Shelby turns 11!

For Shelby's birthday this year, we decided to do a small dinner with family. She chose to have cash to save toward a Kindle Fire and requested crab legs with keylime pie. Now, in order to fully understand our birthdays in the Powers' house, you need to know about my tradition. Our celebrations begin about a week ahead of time and last until a good week after. If we go out to eat, we always get the birthday dessert. We pretty much celebrate eachother as much as possible. So Shelby also has a sleepover with two friends, dinner out with dessert, and cupcakes at Nana'a with her Aunt Nilsa. She has yet to have her 1 on 1 time with Mom and Dad for turning 11. Shane is going to take her out and we plan to get our nails done. It is a life well worth celebrating!

Shelby's 11th birthday - free slideshows with music

December 2011

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November 2011

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October 2011

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New School, New Year!

The girls started the school year at Kennesaw Charter and we have high hopes that it will be a great year! Shelby starts fifth grade and Emma is a first grader. I always love to support the teachers my kids have, so Friday the girls took in goodies. Emma gave her teacher a candy bouquet and Shelby treated her 3 teachers to Chinese take out boxes filled with candy bars.

Compton Elementary Murals

Beginning Thursday and lasting until Sunday, I was busy drawing and painting at an area elementary school for our annual Community Makeover our church organizes. We had over 100 churches participate this year and Compton Elem was on the list for murals just like last year. I met with the principal, Liz Murphy, who is now truly a friend of mine. We sat down and organized our ideas and I got to work creating the quotes and designing how each mural would look. Just like last year, we searched through books the kids have read or are familiar with to get ideas. Friday I had two fabulous sisters show up to help who helped me last year. I also had new friends come which allowed us to get most of the painting done. I really was so busy touching up lettering and finishing some of what was started that I did not get a chance to actually paint until after lunch. I worked on the very last mural with the mouse and the violen...my favorite. Most of the time when I paint, I don't get a chance to do a lot of creating and shading. Most of the time I paint exactly what people want and it is more of a job. But when I was able to sit and work on the stone wall and then the mouse, I really got lost in it all. Saturday people came to help who had never really painted on walls so I can say with a giant sigh of relief, they got the large quote done in the cafeteria and it looks great. Sunday we finished all we had started but one. I am hoping to get over there in the fall and attempt that one. It is a big one and a bit complicated so it will be a challenge. I can truly say today I am wiped out, but I know the kids and staff will have brighter days because of the hard work my crew put in painting beautiful and lasting murals.

Compton Murals 2011 - making a free slideshow

Emma's 6th Birthday

After teaching for years, you would have thought I would not be so wiped out after a group of kids flooded my house with giggles and screams. But I am ready for a good nap. The morning began with stations where we graphed gummy bears, made binoculars and teddy bear puppets, and ate smores. It was much like the way I would have planned a center day in my classroom. Having all of the supplies on hand since I did a "Camp Learned A Lot" unit at the end of the school year is one little perk from teaching. We ate hot dogs, cupcakes, and did our best to crack open a pinata. Thanks to Shelby, Steven, and Cayden, it busted open and the girls had to use their bug tweezers to get what they wanted to fill their bug catchers. After that we took a seat by the "campfire" and opened gifts. Emma was thrilled with all of her friends and the gifts they brought. The big hit was the Barbie iphone. Whatever happened to the rotary phone I used to play with? The girls finished up by playing in the tent that is sitting in my living room right now. Nana and Gaga were able for the first time to attend a birthday party here in Acworth together. They may have not enjoyed the centers, but just knowing they were here was heartwarming. Another year has passed, another bunch of planning and preparation has come and gone. Now on to the next adventure!

Emma's 6th bday 2011 - slideshow dvd

Finally! The first tooth is out!

After trying to pull it herself, allowing me to tie floss around it to try to pull it, and using a tissue the other night to try once again, it is out! Her tooth had already started growing in behind the baby tooth so it needed to come out. I guess the only way to do it was to invite a friend over to play, grab a microphone to sing a song, and bump your mouth on the microphone just as your friend hands it to you for your turn. Emma dropped the microphone, grabbed her mouth, and looked down to see a tooth in her hand. It was surprising but kind of funny.

Easter 2010

I always loved looking back at my Easter pictures when I was a little girl with my dress, gloves, purse and Easter bonnet. It was always an important day to dress up and then take some pictures to remember those moments when I was not digging in the dirt. So today, after church, we stopped by a lake to take a few pictures of the girls. I had already taken a few of Emma before we left this morning, thank goodness. Just as I took one picture of Emma, who was not cooperating, with Shelby, Emma blasted out a heap of throw up right down her dress and on the ground by her shoes. So the one picture i got will always have a story just like all the years before. This story just did not have a happy ending. I just wanted to share how beautiful both my girls were today even if it ended in driving home topless with a smelly dress in the back.

