Kindermusik

Well, as of tomorrow my Kindermusik summer camps are over! What a relief to have one more round of classes completed and kind of sad all at the same time. Several of my students will not be returning until next summer because the mommies teach school and are about to go back to work. I am excited, however, to get some of my students back who took a break over the summer! I'm praying for another year of growth and blessing from the Lord on my little business. What an awesome job I have! I mean, it doesn't get much more fun than this! Here are some pictures of some of my classes so you can get a glimpse at what Kindermusik looks like in action.

Village Class
Birth-18 months

"Bubbles, bubbles, landing on your nose...Bubbles, bubbles, landing on your toes...Bubbles, bubbles floating to the floor...Pop them! Pop them! Now we'll blow some more!"


"Time to put the eggs away, eggs away, eggs away. Time to put the eggs away. Thank you, thank you! Thank you boys and girls!"


"Are you sleeping, are you sleeping brother John, brother John? Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing. Ding, ding, dong! Ding, ding, dong!"

Our Time
Ages 18 months-3 years





Imagine That!
Ages 3-5 years


This is my little summer camp class. This class is usually huge, but this summer it was only these 3 sweet girls and Benjamin. What fun we had! I wish you could hear them sing. One of the sweetest sounds on earth is a preschooler singing his or her heart out!


We went "camping" today and this is the campfire we made. Pretty cool, huh? Wood (rhythm sticks) were gathered in the woods, scarves made flames and flashlights lit it all up. We sang campfire songs as we sat around the fire!!

Worth One Thousand Dollars

Well we just returned last night from West Columbia, Texas. That was the last stop on a whirlwind trip of the Houston area (really, what one of our trips is NOT a whirlwind??). It was great! Tuesday we drove in and met my parents in the Woodlands. We had dinner, went to a movie (Cars, which was super cute!!) and then went to see my granny afterwards. It made for a late night for everyone, but we had to pack it all in, ya know?

Here are the kids late that night with my granny Johnson. She always has Mardi gras beads for them to play with. Not sure why. She loves them so much!!

It was funny...in the theater while we were watching the movie, Cait tried to sit in one of the chairs. Because she is so little, her little legs couldn't hold it down. It was sort of folding up and closing her up in it. She started yelling, "Help me! My chair is bwoken!" We tried to tell her that it wasn't broken, but she insisted on visiting every chair on our row. She would climb up in it and say, "Nope, it's bwoken too." And every time there would be any upbeat music during the movie, she would get off my lap and start dancing right there in front of us. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen!
So, the next day, Wednesday, we spent inside because there was a monsoon in Tomball. You couldn't even see out the windows the rain was coming down so hard. Made the kids kind of stir crazy so we ventured out to the Chick-fil-a in Tomball. We let the kids play in the play area for over an hour. Mom actually sent me to go get a pedicure in town while she watched the kids. What a treat! Thanks mom!! I needed that peace and quiet.
We were supposed to go that night to Sugar Land to visit Chris's family, but they had been watching their other grandkids for the past 2 days and they were worn out. So we stayed another night at my parents.
Thursday we went to see Chris's sister, Aimee and her girls. Then we went to see my Granny Kemp and have lunch with her. We had such a great visit. What a blessing that time was to me! Afterwards, we headed to Sugar Land for dinner and to get the kids settled. I left Benjamin and Cait there with the Perkinsons that night so I could go to my sisters and set up for the garage sale early the next morning. We were up until 1 am finishing our pricing and signs and such. It was fun to hang out with Danyel, Ryan and my cousin Michelle though. The next day, in 130 degree weather with 98% humidity we had day 1 of our garage sale. We had a super turnout and made over $600 the first day! Day 2 my mom and the kids were with us and we had another great, but hot day. When it was all said and done between us we made over $1000 dollars!!!! Is that possible that junk could be worth that much money??? It obviously is to the people in West Columbia, Texas!
I came away with $300 for my stuff. I was pretty pleased with that! It was fun and totally worth it! I AM glad to home to my hubby though and looking forward to our normal routine this week!! Looking forward to catching up with all of you too!

This is just a portion of our "stuff". This is halfway through day 2 when SO much had already sold.


More STUFF!!


Aren't I lucky that I don't have to post what I looked like on that day if I don't want to. It's MY blog! My cousin Michelle, mom and Danyel. We all looked pretty rough. Hey! We worked HARD!


The kids swimming while the garage sale was going on. The life of a kid...all play!

On the Road Again

Give me a break, right? Who travels as much as me?? It's been insane and yet I don't regret one trip I've made this summer. Several of our lakehouse trips have been for the benefit of my poor, sweet, overworked hubby. So I definitely don't regret the time spent relaxing there.
This time we are taking our one and only trip this summer to Houston. First Tomball to see my parents, granny J and a few friends, then Sugar Land to see Chris's family without Chris :-( , then ending up in West Columbia to see my sister and sweet nephew. We are hosting the world's largest garage sale on Friday and Saturday. Literally, like 10 people are going in on it. I brought down 3 van loads worth of stuff over 3 trips.
Anyhow, it'll be a fun, fast and furious trip and then home again to see sweet hubby on Saturday night. Honey, if you're reading this...doing something fun while we're gone! I mean it! Go out with your buddies or rent a movie that you know I would hate! You give us all your free time all the time and deserve some to call your own. I already miss you after writing all this out. Maybe I WON'T go....Nah, just kidding!
When we get home I'll update everyone with some pictures of the trip. Gotta get packin'!

