I LOVE My Kid!

You know those days as a parent where you just love being with your kid.  You don't have to fuss, finagle, or bribe.  You're just able to enjoy them.  Today was one of those days.

I had an absolute blast with Maggie today.  She's been amazing to be around for the last few days, but today was tears in the eyes fabulous.  I am just so blessed that God gave her to David and I to raise.  What an amazing gift.

She is funny, bright, loving, and just plain fun to be around.   I LOVE her.  

Just had to share the moment.  

Here she is exhausted after our day of travel yesterday and Chocolate World today.  Those are the two pillows I got her at Chocolate World - they're the fun squishy kind.  One is a Hershey's Kiss and the other is Bubble Yum.  She's also got her "Beary" - doesn't sleep without it.  

How cute is that kid!

Chocolate World

Maggie and Mommy are in Pennsylvania for the Nestleroth (Mommy's Mommy's side) family reunion.  The family is not far from Hershey so Maggie and Mommy went to Chocolate world today.  

Mommy was so excited - an entire building devoted to chocolate.  Absolute heaven!!  Mommy and Daddy had been there about eight years ago, but much has changed since then.  There is a new 3D show that made Maggie just squeal (literally) with delight.

We had a little glitch in the movie so they gave us free passes to see it again.  So, we got to experience it twice!

Then, we went on a fun trolley ride where we learned lots of neat things about Mr. Hershey, his factory, and the town.  The "conductors" were hilarious.  One of them kept "getting off" and reappearing as various historical characters.  It was a fun ride. Mags wanted to do it again, but we didn't get a free do-over on that one so Mommy said no.  

Then we went back into the building where Maggie got to be a factory worker and package her own box of Hershey Kisses.  She actually will eat a Hershey's kiss (not a big sweets fan) so Mommy thought this was a good one.  She of course loved it - got a cool hat, a name badge, and box of kisses plus some cute pics.

After lunch, we FINALLY got to go on the actual "factory tour" part of the building.  They've now made this into a ride where you sit down and travel through an explanation of how it all works with machines there to show you the different parts.  It was pretty neat.  Maggie thought it was awesome so we rode it THREE times!  Luckily, that part is free.  :)

We of course traveled through the gift shop after every ride - amazing how everything ends at the gift shop.  We're not talking a small gift shop.  This place was HUGE with the food court area attached.  We did a little shopping, but Mommy cut Maggie off when she wanted to buy something for everyone in the extended family.  

One more funny from the day.  It's getting later in the afternoon, and Maggie says she's hungry. I'm looking around wondering what to offer her.  I say "What kind of hungry - meal hungry or snack hungry?  There are cookies, cupcakes, ice cream..."  She comes back with "I'm strawberry hungry mama.  Do they have any good food - I want strawberries."  Only my child.  She settled for a big container of milk - white milk not the chocolate kind that comes in the souvenir cup. I actually laughed at her for that one.

Callaway Gardens

Maggie, Hamilton, and Ella went with Grandma and Gramps to Callaway Gardens in central Georgia for five days of fabulous fun.  The kids all go to a day camp for a good part of the day and then swim, eat ice cream, and go to the circus at other times.  The picture above is when the Grandparents and Hamilton picked up Maggie.  Ella was the next stop.  They had an awesome time and can't wait until next year.  Mags wants to stay a week!

Maggie Wanted Jesus in Her Heart

Tonight at dinner, Maggie accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.  It was a very special moment for the entire family.

She's been asking lots of questions for the last few weeks and really asking lots of questions this week.  She and I talked about God almost all day today in one form or another.  We've talked a lot about what a sinner is, why Christ needed to die for us, and what an amazing gift God gave us in His Son. 

She really seemed to understand the analogy that Christ took the "consequences" of our sin. She knows that she has consequences when she does something wrong, so Christ taking her consequences away so she could be with God forever made sense to her.

