In the previous post, I mentioned the old adage, "Some days are better than others." That particular day was a glorious one in the Brewer house. This day, however, is classified near the other end of that spectrum.
Don't get me wrong. We are blessed. We have no complaints of any merit. But today, I ended up catching the Monday Blues, or some other variation or strain of it. Maybe it is fatigue, maybe it is a hormonal swing (though I don't think so), or maybe....I'm just in a funk today. I have vascillated between laughter and tears, gentle whispers and not-so-gentle "voice raising", silence and noise all.....day......long.
It is no surprise, then, that my moodiness affected our classroom today. Somehow, Anderson fell victim to my contagious funk, shedding his own tears and saying, "I don't know why I am crying." He really didn't. I think we were both just exhausted, which meant he was struggling to concentrate at one point during the day. Thankfully, we talked it out, and we were both happy, enjoying school again. We are both committed to making this process as fun and as easy for one another as possible. And that has made all the difference.
Of course, Bennett is sure to have been affected by my mood swings today. He has been more strong-willed and ornery than usual, which, though I am not proud to admit it, has not helped my mood. At all.
In spite of feeling melancholy and tired, there were highlights of our day. One, Paul called and asked if he could take Bennett and me out to dinner. That is always a welcome invitation! Anderson did not go with us because he was with his granddaddy buying a new puppy. (No, not for him. For Granddaddy.) Granddaddy is the proud of owner of the cutest, fluffiest, blackest chow puppy in the world. He really is adorable. We grew up with chows and have always maintained an affinity for this breed.
I am ready to say goodnight to this day and ready to embrace tomorrow and all that it has in store. I am so glad that God's mercy and grace are renewed for me each day. I am thankful that God gives grace where I fall short, mercy when I fall down, and faithful love that I always fall into. I pray that my children, whose forgiveness I have had to ask today as I have not been as patient or as kind as I want to be, will learn in my shining moments how "God stoops down and makes us great" (Psalm 18:35) and in my less-than-shining moments how "God gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).
Huh. How about that? Just pausing to reflect--on the day, and on the goodness of the One who gave it to me--has caused me to stumble onto what I was searching for all along. I found a new attitude.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
and we're off...
Some days really are better than others. And this one goes down in Brewer family history as one of the more memorable, enjoyable days.
It all began when we my dear husband informed me this morning that he wanted to start running with me again. Of course, he courted me by running with me in college, so this was a delightful surprise, to say the least. We also wanted Anderson to join us for a mile, and though he was very reluctant, he did it. He ran almost a mile then got his bike to ride with us for the next two miles of our run. Bennett ran a few blocks, but for the most part, he was in the jogging stroller. And Hampton joined us, too, as he has become very fond of and accustomed to his daily run.
The best part of our run, other than the fact that we were all together as a family, was that it rained. No storms. Just cool, refreshing, gentle rain! I love running in the summer when it rains.
After we ran two miles, we paused for a swim in the pool. The boys were surprised when Paul and I jumped in for a swim in our running clothes! The pool was warm, and the rain was cool. It was a perfect combination.
After a good swim, we ran another mile home. By this time, it was almost 11, so we ate lunch and then began our very first day of school!! That's right--school is in session in the Brewer house!
Can I just take a moment to say that Anderson Brewer is one sharp kid? He really is. As we did math, Latin, grammar, history, Bible, reading and spelling, (all of which took between 2 1/2-3 hours in all) I marveled at how quickly he learned and how much knowledge the kid already has. He really impressed me today. I extend my deep, heartfelt gratitude to all of his teachers and the fine school that has helped provide him with an excellent, well-rounded education and the discipline and work ethic to breeze through subjects! I really did know that Anderson was very smart, but watching him work and learn was a very special opportunity for me, and I savored every moment of it. Being able to observe him in the learning process is certainly one of the biggest blessings of teaching him myself.
