Thanksgiving, Inspiration, Christmas Preparations, Giggles, and Songs

Our 10-Year-Old Deep Thinker's Recent Thoughts
While listening to Christmas songs on the radio, our 10-year-old said, "I think the song, 'O Christmas Tree' is too disrespectful. The way it proclaims 'OH Christmas tree' and 'how lovely are thy branches' sounds like tree worship."

Her insight that morning was a gift to me. (Gift #794)  Ironically, I was relating this comment to my Bible study later that evening, and she had heard the same song come on the radio at the same time (7:55am to be exact), my daughter heard it on the radio and she too had thought the same thing about the song as my daughter had said.  Gloria and I have been attending LAMBS together for many years, and we have been assigned to the same small group most years.  She and I would usually discuss Biblical truths at a wavelength the others either thought was strange or did not understand.  We've joked over the years about how we share the same brain, so I found it very interesting indeed that she would have the same thoughts that my daughter spoke at the same time. 

My daughter tends to be deeply reflective and highly sensitive like I am, so it has been fascinating to hear about what she's been thinking as she grows and matures. (Gift #795)  She'll find that being wired mentally like that is a double edged sword.  On one hand, you have profound insights and can easily develop critical thinking skills.  On the other hand, you can't turn your mind off when it is time to sleep, and you tend to over-analyze everything which makes decision-making very difficult.  There are a lot of pros and cons to thinking too much.

Recently, she's been pondering the Lordship of Christ (a good thing about which to think too much) and how salvation is not just about belief, for even the pagans believe, but about surrendering one's entire life to the Lord....not as a dead sacrifice but as a living sacrifice. (Gift #796)  Making Jesus Lord of your life is giving Him control and authority over your choices and doing all your work for His glory, not your own.

Over dinner last night, she explained that while reading about Josiah and the Passover sacrifices in 2 Chronicles during her personal Bible study, she was reminded that professing Christ as Lord is costly. She mused, "What if God asked me to sacrifice our bunny, Muffin? Would I give her up willingly for Him?"

Apparently Muffin overheard our conversation.

 So she did some fact checking.

While she knows that Christ's perfect sacrifice fully atoned for her sin so that animal sacrifices are no longer necessary (Gift #797), those thoughts inspired her to write a song about her decision to make Jesus Lord over her life (Gift #798).  She gave me permission to share her lyrics as a way of setting up a memorial stone for this place in her faith journey.  She's working on the music now.  Perhaps I can add a video of her singing it later.

Why should I fear when evil days come
When wicked deceivers surround me?
Well, I feel like I'm living that day now.
Everything is so soulless and empty.

Listen to our music! Look at our dances!
What is this world coming to?
I feel like something's missing.
I feel like my life's not true.

I've not been listening to my Holy Guide.
I've been letting the world decide.
What is wrong and what is right?
I want God to lead my life!

I've already decided!
So let's put the past behind.
Keep moving forward.
There's no stopping now.

Why should I fear when wicked deceivers surround me?
I'll keep moving forward
Thoughts swirling around in my head
My life in is His hands now!

Don't you see what I see?
I'm letting my God decide
I'm not the only one with choices!
He's for everyone!

(One of these stanzas is the chorus that she keeps repeating, but I'm not sure which one, so I left out all the chorus repeats.)

Christmas is approaching, and the kiddos are so excited.  While singing Christmas carols, our kid started singing the Christmas classic, "Let It Snow", to the tune of "Let It Go"....as if we can stand to hear the melody one more time. It's all your fault, Disney.

Tis the Season....
I recently had a realization....our daughter, who already has 12 hours of gymnastics a week & school/church responsibilities, also has 10 different drama/chorus productions, TKD belt testing, countless rehearsals, & various parties and doctor's appointments all within the next two weeks when I need to be lesson planning, teaching, Christmas decorating/shopping/cooking/card sending and packing for the family to fly to OK.  If she's been too sick to leave the house and audition, how did she end up in so many Christmas productions?  I can't figure it out, so I'm just staying up late and working down the punch list. Although this is the list I would rather follow:

Since we moved over Christmas last year, we did not get to decorate.  So this year, we get to figure out how to decorate a brand new house for Christmas.  We paid big bucks to move (twice) and store a house full of furniture while this house was being built.  Then when the house was done, we ended up replacing most of what we had stored with new furniture and decor since the old items did not match the new house.  Ugh...so much time and money wasted!  The same principle applied to our Christmas tree.  It needed to be replaced.   We finally bought a new tree after missing all the great Black Friday deals and settling for a meager 20% off a floor model whose lights stopped working as soon as we got home.  My husband spent two days (or approximately 6 football/basketball games) checking every bulb twice until he finally found the problem.  Here's our new tree in our living room next to the snow village that belonged to my late grandparents. 

