Friday, August 19, 2011
photo booth at volunteer training
At the volunteer training we had for Orchard Kids, we had a fun photo booth that the teachers and some families could take pictures in. We had a blast with it. Here's some pictures of our family.
dear anonymous
I guess with facebook, twitter and blogs , everyone has a voice. Any person can easily say something and then hide behind the computer screen. Anybody can be "anonymous" and feel confident to put their opinion/garbage out there.
And some coward did. On my blog. On my comment section.
So...
Dear Anonymous,
Thanks for the comment. Thank you for feeling so bothered by me that you needed to take time to write an anonymous comment on my blog. Sorry, if the comment doesn't hold much weight with me considering you wrote it anonymously. Please feel free if you have any more cowardly "anonymous" comments to leave, to do so. However, please forgive me if I disregard and delete it.
And some coward did. On my blog. On my comment section.
So...
Dear Anonymous,
Thanks for the comment. Thank you for feeling so bothered by me that you needed to take time to write an anonymous comment on my blog. Sorry, if the comment doesn't hold much weight with me considering you wrote it anonymously. Please feel free if you have any more cowardly "anonymous" comments to leave, to do so. However, please forgive me if I disregard and delete it.
Saturday, August 06, 2011
ava turns 4
Since Ava's birthday is near to Easter, we decided this year we would have an Easter-themed birthday party.
*Please know there are a mammoth amount of pictures in this post!
The spring tablescape...
<
Yummy bunny and carrot cookies
Tulips are my favorite flower. So pretty!
Ava and "Aunt" Kim
Aunt Lele and Ava
Aunt Nanie and Ava
<
The Williams' boys and Ava
Hayden and Ava
Giggling girls, Ava and Presley
Ava and Elaina
<Yummy bunny and carrot cookies
Tulips are my favorite flower. So pretty!
Ava and "Aunt" Kim
Aunt Lele and Ava
Aunt Nanie and Ava
<The Williams' boys and Ava
Hayden and Ava
Giggling girls, Ava and Presley
Ava and Elaina
Opening gifts. Ava got so much good stuff... a Rapunzel dress, a trampoline, the littles pet shop and the video, Despicable Me. Just to name a few!
We had an Easter egg hunt for the kids in the backyard. Lila's not quite sure what's going on.
Such a cutie!
Ava with her 4 candles! Times flies too fast!
Such a cutie!
Ava with her 4 candles! Times flies too fast!
Friday, August 05, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
field day
One of the last events we celebrated in kindergarten was field day.
Of course, we had the thing happen that all kids fear. RAIN!
Have no fear, fun was still to be had at Richland. They did a great job of moving and switching some things around to where the kids had a blast having field day indoors.
I am so proud of my sweet Emma. She has cared so much about school this year and worked so hard. She has been a great friend who has shown kindness to all of her classmates. I love my big girl!
Of course, we had the thing happen that all kids fear. RAIN!
Have no fear, fun was still to be had at Richland. They did a great job of moving and switching some things around to where the kids had a blast having field day indoors.
I am so proud of my sweet Emma. She has cared so much about school this year and worked so hard. She has been a great friend who has shown kindness to all of her classmates. I love my big girl!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
shelby farms
One of the places we enjoyed during spring was the new play area at Shelby Farms.
That was until the metal slides heated up in the hot Memphis sun.
Whose bright idea was metal slides in an area with no shade? They have recently put a sign that asks you to not use the metal slides (which is half of the playground) until they can grow some plants and trees to create natural shade. They do know how long it takes for plants and trees to grow, right? I guess the next time we can use the metal slides in summer will be in about 5 to 10 years:)
This was Lila's first experience with sand. She didn't know quit what to think. We had to get her used to the sand before the beach!
This was Lila's first experience with sand. She didn't know quit what to think. We had to get her used to the sand before the beach!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
spring break
Wow... 4 months since I last blogged? My little blog has been sorely neglected. Time to play catch up!
One day during the girls' spring break, we headed downtown for the day. We started with lunch at The Majestic, one of Jason and I's favorite places to eat. We walked around a bit after our meal, and then we decided to catch the trolley. This was the girls first time to ride the trolley. We all had so much fun!
After our fun ride, we wen to the Peabody for a little dessert and to watch the parade of the ducks. It was so crowded in the lobby, we decided to head up to the rooftop. We made a great decision because we were the only ones up there when the ducks came out of the elevator. The girls loved watching the ducks getting to their home!
I love my city!
One day during the girls' spring break, we headed downtown for the day. We started with lunch at The Majestic, one of Jason and I's favorite places to eat. We walked around a bit after our meal, and then we decided to catch the trolley. This was the girls first time to ride the trolley. We all had so much fun!
After our fun ride, we wen to the Peabody for a little dessert and to watch the parade of the ducks. It was so crowded in the lobby, we decided to head up to the rooftop. We made a great decision because we were the only ones up there when the ducks came out of the elevator. The girls loved watching the ducks getting to their home!
I love my city!
Friday, February 11, 2011
not a school problem, it's an attitude problem
I have heard things like this...
"Save OUR children!"
