Easter

Our kids didn't have Easter baskets to gather their eggs in, but I did find Halloween buckets and though Halloween and Easter are two worlds apart they did do the trick in a pinch.

With us going up to Oklahoma and then onto visit the Kansas City, Missouri Temple I didn't really plan much for Easter. We usually do our Easter baskets and egg hunts on Saturday leaving Easter Sunday to learn and talk about the Resurrection. With us being in the car all day on Saturday I figured it would be pretty hard to have an Easter Egg Hunt and Baskets. I figured the kids wouldn't miss it for one year. I love Easter time, I love teaching my children what Easter is all about and that it doesn't have anything to do with Easter bunny and Easter Eggs. We still were able to keep our tradition of studying the last week of the Savior's life during the week leading up to Easter Sunday. I enjoyed each night being able to gather as a family reading the words from the scriptures, looking at the pictures that corresponded with the story, and then being able to apply the message the Savior was teaching us to our lives. I loved the testimonies that were shared and seeing them grasp the knowledge of the significance of our Savior's Atonement, Death, and Resurrection.

Since Madeline was born, the Resurrection takes on a whole knew meaning to me. Because our Savior Jesus Christ was Resurrected we all have the opportunity to be Resurrected. Not only will we be Resurrected but our bodies will be restored to perfect order. I still remember the day when Madeline and I had an impromptu conversation about the Resurrection and I was able to share with her what that will mean for her. You could see she was taking it in when a smile from ear to ear came across her face and a sweet expression of "no more ouchies." Happiness filled my heart when I was able to tell her that is right, no more ouchies. I look forward to that day as Madeline's mother to be able see her Resurrected body to hug her and to say "You did it!" You overcame your challenges with faith, courage, dignity, grace, and determination. I am so grateful that the Savior didn't quit. I am so grateful that He loved me so much to give me the greatest gift of Eternal Life; that through him I can walk back to the presence of my Heavenly Father and dwell with him forever.

Our kids did get their Easter Egg Hunt in and did find their Easter goodies; but not from me but from the kindness of Grant's cousin and their family. They included us in their Easter festivities and so all the cousins were able to participate and enjoy and wonderful Easter Egg hunt filled with lots of goodies.

Easter Weekend was a wonderful weekend filled with good memories and good times with family.

Madeline in her Easter "skirt" that I made her. I thought it turned out great and I see more skirts like that in her future.

Kansas City Missouri Temple

When I heard the announcement of the Kansas City, Missouri Temple Open House I knew I wanted to go. I did a quick look to see how far it was from us and when I saw that it was only eight hours I knew that was a feasable drive. I saw that the Open House fell on a weekend that the kids had Friday off so I saw it as a golden opportunity to take the kids through a Temple. I knew with Anthony being ten I knew he would remember the Temple and with Madeline being eight she would probably remember as well. I also saw this as a good opportunity to teach our children what life is all about and that everything we do points toward the Temple. I knew that this would help give our kids a good foundation to their testimony of the Temple and the importance of keeping ourselves worthy and ready to enter the House of the Lord.

Shortly after Grant was talking with his cousin and learned that they were planning on going to and so we decided to travel together and make it a family affair. Our kids love playing with their cousins and so the excitement grew with the knowledge that they would be able to play and spend time with their cousins. Grant's cousin invited a few people from that they knew and since they didn't have room in their van we took Joseph with us. Now Joseph and Anthony are the same age and in a lot of ways are twins. They enjoyed talking and playing the whole way up and the whole way back. We had a few mishaps along the way which put us leaving Kansas City Missouri at 8:00 in the evening. With the help of snacks Grant and I were able to make the 5 hour drive home arriving in Oklahoma at 2:00 in the morning. We were so grateful for 11:00 church, this gave us an opportunity to get some much needed sleep.

The highlight of the trip was being able to take our children through the sealing room and to show them where Grant and I knelt 12 years ago and where our Eternal Family began. The highlight grew when we walked into the Celestial Room as a family. As we stood their together as a family I caught a glimpse of Heaven. It was neat to be in the room together knowing that we are an eternal family. I can't think of anything better to help our kids understand and to know that everything we do is to get to the temple; to partake of the covenants and blessings that afford us the opportunity to walk back into the presence of our Heavenly Father. I have a strong testimony of the temple. I love going and I love more the feeling I get when I am inside the the Lord's House. I truly feel His presence. When I walk through the doors I truly feel as though I am walking home. I hope this experience will help build in my children the same love and testimony of the Temple, because the temple is what it is all about.

