Gift for God

At this year's MOPS Christmas party we chose a gift that is going to make it on to our list of family traditions. What God Wants For Christmas is a neat Nativity lesson that can be enjoyed by the entire family. It comes with a pop-up manger, a book and 7 boxes that you open each day for 7 days. The first six represent those who witnessed Christ entry into the world. Day 7 reveals what God wants for Christmas.

It shouldn't be a surprise that what God wants is us, but as we talked about it the days leading up to the final day, Jillian was convinced that God wants a camel.

In addition to reinforcing the story of Christ's birth, the set is a fun little play toy for Jillian. She lays in the floor each night and has the figures act out her version of the first Christmas. The dialog that goes along with the production is quite entertaining as she makes sure the shepherd and the wise man speak nicely to one another and that they don't talk too loudly to wake up Baby Jesus.

Snow Angel

We had our first snowfall of the season today. Kids didn't go to school so there was plenty of activity outside our door before 9 a.m. Jilly jumped into the action by making snow angles along the sidewalk up and down our street. She seemed to have had a great time for a couple of hours until she finally got a little too cold and needed a bit of hot chocolate to get back on track. The morning ended with a couple of kids in the house with hot cocoa warming their hands and the Grinch on TV. It was a great morning, in spite of not being able to accomplish a thing on my "to do" list.

Peaceful Evenings

We babysit the second-grade girl who lives across the street each afternoon. She is with us from the time she gets off the school bus around 2:30 and her parents come home, before 6. Let's just say that the house is not at all peaceful during that time. She is a sweet girl, but having two girls who are very strong willed together is, well, interesting. I feel as if I can't leave the room for more than 10 minutes without hearing Jilly squeal because she's irritated that either the little girl is taunting her for some reason or because she's looking at her. It makes me wonder why anyone would want more than one child....It's not really that bad. The girls have had many more sweet moments together than not, it's just that those annoying times are amplified.

Either way I have employed a new rule: once Mattie is gone we turn on the Christmas CDs, flip on the fire, light candles and try to bring the day down to a peaceful tone by the time Daddy gets home from work. Yesterday was picture perfect.
I have a box that I wrapped with green foil paper a few years ago to hold our collection of Christmas books. It only comes out this time of year and is a virtual treasure chest for my child. She adores books and especially these. She was quite content browsing through and "reading" everything from Curious George's Christmas and Frosty the Snowman to the picture book of Christ's birth and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

It's quite entertaining listening to her. She has an amazing memory, especially when it comes to books, and either recites each page word for word or some version of it. She is so hungry to learn to read and we are working on it, though not as intense as I had planned, but that's OK. Her enthusiasm doesn't show any signs of diminishing.

Having these couple of hours each evening alone with the sounds of Josh Grobin belting out Christmas classics have made a big difference in the way our day ends. It is much more peaceful and joyful. In addition to bringing our home down to that level after a high-energy afternoon is important to me, but I hope that the act of reconnecting with the characters in these special books creates special memories for Jillian as well.

Spirit of Christmas

Last week was one of those weeks. You know the kind when your days seem to blend together and then by the time you get to Sunday you wonder how, or if, anything was really accomplished?

The main source of the crazy week was getting our Christmas decor out and on display. A friend's father-in-law provided our amazing tree this year. It is the most beautiful tree - biggest and freshest - we have had since we were married and this will be the one Christmas that we will be spending the least amount of time at home since we'll be flying to visit my family for the holidays. J and I laughed the two nights it took us to get the tree together - cut to a height that it would fit in the house, purchase additional lights to wrap around it, hang the ornaments. He said that this is the one year that he was not rolling his eyes at the number of ornaments that I have because we clearly needed them to keep the tree from looking bare.

Coming downstairs alone each morning for my quiet time is enhanced now with the lovely glow, both from the tree and the fire place next to it. It is so peaceful and I no longer have memories of the craziness that I felt trying to make things come together while preparing for other activities of the week. I feel as if I can now enjoy the peace that the season brings.

Polar Express

Jillian adores The Polar Express movie, book and soundtrack. She will watch the movie all day every day, if I let her. We bought the soundtrack a few weeks ago and I cannot tell you how many times we have listened to it - in the car, in the living room, in her toy room. I am not sure what it is about the story, but she loves it.

