What is your cardboard testimony??

Go to this link and watch this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

Ok - what is your cardboard testimony?? Matt and I watched this together and then we both got a post-it and made up our own. We both had a few, so we picked our favorite of each other's. Matt's was: Pretender - Believer Mine was: Listened to MY heart - Listening to GOD in my heart - I had another one too: Untamed passion in all the wrong places - Tamed passion for His place

Think of your cardboard testimony and write it down on a mini cardboard and put it someplace that you can refer back to it. Every time you see it thank God for where you have been and where you are now - God's grace is amazing!!!

Odds and Ends

Here are some random pictures of the kids doing the things they do this past week:

Harper has been eyeing this table for a while now and he finally succeeded in sitting in the chair all by himself. The look on his face when he first sat down was priceless!!!!!!! Don't you wish that sitting in a chair all by yourself could make you this happy!!

Harper finally made it to 20 lbs and he is able to be turned around in his car seat!!! He liked it, but Carly was sad that he was not looking at her anymore.

I walked into the kitchen the other day to see their bears sitting in the middle of the room with these gloves on. They are into dancing to the cd player and they have to wear their gloves with the necklaces, so I guess they figured if they weren't dancing they would put in some substitutes ~ the bears!

The girls dug these lips out from their birthday party favors - they have been walking around the house (all three of them) all day like this~

Laundry

Yesterday Chloe got up from her nap first so we got to spend some special time together. I love spending time with each one of my babies alone - it feels wierd though, because I have never had just one child!!! I went into my room so I could put away my laundry and fold all of the t-shirts with my flip and fold. Chloe wanted to help, so I gave her the flip and fold and the stack of shirts. That little 3 yr. old worked so hard at folding all of Mommy and Daddy's shirts. She was so cute and very methodical at her approach to the shirts. She ended up folding all 13 shirts by herself!! Matt and I couldn't unfold them!! So yes, they are put away in our drawers the same way as she folded them (we may be a little wrinkly for a while)!!!! They are getting so big and independent.

She did a good job - they are all in little wads!!

Tap Class

The girls started back to dance class last week. They have started tap this year and they were so excited for some tapping shoes!!! I am a slack Mommy as I have forgotten my camera 2 weeks in a row! I have this one picture of the girls in class I took from my cell phone, but I will try to get some more next week. They haven't had a class with their teacher yet. The owner has taught them this week and last because the teacher couldn't start until September.

If it falls, it falls!!!

The girls love to play with little toys in the car. We have a little toy bucket in between their chairs that they can dig in to get a toy. Well, they kept dropping a toy and then whining about it and it was really getting on my nerves. So one day they were asking me to pick up a toy, while I'm driving, and I told them, out of desperation, "if it falls, it falls!!!!!!" Well that is all it took!! That made perfect sense to them. Now if anything falls I hear nothing. The other one just looks at her twin and says, "if it fall, it falls sissy." No whining, no crying, just two happy girls satisfied with that response. Yesterday we took them all out to eat to Qdoba's - Mexican. Chloe was enjoying a burrito and sometimes it can be spicy and they will cry that it burns. So Chloe takes several heaping spoonfuls and then looks at Matt and I and says, "if it burns, it burns!!!" And continues to eat!! Oh my!!! She had us laughing for so long with that one. That girls is a hoot!

Imperfect Parents

I love my Bible that Matt got me for Christmas a couple Christmas' ago. It is a Mom's devotional Bible and it really highlights a parent's role in every book. I just finished reading 2 Samuel and I have been getting alot out of it. One thing I learned from this book, is how we are all imperfect parents. We all make mistakes!! BUT, if we focus on those mistakes, then what type of legacy will we leave in our kids lives? It is our job to outweigh those mistakes with being great models. We need to model a pattern of godliness in our families. So, I challenge you as well as myself, to leave your legacy . . . . . . .

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." 2 Samuel 22:31

Shoes

Here is another thing that my daughters do that make me smile every time I see them. These are our backyard shoes that stay on the deck. They have to organize them every time they come inside - I did not make them do this!!! So the other day I walked outside during nap time, and this is what I found. So cute!


I loved this line up too!! Harper has some big shoes to fill!

DEAR Time

Everyday after lunch I have the kids sit and have DEAR (drop everything and read) time. They love reading books. I have to make Harper sit in his saucer to read his books, but that just teaches him he needs to sit still to read!! Here is a little clip of them reading. They are so cute, I could just squeeze them.