Austin Field Trip

The day finally arrived for the much anticipated field trip of Anthony's school career. At the beginning of the year we learned that in the Spring the fourth grade class would make a trip down to Austin to visit our capital in conjunction with their study of Texas History. From the beginning of the school till now Anthony has developed a love for Texas History and has soaked up every word from his teacher and from various books that he has read. He loves to talk about what he has learned and especially loves to learn more. So going to Austin was a special treat. Anthony was so excited about going on his field trip that he had no problems going to bed at 7:00 and waking up at 4:45. In fact he suggested it and set his own alarm clock. He was also excited to know that he Dad was going with him and that they would be able to do the activities together with no one else in their group. I don't think Daddy could eat breakfast fast enough for an excited ten year old boy; nor could the bus driver drive fast enough. Before the tour of the capital they toured the Bob Bullock Museum where they could learn through interaction exhibits more about Texas History. This was a self guided tour so the various groups split off on their own to explore and learn. After lunch they headed over to the Capital where they had a tour guide waiting for them. During the tour the tour guide would ask various questions and with every question Anthony's hand was the first to be raised with the desired answer. The tour guide picked up on real quick how sharp Anthony is and had to tell him that we need to let the other kids answer a few questions. However, if no one would answer the tour guide would ask Anthony if he knew the answer; which of course he did. Grant said it was neat to see his excitement for learning and for history. One of the parents commented to Grant that Anthony sure knows his Texas History which Grant replied that is what happens when you take your history book home over the Christmas break to read for leisure reading. After the tour of the Capital it was time to head home. Shortly outside of Austin they stopped for dinner before making the three hour trip home. They all left the school at 5:15 in the morning and returned home at 8:30 in the evening. Anthony had a full day with lots of learning, experiencing, and not to mention lots of walking. He had no problems going to bed that evening, in fact he asked for it.

I know he enjoyed himself immensely because the smile of his face said so. I am so glad that my children are able to experience such good learning opportunities.

Conference Weekend

April's General Conference was March 31- April 1. I love Conference, I love hearing the words of our prophet and leaders. I get a sense of encouragement and a refocus on what the eternal goal is all about. To help the kids gain a sense of appreciation and love for Conference we make it a weekend of celebration. It is my hope that through these wonderful memories and traditions that we have will instill in my children a love for General Conference and listening to the words of our prophet and leaders. This year I made a prophet board. When the prophet or member of the 12 spoke the kids would place their picture on the board, draw what their tie looked like and then after they spoke we would each write what we thought their message was. The goal is to use this board during the next six months reviewing and studying their messages in our Family Home Evening. The kids really loved the board and would get excited when it was their turn to put up a picture. In addition to our Conference Board we did our usual traditions of donuts for breakfast on Saturday morning, pizza for dinner on Saturday, and a yummy treat after daddy returned from Priesthood Session. This year we were treated by the visit of Grant's cousin who was in town visiting. It was fun talking and visiting with him. This year while Grant and his cousin went to Priesthood Session the kids and I went over to some friends house for lots of fun and games. After Daddy returned home we had a yummy treat of smores straight from our fire place. The kids loves making smores and jump at any opportunity to do so. It was nice to hear what Daddy learned and what he felt as he listened to the words of our prophet that were specific to him.

It was a nice weekend and it was nice to hear the inspired words of our leaders. As I prayed leading up to Conference to prepare my mind and heart to hear the words of our leaders; I knew that there would be talks that would be for me. That answer certainly came true and was a testimony to me that my Heavenly Father is truly aware of me and knows exactly what I need to hear and when I need to hear it.

Conference weekend is one I look forward to every Spring and every Fall.

Spa Day

My Sister, Katie, has been planning a spa day for Madeline to celebrate Madeline accomplishment with getting her casts off. This past Saturday was the day. Katie did her research and found what color of nail polish Madeline would like, what kind of fun nail stickers, and even what treats she would enjoy. It was my job to talk to Madeline and prep her for her special day. Madeline enjoyed her spa day and enjoyed the special treatment that she got. I loved watching my sister serve my daughter and to shower her with love and kindness. I was reminded of the blessings of service and how it is through service that we can really bring a smile to ones face. What a treat for Madeline to enjoy! It was just the treat in getting your nails painted but the treat in the time that my sister took to gathering materials that Madeline would love. It was definitely all about Madeline, and by the look on Madeline's face she knew and felt it too. That day I would catch Madeline looking at her nails and from time to time she would comment on how it was the best part of the day. One time she was talking to me about how she dreams at nice about the good things in her day and that night she was definitely going to dream about getting her nails done. As her mother that was music to my ears.

