Tuesday, November 6, 2012

80 Years Young

This weekend we took a nice long road trip to North Missouri to celebrate Grandma JoAnna's 80th birthday. The festivities included a song & dance performed by the great grandkids, early morning hunting and a big catch fishing trip for the dinner fish fry. Photobucket Song & dance serenade! Photobucket Photobucket Grandma in her new Red Hatter's Visor. Photobucket Wes took Jaidyn, Addy and Haven on an early morning youth hunting expedition. I am not sure who had more fun, him or the girls. Wes said that he laughed the entire time as they were just sure that every moving shadow was a deer. They didn't last very long out in the windy cold and then just spent the rest of the morning driving around just seeing if they could see any out and about. Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Arriving back from the trip to the farm pond with lots of fishing loot! Photobucket While all the fish on the stringer were very nice in size, Jaidyn was the winner for the biggest catch! Photobucket Photobucket You would think that she would learn to quit messing with her Papa! Photobucket Big fish like Redd's Apple Ale too! Photobucket Wes and one of his best high school buddies! Photobucket Happy 80th Birthday JoAnna! Photobucket Photobucket Jaidyn received a very nice art award last week. This was written on the school website about her award. Her drawing of an owl is hanging on the principal's window with a blue ribbon attached. Way to go Jaidyn! "Congratulations to MATHEWS' ARTISTS! Mrs. Kelli Stricklin entered 5 works of art into an Art Show sponsored by the Southwest District Art Teacher's Association on October 27, 2012. Mathews' artists competed against other elementary student artists from surrounding schools (like Ozark, Republic, Springfield). All five entries placed in the categories they were entered in. Jaidyn Collins, 1st place Drawing, Division 1" Photobucket On Monday I received an email from Jaidyn's teacher telling us that a child in the class had lost his home due to a fire over the weekend. She was encouraging the kids in class to do some chores and bring in some change to help purchase a Wal-mart gift card for this student. Before I even had a chance to talk with her about it, Jaidyn had raided her piggy bank of a $5 bill that she had received from a relative on Halloween. And Addy who doesn't even know this student made him a card and also gave half of her Halloween $5. This is a lot of money in their world as their normal piggy bank earnings come from the Tooth Fairy and the recycling of aluminum cans. Their actions of selflessness blew me away as I knew how excited they were to have received this money only days earlier and now to give it away. Just a couple of weeks ago at church during our priest's homily, he was telling us that in order to live the life Jesus wants for us, we need to act more like a child...so proud of Jaidyn and Addy's efforts of reaching out to another. And yes, I think that I can learn from my kids actions. :)

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