Blue Sunday

My brown eyes don't have a chance in this house! Couldn't ask for any prettier (and handsome) sets of blue around!! ......and gooooooo Colts!

Operation Shoebox and hairspray.

This past week, the Phipps' household has been on "Operation Shoebox." It is a part of the Samaritan's Purse Organization where you fill a shoebox with all kinds of goodies for children in parts of the world that are less fortunate. Emma learned in Sunday School that elephants deliver them! ;)

In an attempt to teach our kids the value of money and God's intentions for us, Emma has a bank that has three slots; a bank (savings), a store (spending), and a church (offering). To help Emma learn the value of a good hard earned penny, she has a chore chart on the refrigerator that she places stickers on when she completes daily chores. (Mainly this is a visual attempt on my behalf to make sure Hank is feed everyday - HA!) At the end of the week Emma gets coins for each sticker. It must be sinking in, for she thinks that Adam gets stickers and coins at work everyday too!

....anyhow....our darling daughter was so proud to take some of her hard earned money and head out to the store to buy gifts for a little girl. She had many questions along the way...like...how will God know what girl to give them too, can we give her a DVD, will a magical barbie mermaid bath toy fit a shoebox....the best was when she declared in the middle of the store, "hey, I know lets get her a toothbrush so her teeth won't get moldy!"

So we get the goods and Emma packs them away in the shoe boxes. One from her to a girl, and one from Hope to a boy. Perfect.

That evening, as Emma and I said her good night prayers, we prayed for the boxes and the two special children of God that would receive them. As the prayer was over, I leaned over my daughter and began to tell her how proud I was of her....it was a good two to three minute praise...ya know the kind when a parent is really trying to make an impression on their child. As soon as I was finished, Emma's big blue eyes (which had been fixed on me the whole time as if she was intensely listening) says;

"Mom, your hairspray smells awesome."

Open doors...

Sometimes when you turn the corner in our house, you just never know what you will find. Apparently not a good day for Princess Jasmine.

Funny Feather Friday.

So I picked Emma up from school today and knowing that during the week they have been "earning" feathers for their official head-dress for Monday's Thanksgiving celebration, I ask "well, did you get any feathers today?"

Her reply was very quick, "Yes I did! A couple people didn't pick up their books after story time and I picked them up for them."

As any proud parent would reply, "Oh Emma, that was so nice of you to help out! And how exciting that Mrs. Benidict noticed and gave you a feather for your head-dress!"

Then from the back seat my dear dear sweet Emma says, "Uh mom, we actually all picked up our books and all got feathers, so everyone in the class has three...I just got my thoughts a little mixed up in my mind when I was telling you about picking up books before."

Laughing. Laughing. and again Laughing.
Well Emma don't you worry, we all get our thoughts in our minds mixed up every now and then...I'm just so happy that your mixed up thoughts were ones of such good manners!

Can not wait to see that head-dress of feathers. I simply love pre-school.

Thank you Hobby Lobby.

Thank you for still having your Thanksgiving decor in the front aisle of the store still on Nov. 18. And better yet, thank you for having "Happy Birthday Jesus" decorations in the next aisle, before the miles of Christmas decorations.

I mean it...THANK.YOU.

Nine years it took....

....for us to finally have a dining room table....better yet, the darn cutest centerpiece you have EVER seen!

Breath of Jesus

It’s like the sun is shining

When the rain is pouring down

It’s like my soul is flying

Though my feet are on the ground

It’s like the world is silent

Though I know it isn’t true

It’s like the breath of Jesus

Is right here in this room.

- Natalie Grant

Conversations.

Any stay-at-home mom will tell you that one thing they long for a the end of the day is a conversation with an adult. Ya know, something a tad bit more in depth than how yellow and blue make green, or about Ken and Barbie getting married for the 100th time. Wellllllll, today I didn't quite have the luxury of spending time with another adult, but here was the conversation I had with Emma as we were in the car coming home from town. Out of nowhere in the back seat, my 5 year old asks;
"Mommy, can you take me pass your bank?"

Me - No, I'm actually not sure where it is.
Emma - You don't know where it is?!?!
Me - Well, your Dad just switched to a new one and he always does the banking, so I really don't know where it is yet.
Emma - WHAT?!?!?! You and Daddy share you money??????!!!????
(trying not to laugh) - Well, of course! That's what married people do.
(long pause of silence from the back seat) - Mom, I wonder who I'm going to marry.
Me - Your prince of course.
Emma - How old do I have to be to get married? 16...or 100?
Me - Somewhere in between there.
Emma - Oh. (another long pause) Mom, I don't think I want to get married anymore.
Me - Why?
Emma - Because I'm not sure I'll eat the cake the right way and everyone will be looking at us.

This girl cracks me up. So way better than any adult conversation I could have ever wished for...well today that is. ;)

Sometimes I just need a laugh.

So it's been a rough and busy week. Not much sleep, lots of crying (mostly from Hope, but I won't say there hasn't been anyone else doing it either!), and much frustration.

BUT sometimes I get to walk into a room and see things like these pictures below. How clever is our God that he can use Ken and Barbie to remind me of the sweetest blessing I have and that simply trumps it all. Thank you, Emma for making me laugh...and thank you Ken for being the house stud muffin...and thank you God for being such a genius.

Trick-or-Treat

Getting ready...

CANDY!!!!!

I have no idea what Emma is telling Hope here, but I'm going to say

that it is nothing mischievous at all and something very sweet!

Love these adorable smiles!