers", earning their keep without receiving any support from their church.  

Pop-Culture & Politics
Our culture has gone insane. Smear campaigns, propaganda and outrageous ideas that anyone with a lick of common sense would easily recognize as dangerous are being forced down people's throats, and it's causing quite a stir, especially after a registered sex offender and his cronies helped push a city ordinance granting those who claim to be transgender access to any restroom they choose, men's or women's.  This ordinance which put women and children at tremendous risk by opening a door to grant pedophiles, rapists, and perverts access to them in restrooms and showers, triggered an emergency state congressional session which a bill was passed, HB2, to clarify long standing rules regarding separating open style restrooms by gender. Then Target updated their bathroom/dressing room policy to welcome men into women's restrooms and vice versa, and the media went wild with it. Surprisingly, the false propaganda and typical progressive bullying tactics aren't working this time, and Target is being boycotted by over a million people so far. Such is America these days - run over by deception, evil, and totalitarian nonsense. A must read regarding the current state of America with regard to truth vs. evil can be found here. It is right on point.

Sensing the need to diffuse diffuse some of the tension in the air with a touch of humor, I shared the following status update which was absolutely true but seemed more inclusive. Our country is filled with all this animosity, yet we forget that we do share much in common and must not become enemies with our neighbors.

We recently planted 16 large trees and five shrubs to clean up the air and provide shelter for wildlife. Our children are thrilled and love to hug those trees. We supported capitalism by outsourcing this job to a local small business owner who did not employ "undocumented" immigrants. He paid them well above minimum wage and let them use shovels instead of gas guzzling equipment. I served organic lemonade and GMO-free tea to the thirsty as they labored. I also provided food, water, and shelter from the heat to our neutered cat and bunny. All workers were given words of affirmation to nurture self-esteem (and because we sincerely appreciate their hard work). We have adopted a bathroom policy that grants all family members, friends, guests, and workers access to any of our four, private, gender-neutral restrooms.

Fashion
I went shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding and found myself asking the following questions:

• So where does an old woman with a junior sized body (which she isn't ashamed of, but she has enough self-respect to cover it up), find a dress these days that is actually longer than a shirt?
• After over a decade of teen boys wearing their pants on the ground, have teen girls decided to just not wear pants at all?
•  Do gender neutral teens wear pants?

For the love of all that is good and right, keep your booties out of sight.

An Unexpected Comment
When I'm in a good mood, I like to make small talk with cashiers and hopefully make them smile. I've gotten all kinds of responses. My favorite cashier sings and dances her responses back at me. Others have shared their struggles. Too many have made rude comments about the large quantity of chocolate in my cart. (Oops!) But today, the cashier's response shocked me. She pointed at the friendly lady in front of me who had just checked out as she was walking out the door and said, "She can be so nice at times, but other times she can be a real B****. (One syllable derogatory word stretched into 3 syllables for emphasis). Apparently this lady was her landlord, but all I could think was, "Couldn't we all be described the same way?" I know I have my good moments and my not-so-good moments, but thank God for His amazing grace and sweet forgiveness. Lord, make me mindful of how undeserving I am of your grace, so I will have a grateful heart and remember to show grace to others.

Quotes I Came Across Recently That I Want To Remember

•  "I know who I am. I am not perfect. I'm not the most beautiful woman in the world. But I'm one of them."  (Mary J. Blige)  💕 

•  "Let’s celebrate womanhood without emasculating manhood". (Beth Moore, Esther study guide) 

From the book,  Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom:

• A charity worker running a homeless shelter asked a man on the street if he was homeless? He replied, "No, I have a home. I just don't have a house to put it in." 

• Upon discovering that his most revered rabbi initially got kicked out of seminary and did not get inspired to try again (with huge success) until after helping a troubled kid as a camp counselor, Mitch Albom wrote: "The most inspirational man I ever knew only reached his full potential by helping a child reach his." ‪#‎WordsToLiveBy‬ 

• Paraphrase (because I'm listening to this book on tape and going by memory here) of something Mitch said during the eulogy for his lifelong rabbi :  One measure of the good he did is the bad we did not do.  (I'm not sure I totally agree with this statement because each man must make his/her own choices, but I appreciate the sentiment and encouragement to equip my kids with the knowledge, wisdom, and example of faithfully seeking Christ personally that they need to chose rightly).

• "He kept the [depressing, frightening news of the] outside world [which he could not change] at bay by keeping the inside world [those closest to him whom he could significantly impact] close at hand.