Anderson journaled at the end of school today, and he will not allow me to share it. I think he would be okay with me saying that he loved his first day of school. He has the wisdom to see the beauty in this season and to be grateful that we seized this opportunity. I do know that he is missing his friends, so we will have more playdates lined up before the weekend is over.
It all began when we my dear husband informed me this morning that he wanted to start running with me again. Of course, he courted me by running with me in college, so this was a delightful surprise, to say the least. We also wanted Anderson to join us for a mile, and though he was very reluctant, he did it. He ran almost a mile then got his bike to ride with us for the next two miles of our run. Bennett ran a few blocks, but for the most part, he was in the jogging stroller. And Hampton joined us, too, as he has become very fond of and accustomed to his daily run.
The best part of our run, other than the fact that we were all together as a family, was that it rained. No storms. Just cool, refreshing, gentle rain! I love running in the summer when it rains.
After we ran two miles, we paused for a swim in the pool. The boys were surprised when Paul and I jumped in for a swim in our running clothes! The pool was warm, and the rain was cool. It was a perfect combination.
After a good swim, we ran another mile home. By this time, it was almost 11, so we ate lunch and then began our very first day of school!! That's right--school is in session in the Brewer house!
Can I just take a moment to say that Anderson Brewer is one sharp kid? He really is. As we did math, Latin, grammar, history, Bible, reading and spelling, (all of which took between 2 1/2-3 hours in all) I marveled at how quickly he learned and how much knowledge the kid already has. He really impressed me today. I extend my deep, heartfelt gratitude to all of his teachers and the fine school that has helped provide him with an excellent, well-rounded education and the discipline and work ethic to breeze through subjects! I really did know that Anderson was very smart, but watching him work and learn was a very special opportunity for me, and I savored every moment of it. Being able to observe him in the learning process is certainly one of the biggest blessings of teaching him myself.
Anderson journaled at the end of school today, and he will not allow me to share it. I think he would be okay with me saying that he loved his first day of school. He has the wisdom to see the beauty in this season and to be grateful that we seized this opportunity. I do know that he is missing his friends, so we will have more playdates lined up before the weekend is over.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
me and Bennett, we love to...
I should begin by saying that Bennett's love language is most certainly time. The more quality time we spend with him, the happier he is. In fact, just spend an hour engaged with him, and he will be telling you, "I yuv you foreva." He means it.
When Bennett was a very young toddler, maybe just 18 months old, he loved to go to the pond with his daddy. This was one way that they enjoyed quality, one-on-one time together. Paul, being the clever dad that he is, made up a song that went something like this:
"Me and Bennett we love to go to the pond.
Me and Bennett we love to go to the pond."
I think at one time there were more lyrics, but this is the part we sang the most. When Bennett would get upset or cry, we would sing this song to him, and he would grin. Then, last summer, he fell in love with the ocean. So we altered the song a bit:
Me and Bennett, we love to go to the ocean.
Me and Bennett we love to play in the sand.
We like to build sandcastles and go fishing, too,
and jump in the waves of the ocean blue.
Now, whenever Bennett loves what he is doing with us, he makes up his own song to the same tune. Like today, he and I were hanging out together while Anderson and Paul had football practice. We watched the I-Carly episode again (previous post), and we made popcorn. As I am putting the popcorn in the bowl, I hear a familiar tune:
"Me and Bennett we love to eat popcorn."
No, he doesn't sing "Me and Mommy" because that is not the way that the song is sung. But I know what he means. His singing is just his way of saying, "I love when you spend time with me, Mom. It makes me happy; so happy, I want to sing."
When Bennett was a very young toddler, maybe just 18 months old, he loved to go to the pond with his daddy. This was one way that they enjoyed quality, one-on-one time together. Paul, being the clever dad that he is, made up a song that went something like this:
"Me and Bennett we love to go to the pond.
Me and Bennett we love to go to the pond."
