The whole thing was very interesting...

We were watching Anna as she was looking at this bug on the sidewalk yesterday. She was staring at it, and as we have never seen a bug like that, we told her not to touch it. She walked over to it, looked at it closely and then, stepped on it. Stephen basically said, "alright" a little amused.

She then did something that caused us both to crack up laughing.

She leaned over to look at the squished bug, stuck out her hand and simultaneously waved at the bug and said with her mouth, "bye, bye".

We were so sad that we didn't have a camera in sight, cause it was PRICELESS. Thought you would enjoy that little story. Have a great week.

Its' all about love....

Anna got over the flu and I wish I could say we are all well in the Summers' household. She has moved on to a cold. The coughing is the worst part. She has a hard time sleeping through the night...but we are on the mend. Daycare will rough you up man. I have always heard the stories of kids in daycare having a hard time shaking being sick, but this is eye opening. Anyway, on to other things....we had a busy week the week of Valentines.

For Valentines day, Stephen made me dinner...so appropriate. : ) It was DELICIOUS. He also got Anna the best Valentines day present EVER. See pictures below. Fun was had by all who entered our doors.

Sadie and Tessa Grantham came to visit one evening while their mommy and daddy ( Libby and Tyler) went out for their Valentine's date.

Also shown below is Kaylee, my niece, and Anna at Granny's vacation house in Rockport. We went to see them on Sunday. They have so much fun together. When you even mention Kaylee's name, Anna smiles super big. Kaylee makes her laugh. I have some video of this that I will post later this week when I get time. All in all we had a great week spending time with those we love. Who could ask for more?

Hope you all have a fabulous week.

Anna having a TON of fun with her balloons. I am not sure what happened with the camera, but I love the "airy" effect of the picture. It seems so dreamy.

Anna and Kaylee having fun.

Anna and Tessa hangin out at her coloring table. They look so relaxed!
Looking at the card Daddy got her from he and I.

Tessa and big sister Sadie having fun playing with balloons!

Perspective....

It's everything I have recently learned. Our little family has had a rough go as of late with illness and life and money and time. Anna is finally on the mend, no more flu, teaching is good and Stephen is really enjoying school. Finances are strapped, but that is what happens when you go to school full time. We had a rough weekend and I found myself thinking and praying things like, is it ever going to get any easier... Lord, I don't understand....why does this sort of thing have to happen. I mean, we are fine...I know these thoughts sound a bit dramatic, and this is where the title of my post comes in.
So Sunday night I get online and read an email from a woman that I just recently met in our Sunday school class, titled, "Day by Day". She is about my age and has three children under the age of five. She and her husband are the cutest couple; full of energy and I thought to myself the morning that I met her, that she was really someone I would love to befriend in the near future. Her husband just left this past Sunday for a 6 month deployment to Afganistan. When I saw the title of her email, my reaction was....oh dear. I thought she would be wailing about the woes of being a military wife and how hard it would be. And don't get me wrong, she had every right to do that, I was just expecting a negative email is all I am saying. It was the very much the opposite. I have never felt so uplifted by an email as I was by her writing about how the Lord would sustain them, and even though she may lower her eyes at times, she would continue to look towards the hills, from where her comfort came. UH! I was humbled by the strength of this woman in a trial I could not even begin to imagine.
Then, about an hour later, ( apparently I had not learned my lesson ) we get another email from a man who we knew from Man 2 Man ( the men's ministry Stephen was involved with in Victoria ) who had just been in a wreck that morning with his wife and two young girls. They were sitting still at a light and someone rear ended them going 80 miles an hour. There poor precious little girl had massive head injuries that by all means should have done MAJOR brain damage, but through amazing work from surgeons in the Dallas area and our gracious Lord, she looks to be out of the woods and on the road to recovery.
Needless to say, I am VERY thankful for what I have and I will let God take care of the stuff I can't handle, because I know He is big enough. But, he knows me and knows every now and then I need a little reminder about perspective. : )

Stick a fork in me....

Anna woke up Tuesday morning and was pretty snotty and was coughing a fairly deep, wet cough. She was burning up and I was positive that she had an ear infection. SO...I called in and we went to the doctor. She said her ears were great...and before I could let out a sigh of relief, the nurse came in and said that Anna's swab came back positive for Flu A. WHAT???!! was my response because we had a flu shot. Anyway, lucky us, she got it anyway. The good thing was, that we caught it in enough time for her to take Tamiflu. ( If you are unfamiliar, it lightens the load...makes the bad guys of the virus have a hard time multiplying) So, her symptoms are not really that bad, the only bad thing was she had to stay out of daycare for the week...so that meant more time off for me. All in all, it has been kind of a blessing, because I have been able to spend time with her the last two days and we really have had a blast. Stephen's mom is helping out tomorow and my mom is taking Friday, so it all worked out. But needless to say, I am SO done with my child being sick.

In other news, we have been promising pictures of Stephen in action for months and yet to have a picture in his chef garb, however, to make it up to you all we have some images from his "Garde manger" class ( basically it is learning how to prepare cold appetizers, salads, soups,
ect. )
The little movie is from his first class, learning how to do fancy garnishes...he also shows you some from other students.
The picture is from a more recent class where he had to make a cold salad, "Salad of Crab and Avocado"

He continues to have a great time and is learning a lot. He is still waiting tables at Cafe Aeby a couple of days a week and is in the kitchen now when he isn't in the front of house. He is learning a ton from Chris and really enjoying his job. Hope you all have a great week.

Once again...

Our child is injured. We have had a rough go the last few months with all the illness and then the scratch of a lifetime, and I do not think this is the end of it. BECAUSE..she is SUCH a brave child. Yes, this injury was self-inflicted. She was apparently trying to climb a pole on the playground and lost her footing....and her face slid down the pole. See cheeseball pics below to see her lovely nose. Yes, we have also realized when the camera is around and cheeseball smile has emerged. I love it though...she smiles on cue now. Cheeseball or not...she is still the greatest thing and cracks us up.
She also has this new thing with washcloths. Somewhere in her little mind, washcloths mean time to go nigh nigh...so she will get one off the couch ( when I am folding laundry..this isn't the normal place we keep washcloths ) and she will lay it on everything and then lay down like she is going to sleep. It is pretty funny, because as are most things with my daughter, she is VERY serious about it. She is not being silly...she is really into this. Anyway, check out the SUPER dark movie to see her in action. I apologize if you can't see much...I guess that is what I get for videoing with a digital still camera. Don't mind Stephen in the background...he was excited about the new voice of beef...it used to be Sam Elliot (one of his favorite actors).

In other news....I was reading another friends blog and they suggested readers should check out this post from a friend of theirs; that it was really funny. Can I say, YES, YES it REALLY was. You should check it out as well. It made me laugh out loud. I am anxious to find out where the pants are......check it out here.

Have a blessed week...