Hero

I received the greatest compliment of my life yesterday. Seriously! I was driving Brooke to violin lessons when she asked me a question.

Brooke: Dad, who is your hero?
Me: After a pause, "Jesus."
Brooke: I knew you'd say that so that isn't an option. You have to pick someone else.
Me: I don't know. I'd need to think about it.
Brooke: I know who my hero is.
Me: Who?
Brooke: I'm looking at him.

Who knows, maybe she was trying to butter me up for something. If so, I guess it worked. Still, though, nothing would make me more proud than to remain the hero in my daughter's eyes. As a parent, I pray that God will help me to be the kind of father I need to be... to set a good example, to love unconditionally, to share wisdom, to walk with my Savior and reflect Jesus in my life. I'm also grateful that God has given me a burden for family ministry. May God speak His truth through me to help other families I come in contact with. I'm a proud daddy today and I'm humbled at the same time.

Holly just told Ella to stop whining and complaining. Her response? "Don't you judge me." Really?

Ella: Mary had a little man, little man, little man.......

In a Box

Actual conversation in my car. 
Brooke: I wish we would have left Ella in a box that said free. 
Ella: I won't fit in a box.

We are sitting in an elegant ballroom at the famous Arlington Hotel which is dimly lit and impressively decorated for the fancy wedding we attended. The first part of the meal has just been delivered: salad. We put ranch dressing on Ella's salad and she begins experimenting with the items on her plate and doesn't seem impressed with anything other than croutons. A few moments go by when she exclaims loudly and with pure shock, "There is a leaf in it!!!" Yes, Ella, that's what salad is... leaves. LOL!

Mother's Day

Brooke was so sweet this morning. While Holly and I were in bed, she decided to make breakfast for everyone. She poured Holly a diet coke, made toast for everyone, put strawberry jam or Apple butter on each, and cut shapes into each piece. A heart for Holly, diamond for Ella, and a smiley face for me. So proud of this girls nurturing, generous spirit!

Whobody?

Ella came up with a new word while on our Disney cruise: whobody! It is used in a sentence like this, "Whobody did that?" Or, "Whobody went outside?" I like it!

Prayers of a 2-Year-Old

Never know what you'll hear during a 2 year old's prayer time. We prayed for bubbles, tractors, pillows, puppy dogs, the color blue, ducks, toes, abcs's, 1234's, kitty cats, and so many other things I've already forgotten them!

Ella, Say "Yes Sir"

After getting on to Ella when she did something wrong:
Me: Ella, we don't do that. Do you understand?
Ella: .....
Me: Say "Yes sir"
Ella: Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.....

Tired Ears

On our way to Texarkana today, Brooke had been talking for 45 minutes straight!
Me: My ears are getting a little tired.
Brooke: Well, the problem is that I never get tired of talking.

Ella, say "Yes sir"

After getting on to Ella when she did something wrong:

Me: Ella, we don't do that. Do you understand?

Ella: .....

Me: Say "Yes sir"

Ella: Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full..... 

Facepalm!

Brooke Impacting Others

It was certainly a proud moment when we received this message from Brooke's teacher today. I'm so excited to see what God is doing in her life and I can certainly learn from her example!

Ella's breakfast prayer

We were eating breakfast Sunday morning when Ella began to fuss and reach for our hands. It took a second, but we realized that she was wanting to pray before we ate! We don't typically pray before breakfast but we decided to this time. So glad to see that even at 20 months old we can begin teaching good, Godly principles to our children!

Ms. Knapp's Headache

Brooke told us that she was very worried about her 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Knapp.  She said she was feeling very bad on Friday so she prayed for her all weekend long. We asked Ms. Knapp how she was feeling and this was her response:

"Brooke took such good care of me Friday afternoon. She had wet paper towels on my head, she was delegating responsibilities to the kids :) as in you rub her shoulders, no don't push on her head like that. Ha!! Also, Brooke managed to score me an ice bag and mints from the nurse. She also offered to get me a substitute if needed (I love her so much! She makes me smile everyday). Now keep in mind, I just had a headache, but I loved it. What a good hearted baby. She told me she had worried about me- so sweet!"