We still need to refinish that buffet, but that's a very nice solid wood (almost antique) piece that has sentimental value and is in better condition that any of my brand new furniture, so I'm afraid I'll mess it up if I try to sand, stain or paint it.  The eclectic art work in our fine art room is the result of marrying into a family of Native American artists while I am still holding on to my more traditional European style pieces.

The mantel is almost done.  I want to put a light up glass present and a wreath, or a cross or something to that effect in the middle where the portrait is now.  The fact that the wooden train set is off center bothers me in this picture, but it's also proof my son has been playing with the decorations and enjoying them, so that makes me happy.

 

We moved the advent lighthouse to the breakfast nook dining table so the kids can enjoy it from all sides.  That tradition means so much to the kids.  (Gift #799) We change out the advent readings each year to keep it interesting for them.  This year's selected advent verses have associated family activities to go along with them.  I'm all for some kinesthetic learning to reinforce the reading passage. (Gift #800)

We have also been trying to take more pics of the kids with the hope of using one for our Christmas cards.   I also needed an 8-year photo of our November birthday boy.

Looking great at 8!

We attempted some family shots at my aunt and uncle's house.  He's a big hunter (bear, deer, ducks), so the gun on the mantel may possibly offend some of our Christmas card recipients, so we  used the lake view shot instead.

This one looks like my pants are on fire! :-)

At least Nana got a photo of all her grandchildren for her Christmas cards.

We ended up using a collage showing snapshots of all the many changes for our family since we sent out Christmas cards last year.  Some of those changes include:

• We said goodbye to Cody and welcomed Muffin into our family.

• We FINALLY moved into a new house!
• We stopped homeschooling, and my son enrolled into the same private Christian school his sister had started attending a semester earlier.  That was hard for all of us.  It was quite a transition for everyone, and both kids and I often wish we were homeschooling so we could sleep in, move at a much faster pace, have flexible hours, stop wearing uniforms, enjoy much shorter school days, have MUCH more money in our pockets, and have more control over the kids' education.  But for reasons I will not go into, my husband felt it was best for the kids to go to this school for now.
• Then I started teaching at the school this past fall, and I realized it's a much better place that I initially thought.  What they may lack in academics, they more than make up for in discipleship and loving nurture, and we have a team in place, which includes myself, working to greatly improve the math/science program.  God is doing great things there, and I feel privileged to be teaching seniors and tutoring students of all ages at this school. (Gift #801)

Where I teach and our kids learn

• Our daughter started competitive gymnastics and showed us that she has quite a bit of God given athletic ability.  (Gift #802)  Through gymnastics, she has learned to face her fears and turn her weaknesses into strengths (beam example). (Gift #803)
• Our kids and my husband all started studying Tae Kwon Do together with the venerable Master Lee (who we believe is a committed Christian though he isn't very vocal about it).  They are all green belts now. How our daughter keeps progressing when she goes only about 10% as often as the guys go (due to so much time at gymnastics) is amazing to me.  I love to watch them exercising and growing in discipline together. (Gift #804)  That alone is worth all the high costs.  I wish I was taking lessons too, but with all the kids' extracurricular activities costing us almost as much as tuition, I denied myself.  Besides, I need that time alone at home to do lesson plans and to train with my own faster, high intensity mixed martial arts and weight lifting programs.

 

Thanksgiving
We had the best Thanksgiving ever this year.  It was busy and hectic, mind you, as I did all my usual Christmas  deal shopping and cooking, and I also hosted a super fun dinner party (Gift #805) for new teacher friends I call the A-Team (two days of cooking & cleaning for the 4 hour party).  In addition, I made time to design and create 95 detailed PowerPoint slides, 5 handouts, 2 experiments, 3 simulations, and 3 games to teach my beloved students the intricacies of probability theory.  But in the midst of all the rush, God had a wonderful surprise in store for all of us.

