Caleb's Day to Shine

Each week, one student is selected to be the Little Monkey of the Week! This week, Caleb is that monkey! We created a poster depicting all things Caleb, and it is now on display in his classroom through Friday. Yesterday, he got to share a few of his favorite things, from his poster, with his classmates! It was ultimately a lot of homework for mom, but I love the finished project and the opportunity it gave me to contribute to his very special week! Little did I know that, in addition to being the Little Monkey, he would also be selected to be the Math Star of the Day! When I picked him up from school yesterday, he was proudly sporting a Math Star sticker. The details he provided of what being a Math Star entailed were a little fuzzy, but it didn't matter. He was excited, and we were extremely proud, regardless! What an exciting day to be a kindergartner! 

We are very proud of our shining star yesterday, today and always! 

Family Fourth Festivities

Living in Tucson, home to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, one is surrounded with men and woman, who at any given moment, are willing to give their all to defend the country I call home. With the constant stream of fighter jets overhead, I am reminded of the freedoms that I am blessed to posses that many will only ever dream about. Even though, I will never fully grasp all that these men and women give, I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice. May we never forget the reason we celebrate.

The 4th being on a Friday meant back-to-back-to-back days with Daddy! Caleb and Daddy spent most of Friday playing while I enjoyed some time in the kitchen creating festive treats. Dinner was enjoyed in the park sampling fare from the Tucson Food Trucks. The very best part of the day came that evening during our own little backyard firework display. Caleb took on the role of fire inspector; and he took his role quite seriously. He set up safety cones, checked for hot spots and had the hose readily available for any sparks that reached the ground. Watching him in action, made my heart happy!

Saturday morning we geared up and headed up Mt. Lemmon to explore a new hiking trail. As we were driving, we watched the clouds build overhead; and I knew, most definitely, we were in for an adventure. While exploring the forest trail it began to rain. We made our way back to the car under the protection of the trees and a poncho that should have been replaced years ago. What a fun time we had dodging rain drops! We made our way back down the mountain but not before stopping for a quick picnic and a few more pictures! The monsoon season is definitely our favorite! It not only added excitement to our morning hike, but it created a wonderful puddle jumping experience for Caleb later that evening!

 

 

MVFD Spring Open House

It was once again time to surprise Caleb with a trip to the Mountain Vista Fire Station for their annual spring open house! We told him that morning to expect a surprise later in the day. When the time came, we told him to, "Gear up!" He arrived wearing his turnouts, boots, helmet and badge. He was an instant hit with the crew! The photographer immediately narrowed in on him and requested to snap a photo to share on their website. He was hesitant at first, but after a hot dog and a little coxing, he finally agreed. The pumper, the ladder and the new brush truck were all outside just waiting to be explored. And, wow was the brush truck cool! He climbed up into each one, time after time, breaking only for a tour of the fire house. With his helmet under his arm, he listened intently to the guide who took us through where the firemen eat, sleep and train while on duty. I am grateful to all our local heroes for providing an experience, like no other, for Caleb and all the children aspiring to one day follow in their footsteps!

Thanksgiving 2013

As I waited in the hall to collect Caleb from preschool, I chatted with another mom. Our conversation eventually turned to Thanksgiving and her comment to me was, "We don't really do Thanksgiving." I was quite taken back by her response. I thought to myself, "How do you not do Thanksgiving?" I'm guessing she meant no family gathering with turkey and all the trimmings, but regardless, can't we all pause to give thanks?  Even though I likely misconstrued her statement, it really made me stop and think about what Thanksgiving truly means to our family. When we moved to Tucson, our overall income was reduced when I became a stay-at-home mom, but our joy increased tenfold. We are not just content with what we have; we're happy with what we have. When you trust God with your needs, you live in a constant state of Thanksgiving. You no longer overlook the small things; you rejoice in them. Less is so much more.  Although this is not the motto of the typical preschooler, our prayer for Caleb is that he will grow to give thanks in all things, big and small, on Thanksgiving and everyday!

God put colors for you and me on all of the Indian corn we see!
Brown is for the beauty of fall
Red is God's love for us all
Yellow is for the golden sun
White tells us to love everyone
Orange tells us to give God praise and keep Him with us every day!

"Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!"

As the Thanksgiving weekend came to an end, the countdown to CHRISTmas began!

The awe and wonder of CHRISTmas through the eyes of a child!

Operation Christmas Child

One of my all-time, absolute, favorite things to do is pack shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child! Last year, we began a family tradition that grows as Caleb grows. Caleb's age determines the number of boxes we pack for both boys and girls. Since Caleb is 4, we packed 4 girl boxes and 4 boy boxes. The boxes are then packed with items for children his age. In the weeks leading up to our shopping trip, Caleb shared his heart about what he wanted to give to the little boys and girls. He must do his best thinking in the shower, because one evening he said, "We need to send Lysol." I asked, "Why Lysol?" He responded, "Because if they don't have anything, they can't protect against germs." I was speechless and absolutely amazed at his understanding. A few days later, he asked, "Do the little boys and girls know about Jesus? If not, we could send them Bibles." His other wish was to give the children something to hold. We couldn't send Lysol, but we did send hand wipes. We found stuffed animals that were also puppets, perfect for snuggling. Best of all, Papa Dave and Grandma Sandy had little New Testaments, all different colors, that needed homes! Caleb helped with every stage of the process from shopping to packing. As a family, we prayed over the boxes and the precious children who would soon receive them. A month later, we learned that our boxes were shipped to the Philippines! One of the greatest ways we've found to show Caleb and the world who Jesus really is is through the simple gift of a shoe box!

Sorting complete!

Let the packing begin!

Caleb's pick for the little girls

T-shirts for the little boys

The guys team up to pack boxes with all things boy

From the heart and hands of one precious little boy to another

Next stop, the Philippines!

Hockey Night with Friends

We joined our friends for an evening of fun as we cheered on the Arizona Ice Cats! Another young man, by the name of Caleb, was celebrating his 10th birthday, and we had a blast sharing in his special day! That evening, they were collecting teddy bears for charity. Earlier that day, Caleb carefully selected a black bear to toss on the ice. He waited with great anticipation for the Ice Cats to score and his chance to toss his bear, but unfortunately the Cats were scoreless. However, that didn't seem to dampen anyone spirits, especially his. He enjoyed hot mini doughnuts with Daddy and much play time with his buddy, Julia! At the end of the night he got his chance to toss his bear and a puck unto the ice. Neither made it unto the ice, but fortunately he was given a second chance with his bear. That bear is now on its way to a new home, where we pray it will bring much joy to a little child. We are thankful for great friends, great fun and the chance to bring joy to a child in need.

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