Home Depot Kids Workshop

Tomorrow Home Depot is doing their monthly Kids Workshop and this month they will be making a picket fence planter. My kids love getting to go and make something and then receive a certificate and pin (to go on their free apron that they get to keep). It's always a lot of fun. So take advantage of this opportunity and visit your local Home Depot tomorrow. Have a great weekend and be blessed.

Sweet Rewards

Last night at church Kaitlyn and Micah's Victory Kids class had a talent show. Jim and I stayed to support our kids instead of going to our Victory Group and Christiana and Josiah left their classes to come support them as well. I love that our family supports and encourages each other. Kaitlyn and Micah both did an excellent job. We were SO proud of them, words just can't express our true heart's expression. There were no winners in the talent show, so not to hurt anyone's feelings, so after church we took our kids out for ice cream. We were going to go to Baskin Robbins because they had 31cent scoop day , but when we got there the line was out the door. So we decided to go to McDonald's instead. As you can tell from the pictures, no one was disappointed.

We love hanging out with each other and we always have a blast when we do. I love my large family and all the perks that come from having a large family. I am so proud of each and everyone of my children and love expressing it in all sorts of ways, including going out for ice cream.

Playing Dress Up

Each of my older children takes a half an hour break from their school to help watch the little guys so I can focus working with the school age kids. Well, Kaitlyn, loves to play dress-up with the boys during her time. Sometimes it's Davy Crockett, sometimes they are cowboys. On this occasion she decided to play Indian with them. I couldn't help but to get a picture of her and Joshua. Notice that Joshua is wearing a breechcloth (over his diaper, of course) and not a cloth diaper.

I love that they play along with her and that she enjoys spending this time with her brothers as well. Without them having this individual play time with an older sibling moments like this would never happen. I'm so glad that I learned about it.

Precious Request

Every year for my children's birthday I usually make them a cake. They get to choose if they want an ice cream cake, cheese cake or regular cake and what design they may want on it. Well, Sunday, my three year old came up to me and told me he wanted me on his cake. It took me a while to understand what he was talking about because he caught me off guard. His birthday isn't even until July. But with his adorable blue eyes he came right up to me and stated that he wanted a birthday cake with me on it. What an honor to get such a request. Most kids want their favorite super-hero or TV character, but my son wants me :) My heart was so blessed and of course I gave him a big hug, it was precious, a moment I hope I never forget.

Now, I don't know if it will happen, not exactly sure how I would do it, except to get a picture of us on a cake from the store. It would be quite weird and a little embarrassing for me to actually have me on his cake. I guess we'll just wait and see.

What did your child say to you that just blessed your heart that you have never forgotten?

Garden Planted!

This weekend we were able to get our garden planted. I was so excited because the weather forecast was rain. When I woke up Saturday morning I noticed that the rain had subsided for a while. I fixed breakfast for everyone then headed off to the store for the plants and seeds. Once I got home we gathered our supplies and headed up the hill to the garden. There we planted corn, pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, yellow squash, zucchini squash, salad cucumbers as well as pickling cucumbers, green beans, green pepper plants and tomato plants.

I was praying that we would get everything done before the rain since I would have to drag a lot of water up that big hill to our garden. Fortunately, we did and we made it inside just before the rain started coming down.

The kids were a big help. I never would have gotten it done before the rain had it not been for their help. Now we are all excited about when we can harvest our crops.

How about you? Have you planted a garden this year and if so what did you plant?

Starting Young

The other day I blogged about the Bible being Matthew's favorite book and about how we should encourage our children to love and use the Word. I just thought that I would post about the fact that we really do let our children start early. Joshua also loves getting hold of a Bible and flipping through the pages. If I were to take it from him and tell him that he is not allowed to mess with it, then I am giving him the impression that the Bible is something he is not suppose to touch. However, if we give him a little New Testament that is just his size that he can hold and look through while we look at ours, then he thinks he is a big boy and it encourages his love for the book. Now some of you may think this is trivial but trust me, it makes a difference. So, if you have small children go get a cheap New Testament that they can carry around as their own and let them turn the pages and such. Let them love that little book and when they are older and ready then you can get them something more age appropriate.

In the meantime, be blessed and have a great weekend.

My Garden

I am so excited to have a garden this year. Our landlord cleared an area for me to have a garden and even plowed 15 rows for me. This is awesome because I have never had a landlord so helpful. Usually I have to do all the clearing and prepping and plowing. So a great big thank you goes out to my landlord for all the work he has put in to helping me have a garden this year.

I'm hoping to get some seeds in the ground this weekend. In the past we have grown corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, squash, greenbeans, pumpkins, broccoli and watermelon. I love to store up my harvest so I'm hoping to get enough bounty to can and freeze.

I love gardening and my kids love it too. It's a great learning experience and it's healthy eating too (plus it saves money, gotta love that part).

I'll keep you posted on how it all goes. I'm so excited and can't wait...