Random Rambles

We officially started school today!

What a sweet student I have!
What a sweet student I have!

Sandhills Sonrise Christian School had it’s inaugural day and it was a success!  Sawyer is such a good student and loves to learn, so teaching her is quite fun.  I’m sure there will be harder days down the road but today?  Today was a good day.

Also, just so we get it out there, Wrex totally laughed at me for getting her a first day of school outfit but I couldn’t resist!

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After Sawyer’s baptism last week, Wrex’s Grandma (and the kids’ GooGoo) stayed with us for a whole week!  She hasn’t gotten to do that in more than a year so it was such a special treat for us!

I love this pic!
I love this pic!

I know I’ve talked about her several times before, but she really is a magnificent lady.  She is leaving a legacy of the fear of the Lord and a legacy of familial love with all of us, and we can’t thank her enough for that.

The kids adore her and she spent more time playing with them than anyone I know!  She even got in and out of Wryder’s little playroom multiple times a day, despite her being “not as spry as she once was!”

Snuggling GooGoo
Snuggling GooGoo

They read every book on the bookshelf and watched a few fun cartoons and ate snacks and did hair and played farm and sale barn and Paw Patrol and Barbies and Uno until she was just plain tuckered out!  She even slept with one of the kids almost every night, which they loved.

Lots of time in her lap...
Lots of time in her lap…

My favorite moments where some of the quiet ones where I could hear her talking to them about being kind or using manners or how to show respect to someone or how to include someone that was lonely.  Wrex has always attributed a lot of his kindness and manners to her and I love seeing her pass a piece of that on to the next generation.

We took her to North Platte on Saturday so she could start her journey home and when it was time to say goodbye, there wasn’t a dry eye in the car…except for Wryder because he had just gotten a toy train from RaRa and that seemed to assuage his heartache.  *ahem*

We sure love our GooGoo and all that she does to pour into our lives and our kids’ lives…  Come back soon, Grandma!

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While we were in North Platte, we had to make a stop at Cody Park!  The kids rode rides with RaRa AND GooGoo!

Fun!
Fun!
So. Much. FUN!
So. Much. FUN!

I’m telling you, she’s the coolest!

We also checked out the Fort…

Love these people...
Love these people…
Here comes Sayble, riding on a pony...
Here comes Sayble, riding on a pony…

and the kids loved the wooden display in the back.

Sawyer was so inspired, that she came home and made a paper version!

Cowgirl, cowboy and horse
Cowgirl, cowboy and horse
Calf by a pond with water, complete with a boat and a DUCK!
Calf by a pond with water, complete with a boat and a DUCK!

I love that girl’s creativity and drive!

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Wryder got a special gift on Saturday, too!  The grands were going to wait until Christmas but decided he was gonna be too big if they waited any longer and let him have them now.

What is it?
What is it?

He got PaPa’s chaps from when HE was a little boy!  His mom had them custom made and he wore them and then Wrex wore them and now Wryder will wear them.

Pure joy!
Pure joy!

In case you can’t tell, he was FIRED. UP.

Is that cute or what?!
Is that cute or what?!

He’ll wear them proud, PaPa!

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While I bought groceries, the kids played at the park with daddy.  Sayble had a BALL!

One of my new favorite pictures of her!
One of my new favorite pictures of her!
That smile!
That smile!
Seriously, she's darn cute!
Seriously, she’s darn cute!

Wrex and I were talking the other day about how her adventures and discoveries and her new tasks and words are still just as exciting as they were with the other two.  It never gets old…

I’ve said it a million times – and I’ll say it again – these ARE the best years of our life!

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This week marks the beginning of the busy fall season for us.  Sawyer starts dance next week, Awana starts this week (Cubbies next), Wrexy’s sales start getting longer and of course, school.  All of these are such good and fun and wonderful things but they can leave us scrambling to get from one place or event or thing to the next.  I’m such a lover of peace…I’m trying not to spread myself too thin.  I want my the Lord and family to come first and to truly come first…not just get lip action.

