Zoo Day with Nana

 My baby birds:

 Lexi on the sky safari with Nana:

 Wouldn't it be so nice to just be able to take a nap wherever you feel like it?

 I spy a hippo.

 I spy a Lexi. Do you?

 Jayvan loved the sea lion show, but I think he was a bit annoyed that he didn't get to go swimming.

 We took this picture for Daddy.  Ha!

 This was the best attempt at a picture of the three of us. 

Happy 3rd of July

 On the Third of July we headed out to my parents house.  One of Lexi's favorite things there is Pap's drum set in the garage.  While it may be a little dirty, it's the perfect location to let a kid drum 'til her heart's content. 

 We spent most of the day in Nana's pool, and I don't have any pictures to show for it.  Then, we went out to the lake to watch the fireworks show.  I have decided that attempting to take photos of fireworks is one of my least favorite things.  Just trust me. There were fireworks.

 Nana bought her grandbabies some light-up swords and nobody poked their eye out.  It was an all around win.

We enjoyed a laid back Fourth of July at home.  I hope you all had a great holiday.

Happy Father's Day

When I met Matt over twelve years ago, I thought that I never wanted children.  As we became more serious he told me that was a deal-breaker for him.  I prayed and prayed about it and realized that he would be the kind of husband and father that would change all of my preconceived notions.

He's amazing.  He's loving, playfu,l and patient.  He is the perfect daddy to our children, and watching him with them makes me love him more everyday.

 To celebrate this day, we bought Daddy his favorite breakfast.

 

This card has Jayvan's handprint and Lexi's handprint.  We also made this frame from some old keyboards.  It will be perfect for Daddy's new desk at his new job.

Haircuts

I finally made the decision to cut Jayvan's hair.  I didn't want to lose the curls by any means, but the back of his hair had turned into a ratty mullet that needed to be calmed.  Lexi also decided that she was ready for short hair.  So we made some appointments at Shear Madness.  It was the first time at a salon for both of them.  I've always just trimmed Lexi's hair at home.

Here are the before shots:

 See how long it was in the back?  Craziness.

 Lexi's hair had just come down out of a ponytail.

Here are some "action" shots:

 Let's be honest.  Jayvan didn't love it.

 His results were worth it though.  His head is still perfectly covered in curls.

 Lexi was mostly just annoyed when the hairdresser stepped in front of the TV.  She was watching Cars.

 She ended up with an adorable little bob.  She loves it!

Snoozing Cousins

Strawberries

 Jayvan is getting better at feeding himself.  Strawberries are a favorite and we can't seem to keep enough in the house.

 When Lexi was younger, her face would break out in a rash if she ate a strawberry or anything that contacted a strawberry (fruit salad with the strawberries picked out).  It's been a few years since she had an exposure, so we decided to let her try them again.  Lo and behold, she did not break out in a rash and she proclaimed that strawberries are delicious!

It was also crazy hair day at school, so she had hair color to match her snack.

Physical Time

 Lexi needed a physical to start her Summer program.  For some reason, she really wanted me to take some pictures.  She liked this art on the wall.

Jayvan's First Drive-In

 We decided to take the kids to the drive-in.  I had a rental truck, because my car was in the shop, so we brought the air mattress and snuggled up in the back.  The kids were pretty much asleep as soon as the movie started, but it was good times nonetheless.  It was Jayvan's first drive-in.  We watched Avengers.

Musings on Attending a Black Church

My best friend attends a Black church that is about an hour from our home.  We've gone on a few occasions, but last Sunday was the first time we went with Jayvan.  I remember the first time we went. I was slightly dumbfounded.  I thought that type of worshiping only happened in movies.  Woman shouting and dancing in the aisles and stomping their feet hard enough to make the whole church shake.  Men with their heads tilted toward Heaven and arms raised as they sing from the depths of their beings.  Children joining in and shouting whenever they felt so inclined.  The service felt organic as it followed no known timeline and people wept and sang and shouted until they had enough.  Lexi was shocked by how loud it was.  But. . . It was awesome.  It was so freeing to see people uninhibited and praising God as they saw fit.  It was refreshing and fun.  While we got some funny looks as the lone (solely) Caucasian family, we were ultimately welcomed and shown love.

