I haven't had much time to blog lately. I have been doing a lot of cleaning and a whole lot of substitute teaching! It has left me little time for doing things like this.
But, I wouldn't trade it for anything AND I love, love, love getting to be at school with my kiddos! I honestly would do it every day if I could.
Fortunately, we were able to pull together a last minute trip to Hilton Head this year. It was such a blessing!!!!! We were SO excited!!!! Some friends of ours that we have known since childhood GRACIOUSLY allowed us to use their condo in Sea Pines for next to nothing. We could not be more thankful to them! We had no idea how nice it was going to be! Wow! It far exceeded our expectations! We've never stayed IN Sea Pines before and it was great! We had the absolute best time. We had to squeeze all of our activities into just 4 days this time though because the kids' Fall Break is only 3 days long. Boo! We left late on a Friday night and returned the following Thursday. Ok, so maybe we threw in an extra day for fun, but it was SO worth it! We still got to do almost all of our "usual things" that we do when we go. We went to the beach every day and stayed for a long time. Normally, we go to the beach in the morning and head back to our pool for the afternoon. But, since we went so late in October, the pool at the condo was C-O-L-D, so we ended up spending all of our time at the beach, which suited me just fine. I could live on the beach, so I had no complaints at all! Unfortunately, Sadie got DRILLED by a jellyfish on the 2nd day. Ouch! And, when I say "drilled", I mean "DRILLED"!!!! Bless her! She had about 10 welps all over the bottom of her leg. Luckily, a lifeguard was present and was able to come and spray vinegar all it, which took the sting away. Fortunately, Sadie did not let that stop her from getting back in the ocean. Whew! (I have to admit, it kind of kept ME from getting back in though)
We went on another deep sea fishing trip for shark. We caught several sharks and several HUGE red fish! So much fun! It is definitely a love of mine that I never knew I had. I absolutely LOVE it!!! I love the thrill, the challenge, the wait, the victory, and just the pure peace of being out in the middle of the ocean. Lake fishing does nothing for me, but I LOVE deep sea fishing!!!! The kids loved it again too! They got to catch all of our bait and they thought that was a lot of fun. We also had a very friendly dolphin literally swim RIGHT up to our boat and hang with us for a while. Coolest thing I have ever seen in my life! It even triumphed over all of the fishing we did that day! The dolphin literally stayed by our boat and hung out for a while. He would come up and smile at us and then swim away for a minute and then come back. The kids could not believe it! Heck, neither could I!!!! I thought that kind of stuff only happened in movies! I was ready to just jump in and take a ride on his back, but then quickly remembered we were "shark" fishing. Definitely didn't want to take the chance to grab onto the wrong fin!
On our last day, we stayed at the beach ALL DAY LONG. Literally, we got there around 10:00 that morning and stayed until after sunset that night. We even went and got pizza and had a little beach picnic for lunch. Oh, the memories we made. They will surely last a lifetime!
My heart was definitely full when we left. I was so, so thankful that we got to go this year. The kids had the time of their lives and they are still talking about it every day.
Other than that, not much else has been happening. Goodpasture's football season ended last Friday, in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Although, I'm sad for the players, I think the Phillips family is ready to have Daddy back! We are definitely ready for some sort of normalcy to kick back in before the madness of the holidays begin!
Sawyer is doing great in Kindergarten! He is so smart and he is reading so well already! I am so proud of him and he has exceeded our expectations of what we thought he would be able to do at this point. He is one of the very youngest in Kindergarten (which is why he will do Pre-First next year), but you would never know because he does such a great job! I am one proud momma!!!
Sadie is loving First Grade too! She has definitely had more of a challenge academically this year, but I think it's because Goodpasture pushes them so hard! She is doing things and learning things that I know I didn't do until 3rd or 4th grade! I love seeing her try and I love seeing her excitement when she accomplishes something or makes a really good grade. She has a small class of only 10, so I think she enjoys that calmness.
Onward and Upward to the Holidays we go!!!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Blessings Abound!
