Jolie is 5!!!

Well, it's official, we only have one "baby" left in our house.  I can't believe I can now say I have a 6.5 year old, 5 year old, and 2 (as of this coming Sunday) year old.  What has happened to these last 6.5 years???

Jolie Hannah is one of the most amazing people I have ever met.  She is kind hearted and loving.  She is smart, beautiful, and loves to laugh.  She loves to question things and figure out how things work.  She is one of the fastest thinking people I know and answer an answer for everything :)  I am so blessed that God chose me to be her Mommy.  I love that little girl so much and can not wait to see the woman she turns into.

Bless her heart she was counting down the days until her birthday.  She was so excited.  Friday (her birthday) I dressed her real pretty for school and dropped her off.

But she didn't know that Joe and I planned to surprise her that afternoon with a mini party at school.  As soon as I got off work at 2:00 I rushed home, got Joe and we headed to MCDP.  Her class was in another classroom so we put out plates, napkins, kool-aid jammers, mini-cupcakes, goldfish, and each kid got a an eraser that either looked like a animal or truck, airplane, etc.  We bought a balloon and put it at her seat.  Then Ms. Jessie went and got Jolie's class.  All the kids walked in and were so excited to see the classroom.  Jolie's little face lit up when she saw Joe and I.  We sang her happy birthday, she got to blow out the candles on her cupcake, and she and her friends ate and played with their new erasers.  When they finished up I got down on the floor and read them probably 6 or 7 books.  I forgot my camera so I don't have any pictures from school or dinner :(

After that we cleaned up and headed to Bass Pro Shops.  She was so cute.  She kept walking up to random BPS employees and telling them that today was her birthday and she was five.  She was so darn cute.  After BPS we met Aunt Sheila, Uncle Quint, Caden, and Ansleigh at Mellow Mushroom for dinner, leftover cupcakes and some presents and cards from Grammy and Other Mama & Pap-Paw.  Joe and I gave her a cross necklace and matching earrings.  Josie got her a book and a purse full of goodies, Joel got her a Hello Kitty cup and a pair of sparklie knock-off Tom shoes, and Caden & Ansleigh got her some My Little Ponies.  This year she has been especially excited about cards.  She got one from the "Church Mouse" from First Pres and she has carried that thing around and not let Josie touch it.  The cards she got at dinner she put in her purse for save keeping.  Most kids could care less about the cards after their opeend.  Along with the cards, she stuffed everything she could into her purse and was ready to go to the Mall to get her ears pierced.  So we said our goodbyes to Josie, Joel, Caden, Ansleigh, Joe & Quint and Sheila, Jolie and I headed to Claires at the Mall. 

Jolie looked at earring options and new immediately she wanted the pink hearts.  She climbed up in the chair and did great.  She never cried or even said ouch.  It was so cute because later Sheila kept going on and on about proud she was of Jolie and Jolie responded, "You wouldn't have been proud of me if I had cried."  Sheila assured her she would have been :)

After Claires we headed over to Jolie's new favorite store, Bath & Body Works.  She walked in telling everyone that she it was her birthday, that she was 5, and that she had just gotten hear ears pierced.  The girls fell in love with her and wanted to give her the sparkle treatment for her birthday.  They gave her a special sparkly lotion to put on her legs and then found some sparkly lip gloss for her lips.  Jolie loved every second of it.

After the Mall we took her for some frozen yogurt.  All in all I would say she had a fabulous birthday. 

On the way home from dropping Aunt Sheila off she and I somehow got into a deep discussion about God.  She made a comment that he is everywhere.  And I said yes, he is always with us no matter what.  And she said something about being sad, and I told her that God is with us when we are sad and that if you ask God to give you a hug if you sit real still, you can feel him with you.  So the next thing I hear is, "God, I want a hug."  She said, "Mommy I don't feel anything."  I asked, "Are you sitting real still?  Sometimes you have to close your eyes even."  She waited a few seconds and then said, "Mommy I feel him.  He's soft.  God, Mommy needs a hug.  Mommy can you feel him?  Isn't he soft?"    Oh, how I love this precious little girl.  I know God has big plans for her. 

I'll end with Jolie through the years:
(I apologize, they started out in order, but then towards the end they are not)



                        

Mustang in Training

Joel is thriving at MCDP.  He will repeat anything you say to him, loves playing with his new friends, is learning his colors, shapes, numbers, letters, and like his sisters loves to learn new things.  His biggest milestone at the current time is giving up his paci.  Tuesday the teachers told us they would really like for us work on taking it away from him.  I thought long and hard about how we could do this.  Joel loves Browning.  So Joe and Joel walked outside and gave his paci to Browning so that Browning could sleep better at night.  He cried for it a little bit Tuesday night before we put him to bed but once we put him in his bed, he never cried for it.  The next morning was a little harder.  Joel loves his paci and lovie aka "Chops" first thing in the morning like most people love coffee.  He cried and fussed for it, but I reminded him that he gave it to Browning and started talking about his friends at school and he never said another word.  They did have to give it to him at nap time yesterday but as soon as nap time was over he gave it right back to his teachers.  Last night he did fine at church without it, but had a little trouble going to sleep.  I ended up rocking him (which of course I don't mind at all, be still my heart), and this morning he only fussed a little.  I'm sure each day will get easier, but I just can not believe how much of a big boy he is or that he will be 2 in 10 days. 

I don't know about y'all, but when I hear people talk about a place or a person, I like to picture that place or person. It is always interesting to finally meet or see a person after hearing much talk of him/her/it.  I talk quite often about MCDP and now I finally have pictures of Joel's classroom. They are the "Mustangs in Training" because the mascot for the school system the kids are in is the Mustangs.  They recently redid the classroom to make the room for the younger class they just added.

