Vacation Bible School...V-B-Yes!

  We had Vacation Bible School this week, and while it was exhausting, it was even more of a blessing.  Lizzie and Maggie had a wonderful group of ladies as their teachers in the Pre-K class, and I was able to share God's Word during lesson time with almost 100 precious kiddos each day. 
    Pictures from the week...

Lizzie and Ms. Keeleigh coloring in class.

Maggie and friends re-enacting the triumphal

entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

Maggie working on her craft during class.

Lizzie and Laci building a temple.

Lizzie and Maggie with their wonderful teachers...

Ms. Phyllis, Ms. Donna, and Ms. Maxine

Pre-School kiddos at lesson time

Kindergarten, First Grade,

Second Grade, and Third Grade

Fourth and Fifth Graders

Closing Program Performance

Up close at the closing program

    During the closing program performance, Maggie and Lizzie had their giggle boxes turned on to high!  They were giggling and acting silly...notice Ms. Jeana bending down behind them, telling them to behave.  I told her that in the future, she should swat them on the bottom if they need it!  They did manage to get it together and sing, as well as "do the motions" to the songs.  I was in the audience, trying to give them the "evil eye" when they were being so silly.   Maggie told me later that she "saw you looking at us real mean."  I can think back a few years to when they stood on stage on the verge of tears, not singing, looking scared to death.  They've come a long way.  I'm so thankful for all the volunteers who work so tirelessly with our children to teach them God's Word and Ways. 

    Luke 18:16, "But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

Lizzie's Words Worth Repeating

  "Mom, we talk  A LOT, don't we?" 

(This was the first statement Lizzie said to me after we had just completed a five minute silence break...doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, my ears have just got to take a rest!)

Water Park Fun

     Today we took a little afternoon trip to the  Arkadelphia Aquatic Park.  It's about forty minutes from our house, and it is so much fun!  Our friends Staci, Hudson, and Addie joined us, and we had a great time!

Lizzie, Addie, Maggie, and Hudson jumping in the pool.

Maggie having all kinds of fun!

Lizzie coming down the frog slide.

Lizzie practicing her handstands!

Is Maggie jumping in the pool or posing? 

Actually...BOTH!

They worked for quite a while, trying to get everyone

aboard the floating crocodile (at the same time)...

never happened!

 Maggie's Words Worth Repeating

I asked Maggie what she would like for a snack before she went to bed.  Her reply, "YOU can pick, Mom, but just be sure it's not fruit, yogurt, chips, goldfish, fruit snacks, cookies, or cereal with milk." 

...so glad she left it all up to me :)



A Wonderful Weekend For A Wedding

   My precious cousin, Tara Wright, married her sweetheart, Brandon Shelton, Saturday night.  We were honored when they asked Lizzie and Maggie to be their flower girls.  We had a weekend of wedding fun!


    Friday night, we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. 

Aren't these outfits the cutest??  Tara made

the tutus and  had the shirts made for the

 girls to wear to rehearsal!  Adorable!



     Saturday morning, I took the girls to the nail salon to have their fingernails and toenails painted (I slipped in a pedicure for myself while we were there). 

Here they are drying their nails. 

So fun!



    We arrived at the church Saturday afternoon at 2:00.  Here are the girls with the beautiful bride in the bride's room.

    At 3:00, it was time for pictures with the photographer...here are a few from my camera...

Just a little drama...Maggie got

"poked" by the stems on the bouquet...

Sweet Tara is making it all better!

What a stunning wedding party.  Tara and Brandon

have such great friends and family who helped

 celebrate their big day!

    The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and so sweet.  The minister did an awesome job of keeping everything so personalized for Brandon and Tara.  I pray that the love Tara and Brandon felt on this day will only continue to multiply as they grow as a couple and they always keep Christ as the primary focus!   We feel so blessed that our family was included in such a special way to help them celebrate their marriage!   Enjoy these pics from the ceremony...

Love the look on the groom's face

(taken just before he walked in the

chapel).  Welcome to the family, Brandon!



Here they go...about to make their entrance.

Yes, they were talking to each

other.