Oh what a wonderful last few weeks we have had in the Phillips' household!!! For the past few years, we have experienced some really tough financial times. Once the housing market crashed about 7 years ago, so did our finances...it began a downward spiral that we couldn't seem to climb out of. No matter what changes we made in our lives to try and get ourselves into a better position financially, we just couldn't seem to get to a point where we were comfortable again. It has been a S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E. I know deep in my heart that God wants me to be a mom first. So, for those that sit back and wonder why I don't go and get a full time job to "help" out, just know that I am doing what I know that God wants me to. I do ALL that I can to help out as far as cleaning, subbing, consigning, selling junk, etc. I want to be with my kids. I want to be their mother. I don't want someone else to raise them or take care of them. If I had wanted that, I probably wouldn't have had children to begin with. With that being said, I have been praying really hard lately for God to do something that would blow us away. I have been begging for Him to please do something beyond our imaginations and beyond anything that we could ever think up ourselves. I honestly never lost hope. Yes, there were dark times. Yes, there were times that I struggled. BUT, I never thought that God had forgotten about us. I just tried my best to learn what He was trying to teach me during that time.
With all of that being said, about 2 weeks ago, we began to be blown away. Long story short...(and I mean, LOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNGGGGGG) God has allowed Dennis to get a pay increase, along with a new, improved bonus structure, while continuing to do the same job that he was already doing! AND, his company has agreed to support Dennis in growing and running the commercial division of their company, which is what he wanted to do anyways! W-O-W!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never give up hope. Never. God can do FAR beyond ANYTHING we can ask or imagine! My heart has been overflowing with thankfulness. Thank you Lord! On a side note, are we millionaires? Um, no. Did we hit the jackpot? Hardly. BUT, we are finally able to get in a position where we can actually pay our bills and get ourselves out of a hole!!!! And, maybe JUST maybe, we can start saving money again!!!! Oh, the thought!
On an even BETTER note, throughout this past Summer, Sadie began asking a lot of questions about being saved and getting baptized. We spent a lot of time at church this Summer with VBS and church camps, which is I think what mainly sparked her interest. Before allowing her to take the plunge (no pun intended), I wanted to be SURE that she understood to a 6 year old degree, what the decision meant that she was making. So, we contacted our children's pastor and he gave us 2 books to go through with her. Once I felt as though she knew what she was doing, her and I prayed together for her to receive Christ as her Savior. She was so happy!!! She even told me afterwards that she wanted to cry because she was so happy! Next came baptism. She was sooooooooo ready to follow through with this next step! Shortly after we finished her book, our children's pastor said they were doing a special "kids" baptism on Sept. 22nd, which was only a couple of weeks away at the time. We signed her up and got her ready! What a special, special day for our whole family.
She was a little bit nervous beforehand, but it quickly turned into a nervous/excitement/ants in her pants! Dennis was able to baptize her, which made it extra special. I know its a moment that none of us will ever forget. We had lots of friends and family there to celebrate.
She told me that right after she was baptized and she was walking up the stairs of the baptistry, she heard God speak directly to her heart. I asked her what He said?? She said "He told me that all of my sins are now forgiven". So, so precious!!! Thank you Lord for this indescribable gift.
So, in the Phillips household, things are definitely looking up. I am soaking in every single blessing right now. I am experiencing pure, answered prayers and I am so, so thankful.
With all of that being said, about 2 weeks ago, we began to be blown away. Long story short...(and I mean, LOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNGGGGGG) God has allowed Dennis to get a pay increase, along with a new, improved bonus structure, while continuing to do the same job that he was already doing! AND, his company has agreed to support Dennis in growing and running the commercial division of their company, which is what he wanted to do anyways! W-O-W!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never give up hope. Never. God can do FAR beyond ANYTHING we can ask or imagine! My heart has been overflowing with thankfulness. Thank you Lord! On a side note, are we millionaires? Um, no. Did we hit the jackpot? Hardly. BUT, we are finally able to get in a position where we can actually pay our bills and get ourselves out of a hole!!!! And, maybe JUST maybe, we can start saving money again!!!! Oh, the thought!
