9.15.2017

Enough.


Sunday Well Spent

The rest of that FROG Sunday was spent at Grandma and Grandpas for Sunday lunch.
Grandpa great and Larry were there and there was a game of Rook before we headed outside.
DH had smoked some ribs and Grandma made all the fixings to finish it off.
And the sun was shining bright but it was cool in the shade.
DH laughed at his mom's blanket in September.
We sure do love our Grands and were happy to spend Grandparents day with them.

And that evening we headed up to the tennis courts
to play some family tennis.
No one wanted me to take pics.
But, I don't really care - someday they will love the memory that these pictures bring!

Everyone wanted to be my partner (ha).  

4th Grade Frogs!

September brings a new Sunday School year at church!
Sam moves on the Jr Youth group and I signed up to teach Joe's 4th grade Sunday School Group.
My season as Secretary has come to an end, but Dan will continue at treasurer at church.

I really settled into a routine teaching Sunday School last year and it helped me learn more and focus and further my devotions last year, so I was eager to tackle a new group this year.

I was looking for  a simple way to add some color to my room
and decided on this theme for the beginning of the year.
Introduced the 4th grade FROGS to our theme of Fully Relying on God.
We colored frogs and added our theme verse to them and had perfect space on the bulletin board, they each chose their own spot to display them.

And they had to guide each other to the board with the chosen person eyes closed writing a letter of the word Fortress so everyone could see it.
It was neat and they figured out they had to RELY on one another!


We had some giggles and shuffles and they got really good at it towards the end!

Love that  I get to spend the year with this FROG
and next up they have stated they want to be chickens - um ok, I'll work on that.
Looking forward to this spirited group and fully relying on where God leads us together this year!

Farm Fair Days

Farm Field Day 
Martin Co Schools
4th grade classes


I loved attending a steering kids around the Farm Fair Days with Joe's class this year.
I'll grab each of these opportunities that I can to be present!
A fun time at the end with the Crazy Animal Guy.


He wasn't sure about the baby turkey, he tried to like it.
Look at the smile but I'm not sure look he was giving me.
Man I love him.  
Those eyes and big grin!






Love these ways for kids to learn away from the classroom.  A great mix of hands on learning
and classroom work - and a great way to learn who Joe spends his days with!

LMS Student of the Month

Imagine our thrill when we popped open social media {Twitter and Facebook}
and found this smiling face announced as September Student of the Month.
And just when I think he needs a little more nudging in this area or work in that area...

This young man finds a way to do his thing.

And that smile, that's his genuine smile.  
The one he gives you when he loves what you are saying or doing and that it has made his soul feel good! And it does feel good to get noticed.  

And I am reminded that all those times that we guide him and he sighs loudly
that he really might be listening 
And because we all know there are times that we fail at this parent thing, 
I am so glad that we have a God that helps to fill in those gaps, 
we are teaching him about His relationship with God 
so that in those fails He will take over!

A little gimpse in the classroom from Twitter

And his front of the lunch line for Student of the Month,
later in the year he goes out to lunch with the principal - proud of this guy.

Home Tennis Match

Our first home tennis match for Sam was last week.
We played Washington as we had played earlier in the season.
This time he played doubles and it resulted in his first loss.
Safe to say he was not a fan of that - 
we talked about the losses coming with the wins and how we learn from them!
Lined up ready for rules and match ups.
Warming up
A big positive this game was Sam's serves - only one double and a lot of good first serves.
Something to learn at every match!


Labor Day Across the River

Morgan and Ethan hosted their first family cookout across the river.
We joke with them all time about living in the neighboring town.
Same County
7 miles
but
it is across the river and I mean that is forever away - ha!

We loved going over and enjoying their new place, it is really coming together
and their property is so very nice!
Ethan and his dad and grandpa built the porch, that means alot.
It was a a breezy but warm day so we huddled under the shade.
Until it was time for our whiffle ball game.  It was a bumpy yard still coming in kinda game!
Can you image how awesome their view will be once those trees start to change in the fall!
Can't wait to see that!
Cole and Taylor were chasing Drew during the game.
We were all laughing from afar!
Fun family time.

Simple Special Moments

Just some random special moments...
August birthdays were celebrated one morning.
My decade old boy asked to take fruit kebabs and we had fun assembling them.
I realized at drop off that morning that these are his last school birthday treats.
Oh how I love that face. 
And we celebrated this girl at work.  Coworker made her poop emojois - very fitting.
DH sent me this picture one morning. 
 Made me laugh and smile -and then think a little about how I approach life...
I'd love to be a front row girl and am definitely not a back row girl
but most days I would probably be found like that girl on the left in the middle.
I find a lot to smile about in life but I don't have the legs to let my dress fly!!!!

And then he sent me this.  
And
I laughed out loud. How did we get here?!? Yikes.
He doesn't read the blog very often so our secret is safe for a few weeks.
HA!


There is this new little venture in town called Martin Co. Rocks where folks paint rocks and hide them for others to find - one of the first days we found this in front of the store!
Love it

Pulled a few things from the wedding decorations
to decorate up the mantle a couple weeks ago - I just could not go totally fall yet
and it will be high 80s tomorrow so I was right!>! Ha.

9.02.2017

Sam's Middle School Stuff

We've added a couple new things to our agenda lately.
Sam is on the middle school tennis team.
His first match was the night of rehearsal for Morgan's wedding, she agreed that I needed to be there!
He did awesome.  I am very glad we were there to see him play.
He played singles in the JV - like B team.
He is very much a go with the flow, follower type kiddo
so to see him play on his own and keep score, switch sides, call balls in/out -etc.
Loved it.  I could hear his voice.
And he won.



Cousin Drew also played at #1 Doubles - 
They have all been playing extra, too - Drew and Isaac playing Sam and Dan
one evening





The tennis team has also had a couple of other matches, he played doubles
at the NED match and they won.


And the BR match.  The team lost this one, but Sam and his doubles partner picked up another win!



This weekend Sam joins Jr Youth at church.
Love this for him!
They have Sunday school and Wednesday night bible study 
and often gather 1-2 times/month to have a party/activity.

He has also started Band!  
He chose to play Tenor Sax and so far loves it.
I enjoy hearing the squeaks (ahem notes) coming from all over the house.



Love that he is willing to try new things.  He told me
he pretty much likes all the new things he is trying!  Love.