Each spring, I get the honor to help out with the 4th grade girls program at Noelle’s school called “GIRLS LAUGH.”  Noelle’s school counselor, Lisa Arnold, along with several other awesome volunteers, have a great time each week hanging out with the girls and hosting programs with topics that promote inner beauty and wellness… and just maturing into great young ladies who have manners and respect for others.  I really enjoy this age group and have a blast helping out with what hits closest to home for me: character and girls! 

One of our first activities in the program each year, is the bad cupcake/good cupcake test.  Each girl gets two mini-cupcakes.  One is beautiful and one is plain.  They eat the beautiful one first and it tastes awful, but then they eat the plain one and it tastes delicious.  The life lesson is that you can’t read a book by its cover.  Just because someone is pretty on the outside does not make them pretty overall;  inner beauty goes way farther than outward appearances… we talk about inner beauty, and it really makes an impression on them with the cupcake test.  Both years I’ve helped with the program, the girls are so shocked and surprised, and the lesson really seems to stick with them as they use all of their senses at the same time with this activity.  I hope Noelle doesn’t read this before its her turn… there are tons of secrets shared only in “GIRLS LAUGH” between us girls, so if she does, she’ll still have A LOT to look forward to!  I wish I could tell you guys more, but we pinky promised; what happens in GIRLS LAUGH, stays in GIRLS LAUGH! 

 

Madison and Anna Kate always have so much fun together!

Eden was being fussy, and Rose walked up to her and told her to “Shh…!”  She was really sweet about it, and trying to act like her big sisters, but I was cracking up.  I couldn’t stop thinking, “Now that’s the pot calling the kettle black!”  Rose is great!  She’s going to work it all out; all two year olds do!

  

 

We had a blast last week at the mall with these sweet buddies!  Cherishing my time with these precious girls… I’m going to be beside myself when Rose goes to kindergarten (and Anna Kate for that matter), so these play dates (and everything in between) are priceless to me!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Love.our.girls!

   

We had so much fun celebrating Noelle’s birthday with Mike’s parents at Babe’s a couple of weeks ago!  It has turned into a fun tradition that she loves and looks forward to each year! 

 

Thanks Grandpapa and Kay Kay for the fun night out!

 

 

Here’s Anna Kate asking Rose to come do the hokey pokey with her two pointer fingers… this is classic Anna Kate!  And sassy Noelle picked out all her jewelry for tonight (my old jewelry)… she’s always so stylish.  She puts things together like no body’s business!

Whew… we are all so very sad and so very sorry for the people who lost everything this week; family, friends, pets, possessions, comfort… what do you even say?  How are these people going to rebuild absolutely everything… how do they even make sense of anything right now!?!  I saw a picture of a little girl riding her bike through the rubble, and it just tore me up!  Our lives on earth are so fragile and short.  Even a long full life, is but one little blink of the earth’s eye (if the earth was a human, and it had eyes, the time we’re here is just one blink of that human’s eye in its life story).  I’m fascinated with our purpose, our evolution… how in the last 100 years what progress we have made as humans, in comparison to our 200,000 years of existence here on earth.  Every generation builds on the next to try to figure things out, to be the best we can be… and during these times of devastation, it feels like the earth is just throwing us around, making us feel like tiny match sticks.  It’s too much when you really sit down and think about it…

Another Mommy blogger wrote exactly what I was thinking in a way I couldn’t articulate until I read her words, so I’ll copy the relevant part of what she wrote for you to read: “My home has never faced major destruction. I can’t imagine the grief that would be associated with losing all you own.  Before I knew the devastation these recent tornadoes would cause, I was sitting on the roof thinking a lot about the storms of life. I share happy pictures on my blog because photography is a gift in my life. When personal storms rage around me, there is something about photography that helps me find beauty. Helps me gain a healthy perspective. Right now you will see happy pictures of my kids playing on my blog because photography is healing to me, but my family is facing some personal storms.”

This is true for me/us as well… it always has been… our happy times make my heart so full, but we are far from perfect, and at times, our lives are extremely difficult; you can’t even imagine.  I have described our blog to friends in the past as “my happy place,” and the pictures of my little ones truly put the storms into perspective and bring me so much peace!!!  People blog for different reasons.  Our blog (during this season of life) is simply a public online scrapbook.  From day to day, it looks much like what you would find in a traditional paper bound scrapbook… with just lots more pictures because it is online.  It’s not a tell-all, but it’s not meant to make you think our lives are perfect either.  It’s simply the happy pictures of my kids playing because that is healing to me… and the only reason my blog is not private, is because I pray it gives you reprieve too, and makes you laugh and smile!  And then the heavier things in life are more bearable, do-able.  Because I believe little things add up to make a big difference.  Just like all of the volunteers in Oklahoma, picking up one piece of rubble at a time right now.  They will rebuild… we are resilient; humans are amazing.  The little building blocks of the past have all made a difference in the strides we have made to this day.  But we need each other to keep the pieces together.  I hope the pieces of our story that we share publicly with you on our online scrapbook add up in your life.  So, for now, I’ll just keep on doing what helps me get through my storms… sharing pictures of our beautiful loves!

                      

The Pond Girls, May 14, 2013, Rose (2), Anna Kate (4) and Noelle (7)

Carson, Emerson, Noelle and Chloe had fun representing their class in the relay race and the tug-of-war!

Noelle’s school does field day up super big with dozens of bounce house obstacle courses, as well as the traditional field day favorites!

 

Brianna and Noelle were enjoying some fun in the sun!

Ryan’s got his eye on Noelle!!!

What does our diva do in the middle of a basketball game?  Pose, of course!

 

Best.teacher.ever… so blessed to have had Mrs. Biggerstaff this year!  She has built Noelle’s confidence back… we are so grateful for her pushing Noelle to go above and beyond!!!  And… for embracing Noelle for who she is, and enjoying it along the way!  Fun and light-hearted, just the way elementary school should be.  She saved the day for us!  This entire year has been a huge blessing for our family!  Teachers make all the difference!  I love that Noelle has spent 8 hours a day this school year with such a positive, fun, upbeat, happy person, teacher and friend!!!

Go Noelle!

 

Noelle running her fastest in the 40 yard dash!

Girls against boys, and Noelle got to race her buddy Jacob!

She was so happy and ran her little heart out, but he won… this time!  🙂

 

Physical education challenge course!

The 1st grade relay race!

Passing off the tube at the end of her run!

Tug-of-war was double elimination… our class did well, but some of the other classes were just really strong this year!

The kids pulled and pulled…

And tried their very best!  Since this was their last event of the day, the parents were cheering and going nuts… we were so proud of our kiddos and were hugging and high-fiving all of them on a field day (Round 2) well done… and we were delirious from the heat! 

Good times!