Delightful Change in Plans

 When Tim and Kathi generously offered to pay for the kids and I to fly up and meet them at their beach house for the week, there wasn't really much to think about.  Andy heads to Boston on a ten day work trip this week so I was delighted to 1. spend time with them (a source of much love and strength for me) 2.  have help with my kiddos (a source of much needed assistance)  and 3.  enjoy their beach house (a source of delight and joy)! 

Corn Hole

The kids are HAVING A BLAST!!!!!  They love their grandparents so much and they are loving every minute of the pool and the beach.  I too love being with Tim and Kathi.  They take such good care of me and are so incredibly loving and fun. 

This morning, while Tim and Kathi took the dogs and the kids to the beach, I was reading and reflecting on God's kindness to me.  "You are faithful in all your works and kind in all your deeds."  And this little spot in Cherry Grove has become such a marker of God's kindness to me! 

They've spent most of their waking hours in the pool!

My first trip here was a college road trip with two of my best friends...Andy and Marianne.  Little did I know four years later on another college road trip to this house, my heart would begin to change toward Andy and that two years after that, we'd be back at this beach house, engaged, working on wedding preparations with his family.  And that  two years later...3 week old Emma Grace would christen their pool. being the first grandchild to swim in the newly installed pool!     We've spent precious weekends here with our Beach and Boogie friends, weekends that I will cherish forever.  (Tim and Kathi have a group of life long friends that they call their Beach and Boogie Friends and they get together with them each year-they named their little group and now Andy and I have "the second generation" of Beach and Boogie.  Matt and Laura  and John and Alisa have already been here with us...David and Marianne have also spent time here, but not since they were married...one of these days, we're going to get all of us down here together.  I was just talking to Kathi about that today!)  Next summer guys?  We've been here on anniversary trips and Labor Day trips.  It's just a little spot on this earth that holds so many memories and so much fun and joy for our family.  This place is a refuge for me.  A place I can relax (esp since it comes along with grandparents) and reflect and enjoy God's creation.  And so many people and life events are tied to this place. It represents becoming a Huffman and growing my roots deeper and deeper into this wonderful family.   When I think about this place, I think of Psalm 103  "You satisfy me with good, so that my youth is renewed like the eagles."  Each trip to this beach house (his good to me) leaves me refreshed and renewed. 

Jack and Emma Grace love this place as much as we do.  The day Tim and Kathi offered to fly us up, EG had already asked me, "are we going to Kacki and Poopaw's Beach House this summer?"  I told her I didn't know...a parent's kind/somewhat deceitful way of not coming out and saying "No."  We had already decided we couldn't afford a trip this summer.  Jack often tells me he misses the beach house.  So you can imagine their delight when we woke them up Saturday morning and told them we were flying to the beach that day!!  When we got here Saturday, Jack busted  in the door and said, "I was looking forward to seeing this house!"  And EG has been telling us that God knew she really wanted to come and that he decided to surprise her with a trip as an early Bday present.  Yes, little one, he is the giver of good gifts.  He satisfies you with good, just like he does me. 

A little early Bday celebration!

  This will be the trip I remember "as the one where my kids really learned to swim".  I want to always remember the joy of seeing Jack and Grapes master this little pool and all their cuteness at ages 3 and almost 5!!!

CUTENESS

We love our Kacki and Poopaw (and their beach house!)

 

 

We'll be back in Florida next week and then Sheryl comes to help me with the kiddos for the last part of Andy's trip.  Both this trip to Cherry Grove and Sheryl coming to help me were unasked for  SURPRISE answers to prayer.  I knew I needed lots of grace to take care of these two on my own for ten days.  I didn't know when I asked for grace, God would answer in such delightful ways!  "You are faithful in all your works, and kind in all your deeds.!" 

Class of 2012

Emma Grace is a GRADUATE!  We enjoyed a really special ceremony yesterday to honor the graduates of First Years Preschool! 

I've said this many times before, WE LOVE THIS SCHOOL. It's been such a wonderful fit for our family.  And Emma Grace's teacher was perfect for her!  Kind, warm, super stable, and organized!  Emma Grace has really thrived in this learning environment, both academically and socially.  During the graduation I was reflecting on our two years at this school and GOD'S KINDNESS is evident in every detail of our preschool experience with Emma Grace.  We are just so grateful.  And she's actually sticking around next year for their kindergarten program (and Jack will still be there as well) so we aren't really leaving the school just yet!

Mrs. Stasak, EG's teacher told me yesterday with tears in her eyes how much she cares for Emma Grace and what a sweet child she is.  Oh how kind of the Lord to give us "a village" to raise our little ones, including teachers who pray and care and shed tears over our children. 

Emma Grace,
       What Mrs. Stasak said is so true.  God is growing you into a really tender and sweet little lady.  You've learned so much this year and we've seen God's faithfulness to hear your prayers this year!  Remember one little girl you had a hard time with at first?  Remember how we prayed and prayed and God helped you to love her and he helped her heart change toward you as well?  Now you two are good buddies and even have play dates!  You've learned to write and you've begun to read!  You've made wonderful friends and a gazillion crafts!    This was the perfect little class for you.  Our God has a special plan for you little one and this was one more stepping stone on the path he has for you!  