I know Madeline will remember her spa day and I know that it will make having her foot cast a pleasant memory. Thanks Katie for your love and service you did for Madeline.

Camping-Spring Break

This year for Spring Break we followed Cooper Family tradition and went camping. Spring is our rainy season and so booking our camping trip months in advance we never know if we are going camping in the rain or not. As the time approached I checked up on the weather and for a time it looked like we were going to go camping in the rain. With this in mind I planned activities and meals that could easily be done inside the tent. I also went on a treasure hunt through the house and found jackets that could endure the rain. However, the week of our trip the weather changed (it does that in Texas a lot) and our rain chances were low or non existent. We were excited, camping in the rain is a challenge for two adults not to mention three kids. This year we chose to go camping at Eisenhower State Park in Denison, Texas up by the Red River. The kids were excited and everyday for a week (at least that is what it felt like) Spencer would ask if we are going camping and everyday I would have to tell how many more days. When it came time to load up the car, we had three excited kids that were eager to work and get the car loaded and ready. We were packed and loaded in a couple of hours and it only took daddy a hour to get the canoe up on top of the van and tie it down. Here is how the week went down.

Wednesday: Was the day we checked in and set up shop. We discovered that the campsites were close together and were not very large. The campground was already full (why does everyone copy my ideas) so it was a little tricky to find a spot that would accommodate our large tent. We have a pretty good system when it comes to setting up and the kids all know what to do and get to work. We can usually have everything set and ready to go in about an hour. After dinner the kids enjoyed watching a movie (I know ruffing it) while Grant and I enjoyed sitting around our non existent fire and talking. Later on Grant and I enjoyed a good game of Phase 10 before we called it a night.

Thursday: Thursday morning we spent some time working on some artist Webelo scout requirements while Daddy and Spencer played games in the tent. Around lunch time we took off for a nearby Wildlife Refuge where we had a picnic before we went looking for the different wildlife. We were able to spot several different kinds of ducks, Egrets, turtles, and lots of splashing carp. We enjoyed walking down one of the trails and the kids enjoyed filling the pockets with rocks in hopes of starting a "rock collection." We were able to spend three hours there looking at different wildlife and being out in nature. It was a true escape from the hustle and bustle of realty and it was nice to connect and be a family. That night I was able to down load a star map app on my phone. The star map uses GPS and you point your phone up at the sky and it shows what star constellations are there and also planets. As we were star gazing we noticed two bright stars. We knew these were planets and it was nice to use the star map app and find out that the planets were Venus and Jupiter. We also found Mars and a couple of other planets. The kids really enjoyed looking up at the night sky and seeing the different constellations. Coming from the city we don't really get to see lots of stars because of the lights and pollution. Though it was cloudy that night we were still able to see some through the app on my phone. In that moment I felt the love of my Heavenly Father for me. To think that I am surrounded by all of his creations and to know that the very creator of this universe is my Father. It was a wonderful way to end the day.

Friday: The boys headed off early in the morning for some boating and fishing. Madeline doesn't like the canoe with the wind so we stayed behind. I spent a little bit of time cleaning up and getting things ready for the day and then afterwards we went for a walk together. It was so nice to push Madeline along in the stroller and listening to her talk. I just really enjoyed our time together. After our walk we came back to camp and made some lunch and enjoyed a little lunch together. After our lunch, Madeline wanted to draw so I got out her coloring pad and together we sat in our camping chairs drawing what we saw around the campground. While Madeline drew I read a book and listened to her as she talked about her drawing. It was simply amazing to spend a few hours with her and no distractions. After the boys returned they ate lunch and then off we were to Eisenhower's birth home. Anthony loves history and anything to do with it. I knew he would love taking a tour of his home and would soak everything up. The tour was short enough that Madeline and Spencer didn't get bored. It was nice to learn about President Eisenhower and to see what life was like for him and his family for the 18 months that they lived in Texas. Hearing how hard life was for them, made me appreciate even more my life and how blessed I am. After the tour we went to a nearby Ice Cream place for a little treat before heading back to camp. After we got back from camp we decided to go on a little hike before it got dark. To help Anthony accomplish some scout requirements we had him pick and lead us on the hike. The goal was to pick a trail that would lead to a fishing pier so the kids could do some fishing. Grant and I weren't aware of any of the conditions of the trails and so we were unprepared for what we encountered. Anthony picked a good trail with pretty views, but we were not prepared for the mud and rockiness of the trail. Madeline is still recovering from her foot surgery so she uses a stroller a lot. Well the trail was not friendly for that and so Grant carried the stroller with Madeline in it trying to navigate through the thick mud puddles. I wore flip flops (totally not prepared) and trying to keep it together through the mud and trying to guide Spencer (who loves mud) through mud puddles was a fun challenge. In the end I gave up on keeping Spencer out of the mud and let him enjoyed it and in the process my flip flops broke while navigating through the mud. It was a great time to laugh as a family and the kids did enjoy fishing and Grant being the gentleman that he is gave me his sandals as we walked back a different way to the car. Our hike will definitely be a good memory in our family.

