Splash Pad

 

Photos by my friend Laura - who has shamed me for using my phone camera so much lately. Phone camera pictures don't compare to a real camera photograph!

***Texas pictures below this post***

Texas = Hot

We made it back from our trip to Texas. Molly James did fine (minus the 12 hours there and the 12 hours returning that is). Well, to be honest she did not scream the entire ride - she took naps to rest up for more screaming. Screaming is hard work!
But we all survived. She was a champ at hotel living. We stayed in a very nice hotel that had suites (thank you to Jamey's sister Elizabeth for hooking us up!) and we all had plenty of space which I am sure helped.

Again, blogger seems to want to upload these in any order it wants to (I need to switch to Wordpress) so here we go. 

A non crying moment in the car

Stephen lost a tooth on the trip! I couldn't believe it. He actually lost it in a Chickfila in Louisiana somewhere. A very proud boy indeed. We did have a few moments where the bleeding freaked him out a bit, but he soon recovered and was very pleased. We decided not to ask the tooth fairy to come to the hotel, but instead we saved the tooth for home. And the tooth fairy did indeed make her appearance our first night back home.

Fun at the hotel pool.

A little rest time for our girls.

Molly James with Aunt Stacey. Aunt Stacey had the touch!

Stephen and Daddy ride motorcycles at Incredible Pizza.

Molly James and I did a lot of this at the hotel.

This was actually the night before we left.

Stephen being difficult in regards to pictures.

Our oldest girl - somewhere in Louisiana.

Molly James' feet at our picnic.

Ansley at the hotel and ready to swim!

Ansley, little Stephen and big Steve people watching at the hotel.

Baby feet at a swim meet :)

Swim Meets are hard work.

Creative bath taking at the hotel.

At the San Antonio Riverwalk.

Blueberry Pickin'

It was HOT.

There is a baby in the blueberry bush!

Ansley and her good friend Anna Faith

Side Note - here is Ansley and Anna Faith 8 years ago :)Now, back to the blueberries!

 

 

 

 

Stephen prepares to tackle the 10 acres of bushes.

Hard at work with friends.

The fruits of his labor!

Jordan, Anna Faith and Ansley ready to weigh their berries.

Stephen and his bucket

Hurry up, Mama! The sun is bright!

In response to a recent facebook post....

So I know I mostly use this blog to share stories and pictures of the kids. But since it is my blog after all, I am going to respond to another blogpost I read recently posted on Facebook by a few people. I am not going to link specifically to the blogpost, mostly bc I feel like the author meant well. But the gist of the blogpost was that a young mother was chastised by another woman in her church bc her clothes, in this woman's opinion, were a tad tighter now that she had carried a child nine months and then delivered him. The woman had taken the time to call the young mother and ask her questions such as, "was what you were wearing causing men in our church to stumble? Were you preventing others from worshipping?" I just about stopped reading the blog at that point bc I knew where it was going. But I read on. And it made me sad. I have, as well as many other women, been in a place post baby where things just don't fit right. Heck, getting yourself and your children/baby to church those first few months is a miracle in itself. The author states she felt the woman had every right to say what she did. That she should have been more careful dressing now that she had to bend to pick upon a baby or reach down to change diapers. And perhaps she does. I don't know. But what I do know is that there was a long list of things that woman could have called her up to say. "can I bring a meal?" or "what's your favorite coffee?" or "you are doing a good job, hang in there." And we wonder why young people leave the church. Why there are so many with such a sour view of Christianity. I have problems with this story for so many reasons. Not the least of which is the fact that I have several close friends who have struggled with eating disorders over the years. And I can't think of anything more damaging to a young mother's spirit than a phone call criticizing her appearance. We can never know what another person's internal struggles may be. What damage we might cause with unkind words or criticisms thinly veiled as a 'I'm saying this because I love you" speech. When that lady was busy planning her after church phone call to that one mother, she apparently forgot to take a moment to check herself. To think about what her "important" phone call might cause another person to feel or think. I just do not feel Jesus would ever ask us to make such a phone call. I just cant help think that there was a golden opportunity to minister and lift up a young mother that day that was sorely missed. All in the name of keeping "worship" safe from the wandering eye of a man who apparently can't control himself or his thoughts. If we the church are to be a place of refuge and encouragement, let us simply do it! Let us speak words that lift others up. That make them feel included and wanted. if nothing else, the blogpost I read this week was a reminder to me to be sure I speak encouragement to others. To be a light to them when I can be. And to worry a whole lot less about what someone may or may not be wearing when he or she comes for worship.

Random Pictures

Here are some pictures from the past two weeks. 

First off, swim time!

 

 

A very nice friend gave us some tickets to Disney on Ice - we had a great time. 

 Blue Snowcones :)

Can you find MJ in this picture????

 Stephen finished up soccer and did a great job!

 Ansley's last day of 2nd grade. She had a WONDERFUL teacher this year. Ms. Arrington, you taught her so very much and we are thankful for you!

 Last day of K4. Kindergarten, here we come!

Side note, Stephen does not eat ice cream. I told him to take a small bowl and say thank you at the party and he did just that. He did not, thankfully, shout out, "I don't like ice cream!" to the nice mamas who volunteered to put together an end of the year ice cream party for his class. Whew.

Stephen and Ms. Teresa. LOVE her.

Stephen and Ms. Johnson. She is FABULOUS!

This is a little baby burrito who was wide awake at 10pm the other night. This rarely happens. But she looked so peaceful, I had to take a picture :)