Last Day of Work/Daycare

Friday was my last day of being a school teacher!! (At least for a while...) It was a very strange feeling when I turned in my keys and signed the resignation form. A slight bit of panic, but also a huge sigh of relief.

I am in a place where I can do nothing but trust God. It's a great place to be. I'm not quite sure what all He has planned, but I know for sure that teaching at ASH next year was not it. So, I'm excited about the foster care opportunities that are now opened to us, the free time I'll have for seeing my sweet Jack start Pre-K, and beginning an at-home sewing/embroidery business (more on that later).

So here's to living frugally, sitting in the pick-up line at Jack's elementary school, and cleaning the house during naptime. I can't wait.

On the way to daycare for the last time!!!


Kaden with friends

Sydney with her teacher



Jack and his boys

Outside Fun

The weather has been so wonderful for hanging outside!

Jack has been a big helper with watering plants.





K-Dog loves the mud. This child is ALL BOY!!!



Sydney wouldn't dare get herself dirty.



An awesome friend in our church was cleaning out his storage building and wanted to know if we wanted a John Deere Gator (kids' version). Absolutely!! The kids are beside themselves.

Easter

Easter morning was one of those mornings.

Clint had been up all night with a stomach bug.


I was exhausted.


Jack didn't want to wake up.

Sydney had a chair fall on her head and bruise her.

K-Dog wanted to go back to sleep.

We didn't get any good pictures of anyone (except Jack, the hambone), much less a perfect little family Easter picture.

But, you see, it was the perfect Easter.

Because Jesus didn't save us when we looked good. He didn't die on the cross because we were doing anything pretty.

He died because we were broken, bruised, and in desperate need for a Savior.

We could do nothing on our own.

And He took on our sins so we could be made perfect.

And that is a wonderful Easter.

H-Burg Trip

Clint's mom's family (affectionately known as the Terry Clan) are from Harrisonburg, Louisiana. Mrs. DeDe is one of five siblings, and over the years the Terry family has grown so much! The grandkids (Clint's generation) are all having children, so the brood is so much fun to get together.

Saturday we all met at the park in Harrisonburg and played and ate ice cream.


I was terrible at taking pictures, and I really have no excuse! The aunts and cousins and grandmothers all took babies for me!

At one point, Mr. Terry, Clint's grandfather was watching from the car, said, "Hey, are all those kids mine?" When we answered yes, he just smiled and nodded. Such a proud man.

And so much to be proud of.

Taking the Plunge

Well, it's official:

I'm not returning to ASH next year.

It's a decision that we've been mulling over all school year, and a few weeks ago we decided to make it final. I spoke with my principal and he was so understanding and quite wonderful about the whole thing.

Reasons:

1. Actually, there's just one reason. I couldn't take it anymore :) I love ASH. I love my students, my fellow teachers, and my administration. I love my subject area and the enthusiasm and long-term affect it had on student career choices.

But I was so tired. And so stressed out. All. the. time. I could not do my day-time job 100% and do my family job 100%. Something had to give. It was a very hard decision, but I'm relieved that it has been made.

So, here we go on a new adventure! I am excited to see how God will work in our family through this decision, because I know He can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

Four Years Old!

A year ago I remember crying to God and asking Him to send me some friends in Alexandria. I was so "homesick" for Starkville and my friends there and felt so alone in Alexandria. At the same moment that I was praying, Kathy called and asked if we wanted to go to the park. I remember praising God for his immediate answer to my prayer! Now, a year later, God has immensely blessed us with so many friends in Alexandria and Woodworth. I looked around at the fifteen or so families that came to celebrate Jack's birthday yesterday and was overwhelmed by God's work in our lives.

Jack had a football themed birthday party and it was a blast!! We borrowed tackling dummies from ASH football and Clint set up a little relay for the kids to run through. Of course they also had a blast on the playground and just running around chasing each other.

The weather was perfect and the kids played wonderfully together. I just want to bottle up that day and carry it with me always. A truly perfect day.

On his birthday morning...only six more weeks of getting up so early!!




Everyone admiring his water guns!


Leave me alone!!






Jack and Abigail hung out all afternoon. Abigail's seven-year-old sister, Madison, thinks they're in love.

Jack and Uncle Drew


The babies!!

Spring Pictures

We attempted to get spring pictures of the kids today. One of our neighbors has the most beautiful azaleas, so we got them all dressed up and drove down the road!

Jack and K-Man took wonderful pictures. I cannot wait to get K-Man's developed and framed for his mother. She will be SO excited!


Sydney, on the other hand, is our high-maintenance child. Oh my word. In her defense, she is 13 months old and has 12 teeth (with a couple more on their way in). But the poor baby cries. And cries. And criiiieeeessss. :)

So, here they are!! We will try again with Sydney later when she's not quite so angry with me :)
Sweet, sweet Jack. I'm so blessed with this wonderful boy!


Oh, I could just eat him up.






Kaden is losing focus and Sydney is completely furious. How dare I set her princess bottom on the hard ground. I must be crazy.


Oh, dear. She will outgrow this, she will outgrow this, she WILL outgrow this!!!


Aaaand, all three of them. Thank you very much, Jack.