The Help/Redeeming Love

Claire sporting her new sweater dress and UGG boots for fall!!

One of Addie's new school outfits, she is so sassy!

Claire on Kristin's pony that Grace showed in the lead line class at the Celebration. She loved riding on the pony!

Ok, I finished The Help 2 weeks ago and loved loved loved it!!! For my friends that want a good read it is excellent. I finished reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers last week and it was probably my favorite so far. She is a fiction Christian writer and it was based on the book of the Bible, Hosea. If you haven't read it get it, it is really good. I just started Water for Elephants this past Friday and so far so good.

Hope all is well with my friends and family that I haven't spoken to in a while. The Lewis family is staying super busy and loving it!! Addie has started taking tap/ballet classes and really is enjoying it. She continues to love school and is reading small amounts more and more every week. She came home today and informed me she learned about the food pyramid and wanted to know why I would buy Fruit Loops for her when "clearly mom, Cherrios are better for me"!! Wow, she really is paying attention.

Little Claire is continuing to grow....rapidly!! Chris and I laugh and call her our little Amazon baby because she towers over the other kids her age. She can't wear any of the shoes Addie wore at her age!! I must go shopping, darn it : ). I love them dearly and they make me crazy daily and I love it!!

I love you all!! Have a life changing week!! Until we talk again.....

Let's READ!

I am really trying to make time for stress relief and in doing so I am trying to read a new book at least once a week or so. I have recently finished reading EAT PRAY LOVE and thought it was TERRIBLE!! I was hoping for a great spiritual walk with God book and it was anything but. I forced myself to read it, but only enjoyed maybe 1/3 of it? The part where she traveled to India was horrible. I should have stopped reading after the first section when she stated that she believed there wasn't one way to God. That she differed from Christians in the fact that she believed there was anyway to God. I should have burned it at that point. Oh well, I know I won't be seeing the movie that stars Julia Roberts.

I just finished The Shack today. I thought it was a good read. Involves a father that looses his daughter when camping. Someone abducts her and he walks the walk with God after this tragedy in his life. Lots of people have read it and I wanted to. A few things I didn't "jive" with was that God is Papa and is a black woman. The Holy Spirit is a woman and that was just a little odd for me. I also pray that the book doesn't miss guide someone since it is fiction in believing that you can be saved without experiencing the blood of Jesus/his salvation for us. I don't know I didn't think it was real clear in this book, but again it was fiction.

I am on to another book tomorrow, will let you know what it is.

Addie's First Day of Kindergarten

Addie was ready for her first day. It was on a Wednesday so Chris and I were both off and able to take her. She went right in and smiled and never cried or missed a beat. She turned around to us and told us bye. Claire didn't really understand and she tried to walk down the hall with Addie in line. When I grabbed Claire then the tears began for Claire. Poor little goose didn't know what was happening! Chris and I hadn't even worried about Claire and she was the one that ended up crying.

Addie walking down the kindergarten hallway to her class.

Addie's classroom

Addie and her kindergarten teacher Mrs. Emily

Addie's first day of Kindergarten....sort of

Addie starts to school tomorrow, sob sob sob.... We went to preregistration last week and her kindergarten teacher at North Stewart Elementary is Mrs. Emily Andrews. Addie was so excited to meet her and loved playing in the classroom with all the toys. Addie goes tomorrow for her first full day, but it is testing that the state requires for each student entering kindergarten. She will go next Tuesday as well and then she starts going every day starting next Thursday.

We are all ready excited that we know her teacher, Chris grew up in church with Emily and everyone has gone on and on about her so that makes me feel good.

Tonight we packed Addie's backpack with all her school supplies and made her lunch. I showed her the lunchbox and made sure she could open everything and when I went to pack it all up, Claire got into the lunchbox when I turned my back and she took off with Addie's Cheetos : ). It made me laugh pretty hard. I CAN'T believe this day is here. Will I cry or not cry, this is the question!!! Will let you know..............

Blessed beyond the Negative

Wow! Lately I have to remind myself to look at the good things in my life. There can be so much in a days time that you worry over, cry over, listen to that just about can drive you nuts. Am I the only one? Who in your family isn't getting along with who.....who at work is now complaining about who and what isn't right or fair.......who isn't happy with their own current circumstances....who wants to complain about all the dust on the hardwood floor or tables at my house??? ME!!!! I just have to separate myself away from all the negative lately. Tell those voicing it or thinking it (me) that we are all missing the BIG picture in this world.

It doesn't matter that we all don't get along or aren't very best friends, but step up and be the christian person that is in you and turn the other cheek!! UGH, do I sound frustrated??

Do others have to point out to me about what I have and what they don't have? Or why do I need to look at what others have that I don't have? Why would I think twice about that? I know my family are good stewards with our money and that is all I need to or they need to focus on.

I need to get off my little soap box, so that is that. It's my blog and I can vent when I want to, vent when I want to....

No, but really my positives in such a negative society, economy, DAY is that I love every bit of my man, and my sweet two little girls beyond anything in this world. I love the fact I can see animals owned by people that love them and I make them better because I saw them that day. I love the clients that see that and thank or hug me for it. I DON'T live for the people that want to act hateful and say, "Yeah, she is no better and I am tired of coming here for 3 weeks and I didn't apply the medicine like you said, but she isn't any better."???? What, are you seriously admitting that to me lady??? When I lie down at night I LONG to see Jesus face to face where there will be NO negative days for me!! Amen and good night

Blackberry patch pickin'

For the past 4 years I have taken Addie to pick blackberries in Elkton, KY. There is an old client of mine Margerite Oakes that owns the Tin Barn and she sells them as well as blueberries and day lilies. Claire has gotten to go with us the past 2 years. This year we didn't get to pick very many because they were pretty picked over (I got us there too late!). We picked a few and then had to buy the rest so I could make jam and cobbler. I hated having to buy the pre-picked ones because it is so much fun getting them yourself. However, I have to work the next 3 Saturdays and she is only open to the public on Saturday. Oh well, the jam turned out great and I loved eating fresh cobbler for supper last night! Can you say sweet tooth?

Claire is proud of her blackberry!

Addie is all about picking.

Addie's prize berry!

My sweaty hot little pickers. Claire got really tired in the hot sun and wanted to be carried and that is when I decided it was time to leave! Addie was not ready to go though.

Fourth of July

We really had a nice July 4th weekend. We were worried that we wouldn't enjoy it because Chris's father was having some tests ran at St. Thomas in Nashville but he did get to come home and we are so thankful he is okay. We ended up postponing our 4th celebration at our house until he is better. We did get to go over to a family gathering at Ronda and Donnie Lewis's farm. Addie was all excited that she was going to get to use her fishing pole she got for her 5th birthday for the first time. Uncle Boyd helped her fish and she didn't want me or Chris to help her. She did end up catching her first fish. She told Boyd that it was going to feed her whole family!

Addie loves her a smore! Aunt Lynn made her one on the fire.

Claire hit it off from the start with Clay and Lacy's "Mimi", Wilby, Boyd's mom. She wanted to hang out with her the whole night! She rode with them in the car up to the fireworks.

Clay and Claire

Boyd, Addie, Lacy, Clay, Claire, and Wilby fishing

Chris wanted to show me the log cabin that Carlos and his wife Theresa had built on the back of their property. It was really neat and we hiked over to it.

Addie's first fish!

My fourth of July cuties

The grand finale that made Claire come up out of her seat! She was done after this one.