Signature Bookworm Nest

Yeah, Brenna has definitely been here. And you better believe she read every single one of these books.

Organization

I really enjoy Pinterest. I don't let myself get on it very often because of the addiction factor. But I do like to search for specific ideas. 

My latest searches have been organization techniques. I very often feel like we are drowning in STUFF. I like to get rid of said stuff, I do. But I also like to keep alot for kids/preschool projects. We don't have a garage or laundry/utility room, so we have one little room that is exploding with junk. It still doesn't look great, I know, but it really helped to organize my little craft items when we added this nifty pegboard. Now we can actually find things sometimes...I didn't say 'every time', but it has increased the odds.

My favorite Pinterest inspired organization tool so far is the shoe organizer in our preschool closets. I should have done a before and after picture here, but, believe me, this is harmony in this closet. And once again, we can open the door and find something immediately! (And still have room to stuff a child in...ok, totally joking)

I have the desire to be a clean-freak organizer...I just don't always have the time, money, and knowledge. So when I actually get something like this accomplished and feel a little relief, I gotta take note! What are your favorite organization techniques?

Family Reunion 2013

The great weekend finally arrived...family reunion at Aunt Gwen and Uncle Craig's! So here's a picture overload of some really sweet cousins, lots and lots of swimming, even more smiling, yummy food, a shooting contest or two, some dancing here and there, still more smiling, and some very special catch-up time with family. 

Cayden, growing up but still so wonderful with the little kids

Uncle Craig, always grinning (and I love the pool images in his shades :)

Brenna, loving running around tickling her older cousins, with wet ringlets in her hair all weekend

Looks like they were scheming...

Me and my favorite nephew Layton ;) Love him soooo much. And you can't believe how well he swims by himself already.

And he's great at riding Uncle Austin like Shamu!

Haley, this is literally the only weekend of the year that we see her...she is a sweet big sister and growing into a young lady with each passing year!

Avery with Uncle Craig, Haley's sister and just a few months younger than Brenna...she has become so brave in the water and was so fun to watch swim and jump in!

Nana, always with a lap for a grandkid...even when their seat is wet! We were so sorry Awpa had to plow and couldn't come :(

Aunt Gwen, my mom's sister, she had everything looking so great and took care of everyone so well...plus, she is so great at asking about our lives and listening!

Austin and Melinda, Uncle Bub and Aunt Mel...so thankful they live close enough now to drive in for family functions. Love hanging out with them so much...

Others we loved visiting with poolside...Aunt Bobby, Nannie, Brandy & Ryan, Derrell and Ferrell, cousin Cooper

Audrey, in the water as much as possible!

Josh, torturing little girls or was it the other way around?

Reagan, an amazing little girl, sweet and daring all at the same time

Jackson, not as ornery as the picture looks ;), he has the sweetest heart for a young boy and a quiet and gentle spirit

This is truly something to look forward to all year, every year.

VBS Roller Coaster World

Our church and preschool classroom transformed into an amusement park last week for the annual Vacation Bible School.

There was even a loop-the-loop roller coaster in the sanctuary...

...and circus tents down the hallway!

I taught the pre-k age group, and we had 31 different kids, 26 at a time.

The girls had a great time, especially when Nana and Layton joined us!

A ticket to ride...

Our clickety-clack roller coaster...

And most importantly, they each learned the good news, "God helps me. I will not be afraid!"

Ear Fear

We have had somewhat of a scare with Audrey's ears these last few months, specifically the left. I could tell throughout the winter that she wasn't hearing me all that well.  She couldn't hear my whisper  at all, especially if her right ear was covered. She would have an earache in the night about once a month, but then all other symptoms of ear infection would never arise.

At a recent check-up with the pediatrician, I asked for a hearing test, and she failed it in the left ear fairly severely. We made an immediate visit to the ENT where she had received tubes so long ago. In the few days it took us to get to our appointment, she started complaining of pain and started a fever. So when we got to the ENT, she was too infected for him to accurately diagnose the problem. So we were put on hold for a cycle of antibiotics and more wondering what was in store for those ears...more tubes, reparative surgery, permanent hearing loss?

