Collin's Birthday

Friday was Collin's birthday.  I know I've said this before but I am truly the most blessed woman in the world.  Collin is absolutely the best husband and dad.  He is incredibly smart and kind.  He strives to please God and lead our family in the way of the Lord.  He's funny and humble.  He's also a great provider, loving, and defender of our family.  There is so much more I could say.  He's truly the best!

 

For Collin's birthday, he wanted to have my parents and any siblings of mine that could come over for a lobster dinner.  He always tells me he likes my cooking better than any restaurant we could go to.  I felt very honored to cook his birthday dinner.  I went ahead asked my dad to help with the lobster.  I cooked it last week by myself but wanted to learn from the master lobster cooker.  My step-mother offered to steam the asparagus so really I only provided the lobsters and cooked the potatoes and cake.  My parents and sister and her husband came over and we had a nice evening. 

 

Caden and I bought some flowers and balloons for Collin to surprise him.  Caden loved picking out balloons at the store and has enjoyed playing with them daily since.  We made a Texas Sheet Cake per Collin's request.  Dinner and dessert turned out great.  We enjoyed spending Collin's birthday with some of my family.  I wish his parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews lived closer so they could have joined us.  Happy birthday Collin!

Father and Son playing with the cool balloons

Our feast is ready!

My Dad taught me how to fan the tail of the lobster

Cake time!

 

 

Caden loved helping his dad blow out the candles

Michelle and Kyle

Cathy and Dad

 

Friends, Parties, and Garden

It seems like every week and weekend fills up fast with activities.  Since returning to Texas last year, I don't always do as good of job blogging about these things so I'm going to try and get better. 

 

Friday, Caden and I were able to meet up with my friend Jocelyn and her two boys, Levi and Joel.  Caden and Levi are the same age and it's always fun to get together and let them play.  We ended up going to the museum because it was kind of cold.  The kids had a good time.

 

Friday night Collin and I went to a Love and Logic class and originally the second half was going to be on Saturday morning.  However, so many people were not going to be able to make it Saturday morning that we changed it to another night.  That being said, we missed Caden's friend's Naomi's birthday party because we had already planned on going to the parenting class.  Instead we had a relaxing morning at home.  Caden's friend, Nash, from church, had a hunting birthday party at 3pm for his 4th birthday.  It was really cute.  Not too long before we needed to leave for the party my friend, Kylee, called.  She wanted to talk and hang out so we invited her family over for a last minute dinner.  She has two boys who are not too much older than Caden.  Caden had a blast playing with them.  This was really the first time they've been able to hang out.  He loves older kids and especially playing with big boys.  Sometimes last minute plans work out well.

 

Sunday we went to church and small group.  Nothing too much to report, just a nice day in general.

 

Today (Monday) Collin was off for President's Day.  We thought Caden didn't have school so we all went out to breakfast (not something we do often) and then to Calloway's to get some plants and look at their trees.  We're planting a garden and in the planning stages.  While at Calloway's my friend texted me to let me know Caden had school after all.  I asked him if he wanted to go and he did so we dropped him off after we bought our garden supplies.  This gave Collin and I time to fill our pots and plant our crops.  We're going to move our fence and build a garden on the side of our house.  We actually have a pretty decent size yard.  We want to plant a peach tree or two, probably two so they can cross-pollinate and a pear tree.  We'd like to also plant a large shade tree.  Caden wants a lemon or lime tree.  We'll see.

Here are some pictures from our weekend.

Caden on a bed of nails!

Levi's turn!

Giant light bright

Caden and Quentin at Nash's birthday party

This was a hunting party and they got to shoot things

 

They learned about gun safety

Played pin the ears on the deer. Very cute party.

 

Saturday night- Caden, Kylee, Caiden, Casey, and Andy

So many cute and sweet kids at small group

First crops of the year - kale, tomatoes, broccoli, and strawberries

Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day.  It also marks the 19th anniversary of my mother's passing.  For the past 19 years, Valentine's Day has been a day of mourning for my family.  Not only did my mother pass away, my step-mother's first husband died a year before my mom on this day.

 

In the past, I really didn't do a lot of "Valentine's Day" activities.  Yes, Collin and I would buy each other a card and he'd sometimes get me a little gift.  But we didn't really celebrate it like some do.  This year I wanted to change that.  A friend from MOPS invited Caden and I over to decorate Valentine's Day cookies on Monday.  I said, "yes," and we went.  Caden had fun, especially licking the icing off the cookies.  I bought Valentine's Day cards for his friends at preschool.  He handed them out yesterday.  Today we are going to a Valentine's Day homeschool party on our side of town.  Since I am interested in homeschooling Caden, I joined a homeschool group on our side of town.  By the way, I never imagined I'd even consider homeschooling until we lived in Germany.  As I'm considering homeschooling verses private school, I want to get to know other families who homeschool.  I've never been able to make any of their meet-ups until today.  There are going to be 27 kids at this party, none of whom either of us have met.  It should be fun.  Tonight Collin and I are going on a date.  We were blessed for find a less expensive babysitter from church.  Her family is also a homeschooling family.  I actually don't know the girl just her parents.  She's 13 and I'm sure Caden will love her.

 

Pictures from the cookie decorating party on Monday:

 

 

 

My mother was such an inspiration to me and many others.  She loved Valentine's Day and made an effort every year to make it special for us.  In fact, the morning of the day she died, 19 years ago, I got up early with her to bake cookies for my teachers.  I never would have dreamed that that morning would have been my last morning with her.  She was a wonderful Christian woman who constantly thought of others and I hope to carry on her legacy.  She would not want me to not celebrate a holiday because she's not here to celebrate it with us.  After having Caden I have realized even more how important it is to make family traditions and do fun things on different holidays.  I will never forget my mother's love and friendship.  I miss her everyday and wish she was still here with us.

 

The Bible passage that described my mother best and was spoken at her funeral was 1 Corinthians 13. I hope I live in such a way, that this is the same passage my family and friends remember me as being.

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

 

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Caden had fun at the Valentine's Day party.  It was neat meeting other homeschoolers in the area.  I loved the house the party was at.  They had 4 cows and I think a few other animals, two dogs at least.  Caden was excited to see the cows.  The kids were all sweet.  Here's a picture from the Valentine's Day party of all the kids.

 

Caden's loot from the party. He also got a lot at preschool the other day.