What a great (and busy) weekend!!!!

We tried a great new service on Friday night. Daniel and I took the kids to The Magpie's Nest in Garner which is a drop in child care facility. We told Emma she was going to a Kid's Party where adults were not allowed to stay -- she said she didn't want to go anywhere without us at first. But, as soon as she arrived, she forgot all about us. She has already asked to go back 4 or 5 times. It was a big hit with both kids. The lovely woman who runs the business bragged to me that Emma was the only kid there who cleaned up after herself after dinner without being asked to do so. Daniel and I got to go out for a drink and a movie. "Stranger Than Fiction" was the movie choice and we really loved it.

Saturday, Emma and Seth both went to JJ's Kids Cuts for haircuts. Both of them had a great time and got great cuts! I just love that place. We then picked up Kayla and went to the Putt-Putt place in Garner for Robbie Fox's 8th birthday. It was great -- we stayed until 7pm. The kids really had a ball but passed out as soon as their bottoms were in their seats in the car. Daniel and I loved the go-carts and want to go back again to ride without the kids! Emma climbed all the way to the top of the rock climbing wall!!! I even jumped on the no gravity bungee jumpy thingy.

On Sunday, we went to church. I ended up in the nursery with the kids and Kayla went to the service all by herself. She has grown up so much and I love how important church is to her. She sat alone during the service and everyone bragged to me about how well behaved she was and how well she followed along with the service. She and I talked about what all she learned afterward and it's just amazing how much she takes away from the whole experience of the service and Sunday School!!! I was very proud of her. She also had a great report from school last week so the kids and I took her out to a special lunch! We had a great time together.

I ended the weekend with a youth group meeting which was as rewarding as usual. We discussed what it meant to be truly thankful and how we're instructed to be thankful in all times and in all places -- in good times and in bad. That is our challenge!!