Kensey Rae with her teacher Mrs. Hines receiving the Rose Award

The ROSE AWARD is when a student receives all A's all four quarters of the school year!! Way to go Kensey Rae!!

Grace's Pre-School Graduation

so fun.....

Through my eyes....

The month of May has been BUSY....

My mother turned (whispering...56) this month! Can you believe it? She looks so amazing for being so.....young! :~) My sisters and I took her out to lunch and a little shopping! We had the best day! My Mom is one of those woman that I strive to be like. I am not sure how she did it all. She was a single Mom with four kids, a job, she helped take care of my Grandma, PTO President, Booster Club President, APE something or other, and a million other things. She handled everything with grace... well there was a few slammed cabinets in there......and she never lost her temper....from the hours of midnight to 5 a.m.....:~) There are several things about my Mom that will forever be etched in my brain....her lipstick..bright and so Mom like....her smile...nobody has a better smile....and her LAUGH....it is one of those distinct laughs that makes you laugh! Her way of making her home feel "comfortable" and "home".....Yep, I wanna be my Mom. I wanna be her without doing.....one day she called Jill on her way down to her house to watch the boys...Mom was turning on I29 and was explaining to Jill that she was running a little late....and said, oh dang it Jill, I left my cellphone sitting on the kitchen table... I am going to have to run home and get it....Jill interrupted her and said Mom, you are talking on it.......or when she is wearing her sunglasses at night or when she can't find her reading glasses and she puts on her sunglasses.....they are reading sunglasses but still....I love ya Mom!

Cody is officially a freshman. A freshman. WHEN did that happen? He represents to me that God is so good. We started our marriage out on a hill...a very steep hill. I was eighteen. Richard was twenty four. The only thing we knew was that we loved each other. I think at our wedding there were two people who thought we would make it...Richard and myself. When we had Cody, it was as though God gave me a second chance at life. All of my life I had been fairly selfish. I was all about me. When Cody came along, he changed me. I can remember sitting for hours upon hours staring into those little eyes thinking....praying.....crying....loving.... He and Richard became my world. God blessed me with this adorable boy and I was so undeserving. Cody represents God's grace to me. I have to brag on my son...he ended his 8th grade year with straight A's. This child in the history of his school career has never received anything but A's. He has received the Citizenship Award, the Model Student Award,the Rose Award, and The High Honor Roll for Life Award. Richard and I sit amazed at his accomplishments. Our baby will be driving in October with a permit, and to that I must say....stay out of his way! :~)

Kensey Rae is going to be a fifth grader. How did my BABY GIRL grow up to be a fifth grader? Wowzer! She has just enough spunk in her to make you smile, enough life in her to make you want to live your own, enough spirit that it glows around her, and she is just plain FUNNY! I spent last Friday with her. We went shopping, had a pedicure, went and found her new shoes...(she now has over 50 pairs of shoes) and had what Kensey Rae calls a "FAB GIRLS DAY"....I kept thinking as we were laughing at the outfits she would pick out..(mine was a fearful laugh).....how awesome it is to have a daughter. I have a daughter. I have this young lady who has enough confidence in herself to be anything she wants to be, enough beauty to get people's attention...and the brains to pull it off! Did I mention that she received the Rose Award and the High Honor Roll award? Yep, she had all A's this year (and every other year before that as well)

Richard is loving his new job! I am loving his new hours! He is the most deserving man I know. I don't know why or how I was so blessed to be his wife, but I thank God daily for him! (Except when he leaves his wet towel on the bed, dirty clothes in a pile and his tea glass on the coffee table) :~)

I am so Blessed. We don't understand how blessed we are. I received an email with quote on the signature line that read....When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around....which prompted this post. Think about your blessings and I guarantee you.....the other stuff just goes away....

Blessings,
Jen

Is it Friday yet?

IS IT??

I feel like this is one of the LONGEST weeks ever!

I think we are heading to Kansas this weekend to see Hailey and Hayden, Wyatt, Conner and Emma. It is also Wyatt's 11th birthday!!

Richard's new job is going great. He is learning how to operate a laptop....Pray for Larry....he is the guy who is responsible for helping him!! :~)

Cody is busy with finishing up his 8th grade year! He is actually on a field trip today to the NCAA Hall of Fame in Kansas City. He is lifting weights, playing golf, and playing basketball. His sense of humor is becoming more and more like Richard's--enough said on that. :~)

Kensey Rae is BUSY playing basketball and volleyball. She is my "goer" she is always ready and willing to head to the next event! She had her hair cut short last night and she LOVES it...I think it makes her look older, so the jury is still out!

I registered both kids for Church Camp this week. Cody is gone the first week in June and Kensey Rae is gone the last week in June. Cody will be going with our church and Kensey Rae is going with her cousin, Natasha, who is a member at Rosendale Christian. Kensey is so excited!! This will be her first camp!! She and Tash get along so well I can't wait to hear the stories!!

