Month: January 2016

Pioneer Girls

| Stacy
We had a few bumps in the road in September as we awkwardly recognized that American Heritage Girls was not where we were supposed to be.  On a whim one Wednesday night at 6:10 P.M. I asked the girls, “Do you want to go to Pioneer Girls tonight?”  Pioneer Girls is a program that meets at our church and one we had never participated in for a variety of reasons.  Two of the girls quickly agreed and we were ready to be there by 6:30.  Marie was a hold out; she wasn’t ready to embrace something without some time to think about it. 
As I dropped off the girls the woman who would be Marie’s leader said she’d actually prayed THAT DAY that our girls would go to PG.  Mind you, she and I had never had a conversation about such a thing and until 6:10 P.M. I’d never considered it. 
The following week I made Marie go.  I said she had to go three weeks and at that point she could decide what she thought.  When I picked them up at 8:00 P.M. the first words out of Marie’s mouth were, “You were right, Mom.  This is great.”
It is by far the least structured evening programming we’ve ever been a part of, but it is working well for them.  I’ve been helping once a month and have gotten to be in different classes.  I’m not sure what next year holds, but it has absolutely been perfect this year. 
There was a little awards ceremony tonight. 
IMG_4822IMG_4823IMG_4836
Most of the girls loved it.
IMG_4841
Aren’t they sweet?
IMG_4853

Braces off

| Stacy

Stewart was all set for his appointment to get his braces off.  Then the office manager called the morning of his appointment to say the doctor had an emergency and would have to reschedule his appointment!  Stewart took the news like a champ; the new appointment was only three days later and after two years with them on what is three more days?
About 2 hours later she called back to say the doctor was coming back to the office and they wanted to get him in.  Yay!  Nan took him for the big event and he was eager to take his own photo when he got back home. 

IMG_4793
He’s grown so much since November 2013!!!!
DSC_5737

Swim lessons 2016

| Stacy

We had to rearrange swim lessons for Nigel and Marie now that they are involved in rehearsals for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  But Tabitha, Johanna, and Katriel started lessons this week.  Wonderfully enough, Stewart was lifeguarding at the same time.  (He is also in the production, but had already been scheduled to work before he knew the rehearsal schedule.)
Katriel wasn’t too excited about the whole thing.  She isn’t quite three yet, but they let her in.  Although she was floating around the pool like a champ back in September, that was a long time ago in baby minds.  She was stiff and uncomfortable today.    Until she looked up and saw her BIG BROTHER right there next to her.  Be still Mommy’s heart!

 

IMG_4784

IMG_4780

Johanna had NO problem getting back in the swim of things.  She LOVED her teacher and we could see her mouth chattering a mile-a-minute from where we stood watching.

IMG_4781IMG_4782IMG_4785

She did eventually go down it.

Tab also swam.  She is always in the deep end, however; far our out of iPhone camera range.  Nigel and Marie switched to Monday evening lessons.  I did offer that they could skip them this year because of how busy we all are with the rehearsals for the Finney play.  But they did NOT like that idea.  Seems both of them are excited about maybe being lifeguards themselves one day.  Smile

She’s no dummy

| Stacy

But she really enjoyed learning basic life saving at Pioneer Girls club.  This club has been such a blessing for our family this year.  It’s our first year doing it, and they are having a blast.

IMG_4748

I love these smiles

| Stacy

These two little ones bring so much energy to our house.  It takes my breath away when I think about how but for God’s abundant mercy we’d never have known these darling little ladies. 

IMG_4755