I think at one time there were more lyrics, but this is the part we sang the most. When Bennett would get upset or cry, we would sing this song to him, and he would grin. Then, last summer, he fell in love with the ocean. So we altered the song a bit:
Me and Bennett, we love to go to the ocean.
Me and Bennett we love to play in the sand.
We like to build sandcastles and go fishing, too,
and jump in the waves of the ocean blue.
Now, whenever Bennett loves what he is doing with us, he makes up his own song to the same tune. Like today, he and I were hanging out together while Anderson and Paul had football practice. We watched the I-Carly episode again (previous post), and we made popcorn. As I am putting the popcorn in the bowl, I hear a familiar tune:
"Me and Bennett we love to eat popcorn."
No, he doesn't sing "Me and Mommy" because that is not the way that the song is sung. But I know what he means. His singing is just his way of saying, "I love when you spend time with me, Mom. It makes me happy; so happy, I want to sing."
Monday, August 10, 2009
confirmation and precious gifts
On the homeschooling front, all curriculum is now ordered, all supplies have been purchased, and our notification has been sent to the state that we are an official homeschool. The past days have been filled with excitement, lots of preparation, and confirmation upon confirmation that we are exactly where we are meant to be. Here are just two examples:
One of my friends "accidentally" ordered two teacher's manuals for Latin, so she gave me one, leaving it for me on her front stoop while she was at school today. Attached was a note: Holly, HAVE FUN!!! No, this wasn't a sarcastic remark (after all, it is Latin we will be studying) but it was entirely genuine. My friends have been more than enthusiastic and fully supportive about our endeavor.
One of the most miraculous gifts to me was when my dear friend whose son was in the fifth grade last year at Anderson's school informed me that she had, "for some reason", kept all of her son's schoolwork, along with weekly class letters from the teacher (that Anderson was assigned to for this year) and her son's weekly assignment sheets outlining all that he did each week in class. Not only had she kept them, but she had neatly paperclipped the work from that week and carefully labeled it with the week and the quarter. Do you understand what that means? I now fully know what Anderson would have been doing at school each week. I will be able to gauge where we are in our home classroom in regards to where his class is! Since I am a fast typist, I can even duplicate quizzes and tests! Seeing that my dear friend had not known the reason for keeping these papers (and doing it in such an orderly fashion) reminded me that God had this planned all along. It is like He has handed me this gift on a carefully and beautifully crafted platinum platter!!
Anderson says he most misses recess and PE at school. This was when he was able to play football and kickball with his buddies. Thankfully, his buddy, Will, invited him and his other friends, Matthew and Sam, over after school on Friday. Anderson had so much fun having water fights with them. Each week, I'd optimally like to go to the school to pick up friends to come home with him. He will likely get more quality playtime with them now than he did at school.
On the Bennett front, I found four different activity books for preschoolers at Target in the dollar bins (gotta love those bins!). They feature shapes, colors, letters, numbers, etc. It doesn't matter to me that Bennett does a thing with these books, but I know he will feel special having his own "homework" books. Hopefully these, some playdough, and some watercolor paints will keep him busy while we homeschool.
I will close with a cute Boo story from today. I needed to plan my first week of homeschool, so I asked him if he would like to watch a show he had begged me to DVR for him last week. On Friday afternoon, he kept telling me that he wanted to see "boxing on I-Car-yee" (I-Carly, from Nickelodeon, which is a teeny-bopper show, but since Anderson loves it, Bennett does, too). Today, as he is marching up the stairs to the playroom to watch it, he informs me: "Mom, I-Car-yee box Soapie Marx (Sophie Marx), and Soapie is mean, mean, mean. She is a mean goil (girl), Mom." I have no idea who he is talking about, but the way he says it is deliciously adorable!!! I could eat him with a spoon.
One of my friends "accidentally" ordered two teacher's manuals for Latin, so she gave me one, leaving it for me on her front stoop while she was at school today. Attached was a note: Holly, HAVE FUN!!! No, this wasn't a sarcastic remark (after all, it is Latin we will be studying) but it was entirely genuine. My friends have been more than enthusiastic and fully supportive about our endeavor.
