JDW

Can I just say to all of my readers:

I LOVE MY HUBBY SO MUCH!!!!!!

Praise God for our relationship!

that's all.... ;)

Birthday Party

Grant celebrated his birthday with a Spiderman party at the local bowling alley. He invited 8 friends, and we all had good time (but busy with 10 (my kids included)) learning how to bowl.

Here we are at his favorite restaurant on his birthday while they sing to him. His choice.
S-T-R-I-K-E!

Cupcake tower and fun with friends! Can you tell it was a game day?!?! Orange galore!

Spidey masks were part of the party favor sacks - I can't even tell who is who!

Here are the partygoers! Thanks for coming, friends, to make Grant's day super special!

Grant is FIVE

Today is a big day! Grant has to use ALL OF HIS FINGERS ON ONE HAND to show his age now! Where does the time go?

Jason and I joined him at school to have lunch. Earlier in the day, he has his class birthday party, complete with twinkies and Cars stuff. Here he is with 3 of his classmates. After this picture was taken, his female friend (in the white on the right) comes up and asks for a picture with just Grant... I oblige, and she walks away (after having to take a look at it!), and Grant kinda shrugs his shoulders and goes "yea, that's my girlfriend." She's a funny, cute and kind girl that comes from a great Christian family so I'm not complaining! Yes, Arica, it is C.B.! ha!

For the Pre-K, all three classes sing Happy Birthday to a birthday kid, introduced by Ms. Cathy, who is the head janitor. We met Ms. Cathy earlier in the year when we were stopped in the hall by her telling us what a special, sweet and kind child we had in Grant. He would save her a seat at lunch so she would have a place to sit.... I love seeing the world through the kindness and the blindness of him. As Ms. Cathy did her introduction, she very specially said "We have a birthday today! It's my favorite friend ever, Mr. Grant!" He then got to go in the middle and hear the song. Glad we made it! He was proud!
Decorating his hallway during the night so it's ready to go in the morning!
(thanks to my California cousins for this great tradition idea!)

G and B had the best gift - a Barry Sanders jersey! He has worn it today and wants to wear it tomorrow (again!) to his party. Who cares if it hasn't been washed, right?!?

We weren't too concerned about the meaning of names when choosing our kids' names. However, Grant just happens to mean "great" and it couldn't be a better description. I am blessed and so proud so many times a day - just tonight, as we are leaving the restaurant of choice for dinner (he picked a place where he knew he would be sung Happy Birthday and given a sombrero to wear!), he stayed behind our family to hold the door for others coming out. Precious. And he loves to tell jokes .... here are the two latest: "Where does a horse like to go shop?" "Old NeeeiiiighVy" HA and then "Why was the banana sick?" "He wasn't peeling well" HA. :) okay, sound like Laffy Taffy stuff to me, but he just thinks he is so funny (and we usually agree!). Growing up - quoting movies and telling jokes and nightly games of Trouble and Dominoes.

Grant = Great!

verse

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

Do all things without complaining or arguing.
Phil 2:14

Church of the Week!

So this post is a bit late, but our church, University Heights Baptist, is the church of the week for northern OK and southern KS's Christian radio stations. That's pretty exciting!

I'm a huge KLOVE fan, but these stations are not national.

• KLVV Praise 88.7 http://www.mypraisefm.com/ (88.7, 107.3)
• the House FM 89.7 OKC-Tulsa-Wichita and 88.5 OKC metro, 105.9 Stillwater, 100.1 Edmond http://www.thehousefm.com/

Way to go, Heights!
Also, there were 4 new families that joined last week - that's a TON for a church with about 300 a week!

The Amazing Race 16

The Amazing Race is a show that I have watched for only the last few seasons. A few weeks ago, Jason asked if I had heard that some of his friends from when he was younger were going to be on it (he knew that I knew them); I hadn't heard. But I know now! This was really fun for us to watch together last night. I know the older brother, Jet (tan shirt), because he dated my college roommate our freshman year and was in our dorm room a lot (and brought by his cutie Cowboy friend that was an OSU Spirit Rider!). :) Go Oklahomans and Go Friends!
They started out in last place, and finished up 3rd. How's that for pretty amazing!?!? Although their attire isn't quite helping the stigma of Oklahomans being all rodeo, cowboy, small-town people - they are quality, nice guys... check it out this season on Sunday nights!