We love you and we are proud of you!!

Mommy and Daddy

Moments

Emma Grace can often be found with a load of craft supplies scattered around her.  This girl loves crafts and now that she's writing and beginning to read,  it's getting more fun! And I spend a lot of time spelling out words for her!    Lots of our crafts these days involved cards addressed to friends and teachers.  Watch your mail, you might just be the next recipient of a hand addressed letter from our crafty one! 

As for Jack Attack...CAN WE SAY YIPEE for being potty trained!  It was a long road, but I think we've officially arrived!  He really turned the corner when Emma Grace got involved.   I offered a skittle to him and EG every time he used the potty.  It's hard to dole out skittles all day and not include others-so I just decided EG would get one each time as well.  She was motivated by the skittles.  Jack not as much.  But she would encourage him and every hour or so would say, "Jack don't you want to potty?  I'll go with you!"  And somewhere along the way, (along with lots of encouragement for us)  it just clicked for him!  So I guess you could say I delegated potty training to her!  I've already told her she's on deck for potty training J-man.  "J-man" is our little guy in the belly and we are excited to put his name on the blog soon!  We just told the kids and our parents and it's been really fun to start calling him and praying for him by name.  Jack is pumped that his little brother's name starts with a J like his! 

Potty training, like many things on this parenting road exposed my weaknesses-I'm not consistent, I lack perseverance,  I get easily angered when my little ones poop on themselves.  So thankful this round of potty training is over and thankful for grace that meets me right where I am! 

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to each of the Moms and Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers in our lives.  We are grateful for all the ways you have loved and cared for us...thankful for countless selfless moments we don't  remember...moments that you yourself  have even forgotten.  But the Lord himself sees them and remembers and we say thank you for being the most influential people in our lives.  You have shaped and nurtured our hearts by a collection of countless selfless moments that only you and the Lord know about.   We love each of you dearly.

My Mother's Day has been a week long celebration.  EG couldn't wait to give me the homemade card and necklace she made, so I think I opened that on Monday.  The kiddos each had Mother's Day teas at their school, which were  both really special.  I enjoyed spending that time with them and even having a Mommy-Daughter Date afterward with Emma Grace.   Today Andy made a special breakfast and wrote me a really kind card.  He writes the best cards.  This Mother's Day has been delightful and my kids have seemed really grateful for their Mama.  So I am thankful for a sweet time with my family this year.

 But I am sure there will be years when my kids aren't grateful and my hubby will be too busy or preoccupied or we'll be riding the roller coaster of life, just barely hanging on, with no energy to celebrate whatever holiday is in front of us.   And on those Mother's Days and on MOST DAYS OF THE YEAR, I must  look not to their appreciation or recognition of me but to the one who with countless moments of self-sacrificial love gave his all for me.  And now I too can find true life in laying down my own  for my family.  Oh for grace to "not grow weary in doing good" in the lives of these little ones given to me.

My kids are early to bed and I too am headed that way.  Yep, at 6:45pm.   This is one mom's version of getting to sleep in!!! 

Growing Season...with funky angles

First, let me say that I'm getting used to the new Blogger format and couldn't get my pictures to rotate, no matter how hard I tried.  So some of them are sideways.  Oh well.  Second, Jack and EG took some of these and they're both pretty artistic you know, thus the funky angles on some.   Love it.

And thirdly, I'll say that to know Glen and Chris Phillips is to love Glen And Chris Phillips This post is for them...hope you guys like our funky angles!!!

When I talked to my Gmaw last week she said, "I have three questions for you...Are your tomatoes growing?  Have your butterflies grown and is that baby boy growing?  The answer is "yes" to all three and proof's in the pics....
  Tomatoes are growing.  My Grandpa bought these for me when he was here and gave me careful instructions on how to care for them. I actually surprised myself  this week when I discovered there are actually real live tomatoes on them.  I kind of lacked confidence that I could grow anything more than my babe in the belly!  Pretty sure I have officially reached "awesome wife status" in my Grandfather's book.  According to him, to be fit for wifery you must master homemade gravy, which I did a few years ago.  So now that I've grown tomatoes, I think he'll knock my status up a few notches!! HEHE! 

Baby growing!!! (photos courtesy of kiddos)

Butterflies grown!!!!  A friend gave us four caterpillars and we fed them milk weed, watched them make their chrysalis and then turn into Monarch Butterflies!!  Really amazing process!  We released all of them and we often see them flying in our yard...yep, we're sure those currently in our yard are the ones we grew! 

So there you have it, Chris and Glen!  Tomatoes, Baby, Butterflies...Growing, Growing, Grown!!!  And as my Momma says, "Me and God grew them!!!"  How true for all three!