Breakfast Discussion

JP-Mom, can God see through things?
Mom-Yes JP, God knows all things and sees all things.
JP-But mom, can God see, like in a box?
Mom-Yes, remember what Mr. Doug talked about at church yesterday.  God can see everything.  He can see inside everything.  He even sees what's in your heart and knows the thoughts in your head.
JP-Yes, I know He can see my heart because He lives in my heart.  But can He see inside things?
Mom-Yes, JP.  God sees everything and knows everything.
JP-So there are like a thousand gods?
Mom-No JP.  There is one God.  The God we serve, the God of the Bible.
JP-Mom, what does God look like?
Mom-Well JP, no one really knows for sure because God is so perfect that....
JP-God is more perfect than our garden?
Mom-Yes, God is more perfect that our garden.

So funny to go through a thought process with a child.  Praise the Lord that JP is thinking through these things and asking questions.  I pray for him and Shelby as they discover and learn more and more about God's love for them.

Art Work

Art Work by JP Reed:

Our garden while it is raining

He drew the box that Pratt built, the yellow flowers are the squash and the red circles on the green thingy are the tomatoes, and the red circles in between are the strawberries.

Our House

I think this one is pretty self explanatory except for the yellow.  Not sure where he was going with this, but maybe he started to color the whole house but ran out of time.

Easter 2012

So for about a week I have been trying to upload Shelby's solo from Easter Sunday but have had no such success.  I don't know what is going on, but it just won't load so here I am finally sitting down to talk Easter.  We had a very busy Easter season as usual.  Starting with the Annual Church Egg Hunt the Saturday before Palm Sunday.  It was a gorgeous day and we were so glad to have our friends the Arnholts join us.  JP and Harrison are best buds.  They get into all sorts of trouble together:)  Actually, they are good boys and just love to do boy things.

The children sang in church on Palm Sunday.  They did their entrance of waving palm branches and sang a song.  As always, I cried...

The week leading up to Easter was busy and I can't tell you what we did or have any pictures to show for it, but we had fun.  Friday the children had off school as the beginning of Spring Break and we took full advantage of having no commitments.  Saturday we colored out Easter Eggs and then had a super fun glow in the dark egg hunt with our neighborhood friends!

The glow in the dark egg hunt was great fun!  All the moms stuffed tons of eggs with glow sticks and then we hid them in our backyard and the Albert's backyard.  After that we had to wait.  We thought that it would be dark enough around 7:45 but it was probably closer to 8:15 before we set the children loose.  They had so much fun and I just loved listening to them chattering and laughing!!!

Easter morning was so relaxing.  When the children got up we did our little egg hunt through the house.  This year the Easter bunny got smart and didn't give so much candy.  We had discussed on going to sunrise service on the beach as that is a favorite childhood memory of both Pratt and I, but due to the late night and the fact that we knew the day would be busy we decided to let the children sleep.  They only slept until 7, but that is later than 6:)

The children's choir sang again and Shelby, Brady and Caroline had little solos.  Can you say ADORABLE!?!?!?!?  It was so precious and I so wish that I could get that video uploaded:( 

Afterward we enjoyed Easter brunch at Hampton Lake with my family, Pratt's family, and our friends the Olsons.  It was a great day and following the trend started at Christmas, Shelby was able to be in the same general area as the Easter Bunny!!  Yipppeee, I love breakthroughs!  She still avoided him like the plague, but she was close enough to see him.  



We had a wonderful day with family and friends celebrating our Savior's resurrection!!!  He is risen!!!

Aesope's Adventures

Every year the elementary classes at May River Montessori put on an "opera" production.  They are more like musicals than operas, but I think the children feel more sophisticated to have it called an opera.  Anyway, this was Shelby's first year to be a part of the production and she was so excited!  I loved listening to her just randomly busting out in song through out the day and then saying some lines and telling me how funny so and so was when they said their line. 

Shelby played two parts in the opera.  Her first part was to say, "And the moral of the fable is...", after which another little girl would say the moral.  Her other part was an actual line in The Fable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

She was so much shorter than the other girl who said the morals that she had to sit on a stool.  She looked so grown up on the stage, but she also seemed so little at the same time sitting on her stool.

