A Busy Weekend!

 Jensen, Elle & Bode

 Cool, windy morning hike at Kennesaw Mountain

 Making special souvenir pennies

 Tracking the railroad on the map

 Proud of their pennies!

Reading time with Bapa!

    Elle helping Keaton get ready for the ball

Another fun-filled, action packed weekend at the Gerda house! Elle & Anderson came to stay with us and for the second weekend in a row, the kids had the best time together!!

On Friday night, we made pizza and had root beer floats. The kids were all in bed and asleep by about 9:00pm.

On Saturday morning, I took Jensen, Elle & Bode to Kennesaw Mountain for a little hike and a stop in the Visitors Center, where each of them made a souvenir penny. We went back home for playtime, lunch, a bath and a little rest before heading to the Y for Parents Night Out. I can't forget to give Joe a special shout out for watching all four kids so I could put in a 9+ mile run!! We arrived at the Y at 4:57pm for drop off that was to begin at 5:00pm and we were probably the 7th car in line! The kids were happy to go and Joe and I went to meet my parents, aunt, uncle and cousin for dinner. We enjoyed a nice adult-only evening of conversation and good food! After picking the kids up from the Y, they were really excited to find Nana and Bapa at the house. All kids were asleep by about 10:00pm. 

On Sunday, we went to church and then came home for lunch and to play outside. It was a gorgeous day full of sunshine! Just what we needed!!

The entire weekend was fun! And Jensen and Keaton were exhausted by the end!!

Since Christmas, we've been reading a book called, Have you Filled a Bucket Today? Occasionally the kids (mostly Jensen because I'm not sure Keaton totally understands the concept just yet) will do things to help each other or me and mention the reason is to fill their/my bucket. I'll often use the idea when I'm encouraging them to share or talk nicely to each other. Jensen showed some AWESOME examples of it this weekend and I'm so proud of him!!!  When we were at Kenn Mt on Saturday, Bode got upset when his penny came out with a design different than what he wanted. Jensen was last to go and decided he'd make the design Bode wanted and then trade with him "so he could fill Bode's bucket!"

On Sunday, we stopped to get pizza for dinner. Nana gave Jensen two quarters - to get one bouncy ball for himself and one for Keaton. When we arrived home, he handed both to Keaton...and when I asked why he didn't keep one, he told me, "I wanted to fill her bucket!" 

One other proud mommy moment of today...Jensen received $10 in his Valentine's card from Nana & Bapa. Within a few minutes of receiving the money, he came and handed it to me and said he wanted to bring it to The Island at church and make an offering! Wow!!! Completely unprompted and totally his idea!!! 

Going to bed tonight with a happy heart:)