"The city of Memphis has made their own bed, so now they can just lie in it. It's not our problem."
"The news just said Memphis City Schools are open. How can that be when there is no longer any Memphis City Schools?"
But, then I read things like this...
4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:4-7
"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." Psalm 82:3
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matt 25:44-45
This is not a post about the rights and the wrongs on the surrender of the MCS' charter. This is not a post about where the fault started in the schools. This is not a post about how the charter surrendered is being handled or will be handled.
This is a post about attitude.
The statements I started this post with are statements that I have heard from Christians over the course of the month. And I find it heartbreaking.
As a church family, The Orchard Fellowship, has an ongoing relationship with Ross Elementary, a Memphis city school. They did not even have the funding for a copy machine. And if they were given a copy machine, there is no money for paper. Basic needs of a school, copier and paper, right?
I was so proud of our church family as they gave of their time, talents and money to help Ross. I am thankful for what we have seen God do and what we hope He will allow us to continue to help Him do at Ross.
I have been burdened for the city's education crisis. If the government mandates that public education should be given freely to all, then is it right to assume that it should be the same level of education across the board? If you have have more money and live in a more affluent area, do you have more of a right to better public education? I don't think so. Maybe you have more of an entitlement to a better private education then a public one, I guess.
I don't have the answer to the crisis in Memphis' public education. I do know that if education in the city continues to go down, then that means that poorly educated children will one day become poorly educated adults. And that means for those adults, they will have a hard time finding a good job. That means we have more less educated adults than we have educated ones. Crime rises. Businesses leave our city. More jobs lost.
And that will affect you no matter where you live, suburbs or city.
My prayer for me right now is that God will give me a selfless heart. A heart that is burdened for the poor and needy. A heart that loves my children, but also fights for the rights of others' children. A heart that believes that no matter what the situation is that God can and will work through any situation. A heart that knows that God will get His glory no matter the outcome. A heart the desires to please and glorify God through MY attitude and actions.
"Save OUR children!"
"The city of Memphis has made their own bed, so now they can just lie in it. It's not our problem."
"The news just said Memphis City Schools are open. How can that be when there is no longer any Memphis City Schools?"
But, then I read things like this...
4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:4-7
"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." Psalm 82:3
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matt 25:44-45
This is not a post about the rights and the wrongs on the surrender of the MCS' charter. This is not a post about where the fault started in the schools. This is not a post about how the charter surrendered is being handled or will be handled.
This is a post about attitude.
The statements I started this post with are statements that I have heard from Christians over the course of the month. And I find it heartbreaking.
As a church family, The Orchard Fellowship, has an ongoing relationship with Ross Elementary, a Memphis city school. They did not even have the funding for a copy machine. And if they were given a copy machine, there is no money for paper. Basic needs of a school, copier and paper, right?
I was so proud of our church family as they gave of their time, talents and money to help Ross. I am thankful for what we have seen God do and what we hope He will allow us to continue to help Him do at Ross.
I have been burdened for the city's education crisis. If the government mandates that public education should be given freely to all, then is it right to assume that it should be the same level of education across the board? If you have have more money and live in a more affluent area, do you have more of a right to better public education? I don't think so. Maybe you have more of an entitlement to a better private education then a public one, I guess.
I don't have the answer to the crisis in Memphis' public education. I do know that if education in the city continues to go down, then that means that poorly educated children will one day become poorly educated adults. And that means for those adults, they will have a hard time finding a good job. That means we have more less educated adults than we have educated ones. Crime rises. Businesses leave our city. More jobs lost.
And that will affect you no matter where you live, suburbs or city.
My prayer for me right now is that God will give me a selfless heart. A heart that is burdened for the poor and needy. A heart that loves my children, but also fights for the rights of others' children. A heart that believes that no matter what the situation is that God can and will work through any situation. A heart that knows that God will get His glory no matter the outcome. A heart the desires to please and glorify God through MY attitude and actions.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
i am so loving...
This book is a must read! I love it! I downloaded it to my iPad, and I have slowly been going through it, soaking up every detail of her writing.
By the way, I fought Jason on the whole reading off of my iPad. I told him that I could not imagine not being able to hold the book in my hands and feel the pages. For me, that is so much of the reading experience for me. It's hard to cozy up to an iPad. But, I was so wrong. I'm an avid reader, so I love that I can get books most of the time cheaper and faster. For books that I want to highlight and take notes in, I'll keep on buying the "old-fashioned" kind of book, but I've definitely grown attached to reading on my iPad
I love in the book how she shows you how she reclaims her joy through documenting a thousand things she is thankful for. She is such a gifted writer and you need to visit her blog, A Holy Experience. Not many people write like she does with so much poetry. It is changing my life!
Something else I am loving right now...
BEDHEAD!
(take with my iPhone)
Without fail, this is what Lila's hair looks like every time she wakes up. Precious!
And lastly, I am loving the thought of a vacation! We booked our condo at the beach in Navarre this week. We're going down for the first part of the vacation with my BFF Candice and her family the first part of the week and then we're on our own for the last part. I am so stinkin' excited!
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