Makes Me Smile

Something about sleepy kids makes me smile. Kate has been resisting naps lately, which means she will pass out later or be terrible the rest of the day. I let her watch cartoons so she wouldn't wake Blake one afternoon while I sewed, and I turned around and found her like this.



Blake is a typical boy- he wants food immediately when he wakes up! In the mornings, he gets out of bed saying, "I want bar," which means a Nutrigrain bar. In the afternoons, it is all about the "kackers." His sweaty bed head made me laugh today, and the fact that he couldn't shovel the Cheezits in fast enough.

First Day of School

Sadly, these are the best pictures I got of the kids' first day of Mother's Day Out. I would have tried to take them before school, but we were already running late, and they were exhausted after school. So, this is after their nap and they were a little more smiley for the camera. Kate went to "school" last year, but this was Blake's first day, and he did great! His entire class (except his buddy York) was crying and screaming, and there were a few crying moms outside the room... what a welcoming sight! His teacher was blowing bubbles as he walked in, so he was fine. They did say that he got a little grumpy and took a 15 minute power nap, and he was good to go play some more.






(Kate had her pants on backwards and you can see the dirt she collected on her bottom!)





Kate's teachers said she was a trooper and that she just walked right in like it was nothing new. Thank God, because she has been super clingy the past few weeks. I think it is a good situation for all! Kids happy=mom happy. Mom happy=Dad happy!

Trees of Goodness

This morning I was praying for friends who are suffering with where they are in life, have just lost a baby, longing for a baby, lost a loved one, etc., and I saw a verse in my devotion book, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young (the real book that should get credit is The Bible though!). Isaiah 61:3 says, "He has sent me to comfort all those who are sad and to help the sorrowing people of Jerusalem. I will give them a crown to replace their ashes, and the oil of gladness to replace their sorrow, and clothes of praise to replace their spirit of sadness. Then they will be called Trees of Goodness, trees planted by the Lord to show His greatness." Anyway, I was so encouraged by our Father's renewing grace and how He alone can provide the gladness when all we can feel is sorrow, and the praise to replace sadness. I hope this verse reminds you of His love too. And I hope that I can look to this verse the next time I am feeling down, and be called a Tree of Goodness instead of wallowing in my own sadness (because that is what usually happens :)).