The Gratitude Box

Thanksgiving is fast approaching.... so many things for which to be thankful!  Today I decided to get out our gratitude box from last year and start working on updating it for this year.   

The idea came from the children's ministry at our church last year and I liked it so much that we decided to make one out of shoebox last year.  
Today seems like the perfect time, the day after the presidential election and elections all over the country (with all of the concerns on both sides of the political aisle), for focusing on thankfulness.  It might be just what we need to remember most.  Thankfulness in light of what is truly important in our lives.  

So we got started.... I got out the construction paper and we started drawing leaves to cut out.  On the back of those leaves we'll write things for which we are thankful and drop them in the box each week.  It doesn't have to be a specific day or a specific number of leaves.  Just whenever any of us feel thankful the marker and paper leaves are there to drop in the box.  Every few days we'll read those leaves and think about and talk about what each of us is thankful for.  

I have one son who loves to draw.  An older son who doesn't especially like to.  One was fine, the other became frustrated with the task of leaf drawing and he got grumpy!  
So we decided to "trace" leaves we had left over from last year and that seemed to work.  I grabbed my laptop too and decided a little bit of Mozart was in order.... Mozart is always good for grumpiness.   

We kept cutting, drawing, tracing and listening and talking about things we were thankful for.   I started reading some of the leaves from last year.  Very sweet.  We lost electricity last year around this time and there was more than one leaf with "Thankful to have electricity so we can run appliances" or "Thankful for the Duke Energy People".  I thought of all of the people in New Jersey and New York without power and water from Hurricane Sandy.  We have power right now.  We have water.  We take that for granted.  We have so much to be thankful for..... We must keep the people in need in our prayers and be generous with our gifts what ever they may be!

At one point Philip, our 8 year old impulsively left the table and went outside.  He came back with some fallen Maple leaves from our next door neighbor's Maple tree.  He decided he wanted to trace a real leaf instead of a paper one.

He did a good job!

My other son was starting to come around too.  He rewrote the Bible verse on the inside of the box and he and I started putting some of last year's leaves in the box.  He read them as he put them in and tried to guess who wrote each sentiment.

A minute or so later I switched to another Mozart concerto for us to listen to.  Philip started asking questions like, "Did Grandmom like this song?"  I told him, "Well, I don't know if she knew it, but I know if she heard it, she would like it."  So many things going on in an 8 year old mind when it comes to grieving a grandparent.  It was sweet to hear him process and talk about Mom.

Philip must have also seen us putting the leaves in the box because then next thing I saw was a leaf on which he had written a little message for the box.  It was not a paper leaf.  It was one of the actual Maple leaves he'd brought to the table.

The first one was for his daddy.  So sweet.  Then he had to make one for all of us! 

I gave him a big hug.  I feel loved!  
And his big brother by this time said, "I'm not grumpy anymore Mommy."  To think of that.... thankfulness and feeling appreciated cured the grumpy morning my middle schooler was having.  Awesome is what I say!  I was right.  Thank you Lord for prompting me to get out the gratitude box today.  It is what we needed to focus on today and in the days to come.
Can't end here without showing the last two leaves Philip shared.

Grandparents make such an impact on their grandchildren..... 
So completely grateful!  

I will continue to remember Lamentations 3:21-23 in the days and months ahead.  

"Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love

we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail,

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness."

Yes, every day is new!  God's mercies and compassions are new every single day for all of us!  I am holding on to those precious words.

My oldest son, Joseph wrote on a paper leaf as we wrapped up our little project.  It said, "I love my family and friends"  I gave him a hug.  He reiterated, "Mommy, I'm not grumpy anymore." with a huge smile. 

Thankful, yes, so very thankful!

For the Love of a Wooly Bear Caterpillar

It started in Valle Crucis this year.  Mike and I were on a little retreat to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary last weekend.  We were out back of the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, NC and saw a couple of children looking around in the tall grass near an old barn.  They were trying to find Wooly Bear Caterpillars.  

We found a couple as well and knew that this would be the best present our 8 year old Philip could ever want from the NC mountains.... well except maybe a baby Mallard Duck.  Ha!
So we brought two home, one for Joseph and one for Philip. We don't see many of these around our yard, so we knew it would be fun for a day or so to watch them and then set them free.

What Philip did decide to do is draw them.  

All of us have a Nature Study Notebook.  
We draw things we admire in nature and it's fun to go back and look at the boys' drawings when they were 6 years old or 8 years old and see how their drawings have changed and improved as they have grown.

One thing for certain as I look back on their drawings is this.... they always love to draw insects.  And Philip has drawn the Wooly Bear many times.  Something about the Wooly Bear is just special.

We looked up what they like to eat.  Dandelions was a favorite.  We were able to pick a few in the backyard and I must say, the Wooly Bear got VERY excited when he discovered the flower as you shall see.....

What I love about these photos is how simple life can be.  How truly special it is to just appreciate nature and the small things in life.  My sons help me to do that all the time.  Nothing seems to get unnoticed with these two.  I guess I just crave simplicity right now. I always have but even more so these days.  

God really does teach me a lot through our sons.  I'm forever grateful.