Once she could answer all the questions about what the hard words mean, we pulled out the literature piece the church gave us when we went to Jump Start (a very cool thing to have by the way).  We walked through that, making sure she understood each step.  Then, she read the prayer at the end and asked Jesus to be her Savior.  

David and I were both kinda teary, but oh so very proud of her.  She is an amazing child of God. I can't wait to see what He has planned.

My How the Girl has Grown

Above are a picture from the first day of school (left) and the last day of school (right).  Our girl has grown so much in just these ten months.  Not only has she changed physically, but emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually as well.

Physically, she's several inches taller and has thinned out so much.  She's pretty much lost that little girl look and has begun to look like a young lady.  The last day of school found her with her first lose tooth, which she lost a few days later.  All these physical signs that my baby is not my baby any more.

Emotionally, Maggie has never been more sure of herself.  She carries herself with a presence that continues to amaze her parents.  She is very loving and helpful, always there to help someone younger or someone needing assistance.  She is awesome to watch with toddlers and babies.

Cognitively, Maggie has blossomed in a big way this year.  She started reading around Christmas, and now we can't keep her in books fast enough.  She's able to read just about anything you put in front of her, but still likes her storybooks with the pictures in them.  We can no longer spell in front of her as she figures it out in minutes.  She is also telling time and counting money, so not much gets by her.

Spiritually, she has grown into a very confident child of God. She knows God loves her and that Mommy and Daddy love her too. She has become an extremely strong leader, and we can't wait to see how God is going to use that.

We are so proud of our little girl.  We are so thankful that we are the ones God blessed to be her parents.

Last Day of School

Maggie's last day of kindergarten was Friday. The class celebrated with a chicken nugget lunch and ice cream sundaes.  They also sang a few songs for the parents and then had their "awards ceremony."  Maggie received the citizenship award (picture left) - one girl and one boy get it in each class.  Mommy and Daddy were VERY proud of her for that one.  Mrs. Cole talked about how helpful Maggie was to everyone and her willingness to be a friend to everyone.

  

Maggie also received the "Smarties" award (picture right).  Mrs. Cole had made up awards to go with candies, and the kids thought they were great.  They had fun trying to guess who got each one.  The "Smarties" award goes to the most observant child - you know the one that notices everything and tells you when you're not doing it right - that's our kid.  When she started describing what the award was for, Maggie raised her hand and said "that's me!"  It was hilarious.  

After the awards ceremony, the kids gathered all their things, and most of the kids went home.  We brought Maggie home and were at the pool by 2PM with most of the neighborhood.  It was a great day and a celebration of an awesome year.  Kindergarten was lots of fun, and we're already looking forward to first grade.  We've got eight weeks to play and then are back at school.  Maggie has lots of fun camps and activities planned so stay tuned for some fun pictures. 

Happy Summer Everyone!!

Kindergarten Performance

Maggie had her Kindergarten Performance tonight.  It was supposed to be last Tuesday, but then the tornadoes came through, and it got postponed.  Maggie was very excited that they were able to reschedule it.  

Maggie wore her pink "field trip" shirt for the performance. Almost her entire class was there with four other kindergarten classes.  They performed in the gym for some very proud mommies and daddies (as well as extended family).  

The kids sang about six songs and did a wonderful job staying together with both the words and hand motions.  The favorite was "Matilda" who was a gorilla and they got to make lots of gorilla noises with that one.  It was very fun and very cute.

After the performance, Maggie posed with two young ladies from her class, Serena and Samantha, whom she is going to miss very much this summer.  She also took a quick pose with Grandma, Gramps, and Nana who were able to make the performance.

Memorial Day Cookout

We had our small group over for a fun Memorial Day cook out. This was the first time our current small group had gotten together with their kids, and what a group of beautiful girls there was.

Maggie was actually one of the oldest girls, which was a fun role for her. She loves to play with younger kids, especially girls. However, when it came time to eat, she wanted to sit next to the 13-year-old. Go figure. :)

The younger girls loved playing with the bubbles while Maggie impressed everyone with her ability to hit the ball. The daddies chased the little ones around, and the mommies sat and relaxed for a few minutes before Daddy Dave served up the burgers and dogs. A fun time was had by all, and it was great to finally meet the little ones we hear about each week.

