Dear Fellow Believers,

First of all, take a deep breath.  The election will be over in a matter of weeks, and no matter who wins, God still wins.  So relax.  Trust.  Have faith that our Father is the provider of ALL our needs, not the US government.

Secondly, please think twice before you forward those political emails.  Very rarely do these emails contain absolute facts; they are filled with passionate propaganda at best, and outright lies at worst.  If you are spreading around half truths or rumors or things that agree with your world view that are not 100% facts, well, the Bible has couple of words for that:

1.  Slander.

2.  Bearing false witness.

Both of these are sins. 

Sins, people.  So vote for whoever you want to vote for.  Campaign for whoever you want to campaign for.  But do not sin in the process.  The end most definitely does not justify the means.  No matter how justified or right you feel in forwarding on propaganda, resist it.  You are playing a part in slander and bearing false witness against your neighbor, and God does not approve.  It's a very ugly situation when the Believers feel they have to stoop to the ways of the world to put the "RIGHT" things forward.  Righteousness does not require sinning in order to stand.  You may be thinking, "all that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."  But good people do not spread lies.  Good people do not sin.  And forwarding an email full of propaganda is right next to doing nothing anyway. 

But as always, He is longsuffering and patient and forgiving. 

So... take a deep breath.  Jesus is our leader, not an elected official.  And ALL things work together for good for those who trust in Jesus. 

But stop sinning by spreading lies about the guy or gal you don't like.

my baby boy is 5!!!!

Ben's b-day was a total blast.  I can't believe it has taken me so long to blog about it, but I'm having trouble adjusting to my new schedule.  I have a TON of things that need to get done.  Things that could have been done at the end of the summer, but I decided to put them off because A) I didn't want to take my boys on these particular errands and B) I wanted to spend the end of the summer playing w/ my boys.  So now I have a list as long as my arm that I thought I would be able to plow through now that they are in school and my days are free (or free-er), but so far it's been like slogging through mud to get much accomplished.  Oh well!  I'm at the computer now and I have a whole hour to get this story down.  So let's go!

Ben's b-day had an Olympic theme (surprise, surprise!) and it was a crack up.  I literally have a ba-jillion pictures, so let's just let them tell the story.

                                                    First, there's this: (right)

I tried to make 'Benji' look as much as the actual 'Beijing' logo as possible! 

Then, there's this:

The 'cakes' were donuts representing the Olympic rings! 

Here's the Olympic Torch that Ben used to light the Olympic Flame at the beginning of our Parade of Nations.

And here's the birthday boy himself, so excited for his Olympic debut!!!

When everyone arrived we decorated our

Stuffed Animal Olympians as well as hats.

Juliette decorating and Kate posing...

and Sam decorating his animal...

...and the end result of all the hard work.

After the lighting of the Olympic Flame and the Parade of Nations and Stuffed Animals...

...we said, "Let the GAMES of the Benji Olympiad begin!"

Here are the Olympic Officials:

Ronna and Molly were the judges for:

The Long Jump

Discus

Shot Put

Red Light, Green Light (which I don't think they played, but we gave medals for anyway.  )

Scenes from their events:

The Looooooong Jump

Livy (right)

The Bazzer (below)

And you although it looks like Charlie is standing on the sidewalk, he's actually about a foot above it in his long jump attempt! 

The Discus... (paper plates)

...and the Shot Put  (water balloons) were big hits!

(as in: I was literally hit by a water balloon while taking this picture.  )

Kelly and Troy were the judges for:

Hula Hoop

Bean Bag Hop Scotch

Soccer Bowling

Mother, May I?  (again... not played, but no one noticed that they got medals for it anyway!)

Scenes from their events:

Ben tried to Hoop... but really it was more of a Drop than a Hula. 

They had all the girls do the 'gymnast' pose before and after they did the Hop Scotch.  So cute.

Soccer Bowling was lots of fun!

Troy's commentary during these events was priceless! 

Mick and his dad (Papa Gower) were the judges for:

Pie Eating

Egg and Spoon Race

Trampoline Gymnastics

Hurdles

of COURSE everyone loved sticking their faces in a plate of whipped cream and eating away!!!

But everyone was a bit more cautious with the Egg and Spoon Race!

Trampoline was lots of fun...

And the Hurdles Relay used up the sugar rush they got from the straight shot of whipped cream to their veins!

Kate booking it in for a photo finish!

At the end of all the events, Kelly and Troy informed us there was a 3 way TIE in the Hula Hoop Competition!  So Juliette, Sam and Jack had to have a Hoop off to determine who would win the Gold, Silver and Bronze medal in this event.

It was close...

...they were all good hoopers...

...but in the end, Jack kept going the longest!

WHEW!  After all those events, the athletes were ready to come inside...

...and eat some nutritious Birthday Donuts!!!

(just look at that beaming face!!!  OH!  my heart, my heart...)

While the kids ate sugar and Ben opened his presents...

(Smiths: way to go on the Pug Webkin!  He literally hasn't put it down since!  He even takes it to school w/ him!)

The Olympic Committee deliberated over the event results.

Incredibly, EVERY child ended up winning a Gold, a Silver, and a Bronze medal!  Amazing how that worked out!!!

And here are the Medal Ceremonies!

