Belle, Turtles and Woman of Faith

We started last weekend off with a birthday party featuring Princess Belle.  We have been to a bunch with Cinderella so Belle was a real treat. She was super cute and the kids loved it. I love watching Clay at these Princess birthday parties. He wants so badly to participate but you can tell he  recognizes that he is one of the only boys. 

This week in school we learned all about Turtles, the letter T and about perseverance. I have been teaching the kids sign language each week and Carly has really picked it up quickly. Below I have a video of her signing "my name is Carly." 

We learned about the first Bibles being written on scrolls and made little clay jars like the ones that held the scrolls. We were suppose to make our own clay and it turned out to be an epic fail. I promise I followed the directions exactly but what was produced was far from clay. We ended up busting out the play dough instead. :)

We all practiced being a turtle with the laundry basket as our shell. 

Our motto for the week: "I don't quit, I persevere." 

Friday afternoon marked only the second time I had ever left the kids and gone out of the city overnight without Dylan. Three of my best friends and I went to Dallas for the Woman of Faith conference.  

If you have never gotten the privilege of attending I would seriously challenge you to buy your tickets now and go. I just discovered this amazing event and am sad to say that next year is their last one. They promise that something better is on the horizon but instead of being sad I am going to be so thankful that God allowed this experience to happen. The theme was Survival to Revival and it definitely did just that. From the speakers to the concerts and the Worship band it couldn't have been more amazing. Unless of course we had been on the front row.... but if I couldn't have been on the front row I would have wanted to be right where I was..... in the nose bleed section...closer to God! 

We all might have been slightly scared at first.. it is pretty high!

We got to see Nichole Nordeman and Matthew West play and both of them are exceptional. I had never heard of Nichole before this weekend and I will never forget her. I went ahead and bought my first CD in years while we were there and have been playing it on repeat ever since. I think Dylan might be going slightly crazy. 

There is something about being in a room full of woman who love Jesus, listening to these inspiration woman who teach you more about Jesus and listening to music that praises Jesus that just makes me sob like a baby. Pretty sure if you added up the time I cried against the time I was not, it would be 50/50. 

Apparently Corinne was not impressed with lunch... or maybe the cookie.

I am not sure how the other girls felt or if they enjoyed it as much but lets just say we bought tickets for next year already while we were there. I love my best friends and sisters in Christ and love that we got to have 36 hours of fellowship without the demands of our families or the craziness of life.  

Already counting down the days until next year and until next years post I want to leave you with the chorus of my new favorite song: 

"Legacy" by: Nichole Nordeman

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough?
To make a mark on things
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace
Who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy