Birthday Party Fun

Happy Birthday to a Friend!

Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor. ~ Romans 12: 10

It's the end of the school year for me so I am a bit slow with my blogging posts.  Two weeks ago, the little roosters attended a friend's birthday party at EdVenture which is our local children's museum.  The boys had the best time.  I enjoyed hanging out with them and talking to the parents and grandparents that came.  It was a fun afternoon.  Enjoy the pictures!

 

This is my Nick.  The one that wants to be a fireman, trooper, garbage man, and ninja.

 

Check out those feet!!  No, he did not wear work boots to the party.  They had a construction site dress up booth and he had a blast.  Those feet just totally crack me up.

 

This was a really cool hands-on part in the construction area.  You put the balls into this air tube.  The balls are "flown" into a scooper at the top of the container.  Someone in a crane in the loft directs the scooper to another tube, releases the balls and they fall into waiting baskets where the kids take them back to this area.  It keeps them busy for a long time!  Sydney's mother and I were trying to figure out how we could build a cheap one at home.

 

The birthday parade complete with boppers. The kids marched around the museum singing "Happy Birthday."

 

My boys second favorite part of the museum after the construction area--the butterfly garden.  The fabulous Mrs. Stewart (Yes, I am STILL singing her praises!) did a unit on insects at the end of the year.  The students got to see caterpillars turn into butterflies and then release them.  They LOVED it.  Because of that unit, the boys spent a great deal of time looking and watching the butterflies. 

 

I wish I had had my good camera.  This beauty was taken with my phone camera and just does not do it justice.  Isn't our God just an awesome God to give us such creatures to enjoy? 

 

Whew!  Yes, it is black and white to hide the wrinkles and the exhaustion that I clearly felt after an afternoon following kids around a three-story museum.  Earlier that morning I was running around a field full of blow up thingies for their end-of-season T-ball celebration. 

 

The eyes on this child just melt my heart.  I just adore my three roosters!

The Things Roosters Say

Aiming for Christ

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ~ Luke 6:  32-34

Training Roosters is a tough job.  I have really tried so hard to teach my children to love all people.  To be accepting of everyone's unique and God-given differences.  I believe that prejudices come from ignorance and are also learned.  I don't want to be the teacher of such evil.  So, when my children seem to be judging or not understanding others, I realize I need to teach them or help them understand.  For instance, the Colonel and I took the boys to a Disney show at our local civic center.  At our entrance, a Muslim lady was on her prayer mat praying.  The twins had never experienced this and asked me what she was doing.  I explained that it was her time for prayer and why, to the best of my knowledge, she was praying the way that she was (on her mat facing a certain way).  I also talked to them about the clothing she was wearing and why she covered her head and such.  They listened with interest.  I also took that moment to share with the boys why it is important for Christians to say grace in public and not hide our religion or worry about who we might offend.  If we practice our religion in love then we should offend no one.  You never know who is watching and asking questions.  ;)  I thought I had done a nice job with my lesson that evening. 

Fast forward a few weeks later...The boys and I are in WalMart shopping for our "prize" for good behavior and completed chores that week.  We are headed to the toy section when this Muslim lady passes us in a Berke (spelling??).  Her head is completely covered except for her eyes and she is in black.  Nick, bless his little pointed head, looks at her--does a double take and says REALLY LOUDLY, "Mommy, look!  It's a real ninja!!"  OMG!  Just dig a hole and put me in it.  I was mortified.  Nick was so excited.  I, of course, was trying to tell the lady how sorry I was and also let Nick know that she was NOT a ninja.  I could see the interview wheels turning in that child's head because I saw the disappointment in his eyes when I told him he was terribly mistaken.  (Besides being a fireman, state trooper, and garbage man, Nick also wants to be a ninja.)

And, just so you know, I am going to savor the moment when he is in his teens and I get to "shame" him in front of his friends as pay back for this moment.  Gotta love the honesty of little ones.  I am also grateful for the understanding of this lady as I could see the "smile" around her eyes. 

