i can't keep up!

i think i usually try to keep all of my blog posts to one or two main subjects.
as if each week...one thing is happening.
then i tell all of you about it.
then we wait for the next week to start.

well...that is not exactly how things go.
and as i was looking in my may 2011 folder for my pictures, i realized that i am behind, to say the least.

i feel like i can hardly keep up with everything that is even happening!
i don't say this in a complainy-kind-of-way.
i just say it in like a whoa-nelly kind of way!
ha!

with that being said, here a few of things that i found in my folder:
my boys finished another year of AWANA!
they did so great, and really worked hard to finish their books. they have learned a ton of verses, and i am just incredibly proud of them.

my dad had a birthday

we had a little celebration together. i really never take for granted that i have the privilege of living with my parents. i am so grateful for the relationship that i have with both of my parents. my dad and i love a lot of the same things...football, ice cream, running, ice cream, antiquing, ice cream. i think you get my point! ha!

whenever the boys make something with legos, or build something...they always ask me to take a picture of it! so last week we went to the thrift store and bought this puzzle for a quarter. the three of us worked on it for a few days until we finished! they asked me to take a picture for my blog!
so here it is...

not bad that there was only 2 pieces missing out of 500!

and lastly for now, because it is getting late.
my boy aj.
he just started playing for a U12 soccer team.
he just turned 10, but he looks about the same size!
when he joined the team, the team had already been together for about 4 months.
all of the kids were really nice to him..except this one particular boy.
he picked on aj quite a bit. told him he wasn't one of the cool ones, and told him he didn't like his cleats, among other things.
aj was handling it pretty well. i asked him how he was responding, and he said that he just wasn't saying anything.
which was good.
but i suggested something else.
i told him to try the proverbs 15:1 method. "a soft answer turns away wrath"
so the next week at practice, the boy said something about cleats again.
aj said "wow...you're cleats are really awesome!!"
the boy stopped. and hugged aj!! he was like..thanks man!
the next practice he told aj he was his bff (ha! boys actually use that terminology???!!!)
and ever since, this boy has been like best buds with aj!!
i was just so proud of him!
proud of him for not getting discouraged,
for not fighting back,
for doing things God's way!
and i loved that he can start to see proof already, at the age of 10, that God's Word is worth obeying!
obedience does, after all, bring blessings!

alrighty. that's all i can do for now.
my back is bothering me again...pretty bad this time.
i think that today was almost the worst it has ever been.
we are leaving tomorrow to drive 7 hours to pennsylvania for my niece's birthday, so i would love if you would pray for me! i could sure use it!
thanks!