Angry Bird Watching

A few years ago, I found a new hobby and realized that I am in fact getting old.  I learned that I like to feed and watch birds.  The good news is that A & O are quickly learning to appreciate the beauty of God's creation. 

I love my Angry Bird Watchers!

Junk In The Trunk

Our family happens to be fans of the show "American Pickers".  Last year on our trip to Nashville, we stopped in at the Antique Archaeology store.  After a bit of shopping, we finally left with three items.  2 - Kid Picker T-Shirts for A & O and a "Junk In The Trunk" sticker for the van. 

 Many of our friends shake their heads at this bumper sticker and some like it because it is easy to identify the H's driving down the road.  If you know Michelle at all, you know this sticker has meaning.  We may literally have junk in the trunk. 

 This is what the van typically may look like after a few hours of Garage Selling each Saturday Morning. 

Of course, to support the junking habit, the junk often finds it's way into the flea market.  I'm a lucky man to have a lady that loves to shop, but knows how to find a "Great Deal"!

Picture Day and No Shoes

We had a true Missouri spring shower last night accompanied by multiple tornadoes.  In fact, we spent the majority of last night's church service piled into a small narrow hallway with approximately 50 sweaty, nervous, tired elementary students.  Need I say...it was a blast?  

On our way to the car, the kiddos and I managed to step in the deepest puddle ever.  We almost drowned!  :)  With that said, our shoes, pants, and undergarments were soaked.  I didn't give it much thought until this morning when Andrew proclaimed, "We have a problem!  I don't have any shoes to wear."  In that moment, I realized that his back-up tennis shoes were left at my parents' house on Friday night.  His choices were flip-flops or baseball cleats!  

Did I mention that it was spring picture day at school?

In case you are wondering, he decided to wear flip-flops with socks.  I was able to get his shoes dried and delivered before first recess, but not before photos.  The photographer managed to work around the lack of proper foot attire.  I almost feel guilty that I will not be ordering any photos.  Almost.

The Kissy Monster Part 2

After asking Olivia to abstain from kissing Andrew at school, she resolved to never kiss him again.  (Imagine her eyes closed, chin up, and head tilted back.)  This made her super affectionate brother miserable which just so happened to be her plan.  Snuggling Olivia has always been part of Andrew's bedtime routine, and he loves his routines.  On several occasions  we observed him begging sista for a kiss on the cheek before bed which she refused.  On several occasions, Andrew even used it as a bargaining tool.

One afternoon last week, Andrew shared that Olivia disobeyed and kissed him on the cheek at lunch.  I asked him how he felt about that.  He responded, "I told her that she now owes me a hug and kiss before bed!"  His bedtime routine was complete...for one night.

Cardinal Nation...Or Is It?

Olivia has always been in love with the morning.  Her eyes open ready to take in all that the day holds, and her sweet mouth is immediately ready to share (a lot) with the world. 

This morning she paraded into the kitchen and stated, "Momma, I know that everyone in this world loves the Cardinals, but I just don't really care!"

She then proceeded to tell me that she finds this glass offensive.  She proclaimed, "I AM NOT HARD TO LOVE!"  

I must admit that I agree with both statements!

I may not be in love with the Red Birds, but I sure am in love with Oli Goose (even before the sun is up)!

Olivia-April 2013

(My niece, Hannah, requested a few photos of Olivia writing or coloring for a class discussion on pencil grip.  I love these sweet photos of O holding her pencil correctly and attempting to write her name in cursive.  In case you haven't heard, she is a big deal!)

Olivia...
-is making us laugh ALL OF THE TIME.
-is just a little obsessed with styling her doll's hair.
-is reading like a rock star.  She is loving Arthur and his little sister, D.W.
-is earning gymnastic stars like crazy.
-loves watching Little House On the Prairie.  (I must admit that I do too.)
-has discovered eBay.  She has been comparing the prices between eBay and her American Girl Doll catalog.
-is learning to eat healthier, and she is not having headaches.  Yeah!
-is incredibly interested in being baptized.
-is batting her eyes, smiling, and continually convincing her father that she can do no wrong.

Andrew-April 2013

It always does a momma's heart good to hear heart-felt compliments about one or both of her kiddos.  

