Happy 1st Birthday Sarge

 

 

So, we did a thing in March - we got a rescue puppy!  And today he turns 1.  We just love him.  Happy Birthday Sarge!

Happy 17th Birthday B

 

B's Volleyball Cookie Cake

 

B is 17 today!

It's only fitting that she has volleyball practice tonight with her club team.  Their 1st tournament is this Saturday and I'm so excited to see them play together.  Happy Birthday B - we love you!!

Lies Girls Believe and A Mom's Guide to Lies Girls Believe from True Girl Review

Disclosure:  I received this complimentary product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW.

Family time is super important to me, so I was excited to receive Lies Girls Believe and A Mom's Guide to Lies Girls Believe from True Girl.  This study is geared for young girls aged 8-12.  While Lies Girls Believe can be read independently by your daughter it is highly encouraged that the Mom reads the companion guide alongside them.

 

I have been using the with E and when we complete it I'm excited to also have D use it as well.

 

Our Books

This mother-daughter Bible study written by Dannah Gresh helps tweens identify some of the most common lies that girls believe and how to navigate them.  E's softcover book is ~ 167 pages long.  It is divided into 3 parts:  Truth...or Problems, Lies Girls Believe and The Truth That Sets Them Free (Your Truth Lab) and The Truth That Sets You Free.

What are some of the lies covered in the book?  The main 20 lies addressed in the book are:

• God only loves me when I'm good
• God is not enough
• I'm a Christian because...
• I'm not good enough
• Pretty girls are worth more
• I need more freedom
• My family is sooo weird
• My family is too broken for me to ever be happy
• My parents just don't get me
• My sin isn't that big a deal
• I don't need to tell anyone about my sin
• What I watch/listen to doesn't matter
• Boys and girls aren't really that different
• Getting my period is going to be awful
• It's okay to be boy crazy
• I don't need to talk to my mom about boys
• I don't have any friends
• It's okay to be mean
• It's not cool to JUST be a wife and mom
• I'm too young to...
  

I really love that Scripture is used to combat each of the previous lies.  For example, taking the first lie, girls might be tempted to believe that God only loves them when they are good.  However, in reality God loves them all the time, no matter what.  This study directs them to Isaiah 43:4 and Romans 5:8 for two examples.  This book is engaging and has a conversational feel to it.  The illustrations, drawings and doodles are great and E loves all the color!  She is really enjoying it.

 

A peek inside A Mom's Guide to Lies Girls Believe

While you don't have to have the Mom's companion guide I think it gives a greater depth to this study and can really help you connect and discuss the material together.  The internal reflection is great as you can share both your struggles and triumphs with your daughter.  There is so much great information in this book and it is a valuable resource.  This is a well thought out study and I would definitely recommend it for you and your tween daughter!

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Happy 44th David

We finally got to celebrate David's birthday yesterday!  With all the sports and activities we had to wait until the weekend.

 

Inside the cake

The girls and I made him a cake, 1/2 lemon and 1/2 strawberry and A used David's cake airbrush kit (he got it for Christmas) to decorate it.  I love the way it came out.

With 44 candles! 😏

 

Happy Birthday David!  You keep this family going and we love you bunches!

Just the Littles

 

Dessert Snack

Well, the older kids are off at a church retreat so it's just David and I and the 3 youngest.  We had a fun family day of bowling and video games yesterday at Spare Time.

 

The boys loved this game/ride.

It was so great to see how much fun everyone was having.  I definitely need to work on my bowling skills, it's been way too long.  Hope you are having a great weekend!

A & C's Baptisms

 

A with friends.

A and C made the decision over the weekend to get baptized!  I'm so proud of them.  We brought a family dinner and met friends up at our church for the event.  It was such a special time of gathering together, watching baptisms and hanging out.  I'm so thankful for my kids and those dear to us.  God has truly blessed us with so many good friends throughout the years and I am grateful for each and every one.

David and C's youth pastor baptized C.

Likewise, David and A's youth pastor baptized her as well!

Congrats A and C - we look forward to watching you continue to grow in your faith!

Fun with Mumma & Puppa

 

Mumma & Puppa came for a visit!

The last few days have been so fun.  Mumma & Puppa came to Texas for a short visit and it was great to see them.  Sadly, they left this morning but I'm so grateful for the time we had.

 

Playing cards

 

After months of waiting, B got her learner's permit!

B got her permit while Mumma & Puppa were here so to celebrate they treated everyone to pie!  It was such a nice treat.  Here's to a holiday weekend - we are looking forward to it 🙂.

Happy 14th Birthday C

 

Now 14!

When we asked C what he wanted to do for his birthday he wasn't sure but he finally decided on bowling.  He and 11 of his friends had a great time this weekend bowling, eating pizza/drinks, and playing in an arcade.  I'm so thankful to all of them for coming and celebrating C as he turned 14.

