Kids bowl free...

The kids love to bowl and there is a wonderful program called "kids bowl free" - Check it out at their website. The whole program is free (hence the name) and all you do is sign up and your kids can bowl 2 games a day for the whole summer for free!! All you do is pay for shoe rental. You can even allow the whole family to join in for only $25 (we have not done this just because we don't have a lot of time). For a rainy summer afternoon, you can't beat it except that we here in the lowcountry of South Carolina do not know what a rainy summer afternoon is because we have had no rain in weeks but I digress...
Anyway, it is fun to go and see the kids bowl. Check it out - for our family, you can't beat free :)

School Days are over....

The end of the school year was really crazy this year. We had Kira's spring chorus program, 2 awards ceremonies, and fun end of the school year parties. The kids had fun this year at their school and the pics are proof.

The focus of Kira's chorus program was all dogs as you can see :) She was Brittany Basset Hound. She had a part in the play as well as being part of singing all the songs.

This is Kira at her awards program. She received a gold medal award for her A.R. reading program and a Chorus certificate.

This is Andrew at his awards ceremony. He received the top excellence in art award for the 4th grade and then received his award for patriot honor roll.

And this cute pic is just one thrown in because I think my kids are cute - hehe :)

Fun pics of home...

So... Let me take you back a month or so since I have been really bad about updating the blog. These are some pics from when I was home in Philly that I absolutely love. It was a joy to be back and see all my cousin's and their babies, and all my family. They are just tooooo cute!!

My aunt Kathy dancing with her son Brandon

The McCool's - well for me, formerly

My mom and I

My dad and his sisters (Susan, Ed, and Kathy)

My hansome brother Brent and I

Siblings

My wonderful grandparents - Ed and Doris

My sweet daddy and I

Sweet Sava -- aka Savannah

My sweet Isaac

Handsome Hez (Hezekiah James)

Beautiful Abby

My handsome brother Free (aka Will) and me
Brent and I being goofy :P

And to sum up my crazy family, I think this quote says it best...

Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown
I'll let you decide which is which :)

Yes, we are still alive...

In case you all were wondering where we have been on the blog :). Lots of fun craziness full of God's blessings that I will post soon :)

Wedding and remembrances...

This weekend I was able to go home to Pa/NJ for my cousin Jennie's wedding. It was such a blessing to be able to witness her and Michael commit their lives to each other in marriage. As I sat through their ceremony I was reminded how important our relationship with our spouse is. The Bible makes it very clear that a man and wife become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). There are no longer 2 but 1! It really is something quite unique how God's math works out in that 1+1=1 (a quote taken from my wedding and my amazing grandfather Rev.William M. Kolb). Marriage is not always easy - in fact a lot of times it is hard. You have to work at it, you have to fight off the selfishness that infuses our sinful nature, you have to deny yourself and give all for your partner. Hmmm, makes me understand why Jesus Christ himself has called those that are His followers "the bride" and He is the bridegroom. Is it not the perfect picture of marriage?...
A groom that has given his entire life, literally, for His bride. As I thought about my own marriage and the man God has so graciously given me, I thought about how my sin and selfishness have crept in at times and caused dissension and difficulties in our marriage. In Genesis it speaks about how the woman's desire will be for her husband (Genesis 3:16 -- To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.”)
This desire is not a sexual desire but one where the woman will want to be the leader, the head of the home and yet the man as God has designed should be the head of the house. This is a direct result of Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. Many times I have wanted to control my husband because I have a better way or I see things a different way, but this is wrong, and it is sin (Hmm, I want, I'd like, I desire him to be... sounds a lot like selfishness to me)! I need to give up myself to allow Dave to lead our home and our family. You know what's crazy? When I do, our family is so much more peaceful and in line with what God wants. I don't have to be the one to fix my husband, make him see things my way because I have faith in the one that has created my husband and He will lead him and guide him and our family way better than I could ever do. Ahh, there truly is peace and comfort in that. Here's to marriage designed God's way and to my dear sweet cousin and her new groom!!
Enjoy some photos of the beautiful bride, Jennie Saul and the handsome groom, Michael Bury.

Blessed...

Happy Mother's Day!!

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body" - Author Unknown.

This quote really sums up being a mom to me. No matter what your kids do, good or bad, I almost think we as mom's feel it more than them.
We cry with them, we laugh with them, we hurt for them, we get angry at and with them :), we live for the hugs they give, and we spend hours praying for them. They truly encompass all parts of our life and I wouldn't want it any other way.
I am so grateful that God chose me to be a mom to these 2 amazing kids. Yes, they drive me crazy sometimes, and yes, they make me mad and sad sometimes but they are truly the joy of my life. Enjoy the pictures which even includes one with my furry son as well :)