Diving Board Days

Nanny Visit

Dinner out and celebrating Donna's July 2nd birthday. Eden asked our "Mr. Waitress" nicely if he could sing to her Nanny. So cute.

An afternoon on the Ocoee.
(great pic Nanny)

Patriotic Sunday at church.

Graces 5

Eden and Hank~

A nice day on the lake. I enjoyed a few moments of just sitting back and watching my children as they played with all their friends and just enjoyed being in the moment. My children are very social when it comes to our small group of friends and they love the time we spend with them. Hank at one point on the drive up, turned around and saw all the cars behind us and said "Look. All our family is here." I take joy in our friends and the relationships that my children have formed.

Graces 4

Eden and Hank~
Today was the last day of VBS and my kids had the best week. I went in early today as usual, and watched in the final and closing moments of the week. As the day ended music was playing and all the kids were singing and dancing and I just sat back and watched as my two sang and danced right along. Even my Hankie was dancing...even though it looked like a combination of Spiderman and Chuck Norris with karate chops and web-spinning. Who knows...he must get that style of dance from his Daddy. :)
What a great week we have had.

This is Eden and her friend Emma. I didn't get Hank on video. Enjoy.

Graces 3

Eden~
As I had mentioned this week is Vacation Bible School week. Today in the car upon picking the kids up I had an awesome conversation with my 7 year-old. I am amazed more and more each day by this little angel. Eden asked question after question about Christ and what it means to believe. I answered as many as I could that would be possible for one Eden's age to understand. After an approximate 30 minutes conversation (we were running errands and heading out to Tunnel Hill to my grandmother's house) I looked in the back seat and Eden was crying. I asked what was the matter and she says "I just love Jesus and God so much, I just love them. And I am so sorry for ever being mean to my brother, I love him too." And then she began to pray. My sweet baby prayed right then and there for what she said was self-control. Oh, the wisdom and knowledge of my 7 year-old. She is so amazing and I thank God for this great opportunity that He provided us with.

Hank~
With all the conversing Eden and I was doing-Hank managed to get in his own questions and would occasionally give us the comedic break we may have needed in our somewhat tense dialog. At one point (and I thought it was cute) he asked when he would get his magic powers so he could be ready to visit Jesus in Heaven.

Today was a wonderful day to sit and listen to my children with their inquiring minds. They really are amazing and are certainly my little pieces of Heaven here on Earth.

Graces 2

Eden~
Today was a fun day spent at the pool. I had a point of admiration for my precious daughter. While applying sunscreen to Eden's little face I had a chance to stop and really look in to her sweet little face. Oh the freckles this little one has and the sun has really made them pop this summer. Her fair-skinned face with her orange-blond eyelashes and brows. What a sweet, sweet, site.

Hank~
Hank is getting more and more brave when it comes to the water. Today not only did he continue to accomplish milestones in the pool as far going under longer and not crying if water got in his eyes, but today he did a flip under water!! Great job my baby boy-A Flip! I stand in awe of this little man who is turning from a toddler to a big-boy preschooler.

Graces 1

Hank~
Today was the second day of Vacation Bible School. While picking the kids up I hid in the back of the room so that I may watch them with their friends and group leaders in the final moments of their day. Hank would not go to bible school on Monday-but today he stayed and was quite excited about it. I rarely get a chance to see Hank comfortable in public settings without him attached to my leg. Well, needless to say he brought a tear to my eye. My big boy walked in to the Fellowship Hall in line with his bible school-mates and leader, he had his crafts from the day in his hands, and marched straight to his seat all the while interacting with a new little buddy. I stood and watched as he listened intently to the director on the stage and while he attempted to dance along.
Moments like this are so sweet. To see my children as independent members of society and to make themselves known and comfortable with out their parents near.
Thank you, Hank, for making Mommy's day. It gives me comfort to know you are a social and happy child.

Eden~
It is no secret that we struggle with our precious Edibug. She is strong-headed and has a personality of her own. This summer has tested us all with all the extra time we have had on our hands and Eden is doing her best to make my days easier.
Tonight after dinner I asked Eden to help me in the kitchen...hoping to teach her some responsibilities. Upon asking for her assistance she immediately hopped right to it. Eden was successful and very helpful with unloading the dishwasher. She was so proud in the end when she was able to unload every item and place them in their correct places in out kitchen cabinets.
Thank you, Eden, for helping me in the kitchen. You seem to take notice that my job is not always easy and that you appreciate that I had provided dinner for you and our family. What a sweet little soul you have.

Looking for God

The kids are in Bible school this week. They are loving it. I am also loving it and what they are learning and witnessing (to me and others). After a long day and evening at VBS and the ball fields, I was home alone bathing the kids. Bath time is usually not fun at my house, I don't enjoy it. For that reason Kelly normally does it, but last night he was still at the park (at 10:00PM). I get frustrated during bath because Hank is normally running all over the place (yes, running. we have a big tub) trying to get away as you attempt to wash his hair. He can't stand the water in his eyes and normally cries the whole time you are bathing him. Eden, at age 7, is in the process of still learning to bathe herself and is easily distracted and acts as if she has the rest of her life to finish bathing. Hence--all my frustrations.
To the point. Last night while trying to get Hank to sit down and Eden to come up from under the water so that she could finish cleaning herself, I found my self being very ugly to both children trying to get them to get finished. It was late and we had to be up early. All my fault...not the kids. Anyway, during all this Eden says "Mom, please smile." "What is there to smile about," I say. E-"I was told in Bible school to look for God, and I don't see him right now, but if you smile I might."
Whoa. Heart breaker. Smile.