One of the most miraculous gifts to me was when my dear friend whose son was in the fifth grade last year at Anderson's school informed me that she had, "for some reason", kept all of her son's schoolwork, along with weekly class letters from the teacher (that Anderson was assigned to for this year) and her son's weekly assignment sheets outlining all that he did each week in class. Not only had she kept them, but she had neatly paperclipped the work from that week and carefully labeled it with the week and the quarter. Do you understand what that means? I now fully know what Anderson would have been doing at school each week. I will be able to gauge where we are in our home classroom in regards to where his class is! Since I am a fast typist, I can even duplicate quizzes and tests! Seeing that my dear friend had not known the reason for keeping these papers (and doing it in such an orderly fashion) reminded me that God had this planned all along. It is like He has handed me this gift on a carefully and beautifully crafted platinum platter!!
Anderson says he most misses recess and PE at school. This was when he was able to play football and kickball with his buddies. Thankfully, his buddy, Will, invited him and his other friends, Matthew and Sam, over after school on Friday. Anderson had so much fun having water fights with them. Each week, I'd optimally like to go to the school to pick up friends to come home with him. He will likely get more quality playtime with them now than he did at school.
On the Bennett front, I found four different activity books for preschoolers at Target in the dollar bins (gotta love those bins!). They feature shapes, colors, letters, numbers, etc. It doesn't matter to me that Bennett does a thing with these books, but I know he will feel special having his own "homework" books. Hopefully these, some playdough, and some watercolor paints will keep him busy while we homeschool.
I will close with a cute Boo story from today. I needed to plan my first week of homeschool, so I asked him if he would like to watch a show he had begged me to DVR for him last week. On Friday afternoon, he kept telling me that he wanted to see "boxing on I-Car-yee" (I-Carly, from Nickelodeon, which is a teeny-bopper show, but since Anderson loves it, Bennett does, too). Today, as he is marching up the stairs to the playroom to watch it, he informs me: "Mom, I-Car-yee box Soapie Marx (Sophie Marx), and Soapie is mean, mean, mean. She is a mean goil (girl), Mom." I have no idea who he is talking about, but the way he says it is deliciously adorable!!! I could eat him with a spoon.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
setting up shop (or, in our case, school) and a Boo story
I am officially a teacher. I now know what it feels like to come up with lesson plans, order curriculum books and materials, organize school supplies, and plan field trips. It is hard to believe that less than 48 hours ago we made the decision to homeschool Anderson this year. Since then, I have been busy planning, dreaming and ordering--with Anderson's input, of course! After all, one of the purposes of teaching him myself is to allow him the freedom to question, investigate, and discover topics he is interested in without having to maintain the schedule required in a classroom environment.
In North Carolina, you have to give your "school" a name when you indicate that you are homeschooling. It is wise to choose a name that you are proud to put on your child's school records, so the boys decided on Wingate Hill Academy. This name has significance to our family, but since this blog can currently be read by strangers, I will digress.
Today, we are off to buy a few more things for our school. Once the curriculum materials are delivered, we will be off and running! So, it looks like next week, our school year will officially commence. Anderson and I are so very, very excited. We know it will be hard. We know there may be days we wonder what we are doing. But I am convinced that the joy will far outweigh the hardship.
Bennett will, of course, be a student at our school as well. He will have subjects like play-doh, watercolor, drawing, puzzles, "reading", etc. Since "Boo" has always wanted to do homework with "Bubba", he will probably be thrilled to have his own workspace in our school.