Four Sickies

We're all four on antibiotics right now!!! Actually, Jason and I are happy about it - hopefully, we can all four feel good at the same time in a few days - it's been at least a month since someone didn't have a cough or something... We haven't had a prescription filled in like 9 months, and today we got five of them at the drugstore. Making up for lost time!

I took both boys to the doctor this morning: Grant b/c he was feeling sickly, and Kyle for his 3 year check up (the initial reason for the appt but then he got sick with other stuff (below), and I was so glad we were scheduled!).

Kyle is nearly 90% for both height and weight.
Grant is right at 50% for both height and weight.
Nothing surprising to anyone about those figures. Kyle is 3" shorter than Grant. And, really, Grant has grown a bit more as he has consistently been in the 25% since birth.

Grant has pink eye. Terribly contagious. The rest just have bad sinus infections. Oh, yes - did I mention that when Kyle woke up this morning his ear was bleeding and had dried, crusty blood all over his cheek and ear?? Talk about a great way to freak a mom out! The pediatrician said is appeared he had stuck something in there and it hadn't broken his ear drum but had scratched it enough to cause it to bleed.

It's been a fun day! Just so very grateful for TV and movies on days like today when I'm too tired and sick to entertain, and they don't want to do anything away from me or on their own.

Chicken noodle soup, anyone?!?!

Fear Factor

Facing personal fears can be really traumatic for some people. Whether it is being afraid of heights, fires, spiders or airplanes... whatever - a fear is a fear is a fear.

I'm a good bluffer. For those that don't know me well, I'm happy to put on a smiley face and never act like my #1 fear is right there in front of you and me. In fact, I've done that with many of you throughout the years.

There's no trigger that I can remember. Nothing that made me afraid. I just remember always being a little apprehensive, and the bigger the "task," the more fear I had...

"What's she talking about?" you ask. Simple, every day thing - water. I am terrified to be under water. Terrified. The only time I don't really think about it is when I'm jumping off of something in the water - no fear there. Don't know. Don't get it. But I do live.

And I have faced this TWO TIMES this week - head on - when I decided to go swimming for exercise. I get SO bored doing the elliptical or just running or just walking or just doing Taebo or whatever... so I am trying to mix it up a little and treat my body to some low-impact stuff that it will appreciate in years to come by swimming.

There I was (braving a swimsuit was quite a feat to begin with, I might add!) - Hop in. Check. Put on goggles. Check. Deep breath. Check. Start swimming freestyle. WHOA! Something about my face being under and not being able to breathe when I start panicking just freaks me OUT. Major. So, I kept up for about 30 more minutes doing all the strokes that involve my head being out of water - back stroke, crawl, and my favorite, the breaststroke. Does that count as meeting my fear? Even if my face wasn't submerged? I'm hoping so because I was proud of myself at the end of my time!

I know, it's a silly fear! but it's my fear. What's your big fear? Is there something that makes you cringe when you think about having to be around it or having to endure it?

Give me a beach, and some sand, and a wade pool - but no scuba diving, please! and poor Jason just really wants to go Scuba diving with me... I told him I'd wave happily from the boat as he got to experience it! He also knows that if I was in a car accident that involved a river or lake or something - he should just pray to God to give me a hug from him b/c I'm a goner. Sad but true!

Hips Don't Lie...

Shakira... Shakira... Shakira....
That's Grant's vote from the chart below on who I look like... I gave him a big hug and said "thank you so much" and then laughed inside about how lucky I am to have a son who thinks I look like Shakira! :)

Also, Grant decided to cut his hair again today - twice - with real scissors while looking in the mirror. Actually did a pretty good job! HA! I did touch up with the electric trimmers but his summer-do came early.

GSC

I support Girl Scouts. I think they're great. I was never one but I do support them fully. So much so, that as I watched the Bachelor on TV last night, I supported them by eating an entire sleeve of Thin Mint cookies. Yes, you read that correctly - a whole sleeve of cookies.

I must now be supported as I am so full and so sluggish... My suggestion: eat only a few at time!