ABC Memory Book

Whatever you write on the heart of a child
No water can wash it away.
The marks in the sands are erased by the tide.
Inscriptions will crumble with clay.
The words in a book will decay with the years
And even engraving in stone disappears.
But God's Word inscribed on a child's heart
For time and eternity, shall not depart.

(From "A Word to the Parents" in the ABC Memory Book)

John's mom has been going through her books, papers, and closets and passing down things she doesn't need anymore. I have received some wonderful things from her! One of the best so far is the ABC Memory Book. I really love it. I remember seeing this book in the children's bathroom with John and I were engaged. It's great to now use it with my boys.


We started with A this week and the boys like to sing the verses. This week is "All we like sheep have gone astray" Isaiah 53:6. The book is for ages 3-6 and it's in 3 stages. They start with just part of the verse (the black words) and memorize more as they get older (the blue words and reference) and then 2 verses per week in the third stage. One thing they require is memorizing each verse word for word, including little words. I usually let Hunter get away with mispronouncing a word or using the wrong word and I realize he's capable of more and I need to encourage growth in this area. I'm working on building my school year plans and this book will be up there on the "to do list" each day.

Sweet Home Alabama-our trip in pictures part 2

mama and papa's amazing garden. we ate fresh garden veggies every day. (along with pop tarts and coco puffs...hey, it's once a year!)

frolicking in the garden

late night catch. yep, jay caught it himself!

Aunt Cecile's steel pans were hours of noisy fun.

Sweet Home Alabama - our trip in pictures part 1

Family Tradition: Krystal Burgers
As long as we drive to Alabama we will stop for Krystal...

On the boat

Building a fort

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the backseat

precious....

A Toad-ally Cool Friend

We have a big tree in front of our house that houses Kermit the Toad. He hides in the hole all day and hops out onto the tree to sit and wait for dinner. The boys think he is so cool! Surprisingly, so do I. I have always had a huge fear/dislike for them but I have grown fond of our Kermit. We look in his hole as we walk by the tree and sit and watch him when we are outside playing. He's a toad-ally cool guy!

Gettin' Dirty!

Last Sunday John and the boys harvested some potatoes from our garden. They had a blast and were filthy by the time they were finished. It doesn't get much better than this....

Little Man with Big Plans

This afternoon the boys and I were on our way back home from our weekly trip to our local farm to pick up milk and Tyler and Hunter had fallen asleep. I look back at Jay and he has a thoughtful look on his face so I ask him what he's thinking about. He tells me that he's thinking about being an adult, moving out, and getting married. He has it all planned out. He's going to marry Maid Marian, she's going to be a police ma'am, have six children, a big house (to hold all of the children) and I can invite them over for dinner every night.
This is really what he's thinking about? Oh man, I don't know if I'm ready for this. So I ask him what kind a mommy and wife Maid Marian is going to be and what kind of husband and daddy he's going to be. "She's going to be a good one. She's going to cook and do the dishes...but I'll help too just like daddy helps you!" (What a good man!) I really love this kid. He's amazing! So realizing that one day he really is going to grow up, get married, have children, etc. I decide to enjoy my not-so-little-anymore 6 year old boy (he tells me that he MUST turn 7...ugh...) And the conversation the rest of the way home went something like this:
Mom: I love you!
Jay: I love you 2..
Mom: I love you 3..
Jay: I love you 4...
We made it 100 just as we pulled into the driveway.... =)