Saturday: Saturday was the day we packed up and headed home. We were going to go to a little Frontier Village/Park and tour some log cabin homes, but we were feeling tired and just ready to go home. I guess that gives us another reason to head back up to Sherman/Denison area in the future. Once again the kids know what their assignments are and together we worked as a team and got our campsite picked up and our car loaded with no problems. This time it only took Daddy 30 minutes to load and tie down his boat. We all cheered for him and congratulated him on a job well done. I guess it has become a game in our family to see how long it will take Daddy to load and tie down his boat.

We couldn't ask for a better camping experience. Our kids love going camping and look forward to every Spring Break as we head out to the camp grounds. It is nice that we pick a different State Park every time and get to explore not only the campground but the area around the grounds. I mostly look forward to the time with my family. I enjoy adding bricks to the memories and it is my hope that when they leave home they will have a house full of brick memories.

Celebrating Dr. Seuss

I love to celebrate with the kids and as a family we try to celebrate the little things. One of the things that is a tradition for our family is to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday on March 2. In years past we make our own cat in the hat treat with gummy life savers, frosting, and circle crackers. While we enjoy the treats we watch a Dr. Seuss cartoon and read some Dr. Seuss books. This year I decided I was ready for a change to and to do things differently. I thought it would be fun to decorate our office with fun Dr. Seuss colors and food fitting of a Dr. Seuss book. This year on the menu was Green Deviled Eggs with Ham and Turkey sandwiches. Added to this was fruit kabobs (don't really know what book that could come from, but it sounded good and simple). I then added chips to complete the menu. For drink we had strawberry lemonade to represent a Pink Yink in my drink. The kids had a fun treat with crazy straws to enjoy with their drinks, that just seemed fitting for a Dr. Seuss party. With my time mainly devoted to helping Madeline with school and helping her to stay, I didn't go to great lengths to make treats for our party. I just went to the grocery store and bought some yummy bright colored cupcakes and cookies. The kids enjoyed them and they fit right along with the decorations and the fun Dr. Seuss colors. While we ate dinner we all enjoyed watching Horton Hears a Who. It was definitely a fun Friday night party. I am so glad that my kids enjoy Dr. Seuss, there are lots of good lessons to learn from his books.

Blue and Gold Banquet

Anthony had his Blue and Gold Banquet with his scout pack a few weeks ago. The pack has a goal for the boys to earn their rank by Blue and Gold time. Grant is Anthony's Den Leader this year and they have been working hard since school started at getting the requirements done for the Webelos badge. Grant was proud to have all eight of his boys earn their Webelos badge. I as Anthony's mom was proud too. Anthony sure loves scouts and I know he is learning a lot of good character building traits that will serve him well when he gets older. It is so refreshing to see him enjoy something that is so important. I love it that he and his Dad get to do it together and that they have memories to build upon with each other. Grant was part in charge of Blue and Gold this year, the decoration and cake side of things. We had to be there early to help set up and decorate so by the time the event actually started the kids were bored and ready to go home. They did good at enduring the award ceremony of all the dens, I think it help that they were able to enjoy lots and lots of cake. By the time we finish with clean up we were tired and glad to see another successful Blue and Gold Banquet complete.

