Class of 2024

Alyssa has been waiting for this day for months, her first day of kindergarten. 

We have had the supplies for two months.  As soon I downloaded the list she made me run out and buy them for her.  The backpack is one she had her first year of pre-school but never really used because she got a princess one instead.  I bought some iron on princess patches and an 'A' and, presto...it is a brand new, custom backpack that she loves.

Eating Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes

 

Tell me this is not the cutest kindergartner you have ever seen!! She picked out her new plaid dress, shinny flats and a flower headband all by herself.  Looking at these pictures makes me tear up because my life flashes before my eyes.  I can just see these pictures plastered on cakes and invitations to her HS graduation. In 2024.

 

Mommy and Aly...and I am not crying.

One last kiss before she is too 'cool' for it.

 

Getting in the car...normally she will ride the bus, but we weren't ready to 'let go' yet so we took her the first day to make sure she got where she was supposed to go! 

 I could barely get her to stand still for a second and Dan called me a 'tourist' because I was taking pictures.  I can't be the only one doing this...

Once inside, she had to find her name on the paw print and wait in line for the rest of the class to get there.  I got one last picture before leaving her.  Even though I know she was excited and was going to be fine, it was hard to walk away.  I had no way of talking to her all day long to see how her day was going, to see if she ate her lunch or if she was having fun.  I swear if it wouldn't make me the president of 'Crazy Mom of the Month' club, I would give her a cell phone to text me.  Then again, she needs to know how to read and spell first to use it.  Maybe next year ;)  I am just kidding, of course...kind of.

I think this was one of the longest afternoons of my life waiting for school to get out!  Dan came home early so we could all be there when she got off the bus and enjoy her requested first-day-of-school snack: brownie sundaes.  We asked her about her day, but got little out of her.  She said she had fun and her favorite part was recess.  After resting and getting her princess 'fix' in we had tacos, her favorite, for dinner and played outside. 

She didn't have school Friday because Kindergarten does staggered start to evaluate the kids and assign teachers, so we got to have one more day of summer.  We also found out that she is going to be in Mrs. Bourgeois' Full Day class.  Her friend, Reese, is also in that class so she is even more excited!  Monday she starts full time: everyday, all day.   

Seriously, is she old enough for this?!?!?  I feel like I want to put her back in the Baby Bjorn and carry her around, not put her on a bus by herself...to a school with 'big kids' and tray lunches (which she is not going to be allowed to by very much...ugh!). But, ready or not, she is a school girl now.  So here's to a successful and fun school year!! Just 283 days 'till summer ;)

Sleeping Beauty Dance Camp

Waaaaay back in the Spring I signed the girls up for a princess dance camp this summer at the New Albany Ballet Company.  They each got ballet outfits for their birthdays and waited patiently all summer for it finally arrive.  It was worth the wait.  I think it was the highlight of their summer.  They were so excited to go (Aly actually woke up at 4:30 am on the first day ready to go...at 10:00 am) and had so much fun!

Each day they danced, made a craft (wands, tiaras and a skirt), had a snack and watched a part of the real 'Sleeping Beauty' ballet.  Which, by the way, is very different than the Disney version.  Then, at the end of the week, they preformed a mini 'recital' for us they had been working on.  It was adorable!

This is where we ran into a problem.  About half way through Hannah realized I was taking pictures of them.  She stopped dead in her tracks, stood there for a minute and burst into tears.  The teacher tried to calm her down, but she had enough and spent the rest of the time in my lap.  She has become such a sensitive little girls the last few months...and it drives me nuts she doesn't like to have her picture taken.  Luckily, she is super cute when she is pouty ;)

 Aly was so very serious about what she was doing and listened to her teacher more intently than anyone else.  She is actually a very good spinner! 

They are hooked.  Princess music and dancing has filled the house ever since.  I gave the girls the choice between doing dance, tennis and soccer this Fall.  They both chose dance...with little hesitation.  The dance studio was also nice enough to let me schedule them in the same class, so in two weeks the start ballet and tap.  Sorry Daddy.  I see a lot of flowers, tulle and recitals in your future ;)

From: Daddy, To: You!

I don't do this often, but tonight I felt like God was placing this on my heart so I wanted to share this.  I want to share this for a number of reasons.  It is very encouraging for anyone to read, but I know that someday Aly and Hannah will read this.  My hope is that God will use this to speak into their lives no matter the place they are in.  

It has been kind of a crazy month of July as we have been the only YL leaders in Gahanna and have just been busy doing a lot and spending time poorly in many areas of our life.  I feel like we have been doing a lot of things 'ok', but neglecting the one necessary thing...seeking Jesus like a hidden treasure (Proverbs 2).  So lately Jenn and I have started doing a reading plan and it has been great. We have been able to hold each other accountable for time with the Lord.  I really feel like He has blessed it and made it good.  It really unites us with each other and in Him.  Anyway, today I spent 3 hours sitting waiting for Dave's (grandpa's) truck to have a bed roller and cap put on it. During that time I read my day's plan, read from the book The Call, and listened to a sermon.  Here are some of the thoughts I feel like God put on my heart and I felt needed to be shared with my girls.

