My Girls

My girls are growing up.  Yes....too fast.

I have decided that it doesn't help my littles to keep their "little girl" when there are teenagers around.

They see the things their big sisters are doing and wearing and want to be like them.

I get it.

I used to do the same to Karen when we were growing up.  Drove her crazy!

I am not sure if Kandi felt the same way about me, since there were almost 12 years between us.  I was probably basically a nerdy grown whose fashion choices were to be avoided at all costs!

They play dress up and put together outfits for each other.  I love that idea, in theory.

But, then my 5 year old walks out of her room, puts her hand on her hip and asked for her picture to be taken.

Yikes!  Where is my baby?????

Or, they surprise me by straightening S-girls beautiful wavy hair....

Then, I find that L-girl is taking duck faced selfies on my camera - since none of us have smart phones that can do it!

And then....A-girl.  A-girl went from this......

To this.....

It looks really pretty, but it seems like such a grown up thing to do.  Her coloring definitely supports being a red head (I have 2 red headed siblings, a few red headed neices and nephews....and according to the anesthesiologist at my C-section with S-girl, I AM also a red head!)

My babies!  Where have my babies gone????

The End of Birthday Palooza - L-Girl's Birthday!

Yes, I realize it is almost June and I am just posting the last of my April birthdays.

Homeschoolers get busy at this time of year too!

L-girl turned 12 this year.

She too, picked me for her special birthday meal.  She has inherited her mother's love of Chinese cuisine, so we tried out a new place together.....and I forgot to have someone snap a picture of us on our way out!

Too bad, because we looked really good.   Chaos around here sometimes, I tell you.

Her food was better than mine, which is only fair, since it was her birthday!  We both got fortunes that made us smile.  We are both still a bit peeved that we didn't get our promised egg roll.  But, overall,  it was a good day.

We came home and she got to open presents.

V-girl went out on a limb this time and shopped in her own closet (rather than off the floor) this time and gave L-girl the step stool she uses to get her clothes down.  That girl just cracks me up!

Tried and true gift from A-man (the same thing he got for A-girl)....One Direction trading cards.

A-girl helped add to her One Direction trading cards and got her a drinking cup (that I steal as often as I can)!

Somehow D-man and S-girl escaped pictures this time around.  In case you can't guess, birthday present opening time can get a little chaotic!  Usually, I am a fanatic about  making sure I get pictures of each of them, so I am not sure what happened this time around.

So, I will just include recent pictures of them with L-girl to document the approximate time of her birthday.

Here she is at D-man's graduation from a youth leadership program in our county.

Here she is with S-girl, at the Cinderella viewing party, in the room we have ready for Grandma.

If you remember, at A-girl's birthday this year, she and L-girl got a one joint gift to open on A-girl's birthday, and the other would be opened on L-girl's birthday.

This second gift came in a big box that had been tormenting them for weeks.

What is it????

A dress form!

It has a stand and everything.  They were so excited....and, honestly, I was super excited to give it to them. It cost more than I would usually spend on their gifts, but after seeing what they could do with swimwear and all the other cute skirts and dresses they have made, I knew it would be used.

(Coming soon:  A Micro Business sewing custom clothing!  They are just trying to work out the details.  I am so excited for them.)

Now, L-girl's birthday being so close to Easter this year, we ended up waiting awhile(honestly, it was like 2 weeks) to have her cake....poor thing.  But, she did get it....and it had fruit....so she was happy!

Happy birthday, my sweet, sweet, L-girl!

S-girl is 7!!!!

Yes....it is true.  She is getting big.

We had a little trouble scheduling birthday celebrations this year.  Rainman has switched to a new schedule.  He really likes it because he can easily get plenty of sleep and never has to deal with traffic.  The kids and I don't love it as much as he does.....because he isn't around.  He alternates between working 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

So, because of his weird schedule, S-girl opened her presents the night before her actual birthday, and we spread the rest of her celebration (birthday lunch out with mom, cake, etc.) for the next few days.  This same scenario will repeat itself for A-girl and L-girl's birthdays too!

V-girl did her usual "shop off the floor of our house" gift that she wrapped up special (in a big, black garbage bag) for big sis!

