Thank You, God, For These Moments

Today started off with a good amount of sibling arguing and fussing. First, it was the bandanna. A.J. found one in Abigail's room and wanted to wear it as a pirate "hat." Abigail, who had shown no interest in it for weeks, all of a sudden needed it and went into a loud fit. The morning consisted of several of these moments.... followed by time-outs and apologies. However, just a few minutes ago, I looked out on the screened in porch and this is what I saw:

Both kids had cuddled up together on the porch, and they were watching cartoons (yes, we have a T.V. on our porch). They were being so sweet. I just had to take a picture and thank God for moments like this.

But... don't worry... it didn't last long. Not 5 minutes later, Abigail started pitching a fit because I wouldn't let her color while sitting on the couch. She threw her crayons down on the floor. (See the picture below). So, I do thank God for the brief peace, and then... life back to normal!

And, yes... I realize my child is wearing long sleeves with shorts on a hot day! However, she asked if she could pick out her clothes, and since we weren't going anywhere, I let her. Believe it or not - she actually has on 2 shirts, which is one of her favorite things to do!

The Pirate Ship

Yesterday, we went over to play with Amelia and Heath (and their new brother Chase). They have a blow-up swimming pool decked out as a Pirate Ship. A.J. was in heaven! We had a wonderful time. I took some pictures, but of course, could not get one where they were all looking at the camera at the same time. Apparently, photography is not my calling!

Pa Singing

Grandma and Pa came to visit for my birthday. The kids were very excited for two reasons: (1) It was Grandma and Pa, and that is always fun; and (2) we went to eat at a restaurant! That is always an exciting thing to go eat somewhere without a drive-thru! At the end of the evening, Pa decided to sing the kids some good-night songs. However, watch this clip, and you will see that would have no such thing! It was really quite funny.

Worn Slap Out

Saturday, we had a very busy day. We spent the majority of the afternoon at church handing out barbecue plates as a missions fundraiser. The kids spent those hours (more than 5) playing on the playground and in the sand of the volleyball court. They were very well behaved, but VERY tired by the end of the day. After baths and eating, A.J. sat at the computer to watch a movie. However, he couldn't keep his eyes open long enough to even see the first 10 minutes! He was simply worn slap out! (Excuse the mess around him... that is the work of Princess Abigail on a daily basis).

DeSoto Caverns

Allan had to go to Birmingham to visit a church member in the hospital on Friday. So, since it was my birthday, we decided to all go together and spend half of the day at DeSoto Caverns. We had a wonderful time. There was basically nobody there except a few school trips (who we managed to avoid), so we didn't have to wait in any lines! We enjoyed the caverns (pictured above) and the attractions, as well as a well-packed picnic (thanks to my hubby)! Here are a few pictures of our day!

The first picture is the kids before we went into the caverns (which are simply gorgeous). If you live anywhere close by, you should take the time to check out these caverns. We were blown away by their beauty.

There were also a few rides in the park (all man-powered and dizzy makers). This is one we rode together. During this time, Abigail and Mommy were off of it because our stomachs did not like the circles!

We also ran in a maze. We started of as a family going through it together, but in the end, it was A.J. and Mommy who won the race. We just forgot to tell Daddy we were racing!

Kindergarten Awards Day

A.J. had his kindergarten awards day today. First, there was 45 minutes of school-wide awards. The only ones eligible to kindergartners were perfect attendance and faithful attendance (less than 2 absences and 5 tardies). Needless to say... we did not get those!!!

After the school-wide event, each kindergarten class was presented a certificate of completion. Here is a picture of A.J. and a video clip of the presentation.

His teacher, Mrs. Hall, has been wonderful this year. She is retiring after many years of teaching, and we are thankful to have had the opportunity to have A.J. in her class. Thank you Mrs. Hall!

A.J. Singing at Church

Last night, A.J. sang at church with the children's department. This song is one just a few of the children sang together. You will quickly see the reaction on A.J.'s face when he realizes I am filming him! That look is what makes me think so often that he looks like Kevin. Normally, A.J. sings much better and much louder, but I think he was very caught up in trying to do the sign language that accompanied the song, that he forgot to keep singing! I hope you enjoy the clip because it took me ALL day to get it on here!