Learning Adventure

Today, Emily's preschool class went on a field trip. This was one of many they have gone on, but it was my 1st. It is an adventure in itself getting ready for the trip. The daycare workers go above & beyond for the children & their families. They hand painted skull & crossbones on the shirts along with the daycare name (Country Campus) on the back. They made shirts for each teacher & even one for me! After getting the kids shirts on, they lined up for tattoos. Then one last potty stop, & we loaded in the van. After a seat belt check we were off. 1st time in my life to ride with a van full of 5 year olds! The kids were excited to reach our destination The Memorial Auditorium.

The program: Dive Into A Learning Adventure w/Stephen Fite

He took the kids on a Learning Adventure in his Yellow Submarine. They learned about the Vowels, the Colors & more! Sang: Sing Ya Later, Baby Shark, Shake Break, & Hi My Name Is Joe.

The kids had a wonderful time! When the program ended it was back on the van & back to daycare for lunch. PIZZA!! I was glad to be apart of all the excitement!

Who Am I?

Your hands made me & formed me;

give me understanding to learn your commands.

Psalm 119:73

This weeks lesson was really difficult! It was about understanding personality. How to help us understand ourselves & to learn to appreciate others. I learned that when we begin to accept ourselves, we can begin to accept others & understand their strengths & weaknesses as well.

We also talked about who we are in Christ.

Who I Am In Christ

I am accepted in Christ

I am secure in Christ

I am significant in Christ

I was also touched by this prayer: "I Pray You Enough"

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive & everlasting.

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Personalities are broken into 4 types:

Sanguines love to have fun.

Cholerics are considered natural-born leaders.

Melancholics are thinkers.

Phlegmatics are natural peacemakers.

We all took a short test, & I was truly surprised by the outcome of my personality. You think you are one thing, but the outcome was different. I am Melancholy Phlegmatic! When I got home I gave the test to Casey. He is Choleric Melancholy.

The website to take the test is : http://www.oneishy.com/

Take a few minutes to visit the website, take the test & see what your strengths & weaknesses are. You may be surprised!?!

So who are you, anyway?

Super Saturday!!

Saturday was a big day for the Holliday Lil Eagles! They played 2 games back to back. Kayleigh pitched the 1st game against North Texas Thunder. She had her own fan club! Casey, the girls & I, MiMi (Trisha), Grandmaw (Elwanda), PaPa (Jerry), Nan & Pop Pop (Sue & David), Jacob & DoDad (Joe) & Nancie all watched the 1st game. It was in the afternoon & the wind was blowing dirt off the field right into the dug out. We had dirt all over us too! The girls played hard, but lost 14 to 16. Better luck next game!The 2nd game was against Archer City Angels. Kayleigh played catcher & did very well! We lost some of our fan club, but cheered extra loud for the team! The girls played better the 2nd game. They listened more to their base coaches & scored more runs! One of the girls scored a homerun! Lil Eagles won 12 to 7! Yeah! 1st win for the season!Kayleigh & her team were so excited to win! Everyone was hot, tired, & DIRTY! Go! Lil Eagles!

Girl Scout Food Drive

Kayeigh's Girl Scout Troop #8209 was 1 of 6 from Holliday that held the 7th Annual Food Drive this past Saturday. The food they collected will help senior citizens in Archer City & Holliday, the Holliday Food Pantry at the church, & for the area families affected by the recent fires. Earlier that week, the girls passed out bags in Lakeside City & Holliday with a note requesting canned meat, veggies, fruit, dry items & misc. Saturday morning the girls rode with their leaders & other volunteers to pick up the bags of food. When they returned to the church the girls unloaded the bags & weighed them. Then they sorted them into the above categories. The girls worked from 9am-12noon & collected a total of 1,800lbs of food!

Remember the Alamo

As part of my (Kayleigh) 4th grade social studies, we had a project to build a model of the Alamo. I have not seen the Alamo other than pictures. It had to be a certain size & could be made from any materials. Our parents could help, but we had to do most of the work. I had ideas & knew what some of my friends were doing. Some used waffles, star burst candy, sugar cubes, & clay. I wanted mine to be real looking. We went to buy supplies, I used a snickers box & covered it with sand paper. I used dowel rods, wrapped with sand paper for the 4 posts & darker sand paper for the door. I used black sticky pads for the windows. I put moss around the Alamo & found twigs to use for trees. I used a piece of a wire hanger for the flag pole & colored the flag myself. Mom, Dad, Nan & Pop Pop helped me with cutting & the hot glue gun. We worked on it over spring break. All the Alamos were displayed on the stage for people to see. I was proud to get a 100!!

Defining Worth

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully & wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms 139:13-14

There is a new women's Bible Study on Wednesday night at the church. It is titled Women Of Worth. The first lesson was Defining Worth & the above verses are the opening to the lesson. I read the verses over & over, trying to take them in & break it down. What do they really mean? I found a poem that is very fitting & helped to answer my question.

Art Appreciation by: Joy Morgan Davis

Lord,

Sometimes when I look

At my life

It seems like a homespun

Patch - work quilt...

Quaint, but not quite "together"!

There are bits & pieces of

Cloths & colors,

Scraps of material,

The days of my life...

When you began to put together

The days of my life

You must have known

Where each piece would go...

You've told me that I am

Fearfully & wonderfully

Made...

And I believe you, Lord,

I do!