Since we were traveling to Tennessee for Thanksgiving we decided it would be a good idea to travel a couple of hours into Bryson City, North Carolina, to let her ride the Polar Express. We didn't tell her our plans. In fact, she had no clue what we were doing as we pulled into the parking lot for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. She saw children wearing their PJs and questioned it. I asked her why kids would wear PJs on a train. Her response: "Well, sometimes kids sleep on trains." True, but then I asked why would kids get on a train in their PJs. I knew by the look on her face that she knew the answer but didn't want to say. I believe she was filled with joy but was overwhelmed by the idea. She didn't want to say it out loud, just in case she was wrong.

We took a quick trip to the ladies room and she changed into a pair of Christmas pajamas then we were on our way. Her face showed nothing less than sheer elation. The soundtrack played over the speakers and Jillian sang along with every song as she watched the countryside go by her window. We were served hot chocolate, her first of the season, and it had to be the best she has ever tasted.

We rolled up to the North Pole and Old Saint Nick got on board, giving each child "the first gift of Christmas." She has clung to that bell since she received it, making sure she, we, and everyone she sees can hear it, therefore believing in the Spirit of Christmas.

I have questioned whether or not the trip was worth the amount of money we paid, but closing my eyes and seeing her face makes me realize that how an adult views an event is a world away from a child's view.

Thankful

"Give thanks in all circumstances..." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I am thankful for:

• A God who provides all my needs
• A Savior, Jesus, whose lessons of loving and serving others is one that I need to follow more closely
• A husband who loves and accepts all of my shortcomings
• A sweet child who fills my days with light, especially when they seem dark
  
• Being born into a loving and supportive family
• Marrying into an accepting and loving family
• Friends who fill my world with wit, wisdom and inspiration
• Strangers who bring more into my life than I will ever know
  

Love in a Shoe Box

For the second year we participated in Operation Christmas Child, a wonderful ministry that delivers Christmas gifts packed in shoe boxes to children around the world. Last year we did one box and Jilly was convinced that a little boy in Haiti, named Carlos, received it. She talks about Carlos a lot and, actually, the little three-year-old visits us from time to time in the form of an imaginary friend.

It's been great having Jilly associate a name with her box. It gives her little mind the ability to visualize an actual child who will receive something special this Christmas. We prayed that the children know that they are loved by someone who has never me them. She talks about Carlos quite a bit, especially the past month, and has been planning what to put in his box. Sometime before Halloween Jilly informed me that Carlos has two sisters - one his age and one older. She thought it would be a good idea if we send gifts to them too. So, we prepared three boxes this year.

Jilly has been blessed with family members who have sent her cards throughout the year and many times those cards have included a dollar or two or five. She wanted to use her money to buy Carlos' gifts. It was solely her idea and came about with absolutely no prompting by me. I have never been more proud of her. So, she dug out $9 and we trotted down to the Family Dollar Store to see what we could get. She bought two cars, two coloring books, three boxes of crayons (one for Carlos and two for his sisters), two Snoopy tooth brushes, some Toy Story soap and toothpaste. I added to it with a few more trinkets and a shirt from Target. Jilly wanted to write a note to her friends, so I took dictation and she made them pretty with stickers.

After preparing the boxes, we said a prayer for each of the children who will receive it. Jilly said that Carlos had a stomach ache so prayed that God would heal him. It make me wonder sometimes if she has a sort of connection of the spirit with the child who received her box last year.

As I previously mentioned, I am reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love as part of a Bible study. The gist of the study is that we should stop clinging to earthly goods in the hope of using them in the future. He really hammers home the point that those of us who have received an abundance of God's blessings should pass on more than we use. In Matthew 25:45 Christ says: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." And in 1 John 3:18 we are told, "...let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth."

I hope that this simple act of sending children goodies that fit in a shoe box becomes a building block for the type of giving heart Jillian develops throughout the course of her life. My prayer is that she becomes a person who, as her recent memory verse - 2 Chronicles 9:7 - instructs, is a cheerful giver.

Dear Santa

We did an official Santa list today. It was rainy and cold and seemed like the perfect indoor activity. Plus, if we don't get this list to Ol Saint Nick soon Jilly may be out of luck this year.

I found some cute paper from Activity Village and we went to work. Jilly was a bit confused because she scratched out a note last week. I gave her a quick lesson on the beauty of nice stationery and no questions were asked.
She went to work on her version and I translated it on another piece of paper. Her main gift "wants" are an art easel and a CD player with microphones so that she can sing along. After that, her request is for the all-too-general "a lot of toys." I told her that she couldn't ask for something like that. For one, Santa doesn't know exactly which toys she likes and secondly, and more importantly, there is no need for "a lot of toys." Finally she said she was OK with those two things, but then added she wants a Horton Hears a Who game as well as a Curious George hide-and-seek game. Santa also has it in his head that he'll throw in the Mary Poppins CD as well as the new Olivia book.

