8 More Weeks...

... and our time here in Chesapeake will be over.  Every move (this is #6)  is difficult and exciting, but I have to say I think this is going to be the most difficult move yet.  Our 3 years here have been a little surreal.  Chris has been in a non-deploying job.  Luke and Hayley have gone from preschooler and toddler to school aged kids.  We welcomed our sweet Hannah Beth here.  But the kicker is the friends that have been made. 

In all our other duty stations, most of our friends have been military.  Actually all of our friends have been military.  So when we would pack up and move, our friends would be moving as well or they would have moved shortly before us.  That is not the case here.  Our friends call this area home.  VA is where they plan to stay and we will be leaving.  My heart breaks a little as I think about it. 

These 2 gals have been such wonderful friends to me. They are my neighbors and some of the greatest ladies I know. God has blessed me in each place we have moved with friends that I know will be life long. I cannot even begin to explain how much I will miss Renee and Sue.

Sue and I have done life together for the past 3 years. Her oldest and Luke are the best of friends. Her two little ones and Hayley don't know what to do without each other. I love Sue so much. I will miss our afternoons on the street, cups of coffee together, and her bubbly personality each day.

I have only known Renee for almost a year but I feel like it has been more like 10. She is amazingly creative and loves her family so very much. She is a fellow military wife and understands the moving and craziness of this life. I will miss her incredible ideas and motivation to get up and do, her sweet boys, and our "deep" thoughts conversations.

I live in denial daily that this move is happening. Yes, it is exciting to be moving, to think of a new home and friends that God is preparing for us. I just pray that our path will cross again with these friends. And I will cherish the past 3 years in my heart forever.

YeeHaw!

 Hayley's end of the year celebration was out at Triple R ranch.  Such a fun day spending time with friends she has known now for the better part of 3 years.  She was in heaven when she got to ride a horse.  This girl absolutely loves animals. 
It's hard to believe she will be 6 in a few short weeks.  She has grown leaps and bounds this year and I am so proud of all she has accomplished.  She has one of the kindest, most generous hearts and such a joy for life and all the people around her.  Her smile and happiness are infectious.  She inspires me to be a better Mommy everyday.  I love this girl so very much.

Beck, Hayley girl, and Benjamin

Jenna and Hayley

Mrs. Wallen!  She is such an awesome teacher and we love her so much. 

Here's my little bald headed baby 5 years ago.  I love you Hayley bug.  My prayer for you is that your life continue to shine your love for Jesus.  I know he has huge plans for that big personality of yours.

They Call Me Mama

One small word can melt my heart. Mama.  I dreamt of becoming a mommy like most little girls do.  I would play house and take care of my 3 to 6 babies, and believe it or not they were all quite well behaved (hehe).  I had a wonderful role model in my Mom, and wanted to be a Mom just like her one day. 

I know that many women have a "journey" on their way to motherhood and that many women are still praying and hoping for they day that they will become a mom.  My heart goes out to these women.  I pray for them often knowing first hand how difficult the wait can be.

My journey has had many ups and downs.  I still remember that first Mother's Day that my heart hurt so badly because I was so unsure about God's plans for Chris and I to have a child.  It seemed as if His plans might be a no for us, but He answered our prayers with a huge YES and I couldn't feel more blessed. 

I have had a fun week being Mama to these three.  I went to my first Mother's Day Tea at Luke's school.  They sang to us and each child read a little poem that they had written about his or her mother.

So sweet.  Love when I get to have one on one time with each kiddo.

Hayley made me a special card and planted some flowers for me. So, I have to include a funny little tid bit about her this week.  She was playing school while I was cleaning up in the kitchen.  It was story time for the class and here is what I overheard, " OK, class.  Today we are going to be talking about Mother's Day.  The title of our story is "Mothers Are the Smartest Girls in the World".  It is a fairytale."

Hahahah!

Priceless.

Today was such a fun day.  Celebrating with my wonderful hubby and 3 little blessings.  Breakfast together, church, and out to lunch.  Showered with little gifts (a necklace from Chris, a fun bag from the girls, and an electric toothbrush from Luke).  So thankful that I get to call them mine.

And that they call me Mama.

Hodge Podge

A little of this and a little of that here at the Steele house this week.  I will also include for your entertainment the random things going on in my head.  You may have tuned out by now... I don't blame you, but I want to include these things for the book!

1.  Luke had a major triumph this past week.  He made the perfect 6.  It was during homework time and he nearly hit the ceiling when he announced the perfection on his paper.  He made me take a picture because you never know when the perfect 6 might happen again.

It really is quite nice.  Looks like I might have typed the perfectly pinned 6 on his paper for him.  But I did not.  I love that the little things still make my big guy so excited.

 2.  I have come to realize that Hannah Beth likes to walk around holding onto two items.  I guess it helps her balance.  She will walk laps around the downstairs while holding two things.  One for each hand.  It's cute and a little maddening.  I tend to find two things lying on the floor together all over the house.  She will dump her two things whenever she spies two NEW and BETTER things to carry with her.  I spend a good portion of the day picking up said things.  I did catch her giving her kitty a kiss while working on her laps one morning.

Two things:

Kitty and Big Bird

So sweet!

And I have a little love affair with her red patten sandals I found on clearance at Stride Rite.  There is nothing cuter than little feet tucked into a pair of sandals. I'm just sayin.

3.  And now we have come to the random thoughts portion of this post.  It's May.  I love May.  Mother's Day, fun end of the school year activities, my birthday, Memorial Day weekend ushering in the summer.  What's not to love?  Our May calendar looks like this:

And it is only the 4th.  May the 4th be with you!  (I couldn't resist).  I don't mind the business.  It's just life for us these days.  I look forward to June's calendar though when things are a little less hectic and a little more laid back.  But then there is the one HUGE thing scheduled in July.  The move.  I don't even like to talk about it, but I must.  My mind is already planning and thinking about the next place, home, church, dance center, soccer team, yada yada yada. The list in my head goes on and on.  I have to say that I have a complete peace about the whole thing.  God has completely blessed us every place we have been.  I know He will take care of us again and is preparing a place for us. 

I am praying He will let us in on the address of the new place soon.  

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

I think I titled last year's zoo trip by this same name.  My creative juices just aren't flowing this morning.  I think I need another cup of coffee or three! 

Hayley's class field trip to the zoo was yesterday.  This trip always indicates that we are close to the end of the school year.  Hooray for no school! Boo for the fact that Hayley is almost a Kindergarten grad.

Here are highlights from our trip.  

The zoo recently opened their Asia exhibit, featuring two tigers, some crazy apes, and bears.  Not the panda kind, just the black bear kind.  From Asia, obviously.

Lions!

Tigers!

and Bears, Oh My!  (See I wasn't kidding.)

Some of Hayley's sweet friends.

Love this look

This was Hannah Beth's second visit to the zoo, but the first one where she really was able to experience the zoo.  She LOVED the giraffes.  She really loved everything.  She would just point and giggle and shout out to each animal she saw.  Her little eyes just about popped out watching the monkeys that were playing at the new exhibit.  She squealed every time they would swing from rope to branch.  Those monkeys sure do know how to put on a good show.

The Human Exhibit

I'm pretty sure the sign says don't climb in the cage.  Oh well.  They are wild animals.

The prairie dogs.  I think they are the cutest little things.

Next year I'll give you a tour of the National Zoo!

Oh, I had to include our future grad's picture.

Sigh

Easter Weekend

No clever titles.  Just a wonderful Easter for the Steele family.

"On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lighting stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here, he has risen!""

Luke 24:1-6