A note of encouragement

I received a message sent to me on facebook tonight that was so encouraging! It was from someone I do not know well, but he wrote to let me know how much of an encouragement I had been to him as he had watched me living life with Zach. He said he remembers when he first found out we had a son with Down Syndrome and how he had felt so sorry for us, but now he realizes what a blessing Zach is in our lives. He has gained this understanding mostly through my postings on facebook and through seeing one of the latest pictures of Zach I have posted...

This picture screams JOY to me!

Anyway, I was really encouraged that he would take the time to write the message that he did and I also am reminded tonight just how important it is to encourage one another. It says often in Scripture that we are to "encourage one another" but how often do we do that? How often do we take the time to let others know they have made a difference in our lives, inspired us in some way, or just let them know how valuable they are?
Thank you , Bill Giles, for reminding me of the importance of that tonight. I pray I will be able to do the same for someone this week. Your words encouraged me in a huge way.

MAY MADNESS!!!

Does anyone else feel like May is a crazy month? Wow! I don't think I have ever experienced it quite like this! I mean, I am a very detailed person and all these details are pushing me over the edge! It just seems there is so much to remember. I think I need extra brain space to keep up with all that is going on...parties, bringing this and that to school, remembering when cowboy day is (ha! It is TODAY and yes, Taylor was dressed for it...AGAIN!), forms that need to be filled out, appts. made, childcare figured out, ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

There are only two weeks of preschool left and then summer is here? Are you serious? Whew! It is coming fast! Taylor will have her preschool "graduation" (yes, I will cry my eyes out!) and then we will begin thinking and preparing for kindergarten.

So, as I am in the middle of MAY MADNESS, I pause and thank God today for His word "My soul finds rest in GOD alone; my salvation comes from Him." (Psalms 62:1) and I also thank God for 1/2 price frappucino's, through May 16th BABY!!!

"A" for effort

It is the week of Mother's Day...and once again, I believe I am high in the running for "Mom of the Year." If it is not my unbelievable amount of patience I exhibit every day towards my children, the way I model for them a Christ-like life in all I say and do, (HA HA!!!!), I should at least get it for the amount of poopy diapers I have changed for little man Zach this week! Whew!!

But today I do at least get an "A" for EFFORT!! I have had a lot to remember this week because it is teacher appreciation week at school and every day there is something new that we are doing. I have limited brain cells anyway, so I am doing my best to remember everything! But today, I went over the top. It was "Cowboy Day" at Taylor's preschool, or so I thought. I looked at the preschool calendar yesterday that hangs on my fridge and read that this Wednesday is cowboy day. Well, unlike some moms, I don't just happen to have cowboy outfits laying around. I mean, I have a princess for goodness sakes!! So, I called my friend, Ashley, and she said her son, Will, had a cowboy outfit Taylor could borrow that he wore this past year for Halloween. SO, last night, we got that together and I was just proud of myself for remembering!! Funny note about the cowboy outfit (vest and chaps)...Taylor wears a size 5/6 and the cowboy outfit is a size 2T. Nice!

This morning, Taylor proudly came in and woke me up all ready to "giddy up" into her day sporting her cowboy outfit! We got to school and it seemed all her other classmates had obviously forgotten! Taylor kept asking different mom's why their kids were not dressed up like she was and she was so excited to show off her outfit to everyone we saw. Some mom's said "We just didn't have anything at home"...so it wasn't clicking with myself or anyone else that maybe this was the wrong day! We got into her classroom and I thought "Wow-I am good! I must be the ONLY one who remembered! " "MOM OF THE YEAR" at last! I was joking with another mom about how Taylor's cowboy outfit was maybe a tad small but she was excited to wear it anyway, and that mom pointed to the calendar and said "Cowboy day is next week". Get this...I even looked at her point to Wednesday, May 12, and I said,"No, that is today!" She said "No, today is May 5th." It still took a minute to sink in, as I looked around at ALL the other kids dressed in their normal school clothes, and then it sunk in, I was a week early! HA!

So, I broke the news to Taylor, and she began to disrobe her cowboy attire. I could not stop laughing at myself and how adamant I was that TODAY IS FREAKIN' COWBOY DAY EVERYONE!! SO, next Wednesday, we will try again...but you do have to at least give me an "A" for effort today,right?

Happy Cowboy day everyone... a week early!!