Our Day

Whew! It has been a day. I began by dropping Emma off at her new school for the third day. It was her first time walking in alone and I sat and shared with Shelby how I felt watching her walk in when she was that age. It takes such bravery to do that all on your own, such independence, and such trust. My heart filled with joy and pride for my little girl going into that big world of school and braving the transition so wonderfully. Shelby and I got busy with school and had some bumps along the day. After a spat, I prayed God would help me know what to do with this situation we have found ourselves in and He did as always. I walked into her room and wrapped my arms around her, told her she was safe at home with me, and promised to do everything I could to make this work. She needs reassurance right now. She and I worked on learning the 10 commandments, kid's style, this morning as well as a weekly verse. We made headway with some Spanish, a leveled reader, and a new math concept. After she finished her independent work, we went to pick up our Emma. She got in the car and wanted to read her sight words to me. I have to say I am exhausted but just really wanted to share our day. So I end my post with pictures of a beautiful room my hardworking husband painted with me this weekend. In some of the pictures of the hallway and living room, you will see the old paint color which is fine but too light for me. Hope you enjoy!

Bedroom new paint - free slideshow

Laundry Room

I have recently finished a project in my laundry room that I have been wanting to do for a while. It was derived from another mom's blog where I found the cutest little menu board. So I tweaked it to fit my style, and here is the finished product.

Emma's Bedroom

I just wanted to share Emma's bedroom since I am almost completely done decorating it. All I have left to find is a chair for her desk by the bed. I painted the tree behind her bed. I found her lamp for $11 on clearance and painted it green. The handprint and footprint (Emma's) are framed in frames I found at a garage sale. They were extremely gold so I painted them cream and rubbed them with some brown. They're one of my favorite things. On her shelf there is a book she loves to read named Emma's Story beside one of my favorite pictures of her as a toddler at the beach. I made the curtains out of silk and covered her lampshade by the bed with the leftover fabric. I made little flowers to place onto the shade. I added little touches of birds through her room and a couple of birdhouses. Above her shelf I painted her a canvas with her monogram. In her bathroom, I found some great accessories, but my favorite is the bird dish by her sink she uses for soap. Above her toilet is another project I completed. A lady was throwing out some old hydrangea pictures from the 90's so I took them home, painted them and added Emma's Chinese name to them. The top one says "beautiful" and the bottom one says, "heart". I really would love to find some Chinese fabric to make a shower curtain for her bathroom. I have been looking but have had no luck. She loves it and so do I. Hope you like it too.

Emma's bedroom - slideshow dvd

Shelby's Map

Our Weekend

We had a busy weekend. It began with a soccer party for Shelby where she had a session with Atlanta Beat player, Angie Kerr. She received her trophy and scored 28 of the team's 47 goals for the season. Saturday we went to the Etowah Indian Mounds. Shelby has a map project due Tuesday. We recreated the Mounds and included pictures and descriptions. Mound A, where the chief lived, was 6 stories tall. We walked the steps and I never looked behind me. I really had no idea we were walking up 6 stories but I can say I felt like I could fall backwards at any point. We made it up and the view was amazing. We then walked to the Etowah River and saw the fish trap that still exists. It was amazing to think of the Indians who once walked the same ground. We finished our tour with the video segment, in which I felt like I was back in high school. Shelby and I got home and worked until 10 o'clock creating her masterpiece map. Of course, it was supposed to be on posterboard. But you know me, we just had to think outside of the box. We then practiced spelling words Sunday for Shelby's spelling bee. If she makes it this week, she will be in the school's spelling bee. What a busy weekend, only to end with 3 hours of lesson planning for me...yipee!

Shelby's Soccer Season

Fort Walton Beach

We have had a relaxing time at the beach. The kids have played and played. It is so nice to get away.

Shelby's painted flowers by Mommy

After getting Shelby's room decorated I added some painted flowers with The Fruit of the Spirit scattered around her room. It is one of Shelby's first verses she learned and her favorite. Galatians 5:22

Shelby's bedroom and bathroom

I am just about finished decorating Shelby's bedroom. I completed her name above her bed, covered her lampshade, and finished her bedskirt. Now I just need to sew her curtains and paint her mural. I plan to begin painting tomorrow and then get the curtains done this weekend. I love her room and will be so excited to see it all decorated. Then I plan to move on to finish Emma's room. I love this process!!!

An Afternoon at the Lake

We spent some time recently with some friends at the lake. Emma rode on a tube for the first time and Shelby went fishing and caught a tiny fish before throwing it back. They were thrilled with their new adventures.