A-man is actually a very thoughtful gift giver.  He gave her a fake cell phone and a painting kit.  At first glance, you wouldn't think my little pink and purple, sparkle loving girl wouldn't be excited about an Avengers paint kit.....but you would be wrong!  She loves super heroes.  Maybe not quite as much as A-man....but they are always creating costumes for "She Hulk" and girly Captain America.  So, it was a really, really good gift.

D-man, all sweaty from baseball practice, gave his usual "coupons" for special time spent with him.  I know it is sort of cheesy and cheap....but, honestly, the kids all love their D-man coupons!

L-girl and A-girl went together on their gifts for S-girl this year.  They pooled their money and got her 7 little gifts....the biggest was this miniature real sewing machine.  She loves it.  One of these days I will show you pictures of our craft/sewing room.  (I cannot believe I actually have one!)

We have been waiting for Frozen to come out on DVD since movies at the theater are a little too spendy for us.  As you can tell, she was surprised that I actually got it for her.  (She had to wait another 3 days until we were all around at the same time to watch it though....poor thing).  The best part of this picture is L-girl's reaction to S-girl's excitement over the gift!

The other big gift was a "new to us" big girl bike for her.  She has only fallen and skinned up her knees about 4 times since her birthday!

She had requested a Frozen cake.  I did my best with this seven fingered Olaf cake.  As usual, I had a different/better idea in my head of what it would look like when it was finished....and, as usual, she didn't care what I thought.  She LOVED it.

Happy birthday, my sweet, sweet S-girl!

Beauty in the Heart

This is a review.



We received an e-book Bible study from Doorposts, called Beauty in the Heart.  Beauty in the Heart is a Bible study designed by Pam Forster, for girls, ages 10-12 and up and focuses on Godly beauty.

I really wanted to try this out with both A-girl (13) and L-girl (11), because as all girls this age, they are becoming more and more interesed in the look that they are presenting to the world.  I am finding myself saying all those things my parents said to me about my looks:  You don't need to paint yourself up to look pretty.  Is that what you are going to wear?  Aren't those a little tight/short/lowcut?

We have talked about modesty.  We have talked about inner beauty.  And, I have gotten eyerolls.

So, when we got the chance at this Bible study that I could do with them and not just preach at them, I was excited.  I will be honest, they were not excited when I presented it to them.

We did this after our family Circle Time with just the three of us.  There are 10 Chapters:

1.  Beauty in Submission

2.  Beauty in the Heart

3.  Beauty in Trusting God

4.  Beauty in Humility

5.  Beauty in Modesty

6.  Beauty in Serving

7.  Beauty without Discretion

8.  Beauty in Crisis

9.  Beauty in the Gates

10. Beauty in Review

There is a little section at the end that has "alternate" questions for young men, but there is a Bible study that Doorposts has that is geared towards young men - that might be better suited to them.

Each study is divided in 7 day cycles for the Bible study assignments.  Some were easier than others, so we usually grouped 2 or 3 days together at a time.

This is not a shallow, breezy devotional or Bible study.  It is deep and intense.  It takes some real soul searching.  It takes deep reading of the Bible stories of Godly women, like Esther, Sarah,  and Ruth.

This Bible study clarified for me why my parents said the things they did to me....and why I am following in their footsteps in preaching it to my daughters.  It made me look closer at some familiar Bible stories.  Honestly, this study made me think a little differently about Abraham and the time he pretended that Sarah was his sister. (Genesis 12: 10-20)   



I have decided that it is really difficult to "review" a Bible study.  Because the information ends up being so personal and different for everyone that works through it.

This is one of those studies that probably ended up speaking more to me, at this point, than them.  I think to them, it ended up just being more of the stuff mom has been saying to them already....but they don't really want to hear it.  Their hearts aren't quite soft enough yet to really understand that Beauty in the Heart is really what will attract people to you.  But, I know that is planted seeds in their hearts.  I know it.

Although, at this point, I think the Introduction to the book was what was the most clear to them.  Its main points were:

Most women are interested in being pretty and there is nothing wrong with looking your best.  God is, in fact, the one who made beauty....so he wants you to understand what true beauty is and where it comes from.   This study works to teach what God says about beauty in the midst of a beauty obsessed world.

