Monday, April 25, 2011

Easter 2011

For old times sake,Emma and the Easter Bunny circa 2005...




















The Preparations










(Check out Kate's new haircut! A new style for Spring. With over six inches gone, she thinks she looks at least nine or ten years old. Ha!)

The Baskets














THE OUTFITS (Minus the Ever so Stylish Rain Boots)



























THE HUNT







I hope and pray that you all had a blessed and happy holiday!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

My Little Graduate

Last Friday my Buggy graduated from Mini School. The ceremony was precious. She was precious. See?





















I told you. A complete doll, that smallest girl of mine. Both sets of grandparents were able to drive down for Kate's special night. Kate selected Golden Corral as her restaurant of choice for our family meal before graduation began. She selected that restaurant for one super important reason: multiple ice cream toppings. Enough said. After supper, we headed over to the church and I got Kate situated in her cap and gown. Then a lump grew in my throat and stayed there for the rest of the evening. My middle baby is growing up.

When it was her turn to receive her diploma, they called her name and she shyly walked up onto the stage. The speaker read aloud that Kate Elisabeth Zickafoose wanted to be a soccer player when she grew up. (Insert here the fact that Kate has never even played soccer in her life...but there was another girl in her class that said she wanted to roll around on the floor like a ball when she grew up, so I suppose that being a soccer player beats that! Dontcha just love four year olds? They rock!) Then she curtsied cutely in front of her teachers, shook their hands, and they handed her her diploma. And then she beamed at her daddy and I and ran to sit with us for the rest of the ceremony. You can bet that I held her as tight as I could for as long as she would allow. Time is just moving way too fast, and there is not a pause button in sight.

Mini school was such a wonderful experience for Kate. She learned all of her letters, numbers, colors, and shapes this year. She learned how to count, hold her pencil, and write her name. She learned how to make friends and be obedient in a class room setting. She learned that life exists without her big sister at her side (though I'm secretly okay if she doesn't learn that again for a very long time).

While we have chosen to homeschool our children during this season of their lives, both of our daughters attended preschool, and it was such a great experience for each of them. I am so thankful to all of the people who made it a great experience for each of my daughters! But I am also thankful that we can take a break from this stage of life, at least for three more years :). For the next three years, all of my babies will be at home with me, and that is exactly where they belong.

















Kate, your daddy and I love you so very much! We are so proud of you! You were such a good listener this year, and you learned so many new things. We know God has special plans for your life. You bring our family joy. Happy graduation!

Love, Mama

Washington DC Pictures







Monday, April 11, 2011

Raised on Country Sunshine Update

Whew! It has been quite some time since I have found the energy and the words to put on the pages of this journal. At the end of March, our family (including all four foster girls) took a mini vacation to Washington DC. Quite the experience! Traveling with nine people an experience for both Boss and I, and leaving the county for the first time an experience for our foster children. One I am sure that we will all soon NOT forget! We went to visit my brother and his wife before they move to CA this summer (major props to them for always following their dreams and refusing to live life in the slow lane), to get all seven children a little bit of culture (Jack was really in need of this... he is so small minded.... hehe!), to eat a cupcake from Georgetown Bakery (DC Cupcakes), and to simply leave the compound, as we lovingly refer to our homeland. A good time was had by all, and we returned with all nine people safely intact, and at least seven of us were still on speaking terms (Boss and I were a little iffy on this one). Time away was just what our family needed to rest and recharge.

With April, came the return of our busy schedules (schooling, dance, staff obligations, mini school etc.). And then last Friday, my Buggy (also known as Kate), graduated from mini school. (Insert big tear here).An entire post on that is coming soon. I am fairly positive that I am not old enough to have two school aged children. Seriously. But life goes on at a whirlwind pace whether we want it to or not, and with each milestone that passes, I learn to cherish the next season of life just a little bit more than I did the last.

And in the midst of all of this craziness that is our lives, God has really been working on my heart. I have begun to pray, and to think, to study, and to believe in a whole new way. I have come to know first hand, that if you seek God, you will find him. Currently I am working on being thankful for what I have in this life, and on making the most of every opportunity that He sends my way. More on this to come! To say that I am excited about the plans that He has for both my life and my family would be an understatement. Walking with God is certainly an adventure. I am learning to see life in a whole new way.

So that is where we are and what we have been up to. Living, learning, and loving in this place we call home. Thanks for checking in!