My Little Girl can Read!

Wow - I can't believe how long it has been since my last blog! I just simply haven't had time lately to write. My aunt passed away over a week ago and last week was spent in Florida spending time with my family and attending her visitation and funeral. She died of cancer and it was so sad, but her funeral was truly a blessing. She was a woman of great faith and did so much for everyone around her. She will be missed!
I have so much to share, but was I was looking back through some recent pictures I realized that I hadn't written about a very special thing that took place in our house a few weeks ago. Sophie brought home a book from school and she started to read! Yes, my little 5 1/2 year old can read! It is a simple Dick and Jan style book, but she reads one until she accomplishes it and then she takes it back to school to get a new one. We have all been super blessed and amazed at this! She is learning so much in Kindergarten and of course growing up very quickly. She is so delighted that she can read lots of different things now and is able to spot her "site words" that she practices at school and at home on dinner menus, signs, different books, etc. She is starting to read to Luke some also - which is so neat to watch. I guess I better run...I have to go make dinner, but I wanted to check back in again. I'll be posting more over the next few days. Lots of fun things are going on in the Thomas House :-)

"The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message." Acts 15:31

Is it Real? Are you for Real?

Ok so I took Sophie and Luke to Cici's Pizza tonight for dinner after church was over. I promised Sophie we would go and she was very excited about it. She loves their Macaroni and Cheese pizza! We are standing in line to get our drinks and a lady looks over and admires Luke and says, "Is his hair real?" I am thinking "Are you for real?" I mean do you think I had plugs put in my 18 month old babies hair? Or maybe we got super curly extensions yesterday? I of course said yes, it is, but I really just wanted to look at her and say - "Do you really think my baby would have fake hair?" People are funny sometimes aren't they? I think often about things I say and wonder if it came out right. I even worry about it sometimes. I think I worry about it less than I used to though. I don't really have time to worry about it as much anymore and I feel that those who truly know me and know my heart will know what I really mean and feel. I remember Nick telling me that people used to ask his mom if she bleached his hair and if it was real (He had white blonde curly hair that was curly like Luke) and she would look at them like they were crazy. I guess people are just intrigued by it, because it is so unusual. What I do love is that it really makes people smile. I notice that when people see my children they usually smile. It warms my heart to know that someone could be having a bad day and they see Luke and Sophie and they smile. I love that. I feel that it is like a ministry almost. A way that God blesses others. Just a simple thing that makes people feel good. Of course when they are having a melt down or picking on each other that sort of doesn't work well...but when they are at peace and smiling it really makes others smile. I am so blessed by that.
I also felt blessed tonight when I picked up Luke from the church nursery. He saw me and threw the toys he was playing with in the air to come see me and have me hold him. Wow - that was good stuff. Those are the things that makes being a parent so special. To know that your child truly loves you and is so glad you are there to take them home. I know that he probably won't always be that thrilled to see me (at least not outwardly) so I am cherishing these times.

"Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

First Kiss?

So, we are at the dinner table tonight and Sophie says, "Oh I forgot to tell you! Someone kissed me today!" I am thinking - what next? We started Kindergarten, she has lost two teeth, and now this?? I mean! A kiss - at school - already? Yes, it is true - her new boyfriend Ethan kissed her on the hand on the playground and told her not to tell anyone! I am so glad she still told us though and I hope that never changes, but I must say I almost fell out of my seat! Oh and Brogan the other little boy is out of the picture now...he is now "in love" with Nadia! Ha! He killed a caterpillar the other day and since he "deaded the caterpillar" according to Sophie she doesn't love him and isn't going to marry him anymore! Ha! I wish I could be out there invisible on the playground and see this all play out! Could you imagine?
I did freak out about this for a while and then I remembered we used to play wedding outside on the playground at my school when I was in Kindergarten. I remember vividly watching one of my girlfriends get married to the same boy many times! So, I guess now in this day and age they get kissed! What is next? I wonder how long Ethan will be her boyfriend? She did say they are going to get married! Maybe that is week 3 of Kindergarten?

"An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips."
Proverbs 24:26

Another Tooth is Gone....

