Sunday, May 26, 2013

Kindergarten assessments

On May 4th Cambry had her kindergarten assessments!  She passed with flying colors!  Drew, Cambry, and I went to her school and had a pancake breakfast, met her teacher, talked with parents who have had children in the school for years, and Cambry toured her classroom and took her assessments.  It was so hard to let her go with her teacher and other students while the parents had to wait for their kids in the gym.  I wanted to pull her teacher aside and tell her 100 things she might need to know about Cambry if she was going to be watching her for the next hour, but I didn't.  I fought back tears and waited.  When she FINALLY came out with a smile on her face I wanted to sprint to her and push all of the other children out of my way to get to her, and pick her up and tell her she never had to go back if she didn't want to, but I didn't.  I was proud of her for a couple of reasons.  First of all, she passed with no problems.  Yay!  Second of all, things didn't go perfectly in that room and she was still okay.  On our way home as I was asking a million questions and she gave me an answer that made me uncomfortable.  She said some kids were making fun of her.  My blood boiled.  I asked her what the said and she told me they were telling the teacher that she cut up her paper butterfly that she had colored and some girls were saying "Look what she did! Look what she did!"  Ugh! Cambry is so sensitive and a perfectionist I knew this had to really bother her.  I asked her if she did cut up her butterfly and she said yes.  I asked her why and she told me because she thought it was cutting time.  Made sense to me so I instantly began to try to picture which little snot faces it was making fun of her.  I wanted names, but she didn't know any.  I wanted addresses and phone numbers, but luckily she didn't know.  I wanted to know who the parents were so I could rough them up a bit too, but she didn't know that either.  Then it hit me...This is life.  This is going to happen to her time and time again.  When Jesus was on earth people were less than kind to him, and God didn't send him here to have everyone dote on him and tell him how wonderful he was.  However, Jesus always knew that God was in his corner.  That people could be mean, but God would be his safe place.  Jesus changed lives through his story, and his story wasn't easy.  I know people are going to hurt my girls, and I will want to hunt those people down.  But I need to build my girls up at home so that when I send them out they will have a strong foundation to stand on while their stories are being written.  One of my favorite songs right now is by Chris Tomlin called "Whom Shall I Fear."  The chorus says:   
I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

There is nothing in this world that any of us need to fear if you have God by your side.  It's not going to be easy to send either of the girls out into this world, but my peace will come from God and trusting in his will for them and not mine.  If someone could remind me I said this on July 29th when Cambry starts kindergarten that would be great.   

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Cambry's favorites at 5!




It has taken me a while to get back into the blogging swing of things, but we have a bunch to catch up on!!  My sweet wonderful Cambry turned five on April 30th!  I cannot believe that it was five years ago that our adventures as a family really began.  On her birthday she wanted to dress up like Merida, have some friends over, and see family for the rest of the day.  Oh, and open presents of course.  On the girls birthdays I ask them twenty of the same questions every year and tape it so that I will remember their "favorites" of that year.  I know that she will look back one day and crack up, and probably say "MOM! Why did you let me wear that!"  I can't wait for those days too.  Every phase with her is so wonderful and seems to only get better. 

Cambry Ryan, you have stolen my heart.  I can still remember bringing you home from the hospital and feeling so lucky and completely scared out of my mind that God would put me in charge of you.  You have eternally changed my life for the better and I'm so grateful.  You have shown me how to love, and how to receive love in a different way than I ever knew.  I am so imperfect and you are so forgiving of my short-comings.  God has given you compassion in your heart greater than I have seen in most adults.  You are so generous with your sister even when she is undeserving.  You are amazing at putting others first.  Thank you for being a great role model to her, and loving her unconditionally.  The role of a big sister is full of sacrifices and you do it graciously.  I can truly see Jesus in you and I can feel him doing work in your heart.  Thank you for your laughter, and the joy you bring to my heart!  Thank you for your dance moves and booty shakes and all of the songs you sing.  Thank you for being such a free bird to spend 95% of your life naked.  Five is a huge year and I'm so excited about the journey you are getting ready to embark on!  School! A wiggly tooth!  Sweet-pea, you are unstoppable and I want you to follow your dreams! Mommy and daddy are so proud of you!! We love you!