I may not be a velvet tapestry,

But even crazy -quilts

Have purpose,

To give warmth &

Cozy comfort &

Color to a room!

Whatever I am, Lord,

You made me...

Lovingly,

Carefully,

Reverently,

And exactly right!

I was also reminded of a You Tube Video I had seen some months back by Louie Giglio talking about Laminin. It is awesome! So I hope you will take a few minutes to watch it, you can find the video on my blog located on the side bar.

This was just the first lesson of the Bible Study, I can't wait until the next!

Dozer Daddy

The girls & I enjoy going with Casey on the weekends & some evenings to the different locations where he is or will be doing work. It is amazing the things Casey is able to do with this massive piece of equipment. He can build tanks for land owners, water pits for oil drilling, clear land for new developments, etc. He loves his work, he meets new people all the time & never does the same thing twice.

The girls like to ride with him on the bulldozer. It is fun to watch them (with Casey's help) to get in & out. I have even been on the bulldozer. It scares me! I think the thing that scares me most is watching him load/unload, it tilts so far back you think it might flip over. Casey could probably do it in his sleep! Kayleigh is able to draw a pretty good picture of one. You never know she could be the 1st female Stone to operate a bulldozer!

Well, probably not, but I bet Casey wouldn't mind if she asked him to teach her how.

Bluebonnet Beauties

There are so many bluebonnets growing on the side of the road in and around Wichita Falls. I have seen many people stop & take pictures with their kids. I have always thought it would be fun to do this with the girls. We were on our way to Randelett, Oklahoma. We passed a group on the other side of the highway taking pictures with their family. I told Casey SEE, SEE other people get to take pictures with the bluebonnets! The next flowers we saw on our side of the highway Casey stopped & said go for it. It was on this hill, I carried Nattie on my hip & Emily by one arm, thinking is this really worth it!?! Of course it is, beautiful flowers & pictures of the girls. The next thing was Emily's sandal came off & she stepped in a sticker patch & started to cry! Casey reminded me how bad I wanted to do this. We got situated & then my ankles & feet started burning. ANTS!! I thought to myself, hurry take the pictures and GO! Kayleigh said, "Momma I think there are ants!" Casey got the little girls & Kayleigh & I jumped in the truck! Would I do it again? Only if Casey checks it out first!

Happy Easter After

Last weekend (actual Easter) we began our celebration at church. The girls (Kayleigh & Emily) sang in the kids choir. It was special to me for the girls to sing & for mom & David (Nan & Pop Pop) to be there, since my Nanny passed away on Easter Sunday 8 years ago. I have peace knowing she is having her own celebration in heaven with the Lord! It was also special for the Stone families, Greg & Brenda had Chad & Sara, & Leslee & Drew with them. Kyle & Marla had Kylee & Dylan with them. Elwanda had the majority of her kids, grand kids & great grand kids at church! After church we gathered at Elwanda's for lunch. For many friends and family members it was a 1st time for them to meet the newest member of the Stone family Crockett. He is Chris & Jessica's baby boy & is so very precious!

After lunch we continued our celebration & went to Ryan, Oklahoma for a GIANT Easter egg hunt! We saw Trisha (MiMi), Karen, Tara & kids (Caige & Camille). The hunt was held at (Carolyn's cousins) & although it was our 1st time to attend they welcomed us. Congratulations again to Karen for finding one of the $100 prize eggs!

Today we celebrated Easter at Mom & David's (Nan & Pop Pop). Papa Jerry, Joseph & Jennifer, the boys (Andy & Tommy), Casey, the girls & I all enjoyed visiting, eating, & the kids played outside & hunted eggs. Family is important all the time, but it is nice to be together especially during the holidays!

We will always know our risen Lord is with us now & always!!

Play Ball!!

Kayleigh has played baseball since she was 5/kindergarten. T-ball was fun, watching the kids (boys & girls) run around all crazy having no idea as to what they are supposed to be doing. Kayleigh played 1st base, the team name was Holliday Pumpers. Then she played 5 - pitch for 2 years and picked up on the basics of the game. She continued to play for the same team which was nice because the kids (boys & girls) all moved up together. Kayleigh stayed at 1st base and did very well. Now she is playing fast pitch. This year & last year she has played for the Holliday Lil Eagles (all girls). She takes the game very seriously!! She plays pitcher & catcher positions. Tonight was their 1st game the score was 15-16. Although they lost the game they were very excited! There are many more games ahead and a very determined group of young ladies to play those games! So I say GO!! LIL EAGLES GO!!

Something New

So many new things are cropping up in the Stone family these days. Staying home is a new thing for me. I am still adjusting to not working a M-F full time job. I can honestly say I don't miss all the meetings & paperwork, but I do miss the sweet people I spent time with everyday. Casey has had a ball with all the new expectations he has of & for me! I am still struggling with the cleaning/laundry part, there is just nothing fun about it! Kayleigh has enjoyed her new free time before & after school without the little girls instead of riding to & from with the daycare. Emily is excited about the new idea of going to Kindergarten. She has learned so many wonderful things at preschool/daycare. We are looking forward to the Kindergarten Roundup the 1st of May. Last but not least, Nathalie! Nattie is new to the big people potty world! She is doing such a good job & we all get so excited for her! There is no wonder what people think is going on in the public restroom when they hear 4 voices (mine, Kayleigh, Emily & Nattie) coming from one small stall congratulating each other on going potty! So now that you know what is new in our world, what is new in yours?