Masterpiece

Yesterday we had our last God's Girls gathering before Summer break.

I've really had a wonderful time with these precious little ladies for the past 4 month.

They are each special and unique.

They are sweet and kind and innocent.

I wanted to send them off for the Summer with the knowledge that they are God's Masterpiece.

Each one of them is a work of art!

I got some little wooden frames and when they arrived, they painted their frames.

They didn't know what they were for.

Their only guideline was that there had to be gold on their frame.

Then we gathered at the table with our tea cups and princess plates for mini pizzas, 

tiny cupcakes and a discussion.

I found the most amazing museum collection books at the Goodwill Bookstore and couldn't pass them up!

For this occasion, I chose the Vatican Museum art to start our conversation about Masterpieces.

We looked at works of art by Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raphael.

I asked them questions about the paintings and why they are considered Masterpieces.

Their responses were perfect!

"They took a long time to paint. 

They are some one's best work.

They are perfected.

They are unique.

They took a lot of hard work."

Then we talked about another artist and creator - God.

We looked in the Bible to find verses that described God's works of art and found that his most precious work of art, his Masterpiece, is us!

I looked at each girl in the eyes, called them by name, 

and told them individually that they are God's Masterpiece.

I had a stack of photos that I had taken of the group over the past 4 months

 and asked them each to choose one for their frame.

On the back of their frame I put Psalm 8 which talks about God's amazing creation and art work, the heavens, the moons and stars, and with all of that, he still has us in the forefront of his mind at all times.

Out of all the incredible things God has made, we are his most valued Masterpiece.

Every Masterpiece is framed in gold in beautiful museums,

that is why I made sure they all added gold to their frames!

Do you know that you are God's Masterpiece?

You are!

Yummy Summer

It's so close I can taste it!

Summer is coming up and I just can't wait.

We have one more week of school and then let the fun begin!

A couple of years back I did a series on my blog called Yummy Summer.

Each week I shared some fun ideas for kids, crafts and recipes to try in the Summer. 

I have to say, that was one of my favorite Summers as a mom thus far.

What I loved so much was that the blog series forced me to be intentional with our Summer and actually do the things I dreamed of doing, not just posting them on our family chalk board.

So... this Summer, I'm bringing back the Yummy Summer series and I hope you'll join me in sharing ideas of things to do with our littles and girlfriends to make this an amazing, intentional Summer!

Yummy Summer will begin Monday, June 2nd.

You can search my blog for "Yummy Summer" to see the posts from a few years back.

Or you can click here

A Little Time Away

Remember that Chicago song,

"everybody needs a little time away.."

I know it was written about a couple needing time away from each other, but I reinterpret it to mean everybody needs a little time away... from their kids!

A few weeks ago we met my parents down in Mexico for a little time away.

It started out great when I was selected as a TSA Pre check - meaning I didn't have to strip down in security.  I didn't have to risk foot fungus and remove my shoes to walk barefooted where thousands walk barefooted each hour.  I didn't need to empty my pockets or do a funky dance in the x-ray machine!  

It was awesome!

We met up for a little fiesta with my folks and enjoyed these incredible Mexican Twinkies - a true gift from the Lord!

 

My daughter drew me this picture and made sure it was in my suitcase for the trip!

Each morning we walked to the "office" to get some work done, aka eat breakfast!

And then we resumed the position - lounging at the pool, gazing at the ocean!

When we got chilly at dinner, they gave us little blankets to put on our shoulders!  Brilliant!

We made it home with 6 to use on our back porch this summer.

Ahhhhh,

What I wouldn't give to close my eyes and be right back there right now.

Chicago was right.

Everybody needs a little time away.

Do you have a get away on your calendar for this year?

Make it happen!

Soccer Mom

Something totally new is happening in our family.

For some of you, you've known no different.

For some of you, this has been your way of life from the start.

For me, it's all new!

SOCCER!!!

Yep, we've got a little player in the house!

We're doing a Spring soccer camp, which means weekly practice and Saturday games.

Can I be totally honest?.... I never played soccer as a kid because I was afraid of the ball!

I didn't like soccer at all.

I hear of all these kids playing soccer and the parents sitting the heat, watching games on the weekends, and it all sounds horrible to me! (just being honest).

I never wanted my kids to do soccer.  

I didn't want to give up my weekends.

Well, what do you do when one of your kids, your daughter!, wants to play?

I guess the good parent thing to do would be to let her!

And what do you do when she smiles the whole time she plays?

I guess you smile too!

I don't know why I gravitate towards the activities I did as a kid and sort of steer my kids away from the stuff I didn't like too much as a kid, but I'm realizing that some things I didn't like as a kid are kinda cool now (well, cool when I'm not the one playing!)!

And you know what?  I actually look forward to going to her games on Saturday mornings!

We committed to the real deal in the Fall - 

I guess I'm going to be a Soccer Mom.

Yikes.

No mini-van yet though!!!

Mother Daughter

On Saturday I got to spend the whole day with my little ladies

on a special Mother Daughter date.

My mom and I have been going on what we call "Mother Daughter" for quite some time!

Here's my mom and I on our Santa Barbara Mother Daughter when I was pregnant with my daughters!

 This is our Mother Daughter crew, doing what we love most!

Talking late in jammies, comfy socks and pizza!

I've known these women since I was 3 years old and they have been my mothers and my sisters!

Such special relationships and memories together!

I've been so excited to do more special things with my daughters to pass the Mother Daughter tradition down to my little loves!  We're not on our weekend get-aways quite yet!  But a whole day together, alone and then with some other mothers and daughters, was just the right start!

We started the day with manis and pedis!

 

 Then we met up with our God's Girls and their moms for tea.

After tea we headed to the theater to see the Sea Princess ballet.

What a special day with my little girls and their amazing friends and moms.

I feel so blessed to have 2 daughters.

I pray that we will have the close relationship that I have with my mom because there is 

something really special about a Mother Daughter relationship!

Splish Splash

Just off the heels of our Mexican vacation,

we had a little pool party to celebrate our girls' 8th birthday!

We did a little fun photo wall and as our guests arrived, they posed with the birthday girls by the water wall.

(the photos will later become our thank you cards)

I pulled some old photos of the girls in bathing suits from the time they were 5 month old!

Made me cry a little!

We made some lemon cupcakes and a 

chocolate "8" pool cake!

In the pool we did some fun relays - 

Instead of diving for things, we threw a ton of ping pong balls in the pool and the teams had to jump in, one at a time, get 1 ball and swim it to a basket at the end of the pool.  The team with the most balls in the basket won!

We also did a little noodle race!

A big SPLASH was had by all!

Whew, another birthday down in the books!

Why do they keep growing?