On an even BETTER note, throughout this past Summer, Sadie began asking a lot of questions about being saved and getting baptized. We spent a lot of time at church this Summer with VBS and church camps, which is I think what mainly sparked her interest. Before allowing her to take the plunge (no pun intended), I wanted to be SURE that she understood to a 6 year old degree, what the decision meant that she was making. So, we contacted our children's pastor and he gave us 2 books to go through with her. Once I felt as though she knew what she was doing, her and I prayed together for her to receive Christ as her Savior. She was so happy!!! She even told me afterwards that she wanted to cry because she was so happy! Next came baptism. She was sooooooooo ready to follow through with this next step! Shortly after we finished her book, our children's pastor said they were doing a special "kids" baptism on Sept. 22nd, which was only a couple of weeks away at the time. We signed her up and got her ready! What a special, special day for our whole family.
She was a little bit nervous beforehand, but it quickly turned into a nervous/excitement/ants in her pants! Dennis was able to baptize her, which made it extra special. I know its a moment that none of us will ever forget. We had lots of friends and family there to celebrate.
She told me that right after she was baptized and she was walking up the stairs of the baptistry, she heard God speak directly to her heart. I asked her what He said?? She said "He told me that all of my sins are now forgiven". So, so precious!!! Thank you Lord for this indescribable gift.
So, in the Phillips household, things are definitely looking up. I am soaking in every single blessing right now. I am experiencing pure, answered prayers and I am so, so thankful.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Beginning School
Where have I been, you ask? Well, school has begun so I remain on the run...at. all. times. Whew! I am tired just thinking about it!
The kids' first day(s) of school were wonderful! They both got the teachers that we wanted, so they were both very excited to begin! Travis and Anita decided last minute to send Cole to Goodpasture, so he and Sawyer were able to get the same teacher, thanks to a call to Mrs. Farley (who was my sis' 3rd grade teacher)!! They were SO excited to be in the same class AND Mrs. Lankford put them at the same table together which was icing on the cake! How cool to have your cousin in your Kindergarten class??? Even though Sadie and Avery aren't in the same class this year, their classrooms are right next door to each other, so they were excited to see each other before going in to their new classrooms. Sadie was a little hesitant about going in, but she was good once she got in there. Mrs. Dana Wolfe is her teacher and we have known her almost our whole lives. She is a precious woman and she is the exact kind of teacher that you want your child to have. Loving, tender, strong, caring, and a GREAT woman in every way. Sadie ADORES her!!!!
Right after the first week of school, Shelly decided it was time for baby Camden Andrew to enter the world! August 17th at 9:28 to be exact! I got to be there at the hospital when she was in labor and when he was born, we were all in the waiting room...well, waiting, of course. Here are a few pics from the night!
He is a precious, perfect baby and I am green with envy that she gets to experience all of this again. I could just sit and look at him all day. He is a DOLL!!!! I am so thankful that I was able to be there for excitement!! I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
We have been running around like crazy people! I miss the dog days of Summer more than ever! Football has begun in full force, so we don't get to see Dennis very often. I forgot how much time football takes! I am experiencing a bit of a taste of what its like to be a single mom and it is TOUGH! As soon as I pick the kids up from school, we come home and do over an hour of homework. An hour of homework, people!!!! Shoot me in the face!!!!! I am used to the Kindergarten homework, but 1st grade is hard! Sadie has been having a really tough time with the adjustment. I just encourage her as often as I can, and I try not to say/do anything that will discourage her in any way. She is still an awesome student, but she is having trouble with some of her spelling tests and it breaks my heart. I know she will get better, but its still hard to see her struggle.
Sawyer is loving Kindergarten and he is doing better than I had expected. I never thought he was "ready" to begin Kindergarten yet, but we went ahead and started him because it was cheaper than Pre-K and I felt that he was ready maturity-wise. He is doing great. He has already started reading a little bit and he loves getting to be with his friends every day.
Sawyer still enjoys Flag Football and he will have his first game a week from today! He could care less about actually catching the ball, etc., but he is having a blast, which is all that matters!! He is such a goofball!!!!
