Bicycle Rodeo, 2009

Just a few bicycles awaiting their owners!

Marshall had just received his inspection paper and was eagerly awaiting his turn in his first Bicycle Rodeo.  His training wheels had just come off two weeks ago, and he was full of confidence.

A proud boy with a blue (participation) ribbon! The smile on his face says it all!

Now, it's time for the first graders. Macy waits for her turn with her Disney Princess helmet and bicycle. She was decked out in pink and purple from head to toe!

She's listening to her mom, "What's the most important thing about the Bicycle Rodeo? Not winning...but..." and Macy said, "HAVING FUN!"

Her cheering squad on the sidelines chanting, "Let's go, Macy, let's go, (clap, clap)!"

She was beaming with excitement.

It's hard to stay in the lines when someone is talking to you!

She's also a winner of a blue ribbon! Oh, I dread the day that one of them wins a better award than the other one!

Marshall and The Mustard Seed

The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what Heaven's kingdom is like." He said to them, "It's like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky." Thomas 2

The parable of the mustard seed is mentioned many times in the bible, in Matthew, Mark, Luke and Thomas. Macy and Marshall have attended a Christian Day School at their church since they were three months old plus Sunday School and Kids' Choir as well. They were both in Awanas for a year, where they were rewarded for learning bible verses. You still just never know what sinks into their little brains.

A few days ago, Macy, Marshall and I were working on a craft project. Macy took to it very easily and enjoyed it, although it was a little tedious. They had to put little tiny beads on a plastic form in a certain pattern, and then we fused them together with an iron.  Marshall started working on it, and said, "No, this is too hard. I don't want to do this." Macy and I continued to work, while Marshall went on to play with some trucks. Later, he came back to where we were working. I said, "Come on, Marshall, I'll help you." I got his project going and then he began to work hard at completing it. I praised him for his hard work and in a little while, he said, "If you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can do anything. I didn't think I could do this, but I had the faith of a mustard seed, and I did it!!!"

An Acorn Hunt With Second Cousins

This is Marshall with my brother's grandson, Kollman. They are both five years old, and enjoy playing together. They came over with my brother and my niece and her husband last weekend to have lunch and play. We are so happy they moved back to Texas from North Carolina! It was a hot day, but they enjoyed going to the little park across the street from our house and feeding the fish and looking for acorns. Acorns? We take them so for granted, but to little kids, they are pretty cool! They are definitely dropping early this year, I guess because of the drought. Marshall and Kollman began collecting them in a bag and then Macy and her cousin, Madeline began collecting them also, and before you know it, the race was on. It was boys against girls. Who could find the most? It was like an Easter egg hunt!

The girls ran all over the park looking for big groups of acorns. They finally realized what oak trees looked like and would cluster under them, so they could get more acorns than the boys.

Julie began helping the "Boy Team" who got easily distracted with feeding the fish hamburger buns!

My great-nephew, Ryan, age 2,  was not too interested in the acorn hunt, but he picked some pretty flowers for his mom, niece Becki.

We hope to have many more "Second Cousin Get-Togethers" in the future.