Month: April 2019

Daddy took Friday off so we could all experience this special day together.

We had a full Friday planned. First, gym of course, then we would come home and pick up our bikes. It was going to be the hottest day of the year so far, so we wanted to finish our bike ride early. We decided to play frisbee because it would be a way to get our wiggles out and it was free! Fun, free, frisbee and Friday. Yes!

When we are on the bike path, only everyone comments to her as she toots by. “Go GIRL! Look at her go!”

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We arrived at the park and stayed in the shade. She is getting it down! Go Tot and Daddy!

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We worked her hard; actually she worked us as she might have missed the aim a few times (wince wince)

Time to go because guess what? We have to cycle home and that is a bit far and we weren’t about to carry her home on our backs. (bike and all, right!?)

All ready!

We headed to SBC after this to go through the stations of the cross for Good Friday. The theme was “TIME.” There is a time for mourning, weeping, joy, and death .(Everything). (Eccles 3). We got there about noon as it shows on this sundial.

The path through the process of His crucifixion was so special. It started with many forms of famous artwork. This was especially memorable.

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Through the path, there was a point where we could lay down and feel the cross and the idea of lifting it up.

We understood the brunt to this day, and at the end we also expressed our overwhelming gratitude for His sacrifice. How can we use our gifts for GOOD? How can we magnify HIM in all we do and say? Easter will be a time of celebration,.

Later that day, my honey worked on the patio door. It is literally falling off the hinges. Guess what was hiding in our patio?

Wait for it….

A bunny! He was looking for the quickest escape. He needed to get ready for Easter, I suppose.

What a fabulously fun, but focused on HIM Friday. We are definitely ready to celebrate His resurrection on Easter morning because our Lord is a GOOD GOOD Father who loves us immensely (John 3:16).

Thank you Tot and Daddy for an amazing day. I love you both.

Tatum has gone through the whole book box at school. These books were the readers which have all the sounds she has learned. She’s “graduated” to books of her choosing!
Well, tonight, she picked the book about Joseph. She was sad about how his brothers treated him. (she knew the story).

Now she’ll read all of it to me. I’m so enjoying her rhythm and pace. She has so much feeling in her read!

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I’m so proud of you, Tatum!

It’s important to match for our weekly meetings, you see. Hay Happens shirts!

Now that we are dressed properly, we can focus on our mission statement.

Daddy then asked us a multiple choice question: Would you like to hear a Bible verse, go on a field trip or conduct a science experiment?

Tot answered correctly: SCIENCE, Daddy!

He talked to us about why we pray. Prayer enlarges our heart and grows our relationship with God. It’s a way we can get closer to Him and a way to grow in LOVE.

We are ready, Daddy, for our experiment. Let’s open the lab now.

He had us write our names on these cups, and then we had a fourth cup for a person who doesn’t not know Jesus (yet!)

Then we added soil and seeds to each cup.

Now, a prayer cup filled with water.

Tatum added water to each cup, but did not add water to the cup for the person who didn’t know Jesus. (and therefore doesn’t pray).

Without prayer, it’s hard to grow. We will watch our cups sprout as time goes on. What a great lesson. The goal here is discussed in 1Thess 5:15. We shall pray without ceasing, but at the same time, rejoicing and thanking God ALWAYS. He grows our hearts as we keep our focus vertically.

I decided to make a BLESSING BOX for our home to make this stick and to remind us to stay focused on our blessings, but also to remember our prayers and see HOW God will answer them.

The yellow cards are for blessings:

Blessings include: our family and family dinners! Tot is grateful for Mommy, Daddy, Mama and Coti.

Prayers are on the orange card.

We’ll keep track of our prayers and write down when they are answered. This is a way to memorialize our blessings and prayers. It’s so important to keep track so we can stay grateful, remembering how GOOD GOD IS. (despite our circumstances).

Thank you, Hay’s, for a great meeting.

Sunday, April 14th, the Hay fam took a bike trip to the new home. We are finally going to start begin the remodeling process. Daddy had to head over to do some yardwork, so we joined him via our bikes.

Here we are! Tot needed to rehydrate with all that pedaling.

Here is a full view!

We entered the kitchen to go over what was going to be done. Doug LOVES these valences.

He should have told me this before we got married so I could reconsider. HAHA. Ok, not really, We’ll use them as cleaning rags most likely. Sorry, past owners.

See the rest! (new appliances, but the rest is going to be torn down).

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Now the living room. Goodbye regally tall fireplace!

We’ll fill in this sunken living room and fix the foyer. Such exciting mysterious mayhem about to happen here.

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We’re excited to see what will happen in the next few months.
The Hay Family will be enjoying the mayhem, but truly it’s merriment because the process is to be valued.

Today, Tatum gets to wear PJ’s to school. They are going to be reading all day long and eating popcorn.

She opted for a giraffe theme. I caught her practicing reading early this morning when she thought I was still in my bedroom.

Then, I came in and she read the I AM NOT A CHAIR book to me. This is what she wants me to come in and read to the class today.

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We are ready to go!

The class loved the book! It was fun to be a part of the day.

Tatum never ceases to amaze me. Why? Because she makes the most of her time. I have never heard her ONCE say, “I don’t know what to do. Entertain me!.” Nope. She comes up with ways to make any object become a toy.

Case in point: Today, I had to pick her up early from school because of that wicked cough of hers. OYE! That thing haunts me because it is her biggest physical challenge. Well, her throat hurt from all that coughing so we headed to urgent care once again and she worked on her homework.

They treated her for strep, but we won’t know for four days.
When we got home, I had to work, so I suggested she take her KIDS out for recess.

She had to go over the rules with them first.

They seemed to listen…..

but little Ella needed some TLC. She was crying a bunch, apparently.

Finally, recess time. We made a swing out of my scarf. She added in the seats.

Dino and Bella were ready now. All buckled in.

She had a great attitude after having to miss school. We pray that she gets to go to Read-a-Rama tomorrow.

There are times when we must reflect on how our children touch our lives. Of course, every single day, I’m blown away by the fact that I GET to be Tatum’s mommy. How is it that God has blessed me with such a delightful girl? She also challenges me in every way. But with every challenge, there is an opportunity to be refined and grow.

She puts her mind to what she will create, and then upon completion…

she presents it. What is she looking for? Words of affirmation.

Mommy, what do you think? How did I do? Do you like it? I am seeing her gifts emerge, but I’m also seeing how she needs to feel loved.

She loves to perform, but only if I can applaud. I’m going to sing you a song, Mommy.

Dancing? Of course. She will perform, and she always has her audience set up.

It is so fun to see her grow into the young girl God has made her to be. She continues to light up my life with little surprises. Just this morning, she was up before me and this was slid under my door.

Her GIFT to me was just a word of affirmation for ME! This tells me that I need to make sure I’m constantly encouraging HER, and providing her with POSITIVE feedback. When I do have to correct her, I cushion it with love and grace. Like Jesus, a balance of grace and truth gives the person a large dose of LOVE. She is such a sensitive child who can easily be SO HARD on herself. Knowing her love language and the way she feels loved allows me to be her BEST parent, and to empower to be her BEST self.

Thank you Jesus for my precious gift: TATUM.