How Patriotic of Us

This past Independence Weekend, we were undeniably blessed to be invited to Williamsburg, Virginia, to the house of Not-So-Classic's childhood chum, Aladdin. Every time we are with Aladdin and his bride, Jasmine (who else could she be?) we are showered with love. It is impossible to feel anything but blessed while in their presence.

This past weekend was absolutely wonderful. Not-So-Classic, Scarlett, Bubba and I drove down on Friday and didn't come home until Monday! We even went to Colonial Williamsburg on July Fourth. What could be more patriotic than that? Surrounded by fifers and drums, Bubba saluted all the flags he could see while Scarlett and Timon, Aladdin and Jasmine's son, skipped about looking at colonial things together. They were excellent playmates.

The weekend was filled with great food (Aladdin makes the best pancakes EVER), fireworks, site seeing, swimming and friends. Thank you Aladdin, Jasmine, Timon and Simba for a wonderfully relaxing time. Thank you for feeding us, housing us and dealing with a two year old in your home all weekend. You are amazing friends and like Paul said to the church in Philippi, "I thank God in all my remembrance of you, always offering a prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all." It is always a joy to be around friends who demonstrate the love of Jesus.

Speaking of Brother Bear

The last two posts have all been about Brother Bear surprising Scarlett for her birthday in May; however, Brother Bear did more surprising than that a week afterward.

He drove the Little Mermaid down to Florida allowing her to believe that they were going to South Carolina to visit a family friend for his engagement party. When they got to South Carolina, he kept driving. He took the Little Mermaid for her own surprise trip to Disney World, but not for her birthday because that is in January.

No, he had other reasons.

Reasons that Classic Mama knew about months before hand, but was very good and didn't tell anybody. Reasons that included fireworks at Cinderella's Castle and the Little Mermaid finding a prince who gave her, not a glass slipper, but something clear and shiny none the less.

Congratulations, Brother Bear and the Little Mermaid on your engagement!

Isn't he just so romantic? :)

Who Scarlett Met at Disney World

I really should say that these characters met Scarlett. :) It was Star Wars weekend so the main attraction for my little sci-fi fan were these guys...

I cannot even begin to retell all of the fun my brother and I had with her. It's really swell that he wanted to give her this trip--just her. She could pick where she wanted to go and what rides she wanted to go on. It was a blast and I can't thank him enough. I really think my brother should write a how-to book for uncles called "Uncles Should be Fun". It would be a best seller. :)

Scarlett's Surprise Birthday Trip

It took us a few months to set up with many pieces to put into place, but Brother Bear's vision of a surprise for Scarlett was pulled off a day before her birthday.

He showed up early that morning, before she was awake, so that we could plant all the clues for the scavenger hunt around our house. Once, she slept though a hurricane, so I wasn't worried about her spoiling her own surprise. After all the pieces were hidden, Brother Bear hid himself in the basement stairwell.

A bit groggy and wondering why were were waking her up so early on May 26th, Scarlett humored us by reading the clues from a cypher that her Uncle Brother Bear "sent" for her. As she found each clue to the puzzle, her eyes became more awake and she was giddy putting the puzzle together on the page with small holes cut out of it. The message? She was going to Disney World...right now. Mom and Dad had already packed her bags the night before and what 's that? Here comes Uncle Brother Bear from the stair well!

A few hours later, Scarlett, brother Bear and I were exiting off our plane and finding our resort in Disney World.


More about the trip itself, why I was there and who we met there tomorrow...

May (the busiest month of the year): Part II

A few days before Scarlett's dance recital, we invited a few of her friends over the house to celebrate her eleventh birthday. (Am I really old enough to have an eleven year old??) Originally, Scarlett wanted to throw an American Girl party, but after much thought, and a few ideas from Mom and Dad, she decided to throw a 1940's themed party.

We asked the girls to don 1940's wear and to come expectant of a good time. The girls played hop-scotch, ate cup cakes and we recorded a radio show while all the decorations centered around America and Memorial Day.

Because the original theme was American Girl, I had, on hand, a drama written by that company for the time period, but based on a Halloween theme. With some quick edits and some great ideas from my Not So Classic Husband, the Radio, Television and Film graduate, we had an old time radio drama ready for the talents of 6 little girls. We practiced and recorded it in our basement. With their thank you notes, the girls received a copy of their radio drama on cd.

Toward the end of the party, Scarlett requested a departure from pretend and wanted to use the time to worship the Lord. She asked me to get out my guitar and play a few songs so that the girls could sing to Jesus. I'm so proud of her. She wanted to take the focus away from her and put it on her Savior.

As the girls left, Scarlett gave each one a bag decorated with patriotic tissue paper and the letter of each girl's name in pearls filled with 1940's type games: a jump rope, jacks, and marbles.

I couldn't have asked for a better day for my girl. She gave and received. Thank you, to all those Moms who read this blog who allowed their girls to come a visit with us that day for a few hours. Your daughters were wonderful. I'm so grateful that Scarlett has such amazing young ladies to walk with.

May (The busiest month of the year): Part I

I have been recovering from our May, the busiest month of the year. But, Classic Mama, surely you mean the month of December is your busiest month of the year. Well, with dance recitals, birthday parties. teaching classes, perparing for mission trips and the end of school, May certainly has been busier than Christmas!

May 18th was Scarlett's last dance recital with our children's director, Dancing Queen. Oh how we will miss this dance studio! Scarlett will miss the way Dancing Queen taught the class and the funny things she would say. I will miss the way Dancing Queen loved her girls and the tears in her eyes when she watched them perform. She loves to see children released into their gifts. Sigh. Aren't they beautiful?At the recital, Scarlett and her companions danced to "Destiny" by Twila Paris. I watched, with tears as well, as my little girl worshipped the Lord, using the gift that He gave her. I can't wait to see what He has in store for her at her next studio...

Stayin' Alive

I've been noticeably absent from bloggy world and, for my friends and family, I just wanted to jot a note that says, "I'm still here." Lately I've been busy doing all the exciting things in life that make blogging worth reading, but I just haven't had the time to sit down and compose a meaningful post about any of them. So, friends, if you stick in there with me, in the next week you'll hear great stories of ballet recitals, eleven year old birthday parties, field trips, end of the year parties and, yes, even a surprise trip to Disney World. I may even throw in a few Bubba stories for Natalie. :) (She loves a good Bubba story.)

Bubba's Make Over

Before

After

Notice our I-was-a-good-boy-for-my-haircut lollipop still protruding out of his chubby little face. He was happy to be done with his hair cut, to be home and to have a "canny" but not so much to have Mommy take so many pictures of his new big-boy hair.