Wrapping Up Second Grade

Please excuse the black boxes.  I try hard to protect their location and not post pictures of kids without parents permission.

  Summer has officially began.. I'm going to try to go back through the mounds and mounds of pictures that I haven't posted over the past few months and get them in place.

Emma, racked up on awards at second grade awards day.   I think we all take it for granted that she's going to get the academic and behavior awards.  I do realize that one day, this could change and I'm going to really realize how much for granted I took this.  But, we knew up front that she had achieved those awards.  The big surprise was the Art Award.  I am so proud of the way she pours herself into everything she does.  But I think because of the circumstances, we were all most excited about this award.  She was so disappointed that she didn't get it in first grade and she left the awards day that day vowing to "get it next year".  I love that she sat her mind to it and achieved it.    She's smart, there is no doubt.  But, it's her determination that testifies to her character.  I love that about her.  She so often amazes me. 

  Blessings,

"An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons - marriage, or meat, or beer, or cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who do use them, he has taken the wrong turning."
--C.S. Lewis

Hey Batter Batter

If you want to improve your prayer life, put your kid on a little league team.  

Even though starting out at this age put Emma playing with much more experienced players, she played her first season of softball.  The schedule kicked our tails but it was a great experience.  Our city has a great rec department.  The coaches were great and we made some life long friends. 

Emma caught on quickly and made a great little rookie.  I think we have a future ahead of many nights at the softball fields.

 

Emma Hits the Ball

You might want to turn your volume down so that mine and Chloe's yelling doesn't hurt your ears.  In defense, the first time that she hit the ball, she was so surprised that she forgot to run.

This is Not Good. This is Not Good.

Setting: The Ellis House
(Mom is sweeping the floor after dinner)
Dad: I'm going to check on Chloe, she's been too quiet.
Dad: OH CHLOE NO!!!!
Emma: (starts crying) CHLOE, WHY, WHY WOULD YOU CUT YOUR OWN HAIR?
Mom: (laughs in disbelief that it has been almost 30 years since she heard her daddy yell, "OH DANA NO!!!!")

But, they didn't have i-phones or blogs back in 1982 so my mom wasn't able to torture me as well...

April Fools Day

I'm so behind on posts it's not even funny.  You can read the previous post for at least part of the reason of my blogging absences.    Anyway, since there was so much expressed interest on facebook about my desire to torture my child this morning, I figured I'd announce my results.  Hopefully I'll get around to an update of March soon.   And for you generous souls that suggested that I'm the "most fun mother ever".  It is a dream of mine.  But I assure you, it has more to do with the fact that I'm the youngest of 16 cousins which left me with a pent up desire for revenge that had to wait until I had my own children to pick on.  

I'm still trying to figure out this new computer and new version of PS which is my excuse for the lousy collage you'll find below.  

And to my OLDER sister who was born a fool, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  

Dana

Fashion Show 2011

Since Last Time on Thoughts on Life and Dirty Diapers

The starting of  Project: Get house organized before summer

Emma decides to play softball

The planning of a no-kids, relaxing overnight trip with my mom and sister to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday.

Restoration of a mobile home that should have been condemned for a single dad and child.

Emma dresses up like Lucy from Narnia for famous character day at school.

Adam down with terrible pain from his sciatic nerve.

softball practice

Fun no-kids overnight trip with mom and sister with the kids because Adam was down with his sciatic nerve.

Lots of Hugs and Kisses

Photo shoots

Massages and stretches for Adam three times a day for sciatic nerve.

Adam back on his feet, slowly but surely.

Dreams of organization fading

sunny spring weather good for playing outside

Contract renewal for cell phone with AT&T results in inexpensive Iphone

Pandora opens whole new plethora of Jazz music resulting in upping psyche for Dana.

Emma drops two day old phone on driveway and shatters screen

Adam and Apple become heros by getting phone fixed for FREE

Chloe down with a stomach virus.

Dana wears vomit and washes every piece of linen in her house.

softball practice for Emma  

Dana's admission to the online marketing program at Wilmington University

Dreams of organization crushed.

Computer owned for only a year and a half down with no recovery.

Expletives directed at HP and disbelief at their horrible business practice of charging for customer service.

lots of snuggling with Chloe.

Chloe recovers from stomach virus and awakes at 2:00 a.m. with a sudden appetite after a liquid diet for several days.

Fun ladies night out to an Anita Renfroe and Mandisa concert. 

Dana stresses over the fact that she still hasn't done her income taxes. 

Admission that Adam was right that Dana should have purchased a macbook to begin with.

Purchase of Macbook that Adam and Dana don't have the money for.  

Great love for the macbook that put Adam and Dana in debt.

Thankfulness from Dana about her husband's amazing nerdiness that makes him know all about Macbooks

Super fun day with Veronica and Katie.  

Expletive thoughts directed at specific people, not for public view. 

Thankfulness for true friends that stick around even when Dana feels like spewing expletives.     

Prediction of nap in the near future..

Blessings sent to you from Dana

Little Darlin..

"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter

Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here 

Here comes the sun, ere comes the sun 

and I say it's all right"...

I can definitely tell where the long cold winter has had it's effect!  But God must have  known that we couldn't take much more.... We've been spending wonderful days out in the sun.. It has been absolutely beautiful!  And it is good for my soul!  

An exciting note: Emma is going to play softball.. She's really not half bad considering the fact that she's never played before.. We've spent lots of time in the back yard with her and it's proven to have been perfect weather for that... 

I'm sure another cold snap will come along before we hit spring.  Perhaps I will be able to catch up more then.. But for now, computer and sun aren't a great mix.  So I assume this won't get much traffic anyway..

Off to soak up the sun!

Visit with the Payne's

Posted on June 8, 2011  

Or part of them that is...

Back in January, Kenny Payne and two of his kids came to visit and tell the church about the work that he's doing with the Sparrow's Hope Orphanage in Ukraine.  Kenny is the minister that Adam did his youth ministry internship under.  We worked with them again when we were in Panama City Florida and Kenny was in and out of the country as our Missions Minister at Palo Alto.

Leanna, the oldest in the picture was around Chloe's age when I met her and Adam and I just fell in love with her. It's hard to believe that she's now and adult!  Since then, Kenny and Lora have added Dima whom they adopted from Ukraine and it was a fun surprise when Lora and I ended up pregnant at the same time and they have another one Emma's age, Lexi.  We hope to get to see Lora and Lexi some time in the near future.  But it always blesses us to spend time with any of them.

While they were here, I started looking through some old photo albums for some pictures of Leanna.  And though I didn't find what I was looking for there.  I did find this cherished surprise:

This is my friend Susan and me at Camp Wiregrass in about 2000.  The theme for the banquet that year was Rodeo Round Up or something like that.   The night that Susan passed away so unexpectedly, I tore the house apart looking for this picture and didn't find it until months later...  I have hundreds of pictures of our kids together and many of Adam and Tony.  This is the only picture I have of the two of us... It's very poor quality but I'll take it!  And I'll cherish it forever...  I've had a rough time since losing my cousin Tony and then Susan and just recently, my grandfather... Healing is slow.  But, taking it day by day, we're all starting to be able to celebrate their life and look forward to the day when we'll be with them again.