9 years old....

Shashamane.
A royal name for a royal girl.
You are my little tag-along,
always by my side.
I loved you from the minute I saw you and live you more every minute that passes.
I love watching you grow and mature.
Although I have to admit, when I see you run iff with your friends at the dance studio laughing and giggling...It makes me a little sad.
SAD because you are not so little anymore.
You are GROWING UP.
9 years old seems like FOREVER when watching a soul bloom.
It seems like an eternity and a moment at the same time.
I cherish these days.
Because...RIGHT NOW- In your eyes, I am still cool...you still want to cuddle with me at night and you have NO INTEREST in boys.
It is PERFECT....
I pray that we will forever be Besties....no matter your age.
I pray that you stay true to YOU and never lose your fire.
I pray you KNOW God loves you...so that you love yourself.
I pray that when you are a teenager you can learn from SOME of my mistakes....so that you don't HAVE to make ALL your own.
Happy 9th Birthday Baby!!!!

Cards and "Causes"

Kids are funny.....
An ...I am learning, that the OLDER the kids get- the FUNNIER they are.
Their PERSONALITIES are forming and they are HYSTERICAL people.
This week...Zeek got a card in the mail from some close family friends.
It had a card and inside was a $10 McDonald's gift card.
As you can imagine he was so excited....he ran right inside and put that bad-boy in his wallet.

That was it.
I never heard anything else about it.
THEN.....
Yesterday he saw Fran and Willy(the family friends who gave him the card).
I reminded him that he had gotten the card and that he should go THANK THEM.
He walked away to talk to them, and I figured I didn't need to follow.

Lesson learned.
I should have followed.....
JUST
FOR
A
GOOD
LAUGH!!!

Later on that day I was told that THIS is how the conversation went:

Zeek:  Thank you for the McDonald's card I got for my Birthday.

Frannie: Your Welcome!!! Do you think you can use THAT?

Zeek: YES!!!! The KIDS are ALWAYS running around hungry.
           So THANK YOU for helping with "the cause".



OMG!!!!
Could he be ANY more sweet OR more caring????

GOD LOVE HIM!!!!
He gets a card for his Birthday and he WANTS to share it. AMAZING!!!


THEN.....
He got a YOBE (frozen yogurt place) from my friends Nancy and Matt.
I JOKINGLY said, "Oh good, you can take me for YOGURT.!!!!"

Then as to call my bluff, he said...
"Ill take everyone for yogurt!"

And once again...
he made my heart swell.

It made me think....

"THIS KID IS GOING TO DO AMAZING THINGS ONE DAY...."

then

I

thought...

"Silly woman...He is doing AMAZING things TODAY!"

Sweet, Brilliant boy.

Proof Positive..........

How in the world has it been 11 years????

It seems like yesterday and forever ago at the same time.

11 years ago today we went from JUST THE 2 of us...to family.
I had no idea what an IMPACT you would have in my life.
We were all babies then....
We were all fresh to our new lives.
It was the begenning of OUR new life as a family.
We had been thru a FIRE to be together and YOU were the prize.
YOU were my PROOF....a manifestation of GOD'S LOVE for me.
I remember thinking that I COULD NOT BELIEVE they were going to just
let
us
leave with you.


I knew NOTHING about being a Mother.
I was broken, flawed, and rebelious.
How could I deserve YOU???

How could I be WORTHY of you???
I had no idea that it was all inside me.
You have been one of the most influencial people in my life.
I have learned sooo much from you in the last 11 years.
You have taught me to be honest, caring, and sympathetic.


You amaze me more and more everyday.
I am sooo proud of the person you ahve become.
Thru you, I learn more and more about myself everyday.
I love to see you care for and love your brother and sisters.
You are a GOLDEN example of a good brother and thoughtful leader.

Thru you I SEE God.

Thank you for being you.
And
THANK GOD for trusting us enough to give us something
SO
WONDERFULLY MADE.


You are a TRUE blessing, son.

We love you FOREVER and ALWAYS.

Happy 11th Birthday, Ezekiel!!!

Bday LOVE....

Being far from family is soooo hard....

