Girls' Afternoon Out!

In an effort to get my mind off the longing for Baby Miller to arrive, and to spend some special time with my older children before Baby comes, I decided to take my two girls out for some fun this past Saturday afternoon.

Eva and I talked Friday night, and we decided we would plan to do the following:

1.  Get pedicures (2nd pedicure for me...1st for both my girls)
2.  Peruse the aisles of Whole Foods Market (because Eva loves that store)
3.  Shop for Eva new tennis shoes
4.  Get milkshakes

Eva made a list on a little slip of paper...she's so much like her momma!

We had the BEST time! 

Although both girls were a little nervous about their pedicures - not knowing what to expect - they both LOVED them...and can't wait to go back sometime! 

 

 

It was such a fun memory for me - watching Kedesh getting her toenails polished PURPLE. (If you know me, and my control-freak nature, you'd be so proud of me.  I was thinking PINK, but I totally let her choose her "favorite color.")

And I loved watching Eva soak in every detail (including her massage chair, which she loved!).

We found Eva some cute tennis shoes - and I was saddened to learn that her feet are officially bigger than mine.  I can't believe how grown she is getting!

We walked around Whole Foods Market for an hour - smelling every bath salt and every bar of organic soap, looking at everything from lentils/beans to fresh almond butter. 

Although we hadn't planned to actually buy anything...in the end, we bought Eva some bread...well, because that is her favorite food...and she begged me!

Afterwards, we went through the drive-thru of Cookout and ordered 3 milkshakes - vanilla (me), red cherry (Kedesh), and oreo (Eva).

When we got home, the first thing Kedesh did was snatch off her pink boots and socks and show off her purple toenails!

And, all our guys ooooo-ed and ahhhhhh-ed appropriately. :)

I'm so thankful we made time to have a very rare Girls' Afternoon Out!

Praise God for Angiosperms!

"Praise God for angiosperms!  Not only do they provide our lives with essential things we need to survive on this earth, they are also beautiful to behold."  (Exploring Creation with Botany by Jeannie K. Fulbright)

What are angiosperms, you ask?  Flowering plants, of course!  :)

Have you ever thought about how many flowering plants you come in contact with every single day?

Or better yet...all the products that come from flowering plants?

Roses, sunflowers, mums, and lots of other beautiful flowers we enjoy indoors and outdoors are all obvious angiosperms.

But what about fruits, veggies, wheat, oats, corn, rice, honey, sugar? ...Most of what we eat wouldn't be here!

But, we could eat meat, right? 

WRONG!  Most of the meat we eat (chicken, pork, beef, wild game) rely on angiosperms to live and grow...so our meat wouldn't exist without flowering plants. 

We could probably eat fish...but all the time?  That would get pretty boring!

How about cotton in our t-shirts, undies, and bed sheets?  Nope...not without flowering plants.  (*side note:  If you've never seen blossoms on a cotton plant, you are missing out!  They come in the prettiest shades of pinks and yellows!)

You get the picture? 

My kids were pretty good at recognizing the benefits of flowering plants in our discussion today - probably because they get to help garden a little in the summers. 

...And, they know their momma absolutely LOVES flowers - that totally makes them important, right? :)

So...for our Botany lesson today, we performed a flower dissection on a rose from the back yard.

Truth be told, sometimes our little Science labs wind up being a crazy headache, especially with the little ones...but, today, I still have enough sanity to want to write about it, which means everyone was interested enough to be attentive - SUCCESS!  ;)

(I DID have to steer our conversation back to flowers after Silas, my 5 year old, asked if he could go "kill a frog so we could dissect that" instead! ..."Ummmm, no, Big, we don't get to do that in Botany - that has to wait until Biology." )

Today, during our flower dissection, we started learning about how flowers make seeds...and that's important in learning about a whole lot of other things to come (pollination, seed dispersal, fruits)!

After our work, I sent them outside to soak up some much-needed SUNSHINE (it's been raining for a week here, but the sun finally peeked through today!)...and I encouraged them to look around them while they played, and to try not to take things around us for granted...

