51. Have a family picnic at a park.

I did not realize that I was "crossing" another 101 off my list until half way through our picnic! I originally had been researching some new things for us to do as a family this summer since last year was a whirlwind with it being our 1st one in Florida and not knowing anything about the area.
Matt and I have always said that if we could take our old neighborhood and beautiful quaint town of Flushing, MI and transplant it down here in Pensacola, life would be close to perfect. We loved the "small town" feel and the constant family oriented activities that the city sponsored throughout the year. So, during my research, I found the Pensacola 'Community Redevelopment Agency' website and found that they sponsored a family event every Thursday during the summer from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at Plaza de Luna Park (named after the explorer who found Pensacola). It is a newly renovated park right downtown on the waterfront. It's really neat, they have water splash pads for the kids, live bands and a different cartoon character running around in costume every week. I called the CRA and they told me that they turn the splash pads on between 4-4:30 so Avie and I arrived up there early at 4:30 and we were able to enjoy the splash pads for 45 minutes by ourselves! It was WONDERFUL!!! It was absolutely a perfect family night out!! I am so thankful to have found a part of Flushing, MI in Pensacola and we are now turning this into a weekly family outing. Matt and I both felt like it was a perfect break in the week to just chill before the weekend.

Enjoying the spalsh pads before other kids arrived!

Picnic time!

19. Read one parent/self-help book a month for a year. (3/12)

#3 - JUNE 2009 - Taking Care of the Me in Mommy by Lisa Whelchel (YES! Blair from The Facts of Life!)

A friend of mine from high school RAP recommended this read to me and I am super glad that she did because I don't know if I would have found this read on my own! Whelchel writes, "As moms we love to serve and nourish our families. But if we don't learn to rest and receive, we run on empty and end up not being the moms we so desperately want to be."

This book has been an AMAZING resource for "fuel stops" and biblical references. I plan on having this book in my night stand to help reference me when needed and I will definitely be reading this book again!

"Abide in me, and I in you. as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me" (John 15:4). The bottom line is, we cannot be the mothers we want to be without the power of Jesus working in us and through us. If we want to see the fruit of the Spirit grow in our children's lives, then we must first make sure we are abiding in Jesus."

19. Read one parent/self-help book a month for a year. (2/12)

#2 - MAY 2009 - The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman, Ph.D and Ross Campbell, M.D.

I am a huge fan of their original book, "The Five Love Languages" that I read back in 2003 before Matt and I were married. The book gave me a lot of great insight on how people give and need love. In the childrens version, there are the same five love languages:
1. Quality Time
2. Words of Affirmation
3. Gifts
4. Acts of Service
5. Physical Touch
This book talks about the importance in learning your child's love language because knowing it is one of the keys to inspiring them and a chance at meeting their deepest emotional needs. The author writes, "I dream of a day when all children can grow up in homes filled with love and security, where their developing energies can be channeled to learning and serving rather than craving and searching for the love they did not receive at home. It is my desire that this book will help this dream to become a reality for many children."

I have put this book on my "annual" read list. I feel that it's that important for the future of my family and I highly recommend this to anyone who has children.

Some of my favorite nuggets:
"True unconditional love will never spoil a child because it is impossible for parents to give too much of it." pg. 20

"How can I motivate my child? We can motivate only after we have filled our children's love tanks and trained them to manage their anger. Failing in these two essentials, it is nearly impossible to understand how to motivate children." pg. 145

"The psalmist calls children "a gift of the Lord," a "reward," a "heritage." Children are the most wonderful gift we can have. If they mean so much to God, they should mean everything to us, their parents. I would suggest that you make a list of "requirements" for being a good parent." pg. 196 * At the top of my list is to keep my daughter's emotional love tank full and speak the five love languages to her on a daily basis.