The "Presidents"

The boys had their "graduation" ceremony yesterday at the school and each little K4 member came down dressed as one of our former presidents. They were absolutely adorable! Ethan and Bryce were the Bush's. I got a big kick out of this because when Ethan was a baby there was a contest that you could enter them in. The contest was which celebrity does your baby look like and I told Joe then that Ethan looked like a mini George W. Bush. Just too funny! Well Bryce was George Bush Sr. and his line of the skit was "Hi! I'm George H. Bush and there is NO BROCCOLI ALLOWED IN MY WHITE HOUSE!" If you remember correctly, George Bush Sr. was the first president to actually not allow a food in the white house. Well Ethan was George W. Bush and his little line was "Hi! I'm George W. Bush and I was the first president to have twins in the white house." He had twin baby dolls in his hand that he DID NOT like to carry. Up until the point where he had to show the dolls he kept them hidden behind his back. Bryce did have a sign that read NO BROCCOLI ALLOWED! The skit was so adorable!



I'm still shocked by this being their last day of school. Joe and I both cried yesterday watching our boys. We are so proud of them. I've had so many mixed emotions the past few days. I'm so excited for my boys and so proud of them. They were the kids that were timid of meeting new friends and now it comes easy for them. I am sad that this year has come to an end. Mrs. Brenda has been the greatest teacher for my boys. She's caring and compassionate. She's had a rough year with 11 kids and yet she still has a smile on her face every time I see her. I'm nervous about them starting Kindergarten (hopefully at a new school) and yet scared that they will not get in. I'm anxious to see them with their baby sister. I want my children to know that they are loved and how proud their mommy and daddy are of them. Maybe it's my hormones getting all out of whack.

Just an update...

How quickly things change! The boys are finishing up their last week of preschool. I cannot believe they will be starting Kindergarten next year. Joe and I met with their teacher, Mrs. Brenda, today to review their evaluations. She had nothing but good comments to say about both of the boys. She showed us how different they are in their learning skills but still both very bright. There are a few things we are going to work on this summer such as learning to read and tying their shoes (and for Ethan, buttoning his pants.) She said they are completely ready for kindergarten. I am going to truly miss Mrs. Brenda! She has made the boys first year of school the greatest! We have been so blessed to have had her this year and are truly going to miss her next year. With this being said we are currently on a waiting list at Creekside Christian Academy. We have decided that the public Elementary school our boys would go to is just not what we would personally want for our boys at this time and have felt led to send them to Creekside! Please join us as we pray that they will be accepted.
We also had another ultrasound today of Maggie. The last ultrasound we had we were unable to "confirm" she is definitely a girl. This for me has been almost a form of torture. We were told the first time that we were having a boy and a girl with Ethan and Bryce and of course that was not the case (and thankfully we found out in time.) So, ever since they announced we were having a girl, I've still wondered....could this be wrong? Well, it's definitely not wrong. She is a very healthy, active and growing little princess. She weighs a whopping pound and 11 ounces. I cannot tell you how much fun I've had shopping for a little girl. Boys are very easy which is nice but girls are just so....cute and frilly!
We've also been getting things done around our house. We finished painting Maggie's room (which was the boys nursery and then their "big boy" room.) We also just had our bathroom remodeled thanks to my wonderful parents. We put in brand new tile, new toilet, new sink, Wayne's coating and of course, fresh paint. The boys are in their former playroom and did NOT want us to paint their room (I did just about a year ago!) Their room is 4 different colors and they LOVE it. It's a slow process but things are finally coming together. I'm hoping to be able to post some pictures soon...first I have to figure out how.

Do Good to Please God

This past Sunday in our Bible Study class we talked about doing good things to please God and not to please others. In so many circumstances in our lives we look for praises or even rewards but at what cost? We should do things to please God, not to boast our ego or to be praised by someone else. Not so others know what we did but so that God knows what we did. Our reward is in Heaven.
Matthew, Chapter 6 verses 1-4 read: "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly."
This just got me thinking...am I doing things for the praises of others or to please God? I think about a sweet friend of mine who loves doing things for others. I was talking with her on the phone after some discouraging news and I remember what she told me "I don't care who gets the recognition I just want to make them happy. That's what matters most!" That showed me that she didn't need praises for doing something good, that didn't matter to her. I've never heard her boast about her or her husbands accomplishments, I've never heard either one of them brag about the things they have been blessed with. Instead, I hear how much better they think they can be as Christians and how hearing others make them feel somewhat inferior. I believe if you have to "shout" to others about your Christianity and all the charitable deeds you do in your life then you're not being pleasing to God.
I was asked a couple of weeks ago to allow God to really examine my life and our Bible Study lesson was a true testament to the examination God is doing. I don't want to do "good deeds" to please others. The "reward" they give me is incomparable to the reward that is waiting for me in heaven.

Love at first sight

I've often taken surveys asking "Do you believe in love at first sight?" and the answer to this question has changed over the past few years. When it was just Joe and I, my answer was NO WAY, NO HOW!! There (in my own personal opinion) was absolutely NO WAY I could ever look at someone and know that I was in love with them instantly, to me, that was what lust was. I still feel that way about a man and a woman but like I said...My answer to this question has changed. The very first time I saw Ethan and Bryce on the ultrasound monitor I feel in love, obviously a very different kind of love from what Joe and I share but love all the same. And now, here I am again, love at first sight, when we saw our precious Maggie Grace. What amazes me the most though is how Ethan and Bryce reacted to the site of seeing their growing baby sister. It was truly love at first sight. Ever since they saw Maggie on the ultrasound monitor they constantly come to my belly and kiss it, say hello to Maggie and tell her they love her, all of which was on their own doing. I cannot help but thank of my Father, my God in Heaven. He sent His Son to die for us, because He loved us at first sight. A sight that was seen by Him before He created us. Oh what a love and oh what a sacrifice. Maybe for some, it takes being a parent before you are able to realize what love at first sight is but I've learned it's there.