Mitten Strings for God - Chapter 7

I began this study back in 2008 when my children were much younger.  I never finished.  This morning I woke up very early and was looking for something to read.  I picked the book back up (it's been in my to read shelf all these years) and was reminded how much I loved it.  I also reread my old posts and was thrilled to read of our daily lives.  One day I will look back on my current days and will enjoy reminiscing like I did this morning.  

So lets see what I can do in 2017...

Chapter 7 in Mitten Strings for God is on Play.  

Play is much different in our home than it was in 2008.  

Our current favorite ways to play...

Artie - playing hearts with the men at Evans Training Center or basketball with the boys or ping pong with everyone

Kelly - watch a movie or reading a book

Currently Artie and I have been watching college basketball while the South Carolina Gamecocks made it to the Final Four for the first time in school history. 

Emily - playing with Chloe, shopping in stores and online, and hanging out with Lane

Stephen - video games and basketball

Bobby - running 

Terry - chatting with many friends on his phone, playing football or jumping on the trampoline

Looking back when I was their ages, my favorite play time was time spent with Artie.  Terry is just the age I was when Artie became my boyfriend (8th grade). We wrote notes and snuck around and talked on the telephone (which was attached to a chord and hanging on the wall!).  We went on so many dates - to the mall, the movies, out to dinner, to play putt putt.  Our funnest times were just hanging out at his mama's house cooking tacos with jalapenos and watching movies.  (this picture is probably 10th or 11th grade)

Katrina Kenison (the author) says "Children need time that is utterly their own." I believe that is true for all of us at any age.  Spring break begins here tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to having some free time that we just can't experience as much during the school year.  The neighborhood kids all come and play basketball and football.  Boyfriends and girlfriends will be in the mix of plans.  I'm looking forward to some spring time weather and meals.  It's time to wear flip flops and capri's.  It's a beautiful time to be alive!! 

Holy Week

So, none of our Easter plans turned out like we planned. :-)

Artie's mom brought lunch over on Palm Sunday and we had a nice day together. She's such a wonderful cook. For Christmas she gave us all a coupon for a meal at Granny's Kitchen. This time she brought over fried chicken, roast and gravy, macaroni and cheese, fried okra, creamed corn, and homemade biscuits. I made some mashed potatoes to go with the gravy and it was all good. She topped it off with a lemon pound cake!! We watched the Gospel According to John and had a nice afternoon together. The children colored some pictures of Jesus riding in and palm branches. I think they all sent them home with Granny to go on her frig...

Terry's birthday was on Maudy Thursday this year, which was also April Fool's Day. I spent most of the day at school. First there was awards day for Terry's grade, then for Stephen, Bobby and Emily's. Stephen got the award for AB Honor Roll!! :-) I left quickly and picked up lunch for me and Terry from McDonald's and we had a nice time just the two of us in the teacher's lounge. Later in the afternoon I had it all arranged with the office and Terry was called in to the Principal's office. I was hiding in there with birthday balloons. Terry came in the office saying "Ya'll can't April Fool's me, I haven't done anything wrong and it's my birthday!!" He's only seven and I don't think I can fool him anymore!!! :-)

Thursday night we grilled out hamburgers and had cake and presents with the little children. Troy had to work so we saved his real birthday meal for Friday night. The only thing he wanted for his birthday was a gun. He got a rifle, a pistol, a holster, bandanna and handcuffs. They had a lot of fun. I have some pictures but I think they are lost on my new phone. We celebrated with dinner on Good Friday with all the brothers and sisters, Brian brought Lauren - it was so good to see them again, it's been too long. Daddy and Karen and Bobbie also came. We kinda overtook our section of Pizza Inn. I think Terry had a fun night.

We did manage to get our garden planted around Terry's birthday dinner. Artie worked half a day and then came home and we shopped and planted. (and finished after dinner with spot lights)

Here's our rundown of what all we planted:

10 cucumber plants

3 zucchini plants

4 cantaloupe plants

2 strawberry plants

rosemary

cilantro

thyme

9 spinach plants

9 romaine lettuce plants

a red bell pepper plant

a yellow bell pepper plant

a banana pepper plant

a cayenne pepper plant

9 broccoli

9 early girl tomatoes

9 celebrity tomatoes

9 homestead heirloom tomatoes

18 Rutgers tomatoes

1 cherry tomato

1 Roma tomato

1 patio tomato

2 blueberry plants

and many, many carrot seeds.

I would still like to squeeze in some more different types of lettuces when I see what kind of room I have left. There wasn't much to choose from when we were shopping. This is the biggest garden we've planted so far. Each year we try and do a little more. Last year's garden was such a bust with the drought, we are hoping for much better this year. Artie is very excited about it and has a new weeder. He is using it for his exercise and stress relief when he gets in from work.

Saturday we spent the day finishing up cleaning, grocery shopping and gathering and purchasing Easter clothes. Brenda and I had a fun afternoon shopping.

Easter was lovely at church. That has to be my very favorite day of all. As much as I love our church I still miss hearing Robbie Dismukes singing He's Alive!!! That is my very favorite Easter song and singer!!!