Especially on special days like birthdays.

This year Pawpaw and Mimi Suzy sent Sheba money on a gift card so that she could spend it herself.

She had a BLAST spending her money and LOVED every minute of it.

THANK YOU !!!! THANK YOU !!!!! THANK YOU!!!!THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU !!!!!!!

The Perfect Party…. <3

1o years.

Its a BIG one.

It deserves a party.

Especially when the 10 year old is as SPECIAL as Ezekiel.

He’s amazing.

sweet

caring

loving

giving

golden

So when Sunday finally arrived…he was STOKED.

He could hardly wait till 5pm.

We cleaned, hung the lights, cooked the food, and set up the backyard….

all in preparation for the big “10th Birthday Movie Mash up!”

The party was amazing.

31 kids from the ages of 15 years to 5 months.

 

  

It was a LOVE fest of friends and family.

We all ate Jays famous HOMEMADE CLAM CHOWDER and Taco soup.

And Josiah's Mom made Zeek 2 cakes.

She made him a guitar cake AND a chocolate cheesecake.

AWESOME!!!!

Jay set up his sound system so we had FULL MUSIC all night long.

AND our dear friend  Matty brought his famous bean bag toss.

SOOOOOOOO FUN!!!

The blessing of LIFE were so evident that day.

Everywhere you looked there was a little pocket of LOVE.

Fireside

or

on the Trampoline

or

in the kitchen.

Love EVERWHERE.

 

Then…when the night fell…

we turned on the movie projector and watched “How to Train a Dragon” under the stars …Fireside!!

Could it have been more cool????

At about 10pm everyone was leaving and the Night was getting settled in…

The tents were set up.

1 girls tent with 4 girls.

1 boys tent with 6 boys.

1 FULL MOON.

and 1 very LOVING Daddy who was willing to sleep outside with them.

It is an amazing thing to watch Jay CONSTANTLY give the kids the gift of MEMORIES.

Gifts money CAN’T buy.

Memories that can only be bought with  the currency of  TIME.

This party was AMAZING.

Memories were made.

Friends and fellowship.

All under a HUGE full moon.

Sweet.

On Loan from GOD……

 

 

 

How did this happen???

Where did time go????

When did it  slip away from me????

I demand to know!

10 years ago today we were BLESSED with a son.

He brightened our lives from DAY 1.

He has a LIGHT in his eyes, so easy to see.

Loving and Caring and SWEET as can be.

With a heart that is weaved of LAUGHTER and LIGHT.

And a smile that  makes you fell like MID-FLIGHT!

He is the most GIVING person I’ve ever seen…

and RARE is the  day you  see him be mean.

He’s WILDLY inventive and smart as can be….

with an INTUITION that freaks out even ME!

10 years ago we were granted a GIFT.

a wonderful, amazing, sacred gift.

On LOAN from God…we were given this chance .

What a wonderful life with him in THIS DANCE.

To Ezekiel ….our firstborn son .

Your work in this world is FAR from DONE.

May your life be  JOYOUS and DEVINE.

May the  God in you FOREVER SHINE.

Spiderman Adventures and Dinosaur Dreams………..

Malachi had his party today in what we “Floridians” call FREEZING weather.

It was 53.

COLD.

Malachi had a great time.

He played with all his friends at PROJECT SWING.

 

 

 

THEN….We sang “happy Birthday” and had DINOSAUR CAKE!!!!!

YUMMY!!!

  

Aunt Amy brought hot cocoa and we had a little food…….

AND…..

He got LOTS of GREAT PRESENTS!!!!!

(Thank You ALL!!!!)

Sorry for any gifts I didnt get pics of(football,PJs and Jags jerseyx2, Hot wheels, sword, ninja, electronic drum set!)

He had a great time !!!!

It means alot to us that even on a “FREEZING” day…we can come together and still be WARM.

ANd tonight after he played with EACH and EVERY toy and watched adinosaur movie he climbed in bed …

held tight to his new spiderman(thanks Aunt Ci ndy) and fell asleep surely having SPIDERMAN ADVENTURES and DINOSAUR DREAMS!!!!