Birthday weekend!

Matti's closet with a place for shoes on the right on shelves and
tubs for keep sakes and baby blankets

Brady and Mollie's beds just knowing that the clothes in the drawers

are in the right place and fit them, makes me smile.

We had a serious book problem... I am so tickled that

all the books have a home now and in one place!

Mattie's full size bed, it has been such a great change so far!

Mollie and her new quilt from Grammie!

When we arrived home Friday night from the Kurts house, we were pleasantly surprised by Papa and Grammie! They had stopped by on Tuesday on their way to Colorado to see the foliage and were suppose to be back through Hooker on Saturday! It was great the kids were so excited as I tried to finish up their bath, they were wanting to get out quick. After everyone was dried and half dressed for bed we visited in the living room for a while. Grammie gave Mollie a birthday quilt for her 3rd birthday coming up. She wrapped up in it and just sat in the floor beaming! Mattie was so glad to have her Grammie here since it means getting to sleep with Grammie over in the appartment (right next to our house, for guests) We were all finally off to bed after everyone had had a long day. Saturday brought an exciting day of work and play. Grammie always has special games to play with the kids, this time it was Bingo and Old Maid. I made omelets for Steve and waffles topped with fresh peaches for Papa and Brady. Then Grammie and I got busy with kids bedrooms, I had lot's of leftovers from the garage sale and Saturday is the day to take anything to the ministry on main street. We loaded up the pick-up and added more to it as she helped me organize my kids closets! It was very exciting!!! Soon we were taking down Mattie's twin bed to put a full size bed in because sometimes her and Mollie sleep toghether. Before I knew it Aunt Janelle or (Nanoo) as the kids call her, was in on the action and the men were all watching football while we organized and moved things around. I had two "Harland" women working with me, (sisters of eight kids) and they know how to get stuff done and I greatly welcomed the help as I felt overwhelmed with all my stuff from babies and moving and never going through stuff. We finally stopped for lunch Grammie made the birthday boy his request which is what he says they got on their birthdays, (their favorite meal) Fried Okra and cucumbers and tomatoes. We had everyone there so it was a great time to have cake and sing Happy Birthday to Daddy and we made Daddy blow out his candles and the kids gave hime their cards and shotgun shells (which I found whilst cleaning) and cologna. We are truly blessed with Grandparents and loving aunts and uncles on both sides of our family. One lesson I truly learned in all this is: "Less is more"

The Big One! Daddy's Birthday!

Mattie and Rachel

We love you Rachel!

On Dave and Shelley's front porch
they are so festive and grow their

own pumpkins every year!

We had been exciteted about Daddy's upcoming birthday for weeks, like in any house with little kids Daddy's birthday is a BIG deal! So ofcoarse I had all sorts of elaborate plans from a Dallas Cowboys football game which I scaled back to a college game like OU vs. Texas, which was scaled back to watching his nephew play in OKC with family there to surprise him, which was again not the best idea for us. You know God sometimes puts special people in our lives that help us and encourage us at times and for us those people are the Kurts. When our friend Shelley called and invited us to come to their homecoming to help cheer Rachel on as a homecoming queen candidate and said none of their family would be able to be there I kinda new right then, it was a sweet blessing from God. She had no idea it was Steve's birthday but I when I told her she was just as excited. No amount of money or great game is worth the value of friendship. We had a plan! Dave, being one of the kindest men that I know, had fixed a very nice and delicious supper for us. I brought a cake to share but we ended up just saving it since we were running out of time. Dave and Shelley are people you feel blessed from just being in their company. I love having a friend that is not in my stage of child raising but down the road a few years, she has a precious daughter in college and two in highschool and being able for her to see where I am and give me advice is priceless. Shelley is always positive and encouraging and confident in her christian walk. We all had a wonderul time. The kids loved getting to see the Hugoton Eagle mascot, they kept wanting to hug him again and again.

Going to get a load of sand!

Yesterday we took the kids to get some sand. They have an area in the back yard that is mostly dirt that Brady loves to play with his trucks. I grew up in Sterling, OKla. out in the country, and a couple of miles from our house my dad would load us all up in the blue chevy pick-up and go get a load of sand. I remember riding in the back of the pick-up on top of the sand was more fun than the sand itself! When my dad brought it back to the house he put a plastic tarp down so the grass couldn't grow in our sand pile and it entertained us for hours. This is one of the reasons I love my husband because he loves to find simple ways to entertain the kids and he is good at it. Whether it's showing them a river to wade in or a walk around a pond, or examining a horny-toad or a turtle. So when we decided we would go get a load of sand the excitement started, we would need buckets, a shovel, and of course water bottles since it was a pretty hot day. Thank goodness I grabbed my camera in time! We drive out of town and down a long country road where the road is pretty much pure soft sand. The kids usually have fun playing in the sand while Daddy starts filling buckets. I was so excited to see how they react to the adventure as we have done this nearly every year since Mattie was a baby. As I was helping Mollie get out of the truck she says, "I so escited!" After Steve dug an area for them to sit and cool their feet they immediatly went to playing. I walked around in the field a little just looking....endless blue skies, and as far as you could see just the wide open field. It was so peaceful.... to go somewhere, where you can see nothing but the outstretched land makes you breathe a little deeper and think about your relationship with God. It is so evident once your away from all the "things" in life what really matters most. Your love for God....and if he is pleased with you.

Daddy found a couple of strange tiny eggs while he dug and he wanted to save them to see if a turtle hatches??? So this could be interesting. From the loading up, the playing and digging to spreading the soft sand into a new place in our backyard I enjoyed every minute of it all! I know they will get a lot of good use from it and hopefully great memories from the whole experience.

Another Mile stone

I've been wondering why my six year old daughter is really drawing out this whole loose tooth thing? Then I started thinking well from the perspective of a six year old this is a big change in her life. When you loose something you've had for most of your little life. I've explained to her this is the normal progression of the way it's suppose to be, this is God giving you new and better teeth. BUT to her it was fear, it was a fear of the unknown, how will this hurt? how will I look? change. So I can't be too hard on her even though I've been pretty impatient with her hanging on to it and not trusting me? Well well, Rhonda isn't it always true that the most profound moments in my life are when I'm trying to convence my child of something and then Bam! the truth comes at me like an arrow, Rhonda~What your trying to get through to your daughter is somtimes how God feels trying to get through to me. Do you trust me? What fears do I hang on to? Do I keep my worries and concerns instead of trusting and believing. I didn't like the feeling that I couldn't look into my daughters eyes and she willingly trust me to know what was best for her and that I would not hurt her. I am going to try and be more intune with the things I am holding onto and TRUST my Heavenly Father to know me and believe he is trying to do what is best for me.