Royalty in the House

This past week was exciting with the Birthday of my daughter, Jessie, and the Homecoming nomination of my daughter, Kelsie, to be on Homecoming Court for her High School (one of 5 Senior Class girls chosen). On the same day as Jessie's Birthday was the Homecoming Game and announcement of the "Homecoming Queen". We sat with the audience as each couple walked across the football field, then through a formation of Jr. ROTC members holding their swords in the form of a large tunnel.

Kelsie and Robin Wymer walked together, a Senior football player. Often, the school office thinks these two students are related because when pronounced, not looking at the spelling, the last names sound very much the same (Wymore and Wymer). Kelsie and Robin walked together last year as well, when they were both nominated as the Junior Class Homecoming Prince and Princess.

After much anticipation, The announcement was made...

and this year's "Homecoming Queen...(pause)
KELSIE WYMORE"!

Jessie~ "Queen for the Day" for her Birthday...
Kelsie~ "Queen of Homecoming"

I reflected back to 1981 when I was crowned "Homecoming Queen" of my small school in Washington state; seems a lifetime ago, really!

Through it all, I thought about the feeling most girls get when they're recognized as royalty (whether it's as a princess in some fashion or crowned queen for something special). I thought about how many of us base our value on what other people think; their approval or disapproval. What most don't realize, is we all belong to the "King of Kings" and are royalty in His eyes.


I am proud of Kelsie in her humbleness. As she was crowned Queen for Homecoming this past weekend, it did not and has not gone to her head; she actually seemed a bit uncomfortable with all the attention. Kelsie has a solid relationship with Christ- something I did not have at her age. She knows in her heart that it is not humans recognition and approval of her that gives her value, but the Lord's recognition and approval of her that matters. She has an audience of ONE, a child belonging to The King of Kings, the Creator of all things. This kind of royalty is one that outshines any other. Thank You, God, we are ALL royalty in YOU!

All these beautiful ladies of "royalty" below are some of Kelsie's close friends. (picture taken at the Homecoming Dance)

Andrew and Kelsie.

(we're so blessed they are as much best friends as they are brother and sister!)

Happy Birthday, Jessie!

Jessie has wanted her ears pierced for a long time. Every time she would ask, we told her she had to wait until her "double digit" Birthday (age 10), but decided to let her have them done early... her 9th Birthday. On Thursday, October 14, we went to the local mall and she picked out her birthstone (light pink) to be her first ear rings. Watch her facial expression as the second needle went in; too funny!

Jessie turns 9
TODAY, October 15!

Our family tradition is to have the birthday child's bedroom filled with balloons when they wake up on their birthday morning. (Jessie is under the glob of pink blanket)

To celebrate her Birthday, I took a cookie cake to her 3rd grade class to share with her classmates. The class sang "Happy Birthday", then ate their treat.

Home made by lil ole me.

We also will have a "family birthday party" a day after her birthday, tomorrow- Saturday, Oct. 16, since the Tuloso Midway High School Homecoming is tonight, the night of Jessie's birthday... we will be at the game since big sister, Kelsie, is on the homecoming court (a different upcoming post).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESSIE~
We love you!

Random Happenings and Highlights...

of the past several months.

Kirk and I have been so consumed with our home renovation that I have not blogged about family updates and random life happenings. This post of "random happenings & highlights" is for our friends and family who peak in on this blog to check in on our "Wymore Clan"... we love ya' all!

JUNE:

The kids posing at the "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" in San Antonio.
We took a family vacation to San Antonio and Canyon Lake, Texas for a week in June while the kids were on summer break.

Kirk and I at Canyon Lake. The following month (July 16), we celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary.

We rented a ski boat and tube for the day to spend on Canyon Lake... Joe and Andrew, are first up and have a fun time.

Andrew and Kelsie on the tube.

Jessie and Kelsie. Jessie was a bit timid, but Kelsie encouraged her.

JULY:

We got three new kittens from the Curlee Family that will serve as our "critter cats"... strictly outside kittys that will hopefully help keep mice and snakes away from our house/property (we live in the country on 2 acres).

Jessie and "Socks"

July 9 ~ Joe turns 6 years old!

The Eccles Clan ~ Castle Rock, WA ~ A one week trip I made (by myself without children or hubby) to the Pacific Northwest. I had a great time just hanging out with mom, dad, and my sister, Traci. I saw Curtis (my brother) for a day which was nice. About this picture...
Oh my goodness! This is one of those pictures that adds about 20 pounds... oh wait! Those extra pounds are really there! YIKES.

