Life-on-life influence

Today at church one of our favorite pastors spoke on evangelism. He focused on the importance of having a mentor that is a stage or two ahead of you in life as well as having a mentee a stage or two behind. 

This sermon really spoke to me. I have been thinking about finding a woman that is a stage or two ahead of me to look to for guidance, support and friendship for over a year now. Ideally I'd love to find someone that has raised or is raising daughters a bit older than mine. It would just be so amazing to have someone to confide in and look to for advice as we eventually handle the mean girl stuff, pre-teen attitudes & dating 😁😁😁. Finding this person has been a challenge for me. I did this well when I was working in a professional setting but it was for some reason so much easier to find mentors and I had some great ones in the professional setting. I'm praying and searching for who God may have for me in this area and hope to find someone in his timing to do life with. 

I also have a heart for high school and college girls and have been considering starting a community group for a high school girls. I just think this would be so much fun, rewarding and would be a highlight of my life a few years from now. I think I'd like to wait until Ella is in kindergarten to take this on and I'm hoping I may find one or two other ladies that may want to do this with me. An added perk will be that my girls will hopefully be influenced by some high school girls that are making good choices and may pour into their lives as well. 

More to come on this but I'm believing this will be a reality in the near future.

Reese starts kindergarten, how can it be?

A week ago today my biggest baby went to kindergarten. People with kids always say that time flies but until you have kids you never understand just how fast time flies by. I cannot believe she is in kindergarten. She is loving it!

The week before kindergarten she got a pretty big haircut, about 5 inches!

Her teacher's name is Mrs. Elmore. We have heard so many great things about her. I have been really impressed so far. She has taught kindergarten for many years and seems to be great with the kids. Reese really seems to like her.

The morning of she was a little anxious but pretty excited. Once we got there she happily picked a table and played with the legos on the table but when it came time for us to leave her she wasn't so happy. She cried a bit but the librarian, that lives in our neighborhood, stopped in and did such a great job of comforting her. The crying only lasted a moment and when we picked her up she was all smiles. We took her out for fro-yo to celebrate a great 1st day.

I walked her in the first 3 days. On the 3rd day, Wednesday, we had some really loud storms overnight. Reese still hates storms and woke up crying at 4:30. She never went back to sleep so when I walked her into school they had to peel her off of me, crying. She calmed down in moments and went on to have a really great day. I think it had a lot to do with her level of exhaustion due to being up for hours at the time of drop off.

Because the Wednesday drop off was a bit rough I worried about the plan to let her walk in on her own Thursday. We went for it anyways and she walked in like a superstar, no hesitation and happy as could be. I am so glad that she was prepared for all of this and that we have raised her to be so confident and independent but I am also sad that all of the baby seems to have faded away.

I held it together and did not cry during this first week. However, the Sunday before one of our pastors prayed during church over our schools, teachers and students. While he was praying that He would protect our students and guard their hearts and minds...it hit me that even though I have listened to prayers like this year after year this year it actually applied to me an oh so real way. I may have lost it a bit.

And we can't forget that this sweet girl started Pre-K last Monday. She is so excited that she now gets to do computer and Spanish and all of the other things that the Pre K classes do but the younger kids don't. Her main teacher is Ms. Skylan and she seems to really love her. Could she be any cuter?

Random updates on a Monday

1. Ella really likes having her picture taken. She poses in the most random places and says "mommy take my picture" and if I don't happen to have my phone she pouts for a while. Here is the latest random shot while at Walgreens picking up ear drops for her sister's swimmer ear problems (yes she went in her jammies).

2. These girls have such a special bond. They haven't seen each other much over the summer but the past few weeks have gotten to spend some sweet time together. Reagan, her mom, Reese and I are going to take an overnight trip to Branson before school and I think they are really going to have a blast. It will be interesting to see if they keep this bond over the years even though they will not see each other as much since they are going to different schools.

3. Reese's last day at The Kids Studio was a few weeks ago. I cannot believe her time there is done. She spent 5 great years there and I am so thankful to have found such and amazing daycare/preschool center. The staff really loved her so well and taught her so much. I am especially thankful for the love for Jesus that is taught there and all that Reese soaked up from many. She will miss it but will visit often since Ella will still be there for a bit.4.  My mom came up for a visit while she has a short break between summer school and the school year starting. She was here for her and my youngest sisters birthday. We had a lot of fun! A highlight was when she was pulling toys out of the pump of our neighborhood pool and reached in for what she thought was a toy frog. She quickly realized (after having it in her hand) that it was a real, dead, bloated frog. She shrieked and threw it. It takes a lot to get my mom flustered. Reese, Ella and I laughed hard. Reese wanted to play with it and kiss it like she does live frogs and I had to threaten her to keep her from it.

