2nd Grade {WHAT??!}

This is just crazy!  I can't handle the fact that my babies are growing up SO FAST! I know everyone hears this all the time, but it's just crazy to me how quick it feels.  We are so very proud of Luke and Isabel and the kids they have grown into!  While it is SO hard sending them off to school every day, and it literally has not gotten any easier for me since they started kindergarten, I do feel that they are confident and secure in themselves, grounded kids, who love God, family, others, and life!
They are in the same class again this year, and it's just awesome!  So that brings me to a story, because sharing God's goodness and faithfulness can be encouraging to other Moms.....

When they started kindergarten, they had a very sweet teacher. She did a good job, and they had a good year.  In 1st grade, they started school in Colorado, and our neighborhood school was on a year round track {Yes, school year round....BUT..it's actually awesome...7 weeks on, 3 weeks off.}  They were put on D track, and had a fairly new, young, single,  but very energetic teacher. They learned a ton with her and it was a good year too.  But going into this year, I was truly searching for direction.  Although they had had good teachers, I felt it wasnt going to be enough for us to have another "good" teacher, and i had heard through the grapevine that the track teacher they would have for 2nd grade was a trainwreck.   I was full on ready to begin the homeschool track, but decided just in case, to put in my request for a different track....fully expecting my request to be shot down and buried (bc I had heard it's basically hopeless cause)  But I knew this was one of those situations where my faith had to be greater than what i was facing.  I could literally feel the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart.  So alas, I put in my request for them to change tracks.  My prayer was for them to have a solid, experienced, sweet (but stern when she needed to be), encouraging, just happy teacher.  
Oh boy, I had given my hearts desire to the Lord, and prayed He would reveal to us the right decision.
We waited weeks......and the phone call came....."We have spots for you twins on a different track. Actually 2 different ones...which one would you like?"  Me:GASP! I was offered a choice?  Oh God how good you are. But which do i choose? I cannot make a decision for anything!!! And on the spot??  So i just chose the one we had wanted initially.   PEOPLE ......has God ever gone above and beyond your request??? Oh my goodness, i couldnt believe it.  So...the summer passed.  We still didnt know which teacher we had bc there was 2 on that track.  I had also heard through the grapevine that one was going to be a new one.  Got a little nervous again but still placing my trust in God.  July rolled around, and we went in to see who our new teacher would be. I was ready to take whatever God was going to give us, bc i knew He had answered our prayer.  We walked into her classroom.  We had received yet again another experience of God going WAY ABOVE our request.  I cannot even begin to tell you just how wonderful she is!!! A Mother of 2 boys, the sweetest countinence, sweetest voice, completely calm. Her room looked like a Shabby Chic apartment! Cute lamps, pillows, and a Wizard of Oz themed room!!!  I could have just broken into a happy dance right there, but of coarse I didnt.  I just hugged her and told her that I knew she was an answer to my prayers!!! And ever since that day, I have fallen more in love with her.  The things she says, the way she views children, and just her overall presence is just wonderful and I feel SO good knowing that after I walk Luke and ISabel in the door at school, she is the next presence they will have for the rest of the school day. We are just absolutely grateful!
I am just so blessed by how God answers prayer.  It's such a joy to follow Him, place our faith in Him, and allow Him to lead our hearts.  He will NEVER fail us, and always knows whats best.  Its such a comfort to know He truly has our backs!  Especially in todays world.
I just had to share...not just for the beauty of our story, but to share and encourage you of just how faithful and loving our great God is.  All we have to do is place our trust in Him FULLY.
I hope my story encourages your heart if you are sensing a prayer/desire for yourself/children/husband/friends.  ALL glory to Him who is ever SO worthy!!

EVERY DAY IS A GIFT!!!!

AND FOR THE BIGGEST CHERRY ON TOP THAT YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE....... NINA WAS THERE TO SEND US OFF................

SURREAL!!!!

YIPPY SKIPPY....SECOND GRADE HERE WE COME!!!

SEVEN

Yesterday, I made them dress up and take some pictures for me.  I had to document this season of toothlessness in our household!  It's been so much fun loosing teeth and growing new ones and just getting BIG!  They finished up first grade at Pine Ridge Elementary, and had a great year!  Their teacher Miss Haake was super sweet and high energy. She was great for them, and they learned a lot. 

They will begin second grade in just a few weeks at Pine Ridge.  They are in the same class again and doing great together!

Our Luke is just as sweet as ever! Nothing by pure joy and sweetness oozes from this boy!  He is incredibly caring and concerned for others.  He is curious and asks lots of questions about life.  He loves loves sports of any kind and constantly has a ball in his hand.  He enjoys soccer, and played for the Colorado Storm this year for the first time.  Colorado Storm is the league ran by the Colorado Rapids Professional Team.  Luke's speed on the field and skill has really improved this year.  He enjoys his teammates a lot and his coach was great!  He will start again this Fall.  He also enjoys spending time playing Legos still and building things. He makes friends easily and is such a likable boy! 

