So many questions...

For over a year, Elle has been asking questions about life and death and why God allows people to die. We have had MANY a talk about how amazing God is and how we may never understand His plan--but that His Word tells us there always is one. She has worked through so many workbooks and Children Bibles that I can hardly count at this point...to help her to understand better just that Jesus came and died on the cross so that we don't have to...
Don't even get me started on the questions that came up when we started reading about the consequences of sin!! She was so concerned forever that if she talked back to me that the consequence just might be death...WOW!
She appears to really understand the ABC's at this point and to truly love the Lord. I feel like I spent a lot of time trying to convince her to wait and that maybe she wasn't ready to ask the Lord into her heart and then I realized--who is?? Do any of us know Him as well as we can or will? Aren't we all working towards a daily closer walk with God and it isn't like we do anything to deserve it!? I feel like this experience with Elle has really broken that down for me. So--she has asked Jesus to come and live in her heart and she is excited about it. We are being patient about scheduling her baptism and continuing to learn more and talk as much as we can about His love and how honestly it is all about what He did and daily does for her--not anything that she can do to earn His love--I just want her to GET THAT!
How great is it that we as parents get to watch as the Lord molds our children and actually comes into their heart?? Such an amazing gift! Thank you for that Lord!!

Elle's new speech impairment

Okay, so its not really a speech impairment...she has started talking like a friend of hers that is not able to say her r's and another friend of hers that is not able to say her l's...and that really make for a child that sound like she has a real issue! The other day, she had to use the Sassy Bag--and read "Honor your Father and Mother..." and it came out something like.. "Hona yau Fathau and Mathau..." I am not kidding--it is histerical! Especially for a child that has never had an articulation problem in her life!! And yes, Easton has lots of issues with it--but not with those two letters! So--I keep telling her that she is really going to confuse him!!! She is going to need some therapy in a few years!

:)

Am I getting old?

Elle started FIRST grade on Monday! It really blows my mind that she is getting so big! We have seen a few of her friends that she went to preschool with at Green Acres that are just starting kindergarten and she asked me the other day why they were not in first grade with her...I started wondering if we should have held her back too--but I honestly feel like we made the right decision for Elle...she was MORE than ready to start school and has loved it and just soaked it up! She had a wonderful teacher last year and I love her teacher this year (I am blessed to work in her school a few days a week--and know the best teachers...but the first grade team is packed with them--so we couldn't go wrong!) She is so fun right now--from changing her clothes 15 times a day to laughing at the silliest things...I love that she is able to play dress up and be nurturing, but then go outside and roll around in the dirt...

She is such a great kid!

Easton officially "went on the potty"!!

Man, those of you that have spoken to me about potty training Easton know that I finally threw up my hands in frustration--just giving up and hoping by the time he goes to kindergarten, he would be out of diapers! Well, he finally went tee tee and poo poo on the potty today! We had a very busy weekend this weekend and I left Elle with my parents after being in Houston with my mom and dad...I was thinking that if I could just have Easton all to myself, maybe I could tackle this potty thing!

Praise the Lord it didn't take long this morning--my prayers were answered first thing!! I think I was so excited when he actually went that he couldn't help but yell and scream! He is so my child as far as enthusiasm goes...so it is fun to do things like this with him--he gets so over the top excited! After he went twice this morning, we ran to the dollar store and picked out some stickers and some prizes he can earn with the stickers...

He has done a little dance everytime--although we did have an accident or two today--I am optimistic that we are on our way to being trained. I will keep you informed...but I cannot tell you how much I dread this part of the development of children! This is my least favorite part! Just the potty training...NOTHING else! But, I would love it if just one day, they said "I go potty"--and I never really had to do anything--I would LOVE that! BUT--they don't--so I train on...

Elle swimming

I posted Easton jumping off the board and here is Elle...it is really big and wouldn't load before--so we are trying it again now...she is showing off her pike jump (wouldn't her gymnastics coaches be proud?) into the water and is totally able to independently swim all day--I just freak out a number of times when I can't locate her--but she is such a social butterfly that she is off swimming with friends and will go from slide to slide, from pool to pool in a number of minutes...

Easton then was supposed to jump off, but decided after waving to his fans that he would just wait another few seconds--then I captured him on the later video...that you have seen on the previous post...

Easton swimming

Okay, so I published a post a while back of Easton at swim lessons and I was really impressed with that...but he has really improved since then! We went back for one more week of lessons and then we have gone to Apple just about everyday or every other day to practice...Jason bought him this little vest and that is how he started with the diving board...just jumping off with that on...then the lifeguard said that if I took it off, he would probably calm down a little because it would scare him a little bit--I told him that I have really not seen him scared of anything at this point...but I went ahead and tried it because the guy assured me that he had been doing this for a long time and had seen lots of kids come through just like this..well--Easton came up and barely got his breath before saying, "I do it again!" The lifeguard looked shocked! So, he has been doing it ever since everytime we go as well as both slides..he goes into 14 feet of water there...and LOVES it!! I am exhausted after 10 or 11 times because I have to tread water the whole time...but it is worth it to see the smile on his face!

The Kids at the pool

I wanted to post some new pics of the kids enjoying the pool this year...Elle has really become an independent swimmer this year and Apple has been awesome! We have gone just about everyday--or every other day and the kids have had a blast! Elle has made a new friend everyday (we all know that she gets that from her daddy! ;) She has loved being able to maneuver through all of the slides and the diving board all by herself and just check in with me throughout the day...she is really growing up! Easton of course is doing awesome and LOVES the water and anything that he can take to the next level there! Seriously--they are both great kids!!

Of course, Elle's favorite thing is spending money at the snack bar--everyday--"what can we get?" Again--Jason! ;) One day when I let them get popsicles--Easton got a Spiderman (the only one without milk in it) and she got a Power Puff Girl...they were NASTY when they were done with them, but they enjoyed it and it will go down as another summer memory!