Mardi Gra

I am not a big Gumbo, rice and red beans kind of person. We have never celebrated Mardi Gra and I really don't know what one does to celebrate. I decided to do our version of Mardi Gra this year. We got some colorful masks and a few beads and some horns for the kids. Grant who loves Jazz music found the perfect CD from his huge collection and we danced around the house blowing our horns and just having fun. The kids all have recorders and they enjoyed playing them. Anthony who is learning the recorder at school serenaded us with O When the Saints go Marching In. I am not sure if that is how you celebrate Mardi Gra, but that is how we did. It was a fun way to conclude the day and to enjoy each others company. We all had fun dancing and playing our music.

Valentines

I am not a big Valentine's Day person, never have been. In some ways it just seems like a silly holiday to celebrate. The kids enjoy it though, I think that mainly comes from school. This year I decided I wanted to do something different to help the children where true loves comes from. We started out the week before Valentines with a service lesson. I found some words from our Prophet Thomas S. Monson on service which lead into a discussion on when we serve others we are serving our Heavenly Father. I then tied it in that it is through service that we show someone we really care and it is through service that we grow closer to each other. After our discussion, we all drew names to be secret service buddies. The challenge was to take the time and think what we could do for our service buddy and to perform our service by Valentine's Day. I loved the mood in our home as we went around secretly serving each other. There wasn't a focus on candy and frills but on the true gift of service. Madeline gave Spencer a heart attack in his room, which he was excited to see and enjoy. Spencer took the trash to the curb for Daddy. Anthony cleaned out the car for Mommy. Daddy sent Madeline a special love note in her lunch box. Mommy made Anthony his favorite sugar cookies complete with frosting and special messages.

That night we had are typical Valentines Day dinner of spaghetti. I decided to give the kids a treat and we did it by candle light. They couldn't get over the fact that we were eating in the dark. Next year we will stick to light. I made a fruit pizza which what tasty but only enjoyed by Grant and I. Kids weren't interested in a pizza made with fruit, sometimes I think my children are crazy. I did my usual clue puzzles that the kids had to solve to find their presents. This year the kids got puzzles of their favorite cartoon characters. Grant and I exchanged Valentines. We kept it simple. I got Grant some of his favorite candy bars and he gave me tulips as well as surprising me with gathering Madeline's morning medicine. Now that might not seem like much, but when your daughter takes 6 medicines in the morning not having to gather and measure them really made my morning a little easier.

Overall I think Valentines Day was a success, I like that we chose to focus it on service which helps us to focus on our Savior and those are eternal things that last forever.

Ms. Joni

When Madeline was put on homebound during the time she had her full leg cast, I was worried about who our homebound teacher would be. You see, when Madeline was in Kindergarten she was homebound for heart surgery. The teacher we were given was not a good match for Madeline and after a few sessions of Madeline crying afterwards, I canceled homebound services. This time I made sure that the powers at be knew that I did not want the same person as last time; I was promised that we would get a different person. Heavenly Father was definitely looking out for us, we were blessed with an angel. I know that in life we cross paths with people who we connect with or consider angels; but we were blessed with more we were blessed with a Kindred Spirit. I felt that way the day Ms. Joni walked in our door. My feeling was later confirmed when Madeline would open up and ask for help. You see Madeline does not ask for help from her teacher at school. There is a block for Madeline between her and asking for help and understanding from her teachers. This has been our struggle since Kindergarten. Heavenly Father knew this as well as my other concerns for Madeline, and because I am his child my concerns were important to Him. He answered my concerns by sending us Ms. Joni.

Madeline and Ms. Joni have an inside saying together and that is SMILE. I am not sure how it all started, but when you tell Madeline to SMILE and huge smile comes across her face along with a sweet little chuckle. I am grateful for this, because when Madeline is having a particularly hard time I just tell her to remember to SMILE and she can't help but smile. Only an angel can have that affect on my child. Though the six weeks are up and Madeline has return back to school, we still are in contact with Ms. Joni and Madeline enjoys our craft times together. I enjoy talking and seeing Madeline comfortable and bonding with someone outside of her family.

This just adds strength to my testimony of the power of prayer and how aware Heavenly Father is of me. He heard my plea, He felt my concern, and He answered. This time there were no tears, but lots and lots of smiles and JOY. I am grateful for the angels that come into my life and that come into Madeline's life. They lift her up, give her strength, and help her to spread her wings and be the beautiful butterfly that she is.

Ms. Joni will never be forgotten and will always be apart of our life and through Ms. Joni we have learned to SMILE and the sweet peace that JOY can bring.

