Post Christmas ~ Finally!

I know, I know. We're 14 days into the new year. But if your December was anything like my family's, you are still trying to get back into the swing of normalcy also.  We had all of the typical December happenings, like tree trimming at Grandma & Grandpa's,  tamale making, cookie baking, Christmas shopping, my daughter's 10th birthday party, and two Christmas parties for Charming & me. On top of our typical December happenings we added a few new things this year, like a choir performance schedule and a gingerbread festival.

Tamale making with grandma & grandpa. The maza was flying!

 

Living in an apartment with limited space and now a large baby swing where our Christmas tree usually sat meant that this year there was going to be a lack of tree in our home.  I hated that.  It just didn't feel right not having our own tree...just a fiber optic one on our coffee table. Although, not cleaning up pine needles was a plus...and the girls hung candy canes galore on the fiber optic tree along with some homemade ornaments we did this year. (They smelled ahhhmazing!)

Baby boy enjoyed all of the lights, the smells and our traditional cocoa & Christmas light drive.  We get all bundled up, bring our cocoa mugs, a pump thermos full of hot cocoa, turn on the radio and drive around town looking at all of the Christmas lights on display in the neighborhoods.  This tradition was started the year my oldest daughter was turning 1...and we've done it every year since.  I have to say other than all of the baking that I do, this is my favorite family Christmas time tradition.

Yes, that is a GIANT inflatable reindeer peering over someone's back yard fence. It was tethered down like you wouldn't believe.

My biggest tip for making things a little lighter on your bank account during all of the Christmas shopping is to utilize SHOPKICK throughout the year.  Yes, if you don't already have it here is another app for you to put on your phone. It truly pays off though...SERIOUSLY! You get to redeem your points for instant gift cards to places that you most likely go to all the time.  Last year I redeemed over $150 just at Christmas time...not including all the redemptions I did in previous months!  (And I wasn't as diligent about it as I was the year before.) I love to yreat myself every one in awhile by redeeming for  a Starbucks instant gift card!  I use SHOPKICK all year long as I'm out and about.  We only live 5 minutes from the mall, so a stop in during the weekend when extra points are offered is an easy run in and out of the mall for me. You don't have to buy anything, just walk into one of the stores offering points!  Target and Walmart supply points to me all year long...with walk-ins and scanning certain items as I'm shopping.  I LOVE IT!!!  Anyway, that was my little bit of "here's free money for you".

My oldest daughter is all about Christmas, how could she not be? She's a Christmas Eve baby!  I love that she chose to have a Christmas themed birthday cake this year.  We had such fun decorating it with little Wilton cupcake toppers...which I got at a clearance price somehow!!! Look how cute it turned out!

 

This was the first year of choir performances to keep up on.  My Grace LOVES being in the choir (she's the one beaming at me in the photo)...and it brought us to a little gingerbread festival that we had no idea even happened in town. And don't even ask me what the Christmas pig was all about...I'm still trying to figure that out.

 

 

Some of the gingerbread houses were amazing!  I would have never tried to decorate the inside of one. We all had our favorites, which were the only ones I snapped pics of. Which one wins your vote? Think you could pull something like these off?

This was my favorite gingerbread house.  I couldn't believe how they had also done the inside of the house.  Mine have NEVER looked this pretty. Next year, next year is the year that mine steps up!

 

Face painting, a stop off at Target and then home for hair coloring...that was one busy Saturday for my clan.  They got to relax and mom got to hit the grocery store that evening...something doesn't seem quite fair about that, does it?

My little artist Rose could not just go with what the face painter offered...she had a special request to make her face look like a snowman.  The other kids in line knew as soon as the nose went on...and they all LOVED it.

 

My darling little Rose got the part she was ironically praying for in her 3rd grade performance...the angel.  She typically doesn't like the spotlight, so when she was so determined to get a speaking part in the performance I was shocked.  And she did such a good job too. 

 

I hope that you all had an amazing December with your families. I know that ours rushed by, but it was filled with plenty of happy new memories.

The Newest Love Of My Life

 

It's been quite a Summer. We've been extremely busy with the new addition to our family as well as the traditions we do every year... 

We've hit the shores of Lake Tahoe...

