Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Summer Recap (2009)

The summer began with Tabytha finishing 1st grade, John turning 2 and Jessica's first tooth coming in. June was pretty laid back around the zoo. July came and along with celebrating Charlie's birthday, we also celebrated his rebirth in Christ. Charlie accepted Christ and I came back to Christ. The kids and I spent most of July at grandma and granddaddy's house. Tabytha and Hannah would go off and play together, John would occasionally join them, but often played independently while Jessi and I would spend our time with my mom talking and watching Jessi explore the living room and play with toys.

Early in the summer I signed Tabytha up for the AACS summer program 'Princess Ballerina: Perfect Tea Party'. It was a day camp at the high school I graduated from. My mom signed Hannah up for the same program so the girls could participate in it together. Tabytha was so excited because not only was she going to a day camp with Hannah for a week, she would also be spending the week at grandma and granddaddy's house! Tabytha and Hannah had a lot of fun together all week at camp. The final day of the day camp the class put on a show for the parents. Hannah wasn't feeling well and my mom offered to watch John and Jessi while I went to see Tabytha's performance. I videotaped it so Charlie could see it after work. That same day, after the performance, Charlie and I were set to meet with Pastor Tom about becoming members of the Church and having Charlie, Tabytha, John and Jessica baptized by Pastor Tom. While Charlie and I were meeting with Pastor Tom, Tabytha's biological grandmother and Aunt came to my parents house to pick her up to take her on vacation with them for a week. She spent a few days in Niagara Falls for a family reunion with her biological grandfather's family and then spent the rest of the week in Williamsburg, VA. She went to Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg and the beach. She had a good time and while she was with her biological grandparents she got all her school supplies.

She came back to us Aug. 9. That was also the weekend my brother, his wife and twin boys were in town. It was a weekend of celebration at my parents house. Jeremy had returned home from a year long tour in Afghanistan and my family wanted to celebrate Charlie coming to Christ. My dad got a sheet cake for Charlie and Jeremy. One half had a cross and said "Welcome to the family Charlie" and the other half had the Navy Seal on it and said "Thank you for serving Jeremy". My parents house was full of people celebrating with us. Friends from church and family from Delaware and VA were also there.

The rest of August was a little more laid back. Spent some more time at my parents, found a great PCA church in Dover, and Tabytha began 2nd grade. When the kids and I weren't hanging out with my parents and sisters we were home and John was finding things to get into. lol!

So, now as summer fades into fall Tabytha starts 2nd grade. She likes her teacher and I'm sure she'll have another outstanding school year. John's still an active toddler and always into something and Jessica is right there with him. She seems to be taking notes for when she's big enough to carry on when John's old enough to begin school himself. lol!

The weekend of Sept. 11th will be another weekend of celebration at my parents house. The 11th my brother will be re-enlisted in the Navy at the Pentagon in DC and the 13th Charlie and I will be welcomed into membership at PEP and Charlie and the kids will be baptized.

The Lord is doing such wonderful things in our lives and I'm looking forward to all the blessings He has in store for me and my family.

Monday, August 3, 2009

On The Menu: Baby Cupcake With Trouble Icing

This is one I'm gonna love telling John and Jessi when they're older. Last night Charlie and I were in the living room relaxing. I knew that John and Jessi were in the girls room playing. I should have known better. It was quiet for too long. I heard a small thump and decided to go back and check it out.

What I walked in on really shouldn't have been a surprise and I couldn't help but chuckle. Tabytha was given a cupcake maker for Christmas. It came with everything you'd need to make about a dozen cupcakes (powdered cupcake mix and powdered icing mix). John had gotten it out of the closet and decided to open a couple packets and pour them over the baby and sprinkle them all over the floor around them. Jessi was completely covered in powdered cupcake mix and just sitting there playing so nicely while John was making a big mess.

I called Charlie back to the room to see and he chuckled at it, too. Charlie stayed back in the room while I got the vacuum. He picked up Jessi and I vacuumed most of the powdered cupcake mix off of her and off of John. Charlie took the kids and put them in the bathtub to get them cleaned up while I cleaned up the mess in the girls room.

I only wish I'd have gotten a picture of the kids before they got cleaned up in the tub. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of the things to come with John and Jessi. I have a bad feeling that wherever John is getting in trouble, I'll find Jessi there, too, mostly as an 'innocent' bystander, but none the less, there in the midst of it.