Kindergarten Field Day

Today was Maggie's field day, and Mommy went to help out and take pictures.  The kids had an awesome time both participating in the events and cheering each other on. Somewhere, somebody was actually keeping score of the events, but Maggie and her friends "won" everything according to them. 

 

The events were extremely well organized with each teacher having a speadsheet (you know Mommy was in heaven) of who was doing what event where.  Each child was able to do four events competing against all of the ten kindergartens.

Maggie participated in the Critter Crawl (photo above left) which is basically a go pick it up and bring it back game. She also did the scooter relay, the water relay (photo right), and the hurdles.  In addition, she was chosen to be on her class's big relay team, and did extremely well on her leg of the lap.

The most important thing is that the kids had SO MUCH fun!!!  They ran and laughed and ate all the yummy snacks that the mommies had sent in. What a great way to finish of the year. Only five days of school left!

We are safe!

Just a quick note to say that the House of Hills survived the storms last night.  We rode them out in the closet under the stairs.  It got a little scary at a few points, but we are so thankful to say that we are fine.  We did sustain some shingle damage, but it has already been repaired, with time to spare before it rains again tomorrow.

Kathy's step-brother, Trett's, neighborhood was hit hard with lots of trees down and many into houses.  Trett, his family, and his house are fine.  Yet, another blessing.

The hardest hit area, what you're seeing on the news, is about a mile from us.  While we are thankful the storm hopped over us, we are saddened to see such devastation.  Please keep those who have lost everything in your prayers.

Many Blessings,

The House of Hills

Braves Game

Maggie and Mommy headed to the Braves game Sunday afternoon with Grandma, Gramps, Uncle Bill, and Cousin Ella and had a blast!

We made it in time for Maggie to see her favorite part - them cleaning the field.  This would be the time when they spray the dirt on the infield to get ready for the game.  She also really 

likes to watch them put the "boxes" on the field and the lines, but we missed that part.

We watched several innings, had fun snacks, and Mags cheered loudly for all the Braves.  

We tried to run the base by the Coke bottle, but it was closed because it was Bark at the Park, and all the dogs were up there.

Grandma had a wonderful time sharing her love of the Braves with her two favorite girls.

The Pool is OPEN!!

The pool opened last week, and today was the first day that we

were able to go.  Maggie was so excited to go even though she was warned that the water was FREEZING!

Maggie's friends, Julie and Grace, were there when when we got there.  They had so much fun playing both in the water and around the pool.  Maggie jumped right in the water and had no trouble "swimming."  

It was crazy for Mommy how independent Maggie was.  The three girls set up a little camp on the opposite side of the pool from the moms where they were playing, talking, and having their snack.  Gone are the days when Mommy had to watch Mags like a hawk, chase her around the pool edge, and be in the water with her every second.  We have definitely moved onto a new phase of life. 

Grace had to leave before we did, but then Maggie's friend Lauren arrived.  Maggie, Lauren, and Julie had a blast jumping in together. Finally, Mommy had to get Maggie out of the pool because her lips were blue!!  I can tell we're going to be spending a lot of time at the pool this summer!  So, if you can't find us at home, guess where we'll be.

Last Soccer Game

Maggie's last soccer game of the season was today. The girls finished the season undefeated (although Upward doesn't keep score).  They all had a great time today, and all the parents were so proud of the entire team.  

It is amazing how much the Lady Pandas learned about soccer over the course of the season. They started the season playing major bunch ball, and today they were spread out and there were even some really good passes.  They learned to run back and protect the goal when the other team had the ball and to break away and run forward when there was a big 

kick forward.

  

Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma cheered Maggie on during this last game and were once again amazed by her defensive awareness.  Maggie was unable to play last week because of her ballet recital, and the entire team said how much her defense had been missed. She had one AMAZING save and several pretty good ones.  I think we have found her sport - she can't wait until the next season!

