Friends like family

I believe I wrote another post with the same title, but we so grateful for our friends like family, especially since we don't have family here. Steve and I had meetings out of town a few weekends ago and it wasn't going to work to bring all the kids. So we split them up with a few of our favorite families and I don't think they missed us at all. 

Presley has worked her way into Mr. Paul's heart

Notice the face due to the chair, not cool Zimmers, not cool

Even got a detailed washing of our van.

Thank you Brantons and Zimmers

How do I react?

This was my devotional this morning and it made me evaluate my reaction

HELPING KIDS LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES 

Sometimes successful parenting is all in how you perceive a situation. For example, do you view your kids’ mistakes as frustrations that interrupt your day? Or are they, as James Joyce called them, “a portal to discovery”? 

A colleague told me the story of a mother who set the course for her son’s life simply in the way she reacted to his mistakes. One day, as a little boy, he dropped a jug of milk in the kitchen. 

Seeing her son standing in a large puddle of milk, the mother could have yelled, lectured him, or pointed a stern finger in his face. Instead, she smiled and reassured him that mistakes were a part of life. After helping him clean up the mess, she suggested they fill the jug with water, so he could practice carrying it. Years later, that little boy became a scientist, who attributed much of his success to his mother’s attitude. He learned from her that mistakes were nothing to be feared because they were opportunities for learning something new. 

It’s in the growing-up years that kids learn mostly through experience – that is, through mistakes. That’s why it’s important for parents to create a healthy, loving environment where kids feel safe, even in failure. It’s all a matter of perspective for you as a parent. Are your child’s mistakes a doorway to your anger? Or do you view them as an opportunity to model God’s love and help your child grow and learn something new? 

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (1 John 4:17-18 MSG)

For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, check out Jim Daly’s blog, Daly Focus, at JimDalyBlog.com.

Kindergarten

Payton started Kindergarten last Thursday. She goes to the half day morning class. She really enjoys it. We are all getting used to having to be out the door early every morning. Preschool started much later and was only 3 days, so the whole family is adjusting to our morning routine. She has a couple friends in her class that she already knew and I know she will thrive in school. Here are pictures from sneak peak and first day.

Larry and Kathy watched the little 2 so we could go to sneak peak and focus on Payton

Papa got her a new bling bling shirt for Kindergarten

Colton and his buddies dropping off their sisters first day of school. Colton was the only kid without a shirt, gym shorts and cowboy boots. That is how we roll :)

Steve and I celebrate our kids growing and moving into different stages. There was a part of me that thought, it just got real, that our kids are growing up. Steve shed a tear as he says I am the head and he is the heart. I am so thankful for his heart!

July Farm Trip and Wedding

About 2 weeks ago we headed down to both of Steve's family farms to visit grandparents and attend a family wedding. We first visited Papa and Granny Southards. We had a scare with Papa and his health about 6 weeks ago so we were thankful to get down there for them to meet Stetson and spend some precious time together. It is so peaceful down there, I love getting away there.

Next we headed to the dairy farm where Papa and Granny Coats got to meet Stetson as well. Steve's cousin Whitney was getting married so there was a lot of family in town for the wedding, we had a great time catching up with everyone. Colton and our niece Selah were the ring-bearer and flower girl.

 The Southards Farm

Boys practicing shooting their bows

We spent a lot of time on front porch, the weather was amazing, unseasonably "cool" for July

I love this picture, sign for their house and the old farm house in the back

4 generations of Southards men

The Coats Farm

 

Cousins reading together

Beautiful Bride and groom

I love this picture because it captures those 2 stinkers personalities

Lake trip

2 weekends ago we made our first trip to the lake for the summer. We were late getting down there this year due to Stetson's arrival and traveling to Nashville. We love slowing down and just hanging out there. This summer is a little more complicated with a 17-month-old that we don't trust around the water and a little guy who doesn't even know what is going on. I broke out the real camera for some pics down there, not just iphone pics :)

She is a hot mess right now

The boys

Steve took the older 2 to the local county fair that was going on

IYC in Nashville

We recently got back from a week in Nashville at The Opryland Hotel for IYC. IYC is a youth convention that we have been a part of for the last 10 years (it is every 2 years). Steve actually attended it as a student, but for 10 years we have been a part of staffing it. It is one of the highlights of the year for us, getting to be a part of a top-notch conference for teenagers, and seeing God's movement in their lives. 10 years ago, Steve was in the intern with the Director and it was in Nashville (it rotates 5 cities around the country). We had just gotten engaged a few weeks prior to IYC. Here we are 10 years later, hauling 4 kiddos with us and Steve's little brother Ben was one of the intern's this year. Steve's whole family was there (older brother Tim and wife Shari staffed it too and my in-laws had kid duty). It was a great week. There were stressful times with all the kiddos in a hotel for a week, but it doesn't get better than Opryland for the kids sake. I know my in-laws loved being with the kids but they had 6 kids under 7 years old (including our younger 2 which can be demanding) but I am sure they were exhausted too!  Steve and I also had the privilege to speak at a conference about Purity. There are about 5,000 teenagers coming together to worship God and grow in their faith. 

Here are a few pics

Cousin's 1 month apart in age

Kids enjoyed the pool at the hotel with Gigi

Cousins walking to dinner

Watching fireworks

Worship service

The whole Southards clan

Our family of 6