...and 2014/2015 is a wrap!

This has been an incredible school year.... 1st and 3rd grade are such pivotal points in education! It's been fun seeing how much my kids love learning and they have grown so much!

Isaac had a wonderful year. He was voted to be on Student Council and did an incredible job planning events and promoting teamwork at school. He also made the honor roll with all As and received the MEA Award from the city for his artwork. He was the fastest boy in Run Club and winner of the 3rd Grade Jump-4-the-Heart. He was in charge and ran the top reading group in his class for Mrs. Bigham and even got to be Principal-for-a-Day. We are incredibly proud of him and all the time and effort he puts into things.

 Zoey flourished in 1st grade. She was the only person in her class to stay on GREEN the entire year (for character/behavior) and her teacher, Mrs. Crowder, said that she had the perfect balance of humility and leadership in her classroom. (The 1st grade teachers also dubbed her "best dancer" during the dance sessions the girls would have during recess.) She never missed one session of Run Club and was 1st grade winner of Jump-4-the-Heart.... we are so proud of all she did this year!

Tampa Bay

Chris and I were blessed with a weekend away to Tampa Bay without the kids. The main purpose was ministry, but we were able to steal a little time to ourselves. We were refreshed and rejuvenated... and the best part is being to talk without interruption. Many thanks to both sets of parents for not only taking our kids, but making it such a fun weekend for them. We are so very grateful!

All-Star Drew...

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace has always been my most favorite flower. People try to convince me that they are really just a weed, but I don't believe them for a second. How can something so beautiful be considered "valueless", "undesirable" or "troublesome?"

Maybe that's why I love it so much. It's a wild flower.... and when we would spend time up at my grandparents cottage up north, you could pick hundreds of them and no one would even notice one was missing. I would stare at the intricacies of the petals and even try to count how many each one had. They are beautiful.. and usually overlooked.

 "And if you can’t do the little things, why worry about the big things? Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!"

Luke 12:26-28

Time-Out Success!

just making chocolate milk....

Principal-For-A-Day.

This guy got to be PRINCIPAL FOR A DAY at school today.

He spoke on the loud speaker, got to check in with all the classrooms and even order in McDonalds for lunch! It was all because he is a star student and collected the most Cardinal Cards in the entire school.... or maybe top 3.  We are so proud of him. He always holds himself to a high level... even higher than we expect of him... and it blesses my socks off when others notice.

Ps 91

When you are fighting in prayer for people's lives, you take the Word of God seriously. God is One who makes this claim, not me... so I choose to trust His promise and speak His truth over situations that seem impossible. It builds my faith and fight towards the things the enemy has trampled.

J

J-

This girl looks like you.

Smiles like you.

Makes me laugh like you used to.

She is beautiful, gutsy, confident and always aware. And every time she jumps in my arms to have me carry her like a baby, I cry like a baby on the inside. She lets me love her... I don't know if it's for her benefit or if she's just kind enough to allow me for mine. One thing is for sure... this girl is surrounded by love.

But she sure misses you.

-L

them.

Crazy J

He is not my personality.

We are polar opposites.

That's why he brings me so much joy.

And causes me so much distress.

He is our family cartoon character and we are glad he keeps us on our toes.

He takes his games very seriously.

Jump.

Hockey Fights Cancer

Isaac's hockey team participated in the HOCKEY FIGHTS CANCER Tournament this weekend. Each player was able to choose a person to play for that they know that has struggled with cancer at some point in their life. Isaac chose Kyle Cupp, which is one of his cousin's cousin. Kyle is 13 years old and has been diagnosed with stage 2 non-hodgkins lymphoma (Burkitts).  This is a rare cancer in the US and only affects around 1200 people per year. Kyle is currently in remission and we are praying that God continues the healing process!

my lil peanut.

Sarah's MARRIED!