Celebrated the Fourth Of July down in Temecula, CA...

Had a water balloon fight at our church's birthday BBQ...

Viewed gorgeous cars during Hot August Nights...

Celebrated a birthday with some friends at a local park...



Grace, 4th Grade

Rose, 3rd Grade

And are now back into the swing of a new school year.

I have been on a break from the blogging world since last November.  (That's a long time!)  Honestly it's been the simple fact that I have lived a life of exhaustion because of my pregnancy and now precious new little son.  This little face has been the center of my world for the past 20 weeks...and I must say that I am madly in love with him.

 

Little James (I use my kiddles' middle names for blogging) has been such an amazing addition to our family.  My hubby has been over-the-moon since he learned that we would be having a son and he hasn't come back to earth yet.  Just when I thought that we wouldn't be able to have an addition to our family, God showed me that He had heard my cries for just one more...and how badly I wanted a son. 

 

 

On March 26th little James came into the world after two days of a whole lot of complications on my part.  Poor little guys was thrust into a whole new world 4 weeks early...and had he not come early I probably would have had a 10-11 pound not-so-little guy.  And of course my child would have to go against the norm and be the featherweight at 7 lb. 1 oz.. I have to say I wasn't too upset about that at all.

 

My husband now has his little football buddy and I have another little love to "Ooo" and "Ahh" over.  My world is still in the midst of Lalaloopsies, Barbies, pink & purple everything, and baubles galore, but change is happening.  I've now added the images of puppies, duckies, and dragons into the mix.  Having blues, browns and greys is a welcomed change.

 

 

Just look at the change that's happened in 5 months!

 

 

And let me just say that motherhood at 40 is a lot more taxing than it was when I started at 30.  Even though it's been 8 years since I dealt with all of a newborn's needs, I honestly don't remember being as exhausted as I am now.  Thank God that I have the Viking mentality of pressing through no matter what. (Although some days the pressing through is actually dragging through my day.)  Most nights are like the one above, up until around 4am or sometimes we watch the sun come up.

 

My girls are getting used to the huge change.  It's taken some time and they are learning to have patience during his fits of cries and screams.  The bonus is that I have two little helpers that argue about who gets to change his diapers and clothes.  (I'm still stuck with the poopey ones though.)

 

 

I'm excited to see this little personality grow and develop.  Everything is different this time around and I know that is going to be the case in almost every instance.  So far all three have been fine tuned to music, maybe that is the common ground my children will always carry with them.

18 Weeks Down, 22 To Go!

This week I entered into 18 weeks of my pregnancy!  AND felt my little darling move for the first time!!  Let's just say that my heart was overflowing with joy.  I had forgotten how amazing those first few kicks can be. (it has been over 7 years since my last "first kicks")

 

Funny thing about this whole pregnancy is that it has been completely different in the realm of how I'm carrying the baby, cravings and energy. This little one has basically been off center and leaning to my right...which I am hoping quickly self-corrects so that I don't end up totally lop-sided.  A wonderful change is that I am showing just a little this time around, which means that I am still comfortably in my regular clothes! (well, a little more filled out in them but still in them) It also means that I've stayed in the range of only a 5 pound weight gain so far!  WOOHOO!!  With my first daughter I was definitely showing at 3 months and had already gained 10 pounds...my body totally freaked out.  The second was a little less dramatic in the weight gain category, but at 3 months I was again showing.

 

Cravings...well, I'm not craving the salads and fruit that I did during my prior pregnancies either.  Something totally contrary to my even non-preggy norm has entered in...a craving for protein like no other.  I am a 90% chicken, 8% pork and 2% beef kinda lady.  Not with this pregnancy.  I find myself dreaming of ginger teriyaki glazed brisket or flank steak...in fact now I can't get it out of my head. Guess I need to pull down my crockpot and get some beef going.

 

And then there's the craving for sweets, which I really did not have with the other two.  So, to keep myself in check I have stayed with 60% or more dark chocolate chips with pecans or melted down with coconut oil which I then dip frozen banana slices into.  SO GOOD!  This helps me stay away from the urge to bake tons of brownies and muffins...and cookies and scones...and gallons of ice cream.