So, on Jayvan's first visit to an all-Black church it was really fun to see his reaction.  He is walking now and he walked right up to one of the deaconesses and she swept him up and danced with him, all the while smiling at us and singing along to the music.  When the music picked up tempo, Jayvan jumped and yelled in delight (which is of course perfectly acceptable there).  I thought of how in our church, a noisy baby is often met with sideways glances and pursed lips. Matthew 18:3 came to mind:

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

How would a little child who hasn't been instructed on the "proper" way to worship behave in church?  How would they react when the music starts?  Would they stand still and listen silently or would they move their body to the beat and exclaim any sound they could make with joy and elation?  Are we doing a disservice to our children by tucking them away in a Sunday School class while we sing along to a predetermined song while being careful not to sway to far to one side or the other and "respect" the people around us?  Yet, even in this Black church, the children were dismissed just before the sermon and I find that appropriate.  As he explained, we do try to make children grow up too fast sometimes.  We need to let them be children and perhaps become a bit more like them.

Don't get me wrong here.  I love our church.  I love it dearly.  My daughter is excited to go to church every weekend and my son's teachers adore him (and the feeling is mutual).  It is just such a stark contrast to attend our suburban Non-Denominational Church on a Saturday night and then attend an urban (Black) First Baptist Church on Sunday morning.  In one service the Pastor preached about the difference between Calvinists and Arminians and in the other the Preacher-Man preached about pimps not being allowed to be members of his church (I laughed to myself as I pictured the jaws dropping in Southern JoCo).  He went on to explain that a pimp is someone who wants all of the benefits without doing any of the work, and to be a part of their small church you had to be willing to help in the church.  Our pastor often preaches about finding a place to volunteer within the church, but I'm pretty sure people would be shocked if he called them out as pimps. 

After the service, there was a baptism (my friend's daughter) and Jayvan walked up toward the baptismal.  The Preacher-Man picked Jayvan up and we joked about not believing in infant baptism, but maybe in a few years he'll make his decision.  More members of the church took their turns loving on our little man, and eventually he needed his Mama to reassure him that I wasn't far away.

We went on to fellowship with our friends and their family over lunch, and I thought about how much this day meant to me.  I won't forget the women sharing their testimonies and the young woman rededicating her life to Christ. I watched people come up and surround her and hug her and pray for her.  I didn't sit with my head bowed and eyes closed while the Pastor asked for anyone who had made a decision for Christ to discreetly raise their hand.  I rejoiced with people who were rejoicing.  I cried (I'm a crier if you don't know that about me) when others cried.  I worshiped my Lord.

We will still attend our church that we love.  It feels like home to us, but I'll look forward to our visits to the other side of town from time to time.

Last Day of Kindergarten!

 Lexi's first year in elementary school seems like it just flew by.  I got a little teary-eyed when I dropped her off at school for the last time (well, until August).  She has matured so much this year.  She's always been a compassionate and loving little girl.  This year I've seen her grow academically and emotionally.  She's able to express herself in new ways.  It was really fun to look over her writing from the beginning of the year and then compare that to the end.  She's reading and writing independently and it seemed that each month her spelling improved.  She loves to do math in her head (she probably got that from her mom) and she's a great problem-solver.  By the end of the years she had 3's (the highest you can get) in every area.  Yes, I'm shamelessly bragging about my little girl.

The picture on the left is the last day of Kindergarten and the picture on the right is the first day.  She looks so much older to me.  It makes me a little sad.

After school, Matt asked Lexi what she wants to be when she grows up.  She answered, "A swim instructor."  I think the fact that she is really loving swim lessons these days may have something to do with that answer.  It will be interesting to ask her that question at the end of each year and see how her answer changes.  So far this year she's wanted to be a ballerina, doctor, coat designer, and now swim instructor.

We also put together some gifts for Lexi's teachers.  They each got a beach towel, sunscreen, and a handmade card.  We hope everyone has a great Summer.

Nana, R.N.

 Nana finished nursing school and we couldn't be more proud of her! It takes a lot of effort and dedication to go back to school after being out for almost thirty years.  She is living proof that you can achieve your dreams at any age. 

On Thursday night, she had her pinning ceremony.

 Then on Friday, there was the big graduation and celebration.  We are so proud of you Nana!

 Jayvan got to go swimming outside for the first time.  He loved it!