Chalk Bunnies

Although the girls have been loving gymnastics, I'm not sure how much we will be in the gym this summer, so I took a lot of pictures during the last couple of practices. Here are just a few :-) ...
 




















Alyssa loves beam. Probably her strength at gymnastics right now is her flexibility. She has worked very hard at it.


 Emma's strength is probably how hard she works to make every movement perfect. She loves all the details.


 Doing her best to vault like the big girls.


 

 

 
 

 This is quite possibly my least favorite gymnastics skill ~ EVER! Windmill circle around the bar. They are really painful until you learn the exact technique needed to get around the bar. Think bar burns on the inner thighs ~ Ouch!!


 


 

 Almost in sync with their handstands.


 She was so proud when she learned how to do a one-armed cartwheel.


 A coaching moment between me and Rebekah?


 She loves the gym {and is pretty comfortable there too, from the looks of this pic}! Alyssa looked at this picture, laughed, and said, "She thinks she's hot stuff!"


 Sorry about the blurry pic, but Emma always runs down the runway for vault with this same happy expression on her face. Anyone who has ever tried to vault knows that it is entirely impossible to do a good vault while you're smiling this big, but it seems to work for her! She loves vault.


 Like big sister, like little sister.

Building Tomorrow Today

I will utter hidden things, things from of old- what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
Psalm 78:2-7

The above verses from Psalm 78 opened a very exciting church service last week in which we celebrated the ground breaking for a new children and youth wing at our church. And what an amazing "standing order" we are charged with ~ to teach our children, so they can in turn pass on to their children "the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord...so they may put their trust in God"!

The church is already quite big and beautiful, but we are outgrowing a number of the school age classrooms. For example, we sit at child size tables in my classroom, which for my kindergarten students is no big deal at all. However if they had a full sized adult teacher {there's a hint of a joke there in case the humor didn't translate to text :-) } this would be more of a problem. I find the kids respond so much better to the lessons and the invitation to submit prayer requests when I am sitting with them, instead of talking over them (so I gladly scrunch up my knees and sit with them every Wednesday night). There just isn't room in the classroom, and all the classrooms have their own space concerns, for normal sized seating for 20+ students and many of the other learning materials we would love to have in place there.

Also, the only praise and worship area that our teens and crossroad age groups have is in the gym where the music bounces off the walls. It will be an awesome blessing to their ministry and every young person who steps into our church to be ministered to, for them to have their own auditorium for services!

 I didn't get very many (or any) good pictures of the actual ground breaking ceremony outside. I was standing around the perimeter of the building lines with a sign to show where my future Kindergarten classroom will be.


 Running up to me with our sign.


 Oh no, our construction hats are blowing away! It was a really windy, chilly night.


 The children's choir sang during the service. This is the best attitude these little girls could pull off :-)
They're singing: Oh No, No, No, don't build your house upon the shifting sand, when the rains of life come pouring in, those walls will never staaaaaaaand! Gonna build my house {gonna build my house}, on the Rock {the solid rock}.



I remember during the celebration of our Pastor and his wife's 35th anniversary of ministry at our church a story being told about how when they first came to serve at our church she was the main Sunday School teacher for all the children of the church. They had a small downstairs classroom that often flooded when it rained. She would have her students sit on the stairs leading up out of their classroom in order to hold lessons on those mornings. Certainly not the most ideal conditions for planting seeds of God's love in the hearts of these children. But, wow, how encouraging to see how God has rewarded her faithfulness and the faithfulness of others in the church! To see the church grow from that time when she was the primary teacher, to where it is now with several teachers offering several different opportunities for times of learning throughout the week to several hundred children is nothing short of a miracle.

At this same time I think about my parent's church and the new growth they are being blessed with there as well. They are a younger, growing church that has just received a more permanent location for their church home. It's not the permanent location, but as Pastor Rob would say it is without a doubt a "game changing moment" for their wonderful, young church. I'm reminded of Ephesians 3:20 that says God is able to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." And I would have to say that is exactly what he has done in both cases here in response to a faithful commitment to reach their communities for Christ.

To be in a church that takes it's ministry to the youth so seriously and stands closely alongside families in their efforts to live out Psalm 78:2-7 and lead our children to a lifelong relationship with Jesus is incredible... And I'm so thankful for it.
 
 
 We are the Church of Tomorrow.

L.O.S.T.

Here are a few pictures of the girls in the Mother's Day Musical, LOST, But Now I'm Found.
 


 


 


 


 


This musical had some of my favorite songs in it. They had a composition of a few songs that included Amazing Grace, which I love! There was also a Fruit of the Spirit Song that is now a favorite of all three girls. I have a cute story about this song that I'll share later if I remember to.

 The 3 wrist bands Alyssa has on in this pic are driving me crazy!! She won't take them off, she's been wearing them since a trip to the Wisconsin Dells back in February. She's convinced that when she returns next year they will still grant her admission to the water parks. The bands are getting so torn up and scroungy looking, and still she refuses to cut them off.... even though it has completely thrown a loop in her plan to always accessorize with great attention to detail. One of them mysteriously disappeared shortly after this musical {Hallelujah!}

Emma's Candy Land Birthday Party

A week ago Sunday we had Emma's birthday party ~ yes, almost a month after her actual birthday. She's always so patient as we plan the festivities between Easter, Spring Break from school, preparation for the Spring children's musical at church, and Mother's Day. Emma wanted to have a bounce house party, so we rented a blow up Candy Land house for the occasion.