Well, if it weren't enough that my little girl had to start Kindergarten this week she also had to loose another tooth! Yes, now she has lost two baby teeth. On Thursday night she pulled it out and her big girl tooth was already coming out below it. The same thing happened with her first one. I must say that I am so glad I haven't had to pull one out yet! I love leaving it to her so that she knows when it is ready and she also knows when the pain is coming. I also really like that her sweet big girl tooth is ready to come in as well. They make her look so much older and of course make her feel more grown up. The Tooth Fairy came again this time as well and brought her a Hannah Montana (she is a huge fan as of this summer) water bottle, a tube of lip gloss with a little "bling" rhinestone on it :-), and $2. She was so excited to put her tooth in her little Tooth Fairy pillow and she jumped out of bed before school Friday morning to show us. As you can see from the photos she is very happy to show it off! Look at that first photo - she is hilarious! She was totally goofing off and wanted me to take a silly photo. She got two fever blisters last week...I think it was from her being nervous about the first week of school. Friday was also Chapel Day at school and it was her very first Chapel. I just love her little plaid Chapel outfit :-)

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

My little Kindergartener

Well...it is official my little girl is now in Kindergarten. I must say I don't know where the time has gone and I look back and can't believe that she is now 5 1/2 and has started "Big Girl School". She started on Monday, Aug.11th and has loved it ever since. I heard yesterday on the way home that she already has a boyfriend too....that makes three now (one from church, one whom she met this summer, and one from school..whew!). The big day came bright and early for us all...especially Luke. He wasn't real sure about getting up when it is still dark outside when he has gotten quite used to sleeping late over the summer. Sophie has a new alarm clock that has helped her get up right on time. She has been excited everyday to go to school and I am so excited for her. I must say it has been hard this summer realizing that she is old enough to start school. Also realizing when I shop at Target that she is no longer in size 5T, but rather a 6 which is the "big girl" sizes and they look MUCH older than the toddler items. I have cried some all through the summer and of course last May when she graduated from preschool. She is ready though and ready to begin a new adventure. It is just hard for a mom who watches her child grow up from a newborn and realizes that it is time for her to take a new step a step that will make her more mature and more grown up. It is bittersweet as I know it is time and God is going to bless her so much at her new school. However, it is hard to let go at times. She is my little girl.
We'll have new adventures to share over the coming weeks as she now has P.E. two days a week, library day, music class, chapel, and computer time. I get so excited each day I pick her up to hear about all of the days events and activities. She is so excited to share with me, which I of course LOVE! Luke misses her too and can't wait to see her when we pick her up. The other day he saw her come out of the building and said "Sissy!" before she got in the car. Keep checking back as I am planning to post more often now that we are back into the swing of things again.

"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD."
Psalm 89:15

Sweet Little Feet

The feet of little children are one of the sweetest things to me. Especially the feet of my children! I took this photo a few days ago and just wanted to capture how small my children still are. Sophie is of course growing quickly and will be starting "big girl school" soon, but she is still little to me. And Luke still has those sweet baby feet that I kiss on all the time. One of his toes in the photo has a little bit of dirt on it and I love how that shows he is a perfect little boy. His feet are chubby and so soft while Sophie's are longer, more tan, and very girly! I also love the way her nails are polished in the photo - that is sooo Sophie! Their feet are so special to me and I love taking photos of them. We also got some precious photos of their feet at the beach this year that I'll have to share in another post. I look at their little feet and they make me smile. I love watching them run, walk, and wiggle those darling toes. They are getting bigger everyday and before long they will be teenager feet and then adult feet. The neat thing is that they'll always be just as special and precious to me.

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"
Isaiah 52:6-8

College Days...

Since joining Facebook I have reconnected with lots of old friends. One of the biggest blessings has been reconnecting with college friends. I have a lot of friends that I had stayed in touch with before, but Facebook put me back in connection with people I had lost touch with. Sometimes I really do miss college - the amazing friends and experiences I had. I wish it had lasted long and I wonder why I was in a rush to finish up. God blessed me with a wonderful sorority that I was able to be a part of and a fantastic Wesley Foundation where He grew my faith tremendously! I learned so much about God and how truly great He is through the Wesley Foundation at UGA while I was there. I also made some unbelievable friendships through Delta Gamma (my sorority) and the Wesley Foundation. Those years of my life are some of the most important to date for me and I look back and feel so blessed by them - it was so much fun. It makes me miss my friends. I don't have a lot of really close friends that live close by (in the same community). I have learned as I get older that it really takes time to make those close connections with people. College is such a wonderful place for fostering friendships, because you are all together in the same community everyday. I guess I never realized once you get out of college (and for me seminary too) and move to a new place it really takes time to make deep and meaningful friendships with people. People that you feel comfortable calling up when you need help with a problem or help picking your children up from school. People that you can laugh really hard and totally silly with. People that love you even when you make a dumb comment that you regret making. Friends that you hop in a car with late at night to go get TCBY or coffee with. I miss having those friends so close by like I did in college. It was just such a life changing, unbelievably good experience...I hope that Sophie and Luke have that one day. I wouldn't trade it for anything! It helps that I met Nick in college too - that is the icing on the cake!

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16