He also won the LEAP award at school!  He received a special award for the letter "A" Always Safe.  

I am not surprised by this!  He is always concerned and aware of doing things right and correctly, always following the rules, and making sure he is.  He likes to be goofy and laugh, and is always the first to crack up when something is funny!  His Dad is his hero in every way and loves being with his Daddy. We are so proud of our big boy!

Sweet Isabel!  Everyone says she looks just like me, but I see her Dad in her so much! 

And talk about two peas in a pod...she and her Daddy!  She has him wrapped around her finger and they BOTH know it.  It's cute.  They are very close and she feels so loved by him, and I just love that.

Isabel is just as petite as ever, but meanwhile she has developed quite the appetite!  

She has a heart of love and sees the beauty in everything!  She loves Barbies, playing make believe, and picking flowers.  She enjoys art a lot and always asks to color and paint still.  She received an award for her art work this year, and we got to go to a special invitation only art show for her!  It was very special.  

Isabel enjoys her friends, but I find she loves her family and enjoys being with us more than anyone else.  She had a great year at school, and enjoys Math as her favorite subject.  She is taking ballet again in the Fall, and has grown to love dancing and singing.  We are just in love with our precious girl and so thankful for the beauty she brings to life and our family!!

                                         SEVEN IS A BLESSING ......TIMES TWO!!!

Maroon Bells

San Fran..Yountville..and food, OH MY!

10 years of marriage and truly I love him even more!  I married the sweetest person in the whole world! He treats me like a princess, but that's not why I love him. He inspires, challenges, and blesses others around him every day without even realizing it. He is humble and giving, he is strong, protective, and always kind.  He is just a wonderful person, and We are so blessed to have him as our family leader!  Oh how great the blessing of a Godly mate!  Plus he gave me my two angels, and that we celebrated as well! Having the twins defined our family and we thank God for them every day.  So to celebrate, we decided to spend a long weekend along the northern CA coast, visiting San Francisco, then making our way to Yountville. We had both been to SF, and loved it when we were last there so we knew we wanted to go back! We had seafood for every meal, and walked seven miles a day around the city! Which I highly recommend for truly seeing a city! It was so fun and we really have a schedule, and that made it so relaxing. Then we drove the coast highway to Yountville. Oh the treat we were in for! We had NO idea.  I cannot describe it, other than to say it was the quietest, most romantic little town, and everywhere you walk smells like honeysuckles. We browsed Thomas Kellars culinary garden across from The French Laundry, rode bikes around Napa, then ate at his reataurant Bouchon two nights in a row. Such a great experience....

I hope you enjoy the photos

It's a wonderful life with this amazing man! 

Seven!

This year for the twins birthday, we decided to go low key and invite one friend each to take bowling and to play lazer tag! It was very special choosing one friend to spend special time with! Here are some pictures from the party. We came back to our house afterwards and had pizza and cupcakes. It was pretty perfect!!! 

Isabel chose Dolphin Tale 2 as her party theme! 

And Sports for Luke, of coarse!

These balloons were a HUGE hit! They loved them so much and hung them in their room for days. I'll be doing this again. Maybe next year I'll do their letters. 

We love the Brunswick Zone!

On their actual birthday, they got their own little cakes! So much fun! No picture of Luke's - it's on my camera.

It's so hard to believe they're already seven! As sad as I am that the little years are almost over, I am so proud of the sweet kids they have become! As first graders, they are doing great in the same class! They do so well together and love being together, so we will continue that as long as we can. Happy Birthday Luke and Isabel!

My Easter bunnies

Ina wins! {Perfect Tomato Soup}

Have you found a great tomato or tomato basil soup that you just love?  I had not, and had just about given up on making my own - the flavor just wasn't there.  Then I came across Ina Garten's Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled cheese croutons  Let me just say that this one is going in my file folder!  And only the good stuff can go in there!  I promise you, your whole family will love this.  It's hearty enough that if you don't want the grilled cheese you could eliminate ...but I don't recommend that :)  I was tempted to add basil into mine because I love that for flavor, but I'm SO glad I didn't.  You'll see why. Just trust me on this one!

So I hope you make it, enjoy....and don't forget to serve it with a smile!!

2 hints .....

I used whole canned tomatoes and then used my immersion blender, and the texture was perfect.

I also forgot to add the half & half, and I'm so glad I did b/c it would have been too heavy with it
{in my opinion}

Recipe is in the Link above