When I was a very little girl, I had a favorite cousin.  I guess that isn't saying a whole lot since I only had two cousins, one brother and a few aunts and uncles on both sides of my family combined, but this cousin was someone I admired.  He was kind to me when the others teased me.  He was charming, handsome, and devoted to our family.  He was considerably older than me. He enlisted in the army when I was still in elementary school, soI never got to know him well.  Something changed when he returned.  He got married and left our family. We never heard from him again, not even when our grandparents and great-grandma died. It's been probably 30 years since I last saw him.  I was an awkward middle schooler in braces with wings cut in the front of my short hair and a tight perm in the back.  It was a hideous way for him to remember me, but thankfully, I don't think he remembered me at all.

Over the past few years, his first wife fell ill and died, and he later married a wonderful woman who encouraged him to rejoin our family.  He walked back into our family for real on Thanksgiving Day, and I was so excited I could hardly stand it. (Gift #806)  And then when I consider that our Abba Father rejoices infinitely more than I ever could when one of His precious children comes home, I am completely undone. How great is the Father's love for us!  (Gift #807) I was reminded of the father in the parable of the prodigal son (though I would not dare call my cousin a prodigal) wanting to run out to meet him and serve him the best I had to offer.  All has been long forgiven, so it was time to celebrate.  Welcome home, Jeffrey!  We love you!

My husband took this picture just as he and his wife walked into my aunt and uncle's front door.  He did not recognize me at all.  He looked the exact same to me except he had less hair.

The Thanksgiving food was delicious as always.

And the kids were silly as expected.

 Nana kept her ornament tradition for the grandchildren.

Personalized Tae Kwon Do black belt figures!

 

Inspirational
I was so thankful for these double rainbows one recent afternoon which served as a double reminder that He is always faithful and always keeps His promises. (Gift #808)

After waiting nine years for my sailor to come home (spiritually & logistically), several years to conceive our first child, five years to sell our last house, and enduring countless other episodes of waiting, we've learned a lot about waiting.  This article sums up those lessons quite well.

Probability and Apologetics
While preparing to introduce a new unit on probability to my statistics class, I have been digging up some probability calculations. This process has me thanking God for the way he reveals Himself through probability and statistics.  Consider the evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. We know of at least 353 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled, though Edersheim claimed that there were 456. The probability of Jesus fulfilling only 8 is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.

The calculated probability for Him fulfilling only 48 is 1 in 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!

Imagine what the probability would be of fulfilling all 456!

The probability of a single protein molecule coming into existence by mere chance is "1 in 10 to the 300th power,” or 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!

Yet, the probability that an omniscient, omnipotent God could create every molecule in the universe is 1 to 1! (Gift #809)

Parenting
"Deresiewicz claims that..... Instead of being nurtured towards real curiosity and a genuine sense of citizenship, these millennials are conditioned to think that everything they do is for the purpose of looking good in the eyes of admissions officers and employers: you earn good grades not because they mean you are learning something, but rather because they will help you stand out from your peers when applying to the Ivies. You engage in community service not because you wish genuinely to make a positive difference in the lives of others but rather because that is how you burnish your resume -- service as check-off box. You play sports not because they build character and teamwork and are a whole lot of fun, but because you want to try to get recruited for a college team. You study art or music not because you wish to refine your understanding of human nature, creativity and culture but because it will help you look smarter. There is little intrinsic value in what you do." 

This article totally leaves out that the key component to joy & fulfillment & realizing true meaning and purpose in life is through total trust in, commitment to, and vibrant relationship with Christ as we glorify Him, but it still raises much needed awareness over the sad state of many students of this age.  I'm including the quote and link here as a reminder to keep my kids focused on what really matters.

This & That - November 2014 Edition

Our Rascally Rabbit
Every evening when my husband comes home, our bunny vies for his attention.  After rubbing her head to the point that her fur parts down the middle giving her a most amusing look, he usually joins me on the couch.  Determined to get him back, Muffin will then jump up high, soar through the air, pounce on us both, and then nuzzle for him to pet her.  Sometimes, she is so determined to win him back that she will claim him as her own by peeing on him which gets her immediately banished to her cage thereby establishing me as the winner.  It's a funny love triangle drama to behold, but with a valuable life lesson:  Choose a girl who loves you for all that you are on the inside, not just for how you look or what you do for her.  If you pick a girl who only wants to be with you because you make her feel good, then she will eventually pee on you.