 

If any of you have insight of how to battle against what feels like extreme exhaustion, PLEASE share!  This little one has completely zapped me...every day.  I can be in the middle of something and sit down for literally 2 minutes...and wake up 1-3 hours later when my alarm goes off letting me know of commitments I need to attend to.  It's ridiculous really...my girls laugh about it but are also wanting their "fun mom" back.  Apparently when you are tired every afternoon you become the boring mom.

 

Aside from those little issues, everything is going well.  My blood pressure seems to be keeping under control with the meds I'm taking, breathing exercises, celery juicing, stretching and pregnancy Pilates I'm doing.  And trust me, this is a huge thing since I went through it with both of my girls and I'm also in a much higher altitude.  I hate blood pressure issues, so anything to keep it down is welcomed.

Life's Turns...A Possitive Change

My writings have be virtually non-existent as of late...and there is a good reason for it, I assure you. You see, my life has taken another turn...and it's a good one.  Two months after my husband & I had decided that we were not going to increase the size of our family, I found out I was PREGNANT! In fact, as of today I am 10 weeks into this pregnancy.  It was a shocker to say the least...and it made me extremely grateful that I had not made that trip the week before to Goodwill with all of my maternity clothing.

And it just goes to show God's sense of humor...I had told my husband that I didn't want to try to have a baby after age 39.  Since the odds of complications tend to increase with age, it was just my way of insuring that I wouldn't be putting me or the baby in a risky situation.  Well, this little one has a due date 9 days before I turn 40.  I love God's sense of humor...an answered prayer fulfilled after it was given up on and just within a deadline that I had set for myself.

Unlike my other two pregnancies, this one has completely wiped me out!  Therefore, I am convinced that this little baby is bound to be wearing a ton of blue.  I could be wrong, but all signs so far tell me that this one is not like the others.  I've been more inclined to meat, which is not like me at all, and have been battling high blood pressure with every natural form I can along with the medication that was prescribed by my doctor. 

How did my girls take it?  Well, here's a little clip...it will clear that question up immediately.  My youngest has the best reaction and comments from beginning to end.

So needless to say that my life is shifting in a major way once again.  And it means that I have to figure out how to keep both a cat and a dog out of the way once the baby comes...OR I simply get rid of them. (which is a bit tempting right now I must say) 

In the meantime,  I am focused on getting even more healthy and keeping myself in line to only gain the 25-30 pounds of baby weight.  It's not impossible and I know that it's something that I need to do for myself.  My first pregnancy had my body in complete chaos...gaining 60 pounds!  My second started with me only having lost the 30 pounds from the first, so I knew that I had to keep myself inline because my bod couldn't handle more than a 30 pound weight gain the second time around.  Now this little baby is in a better place...I'm starting off 10 pounds lighter than I did with my first and I wholeheartedly believe that I can keep everything in balance for a normal weight gain that won't add stress to my body or cause problems for the baby. 

No, I am not just obsessed with weight, there is a very good reason for my focus on it.  All three pregnancies have one thing in common: high blood pressure.  I know that too much weight gain only increases the chance of complications and negative issues with my blood pressure, so I have to keep my eyes on it.  I can't be one of the women who indulges in every little goodie just because I'm pregnant.  I wish I could!

My life has been focused on getting healthy for months before the news hit us...and my juicer is my best friend.  Lot's of fresh veggies and fruits along with lean meats is going to continue to be my daily menu.  (a few little goodies here and there, but not in excess)  By all accounts this should be the healthiest pregnancy of all!

First Day Of School

 

It's that start of another year and my girls' individual style is shining through...

 

Rose: Rainbow striped zebra shirt, rainbow butterfly capris, rainbow gummy bear bracelet, mood changing necklace and rainbow zebra striped boat shoes on her feet. 

 

Grace: Blue/green ombre tunic w/VERY glittery large flower, matching leggings, Hello Kitty flip glasses (for fun) and her "disco" boots.

 

I love my girls and their uniqueness.

 

This morning started off with a phone call from one of my Grace's friends...15 minutes before my alarm was set to start hounding me.  I hate waking up from something else before my alarm goes off. It just completely throws me off. Bit this extremely tired, red-eyed Momma moved on and tried to get dressed as swiftly as I could before rousing my kiddles.

