Monday, June 28, 2010

Easy to Please

Momma:  Okay, boys what do you want to do today?

Caleb:  Pool!!

Momma:  Seth, what would you like to do today?

Seth:  (in his cute Sethie voice) Hmmm...let's see.  I want to eat a moonpie.

Momma:  A moonpie?  Is that all you want to do today?

Seth:  Yep.  That's all.

He is his Daddy's son!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day




You have been a blessing to me in so many ways, Eric Workman, but few can compare to how wonderful it is to parent with you.

You are an awesome daddy and I continue to be amazed at how devoted you are and how deeply you love our sons.  They are so extremely blessed to call you Daddy!

I love you so much!  Happy Father's Day, honey!!



Saturday, June 19, 2010

Soccer Camp

Last week, Biz participated in the Hot Shots Little Kickers soccer camp.  His camp was from 8am to 11am each day and boy was it H-O-T!! (a minor detail that I forgot to consider when we signed him up last month.)  Of course, it has been a hotter than normal June.  Is it just me or for the past two weeks in middle TN, does it feel like when you step out your front door that you are stepping into a wool sweater?  Kids do seem to register heat a bit differently than adults, especially when they are involved in something they really enjoy.  Biz was such a champ!  Not one time did little buddy complain about the heat.   And he was ready to go back in it each day, so he could play soccer and learn new moves.



The coaches did a great job of  keeping the kiddos hydrated with water breaks.  And of course, the highlight for the kids was getting a freezy pop at the end of the day.  For Biz, that made it all worthwhile.















After the first day and the first meltdown, I decided to give Seth a freezy pop of his own on the ride over to get Biz.  He was most appreciative.






Biz had a great week at camp and was so pumped to get to play the coaches on the last day.  What a sight it was to see the entire camp of kids playing against the six coaches.  Biz was all over the ball and didn't stop the entire game.  I couldn't get any good action shots, since a) it was a big mob of kids running around and b) I refrained from actually going out on the field to get a decent picture.  Yes, Biz, you can thank me later.



He did a great job and had a lot of fun!
Way to go, Biz!


Guess Who is Writing His Name Now?

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The New Kid on the Bike


Look who can ride on two wheels (well, sort of).



And look who can keep up with his big brother!











Friday, June 11, 2010

God is So Good!!

As evidenced by the array of May postings, it was the spring of Palmer College reunions for us.  I couldn't leave out our last stop, thus far, which was with our friends, the Perrines.  We met up with them on our way home from Tulsa for dinner at, where else, but good ole Cracker Barrel in West Memphis, Arkansas.



 Brandon was a few trimesters behind me in school, but he and Nicole were our neighbors and we went to church together, so we saw a lot of each other.  Plus, the Perrines took extra good care of me during the four months when Eric went before me to Tennessee while I finished up clinicals at Palmer, during my second trimester of pregnancy with Biz.  Tuesday nights were my "date" nights with the Perrines, when Nicole would cook me dinner and we would all hang out together.  Yes, our good friends know, the best way to care for a Workman is to feed a Workman.  And the Perrines were wonderful friends to us.

Eric and I had the opportunity to visit with the Perrines about a year and a half ago, but this was the first time all of our boys had gotten a chance to meet and play together.  And the next time we meet up, there will be a little girl in the mix.  Sweet Lilia is due to arrive any day now.





Some people only need a couple of companions in life, but God wired me differently. He knew I needed A LOT of help in this life journey, so He gave me an extra dose of people to surround me. Thinking about all of the friends God has placed in our lives over the past ten years or so just overwhelms me.  I have not lived near family for nearly fourteen years (excluding the nine months spent in Richmond between undergrad and grad schools).  Eric and I have been blessed with wonderful, wonderful biological families.  But God's plan was for us to be uprooted and live apart from them.  God is so faithful, though, and has always surrounded us with friends who have become our family. 

He had it covered from day one, when I first moved to Iowa alone.  I just so happened to sit in front of Matt Biddle every day in class for the first trimester.  Matt Biddle invited me to his church, and from there so many of our lifelong friendships began.  The friendships from Palmer College and Grandview Church helped sustain us through the intense three years of graduate school, our newlywed years, and when we all began to start our families. Late night Rook, lots of Whitey's ice cream, lots of "practice" adjustments, weekend trips together...all pre-kiddos, when we could stay up past 11pm and still function.  Our very first church small group ever was in Iowa, at a time when I was first learning to what it meant to truly walk with the Lord, and those were good times with awesome people!

