Back to back kinda love

This morning, around 6am, Grady crawled in bed with us. They had gone to sleep pretty late the last two nights and he doesn’t do well when that happens. Instead of waking up later, he wakes up earlier. Lucky us! Haha. 

He curled in next to me, and then ended up back to back with me, making sure to press against me as he drifted back to sleep. I also drifted in and out of sleep, but determined not to move so he could get as much rest as possible. 

I loved those moments. Parenting happens so fast. They grow so incredibly fast. You almost do not have time to notice that they wake up scared less, they need the presence of your back touching theirs less and less in order to sleep. 

He is my baby. And yet he is quickly becoming less and less of a baby. And if I am honest, I adore seeing him turn into this young boy and all the new adventures he is conquering. 

But this morning, I got a few sweet hours of back to back love. And it was medicine to my soul. 

Pandemic Chronicles: Week Six

Week Six was April 19th-25th

This week started with such a special morning- Grady's first time taking communion! We took communion at home, and the boys did really well treating it special. It was a sweet moment for me to get to share with them, and honestly if we had been at church like normal, I probably would have been frenzied with leading nursery programs and not savored it as much.

We had connect group bible study that afternoon, and then a Zoom birthday party for Jilli! We all got on and sung a rough Happy Birthday to her :-)

This week we got more creative with Grady's schoolwork and did more fun activities like working on classifying by color, shape and size or building different 3D shapes.

We also did a science experiment where we all predicted how long it would take for an ice cube to melt, to discuss solids versus liquids, melting etc. Unfortunately it was a pretty cold day! ha! We still had fun going out and checking on it.

And Griffin passed another Harry Potter AR test!!

The boys built our very own mini-golf course in the living room :-)

We spent some time practicing baseball, and reading outside in the beautiful weather!

Saturday morning we did a Wave Parade for Sadie, and it was huge!! ha!

And we ended the night watching Hook! I had forgotten how cute it was.

Pandemic Chronicles: Week Five

Week Four: April 12th (EASTER!) - April 18th

What an Easter! This was definitely a different way to celebrate a holiday, but it was still a sweet day of celebrating our Risen Savior! The PreK/K class was sweet (and had crazy hair day!), church online was great, and then we did a Zoom Easter Lunch with our Redeemer family! It was different but fun to be with them from afar.

We got back into NTI school work all week, and lots of playing.

And we decided it was time for home haircuts! Griffin's was an easy buzz-cut, but Grady decided he wanted a mohawk. I think we did ok for first-timers! He also refused to wear a trash bag so we finally convinced him to wear a raincoat. Haha!

We picked up Grady's prize for doing his NTI work! He won a Cotton BBQ gift certificate and wants to save it until we can have people over. How sweet is that?

Griffin had to make a life cycle of the Savanna and present it via google to his class. He did a great job.

And we took several family walks/ bike rides. We have been doing family devos on the YouVerison app as a family, and it has been a sweet time. Love this slower pace.

Pandemic Chronicles: Week Four

Week Four: April 5th - 11th

I started this week sneaking some birthday signs into a yard for Redeemer! We colored Joseph's technicolor coats for our PreK/K class. Then church online, where the boys beat me in the call back once again!

Grandma and Uncle Ed came down to deliver Easter goodies and have a little socially distanced hangout on the deck for a few minutes. It was really good to see them and a beautiful day for it!

Griffin and Grady immediately built their new legos while we had bible study with our Connect Group that night.

We started the next morning with another Wave Parade, which perfect weather for it!

This week was technically Spring Break for the boys, so no school work all week! It was also Holy Week, so we did different challenges as a church.

We provided food at Redeemer on Tuesday & Thursday this week, and had a great turn out from the community.

And the best news of all... Grady became a Christian on Tuesday, April 7th! Here is the story, as told by Mr.Pate:

 

Conversation in van coming home from serving free meals to the community at church.

(Propane tanks in back fall over make loud sound)

Griffin: what would happen if they exploded?

Me: (trying to be honest but not dramatic) We would try to get out.

Griffin: but what if we can’t what if it explode

Me: I guess we would go to the hospital with severe burns

Griffin: What if we die, I don’t want to die.

Me: I don’t want to die either but I’m not afraid of dying bc I will go to heaven and be with Jesus.

Griffin: oh yeah me too

GRADY: I would go to HELL bc I’m not a Christian

(Parents trying not to laugh, laughing not sure if we should cry over our kids lack of salvation.)

Me: Well why aren’t you a Christian.

(We have been having some really good conversations lately w him)

Grady: I don’t know what to say

Me: like you don’t know what words to pray

Grady: yes. I would but I don’t know what to say.

Me: Do you want me to say a prayer and you repeat me

Grady: yes. Prays.

(Both of our boys have prayed asking God to forgive them for their sins by placing their faith in Christ alone while in the back seat of the mini van while we drive home from a church event.)

So so So excited!!! 

The rest of the week had lots of playing outside, Grady attempting to ride a bike without training wheels, a Good Friday FB Live concert with the Broadys, getting Easter mail from KneKne and Peeps, disc golf, and KneKne's birthday from afar!