Update

The online photo album should now be working. I fixed the link and revamped the directions in the post.

The evidence

We have been hearing rumors that there is a biter in Jackson's class (shockingly, it's not Jackson himself). There have been several days we've picked him up and been asked to sign an incident report because he has been bitten. I could never tell that it occurred and assumed the school was just being proactive...until today. Observe.
That's the best shot I could get of it, but one can clearly see the bite mark. What you can't see very well from the photo is the bluish/purplish bruising on the inside of the bite. Whoever the kid is that bit him must have really wanted a piece of him! Who could blame him/her - he's a sweety.

Photos Galore

I have updated a web album on pictures from our summer. When you get to the main page, choose "slideshow" to see all the photos. I'm including a few pics as teasers.
This is Emma and her friend Diana headed down the aisle to graduation from Pre-K in May.
This is Jackson and me home on our first full day of summer vacation together! He wanted to be taking the pictures. I also discovered my new camera has a feature where I can turn photos into black/white or sepia so I was playing around with it.
Jackson with the essential bathtub-mohawk.
The rest are included in the online album. I must warn you that Andy and I stink at taking pictures so there are very few from the whole summer. We have gotten into a horrible habit of relying on aunts and uncles to take pictures when we're all together. Therefore there are no pictures of our trip to Destin over July 4th with the Mauks. Aunt Tara gave me a CD but it's currently languishing on my desk at school. I took not one photo at the Snider family reunion in TX but Uncle Matt took lots, especially at the zoo so I'll have to beg a disk from him too. I did manage to get a few shots while we were in AR but Matt took better pics, I'm sure. All that to say this, be happy with what you're getting people. Love to you all!
Click here to see the rest of my pitiable store of pictures!

Whoa - that's weird...nope - that's God.

This morning the family made it to church for the first time in weeks! Between Andy and my plague-infected selves and our traveling, church has been missed a lot this summer; both physically and spiritually. It felt good to be back and have people smiling and asking after our absences as we made our way to drop the kids off at the Kids Zone and get ourselves to the sanctuary.

Before we left the house as we gathered up the child/church accoutrement, Emma glanced at our Bibles. She looked at them thoughtfully as they lay stacked on the counter waiting to be loaded into the car. Then she said, "Mama, when do we read the Bible?" I was immediately convicted of how little I actually read my Bible outside of church. I responded, "You can read the Bible any time. We could read it after school or at bedtime or whenever we feel like it." Then she asked why we read the Bible. (She's really into the "why" questions these days, right Papa?) So I gave her the standard response that we read the Bible to know what God tells us about how to live our lives and make good choices. And so the conversation went on until we were all loaded in the car and other things caught her attention. I thought about it all the way to church. I mean, Emma loves to read. We read fairy tales, chapter books, picture books, and she even demands narration of movies and TV shows after we watch them. Then it occurred to me that other than the times that Emma chooses one of the few (shamefully few) Bible story books for her bedtime reading, we really don't talk about the Bible with her that much outside of church.

So...all of that to end with this.
Andy and I got settled and jumped into our Sunday morning worship like normal. Then our pastor, Mark, began with the "Question of the Day" which usually is related somehow to his message. The question today: What is your favorite book? This of course led into his discussion of why we, as a congregation, spend so little time in the word of God. I was dumbfounded. My daughter had just set up today's sermon on her own - with a little help from the man upstairs. So Andy & I were encouraged to begin reading our Bibles more often and to include Emma. I am currently researching picture Bibles online and plan to make my way to Martel's or Lifeway this week to get Emma her 1st Bible. (Sadly, she hasn't yet received her own.) It's convicting and exciting all at the same time. Thank you Lord for showing us just how incredible your Spirit is to bring about your Will through the questions of a child.

We Survived

We have survived the summer although, in contrast to last summer, Andy and I have spent the majority of this summer under the weather rather than the kids. I'd rather have it that way. It's always so miserable when the little ones don't feel well - for everyone. Knock wood - Andy and I are healthy right now. (Do you hear all the germs laughing maniacally as they swarm towards our home since I've just cursed us by bragging about our health?)

I will be along shortly with a summary of our activities and pics (thanks to aunts and uncles who are quicker with the camera than we are). Work week begins for me next week and I'm not even sure of what I'll be teacher. They like to keep us guessing, they do.

We all head back to school on the 24th, including Em! She's going to be in kindergarten and I can't even begin to tell you how that terrifies and excites me all at the same time. In addition to being so excited for her I can't hardly believe it, I'm also so grateful for the Pre-K and K teachers out there. I now realize firsthand what you all deal with on a daily basis and my prayers are with you. This just reinforces my decision to teach the upper grades. I am preparing to become a prayer warrior for my child's K teacher, as those of you who know Emma are well aware of how much patience (and how many answers!) the woman will need. And all of this is said knowing that my daughter is a good girl. She is polite and tries her hardest to do the right thing. I am amazed at her energy, intelligence, curiosity and generosity. I don't know how I deserved such a fabulous daughter but I got her and now, her teacher gets all of her too. Plus 23 others! God Bless them: the kids and the teachers.

Here's to another year for all of us! (And that is definitely intended to be a TOAST, people. Remember: we teach, therefore we drink.) Happy Mind Molding!