Just Another Thursday Night at Home

Braden has recently begun working on his core.... {laughs} I guess they learned to do this in P.E. once and he really enjoys it. He even challenged Dad to a contest the other day. Braden won! So Dad challenged him to a cartwheel contest. Daddy won! (They were pretty funny to watch!)

Here are some pictures from last Thursday. He worked on this forever!

First successful attempt that Mom got a picture of.


You can see how unimpressed Dallas is!


Not sure if this was an attempted extension or Braden falling.

This would definitely be a fall!

Taking a break.

Guess who was sitting next to me?

Back up! And topless this time!

Balancing-ish.

I dyed my hair "dark chocolate brown" on Thursday morning. Hard to tell with the flash, but you get the idea.

Focus....

Yawn....

Focused again....

Almost ready....

Almost ready....

And he's up!

I Need You Jesus (Rescue)

Check it out. We sang this in worship today. I LOVE it!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rTlhRO0E8k&feature=related

Big Red

On Friday, we colored Braden's hair for the homecoming game. I colored it real quick before he left for school in the morning. Jon gave him a touch up before he left for the game that night.

And oh the panic when it didn't all wash out the first time! Too funny!

Homecoming Week

It's homecoming week at VW! Each day this week, students were encouraged to dress to fit a theme.
Monday: Nerdy.... Tuesday: Favorite Jersey.... Wednesday: Wrapped in Spirit (togas for h.s., scarves for younger).... Thursday: Crazy.... Friday: Cougar Spirit

Braden was super excited about this and has taken time picking out his outfits each day. I wanted to take a picture each morning but didn't think he'd let me. Maybe I was wrong! Today he requested that I take his picture and post it online!!! He also said that best dressed this week, while not a real prize, was between him and one other boy, in his opinion. He was confident that this outfit would put him over the top! {too funny}

Starting at the top: a too big hat, aviators, 3 different Underarmor shirts, Jon's old Nolan Catholic summer league jersey, 2 sweatbands, 1 football play wrist sleeve-thing, batting glove, green shorts, mismatched socks and shoes.

New Trick

Dallas has recently figured out how to pull the blanket off the back of the chair and cover herself up. Awww!

Braden's Tree

On Saturday, Jon and I went to Lowe's to buy a new screen door and mailbox. (Braden kicked a soccer ball through the old door!) While we were there, I decided to look at the trees. Braden had brought home a sapling in the spring that promptly died. I've been promising him since then that he could have a new tree.
Apparently, he thinks trees should grow super fast and was wanting the tree for climbing purposes. This tree isn't going to be climbed anytime soon!

Here's Braden with his new Eastern Redbud.

Grandpa Ernie watering the new tree on Sunday morning. (They went to church and breakfast, came home and changed, and we haven't even left for church yet!)

How He Loves

He is jealous for me,

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden,

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

And I realise just how beautiful You are,

And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,

Oh how He loves us,

How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,

If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.

So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,

I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about, the way…

He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves.

Well, I thought about You the day Stephen died,

And You met me between my breaking.

I know that I still love You, God, despite the agony....

They want to tell me You're cruel,

But if Stephen could sing, he'd say it's not true, cause...

Cause He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us.

Whoa! how He loves us.

Whoa! how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves us,

Whoa! how He loves.

Listen to the full song here:

http://www.lyrics.com/lyrics/david-crowder/how-he-loves.html

It Could Only Happen to Braden

This is Braden's school... The yard on the left is where they play during recess.

The yard is roped off with these stakes so that during high school football games (the stadium is behind the yard) people don't park/sit in that area.

Here is an up-close look at one of the stakes. They weren't all rusty. (notice football field behind)

Can you guess where this story is going?

This is Braden's chest after running into one of those stakes Wednesday while trying to catch a pass.

And the leg that also ran into the stake.

I should also mention that it ripped the front of his shirt wide open. AND he walked over to 1st UM after school for their Wed kids' program. Soooooo he didn't come home until 5pm!!!

I printed the pictures off this morning and then headed over to the school to find out what was going to be done about this safety hazard. I was very nice but also very concerned for the kids that are not as durable as Braden. Had it been a normal-sized child, that would be around their throat/eye level!

I even went armed with a solution, courtesy of Jon! Tennis balls on top of the stakes. And Jon said you can drill 2 holes and zip-tie them on so that kids can't easily mess with them.

The principle talked with both the superintendent (whose office is in that building) and the head of maintenance and then called to assure me the problem would be resolved ASAP!

I'll take a follow-up picture and post later!

DO YOU THINK HE NEEDS TO GO AND GET A TETANUS SHOT?

Dallas? A Beggar?

NO!

Hydrangea

This is my hydrangea back in May:

When I bought it, I was told it would get a pink tint around the edges of the blossoms as they aged. That did happen, but........ this is what the blossoms have looked like for at least a month:

This is one that was leaning toward the ground. The white blossoms that were near the ground are now green.

Kinda weird! (sorry if this isn't exciting. nothing much has been going on these days :)