Mother's Day Celebration

After Maggie's ballet recital, everyone went to the House of Hills for the annual Mother's Day Celebration.  The Hill Family actual got a picture together!!

Uncle Trett brought Ayden and Landry over so all the Atlanta cousins got to hang out together. We feasted on chicken nuggets, strawberries, and lasagna while laughing and having a great family time.  It is never a dull moment when you get all these kids together!

We attempted to get the cousins in a picture.  They are from left to right, Ella, Will, Ayden, Maggie, Landry.

Ballet Recital

Maggie's ballet recital was May 10th.  She did an amazing job and looked so adorable up there on the stage.  She and her friends performed both a ballet and tap number while Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Grandma, Uncle Bill, Aunt Gina, Ella and Baby Will watched.  We were so proud of her!!!!

The Attack of the Pollen!!!

The attack of the pollen has hit Atlanta.  This is now how we spend pretty much every morning and sometimes evening during the spring.  Maggie is very glad that Mommy got the new laptop with her job because now she can go to her favorite "dot coms" while she does her breathing treatment.  

Lauren's Fifth Birthday Party

Maggie's friend, Lauren, celebrated her fifth birthday Saturday afternoon with a Princess Party. Maggie had received an invitation to a "Ball" and was excited to attend the party after recovering from her soccer game.  

When Maggie arrived at Lauren's house, Mr. Lare met her and ushered her and the other girls into the dining room for snacks and explained to them that there was going to be a ball and they were going to get dressed for it.  However, before they could get dressed, the Evil Step-Mother (actually Mommy) arrived and told the girls they all had to clean before they would be able to go to the ball.  After lots of giggles that Ms. Kathy was talking and acting so funny (not to mention the crazy makeup), the girls "cleaned" the house until the Fairy Godmother (Lauren's Mommy) arrived.

The Fairy Godmother whisked them upstairs for hair fixings and beautiful dresses.  The girls had a blast getting ready for the ball. The moms in the room commented that it felt like Prom, which gave this Mommy a few heart flutters (the girl is just growing up SO fast).  

Once dressed beautifully and with gorgeous hair and tiaras, the girls went outside to the backyard where Mr. Lare had set up a lovely area for the ball. It was there that the girls got the biggest surprise.  All of their Prince Charmings had arrived in the form of their Daddies.  Not only that, but the Daddies were all dressed up and ready to dance with their Princesses. The girls danced, twirled, and had an absolutely amazing time. 

Second Soccer Game

Maggie finally had her second soccer game.  After two weeks of rain outs, this afternoon was nice and sunny and perfect for a soccer game.  At the beginning of the game, Maggie was hesitant to get in the gaggle of girls and get the ball.  However, as the game progressed, Maggie got in there and got her foot on the ball.  She even scored a goal!  It was lots of fun, and the girls did a great job!  She continues to be an observer of the game and spends a great deal of time watching what's going on and predicting where the ball is going to go.  How amazing to watch yet another side of her personality grow.

Lemonade Stand

Maggie continued her quest for raising money for Relay for Life Saturday during the neighborhood garage sale.  She asked Mommy to bake some cookies on Friday night, and she made some lemonade.  She then set up a stand at the foot of the driveway selling lemonade and cookies for 25 cents each.  She also put out a jar to raise any donations for the cause.  All told, Maggie raised $24 to give to her teacher who is doing the actual Relay for Life in May.  Again, Mommy and Daddy were very proud of her willingness to give to others. We are loving watching her grow into such an amazing young lady.

Mini Relay for Life

Maggie joined many of her classmates in raising money for The American Cancer Society with a Mini Relay for Life at her school on Friday.  The kids walked around the blacktop during the specials time while music played, bubbles blew, and fun was had.  Mommy and Daddy were so proud of her for wanting to participate and help others. 

Mommy and Daddy came to walk with her Maggie and her friends and had a great time!