The other thing I thought this study was good at was really creating a way to really study scripture.  The author does this by comparing scripture passages, encouraging the use of a concordance, studying the people in the Bible and their actions and choices.  It really encourages digging for the answers.  Even in some cases going back to the original Hebrew and Greek works and how they are used in different situations throughout the Bible.

The author suggested having Nave's Topical Bible and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance handy to use in conjunction with the study.  We did not have Nave's Topical Bible, but we do have Strong's Concordance, which has helpful.

Also, this study uses King James Version of the scriptures, but I am not a big fan of that so we looked up everything in the New International Version.  The author also suggests marking certain passages and verses in your Bible and even in some instances color coding them.  If you have an issue with writing in your Bible, you could skip these steps in the study.  My dad wrote all over his Bible and in almost every margin....so writing in ours wasn't a big deal. 

Some pages have little gray boxes with additional things to study, for example, in the chapter covering the themes in 1 Peter 2:11-3:9, she suggests studying the life of Jesus, especially his last day and how He responded to those who wronged him.  See?  Not a light, fluffy Bible study.  Another gray box suggested using an on-line parallel Bible to compare translations of the same verse.

Here are some sample pages from the book, so you can get a flavor of the information and the way it is presented.

I, personally liked this study (even though it was a lot deeper than I thought it was going to be) and hope that I at least planted seeds in my daughters of what true Godly beauty means.  That beauty is a good thing when it isn't taken to extremes like they are seeing in the world today.

The Beauty in the Heart Bible study is available in hard cover and e-book form.  If you hurry, you can use  the coupon "beautystudy" in your shopping cart to get a free instant-download PDF copy of the Bible study when you pre-order the paperback (Print books will ship by 8/29. Special ends 8/31).  The paperback is available for $14.00.

The TOS Reviewers also got a chance to review a Bible study for guys called Because You Are Strong.  Go take a look and see what the other TOS reviewers thought of the Bible studies. 

A New Year's Wedding

Back on December 30th, our nephew got married to a wonderful girl.  The wedding was in Indiana and it was beautiful.  But, instead of a white, snow covered wedding, it was a balmy 50 or so degrees.   I felt bad that they didn't get any beautiful snow covered pictures....but it sure made it nice for travel!  It was a wonderful wedding and we had a lot of fun visiting with family.

Here are some pictures of our trip....

Two of my beautiful girls.

Dancing fool...

He caught the garter....

This wonderful teenage boy danced (a bit reluctantly) with his sister (and later in the evening, his mom)!

She danced so much, she broke her shoes...

She danced....ran around in circles.....danced some more....and then crashed with her aunties...

The beautiful bride...

That is Rainman's mom peaking over A-girl's shoulder.

Rainman with all but one of his siblings and his mom...

And last, but not least.....two of my favorite people ...and Minnie....sleeping at the hotel....

Welcome to the family, Rachel!

Okay, the Last April Birthday Update....

It has been about a month after my last April birthday...so I am just a little late in keeping people updated, but here you go....

L-Girl turned 9 last month...along with S-Girl turning 4....and A-Girl turning 11.

We did not celebrate on her actual birthday, partly because she had softball games and partly because I was gone.  Yes, I was not around on her birthday. 

You see, there was this women's conference, Extraordinary Women,  that the ladies from my Sunday School class had decided to attend and encouraged me to go.  Now, you may have figured out by now, that I have had a hard time adjusting to my new life here in Georgia - without my best friends and sisters, Karen and Kandi.  Rainman even encouraged me to go and "make some friends".  These are ladies that I see Sunday mornings for 45 minutes and then sometimes on Wednesdays for the same amount of time.  So, they weren't strangers, but there is nothing like sharing a bed with someone from your Sunday School class to bring you closer, right?  So, I excitedly signed myself up for the adventure which would involve the conference Friday night, staying at a hotel and then more conference on Saturday.  I was very excited.  It was going to take some arranging to make things work for the kids and Rainman while I was gone, but it could be done. 

Then, L-Girl said to me..."You know that Saturday is my birthday, right?"

Oh.

Um.

I kinda, sorta, forgot.