 

Just like me, they hate being woke up in the morning. My "Good Morning" song was greeted with a big smile from one (shocking) and the comforter being pulled over the other's head (not surprising).  After about 15 minutes giving the best pep talk I could come up with (on 5 hours sleep) to simply get them out of bed, the pep talk for getting them dressed began. I think it helped that there was the smell of bacon cooking in the air...it's a great motivational tool. The aid of a mule team might have been needed otherwise.

 

I had one girl excited about seeing friends and one begging (with a monsoon of tears) for me to not make her go. This was not the best start out of the gates for poor little Rose. Having all of her friends in different classes was posing a huge dilemma for her...although she did have one of her best buddies, Joe-Joe (as she calls him), to get her through the morning. I'm praying that they are seated next to each other...otherwise there will be a negative right at the beginning of class for her.

 

Well on a good note, breakfast went smoothly without a spill or confusion of clothes for a napkin. THAT'S HUGE!  I had fought the urge to go buy one of the ridiculously huge raised donuts from Doughboys Donuts and went with a breakfast drink & bacon for one and eggs & bacon for the other. My Charming even got his tummy blessed with a breakfast burrito...he was a happy man.

 

Lunches are always tricky, but somehow I was able to make both girls happy without too much information prying and collaboration needed. With Rose completely anti sandwiches (she just hates bread) and not willing to go a pasta salad route, it's always a challenge. Final solution - several containers: peanut butter, fresh strawberries, a mozzarella cheese stick and organic gummies. 

 

Both of my girls were so nervous about their new classes because they each only had 3 out of 24 classmates that they knew. This was a huge change from the last year when teachers were able to help keep more of the kids together. We were so thrilled with the two teachers that the girls got though. All summer we had been praying for God to give us favor in their placement...there is a horrible teacher (with tenor of course) who has treated classroom after classroom of students with such insensitivity and hateful words. Thank God that our Grace did not get placed with her! I would have been in battle mode for sure to keep her from ever stepping foot in that classroom.

 

Why is it that a teacher with tenor can keep their job when any one of us would lose ours for being inappropriate and down right hateful & demeaning?

 

 

Anyway, we all made our way to the lines that awaited us.  By this time both girls had gotten excited to see friends again and were assured that Daddy & Mommy had their backs should anything need to be dealt with. (I had already battled the school for half the year last year because of rotten treatment from a half year substitute for my Rose. I know what I'm doing and don't back down when it comes to my girls or the treatment of any other student in their class for that matter.)  Daddy stayed with Rose until her class was ready to go in while I tried to catch up with Grace and pull her from the wrong line into the right classroom. 

 

I'm believing that it's going to be a great year. One where true friendships are created that will carry on into middle & highschool.

 

Now I sit here with green tea in hand and sincerely hope you all have a wonderful start to the school year too!

 

Summer Has Zapped Me

 

Summer time means a whole new thing to me as a Mom...oh how I long for the meaning that it used to hold as a child.  Back then it used to mean playing outside all day, hanging out in my tree house, catching swallowtail butterflies, long bike rides, beach trips, swimming until I was all pruney and homemade ice cream for BBQs. As an adult, this summer has left my brain completely zapped.  I mean, I am mentally just worn out from trying to keep my daughters occupied this summer. 

 

This summer's dilemma is simply getting them to agree on an activity, part of it fitting activities into the budget and part getting the time to break away from working at home (I draft construction plans) and still meeting the demands of everyday housework.  My desire for a large backyard for them to go play and be occupied all day has grown by leaps and bounds. Living in an apartment with a small patio and a neighborhood of trash throwing kids makes that desire grow every day.  Does no one teach their children to pick-up their trash and respect anything anymore?  Or is it just the kids that live here who have absolutely no respect for anyone's property or the playground where they spend their time?  It makes me crazy. It makes me want to leash each one of them and walk them around the grounds picking up the garbage.
 

 

Fortunately for us, there is a man-made lake, or pond depending on your view of it, that has become the favorite morning and evening activity.  A trek around that duck, goose and sea gull filled lake has become a very welcomed deterrent to playing video games. It's also a great way to keep our doggie socialized since there are all types of dogs out for walks there every day. 