As I was shutting off the lights in the school room last night, I was uttering little thoughts to the Lord about our school adventure and my heart shouted, “Lord, I just want to be pleasing to you.”  It caught me off guard, yet settled my soul.  Though I care about what she learns this year, more than that, I just want us to be a family that pleases Him.  Let it be so, Lord…

 

Birthday Bonanza 2015 – Part 2

In case you ddin’t see that late post yesterday, here’s the link to Part 1 of the Birthday Bonanza post.

We made sure and had an actual birthday party during the birthday weekend…

IMG_6918IMG_6910IMG_6908We found the majority of the fabric for $1/yard and scooped it up immediately!  We just made some simple bunting and table runners and Wrexy sewed the backdrop.  God bless him…

IMG_6905Grandma LOVES her family and LOVES pictures, so I made bingo cards with family faces and we played that during her party.

IMG_6906That project, honestly, was one of the more time consuming.  Each card had to be different and random…glad that one’s over.  🙂

IMG_6913I covered some tin cans with cute paper and scrap fabric,  attached a few horses and filled them with flowers for centerpieces…

Wrex made a barnwood plaque and we shaped an M out of a rope (for Maxine) and hung it on the backdrop…this was probably my favorite part of the whole thing.

IMG_6902

Seeing it all for the first time...
Seeing it all for the first time…

My fabulous friend Stephanie (who also made Wryder’s tractor cake) made me some flower cupcakes and they turned out sooooooooo cute!

Delish!
Delish!

IMG_6921Since we couldn’t fit 80 candles on a cupcake (or even a larger cake) we made a cake plate full of candles for her to blow out.  Apparently, the fire/smoke detector is INCREDIBLY sensitive at this place and before we even had them lit, the fire alarm went off!  THAT was something we’d never forget!  Thankfully they got it shut off, the building was still standing and she got them blown out in 3 tries!

It does look like quite the blaze...
It does look like quite the blaze…
Big breath!
Big breath!
Got 'em!
Got ’em!

We ate and drank and played games and then watched the video I talked about yesterday.  I didn’t intend to make everyone cry but there were a few wet faces in the crowd…it’s been a life well-lived for sure…

The other thing Grandma really wanted to do was to have a talent show.  She thinks she has one of the grandest, most impressive families on the planet and she wanted to see us do our thang!

There was ribbon dancing…

IMG_6928IMG_6923Vocal performances…

IMG_6948IMG_6952Skits…

IMG_6941IMG_6942Bedtime stories…

IMG_6938and a lot of smiles and laughter!

IMG_6944IMG_6936We played a little more pitch and then went to bed far too late, yet again.  🙂

We worshiped together on Sunday morning and Clint shared a message with us about family…a good word!  We took communion together and remembered what the Lord has done for us….oh. so. much…

IMG_6961We ate one last meal together, packed up, cleaned up and went our separate ways…  We sent the troops off with some trail mix and a hand stamped keychain.

IMG_4683IMG_4640I found all of these vintage boots and guns on Etsy…

IMG_4641and then we bought some metal blanks and memorialized them.  I LOVED how these turned out!

Our prayer has been for Granny to feel so loved…to honor her…for her ideas and imaginations about her birthday weekend to be met or exceeded…and for this to be a catalyst for future and more frequent get togethers.

We pray we have countless more years together with our sweet Granny but none of us are guaranteed our next breath.  We get ONE family; one crazy, imperfect family that most likely loves the stuffing out of us.  Carve some time out of your schedule for them.  We all make time for what’s important to us – it can’t be disproved – what does your schedule say is important to you?

All-in-all, it was a magnificent weekend!  We had so much fun with the family and we had so much fun working together.  There is no one I’d rather do all these crazy projects with than this handsome man of mine…  There’s been lots of talk of doing this whole reunion thing again and these Phipps are on board!  🙂

Grandma, we love you.  This was just one tiny little way we could bless you back for all of the countless ways you’ve poured out your love for us.  Happiest of birthdays, sweet lady!

IMG_6917Oh!  And one other memorable moment from the weekend (besides the fire alarm scaring the heck out of everyone in a 100 yard radius?!)…Sawyer lost her first tooth!  She was so excited and the tooth fairy found her even though she wasn’t in her normal bed!

IMG_6914Pardon her poor eyes – it was early!  There’s one more that is just hanging on by a thread!  I better get to the ATM….