Bling Bling

Sometimes a black shoe needs a little bit of color. Madeline received her walking shoe and black is not Madeline's color. With help from Madeline we took her walking shoe from boring to great! Now Madeline's shoe reflects her personality.

Sometimes the medical field needs a little help.

Walker

After being home for a weekend, Madeline was still struggling with walking to the point of not walking at all. On Monday I called her doctor and we were set up with physical therapy. The next day we were off back to Dallas to Scottish Rite to meet with physical therapy. After asking us a few questions and testing the strength of Madeline's legs; they presented her with a walker. After all the adjustments were made and a quick demonstration from the physical therapist it was Madeline's turn. Boy did she take her turn. She grabbed her walker by the horns and took off and never looked back. The walker was exactly she needed to help her get back to walking. It only took Madeline a total of couple minutes to learn how to walk with it and to use the walker to walk up steps and uneven surfaces. Less than 30 minutes later Grant and I watched Madeline walk out the hospital with a huge smile. You know what her huge smile said to me? I am FREE. I no longer need my parents to get around, and the best part if I need to go to the restroom I don't have to wait for someone to take me. Freedom is truly sweet.

Cast Off

I wish I could say that we are done with casts but not yet. However, we hit a huge milestone by having the full leg cast off. Madeline has been counting down the days for weeks, she was so excited knowing that the full leg cast will come off and she will be able to regain some of her independence back. Mommy and Daddy were excited as well. Madeline was so brave and didn't move a muscle during her cast being taken off. They use a machine with a disc cutter that vibrates and the vibration cuts through the cast. To me if I was a little girl that would be so scarry, but Madeline was a trooper and focused on the games that the Child Life had on hand.

After the cast came off, we caught a glimpse of her incision and boy were we surprised by what we saw. That is a serious incision she definitely had a serious surgery. It didn't help either that the whole leg didn't look so hot with no seeing a bit of sunshine or a drop of water for 5 weeks. As parents we were so happy that we were able to wash her leg before they put on her new cast.

For her new cast Madeline once again picked out a pink cast and though her foot was still in a cast she was so much happier. Being able to bend your knee can bring you so much happiness. You can do so much when you can bend your knee. As soon as she was all wrapped up and we were cleared to go we had to follow through on tradition. The tradition is that when we finish visiting her doctor we go and eat lunch in the cafeteria. I don't know why but Madeline really enjoys and asks every time we go for an appointment. This time Madeline enjoyed a special bonus by being able to play at the park they have on the hospital grounds. We love this park because it is designed for children in a wheel chair or other handicaps. Because Madeline is in a wheel chair playing at parks have been a challenge. It was nice to be able to see her with her shorter cast enjoying herself in a park made for her.

What a wonderful celebration!

Open Book

One morning I went into Anthony's room after I dropped him off from school and found something precious. There staring at me on his bed was his scriptures, but they were opened with a bookmark carefully placed to mark his place. Warm fuzzies filled my heart and a smile spread across my face. What a good example I have in my son, who takes his time to start his day off the right way by reading his scriptures. This will be his second time of reading The Book of Mormon from cover to cover on his own. He is such an amazing kid with a strong testimony. Sometimes I just pinch myself. I love being a mother!

Heart Attack of Love

I have learned that when one receives a prompting, one should follow through. One night before bed as I was pondering about the days events I felt a prompting that I should give Anthony a heart attack. So the next day while Anthony was at school, I followed through on the prompting. I decided to do a little bit more, by really cleaning his room. I dusted from top to bottom, organized a bit, nicely made his bed and finished it off by vacuuming his floor. After that I went about putting hearts all over the wall. Some of the hearts had qualities that I admire about Anthony. I then added streamer to the door and then filled the room with balloons. As I went about this I just thought about Anthony and what a huge blessing he has been to me. Feelings of love and admiration filled my heart and I couldn't be prouder to call Anthony my son. I am so glad for promptings and so glad that I followed through. This act of service brought me closer to Anthony and appreciate more the gift he is to me.

Anthony was surprised when he got home and the smile across his face said it all. There are so many things that I love about Anthony, his smile is no exception. In his eyes you can see pure joy and pure happiness. That afternoon I saw something else in his eyes, pure love. Sometimes I am so hard on me as a mother; but I am grateful for tender mercies of the Lord that shows me I am doing a good job.