Sporting the Beyonce-esque middle fur part

 Muffin thinks we should understand all her bunny sign language by now.

It's gotten too cold around here for Muffin to live outside in her hutch,  but I do not want her living indoors full time, so I suggested that my husband wrap her hutch in that thick plastic wrap used to seal crawl spaces.  Instead, he built her an insulated igloo.  A friend warned that she would chew on it, and sure enough, as soon as we tested it out inside before moving her outside, she had shredded it.  Time to buy some plastic...

 Top 5 Reasons Why I Need a New Workout Partner

#1: She's so lazy that I feel fatigued simply by looking at her.

#2: She gets sassy, rebels, and/or hides whenever I introduce a new workout regimen.

#3: When I'm doing floor flys, she crawls onto my belly. As her claws pierce my skin, she licks the salty sweat off my face and tickles me with her whiskers which puts me at great risk of smashing my face with the dumbbells. After all that effort spent annoying me, she is so tired that she cannot even hold her own face up without propping it up on the sides of her litter box.

#4: She likes to crawl underneath me when I'm doing push-ups so that my fingers will brush across her head, for her #1 purpose in life is to have her head scratched. This practice puts me at great risk of falling on top of her.

#5: She hogs the treadmill and clogs it with the fur she always seems to be shedding.

Teacher of the Month

Over fall break, I was thinking about how much I appreciate our son's teacher.  She has been so supportive when I asked the principals and board members for more challenging work for math/science/STEM inclined students even though my bold request could have been perceived as a negative complaint toward her although I praised her immensely during those meetings to make sure they knew how much I value her.  She goes to great effort to train the boys, who can be obnoxious, in her class to become strong men who will eventually be spiritual leaders of their homes.  I have seen a change in our son since he started in her class as he seeks to serve with a more willing heart.  So I wanted a way to say thank you and remembered the Teacher of the Month program sponsored by our local radio station (which interestingly enough....is an extension of the station I loved so much in South Carolina that I was most concerned about leaving when my husband proposed because it had been such a source of spiritual encouragement to me...the new station in our area opened right after we moved here which seemed to be a timely confirmation from God).  So I submitted a nomination to the radio station and tried for over an hour to send an email to all the parents encouraging them to submit nominations as well and even providing suggested things to say.

My son was sick most of this month, but as I was rushing back to school to teach one day after getting him settled at home with his dad and on new antibiotics, I bumped into Brian Scott from His Radio as he was exiting my son's classroom with the principal and some cameras.  My boy's teacher had just been awarded the November Teacher of the Month.  I heard clips of her receiving the award on the radio throughout the month.  She was so surprised and seemed extremely encouraged and not the least bit embarrassed as I had feared.  She received lots of nice prizes, too, and now the award plaque hangs in her classroom.  I wish my son had been there to watch the radio host come in and give her the surprise, though.

Throughout the month, I have enjoyed watching people congratulate her or say they heard her on the radio.  I have tried to keep my little part in all of that a secret, but I have felt so warm and fuzzy when she gets recognized at staff meetings or such.  I love a good surprise.  She and I have a joke that I am always stirring up trouble at the school.   I'm glad she liked this particular incidence of trouble making.  I don't know how many parents submitted recommendations, but I know they all love and appreciate her so much.  The radio station posted a picture of her and the following write up which quoted the words I wrote with my nomination.  I feel like I received a reward as well since they used my words. :-)

HIS Radio appreciates educators!  Teachers are vital to our future.  They are sometimes overworked and underpaid, but dedicate their lives to making a difference in the lives of our children. And that's why HIS Radio offers a Teacher of the Month recognition program each school year, specifically for teachers who don’t usually get recognized otherwise - those who teach in our Christian schools!

We are happy to recongnize and honor the hard work and dedication of our November Teacher of the Month,  Barbara Bloodworth.....

Mrs. Bloodworth teaches Second Grade was nominated by parents of the students in her class.   Some commented that she "...is a prayer warrior and advocate for each and every student"  and that she "equips and challenges the boys to grow toward biblical manhood and become effectual leaders in their homes".

