I know... this is probably the longest time I have gone without a post. I have been really busy! On Thursday of last week, I headed to Dallas with three other ladies for the Early Childhood Conference. For those of you who dont know, I am still technically the director of St. John Lutheran Preschool. I make sure that the legal things stay up to date and my name stays on things since I am a certified teacher and I have my master's in education while the now "teacher" is training to become the director. I still have to keep up my hours of continuing education, so I had to go to the training. It was a really great conference this year. I was able to attend a class on licensing, early childcare intervention, and my passion at the time sensory integration. They were all wonderful classes! I also went to a class called, "He Knows me by Name." It was about the importance of our name and how our name is special to us and how God even knows our name and knows us individually! It was a powerful lesson set up for preschoolers. I hope to share it with the kids at the school or at our church in maybe a VBS setting. We had a great key note speaker named Steve Spangler who incorporates science into learning in some facinating ways.
This is one of the interactive things we did with plastic bags. We were all giggling and having a great time. I tried this trick on my kids and Will when I got home. The banner theme for the conference was "Growing Kids through Prayer." I loved our theme song... Here is an excert....
Lord, shine Your light on me. Lord, grow Your grace in me. Lord, fill me with Your power. Lord, root me in Your Word.
Thanks to my mom for coming and watching the girls so that I could go to the conference and Will could keep trucking on the taxes. Of course, four country girls in the city had to do some shopping... We made stops at Sam Moon, Sams, Garden Ridge, and Target! I was ready to get home, but had a great time reviving myself away from the house for a few days. On Sunday, we had a great time at the Poe's watching the Super Bowl and of course eating. Will and I made popcorn balls with the girls that were blue of course... to support Peyton Manning and the COLTS! I spent Monday unpacking and doing about eight loads of laundry. Tuesday was the book fair, basketball, house cleaning, and a great dinner with Will's parents and grandfather, Bill. He is here for his check-ups and Scott and White and for Marilyn's surgery on Friday.
Just a few pics of the girls from last night... Bill and Emiley playing checkers. Grammy and Abbey playing chess. Lainey coloring the Twelve Dancing Princesses.
Please keep our family in your daily prayers. Will's mom will undergo her surgery on Friday. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has also recently learned that it is her hormones causing the cancer to grow which means she must endure Chemo after the surgery. Marilyn is a very strong, spiritual woman. She is ready to face whatever God has instore for her life. She is a woman of prayer and dedication to our Lord and Savior. Please keep this awesome Child of God in your hearts and especially in your prayers over the next few months. Also, prayer for the safe travel of Will's brother Walt from California and his sisters Amy and Molly as they venture to Hamilton to gather around their mother at this time. I know that our God is GREAT and can do the amazing things in people's lives. Pray for God's power, peace, grace, and love to be on our family at this time.
We love American Idol! The girls and I watch it when we can... and it works out great because this is the time of year when Will has to work late so we are able to watch it in the living room and sing and dance until our heart's content. These are some pictures of the girl's watching American Idol last week. Lainey was all dressed up in her "sparkle" shirt, holey jeans, mod headband, and Mardi Gras beads (which came straight from Louisianna on a King Cake that was delivered to Will's office from a client in LA.) Anyway, they were dressed and ready to go last week. Emiley had on her "brawl" (bra in Emiley language) and her President Lincoln necklace from school. They are so fun to watch. Abbey was a spectator last week because she was down with the stomach bug. We are ready to watch again this week!!!
The girls also got some great chocolates and hair bows from Ramon and Debbi and many, many cards in the mail today. Thanks so much to everyone who thought of us on this wonderful day! 
The girls loved seeing him do this... Maybe we should have tried to make his chest hairs "pokey." Now that would have been a picture!!!