A Date with Mom

With Madeline being home bound and having a full leg cast I have been planning fun activities that her and I can do together that would help her to feel special. We have been having beautiful weather and so one day after we drop Spencer off at school we headed to the park. Madeline has figured how she could go for a walk independently as well as ride a bike with a full leg cast. I offered to push her on the wheel chair, but she insisted on doing the walk herself with the help of a little tricycle. It was a nice walk around a little pond with trees, flowers, and brushes. I enjoyed talking to Madeline, seeing her smile, and seeing the world through her eyes. After our nice walk we enjoyed a picnic. As her mother I just loved watching her and seeing her smile. She was having a good time and enjoying being a fun girl. At that moment she didn't have a full leg cast, she was a healthy, strong, and beautiful Madeline. After our fun in the park we finished the afternoon off with a yummy girl scout cookie; you can't get better than that.

During this past month with Madeline being home bound from school, I have enjoyed spending time with her and the moments that her and I have shared together. It is times like this where I feel proud to be a mother and where I catch the full vision of the gift and beauty of motherhood.

As Madeline's mother I am so proud of her and the determination and resolve that she has during this period of time. She does not let a cast get in her way of enjoying life and doing the things that she loves. Seeing and knowing this, I know Madeline will go far in life and will not let anything get in her way of what she loves and enjoys doing. Madeline is such an inspiration.

I am so happy and proud to be her mother! What a gift.

Cars like to have "Apple Juice" Parties Too

Battle of the Books

Every year at the beginning of the school year the elementary schools in our district do what is called Battle of the Books. There are two teams Primary and Intermediate. In the Primary Team there are 15 books and in the Intermediate team there are 10 chapter books. Only six kids are on each team. To be on the team you have to try out by taking a test based on the books. Anthony has been doing it since second grade. He has diligently read all the books and each year passed the qualifying test. After the teams are formed in October they then practice twice a week until competition at the end of January. During this time Anthony rereads the books and continues studying them. By the time of competition Anthony knows those books forwards and backwards. Several times this year the teachers in charge would stop me in the hall and tell me how impressed they were with Anthony. Anthony's team consisted of fourth and fifth graders. Only two fourth graders (Anthony and another girl) made the team the others were fifth graders. At the beginning the fifth graders thought they were smarter and didn't need the fourth graders. However, Anthony was able to demonstrate to them that they should listen to fourth graders. Anthony is not very athletic, but he has found his niche in Battle of the Books and has been a good contributing team member to his team. Anthony is already looking forward to next years competition. This year at competition Anthony was chosen to be the team captain of the intermediate team, which he took seriously. When they are at competition Anthony makes sure that the judge at their table raises the right card to signify their answer, and if the judge puts up the wrong card Anthony is right there to correct the judge. This year Anthony could not contain his excitement when his team got the answer right. He just couldn't sit in the chair, he had to dance with each right answer, those around him knew that he was excited for his team. In the end, Anthony's team comprised of Primary and Intermediate took home the trophy for first place. After the competition Madeline and I met everyone from the team up at CiCi's for lunch and celebration. After the competition Anthony called me to tell me the good news and as I was congratulating him I had to hold back the tears of pride. It was in that moment I knew and felt the many joys of being a mother, a job and title I wouldn't want to replace for anything.

So when summertime comes, Anthony will be busy reading and re reading the books for the 2013 Battle of the Book Competition.

Chinese New Year

We have a tradition in our house and that is to celebrate Chinese New Year. I don't do anything fancy with decoration, games, or activities. I usually make Chinese Lanterns to go over the kitchen table and then we have Spaghetti or a similar noodle dish. The fun part is eating dinner with chopsticks. Watching the kids, especially Spencer, master the art of chopsticks is fun. They usually start out stabbing their food, but quickly are confused as they see that no mat

ter how hard they stab their food it still remains on their plate. Next they go for scoop up the food method and then they quickly learn that doesn't work either. They then try to copy what Mommy and Daddy are doing, but since Mommy and Daddy are not masters either, that plan doesn't help them get their food in their mouth. So in the end they go and get a fork and use the chopsticks as drum sticks. In years past I have made the kids fortune cookies out of felt and put messages of love and good fortune from Mommy, but life sometimes can get busy and some things get left out. Instead I went to the local chinese restraunt and bought fortune cookies. At the end of our dinner we all enjoyed opening our cookies and seeing what good fortune that we were all blessed with. We all got a good laugh and that is always fun.

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