So tomorrow we will place the completed list in an envelope and ship it off to the North Pole.

Generational Bond

It's interesting that I tend to use certain cooking utensils for certain tasks and can never change over to something else. For example, I only allow my dough to rise in a particular glass bowl. I have one specific pan that I use for baking/roasting fish. I will only use the heavy aluminum pot my mom used to make fudge for sauce, chili and other hearty foods. And the only thing I will cook cornbread in is the iron skillet that belonged to my Grandmother Robbins.

There were only two things I wanted of my Grandmother's when she died nearly 10 years ago: her Bible and this skillet. Sadly we were unable to find the Bible she made notations in for much of her Christian life, but luckily I was able to use this.

My Grandmother was a product of the south and that means she was a great cook. As a kid I remember her making potato cakes and fried okra and fried corn in this skillet. I can smell it by just thinking about it. Needless to say the skillet is well seasoned, which probably accounts for the reason things I make in it taste so good. I have used this skillet to make fried chicken and pecan crusted catfish, but it is primarily used for cornbread. I am so thankful for this time of the year because it is when I make cornbread more frequently as an accompaniment to stew and chili, which we had for dinner Sunday night.

My Grandmother was also a woman of very strong faith. I recall waking up early in the mornings, before the sun had peeked up over the horizon, to the sound of her voice tearfully calling out to God. It was not a plea of desperation or a cry for help; rather it was her desperate cry to be closer to Him. I used to think she was sad but instead it was a joy filled cry thanking Him for all that she had and for always being with her - in good times and in bad. It was a passionate cry to her God that was more like an overflow of the love she had for him in her heart. It has only been in the past few years that I have truly appreciated that display of love.

Genesis 17:7 says: I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

And as much as I look forward to passing along my Grandmother's skillet to my daughter, my prayer is that the seed of faith that she planted grows even stronger through the years.

Give Thanks

Today is the first day of the Thanksgiving advent-style calendar Jilly and I created last year. We placed it in our hallway and began what is developing into a family tradition - taking the time to write down what Jillian is thankful for each day. Today Jillian said she was thankful for eating spaghetti with daddy and God's blessings.

We had a bit of a challenge with the start of this exercise. She seemed to be confused with the Christmas Advent Calendar where she woke up to something new each morning. After letting me know what she was thankful today she immediately asked if she would have something new tucked inside one of the pockets in the morning. I tried to let her know this is the time we recognized how we are blessed. She completely understood that but still wanted to know if she would have something new in the morning.

Last year was the first year we did an Advent calendar for her and I am beginning to rethink that. First off, we never had one growing up so I'm not simply sharing a childhood tradition. And secondly, even though the gifts were small, she got something every day for 24 days. I think that it stole a bit of the thunder from Christmas morning. Maybe we'll simply give her an inspirational message most mornings and the other days we can give her a new ornament to place on the tree. For now we'll focus on having her recognize how incredibly blessed she is, even if it is something so simple as having the chance to eat spaghetti with her dad.

Planning A Meaningful Christmas

I am involved with a Bible study group that is reading Francis Chan's book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. It has been a powerful study and one that caused to me deeply examine my relationship with Christ. I don't think much in Chan's teaching has surprised me. I'm usually honest with myself in regard to my shortfalls. However, this book has highlighted those shortfalls even brighter. The underlying message of this book, for me, has been to change my perception of security and stop clinging to earthly goods in the hope of using them in the future.

We are more than halfway through the book and this week's discussion led several in our smaller group talk about Christmas. We talked about how we are so blessed to need nothing in the way of gifts. We talked about stripping festivities and traditions back to the basics. Several ladies discussed not exchanging gifts and placing more emphasis on the gathering of family. A couple of ladies said that what they remember most of Christmas are not the gifts but the gathering of family.

