Faith Family of Five: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Routine

I survived week one of the "back to school" chaos and we are now in the midst of week two. I'm still surviving. :) I have no shame in admittance to a tearful week as I said goodbye to my first grader at the beginning of each day, the unknown of what would behold him for those next nearly 7 hours. A mother can only prayer her child through each day. "Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) was written with mothers in mind I think! :) I'm so thankful that as I leave him just outside those playground gates, he daily turns to me while walking down the sidewalk with a final wave and a hand signal for "I love you." And I'm so thankful that at the end of each school day (thus far), I'm met with a smile from Austin and that same hug I received the very first day. It warms my heart. It's become part of our routine.

Carson, Mason, and I are slowly finding our way into a routine as well. It's not rigid by any means but it's those little things--like reading books for nearly 30 minutes straight, having a snack together, heading to the library for our library day, watching Carson work on little "preschool projects" as we slowly prepare for his turn to begin the routine of school days, playing a game with CJ as soon as Mason lays down for his nap, etc.

Carson working on his cutting

CARS time!

Mason and his beloved "Thomas the Train"

Our "getting back into routine" continues this week as we've recently received our AWANA books for the upcoming year, piano lessons slowly beginning, college class for Andy started. And we have also entered the soccer arena this week. I have 2 soccer players this year so yes, my title of Soccer Mom is back. And more so this year as I have been nominated and voted in as the "team mom" for Austin's team. Our days are full but complete. Our nights and Saturdays are filled with going to and fro. Our priorities haven't changed however--we are still "us" and amidst the seemingly fuller calendar of the school year, we will make time to be a family of five....and just be. :)

Movie night!! (i love how Mason is laying in this picture)

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Popsicles, Pools and Push-ups

Normally, in the past, when the new school year is ushered in I can vividly recall a changing of the seasons that is quite evidently looming on the horizon. Most of the back to school ads contain children dressed in jeans, long-sleeve apparel of some sort, socks and tennis shoes. Not sandals, shorts, and tank tops. I don't think NV got the memo. 101 was the temp. yesterday as I drove to pick up my first grader. Just. Plain. Hot.


Carson enjoying his push-up!

So we have filled our afternoons with the savory and soothing chill of popsicles and orange flavored push-ups. Cooling off in our little pool has worked. Sortof. I'll fill it with ice cold water from our hose but somehow it's more like bath water by the time my boys are in it. Thank goodness for sprinklers whose water always run cold.

Mason running through the sprinkler

Austin ready for the sprinkler to come back around

I'll be careful in sounding not too complainatory (yes...I think just made up a word) about the exceptionally warm weather and enjoy each sweltering afternoon, quickly eating up our popsicles before they melt into a sticky colorful mess all over our hands, letting the boys get that sun-kissed look once again.


Popsicles!!!

Mason doesn't even wait to get his little swim trunks on--he just gets in fully clothed!

CJ & AA

The trio

Summer is still upon us even though school is in full swing. Those "lazy days of summer" have become "lazy afternoons of summer" at our house....and I'm relishing in it.

Mason splashing away!


My mini-man Mason :)

Monday, August 22, 2011

First day of First Grade

We made it. The first day of first grade. Another first step for my first born. And another first for my role as a mom. I'd like to think of it as yet another "faith step". Our lives are splashed with those periodically, more often than not, and today was no exception.

Austin woke up this morning and before I had the chance to enjoy one last summer morning snuggling in our pj's, he was dressed and ready by the time I opened his door! A mixed blessing as he was eager to begin the day. We started it off with his choice of breakfast--cinnamon french toast.


french toast for breakfast!

We had to take the precedented "first day of school" pictures.

Austin ready for his first day of First grade!!

mama and son :)


my 3 sons

Austin packing his lunch!

I am thankful that after walking my son to the back of the school and releasing him into the sea of unknown faces with the exception of a few, I somehow found my footing without tear-filled eyes....until I sat back down in the driver seat of my van. Exhaled. And with blurry eyes I was able to navigate my way to my mother-in-laws house pulling myself together for a brief few minutes. Then the floodgates opened. I'm so grateful for a tender-hearted MIL as that made my crying spell seem somewhat less intimidating and embarrassing. We talked the morning away, drowning our sorrows in the sugary, chocolatey, sprinkled- coated goodness of donuts and countless cups of coffee. It has become a "first day of school" tradition. Thanks mom :)

At 12:30, after a quieter lunch of 3 rather than 5, Carson asked me "mom...when do we go get Austin?" and I thought my heart would break in two. Thank goodness for McQueen and his entourage as we lined them up next to the Cars 2 coloring book--we had to make sure the colors were in coordination with the characters themselves. In the mid-afternoon hours the silence was nearly deafening. My eyes seemed to bounce back and forth from the clock in wonderment as to what my mini-man would be doing at that particular time, to my Bible as I read "Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm." (Prov. 4:26) Appropriate no matter what phase of life you may be in.

Austin came home and as we parents had been forewarned, with a backpack full of papers to read and sign.

happy reading!

