Cole Visits the Zoo

Today, Gigi, Cole and I visited the Nashville Zoo. We had a BEAUTIFUL day. The weather was perfect and all the animals were out for us to see. I was a little nervous about how Cole would fare on an all day trip; but he did pretty well and seemed to enjoy the animals. He got a little fussy before lunch, but after eating and taking a cat nap, he was ready to explore some more! Some of his favorite things to see/do were: riding the carousel (he cried and cried when he had to get off), the meerkats (he liked to see them running around...he kept "barking" at them), the petting zoo (so fun that we had to make two visits), the enclosed aviary (birds would swoop right over you and even land on you!), and the indoor fish tank.

Gigi and I had fun too looking at all the animals...we were like kids! The giraffes came sooo close and the reptile/amphibian house had some creepy creatures! We even saw an anaconda that had just been fed a dead rabbit. He was smothering/squeezing it just like they do in the wild. Gigi wanted to see him eat it, but we had to keep moving :-) All in all, it was a fun adventure. After I got home, I didn't realize how EXHAUSTED I was! The zoo will do that to ya!

To see more pictures of our zoo day, click on "Trip to the Nashville Zoo" in the left column.

Crayola Fun

Yesterday, Cole had played with every toy in the house and was just whiny...nothing seemed to satisfy him. That's when I had an epiphany. I got out the crayons and paper and he was so excited. He walked to his chair and was ready to begin coloring.

We've tried coloring many times in the past, but he's always wanted to eat the crayons, throw them on the floor, and wad up the paper. I was always the one that ended up drawing the pictures :-) Yesterday though, we had a first. I would say "show me how you can color" and he would scribble on the paper. He just laughed and laughed (so did I)...who knew coloring could be so much fun? Although this lasted for only 15 minutes or so, I love spending these quality moments with him.

We also have to say a big "thank you" to Gigi (my mom) for giving me the idea to make little crayon discs for him to hold. I took extra crayons that I had from my teaching days, broke them into little pieces, and placed each color into a separate mini-muffin tin. I turned the oven on low and let the pieces melt together. They cooled in no time and are the perfect crayons for Cole's little hands to hold. There's also no paper and they haven't broken yet!

One more note...Cole has learned that when we have the camera and we say "cheese" that it means to smile. I would tell him to say cheese and he would show me the biggest grin!! Michael and I kept saying it over and over...oh, the little things that bring such joy!

MOPS (And I Don't Mean Cleaning...)

I want to share a little info. with you about a recent passion of mine. MOPS...What's that? This is the common response when I begin to share about my MOPS group with people I meet. MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers and is one of the best things I've done since becoming a mom. I attend a MOPS group in White House that consists of about 50 women getting together twice a month to share the joys and struggles that come with being a mom to a preschool aged child. We always have a homemade breakfast...AMEN, fellowship time, devotion, and a speaker or craft. While we're in the meetings, our children attend a MOPPETS program designed just for them. They are divided into age groups and have a preschool type structure learning Bible stories, playing games, and making crafts. We also have Mentor Moms that share godly advice and wisdom with us "newbies" as we walk down the road of motherhood.

This next MOPS year, I'm joining our Steering Team to become the Hospitality Coordinator. Please pray for me as I seek to follow the Lord's will in all decisions that I make for our MOPS group. Along with meeting decor., play date management, etc., I'll be "in charge" of welcoming new moms from the community to our group...such a big task. We have moms from all walks of life with all different religious beliefs that attend our meetings. What a joy it has been over the past year to see women come to know Christ through our interaction with each other. We are seeing lives and families changed as the Holy Spirit moves in the lives of moms and wives...Praise the Lord!

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining a MOPS group, they can check out Grace Park MOPS or the international MOPS website.

Spring Has Arrived!

We're so excited that the spring weather has finally arrived! It has been so much fun visiting the park, feeding the ducks, going for walks, riding bikes, planting flowers, or just simply playing in the backyard. Cole LOVES the outdoors and wants to be outside as much as possible. That works for us...it wears him out!!

Although spring is full of fun, we love this season because of what it represents...life, rebirth, and growth. It reminds us of the new life that Christ has given to all those that believe in and follow Him. His constant "pruning" of the yucky stuff in our lives and amazing grace He gives help us to become more beautiful and enjoy the journey that He has for us. Take a moment today to reflect on His love and celebrate His beautiful creation!