Blessings,
Jen

My ears are bleeding......

Mornin'

I flipped my lid this morning. I totally lost it. If I was in the race for the mother of the year, I blew it today.

RECORDERS

Does that word make you want to cry? Kensey Rae's music class at school is currently using recorders. I have to listen to songs like Hot Cross Buns....over and over and over and over and over.

Kensey Rae is currently learning to play the song It's raining It's pouring....I am pouring and raining tears. She was nerved up on Tuesday for music class and so opted to have a few more days to practice and take her test on Thursday morning. I have listened to It's Raining It's pouring so many times over the last few days that I am quite sure I am headed to the "HAPPY FARM".....

I can't take it.

This morning she was practicing and going over it and over it so many times that I thought I was going to lose my mind. However, I contained myself all morning while we were at home. I encouraged her. (I left the room)

Anyway, she wanted to practice on the way to school. I told Cody to not critique her, as he flunked that part of music in the fourth grade as well. :~)

We head to school early as in 7:15 walking out the door, so that Kensey Rae could take her test. She started playing the recorder in the car on the way to school. At first, it just rubbed my nerves the wrong way...but I handled it. As we drove by Shady Lawn Nursing Home...I wanted to jump out of the car and beg them to take me in.....by the time we hit the bridge, I was CRAZY. When we hit the city limits...that is when it happened. I snapped.

She is terrible.

I can't really remember what all I said, but I do know that there was spit flying out of my mouth. That is never a good sign. I remember that when my Mom had the spit flying and the white foam in the corners of her mouth when I was a kid, it was best just to not say anything....THAT is where I was. I started saying you are not playing that note right, can you not hear that? Can you not put your stupid fingers over those holes and make that thing not sound like a dying cow? Can you not do that? How can you practice for hours upon hours and still stink?? I need to know that.

This all coming from a person who has been asked by choir directors at church to NOT join the church choir and to kindly lip sing hymns in the congregation.

Then, Cody chimed in.

Kenz, it goes like this (he begins to sing) It's Rain..ing.......It's Pour...ing...... I just looked at him and said, "YOU NEED TO NOT GIVE HER ADVICE CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A DROP OF MUSICAL TALENT EITHER!"

That rant continued past Shop and Hop and past Chuck's Auto service...and right on into the Middle School Student drop off site.

Cody, almost sheepishly, leaned over kissed me good-bye and headed into school, but not without saying..."Kenz, good luck"

I started to feel really bad.

I said, "Kenz, try it again"....WHY did I say that so close to my meltdown? I was not ready to hear it again, I knew it. I had not been to therapy, I had not had a coffee. WHAT was I thinking??

She began to play.

I closed my eyes at the stop sign. I rubbed my forehead. I did try to help my stress levels. Then I did it again......I blew. "STOP STOP STOP....oh please STOP my ears are bleeding I cannot take it anymore...put it in your bag and zip it up for Pete's Sake!!"

We arrived at Minnie Cline.

I walked her into school. I felt bad. I saw our principal and said..."Must we put the parents through the torture of listening to those recorders??" Her reply--"my daughter has been practicing in my office" She looked like she had a headache. I felt her pain. We bonded.

I waited outside the music room for the verdict.

It was a long wait. I watched child after child arrive to take over their recorder test. Most of them entered with the fear in their eyes. I knew their fear. I am sure their parents had threatened them with "you had better pass that stupid song or you are grounded for eternity" I waited and waited.

I waited some more.

As the door opened for another student to take their place in the line. I heard it. I heard it loud and clear. The dying cow. Oh my goodness it was such a cow that was in pain-lots of pain.

Kensey Rae emerged.

I said, "Well??" That is when the worst news I could ever hear came out of that child's mouth. "She wants me to practice some more"

WHAT?

I just stared at her. With tears in my eyes, I said good bye and told her to have a nice day. I walked slowly back to my car. How does one deal with such bad news? I replayed the morning in my head. Then, as if in slow motion, somewhat like the kid in Sandlot who says F-O-R-E-V-E-R.....I heard Kensey say it all over again in my mind....She wants me to practice some more.

Gulp.

I called Richard and he was very disappointed in me. He told me I had fractured her self esteem. I hurt her. Blah Blah Blah......So I responded the only way I knew how to... I must know my limits. I am not the one that should listen to her practice. I am not the one who needs to critique her and encourage her....her dad does!

Richard has a new job!! :~)

Kensey Rae's teacher is so good with the kids and puts on the best music programs EVER!! I cannot imagine the headache she must have after listening to 500 cows die all in the same week. ((((((Mrs. DeLapp))))) that is a virutal hug!

So, tonight as the thunderstorms move in.....I will be in the basement, but Richard will be upstairs listening to his darling daughter play that stupid thing..and if a tornado happens to pop up...spare the house....just take the recorder.

I am off to find some advil....

Blessings,
Jen