Quality Time

I will try to type this post with a lot less grammatical errors, but I am not making any promises :)

Last week we enjoyed Family Bible School at our church. We all had a blast and it warms my heart to hear the girls singing songs they learned at VBS.

The girls and I were so excited about this weekend. It was the first one we had gotten to spend the whole weekend with Joe in about a month and we won't have another one until 3 weeks from now, so we spent almost every second together the entire weekend. Saturday morning we got up and cleaned. We made a deal with the girls that if they keep their room clean until Grammy gets here the last week of July we will do something special. So far they are doing great, and hopefully by then it will become such a habit to keep it clean that will become less of a struggle to keep it straightened up. I am really proud of how well they are doing. They have asked everyone who has come over to see their room because it is clean. I am glad to know they take pride in it.

After cleaning we did a Fathers Day photo shoot outside. I told Joe that we were only doing it for Pap-Paw and Paw-Paw, but I did one for him too. When I had the pictures made I put "We Love Our Daddy/Pap-Paw/Paw-Paw at the top of the tree. Before I left to have them made Joe showed me which one was his favorite so this is the one he got:

Then this is the one Pap-Paw and Paw-Paw got:


And here are two more where I just kept snapping trying to get the perfect picture:



Saturday evening Pap-Paw, Uncle Ben, Aunt Tiffany, Tanner, R & C came over for a fathers day dinner with my dad. (It is our tradition to do something with our parents on another day to celebrate Mothers day and Fathers day so that we can spend quality time with our children on Mothers day and Fathers day.) We had a great time and the kids were pretty well behaved that night.

Sunday morning I got up early, as did Lollie, and she and I made Joe a special breakfast of pigs in a blanket, cinnamon rolls (his favorite), eggs, and coffee. We then set up his tray with his breakfast and his special picture, and took him his breakfast in bed. Jolie was so excited about it that she wanted to eat with him too, so I fixed her a tray (she tried very hard to convince me that her tray also needed a picture), and Josie a plate and the girls ate with Joe and watched a fishing program in bed. The girls also gave Joe the poster cards they had made for him. We made two, one from the girls, and one from Joel. I put a special poem on both of them, pictures of Joe and the kids, and then the kids colored and decorated them.
This is the poem that was in Joel's card:
My Baby Boy and Me
It's three AM, they're all asleep,
and no-one's here to see.
As we rock slowly back and forth,
My baby boy and me.
His little hand is feather light
Tucked up against my chin.
I hold his tiny hand in mine,
and stroke his baby skin.
The house about us creaks and groans,
The clock hands creep around.
He snuggles closer to me still,
And makes his baby sounds.
I love these quiet hours so much,
And cherish every one.
Store memories up inside my heart
For lonely nights to come.
All too soon he'll be grown up,
His need for Daddy gone.
But until then I still have time
For kisses and for song.
Time for quiet hours like this
With him cuddled in my arms,
Where I wish he'd always stay
Protected, safe and warm.
And yet I know the day will come
When his tiny little hand,
will be bigger than my own.
He'll grow to be a man.
But until then he's mine to love
With no one here to see.
As we rock slowly back and forth,
My baby boy and me.
...Author Unknown

And this is the poem that was in the girls' card:

A Daddy and His Daughters
A daddy and his daughters,
Walking hand in hand;
Though he isn't always with them,
They say they understand.
When he's away at work or play,
The memory of him lingers;
The two girls smile because they know,
He's wrapped around their fingers.
A slight tilt of their sweet heads,
A smile, a lowered glance;
A hug and kiss and, "Daddy please?"
He doesn't stand a chance!
In later years he will recall,
With tenderness and love;
Two charming girls, with hands in his,
Two blessings from above.
~unknown

I cried when I read them both and knew they were perfect.

After breakfast we got ready and headed to church. After church we headed home for one of Joe's favorite meals: beef tips and rice and green bean casserole. We ate our yummy home cooked lunch and took naps. After naps we played outside:
















Today Josie is on a field trip. They are going on a riverboat cruise and to the splash pad at Riverwalk. She was so excited about it. Jolie isn't old enough to go so as a trade-off Joe will have to do something special with her either Friday night or Saturday after he gets done working at the church. Tonight we have our Fathers Day dinner with Paw-Paw at Quint and Sheilas. Joe is the only one with plans this weekend. He has a work day at church for Saturday and a session retreat from 2-7 on Sunday, so the kids and I will have to find something to do.

Until next time....

Happy Father's Day

The past two weekends have been quiet for us. Joe was gone for both, but the kids and I just chilled the weekend of the 4th and 5th and last Saturday we went up to Lake Martin wtih Other Mama, Pap-Paw, Pam, Peggy and Bill. We got to swim an hour or two before the storms hit, but we did have a good afternoon.