 

This morning's walk started of with a new addition of tons of tadpoles and some very large frogs...or toads. I'm not sure which is actually the correct label for them, but they were large enough that they could become some pretty thick frog plates on a Cajun plate.
 

 

Lately my little Rose has been on a mission to pet a duck.  That mission has failed every trip to the lake that we have made. This morning it could have been a success...she was very stealthy.  The geese nearby have apparently make a pact with the ducks to be their security team. As soon as she got within 20 feet of those quackers, the geese perked up and started waddling straight to her.  Rose ran screaming, "AGH! GEESE!!!"  She's seen enough of America's Funniest Videos to know that geese pose a real threat. 

Now if I could only get our little Cocoa to start walking instead of trying to constantly sprint his way around the lake, everything would be nice and smooth instead of a battle of the leash.  I'm telling ya, Ceasar Millan (The Dog Whisperer) is my chow of choice right now.  I've got to break this pup before I just buy a treadmill and hook him up to it instead.

 

I think we'll be making a blanket fort today...it's not too demanding and they still enjoy it enough to swallow up a few hours of the day.  Yes, it's totally worth all of the folding that will come when they're all done with it.

 

How has your summer time gone?  Am I the only one who is SO ready for the kiddles to head back to school? 

Our New Family Member

For the past 4 months my youngest daughter, Rose, has been in search of her perfect dog.  It seemed that the search was to be forever ongoing.  Honestly, I have had my fill of puppy/dog shopping...I mean, 4 months is a long time and a lot of puppies.  We've played with all breeds of puppies - Labrador, French Bull Dog, Havanese, Shih Tzu, Border Collie, Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Rottweiler, Husky and mixes of all types.

Well, we decided to hold off on getting any pup for a while and just focus on getting some of the things that we'd need in order to bring one home. It seemed like the best thing to do since Rose wasn't getting any closer to finding the dog that was "her style".  She loved all of them but just wasn't sure if each pup was really perfect for her.  So a couple of little toys, a carrier for the car and locating the best deal on a kennel became the focus...for a couple of days.

Yesterday, after church, we decided to just go to the Humane Society just to see if any new dogs had become available...not at all thinking that we would find anything.  The majority of dogs there were Pit Bulls (which we are not able to have in our complex) or very yappy Chihuahuas (and we don't do yappy in our house).  Into the kennel area we went and were greeted with the typical ear-piercing greetings from Terriers and Chihuahuas in the small group area.  Oh, I tell you, it is a horrible racket.

As we make our way past several dogs that have been there over the past several months we came across one little guy that was silent and just wagging his little tail as fast as he could. This little black pup was prancing and begging for some attention...and he was one that we hadn't seen before.  Whip was his name...we could only guess that he was named that for his little curled tail moving so quickly. 

My daughter was ready to pull him out to see how he acted in a visiting room with her.  I was shocked since we all had agreed that a female was going to be the gender of any pup we brought home.  A male just never was a true consideration.  Well, this little guy won all of us over...even my anti-small-dog hubby.  The kicker, Whip was a mix of Chihuahua and another breed.  (we're guessing Pincher or Terrier)

My darling little Rose has been so happy since we signed the adoption paperwork...and she even chose a new name for him.  The puppy formerly known as Whip is now COCOA!  Their adventures together are about to begin.

Honored To Honor An American WWII Veteran

 

I have been basically invisible for the past week and for good reason.  At 6:30am, on Mother's Day, my husband received the phone call from his father that his grandfather had passed earlier that morning.  It wasn't the Mother's Day that any of us had anticipated to say the least.  The focus of the day was completely shifted and we all went into overdrive trying to help my husband and my father-in-law process the news. 

 

It wasn't a shock (so-to-speak), Great-Grandpa Sam was 97 years old. He had very recently been a victim of yet another heart attack which could have easily claimed his life that night...and honestly, I believe it was God's mercy on the family that we were blessed to have him for several weeks after that scare.  This man seemed to just continue to go-go-go no matter what was thrown at him.  Even when he said he was ready to go (which was a year ago), his body tried its darnedest to make it to that 100 year mark.

 

 

Sale Day! And A Lesson In Finance.

