February Tidbits

I have rough days when I feel like I’m on a merry-go-round, doing the same thing every day… wake up, breakfast, school, lunch, more school, dinner, bedtime.  Teaching and training kids is exhausting.  But there’s so much more… usually I keep a good perspective on this crazy parenting gig, but yes, there are “those days.”  Motherhood is a gift.

Waking up in the morning with a back that isn’t in pain is a gift.  (I never ever want to forget that one.)

"This job has been given to me to do.  Therefore, it is a gift.  Therefore, it is a privilege.  Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God.  Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him.  Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way.  In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness."  --Elisabeth Elliot

This blog helps remind me of the wonderful details in the often mundane days.  Thanks for letting me share them here.  I’m grateful to you, dear readers.

Lots of hoop time in our backyard.  Our poor, poor neighbors hear balls bouncing from sunrise to sunset.

Our neighbor has dubbed our family the GBL or “Garland Basketball League.”

Brownie batter spoon lickers:

Homeschool park day… Josh on his stilts and his buddy on a unicycle:

Mrs. Gooding (Sarah’s zoology science teacher and my good friend) with Sarah on snake dissection day:

After the snake dissection, the kids got to make coral snakes with their rainbow looms (red/black/yellow colors).

Assembling valentines:

The kids got Pleygo subscriptions for Christmas, so it’s been fun to see the different sets come through the house.  Pleygo is like a Netflix subscription, except using Lego sets.  The goal is to keep the set together and not loose any pieces.  Easier said than done.

Sarah’s 11th birthday lunch (using library reading program free burger coupons, yay):

Rachel riding her bike for the last time, sniff sniff.  I forgot to collect the bike and helmet as we left the park and poof it was gone by that night.  Huge bummer. Ugh.

We watched the superbowl with Grandmom and Grandad at the beach house.  A fun ice cream birthday cake for the girls:

My mom is so clever… anytime there was a “crunch” in the game, we got to have a candy bar:

It was a tough game to watch… but still fun.

I’ve started snapping photos of dinnertime… it’s good for me to be mindful of what I eat.  I struggle with portion control (read: I like food!).  Here’s meatloaf, mashers and salad, with the cute daughter I get to sit across from:

Honing our racquet skills:

As we were about to leave, the kids discovered a treasure trove of lost old balls in the bushes.  Jackpot!  Who cares if the balls actually bounce, right?

I love Saturday mornings:

Matchy-matchy new shoes:

Heart attack night at AWANA:

This sweet cat kept coming to our back door to say hi to our cat Pearl.  After a couple days with us, turns out the owners were our friends in the neighborhood.  His name is “Marvin” and he was so much fun to have around.