First off, Proverbs 5 talked about an adulterous woman who is smooth at talking, will draw you in and lead you in ways you don't want, which is much like sin.  We get drawn in and before we know it, we are so deep it has created a mess of our lives and eats at us from the inside out.  At the end, in The Message version, it says sin will overtake us, lead us into the dark and that an undisciplined life will lead us to death in the end.  Man, that was awesome to read and it really makes it so much greater because God has made it apparent to me this month that I need to be disciplined in my pursuit of Jesus.  Through the Proverbs that I have read so far, it always talks about find and pursuing God. That in Him, and only Him, is true wisdom, understanding and knowledge.  My first prayer for the girls, and everyone, is that they will live lives of discipline in pursuit of Jesus.  I pray that, like Nicodemus in John 3, they would seek Him personally in their lives.  I pray that they would not take what I say or Jenn says, or our relationships with Jesus, but make it their own.  I hope that they will search for Him, find Him and make it personal for themselves.  

The second thing I felt was important to write about, was the sermon I listened to today. It was from Josh Patterson at Village Community Church.  He talked about fear of the Lord.  He talked about how he wanted to be a man of action, not intentions; and not live a life that is inconsistent with his faith in Christ. He talked about Proverbs as well and how it is a book designed to speak to the wise, the foolish and the young.  He said that Fear of the Lord is the beginning of growing in wisdom and depth in Christ. He talked about how fear of God is understanding that God is Holy and has to deal with the sin He hates so much, but to do it in awe and reverence of who He is and what He has done FOR us in Christ on the cross.  Josh shared that to walk in Godliness and wisdom, we must develop a posture of dependence and humility, and a recognition of who we are apart from Him and who we are in Him.  I really pray that my girls will, through their pursuits of Jesus, gain an understanding and awe of God and what He does for us in order to draw us to Himself.  I pray that they would fear Him and live lives that are intentional and consistent.  I pray that they'd understand that nothing else will lead them to a full, satisfying and eternal life.  That anything short from seeking God only leads to restlessness (as Os Guiness says in The Call). 

Josh also shared a story about how he asked his soon to be father-in-law for his daughter's hand in marriage.  He had previously asked her dad for permission to date her and pursue his daughter.  He said that he did this every 6 months and when he finally asked the dad for her hand in marriage this is what he told him, "I have cultivated her and brought her up in life and your job is to take her hand and give it to the savior at the end." He said that it is his job to help cultivate and prepare his wife's heart and mind for God. This is so awesome and my prayer also is that the girls will find someone who loves Jesus more than he loves them and will take this same challenge to lead them and help refine them through Godly love, respect, fear and honor.  I pray that they too would pursue Jesus above their other relationships and feel the call to love and push their husbands and kids closer to Jesus to prepare and refine them for Him.  I pray that they would settle for nothing less.  I pray that I am a father who models this to them in my own life and marriage. I pray that I would learn to fear God with all my life and pursue Him like a hidden treasure.  I pray that they would feel loved, safe and protected, as well as challenged and encouraged in their relationships with Jesus from me.  

I am extremely blessed to have such beautiful girls in my life.  I love so many things about them.  I love watching Hannah play.  She gets into her own world and it is so cute to watch.  I love her sweet little kisses and how she never lets me leave the house with out them.  I love her laugh and how she is just like me and the way she always wants me to chase her. I love how she always makes Aly laugh, says the silliest things and draws pictures of us with multiple eyes and no hands.  I love the way Aly is so much like Jenn it is crazy.  I love how she loves to read and color and do crafts.  That girl is so creative and smart it is unreal.  I love how when she kisses me it is so soft and tender.  She does it like she is a real princess, well she is one...to me.  I love how she gets so excited for school and the best is when she lays down next to me with her Bible and pretends to read it and underline things like me.  She told me the other day that she asked Jesus into her heart in her room.  I love that.  She loves to stack and organize things.  I love that they both love to dress up and pretend to be princesses, and how they play 'Dan and Jenn'.  They are so special.  I can't wait to continue to watch them grow. I love spending time with them and having the challenge of raising girls to feel loved and special.  My only real prayer is that Jesus would be their number one pursuit in life and He would live in and through them.  Ok, long enough.  That's enough from dad!  Love you girls!

Daddy

Pool Fun

The pool has been super fun this year with the girls!  They both enjoy actually the water and Aly can touch all by herself.  Next year we will have to do swimming lessons!  Here are some fun pictures from earlier this summer at the pool:

I can't believe it is already August!!  Where has summer gone??

Extreme Volunteering

Last night was a very cool experience!  Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is in Columbus again.  This time they are in the downtown Columbus neighborhood, American Edition, filming their 2-hour Christmas special with the Rhodes family.  I don't know much about their story except that the mom had a benign brain tumor that left her disabled and unable to care for 4 children on her own.  She was forced to move in with her parents...their one bedroom, 900 square foot home.  The 7 of them lived in the home that has been in their family for  nearly 5 generations and is now overcome with termites, years of wear and tear and I am sure some other 'goodies'.  The grandpa has worked for Pepsi for over 20 years, they are deacons in their church and active community leaders for the children in their neighborhood.  They seemed very humble that they were chosen and grateful for the blessing.

