Thursday, June 6, 2013

Last day of Kindergarten

My baby boy will always be my baby but according to him he is a big boy now. Today was Little Man's official last day of kindergarten. I wonder if every accomplishment is going to get me so choked up. Looking back on this past year I am even more proud of what he has accomplished because if all the additional obstacles he had in his path. I know most know that I am currently going through a really rough divorce and it has been equally hard on my children. We have had to be uprooted several times, change our schedules around and deal with the emotional trauma while continuing our daily lives. Little Man actually started school a couple weeks late because I did not have copies of his birth certificate and other important information to have him registered. I do not want anyone to feel sorry for us though because me and my boys are happier, stronger and have grown exponentially in our faith though this experience. God never gives you more than you can handle and he will never leave your side.
Here is a picture of Little Man with the beautiful Stargazer lilies he bought for his amazing teacher, Mrs. Guy. After the exciting school year he had in her classroom she sent such a sweet letter home in his folder saying she would love to hear how he continues to learn and grow. It really touched my heart and Little Man just smiled as I read it to him.

I am truly blessed and seeing the blessings that my sons will bring to the people we cross in our paths makes my heart soar.
Now on to the next adventures... summer camp and 1st grade!

Saint Boniface

You will have to forgive me for the lack of pictures I have to offer on the next few posts. I am using the blogger app on my phone and it isn't exactly picture friendly. Anyway...
Yesterday was the Feast of Saint Boniface and in honor of the patron saint of Germany I made German Goulash served on noodles and sourdough bread. I have to admit that the Goulash recipe I used was not amazing but everyone ate it with no complaints. Next year we will find a new recipe or try a different dish all together. We also made German cut out cookies. They are very similar to sugar cookies and of course were a huge hit with the kids. They didn't even mind they were a tad bit burnt on the bottom.
Saint Boniface is an awe inspiring saint who spent his life converting pagans. In one story Saint Boniface saved a boy from becoming a sacrifice by destroying the Oak tree the pagans used in their ritual with one hit with his staff. The instance the tree was hit a huge wind blew the Oak tree over and its wood was used to build a chapel. Saint Boniface then told the pagans to use a Fir Tree as a symbol of Christ. Its evergreen leaves point to heaven and it should a symbol of love and gifts of kindness.
I am still working a lot and I need to get more organized for these feast days to include more coloring pages and crafts. I was brainstorming about a few traditions that would be fun to incorporate on this day, such as picking out the new Christmas ornament that will adorn our Christmas tree this year. I thought it would be great to incorporate a tradition to tie into the Christmas tree story. What are your thoughts?
You can also check out my previous post on Saint Boniface from last year. We made a delicious German chocolate cake that I wish I would have made it again this year! It was amazing. Also adding a bottle of German wine would have completed the celebration.
Saint Boniface, pray for us!

Monday, June 3, 2013

Mud Run 2013

Wow! It has been so long since I have been able to take a look at my life and know that I am on the path God created for me. I am happier now than I have ever been. As a family we are still struggling through some big bumps in the road but me and my boys are strong and God has continued to provide for us. We were rock bottom. No home, no money and only our faith, family and friends to help us. And we are doing it! More on that later but I did want everyone to know that God truly provides in any and every circumstance and you will NEVER be alone!

Now... on to some blogging! I have so much to write about and its going to be a jumbled mess but its going to be fun. I thought I would start writing about the Mud Run I ran with my coworkers from Ruby Tuesday.

The Emerald Coast Mud Run is an annual 5K obstacle course done to help raise money for orphans. They have several different options for this run. There is a kids run, which Little Man really wants to try next year, the Warrior version which is longer and the obstacles are more difficult than the normal 5K I ran. If you go to their website I did see some pictures of me and my team so take a look around and you will see the awesome obstacles and the huge amounts of mud they had ready for us to tackle. I will admit I fell face first into the mud during the up and over obstacle and my fellow teammate, Jeff had to carry myself and our other runner across the monkey bars! Our hands were so slippery I would fly off 2 bars before the end of the monkey bar set. It was a great cause to participate in and was an amazing experience. I think I want to try a half marathon next! What do you think? I feel like I am ready. Take a look at our before and after. Come join us next time!

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