Extra in The Ordinary

Every year I take off a week in the summer to take my kids to VBS at our church. This year, I decided that going to VBS was not enough. I had to make it interesting. So I volunteered to co teach a VBS class. We asked for a class of older kids. I was thinking maybe kindergarteners or maybe 3rd grade. No, it was the 3 year olds class that needed teachers, so we accepted the "job" and started planning. Getting ready to teach VBS took 13 weeks of planning time. It took calls, emails, shopping trips, to do lists, and filling out planning worksheets. I think I started over with the planning sheet 3 times to get a clean copy. And then I didn't even use it the week of. We were too busy taking care of 3 year olds! The theme this year was "Even the Winds and the Waves Obey Him". We talked about God's power over creation, his power over the floods (Noah), the plagues, and the storms in the sea of Galilee. It was a powerful topic, and I think it spoke to the kids as...

Our oldest daughter, IPK, turned 9 this week. It hardly seems like 9 years ago we were kissing her little forehead after her long awaited arrival. I was on a 3 month bed rest before she was born. Then, I went 10 days over due before I had her. We were so ready to have her in our arms! After being induced due to high blood pressure, I finally had a c-section at about 6:50pm on a Friday night. She was a 8 pounds even, and so perfect. I cried when I saw her. My heart was beating on the outside of my body. I love my babies, and my first is of course no exception. Maybe that day my emotions were exaggerated because she was born by emergency c section, so when I heard her cry for the first time it was a relief (she was ok). Over the years, she has learned to talk, learned to walk, learned to read, ride a bike, learned to love God, and to love His commandments. She is an advanced reader, a cat lover, and like a fish in water (loves to swim). She loves her sister and her 6 cousins (and one...