VBS & Conversations with Carlie

I had to show some pictures of the work my awesome VBS friends have been doing. Many of them are blog-readers and I just wanted them to see a few pics of the Prestoncrest jungle. :) The first two are from our area called "Honey, I Shrunk the Rainforest". Everything is blown up huge...my favorite part is the butterfly and the snake.

I also wanted to blog about my middle child while it was fresh on my mind. This week, Kendyll has been gone to church day camp with her friend, Hollyn. So, it has just been me, Carlie, and Abby Kate for most of the week. That has made some great time for conversation with Carlie. It's amazing how little we actually get to talk without an older Kendyll involved. It's so much fun to hear her talk, sing, dance, and tell stories. We have been jamming out to "Mommy's Songs" in the car, and her favorite again and again is Nichole Nordeman. She dances and attempts to sing all the words with her little eyebrows raised and her little voice belting it out. It makes it impossible for me to watch the road because I'm glued to my rearview mirror. :)

This morning, on the way to VBS workday, she brought up the subject of her 3rd birthday party (coming up in a few weeks). This has been an ongoing debate, because she loves every theme we ask her about. We had decided on Dora, but now she's wavering again. This morning she listed all the family members who could come, and then she said "Mom, you and Daddy can even come too!" Wow! We're invited! She also said that no boys could come to her party. ONLY girls. And, the final decision she says is a Barbie Dora party. Now, that might be my biggest party challenge yet. She said she even wants a barbie cake with a Dora on top. Hmmmm.....

Then, tonight, Kendyll got home and we were saying prayers together at bedtime. It is a rare thing that Carlie ever says the prayer, unless I've practically forced her to. And, even then, it's the "short and sweet" version. Tonight, though, the "Spirit was moving her" and she just couldn't stop. She said FOUR prayers. Here are some things that made the list:

*Thank you for our blessens. (blessings)

*Thank you for Kendyll coming home and swimming really good.

*Thank you for Kendyll not being mad at me. (not sure where that one came from?)

*Please let me have fun at VBS.

*And, my paci's in the trash. (not sure if that was a thank-you or what.)

*And, Jacob and Caroline don't have their pacis either. (friends who have also given up the paci recently)

*Please let Daddy be safe and not get stuck (Daddy flies home tomorrow and he's had a few delayed and cancelled flights because of weather. She still wonders if he's "stuck" all the time.)

*Thank you for Gammy, and Papa Ron, and the ranch, and Grandad and Grankay and their house, and Pops and Grandma and their little house (condo).

*No thunder and lightning. (a nightly prayer for her.)

*Thank you for our blessens in our house and our room.

*Jesus and the Bible that we read the stories.

I love unsolicited prayers like this one. I had to rush right out and blog about it before those random listed requests to God were forgotten. :)