When drawing a caterpillar make sure your specimen is close by or by Philip's preference, ON your paper.  They have a tendency to want to escape or hide which of course can be quite comical and distracting.  Having something close by they love also helps keep them busy, but seeing as caterpillar attention spans are quite short they will still wander off.  (Smile)

It's fun to stop in the middle of your drawing and observe.
"Will he move up the Dandelion stem??  Hmmmm...."

Don't forget to draw the things your Wooly Bear likes to eat.  

Enjoy your Wooly Bear's excitement of his Dandelion.
Make sure you take lots of photos of his activity.  You never know what the Wooly Bear may do.

Mr. Wooly Bear was craning straight up looking so happy.  Philip told me, "He's praising God! Look at him!  He's grateful for his Dandelion."  I thought that was the cutest thing I'd ever heard in my life.  A caterpillar praising the Lord..... well of course he was!
(Big smile)

It's ok to bring another Wooly Bear on your notebook to keep the other one company.  Just make sure he has his own Dandelion to keep him happy also.

This is what happens when you give your Wooly Bear two Dandelions.  He will get excited and explore the new one.

How long will my little boy appreciate Wooly Bears?  How long will he want to draw them in his notebook?  We'll have the memories for a long time and the photos too.  I like to capture these moments because life is a gift and oh so short and I don't want them to forget our simple home schooling days while they were young.  
We set them free that afternoon and watched one sit on a tree root for a long time.  The other one ambitiously took off across the grass to the Pear tree.  Happy to be back in nature, but I wonder if he misses those tall grasses of Valle Crucis? 

History Home School Days in Jamestown, VA

The week after Labor Day we took school on the road and spent a week touring Historical sights in Virginia related to the Revolutionary War time period.  It was a wonderful week, full of hands on learning, living history and adventure.  It's nice with home schooling to have the flexibility of going and doing when it is convenient for us as a family.  Mike cannot take time off during the summer months due to the nature of his job.  So, September has become our favorite month for taking our time together as a family for vacation and learning.  

Day 1:
Jamestown Settlement- Jamestown, Virginia 
Enjoy these photos on the link above which I posted on Facebook.  Beautiful weather was with us all week.

Running for His First Touchdown

Philip J. ran for his first touch down last night during game three of Victory Sports Flag football spring season.

What a moment for him!  

He couldn't believe he did it.  

I've seen him run those fields many times during his brother's football practices.  My son LOVES to run.  Sometimes he'll just run along the out of bound lines just because he wants to.  

He and his brother run our backyard quite a bit as well.  Big brother chasing younger brother with the football.  They keep a pretty good pace with one another.

 This was a great lesson for Philip in listening, following through, and giving your best last night.  When coach tells you to run the ball down the side lines because it is wide open and you listen and give it your best, amazing things can happen. 

Thank you Victory Sports!  Being a part of the Victory family really is a wonderful thing.  It's a an awesome setting for a child to learn team building, sports skills, and learn about the Lord all in one place.  I'm so grateful for what Greg and Mia's ministry has provided for our sons.  

Philip we are so proud of you!  Next game Thursday May 17 on the Flint Hill Fields. 

His First Flag Football Game

My little Philip is growing up....

 Time seems to go by faster now that he's almost eight.  I don't know where the time is going, I just know it's not stopping and I'm having a hard time keeping up!

It was his first flag football game ever on Friday evening.

We participate in Victory Sports, which we've been a part of since Joseph was in Kindergarten in 2006.  We started with soccer, but along the way Joseph found flag football and has never looked back.  Of course his little brother has been watching him for 4 seasons and decided just playing with the football in the backyard might not be enough.  He'd like to try being on a team.  So this season he is part of one of the 1st and 2nd grade teams.... the Falcons.  

Their team color is red.  Red is Philip's favorite color.  How cool is that for your first flag football team to be your favorite color!

It was great watching him play.  Mike's Mom, Grace, watched the game with us.  She actually did a wonderful thing for me this day by letting the boys play at her house so I could take my mother to the doctor.  She was so very kind to me!  She is just a wonderful and loving person.  The best mom in law I could ever have hoped for!  She loved seeing Philip play in his very first game!! 

My two boys are enjoying football this year so far.  I'm so happy for them.  Joseph can't ever wait for practice to start or for his games to begin.  His enthusiasm is contagious!  I hope it rubs off on Philip as time goes by!  Joseph is his number one fan!

 Here's to a great spring season! 

Our First Day of Spring

The first day of spring was beautiful today.  A Carolina spring.....I love spring here.  I truly do.  We decided to go to Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont, North Carolina to celebrate today.  What was even better was that Mike was able to join us, as he was working on that side of Gaston County today.  It worked out so well.  What a huge surprise when we arrived and found the Cherry trees in full bloom flanking each side of the entrance to Daniel Stowe.  Tulips and Daffodils were everywhere.  There were three of us with cameras taking pictures.  The boys really do enjoy photography.  I'm so happy about that.  They certainly have to stop for me all the time to take photos.  Today I had to stop occasionally for them to snap pictures.  Bring me to a garden any day and you'll see one happy person.  Being in nature and surrounded by flowers is one of my very favorite things to do.  Since the flowers will change so often, we are going to go back more frequently to take advantage of our membership to the gardens.  
Daniel Stowe Gardens is truly a little piece of heaven. I love this place!

Thank you Lord God for such a lovely day!