Lily's 8th Art Themed Birthday Party

We celebrated Lily's eight birthday with an art-themed party this year.  We decided on three different crafts to do, I prepped the supplies before hand, and on the day of it was easy to just dive in and enjoy the day with all the girls. It helped that we had several older girls there to help the younger ones!

First, the girls made lip gloss. I don't think I took any pictures of the finished products, but it was very simple and easy. I ordered small containers on Amazon, bought a tub of petroleum jelly (Target brand) and several packets of unsweetened Kool-Aid mix. They used craft sticks to mix the contents together on a paper plate, and then transferred the lip gloss into the containers.

The second craft was a rainbow mosaic. I cut out rainbow shapes from a cardboard box I bought from Home Depot for $1.68. Then I used spray paint to make them all gold. It was a color I had in the garage from a project I never did, lol.  While at Home Depot, I took the opportunity to grab several handfuls of paint samples from the paint department. I cut those up and used them for the mosaic tiles. Finally, the girls dotted and slathered glue on the cardboard and stuck the cardstock paint swatches in place. We added a little glitter to glam them up and voila!

The third and final craft was a painting we did using various acrylic paints.  I found a cute template online that I printed and transferred onto a thin piece of plywood. Mike bought a piece from Home Depot that he said was around $12. I used his jigsaw and cut it into 12 equal pieces, then rounded and sanded the edges. Then I drilled two small holes into the tops of each piece and once the painting was complete we uses hemp to make a hanger. They did so great and even Cary made a masterpiece that's currently hanging by her bed!

Of course the trusty Oreo cupcake had to make its annual appearance for Lily's party. She wanted a pull-apart cake this year and I was all about it because that made the dispensing very easy. Overall, it was a great party.

There was lots of swimming and eating and enjoying this life that God has given us. Every year, I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate these beautiful girls that God has given me and Mike to steward. What a gift!

Lily Turns EIGHT

 Wow, it's hard to believe that the girl who made me a mama is now EIGHT years old! 

Lily, 

You are such a treasure! From creating art and stories, to putting on shows and organizing ideas, to reading books and watching Bates with the gals, to making pancakes, muffins, cupcakes and cookies (without my assistance), to swimming and diving in the ocean... it is a true joy to watch you grow and learn. You are such a helpful big sister, daughter and friend! You genuinely love and care for others, and I'm thankful for your joyful attitude when Daddy or I ask you to do a task/chore. 

Your knowledge and love of scripture has increased with each year, and I pray that God would keep you on the straight and narrow for His glory. I pray the Holy Spirit would continually work in your heart to bring that knowledge of Him in alignment with your actions, words, attitude and heart desires.

One of your best friends just moved away yesterday and though I know you're sad, you're handling it like a champ! I'm looking forward to learning alongside you this coming year in third grade as we begin our homeschool journey together. Watching you in second grade at public school was so neat. You never had to be reminded to do your homework, and I was surprised at how fast you and Emma fell into a routine. Your teacher had nothing but positive things to say about your work ethic and concern for others as well as your academic performance. All glory be to God! 

I remember clearly all those moments as an infant when we couldn't calm you down or get you to stop screaming. All I could do was cry because that wasn't how I pictured motherhood. It was HARD. Boy am I thankful you outgrew that stage!

Happiest of birthdays, my love.  Can't wait to celebrate with your friends next week!

Love, 

Mommy

 

End of School Year - May 2022

Lily and Emma just finished school for the year. Lily second and Emma kinder. We celebrated with ice cream at Baskin Robbins! They had great teachers and learned a whole lot this year. Emma learned to read and Lily made great leaps and bounds in her reading skills as well. They are barely on par for math, but I'm hoping it will click this next year as we move back toward a more traditional approach with our homeschool curriculum. 

We recently finished up AWANA and hosted pool parties for their classes. Not a ton of families came, but it was neat (at least for me) to see them interact with their classmates outside of school!

We went camping at Malaekahana the beginning of the month with our bestie families. We had Lily's piano recital at church and attended Prisma's Dance and Acro spring recital in Waimanalo. We soaked up time with the Olson's as we'll have to say Aloha when they move this week. We had Tucker, Logan, Alex and Jordan over to help us with house stuff. Lily's baking skills improved as she made treats for Family Group on Wednesday nights. Emma continued with gymnastics in Aiea. I bought a table for the back lanai and refinished it. I messed it up, then kinda fixed it again... I also found outdoor chairs at Marshalls and TJ Maxx. We celebrated Quinn, Lyla and Etta Rae's birthdays early in the month and several baptisms at KoOlina! And finally, I attended the annual MOMS Club banquet with the ladies at the Hideaway.

Mike just came out of a long and tiring month of shift work at the ship yard. Working around the clock for almost the entire month of May. He didn't have many days off and there were a couple of weeks when he worked twelves. I know it was hard for him, but he didn't make it a habit of complaining at all. I love that about him.  He does what he needs to do and tries to honor the Lord in everything, even when it's not easy. 

For both myself and Mike it has been a little depressing health-wise these last few weeks/months. It seems we have had various sicknesses plaguing our house on rotation. Also, because of feeling unwell and working a ton, neither of us have been very diligent about focusing on exercise. It's just a domino effect really, when those endorphins aren't flowing it seems to trickle down to mood and other physical issues like back and shoulder pain, etc. All that to say that we are looking forward to a summer of fun! Less strenuous work for Mike at the shipyard and more focus on exercise and eating healthier and working on the house plus family time together.

Here are some recent pictures to remind us of the end of the year:

Oh, and we got our first family pet:  Meet Cupcake in the second picture :)

 

A Poem for the Season

A poem for this season we're in right now...

Spring has sprung, the breeze is here On top of this mountain, a brand new year.
The sun is shining, the water is shimmering
The trees are dancing, the birds are flittering. 

Quiet assaults me, big girls at school
Later, I want to go sit by the pool.
Candle alight, the pool pump is humming
Hints of floral remind me summer is coming.

Lanai is unfinished, wood is still showing
Jets overhead and lawn mowers mowing.
Swingset abandoned, clubhouse intact
Plenty of toys are remaining, in fact.

Puddle jumpers and balls strewn about the yard
Bug catchers, buckets, dolls with faces marred.
Watering cans, slides, zero gravity chairs
Deflated flamingos and blocks litter the stairs.

The clouds float by westward, and tiny birds feed their young
The Ponytail Palm–with its crown of five branches–looks glum.
Pink and purple lawnmower, blue trampoline
A tarp on the roof, and grass that is green.

These days are precious and fleeting I must say
For soon my girls will be off making their own way.
For now, I’ll enjoy the time we’ve been given
Messes and crafts–it’s just how we are livin’.

Teach me, O Lord, to number my days
Help me to know and walk in your ways.
My life’s not my own, it was bought at a price
Help me to honor YOU as a mother and wife.

A Prayer to Make it Through the Day

Oh Lord, keep my feet from slipping today. More so than my feet, keep my tongue from slipping. I pray I would be encouraging to others through my words today. In particular, I pray I would speak uplifting words to my girls. That I wouldn't lash out in anger, but would be self-controlled by the power of your Spirit.

Point me back to your word in times of joy and hardship. May I not lean on my own understanding.

All for your glory.  Amen.