Spring Football and TBall

Ball, Ball and More Ball  

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. ~ Psalm 127:  3-5

I guess when you have a house full of boys it is only natural that a mother will spend a good bit of her "free" time at a ball field, huh?  Blake had a spring scrimmage game this past week, and the twins had their end of season T-ball celebration also.  I enjoy seeing the boys having fun with friends and learning how to work together and become a team player.  Here are a few pictures of all the Roosters during their special day.

 

That would be my Blake (#54) making that tackle!

 

Going for the tackle

 

Oh, my!  Is that a semi-smile? 

 

Jogging to the sidelines

 

Blake and Amber after the game

 

Food helps keep the Roosters in check.

 

Coloring books and computer games also help make the time pass quickly.

 

Good game, Blake!

 

John Ryan enjoying the blow ups at the T-ball festivities.  Notice his mismatched socks.  Nick has the other pair.  The things they decide to do!

 

This picture cracks me up.  CHEESE!

 

Poor Rooster. 

 

Slide?  Are you kidding me?!  My roosters jumped down the slide.  Forget sliding.

 

1, 2, 3 JUMP!

 

It's all in the footwork.

 

Getting trophies!!

 

Look, Mom!! 

 

We saw this family of geese on our way home.  They were on the side of the road having a picnic lunch.  Nick said, "Look, Mom!  It's a mommy and daddy goose with a lot of gooslings (pronounced goose-lings).  I tried to tell him the correct pronunciation, but Nick said if an adult goose was called a "goose" then a bunch of babies were "goose-lings". 

Graduation Part I

The Twins' Big Day!!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

We made it!!  They did it!!  It was an awesome day for the little Roosters.  This is just Part I of a multitude of pictures.

 

Trying to "get right"

 

Asbury Kindregarten Class of 2013 (Corena moved to Colorado last month so one little one is missing.)

 

John Ryan marching in!

 

John Ryan and his awesome teachers--Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Kerry

 

John Ryan and Mr. Kirby Jordan

 

John Ryan and Pastor Steve

 

Nick marching in!  (He had this smile in every picture!)

 

Nick and Pastor Steve

 

Nick and Mr. Kirby Jordan

 

John Ryan, Noah, and Nick

 

The mother of three fabulous Roosters!

 

The Proud Family (minus the big rooster who had exams)

 

Nick and the fabulous Mrs. Stewart and wonderful Mrs. Kerry

 

MORE TO COME LATER!!

After Graduation

An Afternoon With the Roosters

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ~ 2 Timothy 3: 14-15

Today was a big day for the twins and for "the parents"--Kindergarten graduation!  It is so hard to believe that the boys are old enough to be heading into the first grade.  I have not uploaded pictures from my camera of the ceremony so those will be coming soon.  The pictures below are from our afternoon when we got home and changed into our "second day of summer" clothes. Tonight we will journey across town to watch Blake in his first spring football game.  Go, Falcons!!

 

We got this book from the library today.  It is entitled LAST DAY BLUES.

 

Lunch was pizza at The Village Idiot.  It was so good.

 

I don't remember why Nick was unhappy.  It couldn't have been because his pizza slice was too small.  Look at the size of that thing!  He ate all of it, too.

 

After lunch we headed to our local branch of the public library.

 

Waiting on me to snap a few pictures...They are starting to get used to me photographing everything they do.

 

They loved the puzzles at the library.

 

I snapped a few photos of photos of the boys when they were about five months old. 

 

 

Nick

 

John Ryan

 

A photo with the vintage effect added to it.  The boys have been busy which is how I plan to keep them all summer.

 

Talk about vintage!  I found this picture of my sister and me the other day.  I am on the left and that would be Heidi on the right.  We are Irish twins.  We were born eleven months apart.  I have always laughed at this picture of us b/c we both look like we have on wigs.  Geez!

 

And this is a picture of the very vintage me after a morning of crying over my babies growing up.  I like black and white pictures b/c they tend to hide the wrinkles.  HA!