It's Time

I've been putting this off, simply because I have been in complete denial of the hard-core facts. However, I must face reality and let you know that my sweet friend Christi has moved. Not like to the next town over mind you. No....to Nashville, Tennessee! That' a really long way from Wylie, Texas if you didn't already know that.

What can I say about Christi? Have you ever had one of those friends that you loved? You loved them like a sister and hoped that you would be friends forever? Have you ever had a friend that is a lot like you, but OH SO MUCH BETTER?? Have you ever had a friend that you wanted to be around just in hopes that you would become more like them?? Yeah? Well, that's the kind of friend Christi is to me. Now I know...this is the 21st century. I can e-mail her, call her with my unlimited long distance, I can text her, call her on my cell, I could go and read her blog any day I want to see pictures of her family and catch up on the details. I'm so blessed that even though she has moved so far away (and so suddenly I may add) I still have her as a friend.

However, I must bring up the gloomy side of it all. Yes, I must! No more dessert at La Madeline's on a Sunday night. No more playdates with her sweet kids and mine. No more bringing each other meals when one of us needs one. No more Jack in my Sunday School class and no more Grant in Benjamin's class. No more Ramares clan to sit with almost every Sunday to share lunch with. No more cookie cakes!!!!!!

It's all sad and true. But Christi, (I know you're going to read this!) know that you're loved and missed already by all of us! You're one of the sweetest Christian sisters I've ever had. Don't forget about us!!!

Here is Cait at our super early yet traditional birthday party with the kids.
Cait will be 3 on Aug 6th.

Here's Jack blowing out his candle. He will be 3 on July 24th.

Here are all 5 kids together. They really love each other.
It's such a blessing for your kids to have sweet friends!
Come visit us soon!!

It's a GIRL!!

My sister, Danyel just found out this week that she is having a baby girl. Here she is!! Mia Beth will join her big brother Eli sometime in mid-December. We're so excited!! This is important because, what if Cait never has a sister? That bothers me. I have a sister and I think everyone should have a sister. At least this way Cait will have a girl cousin that she will most likely be very close to. YEA! Baby Mia will make it here (D.V.) just in time for Christmas. Can't wait!

Happy Anniversary

Eight years ago today I married my prince charming, Chris Perkinson. He has given me two beautiful children and has made me the happiest wife I could be. Thank you honey for these last 8 years (actually 12 if you count the courtship). Thank you for choosing me and loving me and serving me everyday. I couldn't be happier. I can't wait for the next 8!

Yours only,
Tamra

Home

I went to the lakehouse this weekend with my children. We met my mom, sister, baby Eli, my aunt Shannon, aunt Sharon and my two cousins Angela and Michelle. This was our second annual scrapbooking/quilting retreat all together. What fun!! I seriously wanted to get a lot done on my scrapbooking, but ended up getting so much more.
My mom and my two aunts are woman that I admire. I could admire them for many reasons, but one thing that is common between the three of them is that they all have outstanding marriages. It is clear that they each adore their husbands, serve them, rarely speak ill of them and are very much in love. So I asked them. I came right out and asked what they would tell me, a woman who will be married 8 years tomorrow. What would you tell me as a young married woman on how to be a better wife and keep my marriage alive. They all seemed to light up as if I was talking to them about their personal favorite subject. The encouragement and ideas flowed from their lips onto ready to listen ears.
What they said specifically I've heard before. It wasn't mind-blowing wisdom. Dates nights, putting your husband's feelings about your own (even when he's acting like a "knot-head"), keep s-e-x interesting and frequent (yes, they said that!). BUT, even though the info wasn't new the point is that they encouraged me on what a tremendous blessing it is to keep your husband first in your heart after the Lord. There is blessing on that day when you suddenly realize that your youngest child is independent. There is joy in knowing that you still have a life. A life with your beloved.
It was a sweet time. It was a well-spent weekend with my family, and I got 16 pages done on my scrapbook!! Whoo hoo! I can't wait until next time.

Job Update

Just to give everyone an update on where we are with the job...we had a little bump in the road as far as communication goes and so there is more waiting. We have to wait until Chris's district manager returns from her vacation on Sunday to get more answers. Please keep praying as we wait that the Lord would give Chris favor in these people's eyes and that they would want to hire him.

Thanks to everyone who is praying. So many of you have called or e-mailed to inquire, so I thought I'd let you know that we still don't know. We'll let you know as soon as we do!

Quote of the day

Here is a quote from my friend Mary's blog. I found it to be very poignant...

"Humility is not produced by comparing oneself to others or by self-abasement. . .Humility is produced by seeing oneself in the light of who God is."

Have a great weekend everyone!
Tamra

1 Down...99 to Go!

Yesterday I started teaching Benjamin to read. Well...we've actually been working on letters and their sounds, forming letters, etc. for many, many months. But yesterday we did lesson #1 in "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." It is not what I would have chosen if I had every resource at my disposal, but hey, I'm sure it will produce the fruit of my son knowing how to read. He's so ready and I just didn't want to wait any longer!

The Girl Talk blog was an encouragement and a reminder to me the other day when talking about reading. They reminded me that reading alone doesn't cut it. You have to pray and ask God to help you learn and change as you read a book. Books give us good ideas or are good tools for our lives, but the Holy Spirit alone is what does the changing in our lives. I want to strive to lean on Him and rely on His grace as I attempt to teach my children anything. The first thing on the agenda is reading...but before I know it it will be Calculus and Chemistry. More grace please Lord!!

Here is an article by John Piper called, "Husbands Who Love Like Christ and the Wives Who Submit to Them." Thanks to Mindy for sending me this article. It goes right along with our submission discussions of late.

For the glory of God,
Tamra