Moving on Up!

A couple of weeks ago my sweet Penguin graduated from daycare! This is exciting on so many levels not least of which is the payment that stops coming out the first of every month.

I will admit I got a bit emotional the last day I picked her up. It was sad to think I would never bring her in to the place she had been for 3 1/2 years. I love Idlewild Children's Center. They have been excellent for us and so loving to my sweet girl. So yeah, I got a little verklempt.

So join me on a trip down memory lane.

First Day as a Unicorn

First Day as a Toucan

First day as a Koala

Followed quickly by First day as a Penguin

Followed by our last day as a Penguin

On to Mommy's school to be a Sea Turtle!!

Uncle Chipmunk

I didn't post yesterday about anything I wanted, because we lost an amazing family member, Uncle Mike. Or as Wesley always called him Uncle Chipmunk.

Uncle Mike was the friendliest, funniest most loving man. He was a joy to be around and he was a strong servant of Jesus, which cannot be a coincidence in my mind.

I didn't know Matt's Uncle Mike as much as I would have liked, since we live in Memphis and he lived in Birmingham, but in Matt and I's 14 year relationship, I have never doubted how much this man meant to the family.

No words are adequate when you lose someone you love and respect so much, but I did want to share something. Even though death is so hard on us, because we live in a broken and painful world. We do know that we serve a risen savior, Jesus Christ, who is alive in every way and defeated death for us. We know that Mike is with us and we will be with him again. We are the ones left sad right now, but we have hope. And Aunt Sue, Mike's wife, has been the greatest testimony to that. Her strength and faith in such an unthinkable time is amazing and proves her strength comes from something besides herself.

We will miss Mike greatly, there will be a hole at every family gathering. But I guarantee he would not want us to be sad.  We will tell stories and laugh, and it will honor his memory. What a great memory it is.

Summer Slow Down

I actually have lots to blog about, but I have been enjoying the summer lazy days too much! Since we've been out of school on May 24th we've had a Preschool graduation, 4 mile race, trip to Branson, multiple trips to the Kroc pool, picnics, lots of antiquing (new hobby) and new bedroom furniture!

So I'll start with a photo dump that will forecast the stories to come, because I have a dentist appointment in an hour. And then MAYBE I'll actually write something tonight....