My baby is such a smart little girl. She got me right where it hurts.
Would it really had hurt me to smile while I bathed my children? No. It might have even made things more fun.:)

So now, with my 7 year-old calling me out I am pressed with guilt on how I sometimes manage things and situations with my kids. I am a blog follower and often find myself on sites of friends and even strangers. Recently I have seen many blogs where the writer does a "Seven days of Grace" or "Grace in the small things" type of blogging to enhance their lives and to assist them to stop-and-smell-the-coffee a little more often.
I am going to attempt this same type of blogging for the next week (7 days). I will blog every day about each child (Eden and Hank) about something that they did to brighten my day or to brighten some one's day. My children are my little angels, my little gifts from God and I plan on honoring that more. I tend to get caught up in the rush of our lives and expect way to much from my little ones. They are only little once...let them live that way.

So stay tuned for my 7 Days of Grace with Eden and Hank. Please comment on them so that I know I have accountability partners. :)

Father's Day

Dowtown Festival

A day of fun in the sun (literally at 100 degrees almost) at a local festival. Great time with great friends.

First Time

Hank finally took the plunge...literally. After three summers of swimming my baby boy has finally went under and has actually mastered swimming on his own. All it took was Kelly strapping on some goggles and letting him loose.
Hanks response: "I'm so happy."

Now there's no stopping him.

Girls

Cousins, Eden and Iris doing the Hoe Down, Throw Down.

Bearing Fruit

Peminto peppers and Sweet Yellow Banana peppers
Jalapeno peppers
Cherry tomatoes
and ready for pickin'

Double Header and the End

My little catcher. She really grew into this position. Great year Bug!

Last huddle with Coach Brian and Kelly.


After their final loss. Poor little guys--they tried so hard, but couldn't pull it out. Their first game was against Dawnville (for the fourth time this season) and they came out with a vengeance prepared to not let us beat them again! Our consolation game was New Hope, whom we have not played all season. We thought we could take them considering they were half our size, but again, our girls just didn't make it happen. Playing two games back-to-back in 90 degree weather was too overwhelming and exhausting. Our girls did however make such a huge improvement this year...we beat both of the top two teams in our league. What an accomplishment.

Really?

Hank stopped me outside the house and asked me to take his picture with UGA...sooo not him. If you know my Hankie--he hates having his picture taken. This was a great moment.

First Fly

Eden after a BIG win against the Dawnville Dolls whom have beaten us twice before (and one of the top teams). Eden made a big play tonight at Hind catcher...she caught a foul ball in the last inning. Yay Edibug. She was so excited...her words-"I was so excited, I couldn't breathe." Great job my lil' Bug.

Hessenbruch Family Vacation

Time for our annual family trip with Daddy to Panama City Beach...plus the whole Hessenbruch family. My grandparents (whom I call Joan and Bob), aunts Lynn and Jacque with their husbands Lee and Tom, cousins Michael and Chris (plus Chris' friend Leanne), and then of course Brittney, Brandy, Daddy, Pam, Heidi, Justin, River, Coy, Kell, Me, Eden, and Hank....wow. What a group.
Our days consisted of gathering under four umbrellas and a huge tent (thanks to Uncle Tom) lounging in chairs, playing in the sand and ocean, playing Bocce ball, drinking (of course with this family), eating (of course, again, with this family), some reading of novels by us girls, and just catching up with family we don't see on a daily or even monthly basis. It was a very relaxing trip with clear skies and beautiful waters. I can't wait till next year...Dad.

So here are all my pictures. I took over 600 so it was very hard to chose which ones made the cut. Enjoy...we sure did;)

Part of our 20-group clan! What fun.

Fun at on the beach.















Sand-crab hunting night at the beach.





Pool-time.






Out to dinner with the whole gang (all 20 of us) to the Captain's Table. This is my dad's favorite place to eat in all of PCB. Very good and well-worth the wait:)





Waiting for our turn on the Banana Boat.




The Banana Boat. Heidi, River, Eden, Hank and I. We all loved it...except for Hank. He didn't like the water in his eyes. And He and Riv didn't like all the 'jumping of waves' Heidi, Eden and I did!!



Playtime.






Fun times in the ocean on our last day. Making good use of our time.





Me and Brandy and her infected foot from a rusty beer can in the sand that she stepped on the first day. Good thing we have two nurses as aunts to diagnose this one.

Kell and I. Our only chance to be alone (the kids were napping in the room) and thanks to Sis Brandy-we were able to capture the moment.




Our last night out at Schooners...just the adults for once.:)