But more than that, he came home with a smile on his face and non-stop chatter about his "skittle challenge" accomplishment, what lies inside his desk, who he played with during the first recess and the second recess, what lunch time was like and how he ate everything "saving my cookie for very last mom", how they go about reading time in their classroom, and that he really likes his teachers. Who wouldn't love teachers that give skittles and "awards" on the first day of school?!

back to school "award" from his teachers

Exhale again. We made it. And I even got a hug as we walked in the door that silently said...everything's going to be ok mom. And even after saying a quick prayer of thanks to Jesus for bringing us through the day, Austin was the one to remind me-- "I wore my Jesus necklace today mom so I remember that He's always with me." :) Faith like a child.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Kingston Camping

Let me just start off by saying that those blueberry pancakes cooked over the open fire by my amazing hubby...simply divine. :)


blueberry pancake breakfast!

And I also must say that it took our littlest camper only a matter of minutes to be friends with the dirt...literally...minutes. Like I've said all along, I love boys. :)

Mason most certainly was a "happy camper"

There are so many different facets to camping--cooking, exploring, nightly campfires, hiking, and the list goes on and on. We Anderson's have a yearly tradition of camping in Kingston Campground which is in central NV and the boys love it because of it's variety of "jungle spots", a seemingly endless stream of water which allows for hours of creative fun, the founded mine we stumbled upon in years past, and all the variety of treasures that my boys somehow find in the midst of sticks, rocks, dirt, and the like. Believe it or not, this year, their very first "treasure" was a pair of dentures found hanging in a tree branch before we even parked the camper. Needless to say....we moved. ;) And no, I did not allow them to keep that particular "treasure." I'm sure those teeth are still hanging on that very same branch.

Rather than give you the day-by-day play-by-play, I'll just allow the pictures to tell the stories of what our week looked like according to those varying facets of camping. I'll start with the cooking, which we did our share of and had a great time doing. I have to confess, that while camping, Andy easily becomes the cook of the family. I do my part--mainly my french toast part--but he has the knack and well, he can operate an open fire like it's nobody's business. I have a feeling over the years, the boys will soon learn and just maybe one day we can sit back and enjoy the smells of the food cooking without worrying about the smoke billowing in our faces while we squint to try and see if the meat is actually done in the middle.


camp cook :)

steak fajitas!

french toast for bkfast


the "dump cake"


time to dig in!


soooooooo yummy!


simply deliciousness :)

Before you wrinkle your noses at the thought of those words "dump cake", let me just say that it is pure goodness melting in your mouth...a little cake mix, add some butter, dump in a can of drunkin' apples, swirl in a swig of soda, and let the hot, fiery coals do the cooking. Is your mouth watering yet??

A definite highlight to our camping adventures over the course of five days consisted of those outdoor explorations and hiking, a little picnic downstream, the boys building a bridge in our campsite, and we even happened upon a swing to the boys' delight during one of our drives.

mountain view

Last year, we hiked up the side of the mountain to find an old mine, literally in the side of the mountain. The boys claim it's a cave...so be it. AA & CJ insisted that we hike up there again to see if there were any treasures to be found...there were none. But Andy did venture in as far as he was able with his flashlight to the tune of Austin warning him in his rather concerning voice, "be careful daddy!" Even Mason made the little hike...hand in hand, smiles and all!


outside the cave/mine


exploring the inside

all my handsome Anderson boys!

hiking back down

bridge building

Austin and Carson on their little "island" as they like to call it

picnic lunch!

just us :)


Mason LOVED the water....even if it was freezing cold mountain water!

my handsome little CJ

just a-swingin'

The biggest part of our week-long camping expenditure was spending afternoon hours at the nearby reservoir, fishing, playing in the water, watching jets fly just above our heads, napping in the truck (that was Mason's daily routine at least), and basking in the vast openness of God's beauty surrounding us from every angle. It was peaceful, tranquil, hot :), and dare I even admit that I just might have experienced the bone-chilling mountain water from head to toe. It worked for a really quick semi-shower at least. It's the type of water where you just have to jump in and try to catch your breath when you come up for air...but somehow, you gasp, and it takes your mind a moment to realize that you are oddly used to the water but at the same time, just plain cold through and through with the permanency of goosebumps until you are in sun's heated rays again and you find yourself running out of the water as fast as you ran in. It's funny how when you're camping, "clean enough" is actually pretty clean. There may still have been dirt beneath my fingernails and even without shampoo my hair was somewhat comb-able, but it was water and it was refreshing.

Austin found a wolly-worm

Mason's first reaction was to try and pull it apart....boys.

Carson loves to fish!

my fishermen

Mason was pretty content to just play in the water

going for a ride with daddy!

Mason checking out the fish daddy caught

Mason's afternoon nap spot...in the truck :)

Austin Alan

And last but not least is the nightly routine of campfires and some added camper fun now that we have that leisure. We were treated to Andy's renditions of western campfire stories, snuggles with the boys, lots of laughs, and more memories created. It's a definite summer highlight, this whole camping saga that we do each year...something that in the dead of winter, we find ourselves gazing outside looking forward to longer days and more fish tales to tell. For now, however, we relish in the amazing week we Anderson five had together, and praise God for allowing us to once again just...be....in His outdoor wonderment and beauty.