I have to be honest here because, well, that is not my memory. At least not when I was a kid. Sure, as I get older I can look back and appreciate the time with my grandparents, aunts and whatever cousins were around that year. Our holiday varied each year - one year with my dad's side of the family, the next with my mom's and the next at home with both families welcome to celebrate with us. If I think back to Christmas at my grandparents' home in New Mexico, I immediately envision the platters of Martha Washington chocolates my grandmother made the previous weeks. In Tennessee I remember driving up to Pigeon Forge to look at the beautiful lights and my grandmother's church family stopping by Christmas Eve to exchange gifts and to share dessert. The memories are different depending on location, but the one constant thing that is foremost in my childhood memory is waking up in the morning to see what Santa delivered. Whether it was a doll, rocking horse, kitchen set, the anticipation of what would be under the tree filled my head each Christmas Eve as I went to bed.

I wonder if our parents and grandparents had these conversations back then. Did they ever fret over doting on us so much at Christmas? What has changed? I don't believe that we are that much better off financially than my parents were when I was a kid. Are things just more accessible now? As for us, we don't buy Jillian much throughout the year. She may get a new book or game during the year, but the bulk of her toys are purchased for her at Christmas and her birthday. What Grandma and Nana send is another story, but as far as what we do, it's fairly limited except for those occasions. And the child does not want for anything. Still, I enjoy the opportunity to shower her with gifts when possible. It makes me happy to have the ability to do that for her.

What is so wrong about showering the people we love with gifts? God showered us with the greatest gift, that of the birth of his son Jesus Christ. I get that we should not become so consumed with our earthly possessions that we lose focus on our eternity and serving God. But does that mean we abandon the traditions that provide so many childhood memories? I love the opportunity to find gifts not that people need (because as mentioned, few of us really need anything) rather gifts that they wouldn't purchase for themselves or something that screams their name when I see it. I admit there are some people who are a struggle to shop for and I dread it and do so because it's expected more than anything, but overall I feel blessed to have the opportunity to do for others. I don't believe in quantity or cost, rather the simple gift that says to a person that I have been thinking of them.

As for how all this relates to my study, well it's that I have decided to become much more purposeful about what I plan to purchase for friends and family and how we give to those in need (which I will discuss in another post). My goal to make this a more meaningful and simple Christmas this year is to put more thought into why I am giving a gift. Is the purpose simply to go through the motions of what has become a tradition or is it to glorify God by showering love on the people in my life?

Peace Among Chaos

Psalm 46:10 tells us to "Be still, and know that I am God." It is in those peaceful moments - often times forced peaceful moments - that we are truly able to recognize God's power and majesty.

I will argue, though, that there are times we can feel a closeness with Him even when we're running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Yesterday is a glowing example.

It was one of those days where I thought I had everything planned out but it all went sideways. In my mind the day was perfectly planned: whip up a crock pot meal for a neighbor, quick trip to the doc, dive into the day's school lesson, have lunch, catch up on election results while Jilly naps, deliver meal, daddy home, dinner together. Oh, and let's not forget tending to the little second grade neighbor we watch after school. Still doable and manageable without stress.

A full but peaceful day.

Naturally things got off course a bit: decided to make an additional meal for sick neighbor, hosted a friend and her two daughters for a play date, blew off school, daddy's flight was canceled so didn't expect him home as early as hoped, entertained crazy neighbor kids, rushed to make our dinner, tended to Jilly's first hockey injury, squeezed in a little play time with Jilly and daddy after dinner, cleaned kitchen, prepped breakfast dish for MOPS, went to bed.

I will spare the details, but other than sitting to talk with my friend during the play date (which was periodically interrupted by hollering kids), I don't think I was still one minute of the day. However, I felt it was a peaceful day and a day where I was closer to God than any other this week.

I had the chance to serve Him by bringing comfort in the form of food to a friend. I got the chance to spend some time with a godly woman who I rarely get a chance to talk with. I watched three little girls pour out their sweet innocence through play. I experienced the opportunity to shroud my child with comfort and love after being hit in the mouth with a hockey stick. I had a natural flow partnership with my husband who stepped in to help brown sausage without being asked an in spite of traveling all day.

And all along I talked with God, asking what could happen next. Could I please have a moment to finish one task at a time? Instead, he shepherd me to the next adventure.

We naturally need peace in our lives to slow down and recognize the wonderful gifts we have received, but sometimes the pace needs to be picked up a bit to execute God's work.

Election Day

Jilly and I will be heading to the polls in a bit to select who we believe is the best fit to govern us. I am sad to say that no one really stands out, but our household is fairly conservative so we tend to support candidates whose values are more in line with ours.