Andrew and Kelsie ~ First Day of School, July 19.
Andrew is in 9th grade, a Freshman...
Kelsie is in 12th grade, a Senior.
WOW; can't believe they've grown so fast- I remember when they were both just starting Kindergarten!
Keslie drives to school everyday (her cute blue Kia car in the background). Since she's so busy with her variety of activities, it's a blessing she drives. Andrew chooses to ride the bus most of the time (social reasons), but does catch a ride with Kels on occasion.

Jessie and Joe ~ First Day of School, July 19.
Jessie is in 3rd grade and Joe is in 1st.

Kirk and Teri ready for a "Change of Command" dinner... a Navy event that celebrates our new Commanding Officer taking his new position. Congratulations Commander McGee and wife Julie (our new COW - Commanding Officer Wife)!

AUGUST:

With the start of school, comes the start of a new Girl Scout year at London ISD. I am one of the Troop Leaders who administrates the group and helps lead (check out our BLOG). We have a great group of girls, a multi level troop; 36 total girls this year between Daisy, Brownie and Junior levels.

Jessie is a 2nd year Brownie this year.

This IS NOT a posed picture. I walked in the living room and found Jessie attempting to help Joe with his loose tooth. HUMMMM~ maybe we have a future dentist in the family? Although Jessie tried, Joe's tooth took another week before it was ready to come out.

Joe loses not just one tooth, but TWO teeth... in the same day! The tooth fairy paid double that night.

Jessie works on a mosaic project that is a contribution to our next bathroom remodel. Each of the kids helped with this project making mosaic sections. Using discarded pieces of left over tiles from our previous bathroom remodel, we added a new color tile to compliment the left overs, and included glass half marbles that will compliment a stained glass transom window. This mosaic border will surely add a personal touch to the kids' shower surround/bathroom space when we get it finished. (More to follow in an upcoming blog post on how we did this project and the whole bathroom renovation before and afters)

SEPTEMBER:

Over the kids' first intercession break from school (starting Sept. 4), we began demolition on the kids' bathroom...

... and to our surprise, we found a critter living in the bathroom wall. Talk about a "FREAK OUT" when I saw this Texas Rat Snake glaring at me as I peeled away a wall board. I think it was as afraid of me as I was of him. When we tried to capture him to put him outside, he quickly slithered up the wall into a hole in the ceiling between the studs (that the vent pipe went up in). This snake, as far as we know, is now living in our attic! First, I didn't know snakes could slither so fast up a wall; and second, I suppose having this type of snake in our attic is a good thing since he will most likely eat any mice he finds.

September 13 ~ Andrew turns 15!
We celebrated with a family birthday party and Kirk and Andrew spending an entire day putting together one of Andrew's birthday gifts...

...a new gym that Andrew will use to stay fit and conditioned as he trains for the Tuloso Midway High Swim Team this year. We're so proud of you Andrew for your commitment to fitness and faithfulness to swimming on the swim team. We can't wait to see you compete!

September 21 ~ I turn 46! I had a Girl Scout troop meeting after school, then when I got home, Kirk had baked me a cake and we had a family focused evening which was real nice.

Kelsie in her bedroom book worming it for the day! (not wanting her picture taken.)

We are so proud of you, Kelsie!!!
On top of being a person after God's heart doing her best to keep Him at the center of everything, Kelsie is a model example and a great daughter. Her personal ambition and gentle spirit are inspiring.

As a senior, Kelsie is Student Body President of the high school (1006 student enrollment), ranked #2 in her senior class (of 227'ish students), received exceptional SAT and ACT test scores; is applying for Baylor University, Seattle Pacific University, Houghton College, and a couple other Christian schools (hoping she gets clear direction from God as to which way to go), she was just nominated to represent the senior class as one of 5 girls for the homecoming court, and is involved with a number of clubs in her school. In the past couple months, Kelsie had it on her heart to help spearhead a new ministry with some friends at the high school. They are "Youth Alive"; a group that shows the love and kindness of Christ to anyone who might be interested. Their hope is to be be used by God to minister the Gospel to other teens who may not know Christ and to encourage fellow believers in their peer group to live out their faith. They meet once a week and also interact through the week in a variety of other ways. Kelsie, you truly are an example of a godly young lady.

I am proud of all our kids, my husband and thankful for my family. As I reflect on the past several months, I'm feeling a sense of graditude that God has given me all the people in my life. I love it when he brings new people in... random people who "connect"; I have been blessed with many friends- ones I interact with in person, and ones I've met and interact with through bloggy world and social networking. I love how God brings people in our lives for a season, a reason, and sometimes a whole life time. I just want to end with~

I couldn't have hoped for a better group of people to do life with; you reading this post included in that group! Thank YOU, God!!!