Brooke Baptized

Well, we couldn't have asked for a greater Mother's Day gift than this.  Brooke was baptized today!  She asked Jesus into her heart about 5 weeks ago and after several long conversations about it, she convinced us it was indeed the real deal!  I'm amazed by this awesome little girl God has blessed us with.  She has been telling the world about Jesus ever since she was saved!  She has told her teachers, principals, class mates, friends, cousins, and just about anyone else that'll listen.  She is even telling her friends who claim to have been saved that they need to be baptized.

Brooke played Upward Soccer this year.  Out of 400 kids, only one boy and one girl received the most special award possible... the "Most Christlike" award.  When presenting the award, they said that the girl who won this year was saved during the course of the soccer year and most people knew about it.  Why?  Because she was telling everyone!  That's why this year they chose Brooke for the award!  I just can't express how proud of a daddy I was.  Meanwhile, mommy was crying her eyes out and beaming with pride. We can all learn from Brooke's example of how to reflect the image of Christ to others.

Frustrated Brooke

Brooke: Mom, I'm frustrated.
Holly: Why are you frustrated? 
Brooke: I'm not sure. 
Holly: What would you like me to do about that? 
Brooke: Give me whatever I want.

Ella Houdini!

I learned the other day that they call her "Houdini Baby" at preschool.  They said she can work her way out of a high chair in no time at all!  We noticed that ability at home too, but nothing could prepare us for her most recent disappearing act!  The "Exer-saucer" is the greatest child-containment device ever invented.  No child has ever escaped its grasp since being commissioned for child restraint years ago.  The toys and bright colors are there to make the device look fun and friendly, but make no mistake about it; the real purpose of this device is to keep children restricted to an area while parents attend to daily chores and seek a moment's rest.

Well, Ella was in her seat while Holly was cooking and I was putting a new picture into the family photo frame.  I looked up to check on her and she was GONE!  Vanished!!!  I located her elsewhere in the living room and told Holly, "I didn't know you took her out of the exer-saucer."

"I didn't!" replied Holly.

We have no live visual evidence, but based on the scene, I'd say she pulled herself over the side and landed safely upon the purple bean bag as she made her escape.  I bet she did it like those covert ops special forces do in the movies... all diving and somersaulting and stuff.  We may need to call in local detectives to recreate the scene and look for additional evidence.

Flowers for Mr. Remy

Mr. Remy is Brooke's bus driver. He is a very nice man and we are lucky to have him watching over her on the way to school. Mr. Remy is a rather large black man who, to a 6 year old girl, you would think looked a bit intimidating.

Not to Brooke though. She has her routine every morning as we wait for the bus. She picks some purple "flowers" (aka weeds) and carefully bunches them into a bouquet. She hops on the bus and with a huge smile and hands the purple flowers to Mr Remy. He kindly accepts them every morning and places them on the dash of the bus.

One particularly cold morning, the flowers were frozen. This didn't stop her from picking them for Mr. Remy as she endured the frosty cold dew on her hands.  When Brooke got on the bus, I noticed she paused a moment before going up the steps to the bus driver. She had cupped the flowers in her hand and held them in front of the heat coming through one of the vents to warm them up before handing them off to Mr. Remy!!! Love that girl!

Bumbo Joyride

Brooke vs UTI

Well, looks like we're going to the doctor's office today. Brooke was up last night almost in tears from a urinary tract infection (which says a lot with her high tolerance for pain). This morning's conversation with Holly:

Holly: "We are going to see Dr. Slay to get some medicine for you."
Brooke: "Um, no... I'm all better today."

Holly: "No, you were up all last night hurting."

Brooke: 3 seconds of silence... "God healed me!"