This morning I told Jilly that we had to get dressed so we could go vote. Her reply, "what is vote?" My best answer that I thought she could comprehend was that it's our opportunity to choose the people who make the rules for our country. Her response: "God makes the rules."

My prayer is that she is always mindful of that truth. Though the Bible tells us that we are supposed to respect those who govern us, we must know when they are asking us to go against what we know is God's law and do what we know is right. Man, is that more true today than ever and I can only assume it will be even more so as Jilly gets older.

Halloween

Halloween was quite fun this year. It has always been one of my favorite holidays just because I love the whole idea of dressing up into something new for a night. Plus I enjoy all of the activities that take place this time of year - visiting the pumpkin patch, carving jack-o-lanterns, making caramel apples.

Jilly took part in quite a few events the past week. First, our MOPS group visited a retirement home and collected candy from the residents there. The kids were a little scared of the older people, but warmed up once they realized candy was involved. The residents adored the children and had a great time talking with them.
On Saturday we participated in what I hope will become an annual tradition - decorating caramel apples at the local coffee shop. We did this last year and Jilly and her buddies had a great time. This year was no exception. Thankfully Jilly doesn't have the desire to eat her apple, so we are holding on to it for a day or two as a decorative piece then will place it in the trash.
Then finally the big night - Halloween. I'm not so sure what Jilly looked forward to the most - trick-or-treating or seeing everyone else dressed up. She and her friend, Gemma, went out together. I love our neighborhood because not only are there so many kids for such a small community, but all of the neighbors seem to be just as excited. The adults enjoyed seeing the kids dressed up and the kids gladly took their candy.
So now it's over until next year (by the way, Jilly has already decided what she wants to be: an astronaut). We will take down the ghosts and goblins that are scattered in our yard and turn our thoughts toward being grateful for all we have.

Is It Fall?

The calendar says it's fall, but the weather the past couple of weeks says anything but. I would be OK if we were still in Houston, but I always thought you were supposed to feel the seasons in Virginia. Not even the colors are that great this year, thanks to a lack of rain. But still, we are in the throes of one of my favorite times of the year.

Still, I feel as if it is slipping away from me. I am dealing with a tragedy that hit our mom community a week-and-a-half ago. It's a story that I have written as a blog post but have not found the courage to publish just yet. I think that once I see it jump from my head and into words then it will be more real than I want it to be and will have to deal with it on a level that I'm not quite ready to reach. It will appear here soon enough. We can't hide from the truth.

So instead I have been plugging along doing what people in this part of the country do this time of year - loving fresh picked apples, filling my home with the smell of homemade pumpkin everything, and getting ready for Halloween.

JillyBean has been planning for Halloween since June. Yes, June. You would think that you could blow off something that a three-year-old says she wants to do four months later, but not my child. She has a mind like an elephant - she never forgets. Not only does she remember, she remains fixated on it. I cannot tell you how many afternoons we have spent at the lunch table making sure we were on the same page, conversations that were initiated by her. "OK, mama. Let's talk about what we're going to do for Halloween." It was as if we were part of some corporate brainstorming committee trying to launch a new product.

This summer Nana and Doc took Jilly to see a middle school production of Peter Pan. She was hooked (forgive the pun that will shortly come to light). I have the movie on VHS and she has watched it several times. We were in Barnes & Noble and found the book and it is a staple at nap time and bedtime. So which character would my daughter naturally gravitate toward from the story? You'd think being a girl she'd love Tinker Bell. Nope. Or maybe even Peter. Nope. No to Wendy, too. In June Jilly announced that she was going to be Captain Hook for Halloween. Yes, my child was so inspired by the beautiful story of Neverland to become a pirate. The bad guy, though she insists she is going to be a good Hook....

I began searching for a costume that we could buy and nothing quite worked. The best "look" didn't come in her size so we decided to have one made. Not by me, of course. I can't sew. Thanks to a family friend, Jilly will be the pirate of her dreams on Sunday night - hook and all.

I am excited to see her all dressed up. She'll be cute yet fierce. We will trick-or-treat in our neighborhood and hopefully find a new home for all the candy that I am sure she will score. Then hopefully we can fall back into sync and enjoy this lovely time of year.

Music City Baby

We got the chance earlier this month to visit Nashville. Daddy had to go for work and Jilly and I tagged along for a change of scenery and the opportunity to visit with Aunt April. In addition to getting the chance to catch up, Auntie A was gracious enough to do a daylong photo session with Jilly and captured some great images.