The children were riding bikes when we came in from church and we were getting lunch ready. Bobby and Terry went a little farther than they were suppose to be riding and Bobby had a bike wreck with a car. Everyone in the neighborhood went running to him. It was terrifying until we saw Bobby walking up the road pushing his bike. The car did actually run over his foot - he had tire prints on his ankle but God is so good he wasn't even hurt. Within the hour he was running through OUR YARD - AWAY FROM THE CARS!!!! I on the other hand, nearly had a nervous breakdown!!!! I took a nice nap after lunch and tried to recoup....

My uncle Jackie (Daddy's brother) fighting the last stages of cancer and we have been planning much around his hospital and hospice stay. I was able to visit him last week and Artie and I went Monday night. I missed having lunch with our whole family on Easter as I am sure he did too. The hospice house he is staying in is very nice.

Boy Scout Camping

Catching up with some pictures from earlier in the year...

Artie, Stephen, Bobby and Terry went camping with the Boy Scouts at Mr. Dan's house. Stephen was impressed with the tepee, it had a bathroom inside.... Stephen liked giving Granny Smith apples to the horses.

Stephen found a toad.

He had to show Bobby.

and Terry..

and Mr. Chris... You know how important a toad it to a boy~~~~ :-)

Talking at the campsite.

Time for a walk in the woods

On their hike they picked up their favorite nature finds and worked them into a spider web made of string. Stephen had a empty cocoon in his.

Even when Scouting, Bobby's still the gymnast!! :-)

The boys had a nice picnic in Artie's tailgate.

Yummm, Lunchables!!!

Time for the campfire - Stephen was picked to be the wearer of the Armor of God.

Emily and Terry's Breakfast

This morning Emily is cooking more blueberry pancakes. Terry (6yo) wanted to help. Emily told him his job could be to get out all the ingredients. She laid the cookbook (cause she is my daughter and we have to have a recipe to boil an egg) out to the right page and Terry was on his way.

He started reading off each ingredient (I realize he learned to read in Kindergarten last year and has been reading to me a lot over the summer, but it still surprises me when he reads in real world places). He read off flour and wasn't sure where it was. Emily told him quickly to check the frig. I was married before I knew keeping the flour in the frig would keep out any little pesky bugs. He read off baking powder and didn't know what that was. I told him to just get the other things and Emily would get that in a minute. When he moved on to the salt he found a can in the hutch that said baking powder. He was so excited that he had read it and found it on his own. I can't believe how much the children are all growing up. I don't really think they need me here at all anymore (except maybe to referee for them). :-)

Terry's Sixth Birthday Party

Terry picked riding 4 wheelers for his birthday. So we all went to Uncle Bryan's for the day.

Hunter and Jacob also came with us.

Granny met us there...

Emily

Granny got Terry a Spiderman video game - he loved it!!

The children got him a baseball, bat, and bases.

Granny played baseball with them and got a hit :-)

Artie and I got Terry a punching bag and gloves. He's so funny with them!!!

It was a beautiful day and they had a great place to ride.

It's time!!

Gotta wear your helmet right!!

WHOOOO!!

Troy

Brenda and Terry

Brenda, Stephen and Hunter sitting on the dock

Hunter and Brenda took the little children for a canoe ride (the water was so brown from the big rain we had the weekend before)

Bobby and Stephen

Elmo came too

After the hot of the day, the big kids decided they were getting wet

It was freezing cold!!

We all had a fun day. Looking forward to going back when it's warmer and we can swim some.

Terry's Sixth Birthday

Terry - my April Fool's baby - greeted me before I ever opened my eyes saying "Look Mama, Look!" I wiped my eyes awake to "April Fools!!" :-)

Terry had a party at Kindergarten celebrating his sixth birthday. It was a very sweet celebration. Artie and I brought the pizza and drinks - along with "Daddy had to work and I couldn't get the pizza - April Fool's!!" :-) The children were all excited.

We were suppose to bring in a poster with pictures representing Terry's life so far. We took one of him and this brothers and sisters, a baby shot, his 2 year old birthday, our whole family at the playground, Halloween as a clown, his third birthday, bowling at 3 years old, fishing at 4 years old, ring bearer at Jack and Nikki's wedding and the most current - winning the Pinewood Derby!!

Terry and Ms. Martin - the classroom helper

Terry and Mrs. Cannon - he got her with April Fool's too!

Each student has a celebration for their birthdays. They hold the earth and walk around the sun and clouds representing each of the 12 months - once for each year of their lives.

Pinewood Derby - Terry

Terry was so happy to be able to participate with the boys' Pinewood Derby. He isn't old enough to be in scouts yet, but they let him race with the Tiger Cubs - the first graders. He love it and unfortunately for the other Tiger Cubs - ended up coming in first place!! Oops! :-)


Terry's car - #7 -



The competition - Tiger Cubs



The race

Terry with the other Tiger Cubs

First Place trophy :-)

Here is one of Terry's races...