Lexie gets Baptized

Sunday, May 1st 2016, was a BIG day in the Ford House.  Why?  Because Lexie followed through her proclamation of faith in obedience with her baptism.  

She first accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior in June 2015 at Crossfire Basketball camp and a couple months later she went before the church and shared the news publicly.  Following thru in baptism is another big step she was finally ready to take.

Making the day even more special was the fact her very best friend Emory chose to be baptized at the same time.  These girls are as thick as thieves, but without the other knowing they each made the decision to have it done at the same time.  How very special!

A couple of days before Mimi took Lexie by the church to record a short video where she told the congregation a little bit about herself and when she accepted Jesus.  On Sunday, I was with Lexie on the side of the baptistry, and of course I was so nervous/excited/happy for her that I wasn't able to see the video and to be honest I don't remember much of what she said, I was so focused on watching her to make sure she was ok!  Fortunately, Trey had the forethought to record the video on his phone.

Lexie was instructed by the church to wear a dark swimsuit under her gown or a pair of dark shorts and a t-shirt.  My rule-following child came downstairs Sunday morning dressed in black shorts and a dark grey t-shirt.  God bless her!

She didn't worry or freak out or anything.  She was as calm as a cucumber and did great!  I am so proud of my big girl.  

Look at the pure joy on the faces of both girls.  What a special day, one I will remember and cherish forever!

Cubcats with a Cause

It seems as though hosting a lemonade stand is a rite of passage for any kid.  Lexie, my oldest daughter, has been begging her dad for months and months to build her a lemonade stand.  She and her bestie Emory - without any encouragement or prompting from the parents - were adamant they wanted to sell lemonade and jewelry and all the money they raised they were going to give to HIPP.

Some of you may be wondering what exactly HIPP stands for and even more importantly why a group of 7 year old girls wants to raise money for a cause other than themselves.

The Hendersonville Inclusive Playground Project (HIPP) is a group of motivated parents and community members who aim to create a state-of-the-art inclusive playground.Inclusive playgrounds provide accessible, universal play spaces that allow children, regardless of physical, mental, or developmental needs, to play side-by-side with their able-bodied peers. Play areas are not just places where kids have fun, they are places where kids learn to interact with the world, and with each other. Inclusive play spaces serve as joyful incubators of a more inclusive society, in which children with disabilities can enjoy equal opportunities to flourish.

To be honest I believe the plans for this grand fundraiser started last year as kindergartners after attending a program at their school where they had the opportunity to play basketball in wheelchairs.  From their initial request we were eager to help them make this idea a reality, however, as life often does things got in the way and we never made plans or set a date for this event.  About 3 weeks ago the girls started amping up their requests to sell lemonade and jewelry, this time even going as far as to suggesting a location.  So we made a deal, the lemonade and jewelry sale would happen, but they were going to have to do as much of the planning and work as possible.  After all, this would be the perfect opportunity to demonstrate to the girls how much time, planning and work goes into the execution of a successful fundraiser.

First things first, after securing the date and location, they asked two other besties to join in on the fun, Maddie and Campbell.  Together these 4 girls planned, decorated and handed out flyers for the event...

painted signs as well as a portion of the actual lemonade stand...

 squeezed well over 120 lemons...

Lemonade Syrup as well as Raspberry and Strawberry Flavor Shots

made loom bracelets and bear cat earrings and even come up with a price list for all the goodies they sold.  Never once have they complained or even fought, but instead they worked together to as a team to get everything in order.  To say I'm one proud mamma is putting it lightly!

We couldn't have asked for better weather or a better crowd of people who came out and supported the girls in their endeavor.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Together they raised $840.93 - plus there were 4 local businesses who banded together and pledged to match up to $1,600 in donations for a grand fundraising total of $2,440.93!!!!  When everything was cleaned up and the girls finally got to count the cash box they, along with us parents, were completely blown away by such generosity from everyone who stopped and visited the stand.  Not only did they have fun but it was such a great learning experience, and I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear they are already talking and planning another date for the next lemonade stand.