Clemson Basketball

I almost forgot to post these pictures.  Earlier in the month, Bobby & I took the kids to Rock the John.  There was a magic show, introduction of the 2014-2015 men & women's basketball team, an exhibition game and more.  Afterwards we got to meet all the players and got their autographs on the free posters that we received earlier.  I thought Amos would be scared with so much noise and smoke (from the fireworks & smoke machines) but he had just as much fun as Hannah & Samuel!

My favorite family picture.

 They took some good family pictures and then things got silly...

 It's smokey because of the fireworks and smoke machines.  It took forever for it all to clear.

 Sammy was excited to meet Rod Hall.  But he was so shy that he wouldn't have his picture taken with him.

 Hannah was not shy about posing with our favorite player -Landry Nnoko.  I love the grin on her face!

Interview with a Non-Second Grader

Mr. Amos James is now two years old and his little personality is in full bloom.
He is a chatterbox who loves his older siblings, milk and Matchbox cars.
He will sit for long periods of time rolling & lining up his cars -completely entertaining himself.  Then he can spend long periods of time playing tag or hide 'n seek with Hannah.
Amos is very bossy and will push/pull you to what he wants.
Thankfully he has not lost his friendly, smiley personality and loves just about everyone -with a few minor exceptions and a few rare cases of stranger anxiety.
He does have a quick temper though and is bad to throw things when angered.  The other day he threw a wooden block at Hannah (but missed, baseball will not be his sport).  Before I could get up to spank him, he was already hugging her and kissing her head.
I love when he says "Thank you" and "You welcome."  So polite!

What is Your Favorite?

Color:  red & blue

Food:  anything pasta related -spaghetti especially

Drink:  milk

Book:  Hello World! (teaches you to say Hello in different languages -Shalom)

Movie:  Toy Story 3 & Finding Nemo

Television cartoon:  Daniel Tigers Neighborhood

Activity:  Playing with Matchbox cars

Person:  Mama of course!!  But Daddy, Hannah, Samuel, Granny, Papa & Ms. Betty are all close seconds.  And if Aunt Bonnie brings cupcakes then you can forget the rest of us completely.

Brotherly love...

 My silly monkey loves posing for the camera...

Santa's Land/Cherokee 2014

It was rainy off & on, chilly and there ended up being a parade in downtown Cherokee so I didn't get as many pictures as I normally do.  We still had a ton of fun and, as always, we're thankful to my parents for paying for everything.  My children have the best grandparents ever.

Interview with a 2nd Grader

Sammy would actually be in first grade this year if he were in public school.  Since he wanted to start a year early and has done so well we've just kept going so he's second grade.  He can read well but doesn't like to read and he really excels at Spelling.  He is more like me when it comes to math & science.  We do well enough in those areas but they're not our favorite.

Sam is really looking forward to Upward again this year.  He loves basketball -watching and playing it.  I love how athletic he is and graceful.  He'll get on the trampoline and just bounce and flip with such ease.  It's amazing to watch.  I believe he is starting to become interested in other sports so we may try some over the summer.

Sam is so helpful and sweet around the house.  He looks for ways to help us and loves entertaining Amos for us.  He's a good big brother but can "love" Amos a little too much and drive him crazy sometimes ;-)  He also loves AWANA and really works hard on learning his scriptures.  I have to help him with some of the words but otherwise he works on his own.  This week he learned Psalm 23:1-6 and practiced over and over.  We even listened to the Keith Green song to help him.  And tonight he said it perfectly!  It was a very appropriate scripture for our week.  

What is Your Favorite?

Color:  Yellow

Food:  Mashed Potatoes

Drink:  Sweet Tea

Book:  How Does a Dinosaur Say Goodnight?

Subject in School:  Spelling

Movie:  Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

Activity:  Play the Wii and Upward Basketball

Person:  Amos

What do you want to be when you "grow up":  Missionary

I love this smile.

 And the blond hair and those blue eyes!!  He's too handsome!

Travel Ban

I'm about to the point of putting a ban on travel in our house.  At least until our children are grown.  Sometimes it seems as if we're living under a curse when it comes to trips.

Evidence:

-Bobby went on a business trip when Sammy was about two years old and Sammy fell off the

 trampoline and got a gash on his forehead.

-One year while on vacation my ear swelled up -like it has a tendency to do.

-The next summer Sammy ended up with a cold & fever while we were on vacation.

-Our trip to Orlando, FL brought the worst stomach bug ever to Hannah, Samuel and myself.

-Our family vacation this year saw Sammy suffer with a double ear infection.

-This year we went to visit Bobby's family at the beach in NC and Sammy ate so much that he ended

  up throwing up (first time that has ever happened to him.)

-Our second trip this year to NC, for our nephew's christening, saw Hannah with a huge red rash on

  one side of her face.

There may be more.  And we've had our fair share of good trips too.  They surely outnumber the bad but tonight all I remember is the bad & the ugly.

Anyway, to the point of this post.  Bobby left Thursday for work training in CA.  Thursday afternoon Amos somehow busted his bottom lip, the inside of his bottom lip and cut his chin right below his lip.  No one saw exactly what happened but we know it involved his metal Tonka truck, copious amounts of blood and crying -from Amos & myself.  No big deal.  I gave him some Ibuprofen and kept an eye on him.  He was still playing and eating fine, his poor lip was swollen and it looked like there were some small blisters on the inside but I figured he'd look better by the next morning.

Wrong.  Friday morning his lip looked like it had doubled in size as well as the blisters.  And they were white & grayish looking.  I ended up taking him to the doctor just to make sure no stitches or antibiotics were needed.  It was comforting to hear that it really looks worse than it is but still.

And if worrying about Amos wasn't enough - my mom's brother passed away very early Friday morning.  He was suffering with many health issues so we knew to prepare ourselves but it still doesn't make it any easier.  My mom has been very stressed and not sleeping very well.  There's only so much I can do to help since I'm home with three kids and my only reliable baby sitters are out of town on vacation.

James 1:2-4 says:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We rejoice that my uncle had called on the name of the Lord and was saved.  We have the comfort of knowing we'll see him again one day...

The kids & I rejoice that Amos just had a busted lip and didn't need stitches... 

We're working on being joyful in our trials.  We're always working on this but we're just getting a little extra practice this time.  Just remind me of this scripture the next time I'm complaining about our travel related trials :-)

Olaf

This is what happens to roosters that flog our children (as they attempt to do their chicken chores) on a daily basis.  He was beautiful and Hannah loved him and named him Olaf.   It's a shame he was so mean.

BEFORE

 AFTER

(chicken 'n dumplings)