Getting ready to sing a song.  She hardly could keep attention through the whole thing.  Most of the time she was looking all around at her classmates and watching them rather than looking at the audience and doing the motions to the songs, but occasionally she would really like a song and get in the groove.



Daddy's girl...actually more like, "Mom, seriously!!!  No more pictures"  I can't blame her too much, I hate getting my picture taken too.



It was a super cute performance and I am really excited to see next years.  That night as I was tucking Shelby in and spending a few minutes cuddling with my ever growing and changing baby she said, "Mom, I think I am going to cry."  I said, "Why sweet pea?"  She said, "Because I am so sad my opera is over.  It was fun."

Hot Pink

As relayed from my mom while she was watching the children for me:

Shelby and JP were playing "builder" (can you tell we live in a real estate and builder community?).  JP was the builder and he was building a house for Shelby.  When he asked her what color she wanted the house to be she said she wanted hot pink; to which JP replied, "You mean sweaty pink?"

Got to love the difference between boys and girls:)

The Difference a Week Makes

Two weekends ago was hopefully our last little cold snap until Fall!!!  Pratt had to work so the children and I hung out like the old days and made ourselves busy doing stuff.  What stuff you ask, well, that was nearly two weeks ago and I can hardly remember what happened yesterday so I have no idea.  At any rate, one thing I do remember is pulling out the trusty old Easy Bake Oven.  Shelby got it for Christmas a few years ago and it hasn't seen much use, but we had fun with it on Sunday.  Shelby and JP made some yummy S'more Cookies with it.  The hardest thing about baking is being patient to finish the project and so I ended up finishing it all, but the children reappeared when it was time to decorate and eat.

I did sneak a bit of the batter and grab a small nibble of the finished product and while it can't even come close to comparing to the delicious goo of a real s'more, they weren't all that bad and we had a fun afternoon making them together so that counts for something.

While the previous weekend we were trying to find things to do inside because it was quite chilly, this past weekend we spent as much time outdoors as possible!!!  Saturday morning started out slow (we are still adjusting to day light savings time-it seems to be taking longer this year), but we were moving fast enough to get out the door in time for our morning activities.  JP and Pratt went to JP's tball practice and Shelby and I went to the school's Saturday morning fun run.  They have been doing 1/4 mile runs for the children every Saturday for the Presidential Fitness Challenge and this was the first one that Shelby was able to go to.  I so wish that I had a camera.  Shelby did great for her first run and she had a great time.

After JP's practice was done we came home for a bit of a rest.  The children were up rather late Friday night due to the fact that we had a crazy lightening storm move through.  Let me tell you, it was AMAZING!!  I have never seen lightening like that in all my life! 

Since it was the most perfect March day Pratt and I decided to take a family trip to the beach.  Normally this time of the year it is still a little too chilly to get on your suit and head down to the water, but this day was the most gorgeous day!  And to top it off, we spent the whole day just the four of us and I couldn't have asked for anything more.  Shelby and JP got along so well.  They enjoyed playing together and playing with Pratt and I.  Pratt and I enjoyed watching them, playing with them and just relaxing.



JP working on his sandcastles and sea animals



Shelby digging a big hole



Teamwork makes the job light



Quick pic of Pratt

And.....oh no, our day wasn't over after that.  When we got home Pratt and Shelby planted some wildflower seeds in our backyard.  They were rather old seed packets and chances are we might not get any flowers from them, but they did inspire and by the end of Sunday we had a vegetable garden box built with vegetables planted.  I am so thankful for a handy husband who loves to spend time with his family and do fun things with our children!  What a blessing!!! 



Best Weekend EVER!!!

JP's Masterpiece

JP-Mom, this is my masterpiece.

Mom-It is a beautiful masterpiece buddy.  I love all the colors and the design.  You have a wonderful imagination to make something like that.

JP-Sometimes my masterpiece is dump trucks, sometimes it is firetrucks, and sometimes it is other things.

Mom-You are very creative buddy.  I love all your masterpieces.

JP-Mom, mom, please try not to interrupt me because this is hard work and I need to concentrate.  Shelby, look at my masterpiece.

Shelby-What's that, what is a masterpiece?

JP-It's something that is really cool that you can make.

JP-Now look at my masterpiece. It is handsome because I put in more sticks.

When I have the finished product I will try to remember to post a picture:)