I wanted something that captured both Nashville and my child's individual style and sass. Here are the highlights:

Consignment Time

It's time again for the Here Wee Grow Again consignment sale. I have participated in this sale since its inception and love it. It's a great way for me to make a few extra dollars for Christmas, shed some of Jilly's clothes and other items, and help out a couple of deserving organizations.

The sale is hosted by Aldersgate United Methodist Church and benefits its youth ministries department. Any leftover items that consignors designate as "donate" are given to the Central Virginia Baptist Associations' Clothing Center, a fabulous local organization that provides clothing to local residents who are truly in need.

The sale begins Saturday and continues through Saturday, Sept. 25.

My mother is coming to town today and will stay two weeks, mostly to spend time with JillyBean but also so that I can volunteer for the sale. I happy that I can finally spend a little more time helping out the organizers who work so hard to make this event so successful.

It is becoming easier each sale to shed more of Jilly's clothes. I still find it hard to get rid of some outfits, but that's OK. This time around we are selling her crib and changing table and it is a little more emotional than I had expected. Her changing table has been in her closet the past year, used primarily for storage, and her bed hasn't been used as a crib for some time. But still, seeing it go out the door is a little sad. I still remember how excited I was when we got them and put them together in her room. Hopefully they will bring as much joy to another family.

Summer Camp

Most of the kids in our neighborhood have spent the summer in some sort of camp. Whether it was the YMCA, a tennis camp or church camp, their comings and goings have caught JillyBean's attention. She keeps talking about being able to go to camp when she's "a little bit bigger."

Well, the camp experience is coming a bit sooner than expected byway of spending a week with Nana in Tennessee. Daddy and I are going on a cruise later this month and are taking the major step of leaving Jilly behind. She didn't like the idea that we were going on vacation without her (and honestly, neither do I) so I quickly told her that she will be spending time at Camp Nana. She warmed to the idea.

Now as anyone who has ever spent time in camp - whether it be a day camp or sleep away camp - knows, you always get a really cool t-shirt marking the event. Camp Nana is no exception. Jilly and I made our own camp shirts yesterday. She is so proud of them and had to make one for herself, Nana, Ma and cousin Kallie. We still have a little bit of work to do on them once they're completely dry. The shirts should provide a good memento of their week together.

My Fair Little Lady

It's fair season in these parts so we decided to check out our county's fair. We have been to neighboring counties and to the state fair, but never to ours. I sort of expected a little more since we are a larger county, but it was relatively small. Still, we had a good time. The newspaper had a coloring page that JillyBean colored to take to the fair in exchange for a prize. She received a cute toy Holstein cow, which sadly did not make it home. I think that she left it on the train ride. I was surprised that Jilly wasn't upset about it, instead said that "we can get another one next year."

Jilly rode almost every ride that was meant for kids her size and one for kids a little bigger. She started out with the pony cart ride, moved on to an alligator then decided to step it up a notch and ride the dragon roller coaster. She wasn't quite tall enough to ride it, but the man taking tickets didn't pay too much attention to the fact that she was up on her toes. Jilly was so excited when she got on the ride, but shortly after it started decided that maybe it wasn't a great idea.

Still, she got off the ride without tears but ready for something a little slower paced. It is amazing how grown up Jilly is becoming lately. She is becoming so brave when it comes to new adventures and does not shy away from people like she has tended to the past couple of years. In fact, it is not unusual for Jilly to say hello first to a new person - similar to the way she was when she 18 months old. She also exhibits a great sense of pride when she accomplishes something she considers "grown up."

The State Fair is next month so we will have to make sure to go. JillyBean will have access to a few more rides, animals and shows. All of this is a warm up to a future Disney trip that we hope to take in the next two years. We have friends who took their four-year-old this year and that seemed to be a fairly good age. I want to go when I know Jilly will be old enough to have strong memories of the trip. In the meantime, we are thankful to have photos of these fun times together as a family.

Questions of Faith

JillyBean has been asking a lot of questions about God. I don't know why, but I never expected to get such questions at this age, though I don't know why since she asks about everything else under the sun.