Grocery Store

Today we went to our usual Monday morning grocery trip, and of course the girls needed it to be exciting. They love going to the grocery store, so there are times when I could go by myself, but won't because they all love going so much. Well, Harris Teeter has the little shopper in training carts (the girls tried them a couple of months ago and Carly turned her's too fast and toppled the whole thing over and since then they have been scared to try them again), so today they wanted to give it a try again. I got them all buckled up in the car and then they proceded to tell me they needed pocket books and keys (my mom gave them some fake keys that look real and they think they are their car keys). I knew that would make the trip so special if they got to bring their pocket books. They were so cute marching into that store with their pocket books, keys, and got their little buggies. They did very good pushing them around and enjoyed getting all their groceries. I love doing fun things like this with my kids!! (oh Harper was happy as a clam with his balloon in my buggy)!

Notice the Vera Bradley pocket books (oh yes, they are the same pattern as mine, so they are really like Mommy when they shop)

Michael and Shawn

I love watching the Olympics!! Matt and I have been watching them every night before we go to bed and last night the women gymnastics was on really late so I taped them. This morning the girls woke up and we were snuggling watching Michael Phelps win some gold medals in swimming and Shawn Johnson on the bars and the vault. The girls were so into it!! So they stacked up some pillows and were reinacting Shawn vaulting! Then we went to the pool and they decided they were Michael. So of course they made me call them Michael and they were swimming all over with their faces in the water!!!!! I was so excited - of course they rarely stick their heads in the water and today they wouldn't come up for air!! I loved it! I had to explain to everyone that they were Michael Phelps because I was calling them both the same name. They are so funny how they absorb everything they see.

Is that a sand castle mom?

Tonight we went downtown to see 2 babies that were born, Ginger's and Courtney's. They were so cute!!! Courtney's baby had a little bit of light brown hair and Ginger's baby had a head full of black hair!!! Lilly was asleep and Madelyn was wide awake! Well, on the way to the hospital Carly was looking out the window and said, "Hey Mom, is that a sand castle?" I looked to see what she was talking about and she was looking at the Charlotte skyline!! She saw all those big buildings and thought they were sand castles!! Matt and I couldn't stop laughing. They have such an imagination and they are so observant. They take everything in. Then Chloe was telling me to stop driving when my light turned green because there wasn't a man - she was referring to the crosswalks. The hand was up and not the man!!! We went down town a while back and we told them we couldn't cross until they saw a man, so I guess she thought I couldn't drive either. They are so funny!

Walk with Faith

Today Harper and I went out back to play while the girls laid down for their nap. He walks non stop now and is getting quite fast. Well, our back yard is by no means flat!!! So it was so tough for Harper to walk around out there. He fell so many times and he was so unsteady. It reminded me of a Sunday School lesson (see TJ - I listen!). He talked about how our walks of faith are just like that of a child learning to walk. Harper had to have faith that his legs would hold him up. But just like life, he had so many obstacles in his way (rocks, uneven ground, the swing set base, slipping on pine needles, etc.). We have to build our faith in God in order for us to be successful in our walk. God is always there (just like Harper's legs), we just have to learn to trust that He will hold us up and let Him do his job!!

Pedicures

Today Carly, Chloe, Grandma, and myself went and got pedicures. We needed some girl time relaxing and getting our toes painted. The girls got to stick their toes in the water for a while and then they took them out and ate some marshmallows on our laps. Then they got painted - of course they got pink!! They love getting their pedicures done - they are hoping to get a manicure, but I am holding that over their head for when they are through sucking their thumbs! I hope that is soon!!! It was so nice spending some girl time with my 3 favorite girls!!

Grandma and Carly relaxing!

Mommy and Chloe enjoying our messaging chair!

Harper stayed at home with Daddy - Matt sent me this picture of him hard at work mowing the lawn!! The boys had some guy time too!

Let the Children Laugh

I was reading my Bible today, and came across and insert by Walter Wangerin, Jr. from Little Lamb, Who Made Thee? It reads:
Let the children laugh and be glad. O my dear, they haven't long before the world assaults them. Allow them genuine laughter now. Laugh with them, till tears run down your faces - till a memory of pure delight and precious relationship is established within them, indestructible, personal, and forever. Soon enough they'll meet faces unreasonably enraged. Soon enough they'll be accused of things they did not do. Soon enough they will suffer guilt at the hands of powerful people who can't accept their own guilt and who must dump it, therefore, on the weak. In that day the children must be strengthened by self-confidence so they can resist the criticism of fools. But self-confidence begins in the experience of childhood. So give your children (your grandchildren, your nieces and nephews, the dear ones, children of your neighbors and your community) - give them golden days, their own pure days, in which they are so clearly and dearly beloved that they believe in love and in their own particular worth when love shall seem in short supply hereafter. Give them laughter. Observe each child with individual attention to learn what triggers the guileless laugh in each. Is it a story? A game? Certain family traditions? Excursions? Elaborate fantasies? Simple winks? What? Do that thing. Because the laughter that is so easy in childhood must echo its encouragement a long, long time. A lifetime.