We don't have the beautiful fall vistas at our new house that we had at our previous golf course home, but the newly planted maples will be glorious some day.  At least the vacant lot across from us still has some trees left.  So, we took a few pics of the kids before church as a reminder of the fall colors surrounding our new abode.  This pic may appear on our Christmas cards...assuming I find time to send out cards this year.  These pics may also serve as "before" pics when the kids get braces, for both need braces desperately.  Our son already has brackets on two teeth in back, and our daughter only needs to lose two more teeth before she gets braces on all her teeth.

Kids' Shenanigans
I love listening to books on my tape with my 2nd grader. But what I love even more is when he indulges me in a little discussion about those books. Today he showed himself theologically astute for his age as he described the differences between the Wizard of Oz and the one true God, but as soon as he finished with his explanation, he said in a hurry while trying to hide any impatience with me, "Can you PLEASE turn the tape back on now?" Dear little children, we know it takes some effort to let your parents peek inside your heart, but do you know how much we cherish those grown-up conversations with you?

We set up a really nice study nook with a window facing the wooded lot across from us for our kids to use for homework, writing, reading, etc.  But that wasn't good enough for our daughter.  She wanted to build her own office right smack dab in the middle of the recreation room where she practices her tumbling runs and beam stunts.  One evening she had an office set up. The next morning, she had already expanded it to include an art studio.  That zany girl is always up to something.

Ponderings

"Isn't it true that by their fruits ye shall know them? (Matt. 7:16) Yes, but it is also true that by their roots you shall understand, and not judge them." - David A Seamans

I lost another friend who is close to my age yesterday. As I have been praying for the twins, husband, family, and friends she left behind, I was reminded once again to stop rushing, breathe, savor, laugh, forgive, love, pray, invest in that which lasts forever, and keep growing closer to the Savior. Who knows what tomorrow may bring.

Sadly, my last memory of this friend & roommate is when she agreed to buy my car as I was moving out of state.  She wrote me a check, and I said my farewells, and then when I deposited the check, it bounced. She never paid me for that car, but she knew my circumstances were better than hers at the time, and I knew I should let it go.  I had totally forgotten about it until I learned of her untimely death. Now my heart grieves for her and the family she left behind which includes a husband and two twins with autism.  She died of liver failure.  I wish I could have seen her again in person and told her that I forgive her, and I so wish I could have hugged her and prayed for and with her.  She's faced so many trials since then.  I'm so sad that she is no longer on this earth, but I do believe she knew Christ as Savior, so we will see her again.

Rhonda, Me, and Sue in New Orleans during the summer of 1995

I just came across this article which addresses sports as the race to nowhere. It resonated with me after a frustrating conversation with our daughter's gymnastics program owner.  I have tried to back our daughter out of the rigorous gymnastics schedule (we requested the least competitive option at this gym & it's still 12 hours a week of practices + meets), or at least scale back to something less rigorous until her body has had time to recover from all the illness and injury incurred since beginning the program. Of course she's missed over half of the practices and all the meets anyway because of sickness/injury, but we still paid..out the wazoo!

[Last year she was on a fabulous, low-stress, Christ-honoring, team that only practiced 4 hours a week, yet she still won several 1st place medals at the state meet without much stress on the family at all, but it's over an hour from our new home and no longer feasible.]

The gym owner tried to convince us to stay the course by informing me that we would still have to pay all the coaches' fees for the rest of the season even if she quits (in addition to over $1000 already sunk into the mandatory competition leo and missed meets). She then started the peer pressure sales tactic of saying "but she has potential to be amazing!"

She seemed shocked when I told her that my goal is not to turn our daughter into a gymnastics superstar, but rather to nurture her growth into a well rounded young lady with a healthy body (ie, no life long sports injuries from over-training, please), sound mind, healthy family life, and a fruitful, faith-filled soul (ie, knows her Savior, loves Him passionately, and lives a life to please Him).

Youth is the most privileged and beautiful time in a person's life to explore, discover, and gain new experiences. She also has potential to become a great actress, student, musician, artist, athlete in school sports, and just about anything else God gives her a passion to do for His glory if she does not let gymnastics steal ALL her time and energy. She's balancing all those things surprisingly well right now, but it is not sustainable long term, and it seems her health is already suffering.  In gymnastics the hours only increase.  The next level requires 16 hours a week at the gym (and additional few thousand dollars) followed by 20 hours a week at higher levels.  It's crazy.