Sadie started gymnastics for the first time this past week and she loved it!
We had our first home football game last night, and although, we lost in Overtime, it was still good to be back in the mix! I love football!!!! It was hot as blue blazes at the game though, and my kids were going insane!!!! But, they enjoyed hanging with Izzy and Carter!
Even though it kicks our rear to pay for our kids to go to Goodpasture, I am reminded all of the time that it's worth the sacrifice. This school is so amazing and we are blessed that God has given us the opportunity to allow our kids to be a part of something so special where they can freely worship God, pray, and read their Bible at school. Sadie is learning all of her books of the Bible right now and it blows me away. She wants to sing about God all of the time and she already knows that God should always be your #1! I am so proud of her. I have my very first substitute job the week after next! I can't wait!!!! Praying that God will open the doors for me to be able to do it more often as the year goes on!!!
The kids' first day(s) of school were wonderful! They both got the teachers that we wanted, so they were both very excited to begin! Travis and Anita decided last minute to send Cole to Goodpasture, so he and Sawyer were able to get the same teacher, thanks to a call to Mrs. Farley (who was my sis' 3rd grade teacher)!! They were SO excited to be in the same class AND Mrs. Lankford put them at the same table together which was icing on the cake! How cool to have your cousin in your Kindergarten class??? Even though Sadie and Avery aren't in the same class this year, their classrooms are right next door to each other, so they were excited to see each other before going in to their new classrooms. Sadie was a little hesitant about going in, but she was good once she got in there. Mrs. Dana Wolfe is her teacher and we have known her almost our whole lives. She is a precious woman and she is the exact kind of teacher that you want your child to have. Loving, tender, strong, caring, and a GREAT woman in every way. Sadie ADORES her!!!!
Right after the first week of school, Shelly decided it was time for baby Camden Andrew to enter the world! August 17th at 9:28 to be exact! I got to be there at the hospital when she was in labor and when he was born, we were all in the waiting room...well, waiting, of course. Here are a few pics from the night!
He is a precious, perfect baby and I am green with envy that she gets to experience all of this again. I could just sit and look at him all day. He is a DOLL!!!! I am so thankful that I was able to be there for excitement!! I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
We have been running around like crazy people! I miss the dog days of Summer more than ever! Football has begun in full force, so we don't get to see Dennis very often. I forgot how much time football takes! I am experiencing a bit of a taste of what its like to be a single mom and it is TOUGH! As soon as I pick the kids up from school, we come home and do over an hour of homework. An hour of homework, people!!!! Shoot me in the face!!!!! I am used to the Kindergarten homework, but 1st grade is hard! Sadie has been having a really tough time with the adjustment. I just encourage her as often as I can, and I try not to say/do anything that will discourage her in any way. She is still an awesome student, but she is having trouble with some of her spelling tests and it breaks my heart. I know she will get better, but its still hard to see her struggle.
Sawyer is loving Kindergarten and he is doing better than I had expected. I never thought he was "ready" to begin Kindergarten yet, but we went ahead and started him because it was cheaper than Pre-K and I felt that he was ready maturity-wise. He is doing great. He has already started reading a little bit and he loves getting to be with his friends every day.
Sawyer still enjoys Flag Football and he will have his first game a week from today! He could care less about actually catching the ball, etc., but he is having a blast, which is all that matters!! He is such a goofball!!!!
Sadie started gymnastics for the first time this past week and she loved it!
We had our first home football game last night, and although, we lost in Overtime, it was still good to be back in the mix! I love football!!!! It was hot as blue blazes at the game though, and my kids were going insane!!!! But, they enjoyed hanging with Izzy and Carter!
Even though it kicks our rear to pay for our kids to go to Goodpasture, I am reminded all of the time that it's worth the sacrifice. This school is so amazing and we are blessed that God has given us the opportunity to allow our kids to be a part of something so special where they can freely worship God, pray, and read their Bible at school. Sadie is learning all of her books of the Bible right now and it blows me away. She wants to sing about God all of the time and she already knows that God should always be your #1! I am so proud of her. I have my very first substitute job the week after next! I can't wait!!!! Praying that God will open the doors for me to be able to do it more often as the year goes on!!!
