It's Zoo Time!

We wanted to have a special family day to celebrate Garrett's kindergarten completion! So, we decided to spend Memorial Day visiting a local zoo and picnicking by the creek there. The boys were beyond excited for this special day! We visited this zoo two years ago, but they were doing some renovations and not all of the animals were there. Plus, Carson was only two and had no memory of it.

It turned out to be 90+ degrees on Memorial Day this year, and Carson was getting over a fever of some kind. But there was no way we were canceling, so we packed a lot of ice water and off we went! Here are just a few of the pictures I took!  Sorry, "few" is probably the wrong word ~ I have a difficult time choosing!  :)

African Penguins - a brand new exhibit!

The Wolf Den Replica - Garrett's favorite thing last time we visited this zoo!

On to the otters!

This snow owl was one of Carson's favorite things in the zoo!

Then it was inside the lorakeet cage - boy, did they think this was cool!

Now these are the faces of some satisfied customers! :)

Taking a much needed ice water break while we waited for the penguin feeding presentation!

This was a very friendly peacock!

On to petting the goats!

Carson was beginning to wear out, so he hitched a ride the rest of the way! :)

Don't think the kangaroos were big fans of the heat, or else they're nocturnal - I don't know!

Prairie Dogs are the funniest creatures ~ 

Carson and Daddy are having a chuckle because we just left the Bobcat exhibit and 

when Carson saw the Prairie Dogs, he accidentally called them Prairie Cats! :)

After getting a special toy in the gift shop it was time to have some lunch and hit the creek!

It was a wonderful day full of memories and we're looking forward to making lots more memories throughout this coming summer!

Summer Has Begun!!

I really can't believe it, but our first child is now a reading, writing Kindergarten graduate!  Wasn't I just feeling overwhelmed as I reviewed our curriculum seeing all that we would need to learn this last year?  Of course, there was a time or two (or ten) that we felt frustrated, but we stuck with it and got over those bumps in the road with great feelings of accomplishment! :)  I must say, that helping my son learn to read has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life!  He is now a little reading machine!

Another big blessing that I didn't see coming was that my four year old has learned so much just by listening to his big brother learn to read! He will definitely be learning to read himself over this next year.

We are soooo ready for a summer break, but I'm honestly excited to dive into first grade with my 6 yr. old and Kindergarten with my 4 yr. old in the fall. It's just so amazing to see their little minds wrap around new things!


So we finished up kindergarten successfully, I believe, and now. . .

 IT'S TIME FOR SUMMER FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

A New Porch

So, our front porch was beginning to be a safety concern. Since we park at the back of our property and use the rear entrance 100 percent of the time, the fact that the front porch had more rotten wood than not didn't pose an immediate concern for us. Replacing the porch went on the very long list of things that needed replacing in our 100+ year old twin.  But  when the floorboards began breaking off in front of the steps, we decided that for the safety of say, our UPS delivery man, and the very occasional guest that comes to the front door, we should probably move this project to the top of the list!  :)

Thankfully Home Depot had a great sale on the wood we needed, and my hubby tore into the project on a recent Saturday as the following pictures will show. He was a little leary of opening up the floor and possibly finding much greater structural issues that needed addressing, but it turned out that just the porch flooring and some of the supporting beams needed replacing.

It turned out quite well! He just about finished the project in one day! There's just a corner that needs finishing and a huge pile of rotten wood on our front bank.  So as soon as the mess is cleaned up and that corner is finished I will post a picture. Of course, the whole thing will need painting or staining or something, but no one is going to be putting their foot through the floorboards on the way to our front door anymore! :)

They Know Me Well! :)

Happy Mother's Day from my guys!

A new coffee mug and chocolate - doesn't get much better!

There were two candy bars,

but I ate one before I thought to take a picture! :)

4 and 6 . . . where does the time go?!?!

 I love watching them play with their Daddy!

I am a wife and mother truly blessed of God!

God's "No" Answers

I'm still contemplating the devotional I heard at church last night. It was so thought provoking. Do you ever think about how we so easily praise and thank the Lord when good things happen? The words just spill right out, "Thank you, Lord!" for safety in a certain situation, or good results back from the doctor, or a job promotion, etc.  But as our leader so eloquently shared last night, what about when God clearly gives us a "no" to something we may have specifically prayed for, like getting bad news from the doctor, or having a desired job opportunity given to someone else, and so on? What is our response then?  Do we still praise and thank our heavenly Father for directing our lives even when we think it doesn't make any sense? Do we remain trusting and thankful to the One who is all knowing and sees the "big picture"?  It's so difficult, isn't it?  I find myself anxiously trying to chart my own course, thinking that I know best. And when He clearly steers me in an entirely different direction or He keeps me on the current path with minimal forward progress (or so I think), I find myself questioning God, not trusting him and thanking Him for the way he's leading me.

There are many examples in scripture of people who received "no" answers from God. Last night we looked at David in II Samuel 7.  David wanted to build the temple for the Lord, but the Lord said no. David didn't understand, but his response in vs. 18 through the end of the chapter is amazing!  Verse 22 sums it up, "Therefore, you are great, O Lord God.  For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears." David sat before the Lord and praised him. Wow! I know that would not have been my response.

In my flawed human state, I am incapable of understanding all his ways. I must simply TRUST and OBEY!  Sounds simple, but oh, so hard to do. The Lord loves me beyond measure and knows what is best for my life.  I feel like I need to mull what I heard last night over in my mind and heart for a while longer. Do you ever feel that way? It is a simple truth from God's Word, but it hit me in a new way.  I was applying it to my life in a specific area and it really rebuked me. And I am very thankful for that! :)

Someone's Trash Was Our Treasure

Someone my hubby works with recently bought a house and it had a swing/play set in the yard. They didn't want it and said we could have it! So, my sweetie disassembled the tower/slide section, brought it home and attached it to our swing set. 

These are some very happy boys, and I must say, my husband was just about as happy as them while he was working on this project. All men are boys at heart no matter what their age, aren't they?! :)   Even though he can't play on it, my man could certainly have fun putting it together for them and adding a few extra special touches it didn't have before like the circle swing off the side, a pirate steering wheel up in the "tree house" part, the climbing wall, and a sand box below!

Many hours have already been logged playing all over this thing! And Mama is happy 'cause her boys are all happy, giving her a little extra time for a few projects of her own. :)

Dog Days of Summer. . . Wait, I Mean April! :)

Breakfast Outside . . . In April? :)

Breakfast and a little art time out on the back patio. What a great start to a gorgeous day! We've been very sick and unable to enjoy this amazing weather we've been having. Planning to spend every minute of today outside! :)

This little boy loves to color a picture quickly and move on to another picture. He prefers doing mazes and word searches, but enjoys coloring/painting once in a while. :)

And this little boy could work on the same picture for an hour without looking up. I've found something he loves that occupies his mind and keeps his body still for more than a few seconds! :)