And speaking of Bennett, I have to share the sweetest remark he made this morning. First of all, he has been crawling up in my lap as I sit here at the computer ordering our supplies, wrapping his arms tightly around my neck, resting his head on my shoulder and whispering, "I yuv you foreva." Ah! Be still, my heart! But then this morning, he was upset that he couldn't find Anderson's NC State football. Here he was, all decked out in his NC State football jersey, and he couldn't find his favorite accessory to the outfit--the football. Well, last night, I found a junior NC State football for $8 and bought it for him for his birthday in a few weeks. To ease his troubled mind this morning, I told him I would give him one of his birthday presents if he would have a good attitude. Of course, his countenance instantly changed from gloom to joy. Then, I handed him the bag with the football in it. He peered inside, took a deep breath, and said, "Oh my gosh." (Yes, Laura, I've passed my habit onto him. We are trying to replace it with "Holy smokes", which works 50% of the time.) When he pulled it out, with uninhibited excitement he exclaimed, "This is my favorite football, Mom!" He was so sincere (because most two-year olds are, unless you are forcing them to apologize to their big brother for hitting him), and so elated. And an hour later, he has yet to put the football down.
In North Carolina, you have to give your "school" a name when you indicate that you are homeschooling. It is wise to choose a name that you are proud to put on your child's school records, so the boys decided on Wingate Hill Academy. This name has significance to our family, but since this blog can currently be read by strangers, I will digress.
Today, we are off to buy a few more things for our school. Once the curriculum materials are delivered, we will be off and running! So, it looks like next week, our school year will officially commence. Anderson and I are so very, very excited. We know it will be hard. We know there may be days we wonder what we are doing. But I am convinced that the joy will far outweigh the hardship.
Bennett will, of course, be a student at our school as well. He will have subjects like play-doh, watercolor, drawing, puzzles, "reading", etc. Since "Boo" has always wanted to do homework with "Bubba", he will probably be thrilled to have his own workspace in our school.
And speaking of Bennett, I have to share the sweetest remark he made this morning. First of all, he has been crawling up in my lap as I sit here at the computer ordering our supplies, wrapping his arms tightly around my neck, resting his head on my shoulder and whispering, "I yuv you foreva." Ah! Be still, my heart! But then this morning, he was upset that he couldn't find Anderson's NC State football. Here he was, all decked out in his NC State football jersey, and he couldn't find his favorite accessory to the outfit--the football. Well, last night, I found a junior NC State football for $8 and bought it for him for his birthday in a few weeks. To ease his troubled mind this morning, I told him I would give him one of his birthday presents if he would have a good attitude. Of course, his countenance instantly changed from gloom to joy. Then, I handed him the bag with the football in it. He peered inside, took a deep breath, and said, "Oh my gosh." (Yes, Laura, I've passed my habit onto him. We are trying to replace it with "Holy smokes", which works 50% of the time.) When he pulled it out, with uninhibited excitement he exclaimed, "This is my favorite football, Mom!" He was so sincere (because most two-year olds are, unless you are forcing them to apologize to their big brother for hitting him), and so elated. And an hour later, he has yet to put the football down.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
adventures in homeschooling
So anyone who knows me well knows that I have always said that while I totally support other parents' choice to homeschool their children, I could not ever imagine doing it myself. When, oh when will I learn that when I say things like that, I end up doing the very thing I said I wouldn't?
Well, today, after about a week of what I call "God nudges", thinking mostly hypothetically about what it would be like to take Anderson out of school for a year to teach him as we travel, play lots of golf, have lots of time with our family, etc., I made a life-changing decision, one I almost swore I would never make.
Today, Anderson became a homeschooler.
Well, today, after about a week of what I call "God nudges", thinking mostly hypothetically about what it would be like to take Anderson out of school for a year to teach him as we travel, play lots of golf, have lots of time with our family, etc., I made a life-changing decision, one I almost swore I would never make.
Today, Anderson became a homeschooler.
Monday, April 20, 2009
just another manic monday
If Sundays are the laziest of days, Mondays are the craziest!
Today was our first full day with Hampton. Anderson stayed home because he has been suffering from those spring allergies and has felt rotten. Thankfully, he will be over them very soon. But, I am sure he was happy to stay home with his new baby. He took him for two walks today and fed him every meal; not to mention, he worked on Hampton's fetching and sitting skills. He did as much as he could and then would have to return inside to escape the pollen.