We have had VBS this week so that has us all tired this week. Our church does VBS at night so that the whole family can enjoy it. We eat dinner together, sing, have lessons, and do crafts. Even Joel is doing crafts! I love it no matter who tiring it is :)

A lot has been going on with Joel lately. The first week of June he developed a horrible cough. I took him to the doctor and it was croup. He is feeling much better. The same day I took him to the doctor, his 3rd tooth broke through. His 4th tooth is very close to breaking through. After he finally started feeling better from the croup it was like he finally came into a personality. He is babbling all the time now and just seems different. Stilly my happy little boy, but just with more personality. The biggest new accomplishment for Joel is that he is now officially a crawler. I dropped him off at Ms. Debbies on Tuesday, June 14, 2011, and while she and I were talking I looked down and there he was crawling for a toy. We then moved another toy to another spot and and he crawled over to it again. I almost cried. He has also added pulling up to his resume, ha ha. His newest trick, and I still can't believe all of this has happened in a 2 week period, is taking steps while standing up and holding on to your fingers. Up until last night every time you would stand him up with him holding onto your hands/fingers, he would just stand there, you could try to make him move or walk and he would not, he would just stand there. Well last night while we were waiting for the girls to get finished in their classes, I had him standing up holding onto my fingers and he started taking steps towards his Daddy. I guess just everything clicked for him. He is starting to eat more solid foods and is loving it. My baby won't be a baby for very much longer. He goes for his 9 month check up on July 1st. When I took him to the doctor for croup he was a little over 24 pounds, but as much as he has been moving around he might have actually lost some by then. We shall see.

Josie gets more and more excited about start kindergarten every day. If only I shared her enthusiasm. One day we were sitting in church and Joe looked at Josie's shoe and said since when does she wear a size 12. I looked at him and said, that's what hits you. Not the fact that she is 5 1/2 or about to start kindgergarten, but that she wears a size 12 shoe.

Jolie, my sweet funny Jolie. She keeps us laughing. You never know what is going to come out of that girls mouth. She has been practicing writing her letters and wrote a perfect "e" for us the other night. I was very proud of her. She isn't as into school as Josie is so to see her practicing her letters was a good thing. For right now we have not gone to the urologist, and we are holding off. She stopped having accidents, so we are going to wait to see if she starts again. As soon as she does, I'll get her in, but for now since she isn't have the problems, I'm going to wait.

This weekend is Fathers Day. I have been so blessed to have so many wonderful "Fathers" in my life. I love each of them so dearly and can't imagine having not known any of them.

1. Joe is an amazing father. As soon as he walks in the door all three kids just light up. He has helped do everything with the children since they were born. He gone up all 3 in the middle of the nigt, he changed diapers, took them to doctors appointments. He now takes the girls on dates and plays with them. He is a great role model by being an active member of church, teaching Sunday School, and an elder. When he isn't at work he is with his family with some exceptions for fishing and hunting. He loves to snuggle with all 3 and always gives lots of hugs and kisses. I could not have asked for a better father for our 3 beautiful children.

2. My Dad. My dad was also and still is an amazing father. He and I had a great realitionship as I grew up and we still to this day have a great relationship. I always knew I could go and talk to him about anything. He was always willing to show us how to do anything and if he couldn't he found someone who could. He introduced us to all types of new experiences and always let us make our own choices. He also was very involved in church, taught Sunday School, and was an elder. He loves my children as if they were his own and would do antyhing for them. He was a God send during my pregnancy with Joel. I had more problems with swelling and was a little more tired with him and Daddy would just let me put my feet up while he helped with the girls. If it weren't for Joe and Daddy Jolie's 3rd birthday party probably wouldn't have happened. He gets down and plays with the kids and helps with all 3 in any way he can. I could not ask for a better dad or grandfather to my children.

3. My Father-in-Law. Joe and I have been together for over 17 years now so I have been a part of the Burdick family for quite some time. I have always felt welcomed into the family and felt like one of theirs. I know that if I ever need anything I can always call on them. He also loves our children as his own and I know would do anything for them. My kids love spending time with him and he gets down and plays with them. He is a blessing to our family.

4. My brother. My brother is another great dad. Not only does he take care of his own son, but he and Tiffany are foster parents. They have had several children come and go through their house, but I think they have all fallen in love with Ben. It is so sweet to watch Ben with Tanner and his foster children and it warms my heart to know that God has blessed him with a beautiful family. My girls love their Uncle Ben and know that they will always have a good time when he is around. Ben is a great role mode by being active in church and being a family man. I am so thankful I have him as a brother and an uncle to my children.

5. My brother-in-law. Quint is another wonderul dad. He has two beautiful children that love and adore him. Quint is also a family man and spends the majority of his time that he isn't working with his family. He is active in his church and his teaching his son how to be a great dad too one day. My kids also love their Uncle Quint and think the world of him. I know I keep repeating myself, but again, I am so blessed to have Quint as a brother and an uncle to my children.

6. My grandfathers. I have limited memories of my Pap-Pap Anderson because he died when I was in the third grade, but his legacy lives on in the family he left behind. He loved his family and was my grandmother's one true love. He loved to work with wood and with his hands. We all have things that he made for us and I always hold those things dear to me. My grandfather was in the military and served our country as did my father. Although I don't remember too much about him, I know that he was a great man.

I also have limited memories of my Pap-pap Berdine because I didn't get to spend that much time with him. He died when I was a Senior in High School but lived in Pennsylvania and south Florida so our visits were few and far between. What memories I do have of him are good ones. He was a stern man that loved his family and did whatever he had to take care of them. He also served his country and I admire him greatly for that.

7. Joe's Grandpa Green. Joe's Grandpa Green died the February before we married in May 2002. He also was a great man that loved his family. I loved going to visit him. There were often times when Joe and his grandmother would go fishing and I would stay with Grandpa and we would just sit on the porch and talk. I loved listening to his stories. He also accepted me as part of the family.

8. I have numerous uncles, cousins, friends, and men from church that are also great fathers and role models. I love each of them and am blessed to know and have known them. I am so thankful that my children are growing up with such a wonderful "village" to help raise them.

Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers out there. Thank you for all you do!!