Last week we were reading a book my cousin gave her for her birthday. It's a rhyming story book on the Book of Genesis and has great illustrations. We were reading the creation story and she pops up with: "Who made God?" I really didn't know how to answer but said something to satisfy her little mind. Today we had an exchange that went like this:
J: Mama, why did God make me?
M: Because He loves you and he needed you to love other people and to take care of the things He created.
J: But why does He love me?
M: Because He is your father.
J: No. God is Jesus' father. Daddy is my father.
M: Yes, that is right. But God is your Heavenly Father. He is the one who made you and gave you to me and daddy. He is the one who made you and who has a special plan for you.
J: (silent while thinking) So if God is my Heavenly Father then is Mommy Mary my Heavenly Mama?
M: No. She is just Jesus' mama.
J: Oh. Hey! Can we play Peter Pan now?

ABCs

Today was an unusually cool day for the start of August. On second thought, maybe it was nice to be away from the 100-degree mark. Either way there was a slight feel of fall in the air and that means that school is around the corner.

So many of our friends send their children to preschool. Some started as early as 18 months while others have held off until three. We have decided that JillyBean will not go to preschool. I have mixed feelings on this issue, though I am happy with our decision. One one hand I would like for Jilly to be with her friends. She had a great time at Vacation Bible School, though that was just a blip. However, I'm not exactly crazy about the public school system as a whole, although we live in a fabulous district. Also, kids are in school for SO long that I don't want to start her any earlier than she has to. Still, knowing that the public school here demands so much of kids at younger ages, I don't want Jilly to be behind if we do choose to send her down the road so we are going to do a home school program.

I am a little nervous about this and not too confident about my ability to actually teach her. That's silly, I know, because basically everything she will "learn" at preschool we are "teaching" during our daily routine. She knows her letters out of context, all of her colors and shapes; she can count to 20 (when she's not be asked to do so) and she gets sequencing, matching, rhyming and all of that stuff. What we need to work on are the sounds of letters and how to write - something I don't remember doing until first grade but something kids today master, in some cases, before kindergarten. Reading will follow soon after, which she is chomping at the bit to learn.

Jilly has been showing a lot of interest lately in learning to write. She understands that words are made up of individual letters and when she asks us to spell something for her, she makes a separate mark for each letter. She also seems to grasp that each word is an individual item and spaces her "words" further apart than the "letters" that comprise the words.

Knowing that she is interested and ready to learn should make this process a bit easier. Having never taught any form of school, I decided to purchase a formal preschool curriculum. I chose the program from a company called Sonlight because it is literature based and uses story books to teach science, social studies, etc. We are doing a program above her current age because she is ready for it. The curriculum for 3- and 4-year-olds is nothing more than reading together and that is something we have done since birth. So she'll be in a pre-kindergarten program that will teach her how to write.

Homeschooling is something I have said that I would like to do for as long as possible but we are going to take it a year at a time. It is very exciting and Jilly is looking forward to mom being her teacher.

VBS

Tomorrow begins a very busy week for me and JillyBean. Vacation Bible School starts and I'm so excited. Although Jilly is only three, she gets to go because I am volunteering as a teacher (I have been assigned to the five-year-old class). This is exciting because she will be doing the same preschool program as the older kids.

This is a massive program and the ladies from our church in charge of the children's ministry have been hard at work for months. As of today, they are expecting more than 470 kids for the week long program. It's a western theme, which is great for Jilly since she's all about horses and cowboys.

I loved VBS as a kid. I remember spending summers "church hopping," as we would attend Vacation Bible School at our church as well as VBS at our friends' churches. I hope that this is something Jilly will grow to love and look forward to each summer as well.

I have never led a class so I'm a little nervous but also excited about the opportunity. Keep us in your prayers as well as all the kids who will be attending and the volunteers leading them.

Little Miss Firecracker

Here it is July again and I have failed to come in and update the blog. It sure isn't for lack of things to share, I just haven't taken the time to do it - once again. I need to dedicate a time of day each day to do this, sort of like a job.

Until then, we had a fabulous July Fourth celebration. JillyBean had been looking forward to July Fourth for weeks. Although I had been talking to her about why we celebrate the date, she mostly saw it as a time to shoot off fireworks. We had a couple of neighbors come over for a cook out and to let the kids have some fun. Jilly's buddies weren't as jazzed by the popping of the fireworks she and Daddy purchased, but they enjoyed the sparklers. Jilly didn't want to like the explosive rockets, but I think she forced herself to enjoy them since she had been looking forward to shooting them off for some time.