I think back to when we moved to Nashville and when Eric needed a place to stay for a couple of months before I could join him in Tennessee, and  the McLaughlins (literally) took Eric in as there own, and therefore, "adopted" our boys and me, too.  If you know us at all, you know what the McLaughlins mean to us. 

I think of the small group that we first visited when we were new to Belmont church and didn't know many people in the area.  Out of that group, nearly six years ago, grew friendships and family, that although every family does not still attend that church and the small group has long since dissolved, they remain some of our closest friends.  What a special group they are. We had our babies together and walked through the early years of parenting together and today continue to be there for each other, playdate together, girls' night together, and whatever else we can because we enjoy each other so much.

And now since we began attending Harpeth Community, God has placed new family members in our lives, who walk beside us daily.  We continue to learn so much from these friends, since for the first time since moving to Tennessee, we are among a group of friends where we are not the family with the oldest child.  Oh, the wisdom and experience that we have been gaining since being enveloped into our Harpeth family.  And the mentors we have met there who are so seasoned in the Word of God and share His knowledge so freely. 

Each step of the way, God has known our needs and provided.   Be it through our church, work, school, a trip to the park, our neighborhood, God continues to place amazing people in our path.  And in His beautiful grace, we have not had to trade biological family for family friends or old friendships for new; He has allowed us to keep expanding our hearts and our lives to accomodate the new people He has for us to know.

This is community.  This is family.  This is what it means to live and love in the body of Christ.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

New Neighbors?

When we walked out the door for a walk to the bank this morning, we were greeted by some unlikely visitors.


So, the boys decided to be all neighborly and offer them some food.













We are from the south, you know.  Where it is against the rules for anyone to leave your house hungry.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Six Hundred Miles Away










 



When we left Iowa, we committed to keep our friendship going.  And each year since, we have been blessed to visit with each other at least once a year.  Sometimes twice.  And sometimes halfway in between. When we get together, it really is like no time has passed at all.  It is a long trip and it is so hard to part when it is time to go, but we love the Prentices! 

So, it is worth every mile!

A Little Reunion and some Corn Hole

Our yearly visit with the Prentices is always a blast, and this time it was even more special because we got to reunite with the Biddles, another Palmer family, who also live in the Tulsa area and were dear friends to us while in Iowa .  It had been nearly six years since we had seen Matt and Emily and sweet Shelbi, and it was the first time for us to meet their two sons, Griffin, who was born the day we all graduated, and Graham.



The Prentices hosted a cook out for our three families at their home our first day back in Oklahoma.  Yay for us! Amy can put together quite a hamburger and Russell is a master on the grill. And it was topped off with two delicious "Emily" desserts.  That girl does wonderful things with food and we were long overdue for some of her treats. 

We also had quite a few spirited games of Corn hole.  Yes, that crazy little game I posted about a few months back.  Well, lo and behold, it has made its way to Oklahoma.  And the rules seem to have evolved, as well.  Or maybe Russell just had his own version of the rules.  We have been down this road before of the rules of games changing once you cross a state line.  Amy and Russell are our long time loyal Rook partners and somehow, over the years, we have deviated from playing the way I played growing up.   Hmmm...seems like we always end up going with the Oklahoma version of the rules.  Actually, in the Prentices' defense, Eric didn't even play the way I played growing up, so maybe it isn't just a state bias.  Maybe the Hamm family had their own rules, too.

Anyway, here was Russell's reaction when it was suggested (gasp!) that the guys play by the Kentucky rules:



His look was priceless, and the girls could tell that he was only humoring their suggestion.  I think those rules may have lasted one game, if that.  The audacity of even considering changing the rules of Corn Hole in Oklahoma!

















Oh yeah, we had mad skills!


What a fun time we had and what a blessing it was to be with great friends!









Kids Aplenty


When we moved from Iowa six years ago (next week), the Biddles had a 16 month old, the Prentices had a brand new baby girl, and I was 32-ish weeks pregnant. 

My, my...a whole lot changes in six short years!!



Six active, silly, fun, energetic, creative, loud, wonderful, wonderful kiddos!!!
And no diapers to change.