Spring Has Sprung!

I haven't not posted because there's nothing going on -- I haven't posted because there's too much going on! We have been super busy lately. It seemed like once spring hit (which in Georgia is generally late February!) we hit the ground running. The kids have been outside playing nearly every day and it's all we can do to keep up with Katie's school.

Katie's appetite for reading and learning has increased exponentially over the last several months. She reads anything she can get her hands on. She really likes comic books (Baby Blues/Foxtrot) and her school books. Recently Katie has been reading an encyclopedia of animals and a book about the Titanic. She told me that her school books are more like "regular" books because they're so much fun to read. She has four loose teeth, in varying stages, though she hasn't quite lost one yet.

Little Joe is beside me now in the kitchen, pretending to be Daisy. If I "accidentally" call him 'Joe' he says, "No, I'll be Daisy!" His imagination is really developing. He is talking a lot more, though his social skills aren't quite there yet. :) When he sees someone he wants to greet, he does different funny things as though he's not sure what to do. For example, he'll hit himself in the head, or stick his tongue out, or just hide behind my legs. Yesterday he greeted Mrs. Chrissy by head-butting a nearby bush. We're looking into obedience schools to try to teach him how to shake.

Jeff has been asked by his boss if he'd be interested in going to a management seminar! Of course Jeff said yes, so he'll go sometime next year. After that, he'll take some management classes, and that puts him in a position for promotion. We're very excited, especially since I've been encouraging him in this for several years. I think he would be great in management level, since he's already showing many of the qualities of a good leader. Also, the district manager, Foster Taliferro, was in Jefferson recently to scout out a good location for a new plant on the quarry site. Jeff (who has been one of the primary operators) told Foster what he thought was the only logical, efficient place to put the plant. Foster said, "You know, I think you may be right." Sure enough, when the plans were made, Jeff's suggestion was what the company had decided to go with. There was another question of what to do concerning an aspect of the plant, and Foster asked Jeff what he thought. Jeff told him that he'd been trying to get it done that way since the plant was built four years ago. It is an answer to our prayers to have Jeff's contribution at work acknowleged! He's been tempted to leave the company for a long time, but every time we prayed about it he continued to feel that this is where God wants him. We know we're in God's will for Jeff to stay where he is, but it's nice to get physical confirmation!