Thought for the Day

"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one." John 17:15

I came across this verse today, and I think I'm going to use it as a daily prayer for my girls...probably for the rest of their lives! I've been feeling a lot of fear and uncertainty about raising my girls lately. The knowledge of what they will face as they grow up in such an ungodly world can overwhelm me at times. Praise God that He has overcome the world! I know I don't need to fear, but I definitely need daily reminders that God loves my children more than I do, and that He is in control of their lives.

Some good books I've come across lately that I have either enjoyed reading or am looking forward to reading, and I recommend:

Raising a Daughter After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George

Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Girl by Dannah Gresh

8 Great Dates for Moms & Daughters by Dannah Gresh

First Day of School!

Aaaahhhhh! It's the first day of school!

Jaclyn and Ashlyn started school today!

This is a big year for us because it's the first year that both of them will be in school full time. Another big thing is that we're transitioning to a new school this year: North Bend Elementary.

Ashlyn is in Kindergarten this year, and she is definitely ready to learn! She's a talented little girl, so I look forward to seeing her grow throughout this year. Her teacher is Mrs. Glanz.

She had no troubles at all this morning. There were some "table toys" for her to work with at her desk, so she got right to it. I helped her introduce herself to her tablemates, kissed her goodbye, and that was it. I'm glad it was a smooth morning!

Her kindergarten classroom:

Here is a picture that Ashlyn drew at school today. I thought it was blog-worthy. :)

Jaclyn is in 2nd grade this year. She was excited to start the school year, but also a little uncertain about what the new school would bring. However, she had a great day today, so I think the transition will go smoothly. I'm excited to see her grow and learn this year too!

She is in a 2nd/3rd combo class, and her teacher is Mrs. Vogelgesang (they call her Mrs. V).

The girls have lockers almost right across from each other, so that's really nice.

Another great year has begun!

Last Days of Summer

Well, summer's over.
I really can't believe how fast it went.
We spent the last couple of days doing some fun things for the girls. Last week, Jaclyn and Ashlyn got to experience "camping" for the first time. They slept in a tent with Aunt Jill in her backyard. They had a lot of fun making smores and sleeping under the stars. I'm proud of them for making it the whole night!

And then yesterday we spent part of the day at City Park. We hadn't been there at all yet this summer, so the girls really enjoyed it. Lots of fun all around!

It Is Finished!

Our basement is done!! It was wrapped up about 2 weeks ago, right as my sister and kids came into town. So, it has taken us a little bit to get settled, but we are done! It's pretty bare for now, but eventually we'll get some furniture and we'll finish the little wet bar area and a built in bookcase.
So, here is what we added to our house...

Living Room

Play Room

Jaclyn's bedroom

Bathroom

Guest bedroom

We finally have room to breathe!

A Special Visit

We had special visitors the last two weeks at our house. My sister and her 3 kids came to visit us while Craig was away. They arrived right as the carpet guys for the basement were leaving, so things were a bit unsettled, but they were very easy-going about it all. So, they helped me get things moved around, and then we had some fun pool and shopping time toward the end of the week. It's always fun when they come around!

This year we had an extra special visitor. Katelyn stayed with us for an extra week and attended Craig's volleyball camp. The girls had a lot of fun and enjoyed playing volleyball (even Ashlyn...she did great as a Kindergartener!) and lots of free play time together!

Here are the 3 older girls in their matching pajamas, courtesy of Nana.

It didn't work so well getting Kendall to cooperate, but she decided to stay put if Craig was holding her.

Wooing Wed Widinghood

Jaclyn had fun participating in the play, Wooing Wed Widinghood, last weekend. She was Louise the UPS girl, and she did great! It was quite a committment, but it was a very good experience, and I know she learned a lot about what it takes to do theater. We're proud of you, sweetheart!

Here's the entire cast, although Jaclyn is hidden behind the dragon!