Although Anderson was home from school, I still had to drive carpool. My day started at 2 am when I got up to check on the puppy and take him out of his crate for a potty break. He was sound asleep, but he got up and "did his business" and happily went back to sleep. Then, at 6, I woke up again to take him out. Once again, he was asleep. So, I started my daily chores until he woke up around 6:30.
After carpool, it was off to Wal-Mart to buy more doggy supplies and other household items. As soon as I got home, Paul was repairing the fence where our beavers in the pond behind us had destroyed it. Bennett, of course, was "helping". I resumed chores, prepared an early lunch, helped Anderson with the dog, took a nice bath, then went to pick up the kids from school.
After school, it was off to the vet for Hampton's first visit! He is a healthy 23 pound 9 week old boy! Even the vet commented on his laid-back demeanor. Let's just pray he keeps that! :)
Following our veterinarian appointment, we went to Hibachi Express to pick up Japanese food and to Lowes Home Improvement so Paul could buy a new gate for the fence. We came home, ate quickly, hauled everyone (even Hampton) back into the car and went to Anna's house where she, Anderson, Hampton, Poppi (Anna's dog), Jackson and Webb played while Paul and I went to Bible study at Mom and Dad's next door.
Finally, we are home. I just finally finished my "Monday chores" and am settling in to watch Dancing With The Stars before bedtime.
And we'll do it all over again tomorrow...
Today was our first full day with Hampton. Anderson stayed home because he has been suffering from those spring allergies and has felt rotten. Thankfully, he will be over them very soon. But, I am sure he was happy to stay home with his new baby. He took him for two walks today and fed him every meal; not to mention, he worked on Hampton's fetching and sitting skills. He did as much as he could and then would have to return inside to escape the pollen.
Although Anderson was home from school, I still had to drive carpool. My day started at 2 am when I got up to check on the puppy and take him out of his crate for a potty break. He was sound asleep, but he got up and "did his business" and happily went back to sleep. Then, at 6, I woke up again to take him out. Once again, he was asleep. So, I started my daily chores until he woke up around 6:30.
After carpool, it was off to Wal-Mart to buy more doggy supplies and other household items. As soon as I got home, Paul was repairing the fence where our beavers in the pond behind us had destroyed it. Bennett, of course, was "helping". I resumed chores, prepared an early lunch, helped Anderson with the dog, took a nice bath, then went to pick up the kids from school.
After school, it was off to the vet for Hampton's first visit! He is a healthy 23 pound 9 week old boy! Even the vet commented on his laid-back demeanor. Let's just pray he keeps that! :)
Following our veterinarian appointment, we went to Hibachi Express to pick up Japanese food and to Lowes Home Improvement so Paul could buy a new gate for the fence. We came home, ate quickly, hauled everyone (even Hampton) back into the car and went to Anna's house where she, Anderson, Hampton, Poppi (Anna's dog), Jackson and Webb played while Paul and I went to Bible study at Mom and Dad's next door.
Finally, we are home. I just finally finished my "Monday chores" and am settling in to watch Dancing With The Stars before bedtime.
And we'll do it all over again tomorrow...
sir hampton wallace brewer
Paul and I are the proud grandparents of a 9 week old Golden Retriever. He was adopted yesterday by his daddy, Anderson, who gave him the most beautiful name: Sir Hampton Wallace Brewer. He was named Hampton because Anderson just liked the name, and we like that it sounds similar to the name of previous sweet dog, Samson. Paul, however, likes to call him "Hamp" for short. His middle name was given because Goldens originated in Scotland, and Anderson likes the movie Bravehart (which is about the heroic and tragic life of William Wallace who fought for Scotland's freedom).
Hampton is an adorable and stocky boy. His father, Rufus, weighs 110 pounds and is absolutely beautiful and playful. His mother, Katie Mae, is a sweetheart who is more average in size.