Today we endeavored to participate in one of the oldest quick money making and household lightening events...The Garage Sale!  Why is it that garage sales have to start so early in the morning?  Who established the appropriate time to begin the sales?  What on earth made them come to the conclusion of, "Oh, 6:30AM should be perfect."

 

I think that something along the lines of 8:00AM, or even better 9:00AM, is more along my lines of appropriate sale times.  People are exhausted before that and the children that are toted around tend to just gripe and complain. (okay, maybe just the people holding the garage sales are exhausted)

 

My youngest sifted through her toy chest and came up with a number of items that were too young for her or were Happy Meal toys that were no longer wanted.  It was so fun to see her excited about filling up her box with items to sell.  She couldn't wait to start selling and collecting some $.

 

She even had to have the perfect outfit for this morning's event. And for her that was a no-brainer.

 

"I have to be fancy to sell my stuff mom."

 

 

My eldest had a different mindset for tackling this garage sale.  She has been dying to get a pogo stick, so her Daddy decided that she needed to learn how to earn it.  I agreed, it was about time that she fully understood that it takes effort to get the money needed to buy play things.

 

Here was the plan, which I thought might not work out so well, which was put into effect...

• Buy some candy, granola bars and water. 
• Sell each item for $1.
• Pay Dad & Mom for the purchase price of the product.
• Pocket the profit.
• Buy a new scooter.

 

Well, she did phenomenal!  Not only did she sell enough to pay for the product, she made a profit!

 

AND she made enough to go purchase her new pogo stick!

 

AND she still has about 30 items left that she could sell to friends or at another yard sale!

 

PLUS...a couple who came buy actually have a pogo stick that they are giving to her for FREE! (she has no idea about this part...so Monday after school will be a fun reveal for sure)

 

 

At about the middle of the day, a walk became necessary...if for nothing else, just to step away and check out some of the other garage sales in the area. (it was a full community garage sale even)  And along my walk I happened upon this lovely little dove perched up high spying on all of the activity below.
 

As for Dad & Mom, we got a little extra cash for some things that we needed to clear out. (but we are definitely in need of some sleepy time now)

 

It turned out to be a good day all around.

Walking The Runway

Have you ever thought about putting your little darling in modeling or acting? Are they drawn to the stage like a moth to a flame?

Mine both are...but especially my little Grace. And this weekend while we were out at the mall she was scouted by a representative for Barbizon.  I was surprised and also a bit skeptical, but I figured that if she wanted to go and have a little fun then why not?!

My mother did modeling and studied at the Pasadena Playhouse, which I had always fantasized about as a child. Honestly, it's still pretty cool to me. I have her portfolio which I love to go through and as a child I used to try to pretend I was she and living a glamorous modeling life.  (I now know that it wasn't so glamorous)

Until now I have not pursued anything in the realm of modeling or acting for my daughter.  This was something that I wanted to make sure was her desire and her decision to pursue. The idea of being one of those parents that pushes their child into a field that becomes far more of a job than something enjoyable just is not palatable at all.  Aside from school, I can not imagine forcing my child to do something that is neither necessary for her health, spiritual growth or mental health.

My daughter needs to be her age, look her age, dress her age and enjoy being a child. If part of her enjoyment is participating in acting or modeling then I'm all for it. (with some Mommy & Daddy guidelines of course)

So, when all of the practicing and runway walking was done we were presented with the option to register her for some classes...to the tune of over $4,000!  *gasp!*choke!*  If we were in a position that money was no object, then that would probably not have fazed us.  That, however, is not the case and we will be looking for local acting and vocal studios to work with instead.

Thinking back, that amount was my tuition for my senior year of high school...and I remember how hard it was to make those monthly payments. At least I got  9 months of study for that amount.

 

I was a little far away, but although grainy this was one of my favorite moments of the day.  It was so heartwarming to see how she cheered the other girls on and even made a couple new friends. They were adorable striking poses and showing each other how to toss their hair. I soaked it all up, loving every minute of watching my daughter high and proud and so encouraging to all the other girls there.

 

Onward we go, looking toward the future and all the drama that is coming along with it. *haha*  My girl is going to be encouraged to follow her dreams, and to keep God in the center of her life.  That second part is the one that her Daddy & I have stressed for years as being most important. We trust that as long as she does that she will have a far easier time navigating through life.


