Princess Birthday Bonanza

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Well, my little girl will soon turn 4. My tiny little sweet baby girl... my sweet baby that I rocked each night, my little angel.
Tomorrow, the 12th, at about 12:30 PM, my little girl will be four years old.
Tonight we celebrated with friends and family.
Earlier this month this same sweet little girl told her Mommy (who would do almost anything for her) that she wanted a castle cake this year... almost a predictable request for a 4 year old birthday party... but then she added that she also wanted it to have a volcano behind it!
Say huh?
She continued with this same request for the next several days and weeks. Obviously she was serious. So, Mommy made it happen in accordance as the little princess deemed it.But there was more "princessing" to do... frog kisses anyone?
And how 'bout glittery play dough... or "royal dough"!And Garrett wanted in on the present action.But there was one present at the end that Grace never expected...
A dollhouse taller than her!
We had a good time at the party tonight... and I look forward to many more with my sweet little princess!!
Pictures here by my friend Kara Guffey of Kara Guffey Photography - serving southwest Missouri!

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Summer Daycamp Swap

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I know it's getting late in the summer, but I read about the concept of a co-op.-style summer camp swap to do with your friends. Each friend takes a turn hosting a day of "summer camp" or "fall camp" or ANY season of camp for that matter! This idea greatly intrigued me. I have many Christian friends that I would feel very comfortable entrusting the care of my children to. As I look into it, the more I realize this could really become a blessing to both you and your friends! A break to do what Mom needs to do, a savings on the cost of a babysitter while you do it, and the opportunity to serve one another in a much-needed way!
So, here's what I'm finding as I go along:

• Come up with a theme for the day. It will make it more memorable for the kids involved.
• Agree on discipline ahead of time. Ex. Time-outs, corners, etc. with phone calls if it needs further attention.
• Agree on no TV, movies, computer, etc. beforehand.
• Define any age limits of children involved in the summer camp swap.
• Address nap times. All children are different. As long as everyone knows ahead of time, any nap schedule can be accommodated.
• Before adding new members to the rotation, discuss in private with the existing members before offering.

Below might be a timeline example of a Summer Camp Swap for preschool-aged children (older children could do longer days):

9 AM Drop-off - Coloring sheets while they settle in
9:15 Books, Songs/Music, Circle Time
9:45 Craft/Art
10:15 Outdoor Activity
10:45 Small snack
11:00 Free Play
11:30 Indoor Activity
12:00 LUNCH!
12:30 Indoor Activity/Free Play
1:30 Pick-up
(This schedule allows for PreK ages to go home for rest/nap times in the afternoon.)

I'm curious if any of you have ever done anything like this. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas!!
~Michelle

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My Baby Boy is ONE!

picklewart.blogspot.com

My baby boy is now officially ONE YEAR OLD. It's the end of a "baby era" here at the Goff house. At least, we believe it's the end of an era!
Garrett had his first birthday party here at the house with lots of friends and family! We indulged in cake (my first attempt at home-made marshmallow fondant) and ice cream, had fun with presents and playing, and then went off for naps so that everyone could return that evening for grilling out and some firework festivities!!

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The Friendship Project

Click here to view the Proverbs 31 Ministries blog post on The Friendship Project

My friend Lisa emailed the content of this to me, and it really hit a chord. So many of us yearn for these kinds of relationships but just can't seem to figure out how to cultivate them. We're busy... there's no doubt about that. We're working, struggling with ailing family members, trying to just keep up with taking care of our own. We're tripping over our little ankle biters, juggling nursing schedules, rushing around to keep up with housework. We have homes, farms, a chore list a mile long, projects, crafts and hobbies that we love (and need) to have in our lives. We serve in multiple ministries at our church. All good and necessary things that I don't believe any one of us would be quick to rid ourselves of. Lets face it, we (um, that would be I ) sometimes feel like we're just barely getting by as it is and can't imagine adding more to the load. But nowhere in there are we building a support system for ourselves or others. Not only does it take a village to raise kids, it takes a village to get one another through hardships, through tests and other trials, and yes, to be there to praise God with one another - in good times and bad.
~And it takes the knitting together of our hearts to make it more than just another duty to do it for one another.

Here's a hit-home excerpt from this Proverbs 31 Ministries blog post:
"I am realizing that women of all walks of life crave friendships. And yet so many of us feel that we are lacking meaningful, authentic relationships. How is it that a church full of women with a common thread of faith are not friends? Worse yet, if we aren't friends, can we hope to offer authentic relationships to those who enter the doors of our churches every week?"

The timing of Lisa's email to me was uncanny to say the least. Many would call it coincidence. I call it God's perfect timing.
Thank you Lisa.

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Grace is 3 Years Old

We partied it up today. Grace requested a Princess party... of course. So we "Princessed" it up around here. Lots of family, friends, and fun!! I'll post some pics below of the day!


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The kids gather 'round to sing a song and blow out some candles... that's four to grow on!!


Grace diggin' in to her cake!

This cracked me up! Grace's little friend Lillian looked like a little jail bird up at the top of the stairs.


And this is where Garrett hung out part of the time...

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Officially in the Terrible Twos...

Well, it really is official now. We've had birthday number two at our house. That means that the toddler tantrums we've seen up until now were just the beginning - we're now in the terrible twos. But all in all, my little two-year-old girl is a good kid - tantrums and all. The cake wasn't quite as tall as last year's Princess tower cake but it was still a process. In the end, it resembled Elmo enough that Grace recognized it immediately (I still think it was a pretty creepy looking Elmo).


We had a fun birthday with quite a few friends and family there to celebrate her natal anniversary. Beth and her girls came as well as baby Lillian who brought her mommy and daddy with her. Lots of family and friends made the party fun for Grace and for her mommy and daddy too! We were glad to get to spend time with everyone and look forward to another year of surprises with Miss Grace!

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Trumpet Help From My Willard Buddies

I need help from any of my old trumpet buddies from High School. I've recently picked the trumpet back up (HELLO, can you say tired lips? embouchure huh?). I don't have squat for music though. Any of you guys want to scan and email any stuff you may still have from school? I'm dying here...

P.S. Anyone want to tell me what the heck is going on here? Yeah, I've not been in Willard in quite awhile...
http://http://www.willardr2.net/whs/index.html

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