This is a picture they texted me yesterday.  He got a hold of the director's (Ms. Cynthia) drink and started sipping.  His little hands around this huge cup crack me up.

Changes

A few changes have been made in the Burdick household here lately.  (1) Joe has changed shifts.  He is now on the 10:30 p.m. to 6:45 a.m. shift. The kids don't really notice a difference since he is at home in the evenings to help with dinner, homework, and baths, but I notice an empty bed again.  (2) Joel has started potty training at school and some at home.  We are in the early stages, but he is showing some of the signs of being ready which is a full year earlier than the girls started showing signs.  After 6.5 years of kids in diapers, it will be a day of rejoicing when we no longer have to make diaper/pull-up runs.  (3) Josie's top front teeth are loose.  She is so excited. (4) The biggest change has had the most effect on us all.  We are visiting another church- First United Methodist in Millbrook.  It is behind the Village Green Park in downtown Millbrook.  This was not a decision that was made easily, and actually has been been a topic between Joe and I for probably a year or two now.  I have had this nagging feeling in my heart that God wanted us somewhere else.  I ignored it for a while and finally talked to Joe about it.  He also felt God letting him know that it was time to move to a new place.  We both ignored it.  This was the church I grew up and Joe has attended for the past 15 years, the church we married in, the church where we both have served as elders, the church I preached from the pulpit and helped lead the congregation when we had no pastor, the place all three of our children were baptized, the place that both girls haven taken up offering, and Josie had the great honor of being an acolyte.  It was too hard of a decision.  There were too many memories, and that was our family.  The feeling got stronger and stronger, and then one day we realized, we just can't ignore God anymore.  How can we teach our children to be obedient, when we ourselves were not being obedient?  We began to research the churches in our area to see what our options were and we began to pray, we both felt led to the same place-First Methodist.  We have now been 4 Sundays and one Wednesday.  The first time we went the girls came out of Sunday School asking to go back the next Sunday.  This was not a prompted question, it was just stated.  Sitting in the santcuary I finally found a peace I have not felt in probably two years.  We have made no final decisions and we will continue to pray and follow where we feel God is leading us.  I can honestly say throughout our ten year marriage this was one of the top 10 hardest decisions we have made, but we already feel the rewards of being obedient.  We have spoken to our pastor and a few people from First Presbyterian and all have been very supportive, which has helped with making this decision.  All one can do is follow where they feel God is leading them.  He talks to all of us differently and at different times, but I encourage you all to listen to to the still small voice instead of your own wants, desires, society, and other people who may try to lead you astray from God's wants and desires for you.  Only He knows what he has in store for you and only He knows where your perfect place is.  Here is a picture of Joel passed out after a morning at church (Doesn't he look like such a big boy with his khaki pants and big boy shoes):
                                                    

Other than the above, things have been relatively calm in our house.  We have been lazy the past two weekends and have not had much on the agenda.  Labor Day weekend we had a playdate with the Collins Family Friday night, Saturday I took the kids to Chuck-E-Cheese with Quint and Sheila and later we watched the first Bama game, Sunday we had church and Monday we had lunch at Other Mama and Pap-Paw's house.  Josie got a 100 on her first and second spelling tests and brought home a big stack of graded papers the other day that all had 100s on them.  She is loving school and loves doing homework.  Jolie is excited because she has been getting homework as well.  Her handwriting is improving and if I knew the techniques for teaching her how to read, I think she could learn.  She wants to learn, so we need to find out what we can do to help her learn. 

Last week our van also broke down.  I was on my way to take the kids to school before going into work and it started making a funny noise.  I pulled off and checked the tires, and got back in the van and it would not go.  Thank goodness Joe was leaving work so he came straight from Hyundai to pick us up.  We still do not know what is wrong, but we are thinking it is the transmission.  We have already started looking around for another van because we have a feeling that is going to be the best option. 

This past Friday evening Other Mama and I took the girls to Ballet and the Beasts at the Montgomery Zoo.  It is a free event that the Montgomery Ballet and Zoo put on.  It was awesome!!  I think we will definitely try to make it a girls tradition each year.  The Zoo reopens at 6 and you can walk around or ride the train and they also have educational animals out, then around 7:30 the ballet starts.  You can take blankets, chairs, or there are bleachers.  You can take your own food or buy concessions there.  We had eaten before, so I just took snacks.  The girls loved it and at intermission got up to dance around.  They were so cute.  Saturday morning we left the house so Joe could get some sleep.  We went to Hobby Lobby looking for things for Joel & Jolie's birthday party and then Bath & Body Works.  The woman who worked there spoiled the girls.  The smelled all the different smells, she let them wash their hands in two or three different scented soaps, and then got ribbon bracelets that she sprayed with their favorite scent.  It was definitely a good outing when all I went in for was one little thing.  Then we came home to pack for their first ever not at home, non-relative slumber party.  Ms. Jessie (Jolie's teacher from MCDP) invited some girls over for a slumber party.  They had a blast.

My kids love Ms. Jessie and she takes the best pictures of them.  Here are a few more that she has taken of them at school: 

Joe had to work Saturday night so he got in to help me get Joel ready for church and then Joel and I went to go get the girls from Ms. Jessie's house.  We got them ready and headed to church.  After church we took afternoon naps and woke up to do a John Deere photo shoot in the field in front of our house for Joel & Jolie's birthdays.  (Joel & Jolie's tractor shirts were made by Joe's cousin, Rachel, for their birthday party.)

                                    

Final plans are being made for their party and they are getting excited.  I can't believe we are about to be able to say that we have two children over the age of 5.  Time is flying by and we're just along for the ride :)