Pie Eating: 

Gold: Livy  

Silver:  Luke 

Bronze:  Jack

Egg and Spoon Race:

Gold: Juliette

Silver: Simon

Bronze:  Ben (w/ the Pug)

Trampoline:

Gold:  Ben (w/ the Pug)

Silver:  Baz

Bronze: Charlie

Hurdles:

Gold:  Kate

Silver:  Annie

Bronze:  Simon

Long Jump:

Gold: Sam

Silver: Turner

Bronze:  Baz

Discus:

Gold:  Turner

Silver:  Kate

Bronze:  Livy

Shot Put

Gold:  Luke

Silver:  Juliette

Bronze:  Kate

Red Light, Green Light

Gold:  Annie

Silver:  Livy

Bronze:  Turner

(an event they didn't even do... but they still look proud!)

Bean Bag Hop Scotch:

Gold:  Charlie

Silver:  Ben (w/ Pug)

Bronze:  Sam

Soccer Bowling:

Gold:  Baz

Silver:  Jack

Bronze:  Annie

Mother, May I?

Gold:  Simon

Silver:  Charlie

Bronze:  Luke

(again... didn't play it, but felt the pride.)

And the biggest event of the day...

Hula Hoop

Gold:  Jack

Silver:  Sam

Bronze:  Juliette

And here's a close up on the medals:

Gold (left) = Reeses

Silver (right) = York Patties

Bronze (left) = Caramel Kisses

...and this is how Mommy and Daddy felt when it was all over!  WHEW! 

Happy Birthday, my little Benjer!  You are my delight and I thank God for you every day.  You make me smile and laugh and I love you with all my heart.  You give the BEST hugs- I love it when you hold tight around my neck!  You give the BEST kisses- I love it when you give them over and over until I have to say, "too many kisses!"  to which you just laugh and laugh.  Thank you for being such a wonder.  Thank you for being my little boy.

...i'm completely insane, aren't i?

Ben has STARTED SCHOOL!  Today I dropped BOTH of my boys off at Eisenhower International School... and drove away by myself.  A very weird feeling.  If you remember my post from a couple of years ago when I took Jack to school for the first time, you will notice a marked difference in today.  Namely, the  lack of hysterical tears.  It's strange... but I think there must be something, at least for me, about those first-firsts.  When you bring baby #1 home, EVERYTHING is new and strange and such an adventure.  Every "first" was MY "first" too, and had a heightened sense of emotion about it.  Not that I love Ben any less, not at all!  Not that his "firsts" weren't super special... just that maybe the emotions weren't running as high.  So the big dramatic change of having the first child enter elementary school was HUGE for the whole family.  It totally changed our dynamic.  Our schedule.  Everything.  Ben entering school is also a HUGE milestone for all of us, but especially for him, and my heart is feeling it as such.  But my emotions aren't as raw b/c we've been in the school pattern for a couple of years now, so it's not such a change for the whole fam.  I think it will start to settle in as the days and weeks go by... my life has turned a bit of a corner and I'm not totally sure what is in store for me with these wide open days... But I know Ben is ready for this big change and ran into it with open arms.  I'm proud of his independence, even though my mommy-heart wants him to know he needs me more than he thinks he does. 

I did get slightly emotional at 9am when I was in my car and "the Writer's Almanac" came on NPR... the opening notes on the piano reminded me that usually I was in the car w/ Ben at this time of day... and that's over now.  And it did make me miss his babyhood.  School days are special and wonderful and fun... but the days of my boys and me at home all day w/ games, toys, puzzles, Bob the Builder, naps, snuggles in the rocking chair, reading Green Eggs and Ham 900 times per day...  those are TRULY in my past now.  And that does tug at my heart.  Other things like diapers and high chairs and bottles and early mornings and middle of the nights... while they may not have been my favs, they now seem like precious, precious times.  I may not miss them the same way I will miss those baby/toddler snuggles, but I will miss them nonetheless.  We've turned a corner.  The new place is wonderful... but I'll always hide the treasured memories of the old place deep in my heart.

OKAY!  Enough of that!!!  Let's see the pics!

The brothers... both in uniform at the same time!  (I really hope Ben knows how to fasten those shorts... we only practiced a couple of times...)

Yeah... they both wanted me to take a picture of their backpacks.  Pretty cute, no?

My big school boy!

LOOOOOOOVE the "walking up to the school" shot. 

Ben in front of his locker- he decorated the name tag himself at "meet the teacher day" last friday.

And my handsome, fearless little boy in his classroom.  I love you, Benjer!  I hope your school years bring you much joy, lots of laughter, great knowledge, and that God begins to show you your place in this world while you are young.

...and I hope you are good.*

*footnote:  On the first day of school for PreK and Kindergarteners, the school hosts what they call "Kinder Coffee" in the cafeteria.  It's a nice way for the parents to mingle and get to know each other a bit, cry if they need to, meet the principal, etc...  But really it's a way to get the emotional parents OUT of the classrooms.    As I was leaving the building after Kinder Coffee I thought I would walk by Ben's room to see how he was doing.  When I was still about 10 feet away from his classroom I heard his LOUD voice... saying... "Na na na na na na!" (you know- the smark alek teasing phrase that is sometimes followed by "you can't catch me"... do you know what I mean?) over and over and over!!!  I just about died!!!!  It's the FIRST day!  He doesn't know any of the kids!  How could he be this comfortable already???  Luckily I saw the assistant teacher in his class coming down the hall and I waved her over and, half laughing / half mortified, told her what I had heard, and to be assured that we do not accept that kind of thing at home and that she should have no qualms whatsoever about going in that room and telling him that's not okay.  Geesh.  What a ride this is going to be.