After I read this, I just smiled, because that is my favorite sound in this whole world - my children laughing!!!

I'll buy you a bagel Mom!

Today the kids were all eating breakfast and I opened up the fridge and said, "Oh, Mommy forgot to get muffins and bagels at the grocery store!" Carly, knowing that is what I eat every morning says, "Mom! I will buy you a bagel and muffins at the store - I need to go Mom!" So she decided she was done eating her breakfast and told me to go into her kitchen. She proceeded to get me a plastic bagel, then told me to wrap it into a napkin (that is how I eat my bagels). She was so proud of herself that she was able to take care of me. I love her sweet heart. She is so caring for everyone in this house. I can really tell that she is the oldest! She takes care of all of us. If I ever get hurt, she is right there ready to kiss whatever needs it. They are so sweet and innocent and I don't want them to get bigger - I just want to bottle them up!!

Oh the toys!

I just love when my girls decide to play something and it requires piles. They have always done this. They start playing and everything ends up in a big heap. Yesterday they decided to empty an entire toy box and put its contents behind the book boxes. They are too much!

Tap

The girls got their first pair of tap shoes!! They have been waiting for this since the dance recital and you should have seen their faces when they put those shoes on for the first time - priceless!! They wore them in the kitchen yesterday, and I took a video of it with my cell phone. I am going to try to download it, but if I don't succeed, I will take a picture and add it later.

My boy is 6!!!

I can't believe my Connor Michael is 6 years old!!! His birthday is August 3rd - same as Matt's. He had his birthday party on Saturday. We started the day at the lake again and then headed up to his birthday party. We went to McDonald's first for dinner, cake, and presents, and then headed to the pool for the swimming part of the party. The weather cooperated perfectly for us!! It rained right before we got there and we were able to swim. It was a lot of fun.

Transformers was his thing this year! He got several of them. I had bought him some clothes when he came to visit, so I got him some small stuff for the party. The girls pick out a red beta fish - he loves my fish at home, so I figured he needed one for himself. I asked him what he wanted to name it - of course he named it Connor. Then the day after his birthday he had changed it to Nathan. I would love to know what goes through his head!!

Silly Alls

Kris, Gina, Connor, and Kaitlyn came over to our house to visit on Thursday and we got to spend some time with them and their dog Abby. Abby is such a cute basset hound puppy - love the floppy ears! Harper was excited to see the DOG, the girls liked her, but kept their distance. We played for a while, ate lunch, and then went to Inflation Fun Station. Kris left with Gina to take her to a Dr. appointment, so I was left with all 5 kids at this place!!! IT WAS SO HOT! The air conditioner was broken and it was roasting - it was 95 outside and pretty close to that inside. To top it all off - our air conditioner broke in our house the day before so my kids and myself just lived through a day without ac and didn't want to do it again! They had fun, but it was roasting. When Kris got back we came back to my house so I could lay my kids down for a nap.

Connor and Kaitlyn enjoyed playing dress up in Carly and Chloe's costumes. Yes, this is my almost 6 year old nephew in a 2T outfit - the pants looked like spandex!!!!

God our Father

We were at the mall last Monday, and the girls and I were saying our blessing before lunch. When we finished, Carly said, "Harper is saying the blessing!" And there he was, so proud, with his hands folded and sitting so still saying his blessing. He loves to take part in the blessing, and I love seeing my 1 year old thanking God for what he has (even though he may not realize he is doing this)!

Night Light

One of my favorite things to find around the house is something that one of my kids have messed with (only of course if it is not damaged!). Well Harper is infatuated with the hallway night light. He was into unplugging it and really messing with it, and of course I had to keep redirecting him to better choices. Now he is sneaky about it!! Every time I walk past this night light the cover is in a different position. It may be upside down, sideways, hanging, etc., but it is always in a different spot. I love it!! I know this will get old and he won't mess with it anymore, but for right now I get a huge smile every time I walk past it. He is so goofy!