We are so happy to welcome sweet Hampton to our home. Anderson is doing well being fully responsible for his baby, and Paul and I are happy to babysit and play with our granddog whenever we can. Bennett thinks Hampton is mighty fine and loves laying on the floor beside him to give him some "sugar".
Hampton is an adorable and stocky boy. His father, Rufus, weighs 110 pounds and is absolutely beautiful and playful. His mother, Katie Mae, is a sweetheart who is more average in size.
We are so happy to welcome sweet Hampton to our home. Anderson is doing well being fully responsible for his baby, and Paul and I are happy to babysit and play with our granddog whenever we can. Bennett thinks Hampton is mighty fine and loves laying on the floor beside him to give him some "sugar".
Monday, April 13, 2009
Easter weekend
Again, I am sorry to say that writing on facebook has stolen the time I used to spend keeping up with this blog. I am ready to reclaim this time and resume my blogging. I prefer a blog because it fulfills several purposes--keeping friends and family informed on what is going on with the Brewers, and providing a journal of sorts for us to remember events of the past.
The last few days have been eventful and fun! It was Easter weekend, and we had plenty of festivities to celebrate it all weekend long.
On Thursday, two of my very best friends since eighth grade--Kara and Kasey--came over with their children. Kara lives in Arlington, Virginia and Kasey lives about 20 minutes away from me. We had dinner together here at the house, and we "big girls" enjoyed a glass of wine while the children played out back. I love old friends--no matter how much time passes since you see one another, when you are reunited, it is as if no time has passed at all. You pick up right where you left off.
I was sorry that I neglected to take more photos of our time together. Just before Kasey left, we did manage to capture a few photos of our kids and us. Here they are:
The last few days have been eventful and fun! It was Easter weekend, and we had plenty of festivities to celebrate it all weekend long.
On Thursday, two of my very best friends since eighth grade--Kara and Kasey--came over with their children. Kara lives in Arlington, Virginia and Kasey lives about 20 minutes away from me. We had dinner together here at the house, and we "big girls" enjoyed a glass of wine while the children played out back. I love old friends--no matter how much time passes since you see one another, when you are reunited, it is as if no time has passed at all. You pick up right where you left off.
I was sorry that I neglected to take more photos of our time together. Just before Kasey left, we did manage to capture a few photos of our kids and us. Here they are:
On Friday--Good Friday--I had my first chiropractic adjustment (which I am thrilled about) at 7 am. I then came home to find out that my dear husband was giving me the day off! So, I left Bennett with him, went out for a run, showered, then went to my parents' house where Mom was hosting a luncheon for all of the girls on her side of the family. The meal was delicious, the company was so enjoyable, and the setting was beautiful. Mom is definitely a mentor to me in being the "hostess with the mostest". That evening, the boys discovered that the Easter Bunny had left their baskets filled with candy on the screened-in porch. They received way too much candy (I will be speaking to the Easter Bunny about this. I think he (she) was craving chocolate when he (she) filled the baskets.), but they were happy boys.
On Saturday, we enjoyed a lazy day at home. My nephew, Jackson, came over to play with the boys. They played Star Wars (dressed up in their various costumes with light sabers in hand to battle), and played computer games. Anderson was having seasonal allergy issues, so in spite of the lovely weather, he was unable to enjoy being outdoors for any length of time.
On Sunday, we did not attend an Easter service, but we spent the day celebrating what Jesus had done for us by giving His life in our sted, conquering death and the grave, and rising again so that we might truly live FREELY! At 11 am, my sisters joined us for an Easter lunch that was oh-so-good! Following lunch, we had an Easter egg hunt in our backyard. It was a beautiful day for it! We all had a wonderful, relaxing time together, and while we paused to ponder the gratitude we feel for all that Jesus has done for us, it was also a time for giving thanks for family and friends. We are so incredibly, lavishly, overflowingly blessed!
(More photos from this weekend to come....)
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