Swimming.

I'm very happy we rejoined the Y. Griffin loves to swim and it so good for him. Today we went with friends after school. I look forward to a lot of pool time in our future.

Griffin - Boyhood

Since Griffin was a little boy, this has been one of my favorite quotes. In my eyes, it is such a delightful, sweet reminder. It has never been more true than current days. He is growing up and maturing, yet he is a boy learning to navigate all of the changes he is going through. The beautiful thing is, Griffin is not in this alone. The Lord is always with him to help guide his path. I've recently discovered this quote is actually the beginning line of this sweet poem:

Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find a delightful creature called a boy. Boys come in assorted sizes, weights and colors, but all boys have the same creed: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to protest with noise when their last minute is finished and the adults pack them off to bed at night.

A boy is truth with dirt on his face. Beauty with a cut on its finger, wisdom with bubble gum in its hair and hope of the future with a frog in its pocket. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly, or else he becomes a savage jungle creature bent on destroying the world.

A boy is a composite - he has the appetite of a horse, the digestion of a sword swallower, the energy of a pocket-size atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the lungs of a dictator, the imagination of a Paul Bunyan, the shyness of a violet, the audacity of a steel trap, the enthusiasm of a fire cracker, and when he makes something he has five thumbs on each hand.

Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs and breezes. Nobody else can cram in one pocket-a half eaten apple, three feet of string, two gum drops, six cents, a sling shot, a chunk of unknown substance and a genuine supersonic ring with a secret compartment.

A boy is a magical creature - he is a freckled face, pint sized, bundle of noise. You may be able to lock him out of your kitchen, but you can't lock him out of your heart.

- Author Unknown

Lego Club & Swimming - Friday Fun!

Lego Club and swimming after on this beautiful Friday ~ why yes, I think we will.

Photography - LOVE

L O V E ~ when you're driving down the road and you see an O in the log ~ and the kids are willing to stop to accommodate your vision.

Pizza Connection & The Auburndale Park

I think my mother-in-law may have had the best idea in the whole wide world! Pizza Connection picnic in the park for dinner!

Griffin - Thursday Night Cooking

It's Thursday night ~ Griffin's night to cook dinner! He made Chicken Alfredo with broccoli. He did almost everything on his own and it is delicious!

A Beautiful Ride Through The Country.

Griffin and I had the opportunity to take a ride through the beautiful countryside today. There was no one behind me, so I took these photographs through the dirty, rain spattered car window with my camera phone ~ it was so pretty in the misty rain!

A Lesson In Helping Others.

Griffin and I were blessed with a sweet lesson in helping others today. When a local teacher posted on a Facebook Mom's Group that she needed help, we decided it was something we could do. The 2nd grade classes at her school needed 52 pizza boxes to make their biography projects. We were asked to pick up the pizza boxes and deliver them to the school by the end of the day. When we volunteered to do this, the teacher then invited us into the classroom to show the kids how to fold the boxes.

When we arrived to pick up the boxes, the man was very nice and showed us how to fold the boxes. He even noted on a spare box, each fold Griffin needed to make on the box so he could remember how to do it.

When we got to the school for delivery, two students were waiting in the office to escort us to their classroom. It was so sweet! We were introduced to the class and they shared with us what they planned to do with the boxes. Then, Griffin showed the children how to fold the boxes.

I believe this was one of the sweetest experiences I have ever had! I am thankful for this opportunity to help these children and Griffin could be part of it!

Swimming In February!

Very happy we rejoined the Y! These two have been in constant motion for two hours!

Giving It His All.

Proud of this guy for always trying his hardest and giving it his all at gymnastics.

Today was his final class at River City. Given the option, he decided to take a break from gymnastics and rejoin the YMCA. We allowed him to make the decision. It was a tough decision and he really thought it through before deciding. His final conclusion was, the entire family could work out and have access to the YMCA and also the pool. I think it was a very mature decision on his part.

My Ring.

Griffin made me a ring.

Homeschool - Studying The Brain.

Griffin has been interested in learning about the human body since he was very little. The other day I saved a video of the human brain for us to watch later. He was reading about the brain today, so I thought it was a good time to watch the video. He could name all of the parts and shared several facts with me. But, the most endearing part for me was when he asked if they were going to cut it open so we might see the memories. His question reminds me that he is still very much a little boy and his sense of wonder remains intact. I'm so thankful for that.

Tending The Fire & First Culinary Effort

He is growing up too fast. Seems like yesterday we kept a gate around the fireplace to keep him safe. Now, he's tending the fire.

Another step in growing up ~ tonight he cooked dinner for us for the first time. His first solo culinary effort was a Stouffer's frozen lasagna, salad and garlic toast. He did a wonderful job and everything tastes wonderful.

Science Class.

I would like to start by saying Griffin enjoys science class very much. He attends twice a month and the lessons are fun and informative. Yesterday, he was presented with a situation in which I feel he handled it as only he could. Let me explain ...

At the beginning of class, the scientist told the children the moon was once part of earth and it broke away to become the moon - and stated it as fact, not a theory or her opinion. (I'm unsure why she even shared that because it had nothing to do with today's class). Griffin respectfully raised his hand and when called on, beared witness to the Truth. He shared how God created everything - and he was unafraid to do so. I believe what my friend Melinda said, there was a bigger reason for Griffin to be at science class today, other than just to learn about rocks and minerals.

I have an incredible amount of respect for my son. He is strong, he is courageous and he is faithful to the one true God.

Ice Sledding!

One of my favorite parts of living in Virginia is, it snows! Today we went sledding with neighbors down on the hill. The snow was icy, almost like a snowcone. It was great snow/ice for sledding! Mike even got in on the action and went down the hill several times.

Valentine's Day - 2016

We enjoyed a beautiful, low key Valentine's Day! We started the day at church, had lunch with friends, baked some cupcakes and enjoyed dinner and a movie at our home with friends. The perfect day! Low key and fun!!

Lobster!

While our children enjoyed games, movies and fun at 'Parents Night Out' at church - we enjoyed lobster with our friends for an early Valentine's Day dinner at home. Some women get red roses ... we got lobster!!

Silly Emojis?

We found these silly emojis when were in town - of course we couldn't leave without them. Griffin and Clara are in there somewhere. :)

Lego Club.

We are having a great time at Lego Club. I'm unsure who is enjoying it more - Griffin or me! It's great fun watching the children build the challenge models and fellowship with one another.

Piano Lessons.

Griffin is continuing with piano lessons and he is loving it. He favors techno music and he hopes to one day play the music he so enjoys listening to. Jesse is an amazing piano teacher and we are thankful we found him, right here in our small town.