Anyway, EMHE needed volunteers to help out so I went with some friends from church to lend a hand.  It was only the first day, so the house was being knocked down and the foundation set. I was hoping to get a little dirty, but there wasn't much for us to do except keep the builders, security and other workers hydrated in the 90*+ heat (Hopefully we will remember how hot it was then, when it is snowing as the show airs in December!!) and help set up the VIP tent.  

The rest of the time we got to watch the process up close and personal.  The knock down was very 'Hollywood' with 50+ Santas throwing coal and snow machines struggling to produce the fluffy goods in the middle of our record breaking summer. The construction was pretty normal.  Not sure what I expected. I never got to actually see Ty or the design team  either (they were on a closed set for carpentry and design...which was slightly disappointing) or be on open set while while they were filming, but it was neat to be a part of something much bigger than myself.  I have been so blessed in my life so it was sweet to be a {small} part of a blessing for a family who has struggled.

Walking around the neighborhood with my wagon of snacks and drinks it did make me a little sad that the show goes so crazy on one house, for one family when the entire neighborhood could use some blessings.  Don't get me wrong, I love what they do, but it seems to me, if they built a more modest house and used the rest of the time and money to update the other houses in the surrounding community the impact would be greater.  I guess that doesn't make for dramatic makeover TV though. I will say, to EMHE's credit, they also updated the neighborhood community center which was desperate need and they also feed the residents for those who wanted to take advantage of it. I just think it is weird to think about this beautiful, custom home in the middle of a run down neighborhood sticking out like a sore thumb.  It is almost like they are putting a huge, neon sign on the roof that says, "Robb Me!" 

  

Me and Alisha in our hard hats and Christmas themed EMHE Volunteer shirts.  I don't understand while they gave the sun-burnt redhead the red shirt...Thanks a lot EMHE! ;)

Even being there, I still don't understand how they get it done. The builder told us from the time the tear down the house to the time they hand off the keys to the designers so they can fill the house it is just 106 hours.  Absolutely incredible!  I am planning to take the girls back  Wednesday afternoon after dance for the family reveal...hopefully we get there early enough to see!! Make sure to watch the episode in December!

Irish Fest 5k

Kelley asked me if I would run in the 5k with her as practice for the half marathon coming up in October.  Since I have never run a 5k or been in an official race since High school, I agreed.  Even though I ran 4 miles last Saturday, I was really nervous for it.  My body does not like running...but I made it!

Official running buddies before the race...

After the finish with our hard earned medals!

I finished the 3.1 miles in 36:06 minutes...or about an 11'30'' mile pace.  Not  my fastest, but not bad considering half the course was uphill in the direct sun and my hip started hurting with almost a mile to go.  It was a great experience and I am slightly more confident for the half now.  Although I don't know why, because it is more than 4x's that long!!  Gotta keep training...I am up to 5 miles tomorrow!   Thanks for torturing inviting me, Kelley!!

Disney: T - 360 Days

Alyssa and Hannah have been dropping subtle hints that they want to go to Disney for a while.  Lately, it has reached an all time high.  At our block party a few weeks ago Alyssa drew this picture with chalk and announced, "Mommy! Daddy!  I drew the Disney World castle with fireworks!!"  They have also watched the Disney Vacation planing DVD multiple times and began forming a detailed itinerary ;)

Luckily, we had planned on taking them next summer anyway.  We thought 4 and 6 would be the perfect ages to remember it and still be captivated by the magic of all the characters.  Today, I made it official.  We booked the resort package!  We were originally planning on renting a house, but after talking with a couple different friends who are yearly vacationers of Disney and our totally awesome, FREE travel agent (Elyssa Antonelle at Mickey Travels) we decided it was better to stay at a park resort.  It seems slightly higher, but really after you run the numbers we broke about even.  The package includes lodging, tickets and the dining!!   Plus, we will be surrounded by Disney magic 24/7 :)  I. Can't. Wait.

Since we are driving, we are going to go through Charlotte and see some family and friends on the way there and back.  Plus, we are going go to Sea World while we are in Orlando since it is only about 25 minutes from the resort property.  Now that I am planning, it is actually a little overwhelming because there are sooooo many things to do and see, but our travel agent is going to take care of most of it for me...even down to making dining reservations and the girls' appointments at the Bippity, Boppity Boutique. A week is not really enough time. Some things are a 'must see', beyond that I am not too worried about it. It's Disney...the whole place is magic!  No matter what, the girls are going to L-O-V-E it!

I am praying the new 'Fantasyland' at the Magic Kingdom will be open by then.  It is set to have everything princess..including Belle's full sized castle, Ariel's Undersea Adventure and the Dwarf's mine; but the phased opening was recently pushed back from 'early' 2012 to 'late' 2012. Maybe they could get Ty Pennington to help out.  He can demolish and rebuild and entire house in 106 hours ;)  Oh well, I guess that just means we will have to go back another time! Darn.

So, this time next summer, we will be wrapping up our time at the Magic Kingdom with dinner reservations in Cinderella's Castle with the princess!  I don't know who is more excited, me or them!