Monday, August 5, 2013
Sawyer is 5!
My little boy...my youngest...my baby...my only son...is now...FIVE!
Where did these past 5 years go??? We went for his check-up today and he was such a big boy. It almost broke my heart because he did so good. He got shots for Kindergarten and did not shed a single tear. Who does that? My boy! That's who!!!! I am one proud momma!
He finally weighs a whoppin' 40 pounds! His height still outweighs his weight though. He is 45 inches tall. We are waiting on the magic "46" inches, so that we can go back to Holiday World! LOL He is off the charts in height and average on the weight. How did my kids get so tall?????
He is super excited to start Kindergarten next week. He can't wait! I am a little bit sad, but I am more excited that he is getting to go to the Little Red Schoolhouse just like Sadie. He is going to have the BEST YEAR EVER! And, to know that his cousin Cole is going to be in his class is just adding to the excitement!
A few facts about my little bud: he is still the biggest goofball I know! He makes me die laughing on a daily basis...he loves his big sis more than anything...he is extremely tender hearted...he will pretty much do ANYTHING you ask him to, if he knows he is helping you out! He has a lot of friends and is the sweetest boy I know...he is very smart! He can memorize anything (songs, Bible verses, stories, etc.) My mom swears he is going to be a country music singer one day because he loves music! He has a bit of a temper and gets frustrated easy...wonder who he gets that from??? hmmmmmmmm...He is playing his first "sport" this Fall. Flag football! He is SO excited about it!!!!!! We went with Upward because they only practice one hour a week and they have games on Sat. mornings. I am excited that he is finally getting to do something for himself, since he was so patient all year with Sadie's ballet schedule.
He is the most loving, caring, kind hearted, witty, and silliest boy I know! I am more than blessed to be his mom. I thank God for this little dude every day. I was always afraid to have a son, because I wasn't sure I would be able to "connect" with him. Boy, was I wrong! I love him more than I can even say!!!
Here are a few pics of him from this Summer!
Where did these past 5 years go??? We went for his check-up today and he was such a big boy. It almost broke my heart because he did so good. He got shots for Kindergarten and did not shed a single tear. Who does that? My boy! That's who!!!! I am one proud momma!
He finally weighs a whoppin' 40 pounds! His height still outweighs his weight though. He is 45 inches tall. We are waiting on the magic "46" inches, so that we can go back to Holiday World! LOL He is off the charts in height and average on the weight. How did my kids get so tall?????
He is super excited to start Kindergarten next week. He can't wait! I am a little bit sad, but I am more excited that he is getting to go to the Little Red Schoolhouse just like Sadie. He is going to have the BEST YEAR EVER! And, to know that his cousin Cole is going to be in his class is just adding to the excitement!
A few facts about my little bud: he is still the biggest goofball I know! He makes me die laughing on a daily basis...he loves his big sis more than anything...he is extremely tender hearted...he will pretty much do ANYTHING you ask him to, if he knows he is helping you out! He has a lot of friends and is the sweetest boy I know...he is very smart! He can memorize anything (songs, Bible verses, stories, etc.) My mom swears he is going to be a country music singer one day because he loves music! He has a bit of a temper and gets frustrated easy...wonder who he gets that from??? hmmmmmmmm...He is playing his first "sport" this Fall. Flag football! He is SO excited about it!!!!!! We went with Upward because they only practice one hour a week and they have games on Sat. mornings. I am excited that he is finally getting to do something for himself, since he was so patient all year with Sadie's ballet schedule.
He is the most loving, caring, kind hearted, witty, and silliest boy I know! I am more than blessed to be his mom. I thank God for this little dude every day. I was always afraid to have a son, because I wasn't sure I would be able to "connect" with him. Boy, was I wrong! I love him more than I can even say!!!
Here are a few pics of him from this Summer!
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