Tiger Cubs Earned their Tiger Badge

On Friday, April 20th, after much anticipation, the Tiger Cubs finally received their Tiger Badges.  Andrew gave Mrs.Tyler the cub scout handshake, 

 then it was Caden's turn to give the secret handshake and receive his award,

 followed by Juan who also received his award.

 It's been a great year with these three little Tiger Cubs.  I hope they had as much fun as I did getting to know them and learning a little about scouting along the way such as the living circle handshake.

 Proud but silly boys with their Tiger Badge award and their Marbles belt loop.

 Caden with his proud grandpa.  Lucky boy to have a grandpa that loves him so much.

Andrew and his little brother, Thomas sharing the moment.  Thomas can't wait until it's his turn to be a Tiger.

"I CHOOSE"

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of day. The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the days demands. It is now that I must make a choice. And so I choose.

I CHOOSE LOVE. . .
No occasion justifies hatred, no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY. . .
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the tempation to be cynical. . .the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE. . .
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE. . .
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Rather than complaining that the wait is too long. I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS. . .
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS. . .
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will see the good in others when it is hard to find. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS. . .
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my work. My spouse will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their parent will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS. . .
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL. . .
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose self-control.

LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. . .
To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek God's face. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

(I will I could claim that I had written this piece but I did not. Unfortunately, I do not know who did write it. If you read this and it is yours, please let me know so I can credit you for it. If you read this and just like it, I hope you share it.)

Andrew turned 7 years old

This is what 7 years old looks like at our house. Trying to get a nice photo of a wiggly 7 year old is amazingly difficult.


He did enjoy the party with a few friends (and a brother).
Everyone loved the Ninjago cake decorated by Dad.
Overall I think I had a happy little 7 year old ninja!

Ninjago Cake by DAD

Andrew turned seven years old the other day and I was really struggling with party ideas and getting it all done. He wanted a LEGO Ninjago party and there is NOTHING on the market for party supplies, etc. I originally scheduled the party for a Saturday only to realize that our family could not come as they had so many other obligations. To add to the fun, we had a massive rainstorm come through for two days prior to the event which precluded any outdoor activitiy.
Just as I was stressing out over making a cake and getting the party together, Andrew informed me that the cake I had in mind was not at all what he wanted. He even informed me he could do the cake if I would just provide a cake and some blue frosting. Although I considered letting him go to it, I had my doubts. Meanwhile, Super Dad came to the rescue. He drew up a quick sketch of a ninja that met with Andrew's approval, then proceeded to offer to decorate the cake. Something he has never attempted before but I was so relieved. I had the cake baked and the white frosting on, then we mixed up some other colors and set up the piping bags.
Then Super Dad went to work. He carefully drew the outline with a toothpick, then started filling in with frosting. I stood nearby to smooth things out where I could and to keep the frosting bags filled.
Thomas and Andrew kept a front row seat offering their comments throughout the long process. They had plenty to say on the color selection, the sword angle and how it was coming along.
Overall, I think the cake came out great and Andrew was pleased with the final results. Good job, Super Dad!

And the winner is. . . . .

RUBY by Bonnie and Camille

Check out this link for the full story!

http://www.fatquarterly.com/congratulations-ruby-our-2012-modern-madness-champion.html#comment-15495

Love this fabric line and hope to find some at the quilt show this week-end!