Rejoice!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"  -Phil 4:4

A couple of months ago at church we were learning about rejoicing...rejoicing in all things, even through the hard times.

Damie said, "When I think of rejoicing, I think of Victor."

And he's right. Victor is the most good-natured child ever. He rarely gets frustrated or angry when something doesn't go his way. If he trips and falls, runs into something, makes a silly mistake, or even gets pushed on the playground, he laughs as if its the funniest thing in the world. He wakes up with a smile, always has a good attitude and brings joy to everyone around him. 

Not to mention, he is very funny.

His Sunday School teachers have described him as, "The Life of the Party" and the not as flattering, but accurate, "Troublemaker."

The Encourager

Kedrick has always been an encourager. It's nice to have my own little cheerleader. He often says, "Great Job Mom!" with loads of enthusiasm and he never fails to say, "Thank You." 

When I cook something he particularly likes, he'll say, "Yum! This is toasty!" (tr: tasty)

Or, if I give him a special treat like candy or juice, he'll say, "I like it. It makes me feel soooo better."

And, of course, my favorite is when he comes up to me (many times throughout the day), gives me a big hug and says, "Mom, I love you SO much!"

Gramma's Shoes

Gramma has been working hard to convince Victor that God makes rainbows and that she only takes pictures of them. He still isn't convinced. 

On Monday, Damie and I took the boys to buy new summer sandals. They tried them on in the store, stood at the register as we paid for them, and left the store wearing their new sandals. That was just three days ago!

Today when I helped them put on their new sandals, they both told me that Gramma had bought them the new shoes. I explained to them that mommy and daddy did and I recounted our trip to the store, trying on the shoes and buying them. 

Both boys said, "No, Gramma bought new shoes for us." 

Candy Land and the Fireman

Each week or so, the kids memorize a Bible verse. After every four verses, we take them out for a fun treat. This month we took them to Powells Sweet Shoppe in Bown Crossing. We gave them each a bag and let them pick from an assortment of gummy candies. They had a blast! Powells is the most amazing store. And since Gramma came along, Victor also picked out a smiley-face squishy ball and Kedrick, a rubber chicken.

Since we drove all the way across town, we thought we'd enjoy dinner at the Flatbread Pizzaria. Also, a very fun place with great food! Kedrick and Victor each became little chefs as they made their very own personal pizzas.

Papa was unable to join us because he was working. He, once again, has created "Jack's Gym" in the nearby Winco parking lot, clocking around 8 miles each shift keeping the grocery carts in order. The boys didn't understand why Papa couldn't join us in Candy Land, so we stopped by Winco to visit him on our way home. Papa was sporting a very bright, reflective vest. Upon seeing the vest, Victor yelled, "Fire!" (short for fireman).  Now the boys think their Papa is a fireman! Every little boys hero...

Big Brother & Gramma's Rainbow

We took the kids to church on Sunday. We went to Kedrick's class first. As we were signing Kedrick in, he gave Victor a big hug. Then he put both hands on Victor's shoulders, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Victor, you have to go to your class now and I have to go to my class. It'll be okay." Then Kedrick gave Victor another big hug and went into his class. It was so sweet!!! 

We helped out in Victor's Sunday School class that day. As the teacher was reading the story of Noah's ark, Victor said, "Gramma made rainbows." 

Victor thinks Gramma is the giver of all good things. And she often is.

I told Victor that God makes rainbows. He said, "No, GRAMMA makes rainbows."

Potty Prayers

Last night as I was getting the kids ready for bed, I made Kedrick sit on the potty. He absolutely did not want to and went into the bathroom crying and flailing. As I was helping Victor put on his pajamas, I heard Kedrick say, "Help me! Please help me!" I looked over my shoulder into the bathroom and saw Kedrick sitting on the potty, hands folded in front of him, praying fervently and crying, "Jesus, help me!" 

I don't think he was asking for help using the potty. I think he was pleading with Jesus to rescue him from the terrible Mommy-Monster.

Feet

We've been spending much of our time hanging out in the playroom being lazy, since I haven't been feeling the best. One such afternoon, Victor took his nap on the couch. His little feet were sticking out from the blanket. I watched him sleeping peacefully, noticing his adorable little feet. 

I said to Kedrick, "Look at Victor's feet. Aren't they cute?"

Kedrick replied, "Mom, we should tickle them." 

And he did.

Friends

I love these pictures of Victor and his friend Gabby walking together. You can just tell how much Victor adores her!!

Climbing Trees

We met my friend Miranda and her kids at the park today. It looked much warmer outside than it was. After pushing 80 lbs of stroller, kids and gear two and a half miles to get there, I was not too happy about the cold, windy weather. Although, it never seems to bother the kids.

Adrian found a perfect climbing tree, which Kedrick immediately started climbing and wouldn't come down, even after the other kids moved on to another exciting adventure; feeding ducks in a nearby pond.

I was completely unprepared to capture all of the cute things the kids did today, but I was able to get a few shots with my iPhone.