I really love the Fourth of July and have great childhood memories of family gatherings in Kansas. We would get together with my dad's cousins and spend the day tying black cat firecrackers together to make huge explosions. They all had cellars in their backyard so we would light the suckers and throw them into the cellar to hear the echo of the boom. We'd shoot off bottle rockets that we set up inside soda bottles and throw cherry bombs across the yard. It was so much fun. Then we would all have a picnic, play a game of softball and gather in the town park to watch the fireworks display that was put together by the local volunteer fire department.

Relay For Life

We participated in the local Relay For Life event this weekend with our wonderful Mom's group. It was great fun and we were able to raise a bit of cash for the American Cancer Society.


It was rainy, so not as many people attended the actual event on Saturday night, but we had a good time. Our group, Moms On A Mission, endured the wet weather and enjoyed some yummy Wayside chicken and barbecue. Each of us signed up to walk an hour or two-hour shift (the goal was to have people walk 24 hours) so JillyBean accompanied me on my trek. She did great - walked the whole hour and even ran two laps around the track (more than I can do without stopping).

Afterward the kids ran around and played in the rain, danced, attended a magic show and, well, acted like kids. This is one of my all-time fave pictures of Jilly and her friends. I can't believe that I was able to get four three-year-olds to stand together, look at the camera and smile at the same time.
One part of the event that we did not stay around for (thanks to the wet weather and an exhausted child) was the lighting of the luminarias that people purchase in honor of or in memory of someone impacted by cancer. We made a luminaria for Aunt Evelyn who died last year. Jilly had a fun time decorating the paper bag that event organizers filled with sand and a candle to light. We are sure that Aunt Evelyn looked down with pride.

Oh to be three....

...and get away with wearing pink sparkly shoes with bright pink flowers.
JillyBean and I went to Richmond on Saturday to get some new shoes for her. She is good for summer with sandals, church shoes and tennis shoes, but really need a pair of closed-toed play shoes. We go to Saxon twice a year to get shoes for her - once in the fall and again in the spring. I adore the store and its selection of kids shoes. They typically carry higher end shoes, but they do such a great job fitting her that I don't mind paying a little extra since they seem to fit the entire season. The people who work there really know how to work with kids and know what to look for in the way of fit. I haven't really felt all that confident at the stores in town.

It was the sweetest thing, shoe shopping with her. She looked carefully at the choices I gave her and I was not surprised that these would be her favorite. She wore them out the store and got so many compliments from the other mall shoppers that you could see the pride bursting from her face. On the way home I was looking at her in my rear-view mirror and she was raising up her feet and smiling at her new shoes. Then she said, "Thank you so much for my new shoes, mommy. I really, really love them."

Mother's Day

I was so happy with Mother's Day this year. It was low-key and we were able to be together as a family. I came downstairs to this lovely arrangement on the kitchen table:
Not sure Beanie Daddy paid attention or if he was just lucky, but the color of the daisies are the exact color as the spring tea towels and a few other spring decor items I have in the kitchen right now. They coordinate perfectly.

We went to church and afterward had a lovely picnic at Cardinal Point Winery where moms got free appetizers with their tasting. We got a bottle of wine and had lunch on the lawn. It was a perfect afternoon, with the exception of a bit of wind. We came home and grilled steaks, which were super yummy. It was a great day.

Jilly Jam

We are so lucky to live down the road from a wonderful orchard that not only provides scrumptious peaches in the summer but also strawberries. Jilly and I met a friend last Friday to pick a few and were generously rewarded. Last year we had to hunt and pick through several bushes to find perfect berries, but this year, we were able to pull off multiple berries from the same bush and didn't have to move much beyond one small section.

JillyBean had a lot of fun this year, too. Last year she wouldn't pick the strawberries and only wanted to carry the basket around with her. This year she didn't want to stop.
She even ate a few, which was something new. When she was a year old she loved strawberries but I haven't been able to get her to try one since. She loves strawberry ice cream, cake, smoothies, lollipops, etc., but would never eat the actual fruit. She wouldn't stop this time.

We brought home our load and used some to make fruit pops and some to make strawberry jam. I had never made jam before but it was actually so simple that I think we will do more. Jilly had the important task of mashing up the berries and she did a wonderful job.
We made 9 half pints of jam, but two didn't seal properly. We kept one and gave the other to a friend who said they would be able to eat it right away. Jilly has assigned "homes" to the remaining 7 jars so, if you're lucky, a jar of Jilly Jam will be coming your way soon.

Spring Sprung

A friend took some lovely spring/Easter photos of Jilly earlier this month. Thank you to Stephanie Reeder for capturing such beautiful moments.