Girlfriends...

On Friday night our church had a wonderful birthday party for all the women of the congregation to celebrate each one of us! It was the Women's Ministry kick-off for the year and one of their best! They had fun little kid party games, cupcake decorating (which was the only thing I did), a flower decorating demonstration, door prizes, etc.. I spent the evening reconnecting, aka. chatting and giving encouragement! It was called Girlfriends at Gloria Dei! How into that am I? I am so into girlfriends! I am so blessed to be around some amazing women of God. Thanks to them and I can be the woman God created me to be weather that be Super Sweet Sara or Scheduled Sara and feel proud of it (even when they tease me relentlessly!) :) Me, Stephanie, Shawna, and Angie are in the pic above. I love you all and treasure you always! The big group pic is our MOMS group! Now there is a group that is awesome! My week just isn't complete without it! We say it is our free therapy! :) I love that Colton is well taken care of and playing with friends while I learn from other Moms, give encouragement, eat, relax, laugh, cry, and learn to be a better mom.

"We ought always to thank God for you, brothers (sisters), and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing." 2 Thessalonians 1:3

First day of Kindergarten and 3rd grade!

Wow! Where have the years gone? We have a 3rd grader and a Kindergartner and one more at home with me this year! Andrew was so nervous this year, but prayers from Mom and Dad and Mrs. Angie helped. Braden was ready with his Speed Racer backpack, lunch box, tennis shoes, and underwear :)! Getting to school was crazy this year! We have lost two parking lots due to the construction of the new middle school building and we have added 200 new students! Great for LSA, but crazy for drop off and pick up! Braden was so excited to have his best buddy, Jonah, in his class. His daddy is the new headmaster and our family friends who have moved into our neighborhood. Looks like if Braden has some behavior problems, the headmaster is sure to find out! When Tom and I took Andrew to his class, which are in the trailers this year and added to his nervousness, it was all work and no long good-byes! I was trying to take some pics and realized that we had better move on and let him do his thing. :) They are growing up so fast, but we love this ride we are on with them and feel so blessed to be able to send them to Lutheran South Academy! We pray they will all have long and successful school career there!

As with tradition, we went out for ice cream with Mrs. Karen, Lauren, and Nicole! After my near miss accident trying to fight through traffic at pick-up, parking in a nearby subdivision, carrying Colton through the rain and grass, and picking up the boys, we were finally off for a 1st day treat! I love the 1st day because they always have so much to talk about. Pretty soon, I won't be hearing much from them. Typical boys! :)

Happy back-to-school everyone!

Good Bye Summer...

I'm sitting here thinking of what a great summer it has been and how I will miss so many things when we get into our new "school" routines.

* I'll miss sleeping in and being woken up by my precious Braden with that awesome smile and a "Good morning Mommy!" with a big hug.

* I'll miss letting the boys wake up at their leisure and being able to play Legos and Wii until their heart's content.

* I'll miss the awesome vacation to San Antonio and our month in Missouri.

* I'll miss all the fun we have had in the water.

* I'll miss letting Andrew pick out the fruit at the grocery.

* I'll miss the delight in Colton face as he plays with his big brothers nonstop.

* I'll miss lounging in our PJ's.

* I'll miss the unhurried schedule.

* I'll miss lunches out and play dates with a heap of kids.

* I'll miss listening to Andrew, Braden, and Colton's conversations since they have had so much uninterrupted time together.

* I'll miss having all thee boys here at the same time so we can spontaneously bake together or read books or watch a movie together or call friends to get together for lunch or play or take Daddy ice cream to his work.

There will be other summers, but none when Andrew was 8 1/2, Braden was 5 1/2, and Colton was 2 1/2. Thank you God for blessing our summer in countless ways!

USA! USA! USA!

What an Olympics!!!! Tom and I have really enjoyed the Olympics this year and the boys got into it too when they were able to watch it! Tom and I found ourselves contemplating Braden's life if he were to take the road to the Olympics... What dedication, determination, and an example the Olympians have set for us. Being the fair person that I am, I enjoy the hugs and congratulations the different countries Olympians give one another. :)

Our friend, Miss Amy, put together an awesome Mini Olympics for our playgroup. We had a great turnout and so much fun! They did relay races, long jump, tug of war, gymnastic routines, etc... Our tumbling mat and little trampoline came in quite handy. A great way to support our country during the games! :)

Rain or Shine the fun never stops!

Our small group got together after church on Sunday and had a great time catching up! The summer has gone by soooo fast! The big kids had so much fun doing the "Party Jump" off the pool mountain and the babies loved all the snuggle time from the adults. Then a big storm came up, so the kids headed into the garage for a movie, brownies and ice cream, and ping pong. Once the rain came, we couldn't keep them inside! Oh... to have no fear and all the energy in the world! :)

My baby is growing up!

Colton is growing up too fast! How can I make it stop? :) He talks in complete sentences and communicates so well. It is so helpful. He has amazed our friends who have not seen him all summer. He tells jokes, loves to lead us in prayer and doesn't miss a beat! I've got to keep getting those precious kisses while I can.

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

Fun at the YMCA!

We love the Y! It is a great place to get in shape and have fun! Finally, after waiting until all our vacations were finished, we got to play at the splash park! We have had so much fun with friends there on several occasions. Another great opportunity to use the new rolling cooler and pack a picnic. I'm excited for school to start so I can get back into a regular workout routine at the Y! I gotta get my new IPod up and running too... :)