The bounce house kept our girls and our next door neighbor's four children busy for two solid days, they loved it...
 I was so thankful that I made time to take photos of the girls playing in the bounce house the day before the party, right after we had set it up {which was a memorable experience in and of itself, I might add!} I had quite a few other things that needed to be done, but I took a quick break to get pictures, and that proved to be nearly impossible the following day during the party.


 You'll likely have to click on all the collages if you want to see any of the photos up close. We had so many photos, that I couldn't post them all individually. Usually Kamele prefers to be by herself when she plays in bounce houses, I think when there's lots of kids in there she gets a little overwhelmed and bounced around too much. She was so much more comfortable in this one. Maybe because it was huge. Or maybe just because it was in our yard?


 The birthday girl loving her selection of bounce houses! She kept taking flying leaps into the ice cream cones and popsicles on the walls of Candy Land, pretending that she was eating them. They did look good :-)


 The kids stopped jumping long enough to pose for a picture.


 Tired jumpers, or at least they were pretending to be tired.


 Emma put her arms up like this and said "L is for LOVE it!!" Her "L" is backwards but the sentiment was still sweet!


 A few pics from during the party. Emma is friends with some of the nicest kids! We had a house {and yard} full of children, and they were all so good.


 Pinata fun. We {and by this I mean Dave :-) who always has a very logical plan} lined the kids up shortest to tallest for their turn to face the rainbow pinata. I enjoyed watching the expressions of the kids in line each time the pinata was hit!


 The kids had such cute, intense looks on their faces when preparing to hit the pinata. Unknown treasures of candy ready to fall at any moment is a powerful motivator.


 After the party, Rebekah told me she wants a bounce house for her birthday too.


 I worked so hard to get this group picture, no one would sit still.


 Happy girls.


 Emma admiring a card that her sweet friend Halle made for her.

It was a beautiful day for a party. I was nervous all week long because rain had been in the forecast for the entire weekend. The party ended at 4pm, and right on cue at 3:55 clouds and wind moved in. We couldn't have asked for better timing if the rain had to come. The kids enjoyed a fun afternoon, a great 7th birthday celebration for Emma!

Mother's Day

I'm so proud to be Mom to these three girls, and thankful for both my mom and Dave's mom and our grandmothers who have all been such a wonderful blessing and shaping influence for us.
Happy Mother's Day!



How can we thank God enough for you and for the joy and delight you have given?
1 Thessalonians 3:9(NLT)

43rd Biennial Music Festival

Last night, Ka'iulani participated in the MPS 43rd Biennial Music Festival. It was held at US Cellular Arena, and was such a cool event for her to have the opportunity to be part of. The Music Departments at several Milwaukee Public Schools work together to highlight many of the different music programs offered district wide and over 1200 kids participated.
 


The two younger girls and I walked into the darkened stadium, looking for Ka'eo who had saved seats for all of us, and this is what we saw...
 Alyssa playing in the African Hand Drum Ensemble underneath a huge spotlight. She looked sooooo tiny down on the floor of the arena. We walked in on the mid level section of seating and it was just one of those moments where I was frozen for a second as I watched her sitting down there drumming her little heart out. Ka'iulani is the one in the back with her hands raised up by her ears.


 The drummers played the prelude to the music festival. Alyssa loved watching the African Dancers. We never even knew she could drum, but she was selected for the ensemble and she loved learning! She taps out rhythms everywhere now.


 The drummers led by Dr. Cecil Austin (front left, with white headband) take a bow.


 A wide view of the US Cellular set up for the festival. The blue chairs(that I just realized you can't really see too well) that are off to the left and pushed back a little from the stage are where Alyssa was sitting to drum. By the time this pic was taken she had already run up to join the choir.


 The superintendent of music for MPS welcomed everyone and he asked the kids if they were ready to get started. Of course all the kids screamed! I was surprised they could all sing afterwards the way their yelling carried on for several minutes, but it was really neat to see how enthusiastic Mr. Applewhite was. I could tell he felt a great amount of pride in everything that these young music students are learning in their schools.


 I loved this photo of Alyssa looking back and smiling at her friend, Martina as they sang. It was just a sea of children singing, and this was pretty much the story of the night for these two girls. They seemed to be smiling and enjoying the whole festival, the entire 3 and a half hours! I had tried to talk her into a simple black hair clip earlier in the day, but later that evening I had a great appreciation for Alyssa's choice of a distinctive headband, it made her easy to spot in the crowd.


 The theme of the night was Agents of Change, and here they are singing one of the more serious pieces of the night, Sing World Peace.


 This is just one of four sections of the elementary choir, it was huge! Definitely the largest group of kids Alyssa has ever had the privilege to sing with.


 Can you hear us now?


 Singing It's a Blast!


 It was a long night, Alyssa and Tina needed a rest :-)



They also had two amazing choirs of older students, one of high school students, and the other was MPS alumni. It was like watching the Salem Baptist Church Choir, if you're familiar. It was really cool to see bands, orchestras, and choirs of all different aged students come together for the festival. It made me even more conscious of how blessed our kids are to go to school in a community that places such a high importance on music education. I hope it's something we never take for granted, especially in a time when so many art and music programs are being cut from public school curriculum.
It was a fun and exciting night, there was even a Michael Jackson tribute performed by a group of high school dance students that Emma deemed "inappropriate," but an awesome thing nonetheless to see so many students demonstrating their love for music!