Mighty Moms

A friend twisted my arm for months to get me to lead a fitness class for moms.  It was something I had always wanted to do, but I just didn't think anyone else would trust me to train them, much less agree to my goals for the workouts.  So I set a minimum and a maximum and she had the class maxed out by the time the classes began.  I wanted to emphasize spiritual health, inner strength, and wise stewardship of the body God has given each of us, so we may DO the work He has given us more effectively for His glory, NOT our own. I do not ever want to train with those whose only goal is to make the outside fit whatever the culture's ever changing but always impossible standard is for that day and/or to win the approval and attention of man, for we are not mere objects to look upon, but hearts, minds, and souls with infinite value and eternal purpose. Miracle of miracles, all the women who came to the class seemed to have the same goals. 

These less tangible, spiritual goals did not translate into easier workouts, mind you. These women, some who insist they are at least a decade older than I am, may not have known exactly what they were getting themselves into when they registered for the "Mighty Moms" workout group, but they pumped iron with power and perseverance. Martial arts, sports drills, push-ups and pull-ups of every variety, boot camp workouts used to train police officers and military forces, and conditioning exercises developed by/for Olympians and professional athletes were all included. They modified as needed, but these ladies shown here minus a few not pictured DID NOT QUIT!

We’ve each been thrown some tough life situations this past school year with some so devastating, I weep at the mere thought of what they have faced. But through each challenge, God has sustained, strengthened, and carried each one, never leaving or forsaking us (Hebrews 13:5), for He who has promised is faithful. Just as muscle must be torn apart and broken down before it can built back stronger, we have come to the end of ourselves to find His strength is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). It’s through the trials that we gain the most strength (in body, mind, and faith/spirit). Each dedicated "Mighty Mom" has sharpened me as iron sharpens iron and encouraged me in my walk with Christ. It’s been such a blessing and a privilege to spend my mornings with the Mighty Moms, and I thank God for each one of you.

Attention trainers, never take your eyes off your workout partners, because the moment you do, they will snap a photo of you straining during your last rep (lawsie, I hope that was my last rep and that they all didn't look like that!) with YOUR phone as a permanent reminder of how funny you look, and you will not know they took the photo until you find it on your phone much later. You made me laugh, ladies, as I thought I was only uploading pics of dirt from a landscaping project in process. ‪#‎mightymomfun‬ ‪#‎workhardplayhard‬

After receiving some comments about my "guns", for the record, we Mighty Moms usually opt for "concealed carry", but after the moms pulled one over on me with my phone, I had to be a good sport and share. Payback is coming, but I doubt I'll ever catch any of you making a grimace as unflattering as that one. "Grimace and grunt" will be our next motivational motto.

The high school guys left out these ropes which provided a fun workout alternative that made us grimace and grunt.

She's 12 Years Old!

We celebrated 12 years of LOVE and LAUGHTER with our caring, creative, deep-thinking, determined, dramatic, driven, endlessly entertaining, smart, and super silly girl over spring break.

She wanted a birthday party at Defy Gravity followed by gourmet cupcakes (by Cupcakes D'Amour) at our house.   She usually loves it when her parents join in on the playful fun with her, so both my husband and I climbed onto the trampoline and jumped the entire time.   We attempted synchronized back flips.

When you are with me, my heart leaps so much I turn back flips.

When you've loved someone since the day you first met (this month marks 24 years) and you are old enough to no longer care how silly you look to others, doing life TOGETHER is what matters most, even if it's something you've never done before. #synchronizedbackflips #orsowetried

Birthday girl shows us how a tumbling run is really done.

Her guests, their siblings and even we parents had a blast at Defy Gravity.  

Ellie still participates in competitive gymnastics, so she really showed us up!

When your daughter asks you to take her to Defy Gravity for her birthday and she insists you jump and climb with her, you do it....for her. When the love of your life offers to do synchronized back flips with you and then race with you to the top of the Ninja Course, you do it, because you grew up on Bonnie Tyler lyrics and would "climb every mountain and cross every sea" to be with your man. When the bandage slips off your finger where you nearly sliced it in two the day before, you keep hanging onto those bars like a fool because your daughter is cheering for you to make it to the top. And when the fun is over, you come home convinced you are 19 again and just had the best date ever with the man of your dreams. Then the next morning when you wake up, you can't move your neck or raise your arms. Sharp shooting pains race up and down your spine and you can't get up. That's when you realize you aren't 19 anymore, and you spend the rest of the week at the doctor's office getting rehabilitated. #mylife #YoungatHeartButOldinBody #coupleswhoplaytogetherstaytogether

I encouraged a super talented friend to start a catering business, so I was eager to support and help promote her new bakery.

I decorated the dining tables and large island with pretty place settings where the girls could sit and eat, but they went directly to the porch instead withe several sitting on the floor.  I'm glad the kids and their friends enjoy our porch so much.  Much giggling took place on that porch. The laughter legacy lives on!

After lots of fruit, cheese sticks, chicken, pizza, snacks, and sugary carbs, the girls went outside to play basketball.  Most of the girls played on their school's blue team, but they were just as fierce playing against each other and their little brothers who joined in when their parents came to get them.