..and to "Praise God for angiosperms!"

FIRST CAR - TITLE IN HAND!!

It's been increasingly difficult to share vehicles with 2 teenage drivers in the house. 

Our spare vehicle is a 1973 Chevy pickup that is most reliable taking the trash to the dump and hauling wood.

We weren't especially comfortable with the boys driving it longer distances to classes or ball practices/tournaments.  So, I was usually left home without a vehicle while one of them took the van.  Poor me! ;)

Nathan will be a senior this year and has been talking about getting a car for probably 2 years now.  But he began looking, realistically, about 6 months ago.

Last Friday, he purchased his first car - on Kedesh's 4th bday.  He laughed and told her he bought her a car for her birthday.  She might actually think it's hers - lol!

Pretty proud of this guy for working hard, saving his money, and being patient.  I admit, it was pretty surreal watching Nathan hand over his money to the seller.

He wanted something different.  Anyone who knows Nathan wouldn't expect him to get any type of car that a "normal" 17 yr. old might purchase.

But, when Nathan saw the Jaguar on Craigslist, I scoffed.  His daddy, on the other hand, encouraged him to check into it.  Go figure! 

And, the rest is history.

His brothers and sisters had to check it out the first chance they got...

 

Then, we had a little photo session with just Nathan.  He was pretty excited, can you tell?

 

Nathan, of course, had to clean the car inside and outside - every nook and cranny. 

 

To do this, he enlisted the help of a couple of his siblings, who were gracious enough to help...

 

 

And, he ended up waxing it "until the cows came home!"

It's been quite a week getting all the paperwork completed at the local DMV (Boy, could I write a post about THAT experience...but I'm trying to keep this upbeat!)

Registration and property taxes are paid, tags are on, extra keys have been cut, and the new title with his name on it came in the mail today...and, just like that, my firstborn owns his FIRST CAR - TITLE IN HAND!

Happy 4th Birthday To Our Little Songbird!!

Four years ago, today...I had just given birth.

Our little girl was born at home, in a tub of warm water, face up...looking right into our eyes.

 

It was one of those surreal moments I will NEVER. EVER. FORGET.

For days, we ooooo-ed and ahhhhhh-ed over her.  We found ways to attach bows to her tiny head and dressed her in lots of pink!

 



photo credit:  Storing Up Treasures Photography



Kedesh Elizabeth has continued to bring us joy and laughter.  Her smile is one of those smiles that radiates and lights up an entire room.

 

AND SHE SINGS OR TALKS NONSTOP! 

She talks to herself in the mirror while she washes her hands or brushes her hair...

She sings while she plays with her toys...

She talks to herself (or anyone who will listen) as she walks outside...

She sings as she plays on the swing...

And as she floats in the pool...

And if she is sitting at the dinner table, there is a constant little buzz of noise from her end of the table.

If she falls asleep, we suddenly realize how quiet it gets!  I'm not kidding!  (It's like the sound a house makes when the electricity goes out.  Everything shuts down and you realize the quiet is a little eerie!) 

I JUST LOVE THAT ABOUT HER!

Kedesh adores her big sister probably the most, because they are a lot alike and share a special sister-bond.

But her big brother, Caleb, is no doubt the one she runs to when she is seeking a special favor or protection from someone "being mean."  Her "Blub", as she calls him, (She couldn't say "Caleb" for years.) will always give her that sweet snack she wants, or pick her up and love on her if someone has hurt her feelings.  She has him wrapped around her little finger and she knows it!

And, Caleb...he just smiles.  He loves her to pieces. 

When Kedesh was a baby, Caleb was always the sibling who could get her to fall asleep on his chest.  He was the one who would hold her for hours while he read in the evenings.  So, they really do have a special bond.

So, today, we celebrate 4 years with our little gift - our beautiful little girl!

Happy 4th Birthday, Kedesh!  We are so glad God gave you to us!