Fast forward 10 days...we finished strong antibiotics and eardrops and visited the ENT again. The infection was cleared up, and most importantly, Praise the Lord, her hearing was fully restored. Baby had just been "underwater" all winter apparently, causing her not to hear very well at all. She does have a small hole that needs to heal up from a rupture that occurred, and we will explore the possibility of tubes again if she fills up with fluid again especially in the winter.

But we are so grateful it was such an easy fix. We weren't extremely worried about this problem since it is pretty minor compared to most, but still, you hurt when your baby hurts and ache when there are problems with any part of them!

So she was given the all-clear to swim again! And we have wasted no time...Mimi paid for us to take a warm dip in the hot springs in Pagosa! We have also visited the Eastland Water Park, have two family reunion swims coming up, and more friend-swims already planned!

 Audrey even found a waterfall to test her earplugs and new ear band in, and she practiced swimming alot without her floaties. She is just so happy to be swimming again...

And we are just so thankful for the blessing of health over and over again.

Tenderheaded, Tenderhearted

Yes, that would be our Audrey...as tenderheaded and tenderhearted as you can get.

 We needn't discuss and scrapbook the ordeal of combing her tenderhead...but there are some extraordinarily tender moments in the demeanor of this child that I want to remember forever...and mimic myself.

 Like the tenderness of how she helped me decorate for Bible School yesterday, picking up little pieces of trash that I never asked her to do...

Or the way she whispered, "I love you, Mama. I love you, Buun Buun (Brenna)," as she drifted off to sleep last night...

Or the sweet compliments she so easily hands out to each of us concerning our appearance or our work on something...

And the way she told me everything was ok and that we are "just thankful we have keys"--when I was exhibiting frustration over leaving my church key at the house :)

And the way she appreciates time spent alone with me, "just us two girls", even if it's just going to the store. I think our morning time before Brenna wakes up, when she wants to "just snuggle" on the couch, is a very special time for both of us.

 When a friend is hurt and really crying, it's Audrey who sprints to the kitchen to get the boo-boo bunny, all on her own accord, to help them out.

She is my greatest asset on days when we keep kids, my right hand girl, always ready to help when I need it whether it's picking up the lunch plates or helping with clean-up or giving me a hug when she knows a friend is giving me a hard time.

Her first response to the knowledge that someone is sick is that we should send them a card and pray for them. And when we start getting too whiny about something, she likes to remember that our friends in Haiti have many more problems than we do.

She told me that she feels like she is going to cry when a grown-up gets on to her or when she feels like she did something wrong. And she does cry when a friend wrongs her. I wish I could teach her strength in these areas...but I think it just shows how much she truly cares.

She has become a great big sister to more kids than just Brenna...and they all love her tender and faithful friendship...which I believe is rare in a 5-year-old child or most children in this day and age. And I believe it is rubbing off on all of them.

 But it is the tenderness she shows with her Brenna that gets me the most every time. She looks after her and helps care for her every day from voluntarily helping with her shoes to finding her toys that are missing to drawing her pictures with their names on them to worrying about how she is just getting along.

With your own eyes, you can see what I'm talking about...

In this picture, Brenna had just jumped to the end of the long trampoline. Audrey had already returned from her jump and made it to the water table. She instinctively grabbed Brenna's water bottle, ran all the way back to the other wall, instructed Brenna to carefully step down from the trampoline, then gave her her water bottle, and walked with her hand on her back all the way back across the gym. She doesn't do things in a bossy way...it's truly all love.

 If that doesn't make a mama's heart swell with pride, I don't know what would.

 The days are ticking by when our big, tenderhearted girl will be going off to Kindergarten. I know she will fill that place up, too, with her big heart. I can't be selfish and keep it all to myself forever. But, man, I'm going to miss these tender moments all through our day.