Our Birthday Girl's Celebration

This weekend we celebrated Clara Beth's third birthday. It was a much anticipated event around this house. Both little ones could hardly wait for the party day to get here. We spent Saturday getting everything ready. Here's our table waiting for our guests! This was our second celebration. The first one was on Clara Beth's actual birthday. We went out for lunch after church and then it was back to our house for cake, ice cream and presents. She had to wait a whole week for this party to finally get here!!!! Paul smoked a Pork Tenderloin early in the day. The smell teased our taste buds until it was finally sliced and ready to serve.

I had assorted breads for the adults to make their own sandwiches. The children were able to feast on ham and turkey cheese wraps, pasta salad, and fruit kabobs along with a few other goodies.

One special tasty and very messy treat were these lemon sippers. They had quite a zing! Paul rolled chilled lemons then cut a small "x" into the top. Then we inserted a soft peppermint stick into the"x" to sip the juice through. Sweet and Tart!!! If you try these wait until right before serving to insert the peppermint stick or they will begin to dissolve like some of ours did. No matter everyone enjoyed them anyway!!!

Here's our birthday girl in her special birthday dress. Not looking quite like a princess is she?? That's what happens when you refuse to take a nap!

Emanuiel was a little more excited about singing "Happy Birthday" than Clara Beth was about hearing it. She did perk up when it was time to open presents.

Here's Clara Beth opening up something as Emanuiel supervises. These two hot and sweaty little ones changed into bathing suits and jumped into the pool before the wrapping paper was cleared away!! I was so busy seeing to everything that I didn't get any pictures of all of their friends who joined us to celebrate this joyous occasion.

It was a wonderful evening spent celebrating with friends and family. No more birthdays in this family until November, so we'll just have to find other reasons to throw a party!!!

Until next time we can all remember to celebrate the ordinary, my favorite days of all!!!

Ordinary can be extraordinary especially to our Heavenly Father: look at Peter and John!

Acts 4:13 NIV
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Robin

First Morning of School

This week it was time for everyone to head back to sch00l. Emanuiel started back with Mrs. Welch and begins the four year old program officially next week. Land began seventh grade and Clara Beth went back to Mrs. Dawn's house for her own little preschool program. Here are the two little ones bright eyed and ready to go on their first day! I love the expression on Emanuiel's little face and if you look very closely you can see the remains of breakfast in Clara Beth's hand. That girl LOVES bacon!!Here they are watching and waiting for Land to join them.

It's so sweet the way Clara Beth is looking up at her bubbie. He looks like a giant beside the two of them.

It's hard to believe how quickly the summer slipped by. Now there will be other things to look forward to. We can't wait to go to Land's football games and cheer him on. Even though the weather is still sweltering here in the deep south, we know that the cool crisp days of fall aren't far away. Here's hoping to a wonderful year of growing and learning!!

Until next time................

Proverbs 9:9 NIV
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.

A little side note, that bright white shirt that Emanuiel had on didn't last long. He had a first day mishap on the playground. When I saw him in the school office his shirt was covered in blood. Thankfully, it was just a very small bump on the head and he didn't even cry. He did, however, ruin this cute little shirt but that's okay, shirts are easily replaced. What would a first day be without a little drama!

A Special Birthday Celebration

Last night we had a wonderful birthday celebration for Anna Kayla. After a very long and busy week back at school it was so nice to spend some special time with my family. I didn't even mind the cooking. I could actually feel the stress just melting away while I was getting everything ready. Anna Kayla's place at the table was waiting just for her. In keeping with our family tradition the menu was every thing that she requested. We had a true "Southern Supper". We feasted on Crispy Oven Fried Chicken, Brown Sugar Yams, Lima Beans(her absolute favorite), Brown Rice, Cantaloupe and Flaky Biscuits.

Here's the birthday girl just before opening her gift. It was a silver circle necklace and she loved it. Too bad I didn't see the bean necklace they had on their website or I would have ordered it since that girl loves her Lima Beans!!

No baking for me this time because Anna Kayla requested this strawberry ice cream cake from her favorite ice cream shop. It was delicious.

Here we are right before devouring this cold, yummy ice creamy goodness!!! Notice the birthday girl is now wearing her present.

It was such a fun time for us, sharing a special meal and being able to have time together as a family to enjoy it and each other. Our lives, when school starts, become so busy there will be football practice, games, homework, meetings and so many other things that steal away precious family time. Because of that I need to remember to be thankful for all the time that we do have together and always try to make even the ordinary something special.

I hope that all of you will do the same.............Until next time let us all be:

Colossians 2:7 NIV
rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Robin

Someone Has A Present Waiting

Tomorrow is Anna Kayla's birthday and we can hardly wait to celebrate. It's a family tradition that the birthday boy or girl selects their favorite foods for feasting. The menu is all ready and her gift is waiting to be opened. Hmmmmmmmm, I bet she'll be wondering what's in this lovely blue box from Tiffany!!! Hopefully I'll have more pictures to post after tomorrow!!! What a blessing to be able to celebrate the remarkable young woman she has grown into!!! We LOVE you AK!!!

Until next time.........................wonderful gifts come in blue boxes but.......
Romans 11:29 NIV
God's gifts and His call are irrevocable.

Robin

Make a Smilebox postcard

Missing My Big Guy

The house is more quiet than normal this week. My big guy is away at our church's youth camp. I miss him so much and will be glad when he returns home on Friday. This is the longest amount of time he has been away. When I talk to him each night it easy to tell that he is having a great time. I am so blessed to have Anna Kayla and Greg there leading the camp. Things are certainly different around here without him, like the fact that our refrigerator is full because he's not here to raid it every few minutes of the day!!! I can't seem to fill that boy up these days. I have promised him that when he returns on Friday I will have his favorite spaghetti waiting for him for supper!!!! As much as I miss him I know that he is having fun, drawing closer to God and learning so much while he is away. We'll all be waiting for him when he gets home with big hugs!!!

Until next time....................

Proverbs 1:5 NIV
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance--

Robin