5. Look at this back seat full of cuteness!

6. During the 3 weeks that Reese is out of school before kindergarten starts I have been able to spend some really special time with her on the days that Ella goes to school. Some of the highlights have been eating at a bakery and watching them make cakes for hours, An Anna, Elsa and Christoff dance party at the library, sitting together for lunch at restaurants, high rise trampoline park and a super special overnight trip to Branson with her bestie and mom. I cherish this special time I have gotten with her and cannot believe kindergarten starts a week from today!

7. Gigi also paid us a special visit before the girl starts kindergarten. We had a lot of fun with her and even got some free babysitting since Neal and I had an event to go to.

8. This is Neal and I at said event, The Color of Hope. I just love this handsome man.

9. We love this sweet dog.

10. I am really going to miss getting to start most of our days relaxing with this sweetness.

11. The girls have been saving money for cowgirl boots and last week they finally got to go purchase them. I love that they have wanted something so badly and worked hard for it.

12. I am predicting Ella is going to have a hard time with her sister going to kindergarten. They play together often and love each other so much.

13. This one was longer than normal!

Mini Vacay 2015

Last Thursday we went to Branson for a 3 day mini vacay. I found a condo on the lake just behind Silver Dollar City. I couldn't find many reviews and the place has only been open for about a year so it was a bit of a gamble but ended up being an amazing place. It had an infinity pool overlooking Table Rock Lake and the condo was really nice, spacious, a great location and had everything we needed.

It is hard to see them with the sunset behind but Neal, Ella and Reese are in the pool.

This was the view from our bedroom out the balcony door while I drank coffee and watched television Friday morning.

Despite the heat and super long lines we had a blast at Silver Dollar City on Thursday. Friday we spent time swimming, then on a whim went to an aquarium and finished the night at the landing. The girls really enjoyed the aquarium but it was a bit old and run down. They did have some cool animals and the favorite were the "dr" fish that ate the dead skin from your hands. 

Neal has thrown the girls in the air by the lake every time we go to Branson since they were really young. They now remember this and ask for it. I love that we have these pictures in this spot year after year. Pretty soon they won't really leave his hands because they are getting so long and heavy.
 

Saturday we stopped in Cassiville Missouri on our way home to try out the Roaring River Water Slide that I have been wanting to do for a long time. This was so much fun. It is on the side of the road, a man sitting in a booth taking your cash and has been here for many, many years. Simple, potentially dangerous fun. We all had a blast, and got in a good workout too having to walk up the hill over and over again.

Saturday afternoon and for a few hours Sunday were spent on the lake. The best friends ever left us their boat while they were on vacation. We had a blast. We didn't ski, tube or anything else- we simply drove around, ate a lot and would stop to swim and float around in coves. Me and the girls had so much fun. Neal had a good time but spent a lot of time nervous since it was not our boat and he thought something would go wrong.

They both fell asleep for a short time on Saturday.
 

  Sunday Ella got some one on one time with her parents because Reese had a playdate with her best friend Reagan. It was fun to hang out with Ella alone but we missed Reese.

A kid free weekend, round 3

Last weekend Neal's parents graciously volunteered to keep the girls for the 3rd year in a row over an extended weekend. These weekends are so much fun for all of us. While we miss the girls terribly it is really a lot of fun to hang out in our home alone.

We met half way on Thursday evening and on our way back home we stopped for a kid free Sam's trip. We then tried out Miles James' new restaurant MJ Pizzeria. They serve wood fired pizza and home made pastas. It was SO good. The appetizer alone was worth the trip- wood fired focaccia bread and artichoke dip. 

Friday we planned to try the kayak park in Siloam Spring but once we got out there we realized it was closed because the water is so high. The road to get there was completely impassable due to high water. So instead we tried out Miles James' Siloam restaurant 28 Springs, also really good. We bought some tomatoes and peaches from a roadside stand, checked out an Aldi and then walked through a flea market. We came back home and then went to the neighborhood pool for a bit. That evening we met a couple of good friends for dinner and drinks.

Saturday we did the Aquatic Center to try out the slides that we never do when the girls are with us and to lay out on a chair not having to worry about little humans. We then went to the neighborhood pool again. Later that night we tried out a new Italian restaurant near the house, Roma, with good friends and came back to our house. It is always strange to hang out with friends at the house with no thought of having to pick kids up at a certain time or keeping it down so that the girls don't wake up.

The girls and their grandparents also had a fun weekend. They swam, boated, played with cousins, went to a fun land, got a visit from a sweet dog and went to a dinosaur exhibit. We met them at Neal's grandparents house on Sunday and spend some great time with them.

I am thankful that Neal's parents are willing and look forward to keeping the girls for the weekend each year. I am also thankful that the girls get so excited about going. We were so ready to have them back by Sunday. The house isn't the same without them, it is really their house.