All Fired Up

Maddy went on her first field trip last Wednesday to the Fire Station. My friend, Kristi, was so sweet to watch my little ones so I could go with Maddy and be a chaperone. Maddy was all fired up about riding the school bus for the first time!I sat with Maddy and her friend, Catherine. When we arrived at the fire station, all of the firemen were out on a call, so we had to wait a little while. When the fire engine finally returned, the siren was blaring and the lights were flashing. The kids were so excited! We tried to get a group shot of Maddy's class, and boy was it difficult trying to get a big group of 4 year olds to all look at the camera at the same time! We got to tour the inside of the fire station, learn all about the parts of the fire engine, and watch them spray water. Maddy's favorite part of the field trip was sitting in the driver's seat of the fire engine. She looked so tiny sitting there! I had a great time spending the day with my Maddy!

Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Psalm31:2

Hemingway

I can't begin to tell you how much Maddy is loving her Preschool class! She is all smiles when I pick her up and talks about her day nonstop the entire way home! Monday she was extra excited when I picked her up because it was her turn to bring the special book bag home. Inside is the class friend, Hemingway, who is a stuffed elephant.Also inside is an activity and a request to bring an item to school to share. Maddy couldn't wait to do her "homework." She had to practice writing her name in D'Nealian handwriting and find something that starts with the Letter C. Maddy picked out a toy cookie to bring, and I suggested that we bake real cookies together. So we made her favorite, homemade Chocolate Chip!Maddy couldn't wait to share them with all of her friends. We are off to a great school year full of learning and fun!

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm34:8

Let's Get a Little Bit Rowdy!

Maddy cheered at her first game on Saturday! The Flag Football teams started off the season with a Bowl Game, so Halls played Central at Central High School (Jonathan's Alma Mater!). Maddy was so excited that she was awake on Saturday at 6:25 a.m.! She could hardly wait to put on her uniform. She practiced so hard all summer and was happy that it was finally time to perform! Maddy is cheering for the Halls "Cowboys" so the girls held up a sign for the little boys to run through:Then the girls each stood in their spot with their own megaphone and pom-poms. Their first cheer was the "Hello Cheer," where they each introduced themselves to the crowd. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5...My name's Maddy and I say, 'Hi!'": She watched the game some,but she LOVED cheering! Here she is doing some cheers:

"Push 'em back! Push 'em back...Way back!"

"Defense...Defense...Defense, Get Tough!"

"Rumble, rumble, rumble...hit 'em hard, make 'em fumble!"

Her favorite part was trying to kickand yelling through her megaphone when their team scored a touchdown.We had so much fun watching Maddy have fun and are looking forward to the next 9 Saturday mornings! Go Maddy Faith! We love you!

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. 1Thessalonians5:11a

The Bus Stops Here

Lily begged and begged all last year to ride the school bus, and we promised her that when she got into First Grade that she would be allowed to ride the bus home. The only way we agreed to this was because we live less than 5 miles from the school, and the bus stops at the stop sign right in front of our driveway. A couple of days before school started, we memorized the bus # and I made sure Lily could still recite her address. So, on the first day of school I was waiting for her with my camera all ready to snap some pictures. Well, the bus came, and I kept watching kids get off, but I didn't see my Lily! The bus driver motioned for me to come to the bus door and he asked, "Are you Lily's Mom?" I told him yes and he informed me that Lily had gotten off at the previous stop. At first I thought he meant at the top of our street, but then I saw that he was motioning over toward the neighborhood right before ours. You can only imagine the panic that swept through me! I got in the van and prayed and prayed that nothing had happened to my sweet girl! Thankfully she was safe, just a little traumatized! We both cried and held each other for a long time! After we both calmed down, we talked about what happened and decided not to give up. Sometimes we have to experience hard things in order for us to grow and put our faith in God that He will take care of us! So that night we drove the bus route and I showed Lily exactly where she needed to get off. She tried it again the next day, and this time Lily made it home! She was so proud of herself, and now she rides it home everyday. Thank you, Lord, for keeping my baby girl safe!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm91:1-2