Trying to catch up

This blogging thing is not as easy as I thought it would be. I guess life got in the way. I really hope that I will be better at keeping the memories of my family.  We have just ended the AWANA year at church. Brady and Rae both seem to really enjoy AWANA but Brady, I think, is getting really ready to move on up to the youth department. He is starting to come out of his shell some, as noted by the band form that I signed yesterday for school. He told me that he wants to play the snare or quad drums in the band. I was really shocked but very happy that this is something that he wants to do. I really want the kids to be involved in something but I don't want to force them to do anything. He played baseball for several years until about two years ago and then the just lost interest. So hopefully he will really enjoy the band and I have no doubt that he will be really good at drumming. He usually is good at anything he puts his mind to. But back to AWANA. He will start his last year of AWANA in August and has always done very well with it. He got a certificate last night but wasn't able to finish his book to get a book award.  Their is alot of work involved in AWANA.  Many weeks their are many verses that have to be memorized. One of the goals of AWANA is for the kids to know the verses in their hearts and not just for the chance to pass off a section.  Rae did very well this year also. This was her last year of being a Sparky. In the three years that she has been in the Sparky club she was able to finish all three books and earn a Sparky Award for doing so. She was one of two people to do this. Her friend Rachel was the other one. I am so proud of both of my kids. At the first of the program last night the kids took a paper chain that they had made throughout the year and wrapped it around the sanctuary of the church twice! Every time that a kid said a verse they got to write their name on a strip of paper that made the paper chain. That is alot of verses that all the kids learned throughout the year.

Rae and Bro.Jim

Brady and Bro. Jim

 We also had the AWANA Grand Prix. This is something that we have done the last couple of years at church and the kids(and dads) really enjoy it. Last year Rae won best in show for her car and she did the same this year! She went back and forth about what she wanted her car to be and finally decided on an Ice Cream Sandwich. It looked really good. Daddy did a great job cutting it out and she did a great painting it. Brady decided that he didn't want to race this year. He just enjoyed watching and visiting the concession stand.

We had our annual Presley family reunion on May 7th. We started this a couple of years ago. I can remember as a kid having to go to family reunions and dreading them. All these people that I didn't know, talking to and about me. All I wanted to do was go home. I'm thankful that my kids have kids their age to play with at family reunions. Some cousins that we see all the time and some we only see one or two times a year. We also celebrated Papaws 84th birthday that day. He is such a amazing man. He is a true leader of this Willis family.

Rae helping me make cheesecake balls.

Papaw and all his kids

Blowing the candles out for his 84th bday

Boys doing what they do best.

The newest family member Jacob

 Our nephew Cade and out great nephew Preston started playing t ball a couple of weeks ago. It is so fun to watch kids that age playing ball. I remember when Brady was that little playing ball. Sometimes I wish he was still that little.

Cade

Preston

 

Mothers Day was the 8th.  And as always I had a great day. Every Mothers Day the church always gives the mothers a gift. The last couple of years we have gotten white carnations but this year we got pink coffee mugs.  Phil got a blue one a couple of years ago and it is just about the perfect coffee mug, right size and shape.  I so appreciate my church www.beldenbaptistchurch.net and all that they do for us.  After church Phil and the kids took me to Los Toros for lunch. This is the BEST Mexican restaurant in Tupelo.  After we got home I got to take a great nap.

I kinda did this entire post backwards but at least its done.

Until next time.

Karen