Oak Tree in an Acorn: July 2010

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Camp Invention

Olivia went to a week long creativity camp called Camp Invention this summer. She and her fellow campers brought recyclable materials with them and used them to create new inventions. They also brought an electronic item which they took apart to make something new. Olivia went to GoodWill and bought a flight controller for a video game, she took this apart and added pieces to it to make an earthquake/vibration detector that really works! Olivia is always coming up with inventions and had so much fun having the time and materials to put her creativity to work. If possible, she would love to do this camp again next year.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Happy Birthday, Olivia!

We hope you have a special 7th birthday, Olivia. Your smile is as big as your heart. We love you and no matter how old you are, you'll always be my Baby Cakes. :)

Why the title, "Oak Tree in an Acorn"?

Well, really it's all about perspective when raising the girls. It helps me to think about the grand scheme of parenting and remember that what we do now affects how our little acorns will grow. Like an oak tree, we want them to be strong in their words and deeds, be able to withstand life's storms, set and reach their goals, and be people that others can lean on and trust.

We have an oak tree planted in our yard that came from an acorn my dad planted in a pot. This acorn came from a huge oak tree that was planted in the backyard of my dad's childhood home. My dad's father also planted this tree from an acorn he found on his hunting lease in the early 1960's. Our tree is thus a family heirloom, a "family tree".

It was the year of Olivia's birth when we planted our little sapling. It looked so very sad that winter with no leaves; it was, basically, like a stick rooted in the ground. Five years later, though, it stands 9 feet tall, and we continue to nurture it and watch it grow. We hope one year it will produce acorns of its own, and we can continue to pass on this family heirloom. We hope to remember it's example of how each acorn has the potential to be an oak tree, and how our acorns, Olivia and Genevieve, will one day, with help from God, become mighty oak trees themselves.