Several weeks ago, one set of Andrew's Sunday school teachers went on and on about how much they love this precious fella.  They have been a part of our lives for many years, but they always thought of Andrew as an incredibly shy, anxious, backward boy.  They have been pleasantly surprised to watch him "come out of his shell".  They now think of him as an incredibly intelligent, funny, well-rounded, well-adjusted, friendly, polite, and all around good kid. (Their words, not mine.)  They even commented that he knows how to have a good time, but he also knows how to calm down and listen.  

What else can I say?  I agree!  He is an absolute delight!

On April 4th, Andrew is...
1.) Really loving the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  I can't seem to stress the REALLY enough.  Basketball paired with brackets and statistics is a slice of heaven for him.
2.) Struggling to find an excitement and love for baseball.
3.) Struggling to go to sleep at night.  Ughhh....
4.) Refusing to wear anything but athletic wear.  Ughh...
5.) Constantly covered in mud.  Ughh...
6.) Making great friend selections.
7.) Excelling in school with little effort.
8.) Currently reading Geronimo Stilton
9.) Loving Duck Dynasty.  (I do preview each episode before allowing him to watch.)
10.) Continually wrapping me tighter and tighter around his little finger.  Have I mentioned that I love being the mother of a boy?

On Saturday, he found himself in his room thinking about one of his "actions".  After his quiet time ended, he approached me and stated, "Sorry momma that I didn't use my brain and that I let my curiosity get the best of me!"

Love!  This does however seem to be a common apology these days.

What Abe Lincoln Taught Me

I was able to take two days of PTO to spend with my wonderful family learning about Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, IL over the kid's spring break.  This trip was great!  I learned a ton about Abe Lincoln and his life.  Here are my takeaway learning's from the trip that I hope A & O will learn at an early age. 

• Regardless of what you are born into, with dedication and hard work you can become successful.  Abe Lincoln was born into a poor family and did not have an opportunity to take advantage of formal schooling, but he worked hard to become a successful man. 
• Reading Non-Fiction books will help you learn much about many topics.  Abe Lincoln did not get to take advantage of formal schooling, but he read often learning lessons on life and on educational topics (Self-Taught Attorney).  Don't wast your life rotting on television. 
  (Scott's favorite non-fiction books - Bible, Millionaire Next Door, 7 Habits of Highly Successful people, How to win friends and Influence People, Total Money Makeover, Time Trap)
• Public Speaking is one of the most critical skills for life success.  Abe Lincoln was able to win political support due to his ability to speak eloquently in front of people.  He is known for his great debates with Stephen Douglas.  Even though public speaking is not easy at first, do it often and early so you can use it for success in life. 
• Success requires Sacrifice of Something.  Abe Lincoln spent many days away from his family as he traveled to speak, campaign, and work in the U.S. offices.  Although I hope you never sacrifice time with your family for success, it is worthy to note that you can't do some things in order to do great at other things.  Choose what you will be great at and let the other stuff fall away. 
• Behind every great man is a great supporting woman.  Abe Lincoln's wife Mary Todd Lincoln spent many nights alone taking care of the family while Abe worked to provide for them and to make America a better place for all.  Personally, I would not be half the person I am without your mother.  Choose your spouse wisely, he/she will be critical to your happiness and success in life.  Other than accepting Jesus as your savior, this will be the most important decision of your life. 
• The right thing to do may not be the popular thing to do.  Abraham Lincoln believed in ending slavery and issued the emancipation proclamation as President.  Abraham Lincoln was not really liked by either political side of the slavery issue.  However, he did not bow to pressure and do the popular thing, he kept his eyes on what he felt was the "Right" thing.  
• Don't Judge a man's life until he is dead.  At the time of Abe Lincoln's death (by assassination) he was not a popular man or president.  However, over time we are able to view his actions and his accomplishments to societal growth and realize that he was one of the greatest presidents to ever serve our country.  Don't judge people too early, their actions may not be popular in the moment, but with time you may see that they lead to greatness.   

Easter 2013

We had the wonderful opportunity of celebrating our Risen Savior again this year.  It was a whirlwind of a weekend, but I can not imagine a better way to spend my time.

This photo was taken after our 5th worship service in 5 days.  We had the privilege of ministering to approximately 300 children this weekend.  We had a super exciting carnival on Friday evening, an egg drop on Saturday evening, and two beautiful worship services on Sunday where Scott presented the beautiful resurrection story.  

I am so thankful for our Savior and a weekend full of beautiful people that we call family.

I hope that your Easter was as beautiful too.