I thought about backing out, but Rainman encouraged me to go and we mollified L-Girl by saying that even if I was home, it would be hard to celebrate because she was going to be busy with softball.  I did leave her a few little surprises for her to discover on her birthday, while I was gone too.

So, a few days later...we actually celebrated her birthday.

A few things you need to know about my L-Girl.  She loves fruits and vegetables.  She would pick this.....

as a snack ...even if she has brownies for an option.  I have for her entire life been trying to find the perfect birthday "cake" for her.  I have tried a mandarin orange cake.  One year I made lemon bars (so far I think that was her favorite).  I have made a cream pie kinda thing covered in fruit.  This year she asked for a lemon cake and said I should surprise her with what I came up with for decorations.  So, here is what she got this year...

Can you tell it is a strawberry?

I used strawberry flavored frosting....it was actually quite tasty.  The biggest test?  She liked it too.  She didn't love it, though, so the quest continues!!!

She got things like this for her birthday...

A sprinkler and a water gun.

My L-Girl is, and always has been, a bit on the wild, adventurous side.  A girl who has always been covered with bruises.  A girl who (most of the time) doesn't care what the world things of her.  A girl who always has a twinkle in her eye.  A girl who flings herself wholeheartedly into whatever is in front of her....usually fearlessly. 

In short. 

She is the kind of girl I have always secretly wished I could be.

I was almost always well-behaved (right, mom?).  I didn't like to make a scene....unless I was actually on stage pretending to be someone else.  I could never really throw myself into the moment at a party or in a game....because my head was always worrying about what other kids/people....or worse yet....BOYS... were thinking of me.  I was and am very cautious.

L-Girl throws herself into every moment and looks at every situation as a good time just waiting to happen. 

I will admit that I find this troubling sometimes.  We have recently had talks about what is considered lady-like behavior.  It is a tough balance - because I don't want to totally squelch the inner vivacity she possesses - but I also want her to be able to gauge a situation and choose to act appropriately....does that make sense?

She is awesome.  She is smart....school, so far, comes very easily for her.

She is courageous (almost too much so).  She is the kind of girl who gets a black eye from a Lego fight....and goes back for round 2.

She is a snuggler. 

We call her our "kitty" because if you sit down, it won't be long before she is circling and finding the right spot to sit and snuggle with you. 

She is crafty.  She made these flowers to wear as pins on your clothes...

Then she decided that they would look nice on headbands...

She just asked me to cut her hair.  As part of our Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover, we have given up on salon/stylist cuts and I have become the barber.  She wanted bangs.  I said no.  She asked again. 

I said yes....now she looks really old.....and beautiful....although it helps that she was wearing her frog princess footie pjs in this shot!

I worry for the boys that are going to fall for her....I think it will be like moths to a flame.....

Another April Birthday...

Continuing to share our April birthday celebrations with the rest of you....here is our second birthday (with one more to go).  My oldest daughter, A-Girl just turned 11.

I have started seeing glimpses of the young lady she is going to be.  It first started with her early birthday gift from Gramma - see here.  Here she is at her slumber party with one of the gifts.  You will notice that the girls gave each other make-overs, so she has make-up on, which she isn't allowed to wear yet.  

But, in this picture, and in life, I am starting to see the bone structure shift around and her always big blue eyes - now suddenly seeming to fit in her face with the high cheekbones.

Sigh. 

Isn't she beautiful? 

Sigh.

She really is something though.  She is doing better in school this year than ever before.  Partly due to a change in style by her "teachers", I think, but she is also putting more effort into it. 

Her interests and talents are wonderfully varied. 

Just recently, she hit a home run during one of her softball games....

She sewed this....

She used an old pair of blue jeans and some fabric that she ruffled around the edges.

She also made this.....

and this.....

She has a very entrepreneurial spirit and is always coming up with ways to sell things, make things, do things....for a profit!  She already has a few customers for her aprons and other accessories she has made for her American Girl doll owning friends.  She and I are working on some projects to sell at the farmer's market.

She is also sweet, thoughtful, and a natural nurturer - something that gets a lot of use at our house!!!  If one of the littles is sick or crying - she is always first in line (behind me) to jump in and help....even with the gross stuff!  She will make a fabulous mother someday....

But, for right now, she is a fabulous daughter, sister and person!