 

 

C bowling

 

David and the other kids and I were able to bowl in the lane next to all the boys.  Apparently, it was the first time for several of my kids to bowl so that was super fun.  I think F was the first one to get a strike (with bumpers).

A and B decorated C's room.  It's hard to tell in this photo but the balloons light up!

 

C blowing out his candles!

I’m so thankful to have such a sensitive and kind son.  I love watching C play baseball ⚾️ and we both share a love for corny jokes 😆.  I wonder if he will be taller than me next year?  Time will tell...

Happy 43rd Birthday David

David finally caught up to me and turned 43 over the weekend!  We actually got to go on a little adventure and attend a family wedding.  It was so nice to see some familiar faces and the wedding was absolutely beautiful {Congrats Brent & Tara}.  While we were gone the kids made David an 8 layered birthday cake!  They did an amazing job and it taste delicious 😏.  Inside they had 8 different shades of blue and I thought it came out so well.  It was fun to celebrate David as a family when we returned home!

David's Birthday Cake

Inside the cake

Above you can see what the slices look like, they're so pretty!

A made some origami ice cream cones for decoration and they are adorable.

David also enjoyed an Italian Cream Cake on his birthday right before the wedding {thanks Jane!}.

Happy Birthday David!  I could not imagine my life without you 😚.

Merry Christmas 2020

 

Our Christmas Tree!

I took a lot of time of social media to enjoy this holiday season with my family!  We had a fabulous Christmas and I'm so thankful for the time we had and have together.  There are several family traditions that we have that we were able to do once again this year.  On Christmas Eve, the kids got a new set of pajamas.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them wearing their new pj's.  We went to look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve and their were so many to see!

 

This pink house was amazing.

We baked a cake for Jesus' birthday.  F and G were in charge of decorating it this year and they did a great job.

The boys kept it simple and there had to be sprinkles!

If you know us then you know we use real socks for stockings.  It has to be a sock that you have worn sometime during the year.

Our family's socks on Christmas Eve

And on Christmas!  It's amazing what a sock can hold 😉

While many things have looked different this year, it was nice to be able to continue on with so many of our Christmas traditions as usual.  I hope you had a very Merry Christmas!

Happy 15th Birthday B!

 

Birthday Girl

Yesterday, B turned 15.  A, B and C had their Winter Band Concert on her birthday.  It was fun to hear them play.  B is sensitive, compassionate and caring. I love her passion for others. To know her is to love her. Love you B!!  I look forward to celebrating you even more this weekend.

A (in blue), B (in red) and C at their Winter Band Concert

Baby Shark Birthday Parade {Happy 4th Birthday G}

Thank you for the birthday shirt Aunt Jane!

G is 4 today!  Where has the time gone?  He looks so grown up.  We were able to have a Baby Shark themed birthday parade for him yesterday and it was so fun.  We gave out goldfish and baby shark key chains as car party favors!  G is so handsome and so fun to be around.  He continues to come up with the best phrases.  We are so lucky to have him as part of our family.

Getting ready for the parade.  The bubbles and music are going!

 I love his birthday balloons.

All the sharks were included

 Our "goodie" table

 Getting ready for cake.

 Blowing out his candles...

 G's Baby Shark Cake

He received so many fun themed gifts.  A made him shark stuffies.  I'll have to do another post on that.

He also received balloons with money inside.

I'm so thankful for all the well wishes, birthday gifts and parade attenders.  Thanks for helping our G feel special.  He had an awesome day!

Happy Easter 2020 - He Is Risen

Easter Peep Stevie

Happy Easter everyone, He Is Risen!  I hope you had a fantastic day with your family and loved ones.  I was a tiny bit sad not to be able to gather in church today but I love that we can live stream our church and I know many others are doing the same during these crazy times.

Live Stream Service

We were mostly dressed up (I was wearing bunny slippers though).  The kids awoke to an Easter egg hunt down the stairs and all around the living room.  After hunting for eggs, they enjoyed their Easter baskets and treats that were waiting for them on the table.

Easter Goodies

We made Resurrection Rolls as a family for breakfast - one of my favorite traditions.  It is extremely important to seal the crescent rolls so that the marshmallows don't leak out and one of our batches was not sealed well.  Thankfully, they still taste great.

 A making the first resurrection roll.

 E getting her marshmallow.

 David walking G through how to make his.

 Headed into the oven

 This is what happens when the rolls aren't sealed enough...

 When cut into, the roll is empty, just like the tomb.

Another empty tomb...

We then went outside to have our annual raw Easter egg toss competition.  D and I won the 1st round, David and F won the 2nd round, C and F won the 3rd round (E and I almost pulled out the win) and David/D and A/B tied for 1st in the 4th round.

 Yep, these eggs are raw.

This was the first round.

The kids made numerous other egg hunts outside for everyone to participate in throughout the day, they hid empty eggs and we went and found them.  There are lots of good places to hide eggs in our backyard.  And we just enjoyed hanging around the house together - memories!  Hope you had a wonderful Easter as well.