Glad Tony got this pic of Tara and

my Uncle Doyle just as they started

down the aisle.

    Now that it's over...time to be silly!

        After the ceremony, Tony and I took Granny with us to the reception (beautiful cake, decorations, wonderful food, and Tony and I took our turn on the dance floor for a couple of songs).  Lizzie and Maggie went with my parents and Lynnea to their own party at Cracker Barrel.

       To finish up the weekend's festivities, I had to fulfill my end of the deal on our "little secret bribe", and on Sunday afternoon, the girls took a trip to Build A Bear.  I mean, truly, when it comes to weddings, the majority of stress rests with the bride and mother of the bride, but I have to say, the mother of the flower girls has to be next in line.  You just never know what they may do!  Hahaha!  But, with a trip to Build A Bear hanging over their heads, Maggie and Lizzie were fantastic (big sigh of relief!).

      

Lizzie's Words Worth Repeating

    "Momma, when I grow up and get married, can I still live with you?"

    I Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain:  faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love."

    Hug your loved ones extra tight and keep them close!

     







What Matters Most

     In the first blog post, I gave a brief introduction of each of our family members.  I shared that I was a mom, wife, and educator.  I decided to save what really matters most about me for a separate post.   So, here goes...
     I am so thankful and feel blessed beyond words to be a child of Christ.  My parents raised me in church from the time I was an infant, and I still call Sharon Missionary Baptist Church home.  I was saved at age nine.  One Sunday night after returning home from church, I was laying in bed, and I remember feeling very convicted.  Right then and there, I prayed and asked God to forgive me of my sins and to come into my heart and save me.  I know without a doubt that he did.  It took a few years for me to muster up the courage to "walk the aisle" and be baptized, but I have never regretted making that decision for the Lord. 
     Through my teen years, activities and ministries through the church are some of my best memories.  I was able to sit at the feet of some very Godly women and men and learn so much about the Bible and being the person that God expects me to be.  Through the years, I have not always made the best choices, but praise the Lord, He is a forgiving God and a God of second chances (and third, fourth, hundreds, thousands...).   My Christian walk is not perfect, but even as I stumble, God picks me up, teaches me, and continues to mold me. 
     I love to serve God through my church.  Currently, I am involved in a women's prison ministry.  We have a bible study group that goes to the women's prison each week and studies God's word with a group of inmates there.  I have been involved since last August (2011).    When I first started going to the prison (I usually go one time each month), I explained to Maggie and Lizzie that I would be going to visit my friends and tell them about Jesus.  One of the girls asked, "What are you going to tell them?"  I said, "Well, I want the ladies to know how much Jesus loves them."  Lizzie replied, "Momma, be sure to tell them that Jesus died on the cross for their sins."  Talk about understanding what matters most!
     Last night we began a new study (Beth Moore's study "James") with a new group of ladies.  I am so excited about God is going to do through this study.  Will you please pray for the ladies at the prison and those of us on the ministry team?    Pray that God will bless this bible study and that we will all be receptive to what He wants to teach us through the study of the book of James.  We have forty six inmates participating this time...that is the largest group we've had so far.  God is using this ministry to change hearts and lives!

     I want to add a feature to the blog..."Words Worth Repeating".  I'll be sharing some "insightful" quotes from the girls...enjoy!

Maggie's Words Worth Repeating

     Yesterday, we were picking up and putting away the toys in the living room.  I was "delegating" responsibilities to each of the girls...telling Maggie to put away all the Barbie dolls, Lizzie to put away the books, etc..
     Maggie responds with, "Mom, you sure are a big boss!"

Have a great Wednesday!

"A good name is more desirable than great riches..."

Proverbs 22:1, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." 

When it was determined that we were having two girls, I immediately began thinking about names for the babies.  Tony's mother passed away three days after I took a home pregnancy test (which was positive).  Her name was Elizabeth.  We wanted for one of the girls to be named after her Grandma Bacon.  My grandmother, Margaret White, passed away when I was fifteen years old, and I was very close to her.  So, we decided that Elizabeth and Margaret would be in used in the names.  I already had the idea that we would call the girls "Lizzie" and "Maggie". 