In the "Book of Eight' survival guide she wrote for her brother's 8th birthday, most of her tips were wise beyond her years, but one was disturbing to me. She wrote, "You are 8 now. It's time to specialize. Focus on one sport." While we did ask her at age 8 to narrow down her activity interests from what seemed like at least a dozen to only a handful, we did not mean she had to become a slave to just one. That pressure came from the youth sports industry. It's just wrong for a child to think of specializing at age 8 or 10.

Can we parents stop bowing down to those who try to pressure us into pushing our children so much? Can we stand up to the nonsense and let our kids be kids? They will face the rat race soon enough. Let's give them room to breathe. Whatever the sport, I'm sure the same pressures are present.  As concerned parents, should we not take a stand?

But alas, we are committed to this season, so we might as well try to finish.  She did attend the second meet this past weekend.  I thought she did great and was pleased with the progress she made given the she missed more practices than she attended and that she missed the first meet.  She was very disappointed however.  She tied for first on the beam (she was the state AAU beam champion last year), tied for third on the vault and came in fourth on the floor (she was robbed...her performance was more solid than the 1st place winner IMO) and the bars and 4th overall.

She cried in disappointment, but I know she'll come back stronger at the next meet.  She's driven like her mother, but I am trying super hard not to push her.  In fact, I may be hurting her by having such a laissez-faire attitude about gymnastics, but I do secretly hope she'll decide to quit at some point.  At least her team came in first place!  It was a long and late meet.  We were there for 4.5 hours with an hour drive each way.  We arrived home at 11:15 pm.

Here's a compressed version of her floor routine:

The Boy Turns Eight!

Our boy turned eight on All Saint's Day.

Our birthday boy from birth to 7.5 years old

His birthday wish list involved very expensive items, so most of the family had to chip in to get him the Mindstorms Lego set he wanted.  He's been building and programming Lego robots ever since.

Another very special birthday gift he received was from his sister.

 

She began writing him a survival guide for turning eight this past summer.  The book is filled with practical tips gleaned from her own experiences as an 8-year-old. 

A sampling of tips from her survival guide include:

Tip 32: Your favorite book should always be the Bible, but Percy Jackson is a close 2nd. Don't read it until you are 10.

Tip 20: Mom, Dad, and I are always here for you. Come to us when you have a problem.

Tip 17: Never listen to your friends if they say a girl likes you.

Tip 11: Start a journal. It's good way to let your feelings go. Remember: Journals are for guys. Diaries are for girls.

Our daughter developed pneumonia the week  of his birthday, and we feared she would be too contagious for us to have the party, but thankfully, she got the antibiotic going in time for him to have a sleepover for his birthday, just as she had when she turned eight.

The party did not have an elaborate them like hers did back then for I am way too busy with teaching and other projects (and boys don't really care), but it did end up being Nerf themed (with a little Lego and Minecraft thrown in) in the end.

Orange cups, orange favors, and lots of orange food

 

I baked a cookie cake with orange butterscotch and chocolate morsels.  My husband made a delicious frosting from scratch and decorated the cookie cake to look like a Nerf target with Nerf darts stuck into the target.

I asked my husband to come up with some games and activities for the boys.  So, he turned the 2nd floor play room into Nerf replica of the shooting ranges Marines use in Afghanistan.  He hand crafted the targets to look like those in our son's favorite computer game, Minecraft.

Safety goggles on & planning his strategy

Birthday boy dives into position

Sniper action in prone position

Birthday boy wins the competition

Minecraft, Lego, and Sports Gifts

Group Pic

Birthday Boy and Band of Valiant Warriors

One of the boy's mothers stayed the entire time.  She helped me so much with food preparations and took the group photo of all of us.  Having her here was such a blessing as I had been wanting to get to know the parents of the boys in his class.  (Gift #791)  Another boy's parents stayed for a long time talking politics, faith, and education. I  thoroughly enjoyed that conversation as well and felt so encouraged to meet like-minded families with similar passion for crucial issues of the day. (Gift #792)

Of the three boys who stayed the night, two were quite homesick between 11pm-midnight, but thankfully, they all settled down and got some sleep before waking up at the crack of dawn wired and reckless ready to start a new day.   We thankfully survived our first boys' sleepover, and even better, I think our little guy has decided he needs down time after a party and will not be hosting any more sleepovers for a while.  Hallelujah!  (Gift #793)