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Awana Games!

 
This weekend we got to experience the Awana Games for the first time. If you have never experienced this, then you have missed out on mad capped kid-sized mayhem. 

 

Both of our girls are Sparkies for the first time this year.  When I was little I was in Awanas, and LOVED it!  So when my girls had the opportunity to join this year at another area church,  I was thrilled. Although I must admit that I was disappointed to see that the crowns I got to fill with jewels when I was little had been changed to pilot's wings.

 
If you have never heard of Awanas let me briefly explain.  There is a red vest, pilot's wings, jewels, badges, a study book, games and candy involved.  Every week the kids get together and review lessons, recite scripture verses they've memorized and play games to compete for the candy prize at the end of the night.  I love it because the girls get to learn the lessons of the bible like Deborah, Samson, David, Elijah and more.  And each lesson has a scripture verse or two for them to memorize. (I think us adults could use a program like this to get our little gray cells into gear memorizing God's Word.)

 

This is what proud Sparkies parents look like...when they didn't get enough sleep the night before. *haha*

And now to this weekend, the big event that all the kids look forward to participating in.  There is a strict guideline though, if you don't make it to the ONE practice session, you can't participate in the Awana Games!  This was a serious concern for my girls...in fact, I heard reminders  about 50 times a day up to the practice Saturday.  Needless to say we made it to that practice session.

 

This past Saturday morning there was excitement in the air...from one of my kiddles, Grace.  Rose had a totally different response to participating in the day's upcoming event. She was determined not to go. Not to play. Not to have any fun. 

 

It took confidence building and encouragement all the way to the high school gym. 

 

No good.

 

Didn't work. 

She sees one of her little friends walk into the gym...full speed run to the doors, bouncing with excitement and uncontrollable squeals. There is amazing power in friendship.

 

 

And in the hug of a grandparent.

 

 

We get inside and go head to the bleachers with all the other parents and grandparents.  Here's the view we get...little do we know that our girls are going to be on the far side of the gym. Figures.

 

Then look what I spy across the way...guaranteed fun.

 

One by one colored team shirts come walking in and line up on their respective sides of two very large square areas. 

The pledge of allegiance to the U.S. flag, to the Awana flag and to the Bible.  There seems to be some confusion as to which hand to use in covering one's heart.  An address to all of us in the stands is made along with an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Then the whistle sounds and the chaos begins.

 

The first game was like watching a bunch of little cockroaches or Hexbugs try to make their way across the floor.  Even my actions setting couldn't keep up with them.  It was hysterical!  Then they had to do it again to get back to their original sides.

Beanbags came into play as they tried their best to balance them atop their heads and complete a circle back to the starting point.  This event had sudden stops, collisions and one kid that just took his time with his hands in his pockets. 

Just look at that concentration &determination! I was so proud of my girls...they dropped a couple times and then did everything they could to keep that bag on their heads...and sometimes foreheads.

Balloon volleyball anyone?! Oh my gosh, I wanted to jump in on this so bad!

 

 

The idea is not to miss the balloon...it didn't always happen that way. That was a swing and a miss.

 

This being one of Grace's favorite games, she was all smiles the whole way through.  And she got a few good hits too...just too fast for Momma to catch. (darn it!) 

Timid little faces appear as the dodge ball segment emerges...and my camera decides that it needs to be recharged. AGH!  So while they play I use my phone's back-up charger to give it a jolt for a few more pics.  (Thank you Charming for the brilliant idea!)

So a quick charge-up and we're back in business. (for a little while)  A train whistle blows and they're off!

The troops in the ranks entertain themselves with a bit of dancing while they wait for their turn to choo-choo.

I'm dying, trying to catch my breath as I watch the boys lead this train and the girls hold on for dear life. 

And then the camera dies again...and I have to deal with missing some hysterical moments during the balloon pop.  One little guy was too light and just couldn't get his balloon to pop...so an adult's foot had to come help him stop bouncing.

We all wait and wait...scores are being tallied...

South Reno Baptist Church wins 3rd Place!  Woohoo!!!  And a new patch is gained to adorn little red vests.  What a fun afternoon.