Joey helped us come up with the "rest of the names."   Being a soccer fan, he really liked the name Mia (for the US soccer star), and I loved the sound of Mia Margaret.  So, we needed a first name to with Elizabeth, and Joey really liked the name Anna, so Anna Elizabeth it was. 

We decided to wait until the day of their birth to see if one name seemed to go with one girl more than the other.  Since they looked EXACTLY alike at birth, we named the first baby born Anna Elizabeth (A comes first in the alphabet), so the second baby born became Mia Margaret. 

(The background/birth story)...
     Under the supervision of my WONDERFUL obstetrician, Dr. Michael Cope, I was able to carry the girls for thirty seven weeks.  My belly was huge!!!!!!  I was on modified bed rest beginning at week 29, and then weeks 33-37 was strict bed rest.  My blood pressure got high, so I was pretty much stuck in the recliner for the last few weeks of my pregnancy.  Well, I guess except for my trips to the doctor and labor/delivery unit of the hospital.  Fortunately, the last time I was admitted, on December 26, 2006, Dr. Cope promised me that I wouldn't be discharged this time without giving birth.  Since my birthday is on December 27, he pretty much left it up to me as to whether I wanted to have the c-section on the 27th or wait until the 28th... I opted for the 28th.  I mean, the girls were going to have to share their birthday with each other, so I didn't want them to have to share it with their mother, too. 

     So, on December 28, I had a c-section.  Lizzie came first at six pounds and four ounces.  Maggie came just one minute later, weighing in at five pounds and eleven ounces.   Tony and my sister, Lesley, were in the operating room with me.  I have never felt so relieved when the NICU nurses, who were in the room on stand by, waved goodbye to me and said, "You don't need us."  Wow!   Two healthy babies... We were in awe...I guess we still are.  God is so good!

If you think our hands are full, you should see our hearts!!!!!



It's About Time...

Well, after a couple of years of "blog stalking" the blogs of soooo many people and contemplating writing my own blog, I've finally decided it's time.  I've always thought that a blog was a wonderful way to "scrapbook" all of our families experiences, so I've decided to bite the bullet and give it a try.

Let me introduce you to our "cast of characters"...

First is the man of our house, Tony.  He will be thrilled he was mentioned first (for a change!).  Tony was born and raised in upstate New York, but in the early 90's, he moved to Little Rock with his company, Systematics.  Systematics has been bought and sold a few times, and it is presently named Fidelity Information Services.   Tony moved to Benton in 1999, and became friends with his neighbors, Rob and Stacy Smith.  Stacy and I taught together at Angie Grant Elementary.  Stacy played matchmaker, and the rest is history.  We were married on November 21, 2003.

Tony's son, Joey, is about to be a senior at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock.  He will have his seventeenth birthday on August 9, 2012.  Joey loves to play soccer.  He plays for his high school team, the Pulaski Academy Bruins, and he plays on a traveling, classic soccer team with the Little Rock Futbol Club. 

Lori Bacon (hey, that's me), was born and raised in Benton with a wonderful family.  After graduating from college at the University of Central Arkansas, I began my  teaching career, teaching fourth graders at Angie Grant Elementary in Benton.  While teaching, I completed my Master's degree in Educational  Administration, and after nine years of teaching, became the assistant principal at Caldwell Elementary School in Benton, where I am about to begin my ninth year of serving our students and staff.

In 2006, the real stars of the show appeared...twin daughters Anna Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Mia Margaret (Maggie) Bacon.  I like to say that I prayed for a princess, but the Lord knew one would not be enough, so he blessed our family with the two most precious princesses in the world.  They are the light of my life (in case you could not tell).  I will do a post on where their names originated...of course there is a story there...you will find that there is pretty much always a "story" with me!  haha!  Maggie and Lizzie are on the verge of starting kindergarten in August.

I'm really not sure how all of this blogging will go...I hope to keep it current so that our out of town family can keep up with us, and so that I will have documentation of everything that I don't want to ever forget.

Hop on and enjoy the ride!