Spelling Tuesday

Loralie and I had a "Special Date" tonight.  We got all dressed up and went to see NeeNee sing jazz at a resturaunt.  Okay, it was kind of a bar.  But we went for happy hour, and since the weather was so bad there weren't very many people there.  NeeNee sounded great!  Loralie was pretty good... for the first hour... then she got a little squirley.  Ha!  When we were driving home Loralie said "That was so fun listening to NeeNee sing!"  It was pouring down rain outside when we got home, so it was into jammies and snuggling up with a movie.  She is a pretty good Friday night date!

Loralie reached a very important milestone in her young life today!  She went to her very first day of preschool!  We have been talking a lot about starting school this summer, and she was pretty ANTI-that until we had Meet the Teacher night a few weeks ago.  Since then she has been 100% on board with going to school.  This morning she was up at 6 AM, putting on her special first day of school dress.  She picked it out all by herself at Target after I vetoed two outfits that can only be described as "gowns".  A little too formal...  Anyways, yesterday I read her the book "The Kissing Hand" about a little racoon who's mom kisses his hand so he can take her kiss with him to school.  Then we made hand-shaped cookies and put hershey kisses in the middle.  Loralie liked the unwrapping and eating of the kisses.  Whenever I would mention "school tomorrow" she would say "Not SCHOOL mom, PRESCHOOL!!!"  Sorry.  Whew.  Whe...

We went to the pool for probably the last time this summer. Roman enjoyed the shade, and Loralie is a brave jumper. Pool closes next weekend... Bring on the fall!!!

Caleb celebrated the big 33 by not one, but two whole days of golfing with buddies (I know, I am really nice). Then we went out to dinner with a bunch of friends. Note the amazing birthday cake made by me. Here's to another amazing year, Caleb!

We had Loralie's "Meet the Teacher Night" tonight. It was sort of weird for me to be on the parent side of that experience. Loralie is in Miss Alyssa's class with twelve other little kiddos. She went right into her classroom and started playing and didn't even care when we left with the other parents for the meeting. I think she is going to really like it! Her first day is next Thursday. I don't know what me and Roman are going to do with ourselves!

We got new next door neighbors back in May and Loralie could not be happier about it. The Chambers girls, Kaylee and Elliot are 5 and 2 respectively and are Loralie's "most favorite people"... Her words. Luckily it seems that the feeling is mutual, because whenever those girls go into their backyard they yell "Lore-LIE!!!". And whenever Loralie goes into our backyard she screams "KayleeandElliot !!!". If they all do happen to be in the backyards at the same time they meet up at the fence to discuss who's house they are going to play at. Generally, us moms are all for letting them play together because they get along really well and entertain each other for hours. Yesterday, however, both of the moms were running around trying to get ready for Caleb's birthday dinner (more on that later) so we told them they couldn't play together. They were so sad! They decided they would still play together, just on their own sides of the fence. The...

The following are the words that Caleb delivered at his Grandfather's funeral.  It was so sad to say goodbye to Grandpa Bruce. Glenn Harold Bruce was born on June 19, 1917 to Ira and Clara Bruce. He passed away on Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 4:44 a.m. He was 95 years old. Harold grew up in Keenes, Illinois, where his free and adventurous spirit soon began calling to him. He loved to spend his hours in the woods hunting or at the nearest body of water fishing. When he was just 13 he jumped on a box car and settled in for a ride to wherever the train would take him. This particular adventure was a long one. It would be two years before his family would see or talk to him again. When he was 21, Harold went to visit his cousin Pauline and saw a picture of her best friend. Upon seeing the photograph, he told his cousin ¨That´s the girl I am going to marry.¨ That was in October, and he and Anita Stewart were married just three months later on January 11, 1939. Harold and Anit...

Oh, Little Romey! You are such a big boy now! Seven months have just flown by. You are still a good sleeper, going to bed at 8pm and sleeping until 8am, and then taking two long naps, one at around 11 and one at around 4! You are sitting up all by yourself now and love to play with toys and look at yourself in the mirror! You usually eat 4-5 bottles per day, and now eat baby food 2-3 times a day as well. You are getting a little more used to it and aren't giving me quite as many dirty looks for feeding you veggies! You love to watch Loralie do just about anything and I know it won't be long until you are toddling after her all over the house! Daddy can get you giggling so hard and mommy thinks its about the best sound I've ever heard. You are trying hard to talk, but so far the closest thing to a word has been "ha!" for "hi!". Keep learning and growing little one! We love having you as a part of our family!

Last Friday night I was able to get together with some of my good friends from high school. We had a blast hanging out and catching up! Love these girls!

Sister got to me...

Our small group gets together each month and has a fun themed bible study. This months theme was "The Hunger Games". We are reading a book called "Beautiful Outlaw" and this months chapter was about how Jesus was a man on a mission, a hunted man, and a "man on fire". Email me if you would like a copy of the questions we used! We delivered all the read-aloud sections to people via silver parachutes, played some "war games" and had a delicious dinner based on the foods in the book! Good fun!